Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: Altera Europe | Subject: State Department issues ITAR cert
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 March 2007
PLD maker complies with arms trade rules
The US Department of State has certified that Altera's HardCopy II structured ASIC design and manufacturing flow is compliant with International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The US Department of State has certified that Altera's HardCopy II structured ASIC design and manufacturing flow is compliant with International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Compliance allows designers of US military electronics systems to take advantage of a secure HardCopy II design flow for prototyping in an FPGA and then seamlessly migrating to a structured ASIC
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 24 Dec 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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ITAR compliance is an integral part of the exclusive Altera Enhanced COTS Initiative for addressing military and aerospace market-specific needs.
Altera enhanced COTS products include device support for a wide range of temperature gradients, die business support, long-term obsolescence protection and a consistent supply chain to address military design challenges.
"Military contractors are now requiring ITAR compliance from their suppliers", says Don Faria, Altera's Senior Vice President, Business Groups.
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"This secure design and manufacturing flow for HardCopy II structured ASICs provides a significant competitive advantage and is another example of how our enhanced COTS strategy is helping military suppliers meet government requirements".
ITAR regulates the import and export of US defence-related equipment, services and information.
Conformance to ITAR links Altera's HardCopy structured ASIC design flow with an export-management system, technology-control plan, a secure design room, server security and encrypted communications.
It assures that only US personnel working for US companies are aware of any of the designs generated by Altera customers.
With Altera's productivity enhancing Quartus II development software, customers can prototype and verify their designs using Stratix II FPGAs.
After testing, the design is encrypted and sent to Altera's secure ITAR design centre in California.
There, the design is reviewed and checked for conformance with HardCopy II structured ASIC manufacturing requirements.
All work remains within the ITAR design centre to maintain security throughout the design migration and review process.
Altera then sends an encrypted report back to the customer for review before wafer fabrication and prototyping.
HardCopy II structured ASICs are well aligned for designs in military applications, providing high immunity to single-event upsets (SEU), low device power and single-chip live-at-power-up for use in avionics, missiles, modems, sensors, radios and unmanned vehicle applications.
In addition, engineering teams can design HardCopy II structured ASICs for military temperature requirements (-55 to +125C).
Specific development programs include avionics for the Joint Strike Fighter program (JSF) and high-altitude missiles, both requiring SEU immunity.
By using structured ASICs, costs can also be significantly reduced for software defined radios (SDR) in high-volume commercial applications.
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