Nordic VLSI Selects Mentor Graphics FormalPro Equivalence Checker for Formal Verification Solution

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2001--Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced that Nordic VLSI, one of Europe's largest independent ASIC designers, has selected the Mentor Graphics® FormalPro(TM) equivalence checker to verify its IP and system-on-chip (SoC) designs.

Nordic VLSI chose FormalPro for its speed, accuracy and advanced debugging capabilities in both RTL-to-gate and gate-to-gate verification of multi-million gate SoCs.

``FormalPro showed excellent performance and required minimal set-up time,'' said Frank Berntsen, technical director at Nordic VLSI. ``After evaluating a variety of equivalence checkers from the major formal verification providers, we found that FormalPro was the solution that best met our requirements for speed and capacity.''

``FormalPro was able to meet Nordic VSLI's needs because the product was designed to be easy-to-use, fast and reliable,'' said Reily Jacoby, FormalPro product line manager at Mentor Graphics. ``Our goal is to provide high-capacity, high-speed formal verification solutions to help companies meet the challenge of verifying complex, multi-million gate designs in a timeframe that keeps them ahead of their competition.''

Next Generation Formal Verification Technology

The FormalPro approach to equivalence checking enables designers to formally verify designs with more than 20 million gates in a matter of hours. With FormalPro, designers can execute multiple daily runs of multi-million gate designs without having to partition a SoC or ASIC design into blocks. This increases productivity and decreases the risk of errors split across blocks.

Using FormalPro, the functional equivalence of two circuits can be established with little or no user intervention. The tool's minimal setup requirements save designers time and allows the easy adoption of formal verification technology into any design flow. Multiple matching techniques, coupled with multiple solver technology, ensure an automated flow.

FormalPro's advanced debugging technology quickly performs automated analysis of failing comparison points and isolates the exact location of the error, increasing a design team's productivity and shortening turnaround times.

About Nordic VLSI

Nordic VLSI ASA (OSE:NOD) develops and sells state-of-the-art system on chip ASICs based on its strengths within complex digital design, mixed-mode, AD/DA converters and wireless. The company has a proven track record of more than 200 successful designs since the company was founded in 1983. It is the largest design house in the Nordic countries, with a total headcount of 100 highly skilled employees. All operations are managed according to an ISO9001 approved quality assurance system. For more information on Nordic VLSI ASA and its products, go to http://www.nvlsi.no.

About Mentor Graphics Corporation

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products and consulting services for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of more than $600 million and employs approximately 2,850 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Ore., 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif., 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.

Mentor Graphics is a registered trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. FormalPro is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

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