Optimization Systems Associates
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Electronic design automation |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | John Bandler |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Acquired by Hewlett-Packard |
Key people | John Bandler (founder) |
| Products | RoMPE, HarPE, OSA90, OSA90/hope, Empipe, Empipe3D, EmpipeExpress, empath |
Optimization Systems Associates (OSA) was created by John Bandler in 1983. The company pioneered the first commercial application of space mapping optimization, enhancing both the efficiency and precision of engineering design processes. OSA specialized in computer-aided design (CAD), simulation, and optimization for radio-frequency and microwave circuits, utilizing Bandler’s space mapping approach to effectively model intricate engineering systems.
History
John Bandler founded OSA with the goal of commercializing the optimization algorithms and methodologies he had developed. One of the company’s earliest significant endeavors involved redesigning software for waveguide multiplexers utilized in satellite communications, performed under contract with COM DEV International.
Throughout the 1980s, OSA played a key role in contributing optimization techniques to EEsof’s pioneering microwave CAD tools, Touchstone and Libra. Additionally, the company revamped Compact Software’s flagship products, SuperCompact and Microwave Harmonica.
In 1985, OSA delivered yield-driven CAD and optimization solutions to Raytheon Research Division. It also served as a subcontractor for Compact Software Inc. within the Raytheon/Texas Instruments Joint Venture MIMIC Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. This work emphasized optimal design centering, circuit optimization accounting for tolerances, and enhancements in wafer and chip yield within a computer-aided engineering (CAE) framework.
OSA was acquired by Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1997 and subsequently integrated into HP’s EEsof division to broaden its CAE software offerings.
The technology developed by OSA found adoption among prominent industry players such as Siemens, Hughes Aircraft, TRW, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, and British Telecom.
Products
OSA launched its software product RoMPE in 1988. Following this, it released HarPE in 1989; OSA90 and OSA90/hope in 1991; Empipe in 1992; and Empipe3D along with EmpipeExpress in 1996. That same year, the company created "empath," which was marketed through Sonnet Software, Inc.
The firm’s Geometry Capture technology facilitated seamless integration of its tools with leading electromagnetic simulators from HP (now Keysight and PathWave Design), Ansoft (now Ansys), and Sonnet Software. After HP’s acquisition of OSA, the Empipe suite became foundational for Ansys HFSS Designer and Momentum Optimization products.
OSA’s portfolio—including OSA90, OSA90/hope, and Empipe—has been extensively employed by engineers focusing on design optimization for microwave circuits and VLSI interconnects.
Comprehensive technical documentation exists detailing OSA’s product lineup as of 1996.
External links
- Osacad.com – Archived homepage of Optimization Systems Associates (1996)
- Executive product summaries – Archived product information (1997)
- Simulation Optimization Systems Research Laboratory
- Bandler Corporation
- Sonnet Software
- Optimization Systems Associates