A recent analysis highlighted by MIT Technology Review puts the energy cost of generative AI into stark perspective. Generating a simple text response from Llama 3.1-405B—a model with 405 billion parameters, the adjustable “knobs” that enable prediction—requires on average 3,353 joules, nearly 1 watt-hour (Wh). Once cooling… Read More
Author: Lauro Rizzatti
An AI-Native Architecture That Eliminates GPU Inefficiencies
Hardware is the Center of the Universe (Again)
The 40-Year Evolution of Hardware-Assisted Verification — From In-Circuit Emulation to AI-Era Full-Stack Validation
For more than a decade, Hardware-Assisted Verification platforms have been the centerpiece of the verification toolbox. Today, no serious semiconductor program reaches tapeout without emulation or FPGA-prototyping… Read More
VSORA Board Chair Sandra Rivera on Solutions for AI Inference and LLM Processing
Sandra Rivera, a Silicon Valley veteran who is the former CEO of Altera, an Intel FPGA spinout, and long-time Intel executive, recently became Chair of the Board of Directors of Paris-based VSORA. VSORA, a technology leader redefining AI inference for next-generation data centers, cloud infrastructure and edge, is focused … Read More
Lessons from the DeepChip Wars: What a Decade-old Debate Teaches Us About Tech Evolution
The competitive landscape of hardware-assisted verification (HAV) has evolved dramatically over the past decade. The strategic drivers that once defined the market have shifted in step with the rapidly changing dynamics of semiconductor design.
Design complexity has soared, with modern SoCs now integrating tens of billions… Read More
Inference Acceleration from the Ground Up
VSORA, a pioneering high-tech company, has engineered a novel architecture designed specifically to meet the stringent demands of AI inference—both in datacenters and at the edge. With near-theoretical performance in latency, throughput, and energy efficiency, VSORA’s architecture breaks away from legacy designs optimized… Read More
The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of In-Circuit Emulation: Real-World Case Studies (Part 2 of 2)
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Synopsys’ distinguished experts in speed adapters and in-circuit emulation (ICE). Many who know my professional background see me as an advocate for virtual, transactor-based emulation, hence I was genuinely surprised to discover the impressive results achieved by today’s speed… Read More
The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of In-Circuit Emulation (Part 1 of 2)
Introduction: The Historical Roots of Hardware-Assisted Verification
The relentless pace of semiconductor innovation continues to follow an unstoppable trend: the exponential growth of transistor density within a given silicon area. This abundance of available semiconductor fabric has fueled the creativity of design… Read More
Silicon Valley, à la Française
Since the fall of the Roman Empire, France has played a defining role in shaping Western civilization. In the 9th century, Charlemagne—a Frank—united much of Europe under one rule, leaving behind a legacy so profound he is still remembered as the “Father of Europe.” While Italy ignited the Renaissance, it was 16th-century France… Read More
Verific Design Automation at the 2025 Design Automation Conference
Rick Carlson, Verific Design Automation’s Vice President of Sales, is an EDA trends spotter. I was reminded of his prescience when he recently called to catch up and talk about Verific’s role as provider of front-end platforms powering an emerging EDA market.
Verific, he said, is joining forces with a group of well-funded startups… Read More
The Journey of Interface Protocols: Adoption and Validation of Interface Protocols – Part 2 of 2
Part 2 examines the transformation of the interface protocols industry from a fragmented market of numerous specialized vendors to a more consolidated one dominated by a few major solutions providers as driven by the increasing complexity of modern protocols. It highlights the importance of rigorous validation of interface… Read More
CEO Interview with Jerome Paye of TAU Systems