EDA and the Nobel Prize in Physics!

EDA and the Nobel Prize in Physics!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-15-2014 at 7:00 am

What does EDA and the Nobel Prize for Physics have in common? Our very own Dr. Walden Rhines (CEO of Mentor Graphics):

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-savingRead More


TSMC ♥ Cadence!

TSMC ♥ Cadence!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-11-2014 at 4:30 pm

One of the questions I routinely ask amongst the fabless semiconductor ecosystem is, “How are the EDA vendors doing?” There are always complaints because, let’s face it, we all like to complain. On occasion however I do hear about a vendor who goes above and beyond the call of duty and it really brightens my day.

Of late,… Read More


iPhone or Wallet – Which one do you go back for?

iPhone or Wallet – Which one do you go back for?
by Daniel Nenni on 10-08-2014 at 7:00 am

As a professional conference attendee I see a direct correlation between the number of people attending and the quality of the keynotes. Let’s face it, it’s all about the keynotes so you had better get some big names if you want more than your friends and family to show up. In this regards the upcoming CASPA event will probably be one… Read More


Intel Invades China Mobile Market!

Intel Invades China Mobile Market!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-07-2014 at 7:00 am

As you may have heard, Intel is making some interesting moves into the China mobile market. At first it had me a bit puzzled but I had some lengthy discussions about it during ARM TechCon last week so I’m ready to start writing. Spoiler alert: This will be pro Intel so please sit down and take some deep breaths before reading.

The first… Read More


Silicon Does NOT Lie!

Silicon Does NOT Lie!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-06-2014 at 7:00 am

In the 30+ years that I have worked in Silicon Valley I have seen many great products fail and even more mediocre products succeed, the difference being how the companies communicate to the outside world. In the semiconductor industry, presenting the value proposition of your company or product is under even more scrutiny now that… Read More


The Apple Samsung TSMC Intel 14nm Mashup!

The Apple Samsung TSMC Intel 14nm Mashup!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-04-2014 at 1:00 pm

One of the strengths of the fabless semiconductor ecosystem is competition since it keeps innovation high and prices low. One of the challenges of fostering competition is that you have to make good on a threat of using a competing product during a pricing negotiation. Well, in my opinion, for the next version of the iPhone, Apple… Read More


ARM ♥ TSMC!

ARM ♥ TSMC!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-02-2014 at 4:00 pm

This week is the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] annual ARM Technical Conference in Silicon Valley. In regards to size, content, and relevance, I believe ARM TechCon is the #1 event for the fabless semiconductor ecosystem for sure. I attended keynotes, sessions, and walked the hallways on Wednesday and Thursday. I wish I could write about everything… Read More


ARM ♥ Xilinx!

ARM ♥ Xilinx!
by Daniel Nenni on 09-28-2014 at 7:00 am

The good news is that as a part of SemiWiki we get free media passes to all of the cool conferences. The bad news is that our inboxes get flooded with announcements. ARM TechCon is next week and my delete button is on overtime but it is interesting to see who is active in conferences and who is not. In this case Xilinx is very active and Altera… Read More


TSMC Delivers First FinFET ARM Based SoC!

TSMC Delivers First FinFET ARM Based SoC!
by Daniel Nenni on 09-25-2014 at 9:00 am

Right on cue, TSMC announces 16nm FinFET production silicon. I believe this is the original version of FinFET versus 16FF+ which is due out in 1H 2015. I will confirm this next week at the TSMC OIP event in San Jose, absolutely. Either way this is excellent news for the fabless semiconductor ecosystem and I look forward to the first … Read More


The TSMC iPhone 6!

The TSMC iPhone 6!
by Daniel Nenni on 09-23-2014 at 7:00 am

Fortunately Paul McLellan and I missed IDF. Paul was atop Mt. Kilimanjaro and I was in Taiwan signing books. After reviewing the materials and watching the videos we really didn’t miss much in regards to mobile so no regrets. The Apple event would have been fun even though I won’t be buying an iPhone6 or an iWatch and I will tell you why.… Read More