CAD/CAM/CAE : electronic design automation, 1992 - Archive Server

Figure 3
Projected 1995 North American HDL Market Segmentation
5ourcs:Da!aquest (April 1992)
CAD/CAM/CAE—Electronic Design Automation Applications
GZ0DDS20
enonnous research and development efforts
being put forth by VHDL advocates. Moreovei;,
even if these eScais produce iess-than-satisfectory
results, slcyrocketing compute performance
and dramatic improvements in price/performance
of compute platforms will substantialty
mitigate the problems.
As an indicatian of the market's desire to hedge
its bet Ml VHDL, our research confirms that
much of the Verilog HDL installed base plans to
adopt VHDL without disposing of Verilog HDL.
Indeed, approximately 82 percent of the Verilog
HDL-only instalted l^se in North America
(those that are using Verilog HDL and have not
adopted VHDL) will continue tising Verilog
HDL over the next two to three years, if not
longer. Only 18 percent plan to replace it with
VHDL. Indicative of an emerging trend toward
coexistence between Verilog HDL and VHDL,
27 percent of the Verilog HDL-only installed
base plans to adopt VHDL and use both Verilog
HDL and VHDL for at least the next two years.
However, 55 p>ercent of the Verilog-only users
wiU continue using the language in tiie absence
of VHDL, In sum, about half of the the Verilog
HDL-only installed base will continue to cast its
loyalty exclusively toward Verilog HDL. The
other half will el^er forsake Veiik>g HDL for
VHDL or adopt both languages-
Among the cuisent base of VHDL-only users in
North America (those that are using VHDL and
have not adopted Vsrilog HDL)^ less than 2 percent
plan to replace VHDL with Verilog HDL.
However^ approximately 6 percent of the VHDLonly
user base wiU also adopt Yexilog HDL and
use both languages.
In the North American decfcronic design market,
adoption rates of VHDL will be fastest in the
mHitaiy and aerospace industries, which is not
surpising given that VHDL development was
funded and later mandated by the U.S. Department
of Defense. What is perhaps surprising,
however, is that the computer industry which
is a Verilog HDL stronghold, wiU also begin to
aggressively adopt VHDL. Today, only 10 percent
of tihe computer industry is using VHDL.
We expect this figure to reach at least 40 percent
during the next 18 to 24 months.
Widespread adoption of VHDL is also expected
among North American semiconductor manufacturers.
Approximately one-third of the industry
has already begun using VHDL. Our research
indicates that at least 50 percent to 60 percent of
the semiconductor sector will be using it by the
end of 1994.
VHDL will also make significant inroads into
the commiuucations equipment design arena.
Approximately 25 percent of the communications
industry has adopted VHDL, but this
figure wiU more tiian double over the next two
years.
Japanese Outlook
From 1989 through 1991, the Japanese market
wavered in its support of any particular HDL,
although the tendency was moving toward
Verilog HDL during that period. We believe that
the bias favoring Verilog HDL was (and is) a byproduct
of the ubiquitous presence of the Verilog
April 27, 1992 ©1992 Dataquest Incorponited CCAM-EDA-DP-9201