CynApps C++ Hardware Design Library Now Freely Available Through Open-source Licensing Program.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 1999--

Company Moves to Make Cynlib Industry Standard Through

Open-Source Licensing

EDA startup CynApps today announced it is making Cynlib, its C++ hardware description library, freely available through an open-source licensing program. One of the main advantages to using C++ with Cynlib is that high-level behavioral descriptions can be elaborated all the way to an RTL syntax similar to the Verilog accepted by traditional HDL simulators like the Cadence Affirma NC Verilog simulator (NYSE:CDN), Synopsys VCS (NASDAQ:SNPS), and Mentor Graphics ModelSim (NASDAQ:MENT). Cynlib is the first significant product in the EDA industry to be made available as open-source software. Details and downloads are available at http://www.cynapps.com/cynopen.

Several prominent IP, EDA and systems companies are endorsing CynApps' open-source move, including Artisan Components, Cadence Design Systems, Magma Design Automation, Mentor Graphics, SureFire Verification, Apple Computer (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ:SUNW).

"The time is right for the development of an Open Source HDL based on the standards of today, but ready for the challenges of tomorrow," according to Michael McNamara, SureFire Verification's president.

"Our customers must have the ability to integrate IP from multiple sources," said Mike Gianfagna, Cadence vice president of product marketing for design and verification tools. "We will work with CynApps to ensure that models developed with Cynlib can be imported into the Cadence tool flow."

"CynApps has made a bold move that will be very positive for the industry," said Jeff Lewis, vice president of market and business development at Artisan Components. "Their open-source model encourages usage, eliminates costs, and is likely to form the nucleus of an industry standard. By combining an advanced technology and an effective business model, CynApps has certainly eased the transition to high-level design."

Free High-Speed Simulation

Cynlib, which was introduced at DAC in June 1999, is a class library that implements hardware description language features in C++, allowing hardware models to be described and simulated in standard C++ at all levels of abstraction, from very high level all the way to RTL. Cynlib contains a fast, cycle-accurate simulation kernel. As a result, hardware models can not only be described in C++, they can be simulated at all levels of abstraction with nothing more than Cynlib and gcc, the free C++ compiler.

"This is a compelling technology," said Dr. John Sanguinetti, CynApps president. "Not only does Cynlib enable high-level design using C++, but it also enables very competitive simulation. We are making it open in order to spread the benefits of this design style as widely and quickly as possible. It is a nice by-product that by doing so, we are reducing the cost of pre-synthesis simulation to zero."

More than half of all significant designs today are initially described in a general-purpose programming language like C or C++, according to market analysts Collett International.

Open-Source Advantage

"Given enough eyeballs," says Eric Raymond of the Open Source Initiative, "all bugs are shallow."

"Open source software has many benefits," according to Dr. Sanguinetti. "Anyone can inspect it, and anyone can improve it. Having many design engineers inspect and add to the code will lead to a level of reliability and adaptability that stands out from the norm of EDA products. We expect to see the same advantages with Cynlib that have been obtained in other open source products."

Cynlib will be made available through an open-source license similar to the Mozilla Public License developed by Netscape, and conforming to the Open Source Definition from the Open Source Initiative. Anyone will be free to use Cynlib for their own purposes with no restrictions. Any source changes may be submitted back to CynApps for inclusion in the standard Cynlib release. In addition, vendors of proprietary tools or models may link their products with Cynlib with no restrictions. Cynlib is following in the footsteps of other open source software like Linux, Apache, Perl and gcc that have become established standards.

About CynApps

CynApps specializes in tools and methodologies for designing with C++. CynApps was founded in 1998 by Dr. John Sanguinetti, the founder of Chronologic Simulation; Dr. J. Randy Allen, noted compiler expert and former vice-president of engineering at Chronologic Simulation; and Andy Goodrich, graphics expert and former chief technology officer at IXmicro. The company has backing from noted technologists Gordon Bell, Andy Bechtolsheim, and Jon Rubenstein, as well as U.S. Venture Partners. CynApps is located in Santa Clara, Calif., and can be reached at 408/588-4000, or on the web at www.cynapps.com.

CynApps and Cynlib are trademarks of CynApps. Verilog and Affirma are trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. VCS is a trademark of Synopsys. ModelSim is a trademark of Mentor Graphics. All other trademarks are the properties of their holders.