Moore and Beyond: Global Semiconductor Primer

Moore and Beyond: Global Semiconductor Primer
by Daniel Nenni on 03-24-2013 at 8:10 pm

There are a couple of new analyst reports out that are interesting enough to blog about. I talk to the financial types on the phone every week or so explaining the semiconductor business and answering questions about the foundries and the top fabless companies. We don’t always agree on the outlook but there is always something to … Read More


Can Samsung Deliver As Promised?

Can Samsung Deliver As Promised?
by Daniel Nenni on 03-24-2013 at 8:01 pm

Samsung’s aggressive marketing is starting to hit the fabless semiconductor ecosystem so we had all better be prepared. Samsung’s 2012 marketing budget exceeded $400M which probably beats the marketing budget of the entire fabless ecosystem! The question is, will the fabless semiconductor industry be easily swayed by Samsung’s… Read More


A Brief History of Forte Design Systems

A Brief History of Forte Design Systems
by Daniel Nenni on 03-21-2013 at 8:10 pm

When Semiwiki readers see the name Forte Design Systems, they may think of the live bagpipers’ performance that closes the yearly Design Automation Conference. Forte has been the sponsor of this moving end to DAC since 2001. Step with me behind the plaid kilts for a good look at this remarkable company headquartered in San Jose, … Read More


Schematic Migration Across Foundries and Processes

Schematic Migration Across Foundries and Processes
by Daniel Nenni on 03-17-2013 at 8:10 pm

A dedicated schematic migration tool can save weeks of effort and allow companies to explore new foundry opportunities. Unfortunately moving analog and mixed signal design data between foundries and processes is a complex business. While engineers would rather spend their days creating new circuits, many spend time translating… Read More


Cadence IP Report Card 2013

Cadence IP Report Card 2013
by Daniel Nenni on 03-17-2013 at 7:00 pm

The challenges of developing IP blocks, integrating them correctly, and hitting the power, performance, area, and time to market requirements of a mobile SoC is a growing problem. At 20nm and 14nm the probability of a chip re-spin due to an error is approaching 50% and we all know how disastrous a re-spin can be, those are not good … Read More


Synopsys ♥ TSMC!

Synopsys ♥ TSMC!
by Daniel Nenni on 03-14-2013 at 8:00 am

Dr. Paul McLellan and I will be covering the Silicon Valley SNUG live again this year. Unfortunately we are only allowed to see the keynotes (same thing with CDNLive) but they look very good:

Keynote Address: Massive Innovation and Collaboration into the “GigaScale” Age!
Aart de Geus, Chairman and co-CEO, Synopsys,
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Samsung and the New World Order!

Samsung and the New World Order!
by Daniel Nenni on 03-12-2013 at 7:52 pm

The keynotes at CDNLive today were very interesting, but rather than cover the slides and bullet points let me share with you my personal view of Samsung and how they are changing the semiconductor industry. Before I continue remember I’m just a blogger who shares observations, experiences, and opinions. This blog is for entertainment… Read More


We are Live at CDNLive 2013!

We are Live at CDNLive 2013!
by Daniel Nenni on 03-10-2013 at 7:00 pm

Dr. Paul McLellan and I will be covering CDNLive this week, one of the premier EDA events of the year. Take a look at the agenda and exhibits, this year it looks like a full on Design Automation Conference! There is definitely something for everyone!

Get ready for two full days of content with more than a hundred tracks and keynotes by… Read More


Silicon Summit April 18th, 2013

Silicon Summit April 18th, 2013
by Daniel Nenni on 03-07-2013 at 7:00 pm

Moore’s Law has transcended computing expectations; however, its promise will eventually reach scalability limitations due to extraordinary consumer demands. Future technology encompasses breakthroughs capable of interaction with the outside world, which the More than Moore movement achieves. Through integrating … Read More


Tanner EDA v16 OpenAccess is here!

Tanner EDA v16 OpenAccess is here!
by Daniel Nenni on 03-07-2013 at 4:00 pm

Tanner EDA is a pleasure to work with, they are big on collaboration and customers absolutely love their tools. With the Synopsys acquisition of SpringSoft, Tanner needs to step up and fill the void of the affordable Laker tools. Take a close look at their new v16 release and let me know how they are doing.

New capabilities for back-endRead More