Altera Announces QuickStart Program to Assist Developers of IEEE 1532 Tools.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2000

Altera Corporation (Nasdaq: ALTR), a leading programmable logic device (PLD) supplier, today announced the Altera 1532-QuickStart Program to support vendors developing IEEE 1532-compliant software development tools. Altera is the first PLD supplier to ship IEEE 1532-compliant devices, and was a major participant in the development and approval of the IEEE 1532 specification. The QuickStart program provides free samples of Altera's MAX(R) 7000B devices to qualified software developers who are defining and developing the algorithmic portion of the IEEE 1532 specification. The purpose of the program is to accelerate adoption of the IEEE 1532 specification, which greatly simplifies the programming and manufacturing of systems which utilize in-system programmable (ISP) devices. Details of the QuickStart program can be found on the Internet at http://www.altera.com/1532leadership.

"The fact that the MAX 7000B device family is already fully-compliant to the IEEE 1532 specification proves Altera's commitment to this important standard, and is a testament to the momentum of the standard," said Tim Colleran, Altera director of MAX product marketing. "As the only vendor currently supplying fully-compliant devices, our QuickStart program enables tool developers access to the resources they need in defining, implementing, and verifying IEEE 1532 algorithms."

In addition to playing an active role in the working group meetings, Altera's leadership in the development and usage of ISP technology has allowed the company to play an active role in defining the final specification.

About IEEE 1532

The objective of the ISP standardization effort is to significantly simplify manufacturing support for ISP devices through a variety of capabilities including concurrent device programming. The standardization effort builds on the 1149.1 JTAG boundary-scan architecture standard by addressing both silicon and software issues to create a simplified and homogeneous ISP environment. The IEEE 1532 specification supports a variety of device types, including memory devices and PLDs. The new IEEE 1532 standard is complementary to the JEDEC-approved Jam(TM) Standard Test and Programming Language (STAPL). The IEEE 1532 standard is a hardware standard that defines the actual ISP algorithm, while Jam STAPL is a software standard that defines the file format that stores the programming information for the chain of devices. Jam STAPL rounds out a complete ISP solution by layering additional capabilities on top of an IEEE 1532 ISP solution.

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.

Note to Editors: Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, MAX, Jam, 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.