Altera Maximizes Performance of PLDs with New Mentor Graphics Synthesis Environment

Precision Synthesis Environment Helps Designers Increase Productivity

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Altera Corporation (Nasdaq: ALTR - news) today announced that all APEX(TM) and Stratix(TM) device families as well as the Excalibur(TM) embedded processor solutions are fully supported by Mentor Graphics' (Nasdaq: MENT - news) new Precision Synthesis environment. Tailored to the unique requirements of Altera's programmable logic devices (PLDs), Mentor Graphics' Precision Synthesis will help Altera's customers increase productivity, accelerate timing closure and maximize application performance.

"Altera and Mentor Graphics continue to partner to provide industry-leading solutions for programmable logic designers," said Erik Cleage, senior vice president of marketing at Altera. "Precision Synthesis and its support of Altera's new Stratix device family is such an example. With its heuristic approach, the Precision Synthesis tool is designed to take maximum advantage of our new Stratix architecture, including inference technologies for the new device family's DSP and TriMatrix(TM) Memory blocks. We expect excellent results when our mutual customers use Precision Synthesis to design for Altera's devices."

With Precision Synthesis, Mentor Graphics combines intuitive, push-button ease-of-use with powerful control and optimization features that allow designers to extract the maximum benefit from the features of the Startix devices.

"Precision Synthesis accelerates the time-to-productivity for designs of all complexity," said Anne Sanquini, vice president and general manager of the HDL Design Division at Mentor Graphics. "Working with Altera, we have ensured that features in Precision Synthesis allow designers to take full advantage of their devices, resulting insmaller and faster applications. Precision is the cornerstone of Mentor's synthesis strategy. This, combined with Mentor's design creation and verification tools and our complete product flows, ensures our mutual customers' success regardless of their design complexity." About Precision Synthesis

Precision Synthesis is currently in beta release and will be available to all customers in Q2 2002. The tool runs on Windows NT, 98, 2000 and XP, Solaris and HP-UX platforms. Precision Synthesis will be provided as a replacement technology for LeonardoSpectrum level three customers. For LeonardoSpectrum Altera version, LeonardoSpectrum level two and FPGA Advantage Personal Edition users, Mentor Graphics will continue to offer ongoing device support and continued software releases to these products, with an option to upgrade to Precision Synthesis if desired. For more information, call 1-800-632-3742 or visit http://www.mentor.com/synthesis/ .

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 http://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. LeonardoSpectrum is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. 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.