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SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2001--Silicon Perspective Corp. (SPC) announced that Marvell (Nasdaq:MRVL), a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband system-level integrated circuit (IC) solutions for Internet connectivity and infrastructure, signed a three-year, multimillion dollar contract for SPC's First Encounter® physical prototype, timing closure and placement system. Based on more than 20 successful tape-outs completed over the last two years with SPC, Marvell is making a long-term commitment to use First Encounter across the company in all divisions worldwide.

``First Encounter is a proven solution that provides significant productivity improvements through predictable timing closure into our design flow,'' stated Kaushik Banerjee, vice president, custom ASICs of Marvell. ``First Encounter will be essential as we move to 0.13-micron and below where a hierarchical design methodology is essential to manage the complexity. First Encounter is critical to help us push the envelope in the communications signal processing markets.''

First Encounter insures timing closure very early in the design flow by creating a highly accurate physical prototype, from which the IC's timing and routability characteristics can be assessed. Once the physical prototype is developed, First Encounter helps determine the optimal hierarchical partitioning, block-level pin assignments, timing budgets, cell placement and top-level timing closure. Since the partitioning step begins with a known timing-correct and routable solution, detailed physical implementation normally is straightforward and overall design time is cut significantly. First Encounter also includes hierarchical clock tree synthesis and power analysis capabilities that were particularly impressive to Marvell.

``Marvell is an industry leader with high-performance communications ICs for internetworking, switching, and communications signal processing,'' stated Ping Chao, Silicon Perspective's CEO. ``We're extremely pleased to deliver effective timing closure to their chip design projects and to have been selected as a key technology partner for their production design flow.''

About SPC

Silicon Perspective Corporation lets engineers create full-chip silicon virtual prototypes that provide design closure throughout the design cycle, starting at RTL and progressing through placement based on internal trial routing. The full-chip virtual prototype accurately represents the final chip that will tape-out (timing, die size, power, signal integrity). As the whole-chip design progresses, the silicon virtual prototype can be updated daily if necessary to make sure the design stays on target. Visit SPC at www.SiPerspective.com for more information.

Note to Editors: Silicon Perspective Corporation and Amoeba are trademarks of Silicon Perspective Corporation. First Encounter is a registered trademark of Silicon Perspective Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

     New Ideas in Communications (for Silicon Perspective)
     Paula Jones, 650/967-3711
     paula@newiic.com