TSMC Shows 10nm Wafer!

TSMC Shows 10nm Wafer!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-08-2015 at 4:00 pm

If you really want to know why I write about TSMC it is all about ego, my massive ego, absolutely. Blogs about TSMC and the foundries have always driven the most traffic and they most likely always will. Semiconductor IP is second, Semiconductor Design is third, and I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon:

SemiWiki BI: DanielRead More


MIPI Beyond Mobile, Semiwiki Blogger Paper at #52DAC!

MIPI Beyond Mobile, Semiwiki Blogger Paper at #52DAC!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-03-2015 at 10:00 am

IoT or wearable: it’s fascinating to see how many articles, blogs, and comments have been posted about them during the last two years! IoT business potential is huge as are the number of possible applications. If we summarize the functions within a wearable system we can count:

[LIST=1]

  • CPU: it can be a standard Microcontroller
  • Read More

    Why does Apple do business with Samsung?

    Why does Apple do business with Samsung?
    by Daniel Nenni on 05-26-2015 at 10:00 pm

    The Apple and Samsung relationship is an interesting one. On one hand they have co-developed some of the most innovative products on the market today (iPod, iPhone, iPad, iWatch) yet they are fierce competitors in the mobile market. Some call this type of business relationship “frenemies” others refer to the old Italian proverb… Read More


    How to design silicon photonics–take this class!

    How to design silicon photonics–take this class!
    by Beth Martin on 05-25-2015 at 9:30 pm

    Silicon Photonics is the hottest prospect for blazing fast communication between chips in servers, data centers, and supercomputers.

    By using light instead of electrical signals, it promise to usher in a new standard of high performance, low power devices while extending the use of more mature process nodes, helping to reduce… Read More


    How Good is Your DRC Deck?

    How Good is Your DRC Deck?
    by Daniel Nenni on 05-24-2015 at 4:30 pm

    Design Rule Check (DRC) is the #1 foundry sign-off check. Fabless companies receive the DRC deck from the foundry; it’s a file comprising thousands of commands in a proprietary checker language for a specific DRC tool. In advanced technologies such a deck executes tens of thousands of geometric operations on the physical… Read More


    eSilicon Lyfts Its Game

    eSilicon Lyfts Its Game
    by Paul McLellan on 05-24-2015 at 3:00 am

    We have got used to services like Uber and Lyft (at least in cities that are not so anti-consumer as to ban them, I’m looking at you New York. Et vous Paris). But in most of the semiconductor world we are still stuck standing at the side of the road waving our hand helplessly in the hope that the light on that taxi is actually on. Leading… Read More


    Samsung Foundry Debuts 10nm Wafer!

    Samsung Foundry Debuts 10nm Wafer!
    by Daniel Nenni on 05-22-2015 at 1:00 pm

    The Samsung Smart, Connected Lifestyle event was last night at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco. Getting into San Francisco was no picnic with all of the roadwork and new building construction. We even saw people drive up on the sidewalk to get around car clogs. It really was crazy but definitely worth it after seeing the first … Read More


    Realize the Genius of Your Design!

    Realize the Genius of Your Design!
    by Daniel Nenni on 05-21-2015 at 1:00 pm

    I think we can all agree that no matter what you are designing, FPGA prototyping can help. The challenge is getting the most out of the leading edge FPGA prototyping solutions and that requires a detailed understanding of how this technology works and what FPGA prototyping solutions match your design and verification requirements.… Read More


    The Future of Chip Design in the Internet Age

    The Future of Chip Design in the Internet Age
    by Mike Gianfagna on 05-20-2015 at 1:00 am

    Huge designs, spectacular design costs, astronomical capital expenditure. Welcome to the present day semiconductor industry. As discussed in my prior post, the days of democratized silicon access have been replaced by an elite market. Custom chips are once again a rich person’s game. Does it have to stay this way? I personally… Read More


    ClioSoft Celebrates 2014 with 30% Revenue Growth!

    ClioSoft Celebrates 2014 with 30% Revenue Growth!
    by Daniel Nenni on 05-18-2015 at 1:00 am

    One of the first companies we worked with when SemiWiki went live in 2011 was ClioSoft. They had a problem with a competitor spreading misinformation which is certainly not unheard of in EDA. When a company cannot compete technically sometimes they resort to dirty tricks or legal distractions. The first ClioSoft article we published… Read More