SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) today announced at the Network Systems Design Conference (Booth #307) immediate availability of the programmable industry’s most comprehensive Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) Mapper IP core for its flagship Virtex-4™ FPGAs. The new solution complements the legacy SONET/SDH framers and enables customers to enhance the capabilities of their systems. Also, it complements SONET/SDH framers with fixed GFP function by adding a level of flexibility never available before – customers can now quickly build cost effective solutions that protect investment in legacy systems. For example, a line card based on the Virtex-4 platform can be used to encapsulate and transport Fibre Channel, Ethernet or Video data at multiple rates over existing SONET/SDH networks depending upon the application.

“Carriers and system vendors are unified in their choice of GFP as the Ethernet mapping standard, but interfacing a packet client to a circuit network brings many challenges,” said Allan Armstrong, director, Communications Semiconductors, RHK Inc. “System vendors will thus differentiate themselves by adding router-like features to SONET boxes. As the pace of innovation for such features is swift, the combination of GFP coreware with programmable logic is an excellent platform for next-generation tributary cards.”

“Xilinx is committed to providing comprehensive solutions for the SONET/SDH market and Virtex-4 is the key technology that is really going to allow this market to fully exploit the benefits of GFP,” said Mark Aaldering, vice president, IP Solutions Division at Xilinx. “The programmable industry’s leading fabric, 11.1 Gbps RocketIO™ transceivers, abundant logic resources, a choice of 17 domain optimized devices and all this on a leading 90nm process will enable customers to design cutting edge products while reducing costs.”

In related news, the company also announced immediate availability of a broad range of communication and networking IP cores supporting Virtex-4 FPGAs. These include a complete set of UNH proven Ethernet IP solutions, including 10 Gigabit Ethernet MAC, 1 Gigabit Ethernet MAC, and Tri-Mode Ethernet MAC and a high-performance (1Gbps) SPI4.2 IP core for inter-chip connectivity.

Xilinx Inc.