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Xilinx UltraScale gives you 25% more packing than you know who…

Xilinx UltraScale gives you 25% more packing than you know who…
by Luke Miller on 08-27-2014 at 11:30 pm

Coke with no ice. You see I am not cheap, or even frugal but a good steward. One of the things that I hate the most is waste. You know lights on in every room, door open during winter and driving 25 miles to save a dollar on gas.

One will notice fairly quickly that with Xilinx UltraScale 20nm FPGAs coupled with the new-fangled analytical … Read More


Silicon Measurement Data Gives Insights to Using Metal Fill With Inductors

Silicon Measurement Data Gives Insights to Using Metal Fill With Inductors
by Tom Simon on 08-27-2014 at 4:00 pm

Metal fill requirements for inductors are now a fact of life. Fill has long been seen as detrimental to device performance due to parasitic capacitance. The necessity of fill arises from the need to ensure planarization of dielectric layers by using chemical mechanical polishing. Without adequate fill, areas of the chip can suffer… Read More


Broadcom Internet of Things

Broadcom Internet of Things
by Paul McLellan on 08-27-2014 at 7:01 am

One of the perks of blogging here is being able to get a press invitation to lots of events, often in interesting locations I never even knew existed. Tonight it was a Broadcom event in SPUR here in San Francisco. The evening was about the Internet of Things (IoT). Everyone knows that IoT is sort of hype, but it is also a real opportunity.… Read More


Do you check your circuit DC stability?

Do you check your circuit DC stability?
by Jean-Francois Debroux on 08-26-2014 at 8:00 pm

Most analog designers are aware of loops stability. In most cases, stability is understood as AC stability, the goal is ensuring enough phase (gain) margin so as to avoid the loop to enter oscillation. But prior to studying AC stability, DC stability should be questioned. What is that DC stability only few people think of?… Read More


Opting for ARM software scalability

Opting for ARM software scalability
by Don Dingee on 08-26-2014 at 12:00 pm

Behind much of the success of ARM architecture is a scalable software model, where in theory the same code runs on the smallest member of the family to the largest. In practice, there are profiles, and a variety of hardware execution units, and resource constraints in low power scenarios that enter the picture. As a result, operating… Read More


Mentor: It’s All About Cars

Mentor: It’s All About Cars
by Paul McLellan on 08-25-2014 at 7:08 pm

Mentor’s results came out last week. They were good. Wally opened the call:Thanks. Once again results for Mentor Graphics in the quarter exceeded our guidance. Revenue of $260.2 million and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.23, were ahead of our guidance of $250 million and $0.15 earnings per share. Strength in bookingsRead More


Secure at any IoT deed

Secure at any IoT deed
by Don Dingee on 08-25-2014 at 3:00 pm

In his classic book “Unsafe at Any Speed”, Ralph Nader assailed the auto industry and their approach to styling and cost efficiency at the expense of safety during the 1960s. He squared up on perceived defects in the Chevrolet Corvair, but extended his view to wider issues such as tire inflation ratings favoring passenger comfort… Read More


The EDA Ice Bucket Challenge Just Got Real!

The EDA Ice Bucket Challenge Just Got Real!
by Daniel Nenni on 08-25-2014 at 7:00 am

Raising four children is no easy task, believe me. My beautiful wife and I always felt it was important to foster the charitable side of our children by volunteering at the food bank, cleaning up local waterways, and other activities we could do as a family. To be clear, that is why my family did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

“It is amazingRead More


Know All About ESD and Save Your Chips & Systems

Know All About ESD and Save Your Chips & Systems
by Pawan Fangaria on 08-24-2014 at 7:30 pm

In this age of electronics, especially with so many different types of human held devices and more upcoming wearable devices, it’s utmost important to protect the massive circuitry inside those tiny parts in the devices from ESD related failures. The protection needs to happen at all stages – cells inside the chips, package… Read More


Kilopass v. Sidense Update!

Kilopass v. Sidense Update!
by Daniel Nenni on 08-24-2014 at 12:30 pm

It looks like Sidense finally has closure on their request for attorney fees. Generally, in the U.S., parties in a lawsuit pay for their respective attorney fees which can be staggering. However, U.S. law allows the courts to shift the payment of the winner’s attorney fees to the losing party for “exceptional” reasons. Based on … Read More