Out in Front: November 9, 1995

Mentor Graphics, a broad-based supplier of electronic-design-automation (EDA) tools and services, and Precedence, a provider of simulation-backplane and cosimulation products, have announced a merger. The goal of the merger is to provide an open-simulation backplane that can give you cosimulation flexibility for mixed models, mixed-simulation levels, and multivendor tools, along with a choice of design environments. The agreement recognizes the need for providing technology that allows you to use simulators from different vendors in a cosimulation mode. Precedence currently has a simulation backplane product, called SimMatrix, that supports simulators from a variety of third-party simulation-tool vendors. You can use these simulators in design environments from Cadence, IBM, Mentor Graphics, and Viewlogic. Mentor Graphics will transfer its own backplane technology, called FlexSim, to Precedence to enhance the future development of simulation-backplane products.

There is a requirement for multiple simulation tools for a common design, particularly for deep-submicron technology. Although you need to simulate the overall design at the behavioral and gate levels, you may also want more detailed simulations of logic blocks with critical timing specifications or analog blocks, requiring transistor-level analysis. In addition, you need to meet other design criteria besides path delays, which calls for simulations to assess power dissipation, thermal characteristics, and signal integrity. You need simulation tools not only for different design levels, but also for tools from different EDA vendors for different tasks.

Precedence currently has partnerships with and will continue to support simulation products from Chronologic, Epic, IBM, Ikos, Mentor Graphics, Silvaco, Vantage, Viewlogic, and Zycad.
—by Jim Lipman

Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, OR. (503) 685-7000.

Precedence, Santa Clara, CA. (408) 345-4880.