Gaps In The AI Debug Process


When an AI algorithm is deployed in the field and gives an unexpected result, it's often not clear whether that result is correct. So what happened? Was it wrong? And if so, what caused the error? These are often not simple questions to answer. Moreover, as with all verification problems, the only way to get to the root cause is to break the problem down into manageable pieces. The semico... » read more

Debugging Embedded Applications


Debugging embedded designs is becoming increasingly difficult as the number of observed and possible interactions between hardware and software continue to grow, and as more features are crammed into chips, packages, and systems. But there also appear to be some advances on this front, involving a mix of techniques, including hardware trace, scan chain-based debug, along with better simulation ... » read more

HECTOR-V: A Heterogeneous CPU Architecture for a Secure RISC-V Execution Environment


Summary "To ensure secure and trustworthy execution of applications, vendors frequently embed trusted execution environments into their systems. Here, applications are protected from adversaries, including a malicious operating system. TEEs are usually built by integrating protection mechanisms directly into the processor or by using dedicated external secure elements. However, both of these... » read more

High-Level Synthesis For RISC-V


High-quality RISC-V implementations are becoming more numerous, but it is the extensibility of the architecture that is driving a lot of design activity. The challenge is designing and implementing custom processors without having to re-implement them every time at the register transfer level (RTL). There are two types of high-level synthesis (HLS) that need to be considered. The first is ge... » read more

Customize Off-The-Shelf Processor IP


Processor customization is one approach to optimizing a processor IP core to handle a certain workload. In some case it makes sense to design a dedicated core from scratch, but in many cases an existing core may partially meet your requirements and can be a good starting point for your optimized core. In the past some processor IP vendors, notably ARC and Tensilica, offered extensible cores ... » read more

Optimization Driving Changes In Microarchitectures


The semiconductor ecosystem is at a turning point for how to best architect the CPU based on the explosion of data, the increased usage of AI, and the need for differentiation and customization in leading-edge applications. In the past, much of this would have been accomplished by moving to the next process node. But with the benefits from scaling diminishing at each new node, the focus is s... » read more

Why It’s The Perfect Time To Be Part Of The RISC-V Revolution


Eighteen months ago, I said: “The rise of RISC-V offers us a tremendous platform for innovation and collaboration: it has the potential to change the business model of the entire industry.” I stand by that and indeed am demonstrating my conviction by joining the ranks of a company that’s not only changing the industry business model, but is significantly innovating in RISC-V. Having ... » read more

RISC-V Processor Verification: Case Study


Abstract: The open RISC-V instruction set architecture is gaining traction with both semiconductor vendors and systems companies. A key question is how to verify the RISC-V processor implementation, especially when developing the RTL and/or adding custom instructions? This paper reports on the techniques used and lessons learned for the verification of a RV64IMACBNSU RISC-V processor by an exp... » read more

On the Design and Misuse of Microcoded (Embedded) Processors — A Cautionary Note


Abstract:  "Today's microprocessors often rely on microcode updates to address issues such as security or functional patches. Unfortunately, microcode update flexibility opens up new attack vectors through malicious microcode alterations. Such attacks share many features with hardware Trojans and have similar devastating consequences for system security. However, due to microcode's opaq... » read more

58th DAC Online Program Is Now Live


We did it. After more than a year’s worth of hard work the DAC Executive Committee finally released the 58th DAC program, despite a mountain of challenges and hurdles we encountered along the way this past year. We started planning the 58th DAC a little over a year ago, and we were confronted with a lot of uncertainty on what to expect for the coming year. Would submissions be down? Would ... » read more

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