Sonics Introduces Next-Generation Development Environment To Ease Semiconductor IP Integration For Heterogeneous Multicore SoCs

MILPITAS, Calif., May 19, 2014 -- Sonics, Inc., the world's foremost supplier of on-chip network (NoC) technologies and services, today introduced its next-generation SonicsStudio development environment that addresses the integration challenges of complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs that include multiple processor and intellectual property (IP) cores. Central to this environment is SonicsStudio Director, a new graphical user interface (GUI) featuring a host of new tools and capabilities for configuring Sonics' IP products. SonicsStudio Director uses an intuitive, visual design paradigm that emphasizes ease-of-use, raises SoC designer productivity, and improves overall quality of results (QoR).

"SoC design complexity has reached integration of 100 or more IP cores per chip in many cases," said Drew Wingard, CTO of Sonics. "SoC architects and chip designers need a robust tool set that supports automated IP integration, architecture exploration, and on-chip network configuration for both types of users while making the design and verification flows more efficient. SonicsStudio Director builds on our nearly 18 years of successful SoC design experience to provide our on-chip network customers a visual environment for creating their next wave of heterogeneous multicore devices with the highest QoR."

Supports First-time and Power Users
The SonicsStudio Director environment provides fast integration and configuration of Sonics' complete IP product portfolio. It contains several modules which allow designers, from expert power users to those building their first chips, to easily integrate their chosen IP cores together with Sonics' products within their SoC design flows. SonicsStudio Director streamlines SoC design and validation enabling users to seamlessly interact with tools for SystemC and logic simulation, performance analysis, dynamic and static verification, logic synthesis, power partitioning, top-level chip assembly, and automatic data book creation.

The new SonicsStudio Director GUI presents a familiar Eclipse look and feel with context-sensitive editing that shortens the learning curve while minimizing errors. Starting from a familiar schematic view, SonicsStudio Director summarizes configuration information in powerful tables that support filtering, sorting, and multiple entry capabilities instantly familiar to spreadsheet users – plus interactive copy/paste to external spreadsheet programs. Configuration errors are conveniently summarized in a separate view cross-linked to the error source and with "quick fix" options for common mistakes. The point-and-click interface supports simulation test case creation, stimulus generation, simulation, and performance result visualization.

More experienced users will appreciate the embedded Tcl console, which supports both interactive and batch-mode scripting of all GUI functions and the design flow steps. This powerful capability greatly speeds and simplifies the creation, selection, inspection, and manipulation of portions of a design and the automation of complex "what if" scenarios.

Integrated performance analysis tools visualize transactional events and measure utilization and latency. The configuration meta-data itself is also directly edited in a context-sensitive text editor, enabling controlled search-and-replace, copy-and-paste, and other operations with continuous error checking. All of these components are linked together, so selections from the Tcl console filter the displayed rows in the table editor. Edits in a table are immediately reflected in the schematic. Static analysis results can be annotated back to the schematic.

Availability and DAC Demo
SonicsStudio Director will be available in late June on a subscription basis for Sonics' IP customers. Sonics will also be demonstrating SonicsStudio Director at the Design Automation Conference, June 2-4, 2014 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Contact your Sonics sales representative for pricing and more information.

About Sonics, Inc.
Sonics, Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.) is the global leader in trusted on-chip network (NoC) technologies used by the industry's top semiconductor and electronics product companies. Sonics was the first company to develop and commercialize NoCs, accelerating volume production of complex systems-on-chip (SoC) that contain multiple processor cores. Our comprehensive NoC portfolio delivers the communication performance required by today's most advanced consumer digital, communications and information technology devices. Sonics' NoCs are integral to the success of SoC design platforms that innovators such as Broadcom®, Intel®, Marvell®, MediaTek, and Microchip® rely on to meet their most demanding SoC integration and time-to-market requirements. Sonics' holds more than 138 patent properties supporting products created by a global customer list that have shipped more than two billion SoCs. For more information, visit www.sonicsinc.com.