IBISians:
TradeMark Search
We completed the trademark and other use searches and discovered that IBIS
is probably one of the most overused acronyms / names! The good news is
that it is so used (even with registered trademarks and names) that we
probably cannot get into trouble. The bad news is some companies with
slight relation to our industry (for example, IBIS Software, Inc. of
San Francisco) are using it. Suprisingly, the use already by some
companies in their press reports did not come up in the "common law"
search.
The short answer is we might see problems down the road but nothing is of
direct enough use to challenge our use in the Press Release. All $500.
paid members are welcome to get a copy of the 71 page report by sending
me email. It might take 1 week for me to verify through Will and making
the copies.
Press Release
Getting opinions back has been worse than pulling teeth. This has delayed
the release by over two months but hopefully you will all agree for the
better.
Attached is what Will and I hope is the final draft. We are at the point
that it needs to be adopted as is and put out. We are asking you to either
adopt it as is or we will have to drop your company name from the release.
The best copies are available on the vhdl.org machine (pub/ibis/pressrel.rtf,
and pub/ibis/pressrel.ps). Below is a text dumped of the formatted copy.
WE NEED EACH COMPANY WHO WISHES TO BE LISTED (REMAIN TO BE LISTED OR ADDED)
TO SUBMIT A LETTER (FAX OK) ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD DETAILING:
a) YOUR APPROVAL FOR USE OF THE COMPANY NAME IN THE RELEASE, and
b) A CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER FOR YOUR COMPANY FOR THE EDITORS.
WE NEED THESE BY FRIDAY, 8TH OCT 1993 FROM EACH COMPANY. (Note: for some
who submitted them via email or before on earlier drafts, I will need it
again in the specified format). ANY COMPANY WHICH DOES NOT GET IT IN WILL
BE DROPPED FROM THE RELEASE. (We hope you will all get it in!)
Randy Harr, LMC, randyh@milpitas.lmc.com
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For More Information
IBIS Open Forum
Will Hobbs
503-696-4369
Jon Powell
805-988-8250
IBIS Signal Integrity Model Specification Announced
Emerging Standard Supports Early, Accurate Models for Signal
Integrity Simulations of High-Speed Digital Systems
BEAVERTON, Oregon -- October 1, 1993 -- A group of
Electronic Design Automation and semiconductor companies
today announce the development and adoption of Version 1.1
of the IBIS (I/O Buffer Information Specification) standard
for signal integrity models. This emerging standard
promises to deliver models earlier, with superior simulation
performance and accuracy than has been possible with
traditional signal integrity model development approaches.
As digital system design engineers are increasingly
challenged by higher clock speeds and special packaging;
signal integrity simulation is becoming imperative. IBIS
addresses one of the fundamental simulation issues, that of
model availability.
IBIS Standard Provides Early Models While Protecting
Proprietary Information
IBIS is a consistent format which semiconductor vendors
can use to specify the analog characteristics of input and
output buffers. This essential information is readily
transformed into accurate models by end users and simulation
tool vendors. The resulting behavioral models allow users
to perform high-speed, acccurate signal-integrity
simulations of their digital system interconnects.
Most existing I/O Buffer model development
methodologies are based on actual circuit designs. Such
descriptions reveal detailed information not just about the
buffer design but also about the underlying, proprietary
fabrication processes. In contrast, IBIS uses voltage-
versus-current characteristics, along with additional
circuit, package and timing information to describe the
buffers. This form of data protects the semiconductor
vendor's proprietary information about the design and
process technology while still providing a highly useful and
accurate model for the end user.
"By standardizing on a non-proprietary method of
specifying models, the industry has a win-win situation,"
states Jon Powell, Product Manager, Transmission Line Tools
from Quad Design. "Semiconductor companies can deliver the
information once, EDA tools have a ready and easy source for
models, and end users gain high performance, accurate
models."
Behavioral IBIS Models Are Easy To Generate and Offer
Superior Performance
The data used to develop an IBIS model can be easily
derived from simulations of the actual circuits or measured
directly using commonly available laboratory equipment.
This easily derivable data includes V-I curves for high and
low output transitions; V-I curves for clamp diodes;
high/low ramp times; component capacitance; and per-pin
package resistance, inductance and capacitance. By
simplifying the data collection and removing proprietary
issues, the semiconductor vendors can provide IBIS models
prior to, or at the same time as, the availability of first
components.
Because IBIS models are behavioral, simulations run
much faster than a corresponding structural model. Speed
improvements of 25X are not uncommon.
IBIS accomplishes this performance improvement without
sacrificing accuracy by incorporating the specification of
many non-linear effects of the I/O design, including package
parasitics and forward-biased ESD protection diode effects.
"We have the opportunity to break open the log jam in
model availability for signal integrity analysis by creating
accurate, efficient models that can be delivered with the
silicon." says Shiv Tasker, vice president, Systems Physical
Design at Cadence Design Systems. "The availability of
these models will have a major impact on how quickly new
parts, introduced by IC vendors, will be designed into new
products. It is therefore in customer, IC and EDA vendors'
interest to actively encourage adoption of such critical
standards as IBIS."
First Models Available
Intel and the IBIS development group have been working
regularly over the last year to refine the specification,
benchmark the models that result, and verify the simulations
from the models against laboratory measurements of actual
circuits. Intel has developed and released IBIS models for
the 82420 and 82430 PCIset components. Models of additional
Intel chip sets and processors will be available soon.
"Accurate signal integrity analysis is virtually
impossible without quality silicon models," said John Isaac,
director of marketing for Mentor Graphics' PCB Division, San
Jose, Calif. "IBIS is the first step towards providing
critical behavior information required for complex systems
and it will significantly increase the productivity of high-
speed board and MCM designers."
Participating Companies Form IBIS Open Forum
The IBIS Version 1.1 specification was developed
through the cooperative efforts of simulator vendors and
semiconductor companies who together comprise the IBIS Open
Forum. The following participating companies support the
specification: AnSoft Corporation, Cadence Design Systems,
Contec Microsystems, HyperLynx, Integrity Engineering, Intel
Corporation, Intergraph Electronics, IntuSoft, Logic
Modeling Corporation, Mentor Graphics Corporation, Meta-
Software, MicroSim Corporation, North Carolina State
University, Performance Signal Integrity, Quad Design,
Quantic Labs, and Texas Instruments.
"The widespread support for this new specification
removes the barriers that have prevented semiconductor
vendors from supplying accurate models to their customers,"
said Will Hobbs, Models Manager for Intel's Xcceleration
Tools Group. "Accuracy, speed of development, speed of
execution, protection of intellectual property and support
by virtually the entire simulator industry are keys to this
breakthrough."
Group Plans to Formalize Standard in 1994
Although initially focused on CMOS technologies, the
IBIS Open Forum is taking steps to broaden the specification
into other technologies and circuits; such as ECL devices
and open collector outputs. Such extensions are not
perceived to be difficult and are expected to be added
quickly. The group intends to develop a robust,
comprehensive standard by mid-1994 that can be taken to the
standards community for formal adoption. The forum is
actively seeking additional participation to support the
expansion; especially from semiconductor developers and
system designers.
For More Information
For more information about the IBIS Open Forum, send
an email request to ibis-info@vhdl.org or fax to xxx-xxx-
xxxx. All of the documents and publicly available models
are currently accessible via the public repository of VHDL
International's Internet based machine (vhdl.org,
198.31.14.3). FTP, Gopher and public dial-in access methods
are all supported.
Received on Thu Sep 30 18:44:32 1993
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