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Ann Mutschler

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Ann Mutschler is senior executive editor at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Blurring The Lines On Prototyping
By Ann Mutschler - 23 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

Prototyping is an integral part of every [getkc id="81" kc_name="SoC"] today, with two main approaches being used: virtual or software-based, and physical, which includes FPGA-based boards as well as hardware emulation systems. [getkc id="104" kc_name="Virtual prototyping"] is typically used for software development in the early stages of SoC design, even before SoC [getkc id="49" kc_name="R... » read more

System Bits: April 14
By Ann Mutschler - 14 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

Antennas on a chip In what is being called the missing piece of the puzzle of electromagnetic theory, a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge have figured out one of the mysteries of electromagnetism, that they believe could allow the design of antennas small enough to be integrated into a chip. These ultra-small antennas – the so-called ‘last frontier’ of semiconductor desi... » read more

UPF 3.0 Moves Toward Ratification
By Ann Mutschler - 09 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

[gettech id="31044" t_name="UPF"] (Unified Power Format) 3.0 — the fourth incarnation in 10 years — is moving closer to the IEEE ballot process. Erich Marschner, verification architect at [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"] and vice chair of the [gettech id="31043" comment="IEEE 1801"] working group, explained the working group is as close as possible to being on schedule for... » read more

Fighting Dark Silicon With Specialized Hardware
By Ann Mutschler - 09 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 1

Looking at an SoC design from an architecture viewpoint, I’m hearing more discussion lately about the option of offloading tasks to specialized hardware. Especially where dark silicon is concerned, rather than having four or eight ARM processors — all with the same complexity — or cores like graphics processors, if you cannot use them all at full performance and they have to be shut o... » read more

Is Dark Silicon Wasted Silicon?
By Ann Mutschler - 09 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

The concept of dark silicon sounds almost mysterious, but it is a simple matter of physics. With advances in technology nodes and the ability to pack more and more transistors on the same die, design engineers are reaching a wall where only a fraction of a design can be powered on due to power and thermal implications. Moreover, the challenges that force this kind of complex power managemen... » read more

System Bits: April 7
By Ann Mutschler - 07 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 0

Ultra-efficient magnetic-field detector In a development that could lead to miniaturized, battery-powered devices for medical and materials imaging, contraband detection, and even geological exploration, MIT researchers have developed a new, ultrasensitive magnetic-field detector they say is 1,000 times more energy-efficient than its predecessors. Magnetic-field detectors, or magnetometers,... » read more

IoT Is For Chickens
By Ann Mutschler - 02 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 1

As a backyard chicken enthusiast in my spare time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that other technology-minded folks are interested in chickens too. A simple Internet search revealed a ‘Chicken Tender’ project recently presented at the Intel IoT Roadshow in Seattle that I wish were already commercialized! This ingenious system tracks and monitors egg laying for individual chickens in... » read more

Architecting For Optimal Interface IP Integration
By Ann Mutschler - 31 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

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
By Ann Mutschler - 31 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

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
By Ann Mutschler - 27 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

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

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