Mentor Graphics Selects Paradigm Works to Aid Development Verification Component Toolkits it will deliver with its Inventra Intellectual Property

WILSONVILLE, Ore., September 10, 2003 - Mentor Graphics Corp. today announced that it has selected Paradigm Works (Andover, Mass.) to aid the development of system-level verification toolkits it will deliver with its Inventra^TM Intellectual Property. Paradigm Works offers an advanced verification component technology that ensures that customers can rapidly integrate their devices based on Mentor cores and thoroughly validate the quality of the integration.

Verification is one of the most critical parts of the system-on-chip (SoC) development process. With ever-increasing mask costs it is critically important to gain confidence that a design is functional before tape-out. The semiconductor industry is moving to the use of sophisticated verification components to facilitate SoC functional verification - especially as typical designs now carry multiple interfaces using different complex, communication protocols. This presents a challenge to designers, as verification environments must move vertically from the intellectual property (IP) level to the chip level, so that the interaction between all sub-systems can be verified to a high degree of confidence.

"Increasing IP complexity requires a layered approach to verification to provide SoC designers with early feedback on potential system-level problems," said Dave Wood, director of marketing for the Intellectual Property division of Mentor Graphics.

"Paradigm Works helps Mentor Graphics extend verification to the system level by providing a feature rich verification component to improve the functional quality of our customers' designs, and help achieve first pass success."

The Mentor Graphics verification toolkits will be delivered in the form of an e verification component (eVC) that is transparent to the end user. Mentor is working with Paradigm Works on packaging eVC toolkits with its cores. The verification toolkits include executable checkers, functional coverage items and basic test scenarios that ensure correct IP integration. The eVC will execute a thorough installation test to prove completeness and correctness of the core as delivered and installed in the customer's environment. Thereafter, the eVC will provide valuable feedback to chip and system designers regarding the interactions between customer's logic and the core and regarding the core's behavior on the core's external interface. The first core to be shipped with an e verification toolkit will be PCI Express.

"The high-quality, fully-featured design IP from Mentor Graphics requires a state-of-the art verification methodology," said Dr. Richard Vialls, chief technologist, verification, for Paradigm Works. "The advanced design of our eVC, coupled with the PCI Express domain knowledge of Paradigm Works and Mentor Graphics ensures first time success on every design."

Features of the Paradigm Works eVC include:

Layered architecture that allows separate and coordinated control and observation of each protocol layer within the PCI-Express protocol stack.
Simple, yet extremely powerful, test interface allows control over all aspects of eVC behavior and promotes re-use of test code.
Sequence based test interface allows for coordinated test scenarios across multiple protocol layers and even multiple eVCs.
Implementation of functional checks and functional coverage on PCI-SIG design compliance checklists.
The PCI-Express PIPE specification is supported for the interface within the PHY layer between MAC and PHY.
Simple migration from block-level to system-level testing.
Mechanisms for introduction of protocol errors and other special conditions at each protocol layer.
Fully extensible coverage collection interface.

About Paradigm Works
Paradigm Works is a leading global chip consulting company and verification IP provider that specializes in the development of ASIC and FPGA devices. Their development services include architecture, design, synthesis, functional verification, test, methodology, Specman®-based verification IP, and embedded software. Since its founding in 2000, the company's growth rate has exceeded 30% per year. Headquartered in Andover, Mass., Paradigm Works currently employs 50 people in the United States and Europe. For more information, please visit www.paradigm-works.com

About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $650 million and employs approximately 3,500 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com.

Mentor Graphics is a registered trademark and Inventra is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. eVC is a trademark of Verisity Ltd. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

# # #