In the News Business and technology news from the semiconductor and design tool industries.

In the News

* Mentor Graphics Corp. (Wilsonville, Ore.) has acquired OPC Technology, Inc. (San Jose), extending Mentor's Calibre physical verification product line through integration with OPCT's optical rule-checking and process-checking software, Signamask OPC. OPCT operations will be merged into Mentor Graphics' Physical Verification Business Unit in San Jose. The combined team has also created two new products for optical-process rule checking called Calibre ORC and Calibre ORC-reporter, available now, along with an enhanced version of Signamask OPC.

* Viewlogic Systems, Inc. (Marlboro, Mass.) and Altera Corp. (San Jose) will provide Microsoft Component Object Model (COM) integration capabilities between Viewlogic's suite of entry, synthesis, and simulation tools and Quartus, Altera's fourth-generation programmable logic development system. The standardization will allow the two companies to essentially run each other's tools as native applications within their own design environments.

* Synopsys, Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.) has acquired privately held Everest Design Automation, Inc. (Fremont, Calif.). The acquisition merges Everest's shape-based, top-level-routing technology targeted at handling the complexities of systems on a chip with Synopsys's chip design software, services, and methodology. The first design planning product from Synopsys will include some routing capability using the technology from Everest. Synopsys will also offer Everest's top-level router as a stand-alone product.

* Cirrus Logic, Inc. (Fremont, Calif.) is transferring its silicon library development and support operation to Duet Technologies, Inc. (San Jose). Along with the transfer of people resources and certain assets, Cirrus has signed a multimillion dollar, multiyear library services agreement whereby Duet will provide ongoing library support services for existing Cirrus silicon libraries as well as develop and support new libraries targeting deep-submicron semiconductor processes, including 0.18 and 0.25 µm. Under the agreement, Cirrus will have access to Duet's comprehensive IP infrastructure services and technologies, including standard off-the-shelf silicon library products, standard core cell libraries and memory compilers for 0.25- and 0.35-µm processes, and custom library services, such as custom cell development and characterization. Duet will have a royalty-free license to use a dozen Cirrus-developed IP cell libraries, which cover a range of process technologies from 0.6 to 0.25 µm. As part of the agreement, Cirrus's library development and support organization will immediately transfer to Duet's San Jose facility.

* Actel Corp. (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Synplicity, Inc. (Sunnyvale), and Veribest, Inc. (Boulder, Colo.) have begun developing an integrated tool environment for programmable logic design. The suite of tools, based exclusively on VHDL and Verilog standards, is targeted for the PC environment and expected to be released this quarter. The tools will include enhanced VHDL and Verilog synthesis as well as advanced simulation and integrated management capabilities.

* Chip Express Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.) now offers the conversion of existing ASIC or FPGA designs with a 5-V supply into its 0.35-µm (3.3/5-V) CX3000 LPGA family. The ability to implement designs with 5-V supply into devices operating at 3.3-V is by virtue of the special Voltage Regulator developed by the Chip Express R&D Team.

* Zuken-Redac, Inc. (Dallas) and Valor Computerized Systems, Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) have signed a worldwide OEM agreement authorizing Zuken-Redac to distribute Valor's Enterprise 3000 design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analysis product to its PCB design customers in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

* Incases Engineering GmbH (Paderborn, Germany) has established its North American headquarters in Denver. The new headquarters, which opened in August, is the first step toward more effectively pursuing business in the U.S. and providing support to the U.S. market. The company previously supported its U.S. operations through a field operations satellite sales office in Dallas. The second stage of the U.S. effort, which will begin as early as the second half of 1999, will entail setting up satellite sales and support operations in key high-technology regions driven by customer demand.

* ASIC International, Inc. (Knoxville, Tenn.) has received funding support from Bechtel Jacobs Development Corp. (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) The funding will support ASIC International's growth and the creation of new jobs, specifically with training of employees that the company plans to hire during the next five years. BJDC is a division of Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC, which has the U.S. Department of Energy contract for environmental management and enrichment facilities in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Movers and Shakers

Andrew T. Yang has joined the board of directors of Ultima Interconnect Technology, Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.). He was an
associate professor at the University of Washington and later served as executive vice president of the Analysis Products Division of Avanti. He founded Anagram, which later merged with Avanti.

* The Electronic Design Automation Consortium (San Jose) has awarded the 1998 Phil Kaufman Award to Ernest S. Kuh , honoring him for his innovative contributions to physical design tool technology in the areas of electric circuit theory and CAD for VLSI circuits and systems. He is currently the William S. Floyd, Jr. Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.

* Bob Morris is the new president and COO of Gambit Automated Design, Inc. (San Jose). Previously, he held executive management positions at Fujitsu and Conner Peripherals.

* Hildy Shandell is the new vice president and chief financial officer at 3Dlabs, Inc., Ltd. (Hamilton, Bermuda). Previously, she worked for the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and has served as an adviser to 3Dlabs since its initial public offering.

Money Bits

OrCAD, Inc. (Beaverton) reported $11.2 million in third-quarter revenues, a 10 percent increase from $10.3 million for the same period in 1997. Net income for that quarter was $995,000 or $0.10 per diluted share, compared with third-quarter net income in 1997 of $714,000 or $0.08 per diluted share. For the first nine months of 1998, revenues increased 12 percent to $34.8 million, up from $31.0 million for the same period in 1997. Excluding charges related to the merger with Summit Design, net income for the first nine months of 1998 was $3.7 million or $0.39 per diluted share, compared with $2.9 million or $0.31 per diluted share for the same period in 1997.

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integrated system design  January 1999