Lucent Technologies Combines FPGA, Standard-Cell Logic On Single Silicon Chip for High Performance, Flexibility.

ALLENTOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1998--Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group today introduced its first field programmable system chip (FPSC) - an integrated circuit that combines mask-programmed standard-cell logic and field-programmable gate array logic on a single slice of silicon to deliver unprecedented levels of performance, flexibility and economy in system-level IC design.

The new device, called the ORCA(1) 3TP12, is the first device in Lucent's new Series 3+ family of FPSCs. It combines the company's recently announced ORCA Series 3 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with a 32-/64-bit, 33-/50-/66-MHz PCI bus interface embedded core from Lucent's ASIC offerings. Lucent foresees additional FPSCs in the Series 3+ family based on its other standard-cell cores, such as Fast Ethernet, ATM, SONET and T1/E1 network interfaces; USB and 1394 FireWire computer interfaces; DRAM, SRAM, and Flash EEPROM embedded memory; DSPs with programmable filters and other general microprocessors; and analog functions such as A/D and D/A converters.

"By putting standard-cell circuitry and field programmability on the same chip, we give designers capabilities that neither mask-programmed ASICs or FPGAs alone can offer," said Tom Hickey, FPGA General Manager for Lucent's Microelectronics Group. "They can now have the component density, high performance and increased functionality of standard-cell logic with the advantages of programmability for faster development and timely delivery of new system features."

FPSCs are ideal for applications that cannot be practically implemented in FPGAs alone, such as a PCI bus interface with widths greater than 32 bits and speeds greater than 50 Mhz, or ATM segmentation and reassembly (SAR) functions with their complexity and size. They will also be a more design-efficient, cost-effective solution than implementing field programmability and standard-cell capabilities on separate chips.

Lucent chose a PCI bus interface core for the first offering in its ORCA Series 3+ FPSC family, because of the ubiquity of PCI buses and the popularity of field-programmable ICs in high-end computing and communications systems such as hubs, routers, and Ethernet, ATM and network voice switches. Lucent is the leading supplier of integrated circuits for many of these voice and data communications applications, as well as the industry's No. 1 supplier of standard-cell ASICs.

The field programmable system chip joins other Lucent system-level IC offerings, including cell-based system chips and, through a recent agreement with Chip Express, laser programmable system chips. These options give system designers the widest flexibility to meet their time-to-solution, time-to-market and complex system integration needs.

Lucent's ORCA Series 3+ FPSCs are based on standard ORCA Series 3 FPGA layouts with a mask-programmed embedded core replacing some of the FPGA cells. They include a Bell Labs-defined, fast and flexible interface between the FPGA logic and the embedded core, and the capability to program logic in both the "fixed" standard-cell portion as well as the programmable portion of the device. Future options could include multiple standard-cell cores based on Lucent intellectual property (IP) alone or a combination of Lucent and customer-supplied IP.

Development system software support for the Series 3+ includes synthesis and simulation by the leading third-party CAE companies that currently support ORCA Series 3 FPGAs, including Synopsys, Synplicity and Exemplar Logic. Back-end software support, including timing-driven place and route, is provided by ORCA Foundry.

"As system-on-a-chip design begins to enter the mainstream, it is essential that customers can integrate complex IP functions at their desktop," said Sanjiv Kaul, Vice President of Marketing at Synopsys, an electronic design automation firm known for its system-IC design tools. "By combining embedded standard-cell cores and programmable logic, Lucent is clearly staking out a position that offers customers the right combination of flexibility, cost, and performance. Synopsys is currently working to enhance tools and methodologies to better support this type of design flow."

Lucent's ORCA Series 3 FPGAs offer customers higher speeds, greater densities, and an enhanced architecture with features that support system-level needs. System-level features include microprocessor interfaces for the Intel i960 and Motorola/IBM PowerPC processors, and programmable clock managers that adjust clock phase, frequency and duty cycle for system clock rates up to 160 MHz.

The ORCA 3TP12 PCI chip is implemented in an OR3T55 based, 18x18 PLC array, with four rows replaced by the embedded PCI Core and FPGA/Core interface. The core contains 75K standard-cell gates and the interface logic contains 10K gates. Together, they replace 7.8K FPGA gates, making the embedded block more than 10 times as efficient in silicon usage. The FPGA block contains 30K to 60K usable gates. This provides designers with a 125K gate programmable device that is easily integrated into PCI bus systems.

The PCI core is a version 2.1-compliant master/target solution. The device automatically detects whether it is in a 5V or 3.3V PCI bus system and provides the appropriate I/O signaling. The FPGA/PCI interface is implemented through two 64x32 master FIFO blocks and two 64x16 target FIFO blocks.

The OR3TP12 will be available in sample quantities in three speed grades ranging from -5 to -7, all of which meet 66 Mhz PCI speed requirements, in August. Multiple packages are supported depending on desired bus and I/O configurations. In the United States, fourth quarter 1998 pricing for the OR3TP12-5 in volumes of 25,000 units in a 240-pin power shrink-quad flat pack (SQFP2) is $79.80.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its web site at http://www.lucent.com.

Lucent's Microelectronics Group designs and manufactures integrated circuits and optoelectronic components for the computer and communications industries. More information about the Microelectronics Group is available from its web site at http://www.lucent.com/micro. The FPGA site can be found at http://www.lucent.com/orca. -0- Acronyms used in this release: ASIC - application specific integrated circuit ATM - asynchronous transfer mode CPLD - complex programmable logic device DSP - digital signal processor FIFO - first in, first out FPSC - field programmable system chip FPGA - field programmable gate array I/O - input/output IP - intellectual property PCI - peripheral component interface PLC - programmable logic cell SONET - synchronous optical network USB - universal serial bus 

Trademarks:

(1) ORCA is a registered trademark of Lucent Technologies

IBM and PowerPC are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation

Intel and i960 are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation

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