Synopsys Releases DesignWare Mobile Storage IP Featuring CE-ATA Support

Interoperability with Hitachi Microdrive 3K8 CE-ATA Hard Drive Enables Rapid Adoption of CE-ATA Interface 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – April 26, 2006- Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), a world leader in semiconductor design software, today announced the release of fully configurable and synthesizable DesignWare® Mobile Storage Host Controller intellectual property (IP), featuring support for the CE-ATA protocol, for integration in systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys has demonstrated interoperability between the DesignWare Mobile Storage Host Controller IP and the Microdrive 3K8 CE-ATA hard drive from Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, facilitating development of products requiring the CE-ATA interface. By helping ensure that their products function seamlessly with the CE-ATA interface, customers can improve their time-to-market by reducing risk and avoiding re-spins of silicon for CE-ATA mobile applications.

The silicon-proven, DesignWare Mobile Storage Host Controller IP is configurable to support the CE-ATA, secure digital (SD), and multi-media card (MMC) specifications, which enables designers to choose the appropriate feature set they need from a single IP core. This flexibility is required for high-capacity electronic mobile devices that supports fixed or removal storage options depending on the target application such as feature-rich smart phones, digital cameras and MP3 players. The low power architecture of the DesignWare Mobile Storage Host Controller IP supports command completion signals, which reduces power consumption in CE-ATA implementations.

"Hitachi is excited to see efforts that help to hasten the widespread adoption of the CE-ATA interface," said Marcia Bencala, vice president, Corporate Strategy & Product Planning, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "Synopsys' work to show interoperability between the Hitachi Microdrive 3K8 and Synopsys' CE-ATA host controller IP is another step toward developing a strong foundation to advance the CE-ATA standard."

"Synopsys supports the latest connectivity standards, such as CE-ATA, and interoperability testing is an important element for the success of the Mobile Storage Ecosystem," said Guri Stark, vice president of Marketing for the Solutions Group at Synopsys. "We work with companies such as Hitachi to demonstrate that the interfaces will interoperate when products are developed, which lowers the integration risk for our mutual customers. The DesignWare Mobile Storage Host Controller IP will help designers build innovative and power-efficient SoCs for mobile consumer products requiring small form factor disk drives."

About CE-ATA
CE-ATA is an emerging interface standard that addresses the need for greater storage capacity in small hard-disk drives targeted to consumer electronics products, such as media players (e.g., MP3, video), digital cameras, and digital camcorders. CE-ATA is based on a combination of the MultiMedia Card (MMC) electrical interface standard and a highly optimized subset of the ATA command protocol.

Availability
Synopsys' DesignWare Mobile Storage Host Controller IP with support for CE-ATA, SD and MMC is available now.

About DesignWare Cores
Synopsys' DesignWare Cores provide system designers with silicon-proven, digital and mixed-signal connectivity IP such as PCI Express®, USB, Wireless USB and Ethernet, for some of the world's most recognized products, including communications processors, routers, switches, game consoles, digital cameras, computers and computer peripherals. Provided as synthesizable RTL source code or in GDSII format, these cores enable designers to create innovative, cost-effective and power-efficient SoCs and embedded systems. For more information on DesignWare IP, visit: www.synopsys.com/designware

About Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in EDA software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at www.synopsys.com.