QThink Completes Seven Designs Using the Blast Fusion Physical Design System.

Business/Technology Editors

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2001

Magma Design Automation, Inc., a provider of silicon design implementation solutions, today announced that QThink, an IC design company based in San Diego, Calif., has used Blast Fusion(TM) to complete seven designs for six different customers. With Blast Fusion, QThink was able to achieve the performance goals of each design without iterating between synthesis and place and route, significantly reducing their turn around time. To complete the designs, QThink utilized libraries from leading suppliers including Artisan Components, Inc., (Nasdaq: ARTI), NurLogic Design, Inc., and Virtual Silicon Technology. The designs are being used in datacomm, wireless and multi-media applications.

QThink was one of the earliest adopters of the Blast Fusion system. "We have successfully taped out designs for 0.35-, 0.25- and 0.18-micron process technologies using Blast Fusion," said Charlie Kahle, QThink's engineering director. "With Blast Fusion's ability to accurately predict final timing prior to detailed layout and to deliver a layout that meets that timing, we didn't have to iterate between synthesis and place and route. We look forward to continuing to utilize Blast Fusion as our business addresses more and more high performance, complex designs."

"We are very pleased with the success QThink has had with Blast Fusion. As an independent design services provider, they must invest in the tools and methodologies that allow them to reliably deliver to their customers needs. The fact that they have successfully delivered several designs using Blast Fusion is a strong validation of our solution," said Bob Smith, vice president of marketing and business development for Magma Design Automation.

About QThink

QThink is an IC design company focused on delivering cutting edge design solutions to customers in high speed networking, wired and wireless communications, multimedia and high speed computing markets. QThink's San Diego based design center is home to engineers with extensive experience in IC design and flow automation. QThink has successfully completed multimillion gate designs and has worked with multiple foundries in deep sub-micron technologies. QThink is highly diversified in their knowledge and experience with leading EDA tools from companies such as Avant!, Cadence, Magma, Mentor, and Synopsys. Visit QThink on the web at www.qthink.com.

About Magma

Magma Design Automation provides design and implementation software that enables chip designers to shorten the time-to-market for complex integrated circuits used in the communications, computing, consumer electronics, networking and semiconductor industries. Its products, Blast Fusion and Blast Chip, represent a new methodology for the design of complex multi-million gate chips by integrating traditionally separate front-end and back-end design processes into an integrated design flow. This integrated solution significantly reduces timing closure iterations, which accelerates time-to-market for our customers. The proprietary FixedTiming methodology and single data model architecture serve as the technical foundation for our Blast Fusion and Blast Chip products. FixedTiming enables Magma to optimize for timing performance throughout the flow, predict circuit speed before detailed physical design, and deliver final timing that approximates the predicted circuit speed. The single data model architecture contains and manages the logical and physical data for the chip design, allowing Magma to shorten the design cycle and increase the efficiency of the design process. In addition to design and implementation products, Magma's Blast Noise and GateScope products analyze integrated circuit designs for noise and other electrical problems that may keep a chip from operating properly.

Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., the company maintains sales and support offices in Silicon Valley, Austin, Boston, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Corporate headquarters are at 2 Results Way, Cupertino, Calif., 95014. Visit Magma Design Automation on the web at www.magma-da.com.

Blast Chip, Blast Fusion, FixedTiming, and Magma are trademarks of Magma Design Automation. All other product and company names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.