Hi Group,
from "Actel is bringing ARM7 to the masses with no upfront licensing fees and no royalties" - this is totally nonsense!
I have been trying to buy 1 sample ARM7 ready device from Actel for some time now, calling them and asking all over again. They claim that ARM ready PA3 silicon is available, but pricing? As soon as I try to ask the prices they will start to explain the licensing policy.
So the best pricing I have gotten is:
"if you buy 100,000 then for the 'ARM ready' feature the additional price per FPGA is 1 USD, for smaller quanties the additional pricing has to 'scaled' down"
...I can do the math I think.
Actel has failed to give any prices at all for any ARM ready silicon (other than the quote above).
Smallest PA3 that could be ARM ready is 250 device, where the ARM would occupy 98,2% meaning its actually fully unuseable.
Smallest PA3 where ARM use would make sense as of resource utilization is the 600 device, what is targetterd to be available in Q1...
... year 2007
So the only PA3 that is ARM ready and available now is PA3 -1000, available means that it is claimed to be available, 4+ weeks lead time is to added in any case.
Not to mention that the website downloadable ARM Core integrator tool is not FREE but time limited for 45 Days (sale price not known!) and that the current version does not allow any user IP cores to be added to the ARM SoC !!! This is promised in next release. That will become available after the free evaluation time is expired I guess.
Not to mention that the Actel FPGA optimized ARM core runs at bazing speed of 25MHz max.
way to go!
down
Antti's 2 cents
PS Sorry Martin M,.I do say what I think.