SAN JOSE, Calif., August 3, 1998–Xilinx Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX) today announced the latest version of its Foundation Series software with new enhancements for mainstream programmable logic designs. Key elements of this version 1.5 software include simplified push-button design flows and enhanced design implementation software delivering optimized results for typical FPGA and CPLD applications.
With the Foundation Series 1.5 release, Xilinx high volume market solutions now serve a broader audience of logic designers and design applications. High performance, low cost IC technologies, including Spartan FPGAs and XC9500 CPLDs, with low-cost, ready-to-use HDL design software, enable the adoption of programmable logic by designers who previously used gate array, simple PLD, or discrete logic components. Because the new technologies in the 1.5 release scale across all Xilinx IC technologies and densities, traditional FPGA designers will also see productivity increases as they migrate into higher density and higher performance applications.
"Most programmable logic design starts are under 50,000 gates with system performance requirements up to 50 MHz," said Steve Wolfe, Xilinx Foundation Series product line manager. "The cost, performance, and time-to-market advantages of our combined IC and software solution are attracting a tremendous amount of digital logic designers to programmable logic for the first time. Our Foundation Series 1.5 release is fueling this adoption with its easy-to-use HDL design tools and push-button design flows that allow design performance done to specification without hand-crafted implementation."
This latest release includes the new Xilinx AKAspeed technology, a suite of new algorithms and algorithmic strategies combined with advanced new feature sets and applications optimized to address the elements of today's higher performance, higher density designs. This technology features the fastest timing-driven place-and-route technology available - a necessary feature for all but the most simple
designs. For a range of designs up to 50,000 gates and 50 MHz, the Xilinx timing-driven tools completed the designs automatically with typical compile times measured in minutes. The benefits of the Xilinx AKAspeed technology also extend to the highest performance and highest density applications, delivering fast compile times and high clock frequencies.
In order to address the high volume market demands for push-button design
software, Xilinx has created an intuitive project management environment
in the 1.5 version for true push-button design flows. A key element is
the Synopsys FPGAExpress 
synthesis
engine and the Xilinx advanced implementation tools embedded directly within
the Foundation Series project manager, eliminating the need to invoke these
tools individually. Users benefit from single push-button design flows,
pop-up forms for user control settings, and easy access to design entry
and analysis applications such as HDL editor, state machine editor, graphical
timing constraint entry, and synthesis timing analysis. True push-button
design flows also minimize the need for designers to understand device
architectural features and allow them to focus on their value-added functionality
and time-to-market.
The Foundation Series 1.5 release will be available for early customer
shipments next month with volume production shipments to begin in September.
As previously announced, Xilinx will also include HDL Simulation products
from Aldec (Active VHDL)
and Model Technology (ModelSim) in the 1.5 version, allowing access to
these necessary verification tools. The 1.5 software supports all Xilinx
product families, including XC4000X, XC3100A/L, XC5200, and Spartan/XL
FPGAs, plus XC9500 CPLDs. The new software is available for popular PC
and workstation platforms and operating systems such as Windows95 and Windows
NT; Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Windows. Pricing starts as low as $95.
More digital designers use Xilinx software than any other competitors'
tools. In addition, Xilinx software last quarter outsold its nearest competitor
by more than 100 percent.
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 headquarters in San Jose, Calif., Xilinx invented field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and commands more than half of the world market for these devices today. Xilinx solutions enable customers to significantly reduce the time required to develop products for the computer, peripheral, telecommunication, networking, industrial control, instrumentation, high-reliability/military, and consumer markets. For more information, visit the Xilinx web site at www.xilinx.com.
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