Lattice Semi skews PLDs toward military markets

Electronic News, April 4, 1994

HILLSBORO, ORE.--Lattice Semiconductor is rolling out programmable logic device (PLD) families targeted at military markets--the ispLSI family and military-standard versions of the company's GAL 22V10 and 20V8 devices.

"The popularity of PLDs and CPLDs in the military market is expanding despite the industry's overall downsizing," stated Stan Kopec, Lattice's director of marketing. "Shrinking budgets have forced the government to preserve investments in existing weapons technology. With programmable logic, missile guidance systems, avionics, radar and other military applications may be upgraded to a more advanced technology through an in-system programmable device."

Lattice's military ispLSI family--a complement to the company's previously-announced military pLSI family--consists of 60MHz versions of three in-system complex PLDs (CPLDs): the 6,000-gate ispLSI 1032/883, the 4,000-gate ispLSI 1024/883 and the 2,000-gate ispLSI 1016/883. All three ispLSI CPLDs feature the ability to change logic and interconnects on-the-fly and to reprogram soldered for debugging.

The ispLSI 1032 features high speed global interconnect and 64 I/O pins with eight dedicated inputs. It has 192 registers, and wide input gating for fast counters, state machines and address decoders. Additional features include small logic block size for fast random logic and a security cell designed to prevent unauthorized copying. Lattice's ispLSI 1024 has many of the same features but with 48 I/O pins with six dedicated inputs and 144 registers. The Lattice ispLSI 1016 offers 32 I/O pins; four dedicated inputs and 96 registers.

Finaly pricing for the ispLSI 1032-60LG/883 has not been set, but preliminary pricing in 84-pin CPGA package is said to be $388.25. The ispLSI 1024-60LH/883 in 68-pin JLCC is priced at $256.50 and the ispLSI 1016-60LH/883 in 44-pin JLCC is priced at $136.75.

Meanwhile, the new low-density military PLDs from Lattice include 10 nanosecond versions of its GAL22V10 and GAL20V8 devices. The 166MHz GAL22V10C-10L/883 and the 62.5MHz GAL20V8B10L/883 are standard military drawing (SMD) qualified 22V10 and 20V8 PLDs. Both may be used as drop-in replacements for comparable bipolar, BiCMOS and UVC-MOS parts. With the exception of their maximum frequencies, both devices include 10ns maximum propagation delay, 7ns maximum from clock input to data output and TTL-compatible 12mA outputs.

The GAL22V10C in 24-pin CERDIP package is priced at $72, while the GAL22V10C in 28-pin LCC package is $129. The GAL20V8B in 24-pin CERDIP is $36, while the GAL20V8B in 28-pin LCC is $64.50.

All of Lattice's new PLD and GAL parts are capable of operating between -55 degrees centigrade and 125C, have a 10 percent power supply tolerance (4.5-5.5 volts) and meet all other requirements of MIL-STD-883C Class B. The devices are based on Lattice's proprietary UltraMOS E-squared-CMOS process which it has used for nine years. Lattice said it guarantees 100 percent programmability and 100 percent functional AC and DC performance.

Lattice also introduced an In-System Programmable Starter Kit, designed to assist engineers getting started with programmable logic design. The ispStarter Kit is a suite of Software, hardware and device samples necessary to evaluate in-system programmable technology. "The integrated ispStarter Kit is a simple, low-risk way for designers to explore these benefits for themselves," said Mr. Kopec.

The ispStarter Kit includes Lattice's pDS Logic Design Software for the ispLSI 1016, ispCODE and ispDOWNLOAD software. The pDS software is a Windows-based package that supports Boolean design entry with macrofunctions, automatic place and route, and simulation export. ispCODE consists of C language programming routines that can be embedded into an electronic product's software to allow systems to support ISP programming and self-reconfigurations. ispDOWNLOAD software allows ISP devices to be programmed from a PC or workstation via a download cable.

The ispStarter Kit is priced at $99. Production quantities of the new military speed grades of the GAL and ispLSI devices are available now. Pricing is based on 100-unit quantities.