XILINX UNVEILS XTREMEDSP INITIATIVE FOR THE BROADBAND MARKET

600 billion MAC per second DSP performance used in Xilinx Platform FPGA concept enables convergence of wireless, networking and video technologies

SAN JOSE, Calif., November 21, 2000 - Xilinx, Inc. , (NASDAQ:XLNX), the leader in programmable logic solutions, today unveiled its XtremeDSPä initiative to address the increasing need for high-performance DSP solutions driven by the broadband revolution. The initiative marks a major commitment by the company to further establish its leadership position as a high-performance DSP solutions provider. Solutions from the Xilinxâ initiative will support over 600 billion multiply accumulates cycles (MACs) per second, more than 100 times faster than the industry's leading embedded DSP processor core.

The initiative also includes such solutions as new DSP features in its next generation Virtexä -II architecture, pre-engineered DSP algorithms, and enabling system-level DSP development tools. To meet the DSP solutions of tomorrow, the initiative also includes a roadmap for high-level language (HLL) design, new strategic industry and university partnerships, and acquisition plans to expand DSP research and development.

"We're at the beginning of a new information technology era, a convergence of consumer electronic, communication infrastructure and computer technology," said Will Strauss, president and founder of Forward Concepts. "With the increasing integration and performance capability of FPGA technology, it is enabling many new high-performance DSP applications within the area of broadband, such as wireless Internet, voice over IP (VoIP), and HDTV broadcasting."

"Xilinx is in a unique position to address this technology convergence because we already are well established in the wireless, networking and video markets," said Wim Roelandts, president and CEO of Xilinx. "With the XtremeDSP initiative we are combining high-performance DSP solutions with our FPGAs, focusing our efforts toward developing innovative and complete mainstream solutions to meet the new DSP challenge."

New Silicon Features and Pre-Engineered Algorithms Enable Breakthrough Performance

The XtremeDSP initiative draws upon all technologies within the company. As a result, several new unique DSP and arithmetic features have been developed for the Virtex-II architecture. The new features implemented in deep sub-micron technology allow the leading platform for high-performance DSP implementations approaching TeraMAC (Trillion Multiply Accumulates) per second DSP performance.

Within the XtremeDSP initiative, Xilinx has expanded the Intellectual Property Solutions engineering organization significantly and added several new partnerships to develop pre-engineered DSP algorithms, also known as cores. Eleven new DSP algorithms were released today to accelerate the development time for customers implementing data communication and image processing applications. For more information on these new Virtex-II features and DSP algorithms, see related press release dated November 21, 2000.

DSP development tools roadmap for HLL design

The XtremeDSP initiative includes a tools roadmap for visual data-flows, power estimation, HLL methodologies, software and hardware partitioning and co-simulation. A step in this roadmap was the Xilinx acquisition in July 2000 of Lava Logic, a developer of synthesis technology built around the Java and C++ programming languages. This acquisition addresses the recognized gap between system-level DSP design and FPGA implementations and provides design tools and methodologies familiar to DSP designers.

The MathWorksâ and Xilinx exclusive partnership, formed earlier this year, exemplifies another step in the roadmap. The first product resulting from the partnership is the new Xilinx System Generator™ tool for SimulinkÒ announced last month at ICSPAT. The System Generator tool allows designers to define and verify a complete DSP system using industry standard DSP tools from The MathWorks.

"The MathWorks currently has 100,000 DSP customers that use our tools for development and simulation of DSP algorithms," said Ken Karnofsky, DSP and communications marketing manager at The MathWorks. "As a result of The MathWorks and Xilinx partnership, for the first time our mutual customers have a complete integrated DSP design solution—from system-level representation to FPGA implementation."

New University and Industry Partnerships and Acquisition Plans

An important part of the XtremeDSP initiative is the ongoing support of university research and education and an active search for industry-wide partnerships and acquisitions. Partnerships for providing DSP algorithms include a strategic development and OEM agreement with Integrated Silicon Systems Ltd. announced in June 2000. Under this agreement ISS is providing multimedia and communications cores to Xilinx, several of which were also announced in the related press release today. Another example is the alliance for configurable processor cores and a worldwide network of design centers with ARC Cores announced July 2000. Under the agreement, ARC Cores is providing 32-bit configurable processor solutions proven for DSP, Voice over IP (VoIP), and MP3 applications in Xilinx Virtex FPGAs.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading supplier of complete programmable logic solutions, including advanced integrated circuits, software design tools, predefined system functions delivered as cores, and unparalleled field engineering support. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Xilinx invented the field programmable gate array (FPGA) and fulfills more than half of the world demand for these devices today. Xilinx solutions enable customers to reduce significantly the time required to develop products for the computer, peripheral, telecommunications, networking, industrial control, instrumentation, aerospace, defense, and consumer markets. For more information, visit the Xilinx web site at http://www.xilinx.com.

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