If I’ve learned anything about the software development process during my 20+ years in the EDA industry, it’s simply this: getting a software release ready for primetime is not an easy process. Depending on the application, a development and release cycle can span anywhere from a handful of months to more than a year–maybe even longer. Even with the most automated and well documented processes, there are always unexpected bumps along the way to finalizing a release. I’m sure the same can be said for most product development processes, whether hardware or software based. Naturally, the more complicated the product, the better-than-even chance the release process will have its share of surprises. But release dates, by their nature, need to be pretty firm so development teams have a schedule to work toward, and users know when to expect updated features and capabilities.
The SystemVision team typically works on a 6 to 7 month development and release cycle. Toward the end of each cycle, we run all-hands-on-deck drills in a well-orchestrated dance of development, bug fix, and test activities that continues right up until Engineering begins the final release process. We recently finished our latest pre-release activities, and I’m happy to announce that SystemVision 5.7 is now available for download from Mentor Graphics’ SupportNet website. Kudos to the SystemVision Engineering team for getting the release out, even with the usually busy holiday season.
Visit Mentor Graphics’ SupportNet site to learn more about the SystemVision 5.7 release. If you have a SupportNet login, click here to read the release highlights, or click here to download the release. If you don’t have a SupportNet login, click here to request one.
Most career paths rooted in high technology take many interesting (and often rewarding) twists and turns. Mine has certainly done just that. After graduating in electrical engineering from the University of Utah (go Utes!), I set off to explore the exciting, multi-faceted high tech industry. My career path since has wound its way from aircraft systems engineering for the United States Air Force, to over two decades in applications engineering and technical marketing for leading design automation software companies, working exclusively with mechatronic system modeling and analysis tools. Along the way, I’ve worked with customers in a broad range of industries and technologies including transportation, communications, automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, computers, and consumer electronics; all-in-all a very interesting, rewarding, and challenging ride. In my current gig, I work on technical marketing projects for Mentor Graphics' SystemVision product line. And in my spare time I dream up gadgets and gizmos, some even big enough to qualify as systems, that I hope someday to build -- providing I can find yet a little more of that increasingly elusive spare time.
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