Actel's Four-Million System Gate Prototyping Solution Saves Time and Mitigates Costly Risks for Space Flight FPGAs

RTAX4000S Prototype Provides Architecture, Density and Timing Properties Identical to Flight-Quality Silicon

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- June 26, 2006 -- Maintaining its steadfast support for designers in the aerospace industry, Actel Corporation (Nasdaq: ACTL) today announced prototype availability of the RTAX4000S, the industry's highest-density, high-reliability field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for space-bound systems. With the four million-gate RTAX4000S prototype, designers obtain the same architecture, density and timing properties, and packaging options offered by space flight-quality RTAX-S devices, without the added costs of MIL-STD 883 qualification and hermetically sealed packaging. With the prototype, designers can validate a design and evaluate performance before programming a fully qualified FPGA, leading to significant reductions in overall design risk, time and costs.

"The RTAX4000S prototype answers the need of space designers searching for a programmable platform for the evaluation of a design prior to space flight," said Ravi Pragasam, senior manager, military and aerospace product marketing at Actel. "This prototyping strategy for the RTAX4000S allows customers to verify the functionality of their designs and derive timing numbers that correspond to the actual flight silicon."

The RTAX4000S is well suited for satellite payload systems that require high gate counts, such as data processing applications in communications, earth observation and scientific satellites. Like the flight units of the radiation-tolerant RTAX4000S, the RTAX4000S prototype boasts four million system gates (double the gate count of the previous largest RTAX-S part), 840 I/Os and 540 Kbits of embedded memory.

RTAX4000S vs. RH-ASICs

Compared with traditional RH-ASIC solutions, the RTAX4000S delivers cost and time-to-market advantages. RH-ASICs can deliver high gate counts, but have long lead times and require high up-front tooling charges that, in combination with the minimal volume requirements for many space applications, often translate into higher total unit costs. With the advent of the RTAX4000S and the prototyping solution, customers can take advantage of the flexibility of the programmable fabric to speed the design process and improve overall system cost.

Availability

The RTAX4000S PROTO LG 1272 (Land Grid Array) is available now. The RTAX4000S PROTO CG 1272 (Ceramic Column Grid Array) will be available by the end of August 2006 and the RTAX4000S PROTO CQ 352 (Ceramic Quad Flat Pack) will be available at the end of September. Orders for the prototype units are now open. Software support for the RTAX4000S is also available now. Space flight units of the RTAX4000S, in production quantities, are expected to be available to customers during Q1 2007. For further information, please contact Actel or visit http://www.actel.com .

About Actel

Actel Corporation is the leader in single-chip FPGA solutions. The company is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol ACTL and is headquartered at 2061 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, Calif., 94043-4655. For more information about Actel, visit http://www.actel.com . Telephone: 888-99-ACTEL (992-2835).

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