Overcoming Regression Debug Challenges With Machine Learning


Development of a modern semiconductor requires running many electronic design automation (EDA) tools many times over the course of the project. Every stage, from architectural exploration and design to final implementation and manufacturing preparation, has multiple methodology loops that must be repeated again and again. Even in such a complex development flow, functional simulation stands ... » read more

How AI Drives Faster Verification Coverage And Debug For First-Time-Right Silicon


By Taruna Reddy and Robert Ruiz These days, the question is less about what AI can do and more about what it can’t do. From talk-of-the-town chatbots like ChatGPT to self-driving cars, AI is becoming pervasive in our everyday lives. Even industries where it was perhaps an unlikely fit, like chip design, are benefiting from greater intelligence. What if one of the most laborious, time-co... » read more

Using Machine Learning To Automate Debug Of Simulation Regression Results


Regression failure debug is usually a manual process wherein verification engineers debug hundreds, if not thousands of failing tests. Machine learning (ML) technologies have enabled an automated debug process that not only accelerates debug but also eliminates errors introduced by manual efforts. This white paper discusses how verification engineers can more efficiently analyze, bin, triage... » read more

Reducing Simulation Regression Turnaround Time With Dynamic Performance Optimization


No single step in the development of semiconductor devices is more sensitive to speed than functional simulation. A modern system-on-chip (SoC) design simulates billions of cycles of operation in the process of completing the verification plan and achieving coverage goals. To validate full system functionality, many of these simulations include running code on one or more embedded processors. E... » read more

Recipe To Catch Bugs Faster Using Machine Learning


We all agree that verification and debug take up a significant amount of time and are arguably the most challenging parts of chip development. Simulator performance has consistently topped the charts and is a critical component in the verification process. Still, the need of the hour is to stretch beyond simulator speed to achieve maximum verification throughput and efficiency. Artificial in... » read more

Using Verification Data More Effectively


Verification is producing so much data from complex designs that engineering teams need to decide what to keep, how long to keep it, and what they can learn from that data for future projects. Files range from hundreds of megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes, depending on the type of verification task, but the real value may not be obvious unless AI/machine learning algorithms are applied to a... » read more

Context-Aware Debug


Moses Satyasekaran, product manager at Mentor, a Siemens Business, examines the growing complexity of debug, which now includes software, power intent and integration, multiple clocking and reset domains, and much more, where the limitations are for debug, and how automotive, functional safety and mixed signal affect the overall process. » read more

Data-Driven Verification Begins


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss data-driven verification with Yoshi Watanabe, senior software architect at Cadence; Hanan Moller, systems architect at UltraSoC; Mark Conklin, principal verification engineer at Arm; and Hao Chen, senior design engineer at Intel. What follows are excerpts of that conversation, which was conducted in front of a live audience at DVCon. (L-R) Yosh... » read more

Re-using Common Simulation Set-Up Processes To Speed Regression


Functional verification of SoCs always has some kind of set up process. For complex SoCs, at least, this initial set up phase often consumes from 20 to 90% of each test’s total simulation time. And thousands of tests are run in the verification of a design. This set up phase could be either executing the exact same sequence of simulation steps, or programming the design to reach the same i... » read more

Using More Verification Cores


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to talk about parallelization efforts within EDA with Andrea Casotto, chief scientist for Altair; Adam Sherer, product management group director in the System & Verification Group of Cadence; Harry Foster, chief scientist for Mentor, a Siemens Business; Vladislav Palfy, global manager for applications engineering at OneSpin; Vigyan Singhal, chief Oski for ... » read more

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