SAN DIEGO, September 27, 2000 - Applied Micro Circuits Corp. (AMCC) [NASDAQ: AMCC], a leader in high-bandwidth silicon connectivity solutions for the world’s optical networks, and Xilinx® Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX), the leader in complete programmable logic solutions, today announced plans to provide FPGA support for both the Flexbus 3™ and Flexbus 4™ system interfaces.  Flexbus was developed at AMCC to connect SONET/SDH framer and mapper ICs to link layer devices such as SARs and network processors.  Due to its early hardware availability and versatility, Flexbus is one of the most common interfaces used on line cards today, ranging in application from carrier class core routers and switches to access products.  The relationship between Xilinx and AMCC will result in intellectual property solutions that will enable the use of Flexbus 3 and Flexbus 4 in applications that utilize both companies’ products. Further product and availability details will be shared in the near future.

“We are excited to support a market leader in providing robust off-the-shelf OC-192 solutions,” said Rich Sevcik, Xilinx senior vice president of intellectual property, software, and services. 
“The Xilinx Virtex™ family has been extremely well received in the high-end optical networking applications where industry leading programmable performance is required. By enabling our customers to rapidly merge their FPGA-based logic requirements with AMCC’s hardware proven OC-48 and OC-192 solutions, we are together providing significant time-to-market advantages.”

FPGA support for system interfaces such as Flexbus is a key requirement of communications system OEMs, since the flexibility provided by FPGAs can significantly extend the life of established products.  The Xilinx Virtex line of FPGA solutions offers that critical support, in addition to bridging system vendors’ existing – and often proprietary – backplanes or ASIC devices to Flexbus, in order to take advantage of standard framer technology from companies such as AMCC.  Virtex products are also ideally suited for applications that deal with transitions in technology and data rates, such as interleaving traffic from 4 OC-12 network processors into one OC-48 framer with a Flexbus 3 interface. 

“We have been using the Virtex technology in our lab to build test platforms for over two years now, and have been very successful getting the Flexbus-to-Virtex interface to run at wire speed for both OC-48 and OC-192 rates,” said John LoMedico, vice president of digital products at AMCC.  “The FPGA support from Xilinx is proof-positive of the popularity and flexibility of our Flexbus system interfaces; we’re excited about the enabling advantages it will provide to our customers.”

With AMCC’s framer and mapper solutions, designers can build systems that terminate mainstream traffic like ATM and POS packet over SONET.  Using a Direct Map Mode (DMM) option, users can also map virtually any type of traffic into the SONET payload.  “We have customers using this capability to transport Ethernet and Fiber channel over the public network,” added LoMedico.

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 AMCC
AMCC designs, develops, manufactures and markets high-performance, high-bandwidth silicon solutions for the world's optical networks. The Company utilizes a combination of high-frequency, mixed-signal design expertise and multiple silicon process technologies to offer IC products for the telecommunications market that address the SONET/SDH and ATM transmission standards and for the data communications markets that address the Gigabit Ethernet, ATM and Fibre Channel transmission standards. AMCC's core technologies also address ATE and high-speed computing needs. AMCC's corporate headquarters and wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Diego, California. Sales and consulting engineering offices are located throughout the world. For further information regarding AMCC and its products, write: Marketing Communication Department, AMCC, 6290 Sequence Drive, San Diego, California 92121-4358; or call 1-800-755-AMCC (1-800-755-2622) or (858) 450-9333; or fax (858) 450-9885; or email nwpr@amcc.com; or visit our website at http://www.amcc.com.

AMCC Forward Looking Statements:
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, "The Factors That May Affect Future Results" detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2000, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially, as a result of such factors, from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Product photos, datasheets and application notes are available upon request. AMCC is a registered trademark of Applied Micro Circuits Corporation. 

#0081
 

Editorial Contacts:	Product Marketing Contacts:
Jennifer Wright	Babak Hedayati
Xilinx, Inc.	Xilinx, Inc.
408 879-7727	408 879-5035
jennifer.wright@xilinx.com	babak.hedayati@xilinx.com
Karina Wollesen	Bill Berridge
Ardell Group	AMCC
(650) 569-3806	(858) 535-4260
karina@ardellgroup.com	billb@amcc.com