Synopsys Releases DesignWare SATA IP for New SATA 6Gbps Data Transfer Rate

DesignWare SATA Controllers Deliver High-Performance for Next Generation Solid
State Drives and Enterprise Class Storage SoCs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synopsys, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design,
verification and manufacturing, today announced the availability of
DesignWare(R) SATA AHCI host and device digital controller IP for the latest
SATA 6 Gigabit per second (Gbps) data transfer rate as defined in the Serial
ATA (SATA) Revision 3.0 specification. This doubles the data rate of the
previous (version 2.6) specification. DesignWare SATA IP significantly speeds
the deployment of the 6Gbps interface into solid state drives and enterprise
class storage system SoCs. Synopsys will be demonstrating its SATA 6Gbps
capabilities in the SATA-IO booth at the upcoming Computex exhibition in
Taiwan, June 2nd through June 6th.

The DesignWare SATA digital controllers for the SATA 6Gbps data transfer rate
support numerous features available in the SATA Revision 3.0 Specification
including new streaming Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and power management
states. Streaming NCQ introduces isochrononous priority to help improve the
quality of service for audio/video streaming. For more power efficient
systems, the DesignWare SATA controllers implement power mode states that
allow a direct transition from partial to full slumber mode, bypassing the
active state. Furthermore, the inclusion of a well-defined embedded DMA engine
enables designers to achieve optimal system performance while maintaining low
latency and minimal CPU overhead. The included VMM-enabled DesignWare SATA
Verification IP speeds the development of powerful SystemVerilog testbenches.

"As a leading fabless design integrator, GUC is committed to delivering high
quality designs to our customers," said Percy Tan, product marketing director
at Global Unichip. "Synopsys is an established IP provider and utilizing their
silicon-proven DesignWare SATA IP solutions for our state-of-the-art solid
state drive designs enables us and our customers to significantly reduce risk,
cost and speed development time of our complex SoCs."

The SATA interface has evolved to address the growing demand for higher
performance, greater storage capacity and longer battery life in mass storage
devices such as solid state drives, hard disk drives and host storage
controllers. As devices saturate the current SATA 3Gbps data transfer rate,
the SATA 6Gbps interface, with 600 MB/s of read/write speed, addresses high
bandwidth needs. Furthermore, the latest specification is backward compatible
with the SATA 1.5Gbps and SATA 3Gbps interfaces, allowing designers to easily
migrate to the faster data transfer rate while maintaining interoperability
with existing SATA products.

"By providing IP that supports the SATA 3.0 specification, Synopsys is
enabling the design community to quickly adopt the SATA interface and benefit
from the fast 6Gbps data transfer rate," said Marc Noblitt, SATA-IO board
representative. "We look forward to seeing our members continue to drive
advancements that help make SATA the storage interface of choice."

"As a leading provider of SATA IP, Synopsys employs a comprehensive validation
process to deliver DesignWare IP that is of high quality and functions to the
SATA 3.0 specification," said Kevin Kearney, PSG director of Storage Protocol
Products at LeCroy. "By utilizing LeCroy's protocol analyzer as an additional
element in their verification process, Synopsys gives designers further
confidence that the DesignWare SATA IP has met the full range of protocol
requirements at the new higher 6Gbps speeds."

"Next generation SSD's and Enterprise Storage Controllers are driving
significant advancements into the storage market such as higher bandwidth,
enhanced power efficiency and increased reliability," said John Koeter, vice
president of the Solutions Group at Synopsys. "As companies incorporate the
new SATA 6Gbps interface in their high-performance SoCs, Synopsys is there
with a high-quality, silicon-proven IP solution that will help designers
quickly implement the latest SATA functionality with less risk and improved
time-to-market."

Synopsys provides designers with a complete DesignWare SATA IP solution
consisting of the device and host digital controllers, PHY and verification
IP, which are silicon-proven and shipping in volume production. The complete
solution has passed the latest SATA-IO Building Block interoperability testing
at the SATA 3Gbps data transfer rate. Synopsys will participate in the SATA
6Gbps interoperability testing as it becomes available. Synopsys will be
attending the upcoming SATA-IO Plugfest and Interoperability Workshop in June
2009 with its DesignWare SATA IP solution.

Availability
The DesignWare SATA AHCI host and device digital controllers and verification
IP for SATA 6Gbps are available now. For more information on Synopsys'
complete DesignWare SATA IP solution consisting of the digital controllers,
PHY and verification IP, please visit: http://www.synopsys.com/sata.

About DesignWare IP
Synopsys is the leading provider of high-quality, silicon-proven interface and
analog IP solutions for system-on-chip designs. Synopsys' broad IP portfolio
delivers complete connectivity IP solutions consisting of controllers, PHY and
verification IP for widely used protocols such as USB, PCI Express, DDR, SATA,
HDMI and Ethernet. The analog IP family includes Analog-to-Digital Converters,
Digital-to-Analog Converters, Audio Codecs, Video Analog Front Ends, Power
Management solutions and more. In addition, Synopsys offers SystemC
transaction-level models to build virtual platforms for rapid, pre-silicon
development of software. With a robust IP development methodology, extensive
investment in quality and comprehensive technical support, Synopsys enables
designers to accelerate time-to-market and reduce integration risk. For more
information on DesignWare IP, visit: http://www.synopsys.com/designware.

About Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS) is a world leader in electronic design
automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with the software,
intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor design and
manufacturing. Synopsys' comprehensive, integrated portfolio of
implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate
array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and
manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management,
software-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These technology-leading
solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive edge in bringing the best
products to market quickly while reducing costs and schedule risk. Synopsys is
headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has more than 60 offices
located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Visit
Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.

Synopsys and DesignWare are registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. Any other
trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the
intellectual property of their respective owners.

Editorial Contact:

Sheryl Gulizia
Synopsys, Inc.
650-584-8635
sgulizia@synopsys.com

Karen Do
MCA
650-968-8900 x108
kdo@mcapr.com

SOURCE Synopsys, Inc.

Sheryl Gulizia, Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-8635, sgulizia@synopsys.com; or
Karen Do, MCA, +1-650-968-8900, ext. 108, kdo@mcapr.com