Mentor Graphics Offers Sonics(R) SMART Interconnect(TM) Solutions

Partnership Delivers Interoperable ESL Components for SoCs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- August 22, 2007-- Sonics, a premier supplier of system-on-chip (SoC) SMART Interconnect solutions, announced today that Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions are now available as library elements for Mentor Graphics' Vista(TM) and Visual Elite(TM) products. Mentor Graphics, a technology leader in electronic design automation (EDA), now offers a complete configuration, analysis and verification of SystemC SoC platforms based on Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions.

The push for more functions, more speed and lower power requires seamless operation between the SoC on-chip interconnect, which controls the system, and advanced design tools and methodologies that can support fast validation and analysis of the system. Substantial design and verification challenges arise because multi-core SoCs represent a distributed computing environment. The pre-verified advanced fabric features and data flow services available as part of Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions significantly reduces the system-level verification challenges when architecting SoCs at the RTL level. By offering a SystemC platform, Sonics also extends this predictability and the product development risk savings further by allowing faster design cycles and software development teams to take advantages of configurations for their development purposes. With these enhancements to SoC designs, Sonics is driving new economics for multi-core SoC development.

With this announcement, Mentor Graphics and Sonics are ensuring interoperability between Mentor's ESL design tools and the SystemC versions of Sonics SMART Interconnect solutions. Mentor Graphics' ESL tools, including Vista(TM), an advanced SystemC IDE and debug toolset and Visual Elite(TM), an ESL/RTL system integration tool, support Sonics' abstracted designs, providing a continuous flow to address interconnect challenges in leading-edge SoCs.

"Success in the ESL design space requires more than just point tools; it requires integration among best-in-class tools and IP in order to deliver maximum value for customers," said Glenn Perry, general manager, ESL/HDL design, Mentor Graphics. "We are pleased to cooperate with Sonics and their engineering team in order to deliver more efficient tools that are tightly aligned with our mutual customers' requirements."

"This relationship with Mentor enables Sonics' customers to further realize similar design efficiencies in what Sonics has gained internally by adopting SystemC modeling as an architecture development paradigm. As Sonics continues to expand its ESL support, we are very excited to be working with Mentor," said Phil Casini, Sonics vice president of marketing and business development.

About Sonics

Sonics Inc. is a premier supplier of SMART Interconnect solutions that deliver high SoC design predictability and increased design efficiency. Major semiconductor and systems companies including Broadcom, Samsung, Texas Instruments and Toshiba have applied Sonics' SMART Interconnect solutions in leading products in the wireless, digital multimedia and communications markets. Sonics is a privately-held company funded by Cadence Design Systems, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Ventures and venture capital firms Investar Capital, Smart Technology Ventures, TL Ventures, Easton Hunt Capital, JAFCO Ventures, and H&Q Asia-Pacific. For more information, see www.sonicsinc.com