Imagination Technologies Wins a Best IP/SoC Prize 2002

London, UK - November 18th, 2002 - Imagination Technologies [LSE:IMG], a leader in system on chip (SoC) IP, today reports that it has won a Best IP/SoC Prize at the 11th IFIP Workshop & Exhibition on IP Based SoC Design, held on October 30-31, 2002 in Grenoble, France. The workshop was organised by Design and Re-use (D+R), which provides a global collaboration network for sharing design resources in the electronics SoC industry.

During the event more than 80 papers were presented in the sessions. Two best IP/SoC design prizes were delivered to the most promising innovative IP/SoC designs presented. The awards consisted of a golden encapsulated prototype wafer from Alliance (ST Microelectronics, Philips and Motorola) and were presented by Jacques Trilhe from ST Microelectronics to:

• Paul van Zeijl from Ericsson Licensing Technology for "A Bluetooth radio in 0.18um CMOS"

and

• David McBrien from Imagination Technologies, (also representing Frontier Silicon), for "Efficient Free-to-Air DVB-T System Solution Supported by IP-Based SoC Designs"

The joint Imagination Technologies and Frontier Silicon paper focused on the recently announced Logie (FS-5021) SoC. This is the first integrated single-chip digital TV and digital radio product, and is based on intellectual property (IP) supplied by UK-based Imagination Technologies. It is available from Frontier Silicon, a fabless semiconductor business. Mass-production volumes of Logie will be available by early 2003.

The FS-5021 enables a number of digital video, audio and broadcast applications on a single low-cost SoC, and is expected it to benefit areas such as low cost set-top boxes and mass market integrated digital televisions.

Product types using Logie will include:

• Low cost digital TV STBs (Set-top Boxes) that adapt existing TVs to receive DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) and DAB (Digital Radio.) 

• Mass market Integrated Digital Televisions (IDTV), including advanced technology that uses Logie's flexibility to process both analogue and digital TV signals on the same chip. This means TV manufacturers can replace their existing analogue-only TV chips with Logie to provide both the analogue and digital processing power in televisions. 

• Products offering any combination of digital entertainment technologies in a single box, including: DTT, Analogue TV, DAB digital radio, DVD, PVR (Personal Video Recording / Digital Video Recording), CD, Digital Home Cinema Audio (Dolby and DTS standards up to six-channels).

Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies said: "Imagination Technologies' strategy of focusing on intellectual property at this level has been endorsed by the semiconductor industry through the winning of such awards. In this particular case Frontier Silicon and Imagination were driven by real market requirements and the result, Logie, provides an ideal solution for consumer OEMs."

About Frontier Silicon
Operating at the frontiers of the digital revolution Frontier Silicon is a fabless semiconductor business whose core products include system-on-chip (SoC) devices and RF baseband modules for Digital TV, Digital Radio and other emerging consumer multimedia products. Frontier is the number one supplier of DAB processors, worldwide. Its key markets include consumer electronic, automotive entertainment and PDA/mobile phone manufacturers. See: www.frontier-silicon.com.

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international IP licensing company that develops and supplies market-leading graphics/video cores, real-time DSP-enabled multithreaded processors and communication and broadcast technologies for the consumer entertainment and PC markets through its PowerVR, Metagence and Ensigma divisions. It supplies both licensable IP (Intellectual Property) and related advanced development tools to leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies worldwide. The company's PURE Digital division creates innovative, award-winning consumer entertainment products. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG).