Accellera and The SPIRIT Consortium, two prominent entities within the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) sector, have reached an agreement to merge their operations. The decision, approved by the boards of both organizations, is designed to enhance the development of language-based and intellectual property (IP) standards by combining the technical visions and operational resources of both groups.
Accellera has historically led the development of language-based standards utilized by system, semiconductor, IP, and EDA companies. The SPIRIT Consortium has focused its efforts on establishing standards for the efficient deployment and reuse of IP. By joining forces, the organizations intend to foster greater cooperation and ensure a more effective path toward formal standardization through the IEEE.
“Within our organizations there are several areas where we are very complementary and close cooperation will be beneficial. Both organizations are aligned on the path to formal standards through the IEEE,” remarked Ralph von Vignau, President of The SPIRIT Consortium. “With this merger we can use our resources, both human and infrastructure, more effectively to develop and deploy industry-driven standards.”
The consolidated entity will operate under the name Accellera, while The SPIRIT Consortium name will be maintained in association with ongoing IP standardization initiatives. The move is expected to simplify the standards landscape for the worldwide electronic design community and improve the delivery of future technical specifications.
“Our plans to merge benefit the worldwide electronic design community by combining our visions and leveraging our operational strengths in developing and delivering EDA and IP standards,” added Shrenik Mehta, Accellera Chair. “The merged organization with its broad and diverse participation base is well positioned to develop future standards that meet the needs of the industry.”
The two organizations currently oversee eight active standardization subcommittees. These technical groups cover a range of critical design areas, including SystemRDL (Register Description Language), IPtagging, the Interface Technical Committee (ITC), Open Verification Library (OVL), Unified Coverage Interoperability (UCI), Verilog Analog/Mixed Signal (AMS), Verification IP (VIP), and IP-XACT.
Further details regarding the merger and the roadmap for the unified organization are scheduled to be disclosed at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco.
