Xilinx did not buy all of Minc in 1998. As the Colorado Springs programmable-logic design-tool vendor moved toward liquidation, Xilinx pursued selected assets—including ABEL, the PLDesigner environment, PLSynthesizer and Minc+Synario Design Navigator—to strengthen its programmable-logic tools and customer offering. ABEL later lost official Xilinx support: the cited ABEL reference says support was discontinued in ISE Design Suite beginning with version 11.
What happened to Minc?
Minc Inc. was a vendor of tools for designing programmable logic devices (PLDs). In December 1998, EE Times reported that the company was closing and selling assets to liquidation company MI Acquisition LLC. Xilinx planned to buy selected Minc products and related assets, not the entire company. The report said the purchase price and final arrangements had not yet been settled.
Minc’s position had weakened as programmable-logic vendors gave away software that competed with its paid tools. Minc also lacked a direct sales channel and depended on original-equipment-manufacturer (OEM) relationships. Dataquest analyst Gary Smith said Minc could not afford the research and development needed as devices grew larger. The company had purchased Synario Design Systems from Data I/O in November 1997, later sold its fitter business to Vantis, and reduced staff while looking for a buyer. Minc CEO Robert Jensen described the objective as liquidity: “Liquidity is really the goal, and we have come very close now to making it happen.”
Which assets did Xilinx want, and why?
Xilinx saw the deal as a way to improve its position in complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), bring in staff and technology, and expand its software portfolio. Rich Sevik, Xilinx’s vice president of software, cores and support, said Xilinx then had 55% of the FPGA market but 7% of the PLD/CPLD market, figures attributed to Xilinx in the 1998 report. He said the assets could help the company reach a 25% share of the PLD/CPLD market. Those figures described Xilinx’s position and target at the time; they are not current market-share data.
#1 Best Overall
| Asset | What it did | Xilinx’s stated interest |
|---|---|---|
| ABEL | A programmable-logic design tool and language, reported to have an estimated 50,000 engineer users. | Xilinx wanted to invest in enhancements. Sevik promised customers “the best Abel solution on the market.” |
| PLDesigner | Minc’s programmable-logic design environment. | It was part of the selected software assets Xilinx intended to acquire. |
| PLSynthesizer | VHDL and Verilog synthesis technology. | Xilinx said it could improve clock rates and planned further evaluation for FPGA use. |
| Minc+Synario Design Navigator | An internet-enabled design environment intended to let teams work on the same design in real time. | Xilinx planned to integrate it with its Foundation tools and alliance tools. |
The report does not establish that these tools were independently benchmarked against competing suites. It records Xilinx’s plans and claims, not proof of later performance gains. The intended collaborative workflow and synthesis technology explain the strategic appeal, but do not by themselves show how widely those plans were realized.
What support did Xilinx say customers would receive?
In the 1998 report, Xilinx said it would honor existing OEM contracts and provide bug fixes, while considering paid enhancements. It was discussing how to support current Minc customers and expected to offer a last-time-buy period. These were commitments and expectations reported while the deal’s final arrangements were still unsettled—not evidence that every customer, device or future enhancement was ultimately supported.
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Competitors also questioned whether ABEL would remain neutral across vendors’ devices. Altera tools-marketing director Bob Beachler said, “I can’t imagine that Xilinx is going to support any new competitive devices in Abel.” That was a concern voiced during the proposed acquisition, rather than a full inventory of ABEL’s eventual device coverage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is ABEL still supported, and can you still learn it?
The cited ABEL reference says Xilinx discontinued ABEL support in ISE Design Suite beginning with version 11. That establishes the end of support in that product line from that version onward; it does not establish the availability of current downloads, licenses, or support from other parties.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor historical or instructional study, the reference lists Digital Design Using ABEL by David Pellerin and Michael Holley as a physical book. That makes it a named learning resource, not a guarantee that copies are currently available or that the material matches present-day FPGA workflows. Anyone maintaining a legacy design should first identify its target device, tool version and licensing needs; the 1998 report and later support note do not establish a current, supported migration path.
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