The Road Ahead for 2014: Semiconductors


Last week, Semiconductor Engineering examined the 2014 predictions from several thought leaders in the industry and published those predictions that related to general market trends. Many of those predictions require some advances in semiconductor technologies and fabrications capabilities. It is those predictions that will be examined in this part, followed next week by the predictions related... » read more

Defining The Next Standard Cell


Synopsys, Intel and IBM all contributed technology to Si2 to create a standard version of parameterized cells, or PCells, for mixed-signal designs. The move is an attempt to smooth out design incompatibilities using Synopsys and Cadence technology. Cadence is the clear market leader in this space. But as more technology is developed using different vendors'  tools for integration in complex... » read more

Blog Review: Jan. 22


Mentor’s Anil Khanna believes Nest’s approach should be incorporated into the entire power grid. The ramifications of that are interesting to ponder. Speaking of Nest, Cadence’s Brian Fuller looks at the implications of the $3.2 billion acquisition of the company by Google. Will Google get it right? Maybe. Synopsys’ Richard Solomon has come up with a new definition for New Year’... » read more

Which IP Is Better?


As the amount of third-party and re-used IP in a semiconductor increases, so do the number of questions about which possible IP choices perform better, use the least power, or work best with other components. So far, there is no simple way to make that choice. In most cases, this is simply splitting hairs. For all the IP that goes into designs, the bulk of it is chosen based on how often has... » read more

Mostly Accurate Computing


“Approximate computing” is a new concept in computers, allowing them to perform calculations for certain tasks that don’t require perfect accuracy with the goal of improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption. But do the concepts apply when it comes to managing power? And is there a philosophical approach when it comes to thinking about power management? To a large extent, that... » read more

Performance Still Trumps Power


When it comes to technology, the past was always simpler than the present and the future looks daunting. In part, this is because finding a solution to a problem allows us to discover the next problem. Over time, the previous problem becomes more understood and solutions improve to the point where it is no longer considered a problem. It was a fairly easy choice about how to implement functiona... » read more

Power’s Impact On Hierarchy Modification


RTL restructuring in which the logical hierarchy of a design is modified is usually done to manage complex designs. When power management is added to this task, new challenges crop up. Consider switchable power or voltage domains, which are a common way to manage power is to use switchable power or voltage domains. When implementing this technique, all the logic in such a domain must hang of... » read more

Using USB 3.1’s Multiple INs To Reach 10 Gbps Data Rates


In January 2013, the USB-IF announced USB 3.1, a new generation of the protocol that will double USB 3.0 data throughput performance to 10 Gbps. In addition to this increased speed, the specification requires compatibility with existing cables, connectors, software stacks, and device class protocols. USB 3.1 products must support existing 5 Gbps and new 10 Gbps hubs and devices, as well as olde... » read more

Tech Talk: Dealing With The Unknowns


Rebecca Lipon, senior product marketing manager for verification at Synopsys, discusses the problematic X's and where verification teams typically make mistakes in trying to eliminate the false X's from their designs. Power emerges as the biggest problem. [youtube vid=Iym4ITWJJrs] » read more

Reducing Power Consumption in Mobile Applications with High-Speed Gear3 MIPI M-PHY IP


Mobile systems require increasing data volume for multiple chip-to-chip interfaces. The high-speed MIPI® M-PHY is tailored for mobile systems where performance, power, and efficiency are key criteria. With up to 5,824 Mbps bandwidth, the speed meets devices’ high bandwidth and scalability requirements. The M-PHY is designed to accommodate the intermittent nature of inter-chip communications ... » read more

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