Atmel Increases FPGA Circuit Performance by 30% With New Development Tools.SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 14, 1998--Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML ATML Automatic Test Markup Language ATML Automated Test Markup Language ) today began shipping the latest version of its FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market. Integrated Development System Version 6.0 (IDS6.0). Major enhancements to IDS6.0 include improvements in place and route, OrCAD CAE (1) (Computer-Aided Engineering) Software that analyzes designs which have been created in the computer or that have been created elsewhere and entered into the computer. system support, FPGA power calculator, logic and RAM compilers. Enhancements to place and route have resulted in 30% or greater circuit performance for the AT40K FPGA family. "With IDS6.0 the real strengths of our patented diagonal interconnect scheme are being exploited by the IDS6.0 place and route tools, resulting in significant improvements in overall circuit performance. The diagonal interconnect and clocking scheme in AT40K also helps reduce device power consumption which is now easily demonstrated with our built-in power calculator", according to Martin Mason, Atmel's FPGA product marketing manager. IDS6.0 runs on PC, Sun and HP workstations and also supports incremental design change capabilities, improved VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) A hardware description language (HDL) used to design electronic systems at the component, board and system level. VHDL allows models to be developed at a very high level of abstraction. and Verilog synthesis and support for conversions from other FPGA technologies. IDS6.0 allows customers for the first time to place a standard device footprint on their printed circuit board and to target either an Atmel or competitors FPGA. "Superb HDL (Hardware Description Language) A language used to describe the functions of an electronic circuit for documentation, simulation or logic synthesis (or all three). Although many proprietary HDLs have been developed, Verilog and VHDL are the major standards. design tools and an industry standard device pin-out from Atmel allow customers to finally have a true second source FPGA capability. Not only can Atmel replace competitors' FPGA devices, we often provide significant benefits through software and architectural features to enhance system value at the same time," added Mason. IDS6.0 is available free of charge for a limited period via the Atmel's web site at www.atmel.com/fpga_software.html. The new software incorporates a suite of industry-standard design tools including netlist import, technology mapping, multi-chip partitioning, timing-driven automatic placement and routing, interactive timing analysis and bitstream generation & utilities. In addition, IDS integrates seamlessly with a broad range of front-end CAE systems including Concept, Everest, Exemplar, Mentor, OrCAD, Synario, Synopsys, Verilog, Veribest and Viewlogic. ty (partially or fully reconfigurable without loss of data), automatic component generators, and range in size from 5,000 to 50,000 usable gates. I/O counts range from 128 to 384 in industry standard packages ranging from 84-pin PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier) A plastic, square, surface mount chip package that contains leads on all four sides. The leads (pins) extend down and back under and into tiny indentations in the housing. See chip package. to 475-pin PGA (1) (Professional Graphics Adapter) An early IBM PC display standard for 3D processing with 640x480x256 resolution. It was not widely used. (2) (Programmable Gate Array) See gate array and FPGA. , and support 3V and 5V designs. Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, California San Jose (IPA: /ˌsænhoʊˈzeɪ/) is the third-largest city in California, and the tenth-largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Santa Clara County. with principal manufacturing facilities in Colorado Springs, Colorado The City of Colorado Springs is the second most populous city (after Denver) in the state of Colorado and the 48th most populous city in the United States.[4] The city is the county seat of El Paso County. , Nantes and Rousset, France and Heilbronn, Germany. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets on a worldwide basis advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory, and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system level integration semiconductor solutions using advanced CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. , BiCMOS, BiPolar and SiGe process technologies. Atmel product and financial information are available from its Fax-on-Demand service. In North America call 1-(800) 292-8635 or Internationally, call 1-(408) 441-0732. Requests may be made via e-mail to literature@atmel.com or by visiting Atmel's website at www.atmel.com. (c) Atmel Corporation 1998. All rights reserved. Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of Atmel Corporation. Cache Logic(R) is a trademark of Atmel Corporation Terms and product names in this document may be trademarks of others. |
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