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Synopsys Validates EDA360?

Synopsys Validates EDA360?
by Daniel Nenni on 03-26-2012 at 4:26 pm

Before I get too snarky here, I would like to thank Synopsys for the invitation to SNUG 2012 and including me with the professional editors at a 75 minute roundtable discussion with Synopsys CEO Aart de Geus. While Aart is not my favorite big EDA CEO (Wally Rhines of Mentor bought me lunch and returns my email), he is definitely the most… Read More


Synopsys: now in 3D

Synopsys: now in 3D
by Paul McLellan on 03-26-2012 at 8:00 am

And no red and green glasses required.

I remember the first time I heard about a Through Silicon Via (TSV), punching a hole through the entire wafer to make an electrical connection at the back, like we do all the time in printed circuit boards with through plated holes. I thought someone was trying one on and trying to make me look a fool.… Read More


Singapore honors Lip-Bu Tan

Singapore honors Lip-Bu Tan
by Paul McLellan on 03-25-2012 at 11:08 pm

Lip-Bu Tan, the CEO of Cadence, has been named by the Singapore Business Awards as Outstanding CEO (overseas) last week. These awards were launched in 1985 by the Business Times and DHL, so this year is the 27th year of the award, created to recognize business leaders in Singapore and abroad.

As it happens, Cadence flew me first class… Read More


NVIDIA Claims TSMC 20nm will not Scale?

NVIDIA Claims TSMC 20nm will not Scale?
by Daniel Nenni on 03-25-2012 at 6:00 pm

Interesting article from Joel Hruska on ExtremeTech: Nvidia deeply unhappy with TSMC, claims 22nm essentially worthless . The title is a bit dramatic (poetic license) but the charts are accurate to the degree that 20nm costs will be significantly higher from the start and will continue to be higher throughout production and maturity.… Read More


SOC Prototyping with FPGAs from a Smaller Vendor

SOC Prototyping with FPGAs from a Smaller Vendor
by Daniel Payne on 03-23-2012 at 10:43 am

The two large EDA companies offering SOC prototyping with FPGA-based boards are Synopsys and Cadence, however there’s a smaller vendor called Polaris Design Systems that also have a product in this important design verification category. I spoke on Wednesday with Rahm Shastry, CEO of Polaris to learn more about this company… Read More


Intel’s First 14nm Chip NOT an x86 Processor

Intel’s First 14nm Chip NOT an x86 Processor
by Ed McKernan on 03-22-2012 at 6:00 pm

Sometime early in 2013, Intel will tape out its first production chip for 14nm and it won’t be an x86 processor. It’s neither necessary nor prudent to lead with a new x86 processor when the one missing element that the mobile market desperately needs is nowhere to be found: an ultra low power 4G LTE chip that fits under the battery… Read More


NVM Express: pervasion of PCI Express in SSD based storage

NVM Express: pervasion of PCI Express in SSD based storage
by Eric Esteve on 03-22-2012 at 12:48 pm

The verification IP (VIP) for Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) announcement from Synopsys is the first fruit issued from the acquisition of ExpertIO. With the proliferation of Nand Flash based storage equipment, or Solid State Drives (SSD), the move from pure SATA based solution was to be expected, sooner or later. Not because… Read More


No, gosh darn it, I said the NFC is near!

No, gosh darn it, I said the NFC is near!
by Don Dingee on 03-22-2012 at 11:24 am

Getting a feature to take off in today’s smartphone market is tricky. It requires a combination of hardware support, OS support, app integration, and maybe most importantly carrier adoption. Ideas that seem ready technologically, like NFC, get stopped in their tracks by silly things like the William J. LePetomaine Thruway… Read More


What’s Up with SNUG This Year in Santa Clara?

What’s Up with SNUG This Year in Santa Clara?
by Daniel Payne on 03-22-2012 at 11:04 am

Next week is a big deal because it’s when Synopsys has their annual user group meeting, SNUG in Santa Clara at the Convention Center from Monday through Wednesday. I’d love to hear if they have made any decisions on the new product roadmap after the Magma acquisition, although it’s probably too early to tell.… Read More


3D-IC Testing – A 3D perspective to SoC

3D-IC Testing – A 3D perspective to SoC
by Pawan Fangaria on 03-21-2012 at 9:30 am

In my last article I talked about the physical design aspect of 3D-IC. Now looking at its verification aspect, it spans through a wide spectrum of test at hardware as well as software level. The verification challenge goes much beyond that of a SoC which is at a single plane. Even a typical SoC that comprises of a processor core, memory… Read More