Intel’s investor meeting was held yesterday and for me the presentation that is most interesting is Bill Holt’s. The presentations are available on the Intel website: Intel Corporation – Presentations Material 2014. Here is the 2013 version of this presentation: Intel Corporation – Presentations Materials 2013… Read More
Global Foundries and IBM, More Details
Now that the dust has started to settle on the GlobalFoundries acquisition of IBM’s semiconductor business it is possible to look into another level of detail about what GlobalFoundries will be acquiring in the way of technology and IP. Of course, the deal hasn’t formally closed yet so this won’t all happen … Read More
Don’t be an “ID-IoT”
Let’s just come out and say it: Not using the most robust security to protect your digital ID, passwords, secret keys and other important items is a really, really bad idea. That is particularly true with the coming explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT).
The identity (i.e. “ID”) of an IoT node must be authenticated and trusted … Read More
Qualcomm Enters Server CPU Market
Fresh from the leaked memo that Intel is merging its mobile business into its PC client group, Qualcomm is going the other way and has confirmed that it is entering the ARM server CPU market, an announcement made at its analyst day earlier today.
This is a major trend that less than a month ago I reported from the Linley microprocessor… Read More
Atmel, IoT and CryptoAuthentication
One of the companies that is best positioned to supply components into the IoT market is Atmel. For the time being most designs will be done using standard components, not doing massive integration on an SoC targeted at a specific market. The biggest issue in the early stage of market development will be working out what the customer… Read More
Intel Quits Mobile
It happened today. As I have predicted for over a year, Intel would not be successful in mobile and would be forced to exit the market. Last quarter they lost $1B on revenues of $1M (as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up, that M is not a typo). They ship “contra revenue” with their chips for the tablet market, meaning… Read More
How many 28nm FDSOI SoC Design Starts in 2015? In 2020?
I would like to further discuss this graphic (presented during IP-SoC 2014 by John Koeter, VP of Marketing IP and prototyping, Synopsys) and focus on Active Design and Tapeouts at 28nm. In fact the very first activity appeared in Q1 2007, but it was only during 2010 that 28nm become popular, after the first Tapeouts coming in Q1 and… Read More
Who is REALLY Using TSMC 16FF+?
As I wrote last week there is a whole list of companies on LinkedIn with people working on TSMC 16nm. Today TSMC released a list of customers that have risk production 16FF+ silicon. Most of us knew this already but now we can talk about it in more detail. This is a really big deal for the FinFET doubters out there. Just because Intel had… Read More
Money for data and your MEMS for free
An ongoing IoT debate centers on the notion that just because we can do something does not mean we should. From discussions at the recent MEMS Executive Congress, looking at what TSMC and some others see as the endgame for a trillion sensors signals possible trouble ahead.… Read More
Who is Using Samsung 14nm?
As I have mentioned before, there are very few secrets in Silicon Valley. Just last week I was minding my own business at a Starbucks when I overheard two engineers complaining about Samsung 14nm shuttles being delayed. They had badges on but I won’t out them because it could have easily been any of the fabless companies in Silicon … Read More
Flynn Was Right: How a 2003 Warning Foretold Today’s Architectural Pivot