Next-Generation Liberty Verification And Debugging


Accurate library characterization is a crucial step for modern chip design and verification. For full-chip designs with billions of transistors, timing sign-off through simulation is unfeasible due to run-time and memory constraints. Instead, a scalable methodology using static timing analysis (STA) is required. This methodology uses the Liberty file to encapsulate library characteristics such ... » read more

Is Cloud Computing Suitable for Chip Design?


Is semiconductor design being left behind in a cloud-dominated world? Finance, CRM, office applications and many other sectors have made the switch to a cloud-based computing environment, but the EDA industry and its users have hardly started the migration. Are EDA needs and concerns that different from everyone else? We are starting to see announcements from EDA companies, but few cheerleaders... » read more

Betting Big On Discontinuity


Wally Rhines, president and CEO of Mentor, a Siemens Business, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about the booming chip industry, what's driving it, how long it will last and what changes are ahead in EDA and chip architectures. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: The EDA and semiconductor industries are doing well right now. What's driving that growth? Rhine... » read more

Domain Crossing Nightmares


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss problems associated with domain crossings with Alex Gnusin, design verification technologist for Aldec; Pete Hardee, director, product management for Cadence; Joe Hupcey, product manager and verification product technologist for Mentor, a Siemens Business; Sven Beyer, product manager design verification for OneSpin; and Godwin Maben, applications en... » read more

Using CAA And DFM Scoring To Improve Manufacturing Success


Critical area analysis and design for manufacturing scoring both offer designers actionable information they can use to improve their designs to prevent low-yield issues in the foundry. At the same time, they provide the foundry with information they can use for process improvement. Learn how fabless designers, foundries, and integrated device manufacturers can all benefit from addressing manuf... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


Tools & IP Cadence unveiled deep neural-network accelerator (DNA) AI processor IP, Tensilica DNA 100, targeted at on-device neural network inference applications. The processor is scalable from 0.5 TMAC (Tera multiply-accumulate) to 12 TMACs, or 100s of TMACs with multiple processors stacked, and the company claims it delivers up to 4.7X better performance and up to 2.3X more performance p... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things Release 3 is published by oneM2M, the worldwide Internet of Things interoperability standards initiative. The third set of specifications deals with 3GPP interworking, especially as it relates to cellular IoT connectivity, among other features. The release is said to enable seamless interworking with narrowband IoT and LTE-M connectivity through the 3GPP Service Capability E... » read more

Blog Review: Sept. 19


Applied Materials' David Thompson shares the new DARPA program that is focused on using correlated electrons to develop a new type of switch with quantum effects, potentially leading to unprecedented switching speeds. Mentor's Joe Hupcey III argues that for the most effective formal analysis, assertions should be as simple as possible and shares some tips on decomposing big assertions. Ca... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


M&A Intel acquired NetSpeed Systems, a network-on-a-chip and interconnect fabric IP and tool provider. Founded in 2011, the San Jose-based company recently put a focus on interconnects designed with AI applications in mind. Intel has cast the acquisition as a way to tie a number of its other technologies together. The team will join Intel's Silicon Engineering Group. Intel has been a NetSp... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things NXP Semiconductors provided its A71CH trust anchor to Google IoT Cloud, enabling authentication for Google IoT Cloud Core. The technology helps to secure edge devices for Internet of Things deployments. Separately, NXP announced the promotion of Kurt Sievers, executive vice president and general manager of the chip company’s automotive business, to president of NXP Semicon... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →