Achronix and Napatech Collaborate to Deliver SmartNIC Solutions for Data Center Networks

Achronix and Napatech Collaborate to Deliver SmartNIC Solutions for Data Center Networks

Joint solution provides FPGA-based, high-speed programmable SmartNIC

Shenzhen, China, May 2021 – Achronix Semiconductor, a leader in high-performance field programmable gate array (FPGA) and embedded FPGA (eFPGA) semiconductor intellectual property (IP), and Napatech, a leading supplier of FPGA-based SmartNICs, recently announced a partnership to provide a new, FPGA-based, high-speed programmable SmartNIC solution for data center network operators.

The solution combines the Achronix Speedster®7t series FPGA with Napatech's SmartNIC software to provide the best combination of price, performance, power consumption and feature set for SmartNIC design. The collaboration between the two parties enables Napatech to use Achronix's high-performance Speedster7t FPGA technology, while also providing Achronix with the opportunity to use Napatech's SmartNIC software and hardware design.

Napatech's FPGA-based SmartNIC eliminates the performance gap between various standard server platforms by providing customizable data processing acceleration capabilities that offload central processing unit (CPU) workloads in a scalable manner while delivering high system performance and lower power consumption compared to CPU-only solutions. The combination of Achronix Speedster7t FPGA, Speedcore™ eFPGA IP and Napatech SmartNIC solutions can improve the performance of various applications and services for cloud data center operators, 5G mobile telecommunications service providers, enterprise data centers, government departments and research organizations.

Achronix's latest Speedster7t FPGA chip is ideal for SmartNIC applications. The first device in the series, Speedster AC7t1500, has been shipped. This device provides 692k lookup tables (LUTs), 195Mb on-chip storage, 400G Ethernet interface, support for PCIe Gen5 and eight GDDR6 memory interfaces. The device is also the first FPGA product with a two-dimensional on-chip network (2D NoC), which supports high-speed data transmission from external data interfaces to the internal logic array of the FPGA. This two-dimensional on-chip network can provide a total bandwidth of more than 20Tbps, which helps to simplify data transmission within the Speedster7t FPGA device.

“We at Achronix are excited to collaborate with Napatech to deliver high-performance SmartNIC solutions to our global customer base,” said Steve Mensor, vice president of marketing at Achronix Semiconductor. “Napatech’s industry-leading SmartNIC solutions combined with our Speedster7t FPGAs provide an ideal platform for the most demanding data acceleration applications.”

“We are impressed by the full feature set of the Achronix Speedster7t FPGA product,” said Jarrod Siket, Chief Marketing Officer at Napatech. “Achronix has a strong reputation for driving innovation in FPGA design, which is evident in the capabilities of the Speedster7t FPGA device, which also plays a vital role in network connectivity. Combining Achronix’s FPGA products with our SmartNIC hardware and software will create a very attractive solution for our mutual customers in the networking and communications markets.”

In January 2021, Achronix entered into a definitive merger agreement with ACE Convergence Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: ACEV), a transaction that will list Achronix on the Nasdaq. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021.