AMCC Leverages Third-Generation Network Processing Experience to Advance Development of Network Search Engines.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

Networld+Interop 2001

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2001

AMCC Simplifies Customer Switch and Router Designs With Immediate

Product Offering and Search Coprocessor Initiative

The switching and network processing group of Applied Micro Circuits Corp. (AMCC) (NASDAQ:AMCC) today announced an initiative to simplify the design of high-speed, network processor-based routers, switches and other policy-enabled networking gear through the use of new advanced search coprocessors from both AMCC and its partners. AMCC introduced the nPC2110 External Search Machine (XSM) to serve as an enabler for the networking search coprocessor market, while also addressing the immediate needs of customers who benefit from a single search engine and database with new simplified management, sharable across multiple network processors.

To further accelerate the growth of the network processing industry, AMCC will continue to share its interfaces with its coprocessor partner companies. The goal of the initiative is to foster a portfolio of commercially available network search engine options for customers of AMCC's leading network processors, such as the recently announced nP7250 OC-48c network processor. The first of these compatible partner options was also announced today by AMCC partner, NetLogic Microsystems.

"Our introduction of the External Search Machine is intended to serve as an ignition point for other industry leaders in the coprocessor space. With this product, we're hitting the needs of our customers' current designs, while encouraging our coprocessor partners to drive product development innovations from here on out," said Keith Morris, director of product management at AMCC's switching and network processing business group. "Our commitment is to share our three generations of network processor development and customer experiences with industry partners and work together to ultimately provide robust, off-the-shelf and highly optimized solutions for network equipment vendors."

nPC2110 External Search Machine (XSM)

The XSM is a classification and search coprocessor built to work seamlessly with AMCC's market-leading family of network processors, including the nP3400 integrated network processor and switch fabric and the recently announced nP7250 OC-48c network processor. The device connects gluelessly to AMCC network processors via the External Search Coprocessor (XSC) interface and also offers a high-speed CPU interface for out-of-band management from a centralized control-plane processor. The XSM is essentially a higher density (1MB) compatible complement to the on-chip Policy Engine in each AMCC network processor.

Like the on-chip Policy Engine, the XSM supports wildcard searches, variable-length keys, and a single instruction search into multiple routing and policy databases, simultaneously returning results for searches on multiple header components. The XSM can be easily divided into multiple databases with varying key lengths, including support for very wide keys, up to 512 bits. While the on-chip Policy Engine is useful for optimizing classification software efficiency and handling various policy rules, the XSM can store larger Wide Area Network (WAN) routing tables.

The XSM simplifies customer switch and router designs by reducing board space, power, cost and, significantly, management software overhead. Based on multiple generations of customer feedback, AMCC took the initiative to develop a single search engine and database that can be shared across multiple network processors, a unique advantage over traditional designs which use separately dedicated memory or CAM for each network processor in a system.

From a software perspective, the XSM simplifies control-processor code traditionally used to manage the order of entries in router and other policy tables. The XSM implements an innovative "Weight Array" concept that eliminates the need for programmers to write additional code to manage the order of entries in the tables. Simplified software can now easily insert a new entry anywhere by assigning it a "weight" that ensures it will match the proper order.

Programming access to the XSM is kept simple via AMCC's nPkernel(TM), the network processor operating system component of AMCC's nPsoft(TM) Development Environment. Using the nPkernel, programmers implement searches identically, whether executed in the on-chip Policy Engine or externally via the XSC interface to AMCC's own XSM or one of our partners' forthcoming compatible coprocessor devices.

Pricing and Availability

The nPC2110 XSM is currently sampling, and is priced at $250 in volume quantities.

About AMCC

AMCC designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance, high-bandwidth silicon solutions for the world's optical networks. AMCC utilizes a combination of high-frequency analog, mixed-signal and digital design expertise coupled with system-level knowledge and multiple silicon process technologies to offer integrated circuit products that enable the transport of voice and data over fiber optic networks. The company's system solution portfolio includes PMD, PHY, framer/mapper, network processor, traffic management and switch fabric devices that address the high-performance needs of the evolving intelligent optical network. AMCC's corporate headquarters and wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Diego, California. Sales and engineering offices are located throughout the world.

Forward Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the products discussed in this press release are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the products would not be successfully or timely manufactured or achieve market acceptance, risks relating to general economic conditions, as well as the risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2000, and in other filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and AMCC does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

AMCC is a registered trademark of Applied Micro Circuits Corporation. nPsoft and nPkernel are trademarks of MMC Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMCC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.