SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Altera Corp. has entered into separate strategic alliances with Synplicity Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) and Exemplar Logic Inc. (Alameda, Calif.). The aim is to tightly integrate each company's synthesis software with Altera's Max+Plus II programmable-logic tools suite for use with Altera's next-generation million-gate devices.

"We want to make sure that the type of solution we jointly provide looks to the customer like it could be native to Altera's tool environment, in terms of ease of use and too l interoperability," said Bob Beachler, director of development-tools marketing.

The Altera and Synplicity Cooperative Engineering Development (Ascend) alliance was created to ensure that the companies' mutual customers receive design support for Altera PLD architectures as soon as they are available, Altera said.

The Ascend program will bring together engineers from both companies to optimize the performance between Synplicity's Synplify synthesis tool and Altera's Max+Plus II development software. The companies plan to improve timing constraints and analysis, integration of megafunctions and the Library of Parameterized Modules (LPM), and the quality of results for design implementation.

Tight integration
The Altera Partnership with Exemplar Logic (Apex) also focuses on tight integration between Exemplar's synthesis offerings and Altera's Max+Plus II development software, but with special emphasis on developing methodologies to improve the "gates per day" productivity of desig ners using new Altera devices, Beachler said.

Altera and Exemplar are working to improve design performance by creating a tighter link between Exemplar's synthesis offerings and Altera's place-and-route tools. The companies are planning to develop a way for the tools to exchange data early in a design in hopes that it will streamline the back end of the process.

Altera currently shares a similar alliance with Synopsys Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.).

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