"Syracuse University is grateful for this generous grant from Synopsys and Sun," said Carlos Hartmann, chair of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Syracuse. "We look forward to using these state-of-the-art EDA tools and hardware to produce the best trained engineers in the world."

Syracuse is among the first universities to receive this grant, which furthers Synopsys' relationship within academia. The faculty and students have worked with Synopsys in the past and have served as a beta site for curriculum development and research projects.

"At Sun we have a unique architecture that addresses the common issues for academic design automation environments today and in the future," said Fred James, EDA Account Manager, Partner and Industry Marketing, at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Integrating this environment with Synopsys design software provides a complete solution at the university level for undergraduate development and post graduate research. Sun is excited to work with Synopsys through the Charles Babbage Grant process to further higher education."

Syracuse University is currently incorporating the Synopsys tools into all the digital design courses in the Computer Engineering (CE) program, residing at the Department of EECS. The Synopsys tools are being integrated into courses in logic design, testing, verification, computer laboratories, and VLSI at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Also, professors at Syracuse University are integrating the Synopsys tools into their research activities. The continuous advancement in semiconductor technologies has allowed for more complex systems to be built on a single integrated circuit. However, this high-integration presents challenges for system designers to keep up with such amazing complexity. Researchers at Syracuse University use the Synopsys tools to make efficient use of the potential offered by the emerging deep-sub-micron semiconductor technologies. The faculty team at Syracuse University addresses all aspects needed to design, test, verify and build SoCs.

"We know that design challenges become harder every year and our goal is to help prepare students to meet these challenges," said Rich Goldman, vice president, Strategic Market Development at Synopsys and a BSCS graduate from Syracuse University. "We are dedicated to promoting academia, and are always looking for ways to encourage and educate students in the important field of IC design."

About Charles Babbage Grant

The Charles Babbage Grant provides Synopsys tools with partner hardware to specific American and international universities, which are involved in improving teaching and advancing research with EDA tools. The grant is named after British mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage, who designed and built mechanical computing machines on principles that anticipated the modern electronic computers of today over 150 years ago.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in EDA software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http:/www.synopsys.com .

NOTE: Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. Any other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Pierre Golde of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-4194, or Email Contact, for Synopsys, Inc.

CONTACT: Pierre Golde of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-4194, or
Email Contact, for Synopsys, Inc.

Web site: http://www.synopsys.com//