Chip Test Shifts Left


“Shift left” is a term traditionally applied to software testing, meaning to take action earlier in the V-shaped time line of a project. It has recently been touted in electronic design automation and IC design, verification, and test. “Test early and test often” is the classic maxim of software testing. What if that concept could also be implemented in semiconductor testing, to redu... » read more

Verification Cowboys


There was an event at DVCon that was both fun and serious. It was a panel of verification startup executives with the title "Ride with the Verify Seven." Many of you know [getperson id="11306" comment="Raik Brinkmann"], president and CEO of [getentity id="22395" e_name="OneSpin Solutions"] who were the sponsors of the event, along with [getentity id="22914" e_name="ESD Alliance"], the organizat... » read more

Respecting Reset


Resets are a necessary part of all synchronous designs because they allow them to be brought into a known state. However, such a simple process can lead to many problems within an [getkc id="81" kc_name="SoC"]. No longer can reset be considered a simple operation when power initially is applied to a circuit. Instead, the design of reset has many implications on cost, area and routability, a... » read more

Verification Unification


There is a lot of excitement about the emerging [getentity id="22028" e_name="Accellera"] [getentity id="22863" e_name="Portable Stimulus”] (PS) standard. Most of the conversation has been about its role in [getkc id="11" kc_name="simulation"] and [getkc id="30" kc_name="emulation"] contexts, and in the need to bring portability and composability into the verification flow. Those alone are st... » read more

Closing The Loop On Power Optimization


[getkc id="108" kc_name="Power"] has become a significant limiter for the capabilities of a chip at finer geometries, and making sure that performance is maximized for a given amount of power is becoming a critical design issue. But that is easier said than done, and the tools and methodologies to overcome the limitations of power are still in the early definition stages. The problem spans a... » read more

What Is Portable Stimulus?


When [getentity id="22028" e_name="Accellera"] first formed the [getentity id="22863" comment="Portable Stimulus Working Group”] and gave it that name, I was highly concerned. I expressed my frustration that the name, while fitting with what most people thought [getkc id="10" kc_name="verification"] is about, does not reflect the true nature of the standard being worked on. In short, it is no... » read more

Users Talk Back On Standards Process


One of the major themes of DVCon this year was the standard that currently goes by the name of Portable Stimulus (see related story, Portable Stimulus – The Name Must Change). It is not ready for prime time yet, but there was plenty to hear and learn about the emerging standard, including what users think about it and the standardization process. The panel gave the users the opportunity to vo... » read more

Could DVCon Be Better?


DVCon is undoubtedly the best conference in the industry if your interest is functional verification. In the past, it has also had a slant toward design. The focus is quite simply based on the standards activity going on within [getentity id="22028" e_name="Accellera"], the EDA industry's body that turns problems into solution in a short space of time. As those standards mature, they are handed... » read more

Uncovering Unintended Behavior


Very few companies ever had to worry about security until recently. Over the past couple of years, we have seen increasing evidence that our connected systems are vulnerable. The recent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which made many Internet sites unavailable, has focused attention on Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as digital video recorders and cameras that have Internet a... » read more

2017: Tool And Methodology Shifts


As the markets for semiconductor products evolve, so do the tools that enable automation, optimization and verification. While tools rarely go away, they do bend like plants toward light. Today, it is no longer the mobile phone industry that is defining the direction, but automotive and the Internet of Things (IoT). Both of these markets have very different requirements and each creates their o... » read more

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