Cascade Semiconductor Solutions' PCI Express IP Core Enables PCI Express Protocol Compliance Testing

INTEL DEVELOPERS FORUM, SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., February 17, 2004 - Cascade Semiconductor Solutions, Inc. today announced its PCI Express IP solution has been successfully implemented in FPGA to enable the industry's first PCI Express technology compliance testing. This allows each software developer and hardware designer to prove PCI Express technology compliance of their PCI Express designs.

The Cascade PCI Express Core is implemented in Agilent Technologies' E2969A protocol test card, which is the industry's first PCI Express test card for compliance testing. The Agilent E2969A Protocol Test Card is a key member of the Agilent E2960 serial protocol test series, which is supporting the industry's move from parallel to serial I/O busses for duplex speeds of x8, x4 and x1 bandwidth for protocol analysis and exercising.

Cascade's PCI Express Port Logic solution includes the CXPL Port Logic core packaged with the supporting application, configuration, and SerDes dependent modules (ADM, CDM and SDM) in both end-point and switch port configuration. The FPGA implementation is a two port PCI Express switch design supporting full upstream and downstream configuration spaces, as well as the framework for integration of test features specific to verifying PCI Express protocol compliance for both end-points and platforms.

The CascadeXpress™ CXPL Port Logic core is combined with Cascade's application support modules to provide developers with a complete PCI Express port logic implementation compliant to the PCI Express 1.0a base specification. Support for the 1.0 version of the specification is provided if required.

"Agilent is excited to enable the industry with a PCI Express protocol test card" said Siegfried Gross, vice president and general manager for Agilent's Digital Verification Solutions Division. "Selecting Cascade for the FPGA design was the critical step towards developing a great PCI Express compliance tool."

"Providing our PCI Express Port Logic implementation for Agilent's protocol test card product is a great opportunity for Cascade to demonstrate its leadership in delivering compliant, interoperable PCI Express IP solutions" said Jing-fan Zhang, chief executive officer for Cascade. "Our team has worked closely with Agilent to deliver the FPGA design to meet the protocol test requirements of the E2960 and the results are very exciting."

About Cascade Semiconductor Solutions, Inc.
Cascade Semiconductor Solutions, Inc. (cascadeip.com) is a Beaverton, Oregon based privately held company developing IP cores and highly integrated SoC-IP products for the next generation Interconnect technology market segment. Cascade has quickly moved into a leadership position in the PCI Express IP space with its scalable, multi-lane capable PCI Express Port Logic IP core packages addressing multiple applications and configurations including end-point, switch, bridge and root complex root port implementations.

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