Altera Completes First Generation Cyclone Device Family Rollout

San Jose, Calif., September 10, 2003—Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) today announced the availability of the EP1C4 device, the final member of its highly acclaimed Cyclone™ FPGA family.  The EP1C4 device offers up to 301 I/O pins and 4,000 logic elements at a cost as low as 2.5 cents per I/O, providing designers with the lowest cost per I/O of any FPGA available on the market today.  Altera today also introduced five new Cyclone industrial-grade devices.  The rapid availability of each Cyclone device for high-volume applications demonstrates Altera’s ongoing success in delivering leading-edge FPGAs.

Further strengthening Altera’s market-expanding drive into new, cost-sensitive FPGA applications, today’s announcement represents the completion of one of the company’s most outstanding product rollouts.  Setting an all-time high in product acceptance rates, Cyclone devices have been shipped to over 1,400 customers worldwide in just nine months of availability.  Designed to support vertical migration across densities within the same package, the EP1C4 device brings cost-per-I/O-pin far below any other FPGA available today.

“Cyclone FPGAs are impressive, and we are using them to replace standard products and low-end ASICs,” said Keith Odom, director of engineering, architecture and technology, at National Instruments.  “The Cyclone family allows us to add functionality and retain flexibility while still keeping our costs to a minimum, and we now have many Cyclone designs completed or in progress.”

Designed from the ground up for the lowest cost, Altera’s Cyclone devices are the lowest cost FPGAs available from any programmable logic vendor.  Built on TSMC’s advanced 0.13-micron, all-layer copper process, the Cyclone devices provide designers of high-volume, price-sensitive applications with the flexibility of an FPGA at ASIC prices.  Supporting leading edge and emerging I/O standards, all Cyclone devices include embedded RAM blocks and other features intended to facilitate the use of FPGA technology by designers developing volume-driven applications in the communications, industrial, consumer, computing, and automotive markets.

“Design engineers are increasingly turning to programmable logic as a tool to accelerate development times, while reducing development costs— both critical concerns in today’s market with its heightened competition and shrinking design cycles,” said Steve Mensor, senior director of product marketing at Altera.  “The introduction of the Cyclone EP1C4 device demonstrates Altera’s continuing commitment to provide our customers with FPGAs that deliver the optimal combination of price and performance.”

With today’s announcement, the entire Cyclone family is now available in industrial-grade versions.  Cyclone industrial-grade devices are specified to be fully functional from -40ºC to +100ºC (junction).  Supporting every device and package combination, Cyclone FPGAs enable increased design flexibility, helping designers to reduce system costs for high-volume, price-sensitive industrial applications.

Pricing and Availability
Altera’s Cyclone devices are available today in volume quantities at Altera distributors.  Priced lower than competitive FPGAs available in volume, Cyclone devices are the optimum solution for high-volume applications.

(*) OEM Price for Mid 2004

About the Cyclone Device Family
Built from the ground up to ensure the lowest possible cost, Cyclone devices are the industry’s lowest-cost FPGAs available today.  Built on the advanced 0.13-micron, all-layer copper process, Altera developed the Cyclone device family to provide designers of high-volume, price-sensitive applications the flexibility of an FPGA at ASIC prices.  With support for leading edge and emerging I/O standards, the Cyclone device family includes embedded RAM blocks and other features to put FPGA technology in the hands of designers developing volume-driven applications in the communication, consumer, computing, industrial and automotive markets.  For more information about the Cyclone device family, visit www.altera.com/cyclone.

About Altera
Celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) is the world’s pioneer in system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions.  Combining programmable logic technology with software tools, intellectual property, and technical services, Altera provides high-value programmable solutions to approximately 14,000 customers worldwide.  More information is available at www.altera.com.

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Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations and all other words that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.  All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders.

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