Atmel Purchases Credence Octet Systems for Testing Consumer SoCs
Wednesday August 20, 9:00 am ET
FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Credence Systems Corporation (Nasdaq: CMOS - News), a leading provider of solutions from design-to-production test for the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced that Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML - News) has purchased multiple Octet(TM) system-on-chip (SoC) systems to test a wide range of multimedia communications chips, including baseband and Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices.
Octet provides Atmel with the industry's most cost-effective platform for high-volume production test of complex SoC devices. The system's multi-site capabilities and zero-time DSP per pin architecture increase throughput and shorten test times for sophisticated integrated circuits (ICs) that incorporate multiple digital and analog cores. With a powerful, Solaris-based software suite and compatibility with previous generation Credence SoC test systems, Octet enables Atmel to leverage existing engineering expertise and test resources, while protecting long-term capital investment.
"By allowing us to customize test programs for a variety of applications, Octet ensures a smooth ramp to volume production and significantly improves our design-to-test flow," said Patrick Sauvage, director of operations, ASIC Business Unit, Atmel Rousset. "We can automate test program generation with Octet, decreasing our development time by nearly 25 percent and dramatically shortening time-to-market for our price-sensitive devices. Atmel has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Credence, having relied on their industry-leading service and applications support for the development, engineering and testing of complex mixed-signal ICs."
"Decreasing average selling prices (ASPs) for consumer ICs have placed pressure on semiconductor manufacturers to reduce their overall cost-of-test," said Dr. Graham Siddall, Credence's chairman and chief executive officer. "Octet lowers test costs with an advanced, air-cooled design and an innovative system architecture that delivers significant cost-per-pin benefits over competing SoC test platforms."
Octet's CMOS-based system architecture and patented per pin embedded temperature stabilization(TM) technology enable a substantial reduction of facility and infrastructure costs. Designed to deliver advanced test capabilities, Octet provides industry-leading production throughput for a range of demanding SoC applications. By providing considerable performance and economic advantages, Octet enables Atmel to quickly and cost-effectively drive new devices into the marketplace, solidifying its position as a leading producer of consumer ICs.
About Octet
Credence's Octet is the industry's most cost-effective system-on-chip (SoC) platform for high-volume production test. Octet increases throughput and shortens test times for a wide range of SoC devices in the computer, communications and consumer markets. Supporting up to 1024 pins, Octet can be configured with diverse digital capabilities, and a comprehensive suite of analog instrumentation to meet today's demanding SoC test requirements. Octet features a fully integrated design-to-production test software suite, including test development software and sophisticated virtual test and debug tools. Additionally, Octet delivers test program, load board, and docking compatibility with Credence's Quartet(TM) Series, enabling customers to leverage existing resources to quickly ramp-up for high-volume production.
About Atmel
Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, California with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies.
About Credence
Credence Systems Corporation is changing the future of semiconductor production by integrating test solutions throughout the design, validation and production processes. A leader in the manufacture of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the global semiconductor industry, Credence offers a wide range of systems for the test of analog, digital, non-volatile memory, mixed-signal, SoC, and wireless semiconductor devices typical in today's automobile, portable computing, consumer and communications products. Credence and its subsidiaries also provide test program development and debug software, engineering validation test solutions, and advanced photon probing technology that enable faster time-to-market with lower total cost-of-test. Headquartered in Fremont, California, the Company is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer and maintains advanced production and design facilities in Hillsboro, Oregon. More information is available at credence.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains statements that are forward looking, including statements regarding the Company's commitment to lowering costs to match business levels, the Company being poised to address any upturn, reducing costs while continuing to deliver leading designs, expected reductions in research and development levels, revenue expectations, expectations regarding gross margins, bookings expectations and expected earnings per share. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from the future performance suggested in this release. Such factors include, but are not limited to, cyclicality and downturns in the semiconductor industry, which the Company is experiencing, rapid technological change in the ATE market, the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, economic and political instability in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, fluctuation in customer demand, timing and volume of orders and shipments, competition and pricing pressures, reliability and quality issues, the Company's ability to complete the development and commercialization of its new products, product mix, overhead absorption, continued dependence on "turns" orders to achieve revenue objectives, the timing of new technology, product introductions, intellectual property issues, the risk of early obsolescence, the Company's ability to control and reduce expenses (including the ability to identify and successfully institute additional cost-saving measures). Further, the Company operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the Company's control. Reference is made to the discussion of risk factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q. Any projections in this release are based on limited information currently available to the Company, which is subject to change. Although any such projections and the factors influencing them will likely change, the Company will not necessarily update the information, since the Company is only to provide guidance at certain points during the year. Actual events or results could differ materially and no reader of this release should assume later in the quarter that the information provided today is still valid. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.
NOTE: Credence is a registered trademark, and Credence Systems, embedded temperature stabilization, Octet, and Quartet are trademarks, of Credence Systems Corporation. Other trademarks that may be mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Judy Dale, Sr. Director, Marketing Communications of Credence Systems Corporation, +1-510-492-3118, or fax, +1-510-623-2524, or judy_dale@credence.com; or Patricia MacLeod, Sr. Account Executive, Public Relations of e21 Corp, +1-510-226-6780, ext. 205, or fax, +1-510-226-9902, or patricia_macleod@e21corp.com, for Credence Systems Corporation.
Source: Credence Systems Corporation |
