Feeding the Startup Cycle

Feeding the Startup Cycle
by Zach Shelby on 04-21-2016 at 12:00 pm

I am a technologist, an entrepreneur and most recently an angel investor. As I have announced my investments in promising young companies over the last couple years, many people have asked me why. Isn’t the stock market easier (well…), isn’t that risky (yep), what does that mean for your role at ARM (business… Read More


ARM and FD-SOI are like Peanut Butter and Jelly!

ARM and FD-SOI are like Peanut Butter and Jelly!
by Daniel Nenni on 04-19-2016 at 4:00 pm

When I first heard about a foundry possibly licensing FD-SOI I would have bet it was SMIC in China. What better market for a low cost, low power, easy to manufacture alternative to FinFETs? The foundry of course was Samsung which also made complete sense since they have 28nm gate-first capacity that matches up nicely to 28nm FD-SOI.… Read More


Semiconductor Merger Mania Explained!

Semiconductor Merger Mania Explained!
by Daniel Nenni on 04-17-2016 at 4:00 pm

Next week is the Mentor U2U Conference in Silicon Valley. By chance I had coffee with one of the U2U keynote speakers while we were waiting for the FD-SOI Symposium to start last week and can tell you this FREE event is one you don’t want to miss:… Read More


Self-contained low power Wi-Fi IP for IoT apps

Self-contained low power Wi-Fi IP for IoT apps
by Don Dingee on 04-13-2016 at 4:00 pm

The emerging theme of fit-for-purpose IoT parts gained yet another perspective, this time with ARM and CEVA chiming in on a low-power Wi-Fi approach outlined in a new webinar. It was a rather unique event with an abbreviated 25-minute presentation and an extended 35-minute Q&A that added a lot of insight.… Read More


Book Review Mobile Unleashed The History of ARM

Book Review Mobile Unleashed The History of ARM
by Martin Sauter on 04-09-2016 at 8:00 am

After having taken a closer look at x86 processor with “Inside The Machine” I came across “Mobile Unleashed“, a book about the history of a non-Silicon Valley company and technology for a change that has significantly shaped the world of computing as we know it today: ARM.

Written by Daniel Nenni and Don Dingee the book tells the story… Read More


Mobile Unleashed…Reviewed

Mobile Unleashed…Reviewed
by Paul McLellan on 04-07-2016 at 10:00 am

I finished reading Don Dingee and Dan Nenni’s book, Mobile Unleashed, the Origin and Evolution of ARM Processors in Our Devices. I guess by way of disclosure I should say that Don and Dan both blogged with me here on SemiWiki for several years before I joined Cadence, and Dan’s last book Fabless was co-authored with me… Read More


Fabless vs IDM for Data Centers: Silicon Photonics as a Disruptive Force?

Fabless vs IDM for Data Centers: Silicon Photonics as a Disruptive Force?
by Mitch Heins on 04-07-2016 at 7:00 am

I recently received a copy of a book entitled Silicon Photonics III (Amazon) and while perusing the book I was captured by the first chapter entitled ‘Silicon Optical Interposers for High-Density Optical Interconnects’. The chapter covered the work of a team in Japan on an idea they termed “on-chip servers” and “on-board data … Read More


Fit-for-purpose IoT ASICs are about more than cost

Fit-for-purpose IoT ASICs are about more than cost
by Don Dingee on 04-06-2016 at 4:00 pm

We’ve been saying for a while that it looks like there is a resurgence in design starts for ASICs targeting the IoT. A recent webinar featuring speakers from ARM and Open Silicon (and moderated by Daniel Nenni) affirms this trend, and provides some insight on how these designs may differ from typical microcontrollers.

One of my first… Read More


Can Qualcomm avoid repeating Motorola’s fate?

Can Qualcomm avoid repeating Motorola’s fate?
by Don Dingee on 03-18-2016 at 4:00 pm

NPR had an interesting guest this morning: Edward Luce, author of “Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent”. I’m not about to turn SemiWiki into a politics blog, but there is some precedent in the technology business. I’ve caught myself saying more than once recently that “Motorola is no longer the company I worked 14… Read More


Upcoming ARM & Open-Silicon Webinar on Custom SOC’s for IoT

Upcoming ARM & Open-Silicon Webinar on Custom SOC’s for IoT
by Tom Simon on 03-08-2016 at 12:00 pm

IoT products call for a higher level of system integration than ever before. Companies seeking to go to market now have a much higher bar in terms of size, power, reliability and manufacturability. The first IoT devices evolved from embedded development boards, like the groundbreaking Arduino. These were fine for prototypes … Read More