The semiconductor design and manufacturing software giant Synopsys said yesterday it has made an investment in Stockholm-based Prover Technology AB, which is a supplier of signaling design automation software for engineering the safety critical systems that control trains, switches and signals. The amount of the investment has not been disclosed.

Prover said the investment will allow it to accelerate its R&D efforts and expand its operations in Europe, North America and Asia.

A key to modern railway engineering processes is signaling design automation, which uses formal verification - a safety analysis method based on mathematical proof - and since Synopsys is a leader in formal verification techniques for semiconductor design, this would likely explain the company's interest in Prover. As well, with verification of embedded software a critical need going forward, this could be a valuable addition to Synopsys' cadre of verification technology.

"Our investment in Prover allows Synopsys to promote the application of technologies traditionally used for designing integrated circuits in different industries," said Randy Tinsley, VP for strategy and corporate development at Synopsys, in a statement.

In terms of this announcement, the companies noted that formal verification is strongly recommended by safety standards organizations such as European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), and several leading operators demand it from their suppliers since formal verification increases safety and quality, and provides more efficient processes for otherwise costly and time-consuming safety testing. In addition, formal verification has proven to be a valuable solution for the operator of the Paris metro, which has one of the most complex railway networks in the world, the companies said.

"RATP (Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) and Prover have been working closely together since 2004. The collaboration has been focused on formal verification of interlocking and CBTC (communication-based train control) systems. By using formal techniques, we hope to reduce costs while maintaining the highest possible level of quality. Prover's experience in the field has made them a valuable partner," explained Pierre Chartier, safety director for RATP.

"Having Synopsys on board enables us to capitalize on opportunities that were previously out of our reach, and to undertake larger and more complex engineering projects. There is a strong technology alignment with both companies providing the tools needed to engineer increasingly complex systems in their respective fields, and both are considered industry leaders and innovators," said Gunnar Stalmarck, CEO of Prover.

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor - Electronic News