XACTstep Software Solutions Packages

XACTstep is available in four primary solution steps as follows; all designed to help you best fit your device needs and enhance your design methodology. Xilinx design systems provide support for Xilinx FPGA and CPLD programmable logic families, and each includes a choice of an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) vendor integration kit and complete netlist and back-annotation interfaces.

Base Packages
XACTstep Base Packages provide the easiest and most cost effective way to begin using Xilinx FPGA and CPLD solutions. With a Base package, you can design with devices up to approximately 3,000 equivalent, usable gates from the broad spectrum of Xilinx FPGA and CPLD technologies. This flexibility allows you to evaluate and target the optimum device to meet your design needs. Base packages are available on PC / Windows platforms.
Standard Packages
XACTstep Standard packages, the most popular Xilinx software solution, provide leading edge implementation technology and EDA integration solutions to help you get the highest performance and utilization out of your chosen FPGA and CPLD device. Standard packages are available on PC / Windows and UNIX platforms.
Stand-Alone / Extended Packages
XACTstep Stand-Alone packages allow you to add front-end EDA tools from either Aldec, Data I-O, or Viewlogic to a Base, Standard, or Advanced package to provide you with a complete design system solution. Design entry, gate-level simulation, and HDL synthesis (both VHDL and Abel) options are available to help you fit a solution to your design methodology.

Xilinx also offers three additional software solutes targeting specific logic technologies as follows:

XABEL-CPLD
The XACTstep XABEL-CPLD packages provides a complete, low-cost environment for the design of Xilinx CPLDs. It includes HDL design and synthesis capabilities based on the industry standard design language Abel from Data I-O (version 6), and complete implementation software for the XC7000 and XC9500 CPLD families. You can optionally add front-end design entry, simulation, and VHDL synthesis tools from Aldec or Viewlogic, or select from a number or available libraries for leading EDA tools.
Advanced Packages
XACTstep Advanced packages offer the most comprehensive design environment for programmable logic design available. They include support for Xilinx's largest logic devices and high performance FPGA implementation technology from NeoCAD Inc. to help you manage the complexity of high density designs. Advanced packages are available on PC / Windows and UNIX platforms.