James Solomon
Encyclopedia
James E. Solomon is an American engineer and entrepreneur. In his lifetime, he has founded four companies, including one of the companies that merged to form the leading chip manufacturing toolmaker Cadence Design Systems
. He is an IEEE Fellow and received the industry's Phil Kaufman Award
in 1997. Solomon holds 23 patents in integrated chip design.
from the University of California, Berkeley
.
He began his career with Maconomy
, spending three years designing radar devices and components for missile control systems. The next seven, he ran linear integrated circuit
design at the Motorola
Semiconductor Lab. After his time with Motorola, he moved to National Semiconductor
from 1970–1983, where he was director of IC design for analog and mixed-signal chips.
In 1983 Solomon founded his first company, Solomon Design Automation (SDA Systems), which eventually merged with ECAD to become Cadence Design Systemshttp://www.cadence.com/company/index.aspx. Near the end of his time with CDS, he co-founded Smart Machines (in 1994), a company that manufactures direct-drive robots for semiconductor
wafer manufacture. The company was acquired in 1999 by Brooks Automation. In 1995, he co-founded Xulu Entertainment, a computer based entertainment venture. In 2001, Solomon unveiled plans for a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) entertainment center to be named Xulu Universehttp://www.xulu.com/press/pdf/Daily%20Radar.pdf, which would combine a restaurant/lounge with a simulator of an alien world. According to Solomon, Xulu had invested over $12 million in the project, having hired design and engineering staff from companies such as Lucasfilm
and Disney.
Solomon was the 1997 recipient of the Phil Kaufman Award
"for his innovative contributions to design tool technology of benefit to electronic systems and IC designers".
Cadence Design Systems
Cadence Design Systems, Inc is an electronic design automation software and engineering services company, founded in 1988 by the merger of SDA Systems and ECAD, Inc...
. He is an IEEE Fellow and received the industry's Phil Kaufman Award
Phil Kaufman Award
Phil Kaufman Award is established by the EDA Consortium to recognize individuals for their impact on electronic design by their contributions to electronic design automation...
in 1997. Solomon holds 23 patents in integrated chip design.
Biography
Solomon graduated with BS and MS degrees in electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
He began his career with Maconomy
Maconomy
Maconomy is a global provider of Enterprise Resource Planning software founded in 1989.- History :Maconomy originates from the company PPU Software A/S, founded in Denmark in 1983...
, spending three years designing radar devices and components for missile control systems. The next seven, he ran linear integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
design at the Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
Semiconductor Lab. After his time with Motorola, he moved to National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,...
from 1970–1983, where he was director of IC design for analog and mixed-signal chips.
In 1983 Solomon founded his first company, Solomon Design Automation (SDA Systems), which eventually merged with ECAD to become Cadence Design Systemshttp://www.cadence.com/company/index.aspx. Near the end of his time with CDS, he co-founded Smart Machines (in 1994), a company that manufactures direct-drive robots for semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
wafer manufacture. The company was acquired in 1999 by Brooks Automation. In 1995, he co-founded Xulu Entertainment, a computer based entertainment venture. In 2001, Solomon unveiled plans for a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) entertainment center to be named Xulu Universehttp://www.xulu.com/press/pdf/Daily%20Radar.pdf, which would combine a restaurant/lounge with a simulator of an alien world. According to Solomon, Xulu had invested over $12 million in the project, having hired design and engineering staff from companies such as Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
and Disney.
Solomon was the 1997 recipient of the Phil Kaufman Award
Phil Kaufman Award
Phil Kaufman Award is established by the EDA Consortium to recognize individuals for their impact on electronic design by their contributions to electronic design automation...
"for his innovative contributions to design tool technology of benefit to electronic systems and IC designers".
External links
- Presentation of James Solomon by A. Richard NewtonA. Richard NewtonArthur Richard Newton was the dean of the University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering....