( ESNUG 490 Item 1 ) -------------------------------------------- [03/31/11]
Subject: User sees Magma FineSim is 3x - 50x faster vs. Synopsys HSPICE
> Magma has invested in its SPICE solver technology. Magma FineSim is
> showing 3x to 10x faster simulation than Synopsys HSPICE/CustomSim on
> single CPU simulations.
>
> - from http://www.DeepChip.com/items/0488-08.html
From: [ Life in the Fast Lane ]
Hi, John,
Please keep me anonymous.
I have some comments on Magma FineSim and Synopsys HSPICE and HSIM.
We purchased FineSim at the end of last year and FineSim Pro licenses end
of January. There were four main reasons we did this:
1. Speed. On average we see 3x - 10x increase over Synopsys HSPICE.
BUT, we've also seen 30x - 50x increases. This lets our designers
do more and different simulations than before. ADC's at quarter
LSB steps instead of 1 LSB steps, etc.
We simulate devices, macro blocks and full chips here.
2. Multi-CPU support. From my testing and from what I have seen
Synopsys say, at around 4-5 CPUs the speed benefit of HSPICE starts
to level off. I did not see this with FineSim. Finesim was linear
with CPUs. I think this is the performance we get for 60-80 percent
of our simulations -- which are done at one corner. When you start
a PVT (process-voltage-temperature Monte-Carlo) verification the two
SPICE simulators may be more equal on a single hardware box.
3. Multi-machine support. Another huge difference in my opinion is
that FineSim can multi thread or processor across machines. We
give a 1.1 Meg device fullchip circuit to Magma and they ran it
with 32 CPU's in 6 hours in their SPICE mode. This was done at a
time our hardware were 8-CPU's with one 12-CPU box. When can
Synopsys can match that? Same 1.1 Meg circuit in HSIM was about
2.5 days on a single CPU at less accuracy.
4. Co-sim support. Synopsys told us that they were not improving the
HSIM-Questa co-simulation to handle System Verilog. They may have
changed their stance on this, but as a customer I was angry.
FineSim handles the different ports interface of System Verilog OK.
It could be better, but at least I have something to use. Oh BTW
last month the majority of my simulation support issues have been
with co-simulation issues. Either up front design verification or
debug of customer silicon issues.
Magma FineSim is not perfect, but it is responsive. It did take us about
a year to OK getting FineSim in house. Not seeing a lot of response from
Synopsys on the co-sim simulation issue helped that.
Also we will never drop Synopsys HSPICE. Our internal processes and libs
need HSPICE to for characterization, for now.
- [ Life in the Fast Lane ]
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