The End of “Good Enough” Timing Analysis

The End of “Good Enough” Timing Analysis
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-27-2026 at 6:00 am

The End of Good Enough Timing Analysis

Why Advanced-Node Clock Networks Need More Than Timing Closure

Timing closure has been one of the semiconductor industry’s most reliable measures of design readiness for decades. Static timing analysis (STA) is a critical enabler for this process. It allows analysis of enormous designs across millions of paths, multiple… Read More


Bronco AI at DAC 2026, What a Difference a Year Makes

Bronco AI at DAC 2026, What a Difference a Year Makes
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-26-2026 at 6:00 am

Bronco AI at DAC 2026, What a Difference a Year Makes

During my time at DAC 2026 I felt like I was attending two events. One was the traditional DAC where approaches to designing complex chips using the best tools and methodologies were the focus. There was another focus for the conference. This one was like the traditional DAC with an important difference. Here, the discussion centered… Read More


Agentrys Shows You How to Build a Multi-Agent System in 30 Minutes

Agentrys Shows You How to Build a Multi-Agent System in 30 Minutes
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-20-2026 at 2:00 pm

Agentrys Shows You How to Build a Multi Agent System in 30 Minutes

Agentrys believes that a purpose-built multi-agent system for chip design shouldn’t be a quarter-long project. Agentic AI systems are becoming quite popular to cut design time and increase quality for complex chip design projects. The challenge is finding the right agentic flow for a particular application. There are… Read More


Focusing on the AI Big Picture with Moores Lab AI at DAC 2026

Focusing on the AI Big Picture with Moores Lab AI at DAC 2026
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-18-2026 at 6:00 am

Focusing on the AI Big Picture with Moores Lab AI at DAC 2026

DAC 2026 proved that agentic AI design flows are here to stay. The news was conveyed both by familiar companies who we’ve seen at DAC many times before as well as new entrants to the show and the industry. Many of the solutions that were presented focused on a specific part of the design flow. Others took a broader view of the problem and… Read More


ChipAgents Leads the AI Revolution at DAC 2026

ChipAgents Leads the AI Revolution at DAC 2026
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-17-2026 at 6:00 am

ChipAgents Leads the AI Revolution at DAC 2026

I believe this year’s DAC will be viewed as the time and place where EDA experienced a major shift. That is, the shift from the value of tools and methodology to the value of agentic design flows powered by highly trained agents. The design community will clearly need the tools and methodologies that have occupied DAC for years. But… Read More


Agentrys Launches Agentic Design Automation at DAC 2026

Agentrys Launches Agentic Design Automation at DAC 2026
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-11-2026 at 6:00 am

Agentrys Launches Agentic Design Automation at DAC 2026

There were many new agentic design flows introduced at DAC this year. Some from mainstream providers and others from new startups. The increased level of activity around this technology was good to see. Most of the approaches presented at the conference were targeting specific parts of the flow. Verification and debug were popular… Read More


DAC 2026: How Undo Makes AI for Chip Design Work Better

DAC 2026: How Undo Makes AI for Chip Design Work Better
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-10-2026 at 6:00 am

DAC 2026 How Undo Makes AI for Chip Design Work Better

DAC was abuzz this year with new AI-fueled approaches to chip design and debug. New tools powered by deeply trained models opened substantial possibilities to deliver higher quality designs much faster, potentially with less resources. Every new technology has its risks. For AI-driven chip design some of those risks center … Read More


Mach42 Delivers a Different Take on AI in the Design Flow at DAC 2026

Mach42 Delivers a Different Take on AI in the Design Flow at DAC 2026
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-06-2026 at 6:00 am

Mach42 Delivers a Different Take on AI in the Design Flow at DAC 2026

I believe DAC 2026 will be remembered as the turning point for AI assisted design. There has been discussion about AI infusion in EDA for a while now. Most of it was about how AI can be added to traditional tools to make existing methodologies better. This year, that changed. There were several new companies that highlighted a fundamentally… Read More


DAC 2026: Accellera Luncheon Panel on Embracing AI for Advanced Design and Verification

DAC 2026: Accellera Luncheon Panel on Embracing AI for Advanced Design and Verification
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-04-2026 at 2:00 pm

DAC 2026 Accellera Luncheon Panel on Embracing AI for Advanced Design and Verification

AI was a hot topic at DAC this year. If you attended the event, you’ve already heard about many new tools and systems that aim to improve time to market and quality for advanced semiconductors and systems. I had the pleasure of chairing an Accellera sponsored luncheon panel on Tuesday at DAC that took a different view of AI.

As AI and … Read More


DAC 2026: The Trouble with John Cooley’s Troublemaker Panel

DAC 2026: The Trouble with John Cooley’s Troublemaker Panel
by Mike Gianfagna on 07-31-2026 at 10:00 am

DAC 2026 The Trouble with John Cooley’s Troublemaker Panel

For quite a few years, John Cooley has hosted the Troublemaker Panel at DAC. The event consists of a panel of senior executives from the EDA industry. John Cooley asks his readers for “edgy” questions to ask the panelists and on event day, he does just that. Those with complete responses that are backed with real data from real customers… Read More