8.2i ISE tool suite

Features: Xilinx Inc. has announced the immediate availability of the

8.2i Integrated Software Environment (ISE) tool suite, the latest release of its

widely-used design solution, now supporting the company's 65nm Virtex-5

domain-optimized FPGAs. Leveraging the features of the Virtex-5 ExpressFabric

technology, the ISE 8.2i design environment enables 30 per cent faster

performance than previous generation FPGAs, Xilinx said in a statement.






The latest release also features an integrated timing closure environment and
new productivity-enhancing features to fully exploit the performance and power

advantages of Virtex-5 devices.






“The ability to meet timing budgets is the number one productivity issue
facing designers today. With Virtex FPGAs more often at the heart of complex

systems, it is critical that design tools help designers achieve aggressive

performance goals while reducing the time spent in the design cycle,” said

Bruce Talley, vice president of the Design Software Division at Xilinx.






“The advanced features and performance of the Virtex-5 family can be quickly
and efficiently utilized with ISE 8.2i implementation support, and our new

interactive timing closure environment.”






Performance



The new design suite features next-generation physical synthesis with

critical pre- and post-routing optimization for Virtex-5 designs. Enhanced

routing support for the new ExpressFabric technology reduces levels of logic and

signal delay while packing designs more efficiently.






Productivity



Automated cross-probing between constraint entry, timing analysis,

floorplanning and implementation reports provides greater visibility and more

efficient method for routing and debugging designs. Integration of Xplorer into

the 8.2i design flow provides designers the ability to automatically explore

various settings and constraints to significantly improve the performance for a

given design. ISE 8.2i support for device models and pin assignments and the

second generation SparseChevron technology in Virtex-5 FPGAs greatly simplifies

PCB design.






Power



The new Xpower Estimator tool ensures accurate power estimation based

on extensive Virtex-5 device characterization, thus allowing designers to plan

for their power budget in advance. Xpower is available as a free download.






Price: ISE 8.2i Foundation and ChipScope Pro 8.2 configurations are
immediately available with prices ranging from US$695/- to US$2495/-.