Nuvation Labs announces flash memory test and certification product for SanDisk Corporation

San Jose, Calif., September 1, 1999 — Nuvation Labs Corporation has completed development of a next-generation flash-memory test system for SanDisk Corporation, a leading producer of flash memory chips, flash cards and modules, and semiconductor hard-drives. SanDisk is currently building numerous test stations to exhaustively burn-in and test every flash chip it produces—and will use these test systems for future products.

According to Galen Beck, Nuvation’s project manager for the system, it "efficiently tests the memory chips, under a wide range of precisely set parameters, and performs high-accuracy measurements. This provides reliable test results and maximizes yields by allowing correct classification of parts. The system combines hardware, firmware, and firmware in a way that allows reliable and flexible testing of future products."

Nuvation Labs also developed a first-of-its-kind Test Pod for this system, which tests the test system. Beck said, "The Test Pod and its application firmware, which is activated whenever a Test Pod is plugged into the system, thoroughly tests the measurement and parameter setting accuracies and the key system functionality, and provides valuable diagnostic information for rapid fault identification.” The measurement accuracy of the Test Pod is significantly greater than the memory test system, which is already highly accurate. This is essential to confidently characterize the memory testers’ accuracies.

The system firmware was written for the Windows NT operating system. Because of licensing fees and the numerous test systems that will be built, each using a PC computer board, significant savings could result from using the free-license Linux operating system. Nuvation is currently completing the porting of the application code for the Memory Test System to operate under Linux.

Nuvation Labs’ breadth and depth of engineering expertise enables it to rapidly develop systems from concept, through design and development, and into production. SanDisk’s next-generation flash-memory test system is one example of Nuvation Labs’ success in developing technologically advanced and cost-effective electronic systems.

About Nuvation

Nuvation is a leading Electronics Design Services (EDS) firm that provides ASIC, FPGA, board, and firmware design services for the embedded systems industry. Nuvation's design experience spans industries such as Communications, Consumer Electronics, Medical, and Security/Defense. Founded in 1997 and based in San Jose, California, Nuvation's customers include a number of notable companies such as Altera, Lucent, HP, JDS Uniphase, Infineon, LeapFrog, SanDisk, Finisar, and Trimble Navigation. Nuvation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAR Systems (OMX:IAR). More information is available at www.nuvation.com

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Contacts:

Chris Hallahan
VP Sales & Marketing
Nuvation
408-228-5580 x122
chris.hallahan@nuvation.com