Model Driven Development

Model Driven Development
by Paul McLellan on 10-25-2012 at 5:50 pm

Mentor has a webinar on Model Driven Development (MDD) for Systems Engineering, presented by Bill Chown. It is actually the first of 15 webinars. This first one is just over 30 minutes long and I assume the others will be too. The webinar focuses on embedded system development, which historically has largely been validated using… Read More


TSMC dilemma: Cadence, Mentor or Synopsys?

TSMC dilemma: Cadence, Mentor or Synopsys?
by Eric Esteve on 10-18-2012 at 4:49 am

Looking at the Press Release (PR) flow, it was interesting to see how TSMC has solved a communication dilemma. At first, let’s precise that #1 Silicon foundry has to work with each of the big three EDA companies. As a foundry, you don’t want to lose any customer, and then you support every major design flow. Choosing another strategy… Read More


High Frequency Analysis of IC Layouts

High Frequency Analysis of IC Layouts
by Daniel Payne on 10-03-2012 at 12:26 pm

IC designers of passive devices often use empirical approaches to perform High Frequency Analysis (HFA), however there is at least one new approach being offered by Mentor Graphics using a tool flow of:

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Automating Complex Circuit Checking Tasks

Automating Complex Circuit Checking Tasks
by SStalnaker on 09-20-2012 at 7:24 pm

By Hend Wagieh, Mentor Graphics

At advanced IC technology nodes, circuit designers are now encountering problems such as reduced voltage supply headroom, increased wiring parasitic resistance (Rp) and capacitance (Cp), more restrictive electromigration (EM) rules, latch-up, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage,… Read More


Wiring Harness Design

Wiring Harness Design
by Paul McLellan on 09-04-2012 at 5:18 pm

In 2003 Mentor acquired a company doing wiring harness design. Being a semiconductor guy this wasn’t an area I’d had much to do with. But more than most semiconductor people I expect.

But back when I was an undergraduate, I had worked as a programmer for a subsidiary of Philips called Unicam that made a huge range of spectrometers… Read More


A Brief History of Mentor Graphics

A Brief History of Mentor Graphics
by Beth Martin on 08-20-2012 at 11:00 pm

In 1981, Pac-Man was sweeping the nation, the first space shuttle launched, and a small group of engineers in Oregon started not only a new company (Mentor Graphics), but an entirely new industry, electronic design automation (EDA).


Mentor founders Tom Bruggere, Gerry Langeler, and Dave Moffenbeier left Tektronix with a great… Read More


While you’re reading the SoC manual

While you’re reading the SoC manual
by Don Dingee on 08-09-2012 at 8:30 pm

There was a day, not too long ago, when a software developer could be intimate with a processor through understanding its register set. Before coding, developers would reach for a manual, digging through pages and pages of 1s and 0s with defined functions to find how to gain control over the processor and its capability. One bit set… Read More


A Brief History of EDA

A Brief History of EDA
by Daniel Nenni on 08-05-2012 at 6:00 pm

Electronic Design Automation, or more affectionately known as EDA, is a relatively young $5B industry with a very colorful upbringing, one that I have experienced firsthand, I’m very grateful for, and is an honor to write about. Today EDA employs an estimated 27,000 people! There is a nice EDA Wikipedia page which can be found hereRead More


It Takes a Village: Mentor and ARM Team Up on Test

It Takes a Village: Mentor and ARM Team Up on Test
by Beth Martin on 07-18-2012 at 5:01 pm

Benjamin Franklin, “I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.” I was reminded of this line during a joint Mentor-ARM seminar yesterday about testing ARM cores and memories. The complexity of testing modern SoC designs at advanced nodes, with multiple integrated ARM cores and other IP, opens up plenty of room for… Read More


Testing ARM Cores – Mentor and ARM Lunch Seminar

Testing ARM Cores – Mentor and ARM Lunch Seminar
by Beth Martin on 07-08-2012 at 8:29 pm

If you are involved in testing memory or logic of ARM-based designs, you’ll want to attend this free seminar on July 17, 2012 in Santa Clara. Mentor Graphics and ARM have a long standing partnership, and have optimized the Mentor test products (a.k.a Tessent) for the ARM processors and memory IP.

The lunch seminar runs from 10:30-1:00… Read More