Mentor Graphics Veloce Deployed by Mitsubishi to Deliver High-Quality HDTV Video Decoder Chip

WILSONVILLE, Ore., October 15, 2008 - Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) today announced that the Veloce® hardware-assisted verification platform, one of EDN’s 2007 Hot 100 products, was used by Mitsubishi to verify its next generation HDTV Video Decoder IP. Mitsubishi has deployed a hardware-assisted (emulation) verification strategy over the last several years to help accelerate the verification cycle, validate circuit functionality with “real/live” data and ensure efficient pre- and post-silicon debug.

“Time-to-market pressure is severe for multimedia consumer products. We realize that hardware-software co-verification with real image data is mandatory for system-level sign-off,” said Noriyuki Minegishi, Manager, LSI Design Methodology Team, SoC Technology Department. “We decided to transition to Veloce due to better capacity in a smaller foot-print, faster compile and MHZ-class run-time. We taped-out a design of a multi-standard HDTV video decoder using Veloce so far – the HDTV video decoder emulation identified over sixty bugs prior to tape-out, ensuring high quality of the RTL.”

Most multi-media SoC designs consume billions of verification cycles. So design projects of this nature are well suited for an emulation-centric verification strategy where software simulation alone is not practical and hardware/software co-simulation with actual video image data is necessary. The use of an emulation-centric verification flow based on the Veloce product reduces hardware development time, allows verification teams to run more verification cycles, and prevents ‘tape-out’ delays and respins--ultimately allowing more verification while reducing verification cycle time.

“Mitsubishi routinely pushes the technology envelope to develop highly complex multimedia SoCs. Being part of their verification methodology re-affirms Veloce’s unmatched value proposition for functional verification of complex chips,” said Eric Selosse, general manager and vice president of Mentor’s Emulation Division. “Mitsubishi joins a growing list of leading-edge customers who have incorporated Veloce into their functional verification flow.”

About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $850 million and employs approximately 4,500 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

Mentor Graphics and Veloce are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:
Carole Thurman
Mentor Graphics
503.685.4716
carole_thurman@mentor.com
Suzanne Graham
Mentor Graphics
503.685.7789
suzanne_graham@mentor.com