Altera Announces New IP Cores for the Communications Market.

Business Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2001

Adding to its broad portfolio of intellectual property (IP) core solutions, Altera Corporation (Nasdaq:ALTR) today announced the availability of ten new MegaCore(R) functions for the communications system market, including SONET/SDH framers, ATM cell, and PPP packet for transmission systems with data rates of up to 622 Mbps (STS-12c/STM-4), a clear channel T3 framer, and a T3 mapper to SONET (STS-1). These IP cores were developed by Altera's Ottawa Technology Center and are the first products resulting from the acquisition of DesignPro, Inc. by Altera in April 2000. These cores can be assembled in a wide variety of configurations to carry ATM cells or PPP packets over any transmission medium, such as SONET/SDH, T-carrier, E-carrier, Ethernet, FDDI, xDSL, Wireless, or Cable Modem networks, or to carry T3 signals over a SONET/SDH optical network. These complex, standard-based cores can be combined with user-defined logic to develop unique solutions in a single Altera programmable logic device (PLDs), thus accelerating the development cycle while providing greater flexibility and lower project risk.

"These new cores provide a compelling solution to our internetworking customers," said Justin Cowling, Altera's senior IP marketing manager. "The ability to implement these complex functions in our programmable logic devices, along with the users' proprietary logic, leads to highly integrated, unique system solutions that can be brought to market with the shortest possible design cycle."

The new SONET/SDH, ATM cell, PPP packet and T3 framing and mapping cores are all delivered with Altera's user-friendly MegaWizard(R) Plug-In graphical user interface, through which parameters are user-selectable and provide optimized device area results and simplified software integration. For example, users can implement a PPP Packet Processor at 622 Mbps in 50 percent of an APEX(TM) 20K60E device for a solution costing less than $10 in volume. Altera supplies these cores with the ability for functional simulation using an industry standard VHDL or Verilog simulator, as well as place-and-route and static timing analysis using Altera's Quartus(TM) development software. These verification steps can be performed prior to licensing through Altera's OpenCore(R) evaluation feature.

Availability and Pricing

Altera's new communications cores are available now, complete with user guides. The ordering codes and prices for these new cores are shown in the following table:

Product Description                     Ordering Code     Price

SONET STS-1 Framer                      PLSM-STS1FRM      $31,995
SONET/SDH STS-3c/STM-1 Framer           PLSM-STS3CFRM     $33,995
SONET/SDH STS-3/AU-4 Framer             PLSM-STS1X3FRM    $33,995
SONET/SDH STS-12c/STM-4 Framer          PLSM-STS12CFRM    $49,995
ATM Cell Processor 155 Mbps             PLSM-CP155        $15,995
ATM Cell processor 622 Mbps             PLSM-CP622        $23,995
PPP Packet Processor 155 Mbps           PLSM-PP155        $12,995
PPP Packet Processor 622 Mbps           PLSM-PP622        $19,995
T3 Framer                               PLSM-T3FRM        $19,995
T3 Mapper                               PLSM-T3MAP        $21,995

About Altera

Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company(R), was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs). Altera's CMOS-based PLDs are user-programmable semiconductor chips that enhance flexibility and reduce time-to-market for companies in the communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. By using high performance devices, software development tools, and sophisticated intellectual property cores, system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions can be created with embedded processors, memory, and other complex logic together on a single PLD. Altera common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR. More information on Altera is available on the Internet at http://www.altera.com.

Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, MegaCore, MegaWizard, APEX, Quartus, OpenCore, and specific device designations are trademarks and/or service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.