High-speed design requires addressing signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) challenges. Power integrity has a frequency component. The Power Distribution Network (PDN) in designs has 2 different purposes: providing power to the chip, and acting as a power plane reference for transmission-line like propagating … Read More
Electronic Design Automation
Delivering Innovation for Regulated Markets
When delivering devices to markets that require heavily audited compliance it is necessary to document and demonstrate development processes that follow the various standard(s) such as IEC65108, IATF16949, ISO26262.
For complex multi-disciplinary designs this can be difficult as they are often developed by multiple teams… Read More
Verifying Software Defined Networking
I’ve designed hardware and written software for decades now, so it comes as no surprise to see industry trends like Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) growing in importance. Instead of designing a switch with fixed logic you can use an SDN approach to allow for greatest flexibility, even … Read More
Accelerating Post-Silicon Debug and Test
The recent growing complexity in SoC designs attributed to the increased use of embedded IP’s for more design functionalities, has imposed a pressing challenge to the post-silicon bring-up process and impacting the overall product time-to-market.
According to data from Semico Research, more than 60% of design starts contain… Read More
CEO Interview: Adnan Hamid of Breker Systems
Breker Verification Systems solves challenges across the functional verification process for large, complex semiconductors. This includes streamlining UVM-based testbenches for IP verification, synchronizing software and hardware tests for large system-on-chips (SoCs), and simplifying test sets for hardware emulation… Read More
Silvaco on Simulation of Reliability and NBTI Aging in MOS Microelectronics
Silvaco was founded the same year I entered the EDA industry (1984) fresh from University. I first met them at the Design Automation Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and have been an active observer of their growth ever since. In fact, Silvaco is now the largest privately held EDA company and is growing at a rapid pace. In 2014… Read More
Physical Design for Secure Split Manufacturing of ICs
Semiconductors are not only critical to modern life, semiconductors are critical to National Security. Now that leading edge semiconductor foundries have left the United States one of the more pressing challenges is secure semiconductor manufacturing. This applies to all countries of course so let’s take a look at the International… Read More
Project Verification Planning for Analog Designs
Successful projects leverage the investment in comprehensive methodology and resource planning, covering design and analysis flows – that planning effort is especially important for functional verification.
The emergence of complex SoC designs for advanced automotive applications has led to a major focus on verification… Read More
Goldilocks Solution for SOC Processors
SOC designers face choices when it comes to choosing how to implement algorithms in their designs. Moving them to hardware usually offers advantages of smaller area, less power and faster processing. Witness the migration of block chain hashing from CPUs to ASICs. However, these advantages can come with trade-offs. For one, … Read More
AI, Deep Learning, SystemC, UVM, PSS – DVCon Has it All
Today I had the pleasure to speak with Tom Fitzpatrick, TPC Chair for the DVCon conferenceand exhibition slated for February 25-28 in the heart of Silicon Valley – San Jose. Tom lives in Massachusetts, a place where I used to live and work at Wang Labs, back in the day before the PC and WordPerfect software ended Wang’s… Read More


The Quantum Threat: Why Industrial Control Systems Must Be Ready and How PQShield Is Leading the Defense