SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 3, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Magma(r) Design Automation, Inc. (NasdaqGM:LAVA - News), a provider of semiconductor design software, today announced that PLX Technology(r), the leading supplier of PCI Express(r) (PCIe(r)) and other standard input/output (I/O) interconnect, implemented the PCIe Gen 2 switch family using Magma's RTL-to-GDSII integrated circuit (IC) design solution. Because of the Magma software's proven ability to deliver repeatable silicon success on time and on budget, PLX will deploy the Magma Talus(r) IC implementation system to PLX's design teams worldwide.

The PCIe Gen 2 family includes industry-leading features that feed the requirements of next-generation graphics, backplanes, server, storage, HBA/NIC and embedded markets. PLX had previously used Magma software to create the PEX 8548, which at the time featured the highest lane count, lowest latency and most flexibility of any PCI Express switch in the industry.

``PLX is committed to meeting the industry's demands for advanced interconnect solutions,'' said George Apostol, PLX vice president of engineering. ``By leveraging Magma's innovative software and world-class support, we are able to streamline our design flow, reduce design costs and deliver robust, cost-optimized silicon.''

``PLX leads the PCIe interconnect market with the industry's broadest line of switching and bridging products,'' said Kam Kittrell, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. ``We're very pleased that they continue to meet their timing, area, power and yield goals using the Magma software. We are committed to enabling their design teams worldwide to leverage the advanced capabilities of the Talus system for their designs targeted at increasingly smaller process geometries.''

About the PLX ExpressLane PCIe Gen 2 Switches

The new ExpressLane(tm) PCIe Gen 2 switches include the PEX 8648 (48 lanes, 12 ports), PEX 8632 (32 lanes, 12 ports), PEX 8624 (24 lanes, 6 ports), PEX 8616 (16 lanes, 4 ports) and PEX 8612 (12 lanes, 3 ports). These Gen 2 switches share a field-tested and proven PLX architecture with industry-leading features including the lowest latency and power, highest performance, integrated non-transparent ports and Hot-Plug controllers, the smallest Flip-Chip packaging and highly flexible port configurations up to x16.

PLX's PCI Express Gen 2 switches are fully compliant with the PCI-SIG(r) PCIe base specification 2.0, which doubles the interconnect bit rate over its predecessor, to 5 GT/s (GigaTransfers per second) from 2.5 GT/s, and are backward compatible with Gen 1, thus allowing ease of migration with existing designs. Integrated non-transparency enables PCIe use in multi-host, host-failover/redundant systems and intelligent I/O modules. Unique power-reduction methods and a proprietary cut-through design for low latency down to 140 nanoseconds are achieved through the company's signature engineering features achieved with PLX's third-generation PCIe architecture.

Talus: The Platform for Advanced Designs

Magma's IC implementation software provides advanced capabilities within an integrated and highly automated RTL-to-GDSII flow. The front-end product allows logic designers to synthesize, visualize, evaluate and improve RTL code quality, design constraints, testability requirements and floorplan. Also integrated are fast, full-featured, high-capacity predictable synthesis capabilities, full and incremental static timing analysis and power analysis. Magma's physical design solution includes optimization, place and route, useful skew clock generation, floorplanning and power planning, RC extraction and a single, built-in incremental timing analyzer. Based on Magma's unified data model, this platform accurately predicts final timing prior to detailed placement, eliminates timing closure iterations and enables rapid design closure while taking into account nanometer effects such as on-chip variation (OCV).

About PLX

PLX Technology, Inc. (http://www.plxtech.com), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., USA, is a leading supplier of PCI Express and other standard I/O interconnect silicon to the communications, server, storage, embedded-control and consumer industries. The PLX solution provides a competitive edge to our customers through an integrated combination of high-performance silicon, hardware and software design tools, and partnerships. These innovative solutions enable our customers to develop equipment with industry-leading performance, scalability and reliability. Furthermore, the combination of PLX product features and supporting infrastructure allow customers to bring their designs to market faster. PLX PCI, PCI-X, PCI Express and USB devices are designed into a wide variety of applications across multiple industries. In addition to its headquarters in the United States, PLX has offices in China, Japan, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, while also supporting customers through distributors, sales representatives and an on-demand customer-relationship-management system.

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 http://www.magma-da.com.

Magma and Talus are registered trademarks and ``Design Ahead of the Curve'' is a trademark of Magma Design Automation. PLX Technology is a registered trademark and ExpressLane is a trademark of PLX Technology. All other product and company names are trademarks and 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 that Magma software delivers repeatable silicon success on time and on budget, and about the features and benefits of Magma 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 Magma's and PLX's abilities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology, the companies' products' abilities to produce desired results and PLX's decision to continue using the Magma software. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors may be found in Magma's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov). Magma undertakes no additional obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

LAVA-G

          Magma Design Automation
          Monica Marmie, Director, Marketing Communications
          408-565-7689
          monical@magma-da.com

          For PLX Technology
          CommonGround Communications
          Jerry Steach
          415.222.9996
          jsteach@plxtech.com