Data Movement Is the Energy Bottleneck of Today’s SoCs


In today’s AI-focused semiconductor landscape, raw compute performance alone no longer defines the effectiveness of a system-on-chip (SoC). The efficiency of data movement across the chip has become just as important. Whether designed for data centers or edge AI devices, SoCs must now prioritize data transport as a core architectural consideration. Moving data efficiently across the silicon f... » read more

Tape-Out Failures Are The Tip Of The Iceberg


The headline numbers for the new Wilson Research/Siemens functional verification survey are out, and it shows a dramatic decline in the number of designs that are functionally correct and manufacturable. In the past year, that has dropped from 24% to just 14%. Along with that, there is a dramatic increase in the number of designs that are behind schedule, increasing from 67% to 75%. Over the ne... » read more

AI Drives Re-Engineering Of Nearly Everything In Chips


AI's ability to mine patterns across massive quantities of data is causing fundamental changes in how chips are used, how they are designed, and how they are packaged and built. These shifts are especially apparent in high-performance AI architectures being used inside of large data centers, where chiplets are being deployed to process, move, and store massive amounts of data. But they also ... » read more

AI-Driven Verification Regression Management


By Paul Carzola and Taruna Reddy Coping with the endless growth in chip size and complexity requires innovative electronic design automation (EDA) solutions at every stage of the development process. Better algorithms, increased parallelism, higher levels of abstraction, execution on graphics processing units (GPUs), and use of AI and machine learning (ML) all contribute to these solutions. ... » read more

Reap Rewards With Shift-Left Pattern Matching For Custom And AMS Designs


To keep up with the growing complexities of IC design, major semiconductor companies are adopting shift-left strategies. For verification, this means pulling much of the work into the physical design stage. By moving critical checks earlier in the design cycle, you can identify and resolve issues before they escalate, streamlining the overall development process. The Calibre tools have been ... » read more

New Ways To Improve EDA Productivity


EDA vendors are taking aim at new ways to improve the productivity of design and verification engineers, who are struggling to keep pace with exponential increases in chip complexity in tight time-to-market windows and with constrained engineering talent pipelines. In the past, progress often was as straightforward as improving algorithms or parallelizing computations in a linear flow. But w... » read more

NOP Flit Payload: A Dedicated Debug Channel


Modern PCIe systems are complex, with high-speed data transfer and intricate protocols. Traditional debug methods often struggle to provide the necessary granularity and real-time visibility into link behavior. Transient issues, timing-sensitive errors, and protocol interactions can be difficult to pinpoint with conventional methodology. NOP Flit addresses this challenge. PCIe Gen 6 introduc... » read more

Analog Creates Ripples in Digital Verification


We live in an analog world, but analog has been minimized whenever possible. At some point digital and analog must come together in every electronic device, and that has long been an area where errors creep in. The Wilson Research Group and Siemens EDA functional verification study has long shown that analog and mixed signal are two of the highest causes of flaws that result in chip respins.... » read more

What Is Electronic Design Automation And Why Do You Need It?


As data speeds push into the multi-gigabit range and requirements on digital systems grow more complex, cutting down the time-to-market while also ensuring error-free reliable designs seems impossible. Traditional design tools and practices can result in failed prototypes, costly respins, delayed time-to-market, missed market opportunities, and subpar performance. This is why advanced EDA to... » read more

Challenges of Chiplet Placement And Routing Optimization (KAIST)


A new technical paper titled "Advanced Chiplet Placement and Routing Optimization considering Signal Integrity" was published by researchers at KAIST. Abstract: "This article addresses the critical challenges of chiplet placement and routing optimization in the era of advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration. We present a novel approach that formulates the problem as a signal integr... » read more

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