What is the Accellera Systems Initiative?

The Accellera Systems Initiative is a standards organization that targets electronic design automation (EDA) standards addressing design and automation. It partners with organizations like the IEEE to facilitate the adoption of next-generation EDA and IP standards.

To get a better idea of what Accellera is up to, I talked with current Chair of Accellera, Lu Dia.

Bill Wong: For those who may not be familiar, what is the Accellera Systems Initiative (Accellera) and what role does it play in the electronics industry?

Lu Dai: Accellera is a not-for-profit, member-driven global standards organization focused on improving design and verification productivity. Its mission is to develop open, vendor-neutral standards that address real industry challenges and accelerate time-to-market.

By uniting engineers, EDA vendors, IP providers, and end users, Accellera provides a collaborative forum to define and refine specifications that can be widely adopted. Over the years, the organization has become a trusted incubator of standards that form the backbone of modern semiconductor design.

Accellera is known for developing standards that often transition to IEEE. How does that process work and why is it important?

Through our long-standing partnership with the IEEE, Accellera-developed standards are often contributed to the IEEE for formal standardization and long-term governance. This collaborative process allows our working groups to experiment, iterate, and refine specifications within Accellera based on industry needs. Once a specification has matured and gained broad adoption, it can be transferred to the IEEE, where it’s formalized as an IEEE standard.

Accellera also participates in the IEEE GET Program, which provides free, pre-paid access to select IEEE standards for engineers and designers worldwide. This partnership expands the global reach and impact of our work, helping accelerate adoption across the industry.

The transition to the IEEE ensures each specification gains lasting stability, governance, and international recognition. As a founding participant in the GET Program, Accellera has sponsored more than 221,000 downloads of Accellera-developed standards, underscoring the value of our partnership.

What are some of the key standards that Accellera has delivered to the industry?

SystemVerilog (IEEE 1800) is the foundation for RTL design and verification. The Universal Verification Methodology (UVM), standardized as IEEE 1800.2, is the most widely used methodology in functional verification. SystemC (IEEE 1666) has enabled system-level modeling and early software development, while SystemC AMS extends those capabilities into analog and mixed-signal design.

The Unified Power Format (IEEE 1801) addresses low-power intent specification and verification. And most recently, the Portable Test and Stimulus Standard (PSS) has introduced new levels of automation in test scenario generation. Each of these standards represents years of collaboration and problem-solving across the industry.

How does Accellera ensure that its standards keep up with fast-changing technology trends like AI, low power, and safety-critical systems?

The answer lies within our community. Accellera is a member-driven organization, which means the challenges that engineers face in real projects drive the creation of new standards.

For example, the Functional Safety Working Group was formed to provide a unified approach throughout the product creation process, specifically targeting enabling a functional-safety-aware design and verification flow for electronic circuits and systems. This is especially critical as automotive and aerospace systems demand ever-increasing rigorous safety methodologies.

The UPF standard continues to evolve to meet the complexities of today’s low-power designs. And we continue to explore how AI and machine learning can impact verification and design. By working closely with our members, Accellera ensures its standards continue to evolve and that we’re always forward-looking.

Beyond standards, Accellera is also known for its conferences like DVCon. What role do these events play in the ecosystem?

Our DVCon conferences, held across six countries worldwide, serve as vital hubs for engineers to exchange ideas and learn about the latest products and technologies that can help them with their projects. Each conference’s technical program and exhibition is tailored to the interests and needs of its region. Many emerging ideas are also explored at these conferences.

In addition to the technical program, each DVCon fosters community, giving engineers the opportunity to connect with peers, tool developers, and thought leaders.

Looking ahead, what can engineers expect from Accellera in the next few years?

Accellera’s roadmap blends evolution and innovation. Existing standards like SystemC, UVM, and UPF will continue to advance, with new features and refinements to support to support emerging use cases.

The Portable Stimulus Working Group is already working on version 3.1 to expand verification automation. Our Functional Safety Working Group is near completion of its standard, and the Federated Simulation Standard Working Group is exploring how to bridge diverse simulation domains, which is critical for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and AI-driven systems.

At the same time, Accellera is investing in education and outreach programs, like our recent SystemC Summer of Code Program, to help inspire the next generation of engineers.

As the industry advances into an era defined by AI, heterogeneous integration, and safety-critical design, Accellera’s collaborative model ensures that the community continues to develop the standards needed to drive innovation and enhance design and verification productivity across electronic systems.