My first experience with logic synthesis was at Silicon Compilers in the late 1980s using a tool called Genesil. Process technology since that time has moved from 3 um down to 20 nm, so there are new challenges for RTL synthesis. Today you can find logic synthesis tools being offered by the big three in EDA: Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor… Read More
Electronic Design Automation
Methodics Access Controls
My PhD thesis is titled The Design of a Network Filing System. Yes, that was a research topic back then (and yes, we did call them filing systems not file-systems). One big chapter was on access controls. There are several problems with designing an access control system:
- it needs to be possible to implement it efficiently
- it needs
Aldec increasing the return on simulation
Debate rages about which approach is better for SoC design: simulation, or emulation. Simulation proponents point to software saving the need for expensive hardware platforms. Emulation supporters stake their claims on accuracy and the incorporation of real-time I/O. A few years back, some creative types coined the term SEmulation,… Read More
Analyze Substrate Noise in SoC Design?
Often substrate noise analysis takes place when everything is there on the chip, but that stage comes near the tape-out which is too late to make major changes in architecture, placement, introducing noise protection circuitry for the victims and so on. It was okay when there used to be very little analog content on the chip. But … Read More
Tracing methods to multicore gladness
Multiple processor cores are now a given in SoCs. Grabbing IP blocks and laying them in a multicore design may be the easy part. While verification is extremely important, it is only the start – obtaining real-world performance depends on the combination of multicore hardware and actual application software. What should engineers… Read More
Johan Peeters on quick IP check through Cdiff
On the face of it, if we consider a simple ‘diff’ utility, it doesn’t need any explanation; almost everyone in our community would have used it. But imagine the CTO of a company investing his time in explaining how beneficial a specialized ‘Cdiff’ function can be in evaluating IP. Today’s SoC design world can’t live without IP and … Read More
Verification of Wireless RFIC Designs
Wireless technology is all around as I use cellular on an Android phone, WiFi to connect my MacBook Pro to the internet, Bluetooth for a headset, ANT+ for my cycling computer, and NFC to speed up electronic payments on the Android phone. Here’s a big picture look at some of the modern wireless standards available to choose from:… Read More
Customizable IP for HP and LP Audio Subsystems
Today, Smartphones and mobile devices have become center of innovation with multiple functions getting into them. Considering the audio or voice application, there can be multi-way conferencing, video chat, complete audio/video streaming, gaming, voice triggering and recognition,… you name an application, and it will … Read More
HiFi Sounds Better than Ever
If you think that the sound atmosphere created by Dolby or Surround–sound audio is the best you can achieve today by using complexes algorithms on DSP, like I thought before knowing about “Object-Based Audio”, you must read these lines! In fact Surround-sound Audio is limited by the number of speakers installed in a room, or a car,… Read More
A Group of Happy Employees that Excels in Everything They Do!
I visited AtrentaNoida in August 2013 during the inauguration of its newly expanded facility. At that time, I had written about the beautiful environment Atrenta has, with its presence at many sites across the world in my blog – “Innovation + Thoughtful Management = Productive Expansion”. Innovation cannot happen without happy… Read More
Musk’s new job as Samsung Fab Manager – Can he disrupt chip making? Intel outside