Synplicity Adds Improvements to Industry's Only RTL Debugging Software for FPGAs
New Version of Identify Software Provides RTL Packaging and Encryption Feature;
Support of New Devices and Multiple Debugger Synchronization

SUNNYVALE, Calif., December 15, 2003 — Synplicity Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNP), a leading supplier of software for the design and verification of semiconductors, today announced it has enhanced its Identify™ RTL debugging software to further accelerate FPGA hardware debugging. The Identify 1.3 software features a new source code encapsulation and encryption feature that provides designers with better access to source code and makes source code more secure. The latest version of the Identify software features support of additional devices from Altera and Xilinx®, demonstrating Synplicity’s commitment to support leading devices from FPGA vendors. The Identify software also features multiple debugger synchronization, enabling multiple debuggers to run on a single PC while accessing the same hardware. Additional features within the Identify software include Verilog 2001 support and black box attribute support.

“We believe our RTL debugging software is an ideal choice for designers of highly complex FPGA designs who need a verification solution that runs at full-speed,” said Brian Caslis, director of marketing, Synplicity. “We believe our Identify software continues to raise the bar for verification products by offering enhanced features based on customer requests and by supporting industry-leading devices such as Altera’s Cyclone and Xilinx’s Spartan-3™ families.”

The Identify RTL debugging software has been enhanced with the addition of a new source code encapsulation and encryption feature. This new ability to encapsulate or package the RTL source for debugging allows designers to easily transfer projects to PCs in a lab without network access. The new version of the software also uses Blowfish encryption technology to optionally allow the RTL source code to be encrypted, allowing designers to debug hardware even in unsecure environments.

This version of the Identify software also features multiple debugger synchronization, allowing multiple debuggers to be run on the same PC, talking to the same hardware board via a single JTAG connection and waiting for triggers to happen. This feature is especially useful on boards with multiple devices where designers want to test for multiple asynchronous conditions.

In addition to the software’s new support for Altera’s Cyclone and Xilinx’s Spartan-3 FPGAs, additional devices supported by the Identify 1.3 software include Altera Apex, Apex-II and Stratix FPGAs; Actel’s ProASIC and ProASIC Plus FPGAs; and Xilinx Spartan-II™, Spartan-IIE™, Virtex®, Virtex-E™, Virtex-II® and Virtex-II Pro™ FPGAs.

“Synplicity’s Identify software provides a nice compliment to our ISE 6.1i design environment, giving customers enhanced capabilities that can significantly shorten the time required for design debug,” said Jerry Banks, director of Global Alliances at Xilinx. “Our close relationship with Synplicity ensures our customers have access to software tools that deliver the high level of performance and productivity that is required to maximize the performance benefits of our Spartan and Virtex FPGA families.”

Synplicity has added Verilog blackbox support capabilities to the Identify software, enabling the tool to read the same directives or tags in Verilog code that designate a module as a blackbox as Synplicity’s Synplify® synthesis software. This eliminates the need to remove a module that would normally be treated as a blackbox. The Identify software also features greater synchronization between the tool and the Synplify® software, allowing designers to seamlessly write a project out of Identify and read it into the Synplify software.

Pricing and Availability
The Identify 1.3 software is available now. Pricing for the Identify software starts at $9,000 (U.S.). For more information on the Identify software, visit Synplicity at http://www.synplicity.com.

About the Identify Software
Synplicity’s Identify software is the only software tool that allows FPGA and ASIC prototyping designers to functionally debug their hardware directly in their RTL source code. This allows functional verification with RTL designs that is 10,000 times faster than RTL simulators and enables the use of in-system stimulus for applications like networking, audio and video, and HW/SW designs. The Identify software allows designers to directly select signals and conditions in their RTL source code for debugging and viewing directly in the RTL source code. The software can also save results in standard VCD format that can be used with most waveform viewers.

About Synplicity
Synplicity Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNP) is a leading provider of software products that enable the rapid and effective design and verification of semiconductors used in networking and communications, computer and peripheral, consumer and military/aerospace electronics systems. Recognizing the company’s industry-leading position, since the year 2000 Dataquest has named Synplicity as the #1 provider of PLD synthesis tools, announcing a 54 percent market share in 2001, the last year for which data is available. Synplicity leverages its innovative logic synthesis, physical synthesis and verification software solutions to improve performance and shorten development time for complex programmable logic devices, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), Structured ASICs and system-on-chip (SoC) integrated circuits. The company’s fast, easy-to-use products offer high quality of results, support industry-standard design languages (VHDL and Verilog) and run on popular platforms. Synplicity employs over 260 people in its 20 facilities worldwide. Synplicity is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. For more information on Synplicity, visit http://www.synplicity.com

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding the capabilities and performance of the enhanced Identify software, both individually and used in conjunction with products from FPGA vendors, and Identify’s industry position. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual performance or achievements of the enhanced Identify software to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such performance or achievements could differ materially due to a number of factors, including the performance and quality of Synplicity’s software products relative to other debugging software and the growth and changing technical requirements in the programmable semiconductor market. For additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Synplicity, see its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other periodic reports filed with the SEC from time to time, including its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Although Synplicity believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Synplicity cannot guarantee the future performance or achievements of its software. In addition, neither Synplicity nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these forward-looking statements. Synplicity disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

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Synplicity and Synplify are registered trademarks of Synplicity Inc. Identify is a trademark of Synplicity Inc. All other names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their owners.

Investor Relations Contact:
Doug Miller
Synplicity, Inc.
408/215-6000
ir@synplicity.com

Synplicity PR Contact:
Steve Gabriel
Porter Novelli
408/369-1500
steve.gabriel@porternovelli.com