Toshiba to Deploy Magma Software in Worldwide Design Centers

Effectiveness of Blast Fusion Validated on Three Toshiba Deep Submicron Designs

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2001--Magma® Design Automation, Inc., a provider of chip design solutions, announced today that Toshiba Corporation has added Blast Fusion(TM) to its next-generation integrated circuit design flow. Targeted projects include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) developed at Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) design centers and application specific standard products (ASSP) based on the Toshiba TX series of microprocessor cores for system ICs.

Toshiba and Magma have worked closely together to integrate Blast Fusion into the MegaGate Timing Driven Flow(TM) (TDF) for the Toshiba TC260C (0.18-micron) and TC280C (0.13-micron) process technologies. The integration was validated by the successful completion of two ASIC designs and a microprocessor core design. The team has now started deployment of this methodology in Toshiba's ASIC design centers in North America as well as Japan.

"Continually enhancing our design flow helps us maintain our leadership in ASIC and ASSP System LSI design," said Mr. Ochii, general manager of the System LSI Design Division, Semiconductor Company of the Toshiba Corporation. "Last year we started evaluating emerging design solutions that would help us realize our vision of a streamlined and predictable design flow that could accelerate time to market for high-speed, multimillion-gate designs. Magma's highly integrated tool flow, based on a single database, met this criteria."

"Prior to the evaluation, we identified key criteria and technical requirements that would allow us to grow our position as a world-class ASIC provider in North America," commented Jeff Berkman, senior vice president of Engineering at TAEC. "Magma was able to satisfy most of those requirements. In addition, they were able to quickly tape out a communications design for a strategically important ASIC customer. Impressed with the success of this design, we decided to engage with Magma on a long-term basis," he concluded.

"Toshiba is a leader in offering ASIC technology in North America. We are excited to engage with a partner like Toshiba and look forward to offering unique value to our mutual customers," commented Roy Jewell, president and COO of Magma Design Automation.

About Magma

Magma® provides design and implementation software that enables chip designers to reduce the time it takes to design and produce complex integrated circuits used in the communications, computing, consumer electronics, networking and semiconductor industries. Its products, Blast Fusion(TM) and Blast Chip(TM), utilize a new methodology for the design of complex multimillion-gate chips by combining traditionally separate front-end and back-end design processes into an integrated design flow. This integrated solution reduces timing closure iterations, which accelerates time-to-market for its customers. Blast Plan(TM) works with Blast Fusion and Blast Chip to deliver hierarchical planning and design capability for large integrated circuits and system-on-chips. In addition to the design and implementation products, its Blast Noise(TM) works with Blast Fusion and Blast Chip to analyze and correct integrated circuits for noise problems that may impact chip performance.

Magma's proprietary FixedTiming® methodology and single data model architecture serve as the technical foundation for Magma's products. FixedTiming enables Magma's products 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's products to shorten the design cycle and increase the efficiency of the design process.

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.

Note to Editors: Magma and FixedTiming are registered trademarks and Blast Chip, Blast Fusion, Blast Noise and Blast Plan are trademarks of Magma Design Automation. All other product and company names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.

     Magma Design Automation, Inc., Cupertino
     Monica Marmie, 408/864-2027
     monical@magma-da.com