Ambit ASIC tool does synthesis on network

SANTA CLARA, CALIF. - Ambit Design Systems Inc. has added a "distributed synthesis" capability to its BuildGates ASIC synthesis tool. It allows the tool to automatically synthesize a design in parallel over a network of computers, cutting overall synthesis run-times.

"The technology we are developing really helps to solve chip integration and timingclosure problems," said Jeff Roane, group marketing manager at Ambit. "The problem is primarily fueled by capacity. Today, designers are working with millions of gates, and typical synthesis tools weren't meant to handle that kind of capacity."

Typically, said Roane, designers adopt a divide-and-conquer...