Re: Viretx4 FX chip availability

"Paul R" <paul_p_roberts@xxxxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:eBEdf.16405$Hj2.13728@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I was wondering what anyone else's experience ahs been with getting hold
of
> Virtex4 FX 20 and 60 devices (The ones with the up to 10 GBPs MGTs). I
have
> had 3 of the XC4VFX60-10FF672CES2 (That is engineering sample stepping 2)
> devices on order since May this year, originally with a 6 week lead time.
I
> have had constant series of delays for no clear reasons given by our local
> agent (I'm in Australia). Xilinx won't talk directly, everything has to go
> through this agent MEMEC, the sole authorized distributer for Xilinx in
Oz.
> They are either unwilling or don't have the info themselves. I get given
> snippets about speed of the MGTs , yield problems, new speed grade
> desiginations but no real info. The Xilinx website has nothing but its
> totally positive marketing hype. To add insult to injury I was due to get
my
> chips late October. At this time MEMEC was bought by AVNET, all the
puchase
> orders with xilinx were reraised under the AVNET banner but they stuffed
up
> and reraised at the current market leadtime of 16 weeks odd!
>
> I have a fully designed (12 layer) PCB which is fully populated with a big
> blank where the FPGA is to go and its seriously delaying our whole
project.
> The project also relies on the 10 GBPs serial data rate capability of the
V4
> RocketIOs. Do any of you people not so far away from the source as I am
know
> what the story is with the FX devices? Should I be redesigning my sytem to
> use external SERDES and not rely on the V4 FXs coming along. I spoke to
one
> of the hard to find parts specialists in the US and they said the
> engineering sample V4 devices are free in the US. I'm paying $1300 each
for
> them is this true?
>
> When I looked at going back one step to the Viretex2 pro X 10 GBPs devices
I
> find all reference to the -5 10 GBPS devices has totally vanished from the
> Xilinx datasheets. What's going on here?
>
> Paul R
>
Hi Paul,

As mr Murphy is still so things go wrong. It is clear that more than
expected has gone wrong with V4.

I was considering using V4MGT in a design where we needed proof of concept
proto in July 2005 and full working proto within a few months after that. As
of the information from disties that schedule looked tight but possible.
Luckily our project delayed anyway so it wasnt a problem for us that V4 MGTs
delayed.

Memec was sold early 2005, but the final sales required a US court decision
(about possible violation of Anti-monopoly laws) - so the somewhat unclear
time surely did not make the communication with the disties any better.

If your product needs to use non-ES FX60 silicon, then you can not ship it
before end of Q3 2006. If that doesnt fit your schedule, then you need to
look for alternatives.

If you could start shipping of the product based on working ES silicon then
the timing looks better. I also do not know if the 10GB is the problem
making part of the current silicon, but some MGT ES silicon defenetly is
available as of today. But your chances to get right now (without leadtime)
from disti are NIL.

FPGA manufacturers (and their disties) do not have official or unofficial
'samples' programme. Not in US not in Australia. That doesnt mean that it is
not possible to get samples. I guess some key customers defenetly get them,
and sometimes others as well.

In your case, well here is what I would do:

Take a screenshot of the PCB that designed with FX60, add some short
description of the project, and send that to xilinx direct. With a simple
promise that the PCB goes to fabrication the same day you receive fedex
tracking # for the parcel with FX sample that is on the way to you. You may
have to provide additional info about the intended use, etc, but my bet is
that if Xilinx actually has ready some silicon in the package that you need
you will get it.

Antti
BTW nice to see interest in V4 in Australia !
I always wanted to visit AU - it will come true next tuesday but
unfortunatly only 1 hour in Sidney airport transit lounge :(





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