( DAC 00 Item 11 ) --------------------------------------------- [ 7/13/00 ]
Subject: Cadence 'NC-Sim', Mentor's ModelTech 'ModelSim', Synopsys 'Scirocco'
HIGH END VERILOG & VHDL SIMULATORS: As usual, Cadence, Synopsys, and Mentor
strutted their stuff in the Verilog/VHDL simulation markets. These are the
guys who make the big dollars sales in this niche. From a marketshare
viewpoint, Cadence NC-Verilog and Synopsys VCS are in a dead heat with each
other fighting for supreme control of the compiled Verilog market. For dual
language, ModelTech rules, but users are also impressed with Cadence's NC-Sim
product, too. There wasn't much customer reaction to the new Synopsys VHDL
simulator, 'Scirocco', at DAC, either.
"Don't know much about other simulators than ModelSim for VHDL. We can
live with it though it is sometimes painful. Also heard good things
about NC-Sim from colleagues in Sweden."
- an anon engineer
"Modeltech is still the only dual language simulator that really works
and has PLI, VCD. I don't see anything competitive yet."
- an anon engineer
"I see more and more of ModelSim-Verilog at every company I go to.
ModelSim has dominated the VHDL simulation market for years, and they
are now making tremendous inroads in the Verilog simulation market. It
is a good product, and reasonably priced."
- Stuart Sutherland, independent PLI consultant
"Modeltech is nice (Mixed Language) but a bit slow and has a nice GUI.
We are using it now for those reasons. Cadence NC Verilog is the
fastest according to our benchmarks - we will most likely be using it
in the future."
- an anon engineer
"After extensive evaluation, we are moving to Cadence NC-Sim. We are
primarily a VHDL house, but recognize that we cannot live in an
uni-language design world. The closest mixed language competitor was
Modelsim, but in overall performance, NC-Sim was the way to go. FYI,
we looked at Synopsys Scirocco, which we would have gotten for free to
replace our old VSS licenses, but were not impressed with it at all.
Maybe in the future this cycle-based approach will work better, but
right now it has a bunch of issues."
- an anon engineer
"We've been big ModelTech fans for a long time. ModelTech lets you mix
Verilog and VHDL code seamlessly. And it runs on all HW platforms.
We're not looking to change simulators anytime soon."
- an anon engineer
"The Synopsys VCS looks like it's caught up with NC-Verilog and could be
a winner."
- an anon engineer
"Looked at Synopsys' new Scirocco VHDL simulator
- they claim it is as fast or faster 'the competion' in their tests.
- no PC version, but LINUX version is on its way.
- VCS still faster on some stuff, but not all.
- GUI is from Virsim. Has the basic features. Can drag and drop.
Can spread out waveform to see delta cycles like SignalScan
(have to turn on and files are larger). Seemed much more stable
than VSS GUI.
- integrated with Vera, VCS, Eagle and some memory tool. Were
using a Qualis code as an example.
- All new under the hood, not a VSS derivatives.
- VHDL/Verilog combo sim mode.
The demo guys were not sure how the VSS/Scirocco connection worked, but
they say it is single kernal, with two separate license hooks. I asked
how the 4 state (Verilog) to 9 state (VHDL) was handled and they said
they would get back to me. I got an email on it a couple days later and
they said that right now it is hard coded into the kernal, but (maybe
per my suggestion) they were going to move it to a VHDL package
(resolution function) so that it could be modified by the users."
- Peet James of Qualis
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