Altera's Quartus Software Boosts Performance By More Than 30 Percent - Product Announcement

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Oct 16, 2000

Altera Corporation (Nasdaq:ALTR), a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs), has released its latest version of the Quartus development software. Altera's Quartus software, version 2000.09, features the new PowerFit fitter technology that delivers higher design performance (fMAX), reduced compile times, and improved fitting. The PowerFit fitter uses advanced fitting algorithms to provide a median fMAX performance improvement of more than 30 percent and one-and-a-half to three times faster compile times for designs targeting large APEX 20KE devices. The PowerFit fitter also provides improved fitting capability for designs targeting these high-density devices.

"PLD designers require push-button performance and more productive design tools," said David Greenfield, Altera director of development tools marketing. "This latest release meets the challenge of designing for multi-million gate devices, by significantly elevating design performance and shortening design cycles for our customers."

"Our transition to the APEX 20KE family gave us a substantial boost in fMAX performance," said Steve Marquis, senior staff engineer at Seimens Medical Systems. "We saw performance increase by better than 20 percent when we switched to the APEX 20KE devices. This latest release of Quartus software, version 2000.09, delivered another 20 to 40 percent boost in fMAX on my design. An unexpected bonus though, was compile times which actually dropped by a factor of 2.5, allowing for faster design iterations."

Quartus software, version 2000.09, includes timing analysis enhancements and improved assignment capability. The enhanced timing analyzer enables designers to more accurately analyze circuits including complex clock structures and enables designers to better specify multi-cycle path relationships; this development clearly enhances the design verification process. Quartus software, version 2000.09, also facilitates the use of encrypted IP MegaCore(R) functions through 3rd party synthesis tools and provides an enhanced and simplified installation flow for UNIX-based platforms.

Altera's Quartus software was developed to support system-level designs and features good as native links to industry leading, third party tools from Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, Synplicity, and other leading EDA vendors. It also features the SignalTap embedded logic analysis tool for in-system hardware debugging. The Altera fourth-generation Quartus software meets the challenges of designing for multi-million gate devices and enables system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) design methodology. It supports major operating systems, including Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, Sun Solaris, and HP-UX.

Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company(R), was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs). Altera's CMOS-based PLDs are user-programmable semiconductor chips that enhance flexibility and reduce time-to-market for companies in the communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. By using high performance devices, software development tools, and sophisticated intellectual property cores, system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions can be created with embedded processors, memory, and other complex logic together on a single PLD.