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Empyrean Software, Qorvo Join Si2 Compact Model Coalition

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Empyrean Software, Qorvo Join Si2 Compact Model Coalition

 

For Immediate Release

 

AUSTIN, Texas—Empyrean Software and Qorvo have joined the Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2) Compact Model Coalition (CMC), a collaborative group that funds the standardization of cost-saving SPICE models for integrated circuit designs.

They join 30 other companies that increasingly rely on the use of industry-standard SPICE models (Simulation Program with Integration Circuit Emphasis) to simulate the performance of new and enhanced chip designs prior to manufacturing. As a research and development joint venture focused on IC design tool operability standards, Si2 provides a legally protected environment for its members to share resources for funding SPICE model standardization.

“SPICE device models are equations that express transistor function. These fundamental building blocks provide IC designers with the ability to simulate and validate design function and performance before entering the capital-intensive phase of manufacturing,“ said John Ellis, Si2 president and CEO. “To reduce R&D costs and increase simulation accuracy, the semiconductor industry has turned to the CMC to pool resources and fund the standardization of best-of breed models.

“Once the standard models are proven and accepted by CMC, they are incorporated into design tools providing cross-correlation between simulators and widely used by the semiconductor industry. The standard models have been developed, and are refined and maintained, under direction and funding by the CMC, by leading universities and national labs,” Ellis explained.

Steve Yang, CEO of Empyrean Software, said “As designs move to advanced processes, the simulation models provided by CMC are vitally important for our tools to provide accurate results and validate designs before they are manufactured.  As the largest China EDA software supplier, Empyrean’s EDA tools cover complete custom AMS design flow: schematic entry, layout editing, circuit simulation, DRC/LVS, and RC extraction.”

For more information about the CMC visit https://si2.org/cmc/.

 

About the Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2)

Si2 is a leading research and development joint venture that provides standard interoperability solutions for IC design tools. Its primary products include OpenAccess, the world’s most widely used, open reference database for IC design, with a supporting standard APA. All Si2 activities are carried out under the auspices of the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993, the fundamental law that defines R&D joint ventures and offers them a large measure of protection against federal antitrust laws.

 

Media Contact:

Terry Berke
512-917-1358
[email protected]

Geoffrey Coram Named New CMC Technical Advisor

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Geoffrey J. Coram of Analog Devices is the new volunteer technical advisor for the Si2 Compact Model Coalition.  In this newly created position he advises the coalition on Verilog-A implementation for its standard compact models.

Over the past decade, the preferred language for development and implementation of compact models has shifted from C to Verilog-A. Recognizing the importance of the new language, the CMC officers created this position to assist model developers and help encourage best practices.

A senior member of the IEEE, Geoffrey has been an active CMC participant since 2002 and currently leads the CMC subcommittees on Verilog-A recommended practices and the MOS varactor model. In 2004, he led the efforts of the Accellera Verilog-AMS subcommittee to add compact modeling extensions to that modeling language in Language Reference Manual version 2.2.

Geoffrey joined the internal CAD development and circuit simulation group at Analog Devices after earning a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000. His undergraduate degree is from Rice University.