Xcell24

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PRODUCT INFORMATION-COMPONENTS

XC4062

XL

Debuts:

Xilinx Extends High-Density

FPGA Leadership

I n January, Xilinx began sampling the XC4062XL FPGA device, currently the world’s highest-capacity FPGA. Xilinx has shipped more than $90 million worth of high-density FPGAs over the past

12 months, more than all competitors combined.

The XC4062XL device, the largest available member of the

XC4000XL family, is manufactured on an advanced 0.35 µ process and operates at 3.3 volts. It contains 2,304 CLBs (5,472 logic cells).

Logic cells are fast becoming the industry-standard metric for comparing densities of SRAM-based FPGAs. A logic cell is defined as the combination of a 4-input look-up table (LUT) and a dedicated register that reside in the same block, such that the output of the LUT can be the data input to the register.

The majority of FPGAs in use today are SRAM-based FPGAs whose logic blocks are based on a combination of memory lookup tables (LUTs) and dedicated registers. Thus, logic cells are a more direct and objective capacity metric than gate counts. Each

XC4000 CLB, with two 4-input LUTs, one 3-input LUT, and two registers, is equivalent to 2.375 logic cells.

The XC4062XL is available in 560-pin ball grid array (BGA),

475-pin pin grid array (PGA) and 240-pin high performance quad flat pack (HQFP) packages.

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Faster XC4000E-1 FPGAs Support High-

Performance Applications

O nce again, continuing process improvements have led to the release of a new, in the 80 MHz range — about 20% higher performance than the XC4000E-2 FPGAs. The faster speed grade for the XC4000E

FPGA family. Devices with the new

-1 speed grade are expected to start sampling in March and enter full production in

June.

Based on an optimized 0.5 µ

Max. System Speed =

1/(Clock-to-Out + Global Set-Up) three-layer-metal process, the new -1 rated devices support typical system clock speeds

XC4000E-1 devices are applicable to a wide range of highdensity, highperformance applications, such as

PCI bus interfaces, fast ATM switches and video processing.

For pricing and availability information, please contact your local Xilinx sales representative.

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R

Product Discontinuance Policy Update

T he Xilinx Product Discontinuance Policy provides for the early notification of future product changes and discontinuances, generous last-time buy periods, and relationships with end-of-life suppliers. Refer to page 14 in

XCell 23 for information about the development of the policy.

“End-of-Life” Supplier Selected

Xilinx has selected Rochester Electron-

ics, Inc. (REI) as “end-of-life” supplier for

Xilinx discontinued products. REI is the industry leader in after-market support for semicondutor suppliers. Our relationship with

REI will provide for product availability beyond the Xilinx last-time-buy and last-timeship periods. REI also provides capabilities such as assembly and test. Contact REI at its

Newburyport, MA headquarters by phone at

508-462-9332, by e-mail at [email protected], or on the internet at www.rocelec.com.

However, higher-performance XC3000 series devices are getting less expensive. The most recent price reductions for the XC3000-

100 and XC3100A-4 devices have eliminated the need for the XC3000-70 and XC3100A-5 devices, so we are dicontinuing the C and I grades of those two devices. Users of these discontinued products can now move to the next-highest speed grade, maintaining pin and bitstream compatibility, and take advantage of decreased component costs.

For further information about these products, including a complete list of the ordering codes for the discontinued products, please contact your local sales office or visit the

Xilinx WebLINX website.

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Product Discontinuance Schedule

XC2000 Shipments to End in 1999

On December 20, 1996, Xilinx issued

Product Discontinuance Notification

PCN96010 for the XC2000 FPGA family. Included in the discontinuance are all commercial, industrial, military and hi-rel products.

The last-time-buy period extends until January 1, 1999 (see table).

The XC2000 devices, first introduced in

1985, can be replaced by more cost-effective

FPGA and CPLD product families, such as the

XC5200, XC7300 and XC9500 families, or by their HardWire TM equivalent, the XC2318.

MILESTONE

XC2000 Product Line Discontinuance

Notification

Last-time-buy

Last-time-ship

12/20/96

1/1/99

6/30/99

XC3000 -70 (C and I) Discontinuance

Notification

Last-time-buy

Last-time-ship

XC3000 Low Volume Packages

Notification

Last-time-buy

Last-time-ship

DATE

1/31/97

1/31/98

4/30/98

1/31/97

12/31/98

3/31/99

NOTES

PCN96010

PDN97003

PDN97005

XC3100A -5 (C and I) Discontinuance

XC3000 Series Product

Line Streamlining

We plan to improve our leadtimes by removing device and package combinations with extremely low order volumes. A few

XC3000 series components, mostly slower speed grades and unpopular pin grid array package combinations, will be discontinued within the next two years.

Notification

Last-time-buy

Last-time-ship

XC3100A Low Volume Packages

Notification

Last-time-buy

Last-time-ship

1/31/97

1/31/98

4/30/98

1/31/97

12/31/98

3/31/99

PDN97004

PDN97006

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Xilinx Receives QML Certification

T he Defense Supply Center Columbus

(formerly DESC) has awarded Xilinx transitional certification to MIL-PRF-38535 Qualified

Manufacturer Listing (QML). As with our ISO

9000 certification, QML demonstrates our status as a proven, world-class supplier of programmable logic.

About the QML Program

The QML program involves the certification of a quality and manufacturing system applicable to both military and commercial products — a “dual-use” system. Developed in 1988 at the direction of the Defense Science Board, QML calls for the use of “best commercial practices” for manufacturing and testing, allowing the supplier to optimize the manufacturing, assembly, screening and test flows. The QML certification is basically a validation that the company is well-managed and technically sound enough to be “world class” with minimal government interference. As acceleration tests, and full electrical testing both before and after a “burn-in” period.

These requirements apply to all products that we supply as SMD-qualified; each indi- vidual product is subject to the standard’s screening and qualification requirements.

The QML program works to ensure the same high quality levels as MIL-STD-833 without all of its onerous testing requirements.

The QML program focuses on the generic qualification of an envelope of processes and materials, rather than individual products. It allows for the use of pertinent existing military and commercial reliability data, statistical process controls (SPC), and in-process monitors. In short, the QML program encourages the use of the “best commercial practices” that are commensurate with military performance, quality and reliability.

a result, we have greater flexibility in controling the ways that we qualify, manufacture and test our military products.

Suppliers new to the QML program, such as Xilinx, are awarded “transitional” certification as they move from MIL-STD-883 to QML.

It is our target to achieve full QML status before the end of 1997, but we will begin operating as a QML supplier immediately.

QML and MIL-STD-883

Xilinx has been qualified to MIL-STD-883 since 1988, and we have been a very active supporter of the Standard Microcircuit Drawing (SMD) Program. Under MIL-STD-883, we have been operating under a system that specifies the manufacturing requirements for our military products. For example, these requirements include temperature cycling and

Benefits of the QML Program.

The benefits of being a QML supplier are significant, both to Xilinx and our users.

➤ More Rapid Product Introductions —

Historically, the MIL-STD-883 standards have caused a significant time lag between the release of new commercial products and their military/hi-rel versions. Under

QML, this time lag will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated entirely.

➤ Improved Manufacturing Efficiency —

Since we now have the ability to begin optimizing military screening previously mandated by MIL-STD-883, we will become a more efficient and cost-effective supplier to the military/hi-rel market.

➤ Access to Military Programs Requiring

QML Product — There are some military programs that require the use of QML parts. Xilinx programmable logic solutions will now be available for those programs.

➤ Greater Access to New Markets —

Since the QML program is based on the concept of “best commercial practices,” the opportunity exists for Xilinx to explore the possibilities of using commercial pack-

aging technology (i.e., plastic packages) for use in high-reliability applications.

More work is required in this area, but we now have the basis for evaluation.

How the program will be implemented

Our QML certification encompasses manufacturing and test processes at Xilinx,

Seiko-Epson (wafer fabrication) and Anam

Philippines (assembly). Consequently, all of our current Standard Microcircuit Drawing

(SMD) products will be immediately transitioned to QML. We will begin marking our SMD parts with a “Q” to indicate QML.

SMD documents will be updated to reflect our

QML status. The SMD program will continue

— as we introduce new products, they will be included in the SMD program as QMLcertified, rather than MIL-STD-883 certified.

Because many of the new products that we intend to introduce for the military/hi-rel market will be produced at another foundry,

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), it is our intention to seek QML certification for this facility by the end of 1997.

While other manufacturers are abandoning their military/hi-rel users, the participation of Xilinx in the QML program is one more demonstration of our strong commitment to support military and high-reliability applications, as well as a testament to the quality of

Xilinx processes and products.

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XC5200 Family Breaks The

$ 4

Price Barrier

FPGA benefits now available to consumer and high-volume markets

X ilinx shipped the millionth unit of the XC5200 FPGA family in the fourth quarter of 1996. The XC5200 family reached this milestone faster than any previous FPGA product family.

As one result of the migration of this family to 0.5 µ three-layer-metal process technology, Xilinx has significantly reduced component die sizes, leading to dramatically reduced prices. In fact, Xilinx has introduced the world’s first FPGA for less than $4. The direct price for the 256-logic-cell XC5202-6PC84C is now $3.95 (in 25,000 piece quantities).

The migration of the family to the 0.5 µ process has resulted in a “pad-limited” die size; that is, a die size limited by the number of I/O on the device, not the amount of logic.

This, in turn, leads to production cost parity with low-end gate arrays. As a result, highvolume products can now achieve their cost and margin targets while obtaining all the traditional benefits of FPGA technology, including design flexibility and off-the-shelf availability. The XC5200 family is now the ideal logic solution for consumer and other high-volume products that require both low cost and fast time-to-market, such as set-top boxes, PC add-in cards, cable modems, and digital cameras.

With five XC5200 family devices ranging from 2,000 to

23,000 maximum logic gates in 15 different packages, there are now over

100 different device/ package/speed combinations available to meet your exact design requirements, all at very affordable prices.

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