Avant! Corp has finally confirmed its acquisition of ASIC logic- synthesis tool vendor ACEO Technology Inc while simultaneously unveiling a deal to acquire interHDL Inc, a provider of analysis software for system-on-a-chip designs. Avant!, based in Fremont, California, declined to divulge any financial details relating to either of the deals which both involve privately held companies. The ACEO acquisition originally came to light in an EE Times article last month which Avant! refused to elaborate upon. The deal has now officially closed, says Avant!, and it intends to merge ACEO’s logic-synthesis tools with its design planning and physical design software to create a packaged approach to VDSM (very deep submicron) chip design which the company says will improve design productivity. Meanwhile, Avant! has also signed a letter of intent to acquire Los Altos, California-based interHDL Inc, a seven year old start up whose design planning software is also used at the ‘front end’ of the chip design process. Avant! says it intends to integrate interHDL’s technology with its own suite of Verilog, synthesis, formal verification and circuit simulation tools for chip designers. á
