DESIGN ENVIRONMENT

Several interface levels are possible between SGS-

THOMSON and the customer in the undertaking of

an ASIC design. The four levels of interface are

shown in Figure 7. Level 1 is characterized by

SGS-THOMSON receiving the system specification

and taking the design through to validation and

fabrication. At level 2 interface the designer sup-

plies a complete logic design implemented in a

standard generic logic family. SGS-THOMSON

then takes the design through to layout, validation

and fabrication.

Level 3 is the most common and preferred interface

level. Logic capture and pre-layout simulation are

performed by the designer using an SGS-THOM-

SON supported design kit. The design is then taken

through layout, validation and fabrication by SGS-

THOMSON.

The SGS-THOMSON design system validates all

designs before fabrication. Design kits areprovided

that allow schematic capture entry via Mentor

Graphics and Cadence Amadeus. Simulation is

supported on Cadence Amadeus and Mentor

Graphics. Full support is also provided for Cadence

Verilog, Synopsys VSS and System Hilo simula-

tors. Figure 8 shows the SGS-THOMSON Design

Flow.

CUSTOMER

CUSTOMER

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 4

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

CUSTOMER

SYSTEM

SYSTEM

SPECIFICATION

LOGIC

DESIGN

SCHEMATIC

CAPTURE

DESIGN

VERIFICATION

PRE-LAYOUT

SIMULATION

POST-LAYOUT

SIMULATION

MANUFACTURE

AND TEST

CUSTOMER

LAYOUT

ISB35_VC

Figure 7. Customer/SGS-THOMSON Interface Levels

ISB35000 SERIES

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