NoC Development – Make Or Buy?


In the selection and qualification process for semiconductor IP, design teams often consider the cost of in-house development. Network-on-Chip (NoC) IP is no different. In “When Does My SoC Design Need A NoC?” Michael Frank and I argued that most of today’s designs – even less complex ones – can benefit from NoCs. In the blog “Balancing Memory And Coherence: Navigating Modern Chip A... » read more

Navigating IoT Security


By Dana Neustadter (Synopsys), Ruud Derwig (Synopsys), and Martin Rösner (G+D) IoT expansion requires secure and efficient connectivity between machines. Integrated SIM technology and remote SIM provisioning can make this possible. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards have been around for a long time, with Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) developing and delivering the first commercial SIM car... » read more

Weak Verification Plans Lead To Project Disarray


The purpose of the verification plan, or vplan as we call it, is to capture all the verification goals needed to prove that the device works as specified. It’s a big responsibility! Getting it right means having a good blueprint for verification closure. However, getting it wrong could result in bug escapes, wasting of resources, and possibly lead to a device failing altogether. With the foc... » read more

Maximizing Efficiency And Productivity: The Benefits Of Shift Left Verification For IP Designers


Intellectual property (IP) designers play a crucial role by creating reusable components that form the building blocks of larger integrated circuit (IC) designs. These components, whether developed in-house or acquired from specialized IP design companies, are essential for providing core functionality such as memory and standard libraries. However, designing and verifying IP is a complex and d... » read more

Respect? Confused


In a recent story, I talked about how EDA has gained respect in the financial markets, which is something it has failed to do for decades. EDA, in the eyes of Wall Street, had become a plodder through good times and bad, failing to achieve the growth shown by semiconductor companies or foundries, or the rapid rise to glory of other software companies. Of course, it never experienced the same de... » read more

Five Digital Threads Unify And Simplify Electronic Systems Design And Manufacturing


By Matthew Walsh and Matt Bromley Digital transformation involves the integration of digital technologies and the reimagining of business processes to enhance operations, improve customer experiences, and drive innovation. Digital threads are a key component of this transformation, as they enable the seamless flow of data and information across various stages of a process, system, or organiz... » read more

Will 2024 Be The Year Of Layered Realities?


January is always the month of predictions. Our team has already contributed to Semiconductor Engineering's 2023 Look Back and 2024 Outlook. My personal tradition has become to combine the outlook with a look back at what industry experts thought of a decade ago. While this involved a trip to my garage to pick up the respective January IEEE Spectrum issue a decade ago, the new reality is that a... » read more

Why Is The Power Device Market So Hot Right Now?


Growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy sources is putting the spotlight on power semiconductor devices. These power devices have always been essential in determining the efficiency of a variety of systems, from small household electronics to equipment used in outer space. But as calls to reduce carbon emissions get louder, the market for these chips continues to flouri... » read more

TSMC Reports 4Q2023 Earnings: N2 Still On Track For 2025 Production


TSMC reported their 4th quarter and end of year financial numbers for 2023. Year over year, net revenue was down 4.5% to NT$2,161.74 billion, but quarter over quarter revenue was essentially flat at NT$625.52 billion, so it appears that as 3nm is ramping up that revenue is improving. For the fourth quarter, 3nm contributed 15% of TSMC’s total wafer revenue, up from 6% in the third quarter ... » read more

Optimizing IP Management For Chiplet-Based Designs


Chiplets are making big waves in the semiconductor industry, with its global market size growing at 71.3% from 2023 to 2031. Through heterogeneous integration of multiple components of different nodes and technologies, design teams are reinvigorating Moore’s law and paving the way for designs featuring multi-billion transistors and hundreds of IP blocks. These chiplet-based designs are a... » read more

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