STMicroelectronics Utilizes Catapult C Synthesis

Catapult C Synthesis Shines a Light on STMicroelectronics Imaging Challenges

STMicroelectronics Imaging Division develops a wide-range of sensors, camera modules and image processors, building on 12 years of experience and expertise in the complete imaging chain (sensors, optics, processing). STMicroelectronics’ image subsystems produce high image quality in compact form factors at a low cost and are mainly targeted at consumer products such as camera phones, PDAs, digital still cameras and optical mices.

To achieve higher design productivity, STMicroelectronics Imaging Division decided to investigate high-level synthesis solutions. A few years ago, Alexandre Cellier, Senior Design Engineer started evaluating the Catapult C Synthesis solution from Mentor within the context of real-world design projects on three different design blocks. The results of all three evaluations surpassed the design team’s expectations. The time needed to produce these blocks was reduced 40-60% compared to creating them in RTL. Moreover, in all three test cases, the quality of the RTL—with respect to area, timing etc.—proved to meet or exceed the hand coded versions.

These impressive results convinced the design team to phase high-level synthesis gradually into its design flow. “As Catapult C Synthesis earned our trust through predictable functional accuracy and high quality of result,” says Cellier, “we gained the needed confidence to assign bigger designs to the tool, resulting in even larger productivity gains.”

Since that time, the STMicroelectronics Imaging Division has successfully taped out over 11 designs, helping the team keep pace with a nearly 5X increase in design complexity in their imaging algorithmic IP during that time. According to Cellier, “Our design team now routinely uses Catapult C Synthesis to create complex, multi-block IP due to its maturity and its increasing capacity.”

Moving Catapult C Synthesis into Mainstream Design at STMicroelectronics

Another welcomed advantage in adopting Catapult C Synthesis was how easily it integrated into the team’s design flow. As the Design Tools and Methodologies manager for the Imaging Division, Giuseppe Bonanno supports many EDA tools in the STMicroelectronics Imaging flows. He is pleased at Catapult C Synthesis smooth adoption, saying, “Catapult C Synthesis proved to integrate quite seamlessly into our design flow. Initial glitches were resolved expeditiously and Mentor’s support was there every time we needed it.”