Synopsys Synplify - a chance to play with it for free?

[daqq]

Hi guys,

A Chinese company called Gowin is offering the Synplify package for their FPGAs:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/synopsys-and-gowin-semiconductor-ink-multi-year-oem-agreement-for-fpga-design-software-684059495.html

The download is here:

http://www.gowinsemi.com.cn/en/dowenshow.aspx?n_id=147

You have to license it from them ( http://www.gowinsemi.com.cn/en/sheng.aspx ), but I guess its OK if you wanna play with a leading edge software package for free.

I'll look into it some time in the future, right now I've got enough headaches

Enjoy,

David

[marshallh]

You can use it with Lattice stuff. (Diamond) Standalone program.

[Bassman59]

You can use it with Lattice stuff. (Diamond) Standalone program.

And Microsemi (Actel).

[Avien]

Anyone knows if this license work with Lattice or Microsemi version (they are different if you didn't know)?

Avi

[Bassman59]

Anyone knows if this license work with Lattice or Microsemi version (they are different if you didn't know)?

According to TFA, the version of Synplify under this agreement will target only the Gowin FPGAs. That is the same agreement that Lattice and Microsemi have with Synopsys -- you get the tool for free but it only synthesizes designs for the respective company's devices.

Obviously Gowin isn't big enough to have enough resources to provide a home-grown synthesis tool, so paying Synopsys to do it for them makes a lot of sense.

Based on the fact that Gowin does not have an English-language web site, my guess is that we won't see them get much traction outside of China.

[unitedatoms]

I used Synplify included into Libero IDE by Atmel with 6-12 months trial.

Edit: Yes, I meant to say Actel. Thank you Bassman59

[Bassman59]

I used Synplify included into Libero IDE by Atmel with 6-12 months trial.

Libero is Actel's (now Microsemi) FPGA toolset, not Atmel's. (Atmel does have one obsolete FPGA family in their catalog.) And the version of Synplify that ships with it targets only Microsemi devices. If you want use it with Xilinx or Altera FPGAs, you will have to send Synopsys a very large check.

And for most of Microsemi's devices, the free license is easily renewed when it expires.