VaST and StarCore Enable Early Software Development Using Virtual 1st SiliconTM Technology

VaST Universe Partnership Initiative Enables Full Software Development  Well Before Actual First Silicon
SUNNYVALE, California, December 20, 2005 - VaST Systems Technology Corporation, the embedded systems design automation company, and StarCore LLC today announced that StarCore has joined the VaST UniverseTM partnership initiative. VaST’s and StarCore’s customers are using VaST’s Virtual 1st SiliconTM to model complex StarCore-based wireless and multimedia devices. VaST Universe is comprised of VaST and semiconductor suppliers. Virtual 1st Silicon is a high-speed, cycle-accurate software model of a system on chip (SoC) that enables full software development well in advance of actual first silicon.

VaST Universe formalizes the process by which Virtual 1st Silicon is developed, distributed and jointly marketed with semiconductor suppliers. Together with VaST, semiconductor suppliers model the complete SoC including processor cores, peripheral devices, buses and bus interface units. This Virtual 1st Silicon is then handed off to software development teams for development of the target software. VaST and the semiconductor supplier work together to provide tools flow integration and technical support to the end customer.

“StarCore has cooperated closely with VaST on simulation solutions for our processor cores and subsystems. Already several of our customers have successfully used VaST technology to model complex StarCore-based wireless and multimedia devices. Customer demand for more system simulation solutions is surging,” said Alex Bedarida, general manager at StarCore. “VaST’s Virtual 1st Silicon technology enables our licensees to offer their customers a software development platform from the early phases of system design, long before engineering samples are available.”

The benefits of VaST’s Virtual 1st Silicon technology are both substantial and quantifiable:

• Reduction in time to market, on the order of one year, have already been achieved;
• Reduction in time to volume, which goes hand-in-hand with time to market; 
• Identification of hard-to-find functional errors found only through early software development in system level operation, which reduces the probability of a silicon respin;
• Mitigation of any impact from silicon implementation schedule slips, since software development can be using the virtual rather than the manufactured silicon.

VaST is focused on semiconductor organizations that supply the automotive, consumer, and wireless markets. These markets are experiencing rapid technological convergence and exponential growth in software content. “When significant functionality is delivered through software, waiting for first manufactured silicon to begin software development simply isn’t viable. Through Universe, VaST and semiconductor suppliers deliver a powerful and more complete time-to-market solution to our global customers,” said Alain Labat, CEO of VaST.

With VaST , designers can quantify and optimize architectural performance long before RTL is developed, and the by-product of this work, a virtual system prototype, can be handed off for early software development. VaST is engaged with many leading semiconductor companies and their customers. Over time, VaST will separately announce the participation of more companies in VaST Universe as well as specific product support for these companies.
 
About StarCore
Based in Austin, Texas, StarCore LLC is a leader in the development of high performance processor architectures, cores and intellectual property building blocks for the communications and consumer electronics industries. For more information on StarCore and its intellectual property and services, visit the company’s web site at www.starcore-dsp.com.

 About VaST
VaST Systems Technology Corporation provides tools and models for embedded system design automation. VaST's solutions enable architectural exploration and optimization, allowing users to create a virtual system prototype in software that becomes the golden reference model for the true concurrent development of hardware and software. VaST's solutions deliver both high speed and cycle accuracy under actual real-time software loads. VaST's products dramatically improve time to market and quality, and reduce development costs and risk.
Current customers include worldwide leaders in semiconductors, automotive electronics, wireless devices, and consumer electronics. VaST is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with sales and support offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.vastsystems.com.