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Interface IP (USB, PCIe, SATA, HDMI, MIPI, DDRn,…) Survey : the Introduction

Interface IP (USB, PCIe, SATA, HDMI, MIPI, DDRn,…) Survey : the Introduction
by Eric Esteve on 09-11-2012 at 10:00 am

The need to exchange larger and larger amount of data from system to the external world, or internally into an application, has pushed for the standardization of interconnect protocol. This allows interconnecting different Integrated Circuits (IC) coming from different vendors. Some protocols have been defined to best fit… Read More


A brief history of Interface IP, the 4th version of IPNEST Survey

A brief history of Interface IP, the 4th version of IPNEST Survey
by Eric Esteve on 09-07-2012 at 5:17 am

The industry is moving extremely fast to change the “old” way to interconnect devices using parallel bus, to the most efficient approach based on High Speed Serial Interconnect (HSSI) protocols. The use of HSSI has become the preferred solution compared with the use of parallel busses for new products developed … Read More


Did Qualcomm and Apple Attempt to Bribe TSMC?

Did Qualcomm and Apple Attempt to Bribe TSMC?
by Daniel Nenni on 08-30-2012 at 7:45 pm

It’s amazing how these rumors start and go viral. People are literally laughing here in Taiwan. I remember I wrote something that I thought was obviously satire and less than a week later someone repeated it back to me as fact since they “read it on the internet somewhere.”

According to Bloomberg: Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Qualcomm Inc.Read More


I/O Bandwidth with Tensilica Cores

I/O Bandwidth with Tensilica Cores
by Paul McLellan on 08-17-2012 at 3:00 pm

It is obviously a truism that somewhere in an SoC there is something limiting a further increase in performance. One area where this is especially noticeable is when a Tensilica core is used to create a highly optimized processor for some purpose. The core performance may be boosted by a factor of 10 or even as much as 100. Once the core… Read More


Traditional Model of Funding Semiconductor Equipment is Broken?

Traditional Model of Funding Semiconductor Equipment is Broken?
by Paul McLellan on 08-07-2012 at 7:30 pm

At Semicon a few weeks ago the big news was that Intel was making a big investment in ASML as a way of funding two development programs: extreme ultra-violet (EUV) and 450mm wafers. This week TSMC announced that they would join the program too, committing 275M Euros over a five year period. They are also taking a 5% stake in ASML. ASML… Read More


Mars Rover "Curiosity" and EDA

Mars Rover "Curiosity" and EDA
by Daniel Payne on 08-05-2012 at 11:54 pm

I’m watching the latest Mars rover landing tonight called “Curiosity” and wondering about all of the electronic systems designed to control the project and hopefully send back some stunning new images along with new data on the micro-biology and chemistry of the red planet. JPL gets all the glory for designing… Read More


Synopsys Challenges with SpringSoft Acquisition

Synopsys Challenges with SpringSoft Acquisition
by Daniel Payne on 08-03-2012 at 12:41 pm

Another week in EDA and yet another acquisition by Synopsys as they buy SpringSoft this time for $406 million in cash. Paul McLellan wrote a good blog on this merger too.

Last week I blogged about the product overlap and integration challenges that Synopsys faces with the acquisition of Ciranova
.

Let’s take a look at the IC … Read More


How the Apple-Samsung Duel Will Lead to Wintel 2.0

How the Apple-Samsung Duel Will Lead to Wintel 2.0
by Ed McKernan on 08-02-2012 at 11:00 am

The High Tech Trial of this Century: Apple vs. Samsung may end up being the catalyzing event that advances the established PC Monopolists known as Wintel (Microsoft and Intel) into leadership positions in the new era known as the Mobile Tsunami. Not a chance you say? Consider that the Apple, Samsung War is one that will not be settled… Read More


Verdi Integrated with Synopsys Protocol Analyzer

Verdi Integrated with Synopsys Protocol Analyzer
by Paul McLellan on 08-01-2012 at 4:28 pm

Josefina Hobbs, a solutions architect at Synopsys, shows the integration of Synopsys Protocol Analyzer with SpringSoft’s Verdi using the Verdi Interoperability Apps (VIA) which gives open access to the Verdi KDB and FSDB databases. She also demonstrates protocol debug made easy using the Protocol Analyzer. This gives… Read More


Synopsys Acquires Ciranova

Synopsys Acquires Ciranova
by Daniel Payne on 07-30-2012 at 6:00 pm

Consolidation continues in the EDA industry with Synopsys announcing today that they acquired Ciranova, a provider of software to automate custom IC layout. Remember that Synopsys invested in Ciranova back in March 2008 and September 2010 (along with Intel Capital, Mentor Graphics and Alloy Ventures), so this deal has some … Read More