Artisan boosts library bid; Siemens, Synopsys link up

Artisan boosts library bid; Siemens, Synopsys link up
By Michael Santarini, EE Times
March 8, 1999 (10:05 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG19990308S0002

Library provider Artisan Components Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) unveiled two programs-ServiceNet and EDANet-that aim to bring better services and software support to Artisan library customers.

In the first program, ServiceNet, Artisan has teamed with numerous design-services providers. The company said its ServiceNet members will provide a variety of design services to Artisan's library users, including tape-out, place-and-route and front-end design services.

In the second program, EDANet, the company has authorized several EDA companies to work with the Artisan libraries to provide enhanced tool support for Artisan users.

The company's new ServiceNet and EDANet programs initially include 21 EDA and services companies (some of which are members of both programs).

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Siemens Microelectronics Inc. (Munich) and Synopsys Inc. (Sunnyvale) disclosed they are teaming up to develop a process-portable, software-synthesizabl e version of the Siemens C166 16-bit embedded MPU architecture.

Siemens said it will use the core to address the market for devices that combine the integration advantages of synthesizable cores with the application development simplicity of 16-bit microcontrollers. The companies see the new core as offering an upgrade path for 8-bit applications that need to accommodate higher functionality.

Deliverables for the synthesizable C166 core include a VHDL language description, register transfer-level (RTL) models, process-portable synthesis scripts, test-scan insertion scripts and a complete test/verification environment.

The first version of the synthesizable C166 core will be implemented in Siemens' C10 0.18-micron process technology, with later versions scaled for implementation on future Siemens process-technology generations. For more information, contact www.smi.siemens.com.