Cadence – Redefining EDA Through Computational Software

Cadence – Redefining EDA Through Computational Software
by Mike Gianfagna on 05-12-2020 at 10:00 am

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Based on what I’m seeing, I believe Cadence is looking at the world a bit differently these days. I first reported about their approach to machine learning for EDA in March, and then there was their white paper about Intelligent System Design in April. It’s now May, and Cadence is shaking things up again with a new white paper entitled… Read More


How to Modify, Release and Update IP in 30 Minutes or Less

How to Modify, Release and Update IP in 30 Minutes or Less
by Mike Gianfagna on 05-08-2020 at 6:00 am

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I had the opportunity to attend a ClioSoft webinar recently on the topic of IP traceability. ClioSoft provides a broad range of tools for design data management and IP reuse. Entitled The New Trend in IP Traceability that IP Developers and Design Managers Rely On, the webinar was presented by Karim Khalfan, director of applications… Read More


Webinar: Build Your Next HBM2/2E Chip with SiFive

Webinar: Build Your Next HBM2/2E Chip with SiFive
by Mike Gianfagna on 05-04-2020 at 10:00 am

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I have been watching the trend for quite some time now that many advanced FinFET designs today are actually 2.5D systems in package. All of these 2.5D silicon interposer-based designs have high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacks on board.  Often there are multiple memory stacks in both 4-high and 8-high configurations. If you follow… Read More


Slash Tapeout Times with Calibre in the Cloud

Slash Tapeout Times with Calibre in the Cloud
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-30-2020 at 10:00 am

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I’ve spent many years in the ASIC business, and I’ve seen my share of complex chip tapeouts. All of these projects share one important challenge – compute requirements explode when you get close to the finish line. Certain tools need to run on the full-chip layout for final verification and the run times for those tools can get excessively… Read More


Starting a Chip Company? Silicon Catalyst and Arm Are Ready to Help

Starting a Chip Company? Silicon Catalyst and Arm Are Ready to Help
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-29-2020 at 6:00 am

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Anyone who has started a company knows that landing the seed round of investment is just the beginning. There are many decisions to face.  When to start building a sales team?  What parts of the company’s infrastructure to outsource? How to price and promote your product? These are just a few of the questions to be answered. If your… Read More


Synopsys – Turbocharging the TCAM Portfolio with eSilicon

Synopsys – Turbocharging the TCAM Portfolio with eSilicon
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-27-2020 at 10:00 am

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About 90 days ago, Synopsys completed the acquisition of certain IP assets from eSilicon. The remaining entirety of eSilicon was acquired by Inphi Corporation. I was the VP of marketing at eSilicon during that acquisition so it’s very interesting to me to find out how things are going with those certain IP assets.  I got an opportunity… Read More


Accelerating Edge Inference with Flex Logix’s InferX X1

Accelerating Edge Inference with Flex Logix’s InferX X1
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-22-2020 at 10:00 am

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For a long time, memories were the primary technology driver for process development. If you built memories, you got access to cutting-edge process information. If you built other products, this could give you a competitive edge. In many cases, FPGAs are replacing memories as the driver for advanced processes. The technology… Read More


The Quiet Giant in Verification IP and More

The Quiet Giant in Verification IP and More
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-21-2020 at 10:00 am

SmartDV Market Coverage

In the technology industry, we’re all used to the hype about the latest and greatest. Semiconductor IP participates in the over-drive news cycle from time to time as well. So, when I see a company that has real, solid credentials but has resisted the temptation to over-hype, it gets my attention. I had an experience like this recently… Read More


Wave Computing and MIPS Wave Goodbye

Wave Computing and MIPS Wave Goodbye
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-19-2020 at 8:00 am

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Word on the virtual street is that Wave Computing is closing down. The company has reportedly let all employees go and will file for Chapter 11. As one of the many promising new companies in the field of AI, Wave Computing was founded in 2008 with the mission “to revolutionize deep learning with real-time AI solutions that scale from… Read More


Cadence – Defining a Roadmap to the Future

Cadence – Defining a Roadmap to the Future
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-16-2020 at 10:00 am

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Cadence recently published a position paper that details a set of enabling technologies that will be needed for product design going forward. Entitled Intelligent System Design, the piece describes the changing landscape of system design and the requirements for success. Cadence has built a branded approach to address these… Read More