Embedded NVM technology based functions can be implemented in large SoC designed in advanced technology nodes down to 28nm, as there is no requirement for extra mask levels, like when integrating Nand Flash, negatively impacting the final cost. And it is also possible to integrate One Time Programmable (OTP) to store trim and … Read More
Semiconductor Intellectual Property
MUST: DSP ready solution for tomorrow smartphone based on CEVA-XC 4000
Like Guiness dark beer, competition is good for you! I mean good for end user, as it pushes DSP IP supplier to provide ever better solution. I am not talking about me-to type of competition, like that we have seen in the past with IBM trying to displace TI at Nokia, by offering a LEAD (DSP IP core from TI used in every NOKIA wireless phone… Read More
Modeling TSV, IBIS-AMI and SERDES with HSPICE
The HSPICE circuit simulator has been around for decades and is widely used by IC designers worldwide, so I watched the HSPICE SIG by video today and summarize what happened. Engineers from Micron, Altera and AMD presented on how they are using HSPICE to model TSVs, IBiS-AMI models and SERDES, respectively.… Read More
Innovative or Die, NoC IP Market is Cruel…
I have blogged in 2011 about the Arteris-Sonics case, initiated by Sonics, claiming that Arteris NoC IP product was infringing Sonics patent. In this article, we have seen that the architecture of Sonics interconnects IP product was not only older but also different from Arteris’ NoC architecture: the products launched initially… Read More
ISSCC 2013: Circuit Design Using FinFETs!
One of the privilages of blogging for SemiWiki is invitations to the top conferences around the world including the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco this week. Amazing, this conference is older than I am:
ISSCC 2013 is the 60th Conference in an incredibly long-lasting series. Following… Read More
Patenting in the (Resistive Memory) Material World
(with apologies to George Harrison) Two recent Blogs over at ReRAM-Forum.com have focused on the latest in the IP field, particularly as it affects resistive memory. A high level overview of who is patenting what suggests a healthy amount of R&D is going on in the field. But looking a little deeper suggests there is much overlap… Read More
Developing ARM v8 Code…Today
You are going to be developing software for an SoC that contains an ARM Cortex-A57 64-bit CPU. Or perhaps it is an SoC containing ARM’s hybrid big.LITTLE multi-core architecture that combines one or more low power cores with some high power, high performance cores to get the best of both worlds: high throughput when it is needed… Read More
Welcome to the Video Club!
CEVA is happy to welcome new competitor in the DSP IP solution for Computer Vision and Imaging elitist club! In fact, we all know that the competition is not only good for IP customers, but is also a good way to boost innovation and propose continuously improved solutions, and Computer Vision and Imaging is one field of high creativity,… Read More
Cosmic Circuits acquisition by Cadence: IP battle with Synopsys has officially started!
If you have missed the announcement that Cosmic Circuits has been acquired by Cadence, dated February 7, you may want to read this PR. In any case, by reading this article you will understand why this acquisition is ringing the start of the “IP battle” between cadence and Synopsys. Let me remind you that I said in Semiwiki last September… Read More
Apple and Samsung Do It Again
The numbers are starting to come in for how everyone did in Q4. According to Cannacord Genuity, Apple made 69% of the profit and Samsung made 34%. What do you notice about those numbers? They add up to more than 100%. HTC supposedly made 1% of the profit and everyone else either broke even or lost money. Basically Apple and Samsung have… Read More
TSMC Unveils the World’s Most Advanced Logic Technology at IEDM