( ESNUG 413 Item 1 ) -------------------------------------------- [05/29/03]
Subject: ( SNUG 03 #8 ) Synopsys Ketchum & A Review Of @HDL's @Verifyer
> A BREECH DELIVERY: For years I've been tracking Ketchum, the Synopsys
> answer to 0-in's tool suite. Last year, Ketchum was renamed FormalVera,
> but it also almost fell of my radar because no one mentioned it in last
> year's SNUG survey. (See SNUG 02 #8.) It wasn't until ESNUG 394 #10,
> that I heard that Ketchum wasn't dead. Anyway, Ketchum is still weakly
> in the game with just a handful of users noticing. Oh, and I've heard a
> rumor that it's been yet again renamed to Magellan -- you know after that
> guy in the early 1500s who got lost and ended up sailing the long way
> around the world?
>
> - from http://www.deepchip.com/items/snug03-08.html
From: Saeed Coates <saeed.coates=user domain=paradigm-works spot calm>
Hi John,
I've yet to use Synopsys' Ketchum, so I can't judge the tools exact
capabilities. I only got word of the tool by some Synopsys insiders, at
some point last Summer(?), but got the feel that the tool was still in the
development process. Even at this point a year later, it's just getting
rolled out. Actually, they may have changed its name to Magellan:
http://www.eedesign.com/news/OEG20030512S0061
I guess this name is more in line with their post-merger product naming
scheme (Galaxy Design Platform, Discovery Verification Platform, etc.)
Last year, I compiled a list of all formal property checkers I could
find out there:
BlackTie (Verplex)
0-In Search (0-In Design Automation)
Ketchum (Synopsys)
Formal Model Checker (Avanti/Synopsys)
@Verifyer (@HDL)
Solidify (Averant)
Real Intent (Verix)
ImProve HDL (Valiosys)
Design Verity Check (Veritable)
Formal Check (Cadence)
The only one I've had a chance to use was @HDL's @Verifier for an
eval Jason Chun and I did. Overall, it's an alright tool, but nothing to
really write home about. (Enclosed is our 35 page eval doc if anyone's
interested). It has a fairly short rampup time. It does some very useful
checks, like FSM deadlock and terminal FSM states, but without user embedded
assertions it's slightly more than a "Super" linter. If your subscribers
download our @Verifyer eval, I'd suggest they jump to its conclusion on
pages 31 & 32 and then work backwards. The eval is VERY detailed.
- Saeed Coates
Paradigm Works, Inc. Andover, MA
[ Editor's Note: Saeed's review is #46 of DeepChip Downloads - John ]
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