36:
654:(CRT) display unit, coordinate readouts and a keyboard. The main difference between stations is in the type of digitizing input station used. The Calma digitizer is a backlit 48 by 60 inch table. To digitize analog graphical data directly on computer-compatible medium, the operator of the digitizer manually traces graphical data with a moveable stylus. The
630:(In later years to faster Electrostatic Plotters) to be visually inspected to confirm that the physical layout properly matched the schematic. Once the layout and schematics final edits were manually checked to confirm their accuracy, the multiple layers of the physical circuitry were sent to a film plotter to create masks for fabrication.
601:
Calma's computer-aided design and drafting systems (also referred to as interactive graphics systems) are comprised of component hardware modules, electronic interfaces, and software programs. Most of the systems sold are constructed by combining available components to meet the requirements of the
266:
In 1978, Calma introduced GDS II (pronounced "G-D-S two"), a modernized replacement for GDS. With its 32-bit database, GDS II met the need for greater capacity and resolution in IC designs. GDS II quickly replaced GDS as the data entry system of choice for many IC design groups. By late 1980, there
184:
In the mechanical area, the DDM (for "Design
Drafting and Manufacturing") product was introduced in 1977. It was later extended, under the name "Dimension III", to address the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) market. By 1983, these two products together accounted for 60% of Calma's
687:
Calma's computer-aided design systems are used in a wide variety of applications. To date systems have been sold principally to electronics firms for use in the design of integrated circuits, printed circuit boards and electrical schematics; to governmental agencies and public utilities for use in
555:
As early as 1970, Calma occupied a building at 707 Kifer Road in
Sunnyvale. Roughly 10,000 square feet (900 m), the building consisted of a large warehouse/manufacturing area in the rear, with an office area of about 10 offices in the front. Somewhat later, an additional building to the rear
277:
GE had grander designs for Calma than had UTI. In addition to the hope of maintaining dominance in the IC market, GE aimed for Calma to expand in the architectural, engineering, manufacturing and construction markets – "factory of the future" was a prominent slogan. Due partly to a mass exodus of
720:
The original GDS system used Data
General mini-computers to digitize and assemble chip designs. The UI consisted of simple one or two letter commands, and a set of colored lights as a response. The operator typed a command, and if the green light came on, it was successful.
278:
talent after GE moved its own people into key management positions, partly due to excessive expectations, the changing nature of the market and the inherent difficulty of keeping up with rapidly changing technology, these ambitions went largely unrealized.
666:
The digitizing input station is linked by system software to the CRT display, which allows an almost instantaneous display of any segment of the source drawing or a graphic element from the library. The CRT display also has windowing and magnification
868:
562:
Additional buildings were added as the employee count grew. In 1979, the R&D department moved to a building at 212 Gibraltar Drive (corner of
Borregas Avenue) in the Moffett Park area of Sunnyvale. Other buildings were added in the area.
193:
Calma
Company was incorporated in California on November 13, 1963. Its initial business was as a product distributor, continuing the business of a previously existing partnership of the same name. The company took its name from its founders,
622:, these layouts were organized in layers, first placing the smaller common and custom circuits, created in a library, then manually traced their interconnecting circuitry on further layers, the completed layout then stored in computer files.
539:(CV) filed suit in federal court over Calma's hiring of a group of 5 employees from CV in San Diego. (This group developed Calma's DDM product.) The CV suit against Calma and the five employees alleged breach of competition, breach of
205:
In 1965 Calma introduced the Calma
Digitizer, a device consisting of a table-like surface with constrained cursor, whereby an operator could enter coordinate data from a paper drawing and have it turned into computer readable form.
263:, for $ 17 million in stock. Calma became part of UTI's United Computing Systems (UCS) operating unit. UTI took a hands-off approach to managing its acquisition, allowing Calma to continue largely unchanged on its growth path.
731:
This ushered in the new method of "online design", where the drafting employees actually sat at the screen and drew the chips. In the older GDS systems, an operator took the mylar drawings and digitized them in.
872:
543:, and interference with contractual relations. This draining lawsuit was finally settled out of court in October 1979. In the UTI acquisition of Calma in 1978, 5% of the newly issued stock was held in
559:
In
February 1978, the company relocated to a 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m) single-story building at 527 Lakeside Drive in Sunnyvale, part of the newly developed Oakmead Village industrial park.
602:
customers' specific design or drafting application. Calma's systems enable customers to automate a wide variety of design and manufacturing processes which have previously been performed manually.
751:
computer-aided design application. In the mid-1980s, it was one of the top ten selling CAD packages on the market. By 2006, DDM continued to be supported by
Parametric Technology Corporation
274:(GE) was announced. The sale price was $ 110 million, with an additional $ 60 million contingent on Calma's profits over the next five years. The acquisition was completed on April 1, 1981.
646:
are also available. These components are interfaced with Calma-designed and manufactured controllers, and integrated into a single unit with system software designed and programmed by Calma.
225:
in
Sunnyvale, CA. The GDS software system was conceived and, in its initial implementation, almost single-handedly built by Dr. Sukonick. The first GDS system was shipped in late 1971 to
614:
Their GDS I and II software operated on Data
General Corporation's Nova and Eclipse line of 16 bit mini Computers. Sketches or layouts of electronic system were first manually drawn on
724:
GDSII introduced an actual Command Line Interface (CLI), where the user typed commands that were echoed back to the screen. GDS systems had no text screen at all, just a "green-screen"
626:
Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) and Small Scale Integrated Circuits (SSIC) were manually traced buy an operator, usually a draftsman or electronic engineer then plotted on a large
209:
In about 1969, the company undertook to develop a minicomputer-based graphics system built around a digitizer. This effort was spurred by the arrival of Josef Sukonick, a recent
675:
is used for entering text, scaling information, dimensions and commands, and an optional functional keyboard is available for entering frequently used functions, symbols and
232:
The growth of sales of GDS paralleled that of the nascent integrated circuit industry. By August 1976 there were 121 GDS systems installed at 70 companies including many
1250:
728:
type display. GDSII introduced a text display, using a regular text terminal in addition to the 'scope screen, and also introduced the first color screens.
1198:
The Engineering Design Revolution — The People, Companies And Computer Systems That Changed Forever The Practice Of Engineering, David E. Weisberg, 2008
1240:
1225:
910:
Prospectus dated August 16, 1978 and Calma Company proxy statement for special shareholder meeting August 31, 1978 to approve merger of Calma with UTI
1230:
683:
The output most commonly used in Calma's systems is a graphic plotter. Calma software supports both on and off-line pen and photo plotting devices.
1265:
1235:
1220:
1245:
757:
The General Motors Central Foundry Division (GM-CFD) had applied DDM to the design of castings and tooling for automotive components such as
1255:
1260:
1147:
913:
313:
The following data on sales, earnings, and employee count are drawn from a number of sources. Financial data 1973–1977 are from.
256:
165:
information. The use of this format persisted into the 21st century, long after the demise of the GDS II computer system. In the
869:"U.S. Shipbuilders and CAD Suppliers Demonstrate Exchange of STEP Shipbuilding Data among Five Diverse Shipbuilding Environments"
241:
634:
The central processing unit consists of a minicomputer, a computer console and page printer, a magnetic tape transport and a
580:
In 1984 Calma bought a 108,000 square feet (10,000 m) facility near Dublin, Ireland, that had originally been built for
135:-based graphics systems targeted at the cartographic and electronic, mechanical and architectural design markets.
717:
For an overview of the GDS II system as it was 1981, see. Some scanned product documents can be found at and.
1108:
778:
556:(on San Gabriel Drive) was leased as a manufacturing/shipping area, bringing total square footage to 35,000.
1127:
170:
169:
jargon of 2008, "GDS II" referred no longer to the computer system, but to the format itself. Vendors of
1196:
146:, introduced in 1978. By the end of the 1970s, Calma systems were installed in virtually every major
639:
540:
178:
692:
applications; and to manufacturing companies for use in the design of mechanical parts and systems.
1186:
J. Schaefer, Thomas (Spring 1981). "GDS-II : An efficient and extensible VLSI design system".
676:
618:
or paper to scale and were placed on large backlit 48 by 60 inch table digitizers. Using a moving
177:
to GDSII" to imply that their system will take users from a high-level logic design to a completed
1055:
607:
574:
527:
was Calma board chairman Ronald D. Cone. He held 321,706 of Calma's 635,266 outstanding shares.
245:
222:
174:
286:
166:
20:
1096:
Article in the first issue of the yet-to-be-named "Viewport" Calma company employee newsletter
1040:
1020:
672:
302:
260:
252:
218:
124:
66:
1154:
635:
567:
154:
297:
of Computervision. Prime basically merged the Calma Mechanical and AEC product lines with
8:
282:
619:
566:
In 1980 a new 210,000 square feet (19,500 m) manufacturing facility was opened in
214:
774:
662:
graphic pen and were used primary to edit an electronic layout once it was digitized.
659:
294:
289:
in 1991). The remainder of the business (mechanical/architectural) was acquired by
1103:"Interview with Paul Henson, chair of UTI" (Interview). Forbes. September 29, 1980.
766:
748:
735:
A typical GDSII system in 1980 would have a 300 MB disk, 1-2 MB of memory, using a
651:
281:
Beginning in 1988, GE sold Calma. The electronic side of the business was sold to
271:
655:
581:
739:
DG minicomputer and up to 4 screens. This cost over $ 500,000 in 1980 dollars.
536:
298:
290:
1214:
762:
573:
In 1982 a new 109,000-square-foot (10,100 m) headquarters was opened in
147:
213:
math PhD who had become aware of the market potential for such a system for
801:
793:
758:
725:
689:
643:
132:
781:
805:
797:
789:
785:
770:
627:
524:
233:
185:
revenue. Dimension III continued to be used as late as the late 1990s.
142:(an abbreviation for "Graphic Design System" ), introduced in 1971, and
301:. Computervision, including the Dimension III product, was acquired by
747:
DDM (short for "Design, Drafting, Manufacturing") was a 3-dimensional
128:
650:
An operator station consists of a digitizing device, an interactive
988:
976:
851:
849:
847:
845:
843:
841:
839:
837:
835:
237:
920:
293:
in a sale completed in January 1989. Prime had just completed a
162:
35:
937:
935:
832:
736:
544:
138:
In the electronic area, the company's best known products were
932:
712:
615:
226:
1202:
248:, and others. Of these, 43 were installed outside the U.S.
1062:
210:
523:
At the time of the 1978 acquisition by UTI, the largest
1177:
1169:
994:
982:
1161:
1109:"GDS II Graphic Design System User's Operating Manual"
926:
1000:
966:
964:
752:
547:
as a reserve pending the outcome of this litigation.
153:
The external format of the GDS II database, known as
879:
784:-series computers. GM-CFD had DDM installations in
822:
820:
769:. DDM was run on Calma's proprietary dual-monitor
961:
606:The primary hardware components of a system are a
1212:
817:
638:unit. Other optional peripheral devices such as
1251:Defunct computer companies of the United States
1126:
1068:
285:in April 1988. (Valid in turn was acquired by
658:has a smaller surface and is operated with an
270:In December 1980, the sale of Calma by UTI to
592:
1194:
1185:
941:
855:
127:, was, between 1965 and 1988, a vendor of
34:
1241:Computer companies disestablished in 1988
1226:American companies disestablished in 1988
1093:
1006:
308:
217:(IC) design through his work at the CAD (
1231:Companies based in Sunnyvale, California
1145:
1034:
1032:
1030:
610:, operator stations and plotter outputs.
1084:
970:
242:International Telephone & Telegraph
181:ready for delivery to the mask vendor.
16:Former vendor of graphic design systems
1266:Electronic design automation companies
1236:Computer companies established in 1965
1221:American companies established in 1965
1213:
1114:(1 ed.). Calma. 1978. p. 260
1102:
904:
902:
900:
898:
896:
894:
885:
1246:Defunct companies based in California
1107:
1085:Benders, Robert (December 18, 1973).
1047:
1027:
1012:
826:
1195:E. Weisberg, David (July 27, 2008).
1148:"Point in Polygon, One More Time..."
696:
173:software often use the phrase "from
1256:Defunct computer hardware companies
1146:Holloway, Bruce (October 4, 1990).
1094:D. Bishop, Lemuel (February 1981).
995:Calma & Company phone list 1976
983:Calma & Company phone list 1974
947:
891:
267:were 171 installed GDS II systems.
13:
1261:Defunct computer systems companies
927:Calma & Internal Document 1976
871:. October 27, 1998. Archived from
251:In 1978, Calma, which never had a
14:
1277:
161:standard for the interchange of
1128:"GDS II Product Specification"
957:, Bloomberg, December 22, 1980
861:
597:The following is quoted from:
1:
1201:. p. 650. Archived from
1153:. Vol. 3. Archived from
811:
550:
171:electronic design automation
7:
1188:Proceedings of IEEE COMPCON
1173:, Calma, September 11, 1974
1069:Calma & GDSII Spec 1996
587:
167:integrated circuit industry
112:
10:
1282:
1181:, Calma, November 17, 1976
1133:. Calma. pp. 45 pages
710:
593:General description (1978)
541:non-competition agreements
188:
18:
914:United Telecommunications
706:
502:
257:United Telecommunications
179:integrated circuit layout
105:
90:
73:
50:
42:
33:
530:
1165:, Calma, August 6, 1976
1056:San Francisco Chronicle
608:central processing unit
575:Santa Clara, California
246:Fairchild Semiconductor
236:corporations including
223:Fairchild Semiconductor
150:manufacturing company.
773:hardware connected to
742:
701:
694:
328:Employee Count (date)
309:Business and financial
287:Cadence Design Systems
56:; 58 years ago
54:November 13, 1965
21:Calma (disambiguation)
1041:San Jose Mercury News
1021:San Jose Mercury News
673:alphanumeric keyboard
599:
305:Corporation in 1998.
303:Parametric Technology
261:Kansas City, Missouri
253:public stock offering
219:computer-aided design
125:Sunnyvale, California
67:Sunnyvale, California
1058:". November 4, 1981.
1023:". December 9, 1980.
754:as "Dimension III".
636:magnetic disk memory
568:Milpitas, California
155:GDS II Stream Format
19:For other uses, see
944:, pp. 333–336.
283:Valid Logic Systems
30:
1179:Company phone list
1171:Company phone list
1043:". April 19, 1982.
644:paper tape punches
535:In February 1977,
319:Fiscal Year Ending
255:, was acquired by
215:integrated circuit
28:
1205:on March 3, 2022.
1163:Internal document
916:, August 16, 1978
775:Data General Nova
767:steering knuckles
697:Calmagraphics/CGI
660:electromechanical
521:
520:
508:December 31, 1987
491:December 31, 1983
479:December 31, 1982
466:December 31, 1981
453:December 31, 1980
440:December 31, 1979
295:hostile take-over
259:, Inc., (UTI) of
118:
117:
83:Irma Louise Hefte
1273:
1206:
1191:
1182:
1174:
1166:
1158:
1157:on May 24, 2018.
1151:Ray Tracing News
1142:
1140:
1138:
1132:
1123:
1121:
1119:
1113:
1104:
1099:
1090:
1087:Calma memo dated
1072:
1066:
1060:
1059:
1051:
1045:
1044:
1036:
1025:
1024:
1016:
1010:
1004:
998:
992:
986:
980:
974:
968:
959:
958:
951:
945:
942:J. Schaefer 1981
939:
930:
924:
918:
917:
906:
889:
883:
877:
876:
875:on July 3, 2008.
865:
859:
856:E. Weisberg 2008
853:
830:
824:
652:cathode ray tube
316:
315:
272:General Electric
101:
99:
64:
62:
57:
38:
31:
27:
1281:
1280:
1276:
1275:
1274:
1272:
1271:
1270:
1211:
1210:
1209:
1136:
1134:
1130:
1117:
1115:
1111:
1075:
1067:
1063:
1053:
1052:
1048:
1038:
1037:
1028:
1018:
1017:
1013:
1005:
1001:
993:
989:
981:
977:
969:
962:
953:
952:
948:
940:
933:
925:
921:
908:
907:
892:
884:
880:
867:
866:
862:
854:
833:
825:
818:
814:
745:
715:
709:
704:
699:
684:
680:
668:
663:
647:
631:
623:
611:
603:
595:
590:
582:Trilogy Systems
553:
533:
428:August 31, 1978
415:August 31, 1977
401:August 31, 1976
388:August 31, 1975
374:August 31, 1974
360:August 31, 1973
346:August 31, 1972
333:August 31, 1971
325:Net income ($ )
311:
191:
108:
97:
95:
86:
69:, United States
60:
58:
55:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1279:
1269:
1268:
1263:
1258:
1253:
1248:
1243:
1238:
1233:
1228:
1223:
1208:
1207:
1192:
1183:
1175:
1167:
1159:
1143:
1124:
1105:
1100:
1091:
1081:
1080:
1079:
1074:
1073:
1061:
1046:
1026:
1011:
1007:D. Bishop 1981
999:
987:
975:
960:
946:
931:
919:
890:
888:, p. 146.
878:
860:
831:
815:
813:
810:
763:cylinder heads
744:
741:
711:Main article:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
656:graphic tablet
594:
591:
589:
586:
552:
549:
537:Computervision
532:
529:
519:
518:
515:
512:
509:
505:
504:
500:
499:
497:
495:
492:
488:
487:
484:
482:
480:
476:
475:
472:
470:
467:
463:
462:
459:
457:
454:
450:
449:
446:
444:
441:
437:
436:
433:
431:
429:
425:
424:
422:
419:
416:
412:
411:
408:
405:
402:
398:
397:
395:
392:
389:
385:
384:
381:
378:
375:
371:
370:
367:
364:
361:
357:
356:
353:
350:
347:
343:
342:
340:
337:
334:
330:
329:
326:
323:
320:
310:
307:
299:Computervision
291:Prime Computer
202:Louise Hefte.
190:
187:
116:
115:
109:
106:
103:
102:
92:
88:
87:
85:
84:
81:
77:
75:
71:
70:
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1278:
1267:
1264:
1262:
1259:
1257:
1254:
1252:
1249:
1247:
1244:
1242:
1239:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1229:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1218:
1216:
1204:
1200:
1199:
1193:
1189:
1184:
1180:
1176:
1172:
1168:
1164:
1160:
1156:
1152:
1149:
1144:
1129:
1125:
1110:
1106:
1101:
1097:
1092:
1088:
1083:
1082:
1077:
1076:
1070:
1065:
1057:
1050:
1042:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1022:
1015:
1008:
1003:
996:
991:
984:
979:
972:
967:
965:
956:
950:
943:
938:
936:
928:
923:
915:
911:
905:
903:
901:
899:
897:
895:
887:
882:
874:
870:
864:
858:, Chapter 11.
857:
852:
850:
848:
846:
844:
842:
840:
838:
836:
828:
823:
821:
816:
809:
807:
803:
799:
795:
791:
787:
783:
780:
776:
772:
768:
764:
760:
759:engine blocks
755:
753:
750:
740:
738:
733:
729:
727:
722:
718:
714:
693:
691:
685:
681:
678:
674:
669:
664:
661:
657:
653:
648:
645:
641:
637:
632:
629:
624:
621:
617:
612:
609:
604:
598:
585:
583:
578:
576:
571:
569:
564:
560:
557:
548:
546:
542:
538:
528:
526:
517:900 (12/87)
516:
513:
510:
507:
506:
501:
498:
496:
493:
490:
489:
486:1400 (4/82)
485:
483:
481:
478:
477:
474:1200 (11/81)
473:
471:
468:
465:
464:
461:935 (12/80)
460:
458:
455:
452:
451:
448:597 (12/79)
447:
445:
442:
439:
438:
434:
432:
430:
427:
426:
423:
420:
417:
414:
413:
410:135 (11/76)
409:
406:
403:
400:
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396:
393:
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387:
386:
382:
379:
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197:
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151:
149:
148:semiconductor
145:
141:
136:
134:
130:
126:
122:
121:Calma Company
114:
110:
104:
93:
89:
82:
79:
78:
76:
72:
68:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
32:
29:Calma Company
26:
22:
1203:the original
1197:
1187:
1178:
1170:
1162:
1155:the original
1150:
1135:. Retrieved
1116:. Retrieved
1095:
1086:
1064:
1049:
1014:
1002:
990:
978:
971:Benders 1973
955:BusinessWeek
954:
949:
922:
909:
881:
873:the original
863:
802:Danville, IL
794:Defiance, OH
756:
746:
734:
730:
726:oscilloscope
723:
719:
716:
690:cartographic
686:
682:
670:
665:
649:
640:card readers
633:
625:
613:
605:
600:
596:
579:
572:
565:
561:
558:
554:
534:
522:
435:289 (3/78)
322:Revenue ($ )
312:
280:
276:
269:
265:
250:
231:
208:
204:
199:
195:
192:
183:
158:
152:
143:
139:
137:
133:minicomputer
120:
119:
80:Calvin Hefte
25:
886:Forbes 1980
806:Massena, NY
798:Bedford, IN
790:Pontiac, MI
786:Saginaw, MI
771:workstation
667:capability.
628:pen plotter
525:shareholder
383:92 (9/74)
369:74 (12/73)
355:30 (12/72)
234:Fortune 500
221:) group of
157:, became a
123:, based in
1215:Categories
827:Calma 1978
812:References
782:VAX 11/780
777:and later
198:vin and Ir
129:digitizers
107:Key people
61:1965-11-13
1137:April 21,
1118:April 21,
749:wireframe
679:commands.
551:Buildings
46:Computers
588:Products
238:Motorola
159:de facto
113:§ People
74:Founders
43:Industry
1078:Sources
779:Digital
189:History
163:IC mask
96: (
91:Defunct
59: (
51:Founded
737:16-bit
707:GDS II
620:stylus
545:escrow
339:(293K)
144:GDS II
1131:(PDF)
1112:(PDF)
713:GDSII
677:macro
616:mylar
531:Legal
514:(20M)
511:180M
494:210M
418:14.3M
349:1.6M
336:670K
227:Intel
1139:2020
1120:2020
804:and
765:and
642:and
503:...
469:105M
421:1.2M
407:747K
404:9.5M
394:398K
391:6.9M
380:562K
377:6.1M
366:412K
363:3.5M
352:179K
131:and
111:See
98:1988
94:1988
743:DDM
702:GDS
671:An
584:.
570:.
456:62M
443:43M
211:MIT
196:Cal
175:RTL
140:GDS
65:in
1217::
1029:^
963:^
934:^
912:,
893:^
834:^
819:^
808:.
800:,
796:,
792:,
788:,
761:,
577:.
244:,
240:,
229:.
200:ma
1190:.
1141:.
1122:.
1098:.
1089:.
1071:.
1054:"
1039:"
1019:"
1009:.
997:.
985:.
973:.
929:.
829:.
100:)
63:)
23:.
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