OL4.JUN–RP, SC
At DAC 1993: Products focus on speed and performance
The Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language
(VHDL), complex IC design, and high-frequency issues are among the topics
to be addressed at this year's Design Automation Conference (DAC), to take
place June 14 to 18 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, TX.* No
matter what the category of product, however, providing fast
performance–and thereby speeding the design process–remains a primary
goal. In the area of simulation, Cadence Design Systems (Booth XXX) will
demonstrate the Leapfrog VHDL simulator, which uses direct compile
technology to speed the simulation process up to 10 times that of other
software simulators. The simulator includes an enhanced graphical user
interface, language-sensitive editor, design library manager, source-code
debugger, and flexible waveform and data display tools. Also at DAC, the
company will announce and demonstrate a multiengine simulation environment
for systems. Zycad Corp. (Booth 1113) will unveil a tool-independent,
top-down system simulation consulting program, as well as new products in
the XP family of hardware accelerators. In addition, the company will
demonstrate its ViP accelerator, which is capable of working at all levels
of VHDL abstraction, from behavioral down to structural. AT&T (Booth 308)
will announce the availability of VHDL modeling language and Mentor
Graphics integration support for the ATTSIM mixed-signal simulation tool
set. Also being shown for the first time will be the company's ModelWriter,
which automatically generates analog, digital, and mixed-signal models.
In other VHDL-related announcements, CADIS Software Ltd. (Booth 660), a
supplier of top-down design tools for digital signal processing and
communication systems, will introduce its COSSAP VHDL Code Generator. The
software produces VHDL code for low-level simulation or logic synthesis
directly from the system's block diagram description. The generated code
can either preserve the hierarchical structure of the system's block
diagram or present a flat view of the system. LSI Logic (Booth XXX) will
show its enhanced C-MDE (Concurrent Modular Design Environment) tools for
submicron ASIC design (0.6-micron drawn, three-layer metal). The tools
operate with industry-standard front-end VHDL and synthesis tools tightly
coupled to back-end physical layout and parasitic extraction processes
back annotated for post-layout timing verification. In addition, the
company will demonstrate Coreware, which consists of super-integrated
blocks of megafunctions like Sparc microprocessors. Verilog HDL tools
will also be in appearance at DAC. For example, Simucad (Booth 1105) will
introduce an improved version of its Verilog-based SILOS III logic and
fault simulation product line that includes a highly interactive graphical
tracing ability. The two-dimensional interactive debugging environment
provides for graphical tracing of node states by traversing through
simulation time and topology. A debugging system of another type to be
demonstrated at the show comprises the Aptix (Booth 202) “Axess”
Development System and the Viewlogic Workview Environment. The Aptix
products consist of field-programmable interconnect chips (FPICs) on
field-programmable circuit boards (FPCBs), each of which provides a
64-channel connection to a logic analyzer. When integrated with the
Viewlogic environment, the products are claimed to allow engineers to
debug and change board-level designs and ASIC prototypes faster than ever
before. Another product claiming to speed design is CrossCheck
Technology's (Booth XXX) Aida II design-for-test (DFT) software, which
shortens overall test development time by a factor of more than 20 times
over other test development manual techniques, according to the company.
The product, which is intended for complex ASICs, custom ICs, and standard
ICs up to and beyond one million gates in size, is offered as the
industry's first DFT tool to incorporate an advanced delay path algorithm
for automatic test generation of synchronous designs. Other products
focusing on the development of high-gate-count submicron ICs will be
highlighted at DAC as well. For example, Epic Design Technology (Booth
924), an ASIC and full-custom design tool developer, will announce the
latest release of its IC design tools: PowerMill, a transistor-level
dynamic power analysis tool; TimeMill, a multilevel simulator and timing
verifier; and PathMill, a static transistor-level critical path analyzer.
ArcSys, Inc. (Booth XXX) will demonstrate its ArcCell timing-driven IC
place-and-route system for three-layer-metal cell-based designs. ArcCell
is offered as featuring algorithmic breakthroughs that allow IC designers
to significantly reduce die size, speed up circuit performance, and reduce
production costs. Also to be displayed will be numerous products dealing
with high-frequency design issues. EEsof (Booth XXX), for example, is
introducing its latest release of the Series IV software for
high-frequency analog circuit and system design. The new version of
software adds functions that are aimed at meeting the needs of the
wireless design engineer. In addition, the company will demonstrate a
module that allows bidirectional integration of its software with Mentor
Graphics' tools for digital and low-frequency analog design. Quantic
Laboratories (Booth 718) is introducing a three-dimensional modeler,
Greenfield 3d, that allows the effects on signals and crosstalk waveshapes
due to three-dimensional structures to be simulated–an important issue in
high-speed digital design. According to the company, the product can
perform over 10 times faster than finite element solvers. Quantic is also
introducing Phidias, a software tool for the creation of behavioral models
using manufacturer databook information. On the pc-board layout front,
Protel Technology (Booth 955) will unleash a 32-bit version of its Protel
for Windows Advanced PCB. Version 1.5 will offer resolution to 0.000001
in., with angular resolution for arcs and circular arrays of 0.001 degrees.
The software handles boards up to 100 x 100 in.with up to 30 layers.
Accel Technologies (Booth 1533) will introduce an enhancement of its
TangoPro PCB for Windows, designated Version 1.20. New features include
cut-and-paste capability to move selected items to and from the Windows
clipboard, on-screen design-rule check indicators, faster file loading and
screen redrawing, and improved attribute editing. In other DAC news, the
latest version of the Electronic Design Interchange Format (EDIF)
standard, Release 3.00, has been announced. The latest version of this
standard, which creates a common format for the electronic exchange of
data, adds the capability of being able to transfer schematic-capture
information. The standard was developed by the EDAC (Electronic Design
Automation Companies Association) division of the Electronic Industries
Association, based in Washington, DC. –Richard Pell and Spencer Chin
* For more on the Design Automation Conference at The Dallas Convention
Center, Dallas, TX, from June 14 to 18, contact MP Associates, 7490
Clubhouse Rd., Suite 102, Boulder, CO 80301, 303-530-4333.
For more information from the companies mentioned in this report, call
the contact or circle the reader service number:
Accel Technologies San Diego, CA Ray Schnorr 800-488-0680
Aptix Corp. San Jose, CA Bob Osann 408-428-6200
ArcSys, Inc. San Diego, CA Eric Cho 408-738-8881
AT&T Corp. Murray Hill, NJ Anne Gitlow 908-974-1906
Cadence Design Systems San Jose, CA
Mike Sottak 408-428-5036
CADIS Software Ltd. South San Francisco, CA Walter Haefeker
415-615-7789
CrossCheck Technology, Inc. San Jose, CA Vic Kulkarni 408-432-9200
EEsof, Inc. Westlake Village, CA Elisabeth Kannow 818-879-6200
Electronic Industries Association Electronic Design Interchange Format
Div. Washington, DC Patti Rusher 202-457-4962
Epic Design Technology Inc. Santa Clara, CA Simon Napper 408-988-2997
LSI Logic Corp. Milpitas, CA Tom Mahon 408-433-4383
Protel Technology, Inc. Santa Clara, CA Joseph Fernandez 408-243-8143,
ext. 209
Quantic Laboratories Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Jonathan Smith
800-665-0235; in Canada, 204-42-4000
Simucad , Inc. Union City, CA Lyle Stevens 510-487-9700
Zycad Corp. Fremont, CA Charleen Locke 510-623-4451
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