OKI IDS automates High Level VLSI design using Siemens Catapult

Date: 02/07/2023
OKI IDS, a Japanese based VLSI design services company is using Siemens Catapult software for High-Level Synthesis (HLS) and High-Level Verification (HLV) in their design and verification services.

oki tool hls


The benefits OKI IDS getting from this HL VLSI design tool as per Siemens includes:

To efficiently verify the equivalence of high-level models and algorithm models using C/C++ and register transfer level (RTL) code after HLS through simulation.

To automatically convert a testbench that verifies high-level models and algorithm models using C/C++ for HLS into a testbench for RTL functional verification, and to verify RTL functions on a testbench equivalent to the high-level models, enabling RTL functional verification with a testbench equivalent to the high-level model.
Development of a new testbench for RTL functional verification after high-level synthesis is not required.

Verification of high-level code and algorithms using C/C++ as executable specifications can now be utilized for RTL functional verification, enabling a significant improvement in design quality.

“With the adoption of Catapult, the industry's only integrated high-level synthesis and verification environment, we can now thoroughly verify the executable specification in C/C++ code provided by our customers and achieve RTL function verification with an equivalent test bench after high-level synthesis," said Yasuo Yamamoto, executive officer, Business Division for OKI IDS. “This allows us to objectively demonstrate any issues in the specifications or show that our design artifacts meet the customer's specifications. By resolving issues during the high-level design phase through high-level verification, we are able to improve the quality of results (QoR) for high-level design and significantly improve efficiency in RTL function verification, which we estimate may result in a reduction in delivery time of more than 20%.”

Siemens says Catapult HLS and HLV platform provides industry-leading advanced high-level verification capabilities, including formal verification apps and features such as SCVerify that automatically converts high-level model verification environments in C/C++ to RTL verification environments as well as the design checker capabilities in Catapult, which perform syntax checking on C/C++ code for HLS. These features offer unique and powerful capabilities for high-level verification that are not available elsewhere in the industry.

"I am delighted that OKI IDS, one of Japan's leading design service companies is now offering services using the Catapult environment's High-Level Synthesis and Verification capabilities,” said Mo Movahed, General Manager for the Front-End Design Solutions Business Unit for Siemens EDA. “We look forward to working with OKI IDS to further enhance their customer satisfaction with HLS high-level design and verification services using Catapult."

Siemens sells complete chain of VLSI design tools after it acquiring Mentor Graphics.