Synopsys and Hitachi Deliver First Hardware/Software Co-Verification Models for SH3-DSP and SH-4 Processor Cores

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Synopsys and Hitachi Deliver First Hardware/Software Co-Verification Models for SH3-DSP and SH-4 Processor Cores

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif----Nov. 8, 1999-- Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) announced today that the first co-verification models of Hitachi's industry leading SH3-DSP and SH-4 microprocessor cores are now available.
The new models are the first delivery in an ongoing agreement between Hitachi and Synopsys to model Hitachi processors for use with Synopsys Eaglei hardware-software-co-verification tools. HW/SW co-verification with Synopsys' Eaglei environment allows designers to significantly improve product quality and reduce design time by making it possible to run software on hardware long before physical prototypes are available.
``Our SuperH(TM) RISC engine family is widely used in the market for multimedia products and high technology consumer products -- including hand held personal computers, digital still cameras, and game machines. They are in demand, not only as CPUs themselves, but also as system-on-a-chip (SoC) cores,'' said Tadahiko Sugawara, department manager, System LSI Business Division, Hitachi, Ltd. ``To make it easy to integrate these cores into systems, Synopsys and Hitachi are cooperating to provide an excellent SoC development environment which includes HW/SW co-verification technology.''
``Together, Synopsys and Hitachi are giving designers the essential tools to integrate the hardware and software portions of their SH3-DSP/SH-4 designs very early in the product development cycle,'' said Geoff Bunza, vice president of Synopsys' Large Systems Technology Group. ``Users who have adopted this methodology have demonstrated both significant improvements in their time to market and enhanced performance and design quality.''
The models of SH3-DSP and SH-4 are available from Synopsys now. Prices start at USD $6,700 for 1-year term license.

About the SH3-DSP and SH-4 Microprocessor Cores
The SH-3 and SH-4 are the high end of Hitachi's SuperH(TM) family. The SH-3 -- a high-end 32-bit processor -- is appropriate for portable information-processing and multimedia equipment. SH7729 processors -- part of the SH3-DSP line -- provide high-performance (133 MHz operation), with low power consumption and include 16kB of on-chip RAM for storage of the data required for DSP processing such as JPEG and ADPCM.
The SH-4 is a high-end 64-bit external data bus RISC microprocessor which offers the highest-performance available for an embedded RISC processor of 360 MIPS at 200 MHz. The SH-4 series employs a superscalar system for simultaneous execution of instructions, allowing it to support full-fledged multi-media products such as set-top boxes and car navigation systems. It supports Windows® CE.

Synopsys Eaglei's Open Architecture Supports All Popular Tools
The Synopsys Eaglei tools have been proven on very complex, multi-million gate, multiple processor designs, with users typically reporting 20 percent reductions in design cycle time. The open Synopsys Eaglei architecture ensures that designers can use the new Hitachi SH3-DSP and SH-4 models with the Hitachi Debugging Interface on Windows, as well as a wide range of real time operating systems and hardware design tools.
The Synopsys Eaglei hardware/software co-verification tools are part of a powerful suite of high-level verification products and services which also includes VCS, the industry's fastest Verilog simulator, Cyclone/VSS for high-performance VHDL simulation, a comprehensive range of proven Logic Modeling IP models for simulation, and the VERA testbench automation and analysis products to help designers meet the challenges of complex system verification.
For more information on the Synopsys verification solution, visit the worldwide web at http://www.synopsys.com/verifyit, contact your local Synopsys representative, email verify@synopsys.com, or, in North America, phone 800/346-6335.

Synopsys Inc.
Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), is a leading supplier of electronic design automation (EDA) solutions to the global electronic market. The company provides comprehensive design technologies to creators of advanced integrated circuits, electronic systems and systems on a chip. Synopsys also provides consulting services and support to its customers to streamline the overall design process and accelerate time-to-market. Additional information about Synopsys is available at http://www.synopsys.com.

Note to Editors: Synopsys, Logic Modeling and Eaglei are registered trademarks, and VCS, VSS, Cyclone, and VERA are trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. SuperH is a trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

Contact:
     Synopsys Inc.
     Diane Landers, 503/531-2252
     dianel@synopsys.com
            or
     The Hoffman Agency
     Karin Gilles, 408/975-3038
     kgilles@hoffman.com