Altera APEX™ PLDs Selected for Cisco Systems' ADSL WAN Interface Card (WIC) for 1700, 2600, and 3600 Series Routers
San Jose, Calif., September 27, 2000--Altera Corporation (Nasdaq: ALTR), a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs), today announced that Altera APEX™ PLDs have been chosen to provide the core functionality for Cisco's new ADSL WAN Interface Card (WIC) for 1700, 2600, and 3600 series routers. The ADSL WIC fulfills a key role in Cisco's overall product offering by providing ADSL access to a wide range of their router customers.
"The ADSL WIC is an integral part of Cisco's DSL solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, small branch offices, and Enterprise branch offices," explained Marc Bresniker, DSL product marketing manager for Cisco's Remote Internetworking Business Unit. "Cisco's 1700, 2600, and 3600 series of routers with the ADSL WIC provides the perfect solution for businesses that require business-class DSL access with support for security, VPNs, voice, and video on a flexible, modular platform."
Cisco became one of the first adopters of Altera APEX technology during the fall of 1999 when they decided to use the 200K-gate APEX EP20K200E PLD in the development of the ADSL WIC. The Cisco design team evaluated several devices from different programmable logic vendors before deciding on Altera APEX PLDs. "The APEX solution provided a comprehensive overall package, including technical merit, great value, and complete support," stated Jim Grishaw, Hardware Design Engineer for Cisco's Remote Internetworking Business Unit. "In terms of our design, the size and granularity of the APEX Embedded System Blocks (ESBs) as well as the low-profile Fineline ball-grid array (BGA) packaging was a good fit for our needs."
Beth Topolovsky, Cisco's Hardware Engineering Manager responsible for the project, added, "The ADSL design is one of the most complex designs that Cisco has ever placed on a WAN Interface Card. We required large-scale integration and low power consumption, both of which the APEX solution delivered. Altera's high level of support for our development helped us master the tools and mitigate risks, leading to a very successful release."
"We are pleased to have been able to provide Cisco with the right hardware implementation and customer support for their ADSL WIC product," said Steve Mensor, Altera's director of components marketing, LUT Products. "Altera's APEX device family provides the flexibility and rapid time-to-market that industry leaders like Cisco need."
About Altera
Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company®, was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs). Altera's CMOS-based PLDs are user-programmable semiconductor chips that enhance flexibility and reduce time-to-market for companies in the communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. By using high performance devices, software development tools, and sophisticated intellectual property cores, system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions can be created with embedded processors, memory, and other complex logic together on a single PLD. Altera common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR. More information on Altera is available on the Internet at http://www.altera.com.
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