Bronco Webinar 800x100 1
Semiconductor Expert Forum

Posted on

Getting out of DIY Mode for Virtual Prototypes

Getting out of DIY Mode for Virtual Prototypes
by Don Dingee on 09-26-2016 at 4:00 pm
Categories: Automotive, EDA, IoT, Synopsys

Virtual prototyping has, inexplicably, been largely a DIY thing so far. Tools and models have come from different sources with different approaches, and it has been up to the software development team to do the integration step and cobble together a toolchain and methodology that fits with their development effort.

That integration step has scared away many teams that should be using virtual prototyping and capturing the benefits of earlier software creation and debug. Teams using virtual prototyping can have code running and tested months before their physical hardware platform is ready. What’s in the way? I know I can relate to the squiggly red line in this diagram:


To create a virtualizer development kit (VDK) with a set of transaction-level models (TLMs) for IP blocks has been a somewhat painful process. Software teams leave the cohesive world of C compilers, debuggers, and other tools often fully integrated into an Eclipse IDE, and step into a different parallel universe of SystemC for creating TLMs. Adding the rest of the metadata needed for a complete VDK – pin names, register maps, and connectivity – is another tedious step. The languages are different, the tools are different, and sometimes the process borders on manual labor with developers resorting to editing text with emacs.

Fortunately, many IP vendors have gotten the message and are creating VDKs for their supplied IP blocks. This is especially true in safety-critical environments where software testing tends to be more extensive. (Insert my favorite comment about IoT applications becoming -critical here.) As software grows to dominate schedules and resource loading, and more SoC starts are motivated by accelerating unique software algorithms with dedicated hardware, it’s a welcome development to have more IP suppliers providing VDKs.

The above chart was provided by Malte Doerper, product marketing manager for virtual prototyping at Synopsys. They have stepped back and asked the question why VDK integration has to be so hard. Part of the answer is the tools involved; productivity is lost whenever a team has to jump back and forth between non-integrated tools. Part of the answer is using automation to help the process.

The highly logical step here is to get the virtual prototyping environment into Eclipse. Synopsys has created Virtualizer Studio, an integrated Eclipse IDE that handles browsing, editing, debug, and static analysis chores for SystemC. Those who have worked with Eclipse-based tools know they can be easily extended, allowing software teams to pick and choose from best-of-breed plugins and customize their workflow. Doerper suggests that just bringing the environment together in Eclipse has cut development time for TLM models in SystemC in half.


The real hit Synopsys is after comes in VDK creation. That figure of 10x productivity improvement is based on initial observations from lead customers of Virtualizer Studio. It’s definitely #YMMV; for a huge design with many complex IP blocks, it might be a much larger figure, for a trivial design it might be less. Having off-the-shelf VDKs helps. Synopsys has been working with ARM and other providers for configurable reference VDKs, and supplies models for its DesignWare IP. Still, Doerper says that if VDKs need to be created, at least 50% of the source is stuff that can be autogenerated. The approach takes advantage of the fact that abstraction simplifies the input and the results.

There are also gains to be had in incremental development. Maybe integration testing shows that the models aren’t exactly right and need a bit of tweaking. Or, perhaps an IP supplier updates their models and that drives a slight change in a model of another IP block or the integrated SoC. In Virtualizer Studio, switching from the VDK debug perspective to the TLM creation perspective is a simple matter of selecting a different tab:


For more of the story on the new Synopsys Virtualizer Studio IDE, the full press release:
Synopsys’ New Virtualizer Studio Integrated Development Environment Accelerates Virtual Prototyping Productivity

More background on VDKs and what Synopsys is doing in segments such as automotive:
Synopsys Virtualizer Development Kits

To me, the development of an Eclipse-based environment for VDKs is a no-brainer. Software teams can quickly embrace the Synopsys platform and add their own extensions. Adding off-the-shelf reference VDKs to jump start productivity is also a big step. To get more SoC starts, the semiconductor industry needs to do more things to make the software developers comfortable, since those people will be the ones generating many of the new ideas.

Related Blogs:

Automotive Design and Virtual Prototyping

Embedded Agility

Developing ARM v8 Code…Today

Posted on

The Status and Future of FDSOI

The Status and Future of FDSOI
by Scotten Jones on 09-26-2016 at 12:00 pm
Categories: FD-SOI, Foundries, GlobalFoundries, Samsung Foundry, STMicroelectronics

I recently took a look at the current status and future direction of FinFET based logic processes in my Leading Edge Logic Landscape blog. I thought it would be interesting to take a similar look at FDSOI and to compare and contrast the two processes. My Leading Edge Logic Landscape blog is available here.
Continue reading “The Status and Future of FDSOI”

Posted on

Top 5 Highlights from the 2016 TSMC Open Innovation Platform Forum

Top 5 Highlights from the 2016 TSMC Open Innovation Platform Forum
by Tom Dillinger on 09-26-2016 at 7:00 am
Categories: Foundries, TSMC

Recently, TSMC conducted their annual Open Innovation Platform forum meeting in San Jose. Although TSMC typically eschews a theme for the forum, David Keller, EVT TSMC North America, used a phrase in his opening remarks that served as a foundation for the rest of the meeting – “celebrate the way we collaborate”.

The forum begins with a technology overview session from TSMC. Jack Sun, VP and CTO TSMC R&D, provided the keynote, entitled: ”Technology Leadership for Collaborative Innovation”. Cliff Hou, VP R&D Design Technology Platform, provided an update on the design flow enablement and IP readiness for TSMC’s advanced process nodes.

Their presentations were followed by 3 tracks of customer and EDA vendor presentations, highlighting areas where their collaboration with TSMC has resulted in pushing the envelope of new designs and design methods.

The following list highlights five key impressions from the forum, mostly related to TSMC’s roadmap update. (I should note that there are subjective comments included, which solely represent my opinions, not those of TSMC.)

(5) Platforms: End-market requirements are driving broader design enablement releases
TSMC has adopted a design enablement strategy with 4 platforms, to address unique characteristics of key market segments. Customers will be incorporating the associated PDK models, techfiles and reference flows for their specific market. (Clearly, this strategy entails much greater support from Cliff’s team.) The four platforms are:

a) High Performance Computing platform
The majority of the HPC platform discussion pertained to the 7nm node.
Characteristics of device models and tool qualification include:

  • FEOL device models need to support VDD overdrive and hyper-overdrive performance boost modes
  • BEOL interconnect design rules use wider upper level metals, larger vias
  • TSMC is providing an “H360” standard cell foundation IP library
  • power-grid construction flows focus on minimizing IR, addressing EM issues
  • clock-tree synthesis must meet very low skew requirements
  • improved wiring delay optimization will be needed in APR flows
  • statistical timing analysis support is required
  • statistical EM analysis is required

b) Mobile platform
As with HPC, the focus was on the availability of the 16FFC platform, and the development underway for the upcoming 7nm node. Relative to N10FF, the 7nm mobile platform offering offers improvements of ~15% performance (iso-power), ~35% power (iso-performance), with a gate density improvement of 1.65X.

  • TSMC is providing an H240 standard cell dense library, for maximal gate density
  • Similar EDA reference flow requirements as the HPC platform

c) Automotive platform
Clearly, there is an expectation for a growing market for automotive electronics, to address a growing set of ADAS feature requirements, as guided by the ISO-26262 standard.

The TSMC automotive platform is currently focused on the N16FFC process node, with PDK support for extended operating environment conditions:

  • models qualified to 150 degrees C (from 125 C for HPC)
  • EM model analysis to 125 C, statistical EM sign-off
  • TSMC IP qualification reports provided for NBTI, PBTI, HCI, TDDB, device aging
  • SRAM soft error model enhancements

d) IoT platform
TSMC is working on ensuring Ultra Low Power PDK support across a wide set of process nodes, focusing on IP qualification at lower operating voltages – i.e., 40ULP (1.2V à 0.9V), 28HPC (0.9V à 0.7V), 16FFC (0.8V à 0.55V).

An extra-high Vt device offering (EVHT) adds to the available set of Vt targets. A low-leakage SRAM bitcell IP is also available.

TSMC expressed support for working with customers on near Vt characterization, as well.

4) High capacity memory array technology alternatives in R&D
Jack S. briefly alluded to the R&D activity underway to investigate alternative memory array technologies, specifically embedded Resistive RAM (eRRAM) and embedded Magnetoresistive RAM (eMRAM). Yet, no specific timeline for process node introduction was provided.

This is in contrast to announcement from other foundries, which have provided (preliminary) dates for eMRAM introduction. I found this distinction to be interesting.

3) N10, N7 development “on track”
TSMC shared dates for N10 and N7 production availability. N10FF will ramp this year. The very aggressive N7FF schedule (for HPC and mobile platforms) is an extremely impressive feat.

Reference flow support for the 7nm EDA features listed above will be available in 4Q’16.

N7FF foundation and SRAM IP will be available to the v0.5 PDK release this year.

Risk production tapeouts will be accepted in 1Q’17. High-speed SerDes IP will be available to the v1.0 PDK in 2Q’17.

This is especially impressive, given the additional design enablement resource required for the two platforms – with different design rules, PDK models, standard cell IP, etc.

2) DRC waivers at 7nm? Fuhggedaboudit…
One of the indirect benefits of attending the TSMC OIP forum is the opportunity to chat with TSMC’s EDA and IP partners at their booths. Another is the chance to network with TSMC customers over lunch and coffee breaks. I ran into a colleague from years past, who shared an insight that has since stuck with me.

His contention (not necessarily TSMC’s) was that: “Design rules at 7nm, with 193i photolithography, require a new way of thinking. Design rules are strict. In essence, TSMC is confirming ‘We can print this with these rules, but don’t expect any significant process latitude.’ The days where a custom designer could approach TSMC with a request for a tapeout DRC waiver to realize a PPA benefit for a specific set of cells are long gone.”

He further commented, “At 7nm, I wouldn’t consider any IP that hasn’t been proven in silicon. I’d like to see the IP tapeout signoff review data, and the post-silicon characterization reports. There’s simply no layout design margin anymore.”

Those comments really resonated with me.

1) new 7nm requirement, with a significant tool/flow impact
Each new technology brings new challenges – the exciting nature of our industry is how those challenges are solved. N7FF introduces a unique requirement.

Throughout the scaling of process nodes, interconnect resistance per unit length and via resistance have increased. FinFET’s provided an increase in the areal current density. For high performance designs, the scaling of interconnects strongly impact both interconnect delays and electromigration reliability. For long routes, the goal is to promote signals to higher (thicker) levels of metallization for optimal timing. For EM robustness, the goal is to provide sufficient metal for the associated current density, an issue that is of specific concern at the output of a FinFET cell (through an output pin).

The photolithographic limitations at 7nm preclude traditional methods to address these issues, such as large via bars on dog-bone metal ends. Instead, via pillars will be required, with a significant impact on routing track resources.


A presentation from Synopsys highlighted the extent to which the insertion of via pillars as part of both timing and EM optimization has influenced tools and design methods. The full set of synthesis and implementation flows from Design Compiler-Graphical through IC Compiler-II APR has to be adapted to the via pillar design style. Clock-tree synthesis and optimization involves inserting buffers and optimal pillars to balance loading. Signal routing and post-route optimizations are strongly impacted, as you might imagine. The promotion/demotion of route layers for optimization has to include the congestion impact of associated pillars. All these optimization algorithms rely upon accurate parasitic extraction of the pillar structure.

In summary, the TSMC OIP forum highlighted the collaboration needed among customers, EDA vendors, and the foundry, to enable design success at advanced nodes. And, the coming introduction of 7nm design enablement will include several challenges, necessitating pretty significant changes in design styles and methods. With every challenge comes an opportunity to pursue new innovations in our industry.

-chipguy

Posted on

Windows 10 Anniversary Update May Finally Bring New Consumer Hardware Sales

Windows 10 Anniversary Update May Finally Bring New Consumer Hardware Sales
by Patrick Moorhead on 09-25-2016 at 4:00 pm
Categories: General

Ever since Microsoft launched Windows 10, they have primarily been focused on getting people to upgrade their existing machines from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10, in addition to promoting their Surface line. The upgrade program allowed users of both operating systems to upgrade their systems to Windows 10 for free for a year. That all ended on July 29th, just a few days ago. In that year, Microsoft managed to get the Windows platform from zero Windows 10 users to 350 million monthly active users in a single year. That is a pretty astonishing number, but still not good enough for Microsoft to hit their 1 billion devices monthly active user goal which has since been revised.


Windows Anniversary Update focuses on PC hardware upgrades
For Microsoft to achieve their goal of 1 billion active monthly devices, they needed to change their strategy from just encouraging upgrades of software to upgrades of hardware. Sure, Microsoft may find some users switching from one upgraded Windows 10 device to another, but there’s also a major chance that device may not have Windows 10 quite yet. Microsoft plans to entice more people to switch to Windows 10 with a new major update that will drive users to upgrade their hardware and not just the operating system itself.

These functionalities are thanks to Microsoft’s Anniversary Update to Windows 10 marking the operating system’s first year in existence, which is tomorrow, and implementation of a major update to many components of the operating system. This update is part of a series of software releases that Microsoft has been working on since the announcement of Windows 10 and follows a cadence that I expect the company will continue to follow to make Windows 10 the best operating system possible. This is also another milestone in the Windows as a Service for consumers.

Focus on usability, security, productivity, design
The Windows 10 Anniversary update will be available for free to all Windows 10 users running Windows 10 right now and into the future. The update makes upgrades to usability, security, productivity and design. There are many upgrades across the board, and it seems that many of them appear to encourage users to upgrade their hardware as a means to enable to these new Windows 10 functionalities. Microsoft is making major upgrades to things like Cortana, Edge, Xbox Gaming, Tablet Mode, Windows Store, Action Center, Start Menu and many other areas. Many of these upgrades are going to entice users to upgrade their hardware to more capable systems that best utilize these new functionalities within Windows 10.

Windows Ink
One of the biggest features that’s being added to Windows 10 which could drive hardware upgrades is Windows Ink. Windows Ink is a few feature that utilizes digital pen technology with the latest in touch screen technology to enable new Windows experiences and functions. Windows Ink is something that Microsoft showed me many months ago when they first teased this Anniversary Update. Back then it showed a lot of promise, but now I can see how it will make the user experience more natural through enabling the use of a pen for quick note taking and notations in productivity applications like Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

The Windows Ink capability of drawing on applications will not be limited to Office applications either; it will be available on first party Windows applications like OneNote, Maps and Edge. Microsoft would also be held to a fire if they didn’t enable third party applications which currently include Adobe Illustrator, Drawboard and Fluidmath. Having strong first and third party titles means that Microsoft can show users different applications of the Windows Ink capability and entice users and developers to want to own Ink-capable devices to create new experiences and content. As a result, Windows Ink has a huge potential to increase the demand for pen-enabled devices and make touch screens a must. I am not a huge pen user, but research suggests that for 2-in-1s, pen is a very desired (top 3) feature for buyers.

Windows Hello improvements
Another feature of the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 is the improvements to security through Windows Hello. Previously, Windows Hello was mostly limited to the login of a computer and enabled biometric or facial recognition on certain devices. These capabilities were limited to few devices, but are going to see increased adoption from Windows OEMs thanks to the new Windows 10 Anniversary Update features. Some of the new features include the ability to work on applications and websites like iHeartRadio and Dropbox plus the ability to authenticate with websites that are FIDO-compliant through the Edge browser.

There will also be the ability to unlock your PC through nearby devices like the Microsoft Band where a user may simply need to come near a computer to be able to unlock it. The Windows Hello improved usability and security capabilities that are enabled by the Anniversary Update are poised to give users more reasons to upgrade their hardware since they are unlikely to have a Windows Hello compliant fingerprint sensor or camera. We could actually see these new features driving improved attachment rates of things like Intel RealSense cameras and Synaptics fingerprint devices like its SecurePad, external security adapter and “Iron Veil” mouse. To get the full appreciation for Windows Hello, you need to try it for yourself. It is transformational and makes the PC experience much more enjoyable…. and potentially safer.

Gaming improvements
There are other improvements like Microsoft’s unification of Xbox and Windows 10 gaming which is a part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. As we saw at E3, games will no longer be tied just to being Xbox exclusives anymore; titles will be available as ‘Xbox and Windows 10’ exclusive which means that users will be able to own one title and play it freely across different platforms. This ability may encourage some gamers that are away from their Xboxes to want to be able to play those same games on the go. That will mean that they will need to upgrade their hardware and software very likely with a new Windows 10 PC with DirectX 12 capabilities. The new Windows 10 machines will be able to support these new capabilities and to deliver console-class gaming on the go without any loss of experience to the user. Net-net, if you want to play DirectX titles enabled by Windows 10, you need new hardware that supports it.

Cortana improvements
Even with the improvements being brought by Cortana including the ability to work above the lock screen may require new hardware with better microphones. This update finally delivers a lot of the features that may drive users to consider upgrading their machine even if it is already running Windows 10. There are a lot of new and innovative designs that enable these new experiences and capabilities, be they touch, convertible 2-in-1, biometric security or just a thinner form factor. Many users might not even think about it, but they will very likely also experience much better performance and battery life by upgrading to these new machines built for Windows 10. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update may finally be the version of Windows 10 users and OEMs have been waiting for. To have the best Cortana experience, you will need microphones tuned for the experience so that Cortana is useful from far-field or even mid-field distances.

Wrapping Up
So far on the consumer side, Microsoft has spent most of their effort on Windows 10 getting consumers to upgrade their operating systems from Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 to 10 on older hardware and spent most of their promotion dollars getting consumers to buy Surface.

For Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, Microsoft has invested more time in providing or improving features that work better with new consumer hardware, like Windows Ink, Windows Hello, and Cortana. To be fully successful and drive consumer hardware sales, the key will be Microsoft and PC OEM marketing programs and spend that makes the case to buy the new hardware based on the new or improved experiences. This has been tough going so far, hence the depressed consumer PC sales, but if what I am hearing is correct, at least the marketing spend will be there.

I’m optimistic about new consumer PC sales based on what I have personally experienced with Anniversary Edition in the Windows 10 Insider Program and talking with Microsoft and PC OEMs, but am not “Babe Ruthing” it, either. With Windows Anniversary Edition, this is the best opportunity in 5 years to drive new consumer PC sales.

Posted on

The renegade whose dream started the latest space race

The renegade whose dream started the latest space race
by Vivek Wadhwa on 09-25-2016 at 12:00 pm
Categories: General

Elon Musk’s company SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin have grabbed the headlines in the space race, both of them building rockets and spacecraft. But there is fascinating backstory on how this race and the private space industry came into existence. It is the tale of a renegade entrepreneur, Peter Diamandis, who founded the XPRIZE foundation to incentivize the building of rockets in order to find a way into space himself.

Journalist Julian Guthrie’s brand new book, How to Make A Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, An Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight(Penguin Sept. 20, 2016), tells that story. It reads like a thriller, and it reveals many secrets.

In 2011, Diamandis recruited me to be head of academics at a futuristic think tank, Singularity University, that he and Ray Kurzweil had founded. I am in awe of him and have a bias. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that the lessons in the book will resonate with today’s entrepreneurs, engineers, and adventurers, because they illustrate how the impossible can be made possible.

As Guthrie narrates the story, and as I have heard from Peter Diamandis on several occasions, it all started with Apollo 11’s landing on the Moon, in July, 1969. Watching this, Diamandis became determined to fly into space himself and organized his life around that dream. He completed two degrees from MIT and a medical degree from Harvard — not so he could practice medicine, but to enhance his chances of getting into the Astronaut Corps. Then he founded a national student space club that Jeff Bezos was chapter head of at Princeton; an international space university; and a rocket company. When NASA began to wind down manned space flight, Diamandis realized the government wouldn’t get him where he wanted to go and he would have to do it on his own.

He found his inspiration for a modern-day space race in an unlikely place: During the golden age of aviation, French hotelier Raymond Orteig offered a $25,000 prize to the first person to fly non-stop between New York and Paris. Several unsuccessful attempts were made before an American airmail pilot named Charles Lindbergh won the competition in 1927 with his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, galvanizing creation of the commercial airline industry. Nine teams competed for the $25,000. Between them, they spent around $400,000 — 16 times the value of the cash prize. Diamandis marveled: “Orteig didn’t spend one cent backing the losers. By using incentives, he automatically backed the winner … great return on his money”.

In May 1996, Diamandis launched a $10 million prize for the first non-governmental team to build and fly a manned rocket to space twice within two weeks. When he announced the prize, tentatively titled the XPRIZE, he didn’t have the money. He did what entrepreneurs do — made a big promise with the hope all would work out. It took him years to raise the money, and it came from the most unlikely of sources: an Iranian woman, Anousheh Ansari, who had just sold her company and shared his dream of going into space.

When the XPRIZE was announced, only the world’s largest three governments — those of the U.S., Russia, and China — had launched people into space. The XPRIZE soon had 24 teams from more than a dozen countries competing. Across the globe, engineering students scraped together money and resources to try to build a manned space program. Space scientists ignored ribbing from colleagues who said the dream of private space was impossible. Retirees, working in rice fields in Texas, built engines and rockets. A famous programmer named John Carmack (now CTO of Oculus Rift) decided to try to do for aerospace what he had done for video games.

And in the Mojave Desert, an airplane designer named Burt Rutan, who had secretly attracted funding from a billionaire — Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen — began his covert space program. He had fewer than 30 engineers working on the spaceship. As with breakthroughs that came later with the Internet, personal computers, and smartphones, wherein failures were expected and iterations were the norm, Rutan began by throwing foam models off the Mojave tower, created on the basis of doodles on a napkin. With every new type of plane, Burt plotted and planned and worked out hundreds of details in his mind before testing anything in a computer. There was never an epiphany, a single “aha” moment; only iteration after iteration, layer after layer. How these foam models led to the world’s first private spaceship, SpaceShipOne, is one of the great entrepreneurial adventure stories of our time.

Rutan won the $10 million XPRIZE in 2004. Richard Branson bought the rights to the technology and is developing SpaceShipTwo to fly paying passengers to the edge of space. Elon Musk, who met Diamandis in the spring of 2001 and was inspired by the XPRIZE, has hit one milestone after another and hopes to take NASA astronauts to space beginning next year. Bezos, who met with Diamandis in the early days of the XPRIZE, is also making history with his own suborbital spacecraft.

The story sounds incredible — from the pages of science fiction. And it has a happy ending. But as all entrepreneurial ventures go, nothing went according to plan: It was riddled with failure and disappointment, ugly battles broke out between friends and founders, the world often looked like it was coming to an end, and Diamandis had to gamble everything he had.

Most interesting is an observation Branson makes in the book’s foreword: There isn’t much of a difference between being an adventurer and an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, you push the limits and try to protect the downside. As an adventurer, you push the limits, and protect the downside — which can be your life.

For more, follow me on Twitter: @wadhwa and visit my website: www.wadhwa.com

Posted on

Network vs. Platform

Network vs. Platform
by Sudeep Kanjilal on 09-25-2016 at 7:00 am
Categories: General

So, how do we define these terms? What is the core difference? Why does it matter – what is the implication on business models? And finally, which firms today embody these models?

First, the basics. Digital business models are inherently exponential in terms of value generation. Data drives powerful flywheel effect, and these business models often ‘tips over’ the markets and industries they operate in. I wrote about this at length in my previous blog (Digital – what is different about it?)

There are, however, three kinds of ‘exponential growth models’ correlating to different digital business models. It is important firms get that distinction right, as they pursue their digital strategy. And I think this is particularly important for established Fortune 500 firms, as they have large existing consumer base, established set of service/product offerings, and established digital channels. For them, its not just a product strategy – it’s a product, vendor, supply-chain and channel strategy all rolled into one!

A digital firm can therefore opt for one of the 3 basic models – Network, Marketplace and Platform. The basic difference between them is the nature of interactions between the firm and its consumers, and between its consumers.

Network is the simplest model, with value determined by the broadcast value. Telecommunication network, Skype, Social networks like Facebook are the simplest form of network, and are typically homogeneous, operate in a NXN mesh, are bidirectional. The value of these networks are determined by Sarnoff’s law: V = f(N).

Marketplace is the next evolution of this model. This digital models are heterogeneous, operate in a one-to-many mode, are bidirectional, and provide a foundation for multiple businesses to come together and operate. The value generation of this model is a scale higher than simple network model (Metclaf’s law): V = f(N^2).

Microsoft (or rather, WinTel) was the original founder of this model (hence them ‘tipping over’ the personal computing market in their favor, cornering 95% of the industry profit). ebay, Craigslist, etc. then proceeded to create these marketplaces on the web. Facebook extended its original network model to Marketplace model with Facebook Marketplace, and so has Google Shopping. The most famous example of this strategy is, of course, iTunes – which Apple successfully leveraged to tip the smartphone market in its favor (and walk away with 95% of the industry profit).

Platform is, however, the highest form of evolution of digital business models. Its build on platform model – but create marketplace on marketplace: sub-groups of users coming together, homogeneously and/or heterogeneously, to create their own marketplaces. It requires an Open Platform, so that user community can extend the original platform to new functionalities and add new capabilities. The economic value generation is exponential (Reed’s law): V = f(2^N).

The early adopters of this model are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat in China. Google, a firm I would normally expect to lead this race, is absent. Apple is trying its hand at this, but early results are desultory as this will require Apple to open its platform, something it does not do well.

Where does this leave the established consumer facing Fortune 500 firms? Frankly, except for a very few – nowhere. Even the early pioneers like Chase, Capital One are really struggling to define the true nature of the digital platform they are attempting to develop and roll out, and I suspect are reticent regarding the scale of operational change they have to make in the way they roll our product, way they manage channels, way they interact with partners and client. But some are trying.

The change will come, make no mistake about it. It has already come in retail (Amazon), telecommunication (Apple), digital advertising (google), digital media (facebook) – in each of these verticals, the market tipped over and got reshaped by one dominant firm. It has not yet played out fully in these verticals, yet, as each of these firms have not yet transitioned from Marketplace to Platform model. Perhaps they will make that transition and retain leadership status, perhaps a new start up will move faster and displace them. Current size/market dominance, however imposing, is no defense against new digital models – just ask Nokia.

But the most wrenching change will come to the other consumer verticals – banking, various retail categories, hospitality, travel, etc. Most of these firms are not yet digital, or operating in the most rudimentary digital business model. Banks, in particular, believe they are ‘protected’ by regulations – and yet…

We are in for a very interesting ride ahead!

Posted on

Mentor Webinar on Power Exploration for Optimizing Power

Mentor Webinar on Power Exploration for Optimizing Power
by Bernard Murphy on 09-23-2016 at 8:00 pm
Categories: IoT, Mobile, Siemens EDA

There are a lot of clever techniques to automatically find and even implement methods for register gating and memory gating, but the bulk of power-saving still depends on designer and architect insight based on expected range of use of a device, complemented by practical use-case simulations. Of course this team needs to be able to see total power and breakdowns by type (switching, leakage, etc.) and by regions in the design in order to understand what areas need help and what fixes might provide the most useful reductions.

This Webinar is on September 27[SUP]th[/SUP] at 9am Pacific. Register now!

The design teams needs to be able to experiment quickly with possible power-saving options to see which might have the most significant impact. This requires the ability to run through a lot of experiments in a short time to compare and contrast options, especially since some options will have performance, area or latency impact. Obvious experiments include:

  • Changing the Vt mix to reduce leakage in a block which is not very performance-sensitive
  • Adding power-switching or DVFS to a block which use-cases show can handle the latency incurred in powering back on, or the reduction in performance at lower V/f.
  • Adding higher-level clock gating to power down more logic in inactive modes.
  • Adding gating to data and address ports on memories from which a surprising level of power savings can be milked by judicious gating of address and data busses.

These experiments can show significant opportunities for power saving but are generally too complex to be proved formally. That’s why these decisions generally require design judgment based on a broad sampling of simulation use-cases and what the design team believes should bound normal usage. That said, I know at least some design teams will make these fixes and also also build in software-controlled bail-out options to selectively disable gating if “normal” usage at a customer proves to exceed the bounds they expected 😎

The central value of a solution like this is sufficiently accurate power-estimation (within 15% of gate-level estimates), good visualization of power distributed by types, location in the design and some granularity in time, and fast-turn to get delta improvements based on what-if choices in the design architecture.

REGISTER HERE

Overview
Power consumption impacts multiple applications and markets such as handheld, workstations, and servers to name a few. Because the greatest opportunities for optimizing power are at the micro-architecture and RTL design stages, the PowerPro Platform provides an interactive approach to power exploration and power reduction at RTL. This platform uses an unique architecture that eliminates iterations through simulation and synthesis, giving immediate power feedback.This web seminar will show how PowerPro easily identifies where power is wasted; from the micro-architectural level to memory, register and combinational elements. The platform provides “what-if” analysis, interactively assessing the impact on power due to potential design transformations.

What You Will Learn
· Survey results: Power reduction- who is doing it and when
· Overview of the PowerPro platform
· Interactive RTL analysis and exploration environment
· 3 detailled examples of RTL power reduction guidance
· Optimizing further with design exploration
· Examples and customer results

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Stuart Clubb
Before re-joining Mentor Graphics in 2015, Stuart managed the North American FAE team for Calypto Design Systems. Moving from the UK in 2001 to work at Mentor Graphics, Stuart held the position of Technical Marketing Engineer, initially on the Precision RTL synthesis product for 6 years and later on Catapult for 5 years. He has held various engineering and application engineering roles ASIC and FPGA RTL hardware design and verification. Stuart graduated from Brunel University, London, with a Bachelors of Science.
Who Should Attend
· RTL designers
· Power architects
· Project managers
Products Covered
· PowerPro RTL Low-Power

Posted on

The Virus of Car Ownership

The Virus of Car Ownership
by Roger C. Lanctot on 09-23-2016 at 4:00 pm
Categories: Automotive

What if we all looked at driving as less of a right and more of an addiction, a disability, or a disease to be avoided, cured or overcome? What if driving were seen as a menace to society draining lives, money and time from the economy? What would our public policy priorities become in this new context?

Sweden isn’t waiting to find out. The country concluded its first experiment in vehicle-less living at the end of last year and is pondering the second phase of its exploration of a less vehicle-focused way of life.

While Lyft CEO John Zimmer recently chimed in that automated driving will obviate the need for car ownership within five years, neither Zimmer nor Uber’s Travis Kalanick have demonstrated yet that they can make money with their ride hailing model with or without drivers. It’s not likely that they will be successful with automating driving – certainly not profitably.

The beauty of Sweden’s UbiGo test is its emphasis on paying for whatever transportation you use or need via a single mobility subscription. Car companies are attempting to embrace this vision, as in the case of Daimler’s Moovel, but they may not perceive the ultimate consequences.

Within the UbiGo model in the Swedish city of Gothenburg 70 paying households relied on the test-version of UbiGo for their everyday travel for 6 months. The UbiGo service combines public transport, car sharing, a rental car service, and a taxi and bicycle system – all in one app, all on one invoice and with 24/7 support and bonus points for sustainable choices.

Some cities have seen fit to offer incentives for residents to use ride hailing services, suggesting that cities, like San Francisco, see the merit in prying human beings away from and out of their cars by paying them. But UbiGo takes this process to another level.

Unlike congestion charging used in cities like Stockholm and London, where drivers simply pay more to bring their cars into designated urban zones, UbiGo creates a system of incentives to reward non-drivers. (Truly, the next step is support groups where determined drivers will be treated like addicts, severely sanctioned or penalized or perhaps actively shunned by “cured” no-longer-drivers.)

Today car makers are playing along with investments in ride hailing and car sharing services seeking to increase the transportation options for city dwellers and visitors. But the likely long-term outlook is an urban environment ruled by shared public transportation resources.

In five years, Uber and Lyft may no longer be around as existing taxi providers – newly appified and reliably profitable – regain command of ad hoc transportation with or without drivers. The real revolution, though, lies in looking at driving as an addiction, a disability or a disease.

Cities around the world are overwhelmed with cars. Multiple-day traffic jams of the type seen in China will soon swamp the likes of Sao Paulo, New York, Mumbai and Paris. There has to be a better way and Sweden is in the forefront of this innovation.

You can learn more here and see for yourself whether it changes your thinking:
http://www.ubigo.se/published-papers/

Posted on

The CIA, NSA, and Pokemon Go?

The CIA, NSA, and Pokemon Go?
by Kevin Kostiner on 09-23-2016 at 12:00 pm
Categories: Mobile

So it’s finally out, the truth about Pokemon Go (and probably the rest of the app based mobile gaming world) and it’s a shocking, painful truth that will pretty much destroy the industry and force people back to their sedentary, solitary lives in front of their computers. And just as the average weight of an American was starting to drop. So sad! Before continuing, you need to read the below article for context

The CIA, NSA and Pokemon Go By Bryan Lunduke, NETWORKWORLD from IDG

So Pokemon Go is really a CIA covert opp. Personally, I’m shattered. I had finally come to the acceptance that it was safe, once again, to be outside and involved in the augmented reality world that we live in.

So from the shocking facts exposed in this article about Pokemon Go, one can infer all of the following:

[LIST=1]

  • The US military can recruit on high school campuses…whether parents agree to this or not! To be different, the CIA is using mobile gaming to secretly identify potential recruits…so what’s wrong with that? Imagine 13 year old covert operatives working in Iran, how innovative!
  • Pokemon Go is actually a covert means for the CIA to track your past and present movements while learning all about your daily habits.
  • Edward Snowden’s trove of NSA data actually includes the great Pokemon Go conspiracy, he’s just too busy hunting for a Charizard in Russia to release those pages.
  • The CIA can read, modify and delete any files on your device through the game. So what’s wrong with that. You have too many photos on it anyway. The government pretty much takes care of everyone anyway, why not let them manage your storage issues as well!
  • The camera on your device is now an extension of the CIA’s vast monitoring network. Consider it your civic duty in helping protect your community as you capture another Mewtwo in the neighborhood park.
  • Since the CIA can also see what you’re looking at right now while knowing exactly where you are, consider the importance of spending more time in front of your computer and NOT outside! Maybe being inactive and overweight has it’s advantages. Thank you CIA!
  • The CIA will know what you look like…all the time. So no more going the entire day without brushing your hair and making yourself presentable. Don’t be selfish, consider the impact on CIA case agents having to see your unkempt face every day.
  • While the CIA will monitor everything about you through the game they will also have intimate knowledge on where the best Pokemon are located since they’re monitoring them as well. So follow your phones lead and it will take you to all the right places.
  • It’s good manners to show gratitude to the CIA every time you level up in the game. So periodically whisper a thank you into your phone….they’ll hear you!

    Pokemon Go is only one of many mobile gaming apps. Consider how busy the CIA must be right now trying to manage their covert operations across so many platforms. You may want to take seriously their recruiting efforts and apply for a job at the agency. Who knows, you might get the master key to all Pokemon as you spy on gamers around the world. Now that would be fun!

    Postscript: Note to CIA monitor who just read this post….I’m joking!!! Hopefully the CIA has a sense of humor!

    • Posted on

    Demystifying IoT – The 15 key building blocks of an IoT solution

    Demystifying IoT – The 15 key building blocks of an IoT solution
    by Padraig Scully on 09-23-2016 at 7:00 am
    Categories: IoT

    IoT solution development is complex. In many cases, development entails combining expertise from a number of different areas such as embedded system engineering, connectivity solution design, big data handling, application development, and data encryption techniques. Each area demands a specific array of competences and proficiency to function within its own realm. Furthermore, a varied skillset with diverse knowledge is required to develop a complete solution that blends offerings across all of these areas. But within these areas what are the key building blocks of an IoT solution?


    The breakdown of IoT solutions into key building blocks was recently analyzed as part of an industry white paper published by IoT Analytics with the title “Guide to IoT solution development”. In the paper, the analysts discuss the IoT Solution development process across 5 major phases:
    [LIST=1]

  • Business case
  • Build vs. Buy Decision
  • Proof of Concept
  • Piloting
  • Commercial Deployment

    According to the paper, developing end-to-end IoT Solutions involves multiple layers that fuse together various components. In many cases OEMs are unaware of the complexity in IoT Solution Development.

    “When we started our IoT implementation effort we had no clue what we needed and who to approach – to be honest, we didn’t even know what we were looking for.” IoT Project Manager at a Machinery OEM.

    The paper outlines how IoT needs to be thought through from end-to-end or device-to-cloud. On a high level there are 5 major layers of an IoT solution including one cross-layer: Device, Communication, Cloud Services, Applications, and Security.

    1. Device layer:    Adding MCUs and firmware to basic hardware (e.g., sensors and actuators) creates “simple” connected devices. Adding MPUs and OSs makes these connected devices “smart”.

    2. Communication layer:    Enabling communication to the outside world through various connectivity networks gives the devices a “voice”.

    3. Cloud Services layer:    Ingesting, analyzing and interpreting the data at scale through cloud technologies generates “insights”.

    4. Application layer:    Connecting and enhancing these insights to the greater ecosystem through a system of engagements enables “action” through a vast range of new applications and connected services.

    5. Security cross-layer:    Securing an IoT solution is an element of such importance that it merits an established “foundation” in each of the other building blocks.

    Each layer is made up of components that bring the end-to-end solution seamlessly together.

    IoT Analytics’ 2016 IoT platforms market report reveals that some companies offer more components than others and together with their partner ecosystem some can provide complete end-to-end IoT solution support. However, with 360+ competing platform providers in the market today it can be difficult to understand what they really offer. To assist companies in better understanding the offerings of IoT solution providers, the IoT Analytics white paper showcases a high-level comparison of 8 major IoT solution providers including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Intel, GE, Google, PTC and SAP. The comparison breaks down each layer into components and highlights examples to create a clearer picture, for example:

    1. Device:
    • Operating System: Offers low-level system software managing hardware and software resources and providing common services for running system applications e.g., Windows 10 IoT.
    • Modules and Drivers: Offers adaptable modules, drivers, source libraries that reduce development and testing time e.g., AWS IoT Device SDKs.
    • MPU / MCU: Offers multi-purpose programmable electronic devices at microprocessor or microcontroller level e.g., Intel Atom processors.

    2.Communication:
    • Connectivity Network / Modules: Offers connectivity network / hardware modules enabling air interface connectivity e.g., AT&T M2M, Telit IoT Modules.
    • Edge Analytics: Enables time-sensitive decisions, local compute, analytics on a smart / edge device e.g., Cisco Fog Data Services.
    • Edge Gateway (hardware based): Enables manageability, security, identity, interoperability based on a Cloud enabled hardware device e.g., Dell Edge Gateway 5000.

    3. Cloud Services:
    • Storage / Database: Cloud based storage and database capabilities (not including on premise solutions) e.g., Azure SQL.
    • Device Management: Enables remote maintenance, interaction and management capabilities of devices at the edge e.g., Azure IoT Hub.
    • Event Processing & Basic Analytics: Processes events and handles big data analytics e.g., Azure HDInsight.
    • Advanced Analytics: Performs advanced stream analytics and machine learning e.g., Azure Machine Learning.

    4. Application:
    • Visualization: Presents device data in rich visuals and/or interactive dashboards e.g., MS Power BI.
    • Business System Integration: Enables integration with existing business systems e.g., Azure Logic Apps.
    • Development Environment: Offers an integrated development environment with comprehensive SDKs for creating applications and services e.g., MS Visual Studio.

    5. Security    :
    • Physical Protection, Firmware Attestation: Protects / verifies the integrity of peripherals / firmware and detects malicious changes e.g., Intel Trusted Platform Module.
    • E2E Encryption of Data & Communication: Secures data / communication through digital certificates and public-key encryption e.g., Symantec SSL, TLS, X.509 certificates.
    • Privacy Management, Data at Rest: Encryption software that protects information that cannot be deciphered easily by unauthorized users e.g., Azure Disk Encryption, Key Vault.
    • Application Identity & Access Management: Set of processes and services that stores directory data and manages communication between users and domains, including user logon processes, authentication, and directory searches e.g., Active Directory, Identity Manager.

    Understanding exactly what is required on a component level for your IoT solution can ease development and integration issues for your connected solution. However, as the IoT Analytics’ database of 640+ Enterprise IoT projects shows there is clearly no one-size-fits-all approach to successful IoT solution development.

    For a consistent methodology to steer your organization through the challenging process as well as other best practices for OEMs, ODMs, and device manufacturers check out the IoT Analytics’ “Guide to IoT solution development” white paper which is available for download free of charge.

    Footnotes:
    § Smart Device:Enables edge analytics, time-sensitive decisions & local compute. Maximizes security, manageability, interoperability, solutions reliability and reduces bandwidth
    costs. In many cases, cloud enabled smart devices are equipped with a natural user interface. Note: MPU = Microprocessor.
    † Edge Gateway:May also be classed as a Smart Device.
    ‡ Simple Device:Generates data, performs instant actions & transmits data. Typically has constrained resources, low hardware costs, basic connectivity, basic security/identity, and no/light manageability. Note: MCU = Microcontroller.

    https://iot-analytics.com/product/guide-to-iot-solution-development/?utm_source=semiwiki&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=keybuildingblocks