Xilinx Virtex-5: a Flash-Based Storage Solution

Xilinx, Inc. announced a flash-based configuration and storage solution for the Virtex-5 family that delivers new levels of configuration performance for meeting today’s high-speed connectivity requirements. The solution includes a new 128Mb Platform Flash XL configuration and storage device, a next generation Platform Cable USB II development tool, and the Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA PCIe 1.x and 2.0 Embedded Processor Board. The Platform Flash XL solution delivers the industry’s highest throughput and lowest device count for high-performance PCI Express connectivity applications used in optical and enterprise networking, WiMAX digital front-end and baseband processing, video broadcast equipment, and medical ultrasound and scanners.

Virtex-5 FPGA Development Board for PCI Express Gen 1 & 2 and Embedded Processing

"The high performance of the new 128Mb Platform Flash XL device enables the largest Xilinx FPGAs to meet the stringent PCI Express configuration requirements," said Brian Daellenbach, president of Northwest Logic. "It is a great complement to the high-performance Northwest Logic PCI Express 1.0 and 2.0 solutions for Virtex-5 FPGAs. This robust combination will provide peace-of-mind to our customers when designing FPGA-based PCI Express applications for open systems."

High-Density Configuration and Storage Device
The non-volatile Platform Flash XL offering extends the density of Xilinx configuration memory from 32Mb to 128Mb with devices that operate at 50 MHz synchronous with a wide, 16-bit parallel data bus. Platform Flash XL configuration is more than three times faster than third-party asynchronous parallel flash memory offerings. When combined with the Virtex-5 family’s PCI Express Endpoint blocks, this new solution facilitates configuration before PCIe link activation in the widely-used ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) power supply-based compute systems to ensure interoperability with a broad range of applications.

With the exclusive Xilinx built-in power-up sequencing capabilities, multi-boot and fallback features, as well as comprehensive reference design support, the Platform Flash XL is the easiest to use configuration solution for Virtex-5 FPGAs. Designers can also use the solution for many non-configuration applications by using a standard CFI interface to access the Platform Flash XL’s flash memory bits. This means unused memory capacity within the 128Mb device can be made available for FPGA bitstream revision updates, user data storage, or embedded processor code shadowing applications.

"Virtex-5 FPGAs are seeing tremendous success in a wide range of applications including wired and wireless communication, defense systems, high performance computing, industrial and medical imaging systems," said Mustafa Veziroglu, vice president of Product and Solutions Management at Xilinx. "With the introduction of the Platform Flash XL non-volatile configuration and storage solution, Xilinx is further enabling high performance and ease-of-use for our customers’ most demanding system requirements."

High-Performance Configuration and Programming Cable
The Platform Cable USB II is the company’s second-generation Pb-free (RoHS compliant) USB download cable for use with all Xilinx devices. It features innovative FPGA-based acceleration firmware, new protection circuitry, and enhanced signal integrity for fast, reliable, and user-friendly configuration and programming. These capabilities support the unique high performance requirements of Virtex-5 FPGA and Platform Flash XL-based designs. The Platform Cable USB II is also a cost-effective tool for debugging embedded software and firmware when used with the Xilinx embedded development kits and ChipScope Pro analyzer. The Platform Cable USB II is backwards compatible with the Xilinx Platform Cable USB and supports USB full speed (USB 1.1) and hi-speed (USB 2.0) ports.

Flexible Reference Design and Development Board
The Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA PCIe 1.x and 2.0 Embedded Processor Development Board is a highly flexible platform for developing and validating Virtex-5 FPGA-based embedded processing applications with high-speed serial connectivity and next-generation memory interfaces.  Powered by the Xilinx Virtex-5 FX70T FPGA and 128Mb Platform Flash XL configuration and storage device, this new development board is designed to support x4 PCI Express 1.x and 2.0 specifications, DDR-3 (component), DDR-2 (SO-DIMM), data-rate-adjustable RocketIO(TM) GTP/GTX transceivers (with super clock), and single-ended and LVDS connections. The on-board super clock provides different reference clocks across eight RocketIO GTX transceivers, thereby providing an ideal development vehicle for any serial IO-based application.

Xilinx Platform Flash XL configuration devices are available for ordering today in high volume quantities.

For more information about Xilinx Platform Flash XL configuration and storage devices

Platform Cable USB II is available immediately as an upgrade to Platform Cable USB and priced at US$225.
For detailed specifications

The Xilinx Virtex-5 PCIe 1.x and 2.0 Embedded Processor Development Board will be available for ordering on May 19, 2008 and priced at US$1,695. 
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