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TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIESProducts and services for system design
SwiftPCB High Tech Solutions announced a new Windows-based tool for producing a PCB netlist. Swift PCB accepts VHDL simulated board-level file and extracts a CAD netlist for PCB of WireWrap+graphical preliminary suggested placement. Introductory price, valid thru Apr. 30, 1996, is $1076. High Tech Solutions, Israel. Contact hofman@netvision.net.il or 100274.1762@compuserve.com.
MetaManager Meta-Software Inc. announced a graphical simulation management environment that controls the various commands and options of the company's HSPICE circuit simulator and recently introduced timing simulator, MetaCircuit. The new product provides library, design, stimulus, and analysis management functions to reduce design iteration times for IC development and timing simulation. Platforms currently supported by Meta-Software products include SUN, HP, and IBM machines. US pricing for MetaManager starts at $10,000 for node-locked licenses. Meta-Software, Campbell, CA. Contact (408) 369-5400 . FAST SCSI-II Controller LG Semicon America has announced a new FAST SCSI-II Controller (GM82C700) that provides the bridge and control logic between the PC's AT bus and SCSI modules and peripherals. This device is functionally compatible and pin-compatible with the industry-standard SCSI I Controllers. It features the advantages of single-chip integration of a FAST SCSI-II 16-bit host adapter that provides 5MB/sec synchronous and 10 MB/sec asynchronous data transfer, a 128-byte host FIFO buffer memory, along with advanced power management and complete software support. Current pricing is around $3.50 in production volumes. LG Semicon America, San Jose, CA. Contact (408) 432-5000
PCI Performance Analyzer Sand Microelectronics Inc. introduced its PCI Performance Analyzer (PPA), a tool providing performance analysis in the ASIC or board simulation environment. PPA enables designers to analyze and optimize the performance of PCI designs in simulation prior to silicon or board fabrication. The PPA is a key component of the PCI SANDesigner ADVantage package that provides analysis, design, and verification tools. The PPA is available immediately. Floating licenses are available for $7,500 each. The company offers a free 30-day evaluation period, upon request, to qualified designers. Sand Microelectronics Inc., San Jose, CA. Contact (408) 441-7138 or e-mail info@sandmicro.com . ST486DX ASIC core SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics announced the availability of their new 486 core. The fully static ST486DX ASIC core can be used in conjunction with a high-performance, semi-custom standard cell technology and a comprehensive library of functions to build powerful embedded systems. Targeted at emerging applications such as hand-held computer and multimedia terminals, the ST486DX ASIC core is an embedded microprocessor core, offering full x86 functionality along with DOS and Windows compatibility. It is manufactured in a high-speed, low-voltage, .35µm, five-layer metal HCMOS process that can support chip sizes of over two million equivalent usable gates. SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics Inc., Lincoln, MA. Contact (617) 259-0300. LogiCore Xilinx announced its new LogiCore program--a 100 percent compliant PCI-Interface for FPGAs. The Xilinx program offers pre-implemented and fully verified drop-in modules. Xilinx reports the new modules have been tested by 30 beta customers who have successfully implemented the design in a Xilinx XC4000E Series FPGA. Initial PCI Target Interface modules for Xilinx FPGAs, complete with a data sheet and comprehensive user guide, are available in Viewlogic schematics for an introductory offer of $1,995 until April 30, 1996. The PCI module will be available for the list price of $4,995, effective May 1. Xilinx Inc. , San Jose, CA. Contact (408) 559-7778 or www.Xilinx.com Power analysis EPIC Design Technology Inc. introduced AMPS, Automatic Minimization of Power through Sizing, a commercial tool that optimizes power, speed, and area. Created for the designers of deep submicron CMOS ICs, AMPS optimizes full custom and structured custom blocks from 100 to 30,000 transistors. AMPS resizes transistors in a circuit, making them larger and/or smaller to find the combination that will best meet the user-defined power, speed, and area goals without changing the functionality of the design. As a pre-layout design tool, AMPS provides automatic optimization to meet design targets. Post-layout, it provides final optimization and verification capabilities. AMPS also enables the designer to analyze reusable blocks early in the design cycle to provide analysis on what improvements are required in the technology libraries. AMPS is immediately available. Pricing starts at $90,000. It is available on Sun SPARC, HP, and IBM RS/6000 platforms. EPIC Design Technology Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. Contact (408) 988-2997 or e-mail mkt@epic.com. AT6010 coprocessor FPGA Atmel Corp. announced that it has started volume shipments of its reconfigurable, 20,000-gate, AT6010 coprocessor FPGA. The AT6010 can accelerate a DSP or other processor-based system by unburdening the processor of compute-intensive, data-path functions. These include adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) filters, fast Fourier transforms (FFT), interpolators and discrete-cosine transforms (DCT) that are required for video compression and decompression, encryption, convolution, and other multimedia applications. With the AT6010 these functions, usually performed in DSP software routines, may be greatly speeded up with temporarily dedicated hardware. Prices for the AT6010 start at $99 each in quantities of 1,000. Atmel Corp., San Jose, CA. Contact (408) 441-0732 or e-mail literature@atmel.com ArcCell-XO Avant! Corp. announced ArcCell-XO, a hierarchical physical layout system developed specifically for the design of deep submicron ICs. These ICs are the advanced computer chips required by today's sophisticated electronic products. ArcCell-XO is available now as an option to ArcCell-BV, Avant!'s existing layout system for 2- and 3-layer metal designs. US pricing for ArcCell-BV plus ArcCell-XO is $320,000. For existing ArcCell-BV customers, the ArcCell-XO upgrade is available for $165,000 (ArcCell-XO is not available as a stand-alone product). Avant! Corp., Sunnyvale, CA. Contact (408) 738-8881 Ethernet Coaxial Transceiver Silicon Systems Inc. announced a low-power, mixed-signal Ethernet coaxial transceiver that is fully compliant with Ethernet II standards, including IEEE 802.3, 10Base5 and 10Base2. The 78Q8392L is available in 16-pin PDIP, 16-pin SOL, and 28-pin PLCC. Evaluation units are available immediately for $2.60 each. Silicon Systems Inc. Tustin, CA. Contact (800) 624-8999 X 151. FPGA Family Xilinx Inc. announced the extension of the XC4000E FPGA family to 125,000 usable gates. The new XC4000EX family will have devices with densities ranging from 28,000 to 125,000 gates. Pricing for the XC4028EX in 100 piece quantities is $695. HardWire gate array versions of the XC4028 are available for $45 at 25,000 units. Xilinx Inc. , San Jose, CA. Contact (408) 559-7778 or http://www.xilinx.com . Cycle-Based Acceleration Pendulum Design unveiled its new Verilog logic simulator that increases gate-level performance using cycle-based techniques without design or methodology restrictions. vls takes the best features from compiled, interpreted, and cycle-based technologies to provide a high-speed, high-capacity digital logic simulator for gate-level verification and timing simulation. Pricing starts at $25,000 for UNIX platforms. Pendulum Design, Waltham, MA. Contact Bill Hoolhorst (415) 366-0376 or e-mail billh@pendulum.com. Power Estimation Tool Sente Inc. introduced the first in a series of power estimation and optimization products for the design of electronic devices. Watt Watcher provides designers with the ability to estimate power consumption for an entire ASIC or IC at various stages in the design process. WW/Architect is for RTL analysis and includes WW/Gate for gate-level estimation. WW/Architect is priced under $40,000, with WW/Gate priced at $5,000. Sente Inc., Chelmsford, MA. Contact Maury Hiers (508) 244-1100, e-mail mhiers@powereda.com or http://www.powereda.com.
High-Frequency Simulator Hewlett-Packard Company announced the release of the Series IV/PC EDA tools. HP Series IV/PC software gives high-frequency circuit designers using PC platforms the same capabilities as UNIX system-based workstations. The tools run on Windows 95 or NT operating systems, and can exchange design files with the UNIX versions of the tools. HP Series IV/PC lets designer use powerful simulation tools to create robust designs. The Frequency-domain (linear and non-linear) and time-domain (transient and convolution) simulators allow designers to examine circuit performance under many operating conditions. The synthesis tools automatically create matching networks, filters or network impedance transformations. Series IV/PC software is priced from $8,000. Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA. Contact (800) 452-4844.
integrated system design March 1996[ Articles from Integrated System Design Magazine ] [ ICs and uPs ] [ Custom ICs and Programmable Logic ] [ Vendor Guide ] [ Design and Development Tools ] [ Home ] For more information about isdmag.com e-mail cam@isdmag.com For advertising information e-mail amstjohn@mfi.com Comments on our editorial are welcome. Copyright © 1996 - Integrated System Design Magazine
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