TriCN I/O interface technology deployed in successful sampling of internet machines' iMpower communications chipset

I/O Interfaces Play Key Role in Chipset Targeted for use in  OC-192c Optical, MAN, and Internet Infrastructure Equipment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 31, 2003 – TriCN, a leading developer of intellectual property (IP) for high-speed I/O interface technology, today announced Internet Machines has successfully sampled its iMpower™ communications chipset utilizing a broad range of licensed interface IP products from TriCN.   Internet Machines, an award-winning developer of network processor, traffic management, and switch fabric semiconductors, initially disclosed the successful sampling of its iMpower network processor suite on January 20, 2003.  The iMpower chipset, which is targeted for use in nx1GbE/ nx10GbE/ nxOC-12/ nxOC-48/ nxOC-192 networking equipment, , requires I/O interface technology that delivers extreme reliability and performs at the highest frequencies to ensure maximum bandwidth and throughput.  As a result, Internet Machines has been working with TriCN since early 2002, to license several TriCN interface IP products.

Internet Machines has implemented a broad range of TriCN's interfaces in all three members of its iMpower family of highly integrated, full-duplex 10 Gbps/OC-192c semiconductors, which include the NPE10 network processing engine, the TMC10 traffic management co-processor, and the SE200 switch element. Specific TriCN I/O interface licenses were obtained for SPI-4.2, DDR-SDRAM, QDR-SRAM, PCI-X and PLL.

Chris Haywood, Internet Machines' Vice President of Engineering, commented, "TriCN's interface technology is vital to the success of our iMpower chip-set.  What sets these I/O IP products apart is their high level of integration and performance.  This combination has provided the ideal foundation for the rapid development of our iMpower chipset, reducing time to market, real estate and power requirements, and development complexity ."

"The performance and reliability demands of Internet Machines' iMpower chipset provides the perfect platform for showcasing how our I/O interface technology can handle the most stringent system requirements," says Ron Nikel, Chief Technology Officer with TriCN.  "As a company focused exclusively on interface intellectual property, it's very gratifying that our technical collaboration with Internet Machines has been so instrumental in the iMpower chipset's rapid and successful power-up."

About Internet Machines
Internet Machines is an award-winning fabless semiconductor company offering the iMpower™ family of highly integrated communications ICs for OC-192c and 10 Gbps optical, metro area network and Internet infrastructure equipment. The protocol independent iMpower family consists of the NPE10 network processing engine, the TMC10 traffic management co-processor, the SE200 switch element, and the Development Workbench software development kit. This powerful lineup of wire-speed, fully programmable semiconductors and easy-to-use software simplifies development and greatly shortens the system vendor's time to market. The ICs work together or individually to deliver a highly flexible, interoperable, and field upgradeable solution. The company is headquartered in Agoura Hills, California, with design centers located in San Diego and Irvine, and sales and support offices in San Jose, California, and Boston, Massachusetts, and was named a 2001 Fabless Start-Up of the Year by the Fabless Semiconductor Association. More information on Internet Machines can be found at www.internetmachines.com.

About TriCN
Founded in 1997, San Francisco, California-based TriCN is a leading developer of high- performance semiconductor interface intellectual property (IP).   The company provides a complete portfolio of IP for maximizing data throughput on and off the chip.  This IP is designed for IC developers addressing bandwidth-intensive applications, in the communications, networking, data storage, and memory space.  TriCN's customers range from startup to established fabless semiconductor and systems companies, including Philips, MIPS Technologies, SGI, IBM, Cognigine, Internet Machines, and Apple Computer.  

For more information, please visit TriCN's web site at www.tricn.com.         

TriCN: The Single Source for Interface IP™