Aldec Teams With Sun Microsystems Gridware Division

Riviera dramatically decreases simulation time with integration from Sun’s distributed resource management software

Henderson Nevada, December 20th, 2001 -- Aldec, Inc., a leading supplier of HDL design entry and verification tools for application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), announced today the release of Riviera 2001.11 that will include Sun Grid Engine software for UNIX on Solaris. The Riviera product is based on Aldec’s core common kernel VHDL and Verilog mixed language simulation technology for ASIC and high-density FPGA designers.

Simulator Performance
Riviera, when interfaced with Sun Grid Engine software, can dramatically decrease simulation time while freeing valuable resources on the designer’s local machine to increase productivity. Using this methodology optimizes simulation resources for team-based designers.

Simulation Job Control
Rivera’s client creates a virtual queue that dispatches jobs to the correct computer node for simulation. Tasks will be migrated to the fastest Riviera simulator available (i.e. to the simulator running on a cluster node) while freeing resources on the local machine to work on other parts of the design. In addition to the queue, the job client reports the progress and results back to designer in real time.
“Offering load management tools like Sun Grid Engine software with Riviera will enhance the use of our simulator and will ultimately speed time-to-market for our customers” stated Eric Seabrook, Product Marketing Manager for Aldec.

Gridware Methodology
Sun Grid Engine software is distributed resource management software that optimizes utilization of software and hardware resources in heterogeneous networked environments. Sun Grid Engine aggregates the compute power available in dedicated compute farms, networked servers and desktop workstations, and presents a single access point to users needing compute cycles. It also distributes computational workload to those available systems, simultaneously increasing productivity of machines and application licenses while maximizing the number of jobs that can be completed.
“As designs become more complex, verification becomes the largest bottleneck. Aldec has shown a commitment to their customers by offering Sun Grid Engine software with Riviera to create a simple solution to a complex problem.” stated Fred Kohout, Director of Marketing for Client and Technical Markets Product Group for Sun Microsystems.

Availability
Riviera includes Grid Engine, Library Manager, HDL Editor, Waveform Viewer, and the choice of a VHDL, Verilog or mixed simulation kernel. The first year’s maintenance is included in the initial sale price. Riviera is sold directly by Aldec in the U.S. and authorized international distributors. For additional information about Riviera, go to www.aldec.com. For additional information on using Grid Engine with Riviera, go to www.aldec.com/riviera/gridengine


About Aldec
Aldec, Inc. has offered PC and Workstation-based design entry and simulation solutions to FPGA and ASIC designers for more than 16 years. During this time, Aldec has signed several OEM agreements with IC vendors, such as Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) and Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY). Aldec, headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, produces a universal suite of Windows, Linux and UNIX-based EDA tools that allow design engineers to implement their designs using several different design entry methods (Schematic Capture, State Machine, Block Diagram, VHDL, Verilog or ABEL). Aldec incorporates patented simulation technology and several design entry tools to provide a complete design entry and simulation solution. Founded in 1984, the company continues to evolve in the EDA market as the fastest growing verification company in the world. Additional information about Aldec is available at http://www.aldec.com.

Riviera, is a trademark of Aldec, Inc. Sun, Solaris and Sun Grid Engine are trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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Contact:        Eric Seabrook
Aldec, Inc.
(702) 990-4400 ext. 224
                erics@aldec.com