FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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SAN JOSE, Calif., August 5, 1998 -- Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX), has announced the results of tests that show that Xilinx SRAM-based field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) demonstrate a low susceptibility to atmospheric radiation. The results of the tests, conducted by Ericsson Saab Avionics AB in Sweden in conjunction with Xilinx, indicate that the devices can be used without limitation in high altitude aviation environments. The tests were carried out to determine the sensitivity of SRAM-based FPGAs to "single event upset" (SEU) induced by high-energy neutrons. A paper summarizing the results of the tests, "Neutron Single Event Upsets in SRAM-Based FPGAs," was presented recently at the IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference in Newport Beach, Calif. The effects of high-energy neutrons on advanced static RAM-based integrated circuits in the atmospheric radiation environment is of concern to designers of avionics and other equipment operating at aircraft altitudes. "Xilinx FPGAs exhibited virtually no upsets due to neutron interaction," said Mattias Ohlsson of Ericsson Saab Avionics AB, Electromagnetic Technology Division, Linkoping, Sweden. "This is much different from conventional SRAM memories, which are more susceptible to neutron-induced soft errors. The Xilinx FPGA storage cells, consisting of cross-coupled inverters with active pull-down and active pull-up transistors, are very robust." Parts tested were from the Xilinx QPRO family of high reliability QML products, which are derived from specific foundries and mask sets. Both 5.0 volt and 3.3 volt Xilinx QPRO FPGA devices were irradiated by neutrons with energy of 100MeV using the cyclotron at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) in Sweden. The SEU frequency for the 5.0 volt devices, containing 178,096 RAM-bits, averaged 1 bit error per 1.3 million flight hours at an altitude of 10 kilometers, or about 33,000 feet. The SEU frequency for the 3.3 volt devices, containing 283,376 RAM-bits, averaged one bit error per 275,000 flight hours at the same altitude. "Xilinx QPRO products are already used in a wide range of defense and aerospace systems," said Howard Bogrow, marketing manager for defense and aerospace products at Xilinx. "The results of this testing and the cooperative efforts with Ericsson Saab Avionics are important to avionics system designers because it demonstrates that Xilinx QPRO FPGAs, with up to 130,000 system gates today, can effectively be used in the atmospheric radiation environment." Based on the test results, Xilinx is developing specialized high-density FPGAs suitable for harsher radiation environments in space for satellite and other applications. Xilinx has completed total dose and heavy ion testing and plans to introduce a special product line for the space market this year. 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. #9833 |
| Editorial contact: | Product Marketing contact: | |
| Mike Seither | Kathy Keller | Howard Bogrow |
| Xilinx Inc. | Oak Ridge Public Relations | Xilinx Inc. |
| (408) 879-6557 | (408) 253-5042 | (408) 879-5396 |
| mike.seither@xilinx.com | kathy.keller@oakridge.com | howard.bogrow@xilinx.com |