Atmel Extends IP Core Offering by Licensing DSP Group's PalmDSPCore.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE & SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2000

Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq:ATML) and DSP Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSPG), today announced that Atmel has licensed the PalmDSPCore(R) from DSP Group for use in the design of leading-edge DSP Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) for next-generation mobile communications applications. This new license broadens Atmel's rich library of embedded DSP cores, which already includes OakDSPCore(R) and Teak(R) DSP Core.

The ultra high-speed PalmDSPCore is designed for applications that require extremely high data throughput. These include complex high-end telecommunications, wireless communications, multimedia, hi-fi audio implementations and consumer electronics.

The PalmDSPCore, a dual-MAC parallel architecture, includes seven arithmetic units working in parallel. It is able to execute up to 18 operations per clock cycle, giving a potential peak performance of 3800 MOPS (3.8 GOPS) at 210 MHz on 0.18u CMOS technology. PalmDSPCore has three categories of instruction sets: single, parallel and multi-parallel. It executes an FFT butterfly in only 2 cycles and a Viterbi-decode in only 2 cycles per two Add-Compare-Selects (ACSs). It supports both SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) and MIMD (Multiple Instruction Multiple Data) style instructions, with variable instruction widths (16/32 bit) in a single cycle. This unique combination of instruction sets is aimed to maximize performance with maximum code efficiency. PalmDSPCore is designed as a soft core that enables easy porting onto different processes and different libraries. PalmDSPCore is backward compatible with previous generations of DSP Group's SmartCores(TM) family, including the TeakDSPCore(R) and the OakDSPCore. The existing legacy codes from previous generations enable easy migration to a compatible DSP. The algorithms are enhanced and run faster, thanks to many new features and the parallel architecture of PalmDSPCore.

Alfredo Vadillo, Atmel's director of Application-Specific and Custom Products, commented, "The PalmDSPCore is our gateway to third-generation mobile communications, which will be the motor of our product development and corporate growth over the next few years. With the experience we have gained in integrating the OakDSPCore and the Teak from DSP Group, we are in a unique position to embed the PalmDSPCore rapidly into our new system-on-chip designs. It perfectly complements other advanced IP blocks that we have recently acquired, notably the ARM920T and ARM946E-S."

"We are glad to co-operate with Atmel who has proven its continued trust in DSP Group's SmartCores for the third time, by selecting our PalmDSPCore," commented Bat-Sheva Ovadia, DSP Group's vice president of Marketing and Business Development of the Technology Licensing Division. "This agreement will once more place the PalmDSPCore at the forefront of products for third-generation mobile communications."

Atmel's fast-growing portfolio of both hard and soft IP includes: the ARM946E-S(TM), ARM920T(TM), ARM7TDMI(TM), 8051 and AVR(R) microcontrollers, the Teak(R) DSP Core, OakDSPCore(R) and Lode(TM) DSP Cores, as well as connectivity IP like USB, PCI (33 MHz and 66 Mhz) and 1394 (Firewire(TM)). IP for baseband processing of Bluetooth(TM) and Voice Over IP (VoIP) are also available.

About Atmel

Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, with manufacturing facilities in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Irving, Texas; Grenoble, Nantes and Rousset France; Newcastle, UK; and Heilbronn, Germany. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets on a worldwide basis advanced logic, mixed-signal, non-volatile memory, and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system level integration semiconductor solutions using advanced CMOS, BiCMOS, Bipolar and SiGe process technologies.

Atmel product and financial information are available from its Fax-on-Demand service. In North America call 800/292-8635 or Internationally, call 408/441-0732. Requests may be made via e-mail to [e-mail] or by visiting Atmel's web site at www.atmel.com.

About DSP Group, Inc.

DSP Group, Inc. is a global leader in the development and marketing of high-performance, cost-effective, licensable digital signal processing cores. The company's family of DSP cores provides ideal solutions for low-power, cost-driven applications, such as cellular, broadband communication, VoIP, multimedia, advanced telecommunication systems, disk drive controllers and many other types of embedded control applications. By combining its DSP core technologies with its proprietary, advanced speech-processing algorithms -- DSP Group also delivers a wide range of enabling, application specific ICs for full-featured integrated telephony products and applications, including digital spread spectrum wireless technologies. DSP Group, Inc. maintains an international presence with offices located around the globe. Additional information is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.dspg.com.

Note to Editors: PalmDSPCore(R), OakDSPCore(R), Teak(R) and SmartCores(TM) are registered trademarks and trademarks of DSP Group, Inc.

Atmel, the Atmel logo and combinations thereof and others contained herein, are trademarks of Atmel Corporation.

Other terms and product names in this document may be the trademarks of others.