Cadence Design Framework II
Analog and digital semi/full-custom design
Cadence provides a complete integrated circuit environment allowing both analog design flows
(schematic capture, electrical simulation, layout editing, design rule checking, parasitic extraction,
LVS verification, etc.) and digital flows (functional description, automatic synthesis,
logic simulation, automatic place & route, etc.). The environment also includes tools and
languages for describing and simulating mixed analog-digital designs (AHDL, hierarchy editor, etc.).
Mentor Graphics
Analog and digital semi/full-custom design
Mentor Graphics provides a complete integrated circuit environment allowing full digital
design flow (functional description, automatic synthesis, logic simulation).
This tool also covers semi-custom and full-custom layout design.
Synopsys
Simulation and VHDL synthesis
Synopsys provides a series of HDL simulation and synthesis tools (VHDL and Verilog)
for designs in both ASIC and FPGA technologies. The current distribution of this tool
includes also packages for high-level synthesis, low-power synthesis, design for testability,
test files and test vector generation, formal verification, temporal analysis and the use
and development of IP modules.
Xilinx
FPGAs development
Xilinx provides different tools for FPGA system design: Integrated Software Environment (ISE),
a basic set of tools that facilitates the description, synthesis, implementation and verification
of designs created on Xilinx CPLDs and FPGAs; Embedded Development Kit (EDK) for programmable
embedded system design; ChipScope Pro, which makes it possible to display all the signals and
internal nodes of an FPGA; and System Generator for DSP, for developing digital signal processing
systems on FPGAs.
Saber
Electrical simulator for mixed-signal designs
Among other utilities, this includes: SaberHDL, a tool for simulating complex mixed-signal systems
or technologies; SaberDesigner, for creating and editing designs, controlling simulations
interactively and displaying and analyzing waveforms; SaberGuide, for behavioral simulation;
SaberSketch, a graphical user interface; MAST, a mixed-signal hardware description language.
Hspice
Electrical simulator
The standard tool for simulating circuits at electrical level, this simulator makes it possible
to incorporate certified device models from leading MOS device manufacturers. Featuring latest-generation
simulation and analysis algorithms, it has become one of the most reliable and best known
industrial circuit simulators.
Agilent Advanced Design System
Design tool for high frequency design
The Advanced Design System (ADS) is an electronic design automation tool
for RF, microwave and signal integrity applications. It uses cutting edge technologies such as 3D EM
and X-parameter simulators. This tool is used by leading developers of wireless applications for
communications and networks, and also by leading aerospace and defense technology companies.
In one single integrated platform ADS provides design and verification standards, with wireless
design libraries and EM circuit-system co-simulation, for WiMAX, LTE, multi-gigabit links and radar and
satellite communications applications.
Matlab/Simulink
High-level technical computing language and interactive prototype design and development. Dynamic and embedded multi-domain simulation environment
MATLAB is a high-level technical computing language and an interactive platform for algorithm design, numerical computation and data analysis and visualization.
Simulink is a tool for multi-domain simulation and design based on dynamic and embedded system models.
Xfuzzy
Design of fuzzy-inference systems
Xfuzzy, the design environment for fuzzy systems, includes a set of tools that help with the design of
fuzzy-logic inference-based systems, from initial description right through to final implementation.
Based on the XFL specification language, Xfuzzy has tools for describing, verifying and synthesizing fuzzy systems
(both software and hardware). It also features tools which allow the easy editing of package operators and
hierarchical structures, tools for generating 2-D and 3-D data graphics and tools for monitoring inference processes.
TOOL WEBSITE
Fridge
Circuit optimization using simulated annealing techniques
Fridge is an analog circuit optimization tool with many innovative features. It was developed to streamline
the process of designing integrated circuits. Fridge is used to size analog circuits automatically according to
design requirements. The optimization process takes place in two stages: in the first, statistical optimization techniques
are applied, while deterministic techniques are applied in the second. Computational costs are drastically reduced by
correctly formulating the cost function (where the designer's requirements are established) and adjusting the
movement generator to match the nature of the analog sizing problem. All this can be done thanks to
Fridge's innovative features, which include: preliminary exploration of the design space using a coarse grid to
determine the best regions for further exploration, adaptive control of the temperature in the simulated annealing
statistical techniques, synchronization of movement amplitude in parameter space with the temperature, etc.
Simsides
SIMulink-based SIgma-DElta Simulator
Simsides is a time-domain behavioral simulator for ΣΔMs that was developed as a toolbox
in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. Simsides can be used for simulating any arbitrary ΣΔM
architecture implemented with discrete-time (DT) or continuous-time (CT) circuit techniques.
TOOL WEBSITE
