The ASIC business has always been a key enabler of the semiconductor industry but it is a difficult business. In my 40 years I have seen many ASIC companies come and go but I have never seen one like Alchip.
Alchip Technologies Ltd. was founded more than 20 years ago, about half way through my career. I know one of the founders, a fiercely… Read More
From the multi-chip-modules (MCM) of yester years to today’s System-in-Package (SiP) implementations, things have progressed a lot in terms of package technology. The chiplet movement is not only a big beneficiary of today’s advanced package technologies but drives further advances in this technology area. While a chiplets-based… Read More
An earlier post on SemiWiki discussed how deep data analytics helps accelerate SoC product development. The post presented insights into proteanTecs’ technology and quantified the benefits that can be derived by leveraging the software platform for SoC product development. You can review that earlier blog here. The power … Read More
There’s been an interesting trend emerging the past couple of years; a gentrification, if you will, of the ASIC business. What was thought to be a dying supply chain model has re-emerged as a health and growing segment of the semiconductor industry. Recent figures from Gartner place 2012 ASIC revenue at around $24.4 billion… Read More
During my last Taiwan trip I also spent time with Global Unichip. Clearly, in order for the semiconductor industry to thrive we must enable design starts. With the rising costs and complexity of semiconductor design and manufacturing this is a much greater challenge which is why I’m so interested in GUC, for the greater good of the… Read More
The ASIC business is getting more and more complicated. The ability to produce innovative die at a competitive price to solve increasingly complex problems just isn’t enough. The technology required to package that die is now front and center.
Here, at the junction of advanced design, process technology and state-of-the art … Read More
Just how many hands have touched your SoC design by the time it goes to manufacturing? Clearly the more hands that touch it, the more complex the design is, making it more difficult to meet your product requirements. The commercial semiconductor IP dilemma is that not only are you using the same IP as your competitors, you are exponentially… Read More
Just returning from my monthly trip to Taiwan and I find myself energized! Semiconductors, EDA, and the ASIC business have never been more exciting! The travel itself is not so exciting but since I make frequent trips the airline and hotel treat me like a king. And let me tell you, it is good to be a king!
Lunch with Jim Lai, President of Global Unichip(GUC), was the highlight of my week, I had a very nice crab cake salad. As you may have read, GUC announced itself as the “Flexible ASIC Leader” taking direct aim at the traditional ASIC market led by the likes of IBM, ST Micro, TI, Renesas, and Samsung. This will be like “shooting fish in… Read More
This was my first ARM TechCon, they cordially invited me as media, but it certainly was not what I expected. Making matters worse, I had literally just flown in from a very long weekend sailing in Mexico which was much more interesting and certainly made me much less tolerant of sales and marketing nonsense. My Uncle Jim lives on a sailboat… Read More
