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Today's Table of Contents:
1. Viewpoint - Welcome Aboard!
2. Analog IP Coming For TSMC's 90-nm Process
3. Monterey Chalks Up 3.3-Mgate Fujitsu Tapeout
4. Tool Vendor Scraps "Pay For Bug Fixes" Model
5. EDA Industry Revenues Fall Off 10%
6. Happenings
International Symposium on System Synthesis
International Test Conference
IEEE International High Level Design Validation And Test Workshop
IEEE International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD)
************ 1. Viewpoint ************
Welcome Aboard!
By David Maliniak, EDA Technology Editor
You've received this e-newsletter either because you received our EDA Alert newsletter in the past, or because you've expressed interest in receiving it through the signup available at http://www.planetee.com. Either way, I hope to make this newsletter one of your most valuable resources for news and information from the world of electronic design automation.
With editions appearing roughly twice per month, I'll endeavor to keep you up to date with trends, new products, EDA-related events and whatever else strikes my fancy as useful to you. There'll also be the occasional guest commentary from industry notables to spur some dialogue.
Additionally, I see the e-Newsletter as a supplemental information outlet for me in my role as EDA Technology Editor of Electronic Design Magazine. Thus, it gives me a way to pass along information of a nature that perhaps doesn't exactly fit our editorial charter in the printed magazine. So look for a potpourri of EDA data here that might, at times, be a little different from what you're used to seeing in print. For example, I'll share news of tapeouts that you may find of interest.
Feel free to share your comments, concerns, praise and criticisms of the EDA tools in your flows. I'm more than interested in input from tool users and would like your feedback on any areas of interest to you in EDA.
Write me at: dmaliniak@penton.com
******* 2. News *******
Analog IP Coming For TSMC's 90-nm Process
Plans to develop full-custom analog intellectual property (IP) at the 90-nm process node have been announced by Barcelona Design Inc. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is expected to share technology information with Barcelona to support the development of analog IP engines based on TSMC's Nexsys 90-nm process technology.
Barcelona's aiming to provide synthesizable analog or mixed signal components for analog functions such as phase-locked loops and data converters designed for SoCs targeted at the computing, communication and consumer segments. Look for a launch in the first half of 2003. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05An0AW
******* 3. News *******
Monterey Chalks Up 3.3-Mgate Fujitsu Tapeout
Through use of Monterey Design Systems's IC Wizard hierarchical design planner, the Telecommunication Network Systems Group of Fujitsu Ltd. managed a 15% die shrink on a 3.3 million-gate telecommunications chip.
The design, which contains 3.3 million logic gates, 313 RAM macros and more than 10 clock domains, was fabricated on six-metal-layer, 0.18 µm process technology. The design represents a growing trend among SoC designs where more and more of the system memory is being included on the main chip, as opposed to using separate memory chips. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK0paG0AO
******* 4. News *******
Tool Vendor Scraps "Pay For Bug Fixes" Model
In an unusual turnaround, customer complaints have led Altium Ltd. to scrap its current Altium Total Support (ATS) program and make all service packs for its products freely available to all customers. "In our haste to generate a more predictable revenue stream, we adopted the conventional 'pay for bug fixes' model, so rampant in the EDA industry. In doing so, we lost sight of our primary focus," commented Nick Martin, Joint CEO and founder of Altium. "The concept of ATS was a mistake on our part and represents an embarrassing departure from the core values of our company."
Altium will offer customers increased flexibility with choices for hotline phone support and pre-paid upgrades for those that require direct access to product support specialists, and/or predictable annual software costs. There will be no disadvantages for customers that prefer to maintain their software on an upgrade-by-upgrade basis. All current ATS contracts will be honored in full, with ATS customers continuing to receive both hotline phone support and product upgrades. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05Ao0AX
******* 5. News *******
EDA Industry Revenues Fall Off 10%
EDA industry revenues for the second quarter of 2002 were down 10% when compared to the second quarter of 2001. According to the EDA Consortium's Market Statistics Service (MSS), $876 million in revenue was reported in Q2 of 2002, compared to $973 million in Q2 2001.
Revenue grew in IC physical design and verification, design for test and IC analysis, but was not enough to overcome decreases of over 40% in services revenue (and modest decreases in computer-aided engineering and PCB layout), leading to an overall revenue decline in Q2. Through the first half of 2002, revenue as reported by the MSS totaled $1,837 million, 6% less than the first half total of $1,960 million in 2001. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK0puL0An
************* 6. Happenings *************
International Symposium on System Synthesis
Kyoto Royal Hotel, Kyoto, Japan
October 2-4, 2002
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05Ap0AY
International Test Conference
Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
October 8-10, 2002
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05Aq0AZ
IEEE International High Level Design Validation And Test Workshop
Côte d'Azur, Cannes, France
October 7-29, 2002
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05Ar0Aa
IEEE International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD)
Doubletree Hotel, San Jose, CA
November 10-14, 2002
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/flo?y=eNpi0DJhFR0BSK05As0Ab
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