Berkeley Design (Santa Clara, Calif.) claims that its Precision Circuit Analysis technology enables designers to verify analog/RF circuitry problems that otherwise would be impractical or infeasible.

"We face rapid product development cycles and mass-market cost pressures in the audio, video, home, and wireless consumer products we develop," said Yoshiyuki Miyabe, Matsushita's director of corporate R&D strategy, in a statement. "Analog and RF circuits make up a significant portion of the semiconductors in these products. Today's circuit verification tools are unable to deliver the functionality, speed, and accuracy required for these aggressive consumer electronics designs."

Berkeley Design said it plans to use the investment to launch its Precision Circuit Analysis technology. The company entered the market last yearwith PLL Noise Analyzer, which focused on a narrow, but notoriously difficult problem, according to the company. Berkeley Design said it has proven the technology on more than 75 production designs and is readying itself to enter the general market to tackle a wide range of the most difficult analog/RF verification problems.