Cadence and MIPS technologies Deliver Encounter Reference Methodology for Industry's Highest Performance 32-Bit Core Family

Using the Industry-Standard Cadence RTL-to-GDSII Flow, Customers of the 24K™ Core Family Have a Path to High Quality of Silicon

SAN JOSE and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - April 5, 2004 - Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CDN) and MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS), announced the availability of an optimized MIPS-Cadence® Encounter™ Reference Methodology for customers of MIPS32® 24K™ cores, which is the embedded industry's highest performing 32-bit synthesizable core family available for licensing (see related announcement by MIPS Technologies). Available to customers of the 24K core family, the optimized Encounter digital IC design platform delivers superior performance and ease-of-use to MIPS-Based™ system-on-chip (SoC) designers by incorporating the SoC Encounter RTL-to-GDSII system and Encounter RTL Compiler synthesis with the support for a generic 130 nanometer process.

At nanometer geometries, SoC performance is dominated by the timing and noise behavior of a chip's routed wires. The Encounter Reference Methodology optimized for the 24K core family provides an integrated, wire-centric RTL-to-GDSII core implementation for customers, fulfilling the objective to optimize the silicon design chain by providing better quality of silicon (QoS). The Encounter platform integrates best-of-breed technology for wire-centric design with RTL Compiler synthesis, First Encounter® for silicon virtual prototyping, NanoRoute™ nanometer router technology for signal integrity (SI) aware routing, and CeltIC™ SI and VoltageStorm™ tools for signal integrity signoff. This Reference Methodology enables customers to achieve improved QoS, the new metric of silicon quality measured after wires for accuracy.

"As MIPS Technologies pushes the limits of performance in synthesizable microprocessor technology, it's important that we ensure customers have the technologies with which to meet their design goals quickly," said Victor Peng, vice president, engineering, MIPS Technologies. "By working closely with Cadence on the 24K reference flow, we have enabled our customers to produce hardened 24K databases that achieve high frequencies and small die areas with reduced runtimes."

"We are pleased with the role of RTL Compiler global synthesis technology in optimizing the silicon design chain. The results of our teamwork with MIPS Technologies enable us to provide our mutual customers with a predictable path from RTL to better first silicon. This new MIPS-Cadence Encounter Reference Methodology for use with 24K cores can eliminate weeks from our customers efforts to implement 24K core designs." said Dr. Chi-Ping Hsu, corporate vice president, synthesis solutions, Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

"The Artisan SAGE-HS Libraries are specifically designed for high-performance consumer electronics," said Neal Carney, vice president of marketing at Artisan. "We are pleased that Artisan libraries were chosen to help launch the high-performance core and the MIPS-Cadence Encounter 24K reference methodology."

In order to achieve high QoS with an industry-standard design flow, MIPS Technologies is using the Encounter platform's wires-first methodology and best-of-breed technologies, such as Encounter RTL Compiler and the SoC Encounter RTL-GDSII system. The SoC Encounter system offers integrated silicon virtual prototyping, physical implementation, SI-aware routing and signal integrity technologies for nanometer designs, like the 24K core design.

About Cadence Encounter RTL Compiler
The Encounter RTL Compiler system replaces traditional design flows with a new design strategy that minimizes time-to-wires and full-chip iteration time. Encounter RTL Compiler provides a higher level of QoS by measuring a design's physical characteristics in terms of area, performance, and power - using wires. The technology behind Encounter RTL Compiler synthesis delivers global optimization for timing closure using a set of global algorithms that produce outstanding results at each stage of implementation, including a better starting point for routing complex, wire-centric designs. The Encounter RTL Compiler is used throughout the silicon design chain by application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and intellectual property (IP) vendors, and IC designers to help increase overall chip speed. It can also help to reduce turnaround time.

About the MIPS32 24K Core Family
The MIPS32 24K core family, which includes the 24Kc™, 24Kc Pro, 24Kf™ and 24Kf Pro versions, offers performance from 400 to 550 MHz worst case in a 130 nanometer process, the highest frequency available in 32-bit synthesizable cores for embedded markets, while minimizing design time and reducing product costs. Tailored SOC design methodologies, an Open Core Protocol (OCP) interconnect structure, standard libraries and on-chip memories from industry-leading companies help speed time-to-market, an important advantage for a processor core suited to embedded consumer applications such as digital and interactive TVs, set-top boxes and DVD players.

Availability of the Optimized Cadence Encounter Reference Methodology
MIPS Technologies is offering customers of the 24K core family the Cadence Encounter platform reference methodology with the relevant synthesis scripts and floorplanning information. Support for the reference methodology is provided by MIPS Technologies. For more details, visit the MIPS Technologies Website or contact the company at +1 650 567 5000.

About MIPS Technologies
MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and business applications. The company drives the broadest architectural alliance that is delivering 32- and 64-bit embedded RISC solutions. The company licenses its intellectual property to semiconductor companies, ASIC developers, and system OEMs. MIPS Technologies and its licensees offer the widest range of robust, scalable processors in standard, custom, semi-custom and application-specific products. The company is based in Mountain View, Calif., and can be reached at +1 (650) 567-5000 or www.mips.com.

About Cadence
Cadence is the largest supplier of electronic design technologies, methodology services, and design services. Cadence solutions are used to accelerate and manage the design of semiconductors, computer systems, networking and telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and a variety of other electronics-based products. With approximately 4,800 employees and 2003 revenues of approximately $1.1 billion, Cadence has sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CDN. More information about the company, its products and services is available at www.cadence.com.