Cadence Encounter Platform Deployed By STMicroelectronics' Audio Division to Meet XM Radio Tape-out Demands.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003

Design Partner Accent Successfully Incorporates Last-Minute

Changes into 130-Nanometer Layout Implementation

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NYSE:CDN) today announced that STMicroelectronics' Audio Division has successfully used Cadence(R) Encounter(TM) digital IC design platform technologies to design its extremely complex 130nm XM Radio digital baseband circuit. STMicroelectronics' design partner Accent deployed SoC Encounter(TM) to meet the original tape-out schedule for the XM Radio digital baseband circuit, while successfully incorporating design changes.

"The move to smaller nanometer geometries increases the complexity of chip development and requires advanced process technologies," said Pietro Palella, general manager for STMicroelectronics' TPA Audio and Automotive Group. "Working with Accent and deploying Cadence SoC Encounter addressed our design needs comprehensively, which meant we could tape out our demanding new circuit on time, despite late changes."

The SoC Encounter RTL-to-GDSII system -- which encompasses the full design flow, from virtual prototype to full implementation -- is a core technology of the Cadence Encounter digital IC design platform and supports 50+ million gate hierarchical designs. By combining SoC Encounter with Accent's own silicon implementation expertise, Accent dramatically improved the predictability of the design effort, including the management of several engineering changes that occurred toward the end of the implementation cycle. SoC Encounter's silicon virtual prototype provided very fast feedback on chip performance and a fully functional, physically feasible layout. This enabled the joint ST and Accent design team to produce a signoff-quality floorplan and preliminary placement optimized for rapid, reliable design closure, and, in turn, enabled the team to meet its aggressive design schedule.

"In the fast-moving and highly competitive multimedia market, meeting tight development schedules is crucial," said Guillaume d'Eyssautier, vice president and general manager for Cadence Europe. "The combined strengths of SoC Encounter in RTL-to-GDSII and Accent's design expertise has delivered the XM Radio chip on time and to specification, ultimately enabling ST to meet not just its aggressive design schedules but its business goals as well."

"As a center of excellence for silicon implementation, we aim to work with the most advanced tools to speed design flows," said Massimo Vanzi, GM for Accent. "By providing realistic views of the chip faster than other tools can, SoC Encounter enabled us to predict and control the time it took to develop this circuit. In future designs, we will reuse this flow and the experience we have gained to cut time to tape-out and incorporate inevitable late design changes. And we can accomplish all of that with a relatively small engineering team."

About Cadence

Cadence is the world's leader in electronic design technologies, methodology services, and design services. Cadence solutions are used to accelerate and manage the design of semiconductors, computer systems, networking and telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and a variety of other electronics-based products. With approximately 5,000 employees and 2002 revenues of approximately $1.3 billion, Cadence has sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CDN. More information about the company, its products and services is available at www.cadence.com.

Cadence and the Cadence logo are registered trademarks and Encounter and SoC Encounter are trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.