Blog Review: Nov. 24
By Ed Sperling
Daniel Nenni believes that within the next few years Magma will be acquired, most likely by Mentor. Don’t choke on a turkey bone.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, Synopsys’ Alex Seibulescu adds his own slant on history, morphing turnkey into turkey and a tapeout feast into stuffing. In a similar vein, Benjamin Franklin once suggested that the turkey should become the national bird of the newly formed United States. There’s no record of whether he was joking.
Cadence’s Richard Goering conducts a very interesting Q&A with Netronome’s Ranit LoboPrabhu about metal-only ECOs and how they can prevent full-silicon re-spins. This is an interesting approach.
Mentor’s Colin Walls takes a look at static vs. inline functions in embedded software. What’s worth noting here is the different terminology between software and hardware.
ARM’s Jan Howells jots some ideas down using a smart pen, which records everything you say and write and synchronizes it. This should add real insight into the writing process—for better or worse.
Verilabs’ JL Gray says functional coverage can cure cancer and the common cold. Finally, a reason to boost verification training budgets.
Semico’s Rich Wawrzniak predicts that IP subsystems, complete with testbench and verification IP, will be the next big market shift. That certainly would save time in integration.
Mentor’s Mike Jensen posted part three of his simulation beyond volts and amps for analyzing the thermal behavior of an automotive emergency flasher system. Understanding thermal effects is going to be critical. Take note.
Synopsys’ Navraj Nandra, an avowed champion of PCI Express, says the Gen 3 spec is opening up new markets. The question now is what happens to previous generations, and how quickly.
And in case you missed the most recent System-Level Design newsletter, here are some blogs of note:
–Mentor’s Jon McDonald translates from hardware speak to software speak.
–Atrenta’s Mike Gianfagna talks about respect for EDA.
–Arteris’ Kurt Shuler digs into the economics of IP switching and transaction protocols.
–Synopsys’ Frank Schirrmeister flexibility in the design process—and his own predictions.
–Cadence’s Richard Goering talks about why hardware still matters (very much).
–And eSilicon’s Jack Harding sounds off about the semi industry’s re-aggregation.
Tags: ARM, Arteris, Atrenta, Cadence, eSilicon, Mentor Graphics, Synopsys