The Week In Review: Design/IoT


IP Sonics released the latest version of the company's flagship NoC, which expands on their interleaved multi-channel technology and includes new layout optimization features for design flows based on modern physical synthesis and place & route tools. Synopsys extended its PCI Express 4.0 IP to support RAS features to help designers ensure data integrity and increase data protection i... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


Tools Cadence unveiled Genus, their next-generation RTL synthesis and physical synthesis engine incorporating a multi-level massively parallel architecture and physically aware context-generation capability. Using it for their recent PowerVR GE7800 GPU, Imagination reported a 5X improvement in turnaround time versus the previous Cadence synthesis solution with no impact on power, performance... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


At an event, Samsung rolled out its 10nm finFET technology. The company also showed a 300mm wafer with 10nm finFET transistors. "We have silicon-based PDKs out," said Kelvin Low, senior director of foundry marketing for Samsung. Samsung plans to move into production with its 10nm finFET technology by the end of 2016, he said. IC Insights released its chip rankings in terms of sales in the fi... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


Tools Cadence updated its Allegro PCB product line with a new manufacturing option that accelerates manufacturing documentation and technology updates for increased efficiency, control and productivity for designers and streamlining handoff to manufacturing. The release also allows users to develop custom fabrication and assembly rules. Invionics expanded its Invio EDA development platfor... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


M&A Avago appears to be on the prowl for a new acquisition. According to a Reuters report, it has made inquiries at Xilinx, Renesas and Maxim and has more than $10B to spend. Avago made a bid for Freescale earlier this year, but NXP ended up buying Freescale for $11.8B. IP Sonics unveiled the ICE-Grain Power Architecture, a power management sub-system for mainstream SoC designs that c... » read more

How Semiconductor IP Became Critical To SoC Design


By Mark Templeton In 1991, I had the good fortune to be a member of the founding team of Artisan Components. We started the company believing that demand was about to appear for semiconductor intellectual property. We had a few data points. We knew that before a company could start a new chip project, they first had to design and verify all kinds of generic building blocks – things like ... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


After several delays due to a myriad of complex regulatory issues, Applied Materials’ proposed deal to buy Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) has been scrapped. Now, Applied Materials and TEL are separately re-grouping, and are back to where they originally started as competitors in the fab tool market. Applied Materials held a conference call to explain the situation with TEL. Applied Materials... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


It could be a long year for the equipment industry. First, Intel reduced its 2015 capital expenditure budget to $8.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million. This is down from the previous mid-point guidance of $10.1 billion. As a result of Intel’s announcement, Pacific Crest Securities cut its worldwide 2015 semiconductor CapEx forecast. The new CapEx forecast is now $62.5 billion in 2015. Th... » read more

Big Acquisitions, Big Changes


Rumors swirling about Intel's romance with Altera—this has been off-again, on-again, and now apparently off-again, for the better part of a decade—coupled with Apple's decision to shift A9 APU production to Samsung and away from TSMC, NXP's pending acquisition of Freescale, along with the Chinese' government's massive semiconductor investment fund, all add up to some massive shifts under wa... » read more

The Week In Review: Design/IoT


Legal A U.S. District Court invalidated three patents related to emulation, which were part of a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Synopsys against Mentor Graphics. The fourth patent will be reviewed by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Synopsys said it is evaluating an appeal and criticized the decision. "Synopsys strongly disagrees with the court's decision," said a Synopsys spokesp... » read more

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