Xilinx ChipScope Pro Supports The Industry's First Integrated Bus Analyzer For Programmable Logic

Virtex-II Pro(TM) In-System Logic Analysis Visibility Eclipses Existing Debug Capabilities

SAN JOSE, CA--(INTERNET WIRE)--Mar 6, 2002 -- Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) today introduced ChipScope(TM) Pro tools, the industry's most complete set of on-chip debug and verification tools for System on Chip design. Built specifically for the Xilinx Virtex®-II series platform FPGAs, the ChipScope Pro tool enables complex logic analysis at full systems speeds. The ChipScope Pro tool has flexible support for the analysis of any signal within the chip and a new, advanced feature that supports integrated bus analysis of complex system bus transactions, setting a new standard for engineering productivity.

"ChipScope Pro tools are a natural extension of the powerful capabilities of our ChipScope ILA tools," said Rich Sevcik, senior vice president of FPGA Products at Xilinx. "While ChipScope ILA provides FPGA designers the on-chip debug visibility necessary to quickly complete FPGA designs, ChipScope Pro provides the enhanced tools system designers need to verify and debug the complex "SoC" designs now possible in a Virtex-II Pro platform FPGA."

Industry's First Integrated Bus Analyzer

As FPGA complexity continues to increase, the demand for more advanced debug and verification follows. The ChipScope Pro tool provides the industry's first on-chip integrated bus analyzer to meet these requirements. With the ChipScope Pro tool, users can insert fully parameterizeable Integrated Bus Analysis (IBA) cores directly into a design and gain access to system busses that are difficult or impossible to access using traditional methods. The new ChipScope Pro analyzer allows the user to view the data in a bus cycle-level display complete with time stamps.

ChipScope Pro edition of popular ILA

The ChipScope Pro tools also include an enhanced version of the popular Integrated Logic Analysis (ILA) core. ChipScope Pro ILA is improved to include advanced features like multiple trigger inputs, match units, multiple state trigger sequencing, and expanded sample storage. These features enable users to use more complex verification and debug strategies vital to the analysis of their design. The user can also select to time stamp data samples, facilitating time-based correlation between multiple ILA, IBA cores, or external test equipment.

About ChipScope Tools

The mainstream use of multi-million gate FPGA devices poses challenges for verification methodologies that rely on externally probing package pins or board traces. The ChipScope software, introduced two years ago, allows Xilinx FPGA users to easily debug multimillion gate designs by eliminating the need for complex external test fixtures. ChipScope cores are integrated into the FPGA to provide real-time debug and verification capabilities via a standard JTAG port. Using the ChipScope software, designers spend less time debugging in-system chip functionality thus improve their time-to-market.

Platform, availability and pricing

ChipScope Pro software supports Windows98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT operating systems. ChipScope Pro tools will be available the end of March for a limited time at the introductory price of $495 (regularly $995) and will include ChipScope Pro ILA and IBA for Virtex-II series FPGAs. Xilinx is offering a special "early adopter" promotion that will allow existing ChipScope ILA customers to upgrade to ChipScope Pro tools for free. For more information on ChipScope Pro visit www.xilinx.com/chipscopepro.

About Xilinx

Xilinx is the leading supplier of complete programmable logic solutions, including advanced integrated circuits, software design tools, predefined system functions delivered as 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.