I could show you the FPGA, but then I’d have to configure you

I could show you the FPGA, but then I’d have to configure you
by Don Dingee on 10-31-2013 at 6:00 pm

One of the present ironies of the Internet of Things is as it seeks to connect every device on the planet, we are still designing those things with largely unconnected EDA tools. We may share libraries and source files on a server somewhere, but that is just the beginning of connection.

It is not surprising that synthesis tools from… Read More


What you compress may not be all you get

What you compress may not be all you get
by Don Dingee on 10-30-2013 at 4:00 pm

Now that we’ve looked at the basics, we wrap up this three-part series exploring PVRTC texture compression. We’ll take a brief look at PVRTC2, the latest version of the technology, and then explore the issues behind visual quality from several different angles.

PVRTC2 is supported on the newest Series5XT or Series6 GPU cores from… Read More


Assertions verifying blocks to systems at Broadcom

Assertions verifying blocks to systems at Broadcom
by Don Dingee on 10-15-2013 at 6:00 pm

Speaking from experience, it is very difficult to get an OEM customer to talk about how they actually use standards and vendor products. A new white paper co-authored by Broadcom lends insight into how a variety of technologies combine in a flow from IP block simulation verification with assertions to complete SoC emulation with… Read More


Stick to the script for repeatable FPGA-based prototyping

Stick to the script for repeatable FPGA-based prototyping
by Don Dingee on 09-30-2013 at 7:00 pm

70% of today’s ASIC and SoC designs are being prototyped on FPGAs. Everybody knows that. But, did you know that automating the process of converting what could be thousands of ASIC “golden” files into FPGA-friendly versions can mean big savings in a large design?… Read More


With SCE-MI, timing really is everything

With SCE-MI, timing really is everything
by Don Dingee on 09-28-2013 at 11:00 pm

In one of my favorite movies, Brad Pitt utters the only question that matters in baseball or technology management in the face of uncertainty: “Okay, good. What’s the problem?” Not surprisingly in that scene, as the question circles the table of experts used to doing things the old way, not a single one can answer it correctly in the… Read More


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