FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The University of Arkansas College of Engineering recently received software gifts valued at more than $6 million from three companies that are world leaders in cutting-edge electronic design automation software technology and products and services used to design sophisticated electronics.

"Information technology has much the same impact on our lives that electricity had on our great-grandparents a century ago," said UA Chancellor John A. White. "Cadence Design Systems, Quickturn Design Systems and Intergraph Corporation are on the leading edge of that technology. The interest they show in the UA engineering program demonstrates the strength of our program, and the national recognition our professors and researcherscommand."

Cadence Design Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., the world's leading supplier of electronic design automation software and services, donated software worth more than $4 million dollars. The Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software is the most advanced technology on the market today. Graduate and undergraduate students in computer systems and electrical engineering are using the software to design and evaluate computer hardware in ways previously not possible. Researchers at the UA High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC) are using the software to develop a new method for connecting integrated circuits for the next generation of electronic systems, making them smaller and less expensive.

$1.4 million in software, from Quickturn Design Systems, Inc. of North Chelmsford, Mass., is also used in research and teaching. The donated software and hardware allows undergraduate and graduate students in computer systems engineering to model and simulate the behavior of digital circuits much faster than they could previously. This computer simulation reduces costs for manufacturers by allowing circuit design changes prior to production. In addition, the software is being used for research in advanced computer design.

Intergraph Corporation of Huntsville, Ala. has donated software and services valued at $759,000. Researchers in civil engineering have been using the UA Intergraph Transportation Laboratory, established with a previous gift of $939,000, to develop a multimedia-based highway information system for the State of Arkansas. This recent donation from the company extends the research for one year, allowing seniors and graduate students in civil engineering to work with the latest technology available.

In addition, the gift allows continuing research which could significantly enhance the capabilities of highway departments across the country.

"We are very grateful for these corporate partnerships that continue to allow our students to gain the hands-on experience they need to meet the high demand in industry," said Otto J. Loewer, dean of engineering. "The state-of-the-art software will help to prepare the first engineers of the new millennium for the challenges inherent to the information technology revolution."

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