Poing, May 31, 2010

Avnet Memec, the highly specialised semiconductor distributor of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, now offers the new low cost PCI Express development kit of Lattice Semiconductor for the LatticeECP3™ family of high value, low power FPGAs. The kit has been developed from the ground up to accelerate the evaluation of Lattice PCI Express technology, demonstrate a range of solutions that match typical application requirements and speed users to design exploration. 

The new kit features four key capabilities for quick evaluation and rapid prototyping of low cost PCI Express system design. First, the kit enables users to bring up running PCI Express hardware in thirty minutes or less. Second, various demos included in the kit address control plane through data plane performance requirements. Third, source files for the demos are available that enable rebuilding designs up to a known good starting point. Finally, the kit enables a rapid transition to design exploration through the included software tools, IP enabled evaluation process and project source directories.

Key features for rapid, low-cost PCI Express system design:

• An all-inclusive package that is optimized for creating a design with the low-power, low-cost LatticeECP3 FPGA family.
• A highly-optimized, low-cost PCI Express evaluation board that enables both x1 and x4 endpoint evaluation and design.
• A variety of demo executables - basic demo for control plane applications, throughput demo for high-bandwidth applications, color bar demo and an image transfer demo - that show how to address different design performance requirements.
• A 60 day software tools license and included x1/x4 endpoint IP core and scatter-gather DMA IP core permit users to get up and running right away.
• Available on both Windows and Linux platforms.

Availability: The development kit is available now.

Avnet Memec, a business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, is a highly specialised semiconductor distributor, operating on a pan-European basis and employing a significant number of engineers to support customers’ design efforts. Avnet Memec specialises in highly innovative suppliers and technologies, which will help a variety of customers to differentiate their designs. Its area of specialisation extends from Analog and Microcontrollers to RF, Datacom and Networking. The business unit operates out of 31 offices in 19 European countries and represents major semiconductor franchises on a pan-European basis. www.avnet-memec.eu