Arteris answer to Sonics: should compare actual NoC (in Silicon proven SoC) performance, instead of potential, unproven NoC performances!

Arteris answer to Sonics: should compare actual NoC (in Silicon proven SoC) performance, instead of potential, unproven NoC performances!
by Eric Esteve on 12-02-2012 at 5:06 am

It seems that Ateris vs. Sonics war, initiated by Sonics in 2010 on the legal battle field, is now continuing on the marketing field, as far as I am concerned, I prefer the latter, as I am an engineer and not a lawyer, and I must say that playing in the marketing allow both companies to extract the most attractive features of their products.… Read More


CEVA also bid to acquire MIPS… ARM still staying quiet?

CEVA also bid to acquire MIPS… ARM still staying quiet?
by Eric Esteve on 11-23-2012 at 4:21 am

We have seen in a previous post that Imagination Technologies has proposed to buy MIPS, in fact “MIPS operating business and certain patent properties, as well as license rights to all of the remaining patent properties”. Translated into understandable language Imagination has offered $60M for MIPS Processor IP core portfolio,… Read More


How much SRAM proportion could be integrated in SoC at 20 nm and below?

How much SRAM proportion could be integrated in SoC at 20 nm and below?
by Eric Esteve on 11-20-2012 at 4:45 am

Once upon a time, ASIC designers were integrating memories in their design (using a memory compiler being part of the design tools provided by the ASIC vendor), then they had to make the memory observable, controllable… and start developing the test program for the function, not a very enthusiastic task (“AAAA” and “5555” and other… Read More


Cadence sets the Global Standards in VIP for AMBA based SoC

Cadence sets the Global Standards in VIP for AMBA based SoC
by Eric Esteve on 11-12-2012 at 11:48 am

We have shown in Semiwiki how strong Cadence position was in Verification IP (VIP) in a previous post focusing on Interface standards like SuperSpeed USB or PCI Express. But IP based functions are used everywhere in a SoC, not only to interface with the external world, and need to be verified, as well, like for AMBA based functions.… Read More


ARM adopting SpyGlass IP Kit, joining TSMC’s soft IP9000 Quality Assessment Program

ARM adopting SpyGlass IP Kit, joining TSMC’s soft IP9000 Quality Assessment Program
by Eric Esteve on 11-07-2012 at 12:17 pm

More than one year old now, TSMC’s soft IP quality assessment program is a joint effort between TSMC and Atrenta to deploy a series of SpyGlass checks that create detailed reports of the completeness and robustness of soft IP. This soft IP quality program has been the first to be initiated by a Silicon foundry on other than “Hard IP”,Read More


Should ARM care about MIPS acquisition?

Should ARM care about MIPS acquisition?
by Eric Esteve on 11-06-2012 at 3:09 am

It was not really a surprise to learn that, finally, MIPS have been sold, as the company was officially for sale since April 2012. Nevertheless, the interesting part of this news comes from the buyer’ identity: Imagination Technologies. Imagination is an UK based company, like ARM, selling processor IP cores, like ARM, but the … Read More


4 Billion CEVA powered Chips shipped

4 Billion CEVA powered Chips shipped
by Eric Esteve on 10-24-2012 at 8:34 pm

Why making the difference between chips and cores, when mentioning that CEVA’s customers have shipped four billion IC to date? Because that can make a big difference! Imagine for example an IP vendor selling processor IP cores to be used in massively parallel computing application, when the chip maker create a processor NxM matrix,… Read More


TSMC dilemma: Cadence, Mentor or Synopsys?

TSMC dilemma: Cadence, Mentor or Synopsys?
by Eric Esteve on 10-18-2012 at 4:49 am

Looking at the Press Release (PR) flow, it was interesting to see how TSMC has solved a communication dilemma. At first, let’s precise that #1 Silicon foundry has to work with each of the big three EDA companies. As a foundry, you don’t want to lose any customer, and then you support every major design flow. Choosing another strategy… Read More


IP-SoC 2012 Conference: don’t miss keynotes talk from Cadence, Synopsys, STMicroelectronics…

IP-SoC 2012 Conference: don’t miss keynotes talk from Cadence, Synopsys, STMicroelectronics…
by Eric Esteve on 10-17-2012 at 4:47 am

… Mentor Graphics, Design & Reuse or Gartner. The IP-SoC conference in Grenoble has been the very first 100% dedicated to Design IP, created by Gabriele Saucier 20 years ago, when “reuse” was more a concept than a reality within the design teams, and when Design IP was far to be a sustainable business.

Pr Gabriele Saucier had the… Read More


After 10 years promoting crossbar switch for interconnects, Sonics finally admit that NoC is better

After 10 years promoting crossbar switch for interconnects, Sonics finally admit that NoC is better
by Eric Esteve on 10-15-2012 at 11:27 am

Network on Chip (NoC) technology is probably one of the most fascinating new concepts that has been developed and is implemented in real chips. NoC can be integrated into various System on Chip (SOC), targeting several market segment: Video Processing, Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Networking, Multimedia (digital TV),… Read More