MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS), a world leader in semiconductor design software, today announced that the Case School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio is the recipient of a Charles Babbage Grant sponsored by both Synopsys and HP. Through the grant, Case's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will receive licenses of Synopsys' comprehensive electronic design automation (EDA) software and intellectual property, along with curricula, support and professor training, and sixteen dual core HP xw4400 Workstations to outfit the new Synopsys/HP EDA Laboratory.

Synopsys software provides students and researchers the opportunity to utilize industrial tools for logic and physical synthesis, circuit simulation, nanometer device modeling, and fabrication process modeling in both academics and research. Synopsys software serves as the foundation for an industry-standard design flow where students get real-world, hands-on experience building and testing their designs.

"Case has always prided itself on providing a world-class educational experience that goes beyond the traditional classroom setting," said Norman Tien, dean of the Case School of Engineering and the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Condensed Matter Physics. "This generous gift from Synopsys and HP provides a wonderful resource for us to continue and enhance this tradition."

Access to commercial-grade design tools for advanced research and microelectronic design is a common issue facing universities today. Synopsys helps solve this challenge through initiatives like the Charles Babbage Grant and its Worldwide University Program, which provide select universities with design software for modern electronic design flows and leading commercial IC fabrication processes. Previous grant recipients in the United States include Purdue, Syracuse, and San Jose State University.

Chi-Foon Chan, Synopsys' president and chief operating officer and a Case alum, will return to the campus to dedicate the lab and meet with students and faculty.

"Synopsys selected the Case School of Engineering because of its academic focus on high-level RTL synthesis, design for testability, embedded system design and test, and reconfigurable computing design as well as its current research efforts in bioengineering applications," said Dr. Chan. "Through this grant, Synopsys enables Case to further its mission to educate and prepare graduates to lead the advancement of technology, and to create new products and methods that impact and are beneficial to society."

About the Charles Babbage Grant

The Charles Babbage Grant provides select universities worldwide with state-of-the-art EDA tools, training, support and technology. It enables institutions of higher education to enhance their expertise in microelectronics circuits and system design. Use of the Synopsys tools on modern, powerful computers from the grant helps universities to better prepare their graduates for the future by providing hands-on experience with current industry practices, modern design techniques, and actual design tools and hardware. This enhances their understanding of how learning applies to the real world of IC design. The grant is named after British mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage, who designed and built mechanical computing machines on principles that anticipated the modern electronic computers of today over 150 years ago.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in EDA software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http:/www.synopsys.com .

NOTE: Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. Any other product or company names mentioned in this release are or may be trademarks of their respective owners.

  Editorial Contacts:

  Yvette Huygen
  Synopsys, Inc.
  650-584-4547
  yvetteh@synopsys.com

  Rachel Modena Barasch
  MCA, Inc.
  650-325-7547
  rbarasch@mcapr.com

SOURCE: Synopsys, Inc.

CONTACT: Yvette Huygen of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-4547,
yvetteh@synopsys.com; or Rachel Modena Barasch of MCA, Inc., +1-650-325-7547,
rbarasch@mcapr.com, for Synopsys

Web site: http://www.synopsys.com/