Mentor Graphics backs Open PDK initiative

WILSONVILLE, USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. has reinforced its support for the work of the Open PDK (Process Design Kit) Coalition with the announcement that Linda Fosler, director of marketing for the Deep Submicron Division, will serve as Open PDK Coalition Vice-Chair.

The goal of the Open PDK Coalition is to define a set of open standards to allow a PDK to be as portable across foundries and as agnostic to EDA tools as possible. The Si2 Open PDK will enable greater efficiency in PDK development, verification and delivery, and will provide equivalent support to all foundries, all EDA tool vendors, all IP providers, and all end users.

The Coalition will define new standard specifications at the PDK development environment level, as well as standards for delivery of a populated PDK file set.

Prior to Si2’s focus on interoperable PDKs, Mentor developed its own Design Kit Initiative. The key objective of the Mentor initiative is to support all formats needed by foundries and their customers: Mentor TDK, Cadence PDK, iPDK and the Open PDK, as well as support future formats. In addition, the Mentor Design Kit initiative supports the OA (Open Access) database.

“The industry has too long been captive to inefficiencies and lack of portability due to proprietary design kit formats,” said Robert Hum, vice president and general manager, Mentor Graphics Deep Submicron Division.

“Open PDKs work, and the creation of an implementation-free standard will dramatically improve the ability of customers to choose EDA tools and foundries that best meet their business objectives. Mentor is very pleased to be a founding member of the Si2 Open PDK effort.”