Switched-capacitor (SC) circuits are ubiquitous in CMOS mixed-signal ICs. Thermal noise, introduced by MOS switches and active amplifier circuitry, is the major performance limiter in these circuits. This webinar reviews analysis techniques to accurately analyze the noise performance of switched-capacitor circuits … Read More
Author: Daniel Nenni
The TSMC CEO Succession Plan!
The foundry executive shuffle continues at Samsung, GlobalFoundries, and TSMC. Some expected, some not, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. As I have mentioned before I have no inside knowledge as to who will be named as Dr. Morris Chang’s successor but here is my candidate for the next TSMC CEO.
First, the executive… Read More
Driving Innovation in Image Sensors and High Speed AMS Design!
This is a live Silicon Valley event and yes there is such a thing as a free lunch. This is the first in a series of live SemiWiki collaborative events. I strongly believe that, especially in the age of social media, real world experience is key to the collaboration required to be successful in modern day semiconductor design. This is… Read More
A Brief History of Tangent Systems
In the spring of 1984, Mark Flomenhoft, Ph.D., approached Aki Fujimura, Randy Smith, and Steve Teig, to join him in developing a business plan to create a new EDA place and route (P&R) company. The three young software engineers all worked at Trilogy Systems Corporation where Mark was a director in the design automation department.… Read More
What do Intel and Congress Have in Common?
The war of words continues, when will it end? I consider myself a reasonably educated and informed person, certainly above average by U.S. standards, yet I have no idea why the U.S. Government continues to write checks they cannot cash and I don’t know who to believe in the resulting media blasts. I truly miss the days of Ross… Read More
Can you Publicly Benchmark EDA Tools?
There is an interesting discussion on SemiWiki in regards to the age old question aboutbenchmarking EDA tools. I remember benchmark discussions at my first DAC in 1984. It was deemed impossible to do a “fair” public benchmark then and it’s not possible now, just my opinion of course but let me tell you why. Simply stated it is a legal,… Read More
A Big Thank You to EDA and IP
Electronic Design Automation Software and Semiconductor Intellectual Property are not so much the tail that wags the dog, rather they are like the heart of an elephant, tiny in comparison but without which there is no elephant. There is no doubt that EDA and IP have been key enablers of the semiconductor industry for the past 50 years… Read More
TSMC OIP 2013 Trip Report!
The 5[SUP]th[/SUP] annual TSMC OIP Forum was last week and thankfully there were no surprises with the exception of how many people asked me who I think will be the next TSMC CEO. Certainly I have no idea but I would be happy to use my incredible powers of deductive reasoning to determine who it will be.
The TSMC Open Innovation Platform®… Read More
Computer History Museum Party!
More details are now available for the EDA 50[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary event on October 16[SUP]th[/SUP]. If you have not been to the museum lately this is a must see event as it is all new. Definitely check out the auction items! Just do not bid against me or it will get very expensive for one of us. I’m watching Storage Wars reruns so… Read More
High-Sigma Standard Cell Optimization!
Standard cell optimization is an important problem, because the speed, power, and area of cells has a direct impact speed, power, and area of the whole chip. Typically, standard cell optimization been done with simple in-house local-optimizer scripts. However, these optimizers have had several flaws: they don’t properly capture… Read More
Intel Foundry Delivers!