TSMC Theater Presentation: Ciranova!

TSMC Theater Presentation: Ciranova!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-14-2012 at 9:00 pm

Ciranova presented a hierarchical custom layout flow used on several large advanced-node designs to reduce total layout time by about 50%. Ciranova itself does automated floorplanning and placement software with only limited routing; but since the first two constitute the majority of custom layout time, and strongly influence… Read More


TSMC Theater Presentation: Atrenta SpyGlass!

TSMC Theater Presentation: Atrenta SpyGlass!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-13-2012 at 9:10 am

Atrenta presented an update on the TSMC Soft IP Alliance Program at TSMC’s theater each day at DAC. Mike Gianfagna, Atrenta VP of Marketing, presented an introduction to SpyGlass, an overview of the program and a progress report. Dan Kochpatcharin, TSMC Deputy Director of IP Portfolio, was also there. Between Mike, Dan, and I there… Read More


BDA TSMC Theater Presentation

BDA TSMC Theater Presentation
by Daniel Nenni on 06-12-2012 at 5:00 pm

I caught the Berkeley Design Automation presentation in the TSMC Theater, where Simon Young (BDA’s director of product marketing) described the Analog FastSPICE (AFS) nanometer circuit verification platform, built on their foundation of very fast, very accurate, high capacity circuit simulation.

BDA claims the AFS platform… Read More


President Obama at DAC 2012

President Obama at DAC 2012
by Daniel Nenni on 06-07-2012 at 7:45 pm


Okay, President Obama didn’t actually stop at DAC but he did do a drive by. I happened to be stepping out for some much needed fresh air and there goes his speeding motorcade. It was quite a sight actually, with all of the motorcycles, SUVs, a SWAT vehicle and even a paramedic rig (my son the Fireman drives one of those). The president … Read More


Understanding and Designing For Variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm

Understanding and Designing For Variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm
by Daniel Nenni on 06-03-2012 at 8:30 pm

On Wednesday there is a User Track Poster Session that examines the design impact of process variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm technology. For those of you who are wondering what process variation looks like at 20nm take this 28nm example and multiply it by one hundred (slight exaggeration, maybe).

Variation effects have a significant… Read More


Industry Standard FinFET versus Intel Tri-Gate!

Industry Standard FinFET versus Intel Tri-Gate!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-03-2012 at 6:00 pm

Ever since the “Intel Reinvents Transistors Using New 3-D Structure” PR campaign I have been at odds with them. As technologists, I have nothing but respect for Intel. The Intel PR department, however, quite frankly, is evil. Correct me if I’m wrong here but Intel did not “reinvent” the transistor. Nor did they come up with the name… Read More


Did You Know Venus is Transiting the Sun During DAC 2012?

Did You Know Venus is Transiting the Sun During DAC 2012?
by Daniel Nenni on 06-02-2012 at 2:27 pm

On Tuesday, June 5th, starting at 3:05 pm in San Francisco, the planet Venus will cross, or transit, the sun. If you stop by Ciranova’s DAC booth #1608 anytime on Monday or Tuesday, they will give you a free pair of solar viewing glasses that will let you view the transit safely.

According to the NASA website, Transits of Venus… Read More