CAE Systems shipped its first product in the fourth quarter of 1983. Their claim to fame was their hierarchical data base and its interface capability. The hierarchical data base allows engineers to design circuits at different conceptual levels and associate different process technology variables with the design. The interface capability allows users to complete logical designs on a CAE system, then interface to assorted commercially or in-house developed analysis and layout tools.
CAE Systems was mostly a software company, and supported its software running on hardware from Apollo, Digital Equipment, and Sun Microsystems. It also OEMed Apollo workstations.
