ARM and Verisity Advance IP Verification and Validation

CAMBRIDGE, UK and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Jan. 7, 2002 - ARM [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq:ARMHY)], the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, and Verisity Ltd. (Nasdaq:VRST), the leading provider of functional verification automation, today announced another step forward in intellectual property (IP) integration. ARM, a member of Verisity's Pure IPTM program, is now delivering verification and validation toolkits based on Verisity's e verification language and testbench automation tool, Specman Elite[tm]. The testbenches are part of the ARM® PrimeXsys[tm] platforms to enable complex ASICs to be developed around the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform.

ARM PrimeXsys platforms are integrated, extendible platforms that deliver pre-validated, application-targeted hardware sub-systems, along with all relevant application software and a wide range of operating system (OS) ports, to enable the development of application-focused devices, rapidly and with minimal risk.

The ARM PrimeXsys platform verification toolkit addresses the most time-consuming aspects of ASIC development, which is verifying that the ASIC will meet its functional requirements.

There are four key aspects to this:

• The verification toolkit is re-usable (across multiple Partners and multiple projects) which saves a lot of engineering effort.
• ARM supplies many of the verification tests with the testbench that again saves time and effort. ARM supplies tests to check that all the components of the ASIC are AMBA® technology-compliant.
• The verification toolkit is extendible to test an entire ASICs functionality, not just the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform.
• The verification toolkit allows for detailed and complex test scenarios to be built-up to thoroughly test the ASIC design in ways that have been previously only been possible in silicon. This significantly reduces the risk of building ASICs with design flaws.

"One of the biggest challenges developers face when integrating external IP is knowing if it was integrated correctly," said Ian Thornton, product manager, ARM. "Verisity's Pure IP program solves this problem by enabling us to deliver executable verification toolkits alongside our IP. We chose to base these toolkits on Verisity's e verification language because we believe it to be the best solution available today and it is ideally suited for this purpose. This methodology for ensuring correct integration is absolutely vital for our Partners to accelerate time-to-market."

As the lead licensee for the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform, STMicroelectronics has adopted the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform as the foundation of its large mobile internet ASSP product line and is utilizing the verification and validation testbenches to add its own unique differentiating IP.

"The PrimeXsys Wireless Platform is part of ST's ongoing mobile multimedia
development program and ST is using the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform verification toolkit as well as Specman Elite," said Vincent Coeffe, ARM PrimeXsys platform leader, DSP & Micro Division, STMicroelectronics. "We already use Specman Elite for increasing the quality of the functional verification in our own IP developments, and the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform verification toolkit allows us to reuse the standalone IP verification at the system level in a very fast and efficient way. It allows us to ensure that each IP block is correctly integrated in the system and to determine system performance such as average throughput of each AHB bus, or interrupt latency for all possible corner cases of the system."

The ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform deliverables include RTL, simulation models, development tools, firmware, OS ports, validation suites and methodologies. This provides the foundation functionality for support of base platform operating system execution and provides interfaces for the inclusion of additional functionality for the development of complete designs. System modeling is also supported to accelerate the development of entire system solutions.

"The ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform is uniquely designed to give customers the flexibility to add their own IP and expertise when incorporating it into their wireless designs," said Dave Tokic, director of strategic marketing, Verisity. "By delivering the ARM PrimeXsys Wireless Platform with a Pure IP verification toolkit, ARM is also providing their customers with an efficient integration process. This is just one more step in our long-standing relationship with ARM to enable platform-based design and verification."

Availability
The PrimeXsys Wireless Platform is available now from ARM. It is being licensed under ARM's normal IP model for implementation within an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or application-specific standard product (ASSP) design. The first PrimeXsys Wireless Platform samples will be available from key ARM Partners in 1H02.

About ARM
ARM is the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions. The company licenses its high-performance, low-cost, power-efficient RISC processors, peripherals, and system-on-chip designs to leading international electronics companies. ARM also provides comprehensive support required in developing a complete system. ARM's microprocessor cores are rapidly becoming the volume RISC standard in such markets as portable communications, hand-held computing, multimedia digital consumer and embedded solutions. More information on ARM is available at www.arm.com.

About Verisity
Verisity is the leading provider of proprietary technologies and software products used to efficiently verify designs of electronic systems and complex integrated circuits that are essential to the communications and other high growth segments of the electronics industry. Verisity's products simplify the process of detecting flaws in these designs, enabling customers to deliver higher quality products, accelerate time-to-market and reduce overall product development costs.

Verisity Design, Inc.'s principal executive offices are located in Mountain View, CA. Verisity's principal research and development offices and the corporate headquarters of Verisity Ltd. are located in Rosh Ha'ain, Israel. For more information, see Verisity's web site at www.verisity.com. 

ARM and AMBA are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. PrimeXsys is a trademark of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE:ARM and Nasdaq:ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; and ARM France SAS.
 

Verisity is a registered trademark of Verisity Design, Inc. Pure IP and Specman Elite are trademarks of Verisity Design, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.