Ann Duft
Xilinx, Inc.
(408) 879-4726
ann.duft@xilinx.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN JOSE, Calif., February 17, 1997--Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX), the world leader in CMOS programmable logic devices, today announced it is offering complete programmable logic solutions for some of the industry's most popular bus standards including Universal Serial Bus (USB) and PCMCIA through its new AllianceCORE program. These cores are available today as part of complete system solutions that include both hardware and software development tools. In addition to the cores, system software and prototyping equipment are available for customers to rapidly integrate the cores into their design, perform system debug in a real-world environment, and then quickly convert the prototype to a production unit.

"Both USB and PCMCIA applications have enormous market potential. There is rapid acceptance of USB in the personal computer market. We see the potential for it to become the PCI standard for embedded serial bus applications such as instrumentation, medical and point-of-sales systems. These are typically less cost-sensitive but still face time-to-market pressures that are best addressed by programmable logic," said Sandeep Vij, vice president of marketing at Xilinx. "In addition, PCMCIA has been a successful market for Xilinx for many years. Although it is well established as an expansion standard for portable computers, we are beginning to see a surge of new interest in PC-card technology for embedded applications such as networking and set-top boxes."

AllianceCORE Solutions

The USB AllianceCORE products, developed by CAE Technology, now part of Mentor Graphics Corp.'s Inventra^TM IP Business Unit, include a 12 Mbps full-speed USB function controller, a 1.5 Mbps low-speed function controller, and a three-port USB hub controller. Inventra is the largest developer and distributor of soft cores and other intellectual property building blocks for integrated circuit design. CAE/Inventra provides Xilinx FPGA-specific design files of its USB peripheral controller functions along with synthesis scripts tuned for Xilinx XC4000E FPGA devices. In addition, Xilinx-based hardware development tools, including USB function and evaluation boards and a USB system simulation model, provide a complete solution for integrating the cores into the target system. This allows a customer to develop and debug a fully USB-compliant peripheral or hub device in a Xilinx FPGA device.

The PCMCIA AllianceCORE products, developed by Mobile Media Research, Inc. (MMRI), include a fax/modem PC-Card interface macro and a PCMCIA interface library. The fax/modem macro is used along with an external fax/modem chip set to form a complete PCMCIA fax/modem card. It has two card configuration registers, interface logic for controlling an external Card Information Structure (CIS) EEPROM, and a serial interface port. The PCMCIA library provides basic building blocks for a custom PC-Card interface. In addition, MMRI provides complete development tools with a Windows-based CIS generator, system-level debug software and test hardware that includes a Xilinx-based PC-Card prototyping board. This allows a customer to develop and debug a fully functional PCMCIA card using a Xilinx FPGA device.

AllianceCORE Format

Xilinx AllianceCOREs are provided as pre-defined modules that allow customization in critical areas. The format for cores provided to the ASIC market is typically generic and synthesizable. Although it offers flexibility for users with unique requirements, it is often not an optimal solution for FPGAs. A Xilinx AllianceCORE implementation is optimized for density and performance in a Xilinx device, preserving the time-to-market value of programmable logic. Flexibility is provided by allowing customers to quickly implement unique logic on the same device. Source code versions of the cores are also available from the AllianceCORE partners for customers who need maximum flexibility.

AllianceCORE Program

"Xilinx was the first programmable logic company to embrace the concept of cores for FPGAs with the LogiCORE PCI Interface. Today, with over 170 cores sold, LogiCORE is the most successful core program in the PLD industry," said Vij. "Xilinx has gained considerable experience developing, selling and servicing cores. Now, the goal is to expand the availability of quality cores for Xilinx devices by sharing that experience with third-party core developers. The level of time and commitment Xilinx puts into working with its partners is unique to the AllianceCORE program, and raises the quality and usability of the cores that are offered. AllianceCOREs are not just cores, they are complete solutions for system design."

Pricing and Availability

The USB function and hub controllers and PCMCIA AllianceCORES are available now. Pricing is set by the AllianceCORE partners. A USB host controller core from Inventra and a CardBus interface core from MMRI will be available during the second half of 1997. In addition, microprocessor peripheral function cores will be available for Xilinx devices in the second quarter of 1997.

Established in 1981, Mentor Graphics Corp. (NASDAQ:MENT) designs, manufactures, markets and distributes electronic design automation (EDA) software and provides professional services supporting its customers' complete design environments. In order to assist design teams with the development of complex integrated circuits--with millions of transistors on a chip--Mentor Graphics has implemented an "Integrated System Design" approach and Intellectual Property (IP) strategy that provide engineers with software tools, reusable hardware and software building blocks, and new service models that enable efficient development of system-on-a-chip and system-on-a-board products. In support of IP industry issues, the company is an inaugural member of the Virtual Socket Interface (VSI) Alliance and RAPID Association. The company is a leader in worldwide EDA sales, with revenues of $447,219,000 over the last reported 12 months. The company currently employs approximately 2,400 people worldwide. The company's headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Ore. 97070-777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentorg.com.

Founded in 1991, Mobile Media Research Inc. was first to provide PCMCIA development solutions and is a leader in providing software and hardware solutions for the new 32-bit CardBus. MMRI offers a complete range of PCMCIA, CardBus and ZV design, debug and development tools. MMRI's product strategy aims at providing building blocks and development tools to reduce time-to-market and increase productivity for PC Card, host and application developers. The company's headquarters are located at 1977 O'Toole Ave., Suite B-207, San Jose, Calif. 95131. For more information on MMRI, access the worldwide web site at http://www.mobmedres.com.

Founded in 1984, Xilinx is the world's largest supplier of programmable logic solutions producing industry-leading device architectures and world class design software. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the company pioneered the market for field programmable gate array (FPGA) semiconductor devices that provide high integration and quick time-to-market for electronic equipment manufacturers in the computer, peripheral, telecommunications, networking, industrial control, instrumentation, high-reliability/military, and consumer markets. For more information on Xilinx, access the worldwide web site at http://www.xilinx.com.

Note to editors: Xilinx is a registered trademark of Xilinx, Inc. All XC-prefix product designations , LogiCore and AllianceCORE are trademarks of Xilinx, Inc. Other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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