Open-Silicon, MIPS Technologies, and Virage Logic Achieve High Performance ASIC Processor Design

Open-Silicon, MIPS Technologies, and Virage Logic Achieve High Performance
ASIC Processor Design
65nm Silicon Runs 1.1GHz Today; 40nm Target to Exceed 2.5GHz

MILPITAS, SUNNYVALE and FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Open-Silicon,
Inc., MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS), and Virage Logic (Nasdaq: VIRL)
today announced the co-development of test chips showcasing the companies'
industry-leading technologies for building high-performance processor-based
systems. The companies achieved successful 65 nanometer (nm) silicon testing
of a processor test chip at 1.1GHz, making it one of the fastest processors
built in a 65nm ASIC. Also, work has begun on a follow-on 40nm device
targeting frequencies in excess of 2.5GHz and providing over 5000 DMIPS of
performance. Both efforts utilize Open-Silicon's CoreMAX(TM) technology as
well as the superscalar MIPS32® 74K® processor core, a fully synthesizable
processor core widely used in high-end digital consumer devices, set top
boxes, and networking solutions.

The 65nm test chip was designed to show how the companies' technologies can be
used to achieve top performance in a standard ASIC implementation. The 74K
processor core is complemented with 32KB L1 instruction and data caches, a
512KB L2 cache, and system and memory controller blocks, and was implemented
using TSMC's 65nm GP process with standard 10 track libraries and Virage
Logic's SiWare(TM) Memory compilers. The companies have working silicon
running at 1.1 GHz. To achieve this goal, Open-Silicon applied its patented
CoreMAX performance enhancement technology to the design. This technology
permitted the designers to build several hundred new standard cells targeted
specifically at speeding up the design's critical paths. This, along with the
advanced SiWare Memory compilers and a triple Vt process option, allowed final
design worst-case timing closure across all corners at 1.1GHz with standard
ASIC margins.

"Open-Silicon was proud to work with our partners MIPS Technologies and Virage
Logic to demonstrate our performance optimization technology," stated Dr.
Naveed Sherwani, CEO and president of Open-Silicon. "Open-Silicon's CoreMAX
has been used across more than 50 customer designs to gain an extra 10% of
performance, giving them a competitive edge in their markets. It is a
testament to the Open-Silicon technology to take a blazingly fast MIPS
processor, use mainstream TSMC standard cell libraries, and achieve a new
level of performance."

"For more than a decade, Virage Logic's embedded memories have been the IP of
choice for high performance processor implementations," said Dr. Alex Shubat,
CEO and president of Virage Logic. "We are excited to serve as Open-Silicon's
and MIPS Technologies' trusted IP partner and provide them with silicon-proven
high speed memory technology that helps remove system bottlenecks and delivers
the highest levels of performance possible."

The 40nm test chip in development is planned to reach silicon in the first
quarter of 2010. The performance target is very high; frequencies above
2.5GHz are expected when selected from typical silicon, providing over 5000
DMIPS at top speeds. This test chip will include a floating point version of
the 74K processor core, along with L2 cache, and system and memory controller
blocks.

"MIPS Technologies has long been a performance leader in the processor IP
industry, and we are continuing that tradition with these latest
achievements," said John Bourgoin, CEO and president of MIPS Technologies.
"The 74K core is popular as the primary CPU in DTV, IPTV and cable set-top
boxes, networking applications and other applications requiring high levels of
performance. As we continue to push the performance bar with new technologies
and through collaboration with industry leaders like Open-Silicon and Virage
Logic, MIPS Technologies' customers will enjoy the necessary processor
headroom to support continued feature enhancement for years to come."

About Open-Silicon, Inc.
Open-Silicon, Inc. is a leading semiconductor company focused on setting new
standards for predictable, reliable and flexible custom IC development.
Open-Silicon provides leading edge ASIC and SoC design, proven open market IP
integration and high quality silicon manufacturing services to customers
worldwide. Through the MAX Technologies, Open-Silicon continues to introduce
technology advantages in the areas of low power design, high performance
processor implementation, variability management, and low cost test that help
customers increase their market success. In 2008, Open-Silicon was recognized
by the GSA as the Most Respected Private Semiconductor Company. For more
information, visit Open-Silicon's website at www.open-silicon.com or call
408-240-5700.

About MIPS Technologies, Inc.
MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS) is a leading provider of
industry-standard processor architectures and cores that power some of the
world's most popular products for the home entertainment, communications,
networking and portable multimedia markets. These include broadband devices
from Linksys, DTVs and digital consumer devices from Sony, DVD recordable
devices from Pioneer, digital set-top boxes from Motorola, network routers
from Cisco, 32-bit microcontrollers from Microchip Technology and laser
printers from Hewlett-Packard. Founded in 1998, MIPS Technologies is
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices worldwide. For more
information, contact (408) 530-5000 or visit www.mips.com.

About Virage Logic
Virage Logic is a leading provider of both functional and physical
semiconductor intellectual property (IP) for the design of complex integrated
circuits. The company's highly differentiated product portfolio includes
processor centric solutions, interface IP solutions, embedded SRAMs and NVMs,
embedded memory test and repair, logic libraries, and memory development
software. As the industry's trusted semiconductor IP partner, more than 350
foundry, IDM and fabless customers rely on Virage Logic to achieve higher
performance, lower power, higher density and optimal yield, as well as shorten
time-to-market and time-to-volume. For further information, visit
http://www.viragelogic.com.

CoreMAX is a trademark of Open-Silicon, Inc. MIPS, MIPS32 and 74K are
trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries
of MIPS Technologies, Inc. SiWare Memory is a trademark of Virage Logic
Corporation. All other trademarks referred to herein are the property of
their respective owners.

SOURCE Open-Silicon, Inc.; MIPS Technologies, Inc.; Virage Logic

Hillary Cain of Dynamic Flow Marketing, +1-831-439-2071,
hcain@dynamicflow.com; or Jen Bernier of MIPS Technologies, Inc.,
+1-408-530-5178, jenb@mips.com; or Sabina Burns of Virage Logic, Corp.,
+1-510-743-8115, Sabina.burns@viragelogic.com