The Game Of Ecosystems Intensifies


You may know about my fascination with ecosystems if you have followed my writing. It is only fitting that I am writing this Blog in Munich (shiver, it's cold), where I attended the GSA McKinsey workshop on "Distributed E/E Architectures and Zonal Computing." This workshop had attendees from semiconductor foundries, EDA vendors, IP vendors, Tier 1 Semis, Tier 2 Integrators, software vendors, an... » read more

Security Highlight: Ascon


The contest for standardization of a lightweight crypto (LWC) algorithm has just finished. US standards body NIST selected Ascon as the winner. Ascon is an algorithm proposed by an international team of scientists that delivers strong performance and security at a low cost. How does that work? Lightweight crypto is symmetric encryption technology, that runs well on constrained systems, lik... » read more

The Importance Of Metal Stack Compatibility For Semi IP


Every foundry and every node is different, but for every foundry/node there are multiple supported metal stacks. Some chips use a lot more metal layers than others. A common rule of thumb is each metal layer increases wafer cost 10%. So, a chip with 5 more metal layers than another will cost 50%+ more. The most complex, high performance chips, including performance FPGAs, typically use AL... » read more

Robust Design Optimization Of A Ford Turbocharger Compressor


What is robust design optimization (RDO), and is it better than standard optimization? In this customer case, we describe a multi-disciplinary optimization of a turbocharger compressor from Ford Motor Company, in which we demonstrate it is. RDO combines standard numerical optimization with sensitivity analysis to take into account the influence of manufacturing variations and operating uncer... » read more

Considering Semiconductor Implementation Aspects Early During Network-on-Chip Development


As they say, while history may not repeat itself, it sure rhymes. In 2015, I wrote the blog "Why Implementation Matters To System Design And Software." At the time, I mused that while abstraction is essential in system design, it has limitations that users must consider. Critical decisions, such as those regarding power and performance, require more accuracy than can be feasibly abstracted. ... » read more

When Less Can Be More With Smart Module Design: Part 1


Size and power often seem like opposite sides of a coin. When you reduce size – one of the ever-pressing goals in our industry – you inevitably reduce power. But does that have to be the case? By shifting our thinking from the chip to the module design, there’s no need to flip a coin. In IGBT modules, chip shrinkage leads to an increased thermal impedance, which then impacts performanc... » read more

Automotive Growing In 2023


Automotive has to be one of the most fascinating industries where semiconductors and the semiconductor ecosystem are making huge strides. From the evolution of increasingly autonomous vehicles, to more immersive driver and passenger comfort and infotainment experiences, along with additional safety-related features, it’s a rich development environment. I recently had the opportunity to dis... » read more

Protecting High-Speed Network Traffic With MACsec


By Dana Neustadter and Jerry Lotto There is an ever-increasing demand for bandwidth, driven by an exponential growth in the number of devices connected to the cloud and a broadening variety of sensors, applications, and services, resulting in an explosion of data traffic. This in turn, drives the proliferation of high bandwidth interfaces such as Ethernet, PCIe/CXL, and DDR to sustain faster... » read more

Leveraging The Benefits Of A FIPS 140 CMVP Certified Root Of Trust IP


Expectations that security IP designs meet the highest security standards are growing rapidly. As companies face increased product development costs and time pressure, choosing an IP that has been certified demonstrates not just compliance with a standard, but offers a valuable tool to reducing overall project risk. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140 is published by NIST,... » read more

A New Era In Requirements Management


Project teams face a host of challenges when developing semiconductors compliant to a safety critical market. ISO 26262 drives state-of-the art safety critical designs for automotive electronics, DO-254 for airborne electronics hardware, and IEC61508 for industrial electronics, to name a few. In the context of ISO 26262, much of the discussion in recent years has been on challenges addressin... » read more

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