Sunplus Raises Quality of Multimedia IC Verification with SpringSoft Functional Qualification System

SpringSoft, Inc. (TAIEX: 2473), a global supplier of specialized IC design software, today announced that Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd. (TAIEX: 2401)(LSE: SUPD) has adopted its Certitude^™ Functional Qualification System. The Certitude software enables Taiwan-based Sunplus to improve the effectiveness of hardware verification and produce high quality multimedia IC design solutions.

Sunplus verification engineers are faced with the extraordinary challenge of verifying the increasingly complex ICs needed to power the next generation of high-definition home entertainment products. SpringSoft’s Certitude software is deployed to identify verification weaknesses and major holes that could let register transfer level (RTL) bugs slip through undetected. By integrating the Certitude automation technologies and analysis capabilities into the hardware verification environment, Sunplus engineers are able to implement a functional verification methodology that raises the quality of results.

"Verification of our feature-rich multimedia ICs is getting more difficult with each new design generation. With Certitude, we are able to determine very quickly whether there are critical weaknesses, and then build a more robust verification environment to ensure the design quality Sunplus customers expect,” said Dr. Siuleong Yu, R&D vice president for Sunplus.

"Determining if your verification environment is good enough to catch most RTL bugs is a major challenge using existing code and functional coverage techniques. They do not provide enough data to help engineers objectively measure the quality of their environment,” said George Bakewell, director of product marketing at SpringSoft. "Sunplus understands the value of analyzing its verification efforts using functional qualification, especially for leading-edge designs. Certitude gives Sunplus engineers RTL-based tools and metrics to improve the quality and completeness of verification and fix holes and weaknesses that can otherwise let RTL bugs go undetected.”

About Certitude Functional Qualification

The Certitude^™ Functional Qualification System removes verification uncertainty and accelerates functional closure of complex IP and SoC designs. Its unique automation technology combines mutation-based techniques with static analysis to measure effectiveness, identify significant weaknesses, and improve the quality of results of HDL simulation-based verification environments. The Certitude system is interoperable with existing tool flows and fully compatible with all current functional verification methodologies, and is an integral part of SpringSoft’s family of Novas^™ Verification Enhancement products that enable engineers to do more verification in less time. For more information about the Certitude product, visit: http://www.springsoft.com/products/functional-qualification/certitude.

About Sunplus

Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd., established in 1990, is a leading provider of multimedia IC solutions to home entertainment platforms for DVD players, Set-Top-Boxes, LCD TVs and Digital TVs and upcoming high definition home entertainment products such as BD players, HD Set-Top-Boxes and Full-HD Digital TVs. Sunplus multimedia ICs and system solutions enable customers to build digital home entertainment products with superior quality and performance. Sunplus is headquartered in Taiwan and has service offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. For more information, please visit Sunplus website at www.sunplus.com.

About SpringSoft

SpringSoft, Inc. is a global supplier of specialized automation technologies that accelerate engineers during the design, verification and debug of complex digital, analog and mixed-signal ICs, ASICs, microprocessors, and SoCs. Its award-winning product portfolio features the Novas Verification Enhancement and Laker™ Custom IC Design solutions used by more than 400 of today's leading IDM and fabless semiconductor companies, foundries, and electronic systems OEMs. Headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and San Jose, California, SpringSoft is the largest company in Asia specializing in IC design software and a recognized industry leader in customer service with more than 400 employees located in multiple R&D sites and local support offices around the world. For more information, visit www.springsoft.com

Certitude, Novas and Laker are trademarks of SpringSoft, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.