San Jose, California-based Altera Corp has launched the Flex 10K family of programmable chips. Altera designs basic programmable logic devices, easier to program and more flexible than gate array devices, but more expensive and so, not as popular. The launch of the Flex 10K is part of the company’s plan to push programmable logic further into the mainstream. The Flex 10K is said to implement memory functions as efficiently as embedded gate arrays, which is necessary with high gate counts. The family provides chips with 100,000 gates of programmable logic that Altera claims addresses more than 80% of designs being created, and enables designers to implement designs done currently in gate arrays only. Altera says that although the price of these chips is currently higher than for gate arrays, prices will begin to drop once it gets into high volume production. The Flex 10K provides two ways of implementing functions, either in logic array or embedded array blocks. Logic array blocks are groups of eight enhanced logic elements, with all elelments being linked to each other. Each embedded array block can support up to 2Kb of RAM or ROM and can be configured in numerous ways, including support of First-In, First Out and dual port RAM. These blocks can also be cascaded together to make wider or deeper memory configurations. The two types of block are connected by FastTrack Interconnect, which connects by rows and columns or wires that span the length of the die. There are seven members of the family, ranging from 15,000 to 100,000 usable gates; first to ship will be the EPF10K50, with 50,000 gates, next quarter. In the fourth quarter the 100,000 gate array will be available and the other five members are scheduled to ship some time next year.
