Interface Protocols, USB3, PCI Express, MIPI, DDRn… the winner and losers in 2013

Interface Protocols, USB3, PCI Express, MIPI, DDRn… the winner and losers in 2013
by Eric Esteve on 11-19-2013 at 11:57 am

How to best forecast a specific protocol adoption? One option is to look at the various IP sales, it will give you a good idea of the number of SoC or IC offering this feature on the market in the next 12 months. Once again, if you wait for the IP sale to have reached a maximum, it will be too late, so you have to monitor the IP sales dynamic when… Read More


Android Kit Kat Openly Preaching for DSP offloading

Android Kit Kat Openly Preaching for DSP offloading
by Eric Esteve on 11-15-2013 at 10:04 am

In fact KitKat advocates low-power always-on functionality, and this is essential for contextual-awareness. Always-on functionality is saving battery life, which seems to be weird at first: if your phone is always-on you would expect it to consume much power… But always-on goes together with screen-off (the screen is a high… Read More


Is FD-SOI Really Faster, Cooler, Simpler?

Is FD-SOI Really Faster, Cooler, Simpler?
by Eric Esteve on 11-12-2013 at 5:17 am

I love the slogan associated with FD-SOI: the technology is supposed to be Faster, Cooler, Simpler. Does this slogan reflect the reality? Let’s start with Simpler. We (the semiconductor industry) have the perception that Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology is something complex and exotic. Why? Because SOI has been used to … Read More


IP-SoC 2013 Top Class Presentations…

IP-SoC 2013 Top Class Presentations…
by Eric Esteve on 11-10-2013 at 10:41 am

… were given to an ever shrinking audience. This is IP-SoC paradox: audience has enjoyed very good presentations made by TSMC (for the first time at IP-SoC, as far as I remember), SMIC, D&R, Gartner or ST-Microelectronic, to name just a few. The event is well organized, on the morning you can listen to keynotes in the largest … Read More


Is FD-SOI Smarter than Moore?

Is FD-SOI Smarter than Moore?
by Eric Esteve on 11-01-2013 at 12:03 pm

If you have read the excellent article from Paul McLellan, you know about FDSOI as a technology, so I will not come back to FDSOI device, and the comparison with FinFET in term of device topology, doping level and so on. If you missed it, I would recommend you to read this article, as well as the many comments (all of them being relevant).… Read More


Qualcomm Arteris deal

Qualcomm Arteris deal
by Eric Esteve on 10-31-2013 at 10:32 am

Is it really a surprise if Qualcomm, the undisputed leader of Application Processor (AP) and BaseBand (BB) IC for wireless mobile, already one of the Arteris investors (with ARM, Synopsys, Docomo Capital and a bunch of VC), eventually acquires the best NoC IP technology (the technology, the engineering team and the rights, but… Read More


M-PCIe, Data Converters, and USB 3.0 SSIC at IP SoC 2013

M-PCIe, Data Converters, and USB 3.0 SSIC at IP SoC 2013
by Eric Esteve on 10-31-2013 at 9:38 am

Synopsys is taking IP-SOC 2013 seriously, as the company will hold several presentations, starting with a Keynote: “Virtual Prototyping – A Reality Check”, by Johannes Stahl, Director, Product Marketing, System-Level Solutions, Synopsys, highlighting current industry practice around putting virtual prototyping to work… Read More


ARC EM SEP Processor, Safety Ready Solution for Automotive

ARC EM SEP Processor, Safety Ready Solution for Automotive
by Eric Esteve on 10-30-2013 at 5:24 am

If you are familiar with Processor IP core, you certainly know DesignWare ARC EM4 core, 32-bit CPU that SoC designers can optimize for a wide range of uses, and differentiate by using patented configuration technology to tailor each ARC core instance to meet specific performance, power and area requirements. If you develop a product… Read More


Let’s comment… a comment from Sonics (about Arteris)

Let’s comment… a comment from Sonics (about Arteris)
by Eric Esteve on 10-27-2013 at 2:00 pm

We still don’t know the precise status about a potential acquisition of Arteris by Qualcomm, and I prefer not to comment a rumor and wait for the official announcement, if any. But I would like to comment … a comment about this rumor, recently made by Sonics. This comment has taken the form of an Open Letter, from “Grant Pierce, CEO of… Read More


Qualcomm start selling DSP IP core?…

Qualcomm start selling DSP IP core?…
by Eric Esteve on 10-23-2013 at 7:41 am

In recent times semiconductor companies have revealed their intentions to license their in-house processor architectures for the first time – IBM want to license their Power CPU architecture, nVidia to license their GPU architecture. Most recently, a rumor has surfed: Qualcomm will license their DSP architecture. We should… Read More