“Recent admissions of component shortages by graphics board
market leader ATI Technologies (NASD: ATYT) has driven concerns
that there may be an overall component shortage looming. The issue
needing to be addressed may come down to product development
life-cycles and not production shortages. Linux based Electronic
Design Automation solutions may be the answer to shortening the
market introduction time, productivity increases and revenue
maximization in verification hardware/software providers, chip
manufacturers and assemblers.”
“Electronic Design Automation (EDA) companies provide computer
chip designers with software programs that automate the design
process. EDA software allows designers to create chips that can
perform multiple functions while using less battery power on
smaller pieces of silicon. Verification software for EDA is
software that allows the designer to verify the workability of the
design before it is turned into silicon. The functional
verification market is substantial with over 25% of the $2.4
billion dollar EDA tool license market and growing faster than the
EDA market overall. Experts feel there is a significant
verification market that is waiting for higher-end tools to become
available. Companies that provide these tools to fill this market
should experience significant growth.”
“With the significant growth of Linux, EDA and verification
companies are supporting and porting their products to Linux.
Linux has attracted plenty of attention among verification
engineers because it provides a low-cost, highly portable platform
without sacrificing performance, stability, or network
compatibility. Verification products automate traditionally manual
processes and have enabled customers to cut verification schedules
by up to two-thirds. Combined with the value and efficiency of
Linux, verification is a relatively new industry heading to the
forefront of technology.”