Altera Arria GX FPGAs Enable Panasonic P2 Drive to Transfer Video Faster Than You Can Say Edit

Altera's Arria GX FPGAs Coupled With Altera's PCIe MegaCore IP Help Professional Broadcasters Work Faster

San Jose, Calif. -- April 13, 2009 -- In the deadline-driven broadcast industry, every minute counts. Providing the underlying technology to accelerate the video transfer process, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) today announced Panasonic has selected Altera's Arria® GX FPGAs, PCI Express (PCIe) MegaCore® IP and Nios® II processor solution for its new AJ-PCD35, five-slot P2 (tapeless format) memory-card drive.

Panasonic's new memory drive, which uses the PCIe interface, provides video access from P2 cards to nonlinear editing systems by simultaneously transferring data from multiple memory cards, a dramatic increase in transfer speed compared to traditional drives. By having immediate access to content from up to five cards, Panasonic's AJ-PCD35 enables professional broadcasters to increase the quantity and quality of their stories and still make their deadlines. This solution will be demonstrated in Panasonic's booth C3712 at the 2009 NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center from April 20 to 23.

In addition to the core functionality allowing high-bandwidth video processing, Altera's Arria GX FPGAs provide an optimal CardBus to PCIe bridging solution for fast transfer of high-definition video content from the P2 memory cards to the editing equipment. The Nios II processor's flexibility allows five P2 slots, thus increasing data-storage capabilities.

“In the broadcast industry, deadlines are shrinking while the demand for high picture quality is growing,” said Mr. Masatoshi Taniguchi, manager of the professional AV system business unit at Panasonic. “Our new AJ-PCD35 P2 card drive is Panasonic’s next-generation complete post-production system designed to help professional broadcasters edit faster. Altera's Arria GX FPGAs, coupled with easy-to-use PCIe IP and the industry-leading Nios II processor, provide a cost-optimized solution. The Arria GX FPGA’s functionality and Altera’s reputation for delivering high-quality products on time make it easy to choose Altera.”

“Altera's Arria GX FPGAs deliver optimal functionality and transceivers with robust signal integrity at the right price for high-volume 3-Gbps applications,” said Luanne Schirrmeister, senior director of component product marketing at Altera. “The increased transceiver speeds, expanded protocol support and reduced power enable Altera's Arria GX family to deliver greater value in professional broadcast systems.”

About Arria GX FPGAs

The Arria GX family provides a low-power core with optimal digital signal processing (DSP) functionality and transceivers for high-speed connectivity. Optimized for mainstream serial protocols including PCIe, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), CPRI, XAUI and Serial RapidIO® (SRIO), the Arria GX family is backed by a comprehensive portfolio of software tools, intellectual property (IP) and reference designs. For more details about Altera® Arria GX FPGAs, visit www.altera.com/pr/arriagx.

About Altera

Altera programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost-effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Find out more about Altera’s FPGA, CPLD and ASIC devices at www.altera.com.