Modern cars have about as much in common with their predecessors as modern cell phones have in common with dial up land-line phones. Cars now are loaded with a bevy of electronics, some of which serve the convenience of the driver and others are essential for vehicle operation and occupant safety. With the introduction of sophisticated… Read More
Author: Tom Simon
ITC shines light on new Mentor Test announcements
The 50th International Test Conference was just held in Washington DC, where papers, sessions, workshops and announcements addressing the increasing complexity and expanding use of semiconductors showed that innovations in test are crucial to design and product success. Test methodologies and even the scope of test have … Read More
Webinar – 3D NAND Memory Cell Optimization
Flash memory has become ubiquitous, so much so that it is easy to forget what life before it was like. Large scale non-volatile storage was limited spinning disks, which were bulky, power hungry and unreliable. With NAND Flash, we have become used to carrying many gigabytes around with us all the time in the form of cell phones, USB… Read More
Rapid growth of AI/ML based systems requires memory and interconnect IP
Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are working their way into a surprising number of areas. Probably the one you think of first is autonomous driving, but we are seeing a rapidly growing number of other applications as time goes on. Among these are networking, sensor fusion, manufacturing, data mining, numerical… Read More
Calibre Commences Cloud Computing
Calibre was a big game changer for DRC users when it first came out. Its hierarchical approach dramatically shortened runtimes with the same accuracy as other existing, but slower, flat tools. However, one unsung part of this story was that getting Calibre up and running required minimal effort for users. Two things are required… Read More
BittWare PCIe server card employs high throughput AI/ML optimized 7nm FPGA
Back in May I wrote an article on the new Speedster7t from Achronix. This chip brings together Network on Chip (NoC) interconnect, high speed Ethernet and memory connections, and processing elements optimized for AI/ML. Speedster7t is a very exciting new FPGA that can be used effectively to accelerate a wide range of processing… Read More
New ARC VPX DSP IP provides parallel processing punch
The transition to the digital age from a mostly analog world really began with the invention of the A-to-D and D-to-A converters. However scalar processors can easily be overwhelmed by the copious data produced by something as simple as an audio stream. To solve this problem and to really jumpstart the digital age, the development… Read More
IP-XACT helps you produce exactly what you need in SoC deliverables
If you have ever watched an experienced glass blower, your first thought is that they make it look so easy. I have had the opportunity to blow glass, and I can tell you that it is a constant struggle against temperature, time and muscles to get the glass to do anything like what you want. This is akin to what is required to take the elements… Read More
Statistically speaking you probably care about On-chip Variation
There are some metaphorical similarities between reaching timing signoff and driving a car to your destination. Most of us get in the car, turn the key and push the gas pedal to make it go. While we might have a cursory understanding of what makes it go, there are actually a lot of “moving part” under the hood in each instance. For most… Read More
Optimizing High Performance Packages calls for Multidisciplinary 3D Modeling
For all the time we spend thinking and talking about silicon design, it’s easy to forget just how important package design is. Semiconductor packages have evolved over the years from very basic containers for ICs into very specialized and highly engineered elements of finished electronic systems. They play an important role … Read More
More Headwinds – CHIPS Act Chop? – Chip Equip Re-Shore? Orders Canceled & Fab Delay