Original vendor One EDA vendor that's using an ASP approach for its own tool is Barcelona Design. Users can go to the company's Web site , punch in parameters for an op amp, oscillator or bandgap, experiment with alternative circuit implementations and print out a Spice netlist. But Barcelona has gone through some painful learning experiences. Initially, users would experiment online for hours at a time for free. But when the time came to put in credit-card information, print out a netlist and pay, the users would disappear.
Someone has to approve it.
So Barcelona started negotiating POs with large OEMs for predetermined amounts of usage. Nearly all of the company's revenue today comes from those POs, Hershenson said, and Barcelona may completely discontinue the credit-card approach. The company also offers phase-lock loop design as a paid service, rather than letting users go online and design their own. Barcelona is also in the process of closing a second round of financing. Another focused ASP program that appears to be working is QuickCycles, an offering from Cadence Design Systems' Quickturn division.