Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


Automotive & transportation Chip shortages continue to affect automotive production lines and the bottom line of automotive OEMs. Jaguar Land Rover and Daimler this week said they will reduce production because chip supply issues. Other car companies have or are planning to temporarily shut down production lines. Renault, GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis), Volkswagen, Nissan, and Ho... » read more

Technology Access Discriminates


I try not to get on a soap box in my blogs, but I hope you will allow me to express a concern that I see building and the projection of an unintended outcome. I am talking about who does and does not have access to technology. Over time, this divide can cause a further division based on geography, income level, or some other factor. The ramifications of it are not realized until it is too late.... » read more

Putting Limits On What AI Systems Can Do


New techniques and approaches are starting to be applied to AI and machine learning to ensure they function within acceptable parameters, only doing what they're supposed to do. Getting AI/ML/DL systems to work has been one of the biggest leaps in technology in recent years, but understanding how to control and optimize them as they adapt isn't nearly as far along. These systems are generall... » read more

Adding Value To Open-Source RISC-V Cores With Verification


By Steve Richmond (Silicon Labs), Mike Thompson (OpenHW Group), and Lee Moore (Imperas Software) Modern SoC verification has matured to the point that some are suggesting the use of the word ‘prototype’ when referring to the first silicon samples is now unnecessary. This is due in part to the commercial EDA industry, which has provided the innovation and tools used throughout the design... » read more

Hyperconnectivity And The Path To 6G


Some may view the recent uptick in the news about next-generation wireless networking, specifically 6G, with some healthy skepticism as 5G is “just rolling out.” But when looking at the timelines, it becomes clear why 6G is critical and is also excellent news for electronics, and by extension, the design of semiconductors and systems. The same key elements that transformed the data center t... » read more

Merging Verification And Test


While the disciplines of functional verification and test serve different purposes, their histories were once closely intertwined. Recent safety and security monitoring requirements coupled with capabilities being embedded into devices is bringing them closer together again, but can they successfully cooperate to bring about improvements in both? Getting there may be difficult. Three phases ... » read more

Heterogeneous Computing Model Delivers Order-Of-Magnitude Performance Breakthrough


By Srinivas Kodiyalam (NVIDIA) and Samad Parekh (Synopsys) With the ever-increasing demand for more computing performance, the HPC industry is moving towards a heterogeneous computing model, where GPUs and CPUs work together to perform general-purpose computing tasks. In this heterogeneous computing model, the GPU serves as an accelerator to the CPU, to offload the CPU and to increase comput... » read more

RISC-V Targets Data Centers


RISC-V vendors are beginning to aim much higher in the compute hierarchy, targeting data centers and supercomputers rather than just simple embedded applications on the edge. In the past, this would have been nearly impossible for a new instruction set architecture. But a growing focus on heterogeneous chip integration, combined with the reduced benefits of scaling and increasing demand for ... » read more

What Is Silicon Lifecycle Management? A Strategic Imperative


The recent buzz about silicon lifecycle management speaks to the boom in high-stakes electronic devices. Whether it is an SoC used in a vehicle or in the datacenter, there are compelling reasons to monitor and analyze data regarding the design, realization, deployment, and field service of the device. While silicon lifecycle management is an emerging paradigm in the semiconductor industry, i... » read more

What Is An ASIP?


ASIP stands for “application-specific instruction-set processor” and simply means a processor which has been designed to be optimal for a particular application or domain. General-purpose versus application- or domain-specific processors Most processor cores to date have been general-purpose, which means that they have been designed to handle a wide range of applications with good average... » read more

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