**Exhibit 10.1**

**EXAR CORPORATION**

**2006 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN**

**PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT**

**THIS PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT** (this “**Agreement**”) is dated as of                     by and between Exar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “**Corporation**”), and                             (the “**Participant**”). 

**W I T N E S S E T H**

**WHEREAS**, pursuant to the Exar Corporation 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “**Plan**”), the Corporation has granted to the Participant effective as of the date hereof (the “**Award Date**”), a credit ofperformance stock units under the Plan (the “**Award**”), upon the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. 

**NOW THEREFORE**, in consideration of services rendered and to be rendered by the Participant, and the mutual promises made herein and the mutual benefits to be derived therefrom, the parties agree as follows: 

**1. Defined Terms**. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such termsin the Plan. 

**2. Grant**. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Corporation hereby grants to the Participantan Award with respect to an aggregate of                      performance stock units (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 7.1of the Plan) (the “**Stock Units**”). As used herein, the term “stock unit” shall mean a non-voting unit of measurement which is deemed for bookkeeping purposes to be equivalent to one outstanding share of theCorporation’s Common Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 7.1 of the Plan) solely for purposes of the Plan and this Agreement. The Stock Units shall be used solely as a device for the determination of the payment toeventually be made to the Participant if such Stock Units vest pursuant to Section 3. The Stock Units shall not be treated as property or as a trust fund of any kind. 

**3. Vesting**. Subject to Section 8 below, the Award shall vest and become nonforfeitable based on the achievement of theperformance goals established by the Administrator and set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto for the “**Performance Period**” identified therein. The number of Stock Units that vest and become payable under this Agreement shallbe determined based on the level of results or achievement of targets for the performance goals set forth on Exhibit A and on the time-based vesting requirements set forth therein. Any Stock Units subject to the Award that do not vest in accordancewith Exhibit A shall terminate. 

**4. Continuance of Employment**. The vesting schedule requires continuedemployment or service through each applicable vesting date as a condition to the vesting of the applicable installment of the Award and the rights and benefits under this Agreement. Employment or service for only a portion of the vesting period,even if a substantial portion, will not entitle the Participant to any proportionate vesting or avoid or mitigate a termination of rights and benefits upon or following a termination of employment or services as provided in Section 8 below orunder the Plan. 

 

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Nothing contained in this Agreement or the Plan constitutes an employment or servicecommitment by the Corporation, affects the Participant’s status as an employee at will who is subject to termination without cause, confers upon the Participant any right to remain employed by or in service to the Corporation or any Subsidiary,interferes in any way with the right of the Corporation or any Subsidiary at any time to terminate such employment or services, or affects the right of the Corporation or any Subsidiary to increase or decrease the Participant’s othercompensation or benefits. Nothing in this paragraph, however, is intended to adversely affect any independent contractual right of the Participant without his consent thereto. 

**5. Dividend and Voting Rights**. 

(a) **Limitations on Rights Associated with Units**. The Participant shall have no rights as a stockholder of the Corporation, no dividend rights (except as expressly provided inSection 5(b) with respect to Dividend Equivalent Rights) and no voting rights, with respect to the Stock Units and any shares of Common Stock underlying or issuable in respect of such Stock Units until such shares of Common Stock are actuallyissued to and held of record by the Participant. No adjustments will be made for dividends or other rights of a holder for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of the stock certificate. 

(b) **Dividend Equivalent Rights Distributions**. As of any date that the Corporation pays an ordinary cash dividend on its CommonStock, the Corporation shall credit the Participant with an additional number of Stock Units equal to (i) the per share cash dividend paid by the Corporation on its Common Stock on such date, multiplied by (ii) the number of Stock Unitsremaining subject to the Award as of the related dividend payment record date, divided by (iii) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock (as determined under Section 5.6 of the Plan) on the date of payment of such dividend. AnyStock Units credited pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 5(b) shall be subject to the same vesting, payment and other terms, conditions and restrictions as the original Stock Units to which they relate. No crediting of StockUnits shall be made pursuant to this Section 5(b) with respect to any Stock Units which, as of such record date, have either been paid pursuant to Section 7 or terminated pursuant to Section 8. 

**6. Restrictions on Transfer**. Neither the Award, nor any interest therein or amount or shares payable in respect thereof may besold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of, alienated or encumbered, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The transfer restrictions in the preceding sentence shall not apply to (a) transfers to the Corporation, or(b) transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution. 

**7. Timing and Manner of Paymentof Stock Units**. On or as soon as practicable after the date on which any of the Stock Units vest pursuant to Exhibit A (and in all events within two and one-half (2 1/2) months after such vesting date), or in the case of acceleratedvesting of the Award pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan, as soon as administratively practicable after (and in all events within two and one-half (2 1/2) months after) the date of such acceleration event, the Corporation shall deliver to the Participant a number of shares of Common Stock (eitherby delivering one or more certificates for such shares or by entering such shares in book entry form, as determined by the Corporation in its discretion) equal to the number of Stock Units subject to this Award that vest on the applicable vestingdate, unless such Stock Units terminate prior to 

 

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such vesting date pursuant to Section 8. The Corporation’s obligation to deliver shares of Common Stock or otherwise make payment with respect to vested Stock Units is subject to thecondition precedent that the Participant or other person entitled under the Plan to receive any shares with respect to the vested Stock Units deliver to the Corporation any representations or other documents or assurances required pursuant toSection 8.1 of the Plan. The Participant shall have no further rights with respect to any Stock Units that are paid or that terminate pursuant to Section 8. 

**8. Effect of Termination of Employment.** The Participant’s Stock Units shall terminate to the extent such units have not become vested prior to the first date the Participant is nolonger employed by the Corporation or one of its Subsidiaries, regardless of the reason for the termination of the Participant’s employment with the Corporation or a Subsidiary, whether with or without cause, voluntarily or involuntarily. Ifany unvested Stock Units are terminated hereunder, such Stock Units shall automatically terminate and be cancelled as of the applicable termination date without payment of any consideration by the Corporation and without any other action by theParticipant, or the Participant’s beneficiary or personal representative, as the case may be. 

**9. Adjustments UponSpecified Events**. Upon the occurrence of certain events relating to the Corporation’s stock contemplated by Section 7.1 of the Plan (including, without limitation, an extraordinary cash dividend on such stock), the Administratorshall make adjustments in accordance with such section in the number of Stock Units then outstanding and the number and kind of securities that may be issued in respect of the Award. No such adjustment shall be made with respect to any ordinary cashdividend for which dividend equivalents are credited pursuant to Section 5(b). Furthermore, the Administrator shall adjust the performance measures and performance goals referenced in Section 3 hereof to the extent (if any) it determinesthat the adjustment is necessary or advisable to preserve the intended incentives and benefits to reflect (1) any material change in corporate capitalization, any material corporate transaction (such as a reorganization, combination,separation, merger, acquisition, or any combination of the foregoing), or any complete or partial liquidation of the Corporation, (2) any change in accounting policies or practices, (3) the effects of any special charges to theCorporation’s earnings, or (4) any other similar special circumstances. 

**10. Tax Withholding**. Subjectto Section 8.1 of the Plan, upon any distribution of shares of Common Stock in respect of the Stock Units, the Corporation shall automatically reduce the number of shares to be delivered by (or otherwise reacquire) the appropriate number ofwhole shares, valued at their then fair market value (with the “fair market value” of such shares determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Plan), to satisfy any withholding obligations of the Corporation or itsSubsidiaries with respect to such distribution of shares at the minimum applicable withholding rates. In the event that the Corporation cannot legally satisfy such withholding obligations by such reduction of shares, or in the event of a cashpayment or any other withholding event in respect of the Stock Units, the Corporation (or a Subsidiary) shall be entitled to require a cash payment by or on behalf of the Participant and/or to deduct from other compensation payable to theParticipant any sums required by federal, state or local tax law to be withheld with respect to such distribution or payment. 

 

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**11. Notices**. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement shall bein writing and addressed to the Corporation at its principal office to the attention of the Secretary, and to the Participant at the Participant’s last address reflected on the Corporation’s records, or at such other address as eitherparty may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be given only when received, but if the Participant is no longer an employee of the Corporation, shall be deemed to have been duly given by the Corporation when enclosed ina properly sealed envelope addressed as aforesaid, registered or certified, and deposited (postage and registry or certification fee prepaid) in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Government. 

**12. Plan**. The Award and all rights of the Participant under this Agreement are subject to the terms and conditions of theprovisions of the Plan, incorporated herein by reference. The Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. The Participant acknowledges having read and understanding the Plan, the Prospectus for the Plan, and thisAgreement. Unless otherwise expressly provided in other sections of this Agreement, provisions of the Plan that confer discretionary authority on the Board or the Administrator do not (and shall not be deemed to) create any rights in the Participantunless such rights are expressly set forth herein or are otherwise in the sole discretion of the Board or the Administrator so conferred by appropriate action of the Board or the Administrator under the Plan after the date hereof. 

**13. Entire Agreement**. This Agreement and the Plan together constitute the entire agreement and supersede all priorunderstandings and agreements, written or oral, of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Plan and this Agreement may be amended pursuant to Section 8.6 of the Plan. Such amendment must be in writing and signed by theCorporation. The Corporation may, however, unilaterally waive any provision hereof in writing to the extent such waiver does not adversely affect the interests of the Participant hereunder, but no such waiver shall operate as or be construed to be asubsequent waiver of the same provision or a waiver of any other provision hereof. 

**14. Limitation on Participant’sRights.**Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Corporation as to amounts payable and shall not be construed as creatinga trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. The Participant shall have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Corporation with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, withrespect to the Stock Units, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Common Stock as a general unsecured creditor with respect to Stock Units, as and when payable hereunder. 

**15. Counterparts**. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemedan original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 

**16. Section Headings**. Thesection headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect any provision hereof. 

 

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**17. Governing Law**. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed andenforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflict of law principles thereunder. 

**18.Construction**. It is intended that the terms of the Award will not result in the imposition of any tax liability pursuant to Section 409A of the Code. The Agreement shall be construed and interpreted consistent with that intent.

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**IN WITNESS WHEREOF**, the Corporation has caused this Agreement to be executed on itsbehalf by a duly authorized officer and the Participant has hereunto set his or her hand as of the date and year first above written. 

 

**EXAR CORPORATION,**

**a Delaware corporation**
  **PARTICIPANT**By: 
 
  
 
    *Signature*
Print Name:
   Its:   
* *
    *Print Name*
 

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