The Hindu Business Line : Xilinx unveils energy efficient chips

Xilinx unveiled faster, smaller FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays, basically re-configurable chips used in electronic devices) that consume 35 per cent less power than the previous ones. Called the Virtex-5 LX series, these chips are made using the latest 65-nanometer chip manufacturing process (as opposed to the 90-nm chips in use now) and will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

The company is targeting it at the entertainment and consumer goods industries. "We want to take advantage of the infrastructure boom in India. At present, aerospace and defence sectors use FPGAs," said Mr Neeraj Verma, Country Manager, Sales, Xilinx India.

The company expects these chips to open new customer segments in entertainment sector. The market for Virtex is around $2.8 billion. The company is now working with fabricating firms UMC and Toshiba to develop 45-nm chips.

The company also announced the formation of a task force with Synplicity. Synplicity provides software for the design and verification of semiconductors.

Engineering teams from both companies would collaborate to form the Ultra High-Capacity Timing Closure Task Force. They would define and implement new design flows for 65-nm chips.

The task force would also focus on tools optimised to meet unique design goals, which would be available in the first half of 2007.

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