Phison Licenses Virage Logic's ARC(R) 600 Family of Microprocessor Core IP for Use in Their Flash Controller Applications

Ultra-Compact 32-Bit ARC 601 Processor Core Replaces Deeply Embedded 8- and 16-bit Controllers

LAS VEGAS -- Jan 06, 2010 -- Consumer Electronics Show (CES) -- Virage Logic Corporation (NASDAQ:VIRL), the semiconductor industry's trusted IP partner, today announced that Phison Electronics Corp. of Hsinchu, Taiwan (Taiwan OTC: 8299.TWO), a worldwide leader of USB flash drive and flash memory card controllers, has selected Virage Logic's ARC 600 family of configurable 32-bit embedded microprocessors for wide deployment in their flash controller applications. Phison previously had licensed the ARC 605 and has now expanded their license to include the recently introduced ultra-small ARC 601 core and the ARC 625D, offering advanced processing capabilities and full cache memory support. The ARC 601 and ARC 625D will be embedded in flash controller solutions Phison is marketing to end-customers via a network of partners.

"We're very impressed with the performance of the ARC 625D in our high-end applications," said Mr. Chee Kong Aw Yong, CEO at Phison Electronics Corporation. "The extendable and configurable core allows us to select the best combination of silicon area and power consumption in our given applications. Virage Logic's new ARC 601 core with the unique combination of performance, small size and low power allows us to migrate our 8051 designs to the ARC 601."

"Virage Logic is pleased to be selected again as Phison's trusted IP partner for their high growth, cost sensitive applications requiring advanced 32-bit performance," said Yankin Tanurhan, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of Virage Logic's Processor Solutions and NVM business units. "This win helps underscore why Virage Logic's ARC products are the second most widely used processor architecture; shipping in more than 425 million ARC-based products in 2008."

Virage Logic's ARC 601 is an ultra compact 32-bit RISC processor that will replace an 8-bit 8051 Phison currently uses in order to meet the performance requirements their upcoming flash controller applications demand. Delivering 1.2 DMIPS/MHz at 532 MHz in a 65-nanometer (nm) process technology, the ARC 601 provides the processing headroom these applications require. At only 0.039mm2 in size (65nm), and at an amazingly low 13uW/MHz power consumption (65nm), the ARC 601 offers this performance functionality at a size and power that is comparable to the 8051 it is replacing. And ARC's 601 instruction set maximizes code density, minimizing memory usage and further reducing the overall system implementation size and cost.

Phison's high-end flash controller applications require the increased performance and capabilities offered by Virage Logic's ARC 625D that supports cache memories for enabling implementation of emerging features such as security and digital rights management (DRM). By upgrading from the ARC 605 to the ARC 625D, Phison's migration is a proven and well established process with minimum risk because ARC's 600 family cores implement the same instruction set. Therefore, the transition is smooth and the ramp up effort for deployment across multiple applications is minimal, with an easy upgrade path for future designs.

See Virage Logic at CES

Experience Virage Logic's Sound-to-Silicon solutions during CES in Las Vegas, January 7 to 10. Visit Virage Logic in the Audio Pavilion in the Venetian Tower Suite #30-224. To arrange a demonstration, call your local Virage Logic Sales team or send an e-mail to ces2010@viragelogic.com and request a time slot.

About Phison Electronics Corp.

Phison Electronics Corporation created the world's first single-chip USB interface chip for the flash drive dubbed "Pen Drive" in May 2001. It is currently a worldwide leader shipping USB drive and memory card controllers. A NAND flash total solution provider, also offers system and OEM services for major retail brand names. Phison is a major player in industry standard-setting associations: a founder of Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) group and an active contributor of the Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface (NVMHCI) working group. Phison offers an all-in-one solution that provides the overall capabilities and specific flexibility to meet, even exceed, customers' requirements. Additional information about Phison is available at www.phison.com.

About Virage Logic

Virage Logic is a leading provider of both functional and physical semiconductor intellectual property (IP) for the design of complex integrated circuits. The company's highly differentiated product portfolio includes processor solutions, interface IP solutions, embedded SRAMs and NVMs, embedded memory test and repair, logic libraries, and memory development software. As the industry's trusted semiconductor IP partner, more than 400 foundry, IDM and fabless customers rely on Virage Logic to achieve higher performance, lower power, higher density and optimal yield, as well as shorten time-to-market and time-to-volume. For further information, visit http://www.viragelogic.com.