Optimization Driving Changes In Microarchitectures

By Ann Mutschler - 23 Sep, 2021 - Comments: 0

The semiconductor ecosystem is at a turning point for how to best architect the CPU based on the explosion of data, the increased usage of AI, and the need for differentiation and customization in leading-edge applications. In the past, much of this would have been accomplished by moving to the next process node. But with the benefits from scaling diminishing at each new node, the focus is s... » read more

Containing The Explosion In Data

By Brian Bailey - 23 Sep, 2021 - Comments: 0

The amount of data that could be kept for every design is gargantuan, but even that may not be enough these days as lifecycle management, continuous verification, regulatory requirements, and globalization add to the data that needs to be stored. But data has no value if it cannot be found or used in ways that provide more benefit than the cost of storing it. "Data management is not unique t... » read more

Building Complex Chips That Last Longer

By Ed Sperling - 23 Sep, 2021 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about design challenges in advanced packages and nodes with John Lee, vice president and general manager for semiconductors at Ansys; Shankar Krishnamoorthy, general manager of Synopsys' Design Group; Simon Burke, distinguished engineer at Xilinx; and Andrew Kahng, professor of CSE and ECE at UC San Diego. This discussion was held at the Ansys IDEAS co... » read more

Analyzing Electro-Photonic Systems

By Brian Bailey - 30 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 1

The design and analysis of electro-optical systems is pushing tools into the complex multi-physics domain, making it challenging to create models that execute at reasonable cost — especially when they include thermal impacts. The lack of models and standards also is slowing the progression of the technology. Still the advantages are worth it to those willing to make the investment. Trad... » read more

New Approaches For Processor Architectures

By Ed Sperling - 26 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 0

Processor vendors are starting to emphasize microarchitectural improvements and data movement over process node scaling, setting the stage for much bigger performance gains in devices that narrowly target what end users are trying to accomplish. The changes are a recognition that domain specificity, and the ability to adjust or adapt designs to unique workloads, are now the best way to impro... » read more

Modeling Chips From Atoms To Systems

By Ann Mutschler - 26 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 1

Complexity in hardware design is spilling over to other disciplines, including software, manufacturing, and new materials, creating issues for how to model more data at multiple abstraction levels. Challenges are growing around which abstraction level to use for a particular stage of the design, when to use it, and which data to include. Those decisions are becoming more difficult at each ne... » read more

Steering The Semiconductor Industry

By Brian Bailey - 26 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 2

Progress in semiconductors has been one of the most successful engineering feats, and the industry has ridden an exponential curve longer than anything else in history. It is also a highly conservative industry that has pushed away many disruptive changes in favor of small incremental changes that minimize risk. There have been significant changes over the decades, and they often required a ... » read more

Designing Chips In A ‘Lawless’ Industry

By Ed Sperling - 02 Aug, 2021 - Comments: 2

The guideposts for designing chips are disappearing or becoming less relevant. While engineers today have many more options for customizing a design, they have little direction about what works best for specific applications or what the return on investment will be for those efforts. For chip architects, this is proving to be an embarrassment of riches. However, that design freedom comes wit... » read more

Challenges For New AI Processor Architectures

By Brian Bailey - 29 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Investment money is flooding into the development of new AI processors for the data center, but the problems here are unique, the results are unpredictable, and the competition has deep pockets and very sticky products. The biggest issue may be insufficient data about the end market. When designing a new AI processor, every design team has to answer one fundamental question — how much flex... » read more

Sweeping Changes Ahead For Systems Design

By Ann Mutschler - 29 Jul, 2021 - Comments: 0

Data centers are undergoing a fundamental change, shifting from standard processing models to more data-centric approaches based upon customized hardware, less movement of data, and more pooling of resources. Driven by a flood of web searches, Bitcoin mining, video streaming, data centers are in a race to provide the most efficient and fastest processing possible. But because there are so ma... » read more

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Optimization Driving Changes In Microarchitectures

Containing The Explosion In Data

Building Complex Chips That Last Longer

Analyzing Electro-Photonic Systems

New Approaches For Processor Architectures

Modeling Chips From Atoms To Systems

Steering The Semiconductor Industry

Designing Chips In A ‘Lawless’ Industry

Challenges For New AI Processor Architectures

Sweeping Changes Ahead For Systems Design

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