Cadence Outlines Automotive Solutions at TSMC OIP Event

Cadence Outlines Automotive Solutions at TSMC OIP Event
by Tom Simon on 10-08-2015 at 12:00 pm

I used to joke that my first car could survive a nuclear war. It was a 1971 Volvo sedan (142) that was EMP proof because it had absolutely no semiconductors in the ignition system, just points, condensers and a coil. If you go back to the Model T in 1915 you will see that the “on-board electronics” were not that different. However, today’s… Read More


How to Build an IoT Endpoint in Three Months

How to Build an IoT Endpoint in Three Months
by Tom Simon on 09-27-2015 at 7:00 am

It is often said that things go in big cycles. One example of this is the design and manufacturing products. People long ago used to build their own things. Think of villagers or settlers hundreds of years ago, if they needed something they would craft it themselves. Then came the industrial revolution and two things happened. One… Read More


Why Sidense OTP is Like the Armored Car of NVM

Why Sidense OTP is Like the Armored Car of NVM
by Tom Simon on 09-23-2015 at 4:00 pm

I have written about Sidense before, but last week at the TSMC Open Innovation Platform Forum, I had a chance to hear a talk by, and have lunch with Betina Hold Director of R&D at Sidense. Here is what I learned.

Sidense has been focusing on the growing market in what they like to call the smart connected universe. It is best to think… Read More


Enterprise Design Management Comes of Age

Enterprise Design Management Comes of Age
by Tom Simon on 09-22-2015 at 12:00 pm

The motivations for having a data and process management system in place for semiconductor design have existed for a long time. I am reluctant to admit it, but I remember early efforts to do this back in the 80’s at Valid Logic. Cadence was also developing this capability in house through the early 90’s. Back then designs were much … Read More


How MunEDA Helps Solve the Difficulties of AMS/RF IP Reuse

How MunEDA Helps Solve the Difficulties of AMS/RF IP Reuse
by Tom Simon on 09-08-2015 at 12:00 pm

Reusing design IP is crucial for competitiveness. The need for reuse occurs with new designs on the same process node as the original design, new designs at the same node but using a different PDK or foundry, or designs on a different process node – usually smaller. However, achieving effective IP reuse has always been a challenge.… Read More


Adding NAND Flash Can Be Tricky

Adding NAND Flash Can Be Tricky
by Tom Simon on 09-01-2015 at 4:00 pm

As consumers, we take NAND flash memory for granted. It has worked its way into a vast array of products. These include USB drives, SD cards, wearables, IoT devices, tablets, phones and increasingly SSD’s for computer systems. From the outside the magic of flash memory seems quite simple, but we have to remember that this is a technology… Read More


My Experience with the Ultra Thin 2015 MacBook

My Experience with the Ultra Thin 2015 MacBook
by Tom Simon on 08-23-2015 at 4:00 pm

Before we left for our 5 week trip to Europe I decided that I would need a real laptop computer on the road. I knew it would be a near necessity for booking hotels and making train reservations. Also, I would need to write emails and maybe even pay some online bills. I already have an iPad but really wanted to be able to run all my applications… Read More


Older Nodes Get New Life With Ultra Low Power Variants for IoT

Older Nodes Get New Life With Ultra Low Power Variants for IoT
by Tom Simon on 08-20-2015 at 12:00 pm

Ever since I can remember, and I’ve been in EDA since the early 80’s, new process development has largely focused on the latest nodes. Trailing nodes were quickly put into support mode. New nodes benefited the most from static and dynamic voltage reduction efforts, as well as improvements in flows and performance. Only a small number… Read More


Seeing Firsthand How the Internet has Changed Traveling

Seeing Firsthand How the Internet has Changed Traveling
by Tom Simon on 08-19-2015 at 12:00 pm

We hear a lot of talk about the internet improving our lives, but most of the time this translates into time spent on FaceBook, shopping on Amazon or other distractions. However, on our just completed trip to Europe I discovered how mobile internet connectivity can transform the experience of traveling.

At home when I drive places… Read More


Meeting Demand as Fab Capacity is Stretched Again

Meeting Demand as Fab Capacity is Stretched Again
by Tom Simon on 08-11-2015 at 8:00 pm

Global semiconductor production capacity and its utilization level are key elements of the technology economy. During a panel at DAC in June Mentor Graphics posited that we are entering into a period where leading edge processes will be in high demand and also older nodes are seeing increasing demand due to Internet of Things designs… Read More