Cadence Acquires Altos Design Automation

Extends Silicon Realization Offering for Advanced-node SoC Design Enablement

SAN JOSE, Calif. , 10 May 2011 -- Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS), a leader in global electronic design innovation, today announced it has acquired Altos Design Automation, Inc., the technology leader in enabling foundation IP development for the delivery of complex SoCs at advanced nodes. Shrinking process geometries increase process variations and make creation of accurate noise, power and timing models for foundation IP very complex given smaller time-to-market windows. Altos tools enable ultra-fast and accurate characterization of memory, standard cell libraries and other foundation IP, generating required models for SoC implementation. When combined with the Cadence end-to-end Silicon Realization portfolio, the offering gives customers greater visibility into the effects of noise, timing and power at every phase of the design cycle, including foundation IP design creation, extraction, SPICE simulation, and implementation. The acquisition is another important step in delivering on the company’s EDA360 vision.

“Foundation IP characterization is becoming mission critical at advanced nodes due to shrinking time-to-market windows, escalating low-power, high-speed design complexities, and variations in advanced processes,” said Dr. Chi-Ping Hsu, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Silicon Realization Group at Cadence. “By extending our Silicon Realization tool offering to include technically superior solutions that automate vital phases of the design process, we deliver the end-to-end approach that is required to ensure our customers’ success.”

“Altos has established itself as the technology leader in foundation IP enablement, with a proven solution in use today by many of the world’s leading semiconductor and foundation IP providers,” said Jim McCanny, CEO and founder, Altos. “I’m looking forward to working with Cadence to further exploit the capabilities of our characterization technology, and help deliver a more powerful combined solution that overcomes our customers’ most difficult design challenges.”

Altos has over 30 customers, including 11 of the top 20 semiconductor companies. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

About Cadence

Cadence enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today's integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software, hardware, IP and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available at www.cadence.com.