Electronic Design Automation: August 15, 1996
MultiRouter, a multiple-pass autorouter, uses gridless routing to handle difficult components, such as D connectors and surface-mount packages. As each net is routed, the shape-based autorouter shoves aside existing tracks to make room, taking into account the design-rule clearances and track-width limit as the only constraints. If all routes appear to be blocked, MultiRouter rips up and retries problem areas until it finds a solution. Number One Systems, Los Altos, CA. (415) 968-9306.
Under the terms of an OEM and marketing agreement, the vendor is developing design software and fitters for Philips Semiconductors' complex PLDs (CPLDs), based on Philips' extended PLA (XPLA) architecture and Fast Zero Power technology. Initial software is for the CoolRunner 3 and 5V CPLD families. Fitters are available as part of the vendor's PLDesigner-XL line of PLD software for PCs running under Windows 3.1.1, 95, and NT, as well as workstations from Hewlett-Packard and Sun. Prices start at $2995. Minc Inc, Colorado Springs, CO. (719) 590-1155.
The latest version of DesignBook ASIC/FPGA design software targets testbench construction, complex controller design, and intellectual-property management and reuse. DesignBook 2.0's graphics-driven design-and-analysis tool suite provides intelligent HDL-text editing, graphic finite-state-machine descriptions, and data-flow diagrams that manage all aspects of design intent. You can easily import Verilog-HDL and VHDL legacy files, along with other existing intellectual property, into DesignBook 2.0. Prices start at $10,000 for Windows versions and $20,000 for Unix. Escalade Corp, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 481-1300.
Optimized versions of the vendor's IC-layout programs speed performance and reduce design-cycle times. Enhancements include an engineering-change-order (ECO) capability and a native version of the graphical Memory Builder for IC Station, data translation between ICGen and IC Station, and improved writing and redraw efficiencies in GDT. Prices for IC Station with schematic-driven layout and ECO start at $34,900; the Memory Builder option starts at $19,990; ICGen and GDT are $55,000 each. Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, OR. (503) 685-7000.
ASYL+FPGA Partitioner is an automatic target-specific partitioning tool with technology-dependent algorithms for Actel, Altera, Crosspoint, and Xilinx FPGAs. A second product, ASYL+ASIC Prototyper, en-ables ASIC prototyping by providing automatic reoptimization from ASICs to FPGAs and postmapped partitioning of the resulting netlist into several devices. Both programs run on PC platforms under Windows, Hewlett-Packard and Sun workstations. PC prices for ASYL+FPGA Partitioner and ASYL+ASIC Prototyper start at $9980 and $12,980, respectively. Minc Inc, Colorado Springs, CO. (719) 590-1155.
This suite of synthesis tools works under Windows 3.1, NT, and 95. The ASIC products include Asyn, logic synthesis for Verilog and VHDL; Gatran, an ASIC-to-FPGA netlist-migration and -optimization tool; and SoftWire, a multiFPGA-partitioning and ASIC-prototyping software package. Respective prices for the PC versions of Asyn, Gatran, and SoftWire are $20,000, $15,000, and $20,000. Unix workstation versions start at $25,000. ACEO Technology Inc, Fremont, CA. (510) 656-2189.
The ISDB-Socket links the vendor's MetaCircuit timing simulator to Systems Science's SimWave waveform viewer to provide digital viewing and debugging. MetaCircuit performs transistor-level timing simulation for IC verification. Using the ISDB-Socket, MetaCircuit reads and writes in Systems Science's Integrated Signal Data Base (ISDB) format. Prices start at $40,000 for MetaCircuit; the ISDB-Socket costs $1000. Meta-Software Inc, Campbell, CA. (408) 369-5400.
The rearchitected V-System VHDL, Verilog, and mixed-hardware-description-language simulators allow you to customize V-System's graphical user interface (GUI) by using the tcl scripting language and Tk windowing tool kit to modify or add buttons, menus, windows, and other GUI features. Tk extends the core-tcl facilities with commands for building user interfaces, enabling you to construct them by writing tcl scripts instead of C code. V-System Release 5.0 runs on HP 700, SPARC, and IBM RISC System/6000 platforms starting at $3495. Model Technology Inc, Beaverton, OR. (503) 641-1340.
ApsimLCD provides the tools needed for modeling and simulating flat-panel displays. The simulation environment, which runs on Sun and Hewlett-Packard Unix workstations, combines microelectronic design with electrical-circuit simulation and addresses physical pixel design, panel-control electronics, and panel design. The integrated environment consists of Apsim LCD-Pixel, ApsimSpice, Ap-simLCD-IVT, and Apsim-Sketch for schematic capture. ApsimLCD costs $300,000. Applied Simulation Technology, San Jose, CA. (408) 434-6767.
LILA-SC combines its powerful cell synthesis with library-migration capabilities at any level of the cell-design process. The software-synthesizes layouts are comparable to handcrafted designs yet take a fraction of the manual design time. The addition of library migration to LILA-SC accelerates market access for users wanting to retarget existing libraries. Prices start at $175,000. Cadabra Design Technology Inc, Santa Clara, CA. (613) 226-7046.