Slide 1

IEEE Standardization Issues for SPIRIT

Options, Costs, Impacts

Victor Berman, 28 July 2005

Slide 2

IEEE basic process Initiate the formation of a working group

– Need sponsor group approval– CAG (Corporate Advisory Group and DASC (Design

Automation Stds. Comm.) Develop PAR and have it approved

– PAR based on SPIRIT scope and purpose– To be reviewed for approval by NesCom

Develop Standard– Do the technical work – get WG consensus

Go to Ballot– Form ballot constituency– Vote with comments– Respond to comments– Recirculate until done– Open Champagne

Slide 3

IEEE WG types Individual based

– One person = one vote Entity based

– One entity = one vote– Entity may be company, university, standards body

etc. Working Group Sets its own rules subject to IEEE overall

policies and procedures– Voting, membership, fees

Working group could take a specification and ballot it unchanged

– Could be interpreted as lack of openness

Slide 4

IEEE WG Examples

SystemVerilog P1800– Formed in July 2004 – Spec based on

Accellera SV 3.1a donated to IEEE

– Currently completing ballot

– Fully funded Funded %50 by Accellera

%50 by member dues – roughly $7k for large cos. Sliding scale.

Project Management $34,450

Technical Editing $57,100

Draft Document Support $8,500

E-Ballot Support $7,000

Process Support $5,000

Publication Support $8,000

Marketing $3,000

Travel $7,400

Total $130,450

Slide 5

IEEE WG Examples SystemC P1666

– Based on OSCI 2.1 LRM donated April 25, 2005– Currently in ballot – estimate complete end of August

Entity based but no IEEE services– Cost for tech editor $30k paid by OSCI– No dues - management done by volunteers– WG small and focused on standardizing existing spec.– Only feasible when spec is stable, uncontroversial

OSCI continues to do other work– TLM, SCV, Publicity …– Pro: allows base group to control direction– Con: IEEE standard may be perceived as “rubber

stamp”

Slide 6

IEEE WG Examples VHDL 1076 and Verilog 1364

– Individual based WGs– Initially successful, failed in later updates

VHDL based on Intermetrics 7.2 specificationExtensive redesign done but heavily funded

– No dues – management, design and documentation subsidized by government contract

Verilog based on Cadence donation including OpenSim reference simulator

– Mostly volunteer, some funding from Open Verilog for tech editor

Later revs of VHDL, Verilog not well received– No clear industry requirements inputs– Difficult to get funding and maintain focus.

Slide 7

Cost for Entity Based WG – The new "cover charge" for entity

balloted working groups: $3750 (per company/per project/per year)

– Covers IEEE cost to provide basic services to ensure integrity of standard i.e.

– IEEE services $44,390– Tech Editor >$20k

Slide 8

What costs are covered

NesCom RevCom Standards Board Acquisition Costs Staff Liaison Project Website Area Review of Drafts Balloting support Minimal PR Support Publication Support

Slide 9

What costs are not covered

Project Management $24,750 Enhanced Draft Document Support $6,460 Expedited publication support to publish in one month $8, 400 Travel $4,780 Additional optional services can also be contracted e.g.

enhanced e-ballot support, additional draft reviews, technical writer services, international adoption support, additional Marketing and PR support, meeting planning, meeting attendance by staff, website development, and maintenance.

FOR SPIRIT, we need to deal with hosting of XML on IEEE web site

– Estimated charge $15k per year

Slide 10

Current Status and planning Request for WG approved by CAG and DASC – P1685

– PAR Drafted based on SPIRIT scope and purpose– Was approved by NesCom in September

Given new requirement for “cover charge” we need to make decision on committing to this WG format

– Who will be members?– Who is IEEE-SA member, required to vote in entity ballot

Currently ARM, Cadence, Mentor, Synopsys are members

Decisions– Move ahead? Other alternatives? Postpone formal std?– If IEEE what structure? Relationship to SWG? – Does it make sense to do 1.x before 2.0 is solid?

Goal setting: what do we expect to gain by IEEE std?– Publicity? Stability? Adoption? Improved specification?

Slide 11

Recommended Action

Begin operation of P1685 WG with Steering Committee as members- Develop policies and procedures and approve them- Transfer 1.2 specification in Feb 2006- Contract with IEEE for minimal services $44k

Will require members to pay $3750 per year and Join IEEE-SA