CAST Compression IP Webinar 800x100 (2)

Custom Physical IC Design update from Cadence

Custom Physical IC Design update from Cadence
by Daniel Payne on 06-10-2013 at 8:05 pm

Custom IC design and layout is becoming more difficult at 20nm and smaller nodes, so the EDA tools have to get smarter and work harder for us in order to maintain productivity with the fewest iterations to reach our specs. Dave Stylesand John Stabenow of Cadence met with me last Monday in Austin at the DAC exhibit area.


John StabenowRead More


ARM Update at DAC

ARM Update at DAC
by Daniel Payne on 06-10-2013 at 7:09 pm

John Heinleinfrom ARM briefed me at DAC exactly one week ago. I love to use my mobile devices (MacBook Pro, iPad and Samsung Galaxy Note II) every day, and many mobile devices are ARM-powered because of the low power consumption, and pervasive eco-system around the architecture. Apple with the MacBook Pro is still Intel-powered,… Read More


AMS IC Simulation Update from Synopsys at DAC

AMS IC Simulation Update from Synopsys at DAC
by Daniel Payne on 06-10-2013 at 6:19 pm

Last year at DAC we didn’t really know the circuit simulation roadmap for Synopsys because of all the EDA company acquisitions, however this year it’s clear to me that:

  • HSPICE continues on, although it’s a lower performance circuit simulator than FineSim
  • FineSim from Magma is well-loved, and faster than HSPICE
Read More

Using Releases for Analog IC Design

Using Releases for Analog IC Design
by Daniel Payne on 06-10-2013 at 1:11 pm

In a typical analog IC design team, multiple engineers and layout professionals work on cells and libraries. At various points during the design process they will commit changes to their designs into the Design Management (DM) system that manages their files – be it Subversion, Perforce or some other commercial tool.

Using the… Read More


Meeting with Sidense at TSMC Technology Symposium

Meeting with Sidense at TSMC Technology Symposium
by Eric Esteve on 06-10-2013 at 11:34 am

If you have attended DAC in Austin (June 2-5), you probably have missed the first TSMC Technology Symposium. It was held on June 6 in Shanghai. Considering my own experience of a 29 hours trip to come back home (in France), I doubt that it was any possible to leave Austin on June 5 to attend TSMC Technology Symposium in Shanghai on June… Read More


GSA Entrepreneurship Conference

GSA Entrepreneurship Conference
by Paul McLellan on 06-10-2013 at 12:04 am

GSA’s next event is the annual Entrepreneurship Conference to be held at the Computer History Museum on July 18th. The event runs from 3pm to 8pm. Attendance is free but you must register here.

The event consists of 5 panel sessions followed by a reception. The full roster of who will be on each panel is not completely finalized… Read More


…And Now Intel Will Make a Turn Towards Memories as it Plans to Capture Samsung

…And Now Intel Will Make a Turn Towards Memories as it Plans to Capture Samsung
by Ed McKernan on 06-09-2013 at 10:00 pm

While eyes remain fixated on the architectural battle between Intel and ARM, a second front is soon about to open up that will determine mobile supremacy for the rest of the decade. Whereas yesterday’s story on the collapse of Wintel and the anointing of Google and Samsung are repeated endlessly, now tables are being set for a significant… Read More


GPU vs. FPGA

GPU vs. FPGA
by Luke Miller on 06-09-2013 at 9:00 pm

I just don’t understand it? My kids love surprises but I have yet to find management that does, go figure but boy during a review they can really spring them on ya! What surprises me is the absurdness of my title, GPU vs. FPGA. FPGAs are not GPUs and likewise but none the less there is the push to make a fit where nature does not allow. I liken… Read More


SoC Sign-off, Real Intent at DAC

SoC Sign-off, Real Intent at DAC
by Daniel Payne on 06-09-2013 at 8:10 pm

Monday morning at DAC I met with Real Intent to get an update on their SoC sign-off tools:

  • Dr. Prakash Narain, President and CEO
  • Graham Bell, Sr. Dir. Mktg.

Years ago Prakash was at IBM the only two years that they attended DAC, in an attempt to offer their internal EDA tools to the EDA marketplace. Graham worked at Nassda marketing the… Read More


IC Design for Implantable Devices Treating Epilepsy

IC Design for Implantable Devices Treating Epilepsy
by Daniel Payne on 06-09-2013 at 8:05 pm

I’m utterly amazed at how IC-based products are improving our quality of life by implantable devices. The modern day pacemaker has given people added years of life by electrically stimulating the heart. A privately-held company called NeuroPace was founded in Mountain View, California to treat epilepsy by using responsive… Read More