One of the great advantages of emulation is that runtimes are much faster than for simulation – sufficiently fast that you can really debug hardware together with software for comprehensive use-case testing. A not so great aspect is that emulators are expensive and, until relatively recently, not particularly easy to share across… Read More
The Package Assembly Design Kit (PADK)… the start of something big
Integrated wafer-level fanout (WLFO) packaging technology is emerging as a foundation for multi-die solutions. Mobile product applications require focus on both aggressive chip-to-chip interface performance, as well as the final package volume. Traditional multi-chip packages using PCB laminate substrates do not readily… Read More
Custom layout productivity requires unrelenting EDA vendor focus
The EDA tools industry relies upon ongoing productivity enhancements to existing products, to manage increasing SoC complexity and to address shrinking design schedules. The source of ideas for enhancements can come from a variety of sources – e.g., customer feedback, collaboration with the foundries, and features found … Read More
The Appeal of a Multi-Purpose DSP
When you think of a DSP IP, you tend to think of very targeted applications – for baseband signal processing or audio or vision perhaps. Whatever the application, sometimes you want a solution optimally tuned to that need: best possible performance and power in the smallest possible footprint. These needs will continue,… Read More
Formally Crossing the Chasm
Formal verification for hardware was stuck for a long time with a reputation of being interesting but difficult to use and consequently limited to niche applications. Jasper worked hard to change this, particularly with their apps for JasperGold and I have been seeing more anecdotal information that mainstream adoption is growing.… Read More
From Zero to IoT Prototype in One Month
The best things in life may not always be free, but they don’t have to be incredibly difficult to get to. A challenge for IoT designers has been that their bubbling excitement over the potential of their new gizmo is quickly tempered by the complexities of actually building the hardware. Not exactly what they have come to expect in … Read More
10 signs on the neural-net-based ADAS road
Every day I read stuff about the coming of fully autonomous vehicles, and it’s not every day we get a technologist’s view of the hurdles faced in getting there. Chris Rowen, CTO of Cadence’s IP group, gave one of the best presentations I’ve seen on ADAS technology and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) at #53DAC, pointing… Read More
IC Designers talk about 28nm to 7nm challenges at #53DAC
IC design challenges are different at advanced nodes like 7nm, so to learn more about the topic I attended a panel luncheon at DAC sponsored by Cadence. The moderator was both funny and technically astute, quite the rare combination, so kudos to Professor Rob Rutenbar, a former Neolinear guy now at the University of Illinois. Panelists… Read More
Climbing the Infinite Verification Mountain
Many years ago I read a great little book by Rudy Rucker called “Infinity and the Mind”. This book attempts to explain the many classes of mathematical infinity (cardinals) to non-specialists. As he gets to the more abstract levels of infinity, the author has to resort to an analogy to give a feel for extendible and other cardinal … Read More
Six Reasons to Visit Cadence at #53DAC this Year in Austin
For bloggers like myself spending four days at #53DAC is almost a non-stop blur of activity, visiting EDA vendors, IP providers and foundries to learn about what’s happening in our semiconductor industry. Cadence is both an EDA vendor and IP provider, so DAC is a great showcase for them to tell us what’s new in 2016 and… Read More