FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Visual Solutions Announces VisSim/CommDSP™ - Rapid Prototyping Software for Communication Systems Targeted at TI DSPs

Westford, Massachusetts, April 10, 2000—Visual Solutions Incorporated (VSI) announces the availability of VisSim/CommDSP with support for TMS320C67x DSPs from Texas Instruments. First customer shipment is planned for May 31, 2000. The US List Price for the VisSim/CommDSP software package is $12,500.

VisSim/CommDSP is an integrated software program for the rapid prototyping of analog, digital or mixed-mode communication systems targeted for DSPs or embedded systems. VisSim/CommDSP includes a modeling and simulation component, called VisSim/Comm, along with an automatic C code generator and a DSP communication module.

The VisSim/Comm component is based on VSI's award winning VisSim technology which combines an intuitive drag-and-drop block diagram interface with a powerful time-domain simulation engine. Major companies like Cisco Systems, ECI Telecom, Ericsson, Harris, ITT, Motorola, Tele Danmark & Texas Instruments are using VisSim/Comm to shorten their design cycles and build better products. VisSim/Comm includes a comprehensive set of proven communication blocks including signal sources, encoders/decoders, modulators/demodulators, filters, channels, RF components and PLLs that makes it easy to build, modify, and maintain complex communication systems. Additionally, VisSim/Comm includes built-in FIR and IIR filter design wizards and a Filter Response Viewer to simplify and automate the filter design process.

Once the behavior of the system is validated through simulation in the VisSim/Comm component, VisSim/CommDSP automatically converts the communication system or sub-system to C code then compiles, links and downloads it to a C67X™ DSP from Texas Instruments. A direct communication interface between VisSim/CommDSP and the target TI DSP is automatically established allowing users to retain the complete VisSim/Comm graphical interface (for design validation and debugging) while the downloaded communication algorithm executes on the DSP.

"VisSim/CommDSP™ fills a market need for object oriented DSP programming tools. VisSim's rapid prototyping software on TI DSP platforms should help cut customer time to market while insuring the application will perform to specifications," said John Schanzenbach, eXpressDSPä platform manager at Texas Instruments.

VisSim/CommDSP will help customers get their communication system to hardware faster, with lower costs and with greater assurance that it will perform as specified. Furthermore, design re-use is inherently facilitated by the block-diagram based modeling approach.

FY 2000 product plans include the release of a fixed point communication block set along with the support for TMS320C62x™ fixed point DSPs from Texas Instruments and an eXpressDSP™ plug-in. eXpressDSP real-time software technology sets the standard in the industry for DSP development support. It is designed to cut software development time in half and increase DSP applications tenfold.

Since 1989, Visual Solutions (VSI) has been a pioneer in the development of Windows-based software for the modeling and simulation of dynamic systems. Their mission is to provide easy-to-use, powerful and affordable modeling, simulation and embedded system design software to engineering end users and OEM Technology Partners.

The core software for all VSI products is VisSim, winner of Control Magazine's 1999 Readers' Choice Award with a #1 in the Software Simulation Category. VisSim software is much easier to use and offers faster simulation speeds than competitive products. Additionally, every VisSim product includes the unique VisSim Viewer, a run-time, view-only version of VisSim that enables users to distribute models, at no charge, to individuals not licensed to use VisSim.

Trial versions of VisSim/Comm, Communication System Design tutorials and marketing information are available free from the Visual Solutions web site: www.vissim.com.

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