Nov 17 2009
Demanding AMS Project Design and Tapeout Schedule Met in 22 Days
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing, today announced that Digital Imaging Systems GmbH (DIS) has achieved first-pass silicon success using Synopsys' Galaxy Custom Designer(TM) implementation solution and its unified suite of circuit simulation, extraction and physical verification tools for a custom integrated circuit (IC) used in DIS' high-performance, multi-megapixel camera modules. The productivity enhancements afforded by Custom Designer, combined with its interoperable and open environment, enabled DIS to completely replace its existing flow and tape out a new IC design in under one month.
"Smart phone customers demand the highest-quality images, so it is critical that we deliver camera modules early enough to be built into the next generation of phones," said Roland Pudelko, CEO at DIS. "Synopsys' Custom Designer, coupled with expert field support, provides the most productive and complete custom implementation solution needed to meet our customers' requirements on schedule."
Product release cycles in the camera module market continue to shrink, and suppliers must keep pace with tight delivery schedules. DIS teamed with Synopsys to deploy Custom Designer to increase productivity and facilitate on-time delivery. Supported by Synopsys, DIS made a quick transition from their legacy point tool flow and proprietary databases, which helped them tape out ahead of schedule and achieve first-pass working silicon in just 22 days.
Custom Designer is a modern-era custom implementation solution that delivers superior ease-of-use and leverages Synopsys' Galaxy(TM) Implementation Platform to provide a unified solution for custom and digital designs. In addition to Custom Designer, DIS utilized Synopsys' HSPICE® circuit simulation solution to define and analyze their initial design. Once the design was functioning to specification, DIS used Custom Designer LE for layout, and Synopsys' Hercules(TM) physical verification and StarRC(TM) parasitic extraction solutions for physical verification. The post-layout design was verified with Synopsys' CustomSim(TM) FastSPICE simulator and then taped out from Custom Designer.
"The speed with which DIS deployed Custom Designer and achieved first-pass silicon success is testimony to the power of a unified platform for custom design," said Bijan Kiani, vice president of Product Marketing at Synopsys. "By using the Custom Designer implementation solution, DIS is now well-equipped to deliver the throughput and quality necessary to meet their customers' stringent requirements."
Source: http://www.synopsys.com/home.aspx