Analogy sues Anacad over simulator patents

Electronic News, March 29, 1993 by Jeff Dorsch

BEAVERTON, ORE.--Analogy last week filed an infringement lawsuit against Anacad and Mentor Graphics, charging Anacad's analog simulator violates five patents held by Analogy. Mentor was named as a defendant since it distributes Anacad software in the U.S. At press time, Anacad and Mentor declined to comment on the charges raised by Analogy's suit.

"Analogy has invested millions of dollars in developing new simulation technology and it is our responsibility to our shareholders to protect those investments," said Gary Arnold, Analogy president and CEO. "Our patents provide us protection in the marketplace against imitation of our technology and concepts."

Mr. Arnold expressed regret about Mentor's involvement in the dispute; they have a long-standing cooperative relationship, most recently collaborating on tying Analogy's Saber analog simulator with Mentor's QuickSim VHDL simulator for use in mixed-signal device design (EN, CAE Software, March 15).

Earlier this month, Mentor announced a "technology partnership" with Anacad Computer Systems, the German parent company of Fremont, Calif.-based Anacad, that includes joint development of software, Mentor's taking a seat on the Anacad board and Mentor's distributing Anacad software in the U.S. (EN, March 8). "Unfortunately, by partnering with Anacad and distributing its products, Mentor Graphics stepped into the line of fire," Mr. Arnold said.

Five patents are at issue in Analogy's complaint: No. 5,092,780, "System Performance Simulator," issued March 3, 1992; No. 5,046,024, "Vector Calculator Apparatus for Graphic Waveform Manipulation," issued Sept. 3, 1991; No. 5,199,103, issued March 30, 1993; No. 4,985,860, "Mixed-Mode Simulator Interface," issued Jan. 15, 1991; and No. 4,868,770, "Simulation Results Enhancement Method and System," issued Sept. 19, 1989.

Anacad's Eldo analog simulator is alleged to infringe those patents. Analogy is also claiming copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Anacad Computer Systems was founded by SGS-Thomson Microeletronics, according to the complaint. SGS-Thomson licensed Analogy's software in November, 1989, for the purposes of evaluating the simulator. Analogy employees conducted a training session for SGS-Thomson employees and executives in December, 1989, and some of those who attended the session "were instrumental in developing the Anacad simulator," the complaint states.

"As a proximate consequence of the misappropriation of Analogy's trade secrets by Anacad, Anacad has been able to develop an analog system performance simulator in much less time than such development would have taken without knowledge of Analogy's trade secrets," the complaint says, adding Anacad "willfully or maliciously" undertook such actions. "Mentor has encouraged Anacad in such actions, has encouraged Anacad to develop an analog system performance simulator using misappropriated trade secrets of Analogy (and) has had reason to know that the trade secrets were acquired by Anacad under circumstances which gave rise to a duty to maintain secrecy."

Analogy developed an analog hardware description language (AHDL) called Mast, which is used in its Saber analog simulator. Saber, introduced in 1986, is OEMed by a variety of design software vendors, and Analogy virtually had the market to itself for several years.

The rising importance of analog and mixed-signal design in recent years has led other vendors to develop AHDLs and various analog design tools. There is a proposed AHDL standard, but it is some time away from becoming an official standard. "We want one language, one test methodology," said Mitch Weaver, general manager of Mentor's Analog/Mixed-Signal division, in an earlier interview. "There's general consensus among analog vendors that there should be one language."

Analogy, in revealing its suit, also expressed support for industry development of a standard AHDL. "Our implementation of AHDL models within our simulator is only one possible approach. We encourage others to pursue use of the modeling standard once it is available--we simply want to discourage them from using our technology and thereby infringing on our patents," said Mr. Arnold.