Open software advances EDA interoperability

Synopsys has released its Switching Activity Interchange Format as an open source format together with an open source parser for the OpenVera hardware verification language.

Synopsys has released its Switching Activity Interchange Format (SAIF) as an open source format together with an open source parser for the OpenVera hardware verification language.

Synopsys is highlighting these advancements at the tenth semi-annual Synopsys electronic design automation (EDA) Interoperability Developers' Forum held in Sunnyvale, California.

SAIF is the EDA industry's most widely used power format that provides switching activity information to power optimisation and analysis tools.

By standardising SAIF as an open source format, Synopsys is helping to streamline the design flow with the availability of a compact, proven format for simulators to capture the switching activity information needed by downstream power and reliability tools.

Through Synopsys' Technology Access Programme (TAP-in), EDA vendors and designers can immediately download the format and build interoperable tools and seamless flows based on SAIF.

In addition, EDA standards organisations have direct access to SAIF for creating standards.

The result is increased innovation and productivity for the design community.

"Power estimation has become increasingly important to designers as multimillion gate counts and unprecedented clock frequencies become more prevalent", said Bryon Moyer, senior director of tools and technical marketing at Actel Corporation.

"Our Designer tool suite and Libero integrated design environment support Synopsys' SAIF format, in line with Actel's commitment to industry standards.

This simpler and more compact format will further enable designers to avoid the lengthy runtimes often associated with power calculation and verification".

Also announced at the EDA Interoperability Developers' Forum is the release of the new OpenVera parser.

The OpenVera parser enables EDA developers to integrate tools with minimal effort, while saving time and risk normally associated with developing independent interfaces.

The parser enables all EDA tools to follow the interface standard, ensuring continual compliance with OpenVera while greatly improving interoperability for EDA customers.

"Continuing developments such as the OpenVera parser demonstrate that Synopsys is setting the standard for open source software", Tarak Parikh, vice president of Product Engineering at @HDL.

"With each new development, the OpenVera community gains access to a useful, evolving standard that includes the best input from a wide variety of expert sources".

"STARC recommends design flows for our members based on key, open interfaces.

The open SAIF format exceeds STARC's expectations and requirements for a concise switching activity description format.

STARC is pleased to see Synopsys providing SAIF as an open source format to further interoperability and will use SAIF as a key format in our endorsed low power flow", said Kenji Goto, design specialist at Toshiba and chairman of the STARC technical subworking group for IP description.

"Functional verification continues to be a resource intensive task for complex designs.

The OpenVera parser will help to advance EDA tool interoperability and stimulate the creation of new tools to ease the verification bottleneck because not only syntax but also semantics of OpenVera will be open".

The SAIF format is available for immediate download at no cost from the Synopsys website.

Customers and EDA developers will be able to access the OpenVera parser at www.open-vera.com when it becomes available in November 2002.

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