Leading Satellite Communications Equipment Supplier Chooses Improv Systems for DSP Needs

Thrane & Thrane will Leverage Improv Jazz DSP™ in Next-Generation Satellite Communications Modem

Beverly, Mass -- May 13, 2002 -- Improv Systems, a pioneer in application-optimized digital signal processors (DSPs), today announced that Thrane & Thrane, one of the world's leading manufacturers of global, high-speed satellite communications terminals, will use Improv Systems' multi processor Jazz DSP™ to create a next-generation ground station satellite communications modem.

Thrane & Thrane is one of the world's largest suppliers of terminals for the Inmarsat™ global satellite system that provides the needed bandwidth worldwide for marine and aviation communications. Thrane & Thrane has been a leader in the design of high-speed terminals for the Inmarsat system and is one of three approved suppliers for the newly announced Fleet F77 that provides mobile ISDN and Packet Data service. Leveraging that expertise, Thrane & Thrane will be a major supplier of equipment for the next-generation Inmarsat B-GAN (Broadband Global Area Network) enabling mobile data communication at up to 432kbit/s for Internet access and mobile multimedia applications.

"This project reflects the increasing difficulty in meeting next-generation satellite communications requirements," said Carsten Fallesen, ASIC Project Manager for Thrane & Thrane. "We needed a solution that was powerful and flexible enough to support our design goals and Improv was the only company that had the technology and methodology to satisfy our challenging and specific requirements."

Improv's Jazz-based platform design solution was chosen based on an extensive competitive analysis of available DSP technologies and was found to be the only one capable of meeting the performance requirements and throughput demands of the new satellite communications modem. The Improv™ integrated system allows the multi-processor DSP to be designed, modeled, and profiled as a single entity programmed in a high-level language. This approach allows the designer to rapidly iterate and close on an optimal hardware/software solution to meet the stringent application requirements. It further means that changes in requirements, and upgrades to the system can be satisfied by systematic refinements, thanks to the highly-configurable nature of Improv's technology.

"Thrane & Thrane's core competencies are in the design and development of high-quality professional satellite communication equipment, an area that has demanding and frequently changing requirements from a processing perspective," said Cary Ussery, president and CEO of Improv Systems. "Our approach can offer their system designers the flexibility and performance they need. Using Improv's tools and methodology, a multi-processor system can be modeled and profiled as a single entity, freeing them from the details of the DSP inter-processor communications. And, our architecture is optimized to offer extremely high levels of throughput for high-bandwidth applications such as this."

The technical competitive analysis was based on some key benchmarks essential for the next-generation satellite communications project and included:

• Sustained four complex FIR (Finite Impulse Response) taps per cycle, critical to demodulation.
• Sustained 512K bps Turbo Decode. This was achieved by taking advantage of Improv's unique capability of adding a DDCU (Designer Defined Computation Unit) for acceleration. The DDCU used SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) processing and internal state, in a critical section of the decode process, to avoid saturation of the data path.

"The ability to include DDCUs in a design and have them programmed through the Improv compiler automatically in high level language is a unique feature of the Improv system and one that really set them apart from the competitors," said Carsten Fallesen, of Thrane & Thrane. "This is configurability that we can really use."

About Thrane & Thrane
Thrane & Thrane is one of the world's leading manufacturers of terminals and land earth stations for global mobile satellite communication. Since its incorporation in 1981, the company has established a strong position within equipment for global mobile satellite services based on the Inmarsat system, and today it provides equipment for land-based, maritime and aeronautical use. Thrane & Thrane distributes, markets and supports its products globally through more than 100 distributors. Information about Thrane & Thrane can be found at www.tt.dk.

About Improv Systems, Inc.
Improv Systems, Inc. develops and licenses the Jazz PSA™ platforms featuring the Jazz DSP™ and application solution kits for Voice-over-IP, Networking and Emerging Media. Improv's Jazz DSP is a configurable DSP that allows designers to create optimized DSP cores targeted to consumer electronics and telecommunications markets. Improv's IP offerings are supported by advanced software development tools, the Jazz PSA Composer™ DSP design environment, and Rehearsal™ development boards. Improv Systems has development centers in Beverly, MA, San Jose, CA, and Rochester, NY, and direct sales offices in the United Kingdom and Tokyo. Improv can be reached at (978) 927-0555, info@improvsys.com or at http://www.improvsys.com.