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Scan the horizon, P1687 takes us higher

Scan the horizon, P1687 takes us higher
by Don Dingee on 07-31-2013 at 6:00 pm

The tech standards cycle almost always goes like this: Problems or limits develop with the existing way of doing things. Innovators attempt to engineer solutions, usually many of them. Chaos ensues when customers figure out nothing new works with anything else. Competitors sit down and agree on a specification where things work… Read More


Pre-verified, Integrated Sensor IP Subsystem?

Pre-verified, Integrated Sensor IP Subsystem?
by Eric Esteve on 07-31-2013 at 11:16 am

Last year, I said that the launch of ARC based complete sound system IP by Synopsys ring the bell for the opening of a new IP market segment, the “Subsystem IP”. This week, Synopsys has announced the availability of the DesignWare® Sensor IP Subsystem, a complete and integrated hardware and software solution for sensor control applications.… Read More


IP: Make or Buy?

IP: Make or Buy?
by Paul McLellan on 07-30-2013 at 2:02 pm

A couple of weekends ago I moderated a panel session for the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association. No, I had no idea such an organization existed either (at least partially because I’m not Chinese). Dan Nenni was meant to be doing it but he went off to Las Vegas, so I ended up getting the job. On a Saturday … Read More


Power and Reliability Sign-off – A must, but how?

Power and Reliability Sign-off – A must, but how?
by Pawan Fangaria on 07-29-2013 at 11:00 am

At the onset of SoCs with multiple functionalities being packed together at the helm of technologies to improve upon performance and area; power, which was earlier neglected, has become critical and needs special attention in designing SoCs. And there comes reliability considerations as well due to multiple electrical and … Read More


Premier Gathering for Semiconductor Professionals!

Premier Gathering for Semiconductor Professionals!
by Daniel Nenni on 07-28-2013 at 6:00 pm

The US Executive Forum hosted by the Global Semiconductor Alliance is coming up on September 25th at the beautiful Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel in Menlo Park. Over 150 executives from the semiconductor and technology industry will attend creating a truly unique opportunity to listen to some of the world’s foremost speakers… Read More


Lynn Conway’s Story

Lynn Conway’s Story
by Paul McLellan on 07-28-2013 at 12:08 am

If you are my age, you know that the most influential book in that era on VLSI design was Carver Mead and Lynn Conway’s textbook, blah VLSI blah. Nobody can remember exactly what its title was, it was just referred to as Mead and Conway. In my opinion it was the most influential book on semiconductor design ever. It opened up VLSI… Read More


What Applications Implement Best with High Level Synthesis?

What Applications Implement Best with High Level Synthesis?
by Daniel Payne on 07-26-2013 at 3:12 pm

RTL coding using languages like Verilog and VHDL have been around since the 1980’s and for almost as long a time we’ve been hearing about High Level Synthesis, or HLS that allows an SoC designer to code above the RTL level where you code at the algorithm level. The most popular HLS languages today are C, C++ and SystemC.… Read More


Epitaxy: Not Just For PMOS Anymore

Epitaxy: Not Just For PMOS Anymore
by Paul McLellan on 07-25-2013 at 2:25 pm

At Semicon I met with Applied Materials to learn about epitaxy. This is when a monocrystalline film is grown on the substrate which takes on a lattice structure that matches the substrate. It forms a high purity starting point for building a transistor and is also the basis of the strain engineering in a modern process.

Since holes… Read More