Lattice Semiconductor FPSC Device Demonstrates World's Fastest Programmable SERDES

HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2002--Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq:LSCC) today revealed that its ORT82G5 Field Programmable System-on-a-Chip (FPSC) has demonstrated the ability to pass data error-free at 3.7 Gbits/sec across 26 inches (66 cm) of FR-4 backplane, making it the industry's fastest programmable XAUI-compliant backplane transceiver in production.

"Lattice continues to deliver innovative solutions for high performance system-level design," said Stan Kopec, vice president of corporate marketing at Lattice. "The ORT82G5 is our latest generation backplane FPSC, following our successful ORT4622 and ORT8850 devices. These tests verify the superior speed and flexibility of our solution. Backplane applications, especially XAUI and Fibre-Channel, are a perfect fit for the ORT82G5. The eight independent, full-duplex serializer-deserializer (SERDES) cores are best-in-class with 3.7 Gbits/sec bandwidth, and the programmable logic will allow system designers to interface to virtually any processor or framer," he added.

Lattice's FPSC devices are high-performance programmable devices that combine optimized embedded core functions together with flexible, general-purpose FPGA logic. In addition to its eight SERDES cores and 400K ORCA® FPGA gates, the ORT82G5 includes embedded XAUI and Fibre-Channel state machines, bypassable 8B/10B encoding/decoding support plus multi-channel alignment capability without using any FPGA gates. At 225mW per channel, the device offers designers the highest available bandwidth at very low power. "By optimizing the device's programmable amplitude and pre-emphasis settings, minimum power consumption can be realized with the ORT82G5 while maintaining the signal integrity needed for error-free operation. This is the kind of tangible benefit Lattice's programmable approach offers system designers as they develop advanced communications systems," added Kopec.

The device also features 372 programmable user I/Os supporting a variety of advanced interface standards including HSTL, SSTL, GTL+ and others to facilitate easy interfacing. Designers can use the ORT82G5 to aggregate disparate parallel I/O into high-speed serial streams. For example, designers can build a 20 Gbits/sec bridge for 10 Gbits/sec Ethernet; the high-speed SERDES interfaces contain dual-XAUI interfaces with configurable back-end interfaces such as XGMII implemented on the FPGA side. The ORT82G5 can also be used to provide a full 10 Gbits/sec backplane data connection with protection between a line card and switch fabric.

Lattice has demonstrated the ORT82G5 in its own lab using a Tyco HM-Zd test setup. The ORT82G5 can drive 2^7-1 PRBS data over at least 26 inches (66 cm) of FR-4 at 3.7Gbps (25% pre-emphasis) error-free exceeding the XAUI specification of 3.125Gbps over 20 inches (51 cm) of FR-4 backplane.

"Our production parts show significant data rate margin to XAUI requirements, even across 40 inches (102 cm) of FR-4 backplane. Moreover, the additional bandwidth margin enables backplane designers to perform high-speed chip-to-chip bit-blasting in addition to permitting additional out-of-band signaling across the XAUI links," commented Kopec.

To document the superior characteristics of its SERDES technology, Lattice has also just released its new SERDES Handbook. This Handbook provides actual data on the typical eye diagrams, jitter, lock time, and other key operational aspects of the ORT82G5's SERDES block. It is available in electronic form on the Lattice website at www.latticesemi.com.

Availability

The ORT82G5-600LBGA SERDES transceiver is currently shipping. The unit price in quantities of 10,000 is $195. The device is supported by Lattice's ispLEVER(TM) v2.0 design software, a dedicated design kit, and popular third-party synthesis, simulation, and verification tools.

About Lattice Semiconductor

Oregon-based Lattice Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops and markets the broadest range of high-performance ISP(TM) programmable logic devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Field Programmable System-on-a-Chip (FPSC) devices. Lattice offers total solutions for today's system designs by delivering the most innovative programmable silicon products that embody leading-edge system expertise.

Lattice products are sold worldwide through an extensive network of independent sales representatives and distributors, primarily to OEM customers in the fields of communication, computing, computer peripherals, instrumentation, industrial controls and military systems. Company headquarters are located at 5555 NE Moore Court, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 USA; Telephone 503/268-8000, FAX 503/268-8037. For more information on Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, access our World Wide Web site at http://www.latticesemi.com.

Statements in this news release looking forward in time are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including market acceptance and demand for our new products, our dependencies on our silicon wafer suppliers, the impact of competitive products and pricing, technological and product development risks and other risk factors detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from forward-looking statements.

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, L (& design), Lattice (& design), in-system programmable, ispLEVER, ORCA, ISP and specific product designations are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.

GENERAL NOTICE: Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holders.

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the denotation 2^7-1 in this news release, there is a caret between the 2 and 7-1. This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

     Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
     Sean Hildenbrand, 503/268-8680 (Public Relations)
     Sean.hildenbrand@latticesemi.com