( ESNUG 450 Item 5 ) --------------------------------------------- [01/25/06]
From: Brian Janes <btjanes=usr domain=rockwellcollins hot mom>
Subject: Mentor FormalPro user very Concerned about it being End-of-Lifed
Hi, John,
We use Mentor's FormalPro equivalency checker. It lets us provide an
*independent* assessment of synthesis results; something that is mandated
for many of our programs. The only way we can guarantee independent
assessment is to use an EC tool from a different vendor than our synthesis
vendor. For example, while we use both the Synopsys Design Compiler (DC)
and Cadence RTL Compiler (RC) tools, we cannot use Synopsys Formality for
DC results, nor Cadence Conformal for RC results. Using FormalPro for all
designs is a more cost effective solution overall when considering tool
cost, training, scripts, tool expertise, etc. It's also simply easier to
learn one EC tool instead of two.
Using EC tools from different vendors is not only a mandate, but just a good
idea for anyone serious about chip design. Who can be guaranteed these
tools are not sharing core technologies? I don't understand why someone who
is serious enough to fund and use a $100K+ EC tool would choose one from the
same vendor that provides their synthesis tool. It means putting 100% faith
in your tool vendor. This may be fine for designing consumer electronics,
but not avionics, military, or medical equipment.
There's been speculation Mentor is considering End-of-Lifing FormalPro. The
signs are already present -- FormalPro is no longer listed on their website
(http://www.mentor.com/products). Mentor is still publishing 3-4 releases
per year, which means that they are still supporting and enhancing it, but
they are not marketing it. I fear that FormalPro will fade away over the
next few years. Considering that FormalPro is the only available vendor
neutral tool, I hate to see this happen. There is also the added expense of
funding two tools in order to provide the assessment we are currently able to
complete with only one.
I am interested to know what others in the industry think about this issue
and would like to encourage people to voice to Mentor their need for a
vendor-independent EC tool. It is my hope that Mentor will consider the
impact losing the FormalPro tool will have on their customers. It is my
opinion that instead of letting FormalPro fade away, Mentor should launch
a vigorous marketing campaign, using vendor-independence as one of its major
strong points. Or perhaps they could sell or license the technology to
another vendor. We want FormalPro to survive.
- Brian Janes
Rockwell Collins, Inc. Noblesville, IN
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