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Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn!apple!apple.com!Strubin
From: Strubin@apple.com (Steven Rubin)
Newsgroups: comp.lsi,comp.lsi.cad
Subject: Re: LSI CAD tool opinions wanted
Message-ID: <1523@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 25 Apr 89 01:17:57 GMT
References: <8904211724.AA08448@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu>
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 44

Your posting lists three familiar IC CAD systems (Caesar, Magic, and
Vivid) and asks for comment.

By way of comment, allow me to introduce a fourth: Electric.

Electric is primarily an IC design system that can handle nMOS, CMOS
(has MOSIS design rules), bipolar, etc.  It also handles schematic
capture, printed circuit design, and other esoteric design styles
(a technology editor allows you to roll your own).

Unlike Magic and Caesar which view circuitry simply as polygons on
various layers, Electric views circuitry as components and connecting
wires.  Unlike Vivid, these objects are not symbolic or "virtual grid"
but appear in their true geometry.

Electric packages a number of tools into one uniform system.  There
is an online DRC, many simulation interfaces (SPICE, ESIM, RSIM, RNL,
COSMOS, MOSSIM, VERILOG, CADAT, Abel PAL), a compactor, two PLA generators,
three routers, network consistency checking, and a VHDL generator that
can place and route a standard cell library from a structural VHDL
description.

Of particular interest to faculty members is the accompanying textbook,
"Computer Aids for VLSI Design" by Steven M. Rubin (yes, me) and part
of the Addison-Wesley VLSI series.  This book surveys electrical CAD
tools and uses Electric as a demonstration vehicle.  Combined with the
source code and internals documentation, one has a complete curriculum
for CAD tool construction.

Electric is written in C and so it runs on a large variety of computers.
Currently, there are interfaces available for the SUN, Apollo, VAX
(UNIX and VMS), Macintosh, and all X Window System machines (both X.10
and X.11).

Electric has been in university distribution for nearly six years.
It was originally developed by me at Schlumberger, but now it is
available from Electric Editor, Incorporated.  Universities can obtain
it through the normal path (sign the license agreement, pay the nominal
tape fee, get the source tape, go nuts).  The creation of Electric
Editor, Inc. now means that commercial customers can also sign up and
receive supported code (source or object).

    -Steven Rubin (strubin@apple.com)
     Apple Computer