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Synplicity's Certify Software Eases ASIC Prototyping with Support for Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs.


Software Extends Automation of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor.  Prototyping Flow; Enhances Quick Partitioning Technology

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Synplicity, Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNP SYNP Synchronization Profile ), a leading supplier of software for the design and verification of semiconductors, today announced its Certify([R]) ASIC RTL (Register Transfer Level) A high-level hardware description language (HDL) for defining digital circuits. The circuits are described as a collection of registers, Boolean equations, control logic such as "if-then-else" statements as well as complex event sequences;  prototyping software delivers optimal support for the Xilinx Virtex[TM]-5 family of 65-nanometer FPGAs. The Certify software is the leading product for ASIC prototyping using multiple FPGAs. By combining multi-chip partitioning with best-in-class FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) A type of gate array that is programmed in the field rather than in a semiconductor fab. Containing up to hundreds of thousands of gates, there are a variety of FPGA architectures on the market.  synthesis, the Certify tool allows designers to take full advantage of the speed, versatility and ultra-high capacity of Xilinx Virtex-5 devices for FPGA-based prototyping. Designers who use the Virtex-5 devices in combination with the Certify software should be able to fit more of their ASIC design onto fewer FPGA devices making prototyping quicker, easier and less expensive.

Using the latest version of the Certify product, designers can expect shorter prototype development times and improved prototype performance due in part to enhancements to two of the tool's most powerful and unique partitioning features: Quick Partitioning Technology (QPT QPT Quantum Phase Transition
QPT Quick Placement Test
QPT Qualified Phlebotomy Technician (New Zealand)
QPT Quasi Punch-Through
QPT Qualified Proficient Technician (US DoD)
QPT Quark Project Template
) and the Certify Pin Multiplexer (CPM (1) (Critical Path Method) A project management planning and control technique implemented on computers. The critical path is the series of activities and tasks in the project that have no built-in slack time. ). Quick Partitioning Technology performs automatic pin assignments and, following initial manual placement of key logic blocks, automatically completes partitioning of the remaining blocks between FPGAs. The Certify Pin Multiplexer allows I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output.

I/O - Input/Output
 pins of the FPGA device to be shared without any changes to RTL code, alleviating one of the biggest problems typically encountered when partitioning a design across multiple FPGAs - running out of I/O pins. With the enhanced CPM feature, algorithms in the Certify software now utilize detailed knowledge of the FPGA's clock network, dramatically increasing the clock speed of the prototype and delivering fast and accurate pin multiplexing implementation. In addition to QPT and CPM enhancements, the automated DesignWare Conversion and automated Gated Clock Conversion features allow designers to use the ASIC RTL as is, without requiring manual changes.

"Based on feedback from our customers and prototyping board partners, we believe there is dramatic growth in the use of FPGA-based prototyping for ASIC verification," said John Gallagher John Gallagher may be:
  • John Gallagher (geologist) (born 1916)
  • John Gallagher (cartoonist)
  • John Gallagher (rugby player) (born 1964)
  • John Gallagher (hockey)
  • John Gallagher (golfer)
  • John Gallagher (artist)
  • John Gallagher (Dying Fetus)
, director of outbound marketing at Synplicity. "Our Certify software offers a comprehensive ASIC prototyping solution which eases the prototyping process, saving valuable design time and engineering resources. When used with the ultra high-performance Xilinx Virtex-5 devices, we believe designers using the Certify software will implement ASIC prototypes at higher speeds in less time."

Pricing and Availability

The latest version of the Certify software is available to customers starting in February 2007. Pricing for the Certify software starts at $45,000 (U.S.) for a one-year time-based license. Current Certify customers on maintenance will be upgraded at no additional cost. For information about Synplicity's Certify software, contact a Synplicity sales representative or visit http://www.synplicity.com

About the Certify Software

The Certify software is a proven methodology for verifying ASICs using FPGAs. Since its introduction in 1999 the software has been adopted by large and small companies alike and is currently in use at over 100 sites worldwide. It is believed to be the industry's first register transfer level (RTL) prototyping solution that enables designers to create functional hardware prototypes of their ASIC design at the RTL, prior to ASIC synthesis. Verification at this early stage of design results in a dramatic increase in productivity and enables faster time to market. Synplicity believes that prototypes defined by the Certify product will enable extensive verification, allowing ASIC designers to perform the following tasks at- or near-system speed: hardware/software co-verification; algorithm development and verification; verification of intellectual property, either cores or library elements; system software development and debugging (programming) debugging - The process of attempting to determine the cause of the symptoms of malfunctions in a program or other system. These symptoms may be detected during testing or use by real users. ; verification of system-level protocol compatibility and early system/product development with FPGAs.

About Synplicity's Partners in Prototyping Program

Many of the world's leading FPGA-based prototyping board vendors have joined Synplicity's Partners in Prototyping (PIP) program to develop flows for their boards using Synplicity's tools. The PIP program is used to identify and qualify design methodologies between Synplicity's prototyping applications and complementary RTL functional prototyping hardware, software and design services. Members of the program include Altera, AMO AMO - America's Multimedia Online  GmbH, ARM, The Dini Group, Flexody, GiDEL, HARDI HARDI Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International
HARDI High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging
HARDI Harmonisation des actions pour la Réalisation d'un Développement Intégré
 Electronics, Nallatech, ProDesign and SK-Electronics Co. For more information on Synplicity's Partners in Prototyping go to http://www.synplicity.com/partners/pip/index.html.

About Synplicity

Synplicity[R] Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNP) is a leading supplier of innovative software solutions that enable the rapid and effective design of Programmable Logic Devices See PLD.  (FPGAs, PLDs and CPLDs) that serve a wide range of communications, military/aerospace, consumer, semiconductor, computer, and other electronic systems markets. Synplicity's tools provide outstanding performance, cost and time-to-market benefits by simplifying, improving and automating key design planning, logic synthesis The conversion of a high-level electronic circuit description into a list of logic gates and their interconnections, called the "netlist." Every logic synthesis program understands some subset of Verilog and VHDL. , physical synthesis and verification functions for FPGA, FPGA-based ASIC verification, and DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive  designers. Synplicity is the number one supplier of FPGA synthesis solutions and has been rated #1 in customer satisfaction since 2004 in EE Times' Annual FPGA Customer Survey. Synplicity products support industry-standard design languages (VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) A hardware description language (HDL) used to design electronic systems at the component, board and system level. VHDL allows models to be developed at a very high level of abstraction.  and Verilog) and run on popular platforms. The company operates in over 20 facilities worldwide and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California Sunnyvale ([sʌniveil]) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 131,760. . For more information visit http://www.synplicity.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding the performance, achievements and benefits of the latest version of the Certify software and the growth in the use of FPGA-based prototyping for ASIC verification. In some cases, you will be able to identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "believes" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including the performance and benefits of Synplicity's software relative to relevant industry methods, the standards, design flaws, design difficulties or other problems with Synplicity's software and the growth and changing technical requirements in the ASIC prototyping market. For additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Synplicity, see its annual report on Form 10-K Form 10-K

A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information.


Form 10-K

See 10-K.
 for the year ended December 31, 2005 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other periodic reports filed with the SEC from time to time, including its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q

See 10-Q.
. Although Synplicity believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Synplicity cannot guarantee the future performance or achievements of its software. In addition, neither Synplicity nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these forward-looking statements. Synplicity disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

Synplicity and Certify are registered trademarks of Synplicity Inc. All other brands or products are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jan 29, 2007
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