Philips Semiconductors continues support behind Velocity Rapid Silicon Prototyping development for ARM946[tm] architecture

A key driver of Philips Semiconductors' Silicon Systems Strategy, Velocity's evolution extends ASIC design leadership with enhanced features and capabilities

San Francisco, Calif., April 10, 2001- Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI), today announced development efforts are underway to extend its market leading Velocity Rapid Silicon Prototyping (RSP) solutions with ARM946[tm] core support and new features and capabilities for the Velocity customer base. This effort constitutes a core initiative in furthering Philips Semiconductors Silicon Systems strategy beyond the current Velocity RSP7+ solution based on the ARM7[tm] core.

In a separate announcement, Philips Semiconductors today announced a major expansion of its existing license agreement with ARM, providing Philips Semiconductors' customers with access to a comprehensive range of ARM cores and supporting technology.

The Velocity[tm] RSP family represents an advanced ASIC development platform allowing designers to prototype their designs using fully tested IP blocks provided on special prototyping chips. As a result, hardware and software development can start in parallel, greatly shortening time to market for new Systems-on-Chip (SoC) designs. Velocity RSP7+ is a leading platform used by imaging, POS, PDA and networking vendors to reduce time to market by reducing design cycles by up to 50 percent. Velocity RSP family development with ARM946 support and enhanced features and capabilities will drive Velocity RSP into new advanced designs.

"Velocity is driving the market for rapid silicon prototyping on advanced ARM-based designs, empowering customers to leverage Philips Semiconductors' Silicon Systems advantages across a range of applications," said Tom Dockery, Director of Product Marketing, Computing and ASICs Business Line, Philips Semiconductors. "Velocity RSP9 will give our customers a seamless migration path to ARM946, with the same dedication, expertise and support that they have enjoyed with RSP7+."

The Velocity RSP family will continue to be a strategic part of Philips Semiconductors' silicon system and ASIC strategy for enabling industry-leading integration in the shortest possible time frame. Velocity RSP9 bridges the gap between Velocity RSP7+ and future advances building on Philips Semiconductors leadership in reusable IP technology.

Philips Semiconductors leverages its SoC design solutions, addressing emerging industry trends and ever increasing requirements of system complexity. Defining SoC silicon solutions with its communications, digital consumer electronics, networking, and ASIC businesses, Philips Semiconductors satisfies a wide range of silicon system requirements.

Velocity RSP9 will be available in Q4 2001. For more information on Philips Semiconductors' Velocity RSP9 system solutions and silicon strategies, please visit www.philips.semiconductors.com/technology/velocity/.

Philips Semiconductors, which had annual revenues of approximately US$6.3 billion in 2000, designs and manufactures semiconductors and silicon systems platforms. Philips Semiconductors is spearheading the emerging field of systems on silicon solutions with the innovative Nexperia[tm] platform and VLSI Velocity[tm] tool set. The company's Sea-of-IP[tm] design methodology allows plug and play intellectual property blocks for easily customizable products. The company is a leader in communications, consumer, PC peripherals and automotive semiconductors, which are key applications for convergence in end-user products. Philips Semiconductors is headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and has operations throughout the world.
For more information: www.semiconductors.philips.com.