CoWare Announces Open Release of SystemC Modeling Library (SCML) Source Code; Commitment Protects User Investment in CoWare's Standards-Based TLM Reuse Methodology and Openly Extends the Benefits of SCML across IEEE 1666 SystemC Compatible Tools.

SAN FRANCISCO -- CoWare(R) Inc., the leading supplier of platform-driven electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services, marked a major milestone in the development of its platform-driven ESL design strategy with the release of SystemC Modeling Library (SCML) source code and reuse methodology guidelines. Designed to protect user investment in CoWare's methodology for the creation of highly-reusable SystemC TLM peripherals, the new kit openly extends the benefits of SCML's standards-based approach to all IEEE 1666 SystemC-compatible tool environments. The kit is now available for download at http://www.coware.com.

"CoWare is firmly committed to the development of industry standards for SystemC TLM and this announcement reflects that goal," said AK Kalekos, vice president marketing and business development, CoWare. "Since its introduction earlier this year, our customers and partners quickly recognized the value that SCML offers as an open reuse methodology - a significant benefit on its own - independent of the advantages it provides when used together with CoWare ESL solutions. We are very pleased to make this kit available to enable the reuse benefits of SCML beyond our environment and help drive model interoperability for the industry."

"Semiconductor companies must change their product development strategies to successfully shift focus from individual products to product platforms," said Nobu Matsumoto, chief specialist, Digital Media SoC Dept. Center for Semiconductor Research & Development, Toshiba Corporation Semiconductor Company. "For the multi-core MeP digital media platforms at Toshiba, transaction-level model interoperability and design reuse based on standards is a cornerstone of this strategy. SCML methods, combined with fast MeP processor models, enable our system architects to successfully deliver platform models earlier, and at the right level of abstraction, to both software and hardware teams."

"Thales uses CoWare's SystemC solution to develop transaction-level platform models for our digital radio SoCs," said Bernard Candaele, department head for SoC, IC, and EDA, Thales, Colombes Paris. "CoWare's standards-based approach with SCML enabled us to quickly create the peripheral models we needed to begin early driver development, while protecting this investment for efficient reuse throughout the design process."

Methodology Innovation Built on Standards

Introduced in January of this year as a key element of CoWare's modeling solution for platform-driven ESL design, SCML APIs and methodology guidelines provide infrastructure for the creation of user-defined, highly-reusable TLM peripheral models in SystemC. SCML helps separate TLM communication, storage, timing, and behavior within the peripheral model, making code more modular and more efficient to develop and test. Models can be defined simply and annotated for timing when needed. Unlike proprietary modeling approaches, SCML is based on current IEEE SystemC, Open SystemC Initiative (OSCI) TLM, and Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP) TLM standards. With the open availability of the new source code kit, CoWare will offer SCML APIs as a candidate for further industry standardization.

"Effective modeling at the transaction level requires industry standards for SystemC that ensure both the reuse and portability of user-defined models," said Mike Meredith, president of OSCI. "The development process for these standards benefits from many kinds of input including existing open-source resources like CoWare's SCML, ST's TAC channel, the Mentor AVM Cookbook, and GreenSocs' Greenbus. These show what can be done using the current OSCI TLM foundation and help move the standardization effort forward."

"CoWare's leadership is instrumental in keeping our original SystemC models for the OCP-IP socket interface aligned with standardization efforts at OSCI and IEEE," said Ian Mackintosh, president, OCP-IP. "SCML is an important addition to this work, which can only enhance the benefits of this collaboration for OCP-IP members modeling their SoC designs at the system level."

"We are now developing the modeling guideline as well as the efficient design methodology which will enable Japanese semiconductor companies to reuse SoC platform models at the system level," said Haruhisa Kashiwagi, senior manager, System Level Design Group, Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC). "We are very excited to see the continuous evolution of standards around transaction-level modeling and appreciate CoWare's open approach."

Kit Contents and Availability

CoWare's SCML Source Code Library Kit v1.0 includes SCML API library source code, SCML source code modeling examples, build scripts for the OSCI open-source proof-of-concept SystemC library and CoWare Model Designer using gcc 3.2.3, the SCML API Reference Manual, and the SCML Modeling TLM Peripherals User Guide. The kit is available at no charge for download at www.CoWare.com.

About CoWare

CoWare is the leading supplier of platform-driven electronic system-level (ESL) design software and services. CoWare offers a comprehensive set of ESL tools that enable electronics companies to "differentiate by design" through the creation of system IP including embedded processors, on-chip buses, and DSP algorithms; the architecture of optimized SoC platforms; hardware/software co-design; and virtual platforms for device software development. The company's solutions are based on open industry standards including SystemC. CoWare's customers are major systems, semiconductor, and IP companies in the market where consumer electronics, computing, and communications converge. CoWare's corporate investors include ARM ((LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq: ARMHY)), Cadence Design Systems (NYSE:CDN), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), and Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE). CoWare is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has offices around the world. For more information about CoWare and its products and services, visit http://www.coware.com.

CoWare is a registered trademark of CoWare, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Quotes from CoWare customers and industry partners
                     endorsing this announcement:

CEVA:       "ESL has emerged as the right methodology to increase
            efficiency and manage complexity early in the design
            cycle," said Moshe Sheier, director of DSP product
            marketing at CEVA. "With their SystemC Modeling Library,
            CoWare further enhances the potential of ESL design and
            reuse, providing designers with more time to explore the
            right options for their SoC platform."

DOULOS:     "Doulos welcomes the public release by CoWare of the SCML
            library in source code form," said John Aynsley, chief
            technology officer, Doulos. "SCML is good technical work
            that enables more efficient and reusable transaction-level
            modeling in SystemC, and opening the methodology is a
            positive step for the ongoing standardization of TLM
            within the SystemC community."

IBM:        "Our collaboration with CoWare provides our mutual
            customers with a tool environment to help develop software
            earlier in the design cycle," said Ted Johnson, product
            marketing manager for PowerPC, IBM Systems & Technology.
            "CoWare's SCML approach fits these needs very well, while
            providing a well-defined methodology to reuse the models
            for other design tasks later on in the design process."

MIPS:       "Electronic system-level design is critical to gaining
            full advantage of today's powerful processor capabilities
            in a product platform," stated Jack Browne, vice president
            of marketing, MIPS Technologies, Inc. "CoWare provides our
            mutual customers with a tool environment to help make
            these architectural decisions earlier in the design cycle.
            Opening the SCML methodology is a strong statement that
            will make this solution even more attractive to
            designers."

OCP-IP:     "CoWare's leadership is instrumental in keeping our
            original SystemC models for the OCP-IP socket interface
            aligned with standardization efforts at OSCI and IEEE,"
            said Ian Mackintosh, president, OCP-IP. "SCML is an
            important addition to this work, which can only enhance
            the benefits of this collaboration for OCP-IP members
            modeling their SoC designs at the system level."

SYSTEMC:    "Effective modeling at the transaction level requires
            industry standards for SystemC that ensure both the reuse
            and portability of user-defined models," said Mike
            Meredith, president of OSCI. "The development process for
            these standards benefits from many kinds of input
            including existing open-source resources like CoWare's
            SCML, ST's TAC channel, the Mentor AVM Cookbook, and
            GreenSocs' Greenbus. These show what can be done using the
            current OSCI TLM foundation and help move the
            standardization effort forward."

SONICS INC: "CoWare's decision to open the SCML methodology represents
            a very significant step towards the emergence of industry
            standard TLM practices," said Phil Casini vice president
            marketing and business development, Sonics Inc. "Having
            such an open standard available enables Sonics to further
            its continued commitment of providing state-of-the-art
            SystemC models of our SMART Interconnect(TM) solutions."

STARC:      "We are now developing the modeling guideline as well as
            the efficient design methodology which will enable
            Japanese semiconductor companies to reuse SoC platform
            models at the system level," said Haruhisa Kashiwagi,
            senior manager, System Level Design Group, Semiconductor
            Technology Academic Research Center (STARC). "We are very
            excited to see the continuous evolution of standards
            around transaction-level modeling and appreciate CoWare's
            open approach."

THALES:     "Thales uses CoWare's SystemC solution to develop
            transaction-level platform models for our digital radio
            SoCs," said Bernard Candaele, department head for SoC, IC,
            and EDA, Thales, Colombes Paris. "CoWare's standards-based
            approach with SCML enabled us to quickly create the
            peripheral models we needed to begin early driver
            development, while protecting this investment for
            efficient reuse throughout the design process."

TOSHIBA:    "Semiconductor companies must change their product
            development strategies to successfully shift focus from
            individual products to product platforms," said Nobu
            Matsumoto, chief specialist, Digital Media SoC Dept.
            Center for Semiconductor Research & Development, Toshiba
            Corporation Semiconductor Company. "For the multi-core MeP
            digital media platforms at Toshiba, transaction-level
            model interoperability and design reuse based on standards
            is a cornerstone of this strategy. SCML methods, combined
            with fast MeP processor models, enable our system
            architects to successfully deliver platform models
            earlier, and at the right level of abstraction, to both
            software and hardware teams."