Texas Instruments is already using Physical Compiler, the physical synthesis solution from Synopsys, for timing closure on high-performance DSP designs. TI used Physical Compiler to develop the ARM925T, its next-generation wireless processor core. Mike Fazeli, director of worldwide EDA for TI's DSP products, said TI's DSP business units worldwide are adopting Physical Compiler for their design flows.

The ARM925T is a 32-bit RISC processor in the 250,000- to 500,000-gate range. It's not literally a tapeout, because it's an MCU core that will reside in TI's library. However, the design is now complete and ready for use by internal or external customers.

Meanwhile, TI's DSP group has signed an agreement to use Dolphin on 0.18-micron and smaller geometry designs. The agreement marks a major design win for Monterey, which describes Dolphin as offering a complete placement and routing solution. Moreover, the TI deal represents one of the first applications of Monterey's Global Access Model, in which Monterey collects revenue after a successful silicon tapeout.

Test cases

TI chose Dolphin after running three comprehensive test cases that represented a spectrum of DSP design challenges. The test cases went through complete physical implementation and verification. Actual tapeouts on production chips are expected later this year.

Fazeli said that TI started looking at new design methodologies because timing closure problems were causing too many iterations. "Timing closure was one of the biggest problems we had," he said. "Back in the middle of 1999, we made a very conscious effort to try and resolve the cycle time delays we had due to timing closure, and as a result of that, started looking at all the different technologies available to us."

Physical Compiler and Dolphin have some overlapping capabilities, and Synopsys and Monterey appear to regard themselves as competitors. But TI doesn't necessarily see it that way, Fazeli said.

"I think they're basically trying to solve two different problems," he said. "I wouldn't put Physical Compiler in the same boat as Magma [Design Automation Inc.] or Monterey. Physical Compiler gives you an entry into back-end tools that's a lot more optimized. But I do believe there's additional room for improving density and performance."

Fazeli also said that the Monterey deployment will not necessarily replace the current Avanti Corp. placement and routing tools used by TI's DSP group. Dolphin, he said, will come into play "when we want to take advantage of an automated and streamlined flow."