Welcome to the SpringSoft Technology Newsletter. This is a monthly e-mail newsletter distributed to our customers, partners, and friends to provide information on our Novas Verification Enhancement and Laker Custom IC Design technologies. We hope the information in this newsletter will help you to use our products more effectively in your design and verification environments.
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Verification Tips:
Merge Inserted Cells in Clock Trees Automatically
Power saving tools will insert many gated cells on the clock line for balancing and saving power for flip-flops. For example, one gated cell may drive 16 registers. This will cause too many compressed register symbols to be displayed on the clock tree schematic view, and will make it difficult for the user to debug the clock tree since the user doesn't need to care about the auto inserted gated cells. Users need a way to merge the inserted cells to reduce the number of compressed register symbols and simplify the clock network; otherwise, it's hard to analyze complex clock trees.
Apply Alias Files to All Hierarchies
The Verdi system provides powerful aliasing mechanism for users to view waveforms easily. A well-known feature is to use the aliasextract utility to automatically extract alias to a file when compiling design, and then use the -aliasFIle command line option to load the extracted alias into the Verdi system for debugging. The extracted alias records the hierarchy information of the design, to ensure the alias applies to the correct scope. However, this also creates a limitation when users want to apply this alias to other scopes or even another design.
Display Signal Types by Icon
The Verdi system provides a way to view signal types in the waveform view; however, it is sometimes not intuitive enough for users since it uses text format - users still have to read through the text ahead of the signal name to recognize its type. Starting from Verdi 2009.07, users can select to display the signal type by text or icon ahead of the signal name in the waveform view.
IC Design Tips:
2-Parse Import for Managed Data
Data may be imported into LakerTM Custom Layout via several methods: Stream, EDIF, CDL In, Laker-AMS, or by Expand Schematic. When importing data into an environment under Data Management (DM) control, cells must be checked out in order to be modified.
Technical Articles:
The Value Choice - CiE Online
Companies make money by delivering value to consumers. Sometimes this value comes in the form of a commodity delivered more efficiently. More often in technology companies, it comes in the form of differentiated solutions that are not available from other suppliers. In every case, value is defined solely in the mind of the consumer: does the product make them feel good, or solve a real problem; does it work consistently well? These are the things of which customer satisfaction is made.
Laker, OA, Pyxis - A happy and expanding IC family - ChipdesignMag.com
Duncan McDonald presented in their suite about the custom IC layout editing of Laker, along with the P&R provided by Pyxis. Because these tools use Open Access (OA) in runtime memory there are no files to export then import again in a sequential flow, rather all the tools can be running concurrently on the same database. This is the most advanced use of OA and it looked like a great technical solution to me.
Even foundries like TSMC have adopted the OA world view along with PDKs that are interoperable, or IPDK.
News:
SpringSoft Supports TSMC iPDK with Laker Custom Layout System - July 27, 2009
Hsinchu, Taiwan, July 27, 2009 - SpringSoft, Inc. (TAIEX: 2473), a global supplier of specialized IC design software, today announced that the LakerTM Custom Layout Automation System fully supports the industry's first interoperable process design kit (iPDK) recently introduced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) for its advanced 65-nanometer (nm) RF process technology. The Laker system running in the OpenAccessTM environment supported by the TSMC iPDK is currently installed at multiple beta sites and expected to be available for general release in early 2010.
Upcoming Events:
SpringSoft Community Conferences
Beijing: August 11, 2009
Shanghai: August 13, 2009
Taiwan: August 18, 2009
Engineering Superhero Corner:
Are you an Engineering Superhero?
Everyone knows an engineering superhero. Maybe it's you or someone else, but it's someone who has been able to make a difference. We know not everyone's story will look like the sample above so tell us a story, and it could be our next SpringSoft comic strip.
Be An Engineering Superhero to the Global Community
SpringSoft is working with the Engineers Without Borders Labdoo Project to bring the excess supply of technology from our developed world to developing regions throughout the globe. At this year's DAC, we kicked off the program with a collection drive for used and unwanted laptops that will be refurbished and distributed to disadvantaged communities. We will continue to collect laptops on behalf of Engineers Without Borders Labdoo Project.
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We'd appreciate hearing your suggestions, comments or questions about the SpringSoft Newsletter. Please feel free to contact Karim Azar at +1 (408) 467.7860 or karim_azar@springsoft.com
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