Lightspeed IP Alliance Program Launched

Amphion, CAST, Denali Software, Inc., Modelware and Silicon Logic Engineering to Deliver Strategic, Market-Proven Virtual Components

Combination of Luminance Fabric Plus Independent, Market-Proven Virtual Components Accelerates Development of High-Performance Array ASICs

SUNNYVALE, CA -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 01/21/2003 -- Lightspeed Semiconductor today announced the Modular Array IP vendor Network (MAIN). This alliance of IP vendors has been formed to provide our customers with direct access to world class IP for use in Lightspeed’s Modular Array ASIC technology. Charter members include: Amphion, CAST, Denali Software, Inc., Modelware, and Silicon Logic Engineering.

Luminance’s 700 MHz system performance makes synthesizable IP cores viable in a generic fabric, and eliminates the need to embed hard (diffused) functional blocks to achieve necessary system performance. To ensure that performance is preserved through design processing, IP for Luminance devices can be delivered as a post-synthesis netlist and the associated SDF. The backend place and route flow will employ fixed relative placement and routing to preserve timing. This hardens the IP to prevent inadvertent changes during design processing (functional or performance) and also offers a secure distribution method. This allows our IP partners to offer the best possible licensing terms for their products. The vendors in the MAIN alliance are conversant with the Lightspeed technology and the delivery of firm IP, making Modular Array ASICs from Lightspeed a natural match for their products.

About MAIN Alliance
When selecting IP core providers for this program, Lightspeed sought companies who have clearly demonstrated success with customers, have leading-edge technology, differentiated IP cores, and who demonstrate solid business practices. Although the participating vendors are well known in the industry for providing quality products, Lightspeed will further qualify their cores by taping out test chips for many of the virtual components. This qualification step will ensure that Lightspeed’s customers have a complete understanding of how these cores perform in the Luminance technology, and offers test-silicon to the IP vendors for use as samples.

Recognizing that Lightspeed engineers cannot be experts in all third-party IP issues, the alliance is designed to give Lightspeed’s customers direct access to the inventors of the IP. Richard Terrill, Lightspeed’s Vice President/Business Development elaborated: “Integrating IP into custom silicon is not a simple matter of plug-and-play. Pre-sales guidance on optimal versions and standards is often as important as post-sales guidance on scripts and design tool parameters.” He continued, “Because much of the IP available through the MAIN program is delivered as firm netlists, there is little chance of breaking either the function or performance during design integration. That reduces risk for design teams.”

Lightspeed endorses the products and services of the Network members without bias. Each member company has invested the time and resources in training to understand our markets and our technology, and is committed to supporting the requirements of our customers.

About Luminance
Luminance is the third generation product family from Lightspeed, building on the success of its .35 micron and .25 micron predecessors. Regarding the Luminance architecture, Lyle Smith, Lightspeed’s Chief Scientist, related: “Embedding hard macros makes a device less generic, and less broadly useful. Instead we chose to build a logic fabric that was fast enough to provide outstanding performance from synthesized IP cores. That allows us to integrate a range of IP, without the overhead of potentially unused hard macro functions.”

Modular Array ASICs are also cost and time-effective due to how they are configured. Luminance only requires 3 custom masks (compared to the 33+ required for .13 micron standard cell), and tested products are delivered less than a month after final signoff.

About the Alliance Members
The bullet-list below is only a brief sampling of capabilities of our IP partners. Please visit the respective websites of each partner for more detailed information on their products and services.

• Amphion – DSP-oriented functions (MPEG2, MPEG4, JPEG2000, AES) 
• CAST – Broad library of general purpose IP Cores
• Denali Software, Inc. – Databahn memory controller cores (DDR, DDR2, RL, FC)
  
• Modelware – Networking IP (CSIX, POS PHY 3)
• Silicon Logic Engineering – ASIC Design Services, SPI 4.2 LINK+PHY

About Lightspeed Semiconductor
Lightspeed Semiconductor delivers high-performance custom silicon with the fastest turn-around times and lowest total cost.

Modular Array ASICs are the emergent design choice for the majority of custom digital applications. Our methodology delivers production-ready devices in prototype timeframes. Our groundbreaking Luminance technology secures Lightspeed as The Easy Way to ASIC™.

Lightspeed Semiconductor maintains design centers in California, Texas, New Hampshire, and the UK. Lightspeed has seven direct sales offices and more than 50 sales representative locations worldwide. For more information visit www.lightspeed.com.