As processor architecture and design development becomes completely liberated with open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA), the race to get RISC-V silicon in our hands has increased massively. We have no doubt that in next 5 years, we will see RISC-V based laptops and desktops in the market. But would these processors… Read More
Electronic Design Automation
Side Channel Analysis at RTL. Innovation in Verification
Roots of trust can’t prevent attacks through side-channels which monitor total power consumption or execution timing. Correcting weakness to such attacks requires pre-silicon vulnerability analysis. Paul Cunningham (GM, Verification at Cadence), Raúl Camposano (Silicon Catalyst, entrepreneur, former Synopsys CTO)… Read More
Using Machine Learning to Improve EDA Tool Flow Results
Back in 2020 I first learned from Synopsys about how they had engineered a better way to do optimize layouts on digital designs by using machine learning techniques, instead of relying upon manual approaches. The product was named DSO.ai, standing for Design Space Optimization, and it produced a more optimal floor-plan in less… Read More
Expanding Intel’s Foundry Partnerships: A Critical Piece of IDM 2.0
One of the career Intel employees (33+ years) that Pat Gelsinger brought back is Stuart Pann. Stuart is now the Senior Vice President of the Intel Corporate Planning Group. He does not have direct foundry experience but he certainly knows Intel and Pat so it will be interesting to see where this goes.
Stuart recently penned an article… Read More
Symmetry Requirements Becoming More Important and Challenging
Humans certainly have always had an aesthetic preference for symmetry. We also see symmetry showing up frequently in nature. The importance of symmetry in electronic designs has been apparent for decades. There are a host of analog structures that require balanced layout. For instance, these include differential pairs and … Read More
Cadence Tempus Update Promises to Transform Timing Signoff User Experience
Cadence invests heavily in the development of their Tempus Timing Signoff Solution due to its importance in the SoC design flow. I recently had a discussion on the topic of the most recent Tempus update with Brandon Bautz, senior product management group director in the Digital & Signoff Group, and Hitendra Divecha, product… Read More
Podcast EP34: IP Management for Early Stage Semiconductor Companies
Dan and Mike are joined by Michael Munsey, senior vice president of marketing, business development and corporate strategy at Perforce. Michael discusses the unique IP management requirements of early stage semiconductor companies and how to address these requirements. The risks associated with a sub-optimal approach are… Read More
Have STA and SPICE Run Out of Steam for Clock Analysis?
At advanced nodes such as 7 and 5nm, timing closure and sign off are becoming much more difficult than before at 16nm. One area of chips that has increased in complexity dramatically and who’s correct operation is essential for silicon success is the clock tree. If the clock tree has excessive jitter, it will throw off every timing… Read More
How Hyperscalers Are Changing the Ethernet Landscape
It’s all about bandwidth these days – fueling hyperscale data centers that support high-performance and cloud computing applications. It’s what enables you to stream a movie on your smart TV while your roommate plays an online game with friends located in different parts of the country. It’s what makes big data analytics run swiftly… Read More
You Get What You Measure – How to Design Impossible SoCs with Perforce
We all know that a trusted, reliable, and well-integrated design flow is critical to successful advanced SoC design. So is proven, robust IP. While these elements are necessary for success, they are not, by themselves, sufficient. There are other aspects to consider – measurement, tracking and coordination. We’ve all heard … Read More
Weebit Nano Moves into the Mainstream with Customer Adoption