SiWorks Successfully Completes Adaptive Equalizer Core Using Mentor Graphics ADVance MS Simulator

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2003--Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) today announced that the ADVance MS(TM) (ADMS) mixed-language simulator was successfully employed in the development of the new SiWorks SC-ALIU adaptive equalizer core.

The SC-ALIU adaptive equalizer core enables telecom semiconductor vendors to develop highly sophisticated long haul line interface units (LIUs) and thereby deliver a highly integrated and cost-effective solution to their OEM customers. ADMS enabled accurate, fast simulations of the SC-ALIU's tightly coupled analog and digital blocks.

"Overall, we were able to complete the design much faster using ADMS," said Dr. Ivars Finvers, Director of Analog IC Design at SiWorks. "In fact, we consider ADMS an enabling technology for the design, since it allowed the very tight integration of the analog and digital blocks in a transparent manner and ensured that the design was first-time-right in silicon."

The SiWorks SC-ALIU Adaptive Equalizer

Consisting of a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) and four cascaded, first-order high pass sections, the SC-ALIU was designed for a long haul line interface unit (LIU) for a telecom application. The SC-ALIU equalizer tuning can simultaneously compensate for both line length attenuation and process variations. To adjust the equalizer settings, a mixed-mode analog/digital-tuning controller uses pulse amplitude and edge timing information.

"The SC-ALIU is a highly sophisticated design, and a testament to the skill of the designers at SiWorks," said Henry Chang, director of marketing, Mentor Graphics analog/mixed-signal product division. "We are very proud that the performance of ADMS helped enable the completion of this advanced design."

Initially, a high-level behavioral simulation of the entire core was created using ADMS. Then, throughout the design process, as the transistor-level design of each analog sub-block was completed, it was substituted into the high-level model for system-level verification. ADMS enabled rapid swapping between transistor-level subcircuits and VHDL-AMS sub-blocks.

Because ADMS is language-neutral and uses a single netlist hierarchy, SiWorks designers had the flexibility to freely combine design languages anywhere in the design. ADMS combines five high-performance simulation technologies in a single-kernel environment: Eldo, for analog, large-signal SPICE simulation, ModelSim for digital simulation, Analog HDLs (Verilog-AMS, VHDL-AMS), Mach for fast transistor-level simulation and Eldo RF for modulated steady-state simulation.

The SC-ALIU adaptive equalizer core design was completed in 2002 and has been successfully verified in production silicon.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) 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 3,500 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.

Mentor Graphics is a registered trademark and ADVance MS is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

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