Synplicity steps up synthesis competition with ASIC tool

Synplicity steps up synthesis competition with ASIC tool
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Synplicity Inc. is targeting the ASIC synthesis market after years of dominating FPGA synthesis with an announcement that it is co-developing with LSI Logic an ASIC physical synthesis tool tailored for customers of LSI Logic's RapidChip line of structured ASICs.

Synplicity also said it is in the process of developing the physical-synthesis technology for the general ASIC market. The tool, according to Synplicity's ASIC tool marketing director John Gallagher, blends physical synthesis technology with floor planning, merging the two tasks into one. The move represents an attempt to push further into the synthesis market dominated for over a decade by Synopsys Inc.

Synplicity Inc. came to prominence in the FPGA world by working closely with vendors to ensure its Synplify FPGA synthesis tool handled FPGA architectures and libraries accurately and efficiently, doing so with a push button interface. The company in 2001 jumped into the ASIC market with Synplify ASIC, a tool targeting mainstream ASIC designers.

Over the last year, Synplicity has been quietly using its FPGA strategy to gain a greater foothold in the ASIC market. It has signed on to customize its Synplify ASIC synthesis technology for structured ASIC process vendors LightSpeed Semiconductor, AMI, NEC and Chip Express.

With LSI Logic, Synplicity is going a step further. The partners are working closely to ensure Synplicity's yet-to-be-announced ASIC physical synthesis product works tightly not only with LSI RapidChip architectures and libraries but also the rest of LSI RapidChip flow, which was largely developed by LSI.

RapidChip and other structured ASIC platforms are ASIC vendors' attempt to woo customers who are providing high-end FPGA designs for the gate array and ASIC market. FPGA vendors have for years been saying that ASIC mask sets, time to design and ASIC tool prices are out of control. Hence, many customers are moving to FPGAs, especially as gate counts and speed grades are now reaching in the low-end ASIC realm.

But LSI Logic is hoping that FPGA customers familiar with Synplicity synthesis tools will find its tool support as another reason to investigate structured ASICs.

Synplicity and LSI have been working together closely for the last year to ensure that Synplicity's new physical synthesis tool not only handles RapidChip architectures, physical libraries, and IP but also links to the rest of the LSI flow.

The partners wouldn't give details on the price of the new tools or if LSI is supplementing the cost of the work. They did say tools would be priced higher than FPGA tools but lower than ASIC tools.

Gallagher said a RapidChip version of the tool would be released in the third quarter, after the company releases a mainstream version of its physical synthesis tool late in the second quarter.

Gallagher said the tool will be targeted at logic designers who have found it hard to use current physical synthesis offerings. This would bring much of the push-button flow that made Synplify a hit in the FPGA world to ASIC physical synthesis.