Radio Free CAD CAE The Electronic Newsletter of the User Society for Design Automation ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Issue #1 4 February 1994 Published irregularly as a pipe cleaner for the USEDA mailing list. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Quick Overview/Reminder on USEDA Email addresses ================================================== Mail to useda@netcom.com, a moderated reflector to all members of USE-DA: this is the CB Radio of the EDA Highway Mail sent to useda-bod@netcom.com will be copied to the members of the board of directors of USE-DA. This is the "Open Channel D" option. Mail to useda-subscribe@netcom.com to add/delete yourself: intercom to the minion in the mail boiler room. Mail to murphy@cisco for items for the Radio Free CAD CAE Newsletter. Who Dealt this Round (or Current Officers of USEDA) =================================================== President Jim King king@shula.enet.dec.com VP / E-Mail Minion Sean Murphy murphy@cisco.com Treasurer Pat Pistilli mpa@dac.com Secretary Michael Zeglin mzeglin@interim.com What's on the Cooker for 94? ============================ The four initiatives for our first year are: 1. Promote EDIF 3.0 as an interchange standard. 2. Work with EDAC Vendors to define standard benchmarks for DA tools. 3. Work with EDAC Vendors to define standard definitions for DA terms. 4. Work with EDAC Vendors to define standard business terms and conditions. What will I miss if I can't make DAC 94 ======================================= * Sign ups for next years initiatives at the USEDA/EDAC Booth. * A Birds of a Feather Session where Steve Schultze will provide a review of the USEDA Standards Survey, followed by a strategy session on next year's initiatives (Make suggestions at the USEDA/EDAC Booth). * A USEDA sponsored paper in the User Design Track on "Partnering with your EDA Vendor (The Triumph of Hope over Experience)". $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ We are currently not collecting membership dues, $ $ just looking for good ideas. If we took your $ $ check at last DAC, it will be returned to you. $ $ contact: Pat Pistilli mpa@dac.com USEDA Treasuer $ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Request for Comment: EDA Vendor Bake-offs at DAC? by jessen@west.smc.com (Erik Jessen(Jessen) x2404) ======================================================================== At the '93 DAC, I stated that I was interested in a "design-off" between the various tool vendors. My basic plan would be as follows: * Come up with 2 or 3 designs, ranging from simple to very large. These should be in VHDL or Verilog. * Present examples to each of the companies, before DAC, so that file-format issues can be cleared up, etc. * At the time of the show, provide netlists, vectors and timing requirements to each of the companies, and let them do the tasks while the show is going. * This would give the users a real chance to see the tools in use, rather than a canned demo. * A small committee of people (there should be one person familiar with each tool available, to watch for fraud), would log when each step of the task was completed, with bonus points for showing how each company's tool could do something that a customer would want, but that wasn't in the list of tests. * All vendors should agree on a common platform, but vendors could run on a second platform to show off the advantages of their tool (i.e. doesn't need much hardware to get same result, or bigger hardware REALLY gets the job done faster than the competition). * The tests would be such things as: - complete full-chip sim - doc. runtimes & errors found. - compile VHDL/Verilog netlist with series of gotchas, to test for compliance. - complete synthesis - doc. runtimes - complete place & route, with no timing requirements - doc. runtime, area. - complete place & route, with timing requirements - doc. % of requirements met. - complete initial LVS/DRC - doc. runtimes, and number of DRC/LVS errors encountered before cleanup started. - zero LVS/DRC - doc. elapsed time before layout cleaned up. - complete generation of back-annotated netlist - complete simulation of back-annotated netlist - generation of bonding diagram in any one of 3-4 acceptable packages. This would be a lot of work to set up, so I would want to do it in conjunction with a university (which has test cases and grad students). Please let me know what you think. by jessen@west.smc.com (Erik Jessen(Jessen) x2404) Original "Happy Welcome Letter" from Oct 93 =========================================== To: Users of Electronic Design Automation Tools From: EDA User Group Steering Committee Thank you for your interest in the EDA User Group. The User Group session at the 1993 Design Automation Conference was a great beginning; now we need your ideas. In an effort to better define the mission of the User Group, the name has been changed. The new name is USE/DA, the User Society of Electronic Design Automation. DAC marked a new level of maturity in the growth of the EDA industry over the last 30 years of existence. While there have been a few prior attempts to coalesce industry forces, none have received the level of interest and attention the EDA User Group has enjoyed to date. EDA vendors are now realizing the value of satisfying customers' real needs as business strategy. In order to receive broad-based user input, the Electronic Design Automation Companies (EDAC) member companies are willing to fund the formative stages of this group. Users are now realizing that some problems can only be solved by the industry as a whole. Our group has the opportunity to solve problems that no single vendor-based user group could solve before. You can make a difference at the industry level. We need your ideas. We need your priorities. We need your participation with us and our colleagues. If your company, like so many others, has been frustrated by standards that aren't fully supported, duplicated modeling costs, vendors out of sync with upcoming needs, or any other industry wide problem, then now is the time to get involved, as we set our sights on accomplishments for the coming year. At DAC 93, we presented the group's proposed Mission Statement: "To influence EDA industry product directions by effectively communicating end-user needs for: *Standards Direction *Product Quality *"As promised" Delivery *Standardized Benchmarking *Model Transportability *Emerging Technology Identification and Coordination *System Admin./Configuration for Multi-Vendor Environment *Business Policies and Practices You should have received an 'EDA Proposal' form via electronic mail. If you didn't receive the form, please outline any comments or proposals you have and return them to the following address: useda@netcom.com. The ideas will then be circulated for comment via the electronic mail reflector. Together, these inputs will form the basis for our near and mid-term efforts to quickly produce tangible benefits for all EDA users. We will continue to keep you informed of the USE/DA User Group's progress. We look forward to your continuing participation with us. Regards, Steve Schulz ses@asd470.dseg.ti.com Texas Instruments, on behalf of USE/DA Steering Committee (Acting) Today's Update / Pardon Our Dust During Construction ===================================================== USE/DA is moving along quite well these days. We have focused most of our initial efforts just organizing the cluster of early participants into a board of directors that meets by telecon and takes regular action items. We drafted our bylaws, elected interim officers (the first full election will be at DAC), and completed the EDA survey on standards. We are now generating an industry report on the findings of the survey (to be made available to all) and have set some priorities based on those findings. We have established 2 European board members, and have a liason that sits on the EDAC board of directors. We are coordinating with the DAC program committee to plan for our activities there, and are working to get formal responses from EDAC on a list of issues we sent to them in a letter this past fall. Our email reflector wasn't always reliable, but it has recently been fixed. We are hoping to have a huge membership growth at this year's DAC. This will enable us to "divide and conquer" on many of our priorities. Please hang in there a bit longer -- the formative stages require a lot of effort, but DAC should move us from organizational mode into action mode. Thanks for your interest -- we will look forward to working with you. Steven E. Schulz ses@asd470.dseg.ti.com Details ======= The quality of mail on the reflector will be what you make of it. Newsletter questions, comments, or suggestions to murphy@cisco.com. Details as they flicker into existence, like phosphenes in the eyes of those who have pressed their lids tightly shut against tommorrow. /SeanM