Magma's Knights Camelot CAD Navigation Solution Now Links to Mentor Graphics YieldAssist Fault Diagnostic Engine

Automates Transfer of Results From Fault Diagnostic Engine to Failure Analysis Software


SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- SEMICON West -- Magma(r) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced it has worked with Mentor Graphics(r) to create an interface that links Mentor's YieldAssist(tm) test failure diagnostic engine to Magma's Knights Camelot(tm) CAD navigation for failure analysis. The interface allows the set of defective nets and locations from YieldAssist to be directly read and displayed inside of Magma's Camelot Navigation system. This integration eliminates any user translation between systems and enables faster and easier failure analysis.

Once in Camelot, failed-net information can be cross-mapped between the layout and the schematic, and communicated to fab and failure analysis tools for fast product debug and device analysis.

"Camelot's design analysis and CAD navigation capabilities are well known within the failure analysis community," said Greg Aldrich, director of marketing for Design-for-Test products at Mentor Graphics. "With the combination of YieldAssist and Camelot our mutual customers get more value from scan-based testing and save considerable time and effort getting to the root cause of silicon failures."

"Our goal is to enable true design for manufacturability by providing effective, streamlined solutions to failure analysis engineers," said Ankush Oberai, vice president of Magma's Fab Analysis Business Unit. "By automating the interface between YieldAssist and Camelot, Mentor and Magma have set a new standard in accuracy and throughput."

YieldAssist: Accurate Results and High Throughput

Mentor's YieldAssist advanced test failure diagnosis tool provides a comprehensive set of functionality to quickly analyze devices that fail manufacturing test. YieldAssist leverages production scan-test patterns generated by Mentor's FastScan(tm) ATPG tool and TestKompress(r) test-pattern compression tool and memory test results from Mentor's MBISTArchitect(tm) to rapidly and accurately identify and isolate yield-limiting defect areas.

YieldAssist has been optimized to provide both accurate results and high throughput. This enables it to be used online during the manufacturing process or in the failure analysis lab.

Camelot: Industry Standard for Failure Analysis

Magma's Camelot software system is the next-generation CAD navigation standard for failure analysis, design-debug and yield improvement analysis. Camelot optimizes the equipment and personnel resources of design and semiconductor failure analysis labs by providing computer interfaces and navigation capabilities for more than 50 different types of analysis and test equipment. Its application tools, features, options and networking capability provide a complete, integrated system for fast and efficient investigation and resolution of inspection, test and analysis jobs. Camelot also enables closer collaboration between product and design groups with failure analysis labs, thus dramatically improving time to yield and market.

About Magma

Magma's software for designing integrated circuits (ICs) is used to create complex, high-performance chips required in cellular telephones, electronic games, WiFi, MP3 players, DVD/digital video, networking, automotive electronics and other electronic applications. Magma's EDA software for IC implementation, analysis, physical verification, circuit simulation and characterization is recognized as embodying the best in semiconductor technology, enabling the world's top chip companies to "Design Ahead of the Curve"(tm) while reducing design time and costs. Magma is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices around the world. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.

Magma is a registered trademark, and Camelot and "Design Ahead of the Curve" are trademarks of Magma Design Automation Inc. Mentor Graphics and TestKompress are registered trademarks and FastScan, MBISTArchitect and YieldAssist are trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward-looking Statements:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements about the features and benefits of Magma's and Mentor's failure analysis software are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including but not limited to the abilities of Magma's and Mentor's products to produce the desired results, the companies' decisions to work together and the companies' abilities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors may be found in Magma's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). The company undertakes no additional obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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