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More on HAPS hybrid prototyping for ARMv8 with Linaro

More on HAPS hybrid prototyping for ARMv8 with Linaro
by Don Dingee on 08-19-2016 at 4:00 pm

A few weeks ago we previewed a Synopsys webinar describing how they are linking the ARM Juno Development Platform with the HAPS-80 and HAPS ProtoCompiler environment. I’ve had a look at the archived event and have some additional thoughts.… Read More


The Package Assembly Design Kit (PADK)… the start of something big

The Package Assembly Design Kit (PADK)… the start of something big
by Tom Dillinger on 08-19-2016 at 12:00 pm

Integrated wafer-level fanout (WLFO) packaging technology is emerging as a foundation for multi-die solutions. Mobile product applications require focus on both aggressive chip-to-chip interface performance, as well as the final package volume. Traditional multi-chip packages using PCB laminate substrates do not readily… Read More


Foundation IP for Automotive: so Stringent Quality Requirements!

Foundation IP for Automotive: so Stringent Quality Requirements!
by Eric Esteve on 08-19-2016 at 7:00 am

The Automotive IC market is not the largest segment, but is certainly the segments expected to grow with the highest CAGR, with 10.8% from 2013 to 2018, according with IC Insights (January 2015). If you consider the pretty long concept/design to production cycle time (7 years or more) as well as the numerous segments just emerging… Read More


If an Intel 10nm transistor fell in the ARM forest

If an Intel 10nm transistor fell in the ARM forest
by Don Dingee on 08-18-2016 at 4:00 pm

Intel’s news at IDF this week about partnering with ARM for foundry services on 10nm set off some wild speculation. It’s not a surprise that ARM would enable Intel – they’ve worked together before, ARM is an equal opportunity ecosystem partner, and ARM has publicly announced 10nm cores taped out at TSMC.… Read More


Score 1 for IDMs vs Fabless Intel King of the Photonics Hill in Data Centers

Score 1 for IDMs vs Fabless Intel King of the Photonics Hill in Data Centers
by Mitch Heins on 08-18-2016 at 12:00 pm

For those of you waiting with baited breath to see the Fabless community with the likes of Broadcom or Qualcomm challenge Intel in the data center space, you were just dealt a significant blow. Intel debuted their long awaited silicon photonics modules for what they called “lightning-fast” connectivity in data centers. Intel … Read More


Why is Jet-Lag Worse Flying East?

Why is Jet-Lag Worse Flying East?
by Bernard Murphy on 08-18-2016 at 7:00 am

Anyone who travels long distances frequently is painfully familiar with this problem, but you may be wondering why I am mentioning it in this forum. The American Institute of Physics has a Chaos journal which looks at interdisciplinary problems in non-linear dynamics and recently published an article on just this topic.

There… Read More


Optimization and verification wins in IoT designs

Optimization and verification wins in IoT designs
by Don Dingee on 08-17-2016 at 4:00 pm

Designers tend to put tons of energy into pre-silicon verification of SoCs, with millions of dollars on the line if a piece of silicon fails due to a design flaw. Are programmable logic designers, particularly those working with an SoC such as the Xilinx Zynq, flirting with danger by not putting enough effort into verification?… Read More


Semiconductors negative in 2016, positive in 2017

Semiconductors negative in 2016, positive in 2017
by Bill Jewell on 08-17-2016 at 12:00 pm

Note: the table and text below have been revised from an earlier post to correct the numbers for STMicroelectronics.

Semiconductor companies posted a wide range of results in 2nd quarter 2016. Intel, Micron Technology and Renesas Electronics all had declines in revenue in 2Q 2016 versus 1Q 2016. Samsung Semiconductor, Qualcomm… Read More


Design IP Growth Is Fueling 94% of EDA Expansion

Design IP Growth Is Fueling 94% of EDA Expansion
by Eric Esteve on 08-17-2016 at 7:00 am

Last June, the ESD Alliance (ESDA) has released Q1 2016 results for EDA (CAE, PCB & MCM and IC Physical), Silicon IP (SIP) and Services. Not a surprise for Semiwiki readers since 2013, the SIP category is recognized as the largest with $689 million revenues for the quarter, and four-quarters moving average increasing by 11.6… Read More


Solido Saves Silicon with Six Sigma Simulation

Solido Saves Silicon with Six Sigma Simulation
by Tom Simon on 08-16-2016 at 4:00 pm

When pushing the boundaries of power and performance in leading edge memory designs, yield is always an issue. The only way to ensure that memory chips will yield is through aggressive simulation, especially at process corners to predict the effects of variation. In a recent video posted on the Solido website, John Barth of Invecas… Read More