In the EDA world, “Shift-Left” has traditionally been a mantra for early software development—booting the OS before the silicon even leaves the fab. But as the RISC-V revolution accelerates, the goalposts have moved. We are seeing the emergence of a “New Shift-Left”, one that focuses on critical architectural… Read More
Electronic Design Automation
Beyond Tool Interoperability: The Emerging Governed Convergence Problem in Semiconductor Design
The semiconductor industry has spent decades optimizing tools. Today, however, the central challenge is no longer whether individual tools are powerful enough. The real question is whether increasingly specialized tools, domains, models, and organizations can still converge coherently into a manufacturable, reliable,… Read More
IPLM: Future Forward Webinar May 19th
Step into the future of semiconductor design management with IPLM: Future Forward, a product-led webinar showcasing the latest developments in Perforce IPLM. This focused session is designed to show how modern teams can tackle growing design complexity while still accelerating innovation.
Hosted by IPLM… Read More
From Point Solutions to Agentic AI Ecosystems: Semiconductor Process Control Depends on Its Past
Agentic AI is often presented as a revolutionary shift in semiconductor manufacturing, driven by large language models and generative AI. However, this framing overlooks an important reality: today’s advances are built on decades of prior work. As Jonathan Holt of PDF Solutions emphasizes in his recent keynote at the APCM 2026… Read More
CEO Interview with Dave Kelf, CEO of Breker Verification Systems
In the functional verification space, Breker Verification Systems stands out for its vast and long-standing understanding and ability to solve many of the seemingly intractable complexity challenges, especially in the system space.
I recently talked with Dave Kelf, Breker’s CEO, who has plenty of good news to share about Breker’s… Read More
The Great Divide: A Tale of Three Hardware Emulation Architectures
Hardware emulation arose as a necessity out of the needs of the eighties. By the mid-1980s, semiconductor designs had outgrown the practical limits of gate-level simulation. Gate-level simulation delivered accuracy, but at glacial pace; silicon prototypes performed at real-speed but arrived far too late. The industry needed… Read More
A Different Angle on Co-Simulation for Systems
Co-simulation, two or more simulations running concurrently in some manner, is not a new idea. I have written before about multiphysics systems able to model thermal, stress, CFD and other factors simultaneously. I just read a white paper from Siemens based on a different method, using an open standard called the Functional Mockup… Read More
Synopsys and TSMC Deepen AI Design Alliance: What It Means
A recent announcement from Synopsys signals a meaningful escalation in the race to build next-generation AI hardware. The expanded collaboration between Synopsys and TSMC brings together silicon-proven IP, AI-driven design tools, and cutting-edge manufacturing processes in a tightly integrated effort to accelerate high-performance… Read More
Siemens U2U 3D IC Design and Verification Panel
Given the success of the event in Silicon Valley last week, I would expect the Siemens U2U event in Munich to be even bigger. In my experience this has been the best user driven event in 2026 with the deepest customer content. EDA has always been a customer driven industry and it is good to see us recognize that from time to time. Kalar … Read More
Rethinking ECAD IT Infrastructure: From Fragmentation to an Engineering Platform
The semiconductor industry is entering a new phase of complexity. Advanced nodes, heterogeneous integration, and AI-driven design workflows are placing unprecedented demands on engineering teams. While much of the focus remains on tools and methodologies, an equally critical constraint is emerging beneath the surface:… Read More


ASML High-NA EUV is Not Ready for High-Volume Production