TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Products and services for system design

Mechanical probe-focused ion beam prober Schlumberger Automatic Test Equipment introduced the next generation of its waveform acquisition tools for design debugging and failure analysis. The AMS 3000, a focused-ion-beam (FIB) system with mechanical probes, is designed for the needs of analog and mixed-signal devices with multiple metal layers and 0.5-µm or smaller geometries, with a voltage accuracy to within 1 mV or less. Mechanical "active probes" with a 0.1-µm radius, 2-GHz bandwidth, and 0.1-pF loading provide high-performance timing and voltage measurement. As a result, single-shot events and small AC signals can now be measured easily. The mechanical probes are controlled by accurate piezoelectric stages for smooth and precise probe placement and easy touchdown on sub-0.5-µm lines without damaging the conductor. The AMS 3000's FIB microscope provides a depth of focus of several hundred microns and a 25-mm working distance, so that features smaller than 0.1 µm can now be detected. The image resolution and mechanical probes work in concert to accurately position the probe. Pricing for the AMS 3000 starts at $525,000, with availability in 60 days. Schlumberger Automatic Test Equipment, San Jose. Contact (408) 453-0123 or www.slb.com

FPGA design tool A suite of design tools from Atmel increases the speed and functionality of designs and reduces the costs of implementing system-level functions in digital signal processing systems when used with the company's AT6000 FPGAs. The new software, termed DSP Designer 4.0, includes 20 new intellectual property functions and gives designers the ability to implement optimized HDL-based designs using Atmel's Automatic Component Generator tools. It operates under Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows NT, and Unix and offers seamless integration with design tools from Cadence, Exemplar, Everest, Mentor, OrCAD, Synario, Synopsys , Veribest, and Viewlogic . DSP Designer 4.0 is priced at $995 and is available now. Atmel Corp., San Jose. Contact (408) 441-0311, literature@atmel.com, or www.atmel.com

Deep-submicron ASICs The MSM13Q/14Q series of deep-submicron ASICs is aimed at use in the networking, communications, multimedia, and computer peripherals markets. From Oki Semiconductor, the devices, offer cost savings and faster time to market through the implementation of Silicon Architects' Cell-Based Array (CBA) architecture. They are available with three layers of metal (MSM13Q) or four (MSM14Q). The 0.35-µm semiconductor process is adapted from Oki's 64-Mbit DRAM manufacturing process. Each series contains six arrays, offering more than 1 million raw gates and up to 560 I/O pads. Up to 66 percent and 90 percent of the raw gates can be utilized for the three- and four-layer arrays, respectively. The devices are optimized for 3-V core operation with 5-V-tolerant 3-V buffers. Design release for the MSM13Q/14Q series will begin this month, with full production beginning during the fourth quarter. Production unit pricing will range from approximately $0.005 to 0.007 per gate in standard QFP packages. Oki Semiconductor, Sunnyvale, Calif. Contact (408) 720-1900 or www.okisemi.com

Parameter analyzer Hewlett-Packard introduced two new semiconductor parameter analyzers that offer higher throughput, better data handling, and easier-to-use software environments than earlier models. Designed to meet the requirements of today's increasingly automated benchtop test environment, the HP 4155B and HP 4156B provide a 53 improvement in throughput, a new user command language, and other features. The instruments also provide a LAN connection that allows data and setup sharing on a site-wide or worldwide basis. The LAN capability increases productivity by removing the obstacle of inefficient data transfer via floppy disk. Users now can create centralized setup libraries and data files that can be accessed by all of the LAN-connected HP 4155B and HP 4156B instruments.

For customers who want a more graphical programming option for automation, the HP Visual Engineering Environment (VEE) language offers an alternative to HP FLEX. With the new compilation capabilities of HP VEE version 4.0, programming efficiencies are only slightly slower than those of HP FLEX. For lab setups where automation is not a concern, HP Interactive Characterization Software is available with built-in semiconductor analysis features. The analyzers also support the open-systems standards of the VXIplug&play Systems Alliance. The HP 4155B is priced at $36,850, and the HP 4156B at $46,750. They are expected to be available in October. Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif. Contact www.hp.com/go/semiconductor

Interface simulator TimingDesigner Professional, from Chronology .com/quickbench/isdpromo.html&lf=isd-sendtolog"> Chronology , is a design analysis tool used prior to netlists, test vectors, or completed designs to design, verify, and document digital circuit timing using interface specifications. It goes well beyond generating traditional timing diagrams and into full interface specification, simulation, and analysis. With its interactive and incremental interface simulator, it can provide what-if analysis in a matter of seconds--only those parts of the interface design that change are resimulated. Users also will benefit from the tool's worst-case analysis capability, the first to support the entire range of minimum and maximum possible delays. TimingDesigner Professional also includes a complete static timing analyzer that supports a multitude of functions, including signal tracking and complex user-defined functions. In addition, the analyzer automatically highlights violations and removes common delays. TimingDesigner Professional is available for HP, Sun, and Windows platforms. Pricing is $2,995 for a single-computer version and $5,995 for a floating site license. Customers who currently have a TimingDesigner annual support option will receive TimingDesigner Professional free of charge. Chronology .com/quickbench/isdpromo.html&lf=isd-sendtolog"> Chronology Corp., Redmond, Wash. Contact (206) 869-4227, sales@ Chronology .com, or www. Chronology .com

EMI analysis Viewlogic 's Quiet Expert locates and provides advice for fixing electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems in complex printed circuit boards. The tool contains a fast EMI analysis engine and a customizble design rule checker. It also incorporates an expert system that understands and offers advice for fixing EMI problems. Quiet Expert for Unix systems is priced at $30,000 for a network license. A Windows NT version will follow in the future. Viewlogic Systems Inc., Marlboro, Mass. Contact (508) 480-0881 or www.viewlogic.com

PC board design Xynetix Design Systems, a pioneer in "virtual prototyping" technology, has issued a significant new release of EDAnavigator, its flagship virtual prototyping product for complex PC board design. The improvements enable engineers to easily consolidate and manage design constraints, organize designs and rules into hierarchical partitions for reuse, and perform early prerouting analysis to optimize for electrical and physical factors simultaneously. EDAnavigator 2.0 is a complementary tool, integrating with logic design, layout, and analysis tools from Cadence, Mentor Graphics, Quad Design, VeriBest, Viewlogic , and others. It consolidates constraints from all domains in a single spreadsheet called the Constraint Manager, where designers can easily view and edit rules and their relationships. By making the physical constraints available early in the design process, the tool helps engineers conform to fabrication rules without having to learn and enter them. EDAnavigator 2.0 is available now for PC platforms with Windows NT or Windows 95 and for Unix workstations from Sun and Hewlett-Packard. Package prices begin at $14,000 for node-locked licenses with design planning and first-order analysis capabilities, and floating licenses are available. Xynetix Design Systems Inc., Fishers, N.Y. Contact (716) 924-9303, info@xynetix.com, or www.xynetix.com

integrated system design  September 1997