Xilinx

Xilinx is a developer of FPGA and CPLD devices that are used in numerous applications within telecommunications, automotive, consumer, defense, and other fields. Xilinx offers device families for glue logic (CoolRunner, CoolRunner II), low-cost (Spartan), and high-end (Virtex) applications in addition to supporting devices such as PROMs.

The Virtex FPGA families are of particular interest to system-on-a-chip (SoC) designers because they can include up to two embedded IBM PowerPC cores. These designs are capable of running a regular embedded OS (such as Linux or vxWorks) and interfacing with custom logic implemented in the surrounding fabric.

Xilinx develops IP cores, intended to reduce application design time. These cores range from simple functions (such as BCD encoders, counters, etc.) to complex systems (such as multi-gigabit networking cores, the Microblaze soft microprocessor, and the compact Picoblaze microcontroller). In addition, Xilinx Design Services (XDS) can create custom cores for a free.

Xilinx offers electronic design automation (EDA) tools for use with its devices. Its central product family is ISE, which offers a complete EDA flow: synthesis from Verilog or VHDL, place-and-route (PAR), and creation of the bit files that are used to configure the chip. Xilinx's Embedded Development Kit (EDK) supports the embedded ARM, PowerPC and MicroBlaze processor cores. Xilinx's System Generator for DSP simulates and implements high-performance DSP designs on Xilinx's FPGAs. A freeware version of their EDA software called 'ISE Webpack' is available for use with some of their non high performance chips. They are the only (as of 2007) FPGA vendor to distribute a native Linux freeware synthesis toolchain.

Xilinx provides targeted, high-quality education services designed by experts in programmable logic design, and delivered by Xilinx-qualified trainers. We offer instructor-led classes (both inperson and online) and recorded e-learning for self-paced training. Some courses are completely free!