For Release: September 7, 1999
Altera Ships Lowest-Cost 30,000-Gate FLEX 10K Device And Completes FLEX 10KE Family Rollout
- Final Member of the High-Performance, Embedded PLD Family
- Fast 0.22-Micron Process Increases Performance, Reduces Power Consumption
- Phase-Locked Loop Enables 64-bit, 66-MHz PCI Compliance
San Jose, Calif., September 7, 1999--Altera Corporation (Nasdaq:ALTR) today announced the availability of the EPF10K30E - an enhanced 0.22-micron, 30,000-gate FLEX® 10K programmable logic device (PLD) featuring PLL and embedded dual-port RAM. With 24,576 bits of embedded RAM, 1,728 logic elements, and 2.5-V operation, the device enables high performance, low power consumption and an efficient cost structure. The EPF10K30E fully supports 64-bit, 66-MHz PCI compliance - an important feature, as more than 30% of new application specific IC designs utilize some PCI functionality, according to a recent Dataquest report. The embedded PLL further enhances I/O performance and improves pin-to-pin timing for applications such as ISDN modems, ATM switches, and digital video broadcast equipment.
"With the introduction of the EPF10K30E on a state-of-the-art 0.22-micron process, Altera offers designers the lowest-cost PLD with PLL and dual-port RAM on the market," said Craig Leclair, Altera director of components marketing. "This device provides designers with a good entry point to the FLEX 10KE family's embedded memory capabilities, PCI compliance, and PLL features."
Embedded Array Blocks with Dual-Port RAM
The EPF10K30E device features six embedded array blocks and advanced dual-port RAM in flexible configurations up to 16 bits wide. The device also features dual-port RAM and highly efficient logic resources for RAM and wide FIFO functions to fulfill many applications that require simultaneous access to high-speed memory.
The EPF10K30E device offers 140-MHz 16-tap, 8-bit FIR filter performance. Using Altera's programmable delay, the EPF10K30E device delivers 64-bit, 66-MHz PCI compliance by allowing the I/O signal to meet stringent PCI setup time specifications. The programmable delay also provides benefits for non-PCI applications by improving I/O timing.
Altera's ClockLock™ programming option uses on-chip PLL circuitry that reduces clock delay and skew to increase I/O performance up to 35 percent. The ClockBoost™ feature provides internal 2x clock multiplication, doubling datapath bandwidth and reducing the use of logic resources. The ClockBoost option also simplifies high-frequency board design as the PCB can operate at half the frequency required by the ClockBoost-enabled EPF10K30E device.
Completes FLEX 10KE Family Rollout
The EPF10K30E device is the final device in Altera's FLEX 10KE product family, following the shipment last month of the EPF10K200S and this week's shipment of the EPF10K50S. The FLEX 10KE family has been the fastest-ramping of any Altera product line.
Software Support
The EPF10K30E device with PLL circuitry is supported by the MAX+PLUS® II development system. To enable the ClockLock or ClockBoost features, designers use MAX+PLUS II to parameterize a function called CLKLOCK. The CLKLOCK function has parameters for input clock frequency and clock multiplication. After compilation, MAX+PLUS II software can simulate timing and functionality and provide timing analysis.
I/O Features
The EPF10K30E device features Altera's patented MultiVolt™ feature that allows designers to seamlessly interface between 5.0-, 3.3-, and 2.5-V devices in a mixed-voltage environment. The EPF10K30E device also includes I/O clamping diodes that are required for electrical compliance with the 3.3-V PCI specification. This feature can be selected on a pin-by-pin basis, making it ideal for interfacing between a 3.3-V PCI bus and a 3.3- or 5.0-V backplane.support.
Availability, Packaging, & Pricing
Packaging to support the EPF10K30E device includes 144-pin TQFP, 208-pin PQFP, 256-pin FineLine BGA™, and 484-pin FineLine BGA packages. The EPF10K30E device is available now for $8.25 per device in high volume quantities.
Safe Harbor Notice
This press release contains "forward looking statements" which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements are generally preceded by words such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "projects," or "intends." Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainty, including without limitation the risks that the Company's products will not satisfy customer demands, that other companies will develop products with higher densities than those offered by the Company, and that yields will not be sufficient to support projected pricing. 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, The Programmable Solutions Company™, was founded in 1983 and is a worldwide 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 work stations. 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 low-power applications. Altera products serve a broad range of markets, including telecommunications, data communications, computer peripherals, and industrial applications. Altera common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR.
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