BDA Introduces High-Productivity Analog Characterization Environment (ACE)

BDA Introduces High-Productivity Analog Characterization Environment (ACE)
by Daniel Nenni on 05-19-2013 at 7:45 pm

Last week Berkeley Design Automation introduced a new Analog Characterization Environment (ACE) – a high-productivity system to ensure analog circuits meet all specifications under all expected operational, environmental, and process conditions prior to tapeout.

While standard cell characterization and memory characterization… Read More


#50DAC: Winning in Monte Carlo!

#50DAC: Winning in Monte Carlo!
by Daniel Nenni on 05-18-2013 at 4:00 pm

One of the places you will be able to find me at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) is on the speaker panel for a Monday Tutorial – Winning in Monte Carlo: Managing Simulations Under Variability and Reliability. Having worked closely with TSMC, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Solido Design Automation, and some of the top fabless semiconductor… Read More


Solido CEO on 20nm/16nm TSMC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES Design Challenges

Solido CEO on 20nm/16nm TSMC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES Design Challenges
by Daniel Nenni on 05-04-2013 at 11:00 am

EDA needs more CEOs like Amit Gupta. Solido, which is now profitable, is his second AMS EDA company. The first, Analog Design Automation (ADA), was purchased by Synopsys for a hefty multiplier. Prior to becoming an EDA entrepreneur, Amit was product manager for the wireless group at Nortel and a hardware engineer for the RF communications… Read More


TSMC ♥ Solido

TSMC ♥ Solido
by Daniel Nenni on 04-27-2013 at 8:00 am

Process variation has been a top trending term since SemiWiki began as a result of the articles, wikis, and white papers posted on the Solido landing page. Last year Solido and TSMC did a webinar together, an article in EETimes, and Solido released a book on the subject. Process variation is a challenge today at 28nm and it gets worse… Read More


Variation-Aware Design: A Hands-on Field Guide

Variation-Aware Design: A Hands-on Field Guide
by Daniel Payne on 12-01-2012 at 2:57 pm

IC designers using advanced nodes are acutely aware of how variation effects in the silicon itself are causing increased analysis and design efforts in order to yield chips at acceptable levels. Four authors from Solidoare so passionate about this topic that they combined their years of experience into a book that I had a chance… Read More


Solido and TSMC for 6-Sigma Memory Design

Solido and TSMC for 6-Sigma Memory Design
by Daniel Nenni on 11-06-2012 at 8:30 pm

Solido Design Automation and TSMC recently published an article in EE Times describing how Solido’s High-Sigma Monte Carlo tool is used with TSMC PDK’s to achieve high-yield, high-performance memory design. This project has been a big part of my life for the past three years and it is time for a victory lap!

In TSMC 28nm, 20nm and … Read More


EDA Tools to Optimize Memory Design

EDA Tools to Optimize Memory Design
by Daniel Payne on 06-21-2012 at 8:15 pm

I met with Amit Gupta, President and CEO of Solido at DAC on Tuesday to get an update on their EDA tools used in the design of memory, standard cells and low-power. In 2012 they’ve expanded to add three new software packages: Memory, Standard Cell, Low Power. They must be doing something right because at DAC this year I see more… Read More


Understanding and Designing For Variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm

Understanding and Designing For Variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm
by Daniel Nenni on 06-03-2012 at 8:30 pm

On Wednesday there is a User Track Poster Session that examines the design impact of process variation in GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm technology. For those of you who are wondering what process variation looks like at 20nm take this 28nm example and multiply it by one hundred (slight exaggeration, maybe).

Variation effects have a significant… Read More


Solido Design Automation Update 2012

Solido Design Automation Update 2012
by Daniel Nenni on 05-24-2012 at 10:27 am

Having spent a considerable amount of time with Solido, they were one of the founding members of SemiWiki, I can tell you that at 20nm the Variation Designer Platform is a critical part of the emerging 20nm design methodology. You can read more on Solido’s SemiWiki landing page HERE. It is well worth the click.

With technology… Read More


High-efficiency PVT and Monte Carlo analysis in the TSMC AMS Reference Flow for optimal yield in memory, analog and digital design!

High-efficiency PVT and Monte Carlo analysis in the TSMC AMS Reference Flow for optimal yield in memory, analog and digital design!
by Daniel Nenni on 11-01-2011 at 9:00 am

Hello Daniel,
I am very interested on the articles on the PVT simulation, I have worked in that area in the past when I worked in process technology development and spice modeling and I also started a company called Device modeling technology (DMT) which built a Spice model library of discrete components, such as Bipolar/MOS /POWER
Read More