CoreFFT Generator Strengthens Actel's Evolving DSP IP Portfolio

CoreFFT Produces FPGA-Optimized Modules That Can Achieve Ten Microsecond Fast Fourier Transforms on Radiation-Tolerant Devices at Military Temperatures

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., August 23, 2005 — Illustrating its commitment to deliver functional and efficient DSP solutions to its customers, Actel Corporation (Nasdaq: ACTL) today introduced CoreFFT, an intellectual property (IP) core generator that produces optimized fast Fourier transform (FFT) cores for use with Actel's flash- and antifuse-based families of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). CoreFFT is designed for high-reliability applications requiring resistance to high temperature, firm-error immunity and radiation tolerance, such as radar, ground and air communications, acoustics, oil production, and medical signal processing. CoreFFT produces FPGA-optimized modules that perform FFTs to convert a signal from the time domain to the frequency domain in order to show the spectral content of the signal.

"CoreFFT represents the latest addition to Actel's DirectCore portfolio and further demonstrates Actel's commitment to the high-reliability market," said Yankin Tanurhan, senior director of applications and IP solutions at Actel. "Fourier transforms provide a powerful analysis tool for a broad range of applications. CoreFFT, in conjunction with an Actel FPGA, is an excellent option for designers of high-reliability applications that also want to benefit from the features of Actel's single-chip devices, including firm-error immunity, radiation tolerance and live at power-up capabilities."

The CoreFFT RTL generator produces modules that can compute 256-, 512- or 1024-point complex forward or inverse decimation-in-time (DIT) FFTs. The core's DIT Radix-2 implementation has been optimized for Actel devices. The module's input and output data is represented as 32-bit words comprised of 16-bit real and imaginary parts. A dual-input buffer and a single-output buffer support the input of new data samples with FFT computation, as well as the resulting output simultaneously. In addition, CoreFFT contains all the necessary memory buffers, butterfly and control logic, as well as phase factors for the target applications. CoreFFT has been optimized for Actel's Axcelerator, RTAX-S, ProASICPLUS and ProASIC3 FPGAs.

Other features of the new CoreFFT include:

Selection of unconditional or conditional block floating-point scaling
An embedded RAM-block based phase factor generator
Precise 16-bit input/output data and phase factor coefficients

Pricing and Availability

Actel's new CoreFFT generator is available now. The core is $500 for a multiple-use RTL generator. In addition, a free evaluation version is available for download via Actel's Web site at www.actel.com/products/ip.

Actel DirectCore and CompanionCore Solutions

Actel offers its own system-level IP solutions, called DirectCores, specifically designed and optimized for use with Actel devices. The company also offers third-party IP blocks, called CompanionCores, which have been tested and verified in Actel FPGAs. Covering applications ranging from embedded systems to consumer and communications, the cores offered include bus interfaces, communication controllers and interfaces, processors and peripherals, encryption and memory controllers, as well as multimedia and error correction.

Actel DirectCore and CompanionCore products offer seamless implementation through Actel's suite of internal and third-party EDA development tools and quality documentation service and support, thereby streamlining the design process, enabling faster time to market and minimizing design costs and risks. Customers may access and download free evaluation versions of cores from Actel's broad IP portfolio through its Web-based IP evaluation program at www.actel.com/products/ip.

About Actel

Actel Corporation is the leader in single-chip FPGA solutions. The Company is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol ACTL and is headquartered at 2061 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, Calif., 94043-4655. For more information about Actel, visit http://www.actel.com. Telephone: 888-99-ACTEL (992-2835).

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