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Systematic RISC-V architecture analysis and optimization

Systematic RISC-V architecture analysis and optimization
by Don Dingee on 08-28-2023 at 10:00 am

RISC V architecture analysis and optimization chain

The RISC-V movement has taken off so quickly because of the wide range of choices it offers designers. However, massive flexibility creates its own challenges. One is how to analyze, optimize, and verify an unproven RISC-V core design with potential microarchitecture changes allowed within the bounds of the specification. … Read More


AMD Puts Synopsys AI Verification Tools to the Test

AMD Puts Synopsys AI Verification Tools to the Test
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-28-2023 at 6:00 am

AMD Puts Synopsys AI Verification Tools to the Test

The various algorithms that comprise artificial intelligence (AI) are finding their way into the chip design flow. What is driving a lot of this work is the complexity explosion of new chip designs required to accelerate advanced AI algorithms. It turns out AI is both the problem and the solution in this case. AI can be used to cut … Read More


Podcast EP178: An Overview of Advanced Power Optimization at Synopsys with William Ruby

Podcast EP178: An Overview of Advanced Power Optimization at Synopsys with William Ruby
by Daniel Nenni on 08-25-2023 at 10:00 am

Dan is joined by William Ruby, director of product management for Synopsys Power Analysis products. He has extensive experience in the area of low-power IC design and design methodology, and has held senior engineering and product marketing positions with Cadence, ANSYS, Intel, and Siemens. He also has a patent in high-speed… Read More


The First TSMC CEO James E. Dykes

The First TSMC CEO James E. Dykes
by Daniel Nenni on 08-25-2023 at 6:00 am

James Dykes TSMC CEO (1)

Most people ( including ChatGPT) think Morris Chang was the first TSMC CEO but it was in fact Jim Dykes, a very interesting character in the semiconductor industry.

According to his eulogy: Jim came from the humblest of beginnings, easily sharing that he grew up in a house without running water and never had a bed of his own. But because… Read More


Empyrean visit at #60DAC

Empyrean visit at #60DAC
by Daniel Payne on 08-24-2023 at 6:00 am

Patron EM IR flow min

I arrived for my #60DAC booth appointment at Empyrean and was able to watch a customer presentation from Jason Guo, of Diodes. Jason was talking about how his company used the Patron tool for EM/IR analysis on their automotive chips. Diodes was found back in 1959 at Plano, Texas, and has since grown into 32 locations around the globe,… Read More


Using Linting to Write Error-Free Testbench Code

Using Linting to Write Error-Free Testbench Code
by Daniel Nenni on 08-23-2023 at 10:00 am

AMIQ EDA Design and Verification

In my job, I have the privilege to talk to hundreds of interesting companies in many areas of semiconductor development. One of the most fun things for me is interviewing customers—hands-on users—of specific electronic design (EDA) tools and chip technologies. Cristian Amitroaie, CEO of AMIQ EDA, has been very helpful in introducing… Read More


Predictive Maintenance in the Context of Automotive Functional Safety

Predictive Maintenance in the Context of Automotive Functional Safety
by Kalar Rajendiran on 08-23-2023 at 6:00 am

Margin Agent to Measure Performance and Degradation

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation. The convergence of electrification, connectivity, driver-assistance technologies, and software-defined vehicles has led to the rise of use of advanced System-on-Chips (SoCs) that drive unprecedented levels of functionality and performance. However, this… Read More


Samtec Innovates a New Approach for High-Frequency Analog Signal Propagation

Samtec Innovates a New Approach for High-Frequency Analog Signal Propagation
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-22-2023 at 10:00 am

Samtec Innovates a New Approach for High Frequency Analog Signal Propagation

We are all familiar with the tradeoffs between copper and fiber for digital signal transmission. The short version is that fiber is flexible, like copper but supports higher data rates with less loss over longer distances. The bad news is that converting digital signals to light and back again isn’t a trivial process. These kinds… Read More


Bluetooth Based Positioning, More Accurate, More Reliable, Safer

Bluetooth Based Positioning, More Accurate, More Reliable, Safer
by Bernard Murphy on 08-22-2023 at 6:00 am

Using Bluetooth for positioning is a topic I have touched on before, for location services, keyless entry, and asset tracking among other applications. Earlier implementations depended on measures of received signal strength and angle-of-arrival / angle-of-departure, but these have limited accuracy in environments with… Read More


How Intel, Samsung and TSMC are Changing the World

How Intel, Samsung and TSMC are Changing the World
by Mike Gianfagna on 08-21-2023 at 10:00 am

How Intel, Samsung and TSMC are Changing the World

Given the changes in the music business, the term “Rock Star” doesn’t really have any relevance to music or its performers anymore.  Instead, we use the term to describe leaders, innovators and generally people or organizations of great significance. In the world of semiconductors, the designers of advanced chips were the rock… Read More