Mentor Graphics HyperLynx Enables Easy Implementation of Multi-Gigabit, SERDES Interconnect Technology.

WILSONVILLE, Ore. -- Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT), the market and technology leader in printed circuit board (PCB) design solutions, today announced the immediate availability of HyperLynx 7.5, the latest version of its powerful and easy-to-implement tool suite for pre- and post-layout signal integrity (SI) simulation and analysis. HyperLynx 7.5 includes significant productivity and technology enhancements targeted at emerging SERDES interconnect standards such as PCI-Express, Hyper Transport, XAUI and SATA/SAS.

Dr. Howard Johnson, author of High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic, states, "The new free-form schematic editor and advanced high-speed analysis features in HyperLynx 7.5 elevate this tool to stratospheric levels of utility and ease of use. To all digital designers: Buy it, learn it, and use it."

The new productivity enhancements include the intuitive "free-form" transmission-line schematic editor for pre-layout what-if exploration and design constraint development, enabling painless instantiation of SPICE and S-parameter models. All sources of signal loss are accounted for, including package parasitics, connector and via loss, as well as resistive and dielectric loss on the printed circuit board. HyperLynx 7.5 manages these SI effects in the easy-to-use environment that has made HyperLynx the most widely used SI software in the world. Version 7.5 also includes Mentor Graphics proprietary "Via Visualizer" technology to assist with detailed analysis of vias on a PCB. Other technology enhancements encompass major enhancements in batch simulation, user interface improvements, additional SERDES eye masks, SPICE modeling enhancements, and over 13,000 additional IBIS models. Compatible with all major PCB layout environments, these enhancements enable hardware engineers to effectively analyze multi-gigabit serial PCB interconnects.

SERDES (SERialization/DE-Serialization)

SERDES is the rapidly emerging technology for connecting ICs and FPGAs employing multi-gigabit per second (Gbps) serial drivers and receivers. SERDES signaling enables components to communicate at up to 10 Gbps per second through differential pairs rather than conventional wide bus structures. In addition to significantly improved throughput, SERDES implementations notably reduce PCB routing space, board thickness, and component and connector pin-counts.

"The design and analysis of SERDES interconnect on PCBs is an entirely new concept to a host of engineers and layout designers," stated Henry Potts, vice president and general manager of Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. "This release of HyperLynx makes the process more intuitive, while providing a complete set of pre- and post-layout analysis functionality. Now, more of our users can capitalize on this interconnect technology and produce higher performance systems."

What the Leading FPGA Vendors are Saying

"Applications such as video and image processing are leveraging high-speed serial interconnect technologies, such as PCI-Express," said James Smith, Altera's director of EDA vendor relations. "The increased capability of HyperLynx 7.5 combined with Altera's Stratix GX design kit gives customers the confidence that their high-speed SERDES links will work in the system."

"Xilinx is committed to delivering leading-edge connectivity solutions to our customers. Customers can more easily adopt our industry-leading 10Gbps RocketIO(TM) technology by using this new capability of HyperLynx 7.5," stated Jasbinder Bhoot, senior manager of Strategic Relationships at Xilinx. "Close development collaboration with Mentor Graphics helps our joint customers realize the benefits of this technology."

Design Kits

To further enhance the availability of this and other emerging interconnect standards, Mentor Graphics continues to work with leading IC and FPGA suppliers to provide a growing volume of technology (e.g., USB, PCI-X, DDR) and device family (e.g., Xilinx RocketIO, Altera Stratix GX) specific design kits. These kits contain the models, reference designs and assistance with design tradeoffs, providing engineers with a huge jump start on challenging new technologies.

Support for all Major PCB Layout Tools

HyperLynx is compatible with each of Mentor's PCB design flows, including the Board Station(R) Series, Expedition(TM) Series and PADS PCB design environments, along with PCB layout systems from Cadence, Altium and Zuken.

Pricing and Availability

HyperLynx 7.5 is available immediately with entry pricing starting at $4,133 and fully functioned at $39,200 (node locked; floating licenses are also available). More information, as well as a free high-speed design tutorial and software demonstration is available at www.mentor.com/products/pcb/analysis_verification/hyperlynx/ or by calling 800-547-3000.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $700 million and employs approximately 3,900 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

Mentor Graphics and HyperLynx are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.