Xilinx And Convergent Design Introduce New Low-Cost Digital Video (DV) IEEE1394 Hardware Reference Design

New Reference Designs Provide OEMs With Complete Low-Cost Solution For Integrating Digital Video Over IEEE1394 Into Consumer Video Products

SAN JOSE, CA--(INTERNET WIRE)--Jan 22, 2002 -- Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX) and Convergent Designs today announced the immediate availability of Centauri, a low-cost digital video (DV) IEEE1394 hardware reference designs based on the low-cost Xilinx(R) Spartan FPGA and the Divio NW701 DV CODEC.

The new reference design provides OEM manufacturers with a complete low-cost solution for easily integrating DV over IEEE1394 into a variety of consumer digital video products such as DVD R/Ws, digital VHS recorders, set-top boxes, residential gateways, Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), Digital TVs (DTVs), video projectors, video editors, and professional digital audio and video equipment.

"The Spartan family of FPGAs provided an ideal low-cost solution," said Michael Schell, president of Convergent Design. "Because of Xilinx' commitment to the Digital Video market, we're able to rapidly introduce cost effective consumer solutions that reduce overall time-to-market and cost."

"The introduction of this hardware reference design is a great example of the compelling value that FPGAs offer the consumer marketplace," said Robert Bielby, senior director of Strategic Solutions Marketing at Xilinx. "Working closely with Convergent Designs and utilizing their digital video and audio design expertise allows us to provide some exciting solutions for the consumer market."

Convergent Design have also joined the Xilinx XPERTS program, a worldwide third-party Certified Design Service Center trained to take full advantage of the features in Xilinx FPGAs, software and IP cores. Convergent Design specializes in providing design solutions for digital video and digital audio.

Pricing and Availability

Centauri is priced at $450 and immediately available for purchase on the Xilinx eSP website (www.xilinx.com/esp).

About Xilinx eSP for Digital Video

Xilinx eSP (www.xilinx.com/esp) is the industry's first web portal dedicated to accelerating the design and development of consumer products based upon emerging standards and protocols. Recently updated to contain broad coverage of digital video technologies, the eSP web portal is a comprehensive resource delivering a powerful array of solutions and information in a single location.

About Convergent Design

Convergent Design LLC specializes in the design and development of analog " digital video/audio conversion and processing products. Specific technologies include: PCI, 1394, DV/MPEG2 compression, component video, SDI digital video, balanced audio, and AES/EBU digital audio. Convergent Design offers comprehensive design services from initial product specification, schematic capture, FPGA code development, PCB prototype and debug, compatibility testing, to release to contract manufacturer.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading supplier of complete programmable logic solutions, including advanced integrated circuits, software design tools, predefined system functions delivered as intellectual property cores, and unparalleled field engineering support. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Xilinx invented the field programmable gate array (FPGA) and fulfills more than half of the world demand for these devices today. Xilinx solutions enable customers to reduce significantly the time required to develop products for the computer, peripheral, telecommunications, networking, industrial control, instrumentation, aerospace, defense, and low power portable and consumer markets. For more information, visit the Xilinx web site at www.xilinx.com.