Cadence unveils holistic approach to silicon realization

USA: Cadence Design Systems Inc. has introduced a new holistic approach to Silicon Realization that moves chip development beyond a patchwork of point tools to a streamlined end-to-end path of integrated technology, tools, and methodology.

This approach represents a stark turn from the discreet and compartmentalized ways semiconductor and systems companies have traditionally achieved Silicon Realization, the term that refers to all the steps required for bringing a design to silicon and a key component of the EDA360 initiative.

The new Cadence approach is focused on offering products and technologies that deliver on the three requirements for a deterministic path to silicon: unified design intent, design abstraction and design convergence.

A design flow that meets these three requirements can deliver significant and measurable productivity, predictability, and profitability boosts to chip and systems makers facing today’s greatest technology and business challenges: mixed signal, low power, giga-gates/gigahertz, verification, SiP and co-design, and global productivity and metrics.

With new technology introduced today across the company’s Silicon Realization portfolio, Cadence has made further advancements to ensure its current and upcoming products meet these three key requirements and can be incorporated into a holistic flow.

In the area of intent, new capabilities enable analog, physical and electrical constraints to drive digital content into mixed-signal flows and vice versa. For abstraction, design teams now can create a die abstract for system-in-package and 3D IC designs, bringing full interoperability between package and silicon design.

For design convergence, Cadence introduced new physical, electrical and functional links between logic design, verification and implementation, providing greater convergence in the design flow and allowing rapid ECOs. For more detailed information, a Silicon Realization white paper is available for download at http://www.cadence.com/downloads/rl/wp/silicon_realization_wp.pdf.

“This approach reflects the best Cadence I’ve dealt with,” said Gary Smith, chief analyst for Gary Smith EDA. “Cadence continues to define its strategy, has brought in good people and has tied their performance to its strategic EDA360 goals. The intent is to tear down the silos and have all of the company’s divisions working with each other. They are attempting to do what many other EDA companies have tried and failed.”

“ In today’s climate of complex designs and market pressures, chip developers are in dire need of dramatic boosts in productivity and profitability, and they simply can’t get there by stitching together tools from a dozen different vendors,” said Chi-Ping Hsu, Cadence senior vice president, research and development, Silicon Realization Group.

“Cadence’s industry-leading, advanced low-power solution first demonstrated our R&D teams’ focus on building tools that meet the requirements of unified design intent, abstraction and convergence, and our future product releases will continue to deliver on these core elements. Ultimately, we expect to offer a number of seamless end-to-end design flows whose built-in efficiencies will give customers a meaningful market advantage.”