CAST Selects Avery Design Systems for PCI Express Verification IP

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. -- April 11, 2007 -- Semiconductor intellectual property (IP) provider CAST, Inc. today announced that it has begun using the PCI-Xactor(TM) test environment from Avery Design Systems to verify its current and future PCI Express IP cores.

Developing PCI Express (PCIe) cores that satisfy the stringent specification and work well in a diverse product environment is a significant technical challenge. Creating high-quality intellectual property (IP) products and doing so on time requires the ability to easily perform comprehensive, frequent, and trustworthy tests of the core. Experience with and evaluation of other PCIe verification products convinced CAST that Avery's PCI-Xactor is the best available solution, and development work using the suite so far bears out this decision.

"Adopting Avery's verification IP was a smooth and painless process," said Tony Sousek, CAST's PCIe development manager, "After using PCI-Xactor for several weeks, we're even more confident of satisfying customers' demands for PCI Express cores with the CAST trademarks of solid functionality and easy IP reuse."

"Avery is excited to team with CAST to ensure solid compliance testing of their PCIe IP cores", said Shaw Yang, Avery's vice president of business development. "Overall our customers come to benefit from access to a cohesive design and verification IP solution that will streamline their chip development process."

Learn more about CAST's PCIe IP cores and Avery's PCI-Xactor test environment by stopping by either company's exhibit at DATE in Nice, France, April 16-19, or visiting their respective websites.

About Avery Design Systems, Inc.

Avery Design Systems Inc. is a supplier of functional verification products and services that enable dramatic productivity improvements for ASIC-based systems and the SOC verification process. Additional information about Avery Design Systems is available at http://www.avery-design.com.

About CAST, Inc.

CAST provides over 100 popular and standards-based IP cores for ASICs and FPGAs. Privately owned and operating since 1993, CAST has established a reputation for high-quality IP products, simple licensing, and responsive technical support. The company is headquartered near New York City, partners with IP developers around the world, and works with select sales consultants and distributors throughout Europe and Asia.