Who’s Calling The Shots


Throughout the PC era and well into the mobile phone market, it was semiconductor companies that called the shots while OEMs followed their lead and designed systems around chips. That’s no longer the case. A shift has been underway over the past half decade, and continuing even now, to reverse that trend. The OEM — or systems company as it is more commonly called today — now determine... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


M&A ARM acquired Israel-based Sansa Security, a provider of hardware security IP and software for advanced system-on-chip components deployed in IoT and mobile devices. The company's technology is currently deployed across a range of smart connected devices and enterprise systems. Sansa IP will be integrated into ARM's TrustZone and IoT portfolios. Standards Accellera sent UVM 1.2 ... » read more

Top 15 Integrating Points In The Continuum Of Verification Engines


The integration game between the different verification engines, dynamic and static, is in full swing. Jim Hogan talked about the dynamic engines that he dubbed “COVE”, and I recently pointed out a very specific adoption of COVE in my review of some customer examples at DAC 2015 in “Use Model Versatility Is Key for Emulation Returns on Investment”. Here are my top 15 integrating poin... » read more

Which Process, Material, IP?


For years chipmakers have been demanding more choices. They've finally gotten what they wished for—so many possibilities, in fact, that engineering teams of all types are having trouble wading through them. And to make matters worse, some choices now come with unexpected and often unwanted caveats. At the most advanced nodes it's a given that being able to shrink features and double patter... » read more

Securing EDA In The Cloud


In the first part of this article, EDA’s Clouded Future, the types of application suitable for cloud-based solutions were examined and the cost benefits that could arise for both EDA suppliers and consumers. Security has stood in the way of widespread adoption, but it is a little more complex than just being concerned about a theft of sensitive design data. Security involves data protect f... » read more

USB Connectors Get Smarter


By now, there’s quite a buzz about the new USB Type-C spec given that it provides for a reversible plug connector for USB devices and cabling, aiming to end the endless cable flipping to make sure the orientation is correction. To avoid confusion, while developed at about the same time as the USB 3.1 specification, it is distinct from that one. When it comes to software support for Type-C,... » read more

Making Hardware Design More Agile


Semiconductor engineering sat down to whether changes are needed in hardware design methodology, with Philip Gutierrez, ASIC/FPGA design manager in [getentity id="22306" comment="IBM"]'s FlashSystems Storage Group; Dennis Brophy, director of strategic business development at [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"]; Frank Schirrmeister, group director for product marketing of the System ... » read more

IP Verification Challenges


At the Design Automation Conference this year, the Designer and IP tracks were the stars of the show in many ways. These sessions catered to industry rather than academia and provided engineers with information they could directly use in their jobs. Many of the sessions were filled to capacity and Anne Cirkel, general chair for the 52nd DAC, was enthusiastic about the growing success of these t... » read more

Blog Review: July 29


NASA estimates they could reduce the cost of colonizing the moon to $10 billion, with mining fuel from the lunar surface potentially making the satellite a gas station on the way to Mars or beyond. This week's top five articles from Ansys' Bill Vandermark are mostly out of this world, but there's a down-to-earth aspect as airless tires roll closer to inclusion in consumer vehicles. How will ... » read more

Blog Review: July 22


It's been a hot summer for high-level synthesis, says Cadence's Dave Pursley in a collection of the season's HLS highlights spanning DAC to SystemC Japan. Mentor's Harry Foster continues his survey of functional verification with a look at the adoption trends of various verification technologies, and the reasons one-third of projects use emulation or FPGA prototyping. Synopsys' Navraj Nan... » read more

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