New Engines for the RDE Framework - Silicon Navigator

Silicon Navigator announced three new engines for its RDE Framework (RDE) - SKILL compatible PCell Editor, RTL Power Analysis and Schematic Editor. The RDE engines increase speed up CAD design by allowing CAD developers to concentrate on solving design problems rather than building basic functionality.

The Schematic Editor engine allows designers to create or edit existing schematics stored in the OpenAccess database, The PCell engine and editor offers an interface for access to PCells coded in SKILL(TM) in the OpenAccess database. The RTL power analysis engine accepts RTL as input and computes leakage, dynamic and switching power by elaborating the RTL and propagating the activity. RTL and netlist support enables power to be tracked early in a design project and quickly optimized. RDE environment supports designs with millions of instances in a fraction of the time of other systems.

About OpenAccess
OpenAccess is a community effort to provide true interoperability among IC design tools through an open standard data API and reference database supporting that API for IC design. The OpenAccess Coalition is a neutral organization of industry leaders that are leading this effort operating under Si2 bylaws.

The RDE Framework includes tools that CAD developers can use to speed the adoption of the OpenAccess database and customize a design cockpit. It offers a desktop and Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), editor, viewers and APIs. The RDE framework supports APIs with standard languages such as TCL, Python, C++ with access data structures, controls and results. It can be used stand-alone or in conjunction with other OpenAccess environments. Silicon Navigator provides EDA format translators along with interfaces to flows based on other commercial tools.

RDE is especially attractive to CAD groups at semiconductor companies or IDMs where a make vs. buy tool decision is critical to optimizing internal development resources and time. RDE provides a complete development system so the CAD developers can focus on high value solutions rather than basic functionality. Its users include CAD developers at semiconductor companies and EDA tool developers at emerging companies.

About Silicon Navigator’s RDE Framework

Silicon Navigator’s RDE Framework represents the next generation of Framework functionality like DFII, Milkyway, and Volcano. RDE is differentiated by the varied scope of functionality, programmability, and its OpenSource database core. RDE Framework is compatible with other OpenAccess based tools. Various RDE capabilities and features are provided on the links below. Silicon Navigator partners to develop the next generation tools with IDMs, and CAD groups worldwide. An extended OpenAccess database is at its core providing RTL, logical, schematic, power, timing, floorplanning, place&route, layout, and PCell editing capabilities.

RDE Framework provides a full GUI for viewing a variety of data such as netlists, schematics, layout, floorplans, routing, congestion, design hierarchy, PCells, and critical timing paths. With its high flexible plug-in based architecture, its redraw loop can be extended to display any user data. User access to the extensions to OpenAccess to support RTL, SAIF (switching activity), SDC, (clocking behavior), and Liberty (timing, power and leakage) provides the means to leverage years of development and testing. Internal CAD groups can access this functionality via C++. Python, TCL and other scripting languages are provided for end-users (with access similar to C++) but at fraction of the complexity.

RDE Framework Components
The RDE Framework is a complete design and development environment centered on OpenAccess. Silicon Navigator has extended the OpenAccess database to support RTL, power and timing analysis. This includes data input from Liberty (Synopsys .lib format) for models for cell functionality, timing, power and leakage. Additionally, the extensions to support SDC and SAIF formats provide the primary design behavior needed for power analysis and static timing with optimization. Silicon Navigator has implemented a graphics layer for displaying and editing of the extended OpenAccess data. High performance visualizers for datatypes such as GDS data, large LEF/DEF routed designs, schematic, PCells are provided Users have the ability to interact with a selected set, cross-probing, and data entry functions to build and extend editing capabilities. APIs are developed in C++ and registered in scripting languages such as TCL and Python for data access at multiple levels of programming.

RDE Engines and Editors
Silicon Navigator has developed and integrated a large suite of engines and editors. These are incorporated into products and also are available to licensing partners on an individual basis for incorporation into their custom solutions or products. Engines are built for incremental operation and are provided with C++ and scripting APIs. Incremental operation enables re-evaluation of timing or legalization of placement in milliseconds after initial data structures have been created. Incremental operation is enabled by the OpenAccess observer mechanisms and RDE’s management of changes/undo/redo.

Price for a RDE framework development license starts at US$50,000.

Source: Silicon Navigator RDE Framework