FPGA expansion targets networking niche

New devices will enable new levels of cost-optimisation for industrial networking, medical imaging, motor control, defence and high-performance computing applications.

Xilinx has added three new devices and small form factor packaging to its award winning 65nm Virtex-5 LX and LXT FPGA platforms as the adoption of programmable logic in new markets drives new cost and density requirements.

The addition of the Virtex-5 LX155 device to the logic-optimised LX platform, and the addition of the LX20T and LX155T devices plus a new small footprint 19mm FF323 package to the Virtex-5 LXT platform with low power transceivers will enable new levels of cost-optimisation for industrial networking, medical imaging, motor control, defence and high-performance computing applications.

"Because the Virtex-5 family's architecture is a modular framework of silicon subsystems, we have a development methodology for rapid and cost-effective deployment of platforms targeted to different application domains", says Steve Douglass, Vice President and General Manager of the Xilinx Advanced Product Division.

"As Xilinx engages with designers in emerging and nontraditional markets, we are able to fine-tune our offerings to better meet the many different requirements and needs of these new markets".

The Virtex-5 family offers designers the industry's most advanced, and available, 65nm FPGA technology and the only FPGAs with built-in PCI Express Endpoint and tri-mode Ethernet MAC blocks.

The Virtex-5 LXT platform gives designers an off-the-shelf serial connectivity solution that saves time, reduces power consumption and frees up valuable FPGA fabric resources.

The hardened PCI Express endpoint block saves users up to 10,000 LUTs and over 2W power compared with soft IP core implementations, and its 3.75Gbit/s GTP transceivers consume less than 100mW each at 3.2Gbit/s.

All 15 Virtex-5 LX and LXT devices announced with the 2006 launch of the Virtex-5 family are production qualified, and open for order entry.

"With its mix of features such as endpoint blocks for PCI Express and low-power serial transceivers, the Virtex-5 LXT family enhances our ability to deliver the FPGA platforms our defence and aerospace customers need to implement their very demanding DSP designs", says Thomas Nygaard, Chief Technology Officer at Vmetro.

"With almost 50% more logic than the LX110T FPGA, the LX155T device will now be available on our products that already support the LX110 and SX95T devices, specifically, our AD1500 and AD3000 XMC modules and the Phoenix VPF2, a dual Virtex-5 FPGA and dual PowerPC processor VITA 41 (VXS) board".

On the low end of the density range, Xilinx is adding the new Virtex-5 LX20T device to enable customers to more cost effectively implement serial standards into a low-density device.

For applications such as motor control, the Virtex-5 LX20T device offers designers a single device solution for integrating microcontroller, waveform generation, networking protocols and other functions in a cost-effective high-performance FPGA with low logic consumption.

The Virtex-5 LX20T is pin compatible with the Virtex-5 LX30T for easy design migration and can take full advantage of the small footprint 19mm FF323 package.

Xilinx is adding the Virtex-5 LX155 and LX155T devices to address cost and programmable resource requirements in many compute intensive applications such as medical imaging, industrial control and high-performance computing.

The devices use an innovative package migration capability that enables customers to design in either Virtex-5 LX110 and LX110T devices or LX220 and LX220T devices in a package that is pin compatible with the new LX155 and LX155T devices.

The DSP optimised Virtex-5 SX95T device is also pin compatible with the Virtex-5 LX155 and LX155T devices.

"By utilising Virtex-5 platform technology for our embedded computing solutions, we can quickly, and cost effectively, meet new and changing needs from our customers in the Defense and Aerospace sectors", says Stephen Lynas, Vice President of Marketing at Nallatech.

"Nallatech has based its forthcoming VXS and XMC COTS products on the SX95T.

The introduction of the new LX155T device from Xilinx that is footprint compatible with the SX95T enables us to offer new capabilities to our customers without having to invest in significant board redesign".

Designers can begin their designs today for the Virtex-5 LX20T, LX155T and LX155 devices using ISE 9.2i SP4 development software and supporting documentation.

All devices are scheduled to be available in production by the second quarter of 2008.

Pricing for these devices is available now; customers can contact their authorised Xilinx representative to obtain a quote based on volume needs.

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