One major challenge for China’s IC design industry is the lack of advanced domestic Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. Due to US export controls, suppliers like Cadence and Synopsys are unable to provide chip design software to China. Additionally, the absence of domestic EDA tools capable of operating on Chinese-made CPUs adds further pressure.

However, according to a report from TechNews, there are signs of change. Chinese company X-Epic has introduced the first EDA software capable of running on domestically produced processors in China, potentially breaking through existing limitations.

As per a report from Tom’s Hardware, at the Kunpeng Developer Day on April 25, 2024, X-Epic presented the latest developments in China’s domestic chip design software EDA.

This platform is compatible with Huawei’s Kunpeng server processors based on Armv8 architecture and also supports Phytium’s Phytium processors based on SPARCv9 architecture. This represents a significant advancement for China’s semiconductor design industry, enabling domestic chip designers to conduct chip design and simulation using local software only.

X-Epic stated that they provide a comprehensive suite of chip design software EDA tools covering various aspects such as digital chip verification, hardware simulation, system debugging, and cloud-based verification. Extensive adaptation and optimization have already been completed, including adaptation to compilation environments, C++/ASM compilation, cmake compilation scripts, and third-party function libraries. The focus of application lies particularly on Huawei’s Kunpeng platform.

X-Epic has indicated that, through tools like GalaxSim and GalaxFV, X-Epic achieved 2 to 3 times performance enhancements in multiple customer test cases on Huawei’s high-performance Kunpeng server clusters compared to non-optimized software. These enhanced capabilities have notably reduced simulation testing times and improved efficiency in system-level chip simulation verification. However, there is currently no information available regarding test results for Phytium’s Phytium processors.

Overall, this collaboration not only strengthens Huawei’s Kunpeng ecosystem but also provides a comprehensive chip design software EDA solution for China’s domestic semiconductor industry.

Read more

• [News] Huawei’s HarmonyOS Project Ready to Hit the Road with Increasing Participation from Chinese Enterprises
• [Report Highlights] China’s EDA Industry Enters a Period of Consolidation amidst Rapid Growth

(Photo credit: X-Epic)