d85-per@nada.kth.se (Per Hammarlund) (06/01/88)
I have some questions about VLSI design software that I would be grateful if someone could answer. I am taking a course in VLSI design, CMOS processes, and was quite put aback when I found out that the computer to be used for simulation/design was a VAX 785 running VMS, not a fast combination when I am used to a Pyramid 9820/OSx 4.0. I have therefore set about to gather some useful programs to run on either the Pyramid or Sun 3's. As I am taking this course now I do NOT really know what I need, any guidance and/or advice is appreciated. What I am looking for is free software to run under BSD 4.3 UNIX, the software will be used for non-commercial purposes only. What I think I need is: CAD/layout tools running on Sun 3. Design/Rule checking programs suitable for CMOS processes. Logic Simulation. Analog simulation, a program like SPICE (Is SPICE free?) I can imagine that there are all kinds of wonderful stuff that ties these different types of software together, as well as programs I have not heard of, please advice me of their names and uses. /Thanks in advance, Per Hammarlund, d85-per@nada.kth.se, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
landman%hanami@Sun.COM (Howard A. Landman) (06/08/88)
In article <393@draken.nada.kth.se> d85-per@nada.kth.se (Per Hammarlund) writes: >What I am looking for is >free software to run under BSD 4.3 UNIX, the software will be used for >non-commercial purposes only. Per, None of the following will help you much, since most of this software can not legally be shipped outside the United States. However, I post it here in case there is anyone with a similar problem in the U.S. Write to: Software Distribution EECS/ERL Industrial Liaison Program University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 and ask for their catalog "Public Domain Software". Too much to summarize here, most of it public domain, available for a nominal fee to cover tape copying, postage, handling, documentation printing, etc. If you are interested in logic synthesis tools, you may also want to write to: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Colorado at Boulder Campus Box 425 Boulder, CO 80309-0425 and ask them about getting the BOLD (Boulder Optimal Logic Design) tape. It is supposed to run fine on Pyramid and Sun (from personal experience, I can say that it compiles on a Sun3, but I haven't had time to play with it yet). Howard A. Landman landman@hanami.sun.com UUCP: sun!hanami!landman
rubin@spar.SPAR.SLB.COM (Steve Rubin) (06/11/88)
There is one silicon design software package that *CAN* be sent outside of the United States: The Electric(TM) VLSI Design System. Electric is a complete package that includes a graphical editor and many tools (design rule checkers, PLA generators, simulators [including interface to SPICE], compactors, network consistency checkers, and even a VHDL compiler for placing and routing standard cell libraries). The system also handles many environments of design including nMOS (currently two different design-rule sets), CMOS (currently six different design-rule sets including one for MOSIS), Bipolar, Schematics, etc. Electric is described in my recent textbook, "Computer Aids for VLSI Design", Addison-Wesley, 1987 (yes, Steven M. Rubin, author). Best of all, Electric is available to any orginazation that is willing to sign a noncommercial/nondisclosure license agreement and pay a tape fee of $200. There are over 100 groups throughout the world that already have the system. If you want Electric, call or write: Steven Rubin Schlumberger Palo Alto Research 3340 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, California 94304 (415) 496-4624 [rubin@spar.slb.com]