Why Instrumentation Isn’t Optional


When writing code it is often useful to add informational statements that give an insight into control flow and data management as well as aiding in observation of the actual code at runtime. As such, instrumentation is an important component of code running on a live system. The proliferation of "printf" debug statements, whereby data is output to a console, is testament to this. Sending te... » read more

SoC Integration Headaches Grow


As the number of IP blocks grows, so do the headaches of integrating the various pieces and making sure they perform as planned within a prescribed power envelope. This is easier said than done, particularly at the most advanced process nodes. There are more blocks, more power domains, more states and use-model dependencies, and there is much more contention for memories. There are physical ... » read more

Chip Manufacturing Data Now Requires Cloud Techniques


The parameters in semiconductor manufacturing are growing so large that an analysis method similar to what’s currently used for big data is now required. The good news is that big data analysis techniques, which process a vast amount of data such as search data and communication logs in the cloud, is entirely applicable to the data of semiconductor process. Photo 1: Opening view of AEC... » read more

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