In wearables and hearables, low power is king. Earbuds for example still only manage a half-day active use before we need to recharge. Half a day falls short of truly convenient for most of us – a full day would be much better, allowing for overnight recharge. Physics limits battery sizes so system designers must look to SoC architectures… Read More
Low Power SRAM Register Files for IoT, AI and Wearables
SRAM is the workhorse for on-chip memories, valued for its performance and easy integration with standard processes. The needs of wearable, IoT and AI SOCs have put a lot of pressure on the requirements for all on-chip memories. This is perhaps most evident in the area of power. AI chips that rely heavily on SRAM register files are… Read More
CEO Interview: Paul Wells of sureCore
What brought you to semiconductors?
As a kid I was interested in electronics and early personal computers. I went on to graduate from Manchester University in 1986, the birthplace of the modern computer, studying Computer Engineering where for my final year project I designed a gate array using Ferranti Electronics technology… Read More
WEBINAR: Addressing Verification Challenges in the Development of Optimized SRAM Solutions with surecore and Mentor Solido
After spending a significant amount of my career in the IP library business it was an easy transition to Solido Design. I spent 10+ years traveling the world with CEO Amit Gupta working with the foundries and their top customers. In fact, the top 40 semiconductor companies use Solido. IP companies are also big Solido users including… Read More
Low Power Design – Art vs. Science
I have heard many times before that low power and mixed-signal design is more Art than Science. I believe this is a misconception. Science is a field that builds upon previous experiences and discoveries. Art primarily seeks out creative differences, things we have not seen before that evoke emotion. The most successful designers… Read More
WEBINAR: The Brave New World of Customized Memory
The need to design low power devices is not new. However, the criticality of lowering the power consumption of chip designs has never been as important as it is now. In 1989, I purchased one of the first consumer cell phones produced by Panasonic. The battery was the size of a brick, but only about a third of the thickness. If the battery… Read More
Custom SRAM IP @56thDAC
The electronics industry strives to continuously introduce new product innovation and differentiation. The ASIC market arose from the motivation to offer unique (cost-reduced) integration that was not realizable with commodity MSI/LSI parts. The SoC market evolved to provide even greater differentiation, integrating… Read More
Low Power SRAM Complier and Characterization Enable IoT Applications
If you are designing an SOC for an IoT application and looking to minimize power consumption, there are a lot of choices. However, more often than not, looking at reducing SRAM power is a good place to start. SRAMs can consume up to 70% of an IC’s power. SureCore, a leading memory IP supplier, offers highly optimized SRAM instances … Read More