Week In Review: Design, Low Power


Mirabilis Design debuted an AI-driven tool for performance analysis and architecture exploration of SoCs and embedded systems. VisualSim AI Processor Generator creates pipeline-accurate models that have port integration with standard buses and memories, which is used to compare different processor families, optimize the specification and identify system bottlenecks. The generated model supports... » read more

Adding Safety Into Automotive Design


The ISO 26262 spec is a household term for anyone even remotely involved with the automotive industry today. Increasingly, though, it is being used interchangeably with safety-readiness across the entire supply chain. ISO 26262 compliance is a prerequisite for IP and chips used in an increasing number of automotive applications. It applies to systems, software, and to individual products. An... » read more

Machine Learning Shifts More Work to FPGAs, SoCs


A wave of machine-learning-optimized chips is expected to begin shipping in the next few months, but it will take time before data centers decide whether these new accelerators are worth adopting and whether they actually live up to claims of big gains in performance. There are numerous reports that silicon custom-designed for machine learning will deliver 100X the performance of current opt... » read more

People Vs. Self-Driving Cars


If you’re a screenwriter—or a car salesman—you’re already thinking of ways to write non-sci-fi self-driving cars into a movie script. Automobiles have been integral to the plots of gritty noir crime movies, heist flicks, romantic comedies, and obviously, road movies. What's clear is the self-driving car won’t be the ideal getaway vehicle anymore, particularly if there is no steerin... » read more

A Primer On Last-Level Cache Memory For SoC Designs


System-on-chip (SoC) architects have a new memory technology, last level cache (LLC), to help overcome the design obstacles of bandwidth, latency and power consumption in megachips for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), machine learning, and data-center applications. LLC is a standalone memory that inserts cache between functional blocks and external memory to ease conflicting requireme... » read more

How To Efficiently Achieve ASIL-D Compliance Using NoC Technology


Increasing layers of electronics and software are being added to vehicles, from infotainment to engine, brakes, and various sensors for ADAS and autonomous driving. To address the increasing use of electronics in automobiles, the ISO 26262 Functional Safety for Road Vehicles standard was developed. This standard is intended to ensure that the electronics are designed to specified levels in o... » read more

Bugs That Kill


Are simulation-resistant superbugs stifling innovation? That is a question Craig Shirley, president and CEO of Oski Technology, asked a collection of semiconductor executives over dinner. Semiconductor Engineering was invited to hear that discussion and to present the key points of the discussion. To promote free conversation, the participants, who are listed below, asked not to be quoted di... » read more

Big Shifts In Tech Conferences


By Ed Sperling and Katherine Derbyshire Identifying central themes in technology conferences, or finding enough latitude where the theme is extremely well defined, is becoming challenging throughout the tech industry. Throughout the semiconductor industry, in particular, many are asking how various organizations will differentiate conferences in the future and who will be the target audience... » read more

Artificial Intelligence Chips: Past, Present and Future


Artificial Intelligence (AI) is much in the news these days. AI is making medical diagnoses, synthesizing new chemicals, identifying the faces of criminals in a huge crowd, driving cars, and even creating new works of art. Sometimes it seems as if there is nothing that AI cannot do and that we will all soon be out of our jobs, watching the AIs do everything for us. To understand the origins ... » read more

Not Enough Respect For SoC Interconnect


For high-volume system-on-chip (SoC) applications—artificial intelligence (AI), automotive, mobility, solid state drives and more—effective interconnect technology can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue due to smaller chip area, better functionality and faster delivery of SoC platforms. State-of-the-art interconnect technology also allows chip designers to create SoC deriva... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →