Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: Actel Europe | Subject: ProASIC Plus
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 31 March 2004
Flash-based FPGAs win market acceptance
Actel has shipped the one-millionth unit of its successful Flash-based ProASIC Plus FPGA family.
Actel has shipped the one-millionth unit of its successful Flash-based ProASIC Plus FPGA family The milestone shipment is significant for Actel because the cost-effective ProASIC Plus family, introduced just two years ago, now holds the distinction of having the largest installed base of any Flash-based FPGA solution
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 3 Feb 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Flash-based FPGAs control comms on the rails
Flash-based ProASIC Plus FPGAs are used in Far Systems' Multifunctional Vehicle Bus and Wire Train Bus onboard railway communication products.
Flash-based FPGAs pass full set of military tests
ProASIC Plus FPGAs have passed extensive testing at extreme conditions to achieve compliance with MIL-STD-883 Class B and qualify for use in high-reliability defence applications.
Further, with well over 1000 design starts worldwide, this product has the fastest customer acceptance rate in Actel's history.
Together, these achievements demonstrate the widespread adoption of nonvolatile, Flash-based FPGAs as competitive alternatives to ASICs and SRAM-based FPGAs in mainstream applications across a variety of new and existing end markets, such as automotive, consumer, industrial and aerospace.
It also provides additional evidence that customers are recognising that the unique combination of nonvolatility and reprogrammability of these single-chip devices, coupled with their firm-error immunity, low power and inherent security, make them a cost-effective solution for the value-based FPGA market.
Further reading
FPGAs fly with Airbus
More than 700 Actel FPGAs have been designed into the Airbus A380.
Flash-based FPGAs enable novel cable modem design
Integen Technologies has used ProASIC Plus FPGAs to implement the core of its cable modem design, which forms part of its Guest Room Integrated Delivery System.
According to Gartner Dataquest, only 37% of FPGAs are now used for ASIC prototyping, which represents a shift from traditional usage models.
Nonrecurring engineering (NRE) costs are skyrocketing for ASICs, making these devices cost prohibitive for all but the highest volume users.
And, unlike competitive offerings, the single-chip, live at power-up ProASIC Plus FPGAs require no external configuration memory or microcontroller, delivering a significant reduction in total system cost.
As a result, Actel is seeing substantial market growth for its nonvolatile, ASIC-like, Flash-based FPGAs that deliver unprecedented design flexibility at the industry's lowest total system cost.
"Early on, Actel recognised the huge opportunity to meet the needs of designers looking for a flexible, nonvolatile, ASIC-like design solution, and we made a significant investment in Flash technology development as an alternative to ASICs and SRAM-based FPGA solutions", said John East, President and CEO of Actel.
"The result has been an immensely successful line of cost-effective, Flash-based FPGA products that offer designers a 'best-of-both-worlds' scenario.
And, as these product milestones demonstrate, we are beginning to reap the rewards from this investment".
Making inroads into all market segments, Flash-based FPGAs have been selected for more than 1000 design starts worldwide, across a broad spectrum of applications.
Consumer product suppliers value the cost-effectiveness of a single-chip solution, and the low-power consumption characteristic of Flash technology is imperative in power-sensitive handheld applications.
Customers in military and industrial segments often require the firm-error immunity also associated with Flash-based devices, while communications, industrial and consumer product vendors value the inherent security features offered by Flash-based FPGAs.
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