Dolphin Technology Endorses Magma's Advanced Memory BIST Solution within Blast DFT

Blast DFT complements Dolphin's advanced memory technology for demonstrably significant yield gains and ease of integration

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SAN JOSE, Calif. -- April 11, 2005 -- Magma(R) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of semiconductor design software, and Dolphin Technology, a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) blocks, announced today that Dolphin is endorsing the MBIST (memory built-in self-test) solution within Magma's Blast DFT(TM). The combination of Dolphin's advanced memory IP and Magma's MBIST provide a complete memory test solution. MBIST's Built-in Repair Analysis for Dolphin's multi-dimensional redundancy schemes enables high yields without incurring additional test-time penalties. The comprehensive memory test algorithms, along with the at-speed test application, ensure high quality. Dolphin's memory IP and Magma's Blast DFT's automated integrated solution provides quick-turnaround time and repeatability for complex SoC (system-on-chip) designs.

MBIST in Blast DFT is one of the technologies resulting from Magma's Cobra development that was announced on April 4. It was specially designed to address the memory test problems that today's complex SoC designers are encountering at 90- and 65-nanometers. At these process nodes, today's complex designs often include hundreds or even thousands of embedded memories requiring intelligent and efficient test strategies, which Blast DFT is uniquely designed to address.

"Today's complex, high-density memories for nanometer processes require a thorough understanding of the manufacturing process and defects to attain high yield," said Mo Tamjidi, president and CEO at Dolphin Technology. "Blast DFT's automatic generation of timing constraints and placement requirements, eases the integration of memories and associated test logic, and provides visibility into test problems at the earliest stage. Dolphin's market-proven, high-performance, high-quality memories, combined with the well-integrated test solution in Magma's RTL-to-GDSII flow, provide mutual customers high-yield and area-efficient memory implementation. Magma's comprehensive test algorithms provide excellent coverage for new defects that occur in today's advanced processes due to finer geometries"

Dolphin Technology provides a wide range of silicon-proven, memory semiconductor IP for many target markets, from telecommunications to consumer electronics. The company has assembled a core team of experienced memory design veterans that have created an extensive offering of highly optimized memory blocks and one of the broadest ranges of high-speed, high-density, low-power memory compilers, including RAMpiler(R), RAMpiler+(R), ROMpiler(R) and CAMpiler(R). These memory technologies have been successfully proven in many generations of silicon and are currently used by some of the largest technology companies in the world.

"Dolphin's small footprint memory designs, supporting two-dimensional redundancy, have been production-proven in consumer applications worldwide," said Kam Kittrell, general manager of Magma's Logic Design Business Unit. "We are pleased to offer a memory BIST solution that, in conjunction with Dolphin's easy-to-use memory IP blocks and compilers, can substantially improve the yield of such high-volume parts."

About Blast DFT

Blast DFT is an integrated design-for-test solution in Magma's RTL-to-GDSII flow. It supports a comprehensive set of DFT features including full scan, TAP and Boundary Scan insertion, Memory BIST and Logic BIST. This new product incorporates at-speed test via automatically-generated hardware that is synthesized on-the-fly and inserted in the host design. With built-in repair analysis, Blast DFT's MBIST supports multiple dimensions of redundancy, such as row and column, and can be deployed for hard, soft or composite repair strategies. Its diagnostic capabilities enable root-cause failure analysis, including full bit-fail map generation for trend analysis and demonstrably significant yield improvement. The solution includes automatically generated test benches to ease verification and IEEE 1450 (STIL) manufacturing test patterns.

Availability and Demonstration

Blast DFT is available now from Magma Design Automation. This enhanced DFT technology from Magma and Dolphin Technology will be demonstrated at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Anaheim, Calif., June 13-16, 2005, at Magma's booth #2250.

About Dolphin Technology

Dolphin Technology Inc. is a leading provider of high performance semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) blocks that include embedded memory and memory compiler products, high performance and standard IOs and high performance standard cell libraries. Advanced design technology incorporated into Dolphin's SIP blocks enable System-on-Chip (SoC) designs to achieve faster clock rates, lower dynamic and leakage power, smaller die size and reduced manufacturing cost. For more information about Dolphin and its products, please visit www.dolphin-ic.com.

About Magma Design Automation

Magma provides leading software for designing highly complex integrated circuits while maximizing Quality of Results with respect to area, timing and power, and at the same time reducing overall design cycles and costs. Magma provides a complete RTL-to-GDSII design flow that includes prototyping, synthesis, place & route, and signal and power integrity chip design capabilities in a single executable, offering "The Fastest Path from RTL to Silicon"(TM). Magma's software also includes products for advanced physical synthesis and architecture development tools for programmable logic devices (PLDs); capacitance extraction; and characterization and modeling. The company's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.

Magma is a registered trademark and Blast DFT and "Fastest Path from RTL to Silicon" are trademarks of Magma Design Automation. Other products and trademarks are owned by their respective companies.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements that Magma's Blast DFT and Dolphin's products shorten design cycles and ensure quality of results and about the features and benefits of Magma's technology and Dolphin's technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, Magma's and Dolphin Technology's decision to continue working together, the companies' abilities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and the ability of the companies' products to produce desired results. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors for Magma may be found in Magma's latest filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on form 10-K, and any subsequent updates thereto on form10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Magma disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.