CoWare Launches New Modeling Solution for Platform-driven ESL Design

New Standards-based Modeling Library for SystemC and Enhanced ConvergenSC Tools Ease Development and Accelerate Reuse of TLM Platforms Across the System Design Process

SAN JOSE, Calif.--January 23, 2006--CoWare, Inc., the leading supplier of electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services, announced a new standards-based modeling solution for platform-driven ESL design with the new release of CoWare ConvergenSC. Platform-driven ESL design refers to the development and practical reuse of a SystemC transaction-level model of a system-on-chip (SoC) platform throughout the system design process. CoWare?s new modeling solution consists of a new standards-based modeling library for SystemC transaction-level modeling (TLM) and ConvergenSC tools that ease development and accelerate reuse of platform models across design tasks. This results in much higher ROI per project and platform than ad hoc modeling efforts. The ConvergenSC product family provides the most complete system-level design solution for SystemC on the market.

"We are using CoWare's SystemC solution to analyze the system performance of our next-generation, multi-core digital TV SoCs," stated Dr. Naoyuki Kai, chief specialist, Visual System Digital LSI Design Group, Toshiba Semiconductor, Kawasaki, Japan. "Determining the right architecture for a multi-core SoC design, where thousands of interconnect and memory subsystem variations are possible, cannot be done using RTL. We are committed to SystemC transaction-level design and ESL for architectural exploration and performance analysis, and will use CoWare going forward."

"More and more, designers are using recognized SystemC standards to model multi-processor SoCs at a higher level of abstraction and to manage complexity," said A.K. Kalekos, vice president marketing and business development, CoWare. "To improve modeling productivity and increase reuse, these designers are turning to CoWare for the most complete solution for standards-based platform-driven ESL design."

Removing a Major Roadblock
The lack of reusable transaction-level models of user-defined SoC components has been a major roadblock to realizing the full benefit of ESL. CoWare's platform-driven ESL design solution addresses this problem, enabling multiple ESL design tasks, or use cases, to be performed with a reusable transaction-level model of the product platform. Shared models are rapidly developed and efficiently adapted during the design process to meet the needs of product architects, software developers, and hardware designers, all of whom rely on it to perform their parts of the design job. This results in significantly greater ROI.

New Standards-based SystemC Modeling Library
The new SystemC Modeling Library (SCML), along with modeling guidelines and source code examples now available from CoWare, provide the infrastructure for user-defined, highly-reusable TLM peripheral models. SCML helps separate TLM communication, storage, timing, and behavior within the peripheral model, making code more modular and more efficient to develop and test. Models can be defined simply and annotated for timing when needed. Unlike proprietary modeling approaches, SCML is based on current IEEE SystemC, Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI), and Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP) standards, helping protect the user's modeling investment. In addition, new TLM platform examples and transactors come standard with ConvergenSC to make learning easier and provide a starting point for design.

Enhanced Tool Capability Provided with ConvergenSC
Unlike proprietary ESL toolsets, ConvergenSC provides a native SystemC tool architecture, openly supporting the multiple levels of abstraction required for platform-driven ESL design. This enables reuse of user-defined SCML peripherals across design tasks and in combination with the broadest range of SystemC processor and on-chip intellectual property (IP) available today. New ConvergenSC tool capabilities combine with SCML to make the development, debug, and architecture exploration of SystemC TLM platform models even more productive, including:

• Graphical viewing of SystemC events, thread activations, and TLM interface method calls for enhanced debug visibility
• Dynamic run-time configuration of platforms for rapid architectural exploration
• Support for the IEEE 1666 SystemC Language Reference Manual (LRM) standard.

CoWare ConvergenSC Platform Architect and Model Designer, including SCML, are new products that are available today.

About CoWare
CoWare is the leading supplier of system-level electronic design automation (EDA) software tools and services. CoWare offers a comprehensive set of electronic system-level (ESL) tools that enable SoC developers to "differentiate by design" through the creation of system-IP including embedded processors, on-chip buses, and DSP algorithms; the architecture of optimized SoC platforms; and hardware/software co-design. The company's solutions are based on open industry standards including SystemC. CoWare's customers are major systems, semiconductor, and IP companies in the market where consumer electronics, computing, and communications converge. CoWare's corporate investors include ARM Ltd. [(LSE:ARM);(Nasdaq: ARMHY)], Cadence Design Systems (NYSE:CDN), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), and Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE). CoWare is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has offices around the world. For more information about CoWare and its products and services, visit http://www.coware.com.