Xilinx launches Spartan-3A DSP
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With its eyes still firmly set on a chunk of a $2billion market for high performance dsp related business, Xilinx has launched the Spartan-DSP series. The move, it claims, establishes a new dsp ‘price/performance/power triad’.
The first platform in the series – Spartan-3A DSP – features devices optimised for wireless, video and consumer applications. Two parts are available now: the 3SD3400A, delivering more than 30GMACS and a memory bandwidth of 2200Gbit/s; and the 3SD1800A, with more than 20GMACS and a 1500Gbit/s memory bandwidth.
John Dillon, marketing manager, high volume solutions, said Spartan-DSP had been derived from the Spartan-3A range. “We’ve replaced the 3A’s multiplier block with the DSP48A slice. It’s a little different to that found in Virtex-4 and –5 in that it has a pre-adder function, which has benefits in filter type applications. Implementing this in hard code saves look up table usage.”
The standard speed grade will be 250MHz, although Dillon noted a faster grade will be available. “The parts are aimed at cost sensitive markets,” he continued, “where designers want to know what can be done with slower speed grades.”
