Mentor Graphics Offers Co-Verification Model Support for ARCtangent User-Customizable RISC/DSP Designs

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2002--Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) today announced co-verification model support for the ARCtangent(TM) user-customizable RISC/DSP core from ARC International (LSE: ARK), a leader in configurable System-on-Chip (SoC) platform technologies, as part of Mentor Graphics® continued support for the leading embedded core architectures.

"System-on-chip design complexity creates a significant need for configurable core-based designs," said Serge Leef, general manager of the Mentor Graphics System-on-Chip Verification Division. "Seamless® will help designers of ARCtangent microprocessor-based systems to model the customized interactions between components in a virtual environment, ensuring that functionally accurate products are released quickly before time and resources are wasted on a physical prototype."

Today's designers need a comprehensive development platform that includes pre-verified peripherals, system software, embedded middleware and tools. Seamless offers this complete development platform, ensuring that all the components work together and offer opportunities for customization.

"With Mentor Graphics' Seamless co-verification model support, developers of a wide array of applications can quickly and easily optimize the ARCtangent microprocessor and its peripheral intellectual property (IP) to reduce risk and development costs," said Andy Haines Sr. VP of Marketing for ARC International. "For example, the microprocessor and its peripherals can be optimized for computational performance, digital-signal processing, I/O throughput, power consumption, and silicon area. We look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial relationship with a recognized leader in the increasingly important co-verification industry."

The ARCtangent microprocessor is a user-customizable RISC/DSP core for ASICs, SOCs, ASSPs and FPGAs. It is synthesizable, configurable and extendable, enabling developers to readily modify and extend the architecture for specific applications. In addition to the ARCtangent configurable processor and software-development tools, the ARC product range includes a real-time operating system (RTOS), network-protocol stacks, USB and Ethernet peripherals, device drivers, and more.

Seamless supports all popular logic simulators and software development environments, including the Model Technology® ModelSim® environment. ModelSim also supports ARC International's SeeCode(TM) debugger, an advanced and user-configurable debugger for professional software developers working on high-performance applications.

About Seamless

Combining the best in embedded software development tools with logic simulation, Mentor's Seamless co-verification environment delivers high performance co-verification months before a hardware prototype can be built. The Seamless environment enables software and hardware development to be parallel activities, removing the software from the critical path, and reducing the risk of hardware prototype iterations resulting from integration errors. User-controlled optimizations boost performance by isolating the logic simulator from software-intensive operations such as block memory transfers and algorithmic routines.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $600 million and employs approximately 3,700 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.

About ARC International

ARC International is an industry-leading developer of embedded user-customizable, high-performance 32-bit RISC/DSP processor cores, with integrated development tools, peripherals, RTOS and software. These integrated products and solutions are a result of the acquisitions of MetaWare, VAutomation and Precise Software Technologies. ARC's integrated intellectual property solutions assist customers in rapidly developing next generation wireless, networking and consumer electronics products, reducing the number of IP suppliers, reducing time-to-market, reducing costs, and reducing the risk for System-on-Chip product development. Products based on ARC's technology include digital still cameras, set-top boxes, and network processors.

ARC International employs 200 people in research and development, sales, and marketing offices across North America, Europe and Israel. Full details of the company's locations and other information are on the company's web site, www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange as ARC International plc (LSE:ARK).

Mentor Graphics, Model Technology, ModelSim and Seamless are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners. ARC, the ARC logo, ARCtangent and SeeCode are trademarks of ARC International. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.

     Mentor Graphics
     Wendy Slocum, 503/685-1145
     wendy_slocum@mentor.com
         or
     Weber Shandwick
     Jeremiah Glodoveza, 415/354-8375
     jglodoveza@webershandwick.com