Altera's New MAX II Development Kit Simplifies Low-Cost CPLD Design

San Jose, Calif., September 1, 2004 ¦¡ Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) today introduced the MAX® II Development Kit for customers building general-purpose, low-density logic applications using Altera¡¯s low-cost MAX II CPLD family. The kit provides hardware designers with everything necessary for the development of low-cost CPLD designs targeting interface bridging, I/O expansion, device configuration, and power-up sequencing applications.

¡°MAX II devices deliver low cost, low power, and ease-of-use functionality that make them an ideal alternative to low-density ASSPs,¡± said Bob Beachler, senior director, development kits and AMPPSM programs at Altera. ¡°With the new MAX II Development Kit, designers now have the tools and support they need to explore the features of this innovative product and then quickly and easily develop their CPLD designs.¡±

The MAX II board included with this kit features an instant-on, reprogrammable MAX II device (EPM1270F256C5), along with a USB MAC and PHY, a SPI temperature gauge, one megabit of SRAM, a unique power-up sequencing circuit, power measuring circuitry, LEDs and push buttons. The kit ships with Quartus® II Web Edition software, a USB type A-to-B cable, and a ByteBlaster¢â II download cable for device programming. The kit also features reference designs and demonstrations that highlight the unique features of the MAX II CPLDs.  

Pricing and Availability

The MAX II Development Kit is currently available for ordering through the Altera online store at www.shopaltera.com and through authorized Altera distributors for $150.  Further information regarding Altera¡¯s development kits is available at www.altera.com/devkits. 

About MAX II Devices

Altera¡¯s MAX II devices are the industry¡¯s lowest-cost CPLDs, targeted at general-purpose, low-density logic applications. Based on a groundbreaking implementation of a look-up table (LUT)-based architecture for CPLDs, MAX II devices deliver half the cost, one-tenth the power, four times the density, and twice the performance of previous MAX devices. Built on TSMC¡¯s 0.18-micron flash-based process technology, the instant-on and non-volatile MAX II devices offer 240 to 2,210 logic elements (LEs), up to 272 user I/O pins, and innovative board-management features such as user flash memory. For more information on Altera¡¯s MAX II device family, visit www.altera.com/max2.  

About Altera

Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) is the world¡¯s pioneer in system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions. Combining programmable logic technology with software tools, intellectual property, and technical services, Altera provides high-value programmable solutions to approximately 14,000 customers worldwide.  More information is available at www.altera.com.

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