Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS Proven to Provide 5X Faster Runtime
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 26, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magma(r) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced that ZiiLABS, pioneers of StemCell(tm) Computing, used Magma's Quartz(tm) DRC and Quartz LVS Physical Verification system to tape out the recently announced ZMS-05 processor. The Quartz tools are part of ZiiLABS' ultra low-power, 65-nanometer (nm) system-on-a-chip (SoC) implementation environment based on Magma's Talus(r) platform. The scalability of the Quartz products and the integration with Talus enabled ZiiLABS to significantly reduce the time to tape out of the ZMS-05.
The ZMS-05 is a media-rich application processor that delivers high-performance application, graphics and multimedia capabilities within a low-power environment to enable its customers to develop a broad range of products to deliver enhanced mobile internet browsing, media playback and capture, navigation, video communication and gaming.
The multi-core design includes 24 fully programmable processing elements, dual ARM cores, and a broad range of I/Os and peripheral functions. The ZMS-05 achieves ultra low-power consumption through its unique architecture and implementation methodology. The design features dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, multiple clock domains, RAM standby and voltage islanding, allowing independent power down of 16 regions in the chip.
"As a market innovator in low-power SoCs, ZiiLABS invests in advanced electronic design automation (EDA) solutions that enable us to deliver highly complex products to market on time and on budget," said Paul Pontin, vice president of Technical Strategy at ZiiLABS. "Using a multi-CPU methodology during full-chip verification, Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS reduced runtime from 2.5 days to 9 hours - making it an overnight run. This provided a significant productivity gain during tapeout. Foundry runsets for both 90 nm and 65 nm were readily available to download and Magma's focused support provided a high degree of confidence in achieving success on this critical tapeout."
"With the inherently faster speed enabled by its scalable multi-CPU architecture, using Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS for final sign-off dramatically reduced final physical verification turnaround time of the ZMS-05," said Suk Lee, general manager of Magma's Custom Design Business Unit. "That speedup coupled with the integration of Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS into the Talus implementation environment also dramatically reduced overall implementation time and effort."
Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS are architected to process integrated circuit (IC) designs of any size, at any technology node, in the least amount of time. Magma's is the first truly scalable physical verification solution, able to provide turnaround time that is up to an order of magnitude faster than existing solutions by leveraging existing compute resources. The Quartz tools are fully compatible with third-party IC implementation flows and can read file formats used by traditional physical verification tools. Integrated with Magma's Talus platform for digital implementation, Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS offer additional time savings by eliminating the need to stream data between the implementation system and the physical verification tool.
The latest release of the Quartz DRC/LVS products also offers an enhanced power/ground short-detection capability that pinpoints the exact location of shorts rather than just the path, and detects multiple shorts in a single run. This makes shorts easier to correct and speeds full-chip debug.
About ZiiLABS
ZiiLABS is a leader in media-rich application processors, hardware platforms and advanced middleware. Its products enable OEMs, ODMs, system integrators and developers to deliver industry-leading devices and applications across a broad range of consumer electronics and embedded markets. Originally founded in 1994 as 3DLABS, the company re-branded and joined with the Personal Digital Entertainment group of Creative Labs to form ZiiLABS in January 2009. The company has over US$1 billion and 10,000 man years invested in media processing solutions and has offices in the UK, China, USA and Singapore. The company has a new website at: www.ziilabs.com.
About Magma
Magma's software for designing integrated circuits (ICs) is used to create complex, high-performance chips required in cellular telephones, electronic games, WiFi, MP3 players, DVD/digital video, networking, automotive electronics and other electronic applications. Magma's EDA software for IC implementation, analysis, physical verification, circuit simulation and characterization is recognized as embodying the best in semiconductor technology, enabling the world's top chip companies to "Design Ahead of the Curve"(tm) while reducing design time and costs. Magma is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices around the world. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.
Magma and Talus are registered trademarks, and "Design Ahead of the Curve" and Quartz are trademarks of Magma Design Automation Inc. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Forward-looking Statements:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements that Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS improve designer efficiency and productivity, reduce runtime and work seamlessly with Talus products, and about the features and benefits of Magma's software and ZiiLABS chips are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including but not limited to the ability of Magma's and ZiiLABS' products to produce the desired results and the companies' abilities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors may be found in Magma's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). The company undertakes no additional obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Magma Design Automation Inc. Monica Marmie, Director, Marketing Communications (408) 565-7689 Email Contact
