Differentiation And Architecture Licenses In RISC‑V


I was discussing with a colleague about the concept of architecture license in RISC-V. I realized that, in the open-source world, it can be a little tricky to grasp. In a traditional processor IP model, there is a clear distinction between an off-the-shelf IP license that gives some level of configuration but no customization and a fairly expensive architecture license enabling ... » read more

Embedded Software: Sometimes Easier, Often More Complex


Embedded software, once a challenge to write, update, and optimize, is following the route of other types of software. It is abstracted, simpler to use, and much faster to write. But in some cases, it's also much harder to get right. From a conceptual level, the general definition of embedded software has not changed much. It's still low-level drivers and RTOSes that run close to the hardwar... » read more

The Challenge Of Optimizing Chip Architectures For Workloads


It isn't possible to optimize a workload running on a system just by looking at hardware or software separately. They need to be developed together and intricately intertwined, an engineering feat that also requires bridging two worlds with have a long history of operating independently. In the early days of computing, hardware and software were designed and built by completely separate team... » read more

Blog Review: May 11


Ansys' Vidyu Challa checks out how to identify the most important battery metrics for a particular application and trade these off against others with a focus on the important considerations when selecting the right battery for a consumer application, such as rechargeability, energy density, power density, shelf life, safety, form factor, cost, and flexibility. Cadence's Shyam Sharma points ... » read more

Week In Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing


Automotive, mobility Stellantis is buying Share Now, a car sharing service owned by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Through the acquisition, Stellantis will be adding 3.4 million car sharing customers, 10,000 vehicles, and 14 new European cities to its Free2move car sharing service, which currently has 2 million users, 2,500 vehicles, and has 7 “mobility hubs” in the U.S. and Europe. ShareNow was a... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


Rambus will acquire Hardent, a provider of design services and IP. Rambus said Hardent's silicon design, verification, compression, and Error Correction Code (ECC) expertise will provide key resources for the Rambus CXL Memory Interconnect Initiative. “Driven by the demands of advanced workloads like AI/ML and the move to disaggregated data center architectures, industry momentum for CXL-base... » read more

Choosing Which Tasks To Optimize In Chips


The optimization of one or more tasks is an important aspect of every SoC created, but with so many options now on the table it is often unclear which is best. Just a few years ago, most people were happy to buy processors from the likes of Intel, AMD and Nvidia, and IP cores from Arm. Some even wanted the extensibility that came from IP cores like Tensilica and ARC. Then, in 2018, John Henn... » read more

Measuring The Complexity Of Processor Bugs To Improve Testbench Quality


I am often asked the question “When is the processor verification done?” or in other words “how do I measure the efficiency of my testbench and how can I be confident in the quality of the verification?” There is no easy answer. There are several common indicators used in the industry such as coverage and bug curve. While they are absolutely necessary, these are not enough to reach the ... » read more

Big Changes In Embedded Software


Every good hardware or software design starts with a structured approach throughout the design cycle, but as chip architectures and applications begin focusing on specific domains and include some version of AI, that structure is becoming more difficult to define. Embedded software, which in the past was written for very narrow functions with a minimal footprint, is increasingly getting blended... » read more

Semiconductor Scaling Is Failing — What Next For Processors?


This in-depth paper looks at the changing dynamics in the semiconductor industry. In other words, why many companies are looking to customize their processor designs to keep pace with software and system demands. It goes onto highlight the opportunities available to companies of all sizes, in seeking to differentiate and specialize their processor designs. Click here to read more. » read more

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