After a quick search for LiveDesign I came across this article http://www.eetuk.com/bus/news/OEG20031119S0001
A few quotes from it, but please read the article for yourself, "It is essentially the same methodology they would use to create a pc board design, but now the platform is an FPGA," said Martin. "We call this the LiveDesign methodology because users can see the results of their design running live on the development board once they have completed it; [they] don't have to wait until the design is physically manufactured." "More-experienced users may wish to purchase the full version of Altera's Quartus or Xilinx's ISE software from those FPGA vendors to perform more-advanced layout, Martin said." But my question is how this LiveDesign approach will make PCB layout more productive or easier? (Not just FPGA) Not quite as easy to reliably simulate PCB layout on a budget as the conditional factors are not quite as easy to predict as the behaviour of a silicon block on a FPGA with known routes & characteristics. Best Regards John A. Ross RSD Communications ltd Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW http://www.rsd.tv ================================== > -----Original Message----- > From: Bagotronix Tech Support [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 3:23 PM > To: Protel EDA Forum > Subject: [PEDA] Fw: Exciting news for all users of Protel DXP > and nVisage DXP > > > > More importantly for you, Nexar will pioneer a new approach to > > electronics > development something that we are calling LiveDesign. LiveDesign > capabilities, which are incorporated into the DXP platform, > support real-time communication between the engineer and the design... > > Real-time communication between the engineer and the design? > What does it say? The only thing my designs have > communicated to me is "Hello, world", or <blink-blink>, or > sometimes *POOF!* > > To which I respond, "Woo hoo!", "Alright!", or "#&@%#!" > > All kidding aside, it sounds like an interesting and possibly > useful concept. But given Altium's dismal track record at > integrating truly useful and bug-free PLD and FPGA support > into the Protel suite, I have my doubts. Has anyone ever > successfully used Protel's PLD/FPGA features with a vendor's > (Xilinx, Altera, Lattice, etc.) toolsuite and gotten usable > results? Was it worth the hassle? I ask because it is > usually better to use the vendor's fitting, place, and route > software than some 3rd party thing. I wonder if Nexar will > be another Altium product that is announced to much hype, > driving upgrade purchases, and then quietly dropped (remember > PeakVHDL?). > > Best regards, > Ivan Baggett > Bagotronix Inc. > website: www.bagotronix.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Phil Loughhead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 12:39 AM > Subject: Exciting news for all users of Protel DXP and nVisage DXP > > > > We would like to notify you about a recent Altium announcement and > > take > some time to explain the impact of this on the current DXP > product range, in particular Protel and nVisage. > > > > This week, Altium announced the release of a new Altium > product called > Nexar (see http://www.altium.com/corp/media/mr_nexar.htm/). > Nexar will deliver a new approach to digital design, allowing > you to implement a processor-based digital system in an FPGA > using board design methodologies. It will include a mixed > schematic/HDL design capture environment, IP cores, embedded > development tools, and a reconfigurable hardware development > platform called a NanoBoard. These features combine to create > a highly interactive design and debug environment, allowing > the engineer to interact directly with a design implemented > in the FPGA. For more information on Nexar, please go to > http://www.altium.com/nexar/. > > > > More importantly for you, Nexar will pioneer a new approach to > > electronics > development something that we are calling LiveDesign. LiveDesign > capabilities, which are incorporated into the DXP platform, > support real-time communication between the engineer and the > design. This will have > broad implications for all Altium products how they work, and more > importantly, how they work together to provide a complete, > integrated electronics design system. Significantly, the > entire Altium product line will move to the > LiveDesign-enabled DXP platform, providing access to the > benefits of this new methodology for all Altium customers. > > > > Because of our belief that every engineer should have access to the > opportunities that this new technology offers, all current > DXP version users will receive the 2004 software update > automatically, free of charge when it is released Q1, 2004. > > > > Updates and enhancements that were under development as part of > > Service > Pack 3 for nVisage and Protel will not be released for the > DXP versions, but have now been integrated into the nVisage > 2004 and Protel 2004 releases. Furthermore, nVisage 2004 will > deliver a strengthened environment for dedicated FPGA design. > Protel 2004 will be enhanced with FPGA pin optimisation > capabilities, and include full forward and back annotation of > design changes between FPGA and PCB projects. It will also > include the previously announced Situs autorouter improvements. > > > > So to clarify > > > > Everyone who holds a valid user license of Protel DXP > and/or nVisage > > DXP > will receive their respective 2004 software update > automatically, free-of-charge. A NanoBoard can be purchased > for an additional fee, pricing will be announced nearer to release. > > > > All customers who hold Protel DXP and/or nVisage DXP > licenses AND have > > a > valid pre-paid upgrade subscription will receive the 2004 > software updates as well as the NanoBoard. > > > > Anyone who purchases a license of Protel DXP and/or nVisage DXP > > between > November 1, 2003 and December 31st 2003 will also receive the > software update and the NanoBoard. > > > > More information on Altium s 2004 product line-up will be available > > soon > on the Altium website (http://www.altium.com). You will also > soon be receiving a copy of EDANEWS which will provide > further details on these matters. > > > > Best regards, > > > > Phil Loughhead > > Product Manager, Protel / nVisage > > Altium Limited > > > > DISCLAIMER: > > Protel, Protel DXP and Altium, and their respective logos are > > trademarks > or registered trademarks of Altium Limited or its > subsidiaries. OrCAD is registered trademark of Cadence Design > Systems, Inc. PADS is a registered trademark of PADS > Software, Inc. All other registered or unregistered > trademarks referenced herein are the property of their > respective owners, and no trademark rights to the same are claimed. > > This message was sent to you because you are either currently an > > Altium > customer or have previously expressed interest in Altium > products. 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