Atmel Extends and Expands Partnership With Mentor Graphics

Atmel Extends and Expands Partnership With Mentor Graphics, OEM Agreement Spans Synthesis, Simulation and Verification

SAN JOSE, California and WILSONVILLE, Oregon, November 9/PRNewswire/

Atmel(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) and Mentor Graphics Corporation(Nasdaq: MENT), today announced a multi-year extension and expansion of theexisting OEM agreement for advanced synthesis, simulation, and verificationtools from Mentor Graphics. The new agreement signifies the industry's mostcomprehensive OEM relationship between a programmable logic device (PLD)vendor and electronic design automation (EDA) solutions provider, and spansthe full spectrum of tools essential for both FPGA and CPLD design.

Through this OEM agreement, FPGA designers can now easily realize thepower of the Precision(R) RTL Synthesis tool from Mentor Graphics withinAtmel's FPSLIC(R) FPGA and the ProChip Designer(R) CPLD development systems.

Additionally, the partnership extends support of the industry leadingModelSim(R) simulator from Mentor Graphics to all of Atmel's CPLD devices.

Users of the FPSLIC development system will get continued support for boththe ModelSim simulator and the Seamless(R) hardware/software co-verificationproduct from Mentor Graphics.

"Mentor Graphics is a leader in FPGA and PLD design tools. We havepartnered closely over the past five years, and Atmel is pleased to extendour long standing relationship," said Gladwyn D'Souza, product director,Programmable Devices, Atmel Corporation. "Our customers need completesynthesis, simulation, and verification solutions for both CPLD and FPGAdevelopment flows. So it was an easy choice to select Mentor Graphics to helpcomplement and enhance Atmel's design tool suite for our new devices. Workingin close partnership, Mentor Graphics tools will help our customers takeadvantage of the exceptional value and performance of Atmel devices," heconcluded.

"This agreement reaffirms Mentor Graphics continued technology andbusiness leadership in FPGA design tools, and is reflective of our commitmentto provide comprehensive solutions for a broad range of programmable logicdevices. By combining the strengths of our Precision RTL Synthesis, ModelSimand Seamless tools with Atmel's devices, we offer our mutual customersunprecedented performance and functionality," said Simon Bloch, generalmanager, Design Creation and Synthesis Division, Mentor Graphics. "We firmlybelieve that the addition of these advanced synthesis, simulation, andverification tools to their FPGA and CPLD design tools will enable newcustomers to adopt Atmel's technology."

Advanced Design Capabilities and Improved Performance

The Precision RTL Synthesis tool is designed to enable professionaldesign engineers to quickly analyze, diagnose and resolve complex designissues with powerful features such as an ASIC-strength static timing analysistool and intuitive design project management. This power ultimately createsoutstanding performance in customers' end applications. Mentor Graphics iscurrently optimizing Precision RTL Synthesis support for Atmel's CPLD devicesas well as FPSLIC FPGAs. Extended Atmel device support will be available inthe next Precision RTL Synthesis release later this year. Shipments of Atmeldevelopment systems, including the new configurations with Mentor Graphicstools, are expected early next year.

About Atmel FPSLIC and CPLD Devices

Atmel's AT94K and AT94S family of Field Programmable System LevelIntegrated Circuits (FPSLIC devices) combine all the basic system buildingblocks (logic, memory and uC) in an SRAM-based monolithic field programmabledevice. The FPSLIC programmable SLI platform allows true system level designsto be implemented without the need for expensive NRE (non-recurringengineering) charges or costly software tools. FPSLIC for the first time putssystem level integration on every designer's desk. The FPSLIC Secure (AT94S)combination of FPSLIC and the serial configuration memory in a single packageallows for ISP and remote updates of FPSLIC while hiding programming code forthe FPGA and AVR micro.

Atmel's ATF15xx CPLD family offers pin-compatible supersets of thepopular 7000 and 3000 series devices ranging from 32 to 128 (soon to be 256)macrocells with propagation delays from 7.5 to 15 ns for 5V standard powerversions and 15 ns for 3.3V versions. All products are available in lowvoltage versions and Atmel's proprietary low-power ("L") versions that useInput Transition Detection (ITD) to power down the device automatically whennothing is switching. All devices also support JTAG in-system programming(ISP).

About Atmel

Atmel is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture ofmicrocontrollers, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radiofrequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadestintellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to providethe electronics industry with complete system solutions. Focused on consumer,industrial, security, communications, computing and automotive markets, AtmelICs can be found Everywhere You Are(SM).

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware andsoftware design solutions, providing products, consulting services andaward-winning support for the world's most successful electronics andsemiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenuesover the last 12 months of about US$675 million and employs approximately3,800 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W.

Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquartersare located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. WorldWide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/ .

NOTE: Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof and FPSLIC(R) and ProChipDesigner(R) are registered trademarks, and Everywhere You Are(SM) is thetrademark of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Mentor Graphics,Precision, ModelSim, Seamless, and specific product designations are eitherregistered trademarks or trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation or itssubsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Other terms andproduct names may be trademarks of others.

Information:

For further information on Programmable Logic, go tohttp://www.atmel.com/products/Config/ and http://www.atmel.com/products/PLD/

Atmel Press Contacts:

Clive Over, Director of Press Relations - USA and Asia

Phone: +1-408-451-2855, Email: cliveover@atmel.com

Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe

Phone: +33-1-30-60-70-68, Email: veronique.sablereau@atmel.com

Web site: http://www.mentor.com

Web site: http://www.atmel.com

Source: Atmel Corporation

Clive Over, Director of Press Relations - USA and Asia, +1-408-451-2855, or cliveover@atmel.com, or Veronique Sablereau, Corporate Communications Manager - Europe, +33-1-30-60-70-68, or veronique.sablereau@atmel.com, both of Atmel Corporation

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