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

CAD/CAM/CAE—Electronic Design Automation Applications
Figure 1
Percentage of Circuitry Reused, Segmented by Industry
Semiconductor
Data Communications
Computer/Peripherals
Consumer
IViilitary/Aerospace
Telecommunications
All Industries
Reused Design Functionality
Note: "All Industries" Includes military/aerospace, semiconductor, telecommunications, data communications,
computer, peripherals, consumer, automotive, industrial control, medical equipment, government, and
instrumentation.
Source: Dataquest (July 1992)
the source of most of the growth experienced
in the logic sjmthesis arena during the past
three years. For example, in 1989 the company
captured 33 percent market share of a
$13.7 million software market (ASIC-based
logic sjoithesis only). In 1990, the company
recorded logic synthesis sales of $16 inillion
(software only), pelding the company 52 percent
market share. Dataquesf s prelitrdnary
analyses indicate that Synop>sys' market position
gained even greater strength in 1991.
Synopsys' position in the sjmthesis market is
likely to remain healthy for at least the next
six to twelve months. It will take that amoimt
of time for competitors to motmt any kind of
reasonable challenge to the company. In oior
view, logic sjmthesis technology is the comerstone
of the top-down design EDA environment,
which is why Sjmopsys is so successful.
We expect the logic sjmthesis market to continue
experiencing strong revenue growth over
the next two to three years. However, by early
1994 we anticipate that the industry wiU be
filled with an abundance of suppliers, which
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in turn wiU cause substantial price erosion of
synthesis products. Already, Synopsys has been
joined by an array of companies hoping to
gain a share of the market, including Mentor
Graphics, Cadence, Dazix, Racal-Redac,
View^logic, Exemplar Logic, and Compass
Design Automation. A nimiber of start-up
companies are also developing products aimed
at the logic sjmthesis market. Supply-side fragmentation
of this magnitude will undoubtedly
dimmish both revenue and profit opportunities
(see Figure 2).
Despite the increased productivity that logic
sjmtihesis tools yield, users consistentiy complain
about the long run times and excessive
disk space required to compile designs.
Advances in computing performance should
mitigate the problem somewhat; but as compute
power rises, so too does design complexity.
Thus, the problem is analogous to running
on a treadmill: the greater the compute power,
the more com.plex the design tasks wiU
become. Indeed, the industry is routinely witnessing
design starts that boast 50,000 to
75,000 gates.
CCAM-EDA-DP-9202 ©1992 Dataquest Incorporated July 27,1992