AMD Continues Using Ultima's Delay Analysis Tools For K6 Microprocessor Design; Ultima Plays Critical Role in Achieving High Performance.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1999--Ultima Interconnect Technology, Inc., an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) technology and tool developer, today announced that Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE: AMD) (Sunnyvale, CA) continues to use Ultima's delay analysis tools for its K6(R) family microprocessor chip designs.

AMD has used Ultima's delay analysis tools to generate delay data for full-chip, post-layout timing verification, resulting in the successful design of a series of AMD-K6(R) and AMD-K6-2 microprocessors.

According to Anil Pandya, CAD Manager of AMD's Microprocessor Division (Sunnyvale, CA), "Ultima's delay analysis continues to play an instrumental role in our timing verification methodology. We have been successfully using Ultima's delay analysis tools since the first K6 chip design. After extensive benchmark testing and comparison with Spice simulation, we have been able to use the data produced by Ultima as the golden delay data for full-chip, post-layout verification. Ultima continues to provide us with good feature enhancements and responsive support, adding substantial value to our timing verification methodology."

"AMD has made great strides in the PC business with its K6 family microprocessors," said Wayne Dai, Ultima's Founder and Board Chairman. "During the early stages of K6 development, the K6 design team presented us with the challenges of their deep submicron, high performance microprocessor designs, and in particular the issue of interconnect effects. The K6 project has been the driving force behind the development of our delay analysis product."

Dai added, "We are pleased that AMD has adopted Ultima's delay analysis solution as an integral part of the K6 design methodology. AMD's K6-based systems have taken the lead in the consumer PC market. We are proud to be able to help AMD achieve its success."

About Ultima Millennium(TM) and Delay Analysis:

Contrary to the common belief that interconnect delay dominates gate delay in deep submicron (.35 micron and below) design, it is not the interconnect delay itself that is significant, but rather the intricate interplays between interconnect network and cell's driving capability that are changing the way of delay and timing analysis. Ultima's Millennium delay analysis tool is designed specifically with this paradigm shift in mind. With its hierarchical delay analysis and critical path Spice deck generation features, Ultima Millennium is a critical link in timing verification and timing-driven design flows for 0.25 micron and below process technologies. Since its release in 1996, it has won every benchmark on accuracy and performance against other delay and timing analysis tools in the market. Ultima Millennium uses standard formats such as DSPF, SDF to interface with other EDA tools-Silicon Ensemble from Cadence Design Systems (NYSE: CDN) and Design Compiler and PrimeTime from Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS). Ultima Millennium is also one of the first EDA products to access the Liberty format through Synopsys's TAP-in program.

About Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and the K6(R) Microprocessor: www.amd.com AMD supplies integrated circuits for the global personal and networked computer and communications markets. Founded in 1969, AMD reported revenues of $2.4 billion in 1997 and employs approximately 13,000 people worldwide. AMD produces processors for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) compatible PCs, flash memory devices, and communications and networking products.

The AMD-K6 processor, designed for high performance running both 16-bit and 32-bit software, delivers performance competitive with the Pentium(R) II and superior to both Pentium with MMX(TM) and Celeron, for Windows 95 and Windows operating systems and applications. In addition, the processor contains an industry standard, high performance implementation of MMX instruction set enabling a new level of multimedia performance. AMD designed the AMD-K6 processor to fit the low-cost, high-volume Socket 7 infrastructure. The AMD-K6 processor family includes the AMD-K6/300, AMD-K6/266, AMD-K6/233, and the AMD-K6/200.

A significant step beyond the popular AMD-K6 processor, the AMD-K6-2 is the first to offer AMD's innovative 3DNow!(TM) technology to deliver better overall performance than Pentium(R) II and a superior 3D experience for Windows computing at an affordable price. The AMD-K6-2 processor features superscaler MMX technology for leading-edge two dimensional multimedia performance and enables support for a 100MHz system bus to speed access to L2 cache and main memory by up to 50 percent leading to a significant increase in PC system performance. Currently, the AMD-K6-2 processor is available in clock speeds of 300MHz, 333MHz, 350MHz, 366MHz, 380MHz and 400MHz.

About Ultima:

Ultima Interconnect Technology is a technology leader in interconnect analysis. The company's tools and technologies address the impending crisis in deep sub-micron design by providing integrated design and layout analysis. In November 1996, Ultima was awarded a contract to develop 3D net extraction as part of Sematech's Chip Hierarchical Design System (CHDS).

The Company's products are Ultima Nautilus(TM), a 3D Full Chip RC Extraction Tool; Ultima PRedator(TM), a Parasitic RC Reduction Tool; and Ultima Millennium, a DSM Delay Calculator.

Ultima is a member of Mentor Graphics' (NASDAQ: MENT) OpenDoor program, Synopsys' (NASDAQ: SNPS) In-Sync and Tap-in programs, Cadence Design Systems (NYSE: CDN) Connections third-party software program, and Ultima participates in the EDA Consortium's Spine99 interoperability effort with Synopsys and Cadence (www.spine99.com).

Ultima Interconnect Technology, Inc., 1139 Karlstad Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA 1-408-734-0600, Fax: [phone], [e-mail], www.ultimatech.com

Contacts for Reader Inquiries: Ultima Interconnect Technology, Inc., 1139 Karlstad Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA 1-408-734-0600, Fax: [phone], [e-mail], www.ultimatech.com Attn:Kathy Palus

Note to Editors: Ultima Millennium, Ultima Nautilus, and Ultima PRedator are trademarks of Ultima Interconnect Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.