DESIGN AUTOMATION CONFERENCE, SAN DIEGO, Calif., June 6, 2011 – Magma Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq: LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced a partnership with Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, developer of microelectronic systems and devices, to develop process-independent Titan™ FlexCell models of the Institute’s analog intellectual property (IP) cores. Through the partnership, Magma will provide Fraunhofer IIS with access to Titan analog design accelerators and FineSim SPICE simulation technology and will assist in creating models of complex analog macro cells, including analog-digital converters (ADC). With the availability of a wider range of Titan FlexCells and expert consulting services, developers using Magma tools and Fraunhofer IIS IP can accelerate analog design implementation.
“We will be developing full FlexCell models to enable design teams to quickly adopt and integrate our analog IP into their mixed-signal designs,” said Johann Hauer, chip design expert of Fraunhofer IIS. “Our first implementations will be ADC macro cells. One of the major strengths of our institution is the ability to model circuits and systems. We believe the FlexCell process-independent representation and the Titan suite of accelerators is an ideal way to deliver our analog IP.”
“With more than 750 researchers in microelectronics including audio and video coding, telecommunications, imaging and integrated circuit design, Fraunhofer IIS is a world-renowned center of expertise for digital and analog development,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma’s Custom Design Business Unit. “The company’s analog IP and design consultancy, coupled with our best-in-class analog design infrastructure provides a winning solution.”
Magma FlexCells: Four Views of IP
FlexCells are modular, reusable IP building blocks for analog design. The cells include all the information necessary to optimize common functions using Titan ADX to generate custom analog designs. They comprise four views of the IP: the FlexCell Circuit Model, a mathematical description of the circuit function, constraints and topology; the Physical Model, a set of process-independent constraints to guide the floorplanning and placement of the design layout; a Schematic, a transistor-level schematic of the circuit design; and testbenches, which provide stimulus and analysis of the design functionality and performance.
Titan: Accelerating Analog Design
Magma’s mixed-signal system-on-chip (SoC) design environment includes the comprehensive Titan Mixed-Signal Design Platform and Titan Accelerators. The Titan Mixed-Signal Platform is the industry’s first true mixed-signal design platform that integrates implementation and verification while delivering first-time-correct, predictable mixed-signal designs. It includes user-friendly, full-custom schematic and layout editors, an analog simulation environment and correct-by-design schematic-driven layout.
Titan Accelerators are advanced technology solutions that dramatically improve analog/mixed-signal design productivity and reuse. Titan Analog Design Accelerator (Titan ADX) is a model-based analog design and optimization tool that enables analog design reuse. Titan ADX creates new designs from Magma’s library of FlexCell building blocks and makes existing designs reusable as FlexCell models. Titan Analog Virtual Prototyper (Titan AVP) is a layout-aware schematic design tool that performs simultaneous electrical and physical co-design for rapid schematic-to-layout convergence. Titan Analog Layout Accelerator (Titan ALX) automates migration of analog cell layouts to new process technologies while preserving design intent. Titan Shape-Based Router (Titan SBR) automates difficult routing tasks improving routing productivity by a factor of 10.
See Magma at DAC
To learn more about Titan accelerators, Titan FlexCells and FineSim, visit Magma in booth number 1743 at the 48th Design Automation Conference, June 6-8 in the San Diego Convention Center. Magma will offer demos of its complete line of technology-leading solutions that streamline customization of high-performance core designs, facilitate implementation of large SoCs, automate analog/mixed-signal design and reuse, provide the fastest throughput and predictable closure of complex application-specific chips and enable cost-effective, highly reliable memory sub system design. For more information about Magma at DAC, visitwww.magma-da.com/DAC.
About Fraunhofer IIS
Founded in 1985 the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, -today with more than 750 staff members, ranks first among the Fraunhofer Institutes concerning headcount and revenues. As the main inventor of mp3 and co-inventor of the MPEG 4 AAC audio coding standard, Fraunhofer IIS has reached worldwide recognition. It provides research services on contract basis and technology licensing. The research topics are: Audio and video source coding, multimedia realtime -systems, digital radio broadcasting and digital cinema systems, integrated circuits and sensor systems, design automation, wireless, wired and optical networks, localization and navigation, imaging systems and nanofocus X- ray technology, high-speed cameras, medical sensor solutions and supply chain services. The budget of more than 92 million Euro is mainly financed by projects from industry, the -service sector and public authorities. Less than 25 percent of the budget is subsidized by federal and state funds.
About Magma
Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Magma products provide the “Fastest Path to Silicon”™ and include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma’s stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MagmaEDA and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.
