Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!eecg.toronto.edu!chik
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
From: chik@eecg.toronto.edu (Raymond Chik)
Subject: Re: Design Tools for Electrical Engineering
Message-ID: <1990Nov22.115138.5109@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Keywords: SPICE
Organization: EECG, University of Toronto
References: <1990Nov22.002945.24105@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 22 Nov 90 16:51:38 GMT
Lines: 48

In article <1990Nov22.002945.24105@agate.berkeley.edu> positron@cosmic.berkeley.edu (Shigeki Misawa) writes:
>
>	Hi, I am interested in finding out what design tools are
>available for designing electronic circuits, circuit boards, IC, and
>other design tools like schematic capture, or for signal processing
>and other related fields. I would like to know what you use, how you
>like it, and where you can get it. .........


We use "Cadence" (or Edge.... Opus... etc) as the standard
IC design package in our group.

I like its concept of combining the whole design cycle into one
CAD package [schematic.... (Logic/Analog) simulation.....
layout..... (Logic/Analog)simulation...].
However, it needs very much effort to set up the whole environment
to make it user friendly enough. Too many bits and pieces you need
to worry about...... sometimes it takes hours to discover that
you cannot put a label somewhere on your schematic which is not
detected by the design rule checker but results in fatal error!

In terms of IC mask layout, I prefer "MAGIC". I've used it in
a course project and found it very enjoyable.

But it seems that people all around here (Ontario, Canada) are
using "Cadence".

BTW, the simulation softwares that are interfaced into our Cadence
include HSPICE, SILOS (and others that are not oftenly used).

I personally like the convenience of having all the things done
in one package. The only think I have complain on is the IC mask
layout part..... I simply don't like it very much. :-(

Anyone out there has unpleasent experience with Cadence?

Raymond Chik.
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* May the force be with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
*         Raymond Y. V. Chik	           |_           \           _|   * 
*         VLSI Research Grp.                 ||      --------     ||     * 
*         Dept. of Elec. Eng.               _||o-+   | -+-+-   +-o||_    * 
*         U. of Toronto                    |     |   |  +-+    |     |   *
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*Internet:    chik@eecg.toronto.edu          ||--+   | | | |   +--||     *
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