DSP-optimised FPGAs available in volume

All three devices in the 65nm Virtex-5 SXT family are production-qualified and supported by the XtremeDSP portfolio of development tools and IP.

All Xilinx DSP-optimised Virtex-5 SXT devices are available in production.

These devices are part of the Xilinx XtremeDSP portfolio of solutions that includes development kits, design software, IP and reference designs.

The Virtex-5 SXT platform of devices is optimised for high performance and can deliver over 350GMACs of fixed-point performance for many applications including wireless, test and measurement, and defence and up to 82.5GFLOPS of floating-point DSP performance for applications such as medical imaging.

All three devices in the 65nm Virtex-5 SXT family are production-qualified and supported by the XtremeDSP portfolio of development tools and IP including, System Generator for DSP, Core Generator, Platform Studio and ISE Foundation.

The Virtex-5 SXT platform consists of three devices, SX35T, SX50T and SX95T, that offer a range in logic density from 35,000 to 95,000 logic cells and 192 to 640 dedicated DSP48E slices.

Developers can get started on designs today by purchasing the Virtex-5 SXT FPGA ML506 evaluation platform.

The Virtex-5 SXT devices complete the XtremeDSP silicon portfolio that is available today for delivering maximum price/performance flexibility to customers.

The other platforms include the 90nm Virtex-4 SX platform with over 250GMACS at 500MHz and the Spartan-3A DSP platform with the most price-performance optimised devices offering over 30GMACS at 250MHz.

"With Virtex-5 SXT devices available in production, customers can confidently implement the industry's leading DSP-optimised FPGA in their high-performance systems", says Vin Ratford, Vice President and General Manager of the Xilinx Processing Solutions Group.

"For example, these devices can be used to lower the costs of wireless basestations, support emerging wireless standards, improve the data acquisition and resolution of medical imaging equipment, and improve the performance of defence systems".

Each Virtex-5 SXT device offers integrated system-level capabilities that shrink design cycles and reduce system cost.

These features include low-power RocketIO GTP serial transceivers, and built-in PCI Express Endpoint and trimode Ethernet MAC blocks.

No other FPGA vendor provides a DSP-optimised FPGA fabric that also includes dedicated PCI Express and trimode Ethernet blocks.

The Virtex-5 family is the industry's first FPGA to use 65nm triple-oxide technology to reduce overall dynamic power consumption up to 35% while maintaining low static power consumption.

The enhanced DSP48E block consumes only 1.4mW/100MHz typical at 38% toggle rate, and the RocketIO GTP transceivers consume as little as 100mW typical at 3.2Gbit/s, all of which combine to lower the overall system power and cost.

Production-qualified Virtex-5 SXT devices are available today in FF665 27 x 27mm and FF1136 35 x 35mm packages.

The SX50T lists for US $299 in 1000-unit volumes.

For even further cost reductions, the Virtex-5 EasyPath programme offers up to 75% cost reduction.

The ML506 board featuring the Virtex-5 SX95T device is available now and sells for $1195.

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