Formal verification for hardware was stuck for a long time with a reputation of being interesting but difficult to use and consequently limited to niche applications. Jasper worked hard to change this, particularly with their apps for JasperGold and I have been seeing more anecdotal information that mainstream adoption is growing.… Read More



Car Theft Making a Comeback
In the U.K., where vehicle theft has been in a steep decline for the past 20 years, the most widespread advice given by police to car owners is: keep your car keys in your freezer. The most common source of vulnerability these days is the interception of RF signals between keyfobs and cars. For a time, several years ago, there was a rash… Read More
After the fatal Tesla crash, I still feel safe in my self-driving car
At first, the thought of letting my car drive itself seemed rather frightening. But the highway was almost empty and the lanes were clearly marked, so I took the risk and engaged the autopilot function in my new Tesla Model X. Yet I couldn’t let go of the steering wheel. I didn’t want to put my life in the hands of software. This was two … Read More
Brexit impact on semiconductors
On July 1, Daniel Nenni posted his thoughts on the impact of Brexit (the vote by the UK to leave the European Union) on semiconductors. In general I agree with his points. Below is my take on the issue.
The long term impact of Brexit is uncertain. The UK will likely negotiate a trade agreement with the EU which includes free trade between… Read More
Why did Softbank pay so much for ARM? Because it’s worth it
Softbank’s acquisition of ARM Holdings was not only unexpected, but also the valuation was astonishingly high. Softbank is acquiring ARM for $32.2B or 23x CY15 revenue and 46x CY16 earnings. This was a 46% premium to the prior day’s closing price before the announcement of the acquisition. The questions to ask are: Why is Softbank… Read More
Loving it when a Qualcomm plan comes together
Corporate layoffs are always a touchy subject. I think that’s because there is skepticism that one round of layoffs can turn into two, then if business still doesn’t improve the spiral accelerates into more rounds. Too many rounds indicate management didn’t really have a clue what was going on in the business, instead trying to … Read More
Reducing Data Centre Cooling by 40%
Living in Oregon has many benefits, including access to cheap electricity thanks to the plentiful river systems that provide hydro power and a growing green power business fueled by wind and sun. Many of the world’s largest data centers are located in Oregon for access to this cheap electricity, and Google has a sizable investment… Read More
IMEC Technology Forum at SEMICON – Coventor could save you billions!
The development of leading edge semiconductor technology is incredibly expensive, with estimates ranging from a few to several billion dollars for new nodes. The time to develop a leading edge process is also a critical competitive issue with some of the largest opportunities awarded based on who is first to yield on a new node.… Read More
IoT Tutorial: Chapter 8 – Introducing Internet-of-Things (BigData) Steams and Analytics
Introduction to IoT Analytics – IoT Analytics vs. BigData Analyticss. In the previous chapter of the IoT tutorial, we explained the affiliation between IoT data and BigData, given that IoT data expose the Vs of BigData. We also illustrated the activities comprising IoT data processing applications, such as data selection, validation,… Read More
IMEC-Horizontal Nanowires for 5nm at the VLSI Technology Symposium
At the VLSI Technology Symposium, IMEC presented a paper entitled “Gate-All-Around MOSFETs based on Vertically Stacked Horizontal Si Nanowires in a Replacement Metal Gate Process on Bulk Silicon Wafers”. I have wanted to blog about this paper since the symposium was held but also wanted to tie it in with an interview… Read More
Intel’s Pearl Harbor Moment