Download Xcell Journal: Issue 40

L E T T E R
F R O M
T H E
E D I T O R
Xilinx Virtex-II Platform FPGAs:
The Fusion of Silicon, Software, and Support
T
his is the first Special Edition of the Xcell Journal entirely devoted to one product line: the
state-of the-art Virtex®-II Platform FPGAs. This Virtex-II family is the result of the largest
silicon and software R&D effort in the history of programmable logic. Walden C. Rhines, CEO
of Mentor Graphics, notes in his Cover Story, the Virtex-II Platform FPGA gives a whole new level
of meaning to the concept of system-on-a-chip: “The Xilinx platform-based FPGA technology
brings programmability to the system-on-chip methodology.”
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Carlis Collins
[email protected]
408-879-4519
MANAGING EDITOR
Tom Durkin
[email protected]
530-272-5085
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Andy Larg
DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
Scott Blair
Dan Teie
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Dave Stieg
Mike Seither
Peter Alfke
Xcell journal
Xilinx, Inc.
2100 Logic Drive
San Jose, CA 95124-3450
Phone: 408-559-7778
FAX: 408-879-4780
©2001 Xilinx Inc.
All rights reserved.
Xcell is published quarterly. XILINX, the Xilinx logo,
CoolRunner, Spartan, and Virtex are registered trademarks of Xilinx Inc. Alliance Series, Xilinx Foundation
Series, AllianceCore, Foundation, IRL, LogiCORE,
SelectI/O, WebPACK, WebPOWERED, WebFITTER,
QPro, XPERTS, XtremeDSP, CORE Generator, Rocket
I/O, Fast Zero Power, SelectRAM, IP-Immersion,
System ACE, ChipScope, and all XC-prefix products are
trademarks, and The Programmable Logic Company is
a service mark of Xilinx Inc. Other brand or product
names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
The articles, information, and other materials included in this issue are provided solely for the convenience of our readers. Xilinx makes no warranties,
express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, and accepts
no liability with respect to any such articles, information, or other materials or their use, and any use
thereof is solely at the risk of the user. Any person or
entity using such information in any way releases and
waives any claim it might have against Xilinx for any
loss, damage, or expense caused thereby.
Not only do the Virtex-II Platform FPGAs offer on-chip programmability, they also offer on-chip
processors in both hard and soft cores. In his View from the Top column, Xilinx CEO Wim
Roelandts explains how you can soon get an IBM PowerPC™ processor embedded within the programmable logic fabric, or you can choose the Xilinx MicroBlaze™ soft core processor – or you can
have both on the same Platform FPGA.
Read Peggy Abusaidi’s article “Virtex-II Platform FPGA Solution Launches New Era of High
Performance System Design” for an overview of the breakthrough technologies – including
SystemIO™, XCITE, IP-Immersion™, Digital Clock Managers, XtremeDSP™, and new design
software. There are numerous other articles in this Virtex-II Special Edition that describe these
technologies in depth, as well as examples of practical applications. For those who are looking for
“just the facts,” check out the Virtex-II Advance Brief Data Sheet and Virtex-II Product Guide.
Not only is this the first edition of Xcell Journal dedicated to one product line, it is also the first
issue in which I (Tom Durkin) have published as Managing Editor. I join Carlis Collins, Editor in
Chief, in continuing to bring you the best and most useful information in the programmable logic
industry. We are dedicated to keeping you informed of not only what field programmable logic
devices can do, but also what people are doing with our products. In coming issues, we will report
on the hunt for the last subatomic particle, the Higgs boson, at the Fermi National Accelerator
Laboratory, and we will investigate “evolutionary algorithms” that make Xilinx FPGAs capable of
redesigning themselves.
Even in these times of economic uncertainty, Wim Roelandts says it best: “Xilinx just keeps getting
better, and the future looks very bright.”
We hope you enjoy this Virtex-II Special Edition of the Xcell Journal – and we invite your comments
and suggestions.
Tom Durkin
Managing Editor