Big Memory Shift Ahead


System architecture has been driven by the performance of [getkc id="22" kc_name="memory"]. Processor designers would have liked all of the memory be fast [getkc id="92" kc_name="SRAM"], placed on-chip for maximum performance, but that was not an option. Memory had to be fabricated as separate chips and connected via a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). That limited the number of available I/O ports ... » read more

Memory Matters For Mid-Range Mobile Devices


In recent months, we’ve seen signs of saturation in the high-end mobile device market where smartphones and tablets retail for more than $300. The largest growth in the mobile device markets are in Asia, with China in particular showing an annual growth rate of more than 50% in the mid-range ($100-$299) market while low-end products retail for less than $50! Features like storage capacity,... » read more

Powerful Memories


Memory consumes more of the surface area of a die than any other component. So what changes have happened over the past few years to reduce the power consumption of memories, and where are the big opportunities for saving power? Let's take a closer look. A Growing Concern One of the key drivers for SoCs is the desire to reduce product costs, reduce form factors, reduce power, increase perfo... » read more

Memory Power Reduction In SoC Designs Using PowerPro MG


Memories occupy over 50% of the silicon real estate on most modern SoCs and account for 50% to 70% of the power dissipation. We will show how Calypto’s PowerPro MG tool can significantly reduce the dynamic and leakage power consumption in memories by automatically inserting new memory gating logic to remove redundant reads/writes and control the sleep modes available in these memories. To ... » read more

Hiding The Electronic Crumbs


Imagine an old Western movie where the posse tracks the outlaws by following footsteps on a dirt trail or looking for broken branches. Now fast forward to the present, where the trail is electronic, the posse is comprised of bad guys, and the loot is frequently encrypted. As any security expert will concede, every security system can be compromised, every chip can be reverse engineered and h... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


M&A Cadence announced its intention to acquire Jasper Design Automation, adding formal technology to its roster of verification tools. The purchase price was about $146 million, the $170 million Cadence offered minus the $24 million in cash and equivalents on Jasper’s books. Tools Synopsys rolled out new LPDDR4 IP that offers up to 3.2 Gbps with low power consumption. The company is ... » read more

Executive Insight: Charlie Cheng


Semiconductor Engineering sat down with Charlie Cheng, CEO of Kilopass Technologies, to talk about his role in transforming the company. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Can you talk about your existing product and its evolution? Cheng: The founders discovered a new type of [Non Volatile (NVM), One Time Programmable (OTP)] memory and protected it with a number of patents.... » read more

Improving Yield Of 2.5D Designs


While progress is being made on the packaging side of 2.5D design, more needs to be resolved when it comes to improving yields. Proponents of 2.5D present compelling benefits. Arif Rahman, a product architect at Altera, noted that the industry trend of silicon convergence is leading to multiple technologies being integrated into single-chip solutions. “2.5D/3D integration has multiple adva... » read more

New Rules For DRAM


By Jim Feldhan DRAM revenues grew by more than 30% in 2013. Average selling prices increased more than 45% as capacity constraints especially for LPDRAM, motivated the transition from 2GB density parts up to 4GB DRAM units declined by almost 10%. Revenue growth rates of more than 30% combined with a declining unit base are not new to the memory market. But 2013 was a pivotal year for DRAM. ... » read more

2014 CapEx: Memory Is Leading The Way


The semiconductor industry is expensive. Billions of dollars are spent every year to keep the fabs running, build new fabs, and push the process technology to greater and greater heights. Billions more will be spent to make 450mm production a reality. In January 2013, Semico predicted that, based on initial indications from some companies, total CapEx would be flat this year. Based on current d... » read more

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