Verisity says "e" language is truly open

Verisity says "e" language is truly open
By Richard Goering, EE Times
June 11, 2003 (5:26 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030611S0040

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Responding to concerns that its "e" verification language is not truly open, a Verisity representative said this week (June 9) that third parties can now begin developing and integrating tools using the "e" language. The response follows questions raised by Michael Horne, chief executive of Qualis, which developed verification intellectual property based on "e."

Writing in the latest Verification Guild newsletter, Horne said there are "real questions in the verification community about whether 'e' is truly open." He applauded Verisity's efforts to push "e" through the IEEE standardization process, but noted previous Verisity comments that "e" is not a public language and that third-party companies would not have the right to deliver "e" verification IP to the general market.

Synopsys "The unfortunate result of this market communication confusion is that previous Qualis Specman DVC customers will not be able to be supported by Synopsys, not by the actions of Synopsys, but by the company that is supposedly pushing the 'open' language," Horne wrote.

"At the time of Synopsys' purchase of Qualis, the 'e' language was proprietary," responded Yaron Kashai, vice president of research and strategic technology at Verisity. "However, as of last week [June 2], Verisity announced that the IEEE Design Automation Standards Committee approved a project to use 'e' as the basis for a verification language standard. This is a huge step in the path towards making 'e' an open verification language."

"Wi th this new development companies can start developing, or integrating, their tools using the 'e' language," Kashai said. "Verisity does not control, and has no interest in controlling, third-party IP created with e." A spokesperson added that Synopsys can now resell the Qualis "e" language DVCs, if it chooses.

Kashai noted that the "e" language reference manual (LRM) is now available online,, that Verisity authored a recent EEdesign tutorial on the "e" language and that a book on "e" will be published in August.

Verisity announced last week that the IEEE had granted a project authorization request for a standard verification language based on "e." At last week's Design Automation Conference, Novas, TNI-Valiosys and Verplex demonstrated interfaces to the "e" language.