EDACafe: The Breker Trekker

The Breker Trekker

Posts Tagged ‘EDA’

Check-In after Two Days at DAC 2013

Tuesday, June 4th, 2013

I’m very tired and a bit giddy as I write this post, late in the evening after the second day of exhibits at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Austin. Frankly, a lot of us EDA vendors were concerned about holding DAC in Austin for the first time. Of course there is a large electronics development community in Austin, but the first time in a new location for any conference is always a bit of a gamble since you never know what kind of response you’ll get.

I haven’t seen any statistics for DAC overall yet but I will say right now that the preliminary results for Breker are just amazing. My first scan of the leads we’ve gathered shows this to be our best conference ever both in terms of both quantity and quality. In addition to seeing some old friends we’ve met many engineers from the Austin development centers we had not met before. Most said that they had never attended DAC in previous years but were glad to be able to do so in their own backyard.

One reason for the larger crowds around the Breker booth was a greatly expanded presentation schedule, including a really fun skit. Austin musician and storyteller Rudy Roberson entertained the crowd as the singing captain of the “USS Ice Breker” while yours truly made a special cameo appearance as “Breker Man.” There’s nothing better than some music and a bit of nerdy humor to get people to stop and check out your booth.

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Tags: Breker, dac, EDA, functional verification, SoC verification
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Come Celebrate DAC’s 50th Anniversary with Breker

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

If you follow EDA at all, you’re surely familiar with the Design Automation Conference (DAC). This is the biggest annual show for the industry, combining a world-class technical program with a lively and comprehensive trade show. If any company in EDA does not exhibit at DAC, rumors of serious financial troubles or even imminent death are sure to circulate. Of course Breker is very much alive and very supportive of DAC. We’ve been there for several years now, but this year in Austin June 2-6 will be special for many reasons. Please allow me to explain.

For a start, this is the 50th anniversary of DAC and its predecessor conferences, so there is a big party at Austin City Limits and a number of other special events. This is also Breker’s 10th anniversary, so we’re celebrating at DAC as never before. Furthermore, this is the first time that DAC has ever been held in the high-tech hotspot of Austin, so there will be lots of new things to do and see even for long-time DAC attendees such as me. On top of that, Breker was founded in Austin and was headquartered there until moving to Silicon Valley two years ago. As one of the few EDA companies “born in Austin” we’re excited to return for this big show.

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Tags: Breker, dac, EDA, functional verification, SoC verification, Trek, TrekSoC
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What Would Joe Say?

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

I’m dropping a bonus post in the middle of our usual two-week schedule to share some thoughts about Joe Costello’s talk with Jim Hogan at a special EDAC event last night. For those who may not follow EDA as intently as we do:

EDAC is the Electronic Design Automation Consortium, the main trade group for the EDA industry
Jim Hogan is a well-known EDA investor and entrepreneur
Joe Costello is the former President and CEO of Cadence, now leading Orb Networks

These facts don’t capture the almost mythical role that Joe Costello plays in the EDA industry. I joined Cadence long after he had departed, but in my five years there I’ll bet I heard his name brought up nearly every week. His stint as the head of Cadence is inextricably intertwined with the glory days of the EDA industry. Many are nostalgic for those days and many have urged him to come back to the EDA fold. He has done so to some extent through his investments.

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Tags: Breker, Cadence, Costello, EDA, Hogan, SoC verification
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