| Ann Duft | Kathy Keller |
| Xilinx, Inc. | Oak Ridge Public Relations |
| (408) 879-4726 | (408) 253-5042 |
| publicrelations@xilinx.com | kathy.keller@oakridge.com |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 4, 1998—Leading the industry in packaging technology, Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX), announced new chip scale packaging available for its XC9536 complex programmable logic device (CPLD). Xilinx is the first non-memory manufacturer, and programmable logic supplier, to have chip scale packaging (CSP) technology available now. This package is ideally suited for a growing number of applications such as PCMCIA cards, PC boards, PC add-in cards, and many portable and wireless designs. Chip scale packaging is an ultra-miniature IC package, approximately 20 percent larger than the size of the die, with a ball-pitch less than one millimeter. The first Xilinx CSP with 48 pins has a seven-millimeter by seven-millimeter ball array configuration using a 0.8-millimeter solder ball pitch. The 0.8-mm technology defines chip scale packaging and measures the pitch width from one solder ball to the other on the bottom on the package. Package technologies measuring greater than 0.8 millimeters are considered ball grid arrays. The footprint of the Xilinx 48-pin CSP is three times smaller than the 44-pin very thin quad (TQ44) package and 40 percent smaller than the 48-pin thin quad (TQ48) package. "Our very popular XC9536 device, in this new 48-pin chip scale package, contains the same amount of logic as a 44-pin PLCC but in a package that is roughly the same size as the head of a pencil," said Evert Wolsheimer, vice president and general manager of the CPLD division. "CSP growth is expected to grow quickly due to the increasing demand in wireless and portable design applications requiring the in-system programming of our CPLD FastFLASH products. Xilinx is prepared to meet this demand involving future CPLD families and we are also anticipating putting our FPGAs into CSP technology later this year." Manufacturers who require extremely small form factor packages for applications such as video games, handsets, and PCMCIA applications can now take advantage of the time-to-market flexibility and low cost benefits of Xilinx ISP CPLDs. Despite its size, Xilinx CSP still maintains excellent thermal transfer characteristics for better heat dissipation in portable products. The XC9536 CSP device will be available in –7 and –10 speed grades. The XC9536-10CS48 device is priced at $3.35 in 100-piece quantities. Samples are available now with production volumes by June. A variety of software is available to support all XC9500 devices, including the Xilinx Foundation Series software, available for only $95, and the Xilinx Alliance Series software with third-party interfaces from leading EDA partners. 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. #9818 |