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Which High B/W Memory to Select after DDR4?

Which High B/W Memory to Select after DDR4?
by Eric Esteve on 07-11-2015 at 6:00 am

Once upon a time, RAM technology was the driver of the semiconductor process. DRAM products were the first to be designed on a newest technology node and DRAM was used as a process driver. It was 30 years ago and the most aggressive process nodes were ranging between 1um and 1.5 um (1 500 nm!). Then in the 1990 the Synchronous Dynamic … Read More


Tackling Layout Gradient Effects in 16 nm FinFET using Layout Automation

Tackling Layout Gradient Effects in 16 nm FinFET using Layout Automation
by Daniel Payne on 07-10-2015 at 12:00 pm

My first exposure to automating IC layout was back in the 1980’s at Intel where I coded a layout compiler to auto-generate about 6% of a graphics processor chip. The need to use automation for IC layout continues today, and with the advent of FinFET technology there are some new challenges like layout gradient effects that … Read More


The New York Times Announces 7nm

The New York Times Announces 7nm
by Paul McLellan on 07-10-2015 at 6:00 am

Everyone is somewhat focused on the march of process nodes. Moore’s Law, although I think that with the breach between technology and cost that may be changing. Moore’s Law was about the lowest cost way to get a given number of transistors manufactured. But now the lowest cost and the highest density are diverging. … Read More


After Five Years, 28nm Future Remains Bright!

After Five Years, 28nm Future Remains Bright!
by Daniel Nenni on 07-09-2015 at 2:00 pm

Five years ago TSMC started 28nm mass production and it went on to become one of the most versatile and successful process technologies in history. The first wave was triggered by an unprecedented demand for application processors from smartphone and tablet vendors. Today it’s widely assumed that 28nm demand will continue growing… Read More


Updates for Effective Collaboration

Updates for Effective Collaboration
by Paul McLellan on 07-09-2015 at 7:00 am

Managing any design data management system requires a policy on how often users should be submitting their changes to the central repository. If users commit frequently with less local testing then other users will more likely see errors. If commits are done less often, but with better testing, then other users are protected from… Read More


Power Management Gets Tricky in IP Driven World

Power Management Gets Tricky in IP Driven World
by Pawan Fangaria on 07-08-2015 at 7:00 pm

Today, an SoC can have multiple instances of an IP and also instances of many different IPs from different vendors. Every instance of an IP can work in a separate mode and requires a dedicated power arrangement which may only be formalized at the implementation stage. The power intent, if specified earlier, will need to be re-generated… Read More


3 Key Frontiers for Samsung’s Next Mobile SoC

3 Key Frontiers for Samsung’s Next Mobile SoC
by Majeed Ahmad on 07-08-2015 at 4:00 pm

Samsung’s Exynos 7420 system-on-chip (SoC) is now at the top of the world when it comes to performance and power efficiency benchmarks. It’s also won accolades as the first mobile chipset manufactured using the 14nm FinFET fabrication process.

However, the mobile chipsets landscape is hypercompetitive, and there… Read More


Circuit Simulation Update from #52DAC

Circuit Simulation Update from #52DAC
by Daniel Payne on 07-08-2015 at 12:00 pm

Actual users of circuit simulators told their design and simulation stories at DAC during a luncheon sponsored by Synopsys on June 8th. I always prefer to hear from a design engineer versus a marketing person about what tool they use for circuit simulation, and how it helps them analyze their design goals. This year there were engineers… Read More


Xilinx Datacenter on a Chip

Xilinx Datacenter on a Chip
by Paul McLellan on 07-08-2015 at 7:00 am

I talked recently about the Intel acquisition of Altera which seems to be all about using FPGA technology to build custom accelerators for the datacenter. Some algorithms, especially in search, vision, video and so on map much better onto a hardware fabric than being implemented in code on a regular microprocessor.

So if the heart… Read More


Why Automotive IP Portfolio is not just IP

Why Automotive IP Portfolio is not just IP
by Eric Esteve on 07-07-2015 at 7:00 pm

Synopsys is launching a broad IP portfolio to support SoC development dedicated to emerging automotive complexes functions, like Driver Assistance (ADAS), Driver Information, Vehicle Network or Infotainment. I was never involved into IC design for Automotive, but I have designed ASIC for avionics (CFM56 motor control) or… Read More