Leading EDA Vendors Support Altera's Stratix(TM) Device Family

Mentor Graphics, Synopsys, and Synplicity Deliver High-Performance SOPC Design Flows Using Altera's Quartus(R) II Version 2.0 Design Software

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading EDA vendors Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT - news), Synopsys, Inc., (Nasdaq: SNPS - news) and Synplicity, Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNP - news) have announced full support for Altera Corporation's (Nasdaq: ALTR - news) new Stratix(TM) device family.

"With this level of support from our EDA partners, customers now have access to a complete, easy-to-use design and verification environment that derives the maximum benefit from the features and architecture of the Stratix devices," said Tim Southgate, Altera's vice president of software and tools marketing.

"Over the last 9 months, Altera has worked closely with our EDA partners to develop world-class design flows for Altera's new Stratix device family," continued Southgate. "Advanced inference and optimization technology, combined with new block-based design algorithms in Quartus® II version 2.0, allow system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) designers easy access to the DSP block, TriMatrix(TM) Memory and MultiTrack interconnect features of the Stratix device. Engineers are able to achieve maximum design performance and minimum resource utilization without the device specific changes to HDL source code required by previous flows."

"Mentor Graphics has worked very closely with Altera to ensure the support of the Stratix devices provides maximum performance throughout our entire design flow," said Anne Sanquini, vice president and general manager for Mentor Graphics' HDL Design Division. "The Mentor Graphics synthesis solution provides a highly optimized inference technology tailored to the needs of the Stratix architecture. Mentor Graphics is the only vendor that provides a complete design environment specifically designed to the needs of Altera customers, including design capture, simulation, synthesis and board-level design tools."

OEM versions of the LeonardoSpectrum(TM) software (version 2002A) and ModelSim (version 5.5e) are included as part of the standard package in Altera's software subscription program.

"Synopsys specializes in providing designers with an ASIC-like flow for high-performance programmable logic devices such as the Stratix family," said Sanjiv Kaul, senior vice-president and general manager of Synopsys' Physical Synthesis Business Unit. "An ASIC-like flow gives designers the control they need to meet their project goals. Block Level Incremental Synthesis in FPGA Compiler II helps Stratix designers meet schedules and converge on timing by pinpointing only the blocks, which have changed in a particular revision. This reduces the number of iterations required to meet timing. As a result, customers realize a shorter design cycle and a time-to-market advantage."

"To support Altera's Stratix architecture, we leveraged our extensive expertise in mapping to DSP and memory structures," said Andy Haines, vice president of marketing at Synplicity. "Our market-leading Synplify® and Synplify Pro® synthesis solutions infer Stratix memory and DSP blocks such as Multiply-Accumulate & Multiply-Add from the RTL code and then perform direct mapping to the MAC hardware, enabling our mutual customers to obtain better performance and area utilization for Stratix devices. The close relationship we have with Altera allows us to provide high-quality, timely support of new devices such as Stratix to our expanding customer base."

About Stratix Devices

Stratix devices are based on a 1.5-V, 0.13-um, all-layer copper SRAM process, with densities ranging from 10,570 to 114,140 logic elements (LEs) and up to 10 Mbits of RAM. Stratix devices offer up to 28 DSP blocks with up to 224 embedded multipliers, optimized for DSP applications that require high data processing. Stratix devices support various differential I/O electrical standards such as LVDS, LVPECL, PCML, and HyperTransport, as well as high-speed interfaces, including UTOPIA IV, SPI-4 Phase 2, SFI-4, 10G Ethernet XSBI, RapidIO, HyperTransport, and others. Stratix devices also offer a complete clock management solution with its hierarchical clock structure and up to 12 phase-locked loops (PLLs). More technical information about the Stratix device family is available at www.altera.com/stratix.

For answers to commonly questions and to read 'what customers are saying about Stratix' visit: http://www.altera.com/corporate/news_room/nr-index.html

Pricing and Availability

The Stratix device family is supported by Mentor Graphics LeonardoSpectrum version 2002A and ModelSim version 5.5e, Synplicity Synplify, and Synopsys FPGA Compiler II version 3.7.

Quartus II version 2.0 design software is available to all customers on active subscription today. Altera's software subscription program simplifies the process of obtaining Altera development tools by consolidating all software products and maintenance charges into one annual subscription payment. The annual subscription for the Altera development tools is $2,000 for a node-locked PC license, which includes full-featured Quartus II and MAX+PLUS® II development software, OEM synthesis tools from Exemplar, OEM simulation tools from ModelTechnology, and 12 months of software upgrades. New or existing customers may obtain a software subscription at the Programmable eStore on the Altera web site, http://www.altera.com , or from Altera distributors worldwide.

About Altera

Altera Corporation is the world's pioneer in system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions. Combining programmable logic technology with software tools, intellectual property, and technical services, Altera provides high-value programmable solutions to approximately 14,000 customers worldwide. More information is available at www.altera.com.

NOTE: Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations and all other words that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Arm is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. LeonardoSpectrum is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. Synplify and Synplify Pro are registered trademarks of Synplicity, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Ami Dorrell of Altera Corporation, +1-408-544-6397, or newsroom@altera.com.