NPTest SABER Selected By Fulcrum Microsystems for Comprehensive Test Development Solution.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2004 NPTest Expertise, Resources for High-Performance Source Synchronous Test Are Key to Success NPTest Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:NPTT NPTT National Police Transition Team (US Army, Iraq) NPTT National Police Training Team NPTT No Power Thermal Target ), a leading provider of test and diagnostic systems and product engineering services to the semiconductor industry, announced today that Fulcrum fulcrum: see lever. Microsystems has selected NPTest SABER to provide the complete Test Development Solution for its first product, PivotPoint, which is targeting high-performance applications in the networking and storage markets. NPTest SABER services are being used to develop test programs, collect characterization data and implement final test programs, accelerating product development and reducing time-to-market. Fulcrum chose NPTest for the comprehensiveness of its back-end services from first silicon validation to production and for the SABER engineering expertise in high performance ICs, especially in high-speed source synchronous interfaces. Fulcrum, a fabless semiconductor company A fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips. It achieves an advantage by outsourcing the fabrication of the devices to a specialized semiconductor manufacturer called a semiconductor foundry or "fab. headquartered in Calabasas Hills, CA, is focused on developing low-latency switch chips based on its high-speed clockless circuit technology. Fulcrum has patented a completely unique clockless methodology that provides significant and sustainable performance and power advantages over conventional synchronous VLSI VLSI: see integrated circuit. (1) (Very Large Scale Integration) Between 100,000 and one million transistors on a chip. See SSI, MSI, LSI and ULSI. (2) (VLSI Technology, Inc., Tempe, AZ, www.semiconductors. design techniques. The PivotPoint design, the first SPI (1) (Stateful Packet Inspection) See stateful inspection. (2) (Service Provider Interface) The programming interface for developing Windows drivers under WOSA. 4.2 switch chip, delivers highly integrated gigahertz silicon that consumes less than fifty percent (50%) of the power of comparable ASICs and FPGAs. The successful testing of PivotPoint on the NPTest platform demonstrates the commercial testability of a chip with 80% asynchronous circuits, an important milestone in the commercialization of clockless technology. PivotPoint contains nearly 100 pairs of LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) A transmission method for sending digital information. LVDS sends data over data high and data low lines rather than data and ground. interfaces, each capable of operating up to 500Mhz, combined with more than 30-million transistors in asynchronous logic (architecture) asynchronous logic - A data-driven circuit design technique where, instead of the components sharing a common clock and exchanging data on clock edges, data is passed on as soon as it is available. blocks. Even with this unique level of complexity, the percentage of fault test coverage on the device exceeds industry standard. "NPTest SABER offers proven back-end services," stated Mike Moacanin, director of product and test, Fulcrum Microsystems. "We are focused on designing and getting to market a new breed of high-speed switch ICs. We wanted experts to handle the critical test development, validation, characterization and pre-production steps for the first Fulcrum chip. NPTest offers the professional project management skills, technical expertise and the diagnostic and test resources we need." "We are delighted that Fulcrum chose NPTest SABER to be a strategic outsourcing partner in bringing up their first device," stated Tom Ho, vice president and general manager, SABER, NPTest. "SABER offers a distinctive combination of know-how, advanced technologies, support in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and Asia, and strong foundry and subcontractor alliances to reduce engineering time and accelerate their time to market." NPTest SABER chose the NPTest EXA3000 for the PivotPoint development efforts. The EXA3000's rich feature set includes extensive capabilities for Fulcrum's test needs, including source synchronous differential pins needed for testing SPI4.2 interfaces, and proven high-speed test capabilities up to 3.2Gbps. NPTest SABER provides product engineering services focused on the needs of fabless companies that are bringing new devices to market. These services apply test and diagnostic resources across the silicon cycle from design to volume production and include: -- Test and debug To correct a problem in hardware or software. Debugging software means locating the errors in the source code (the program logic). Debugging hardware means finding errors in the circuit design (logical circuits) or in the physical interconnections of the circuits. strategy consulting -- IC validation and characterization -- Silicon debug and repair -- Deployment to high volume manufacturing -- Remote collaboration This full suite of services -- in combination with worldwide NPTest SABER Technology Centers -- enables fabless customers to reduce engineering cycle time and move devices quickly to high volume manufacturing. NPTest is the first member of the TSMC TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation TSMC Traffic Systems Management Center TSMC Toll Station Management Controller TSMC Transportation Supply Maintenance Command TSMC Technical Services Manager Code IC Validation Alliance. About Fulcrum Microsystems Fulcrum Microsystems Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company. Building on research from California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology, at Pasadena, Calif.; originally for men, became coeducational in 1970; founded 1891 as Throop Polytechnic Institute; called Throop College of Technology, 1913–20. , Fulcrum is developing a series of standards-based chips leveraging its patented high-performance, low-power "asynchronous Refers to events that are not synchronized, or coordinated, in time. The following are considered asynchronous operations. The interval between transmitting A and B is not the same as between B and C. The ability to initiate a transmission at either end. " semiconductor design methodology. More information can be found at www.fulcrummicro.com. About NPTest NPTest designs, develops and manufactures advanced semiconductor test and diagnostic systems and provides related services for the semiconductor industry. NPTest customers include integrated device manufacturers, foundries, fabless companies and assembly and test subcontractors worldwide. NPTest products and services enable companies to bring their increasingly complex integrated circuits, or ICs, to market faster at lower cost and without compromising IC quality. The NPTest business traces its history back to 1965 when Fairchild Semiconductor established an automated test equipment division. NPTest is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., USA. Additional information is available at www.nptest.com. NPTest and SABER are registered trademarks of NPTest. Fulcrum Microsystems and PivotPoint are registered trademarks of Fulcrum Microsystems. |
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