Low Power Hard Core Diamond Standard Processor for TSMC 0.18-micron Technology Available Through Global Unichip

Update: Cadence Completes Acquisition of Tensilica (Apr 24, 2013)

• First Hardened Diamond Standard Processor Available
• Reduces SOC Integration Cost

Hsinchu, TAIWAN, and Santa Clara, CA, USA – December 4, 2006 – Tensilica, Inc. and GUC (Global Unichip Corp.), a leading SoC design foundry, today announced that the hardened version of Tensilica’s Diamond 108Mini processor core is now available through GUC for TSMC’s 0.18-micron process technology. This is the first of six Diamond Standard processors that GUC is hardening so designers can utilize TSMC’s cost-effective foundry process with minimum integration cost and reduced risks. The 32-bit Diamond 108Mini processor is Tensilica’s most popular Diamond Standard processor because it consumes very little power and die area.

“With this hardened version of the Diamond 108Mini, we can quickly and predictably create SOC products for our customers,” stated Jim Lai, president and COO of Global Unichip Corp. “The Diamond 108Mini is a particularly attractive controller core because it is cacheless and very efficient.”

A hardened core is a complete physical design of a processor core, already thoroughly tested and ready to be quickly dropped into an ASIC design. Designers do not have to develop the synthesis and place-and-route process required in a soft core.

“GUC is an important partner and has done an outstanding job hardening the Diamond 108Mini,” stated Chris Rowen, president and CEO of Tensilica. “GUC will be instrumental in the widespread distribution and market acceptance of our Diamond Standard Series processor family, particularly in China where hardened core is an ideal delivery mechanism for meeting rapid design cycle goals.”

About Global Unichip Corp.

Global Unichip Corp. (GUC), a dedicated full service SoC (System On Chip) Design Foundry based in Taiwan, was founded in 1998. GUC provides total solutions from silicon-proven IPs to complex time-to-market SoC turnkey services. GUC is committed to providing the most advanced and the best price-performance silicon solutions through close partnership with TSMC, GUC major shareholder, and other key packaging and testing power houses. With state of the art EDA tools, advanced methodologies, and experienced technical team, GUC ensures the highest quality and lowest risks to achieve first silicon success. GUC has established a global customer base throughout Greater China, Japan, Korea, North America, and Europe. Its track-record in complex SoC designs has brought benefits to customers in time to revenue at the lowest risk. For more information, please visit http://www.globalunichip.com

About Tensilica

Tensilica offers the broadest line of controller, CPU and specialty DSP processors on the market today, in both an off-the-shelf format via the Diamond Standard Series cores and with full designer configurability with the Xtensa processor family. Tensilica’s low-power, benchmark proven processors have been designed into high-volume products at industry leaders in the digital consumer, networking and telecommunications markets. All Tensilica processor cores are complete with a matching software development tool environment, portfolio of system simulation models, and hardware implementation tool support. For more information on Tensilica's patented approach to the creation of application-specific building blocks for SOC design, visit www.tensilica.com.