Sonics Achieves Breakthrough in SoC Power Reduction

New Version of SonicsMX(R) SMART Interconnect(TM) Solution Reduces Idle Power for Complex SoCs to Microamps MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- January 9, 2007 --Sonics Inc.®, a premier supplier of system-on-chip (SoC) SMART Interconnect(TM) solutions, today announces the general availability of a new release of the SonicsMX SMART Interconnect solution which improves its advanced power management schemes for reducing SoC power consumption.

"This new release of SonicsMX focuses on significant improvements to our existing advanced clock gating features to further reduce idle power dissipation. In some of our early adopter configurations we have already seen more than a 90 percent drop in idle power while crossing the boundary from milliamps to microamps, with much of the savings coming from major reduction in clock distribution power," says Drew Wingard, chief technology officer, Sonics Inc. "This dramatic reduction in power consumption enables SoC developers to continue to rely on the predictability through the entire EDA tool flow provided by internally synchronous interconnects, while also implementing superior SoC power management schemes involving independent and dynamic voltage and frequency settings on a per-subsystem basis."

The SonicsMX SMART Interconnect solution was introduced in late 2004 for cell phone platforms and has since spread across many other consumer, communications, office automation, and automotive applications. SonicsMX is now the most widely used commercially available interconnect in the industry today for high end or performance SoCs. The achievements made in this new release will enable SonicsMX to address the escalating power reduction requirements of many emerging market segments and appeal to even a wider range of applications.

As video processing becomes more widespread through consumer devices the economics of SoC interconnect design continues to shift towards outsourcing. Already commercially proven, SonicsMX represents an attractive alternative to traditional in-house designed and maintained interconnect solutions.

With over 100 million units shipped, Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions have been used in some of the world's leading-edge high-end SoCs, such as Texas Instruments' OMAP application processors for cell phones, HDTV chips developed by Samsung for LCD-based HDTVs, as well as office automation and automotive video processing applications. Market leaders have adopted the Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions to improve time-to-market, reduce design risks and leverage a high degree of platform-based design flexibility.

About Sonics

Sonics Inc. is a premier supplier of SMART Interconnect solutions that deliver high SoC design predictability and increased design efficiency. Major semiconductor and systems companies including Broadcom, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Toshiba have applied Sonics' SMART Interconnect solutions in leading products in the wireless, digital multimedia and communications markets. In addition, the SonicsLX SMART Interconnect solution designed for mid-range, or value SoCs, was selected by EDN magazine as one of the top 100 hot new products introduced in 2006.

Sonics is a privately-held company funded by Cadence Design Systems, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Ventures and venture capital firms Investar Capital, Smart Technology Ventures, TL Ventures, Easton Hunt Capital, JAFCO Ventures, and H&Q Asia-Pacific. For more information, see www.sonicsinc.com.