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

Screen Shot 2020 04 11 at 6.29.49 PM

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

Screen Shot 2020 04 17 at 7.42.27 PM

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

Screen Shot 2020 04 08 at 7.46.46 PM

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


Artificial Intelligence in Micro-Watts: How to Make TinyML a Reality

Artificial Intelligence in Micro-Watts: How to Make TinyML a Reality
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-15-2020 at 6:00 am

Eta Compute ECM3532

TinyML is kind of a whimsical term. It turns out to be a label for a very serious and large segment of AI and machine learning – the deployment of machine learning on actual end user devices (the extreme edge) at very low power. There’s even an industry group focused on the topic. I had the opportunity to preview a compelling webinar about… Read More


Linley Spring Processor Conference Kicks Off – Virtually

Linley Spring Processor Conference Kicks Off – Virtually
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-13-2020 at 10:00 am

Linley Gwennap

The popular Linley Processor Conference kicked off its spring event at 9AM Pacific on Monday, April 6, 2020. The event began with a keynote from Linley Gwennap, principal analyst and president at The Linley Group. Linley’s presentation provided a great overview of the application of AI across several markets. Almost all of the… Read More


Wally Rhines: Mentoring Generations of Semiconductor and EDA Professionals

Wally Rhines: Mentoring Generations of Semiconductor and EDA Professionals
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-10-2020 at 10:00 am

Wally Then and Now

I had the good fortune to catch a live webinar recently that was quite compelling – Conversation with Dr. Walden Rhines: Predicting Semiconductor Business Trends After Moore’s Law! Dr. Rhines, known to most as Wally, doesn’t need much of an introduction. Any semiconductor or EDA professional knows who he is and what he’s accomplished.… Read More


Synopsys is Changing the Game with Next Generation 64-Bit Embedded Processor IP

Synopsys is Changing the Game with Next Generation 64-Bit Embedded Processor IP
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-07-2020 at 6:00 am

ARC HS5x HS6x block diagram

Synopsys issued a press release this morning that has some important news – Synopsys Introduces New 64-bit ARC Processor IP Delivering Up to 3x Performance Increase for High-End Embedded Applications. At first glance, one could assume this is just an announcement for some new additions to the popular ARC processor family. While… Read More


UPDATE: Everybody Loves a Winner

UPDATE: Everybody Loves a Winner
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-05-2020 at 9:00 am

Picture1 4

Building a successful startup is hard, very hard. Creating a new category along the way is even more difficult. Those that succeed at both endeavors are quite rare. This is why an upcoming ESD Alliance event is a must-see in my view. The event is entitled “Jim Hogan and Methodics’ Simon Butler on Bootstrapping a Startup to ProfitabilityRead More


Filling the ASIC Void – Part 2

Filling the ASIC Void – Part 2
by Mike Gianfagna on 04-03-2020 at 6:00 am

Screen Shot 2020 03 24 at 5.00.49 PM

I concluded my last post on the topic with an inventory of the key attributes needed to fill the ASIC void created by the relentless consolidation in semiconductors. There were five items, as follows:

  1. Design and manufacturing expertise in a market that requires custom chips
  2. Differentiating IP and the skills to integrate it into
Read More