Author's Latest Posts


Architecting For Optimal Interface IP Integration


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the design and integration of complex interface IP with Ty Garibay, vice president of engineering at [getentity id="22849" e_name="Altera"]; Brian Daellenbach, president of Northwest Logic; Frank Ferro, senior director of product management for memory and interface IP at [getentity id="22671" e_name="Rambus"]; Saman Sadr, director of analog design... » read more

System Bits: March 31


Virtual nose reduces video game simulator sickness While virtual reality games often cause simulator sickness – inducing vertigo and sometimes nausea — new research by Purdue University points to a potential strategy to ease the affliction: adding a virtual nose. They explained that a number of physiological systems control the onset of simulator sickness including a person's overall se... » read more

Architecturally Optimizing Memory Bandwidth


Making sure that an SoC’s [getkc id="22" kc_name="memory"] bandwidth is optimized is a crucial part of the design process today given its significance toward overall system performance. There are many ways to approach this issue, and all of them can have a direct bearing on the competitiveness of a chip in terms of both power and performance. So where should you start? “Number one, c... » read more

What Is Functional Accuracy?


What it means to be functionally accurate in the context of [getkc id="104" kc_name="virtual platforms"] varies greatly, depending upon whom you ask and even when you ask them. But that doesn’t mean that functional accuracy isn’t useful. Jon McDonald, technical marketing engineer for the design and creation business at [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"], expects to see a lot... » read more

System Bits: March 24


A better band-aid UC Berkeley engineers are working on a bandage that can detect bedsores before they are visible - while recovery from them is still possible. Leveraging flexible electronics advancements, the researchers collaborated with colleagues at UC San Francisco to create their “smart bandage” that uses electrical currents to detect early tissue damage from pressure ulcers as th... » read more

3D Effects At 20nm And Beyond


At the 20nm process node and below, attenuated phase shift masks (PSM) are used in the photolithography process, which results in approximately 70nm of topography. This now must be accounted for using 3D mask approximation. Aki Fujimura, CEO of [getentity id="22864" comment="D2S"], explained that in terms of [getkc id="80" comment="lithography"], where simulation-based technologies are used,... » read more

System Bits: March 17


Symmetry in graphene growth According to Rice University researchers, what lies beneath growing islands of graphene is important to its properties. The team analyzed patterns of graphene – a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon – grown in a furnace via chemical vapor deposition and discovered that the geometric relationship between graphene and the substrate, the underlying material on whi... » read more

Thermal Is Still Simmering


With the ever increasing sophistication in today’s high-performance [getkc id="81" kc_name="SoC"]s on top of sheer physics of device manufacturing, thermal is a much bigger concern than ever before. It is well understood that thermal and power are closely related, and there exists a vicious cycle between leakage power and temperature: leakage goes up, temperature goes up; temperature goes ... » read more

Automotive Drives Novel IP Demands


In the past the automotive industry was a bit sleepy when it came to technologic innovations. Clearly, this is no longer the case. The automotive segment is now driving interesting capabilities and an unprecedented level of creativity by the IP and SoC engineering teams targeting this now-dynamic sector. Historically, electronics for automotive was very different from those aimed at consumer... » read more

Where Did Auto Innovation Begin?


As far as how the current wave of electronic innovation started happening in the automotive industry, the genesis is likely multi-faceted. During a recent conversation, Cadence Fellow Chris Rowen recalled that there was an underlying recognition that the big opportunity to add value to a vehicle came from electronic systems and a recognition that there was a theoretical capability, for examp... » read more

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