CoWare Announces Open Release of SystemC Modeling Library (SCML) Source Code

Commitment Protects User Investment in CoWare's Standards-Based TLM Reuse Methodology and Openly Extends the Benefits of SCML across IEEE 1666 SystemC Compatible Tools

SAN FRANCISCO--July 26, 2006--CoWare® Inc., the leading supplier of platform-driven electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services, marked a major milestone in the development of its platform-driven ESL design strategy with the release of SystemC Modeling Library (SCML) source code and reuse methodology guidelines. Designed to protect user investment in CoWare's methodology for the creation of highly-reusable SystemC TLM peripherals, the new kit openly extends the benefits of SCML's standards-based approach to all IEEE 1666 SystemC-compatible tool environments. The kit is now available for download at http://www.coware.com.

"CoWare is firmly committed to the development of industry standards for SystemC TLM and this announcement reflects that goal," said AK Kalekos, vice president marketing and business development, CoWare. "Since its introduction earlier this year, our customers and partners quickly recognized the value that SCML offers as an open reuse methodology - a significant benefit on its own - independent of the advantages it provides when used together with CoWare ESL solutions. We are very pleased to make this kit available to enable the reuse benefits of SCML beyond our environment and help drive model interoperability for the industry."

"Semiconductor companies must change their product development strategies to successfully shift focus from individual products to product platforms," said Nobu Matsumoto, chief specialist, Digital Media SoC Dept. Center for Semiconductor Research & Development, Toshiba Corporation Semiconductor Company. "For the multi-core MeP digital media platforms at Toshiba, transaction-level model interoperability and design reuse based on standards is a cornerstone of this strategy. SCML methods, combined with fast MeP processor models, enable our system architects to successfully deliver platform models earlier, and at the right level of abstraction, to both software and hardware teams."

"Thales uses CoWare's SystemC solution to develop transaction-level platform models for our digital radio SoCs," said Bernard Candaele, department head for SoC, IC, and EDA, Thales, Colombes Paris. "CoWare's standards-based approach with SCML enabled us to quickly create the peripheral models we needed to begin early driver development, while protecting this investment for efficient reuse throughout the design process."

Methodology Innovation Built on Standards

Introduced in January of this year as a key element of CoWare's modeling solution for platform-driven ESL design, SCML APIs and methodology guidelines provide infrastructure for the creation of user-defined, highly-reusable TLM peripheral models in SystemC. SCML helps separate TLM communication, storage, timing, and behavior within the peripheral model, making code more modular and more efficient to develop and test. Models can be defined simply and annotated for timing when needed. Unlike proprietary modeling approaches, SCML is based on current IEEE SystemC, Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI) TLM, and Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP) TLM standards. With the open availability of the new source code kit, CoWare will offer SCML APIs as a candidate for further industry standardization.

"Effective modeling at the transaction level requires industry standards for SystemC that ensure both the reuse and portability of user-defined models," said Mike Meredith, president of OSCI. "The development process for these standards benefits from many kinds of input including existing open-source resources like CoWare's SCML, ST's TAC channel, the Mentor AVM Cookbook, and GreenSocs' Greenbus. These show what can be done using the current OSCI TLM foundation and help move the standardization effort forward."

"CoWare's leadership is instrumental in keeping our original SystemC models for the OCP-IP socket interface aligned with standardization efforts at OSCI and IEEE," said Ian Mackintosh, president, OCP-IP. "SCML is an important addition to this work, which can only enhance the benefits of this collaboration for OCP-IP members modeling their SoC designs at the system level."

"We are now developing the modeling guideline as well as the efficient design methodology which will enable Japanese semiconductor companies to reuse SoC platform models at the system level," said Haruhisa Kashiwagi, senior manager, System Level Design Group, Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC). "We are very excited to see the continuous evolution of standards around transaction-level modeling and appreciate CoWare's open approach."

Kit Contents and Availability

CoWare's SCML Source Code Library Kit v1.0 includes SCML API library source code, SCML source code modeling examples, build scripts for the OSCI open-source proof-of-concept SystemC library and CoWare Model Designer using gcc 3.2.3, the SCML API Reference Manual, and the SCML Modeling TLM Peripherals User Guide. The kit is available at no charge for download at www.CoWare.com.

About CoWare

CoWare is the leading supplier of platform-driven electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services. CoWare offers a comprehensive set of ESL tools that enable electronics companies to "differentiate by design" through the creation of system IP including embedded processors, on-chip buses, and DSP algorithms; the architecture of optimized SoC platforms; hardware/software co-design; and virtual platforms for device software development. The company's solutions are based on open industry standards including SystemC. CoWare's customers are major systems, semiconductor, and IP companies in the market where consumer electronics, computing, and communications converge. CoWare's corporate investors include ARM ((LSE:ARM - News); (Nasdaq: ARMHY - News)), Cadence Design Systems (NYSE:CDN - News), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM - News), and Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE - News). CoWare is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has offices around the world. For more information about CoWare and its products and services, visit http://www.coware.com.

Quotes from CoWare customers and industry partners endorsing this announcement:

CEVA:

"ESL has emerged as the right methodology to increase efficiency and manage complexity early in the design cycle," said Moshe Sheier, director of DSP product marketing at CEVA. "With their SystemC Modeling Library, CoWare further enhances the potential of ESL design and reuse, providing designers with more time to explore the right options for their SoC platform."

DOULOS:

"Doulos welcomes the public release by CoWare of the SCML library in source code form," said John Aynsley, chief technology officer, Doulos. "SCML is good technical work that enables more efficient and reusable transaction-level modeling in SystemC, and opening the methodology is a positive step for the ongoing standardization of TLM within the SystemC community."

IBM:

"Our collaboration with CoWare provides our mutual customers with a tool environment to help develop software earlier in the design cycle," said Ted Johnson, product marketing manager for PowerPC, IBM Systems & Technology. "CoWare's SCML approach fits these needs very well, while providing a well-defined methodology to reuse the models for other design tasks later on in the design process."

MIPS:

"Electronic system-level design is critical to gaining full advantage of today's powerful processor capabilities in a product platform," stated Jack Browne, vice president of marketing, MIPS Technologies, Inc. "CoWare provides our mutual customers with a tool environment to help make these architectural decisions earlier in the design cycle. Opening the SCML methodology is a strong statement that will make this solution even more attractive to designers."

OCP-IP:

"CoWare's leadership is instrumental in keeping our original SystemC models for the OCP-IP socket interface aligned with standardization efforts at OSCI and IEEE," said Ian Mackintosh, president, OCP-IP. "SCML is an important addition to this work, which can only enhance the benefits of this collaboration for OCP-IP members modeling their SoC designs at the system level."

SYSTEMC:

"Effective modeling at the transaction level requires industry standards for SystemC that ensure both the reuse and portability of user-defined models," said Mike Meredith, president of OSCI. "The development process for these standards benefits from many kinds of input including existing open-source resources like CoWare's SCML, ST's TAC channel, the Mentor AVM Cookbook, and GreenSocs' Greenbus. These show what can be done using the current OSCI TLM foundation and help move the standardization effort forward."

SONICS INC:

"CoWare's decision to open the SCML methodology represents a very significant step towards the emergence of industry standard TLM practices," said Phil Casini vice president marketing and business development, Sonics Inc. "Having such an open standard available enables Sonics to further its continued commitment of providing state-of-the-art SystemC models of our SMART Interconnect(TM) solutions."

STARC:

"We are now developing the modeling guideline as well as the efficient design methodology which will enable Japanese semiconductor companies to reuse SoC platform models at the system level," said Haruhisa Kashiwagi, senior manager, System Level Design Group, Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC). "We are very excited to see the continuous evolution of standards around transaction-level modeling and appreciate CoWare's open approach."

THALES:

"Thales uses CoWare's SystemC solution to develop transaction-level platform models for our digital radio SoCs," said Bernard Candaele, department head for SoC, IC, and EDA, Thales, Colombes Paris. "CoWare's standards-based approach with SCML enabled us to quickly create the peripheral models we needed to begin early driver development, while protecting this investment for efficient reuse throughout the design process."

TOSHIBA:

"Semiconductor companies must change their product development strategies to successfully shift focus from individual products to product platforms," said Nobu Matsumoto, chief specialist, Digital Media SoC Dept. Center for Semiconductor Research & Development, Toshiba Corporation Semiconductor Company. "For the multi-core MeP digital media platforms at Toshiba, transaction-level model interoperability and design reuse based on standards is a cornerstone of this strategy. SCML methods, combined with fast MeP processor models, enable our system architects to successfully deliver platform models earlier, and at the right level of abstraction, to both software and hardware teams."