Electronic Engineers are intuitively organized and efficient, naturally skeptical, always analytical and very pragmatic, so for most IC Designers the concept of a "Price to Performance" ratio compliments their very nature.
This ratio is the direct relationship between the IC cost of design development (manpower, materials, tools, overhead) and the final price to the client - the lower the number, the more profitable the project. For the IC Designer with bottom line responsibilities, this ratio is paramount.
However, in many of the large private / public companies with multiple software seats, they have licensed software packages that come with the "kitchen sink"(and in many cases a full kitchen staff). These companies have made substantial investments in temporary licenses, spending well over six figures per seat per year. This excessive expenditure seldom translates to the bottom line, except for the software vendors. For the remaining majority of ASIC design firms (without public investment, angel funding or VC support) this ratio is worth measurement.
Whether you are using the expensive high-end tools or LayTools Suite (< $30K for perpetual license / ownership), the final product must still deliver "the goods". So with all things equal at the finish line (clean tape-out, on time and on budget), how about focusing on the bottom line?
John Campbell, President of Matricus, Inc., a custom mixed signal ASIC design firm in the Dallas area, thinks so. "There exists a financial class system in the IC design tools business that is not justified," states Mr. Campbell. "It is simple. We as designers have a primary responsibility to manage IP, timetables and budgets with integrity and efficiency for the bottom line benefit of the business(es). LayTools Design Suite is the best, most reliable IC design suite for the money - bar none! It is the most intuitive group of applications I have ever used this side of the slide rule."
Created, first in Europe, to empower the designer's creativity, LayTools is configured to fit the majority of the design demands. LayTools applications are comprehensive in scope and offer stability (crash free), compatibility, efficiency and affordability. It is also very user friendly, supported and platform independent (Windows, Linux and Unix). Visit www.LayTools.com for more information.
