Magma hints at upcoming release of analog layout/Virtuoso competitor

At a DAC briefing with editors, Magma Design Automation chairman Rajeev Madhavan told editors that sometime over the next two quarters the company will field analog layout tool that would compete with Cadence Design System’s stalwart Virtuoso analog and custom design editing tool.

Madhavan would not give the tool’s name or specifics of its functionality, but he did strongly hint that the technology came from internal development, rather than acquisition. When asked if the company had acquired Silicon Canvas’ Laker tool, Madhavan only said that Magma “is not going to introduce a ‘me too’ tool.”

Madhavan hinted that the technology will bring great innovation to the analog layout tool space without relying on Cadence Pcells.

Cadence has enjoyed an overwhelmingly dominant marketshare in the custom layout market with Virtuoso for well over a decade thanks largely to its proprietary Pcell interpreter. Cadence, which was fundamental in founding Open Access has refused to donate PCells to the cause of interoperability.

While Madhavan said the upcoming Magma tool will not rely on Pcells and it is not a me too technology, he hinted that designers will be able to transfer legacy designs, written for Virtuoso into the new Magma technology