Annapolis Micro Systems Joins Mercury Computer Systems' RACEway Ready Program; Virtex FPGA Boards Enhance Processing Flexibility for RACE Multicomputers.

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 1999--

Annapolis Micro Systems, Inc. and Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRCY) announced today that Annapolis Micro Systems has become a member of Mercury's RACEway Ready(tm) program. They join leading companies providing hardware, software, and consulting solutions that support the widely adopted RACEway Interlink standard for high-bandwidth data communication in real-time computer systems.

Annapolis Micro Systems supplies WILDSTAR(TM) adjunct processing boards that comply with the RACEway Interlink standard. WILDSTAR boards feature Xilinx Virtex(TM) field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) which can be configured to perform multiple dedicated functions at speeds that exceed general-purpose processors.

"Reconfigurable computing is an integral component of truly heterogeneous systems," said Robert Levine, manager of the RACEway Ready program. "As a partner in the RACEway Ready program, Annapolis Micro Systems will work with Mercury to enable systems designers to reduce their time to market with high-speed, high-density FPGA boards that perform specialized processing operations."

"RACEway is the embedded computing industry's most widely accepted switched-fabric interface for high-performance systems," said Jane Donaldson, president of Annapolis Micro Systems. "Adding RACEway support to WILDSTAR boards opens this dynamic, growing market for our high-performance reconfigurable logic devices."

FPGA-based reconfigurable logic devices add performance flexibility to RACEway-compatible computer systems. While digital signal processors and microprocessor chips can be programmed to perform any processing task, FPGAs perform particular dedicated operations at much higher rates. In a heterogeneous architecture, tasks are assigned to reconfigurable hardware or to programmable processors depending on the nature of the task and where performance is optimized. FPGAs can be reprogrammed in the field, or in some cases in real time, for entirely different tasks, enabling a reconfigurable board to perform multiple functions and permitting applications to dynamically change operating modes. Engineers can also utilize FPGAs to test and refine designs for application-specific integrated circuits before these chips enter production.

The RACEway Ready program is a cooperative effort sponsored by Mercury Computer Systems for the mutual adoption and promotion of products and services that comply with the RACEway Interlink standard (ANSI/VITA 5-1994). Companies that participate in the program design and manufacture products that can be used in a RACEway environment and are available as commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. Participants in the program can use the RACEway Ready logo on commercially available products and are featured on Mercury's RACEway Ready web site: www.mc.com/raceway.

About Annapolis Micro Systems, Inc.

Annapolis Micro Systems, Inc. is the leader in the fast moving field of FPGA based reconfigurable Computing Engines, also known as Adaptive Computing. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, Annapolis Micro Systems, Inc. licensed the technology for WILDFIRE(TM) from NSA and IDA, Supercomputing Research Center (now CCS) in 1994.

About Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

Mercury Computer Systems is the leading independent producer of high-performance digital signal and image processing computer systems that transform sensor data to visual information for analysis and interpretation on a real-time basis. Mercury's products play a critical role in a wide range of defense and medical imaging applications. In air-, sea-, and land-based military platforms, these systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signal intelligence data. Mercury's systems are also used in state-of-the-art medical diagnostic devices, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and the rapidly growing field of digital X-ray. Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mercury serves customers in North America, Europe and Asia through a network of subsidiaries and distributors.

Visit Mercury on the Web: www.mc.com

Visit Annapolis Micro Systems on the Web: www.annapmicro.com

RACE(R) is a registered trademark and RACEway Ready is a trademark of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. WILDSTAR and WILDFIRE are trademarks of Annapolis Micro Systems, Inc. Product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.