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What is EDA and The EDA Company List

Posted in IC Design

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) is a category of software tools used to design and analyze electronic systems such as integrated circuits (ICs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs).

These tools are essential in the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) field, where they help engineers manage complex designs by automating processes like simulation, synthesis, and verification.

Electronic design automation (EDA), also referred to as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD),is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. The tools work together in a design flow that chip designers use to design and analyze entire semiconductor chips. Since a modern semiconductor chip can have billions of components, EDA tools are essential for their design; this article in particular describes EDA specifically with respect to integrated circuits (ICs)

Prominent EDA companies include:

  1. Synopsys – Known for tools in logic synthesis, verification, simulation, and design for testing, Synopsys is a leader in EDA software, especially for VLSI and semiconductor designs​.
  2. Cadence Design Systems – Cadence offers a range of solutions for digital and analog design, including tools for IC design, layout, and verification. Cadence’s Virtuoso and Allegro suites are widely used in the industry​.
  3. Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics) – Siemens provides tools for IC design, testing, and PCB design, with popular products like ModelSim for simulation and Calibre for physical verification​
  4. Ansys – Specializing in simulation tools, Ansys serves the EDA industry with tools for multiphysics simulation, aiding in fields like signal integrity and thermal analysis for high-performance systems​
  5. Keysight Technologies – Known for high-frequency and RF design, Keysight’s EDA tools support sectors that require RF simulation and signal integrity, essential for reliable electronics​.

These companies are central to the EDA landscape, continuously evolving to support the intricate demands of modern electronics design.

Market capitalization and company name as of March 2023:

  • $57.87 billion  Synopsys
  • $56.68 billion  Cadence Design Systems
  • $24.98 billion  Ansys
  • AU$4.88 billion  Altium
  • ¥77.25 billion  Zuken

Existing Electronic Design Automation (EDA)  Companies

Software companies
Company EDA products
Aldec
  • Active-HDL
  • HES-DVM
  • HES
  • Riviera-PRO
  • ALINT-PRO
  • Spec-TRACER
  • TySOM
Altair Engineering
  • HyperSpice

Through RunTime Design Automation Acquisition

  • FlowTracer

Through Polliwog Acquisition

  • PollEx
    • PollExPCB – PCB viewer and knowledge-based design-verification toolset for PCB
    • PollExLogic – PCB schematic tool to import and view schematic sheets, designs, check symbols, nets, and object properties.
    • PollExCP – Cross Probe for design comparison (Board to borad, and board to schematic to BOM)
    • PollExBOM – BOM parsing and formatting tool
    • PollExCAM – To handle any type of Gerber data and compare revisions
    • PollExUPE – A unified part library management system

Through Concept Engineering Acquisition

  • StarVision PRO
  • RTLvision PRO
  • GateVision PRO
  • SpiceVision PRO
  • Nlview

Through Powersim Acquisition

  • PSIM Software

Through Metrics Design Automation Acquisition

  • DSim
Altium (Subsidiary of Renesas Electronics)
  • Altium Designer
    • PCB Design
    • Circuit Simulation
    • Altium Designer – PCB Design software, Schematic Capture and Circuit Simulation
    • Altium Vault – Design Data Management Solution
    • PDN Analyzer – Power Distribution and Network Analysis (A/C)
    • CircuitStudio – easy-to-use PCB design tool
    • CircuitMaker – free community-driven PCB design tool for makers
    • SOLIDWORKS PCB Connector – OEM Product provides link from AD to you MCAD environment in SOLIDWORKS
    • EDA Connect – Direct Link Between Altium Environment & Enterprise PLM
  • Protel PCB (discontinued)
  • P-CAD (discontinued – former EDA from Accel Technologies)
  • Autotrax (discontinued)
  • EasyTrax (discontinued)

Through Upverter Acquisition

  • Upverter – online EDA
    • Schematic Capture
    • PCB Layout
    • System Design Tool

Through Perception Software Acquisition

  • EDAConnect
Ansys
  • Ansoft HFSS – High-Frequency Structure Simulation
  • Apache Design, Inc. products:
    • PowerArtist: RTL Design for Power Platform
    • RedHawk: Full-chip Dynamic SoC Power Integrity Solution
    • Totem: Analog and Mixed-Signal Power & Noise Platform
    • Sentinel: Chip-Package-System Co-design/Co-analysis Solution
    • PathFinder: Layout-based ESD Integrity Solution

Through Helic Acquisition

  • Pharos
  • VeloceRF
  • RaptorX
  • Exalto

Through DfR Solutions Acquisition

  • Sherlock Automated Design Analysis

Through Diakopto Acquisition

  • ParagonX
  • PrimeX
Arteris Through Magillem Design Services Acquisition
  • Packaging: MRE, MIP
  • Connectivity: MPA, MVP
  • Registers: MRV
  • Embedded software: MSE, MSX
  • CAD Flows: MDL, MCS, MGS

Through Semifore Acquisition

  • CSRCompiler
Autodesk
  • EAGLE
  • Fusion 360 (Electronics Design feature)
  • 123D Circuits (formerly Circuits.io; discontinued) – online EDA
    • Electronics Lab
    • PCB Design
    • Circuit Scribe
    • MESH
  • Autodesk Library.io – parts library management tool
  • Tinkercad Circuits (formerly Electronics Lab[1])
Cadence Design Systems
  • System Development Suite with Verification Computing Platform, Virtual System Platform, Incisive Verification Platform, and Rapid Prototyping Platform
  • C-to-Silicon
  • Verification IP Catalog
  • Design IP
  • Chip Planning Solution
  • Virtuoso – IC Artist
  • Virtuoso – IC Layout
  • Virtuoso – Layout Migrate
  • Innovus – Digital IC design
  • Encounter – Digital IC design
  • Encounter – Conformal-LEC
  • Encounter – Conformal Low Power
  • Encounter – Conformal ECO Designer
  • Encounter – Conformal Constraint Designer
  • Encounter – RTL Compiler
  • Encounter – RTL Compiler Physical
  • Encounter – Test ATPG
  • Encounter – Test Diagnostics
  • Encounter – Design Implementation
  • Encounter – QRC (Extraction & Checking)
  • Encounter – Nanoroute
  • Allegro – PC/MCM design
  • Incisive – functional verification
  • Design for Manufacturing
  • Specctra autorouter
  • OrCAD
    • PSpice
  • Denali Software products
    • Specctra
    • PureSpec
    • MMAV
    • Databahn
    • Blueprint
  • Sigrity products
    • OptimizePI
    • PowerDC
    • XtractIM
    • PowerSI
    • Broadband SPICE
    • SPEED2000
    • Channel Designer
    • XcitePI
    • OrbitIO Planner
    • Unified Package Designer (UPD) acquired from Synopsys
  • Forte Design Systems products
    • Cynthesizer

Through AWR Corporation Acquisition

  • Platform:
    • AWR Design Environment – high frequency (RF/microwave) design
  • Simulators:
    • Microwave Office – RF/microwave circuit simulation, APLAC – Harmonic balance solver for nonlinear, frequency domain circuit simulation
    • Analog Office – analog/RFIC simulation
    • Visual System Simulator (VSS) – system level communication/radar simulator
  • EM solvers:
    • AXIEM (3D planar electromagnetic simulator) – 3D planar, Method of Moments
    • Analyst (Arbitrary 3D FEM simulator) – full 3D, finite element method with adaptive meshing
    • AntSyn – Antenna Synthesis

Through Integrand Software Acquisition

  • EMX
  • Continuum
  • PCELLS
COSEDA Technologies
  • COSIDE
Dassault Systemes Through CST acquisition
  • CST Studio Suite
    • CST MICROWAVE STUDIO (CST MWS)
    • CST EM STUDIO (CST EMS)
    • CST PARTICLE STUDIO (CST PS)
    • CST CABLE STUDIO (CST CS)
    • CST PCB STUDIO (CST PCBS)
    • CST BOARDCHECK
    • CST MPHYSICS STUDIO (CST MPS) – electronics cooling
    • CST DESIGN STUDIO (CST DS)
  • IdEM
    • generation of macromodels
EasyEDA
  • EasyEDA – online EDA
    • Schematic capture
    • SPICE simulation
    • PCB layout
EasyLogix – Schindler & Schill GmbH
  • PCB-Investigator – Professional ECAD Workstation for PCB development
  • GerberLogix – Free Gerber Viewer
  • Online-Gerber-Viewer – Free Gerber Viewer (no installation required)
Emerson Electric Through National Instruments Acquisition
  • National Instruments Electronics Workbench Group
    • NI Multisim – schematic capture and simulation
    • NI Ultiboard – printed circuit board layout editor
Eremex
  • TopoR – topological router for printed circuit boards laid out in any compatible systems that use the PCAD ASCII PCB, PADS ASCII PCB or DSN format
  • SimOne – circuit simulation (the basic circuit analyses common to SPICE modeling systems + stability analysis)
  • Delta Design – software tool for electronic design automation (EDA)
IC Manage
  • GDP Design & IP Management, Envision Design Progress Analytics, Envision Verification Analytics, High Performance Computing
Ing.-Büro FRIEDRICH TARGET 3001! PCB Layout CAD Software
  • Schematic editor
  • Simulation PSpice compliant
  • PCB design
  • Front panel design
  • SQL component database
  • 3D model design, STEP Import, STEP Export
  • PCB assembly price calculator
  • Electra: High speed auto router
  • COMPONIVERSE: A component exchange
  • MID Design
JEDA Technologies
  • C/C++/SystemC Model Validation Tool Suite
  • OCP Validation Suite
  • TLM2.0 Validation Suite
Keysight Technologies EDA division (formerly EEsof)
  • Platforms:
    • PathWave Advanced Design System – high frequency and high speed design
    • PathWave EM Design (formerly EMPro and Antenna Modeling Design System) – 3D EM platform
    • PathWave RFIC Design (formerly GoldenGate which supersedes RF Design Environment) – RFIC/RF mixed signal simulator (Xpedion acquisition)
    • PathWave Device Modeling (formerly IC-CAP), PathWave Model Builder (formerly MBP), PathWave Model QA (formerly MQA) – Device modeling and validation (all but IC-CAP from Accelicon acquisition)
    • PathWave RF Synthesis (formerly Genesys) – RF and microwave design (Eagleware-Elanix acquisition)
    • PathWave System Design (formerly SystemVue) – Electronic system-level design (Eagleware-Elanix acquisition)
  • EM solvers:
    • Momentum – 3D planar, frequency domain, available with the ADS, Genesys, and GoldenGate platforms
    • FEM Element – full 3D, frequency domain, available with the ADS and EMPro platforms
    • FDTD – full 3D, time domain, available with the EMPro platform

Through Cliosoft Acquisition

    • Keysight Design Data Management (formerly Cliosoft SOS)
    • Keysight IP Management (formerly Cliosoft HUB)
    • Keysight Visual Design Diff (formerly Cliosoft VDD)
Lauterbach
  • in-circuit debuggers (JTAG and non-JTAG) with optional trace functionality
  • in-circuit emulators
  • front-ends to debug virtual platforms for embedded software development (ESL)
Siemens Digital Industries Software Siemens EDA division
(formerly Mentor Graphics)
acquired by Siemens in 2017.
  • ADiT – Nanometer IC Design: fast SPICE
  • Questa ADMS – Nanometer IC Design: mixed-signal simulator
  • Board Station – PCB design software
  • Calibre – physical verification
  • Catapult Synthesis – ESL Design: high-level synthesis
  • Catapult Library Builder – ESL Design: high-level synthesis
  • Design Architect-IC – Nanometer IC Design
  • Eldo – Nanometer IC Design: SPICE simulator
  • Eldo RF – Nanometer IC Design: SPICE simulator
  • Expedition – PCB design software
  • IP – intellectual property (now part of embedded systems division)
  • ModelSim LE – Nanometer IC Design: digital design and simulation; Linux-based simulator with Dataflow Window and Waveform Compare
  • ModelSim PE – Nanometer IC Design: digital design and simulation; Windows-based simulator for VHDL, Verilog, or mixed-language simulation environments
  • ModelSim SE – Nanometer IC Design: digital design and simulation; tri-lingual simulator with VHDL, Verilog, and SystemC
  • Nimbic products[3]
  • Nucleus EDGE – embedded systems development tools
  • Inflexion – embedded systems application platform tools
  • Nucleus OS – embedded systems OS
  • Olympus-SoC – place and route
  • PADS – PCB design software (Innoveda acquisition)
  • Platform Express Professional – ESL Design: platform-based design
  • Platform Express Integrator’s Kit – ESL Design: platform-based design
  • Platform Express Client – ESL Design: platform-based design
  • Questa – digital and mixed-signal simulation
  • System Architect – ESL Design: system analysis
  • SystemVision – Mechatronic Design: system analysis
  • Tessent suite for test
    • Tessent TestKompress
    • Tessent BoundaryScan
    • Tessent FastScan
    • Tessent IJTAG
    • Tessent LogicBIST
    • Tessent Scan/ScanPro
  • Vista – ESL Design: system debug
  • Visual Elite – ESL Design: system integration
  • Veloce/Veloce2 – high speed, high capacity SoC emulation

Through LogicVision Acquisition

  • Dragonfly – Embedded test IP insertion tool for logic, memory and mixed-signal testing
  • Silicon Insight – Interactive program that works with 3rd party testers for controlling and logging of data on the device for at-speed testing
  • Yield Insight – Yield analysis program which looks at foundry and performance data to diagnose possible problems
  • HDL Designer Series

Through Solido Design Automation Acquisition

  • Solido Variation Designer – variation-aware design of custom integrated circuits
    • Fast PVT—verify against process, voltage, and temperature corners
    • Fast Monte Carlo—verification against 3-sigma process (statistical) variation
    • High-Sigma Monte Carlo—verification against high-sigma process (statistical) variation
    • Cell Optimizer—automated sizing of custom ICs

Through Austemper Design Systems Acquisition

  • SafetyScope: Computes the FIT rates and diagnostic coverage metrics for permanent and transient faults
  • Annealer: Safety synthesis tools for adding error correcting codes (ECC), error detection codes (EDC), block level duplication or triple instances or design.
  • RadioScope: Safety synthesis tools for adding ECC or EDC to banks of flops, duplication of critical sections of the design, addition of illegal condition checks.
  • KaleidoScope: Fault campaign tool capable of fault propagation and disposition of injected faults into detected, safe and undetected faults.

Through UltraSoC Acquisition

  • Tessent Embedded Analytics

Through Avatar Integrated Systems Acquisition

  • Aprisa-Place and route(PnR) systems
  • Apogee

Through OneSpin Solutions Acquisition

  • 360 DV-Inspect
  • 360 DV-Verify
  • 360 DV-Certify
  • 360 EC-FPGA
  • 360 EC-ASIC
  • 360 EC-RTL
  • FMEDA

Through Fractal Technologies Acquisition

  • Solido Crosscheck (formerly Crossfire)

Through InsightEDA Acquisition

  • Insight Analyzer
MathWorks For logical FPGA and ASIC designs
  • Deep Learning HDL Toolbox – Prototype and deploy deep learning networks on FPGAs and SoCs
  • DSP HDL Toolbox – Design digital signal processing applications for FPGAs, ASICs, and SoCs
  • HDL Coder – Generate Verilog, SystemVerilog, and VHDL code for FPGA and ASIC designs
  • HDL Verifier – Test and verify Verilog and VHDL using HDL simulators and FPGA boards
  • SoC Blockset – Design, analyze, and deploy hardware/software applications for AMD and Intel SoC devices
  • Vision HDL Toolbox – Design image processing, video, and computer vision systems for FPGAs and ASICs
  • Wireless HDL Toolbox – Design and implement wireless communications subsystems for FPGAs, ASICs, and SoCs

For physical PCB and ASIC designs

  • Antenna Toolbox – Design, analyze, and visualize antenna elements and antenna arrays
  • Mixed-Signal Blockset – Design, analyze, and simulate analog and mixed-signal systems
  • RF Blockset – Design and simulate RF systems
  • RF PCB Toolbox – Perform electromagnetic analysis of printed circuit boards
  • RF Toolbox – Design, model, and analyze networks of RF components
  • SerDes Toolbox – Design SerDes systems and generate PAMn IBIS-AMI models for high-speed digital interconnects
  • Signal Integrity Toolbox – Design, simulate, and analyze high-speed serial and parallel links
Novarm
  • DipTrace
  • Schematic Editor
  • PCB Design
  • SPICE Simulator
Silvaco SPICE modeling and analog & mixed-signal simulation
  • Utmost IV – Device characterization and SPICE modeling
  • SmartSpice – Analog circuit simulator
  • SmartSpice RF – Frequency and time domain RF circuit simulator
  • Harmony – Analog/mixed-signal circuit simulator
  • SmartView – Simulation waveform viewer

Custom IC CAD

  • Gateway – Schematic editor
  • Expert – Layout editor
  • Guardian – DRC/LVS/NET physical verification
  • Hipex – Full-chip parasitic extraction
  • Jivaro – Parasitic reduction and analysis
  • VarMan – High-sigma variability analysis

Interconnect modeling

  • Quest – 3D RF passive device modeling
  • Clever – Parasitic extractor for realistic 3D structures
  • Stellar – 3D physics-based parasitic extractor for carga cells
  • Exact – Full-chip LPE rule file generator

Library Platform

  • Cello – Standard cell library creation, migration and optimization
  • Viola – Standard cell library and I/O cell characterization
  • Liberty Analyzer – Analysis and validation of timing, power, noise and area data from characterization

TCAD

  • Victory Process – 2D/3D semiconductor process simulator
  • Victory Device – 2D/3D semiconductor device simulator
  • Virtual Wafer Fab – Emulation of wafer manufacturing to perform design-of-experiments and optimization.

Through Coupling Wave Solutions assets’ Acquisition

  • WaveIntegrity
  • SiPEX

Through Polyteda Cloud Acquisition

  • PowerDRC/LVS – DRC/LVS physical verification
  • Nefelus CMS
Synopsys
  • Cosmos Scope
  • Custom Designer
  • Design Compiler
  • DFT Compiler
  • DFTMAX compression
  • Formality
  • Hercules – physical verification
  • HSIM
  • HSPICE
  • IC Compiler – place and route
  • IC Validator
  • NANOSIM
  • OptoCompiler
  • Physical Compiler
  • Proteus OPC
  • Protocol Analyzer (debugging tool)
  • PrimeTime – static timing analysis
  • Saber
  • Sentaurus TCAD
  • Spice explorer
  • Synphony C Compiler – high-level synthesis
  • TetraMAX ATPG
  • VCS
  • VIP
  • XA
  • Yield Explorer – yield management
  • Viewlogic products
    • Powerview (discontinued)

Through Avant! Acquisition

  • Astro – place and route
  • Star-RCXT

Through Magma Design Automation Acquisition

  • FineSim
  • SiliconSmart

Through Synplicity Acquisition[4]

  • Synplify Pro

Through Terrain EDA Acquisition[5]

  • Euclide (formerly VerIDE)

Through Dorado Design Automation (Dorado DA) Acquisition

  • ECO System
    • Tweaker-T1 Timing ECO
    • Tweaker-P1 Leakage Power ECO
    • Tweaker-P2 Dynamic Power ECO
    • Tweaker-C1 Clock ECO
    • Tweaker-M1 Metal ECO
    • Tweaker-F1 Functional ECO
  • Recovery System
    • Tweaker-A1 Area Recovery
    • Tweaker-P1 Dynamic Power Recovery
    • Tweaker-R1 Reliability Recovery

Through Silicon Frontline Technology Acquisition

  • PrimeESD
  • Power Device WorkBench
WestDev
  • Pulsonix
    • Pulsonix Schematic Capture
    • Pulsonix Advanced PCB Layout
    • Embedded Component Technology
    • Flexi-rigid Circuit Design
    • Chip-on-board Design
    • Spice Mixed Mode A/D Simulation
    • Constraints Driven Interactive High Speed Design
    • Shape Based Autorouter
    • Product Life Management(PLM) Interface
    • Corporate Database Connection Interface
    • 3D View
Zuken
  • Cabling Designer
  • Cadstar
  • CR-5000
  • CR-8000
  • Visula

FPGA Companies

FPGA companies

Company EDA products
Achronix
  • Achronix Tool Suite
    • ACE
Altera
(formerly Intel Programmable Solutions Group; Subsidiary of Intel)
Intel acquired Altera in 2015.
  • Intel Quartus Prime (formerly Altera Quartus)
Dialog Semiconductor
(Subsidiary of Renesas Electronics)
Dialog Semiconductor acquired Silego Technology Inc. in 2017.
  • GreenPAK Designer
Lattice Semiconductor
  • Lattice Diamond
  • iCEcube2
Microsemi
(Subsidiary of Microchip Technology)
Microsemi acquired Actel in 2010.
  • Libero
Xilinx
(Subsidiary of AMD)
  • ISE Design Suite
  • Xilinx Vivado

Electronics Distribution Companies

Company EDA products
Digi-Key
  • Scheme-it – online EDA; developed by Aspen Labs (subsidiary of Arrow Electronics).
RS Components
  • DesignSpark PCB – free EDA software

Development communities

Community EDA products
gEDA
  • gschem: schematics editor
  • pcb: PCB layout editor
  • gerbv: Gerber file viewer
KiCad (GPL)
  • eeschema – schematic capture
  • PCBnew – PCB layout
  • gerbview – Gerber viewer

Defunct Companies ( EDA Companies That no Longer Exist)

EDA companies that no longer exist
Analog Design Automation acquired by Synopsys in 2004
  • Creative Genius – Automated sizing of analog integrated circuits
  • IP Explorer – High-dimensional visualization of analog performance tradeoffs
Ansoft Corporation acquired by Ansys
Applicon Acquired by Schlumberger in 1980.
Applied Wave Research acquired by Cadence Design Systems
  • Microwave Office
  • Analog Office
  • Visual System Simulator
  • APLAC
  • AXIEM
ARC International acquired by Synopsys
  • ARC VTOC
Automated Systems, Inc. acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 1990
  • PRANCE GT – Placement, Routing and Numerical Control Editing for PCB design and layout
Avant! Corporation acquired by Synopsys in 2002. Avant! itself resulted from the merger of ArcSys and Integrated Silicon Systems on November 27, 1995. It acquired Anagram on September 27, 1996, Meta-Software on October 29, 1996, FrontLine Design Automation on November 27, 1996, and Nexsyn Design Technology on December 31, 1996.
Azuro acquired by Cadence in 2011
  • PowerCentric – Clock tree synthesis and automatic clock gating
  • Rubix – Physical optimization and automatic useful skew
CadSoft Computer acquired by Autodesk in 2016
Calma merged into Valid, then Cadence Design Systems
Ciranova Acquired by Synopsys[13] in 2012
CoFluent Design acquired by Intel[14] in 2011
  • CoFluent Studio
  • CoFluent Reader
Computervision Merged into Prime Computer in 1988. Computervision Electrical Design software purchased by INCASES in 1994.
Coware acquired by Synopsys in 2010
CST – Computer Simulation Technology acquired by Dassault Systemes in 2016
Daisy Systems merged with Cadnetix in 1988
Denali Software acquired by Cadence Design Systems in Q2 of 2010
ECAD, Inc. merged with SDA Systems in 1987 to create Cadence
Forte Design Systems acquired by Cadence Design Systems[15] in 2014
  • Cynthesizer
Gateway Design Automation acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 1989
  • Verilog HDL
  • Verilog-XL
IKOS Systems acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2002
  • NSIM – gate-level simulation accelerator HW
  • Gemini – Verilog simulation accelerator product
  • Voyager – VHDL simulation accelerator product
Interactive Image Technologies or Electronics Workbench acquired by National Instruments in 2005
LogicVision acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2009
Magma Design Automation acquired by Synopsys in 2012
NanGate acquired by Silvaco in 2018
Nimbic (formerly Physware) acquired by Mentor in 2014
OrCAD acquired by Cadence in 1999
Protel renamed as Altium
Racal-Redac Acquired by Zuken in 1994
Solido Design Automation acquired by Siemens in 2017
SpringSoft, Inc. acquired by Synopsys
  • Verdi – automated debug system
  • Debussy – debug modules
  • Siloti – visibility enhancement solutions
  • Certitude – Functional Qualification System
  • Laker – Custom Layout System
Tanner EDA acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2015
Valid Logic Systems merged into Cadence
Upverter acquired by Altium in 2017
DAFCA
  • ClearBlue
Spectrum Software closed in 2019
  • Micro-Cap
UniCAD Acquired by CCT (Cooper & Chyan Technology)

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