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Ann Mutschler

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Ann Mutschler is senior executive editor at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Flexibility Vs. Portability In Emulation
By Ann Mutschler - 08 Mar, 2012 - Comments: 0

Complete and exhaustive verification of low-power designs requires a substantial effort and part of this includes running real applications on the hardware. Simulators fall short as designers realize that the so-called testbenches they create are artificial and don’t necessarily represent typical applications. As such, this is the sweet spot for emulators, also known as hardware accelerators,... » read more

A Necessary Duo: IP And Assertions
By Ann Mutschler - 08 Mar, 2012 - Comments: 0

By Ann Steffora Mutschler Assertions are key to complete and accurate verification, as I dove into here, and there are implications for IP as well. In the case of an embedded processor core that is shipped out as an RTL by the IP vendor, and then used by an engineering team to create a cell phone SoC or to create a consumer SoC for a set-top box or what have you, that core goes into an end ... » read more

The Low Power-System Level Connection
By Ann Mutschler - 09 Feb, 2012 - Comments: 0

I don’t know about you but I am fired up (in a good way) with everything surrounding low power and design at the system level. We are at a point where the challenges are pretty well understood, we can see the way forward in many areas, but what needs to happen next is the evolution of technology that will compel users to adopt the new techniques, which may have yet to be created. Engineeri... » read more

Peace Overture
By Ann Mutschler - 12 Jan, 2012 - Comments: 0

One look at the headline and you may think I’m going to suggest that virtual prototyping can solve the myriad issues between hardware and software teams but rest assured, I’m not. I will tell you that I’ve heard some promising anecdotes lately, and that is a little bit encouraging. When you finish reading, please chime in with your comments! In the course of interviewing Achim Nohl, te... » read more

Cell Phone Radiation: Taboo Topic, Interesting Science
By Ann Mutschler - 01 Dec, 2011 - Comments: 0

Amid a growing consumer concern for possible health issues associated with radiation, more attention is being paid to what’s being generated by mobile devices—particularly the ones we hold next to our brains. Legislation has been introduced in some parts of the country, with varying success, aimed mainly at informing consumers about the potential risks and giving suggestions for reducing ex... » read more

Bridging The Gap
By Ann Mutschler - 01 Dec, 2011 - Comments: 0

We talk all the time about hardware/software co-design, co-verification, etc., but what is really interesting now is how vital the connection is between power awareness and system-level design. Yes, it sounds obvious, but so far this is an untapped market with ideas still being batted around. As discussed in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of my article series on energy and power, to achieve the best power... » read more

Managing IP In Complex Devices
By Ann Mutschler - 17 Nov, 2011 - Comments: 0

By Ann Steffora Mutschler Whether it is a smartphone, tablet, video game with home networking feature or any other digital device, each contains multiple subsystems with a mixture of IP blocks from either in-house development or licensed from third parties. Managing the subsystems, let alone the individual IP blocks and the interplay between all of them, is not getting any easier. In fact, wit... » read more

More EMI Mitigation
By Ann Mutschler - 03 Nov, 2011 - Comments: 0

With electromagnetic interference a major design challenge today in any product that sends or receives a signal, determining how to lessen the impact of this phenomenon was addressed to a large extent in my article, “EMI Cuts a Wide Swath,” but there are a few additional techniques that are important to highlight. Erick Olsen, marketing director at NXP explained that higher performance c... » read more

Are We There Yet?
By Ann Mutschler - 06 Oct, 2011 - Comments: 0

We’ve been talking in the industry for as long as I can remember about hardware and software co-design and I’m always curious to hear how that it progressing….or not. I posed this question to Jon McDonald, technical marketing engineer in Mentor Graphics’ design creation synthesis group who is constantly in touch with engineering teams. His take is that hardware and software teams are... » read more

Solid Verification Methodology Essential To Productivity
By Ann Mutschler - 22 Sep, 2011 - Comments: 0

Verifying SoCs from a functional perspective pushes the limits of already lean resources, driving verification teams to seek out new ways to improve productivity of verification tasks. Of course, with the verification task being a time-bound one, the challenge is daunting. It is well understood that consumer electronics is pushing the technology envelope in terms of the amount of technology ... » read more

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