Lightspeed And Synplicity Partner To Provide Fastest Time To Silicon

SUNNYVALE, CA--(INTERNET WIRE)--Jan 31, 2002 -- Lightspeed Semiconductor and Synplicity Inc.(SYNP) announce the immediate availability of libraries supported on Synplicity's Synplify ASIC(TM) synthesis solution. Lightspeed customers can now target their design to the Lightning family of devices using the Synplify ASIC software package.

"The Synplify ASIC software provides some of the fastest run times for ASIC synthesis we have ever seen," said Michael Sydow, VP of Marketing and Applications for Lightspeed. "With Lightspeed offering the fastest timing convergence, we see this as a natural partnership to enable our customers to be the first to market with a custom ASIC."

The Synplify ASIC software delivers high quality results and is the industry's first timing-driven ASIC synthesis product optimized to improve productivity for the majority of ASIC designers. The software can provide order of magnitude runtime improvements over many traditional synthesis products - up to 15X faster.

"Lightspeed's focus on delivering an optimized solution for mid-volume ASIC designers makes them a key vendor for our customer base," said John Gallagher, director of product marketing for Synplicity. "Based on customer interest, we've cultivated a fantastic working relationship with Lightspeed and are excited to be a part of their design flow. We believe the Synplify ASIC software's fast runtimes along with Lightspeed's fast timing convergence will make an extremely powerful solution that will deliver excellent results and improve productivity."

Designers can find the new Synplify ASIC libraries at www.lightspeed.com as a free download. To register and receive a design kit password, follow the "Download Libraries / Design Kits" icon on the Lightspeed home page.

About Lightspeed Semiconductor:

Lightspeed Semiconductor is a privately held, fabless semiconductor company delivering an innovative family of Modular Arrays(TM) - the Next Generation ASIC. With a patented routing architecture, built-in AutoTest® features, and the fastest timing convergence in the ASIC industry, Lightspeed Modular Arrays are the optimal production solution to fill the growing gap between under-performing FPGAs and high NRE ASICs.

Lightspeed's Modular Array technology offers the following benefits:

Compared to Standard Cell and Embedded Cell Arrays:
-    Fastest timing convergence in the ASIC industry
-    Lowest NRE
-    Fastest time-to-money
-    Lowest risk
-    Much easier to design
-    No user test vectors or DFT rules

Compared to FPGAs:
-    Far more routing resources
-    200% to 300% performance increase
-    Lower power dissipation
-    75%-90% lower production costs
-    Faster timing convergence

About Synplicity

Synplicity, Inc.(SYNP) is a leading provider of software products that enable the rapid and effective design and verification of semiconductors used in next-generation communications, computer, consumer and military/aerospace electronics systems. Recognizing the company's industry-leading position, Dataquest named Synplicity as the #1 provider of PLD synthesis tools in 2000 with 45 percent market share. Synplicity leverages its innovative logic synthesis, physical synthesis and verification software solutions to improve performance and shorten development time for complex programmable logic devices, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) integrated circuits. The company's fast, easy-to-use products offer high quality of results, support industry-standard design languages (VHDL and Verilog) and run on popular platforms. As of December 31, 2001, Synplicity employed 266 people in its 20 facilities worldwide. Synplicity is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. For more information on Synplicity, visit www.synplicity.com.