FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 
XILINX ACTIVATES INTERNET-BASED DESIGN SOFTWARE  
New WebFITTER tool begins on-line revolution for CPLD users
SAN JOSE, Calif., January 18, 1999 – Delivering on its Silicon Xpresso initiative to increase programmable logic design productivity through increased use of the Internet, Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX), today announced that the company has begun accepting customer design files on-line with its new WebFITTER tool.

The WebFITTER tool permits customers anywhere in the world to do on-line fitting of Xilinx complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) through the Internet.  The WebFITTER tool produces complete on-line reports for design evaluation and it eliminates the need for designers to load software or manage updates and licenses because the latest version of the tool is always available on the Internet. 
   
 “Using the Internet and the WebFITTER tool, Xilinx has greatly simplified the CPLD evaluation process by providing users with a complete CPLD programming file and timing report in just minutes,” said Evert Wolsheimer, vice president and general manager of the Xilinx CPLD Business Unit.  “WebFITTER gives existing and prospective customers an easy way to benchmark Xilinx CPLDs and compare them with competitive offerings, all in a maintenance-free, Internet-enabled environment.”

The WebFITTER tool accepts design files for Xilinx XC9500/XL CPLDs and supports VHDL, Verilog, ABEL, XNF and EDIF input formats. Designers access the WebFITTER tool from the Xilinx Web site (www.xilinx.com) and work from a push-button, graphical user interface integrated with the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers. 

After completing a front-end design on a PC or workstation, users simply enter their email address, attach their design file and send it to the Xilinx server for compilation. Within minutes, a return email provides a complete fitter report and a bitstream to implement the design in the Xilinx CPLD.  The WebFITTER tool utilizes the FPGA Express 3.0 technology from Synopsys, providing users with a powerful synthesis engine that ensures the highest quality of results.

“Synopsys customers have enjoyed the benefits of updates and training delivered over the Web, and we are pleased to work with Xilinx in this new Web-based design solution,” said Jay Michlin, vice president and general manager the Synopsys FPGA Business Unit. “The WebFITTER tool is a demonstration of forward looking technology, and it marks the beginning of a new era in programmable logic design.”

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 commands more than half of the world market 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.

--30-- 

Xilinx is a registered trademark, and all XC-prefix product designations, Silicon Xpresso and WebFITTER, are trademarks of Xilinx, Inc. Other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

#9905
 
Editorial contact:
Mike Seither Kathy Keenan
Xilinx, Inc. Oak Ridge Public Relations
(408) 879-6557 (408) 253-5042
mike.seither@xilinx.com kathy@oakridge.com