SoC QoS gets help from machine learning

SoC QoS gets help from machine learning
by Don Dingee on 07-29-2016 at 4:00 pm

Several companies have attacked the QoS problem in SoC design, and what is emerging from that conversation is the best approach may be several approaches combined in a hybrid QoS solution. At the recent Linley Group Mobile Conference, NetSpeed Systems outlined just such a solution with an unexpected plot twist in synthesis.

The… Read More


10 Challenges in IP Design Collaboration

10 Challenges in IP Design Collaboration
by Don Dingee on 07-18-2016 at 4:00 pm

Enterprise design management can be summed up in one word: collaboration. Intellectual property (IP) reuse and the success of distributed system-on-chip (SoC) design efforts depend strongly on how well designers can collaborate. As time-to-market windows have shortened, the challenges around design collaboration have… Read More


"Re-Inventing" Tapeout Sign-off — Applying Big Data Techniques to Electrical Analysis

"Re-Inventing" Tapeout Sign-off — Applying Big Data Techniques to Electrical Analysis
by Tom Dillinger on 05-23-2016 at 7:00 am

A common SoC design methodology in current use starts with preparation of the physical floorplan — e.g., block/pin placement, global clock domain and bus signal planning, developing the global/local power distribution (and dynamic power domain management techniques). Decoupling capacitor estimated densities and… Read More


S2C tutorial and PROTOTYPICAL debut at DAC

S2C tutorial and PROTOTYPICAL debut at DAC
by Don Dingee on 05-18-2016 at 4:00 pm

It’s been a busy few days here in Canyon Lake, and we’re ready to share exciting news in advance of #53DAC coming up on Monday, June 6[SUP]th[/SUP]. S2C is offering a technical program tutorial on “Overcoming the Challenges of FPGA Prototyping” followed by the launch of our latest book project, “PROTOTYPICAL”, including a field… Read More


Sonics opens new strategy for SoC energy processing

Sonics opens new strategy for SoC energy processing
by Don Dingee on 05-09-2016 at 4:00 pm

Back in February when we shared the Sonics philosophy on the ICE-Grain Power Architecture for hardware-based SoC power management, I speculated we’d know more by DAC 2016. Sonics is hitting the road with a new live seminar coming to Silicon Valley this month and Austin during DAC – and the news is big.… Read More


Tcl scripts and managing messages in ASIC & FPGA debug

Tcl scripts and managing messages in ASIC & FPGA debug
by Don Dingee on 04-27-2016 at 4:00 pm

Our previous Blue Pearl post looked at the breadth of contextual visualization capability in the GUI to speed up debug. Two other important aspects of the ASIC & FPGA pre-synthesis workflow are automating analysis with scripts and managing the stream of messages produced. Let’s look at these aspects… Read More


Enterprise Design Management Engineered for SoCs

Enterprise Design Management Engineered for SoCs
by Don Dingee on 04-22-2016 at 4:00 pm

In my initial look at ClioSoft’s design management system created from the ground up for the semiconductor industry, I made the opening case for managing and reusing IP across an ASIC design organization. Let’s for a moment say we agree on the need for an enterprise software package to do design management… Read More


Debugging is the whole point of prototyping

Debugging is the whole point of prototyping
by Don Dingee on 04-15-2016 at 4:00 pm

The prototype is obviously the end goal of FPGA-based prototyping, however success of the journey relies on how quickly defects can be found and rectified. Winning in the debug phase involves a combination of methodology, capability, and planning. Synopsys recently aired a webinar on their HAPS environment and its debug ecosystem.… Read More


Managing and Reusing IP in a Build-Borrow-Buy Era

Managing and Reusing IP in a Build-Borrow-Buy Era
by Don Dingee on 04-01-2016 at 4:00 pm

Make-versus-buy inadequately describes what we do now in electronic systems design. We are on a continuum of design IP acquisition and use decisions, often with a portfolio of active projects and future projects depending on the outcome. Properly managing IP means adopting a build-borrow-buy mindset and tools capable of handling… Read More