For more information, please contact:
Dr. Bhaskar Bose, President
Derivation Systems, Inc.
(760) 431-1400
bose@derivation.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Carlsbad, CA, November 2, 1998 - Derivation Systems, Inc. announces a PC/104 FPGA module, the PF2000^TM, which brings ASIC-like performance and integration for low-volume and custom embedded control applications.

The PF2000 is a PC/104 module that can carry up to three Xilinx FPGAs. Any 5V 84pin PLCC Xilinx FPGA in the Spartan or XC4000 family can be used in the PF2000, giving it a wide choice of configurations. Xilinx currently has over 12 compatible FPGAs that can be used in the PF2000.

In addition to the FPGAs, an IO interface with 25 bi-directional signals are available for interfacing with external systems. The IO pins can be configured to provide CMOS or TTL thresholds and drive levels.

When the 512Kbyte RAM/ROM module socket is populated with SRAM, the memory can be used as an off-line buffer for computations or as an IO buffer. Flash or ROM can be used to implement sequencer designs, or act as lookup tables for complex function/signal generators.

PC/104 modules are used in Embedded PC applications where high reliability and a small footprint is required. PC/104 modules are 3.6" by 3.8" in size and are stacked on top of each other using stack-through connectors, thus implementing a back-plane less bus. Systems based on PC/104 modules are used in applications such as avionics, industrial control, environmental data acquisition and transportation.

The PF2000 is suited for implementing high performance algorithms directly in hardware acting as a high-level coprocessor. Cipher algorithms have been implemented in the PF2000.

With it's IO capability, the PF2000 can act as a "smart" IO peripheral. As a smart IO device, it can perform computations and control functions autonomously, without CPU intervention. The PF2000 is dynamically reconfigurable allowing different hardware

algorithms to be loaded for different phases of a computation. "Using FPGA based coprocessors can reduce system costs by reducing demands on CPU resources.", Ingo Cyliax, Circuit Cellar INK Columnist.

By optionally populating the PF2000 with Xilinx's Spartan FPGAs, ASIC-like cost performance and integration can be achieved for medium volume products without the risks of committing to standard ASIC designs. PF2000 is normally populated with Xilinx's xc4000e FPGAs, which provide better all around routing and logic resources.

Complex algorithms used in DSP and image processing as well as traditional digital designs can be implemented using a variety of design entry methods. VHDL/Verilog as well as in Derivation Systems' own Formal Synthesis tool, DRS - Derivational Reasoning SystemÔ . "With our formal synthesis tool, we are able to correctly implement complex algorithms in less time.", Esen Tuna, Sr. Scientist at Derivation Systems, Inc. (DSI).

DRS is a design tool for synthesizing formally verified designs from high-level behavioral specifications. Pre-verified synthesis steps are used to refine a specification to a gate-level netlist or HDL. Several formally verified cores, such as a DES implementation have been completed and are available as IPs for customer designs. "The PF2000 has been instrumental for grounding some of our formal designs.", said Dr. Bhaskar Bose, President of DSI.

PF2000s are available in several configurations directly from the factory and can be ordered from the company's on-line ordering system. The configurations vary in the size and type of FPGAs with which the modules are populated. Prices start at under $400 in production volume.

Derivation Systems, Inc. was founded in 1993 by Dr. Bhaskar Bose to develop a Formal Synthesis system under a NASA contract, used to develop hardware components for mission critical embedded systems. DSI developed the technology for the PF2000 as a co-verification environment. DSI also develops custom OEM modules and components.

Derivation Systems' International headquarters are located at 5963 La Place Court, Suite 208, Carlsbad, CA 92008, U.S.A. Tel.: 760-431-1400, Fax.: 760-431-1484, URL:http://www.derivation.com .