QuickLogic Corp, a specialist in Field Programmable Gate Array design, has brought out an electronic design automation tool that speeds up Field Programmable Gate Array design. QuickWorks is intended for third party developers that require blank chips with open anti-fuse gates that they can customise themselves. Obviously for a third party developer, speed to market is a vital factor, and the company believes its product is faster because it uses a new process technology for building logic interconnect structures in ASICs based on a small, low-impedance antifuse called the Vialink. According to QuickLogic, ViaLinks give higher speed and higher density than any prior programmable approach because the company has automated much of the logic implementation involved in circuit design and it can be integrated into CMOS logic processes with a minimal impact on manufacturing cost. Synplicity Inc has joined forces with Quicklogics to produce a software tool designed for users programming in the Hardware Description Language. Historically circuit board designers have relied on schematics from flow charts because according to Bruce Kleinman, of Quicklogics, HDL synthesis tools were expensive and too slow. Synplify-Lite HDL software tool takes less than one minute to connect 000 gates on a 66MHz 80486 machine and costs UKP2,150 for the software and additional UKP400 for the programmer box. QuickLogics has also introduced a starter kit allowing users to evaluate the software tools and see how it works with Quickworks; it is out now, at UKP75.
