Synopsys endorses ASIC initiative

Electronic News, Jan 11, 1993

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. Synopsys last week said it supports the Cadence-sponsored VHDL Initiative Towards ASIC Libraries (Vital) as long as that group encourages the development of a VHDL ASIC library standard. The company said it is prepared to contribute technical expertise and experience in ASIC libraries for synthesis, simulation and test tools to the initiative.

Vital is an industry group focused on promoting availability of VHSIC hardware description language (VHDL) libraries which can be used interoperably with commercially available simulators for ASIC design (EN, CAE Software, Aug. 17, 1992).

Synopsys' support is crucial, since the company has a significant market share and expertise in synthesis technology. Insiders said Synopsys had been withholding support largely because Vital seemed to be focused on typing Verilog libraries into the VHDL language. Verilog is a competing hardware description language developed by a company later acquired by Cadence Design Systems.

"Synopsys didn't want to see something emerge that theoretically could be competitive with them," said Robert Herwick, an industry analyst with Hambrecht & Quist.

Aart de Geus, president and chief operating officer at Synopsys, confirmed that Synopsys had initially been wary of Vital, because "It was viewed as a way to make Verilog libraries for VHDL." Dr. de Geus said the new proposal has evolved "in a direction we can feel comfortable with."

"Our impression is that we're now talking about VHDL libraries for VHDL," said Dr. de Geus. "Those ideas that are from Verilog have been taken over successfully," and the group is now focused on the VHDL language exclusively.

Dr. de Geus said Synopsys believes it is now important for Vital to join VHDL International to "work closely together in developing the final solution. (VHDL International) is the group pretty much every EDA (electronic design automation) company is a member of."

Steve Schultz, a member of the group technical staff at Texas Instruments' Defense Systems & Electronics group and the North American coordinator for Vital, said the organization has received a formal letter from VHDL International inviting Vital to become a member. He said the letter distributing the letter to all members on Vital's database and input will be compiled to create a group response to the invitation. Mr. Schultz said all the coordinators of the organization are in agreement that joining VHDL International would be "the right thing to do."

Mr. Herwick said it is in Synopsys' best interest to encourage the success of Vital, since that group could help the company "to be seen as a leading vendor instead of a niche player to Cadence and Mentor Graphics."

Similarly, without Synopsys on board, "I don't think Vital could achieve a position in big accounts," he said. "Being hostile to Synopsys would have been suicidal to Vital."