Rubicad Introduces New Version of Its Layout Conversion Environment.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1998-- LACE 4.0 offers faster, parallel conversions of hard IP using multiple workstations, maintains design hierarchy, improves technology file setup time, and includes a layout editor Rubicad Corporation, a leading Electronic Design Automation (EDA (1) (Electronic Design Automation) Using the computer to design, lay out, verify and simulate the performance of electronic circuits on a chip or printed circuit board. ) supplier of layout and migration tools for physical designs, today announced that the company is introducing an advanced version of its design and layout conversion tool-LACE 4.0. The new version offers faster, parallel conversions of hard IP using multiple workstations, maintains design hierarchy, improves technology file setup time, and includes a layout editor. LACE converts hard intellectual property (IP) for use in deep submicron (DSM 1. DSM - Data Structure Manager. An object-oriented language by J.E. Rumbaugh and M.E. Loomis of GE, similar to C++. It is used in implementation of CAD/CAE software. DSM is written in DSM and C and produces C as output. ) System-on-a-chip (SoC) applications. With LACE, designers are able to maintain the predictability of reusing their proven hard IP while automatically optimizing it for specific fabs or technologies. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Michael Reinhardt, Rubicad's president: "Conceptually design reuse reuse - Using code developed for one application program in another application. Traditionally achieved using program libraries. Object-oriented programming offers reusability of code via its techniques of inheritance and genericity. is the accepted strategy for developing SoC in a timely manner. LACE closes the gap between the concept and practice, because it enables designers to reuse approved hard IP and hard macros The design of a logic function on a chip that specifies how the required logic elements are interconnected and specifies the physical pathways and wiring patterns between the components. Also called a "macro cell." Contrast with soft macro. in DSM technologies while automatically adjusting and optimizing the design for the technical and electrical requirements of the latest technology." Reinhardt added, "Several years of research resulted in our breakthrough technology for hierarchical compaction. LACE 4.0 is the only tool that hierarchically converts hard IP independent of the original design environment and the original process technology." Hierarchical Design Conversion Turns Reuse of Hard IP into Reality: LACE 4.0 uses an intelligent inter-process control algorithm to distribute a design over a local area network (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ), and run a multi-level hierarchy design conversion in parallel. Using a parallel conversion methodology, LACE converts hard macros and hard cores as well as hard IP like RAM, ROM, DRAM, datapaths, and microprocessors while preserving a design's hierarchy. Maintaining hierarchy in a layout database for memory or datapaths is a required precondition pre·con·di·tion n. A condition that must exist or be established before something can occur or be considered; a prerequisite. tr.v. for using the converted design with verification and simulation tools. The converted design, which is still hierarchical, can again be simulated and verified on a higher design level to shorten simulation and verification time. The new version of LACE offers increased user friendliness. The expertise, which was collected during hundreds of different conversion tasks, is now part of pre-defined conversion and optimization templates that a novice user can select. These new templates cover the majority of conversion tasks for compaction, optimization, design rule correction, and increased performance. They also reduce the initial setup time up to 80% for an average technology conversion. About DSM Design Reuse of Hard IP: Re-using approved pre-DSM era IP is now almost impossible. In the pre-DSM era, linear shrink was a technique used to successfully convert physical designs. Now, for technologies of 0.35 micron and below design rules don't shrink linearly with the same scaling factor. Some rules become much smaller than others do, some remain the same, and some become sometimes bigger. Devices and transistors have to be re-sized according to the new technology's performance. To re-place and route, re-synthesize a design or even do a re-layout manually ends in a time-consuming solution which is unable to stand the market pressure of short product life cycles. DSM technologies require a more flexible approach, because for performance, yield, area and electromigration requirements the design needs to be adjusted to the optimum technical feature sizes. LACE enables designers to dramatically reduce development cycles and shorten time-to-market for SOC designs independent of their design environment and design style. With LACE designers convert physical designs for reuse in their SoCs and with newer DSM technologies. LACE combines the predictability of hard IP while automatically optimize hard IP for a specific fab or technology. LACE includes LACEedit, a layout polygon polygon, closed plane figure bounded by straight line segments as sides. A polygon is convex if any two points inside the polygon can be connected by a line segment that does not intersect any side. If a side is intersected, the polygon is called concave. editor, for creating and editing layout for quick design rule corrections and conversions. Pricing and availability: LACE 4.0 is available in September for UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). and Linux users on SUN, HP and Pentium. Several licensing options are available. Pricing begins at $50,000 (USD USD In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. ). About Rubicad: Rubicad Corporation is the pioneer in developing automatic layout Automatic layout is an option in graph drawing toolkits that allow to lay out the Graph according to specific rules, such as:
The Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) defines fabless as follows: Fabless (without fab) refers to the business methodology of outsourcing the manufacturing of silicon wafers, which hundreds of semiconductor companies have adopted. , and systems manufacturers. For information contact Rubicad Corp., 1150 North First St., Suite 130, San Jose, CA 95112, 408/995-3334, FAX: 408/995-3335, info@rubicad.com. -0- Note to editors and analysts: Data sheets and graphics are available on request. LACE and LACEedit are registered trademarks of Rubicad Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their owners. Acronyms: DSM: Deep Submicron, IP: Intellectual Property, SoC: System-on-a-Chip CONTACT: Marszalek Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Counsel Georgia Marszalek, 650/345-7477 FAX: 650-341-0388 georgia@valleypr.com |
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