Actel Unveils Development Ecosystem for Industry's First Mixed-Signal FPGAs
Application Notes, Boards, Partners, Software Tools and 99 IP Cores
Support Fusion Programmable System Chips (PSCs)
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., January 17, 2006 —
Actel
Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTL) today enhanced its Actel
Fusion™ mixed-signal PSC
offering with an ecosystem that supports power and thermal management applications.
The Fusion
Ecosystem enables customers to speed the development and reduce the
complexity of designs based on Actel's revolutionary mixed-signal FPGAs.
The award-winning Actel Fusion PSC devices, introduced last month, integrate
digital logic, analog functionality, up to 8Mbits of embedded flash memory,
and FPGA fabric on a single chip for a broad range of application areas
that previously relied on costly and space-consuming discrete analog
components or mixed-signal ASIC devices.
"The Fusion PSC device, with its high level of system integration,
enables designers to quickly move from concept to completed design," said
Yankin Tanurhan, senior director of applications and IP solutions at
Actel. "The Fusion Ecosystem simplifies and accelerates design
with exceptional application support. Actel will continue to improve
this support while cultivating a network of partners to help improve
the adoption of Fusion in the marketplace."
Extensive Ecosystem Supports PSC Implementation
Supporting its strong focus on specific applications for
the Fusion product family, Actel has made available a range of application
information. In December, Actel introduced eleven application notes and
briefs with a power management focus as well as a power management demonstration
design for the Fusion Starter Kit. Today, Actel is introducing additional
application information with a focus on thermal management. There are
three application briefs: one for thermal management, a DC/DC conversion
brief and an LED backlight control document. Additionally, there is a
thermal management demonstration design for the Fusion Starter Kit and
an application note describing thermal monitoring techniques with Fusion.
The Fusion Ecosystem includes 99
IP cores to serve as building blocks for rapid system design. Two
new DirectCores have been developed specifically for the Fusion platform. CoreCFI provides
a flash memory interface, per the common flash interface standard,
and CoreFMEE extends
the life of the flash memory to emulate the high endurance of EEPROMs
using the Fusion device's large internal flash memory. This offering
also includes the Fusion Backbone IP, which in conjunction with Actel's
SmartGen, provides a simple interface and configuration tool for Fusion
analog and large nonvolatile memory systems.
The Actel
Fusion Starter Kit, also introduced last month, is a comprehensive
design environment that includes a development board, FlashPro3 programmer,
power supply, software tools and reference designs for fast and easy
implementation of Fusion devices.
Finally, the Fusion Ecosystem includes over 30
Solution Partners that provide geographical reach and additional
application expertise as well as component and board-level knowledge. Ultimodule, Ishnatek and Monolithic
Power are partners that provide support for Fusion with application
briefs highlighting that company's products working with Fusion devices.
Customers can access the Fusion Ecosystem on the Web at www.actel.com and
through Actel's worldwide sales
team, Actel distribution
partners and Fusion Solution Partners. For more information, please
contact Actel.
The Fusion Programmable System Chips
The Actel Fusion PSCs are the industry's first mixed-signal FPGAs. Actel
Fusion devices integrate mixed-signal analog, large flash memory blocks
and FPGA fabric in a monolithic PSC, enabling designers to quickly move
from concept to completed design and deliver feature-rich systems to
market. The programmable devices also offer the flexibility of upgrades
in the field.
About Actel
Actel Corporation is the leader in single-chip FPGA solutions. The Company
is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol ACTL and is
headquartered at 2061 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, Calif., 94043-4655.
For more information about Actel, visit http://www.actel.com.
Telephone: 888-99-ACTEL (992-2835).
Contact: Gwen Carlson, Microsemi Corporation, 949.221.7173
