I attended the annual user group meeting called User2User in Santa Clara this year, hosted by Siemens EDA, with 51 presentations by customers in 11 tracks, and keynotes during each lunch hour from semiconductor executives. Joseph Sawicki, Executive VP, IC Segment, at Siemens EDA presented on a Tuesday, along with Prashant Varshney,… Read More
Cybersecurity Threat Detection and Mitigation
Every week in the technology trade press I am reading about cybersecurity attacks against web sites, apps, IoT devices, vehicles and even ICs. At the recent IP SoC Silicon Valley 2022 event in April I watched a cybersecurity presentation from Robert Rand, Solution Architect for Tessent Embedded Analytics at Siemens EDA. Common… Read More
Efficient Memory BIST Implementation
Test experts use the acronym BIST for Built In Self Test, it’s the test logic added to an IP block that speeds up the task of testing by creating stimulus and then looking at the output results. Memory IP is a popular category for SoC designers, as modern chips include multiple memory blocks for fast, local data and register storage… Read More
Designing a FinFET Test Chip for Radiation Threats
Much of the technology that goes into aerospace applications is some of the most advanced technology that exists. However, these same systems must also offer the highest level of reliability in what is arguably an extremely difficult environment. For semiconductors a major environmental risk in aerospace applications are … Read More
Path Based UPF Strategies Explained
The development of the Unified Power Format (UPF) was spurred on by the need for explicit ways to enable specification and verification of power management aspects of SoC designs. The origins of UPF date back to its first release in 2007. Prior to that several vendors had their own methods of specifying power management aspects … Read More
Co-Developing IP and SoC Bring Up Firmware with PSS
With ever challenging time to market requirements, co-developing IP and firmware is imperative for all system development projects. But that doesn’t make the task any easier. Depending on the complexity of the system being developed, the task gets tougher. For example, different pieces of IP may be the output of various teams… Read More
Balancing Test Requirements with SOC Security
Typically, there is an existential rift between the on-chip access requirements for test and the need for security in SoCs. Using traditional deterministic scan techniques has meant opening up full read and write access to the flops in a design through the scan chains. Having this kind of access easily defeats the best designed… Read More
Siemens EDA on the Best Verification Strategy
Harry Foster opened and wrapped a tutorial at DVCon 2022 on “The Best Verification Strategy You’ve Never Heard Of”. Harry started with a common refrain on verification; we face a crisis thanks to a combination of growing complexity in the systems we are able to design, yet double exponential growth in verification cost for… Read More
Scalable Verification Solutions at Siemens EDA
Lauro Rizzatti recently interviewed Andy Meier, product manager in the Scalable Verification Solutions Division at Siemens EDA. Andy is a product manager in the Scalable Verification Solutions Division at Siemens EDA. Andy has held positions in the electronics and high-tech fields during his 20-year career including: Sr.… Read More
Power Analysis in Advanced SoCs. A Siemens EDA Perspective
The success of modern battery-powered products depends as much on useful operating time between charges as on functionality. FinFET process technologies overtook earlier planar CMOS in part because they significantly reduce leakage power. But they exacerbate dynamic power consumption thanks to increased pin capacitances.… Read More