Strategic Analog IP Power Management for SoCs

Strategic Analog IP Power Management for SoCs
by Daniel Nenni on 10-27-2013 at 12:00 pm

This tutorial describes how analog IP is becoming more important in any power management strategy and shows the major analog building blocks to manage power and temperature in a SoC on leading edge technology nodes.

The tremendous demand for high-performance computing devices has led to aggressive technology scaling, allowing… Read More


An Affair to Remember: EDA’s 50th Anniversary

An Affair to Remember: EDA’s 50th Anniversary
by Daniel Nenni on 10-26-2013 at 11:00 am

What an amazing night! I celebrated the 50[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of the industry I grew up in! With my beautiful wife at my side and a table full of friends we all went down memory lane, ate, drank, and then enjoyed the auction.

The tour of the new computer museum was amazing. I was learning so much up until the 1970’s, then … Read More


TSMC ♥ Synopsys (HSPICE)

TSMC ♥ Synopsys (HSPICE)
by Daniel Nenni on 10-24-2013 at 5:05 am

In case you haven’t noticed, Synopsys has been in the press lately talking about their relationship with TSMC. Since I’m an internationally recognized industry expert they gave me a call for a briefing and I was happy to do it. Staying connected with the #1 EDA company is important and fun since I get to ask questions that most people… Read More


EM Solver and Visualization Essential for Device Design

EM Solver and Visualization Essential for Device Design
by Daniel Nenni on 10-22-2013 at 5:00 pm

In many designs, an on chip inductor is created as though it were simply a device with an L and a Q value. Of course this view would seem to make life simpler for designers and the tools they use. But in reality even a simple inductor is really a complex compound structure with many electromagnetic elements interacting in complex ways.… Read More


Analog & Mixed-Signal Design Lunch & Learn

Analog & Mixed-Signal Design Lunch & Learn
by Daniel Nenni on 10-20-2013 at 9:00 pm

I’m a big fan of lunch and learns, mainly because I’m a big fan of lunch but I also like to learn. I’m also a big fan of Tanner EDA which is why I helped organize this event. Face to face interaction amongst the fabless semiconductor ecosystem is critical to our success so stop on by and network, lunch is on me.

Take a look at the Brief HistoryRead More


Device Noise Analysis of Switched-Capacitor Circuits Webinar

Device Noise Analysis of Switched-Capacitor Circuits Webinar
by Daniel Nenni on 10-13-2013 at 9:00 pm


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


The TSMC CEO Succession Plan!

The TSMC CEO Succession Plan!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-13-2013 at 8:00 pm

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!

Driving Innovation in Image Sensors and High Speed AMS Design!
by Daniel Nenni on 10-13-2013 at 7:00 am


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

A Brief History of Tangent Systems
by Daniel Nenni on 10-12-2013 at 3:30 pm

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?

What do Intel and Congress Have in Common?
by Daniel Nenni on 10-09-2013 at 8:00 pm

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