Blue Wave's ComStruct CPCI Platform Doubles Channel Density Per Slot for Voice/Data Processing Applications.

Business/Technology Editors

CARROLLTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2000

--DSP platform offers cost-effective, scalable solution;

FACT(TM) provides seamless integration for current ComStruct users--

Blue Wave Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:BWSI), a leading supplier of high-density digital signal processing (DSP) subsystems for telecommunication infrastructure equipment, has added the new CPCI/C6402-3 to its line of ComStruct(TM) DSP resource boards.

The new high-performance CompactPCI board provides a cost-effective, flexible and scalable, single-slot DSP platform for the development of a wide range of wireline and wireless voice and data applications, including 2.5G and 3G transcoding, GPRS encryption, packet applications, voice recording and archival systems, and communications test equipment.

The new CPCI/C6402-3 increases system performance and channel density per slot. Employing eight Texas Instruments TMS320C6203 processors, the board's processing power is equivalent to that of three ComStruct CPCI/C6400 boards, each of which contains four TI C6201 DSPs. While the CPCI/C6400 board allows 60 channels of GSM EFR transcoding per slot, the more powerful CPCI/C6402-3 board can transcode nearly 200 channels per slot.

The CPCI/C6402-3 is fully compatible with existing ComStruct hardware platforms, namely the CPCI/C6400 and CPCI/C6402. Existing designs utilizing these boards will be fully portable to the new higher-performance CPCI/C6402-3. Customers already using the ComStruct FACT(TM) software framework will have the added benefit that their applications will scale seamlessly to the new resource board. Designers using FACT can benefit from its open architecture to rapidly and effectively deploy the DSP subsystem in carrier class applications.

Operating at 300MHz, the eight C6203 DSPs on-board the CPCI/C6402-3 provide a combined performance of 19,200 MIPS. "This performance increase coupled with an increase in internal memory from 3Mbits to 7Mbits means that many applications can run more channels per DSP," explained Karl Wale, telecommunications product manager at Blue Wave Systems. "Infrastructure developers need powerful, flexible and scalable deployment solutions. The CPCI/C6402-3 board combined with the ease of integration and maintenance provided by the FACT framework delivers such a solution."

On the CPCI/C6402-3 board, each C6203 DSP has 16Mbytes SDRAM available. Two control processors running at 80MHz, each equipped with 32Mbytes SDRAM and 4Mbytes flash memory, perform board management and control tasks. The CPCI/C6402-3 features an H.110 interface and a single width, IEEE1386.1 compliant PMC site that allows addition of I/O, such as T1/E1 line interface cards.

The ComStruct CPCI/C6402-3 DSP board will be available in volume calendar Q3 2000.

Blue Wave Systems is a leading supplier of high-channel Digital Signal Processing (DSP) subsystems used in telecommunication infrastructure equipment, such as voice over packet (VoIP) gateways, digital wireless communications and intelligent peripherals. The ComStruct(TM) line of telecom infrastructure communication processing subsystems was launched in January 1999. At the heart of the ComStruct(TM) line is the company's FACT(TM) software (Framework Architecture for Communication Technologies), which enables the DSP subsystem to be rapidly and effectively deployed in a variety of carrier class telecom applications. Blue Wave Systems has been a market leader in DSP board-level products since 1983. For additional information, please visit our company's web site at www.bluews.com.

ComStruct and FACT are trademarks of Blue Wave Systems Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on expectations of the Company but involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, technological change, quarterly fluctuations, integration of Mizar and Loughborough Sound Images, dependence on the defense industry, dependence on key suppliers and employees, competition, and Year 2000 compliance. The foregoing list should not be construed as exhaustive and the Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise forward-looking statements to reflect unanticipated events. For a further explanation of risk factors please see the Company's most recent SEC filings. The Company further cautions users who may utilize published bookings and backlog information as tools to forecast the company's revenue during a given timeframe since certain purchase orders may be subject to 1) cancellation and, 2) revision to delivery schedules.