System General's Implementation of the Jam Standard Test and Programming Language — STAPL — Has Been Qualified by Altera

Business Wire, May 24, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2000

System General is the First 3rd-Party Hardware

Programming Vendor to Support STAPL for Altera Devices;

Enhanced Programming Support for New Altera Devices

System General announced today that Altera (Nasdaq:ALTR) has qualified System General's implementation of the Jam(TM) Standard Test and Programming Language (STAPL) for Altera devices. STAPL is a vendor- and platform-independent language for programming in-system programming (ISP)-capable programmable logic devices (PLDs) from a variety of vendors, via the IEEE standard 1149.1 interface. The new standard provides vendors and developers with a single, universal platform for programming designs into targeted PLDs. Altera has now qualified System General's implementation of this industry standard for Altera devices, as well as the previous versions of the Jam programming language that started the standardization effort.

"System General is proud to be the first 3rd-party programming vendor qualified by an industry leader like Altera," said Don Yang, System General vice president of marketing. "With our high-speed programming solution and Altera's immediate Jam STAPL version 1.0 support, System General increases the customer's overall time-to-market by providing new device programming support within days."

"It has been Altera's overall strategy to use the Jam STAPL standards wherever possible in design flows, testing, and design support," said Bryon Moyer, Altera director of customer applications. "Altera is pleased that System General hardware is now qualified to support STAPL."

How the Jam(TM) Programming Language Works

The Jam programming and test language is a vendor- and platform-independent interpreted language optimized for programming devices via the standard IEEE 1149.1 TAP controller, commonly known as JTAG. The Jam language has formed the basis of the JEDEC STAPL.

There are two software components in the Jam programming solution: the Jam Composer and the Jam Player. The Jam Composer generates the Jam file required to program a specific design into a specific device. The Jam Player interprets the Jam file and programs the target device. These elements create a universal language and toolset that can address all JTAG PLDs and ISP.

About Altera Corporation

Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company(TM), was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices and associated logic development software tools. Programmable logic devices are semiconductor chips that can be programmed on-site, using software tools that run on personal computers or engineering workstations. User benefits include ease of use, lower risk, and fast time-to-market. Altera's CMOS-based programmable logic devices address high-speed, high-density and low-power applications in the telecommunications, data communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. Altera common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR. More information on Altera can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.altera.com.

About System General

System General has been in the IC Programmer business since 1984. Its programmer models include the single socket Universal for laboratory applications, the multi-socket Gang/Set for Memory duplication, and the multi-site Asynchronous for concurrent operations. Armed with a strong design team, System General is leading other IC Programmer vendors by providing cutting edge solutions to this industry. The HSP solution is a clear example of our technical superiority. By using a proprietary hardware circuitry, the HSP sets a new programming speed limit by reducing the software overhead to near zero. More information on System General can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.systemgeneral.com.

Note to Editors: Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, Jam, and specific device designations are trademarks and/or service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.