Transforming Silicon Bring-Up


Not too long ago, the return of first silicon from the foundry was a nail-biting moment as power was applied to the chip. Today, better verification methodologies, increased use of emulation, and more mature fabrication practices have transformed how teams utilize first silicon. It is about to be transformed again, and there are some interesting possibilities on the horizon. Much of what use... » read more

eFPGA as Silicon Debugger


A variety of debugging features are available by implementing the Flex Logix embedded FPGA cores. This includes: • High observability—the many eFPGA IOs allow for thousands of signals to be monitored • Event detection—the eFPGA logic can be configured to detect very complex signal patterns to help identify meaningful events • High visibility—data can be logged by the eLA inside t... » read more

Challenges And Trends In SoC Electromagnetic (EM) Crosstalk


Electromagnetic Crosstalk analysis is emerging as a fundamental necessity as a component of electronic system development. With the advent of advanced technologies and System on-Chip (SoC) architectures, ignoring electromagnetic crosstalk is highly risky resulting in significant delays in reaching the market on time as well significant cost over runs. This paper provides an overview of the stat... » read more

Post-Silicon Validation Using Formal Analysis


Verifying the current generation of complex SoCs requires the best methodology and tools, including the application of high-capacity formal verification technologies throughout the design flow, from architectural exploration to post-silicon debug. We see this last area, post-silicon debug, as an important value delivered by formal technology for design and verification teams who have not employ... » read more

Enabling Test Portability With Graphs


Is it time to move up again? When it comes to test portability between simulation, emulation, prototypes and silicon, as well as an easier way to create a test structure, the answer appears to be a resounding ‘Yes.’ Looking at these activities from a higher level of abstraction and using a graph-based approach should allow automation where there has been none previously, and could allow val... » read more