OpenAccess Coalition and Synopsys Work To Align Open Standard Data Access Interfaces; Golden Gate Working Group Embarks on Building Bridge Between OpenAccess and Milkyway
AUSTIN, Texas & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Feb. 10, 2003--
The OpenAccess Coalition (OAC), a group of top electronics and
electronic design automation (EDA) companies focused on creating a
standard for true interoperability between integrated circuit (IC)
design tools, and Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), a world leader in
integrated circuit (IC) design software, today announced that they are
working together in the Golden Gate Working Group to build a bridge
between OpenAccess and Synopsys' Milkyway environment.
The Golden Gate Working Group was formed in late 2002 to bridge
between OpenAccess and the open Synopsys Milkyway environment, for the
shared benefit of the entire industry. The Working Group is comprised
of representatives from Si2, user companies including Hewlett-Packard,
IBM, Intel, LSI Logic, Motorola, Philips Semiconductors, and
STMicroelectronics, and EDA companies including Cadence Design Systems
and Synopsys.
OAC and Synopsys' joint goals are to define and create the
bridging technology to provide interoperable flows between OpenAccess
and Milkyway-based tools and, over time, to pragmatically align the
application programming interfaces (APIs), creating a smooth data
transfer between IC design tools.
"The OpenAccess Coalition is committed to creating a full flow for
customers using OpenAccess, and we are very pleased to be working with
Synopsys and other companies to achieve this goal," said Scott
Peterson, director of Platform Tools and Methodologies, LSI Logic and
chairman of the OpenAccess Coalition. "The OpenAccess Coalition
applauds Synopsys' decision to work within the Golden Gate Working
Group to bridge between Milkyway and OpenAccess."
"Synopsys is committed to providing interoperable flows for EDA
customers. Providing API translators is the right first step toward
realizing the shared vision of aligned APIs for the EDA industry,"
said Rich Goldman, vice president of Strategic Market Development,
Synopsys. "We will actively participate alongside our customers to
help make this a reality."
Golden Gate Working Group Comments
According to Michael Sanie, group director of Strategic
Partnerships and Initiatives at Cadence, "As a member of the
OpenAccess Coalition, Cadence welcomes participation by Synopsys in
the working group to help develop an interface between Milkyway and
OpenAccess. Forging interfaces between OpenAccess and other industry
databases is a step in the right direction toward an open industry
standard for IC design."
"Our customers tell us that a design flow based on a complete set
of tools operating, and ultimately interoperating, on one API is
essential," said Dale Hoffman, director of EDA Alliances for the IBM
Microelectronics Division. "We believe that the best way to achieve
this kind of environment is through consensus around industry standard
open database(s) and APIs."
"At STMicroelectronics, we joined the Golden Gate Working Group to
facilitate the migration to the OpenAccess design database API
standard of all the key EDA tools in our 90 nanometer design flow,"
said Philippe Magarshack, Central R&D Group vice president for Design
Automation, STMicroelectronics. "An important step in that process is
to build an interface with the Synopsys Milkyway environment. We trust
that Synopsys and OpenAccess will work together and find a technically
sensible solution that inherits the best of both worlds. This will
allow the major EDA solutions on the market to interoperate, which is
mandatory to build a full nanometer-level design flow."
"We applaud the decision by Synopsys to make their Milkyway
environment more open and to work with the OpenAccess Coalition on the
Golden Gate Working Group," said Terry Blanchard, director of EDA,
Hewlett-Packard. "An active participation by Synopsys on the working
group will help to ensure a successful bridge between OpenAccess and
Milkyway with a minimal amount of effort."
"Our customers have made the choice in tool flows, including
necessary value-added in-house tools, an urgent priority," said Steve
Schulz, president and CEO, Si2. "Si2's vision is for an open
environment where all EDA tools embrace a common API interface using
OpenAccess. We are encouraged that Synopsys has decided to join the
Golden Gate Working Group, which includes Cadence and key customers,
to work with us toward the vision of a high-performance, interoperable
design environment for all EDA customers."
About OpenAccess
OpenAccess is a community effort to provide true interoperability,
not just data exchange, among IC design tools through an open standard
data access interface (API) and reference database implementation
supporting that API for IC design. The OpenAccess technology will help
enable easy tool integration, smooth interoperability and faster
application development. The initiative is driven by the OpenAccess
Coalition, a neutral organization comprised of leading EDA and
electronics companies. The Coalition operates under the governance and
bylaws of Si2. For more information, visit www.si2.org/openaccess and
www.OpenEDA.org.
About Synopsys
Synopsys Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS) is a world leader in electronic design
automation (EDA) software for integrated circuit (IC) design. The
company delivers technology-leading IC design and verification
platforms to the global electronics market, enabling the development
of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides
intellectual property and design services to simplify the design
process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is
headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and is located in more than 60
offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit
Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.
Synopsys is a registered trademark and Milkyway is a trademark of
Synopsys Inc.
CONTACT: Silicon Integration Initiative, Austin
William Bayer, 512/342-2244, ext. 55
wbayer@si2.org
or
Synopsys Inc.
Eileen Hunt, 650/584-5374
elhunt@synopsys.com
