Date: 20/03/2007

FPGA development kit for PCI Express and PlanAhead 9.1 software from Xilinx

Xilinx Inc has made available a new kit for developing PCI express bus based applications using Virtex -5 FPGA from Xilinx. The kit consists of
· 8-lane PCI Express add-in card (ML555)
· Virtex-5, XC5VLX50T-1FF1136 FPGA with built-in block for PCI Express endpoint & 3.2 Gbps RocketIO GTP ---- transceivers
· Intellectual property (IP) cores to develop 1-8-lane PCIe endpoint+PHY in the FPGA
· Reference Designs and Software
· Windows driver toolkit from Jungo Ltd.
· Windows-based GUI
· Platform USB FPGA download cable
· Resource CD
· Quickstart guide in English, Japanese, Korean and traditional & simplified Chinese
· Technical documentation

The applications suggested are, 8 lane PCIexpress applications in communications and networking, video and broadcast, storage and computing, industrial as well as aerospace/defense markets.

Xilinx also announces in a separate press release the availability of 9.1 version of PlanAhead hierarchical design and analysis software with support for its Virtex-5 and Spartan-3 generation FPGAs. This new software provides an environment for fully automatic or semi-automated assignment of I/O ports to physical package pins.