Xilinx Simplifies Embedded Development with New EDK 9.1i Suite

Updated tool suite supports latest Virtex-5 and Spartan-3A devices and streamlines processing design across all FPGA platforms

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 26, 2007 – Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) today announced the release of version 9.1i of the Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK) with the award-winning Xilinx Platform Studio embedded tool suite, providing full-access processing support for the company’s newest 65-nanometer (nm) Virtex™-5 SXT, LX and LXT FPGAs, as well as early access for the new Spartan™-3A and Spartan-3AN devices. EDK 9.1i also includes a newly enhanced version of the MicroBlaze™ soft processing core and advancements in the tool suite that enable software and hardware engineers to more easily configure an integrated embedded design on all Xilinx platform FPGAs.

“With each release of new platform FPGAs such as the Virtex-5 and Spartan-3A families, the embedded processing community continues to adopt our processing platforms for a wide-range of applications and markets,” explains Tim Erjavec, director of embedded and DSP worldwide marketing at Xilinx. “With our latest EDK version 9.1i, we have made it easier to build software platforms and improved integration with the hardware configuration tools to further accelerate embedded system design.”

HW/SW Platform Tool Integration Improves Ease-of-Use
Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS) is the integrated development environment (IDE) most often used by system architects and hardware and/or FPGA engineers to design an embedded system with Xilinx devices. The XPS Software Development Kit (SDK) is the Eclipse-based IDE used by software savvy engineers to develop and debug application code targeted for Xilinx processors. With the 9.1i release, the XPS SDK compile/debug capabilities have been enhanced, and the process of defining and generating software processing platforms has been significantly streamlined through control of compiler settings; automated generation of libraries, software drivers and linker scripts; and FLASH writing and design module synchronization.

EDK 9.1i also features a host of intellectual property (IP) and ease-of-use enhancements. These include color-coded indicators in the IP catalog, IP instantiation and configuration improvements, and upgraded simulation and debug interfaces. Users can now access automatic software updates directly from the Xilinx download center, along with the new EDK Concepts, Tools and Techniques hands-on guide to effective embedded system design.

MicroBlaze Soft Processing Enhanced
The Xilinx MicroBlaze 32-bit soft processing core has been optimized for implementation in both the Spartan and Virtex platform FPGA families, including the newest Virtex-5 SXT, LX and LXT devices. Using the XPS 9.1i design tools, the new MicroBlaze version 6.00 processor is easily configured for optimal performance/size based on the targeted device and makes use of five pipeline stages for improved instruction throughput. MicroBlaze v6.00 also offers optional microcaches for memory-constrained designs and a new Mul64 instruction for 32-bit integer multiplication with 64-bit results. As is standard practice with Xilinx, MicroBlaze v6.00 is backward compatible to enable design migration and reuse of MicroBlaze v5.00 and v4.00-based embedded processing platforms.

Pricing and Availability
The EDK 9.1i release is immediately available for USD $495, and conveniently bundles the XPS 9.1i tool suite with a processing IP library, software drivers, documentation, reference design examples and the MicroBlaze soft processing IP core. XPS 9.1i supports MicroBlaze and PowerPC® processing design for Xilinx Virtex-5, Virtex-4, Virtex-II Pro, and most Spartan-3 platform FGPAs, while introducing early access support for Spartan-3A/AN devices. XPS 9.1i supports a broad range of computing platforms, including Windows 2000 SP2, SP3, SP4 and XP SP1, SP2, Solaris 2.8/5.8 and 2.9/5.9, as well as Linux Red Hat Enterprise 4.0.

In addition, evaluation versions of the Xilinx ISE™ 9.1i logic design tools and ChipScope™ Pro hardware debugger are included with EDK 9.1i. For complete information on all Xilinx embedded processing solutions, please visit: www.xilinx.com/processor.

About Xilinx
Xilinx, Inc. is the worldwide leader of programmable logic solutions. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com.

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