Manufacturing Constraint Fears Grow


The semiconductor industry could become a victim of its own success. With so many semiconductors being consumed inside of cars, home electronics and industry, capacity shortages are beginning to surface in some areas. Foundries set rates depending upon a complex mix of process technology, equipment depreciation, customer demand and the need to push customers from one node the next depending ... » read more

The ABCs Of ISO 26262


Over the last one-and-a-half years that I have been elbow-deep working on the FlexNoC Resilience Package, I’ve been keeping a running list of ISO 26262 abbreviations and acronyms that reoccurred in my work, and kept confusing me whenever I performed a “context switch” from working on different projects to working on my functional safety products. I’ve received feedback that my list is h... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


Tools Calypto rolled out its third-generation high-level synthesis platform after three years of development, adding granular control over which regions are optimized and the ability to work top-down and bottom-up—basically allowing designers to zoom in and out as needed. In addition, the tool has a 10X increase in capacity and supports SystemC and C++. eSilicon unveiled its online conf... » read more

Conflicting Needs For IoT Edge Designs


The mad rush has begun to hype the [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"], but the path forward isn't quite as straightforward as the marketers would like it to be. ICs used at the edge of the IoT—the ones that gather information to be controlled by smart phones or tablets and transmitted to devices for processing and data analytics—need to be designed differently than the initial for... » read more

Making Models Interoperable


As engineering teams raise the vision of their design to a higher level of abstraction, the use of behavioral modeling is growing. While not ubiquitous, the concepts are gelling, which at least is helping the industry discuss the technology more intelligently and determine where automation makes sense. One of the biggest concerns with behavioral modeling is what engineering teams want to do ... » read more

An Inside Look At The GlobalFoundries-IBM Deal


GlobalFoundries' proposed acquisition of IBM Microelectronics is the kind of deal that will have business schools talking for many years to come—a gargantuan combination of expertise and technology, built on the back of high-profile business successes and failures, long-running legal struggles and global politics—with far-reaching implications for all parts of the semiconductor supply chain... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


Chips NXP rolled out what it claims are the most power-efficient microcontrollers for always-on applications. The minimum draw is 3 microamps for continuous sensor listening. Tools Mentor Graphics beefed up its CFD tool, adding thermo-fluid analysis simulation capabilities for automotive, aerospace and industrial applications. Included is support for FMI, an open-source environment that al... » read more

A Primer On ISO 26262 Certification


As the electronic processing capabilities of the average car increases, more and more software, semiconductor, and semiconductor IP companies are trying to enter the automotive electronics market. Many of these new entrants have strong backgrounds in consumer electronics or the PC industry, and are new to the unique requirements of the automotive market. The purpose of this article is to pro... » read more

2.5D Timetable Coming Into Focus


After years of empty promises, the timetable for [getkc id="82" kc_name="2.5D"] is coming into better focus. Large and midsize chipmakers are behind it, real silicon is being developed, and contracts are being signed. That doesn't mean all of the pieces are in place or that market uptake is at the neck of the hockey stick. And it certainly doesn't mean the semiconductor industry is going to ... » read more

Why Is My Device Better Than Yours?


Differentiation is becoming a big problem in the semiconductor industry with far-reaching implications that extend well beyond just chips. The debate over the future of [getkc id="74" comment="Moore's Law"] is well known, but it's just one element in a growing list that will make it much harder for chip companies, IP vendors and even software developers to stand out from the pack. And withou... » read more

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