Revision as of 01:06, 29 March 2006 editChounder (talk | contribs)172 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 01:17, 23 September 2024 edit undoAkira625 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,672 editsm Added links, removed dead links. | ||
(460 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Electronic design automation company}} | |||
{{attention}} | |||
{{multiple issues| | |||
{{More citations needed|date=January 2008}} | |||
{{Expert needed|electronics|technology|reason=compound problems actively deflect non-specialist participation <!-- AKA, needs a quick crocodilian make-over with patented Australian overconfidence --> |date=September 2020}} | |||
}} | |||
{{Infobox company | |||
| name = Mentor Graphics Corporation | |||
| logo = Mentor Graphics logo.svg | |||
| image = Mentor Graphics entrance.JPG | |||
| image_caption = Headquarters in ] | |||
| foundation = 1981 | |||
| type = ]<ref name="oregonlive.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/04/siemens_says_mentor_graphics_w.html|title = Siemens says Mentor will keep its name, business and HQ|date = 4 April 2017}}</ref> | |||
| fate = Acquired by ] and merged into ] | |||
| location = ], <br />]<br />{{coord|45|19|10|N|122|45|46|W|type:landmark_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}} | |||
| industry = ], ] | |||
| products = ], Sourcery CodeBench, ModelSim/QuestaSim, Calibre, Veloce | |||
| revenue = {{increase}}$1.28B ] (2017)<ref name=annual_report17>{{cite web |url=http://s3.mentor.com/public_documents/misc/company/investor_relations/news/2017_q4_fy/Q4FY2017-earnings.pdf |title=Mentor Graphics Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter Results |access-date=2018-01-22}}</ref> | |||
| net_income = {{increase}}$155 million ] (2017)<ref name="annual_report17" /> | |||
| assets = {{unbulleted list|{{nowrap|{{increase}} US$ 1.745284 billion (2013) <ref name='xbrlus_2014'>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/701811/000070181113000016/0000701811-13-000016-index.htm |title=MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2013 Q3 Quarterly Report Form (10-Q) |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |format=XBRL |date=December 4, 2013}}</ref>}}|{{nowrap|{{increase}} US$ 1.550675 billion (2012) <ref name='xbrlus_2013'>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/701811/000070181113000003/0000701811-13-000003-index.htm |title=MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2012 Annual Report Form (10-K) |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |format=XBRL |date=March 15, 2013}}</ref>}}}} | |||
| num_employees = 5,968 (2017)<ref name=form10k-2017>{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/701811/000070181117000004/ment-20170131x10k.htm |title=MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2017 Form 10-K |access-date=2018-01-22}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
'''Mentor Graphics Corporation''' was a ]-based ] (EDA) ] for ] and ], headquartered in ], Oregon. Founded in 1981, the company distributed products that assist in ], simulation tools for analog mixed-signal design, ] solutions, and ] and heat transfer tools. The company leveraged ] ]s to differentiate itself within the ] (CAE) market with its ] and ]. | |||
Mentor Graphics was acquired by ] in 2017. The name was retired in 2021 and renamed '''Siemens EDA''', a segment of ]. | |||
] | |||
== History == | |||
'''Mentor Graphics, Inc''' ({{NASDAQ|MENT}}) is a ]-based multinational ] dealing in ] (EDA) for ] and ], as of ], ranked third in the EDA industry it help create. | |||
Mentor Graphics was founded in 1981 by ], Gerry Langeler, and Dave Moffenbeier, all formerly of ].<ref name="OLHistory">{{cite web |last1=Rogoway |first1=Mike |title=Siemens completes $4.5 billion purchase of Mentor Graphics |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/03/siemens_completes_45_billion_p.html |website=Oregon Live |access-date=November 4, 2022 |date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> The company raised $55 million in funding through an ] in 1984.<ref name="OLHistory"/> | |||
Mentor initially wrote software that ran only in ] workstations.<ref name="NYTapollo">{{cite news |last1=Fisher |first1=Lawrence M. |title=In Hot Pursuit of Mentor Photos of Mentor's chief executive, Thomas H. Bruggere, with the package deal: Software by Mentor Graphics, running on Apollo hardware (NYT/Brian Drake); the chassis of an Apollo workstation, which uses Mentor's software system |work=The New York Times |date=8 January 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/08/business/hot-pursuit-mentor-photos-mentor-s-chief-executive-thomas-h-bruggere-with.html |access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref> | |||
When Mentor entered the CAE market the company had two technical differentiators: the first was the software {{En dash}} Mentor, Valid, and Daisy each had software with different strengths and weaknesses. The second, was the hardware {{En dash}} Mentor ran all programs on the Apollo workstation, while Daisy and Valid each built their own hardware. By the late 1980s, all EDA companies abandoned proprietary hardware in favor of workstations manufactured by companies such as Apollo and ]. | |||
After a frenzied development, the IDEA 1000 product was introduced at the 1982 ], though in a suite and not on the floor.<ref>''The Mentor Graphics Story'' copyright 1988 Mentor Graphics Corporation</ref> | |||
==HISTORY== | |||
Mentor Graphics - How it Started: Capital Ideas | |||
Mentor Graphics was purchased by ] in 2017. The name was retired in 2021 and renamed Siemens EDA, a segment of ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dahad |first1=Nitin |title=Mentor Finally Becomes Siemens EDA From January 2021 |url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-finally-becomes-siemens-eda-from-january-2021/ |website=EE Times}}</ref> | |||
A venture capitalist offered the advise, "Startup investors are attracted by good people making a good product for a growing market." That wisdom, as much as any served as the foundation for the company Mentor Graphics would become. | |||
== Acquisitions == | |||
The founding engineers, whose backgrounds were in software development, ruled out designing and manufacturing proprietary computers to run their software applications because they felt that hardware was going to become a commodity owned by big computer companies. Instead they would select an existing computer system as the hardware platform for the CAE programs they would build. | |||
=== Timeline === | |||
The business plan presented to the financiers revealed that the team had found a market of rich potential and all the other necessary ingredients for success. "The Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) business is a superset of the CAD/CAM industry," the document began. "We can define computer aided engineering products as equipment and software which enable an engineer to improve…productivity, work quality and consistency. The plan noted "rapid growth" in CAD/CAM "and to an even greater degree in the emerging special purpose workstation environment." Driving forces in the field were identified as "a shortage of both engineers and trained technicians, and the push for productivity and quality in basic manufacturing industries." | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
!Year announced | |||
!Company | |||
! class="unsortable" |Business | |||
!Value (USD) | |||
! class="unsortable" |References | |||
|- | |||
|1995 | |||
|Microtec Research | |||
|Software development | |||
|$130 million | |||
|<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=1995-10-11|title=COMPANY NEWS; MENTOR GRAPHICS TO ACQUIRE MICROTEC RESEARCH (Published 1995)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/11/business/company-news-mentor-graphics-to-acquire-microtec-research.html|access-date=2021-01-23|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|1999 | |||
|VeriBest | |||
|EDA subsidiary of Intergraph Corp. | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mentor Graphics acquires Intergraph's VeriBest subsidiary|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/1999/11/01/daily6.html|access-date=2019-03-22|website=Portland Business Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ascierto|first=Jerry|title=Mentor Buys Veribest|url=https://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4359451/Mentor-Buys-Veribest|access-date=2019-03-22|website=EDN|language=en}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2002 | |||
|Accelerated Technology | |||
|] & embedded software | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-acquires-rtos-vendor-accelerated-technology/ | title=Mentor acquires RTOS vendor Accelerated Technology | date=7 March 2002 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2002 | |||
|Innoveda | |||
|Printed circuit board & ] design | |||
|$160 million | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Squeeze is on, as Mentor, Cadence make acquisitions|url=https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1144585|access-date=2019-03-22|website=EETimes}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2002 | |||
|IKOS Systems | |||
|Emulation product | |||
|$124 million | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mentor Graphics Acquires IKOS |first=Thor |last=Olavsrud |website=internetnews.com |date=March 13, 2002 |url=https://www.internetnews.com/it-management/mentor-graphics-acquires-ikos/ |access-date=2023-07-16}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2004 | |||
|Project Technology | |||
|] | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-acquires-project-technology/ | title=Mentor acquires Project Technology | date=April 2004 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2007 | |||
|Sierra Design Automation | |||
|] | |||
|$90 million | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/06/11/daily11.html|access-date=2021-11-10|website=www.bizjournals.com |publisher=Silicon Valley Business Journal|title=Mentor buys Sierra Design for $90 million |date=2007-06-11}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2008 | |||
|Flomerics | |||
|Computational fluid dynamics | |||
|$59.72 million | |||
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-graphics-has-acquired-flomerics/ | title=Mentor Graphics Has Acquired Flomerics | date=3 July 2008 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2009 | |||
|] | |||
|] manufacturing testing | |||
|$13 million | |||
|<ref>{{cite news|date=August 18, 2009|title=Mentor now owns LogicVision|work=Portland Business Journal|url=http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/17/daily31.html?surround=lfn|access-date=2009-08-22}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2010 | |||
|Valor Computerized Systems | |||
|] systems manufacturing | |||
|$82 million | |||
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-completes-valor-acquisition/ | title=Mentor completes Valor acquisition | date=18 March 2010 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2010 | |||
|CodeSourcery | |||
|]-based tools | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-rim-buy-embedded-software-firms/ | title=Mentor, RIM buy embedded software firms | date=2 December 2010 }}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2014 | |||
|Nimbic | |||
|] simulation | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|last=Corp|first=Mentor Graphics|title=Mentor Graphics Acquires Nimbic, Inc.|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mentor-graphics-acquires-nimbic-inc-259976031.html|access-date=2021-01-23|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2014 | |||
|Berkeley Design Automation | |||
|AMS circuit verification | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|last=Graphics|first=Mentor|title=Mentor Graphics Acquires Berkeley Design Automation to Advance Nanometer Analog/Mixed-Signal Verification|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mentor-graphics-acquires-berkeley-design-automation-to-advance-nanometer-analogmixed-signal-verification-251398621.html|access-date=2021-01-23|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2015 | |||
|Tanner EDA | |||
|] & ] integrated circuits | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{cite news|title=Mentor Graphics Acquires Tanner EDA|url=https://www.mentor.com/company/news/mentor-acquires-tanner-eda|access-date=2017-09-08}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|2015 | |||
|Calypto Design Systems | |||
|] | |||
|not disclosed | |||
|<ref>{{Cite web|last=Corporation|first=Mentor Graphics|title=Mentor Graphics Acquires Calypto Design Systems|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mentor-graphics-acquires-calypto-design-systems-300144394.html|access-date=2021-01-23|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|} | |||
=== Related === | |||
The first round of money, $1 million, came from three of the most prestigious venture capital firms in the country: Sutter Hill of Palo Alto, Greylock of Boston and Venrock Associates of New York. These firms had financed such giants of high technology as Apple and Intel. The combined power of their participation produced another $2 million from Hambrecht & Quist, L.F. Rothschild, Unterberg and Towbin, and Lamereaux and Glynn by the summer of 1982. In April 1983, the original investors and nine new ones put another $7 million into Mentor Graphics. Thus, Mentor Graphics became the first company to attract world-class venture capital to Oregon. | |||
* In June 2008, ] offered to acquire Mentor Graphics in a ]. On 15 August 2008, Cadence withdrew this offer quoting an inability to raise the necessary capital and the unwillingness of Mentor Graphics' Board and management to discuss the offer.<ref name="CadenceWithdraws">{{cite web|url=http://www.cadence.com/cadence/newsroom/press_releases/pages/pr.aspx?xml=081508_announcement|title=Cadence Withdraws|access-date=2008-09-18}}</ref> | |||
*In February 2011, activist investor ] offered to buy the company for about $1.86 billion in cash.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-02-22/billionaire-icahn-offers-17-a-share-in-cash-to-purchase-mentor-graphics | title=Icahn Bids $1.86 Billion for Mentor Graphics, Seeks Offers | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=22 February 2011 }}</ref> | |||
*In November 2016, Mentor Graphics announced that it was to be acquired by ] for $4.5 billion,<ref>Machine Design Retrieved November 14, 2016</ref> at $37.25 per share, a 21% premium on Mentor's closing price on the previous Friday.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mentor.com/company/news/siemens-to-expand-its-digital-industrial-leadership-with-acquisition-of-mentor-graphics|title=Siemens to expand its digital industrial leadership with acquisition of Mentor Graphics|website=www.mentor.com|access-date=2016-11-14}}</ref> The acquisition was completed in March 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2017/03/siemens_completes_45_billion_p.html|title=Siemens completes $4.5 billion purchase of Mentor Graphics|work=The Oregonian/OregonLive|last1=Rogoway|first1=Mike|access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> At this time, this represented Siemen's biggest deal in the industrial software sector.<ref>{{cite web |title=Siemens boosts software business with $4.5 billion deal |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1390Q0/ |publisher=Reuters |access-date=8 April 2024}}</ref> Mentor Graphics started to operate as "Mentor, a Siemens Business".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.mentor.com/company/ |title = Mentor, a Siemens Business}}</ref> Under the terms of the acquisition, Mentor Graphics kept its headquarters in Wilsonville with workforce intact, and operated as an independent subsidiary.<ref name="oregonlive.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2017/04/siemens_says_mentor_graphics_w.html|title = Siemens says Mentor will keep its name, business and HQ|date = 4 April 2017}}</ref> | |||
*In January 2021, Mentor became a division of Siemens and was renamed as Siemens EDA.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eetimes.com/mentor-finally-becomes-siemens-eda-from-january-2021/ | title=Mentor Finally Becomes Siemens EDA from January 2021 | date=15 December 2020 }}</ref> | |||
== Locations == | |||
Mentor Graphics - How it Started: The Hardware Choice | |||
Mentor product development was located in the US, Taiwan, Egypt, Poland, Hungary, Japan, France, Canada, Pakistan, UK, Armenia, India and Russia. | |||
== Products == | |||
Choosing the best hardware on which to base the software was the next big step to take. While there were a range of options available, from Apple to "would-be" Apples, Apollo computer seemed to be the best choice. | |||
{{Overly detailed|section|date=September 2020}} | |||
Mentor offered the following tools: | |||
Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Apollo was less than a year old and had only announced itself to the public a few weeks before the founders of Mentor Graphics began their initial meetings. | |||
=== Electronic design automation === | |||
At that time, Apollo's product only consisted of specifications on paper. But the team knew of the Apollo founders and knew they had a proven track record in computer design. From what they read, the Apollo computer would be unlike anything in the marketplace. It would combine the time-sharing capabilities of a mainframe computer with the raw processing power of a dedicated minicomputer. Each Apollo computer could stand alone as a powerful 32-bit general purpose workstation. Alternatively, a theoretically unlimited number of Apollos could be linked together to share information directly, avoiding the potential bottleneck of passing data through a mainframe. Apollo called this concept the Domain network. | |||
*] full-custom and ] (SDL) tools such as ''IC Station'' or ''Memory Builder'', a first industry tool for rapid embedded memory design that helped to develop single- or dual-port ] (] and ]), as well as diffusion and metal read only memories (ROM) | |||
*IC ] tool: ''Aprisa'' | |||
*IC Verification tools such as ''Calibre nmDRC'', ''Calibre nmLVS'', ''Calibre xRC, Calibre xACT 3D, Calibre xACT'' | |||
* IC Design for Manufacturing tools such as'' Calibre LFD, Calibre YieldEnhancer, Calibre,'' and ''YieldAnalyzer'' | |||
*] editors for ]s such as ''Xpedition Designer'' | |||
*] and design tools for ]s with programs such as ''PADS'', ''Xpedition Layout'', ''HyperLynx'' and ''Valor NPI'' | |||
*], software application framework<ref>{{cite web |last1=Krishnakumar |first1=Anish Nallamur |title=Design and Run-Time Resource Management of Domain-Specific Systems-on-Chip (DSSoCs) |url=https://elab.ece.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1634/2022/03/Anish-Prelims-Report-v2.pdf |website=eLab: Energy Efficient Embedded Exploration |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison |access-date=19 May 2023 |date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> | |||
*Component library management tools | |||
*]s for ASIC and FPGA designs | |||
=== Embedded systems === | |||
In March, 1981, Apollo was only a promise, both as a product and as a company. Would the company deliver? Would it deliver on time? Would it back what it built? Would it be around tomorrow? Wouldn't it make more sense to go with an established and respected computer company like Hewlett-Packard or Digital Equipment Corporation? | |||
*Mentor Embedded Linux<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/linux/|title=Mentor Embedded Linux Development Platform|website=www.mentor.com|access-date=2016-09-19}}</ref> for ARM, MIPS, Power, and ] architecture processors | |||
*]s: | |||
**] (acquired in 2002 when Mentor acquired Accelerated Technology, Inc.) | |||
**] (acquired in 1995 when Mentor bought Microtec Research) | |||
*] implementation: | |||
**Embedded implementation VSTAR in part acquired from Mecel in 2013<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mentor.com/company/news/mentor-acquires-mecel-picea-autosar-development-suite|title=Mentor Graphics acquires Mecel Picea AUTOSAR Development Suite|website=www.mentor.com|access-date=2016-09-01}}</ref> | |||
**Configuration tooling Volcano Vehicle Systems Builder (VSB) | |||
*Development Tools: | |||
**Sourcery CodeBench and Sourcery GNU ]s (acquired in 2010 when Mentor acquired CodeSourcery) | |||
*Inflexion UI {{En dash}} (Next Device was acquired by Mentor in 2006) | |||
**] Design Tools: BridgePoint (acquired in 2004 when Mentor acquired Project Technology) | |||
*VPN Solutions: | |||
**Nucleus ] (PPTP) software | |||
**Nucleus NET networking stack | |||
**Nucleus implementation of the ] (MPPE) protocol | |||
**Nucleus PPP software | |||
=== FPGA synthesis === | |||
It would have been very difficult to put a start-of-the-art CAE product on any other workstation. So Mentor Graphics went with Apollo. | |||
*Precision Synthesis {{En dash}} Advanced RTL & physical synthesis for FPGAs | |||
=== Electrical systems, cabling, and harness === | |||
*Capital {{En dash}} a suite of integrated tools for the design, validation and manufacture of electrical systems and harnesses | |||
*VeSys {{En dash}} a mid-market toolset for vehicle electrical system and harness design | |||
=== Simulation === | |||
Mentor Graphics - How it Started: The Birth of CAE | |||
*] is a hardware simulation and debug environment primarily targeted at smaller ASIC and FPGA design | |||
*QuestaSim is a simulator with advanced debug capabilities targeted at complex FPGA's and SoC's. QuestaSim can be used by users who have experience with ModelSim as it shares most of the common debug features and capabilities. One of the main differences between QuestaSim and Modelsim (besides performance/capacity) is that QuestaSim is the simulation engine for the Questa Platform which includes integration of Verification Management, Formal based technologies, Questa Verification IP, Low Power Simulation and Accelerated Coverage Closure technologies. QuestaSim natively supports SystemVerilog for Testbench, ], UCIS, OVM/] where ModelSim does not. | |||
*] is a ] simulator | |||
*Xpedition AMS is a virtual lab for ] system design and analysis | |||
*ADiT is a Fast-SPICE simulator | |||
*Questa ADMS is a mixed-signal verification tool | |||
=== Emulation === | |||
The Mentor Graphics team had arrived at the product it would manufacture by surveying engineers across the country as to their most significant needs. That was how they made the decision to go into CAE and, specifically to wed software for engineering design functions to a workstation. Mentor Graphics then continued to survey engineers for information about the most desirable features of CAE capability. This was to be a critical advantage Mentor Graphics would enjoy in the competition against the companies that developed as its main rivals - Daisy Systems and Valid Logic. | |||
* The Veloce product family enables ] ] and transaction-based acceleration to verify and rectify issues on ] designs ]. | |||
When Mentor entered the CAE market the company had two technical differentiators: The first was that Daisy and Valid Logic had "productized" software packages originally designed for other purposes. Valid Logic employed SCALD, a program developed at Lawrence Livermore Labs. Daisy's engineers had "front-ended" - that is, added steps to- a computer-aided design package. The difference between CAD and CAE were sufficiently distinct that prospective buyers saw Daisy's software as a hybrid and Valid Logic's as useful but not completely responsive to users' needs. Mentor, on the other hand, had designed its software from scratch, listening closely to what potential buyers told them about the special requirements of CAE. Engineers were impressed with the responsiveness of the software. | |||
=== Mechanical design === | |||
Mentor's second advantage stemmed from the decision to use Apollo hardware as its platform. The state-of-the-art in CAE, such as it was, was based on the use of mainframe, timeshare CAD systems. There were severe weaknesses in this method. They were cumbersome and time-consuming to use. The graphics were not of the best quality. The Mentor Graphics simulator ran on a workstation instead of a mainframe, and was "interactive" so that, for the first time, an engineer could control the simulation as it ran. | |||
*Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer tools: | |||
**Simcenter Flotherm is a ] tool dedicated to ] using parameterized 'SmartParts' for common electronic components such as fans, ]s, and ] packages. | |||
**Simcenter Flotherm XT is an ] CFD tool incorporating a solid modeler for manipulating MCAD parts. | |||
**Simcenter FLOEFD is a 'design concurrent' CFD tool for use in early-stage product design and is embedded within MCAD systems such as Solidworks, Creo Elements/Pro, CATIA V5 and Siemens NX. | |||
*Thermal Characterization and Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Measurement equipment: | |||
**Simcenter T3STER is a hardware product that embodies an implementation of the JEDEC JESD51-1 standard for IC package thermal characterization and is compliant with JESD51-14 for Rth-JC measurement. | |||
**Simcenter TERALED provides automation of the CIE 127:2007 standard providing total ], ] and ] (CCT) for power ]s. With T3Ster it provides ] metrics for LEDs based on the real dissipated heating power. | |||
**Simcenter DYNTIM extends T3Ster, providing a dynamic thermal test station for ] measurements of thermal interface materials (TIMs), ]s and gap pads. | |||
*Simcenter Flomaster is a 1D or system-level CFD solution for analyzing fluid mechanics in complex pipe flow systems (from the acquisition of ] in 2012). | |||
*CADRA Design Drafting is a 2-1/2D mechanical drafting and documentation package specifically designed for drafting professionals. It provides the tools needed to develop complex drawings quickly and easily (from the acquisition of the CADRA product in 2013). | |||
== See also == | |||
Targeting DAC 1982 for the product announcement, the company had less than a year from the time the engineers started in July 1981 to demonstrate capabilities no one else had been able to produce. Specifying the software tools began in the fall, after an initial period of learning the new Apollo computers that had arrived in August. What should happen was a matter of dispute when it came to product specs. The dispute boiled down to "technical excellence" versus "what customers need." Engineering argued for technically superior products, while marketing argued for products that customers needed and would buy. The synthesis produced something much better than would have been produced otherwise. The end result was a product that was technically formidable and also marketable. | |||
{{Portal|Companies}} | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
==References== | |||
Conceiving a product was one thing, designing it another. Then there was building it. When 1982 rolled around, it was "put up or shut up". DAC was less than six months away, and as it turned out, literally every minute was needed for the company to produce software to demonstrate in Las Vegas. Hours and hours of work would lie ahead for the engineers. Thousands of lines of software code had to be written, programs had to be tested, and bugs had to be detected and fixed. | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
{{Programmable Logic}} | |||
Everybody at Mentor was performing heroically to set the stage for the company's first big public test. The product Mentor wanted to unveil, the system that came to be known as the IDEA 1000, was unprecedented. The Mentor Graphics team was trying to conceptualize, design and build a computer to build other computers. There was extant software for designing and simulating electronic circuitry, but the idea of integrating these two functions in a single database so that an engineer could sit at a single station and design both elements on one computer using one program was revolutionary. Before this development, schematics had been drawn by hand or "captured" on a computer. To simulate the design information the engineer had to use a mainframe. The idea of using a workstation in the Mentor Graphics configuration, the carefully selected Apollo machine, was a true innovation, one that promised great freedom and savings of time and money for engineering staff. | |||
{{FormerORCompanies}} | |||
{{Siemens}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
] | |||
] | |||
Mentor Graphics - How it Started: ] 1982 | |||
] | |||
] | |||
As important as DAC is for Mentor Graphics today, it was practically of life-and-death magnitude in 1982. The company had a goal of shipping products by the fall of that year; to wait longer would be to risk jeopardizing an invaluable opportunity to blaze the trail in this new CAE market. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The Mentor Graphics team crafted an unusual strategy for DAC, partly from necessity, partly out of shrewdness. The engineers were working overtime to turn the software into a single integrated system. All they had as the conference neared were pieces of a puzzle. They weren't sure the completed product would be ready by the date of the conference. A decision was made not to buy space on the convention hall floor, but to visit with participants in a hotel suite and give small demonstrations there. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
It wasn't until early June that the engineers began the task of integrating all the various software pieces into a single system and actually testing the applications. Leading up to DAC, the engineers were keeping track of problems on wrapping paper that extended from the ceiling to the floor in their conference room. As a bug was fixed, it was scratched off the list. There were new versions of the system being generated almost hourly. Every person who got on a plane for DAC carried floppy disks with the latest software. | |||
] | |||
Parlaying a May 27, Electronic Design cover story on Mentor Graphics into a marketing tool, the team went to work. Around 4 a.m. on the Monday morning before DAC officially opened, the magazine article reprints, along with an invitation to the Mentor Graphics suite, were being slipped under hotel room doors at Caesar's Palace. Unable to determine which rooms the DAC attendees were staying in, the invitations were passed out indiscriminately. Vacationers and conference-goers alike were invited. | |||
Attendees began to trickle into the suite Monday morning for demonstrations. After the first presentations, word spread quickly through the exhibition floor that were was a company showing something never seen before - interactive simulation - in a hotel suite. By the close of DAC nearly a third to half of the 1,200 attendees had visited the suite and many were so impressed they wanted to buy a Mentor Graphics workstation immediately. | |||
Mentor Graphics was on its way to being an industry leader in the new market of CAE. | |||
==TIMELINE== | |||
FEBRUARY 1981 - Most of start-up team identified | |||
MAY 1981 - Business Plan completed | |||
==PRODUCT AREAS== | |||
The company distributes the following tools. | |||
*] for | |||
**]s | |||
**] | |||
**] | |||
**] editors for ]s such as ''Design Architect IC'' or ''DxDesigner'' | |||
**] tools for ]s with programs such as ''PADS'', ''Expedition'' and ''Board Station'' | |||
**Component library management tools | |||
**]s for ASIC and FPGA designs | |||
*] Development | |||
**]s | |||
***] (acquired in ] when Mentor bought Accelerated Technology Inc.) | |||
***] (acquired in ] when Mentor bought Microtec Research.) | |||
**Development Tools: | |||
***EDGE - Embedded Developers Graphical Environment | |||
***xt] Design Tools: BridgePoint (acquired in a ] when Mentor bought Project Technology.) | |||
***Virtual Prototyping - SIMdx | |||
*] tools for analog mixed-signal design | |||
**] is a popular hardware simulation and debug environment | |||
**] is a high performance ] simulator | |||
**] is a fast SPICE simulator | |||
**] is a mixed-signal verification tool | |||
*] a software ] for ] and ] | |||
**] a scripting language for the Falcon Framework | |||
Mentor has software development sites located around the world but the majority of their developers are located in the United States. | |||
], one of the more colorful people in ]s, left Mentor in ] to form the embedded ] company ]. Neil Henderson, a pioneer in the royalty-free, source provided market space, joined Mentor Graphics in 2002 with the acquisition of Accelerated Technology Inc. Stephen Mellor, a leader in the UML space and co-originator of the ] design methodology, joined Mentor Graphics in 2004 with the acquisition of Project Technology. | |||
As of 2005, Mentor's major competitors are ], ], and ]. | |||
== External links == | |||
* | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] |
Latest revision as of 01:17, 23 September 2024
Electronic design automation companyThis article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Headquarters in Wilsonville, Oregon | |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | EDA, Embedded Software |
Founded | 1981 |
Founder | Tom Bruggere |
Fate | Acquired by Siemens and merged into Siemens Digital Industries Software |
Headquarters | Wilsonville, Oregon, United States 45°19′10″N 122°45′46″W / 45.31944°N 122.76278°W / 45.31944; -122.76278 |
Products | Nucleus OS, Sourcery CodeBench, ModelSim/QuestaSim, Calibre, Veloce |
Revenue | $1.28B USD (2017) |
Net income | $155 million USD (2017) |
Total assets |
|
Number of employees | 5,968 (2017) |
Mentor Graphics Corporation was a US-based electronic design automation (EDA) multinational corporation for electrical engineering and electronics, headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon. Founded in 1981, the company distributed products that assist in electronic design automation, simulation tools for analog mixed-signal design, VPN solutions, and fluid dynamics and heat transfer tools. The company leveraged Apollo Computer workstations to differentiate itself within the computer-aided engineering (CAE) market with its software and hardware.
Mentor Graphics was acquired by Siemens in 2017. The name was retired in 2021 and renamed Siemens EDA, a segment of Siemens Digital Industries Software.
History
Mentor Graphics was founded in 1981 by Tom Bruggere, Gerry Langeler, and Dave Moffenbeier, all formerly of Tektronix. The company raised $55 million in funding through an initial public offering in 1984.
Mentor initially wrote software that ran only in Apollo workstations.
When Mentor entered the CAE market the company had two technical differentiators: the first was the software – Mentor, Valid, and Daisy each had software with different strengths and weaknesses. The second, was the hardware – Mentor ran all programs on the Apollo workstation, while Daisy and Valid each built their own hardware. By the late 1980s, all EDA companies abandoned proprietary hardware in favor of workstations manufactured by companies such as Apollo and Sun Microsystems.
After a frenzied development, the IDEA 1000 product was introduced at the 1982 Design Automation Conference, though in a suite and not on the floor.
Mentor Graphics was purchased by Siemens in 2017. The name was retired in 2021 and renamed Siemens EDA, a segment of Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Acquisitions
Timeline
Year announced | Company | Business | Value (USD) | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | Microtec Research | Software development | $130 million | |
1999 | VeriBest | EDA subsidiary of Intergraph Corp. | not disclosed | |
2002 | Accelerated Technology | RTOS & embedded software | not disclosed | |
2002 | Innoveda | Printed circuit board & wire harness design | $160 million | |
2002 | IKOS Systems | Emulation product | $124 million | |
2004 | Project Technology | Executable UML | not disclosed | |
2007 | Sierra Design Automation | Place and route | $90 million | |
2008 | Flomerics | Computational fluid dynamics | $59.72 million | |
2009 | LogicVision | Silicon manufacturing testing | $13 million | |
2010 | Valor Computerized Systems | PCB systems manufacturing | $82 million | |
2010 | CodeSourcery | GNU-based tools | not disclosed | |
2014 | Nimbic | Electromagnetic simulation | not disclosed | |
2014 | Berkeley Design Automation | AMS circuit verification | not disclosed | |
2015 | Tanner EDA | AMS & MEMS integrated circuits | not disclosed | |
2015 | Calypto Design Systems | High level synthesis | not disclosed |
Related
- In June 2008, Cadence Design Systems offered to acquire Mentor Graphics in a leveraged buyout. On 15 August 2008, Cadence withdrew this offer quoting an inability to raise the necessary capital and the unwillingness of Mentor Graphics' Board and management to discuss the offer.
- In February 2011, activist investor Carl Icahn offered to buy the company for about $1.86 billion in cash.
- In November 2016, Mentor Graphics announced that it was to be acquired by Siemens for $4.5 billion, at $37.25 per share, a 21% premium on Mentor's closing price on the previous Friday. The acquisition was completed in March 2017. At this time, this represented Siemen's biggest deal in the industrial software sector. Mentor Graphics started to operate as "Mentor, a Siemens Business". Under the terms of the acquisition, Mentor Graphics kept its headquarters in Wilsonville with workforce intact, and operated as an independent subsidiary.
- In January 2021, Mentor became a division of Siemens and was renamed as Siemens EDA.
Locations
Mentor product development was located in the US, Taiwan, Egypt, Poland, Hungary, Japan, France, Canada, Pakistan, UK, Armenia, India and Russia.
Products
This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Misplaced Pages's inclusion policy. (September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Mentor offered the following tools:
Electronic design automation
- Integrated circuit layout full-custom and schematic-driven layout (SDL) tools such as IC Station or Memory Builder, a first industry tool for rapid embedded memory design that helped to develop single- or dual-port RAM (synchronous and asynchronous), as well as diffusion and metal read only memories (ROM)
- IC place and route tool: Aprisa
- IC Verification tools such as Calibre nmDRC, Calibre nmLVS, Calibre xRC, Calibre xACT 3D, Calibre xACT
- IC Design for Manufacturing tools such as Calibre LFD, Calibre YieldEnhancer, Calibre, and YieldAnalyzer
- Schematic capture editors for electronic schematics such as Xpedition Designer
- Layout and design tools for printed circuit boards with programs such as PADS, Xpedition Layout, HyperLynx and Valor NPI
- Falcon Framework, software application framework
- Component library management tools
- IP cores for ASIC and FPGA designs
Embedded systems
- Mentor Embedded Linux for ARM, MIPS, Power, and x86 architecture processors
- Real-time operating systems:
- Nucleus OS (acquired in 2002 when Mentor acquired Accelerated Technology, Inc.)
- VRTX (acquired in 1995 when Mentor bought Microtec Research)
- AUTOSAR implementation:
- Embedded implementation VSTAR in part acquired from Mecel in 2013
- Configuration tooling Volcano Vehicle Systems Builder (VSB)
- Development Tools:
- Sourcery CodeBench and Sourcery GNU toolchains (acquired in 2010 when Mentor acquired CodeSourcery)
- Inflexion UI – (Next Device was acquired by Mentor in 2006)
- xtUML Design Tools: BridgePoint (acquired in 2004 when Mentor acquired Project Technology)
- VPN Solutions:
- Nucleus Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) software
- Nucleus NET networking stack
- Nucleus implementation of the Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE) protocol
- Nucleus PPP software
FPGA synthesis
- Precision Synthesis – Advanced RTL & physical synthesis for FPGAs
Electrical systems, cabling, and harness
- Capital – a suite of integrated tools for the design, validation and manufacture of electrical systems and harnesses
- VeSys – a mid-market toolset for vehicle electrical system and harness design
Simulation
- ModelSim is a hardware simulation and debug environment primarily targeted at smaller ASIC and FPGA design
- QuestaSim is a simulator with advanced debug capabilities targeted at complex FPGA's and SoC's. QuestaSim can be used by users who have experience with ModelSim as it shares most of the common debug features and capabilities. One of the main differences between QuestaSim and Modelsim (besides performance/capacity) is that QuestaSim is the simulation engine for the Questa Platform which includes integration of Verification Management, Formal based technologies, Questa Verification IP, Low Power Simulation and Accelerated Coverage Closure technologies. QuestaSim natively supports SystemVerilog for Testbench, UPF, UCIS, OVM/UVM where ModelSim does not.
- Eldo is a SPICE simulator
- Xpedition AMS is a virtual lab for mechatronic system design and analysis
- ADiT is a Fast-SPICE simulator
- Questa ADMS is a mixed-signal verification tool
Emulation
- The Veloce product family enables SoC emulation and transaction-based acceleration to verify and rectify issues on HDL designs prefabrication.
Mechanical design
- Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer tools:
- Simcenter Flotherm is a Computational Fluid Dynamics tool dedicated to electronics cooling using parameterized 'SmartParts' for common electronic components such as fans, heatsinks, and IC packages.
- Simcenter Flotherm XT is an electronics cooling CFD tool incorporating a solid modeler for manipulating MCAD parts.
- Simcenter FLOEFD is a 'design concurrent' CFD tool for use in early-stage product design and is embedded within MCAD systems such as Solidworks, Creo Elements/Pro, CATIA V5 and Siemens NX.
- Thermal Characterization and Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Measurement equipment:
- Simcenter T3STER is a hardware product that embodies an implementation of the JEDEC JESD51-1 standard for IC package thermal characterization and is compliant with JESD51-14 for Rth-JC measurement.
- Simcenter TERALED provides automation of the CIE 127:2007 standard providing total flux, chromaticity and correlated color temperature (CCT) for power LEDs. With T3Ster it provides thermal resistance metrics for LEDs based on the real dissipated heating power.
- Simcenter DYNTIM extends T3Ster, providing a dynamic thermal test station for thermal conductivity measurements of thermal interface materials (TIMs), thermal greases and gap pads.
- Simcenter Flomaster is a 1D or system-level CFD solution for analyzing fluid mechanics in complex pipe flow systems (from the acquisition of Flowmaster Ltd in 2012).
- CADRA Design Drafting is a 2-1/2D mechanical drafting and documentation package specifically designed for drafting professionals. It provides the tools needed to develop complex drawings quickly and easily (from the acquisition of the CADRA product in 2013).
See also
References
- ^ "Siemens says Mentor will keep its name, business and HQ". 4 April 2017.
- ^ "Mentor Graphics Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter Results" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-01-22.
- "MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2013 Q3 Quarterly Report Form (10-Q)" (XBRL). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. December 4, 2013.
- "MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2012 Annual Report Form (10-K)" (XBRL). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. March 15, 2013.
- "MENTOR GRAPHICS CORP 2017 Form 10-K". Retrieved 2018-01-22.
- ^ Rogoway, Mike (March 30, 2017). "Siemens completes $4.5 billion purchase of Mentor Graphics". Oregon Live. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- Fisher, Lawrence M. (8 January 1989). "In Hot Pursuit of Mentor Photos of Mentor's chief executive, Thomas H. Bruggere, with the package deal: Software by Mentor Graphics, running on Apollo hardware (NYT/Brian Drake); the chassis of an Apollo workstation, which uses Mentor's software system". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- The Mentor Graphics Story copyright 1988 Mentor Graphics Corporation
- Dahad, Nitin. "Mentor Finally Becomes Siemens EDA From January 2021". EE Times.
- "COMPANY NEWS; MENTOR GRAPHICS TO ACQUIRE MICROTEC RESEARCH (Published 1995)". The New York Times. 1995-10-11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- "Mentor Graphics acquires Intergraph's VeriBest subsidiary". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- Ascierto, Jerry. "Mentor Buys Veribest". EDN. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- "Mentor acquires RTOS vendor Accelerated Technology". 7 March 2002.
- "Squeeze is on, as Mentor, Cadence make acquisitions". EETimes. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
- Olavsrud, Thor (March 13, 2002). "Mentor Graphics Acquires IKOS". internetnews.com. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- "Mentor acquires Project Technology". April 2004.
- "Mentor buys Sierra Design for $90 million". www.bizjournals.com. Silicon Valley Business Journal. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
- "Mentor Graphics Has Acquired Flomerics". 3 July 2008.
- "Mentor now owns LogicVision". Portland Business Journal. August 18, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- "Mentor completes Valor acquisition". 18 March 2010.
- "Mentor, RIM buy embedded software firms". 2 December 2010.
- Corp, Mentor Graphics. "Mentor Graphics Acquires Nimbic, Inc". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- Graphics, Mentor. "Mentor Graphics Acquires Berkeley Design Automation to Advance Nanometer Analog/Mixed-Signal Verification". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- "Mentor Graphics Acquires Tanner EDA". Retrieved 2017-09-08.
- Corporation, Mentor Graphics. "Mentor Graphics Acquires Calypto Design Systems". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- "Cadence Withdraws". Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- "Icahn Bids $1.86 Billion for Mentor Graphics, Seeks Offers". Bloomberg.com. 22 February 2011.
- Machine Design Siemens Acquires Mentor Graphics for $4.5 Billion Retrieved November 14, 2016
- "Siemens to expand its digital industrial leadership with acquisition of Mentor Graphics". www.mentor.com. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
- Rogoway, Mike. "Siemens completes $4.5 billion purchase of Mentor Graphics". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- "Siemens boosts software business with $4.5 billion deal". Reuters. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- "Mentor, a Siemens Business".
- "Mentor Finally Becomes Siemens EDA from January 2021". 15 December 2020.
- Krishnakumar, Anish Nallamur (January 20, 2022). "Design and Run-Time Resource Management of Domain-Specific Systems-on-Chip (DSSoCs)" (PDF). eLab: Energy Efficient Embedded Exploration. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- "Mentor Embedded Linux Development Platform". www.mentor.com. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
- "Mentor Graphics acquires Mecel Picea AUTOSAR Development Suite". www.mentor.com. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
Programmable logic | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concepts | |||||||||||
Languages | |||||||||||
Companies | |||||||||||
Products |
|
Large companies formerly based in Oregon | |
---|---|
Peak annual revenues of $100 million or more | |
Moved out of state |
|
Acquired by out-of-state entities |
|
Defunct or out of business |
|
Siemens | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Divisions and subsidiaries | |||||
Joint ventures & investments |
| ||||
Predecessors | |||||
Products, services & projects |
| ||||
People |
| ||||
Places | |||||
Other | |||||
|
- Companies based in Wilsonville, Oregon
- 1981 establishments in Oregon
- 2017 mergers and acquisitions
- Electronic design automation companies
- Electronics companies established in 1981
- Defunct electronics companies of the United States
- Siemens
- American subsidiaries of foreign companies
- Defunct software companies of the United States