Demand For Timing Innovation Grows


The semiconductor industry has begun exploring a range of timing options as demand for increased performance and more features exceeds the ability to design chips using the same techniques and technology that have been relied on for decades. Like many elements in computing, timing is a hierarchy or stack. It includes everything from partitioning AI computations into multiple parts and assemb... » read more

Jitter Budgeting For Clock Distribution Networks In High-Speed PHYs And SerDes


This paper presents a simple but practically precise estimation of periodic single-tone power supply induced jitter (PSIJ) for MOS clock buffer chains. The estimation is algebraically simple for its analytical closed-form expression requiring only a few circuit simulation results without the pre-knowledge of circuit device SPICE parameters. The expression is well suited to predict period PSIJ, ... » read more

Clocks Getting Skewed Up


At a logical level, synchronous designs are very simple and the clock just happens. But the clocking network is possibly the most complex in a chip, and it's fraught with the most problems at the physical level. To some, the clock is the AC power supply of the chip. To others, it is an analog network almost beyond analysis. Ironically, there are no languages to describe clocking, few tools t... » read more

Monitoring IC Abnormalities Before Failures


The rising complexities of semiconductor processes and design are driving an increasing use of on-chip monitors to support data analytics from an IC’s birth through its end of life — no matter how long that projected lifespan. Engineers have long used on-chip circuitry to assist with manufacturing test, silicon debug and failure analysis. Providing visibility and controllability of inter... » read more

Timing Is Of The Essence


Today's advanced 16/7nm system-on-chips (SoCs) are faced with increased variation as they push for lower power. While the sizes of the transistors continue to shrink following Moore's Law, the threshold voltages fail to scale. This causes wide timing variability leading to timing closure difficulties, design re-spins and poor functional yield. Learn how ANSYS Path FX with its unique variatio... » read more

Have Margins Outlived Their Usefulness?


To automate the process of solving complex design problems, the traditional approach has been to partition them into smaller, manageable tasks. For each task, we have built the best possible solution which we continuously refine over time. Additionally, we have managed the interdependencies between tasks by defining boundaries or margins; these often have been best- and worst-case values used t... » read more

Signal Integrity Issues


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss signal integrity with Rob Aitken, research fellow at [getentity id="22186" comment="ARM"]; PV Srinivas, senior director of engineering for the Place & Route Division of [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"]; and Bernard Murphy, chief technology officer at [getentity id="22026" e_name="Atrenta"]. What follows are excerpts of that conver... » read more