Xilinx AllianceCORE Partners Announce Four 8-Bit Microcontrollers for Xilinx FPGAs

SAN JOSE, Calif.----March 21, 2000--Xilinx, Inc. and AllianceCORE(TM) partners Dolphin Integration SA and CAST, Inc. announced today four 8051 8-bit microcontroller core products for Spartan(TM)-II and Virtex series FPGAs.

Dolphin Integration developed new versions of the successful Flip8051-PR AllianceCORE product expanding the availability for new Xilinx FPGAs. CAST, Inc. offers three new cores that include D80530, D80530C, and R80515 products.

The Flip8051-PR core from Dolphin and the R80515 core from CAST run up to eight times the performance of a legacy 8051 microcontroller and target embedded applications in telecom, automotive, satellite, voice recognition, image processing, military, and consumer markets. These products will be showcased at IP2000 in Santa Clara, Calif. March 20-22, 2000 and at DATE-2000 in Paris, France, March 27-30, 2000.

``CelsiusTech requires a flexible microcontroller that can work as a versatile control processor in various systems,'' said Lars Albihn, senior design engineer at CelsiusTech Electronics. ``We have been successfully using Xilinx devices for more than eight years and chose Dolphin's Virtex-based Flip8051 core as the best solution for our radar warning receiver system.''

Complete Solutions from Dolphin

The Dolphin Flip8051 core supports Virtex, Virtex-E, and Spartan-II FPGAs. In addition to the core, Dolphin provides customers with a complete set of supporting hardware and software tools that include simulation test benches, an evaluation board, Flip8051-Rkit software package for code development, and a large set of standard and custom peripherals. Dolphin has partnered with Raisonance SA to provide a comprehensive Flip8051-Rkit software package. This includes a C compiler, an assembler, linker, real time OS, ROM monitor, and an opcode simulator. The Flip8051 core also offers a bus monitor port that can be used in conjunction with any industry standard simulation tool to trace code execution in real time. The Flip8051-PR core starts at $16,250 for the netlist version. The evaluation board is pin-compatible with an existing legacy 8051 chip.

``The 8051 is a well recognized industry standard traditionally used in cost-sensitive applications,'' said Robert Bielby, director of high volume strategic applications at Xilinx. ``The Dolphin Flip8051-PR core when used in conjunction with the Spartan-II FPGA provides the benefits of FPGA integration over fixed-solutions at competitive price points.''

High Speed Flexible Solutions from CAST

CAST provides three 8051-based microcontroller cores, each targeted for different embedded applications. These include a D80530 core, a compact D80530C, and an R80515 RISC core. The modular cores facilitate ease-of-integration with user peripherals for system-on-chip (SOC) design. The cores use the unique features of Xilinx FPGAs to achieve low gate densities and high performance.

The compact D80530C core targets high volume consumer applications with Spartan-II FPGAs. The Virtex-E version of the RISC R80515 core has a clock frequency of 40 MHz providing performance equivalent to a legacy 8051 microcontroller running at 320 MHz. The D80530 core offers low gate densities and a clock frequency of 66 MHz in Virtex-E FPGAs.

``The 8051 microcontrollers are used in applications that range from state-of-the-art telecom and space applications to household consumer goods,'' said Newton Abdalla, vice-president of IP group at CAST. ``We target the entire 8051 market space with Spartan-II versions for high- volume consumer markets, and Virtex and Virtex-E versions for high-density SOC integration.''

CAST provides a complete development package consisting of synthesis and simulation scripts, test benches, example assembler programs, example memory and peripheral interface modules, evaluation board, and customization. The D80530, D80530C, and R80515 start at $13,500 for the netlist versions.

Availability

All the above products are available today and can be purchased directly from Dolphin Integration and CAST respectively. The datasheets can be downloaded from the Xilinx IP Center (www.xilinx.com/ipcenter), a comprehensive resource for system-level intellectual property and services.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading innovator of complete programmable logic solutions, including advanced integrated circuits, software design tools, predefined system functions delivered as cores, and unparalleled field engineering support. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Xilinx invented the field programmable gate array (FPGA) and fulfills more than half of the world demand for these devices today. Xilinx solutions enable customers to reduce significantly the time required to develop products for the computer, peripheral, telecommunications, networking, industrial control, instrumentation, high-reliability/military, and consumer markets. For more information, visit the Xilinx website at www.xilinx.com.

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Contact:
     Xilinx, Inc.
     Tamara Snowden, 408/879-6146
     tamara.snowden@xilinx.com
      or
     Anil Telikepalli, 408/879-6955
     anil@xilinx.com