GigOptix Reduces System-on-Chip Risk and Slashes Development Costs With Its New CX7800 65nm Hybrid ASIC

Combines Performance and Cost Benefits of Standard Cell With NRE and Time-to-Market Benefits of Structured ASIC

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Dec 09, 2009 -- GigOptix, Inc. (OTCBB:GGOX) today announced the introduction of its second generation CX7800 hybrid ASIC technology in 65nm. Hybrid ASICs combine embedded metal-configurable digital logic with standard cell logic, Input/Output (I/O), memory and mixed signal Intellectual Property (IP). This development approach allows for rapid and economical product line development, enabling companies to introduce products five weeks faster than 65nm standard cell technology allows and saving companies an average of $500,000 in Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) and tooling costs on each derivative product.

Adding to its 65nm standard cell design capability, GigOptix Hybrid ASICs offer customers additional flexibility in developing derivative products, adding important end customer features at the last minute, correcting major bugs and making significant changes to the logic design - all very quickly and inexpensively.

A System-on-Chip (SoC) developed in 65nm standard cell technology results in the smallest devices size, best performance and lowest power consumption, compared with FPGA and Structured ASIC devices in the same process geometry. Producing a series of custom products becomes capital intensive and often prohibitive for many companies. Structured ASICs solve the problem of high up-front costs and long lead times but the level of integration is often limited to available platforms and sizes. A GigOptix Hybrid ASIC gives developers the benefits of Standard Cell and Structured ASIC without the tradeoffs. Prototype lead time can be less than 6 weeks from tape-out to fully packaged and tested parts.

"Companies that are risk averse, yet want to introduce products with complex SoC solutions to the market are finding themselves trapped with compromised options," said Elie Massabki, Vice President and General Manager of GigOptix ChipX Product Line. "Hybrid ASIC offer Standard Cell device costs and performance without the lead time and risks associated with Standard Cell designs."

"Hybrid ASIC is a unique technology and the first announcement resulting from our acquisition of ChipX," stated Dr. Avi Katz, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of GigOptix. "We are very pleased with the innovation and engineering capabilities of the team and we are committed to offering practical and effective ASIC solutions to our customer and the industry overall."

GigOptix Hybrid ASICs are ideal for numerous applications including consumer products, communications, data processing, industrial and defense systems.

About GigOptix 65nm CX7800 Hybrid ASIC Offering

Hybrid ASICs combine embedded metal-configurable digital logic with standard cell logic, I/O, memory and mixed signal IP. The number of metal layers used for routing can be customized from 4 to 7, depending on the design complexity as well as performance, cost and time-to-market customer requirements. Other key features include:

• VDD of 1.2V
• 6 to 9 copper metal levels, including up to 6 1x, 5 relaxed-pitch 2x, and 2 relaxed pitch 4x metal levels
• Up to 3 threshold voltages: high, standard and low
• Operating junction temperature range of -40 to 125oC

Hybrid ASIC products are customer specific and can have up to 50M ASIC gates. Through its ecosystem of "Trusted IP Suppliers," GigOptix offers a wide range of IP, including PCI Express, SERDES, USB, data converters, PLLs, CPUs, physical layer cores and controllers, as well as over 200 blocks of synthesizable IP. Hybrid ASIC designs follow industry standard design flows and require only standard EDA tools.

GigOptix will start 65nm Hybrid ASIC designs in January 2010.

About GigOptix, Inc.

GigOptix, Inc. is a leading fabless supplier of high speed analog components which enable the continuous expansion of bandwidth needed to support the ever increasing volume of data being generated in long and short reach optical networks, datacenters, consumer electronics, military and avionic communications. GigOptix products include the electronic engines that drive the optically connected digital world such as polymer electro-optic modulators, modulator drivers, laser drivers and TIAs for telecom, datacom, and consumer optical interconnects, covering serial and parallel communication technologies from 1Gb/s to 120Gb/s. Their ultra-broadband power amplifiers, high speed limiters and phase delays address the needs of phased array radar, power amplifier assemblies, satellite communications and test and measurement equipment. For more information, please visit www.GigOptix.com.