Press

Munich –14th May, 2008 -- Specialist Distributor SILICA, an Avnet Company (NYSE: AVT), announces the release of a $39 Xilinx® Spartan®-3A Evaluation Kit. Populated with a Xilinx Spartan-3A 400A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), the kit is a cost-effective solution for designers evaluating or testing their design targeting low-cost, high-volume applications.

Designers can use the Spartan-3A kit for general FPGA prototyping, investigating the Xilinx MicroBlaze™ soft processor, experimenting with multiple FPGA configuration techniques, and proving out lowcost design methods. An Avnet-developed Windows-based application programs the FPGA and configuration memories through the supplied USB interface.

The Xilinx Spartan-3A FPGA Evaluation Kit includes a Spartan-3A Evaluation Board, Xilinx ISE® Design Suite 10.1 WebPACK and evaluation DVD, Avnet programming utility, USB cable and several design tutorials. In addition to the Spartan-3A FPGA, the board features the PSoC Mixed Signal Array from Cypress, a silicon oscillator from Maxim Integrated Technologies, SPI and parallel NOR Flash memory from Spansion and a power supply and several power management devices from Texas Instruments.

“The Spartan-3A FPGA Evaluation Kit lets designers experiment with the latest FPGA technology and newest design software for about the same price as a single FPGA,” said Tim Barber, senior vice president of global Xilinx marketing for Avnet Electronics Marketing. “Customers will see immediate benefits from the ease of use this fully configurable evaluation kit provides.”

The Spartan-3A FPGA Evaluation Kit is being introduced exclusively by Silica and Avnet. For more information or to purchase, please visit: www.silica.com/spartan3a-evl.

About Silica:

SILICA, a division of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA (Europe, Middle-East, Africa), is a highly specialised semiconductor distributor. SILICA operates 37 branch offices throughout Europe and provides customers with a broad portfolio of semiconductor products from 23 leading vendors along with in-depth technical support and the full set of logistics and value added services. The company's Web site is located at www.silica.com.


SILICA PR Contact
Kerstin Kurth
Director Communications
Im Technologiepark 2-8
D-85586 Poing
Phone +49 (0)8121 77 7 340
Fax +49 (0)8121 777 4340
Email: kerstin.kurthsilica.com