eSilicon Revolutionizes Semiconductor IP Selection and Purchasing!

Design starts are the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry which is why we have been following the eSilicon STAR Platform since its introduction with great anticipation. The STAR platform was first launched about three years ago. Today, there are over 1,300 registered STAR users in 52 countries around the world.

The ASIC business model is one of the reasons the fabless semiconductor ecosystem is what it is today, a force of nature. As an extension to the ASIC model, the STAR tools make it very easy to: Browse and try different IP, optimize your design, get quotes and compare with different foundry and IP options, and track your project online from start to finish. I guess the next step is a virtual reality interface so you can actually watch your design through the entire process?

The eSilicon[SUP]®[/SUP] STAR platform is an automated online secure environment that provides a self-service, transparent, accurate, real-time experience from IC design through volume ASIC production. The STAR online design virtualization platform helps you manage complexity and make the right decisions on your ASIC journey from concept to volume production.

Today eSilicon announced that STAR Navigator now includes automated, online quoting and purchasing capabilities for memory IP and IO libraries. I got a live demo last week and let me tell you I was seriously impressed! One click gets you IP silicon reports?!?!?!

Given that embedded memories are a big part of chip design the ability do “what if” scenarios based on power, performance, area, and price give the average ASIC designer a HUGE advantage. Seriously, thoroughly evaluating all possible memory options is often skipped due to time constraints and that can jeopardize the success of your ASIC.

“STAR Navigator simplifies the comparison of results across multiple technologies, architectures and other characteristics and takes the guesswork out of hitting PPA targets,” said Lisa Minwell, eSilicon’s senior director, IP marketing. “This goes much, much deeper than IP portals that serve as IP catalogs. Using STAR Navigator, designers can download front-end views, run simulations in their own environments and then purchase the back-end views of the IP and I/Os that best fit their design. The choice of optimized IP is now in the hands of the designer.”

By the way, I worked with Lisa Minwell at Virage Logic back in the day. Before spending 8 years at Virage, she spent 15 years at Motorola and has been at eSilicon for the past 5 years so yes Lisa knows IP, absolutely. In fact, tomorrow Lisa will present on HBM/2.5D at the TSMC Open Innovation Platform Ecosystem Forum 2016:

The next generation of high-performance computing, graphics and networking applications have increasing needs for bandwidth. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) combined with 2.5D technology offers a tremendous increase in capacity and performance. Increased capacity because of the stacked memory in a smaller area and increased performance because of the interposer and shorter signal routing. The interposer allows the integration of highly parallel connections to the memory stacks inside the package, therefore it is able to offer huge capacity and performance increases.

This presentation will highlight the silicon characteristics of eSilicon’s HBM PHY in TSMC’s CLN28HPC technology. The presentation will also highlight TSMC CoWoS technology as well as complex ASICs that use high-bandwidth memory.

The SemiWiki bloggers will be there in full force so stay tuned for in depth coverage. I hope to see you there!

About TSMC 2016 OIP Ecosystem Forum
The TSMC OIP Ecosystem Forum is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together the semiconductor design chain community and approximately 1,000 of director-level and above TSMC customer executives. The OIP Forum will feature a day-long, three-track technical conference along with an Ecosystem Pavilion that will host up to 80 member companies.

About eSilicon
eSilicon guides customers through a fast, accurate, transparent, low-risk ASIC journey, from concept to volume production. Explore your options online with eSilicon STAR tools, engage with eSilicon experts, and take advantage of eSilicon semiconductor design, custom IP and IC manufacturing solutions through a flexible engagement model. eSilicon serves a wide variety of markets including the automotive, communications, computer, consumer, industrial products and medical segments. Get the data, decision-making power and technology you need for first-time-right results. www.esilicon.com