Xilinx Announces System Generator for PowerPC to Enable Rapid Development Of Programmable Systems

Total Solution Will Include Over 40 IP Cores and Embedded Software Tools

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xilinx, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX - news) announced today that it will provide a System Generator for PowerPC tool and comprehensive library of over 40 parameterizeable intellectual property (IP) cores, for automatically building custom PowerPC processor systems with Xilinx Virtex-II Pro FPGAs. The System Generator for PowerPC solution will enable designers to architect, customize, and generate many of the hardware and software components of a processor subsystem with a push of a button, saving man-years of engineering resources. The tool, combined with the Wind River standalone embedded software tools and GNU tools available from Xilinx, will provide customers with access to a complete embedded software tool chain for rapidly building programmable systems and addresses serious bottlenecks in traditional design solutions. Additionally, the solution will enable designers to re-partition a system between software and hardware throughout the entire design cycle to maximize features, functionality, and performance of end applications.

"With ever-increasing system integration, designers are challenged to find a solution that allows them to quickly partition, re-partition, scale, and test a system to meet today's evolving design requirements," said Sandeep Vij, vice president of worldwide marketing at Xilinx. "Using the complete Virtex-II Pro platform for programmable systems, designers will have access to a new level of flexibility to meet these requirements."

Virtex-II Pro and System Generator for PowerPC Tool

The Xilinx Virtex-II Pro FPGAs include up to four PowerPC 405 processors connected to the fabric and soft peripheral IP cores with the IBM CoreConnect on-chip bus architecture. The System Generator for PowerPC tool will enable system designers to select and parameterize each individual peripheral function and then automatically generate hardware components such as netlists and implementation files. The tool will also generate software components such as device drivers and a board support package (BSP) for the custom processing subsystem. By using these automatically generated components, a system designer will be able to design a complete processor subsystem to significantly simplify complex and time-consuming engineering tasks.

Comprehensive IP Offering

The new library of over 40 IP cores will include components for the IBM CoreConnect on-chip bus such as arbiters, bridges, and memory controllers, as well as peripherals like UARTS, I2C, ATM and Ethernet cores. The library will also include utility IP such as PowerPC boot code, board support packages (BSP), test code, device drivers, and RTOS support.

Embedded and Software Design Tools

To cut the learning curve and accelerate the development of the Virtex-II Pro solution, Xilinx will offer a version of the Wind River System's standalone embedded software tools, enabling customers to design with Virtex-II Pro FPGAs using well-known embedded design tools. In addition, Xilinx today offers Virtex-II Pro FPGA versions of a GNU compiler, debugger, and support libraries.

License Price and Availability

The System Generator for PowerPC tool and the IP library will be available the 2nd quarter of 2002. The Virtex-II Pro version of the GNU tools are available today and the Xilinx version Wind River Tools will be available in April.

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, low power portable and consumer markets. For more information, visit the Xilinx web site at www.xilinx.com.