CoWare Announces New Generation of SPW for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Application Design

Windows®-Based Solution Speeds Design Implementation from MATLAB® Algorithms

2004 Global Signal Processing Expo and Conference (GSPx), SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Sept. 27, 2004 -- CoWare, Inc., the leading supplier of system-level electronic design automation (EDA) software and services, announced a new generation of SPW, the most comprehensive digital signal processing (DSP) application solution that bridges the gap from DSP algorithm exploration to implementation into hardware and software. With the release of SPW 5-XP for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, CoWare offers radical new features and functionality to make DSP application design faster and easier. These include unmatched integration with MATLAB® that accelerates implementation starting from MATLAB algorithms; a Windows look & feel and graphical user interface (GUI); and an open, extendable, standard XML database. CoWare has maintained SPW's core strengths: the speed of its simulation engine and its library of more than 4,000 proven DSP application models.

"SPW 5 has the potential to put our proven design methodology using 'polymodeling' onto an exciting new foundation," said Bill Lawton, staff engineer, InterDigital Communications Corporation. "The new user interface and the more powerful scripting have the capability to enable us to further streamline the design cycle and increase our productivity."

"SPW 5-XP installed smoothly just like any other Windows application," said Masao Watanabe, assistant manager, Digital TV & STB Digital Project, Digital Audio/Visual Systems Division, NEC Electronics. "The new GUI is much more streamlined than previous SPW releases. It is easy to navigate, and even has—thanks to CoWare's strong presence in Japan—built-in Japanese character support."

"CoWare's SPW 5 is a radical evolution from SPW 4—we created much of the product from scratch while maintaining SPW's strong simulation technology and libraries," said Mark Milligan, vice president of marketing, CoWare. "SPW 5-XP runs on Windows, providing access to SPW for many designers who previously resorted to sub-optimal, competitive solutions. SPW 5-XP is the logical choice for MATLAB users extending into C-based design."

MATLAB Integration Offers Path from Design Exploration to Implementation

Many design teams explore their DSP applications in MATLAB before committing to an actual product design. Eventually, every design team produces a detailed, C-based reference model for the DSP application, which is then handed off for implementation. Reacting to customer demand based on SPW's superior C-based simulation technology, CoWare has built the industry's best third-party integration with MATLAB to create a seamless flow from MATLAB into SPW 5-XP for implementation. The fast simulation interface for MATLAB blocks drastically accelerates system simulation targeting implementation. For added convenience, users can easily bring up MATLAB from within SPW 5-XP to analyze their SPW 5-XP simulation results.

Open, Extendable XML Database Enables Rapid Innovation

The new SPW 5 XML database enables the complete SPW infrastructure to scale with future DSP design flow innovation, enabling CoWare to integrate SPW 5 with other design tools supporting implementation on DSPs, FPGAs, and SoCs. And the flexibility inherent in the database makes integration of SPW into complex corporate design infrastructures simple and fast.

New GUI Offers Simplified Use Models

To improve design of complex DSP applications, the SPW 5-XP GUI has been designed using a Windows look & feel and simplified use models. The new GUI provides a compact, tabbed view of a design, reducing the amount of mouse clicks and movements needed to navigate it. Designers can also use color and foreign characters for easier design viewing, and create design documentation through standard formats supported by Microsoft Office and other applications.

Fast Simulation and 4,000+ Models Accelerate DSP Application Design

SPW 5 continues the traditional strength of SPW for DSP application design in areas such as UltraWideband (UWB)—with support for proposals from both the UWBForum and MBOA—and Wireless LAN (802.11n), by providing the same fast simulation technology and libraries, now on the Windows platform. The SPW 5 simulation engine has been proven to be more than 10 times faster than competitors' products, and it can handle extremely complex designs since it is optimized for simulation speed rather than interpretive exploration. Its automatic scheduling is proven for designs of more than 1,000 blocks, making it far more robust than manual scheduling using proprietary C-models.

Pricing, Availability and Training

CoWare SPW 5-XP for Windows is scheduled to ship worldwide in November 2004. SPW 5 for Linux/Unix will be released in 2005. For pricing information, contact your local sales office. SPW 5-XP comes with built-in, self-paced training, explaining basic modeling, simulation and analysis features. For corporate flows, CoWare offers specialized on-site consulting services. For more information on SPW and CoWare's other products, visit www.coware.com.

About CoWare

CoWare is the leading supplier of system-level electronic design automation (EDA) software tools and services. CoWare offers a comprehensive set of electronic system-level (ESL) tools that enable SoC developers to "differentiate by design" through the creation of system-IP including embedded processors, on-chip buses, and DSP algorithms; the architecture of optimized SoC platforms; and hardware/software co-design. The company's solutions are based on open industry standards including SystemC. CoWare's customers are major systems, semiconductor, and IP companies in the market where consumer electronics, computing, and communications converge. CoWare's corporate investors include ARM Ltd. [(LSE:ARM);(Nasdaq: ARMHY)], Cadence Design Systems (NYSE:CDN), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), and Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE). CoWare is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has offices around the world. For more information about CoWare and its products and services, visit http://www.coware.com.

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