Actel Expands MIL-STD-1553 Offering With New IP Core for Military, Space and Industrial Markets
Hardware-Configurable and Software-Programmable Core1553BRM Solution
Provides Integrated Bus Controller, Bus Monitor and Remote Terminal
Capabilities
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 24, 2004 —
Actel Corporation (Nasdaq:
ACTL) today introduced the third solution in its MIL-STD-1553 portfolio,
the Core1553BRM intellectual property (IP) core. Designed for use with
Actel's field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), including the company's
recently announced, space-qualified RTAX250S device, the software-programmable
Core1553BRM solution enables designers to select an integrated, individual
or dual-function bus-controller (BC), remote-terminal (RT) or monitor-terminal
(MT) solution. Both MIL-STD-1553A and MIL-STD-1553B compliant, Actel's
new core speeds time to market and eliminates non-recurring engineering
(NRE) costs and reduces high system costs when compared with custom application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs). The Core1553BRM also reduces the high system
cost associated with implementing discrete standard product 1553 solutions.
Hardware and software compatible with industry-leading legacy 1553 systems,
the Core1553BRM core allows customers to easily upgrade existing designs
without extensive modifications to application and driver software.
"Increasingly, customers require a hardware-configurable and software-programmable
1553B solution that will allow them to speed time to market and reduce
component count over industry-leading, fixed-semiconductor legacy 1553
systems,"
stated Yankin Tanurhan, senior director of Actel's applications and IP
solutions group. "When Actel's new Core1553BRM solution is implemented
in our nonvolatile FPGAs, including the company's radiation-tolerant
devices, designers have the ability to dynamically choose an integrated,
individual or dual-function 1553 solution, providing them with the versatile,
cost-efficient solution they need for military, space and industrial
applications in which high-reliability and system redundancy are essential."
Since reliability is essential in 1553 applications, Actel has verified
the core in simulation and on a MIL-STD-1553 development board. Actel's
Core1553BRM will be certified by an objective, third-party test company
to verify that the core works in accordance with Notice 2 of MIL-STD-1553B.
Core1553BRM Key Features
Actel's Core1553BRM can interface to standard external transceivers
and legacy systems, enabling designers to replace existing components
and easily reuse current software. This core provides simultaneous operation
of the remote terminal and bus monitor. The remote terminal also allows
for internal or external legalization registers to reduce the required
footprint as well as advanced RT functions (circular and ping-pong buffering
and message indexing). The bus controller includes terminal polling,
message scheduling and multiple message processing. Core1553BRM provides
low-power operation at 12, 16, 20 or 24 MHz on Actel's ProASICPLUS,
Axcelerator, SX-A, RTSX-S and RTAX-S FPGAs.
Core1553BRM Evaluation Board
Delivering a complete solution, Actel provides everything needed to
incorporate a 1553 BC, RT or MT into a system design, including a development
board and tools, documentation and software. The development board includes
a ProASICPLUS APA600 FPGA, synchronous SRAM memory, 1553B
transceivers and bus termination components and a serial port. Compatible
with standard dual-redundant 1553 cabling, the board will demonstrate
operation of the BC and RT solutions without the need for additional
hardware.
Pricing and Availability
The Core1553BRM is available now with documentation accessible from
Actel's Website at http://www.actel.com/products/ip.
Pricing for the Core1553BRM is $10,000 for a single-use netlist. A prototype
development board based on this core is also available and is priced
at $1,500.
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 more than 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.
Contact: Stephanie Mrus, Actel Corporation, 650.318.4614
