MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — Synopsys, Inc. introduces its expanded Confirma™ rapid prototyping platform. The addition of the recently acquired CHIPit® products, tools and technologies simplifies the implementation and deployment of rapid prototypes, allowing users to begin hardware-assisted system validation and embedded software development sooner. Complementing the HAPS high-performance prototyping hardware, the expanded Confirma platform now also offers a software-configurable architecture and transaction-based co-verification capability. With the combination of a proven prototyping methodology, IP, services, hardware and software, the Confirma platform is a comprehensive solution for a wide variety of prototyping applications. Synopsys now delivers the most comprehensive Software-to-Silicon Verification Solution – including rapid prototyping, virtual platforms, functional verification and analog/mixed signal circuit simulation – addressing the key challenges in the system-on-chip (SoC) verification process

The Economics of Hardware-assisted Verification

The growing complexity of chip design and software content is increasing the cost of embedded software development and system validation. Traditional approaches such as “big-box” emulation systems are too expensive and slow for wide deployment to embedded software developers and verification teams. Custom-built FPGA-based prototypes can address these issues but are difficult, time-consuming and expensive to implement and debug. The Confirma rapid prototyping platform helps solve the problems associated with these traditional approaches and brings all the critical components together into a comprehensive and affordable solution that enables more design teams to take advantage of the benefits of hardware-assisted verification.

The Expanded Confirma Platform

The expanded Confirma platform is a complete suite of products for rapid prototyping including FPGA-based prototyping systems and boards, interface and memory boards, and implementation and debug software. The Confirma platform provides all of the elements needed to quickly implement a rapid prototype:

Hardware platforms:

* CHIPit family of rapid prototyping systems featuring a programmable interconnect architecture for
greater automation and providing emulation-like capabilities optimized for transaction-based
verification

* HAPS™ family of rapid prototyping boards providing high performance for system validation and
embedded software development
* An extensive collection of high-speed interface and expansion
boards enabling prototypes to be easily customized to cover a wide range of applications

Software tools:

* CHIPit Manager Pro prototype configuration and project management software

* SCE-MI (Standard Co-Emulation Modeling Interface) compliant transaction-based co-verification
interface

* Certify® multi-FPGA implementation and partitioning software

* Identify® Pro debug software with TotalRecall™ visibility enhancement technology

* Synplify® Premier, the technology-leading FPGA physical synthesis tool

Complementing the product offerings are a wide range of service, training and support options, ranging from one-week training classes to full turn-key services as well as Synopsys’ worldwide support for geographically distributed hardware and software design teams.

Part of a Comprehensive Software-to-Silicon Verification Solution

The Confirma rapid prototyping platform is part of Synopsys’ Software-to-Silicon Verification Solution that offers the industry’s most comprehensive suite of proven embedded software development, system validation, functional verification and circuit simulation software, hardware, intellectual property (IP), methodologies and services for complex system-on-chip (SoC) development. New solution-level integration includes co-simulation and debugging between Synopsys’ Confirma platform and VCS® high-performance simulator, and support for synthesizable DesignWare® IP in Confirma rapid prototypes. The Confirma products also integrate with Innovator-based virtual platforms to enable a hybrid virtual/physical prototyping environment for embedded software development and verification.

Rapid Prototyping Seminars and Workshops

Synopsys is planning a series of educational half-day management seminars and full-day hands-on technical workshops focused on rapid prototyping starting in February 2009. For more information and to register please visit http://www.synopsys.com/Company/Pages/Events.aspx

www.synopsys.com

MPF