Microsoft Xbox Development Team Uses SpringSoft's Verdi Debug Software to Slash Design Time

HSINCHU, Taiwan -- September 07, 2010 -- SpringSoft, Inc. (TAIEX: 2473), a global supplier of specialized IC design software, today announced that the development teams behind the key processors in Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox product line have used its Verdi™ Automated Debug System to significantly reduce design time and manage new levels of complexity in the latest generation of chips. The powerful debug platform enabled the Microsoft team to quickly comprehend intended design behavior, find design errors and manage design revisions, eliminating what had once been tedious and time-consuming manual steps and reducing debug time by as much as half in certain areas over previous projects.

The Xbox team used the Verdi system on the latest versions of its graphics (GPU) and microprocessor (CPU) chip designs, which presented unprecedented verification challenges due to the size and complexity of the ICs being developed. The verification engineers responsible for validating functional correctness of the design relied on the Verdi tool to automate important error-finding tasks and efficiently compare design revisions.

“The Verdi tool probably cut our debug time in half on the complex portions of our most recent designs. Its automated features to trace through and compare designs were invaluable, in one case eliminating an entire ECO loop for us,” said Nguyen Le, a senior verification engineer in the XBOX Group at Microsoft. “The process of tracking down problems such as event ordering issues used to be open-ended, but with Verdi we are able to quickly pinpoint errors and correct them.”

The Microsoft Xbox team especially benefited from the Verdi system’s automated design tracing and compare features. The SpringSoft tool provides automatic tracing of signal activity to quickly trace activity across many clock cycles with powerful behavior analysis technology. The Verdi system allowed the team to trace designs hierarchically through the RTL description. Even when working with unfamiliar design elements developed by other parts of the team, the verification engineers could quickly comprehend complex relationships and interactions within the design code and find sources of errors.

“The designs Microsoft is working on for its Xbox product line are some of the most demanding and complex in the IC design industry, so we are pleased to see the results they have achieved using our automated debug solutions. The multitude of challenges in locating, isolating and correcting design errors are precisely the issues Verdi was developed to address. The time savings Microsoft is realizing as a result are incredibly valuable in the fast-paced consumer markets they serve,” said Thomas Li, director of product marketing for Verdi at SpringSoft.

About SpringSoft

SpringSoft, Inc. is a global supplier of specialized automation technologies that accelerate engineers during the design, verification and debug of complex digital, analog and mixed-signal ICs, ASICs, microprocessors, and SoCs. Its award-winning product portfolio features the Novas Verification Enhancement and Laker™ Custom IC Design solutions used by more than 400 of today's leading IDM and fabless semiconductor companies, foundries, and electronic systems OEMs. Headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, SpringSoft is the largest company in Asia specializing in IC design software and a recognized industry leader in customer service with more than 400 employees located in multiple R&D sites and local support offices around the world. For more information, visit www.springsoft.com