EDA Cost and Pricing

EDA Cost and Pricing
by Daniel Nenni on 10-12-2018 at 7:00 am

This is the nineteenth in the series of “20 Questions with Wally Rhines”

When I moved from the semiconductor industry to Mentor, I expected most of my technology and business experience to apply similarly in EDA software. To some extent, that was correct. But there was a fundamental difference that required a change… Read More


Design Automation and the Engineering Workstation

Design Automation and the Engineering Workstation
by Daniel Nenni on 09-28-2018 at 7:00 am

This is the seventeenth in the series of “20 Questions with Wally Rhines”

Several common aspects have existed for what is now the modern Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry. When I joined TI in 1972, the company was very proud of its design automation capability as a competitive differentiator. Much of the… Read More


Systems Design vs Integrated Circuit Design

Systems Design vs Integrated Circuit Design
by Daniel Nenni on 09-21-2018 at 7:00 am

This is the sixteenth in the series of “20 Questions with Wally Rhines”

Electronic design automation (EDA) began and grew with the integrated circuit (IC) design business probably because IC design grew in complexity faster than printed circuit boards. The race for superiority in PCB design evolved in parallel,… Read More


Mentor Rise and Fall

Mentor Rise and Fall
by Daniel Nenni on 09-14-2018 at 7:00 am

This is the fifteenth in the series of “20 Questions with Wally Rhines”

During 1980 and 1981, three companies, Daisy, Mentor and Valid were founded. Daisy and Valid attacked the computer automated design business with custom hardware workstations plus software to provide the unique capabilities required by engineers.… Read More


Is there anything in VLSI layout other than pushing polygons? (2)

Is there anything in VLSI layout other than pushing polygons? (2)
by Dan Clein on 10-04-2017 at 12:00 pm

One of the important changes that happen between 1984 and 1988 is the hardware platforms development. Calma evolved, mainframe S140 with 2 combined monitors per terminal in S280 with 2 individual monitors per terminal. This meant that from noisy and darker rooms we move to more quiet and lighted rooms. We doubled the speed and theRead More


Business Models: EDA Is Software But It Used To Be Sold As Hardware

Business Models: EDA Is Software But It Used To Be Sold As Hardware
by Paul McLellan on 09-03-2015 at 7:00 am

Business models are really important. Just ask any internet startup company that has lots of eyeballs and is trying to work out how to monetize them. It is a lot easier to get people to use something for free, much harder to get people to pay for something especially when they don’t value it much. Different companies that look… Read More


A Brief History of EDA

A Brief History of EDA
by Daniel Nenni on 08-05-2012 at 6:00 pm

Electronic Design Automation, or more affectionately known as EDA, is a relatively young $5B industry with a very colorful upbringing, one that I have experienced firsthand, I’m very grateful for, and is an honor to write about. Today EDA employs an estimated 27,000 people! There is a nice EDA Wikipedia page which can be found hereRead More


Old standards never die

Old standards never die
by Paul McLellan on 11-09-2011 at 4:14 pm

I just put up a blog about the EDA interoperability forum, much of which is focused on standards. Which reminded me just how long-lived some standards turn out to be.

Back in the late 1970s Calma shipped workstations (actually re-badged Data General minicomputers) with a graphic display. That was how layout was done. It’s… Read More