Symwave and LeCroy Accelerate Time-to-Market for Next Generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Storage Devices

Collaboration Enables Symwave Design Verification & Compliance using LeCroy`s
Voyager M3 USB Host Emulation Platform
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. & CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--
Symwave, a leading silicon supplier of system solutions for SuperSpeed USB
devices, and LeCroy, a worldwide leader in serial data test solutions, today
announced their successful collaboration to accelerate the development of
Symwave`s advanced, next generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to SATA storage device.
Symwave utilized LeCroy`s Voyager M3 USB host emulation platform for system
design validation and USB 3.0 specification compliance to achieve faster
time-to-market for its consumer storage solution. Market research firm IDC
estimates that over 120 Million personal storage devices will be shipped in
2012, with the vast majority having a USB interface (IDC, Nov. 2008).

External storage devices are widely expected to be the first to adopt the
SuperSpeed USB standard due to the excessive time it takes to currently download
or backup large media files over legacy USB or FireWire interfaces. For example,
it would take almost 14 hours to transfer the contents of a 1 Terabyte (TB)
drive over USB 2.0, compared to just 1.3 hours with USB 3.0. A 20 Gigabyte (GB)
music library, or the equivalent of 20 hours of home video, will take over 20
minutes to transfer with USB 2.0, compared to 2 minutes with USB 3.0.

"The use of personal storage devices and the consumer`s expectations of product
performance are growing exponentially. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 offers greater bus
powering, more efficient power management, lower host CPU burden and a more than
10x transfer rate improvement," according to John O`Neill, vice president of
marketing at Symwave. "By year end, external storage products will achieve
transfer rates of up to 400MB/sec leveraging Symwave`s performance leading
products. To put that in perspective, this performance is almost 4 times faster
than gigabit Ethernet which only a few years ago was considered more bandwidth
than a consumer could ever use."

To accelerate the development schedule of Symwave`s USB storage solution, the
LeCroy Voyager M3 USB Protocol analyzer with integrated exerciser was used to
emulate a USB 3.0 host controller, generate USB 3.0 traffic, and monitor
end-to-end data transfers to the Symwave USB 3.0 device controller. The LeCroy
ReadyLink feature provides full-function link layer emulation that automates all
link layer handshaking, training, and flow control. The data analyzer and trace
capture capabilities enabled the SuperSpeed data path to be tested and debugged
for compliance with the USB 3.0 specification.

"LeCroy`s host emulator tools were instrumental in verifying the end-to-end
transfer of USB 3.0 host traffic to and from our storage controller," stated
Chris Thomas, CTO of Symwave. "The ability to support link management in
firmware and create host generator scripts from captured traces has enabled us
to rapidly validate the system functionality and performance of our device
controller with a high degree of confidence."

"We are pleased to collaborate with a pioneer like Symwave to help jump-start
the USB 3.0 market and accelerate the deployment of commercial products," said
Michael Romm, Director of Product Development at LeCroy`s Protocol Solutions
Group. "Working directly with Symwave`s R&D team has allowed LeCroy engineers to
collect valuable feedback and add new capabilities to make the Voyager exerciser
more flexible and configurable for SuperSpeed USB verification tasks."

Symwave`s SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Leadership

Symwave continues to demonstrate significant market leadership in SuperSpeed USB
3.0 product developments. Several notable firsts include:

* Industry`s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PHY demonstration on November 17, 2008
during the USB-IF SuperSpeed Developers Conference
* World`s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 mixed USB host/device vendor Interoperability
demonstration during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held January 8-11, 2009

* World`s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to SATA controller demonstration at CES,
showing a complete external storage solution in collaboration with first-tier
hard disk drive manufacturers
* First SuperSpeed device to be submitted to the SuperSpeed USB Platform
Integration Lab (PIL), hosted by Intel, for open interoperability testing with
available host controllers

LeCroy` SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Leadership

LeCroy`s Leadership in USB technology includes a long history that started with
the introduction of the first CATC analyzer for USB 1.0 in 1996. This legacy
continues today with several SuperSpeed USB accomplishments including:

* Introduction of the industry`s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 integrated analyzer
exerciser system in August 2008
* Shipment of the Industry`s first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Analyzer system in
September 2008
* Introduction of ReadyLink emulation mode which speeds product verification by
providing a full USB 3.0 link layer in the Voyager Exerciser platform.

About LeCroy

LeCroy Corporation is a worldwide leader in serial data test solutions, creating
advanced instruments that drive product innovation by quickly measuring,
analyzing, and verifying complex electronic signals. The Company offers
high-performance oscilloscopes, serial data analyzers, and global communications
protocol test solutions used by design engineers in the computer and
semiconductor, data storage device, automotive and industrial, and military and
aerospace markets. LeCroy`s 40-year heritage of technical innovation is the
foundation for its recognized leadership in "WaveShape Analysis"-capturing,
viewing, and measuring the high-speed signals that drive today's information and
communications technologies. LeCroy is headquartered in Chestnut Ridge, New
York. Company information is available at http://www.lecroy.com.

About Symwave, Inc.

Symwave is a global fabless semiconductor company developing connectivity SoCs
(System-On-Chip) and software solutions that enable PCs and other consumer
electronic devices to realize the benefits of USB 3.0. USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB)
improves device power management, transfers data tenfold faster and maintains
backwards compatibility with the billions of USB ports shipped to date.
Symwave`s high-performance mixed-signal products leverage the company`s
proprietary mixed-signal technology, IP and silicon design capabilities to bring
the benefits of uncompromised speed in low-cost standard CMOS processes. The
company is privately held with headquarters in Orange County, Calif., and design
centers in Shenzhen, China, and San Diego, Calif. Symwave is backed by top-tier
venture capital firms including Kodiak Venture Partners and CMEA Ventures.
Additional information is available at www.symwave.com.

LeCroy Company Contact:
Mike Micheletti, 408-486-7782
mike.micheletti@lecroy.com
or
LeCroy Media Contact:
Patrick Brightman, 973-263-5475
pbrightman@sgw.com
or
Symwave Company Contact:
John O`Neill, 949-542-4400
john.oneill@symwave.com
or
Symwave Media Contact:
Lauri Julian, 949-715-3049
l.julian@mediaconnectpr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009