SAN JOSE, Calif., January 26, 2000 – Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) and Los Alamos National Laboratory today announced a cooperative program aimed at the development of high performance reconfigurable data processors for space-based systems.  The program calls for Xilinx to provide specially processed Virtex™ field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and for Los Alamos National Laboratory to perform radiation testing of the Xilinx devices.  Both parties are cooperating on applications development in high speed digital image and signal processing.

Engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are building a reconfigurable data processing module for space-based remote-sensing applications.  Reconfigurable computing, using Xilinx FPGAs as processors, offers up to one hundred times the processing of a typical microprocessor for applications with highly regular, dataflow-oriented algorithms. In addition,  reconfigurable FPGAs reduce design time before a space launch and allow systems to be fine tuned even after a satellite is in orbit.

"The performance advantage of FPGAs makes them efficient for space application in terms of volume and power requirements," said Michael Caffrey, Project Engineer at Los Alamos. "Reprogrammable FPGAs also alleviate obsolescence encountered with ASICs or other custom fixed-logic products." 

Reconfigurability, radiation tolerance, density, speed, IO performance and architectural features such as block RAM and digital delay lock loops, make the Virtex FPGAs excellent products for space-based computing.

Heavy ion testing was conducted at the Texas A&M University Cyclotron Institute in College Station, Texas, to measure the sensitivity in the Xilinx Virtex devices to both single event latch-up (SEL) and single event upset (SEU) caused by cosmic rays in space.  The results indicate that the specially processed Virtex SRAM-based FPGAs are immune to latch up.  Extensive SEU characterization indicates that the frequency of single event upset is 4E-6 upsets/bit-day in a typical geosynchronous orbit.  The bit upsets that may occur can be tolerated through a combination of rapid detection and recovery and logic redundancy that are inherently available in the Virtex architecture. Details are available on the Xilinx web site web at: 
http://www.xilinx.com/products/hirel_qml.htm#Radiation_Hardened

The cooperative program also will address system level designs that can reliably mitigate single event upsets.  Experiments are planned to validate several of those design concepts, as are radiation tests to characterize system level performance.

 “Our objective is to bring leading-edge and cost-effective FPGA technology with proven reliability to designers of space-based systems," said Rick Padovani director of the Aerospace Products Group at Xilinx.  "We are pleased to have a partner who shares our vision for reconfigurable logic in space applications.” 

"Xilinx and Los Alamos National Laboratory are pleased with the single event effect test collaboration that characterized the Virtex device for space environments. The testing is a significant part of the Los Alamos program sponsored by the US Department of Energy that is at the forefront of space borne reconfigurable computing development," Caffrey said. 

 “After space qualification, Los Alamos will apply the new reconfigurable processor to critical missions in science and national security that often require sustained data throughput of 100 Mbytes per second or more," said Mark Dunham, the Los Alamos Project Leader. "Reconfigurable computing plays a central role in our remote sensors for proliferation detection. Los Alamos has been using the technology for four years with substantial investment in the algorithmic theory as well as system application for image and signal processing.”

Xilinx Virtex devices expand the traditional capabilities of FPGAs by including a powerful set of features that address board level problems for high performance system designs. Those include programmable support for the latest I/O standards, clock signal synchronization on the FPGA and on the board, and a memory hierarchy to manage fast access to RAM on and off chip.

With the Virtex series, digital designers for the first time can use an FPGA to perform not only familiar logic functions, but also tasks that were formerly handled at the board level by separate, dedicated parts. Virtex FPGAs eliminate the need for components such as phase lock loops, voltage translation buffers, and memory when on-chip RAM is sufficient. This high level of integration allows designers to reduce overall system power requirements, cut costs, and save board space. Xilinx plans to introduce radiation qualified Virtex devices later this year. 

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading innovator 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, high-reliability/military, and consumer markets.  For more information, visit the Xilinx web site at www.xilinx.com.

About Los Alamos

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a Department of Energy laboratory operated by the University of California.

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