IPextreme and NXP Semiconductors Bring First FlexRay Verification Environment to Market; New e Verification Component Improves Quality and Predictability for FlexRay Protocol Designers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Sept. 12, 2006--IPextreme Inc., a semiconductor technology licensing company, has reached an agreement with NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips Semiconductors) to sell and support their verification environment for FlexRay vehicle networking. IPextreme has added this highly complementary verification solution to its portfolio of semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP), which will enable engineers to validate their System-on-Chip (SoC) designs in a FlexRay network. IPextreme already sells and supports a FlexRay Communication Controller Core and this verification solution tests it in all corners of the FlexRay protocol, ensuring interoperability. This robust test method enables designers to proactively validate their FlexRay chip design before submitting a chip for FlexRay conformance testing, ensuring first-time-right results and faster time-to-market.

Last year NXP, a founding member of the FlexRay consortium, announced the world's first embedded FlexRay V2.1 communication controller and transceiver. The new verification component expands the NXP offering from FlexRay products to FlexRay IP. Verification specialists at Yogitech SPA assisted NXP in the creation of an e Verification Component (eVC), a complete and easy-to-use verification solution for use by FlexRay customers, developed using the Cadence(R) Incisive(R) verification platform from Cadence Design Systems, Inc. This eVC has validated the FlexRay executable reference model that also serves as the basis for the FlexRay conformance test. It also completes the FlexRay implementation IP package and enables customers to differentiate through their controller host interface, while ensuring full FlexRay interoperability. This verification solution enables customers to get to market even faster as it runs in the designer's existing development environment.

"The application of IPextreme's IP integration and licensing expertise to our FlexRay verification component will help drive forward the adoption of highly reliable FlexRay networks," said Paul van der Plas, general manager Automotive Business Line, NXP Semiconductors. "The eVC platform will accelerate the time to market and enable the cost reduction of advanced, high-bandwidth vehicle control applications that lead to increased safety and comfort for the driver."

Warren Savage, IPextreme CEO, added, "We are pleased to be able to raise the value to customers of our FlexRay offering with this excellent and highly synergetic verification solution from NXP. Bundling it with the FlexRay controller core that we sell and support from Freescale creates by far the most compelling and complete solution in the market for anyone who wants to add a FlexRay interface to their chips."

"Using the Incisive Plan-to-Closure Methodology, NXP and Yogitech were able to increase overall design and verification productivity, predictability, and quality," said Steve Glaser, corporate vice president of the Cadence Verification Division. "Through this partnership, customers of the complete FlexRay IP package will gain a productivity advantage, further enabling the increasingly more complex and competitive automotive ecosystem."

"We are excited to bring into the FlexRay e Verification Kit our long lasting experience as a VIP provider," said Silvano Motto, Yogitech CEO. "We believe that this partnership is a key milestone in order to achieve the high levels of quality and reliability inherently necessary in all products embedding a FlexRay interface."

The FlexRay e Verification Kit is available now from IPextreme. Contact them for pricing.

About IPextreme Inc.

IPextreme, a member of the Cadence Connections and OpenChoice IP programs, brings high-value Intellectual Property (IP) from large semiconductor companies to consumer and automotive System-on-Chip (SoC) designers worldwide. These products are silicon proven to minimize design risk and provided in a process independent and EDA neutral format, for easy use by the broadest range of customers. With a decade of experience in developing, packaging, licensing and supporting IP, our team offers a complete business solution for semiconductor companies to strategically leverage their internal IP portfolio to grow overall revenue. IPextreme has offices in Campbell, California, Munich, Germany and Tokyo, Japan. www.ip-extreme.com.