netX 90
Smallest multiprotocol SoC

  • Smallest multiprotocol SoC with an additional Cortex M4 application processor

  • Integrated security functions for secure field and cloud connectivity

  • Supports all Industrial Ethernet, fieldbus, and IIoT standards

  • Energy-efficient SoC with the lowest power loss

With the rise of Industrial IoT, the topic Security became a key technology for cyber-physical systems. For that purpose, Hilscher developed the next generation of network controllers based on the success of the netX 51/52.

The netX 90 is the first building block of this new family. It convinces with its high integration density, optimized performance, improved power loss and is perfectly suitable for industrial applications with smaller form factors.

The increasing complexity of System-on-Chips (SoC) and the enormous costs for software development and maintenance, associated with multiprotocol-capable real-time industrial communication, turned into market requests that promote solution-oriented concepts.

The perfectly harmonized interplay of hardware and software reduces the development time with the netX 90 and enables a faster “time to market”.

The netX SoC design combines two separate system paradigms in one tiny package, one CPU-kernel for real-time industrial communications and one for industrial applications. The inter-CPU data exchange between both systems, based on a consistent and uniform API, enables application developers to use protocol stacks for communication tasks as loadable firmware (LFW), fully tested and precertified by Hilscher.

This LFW-based software solution can be used regardless of whether the netX 90 is designed as a stand-alone chip application or as a companion chip with host interface. The LFW fully carries out the real-time communication tasks for Industrial Ethernet or Fieldbus. The external host interface ensures a high degree of interoperability for maximum I/O data throughput and a precise synchronization derived from the network cycle time.

All things considered, the netX 90 provides a superior solution of unmatched flexibility for a large variety of industrial slave/device applications in process and factory automation.

Features

Communication

Application

Core

ARM® Processor

Cortex®-M4 at 100 MHz with MPU

Cortex®-M4 at 100 MHz with MPU and FPU

Hilscher 32-bit RISC

xPIC at 100 MHz with 2x 8 KB TCM

xPIC at 100 MHz with 2x 8 KB TCM

Memory

SRAM (ECC)

576 KB

64 KB

Flash (ECC)

1024 KB

512 KB

Mask ROM

96 KB

-

System

DMA Controller

3 channels

3 channels

WDC (ARM / xPIC)

1 / 1

1 / 1

Timer (ARM / xPIC)

2x 32-bit / 3x 32-bit

2x 32-bit / 3x 32-bit

Built-in Bootloader

Host Interface (DPM/SPM), Ethernet (xC0 DHCP/TFTP), Serial (FTDI USB to JTAG/UART)

Network

xC Subsystem

2 channels

-

IEEE 1588 SysTime

2

1

Fast Ethernet PHY

Dual-port, FX support

-

100 Mbps LVDSPHY

Dual-port

-

Ethernet MAC

10 / 100 Mbps, MII

Peripheral

UART (Up to 10 Mbaud)

1

2

SPI (Up to 50 MHz)

-

4

I2C (Up to 3.4 MHz)

2

2

CAN (2.0B, SJA1000)

-

2

IO-Link V1.1 Controller

-

8 channels

MLED (PWM tuned)

4

8

PIO / GPIO / MMIO

- / 4 / -

Up to 49 / 8 / 16

Mixed Signal

Timer (PWM, IC/OC)

4x 32-bit (Min. 10 ns)

8x 32-Bit (Min. 10 ns)

ADC SAR (12-bit, 2 Msps)

2x 2 channels

EnDat 2.2 (Master E6)

.

2 (With RTM)

BiSS / SSI (Master MB)

-

2 / 2

Host interface

Parallel (DPM)

8/16-bit (Read access min. 55 ns)

Intern 32-bit

Serial (SPM)

2x SPI/QSPI (Up to 125 MHz/33 MHz)

-

MAC (PHY Mode)

MII (10/100 Mbps)

-

External memory

SRAM / NOR / NAND / SDRAM

✓ / ✓ / - / ✓ (8/16-bit)

SD/MMC / SDIO

SPI Mode / -

QSPI (XiP)

XiP/Read only

Security

Crypto Core

SSL/TLS accelerator, up to RSA-4096, ECC-512, AES-256, and SHA-512

Secure Boot

Mask ROM Code, EMSA-PSS

Built-in support

Security levels, AHB Firewall

Debug

CoreSightTM ETM

JTAG/SWD, 4-bit TPIU

Boundary Scan

JTAG

Analog

DC/DC / POR / BOD

✓ / ✓ / ✓

Thermal diode

Clock Supervisor

Xtal (RC-Osc)

Electrical

Power Supply

Single 3.3 V

Temperature range

Ta -40°C ... +85°C

Power consumption

TBD

Package dimensions

144-pin BGA, 10x10 mm2, 0.8 mm Ball Pitch

Product name

Part number

Brief description

NETX 90 (BOX)

2270.100

netX 90 Network Controller, 15 pieces

NETX 90 (TRAY)

2270.200

netX 90 Network Controller, 240 pieces

NETX 90 (PACKAGE)

2270.300

netX 90 Network Controller, 1200 pieces

NETX 90 (TAPE&REEL)

2270.400

netX 90 Network Controller, 1500 pieces

Accessory

Loadable Firmware EtherCAT Slave

 

Loadable Firmware Sercos Slave

 

Loadable Firmware POWERLINK Controlled Node

 

Loadable Firmware PROFIBUS DP Slave

 

Loadable Firmware DeviceNet Slave

 

Loadable Firmware CANopen Slave

 

Loadable Firmware EtherNet/IP Adapter

 

Loadable Firmware EtherNet/IP Adapter + OPC UA Server + MQTT Client

 

Loadable Firmware PROFINET IO-Device

 

Loadable Firmware PROFINET IO-Device + OPC UA Server + MQTT Client

 

Loadable Firmware Open Modbus/TCP

 

Loadable Firmware CC-Link IE Field Basic Slave

 

Loadable Firmware CC-Link Slave

 

Development board

 

Loadable Firmware VARAN Client