January 2006 - TOOL Announces the Release of LAVIS Edit Function Option

TOKYO, JAPAN, January 16, 2006 - TOOL Corporation today announced the release of the edit function option implemented on its layout viewer, LAVIS.

LAVIS is a layout viewer which provides users with the ability to quickly load large-scale and multi-format databases. As another step in its edit function option introduced at the Design Automation Conference held last June (Anaheim, USA), edit-in-place feature and various functional improvements have newly been added and released.

LAVIS is well-established for its fast loading speed of large-scale GDS databases and memory-saving capabilities. The newly added edit function option allows users to edit GDS databases without degrading the above mentioned performances (loading speed & amount of memory used). In addition, there is no need for users to make any particular settings at start up that they can start editing GDS databases while viewing it on LAVIS. It can also minimize the time it takes to output the edited results because a GDS file is generated by this option itself.

Up to now, users had to load, edit and save the data they wanted to edit with other editors and then reload it again using LAVIS. However with this option, the data can be edited quickly on LAVIS and throughput capabilities can dramatically be increased.

TOOL has already received some evaluation feedbacks from its users saying that the time it takes to process GDS input and output is 12 times and 18 times faster, respectively and the amount of memory used is reduced by 70 percent compared to existing design tools. "This function can modify a small portion of a large database without data conversion or launching other editors if used with verification tools. We are attracted by its fast performances and believe that it can simplify data handling and significantly improve design efficiency." one of the users said.

Recently, the size of the most advanced layout data has rapidly been increasing and its file size is now about 20 or 30 gigabytes. Since a great amount of time is required to load and save it using other editors even though the data to be edited is a small portion of the layout data, it can result in throughput degradation. However, LAVIS edit function option can provide a substantial increase in throughput capabilities.

This option is also available even when LAVIS is interfaced with other verification tools or simulators allowing users to fix errors identified by the verification tool while searching for them at the same time. Moreover, it can be used with LAVIS's data clipping feature enabling users to edit a portion of the data, clip it and perform simulation on it using simulators as many times as needed at a high speed without performance degradation.

Though LAVIS is more than a viewer and has already evolved to become an analysis tool, TOOL will continue to upgrade it, including the edit function option, and to contribute actively to promote efficiency in layout design environment. Come and visit our booth at the Electronic Design and Solution Fair (Yokohama, Japan) held in January 2006 and find out more about this option as well as other newly added features.

About TOOL Corporation:

TOOL Corporation is a Japanese software development company focused on the EDA tools. It especially has considerable experience and high technology in layout designs and DFM sectors.

About LAVIS:

LAVIS is a multi-format and multi-platform supported layout viewer allowing users to load multiple gigabyte files in seconds. It has a user-friendly operability, advanced analysis feature and flexibly customizable UI and is also the high performance and high capacity product capable of analyzing chip layout data and fractured data.

Contacts:

TOOL Corporation Sales Department
Phone: +81-3-5723-8144
E-Mail: lavis@tool.co.jp