Hardware/Software Tipping Point


It doesn't matter if you believe [getkc id="74" comment="Moore's Law"] has ended or is just slowing down. It is becoming very clear that design in the future will be significant different than it is today. Moore's law allowed the semiconductor industry to reuse design blocks from previous designs, and these were helped along by a new technology node—even if it was a sub-optimal solution. I... » read more

Automotive’s Unsung Technology


Sound systems are becoming a critical design element in vehicles, and not just for music. Thanks to evolving technology, automotive audio has reached a point where it is taking on a much broader role for applications both within and outside the vehicle. Most people associate automotive audio with the car radio, which has been a fixture in cars for decades. But in the future, these systems al... » read more

Moore’s Law: Toward SW-Defined Hardware


Pushing to the next process node will continue to be a primary driver for some chips—CPUs, FPGAs and some ASICS—but for many applications that approach is becoming less relevant as a metric for progress. Behind this change is a transition from using customized software with generic hardware, to a mix of specialized, heterogeneous hardware that can achieve better performance with less ene... » read more

Embedded FPGA, The Ultimate Accelerator


An embedded FPGA (eFPGA) is an IP core that you integrate into your ASIC or SoC to get the benefits of programmable logic without the cost, but with better latency, throughput, and power characteristics. With an eFPGA, you define the quantity of look-up-tables (LUTs), registers, embedded memory, and DSP blocks. You can also control the aspect ratio, number of I/O ports, making tradeoffs between... » read more

Embedded FPGA — A New System-Level Programming Paradigm


The current public debate on the future of the semiconductor industry has turned to discussions about a growing selection of technologies that, rather than obsessing on further process geometry shrinks, focuses instead on new system architectures and better use of available silicon through new concepts in circuit, device, and packaging design. Embedded FPGA is the latest offering that promises ... » read more

Tech Talk: eFPGA Acceleration


Achronix's Kent Orthner talks about when and why to use embedded FPGAs, and how they co-exist with—and compare to—other processing elements. [youtube vid=TXeIOmo7O9o] » read more

Supporting CPUs Plus FPGAs (Part 3)


While it has been possible to pair a CPU and FPGA for quite some time, two things have changed recently. First, the industry has reduced the latency of the connection between them and second, we now appear to have the killer app for this combination. Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss these changes and the state of the tool chain to support this combination, with Kent Orthner, system... » read more

Supporting CPUs Plus FPGAs


While it has been possible to pair a CPU and FPGA for quite some time, two things have changed recently. First, the industry has reduced the latency of the connection between them and second, we now appear to have the killer app for this combination. Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss these changes and the state of the tool chain to support this combination, with Kent Orthner, system... » read more

Using FPGAs To Accelerate Data Centers


With the technology industry at a crossroads — the effective repeal of Mooreʹs Law and the stagnation and decline of PC, tablet, consumer electronics and smartphone markets — data centers have become the sweet spot of the technology sector, showing healthy revenue growth and attracting new system solutions in both hardware and software. Unlike the ethereal promise of upcoming wonders from ... » read more

The Great Machine Learning Race


Processor makers, tools vendors, and packaging houses are racing to position themselves for a role in machine learning, despite the fact that no one is quite sure which architecture is best for this technology or what ultimately will be successful. Rather than dampen investments, the uncertainty is fueling a frenzy. Money is pouring in from all sides. According to a new Moor Insights report,... » read more

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