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Altera and MorethanIP Deliver First IEEE 1588 Protocol Solution for FPGAs
FPGA With IEEE-Compliant MAC IP Core Targets Industrial Ethernet Applications San Jose, Calif. and Karlsfeld, Germany, June 5, 2006 —Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) and Germany-based design and intellectual property (IP) provider MorethanIPtoday announced the availability of the industry’s first triple-speed Ethernet medium access control (MAC) IP core supporting the IEEE 1588 standard for precision clock synchronization. The new IP core allows designers of networked industrial automation, measurement and control systems to immediately and confidently apply this emerging industrial standard using Altera’s Stratix® II or CycloneTM II FPGAs. By using Altera® devices today, designers can quickly update their designs when the second revision of the IEEE 1588 standard is completed in early 2007. This IEEE 1588-compliant Ethernet MAC protocol IP core allows rapid adoption of the standard across a range of applications that demand multiple speed options from 10/100-Mbits to Gigabit and submicrosecond accuracy. This is critical in meeting strict communications latency and quality of service (QoS) requirements in the industrial Ethernet market. Target applications for this IP core include master and slave controllers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), network interface controller (NIC) cards, and switches that implement industrial Ethernet standards like Ethernet/IP, ProfiNet and Ethernet Powerlink. “Our IP is provided as part of a complete system solution that includes software drivers as well as development boards, enabling customers to rapidly deploy compliant Ethernet technology for low-cost to high-performance applications using Altera FPGAs,” said Francois Balay, CEO of MorethanIP. “By delivering this first IEEE 1588-compatible Ethernet MAC core for Altera FPGAs, developers can confidently start now on new designs incorporating this new protocol.” According to the ARC Industrial Ethernet Report of June 2005, the industrial Ethernet market was estimated at 844,000 units in 2004. With a projected CAGR of 51.4 percent, it is expected to reach 6.6 million units by 2009. This market is seeing a heavy adoption of IEEE 1588-based technology, with early adoption in the test and measurement, military and telecom segments. “Partnering with MorethanIP allows industrial systems designers to immediately adopt the IEEE 1588 standard and enables a make-or-buy choice for industrial systems OEMs,” said Michael Samuelian, director of Altera’s industrial business unit. “The MorethanIP MAC core can be embedded in our low-cost Cyclone II or our high-performance Stratix II FPGAs, while providing an easy and fast migration path to HardCopy® structured ASICs for high-density, high-volume applications.” Price and Availability The IP core can be evaluated using a low-cost development board available for $499, including a per-board IP license from MorethanIP. For board, IP core pricing or buy-out licenses for the MAC IP core, contact MorethanIP at www.morethanip.com. For more information on this IP core and an evaluation license, go to www.altera.com/products/ip/iup/ethernet/m-mtip-1588-ethernet-mac.html. About MorethanIP MorethanIP, founded in 2000, is an expert in design and IP for high-speed communications, serial backplane and embedded system technologies. This includes design, specification and implementation of standard products, system architectures and customer-specific solutions. Combining its methodology with proven technical expertise based on over ten years of industry experience in hardware and software design, MorethanIP generates rapid design cycles to meet time-to-market, functional and budgetary objectives. About Altera Altera’s programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost-effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Find out more at www.altera.com.
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