System Bits: Dec. 27


Melting quantum crystal of electrons Confirming a fundamental phase transition in quantum mechanics that was theoretically proposed more than 80 years ago but not experimentally documented until now, MIT researchers reported that they’ve observed a highly ordered crystal of electrons in a semiconducting material and documented its melting, much like ice thawing into water. The team said i... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


M&A ARM reached further into the HPC space with its acquisition of Allinea Software, a provider of debug and performance analysis tools for HPC systems. Currently, 80% of the world's top 25 supercomputers use Allinea's tools, and ARM will continue supporting multiple processor architectures. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. PLDA Group is spinning out its QuickPlay C/C++ tool for ... » read more

So Much For Pure Science


Math is supposed to be the pure science, but numbers appear to be far less pure than mathematicians let on. There are examples of this everywhere. Consider the latest process nodes. One foundry's 10nm is another foundry's 7nm. And 7nm isn't necessarily 7nm. It might be 7.5nm or 6.5nm. It's not so much that the measurements aren't accurate. It's how they're applied that causes the problem. ... » read more

EDA, IP Up 7%


EDA and IP growth increased to $2.094 billion in Q3, a 7% gain over the $1.958 billion reported for the same period in 2015, according to just released data from the Electronic System Design Alliance Market Statistics Service. All geographic regions reported growth last quarter. So did computer-aided engineering, the largest single category, which grew 5.0% to $666.7 million in Q3, up from $... » read more

Crazy Christmas Patents


For the past several years, I have been writing a blog that pokes fun at patent applications related to Christmas. It now appears that I am an expert in this subject matter because I received two e-mails during the course of this year. One asked how they should go about getting their Christmas ornament manufactured and marketed. The other asked if I would feature their newly released ornament i... » read more

Transistor-Level Defect Diagnosis


Each new semiconductor process node represents exciting opportunities for suppliers of design, manufacturing, test, and failure analysis solutions. A new process means new challenges to solve, and hopefully more money to be made. On the flip side, whenever solutions that address these new challenges are presented, we seldom hear how useful these are to more mature process nodes. One technology ... » read more

Virtual Iron (Chef)


I love good food but I am a horrible cook. Partially because my wife is a wonderful chef at home and I can enjoy the comfort of just eating. Until recently, I couldn’t handle most of the kitchen equipment and I had no clue which ingredients and spices work well together. When I read cooking recipes my brain started to freeze and I felt completely clueless. This was nagging me at times and... » read more

Top 7 Verification Trends For 2017—Changes In The Game Of Ecosystems


As the year 2016 comes to a close, how did my predictions from last year hold up to reality? They were all about horizontal and vertical integration. Spoiler alert—they almost all have moved closer to reality. Going forward into 2017, some of the trends will intensify, but the most interesting trend to watch will be how the game of ecosystems in the areas of mobile, server, and intelligent sy... » read more

ISO 26262 Functional Safety Training Resources


The automobile has taken over the mobile phone’s pole position as the driver of new semiconductor technologies, like machine learning and vision processing. As a result, many electrical engineers in the semiconductor industry are finding themselves in a state of transition where their current skills, education, and experience are not sufficient for them to achieve the kind of role they would ... » read more

CEO Outlook: Chip Design 2017


After two consecutive flat to slightly down years, the semiconductor industry is poised for growth in 2017. Cowan this month predicted 4.7% growth in semiconductor sales in 2017, while World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) put that figure at 3.3%. And last month, International Business Strategies (IBS) pegged the number at 4.6%, according to statistics compiled by the Global Semiconduc... » read more

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