Actel's eX FPGAs Deliver Unparalleled Design Security For X-traFun's Bluetooth Digital Gaming Device
FPGA's High Performance, Small Form Factor and High Device Utilization Enable Cost and Size Reduction for Mass Market Consumer Infotainment Device
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Actel Corporation today announced that X-traFun, Inc. has selected Actel's eX field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device to perform control, interface and security functions in the X-traFun Bluetooth Wireless PDA Cartridge for Nintendo's Game Boy(R) Advance hand held game console. Leveraging Actel's FuseLock antifuse technology, the eX FPGA secures X-traFun's proprietary IP from reverse engineering. Additionally, the eX FPGA's small form factor and high device utilization enabled a significant reduction in total system cost and 5X reduction in size and weight for the production version of the X-traFun cartridge. The eX FPGA's high-performance will allow users to enjoy next- generation interactive gaming and wireless Web, email and chat applications on any Game Boy Advance handheld game console.
"Our unique Bluetooth cartridge will bring a variety of new applications to the ubiquitous Game Boy Advance platform, allowing users to enjoy wireless connectivity wherever they take their Game Boy," said Mark Kramer, president and CEO of X-traFun, Inc. "The design security, ease of integration and component count savings offered by Actel's eX FPGA made it the ideal platform to bringing the X-traFun cartridge to a mass market audience. With board space at a premium, we used one eX device to run all the glue logic for all the embedded device communications, lowering our component count by a factor of five. At the same time, the eX device provided the performance needed to support interactive wireless gaming and other infotainment applications."
"In selecting our eX FPGA for its Game Boy cartridge, X-traFun recognized that design security is a critical consideration when creating portable consumer applications with high-volume potential," said Barry Marsh, vice president of product marketing at Actel. "Built to offer enhanced design security, our antifuse FPGAs incorporate our proprietary FuseLock feature to stop common security problems faced by designers using conventional SRAM devices, including overbuilding, cloning, reverse engineering and denial of service."
X-traFun's Bluetooth Wireless PDA Cartridge works with the full family of Game Boy Advance handheld consoles enabling seven simultaneous users to interact within a local wireless peer-to-peer network. The handheld game device can synchronize with a Bluetooth-enabled PC, send and receive e-mail, send text messages to a cell phone and, eventually, receive streaming video at several tens of frames per second. The cartridge supports Secure Digital (SD) Cards and accessories such as digital cameras, memory cards, global positioning systems and MP3 players.
X-traFun, Inc. is partnering with various retail entertainment product distributors to advertise and sell its product and services. The X-traFun wireless PDA Game Boy cartridge will be available first in North America. The X-traFun cartridge will be comparably priced with standard Game Boy cartridges available today. The product is available now to business-to-business (B2B) clients for test and evaluation.
About the eX Family of Devices
Offering a low-power sleep mode for extra battery power savings, the eX family of devices is optimized for portable applications. Additionally, the single-chip solutions are competitively priced compared with complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), low-density gate array ASICs and two-chip FPGA alternatives. The eX family is currently being designed into cable and xDSL modems, digital photography applications, MP3 Internet recorders/players, personal digital assistants and digital set-top boxes. The combination of eX and simple-to-use Actel software tools results in faster design turns and time to market.
About X-traFun, Inc.
X-traFun, Inc. (XFI) is a leader in the development of wireless Internet web-enabling technologies, products, and services for the consumer electronics industry. X-traFun is the first Bluetooth, handheld entertainment, educational, and personalized services communications network targeted to children of all ages. It combines interactive play, chat messaging, e-mail, e-book reading, wireless printing and other network service applications in one compact mobile device. For more information visit http://www.x-trafun.com/
About Actel
Actel Corporation is a supplier of innovative programmable logic solutions, including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) based on antifuse and flash technologies, high-performance intellectual property (IP) cores, software development tools and design services targeted for the high-speed communications, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) replacement and radiation-tolerant markets. Founded in 1985, Actel employs approximately 500 people worldwide. The Company is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ACTL and is headquartered at 2061 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA, 94043-4655. Telephone: 888-99-ACTEL (992-2835). Internet: http://www.actel.com/.
The Actel name and logo are registered trademarks of Actel Corporation. Nintendo Game Boy is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks and servicemarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Clive Jones of Actel Corporation, +1-650-318-4523 or
clive.jones@actel.com; Mark Kramer of X-traFun, Inc., +1-303-814-6767 or
mkramer@x-trafun.com; or Patty Ladegaard of Porter Novelli,
+1-408-369-1500, ext. 30 or patty.ladegaard@porternovelli.com, for Actel
Corporation
Web site: http://www.actel.com/
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