What’s in your network processor?

What’s in your network processor?
by Don Dingee on 09-19-2013 at 8:00 pm

Recently, one of those very restrained press releases – in this case, Mentor Graphics and Imagination Technologiesextending their partnership for MIPS software support– crossed my desk with about 10% of the story. The 90% of this story I want to focus on is why Mentor is putting energy into this partnership… Read More


Texture decompression is the point for mobile GPUs

Texture decompression is the point for mobile GPUs
by Don Dingee on 09-18-2013 at 9:00 pm

In the first post of this series, we named the popular methods for texture compression in OpenGL ES, particularly Imagination Technologies PVRTC on all Apple and many Android mobile devices. Now, let’s explore what texture compression involves, what PVRTC does, and how it differs from other approaches.… Read More


It’s a 14nm photomask, what could possibly go wrong?

It’s a 14nm photomask, what could possibly go wrong?
by Don Dingee on 08-27-2013 at 3:16 pm

Let’s start with the bottom line: in 14nm processes, errors which have typically been little more than noise with respect to photomask critical dimension (CD) control targets at larger process nodes are about to become very significant, even out of control if not accounted for.… Read More


Something old, something new in SystemC HLS

Something old, something new in SystemC HLS
by Don Dingee on 08-26-2013 at 5:00 pm

Perhaps no area in EDA has been as enigmatic as high-level synthesis (HLS). At nearly every industry event, some new-fangled tool always seems to be tabbed as the next big thing by some analyst or pundit. In a twist, the latest news is on one of the oldest tools – CybeWorkBench.… Read More


More to the story than bigger FPGA-based prototyping

More to the story than bigger FPGA-based prototyping
by Don Dingee on 08-19-2013 at 5:00 pm

Still not convinced on the value of FPGA-based prototyping systems, or using older technology? I’ve been trying to find the story beyond just bigger, badder FPGAs in a box that you pour RTL into – and found some hints in a webinar on the Synopsys HAPS-70 from earlier this year.… Read More


Compressing OpenGL ES textures

Compressing OpenGL ES textures
by Don Dingee on 08-14-2013 at 6:00 pm

The 80s called, and they want lazy programming back. Remember “Mr. Mom”? Michael Keaton is talking about rewiring the house, and Martin Mull asks if he’s going to use all 220V, and Keaton responds “Yeah, 220, 221, whatever it takes.” Not knowing what’s inside can make you look silly.

Such is the case with OpenGL ES. Taking a look at … Read More


How many consortia does POWER need to succeed?

How many consortia does POWER need to succeed?
by Don Dingee on 08-06-2013 at 1:02 pm

Sometimes press releases just make me scratch my head. Today’s example comes from IBM: after tying PowerPC and Power.org in knots for almost 20 years with rules and restrictive licensing, IBM breaks ranks and sets up ANOTHER consortium with different players.… Read More


Scan the horizon, P1687 takes us higher

Scan the horizon, P1687 takes us higher
by Don Dingee on 07-31-2013 at 6:00 pm

The tech standards cycle almost always goes like this: Problems or limits develop with the existing way of doing things. Innovators attempt to engineer solutions, usually many of them. Chaos ensues when customers figure out nothing new works with anything else. Competitors sit down and agree on a specification where things work… Read More


Constrain all you want, we’ll solve more

Constrain all you want, we’ll solve more
by Don Dingee on 07-24-2013 at 8:30 pm

EDA tool development is always pushing the boundaries, driven in part by bigger, faster chips and more complex IP. For several years now, the trend has been developing tools that spot problems faster without waiting for the “big bang” synthesis result that takes hours and hours. Vendors, with help from customers, are tuning tools… Read More


The fixed and the finite: QoR in FPGAs

The fixed and the finite: QoR in FPGAs
by Don Dingee on 07-22-2013 at 1:00 pm

There is an intriguingly amorphous term in FPGA design circles lately: Quality of Results, or QoR. Fitting a design in an FPGA is just the start – is a design optimal in real estate, throughput, power consumption, and IP reuse? Paradoxically, as FPGAs get bigger and take on bigger signal processing problems, QoR has become a larger… Read More