Aldec adds others' synthesis tools

Aldec adds others' synthesis tools
By Richard Goering, EE Times
April 26, 2000 (10:32 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20000426S0010

HENDERSON, Nev. — Aldec Inc. will offer an HTML-based Flow Manager that integrates Synplicity or Synopsys FPGA synthesis tools into Aldec's design environment. The company plans to roll out a schematic import and design reuse option for Xilinx users, too.

The Flow Manager connects the Synplicity Synplify tool or Synopsys FPGA Express product to Aldec's Active-HDL 4.0XE environment. Users can invoke Synplify or FPGA Express from within Active-HDL 4.0XE. The Flow Manager also controls the flow of data between the applications and handles files passed from one program to another. It is configurable and can be adjusted to the user's logic synthesis tool of choice.

Separately, Aldec has announced the Fast-Port software for the direct importation of Xilinx Foundation Series projects, schematics and libraries into Active-HDL 4.0XE. The imported projects and schematics will look identical in the Aldec environment, eas ing design reuse, the company said.

Active-HDL 4.0XE is a Xilinx-specific version of Active-HDL. It includes a project manager, HDL editor, state machine editor, block diagram/schematic editor, automatic testbench generation and VHDL or Verilog simulator. The product is priced at $2,995.