Synopsys Professional Services Announces Core Hardening Service for Licensees of ARM® Soft IP Cores

Service Provides the Ability to Rapidly Configure the Core to the Requirements of the End-User or Application

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 18, 2002 -- Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), the technology leader for complex integrated circuit (IC) design, today announced that Synopsys Professional Services is offering a new design service which will enable licensees of intellectual property (IP) cores from ARM to realize the advantages of "soft" IP and the ease of adopting new, customer-preferred silicon technology combined with the performance, predictability and time-to-market benefits of "hard" IP. The new Core Hardening service addresses the key implementation stages of hardening an ARM microprocessor core described at the "soft" register-transfer-level (RTL) into a manufacturable GDSII description for the target silicon process technology and end-user application.

The new Synopsys Core Hardening service supplements ARM's own hardening and integration services, providing ARM Partners who use soft cores with fully modeled and validated core implementations. The service builds upon the jointly developed ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology announced Fall 2001, which has become an integral part of ARM's soft IP core solution. The ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology is available to all ARM customers and provides the means to configure, customize for test, pre-verify and characterize core implementations. The new Synopsys Professional Services offering uses the ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology and leverages Synopsys' intimate knowledge of advanced design flows and experience with hardening and modeling ARM microprocessor cores.

Synthesizable or "soft" (RTL-based) IP cores provide advantages in the ability to configure the core to the requirements of the end-user or application. Synopsys' new Core Hardening service helps to ensure that the customer's final implementation makes best use of the chosen manufacturing technology in terms of silicon area, clock speed and power consumption. The service also includes creation of all the models necessary for the core to be smoothly integrated into system-on-chip (SoC) designs, such as cycle-accurate simulation models, I/O and clock timing information, test models and physical models.

Synopsys has already successfully completed core hardening projects undertaken directly for ARM as part of the ARM Foundry Program. The Synopsys design team recently delivered the ARM946E-S™ core for production using TSMC's 0.18 micron technology, completing the project on time and meeting the required performance benchmarks for speed and silicon area.

"Our core hardening projects with ARM are an excellent demonstration of two technology leaders applying their core skills to produce the best possible design product," said John Koeter, senior director of Turnkey Design Services at Synopsys Professional Services. "We focused not only on executing to ARM's project requirements, but also on implementing a design flow that is predictable and repeatable for future core implementations." Synopsys Professional Services is a member of ATAP™, the ARM Technology Access Program and has design centers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

"The core hardening process is key to our customers' ability to optimize the ARM RTL-delivered cores for the specific requirements of their target applications," said Dr. John Goodenough, global design methodology manager at ARM. "Our joint efforts on the development of the ARM-Synopsys Reference Methodology are enabling our mutual customers to make the best use of ARM technology in the shortest possible time. The successful implementation of the Reference Methodology by Synopsys Professional Services, as demonstrated by the ARM946E-S core-hardening project, brings a welcome extension to the expert resources available to our customers."

The new Synopsys Core Hardening service enhances the portfolio of design services provided by Synopsys Professional Services to ARM licensees, including the design, verification, and integration of SoCs that contain ARM IP. The Core Hardening service is available immediately through both consulting and turnkey engagement models.

About Synopsys Professional Services

Synopsys Professional Services contributes directly to the success of leading electronics firms worldwide by delivering the technology, methodology and expertise to solve their most demanding SoC development challenges. Synopsys' comprehensive portfolio of services covers all critical phases of the SoC development process, as well as systems development in wireless and broadband applications. Since leading-edge development demands close collaboration, customers are offered a variety of engagement models from methodology-driven project assistance to full turnkey development to best fit their business and project needs.

About Synopsys

 Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), headquartered in Mountain View, California, creates leading electronic design automation (EDA) tools for the global electronics market. The company delivers advanced design technologies and solutions to developers of complex integrated circuits, electronic systems and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting and support services to simplify the overall IC design process and accelerate time to market for its customers. Visit Synopsys at http://www.synopsys.com.
 

Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.