( BSNUG 00 Item 17 ) ------------------------------------------ [ 10/13/00 ]
Subject: Synopsys DesignSphere Website
ONE STEP BEYOND: Instead of just enabling EDA users to dump their large
UNIX workstations for high end PCs running Linux, Synopsys has gone all the
way in offering complete EDA tool usage via the Internet. That is, you
no longer have to do any EDA SysAdmin work any more if you sign up for their
DesignSphere service. What makes DesignSphere viable is that it offers a
*complete* set of frontend-to-backend EDA tools with Synopsys and Avanti
plus (according to the Synopsys people) you can bring in your own choice of
other 3rd party tools, too! (If it was just a Synopsys-only zone, I'd give
it a big yawn because real chip design involves all sorts of niche 3rd party
tools.) Neat. I'm a chip designer. I like the idea of not having to do
SysAdmin if I can avoid it.
"Synopsys started their DesignSphere program, but I hear it still costs
$50K/6months so depending on how many tools you use it's still
expensive. This is a system where you can access their tools via the
Internet and you pay a subscription price per time period. They did a
demo of it over a cable-modem access point and it ran pretty well.
This was during the DFT Compiler/TetraMAX tutorial."
- Brian Fall of Microchip Technology, Inc.
"Vendor Fair:
There were a lot of interesting things at the vendor fair, but the
thing that really got my attention was DesignSphere Access by Synopsys.
This is an internet accessible hosted design environment. It allows
outsourcing of compute resources and associated IT issues,
incremental peak increases in licenses and compute resources, and
multi-site design collaboration. Presently, Synopsys and Avanti tools
are available. This sounds ideal for startups.
Synopsys Night:
Synopsys had the usual presentations of various tools. The Physical
Compiler/Chip Architect/Flex Route booth was particularly popular.
The really cool thing about it was all the demos were being run
through DesignSphere Access to a cluster in Mountain View."
- Bob Wiegand of NxtWave
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