For Release: April 7, 1997
Altera Supports Mixed-Voltage Systems with New MultiVolt Interface
- Allows Altera Devices to Interface with Parts Having Different Logic Levels
- CICC Paper Unveils Patent Pending Circuitry for FLEX 10KA Family Devices
San Jose, Calif., April 7, 1997 -- Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) today unveiled MultiVolt
interface for mixed voltage systems. Details of this innovation will appear in a paper published
at the 1997 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) entitled "A 3.3-V Programmable Logic Device
that Addresses Low Power Supply and Interface Trends." The paper describes the patent pending
circuit techniques that enable Altera's low-voltage devices to interface with multiple voltage levels.
The 5-V interface standard has lasted for decades, but the drive to deep sub-micron technologies
has required a shift to lower voltage levels. At 0.35-micron process technologies, a 3.3-V power
supply is required, and many of these devices require a
3.3-V interface. Unlike the 5-V interface standard, the 3.3-V interface standard will be short
lived, because a 2.5-V power supply is required for 0.25-micron processes. In the future, even
lower voltage levels will be required for smaller geometry processes. In today's printed circuit
boards, designers mix conventional 5-V parts with newer 3.3-V parts. The central nucleus of their
systems, often a high-density PLD, must have the capability to interface with these different devices.
The MultiVolt interface meets the increasing demand for compatibility with devices of different
voltages. The MultiVolt interface separates the power supply voltage from the output voltage and
enables Altera devices powered at a given core voltage level to interface with devices using
previous and future generation interface voltage levels. In Altera's FLEX 10KA family of devices,
patent pending circuit techniques isolate and protect the 3.3-V core from the potentially damaging
5-V interface levels on the I/O pins.
"Our system designs often require many different voltage levels," said Jeff Purnell, hardware
manager in the Workgroup Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "We believe the MultiVolt interface
will provide us a great deal of flexibility for interfacing logic at different levels."
MultiVolt Interface Spans Altera's Most Popular Families
Altera's MAX and FLEX families of devices support this mixed voltage interface. Altera's 5-V
devices, the MAX 7000, MAX 9000, FLEX 8000, and
FLEX 10K product families, support interfaces to 3.3-V devices. Altera's 3.3-V offering, the FLEX 10KA
family, supports 5-V and 2.5-V interface levels in addition to 3.3 V.
MultiVolt Interface Voltage Levels
| Core Supply Voltage | Interface Levels Supported |
|---|
| 5 V | 5 V, 3.3 V |
| 3.3 V | 5 V, 3.3 V, 2.5 V |
| 2.5 V | 3.3 V, 2.5 V, 1.8 V |
| 1.8 V | 3.3 V, 1.8 V, Future Level |
Forward-looking statements in this release, including without limitation statements relating to
the ability of the Company's products and product features to meet customer needs and the
patentability of the Company's inventions, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that all
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty, including without limitation risks
that the Company's products may not achieve market acceptance and that patents ultimately may
not be issued on the Company's inventions. Please refer to the Company's Securities and Exchange
Commission filings, copies of which are available from the Company without charge, for further information.
About Altera
Altera Corporation, founded in 1983, is a world-wide leader in high-performance, high-density
programmable logic devices and associated computer aided engineering (CAE) logic development
tools. Programmable logic devices are semiconductor chips that offer on-site programmability
to customers. The chips are programmed using tools that run on personal computers or engineering
workstations. User benefits include ease of use, lower risk, and fast time-to-market. The
Company offers the broadest line of CMOS programmable logic devices that address high-speed,
high-density, and lower power applications. Altera products serve a broad range of markets,
including telecommunications, data communications, computers, and industrial applications.
Altera common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market using the symbol ALTR. More information
on Altera can be obtained on the world-wide web at http://www.altera.com.
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