Comments for ESL Edge http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald Deep Insights for Chip Architects and Engineers Fri, 27 May 2011 08:05:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Comment on ESL And FPGAs by Andrea http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2011/05/26/esl-and-fpgas/comment-page-1/#comment-496 Andrea Fri, 27 May 2011 08:05:12 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=163#comment-496 Hi Jon, I share your point of view ESL is there to determine the WHAT and the HOW through a higher level of abstraction (and to anticipate developments WHEN possible) but at the same time I also see the strong complementarity of virtual and hardware prototyping, in particular for IO IPs (ex. cameras/displays/etc) and for IPs for which no Virtual model exists but just an RTL version ... Unfortunately the theorical Top-Down flow usually used in ESL discussions is really a theorical one ... i.e. the HOW is often an evolution of a previous architecture ... Kind regards, Andrea Hi Jon,
I share your point of view ESL is there to determine the WHAT and the HOW through a higher level of abstraction (and to anticipate developments WHEN possible) but at the same time I also see the strong complementarity of virtual and hardware prototyping, in particular for IO IPs (ex. cameras/displays/etc) and for IPs for which no Virtual model exists but just an RTL version …
Unfortunately the theorical Top-Down flow usually used in ESL discussions is really a theorical one … i.e. the HOW is often an evolution of a previous architecture …
Kind regards,
Andrea

]]> Comment on ESL’s Effect On What Engineers Assume by Gaurav Jalan http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/10/21/esl%e2%80%99s-effect-on-what-engineers-assume/comment-page-1/#comment-210 Gaurav Jalan Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:52:33 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=121#comment-210 Wrong assumptions are costly and if it is an SOC @ 32nm or below it could cost $100 mn... costlier than one can assume Wrong assumptions are costly and if it is an SOC @ 32nm or below it could cost $100 mn… costlier than one can assume

]]> Comment on The Tide Is Turning by Clifton Cordes http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/06/24/the-tide-is-turning/comment-page-1/#comment-148 Clifton Cordes Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:43:49 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=105#comment-148 Jon, I'm drowning in acronyms. Acronymfinder(dot)com has about 282 definitions for ESL and a lot of them are transistor or at least electronic related. Some of your readers study more subjects then just chip layout software. May I suggest you toss in the English version at least once in an article. In this multi-language technical world I think it's okay and maybe even important to over-communicate. Thanks for reading. Cliff Jon,
I’m drowning in acronyms. Acronymfinder(dot)com has about 282 definitions for ESL and a lot of them are transistor or at least electronic related. Some of your readers study more subjects then just chip layout software. May I suggest you toss in the English version at least once in an article.
In this multi-language technical world I think it’s okay and maybe even important to over-communicate. Thanks for reading.
Cliff

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Jon McDonald http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Jon McDonald Tue, 18 May 2010 17:12:40 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-81 Stephane, I believe you bring a good perspective. The traditional approach has been spreadsheet based to address high level power estimation. The challenge is that this approach is not capable of responding to the dynamic requirements placed on the system, based on changing workloads. In ESL we want to create a model that represents the power and performance associated with doing the work the system must perform, this model can then respond to and predict the power and performance based on the dynamic activity required. On our web site we have a paper detailing the approach we are using to address this problem. You can find this paper at http://www.mentor.com/products/esl/techpubs/predicting-and-optimizing-power-at-the-electronic-system-level-57057. Stephane, I believe you bring a good perspective. The traditional approach has been spreadsheet based to address high level power estimation. The challenge is that this approach is not capable of responding to the dynamic requirements placed on the system, based on changing workloads. In ESL we want to create a model that represents the power and performance associated with doing the work the system must perform, this model can then respond to and predict the power and performance based on the dynamic activity required. On our web site we have a paper detailing the approach we are using to address this problem. You can find this paper at http://www.mentor.com/products/esl/techpubs/predicting-and-optimizing-power-at-the-electronic-system-level-57057.

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Stephane http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Stephane Thu, 06 May 2010 21:07:17 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-68 I deal with ASIC design in my company. We have similar concerns, but Excel spreadsheet and differential solvers are more than sufficient for high-level power estimation. I still don't understand how ESL/TLM can provide better accuracy. From experience, you need at least cycle-accurate models to get some meaningful insights. Anything more abstract is too vague. More details would be helpful but I couldn't find on Mentor website. I deal with ASIC design in my company. We have similar concerns, but Excel spreadsheet and differential solvers are more than sufficient for high-level power estimation. I still don’t understand how ESL/TLM can provide better accuracy. From experience, you need at least cycle-accurate models to get some meaningful insights. Anything more abstract is too vague. More details would be helpful but I couldn’t find on Mentor website.

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by JW http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-67 JW Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:05:42 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-67 I have found that WiFi seems to drain the battery more quickly than bluetooth. At home, if I have bluetooth off and WiFi on, the battery drains in 4 to 6 hours (subjective). Whereas, with WiFi off and bluetooth on, it will last through the day and into the evening. On the wifi side, I have the SSID hidden. I have not done any tests to seek if this affects the WiFi battery consumption. I have found that WiFi seems to drain the battery more quickly than bluetooth.

At home, if I have bluetooth off and WiFi on, the battery drains in 4 to 6 hours (subjective). Whereas, with WiFi off and bluetooth on, it will last through the day and into the evening.

On the wifi side, I have the SSID hidden. I have not done any tests to seek if this affects the WiFi battery consumption.

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Allen http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Allen Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:50:38 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-66 Apple may think it is good enough; it may be good enough for some, but it is not good enough for me. That's why I and many others are seriously considering iphone alternatives when our contracts run out. Apple may think it is good enough; it may be good enough for some, but it is not good enough for me. That’s why I and many others are seriously considering iphone alternatives when our contracts run out.

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Mike Bradley http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Mike Bradley Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:16:59 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-65 I seem to recall that the first version of the iphone had very bad battery life. The battery life was then improved in subsequent versions. Interesting about 3G vs. wifi. I wonder if this is due to extra signal processing or that a less powerful transmitter is needed for the physically closer wifi base-station. I would guess on the later. You might want to leave your bluetooth on as connections can be dynamic, such as getting into your car. Also, (some) headsets can initiate a call. I seem to recall that the first version of the iphone had very bad battery life. The battery life was then improved in subsequent versions.

Interesting about 3G vs. wifi. I wonder if this is due to extra signal processing or that a less powerful transmitter is needed for the physically closer wifi base-station. I would guess on the later.

You might want to leave your bluetooth on as connections can be dynamic, such as getting into your car. Also, (some) headsets can initiate a call.

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Gary Dare http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Gary Dare Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:32:04 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-64 When a basic search using the string 'Apple iPhone battery life' yields an avalanche of articles to show that it's an issue for users (and every phone release or OS patch promises fixes to battery life management). I'm happy that it's not problem for you, Eli! When a basic search using the string ‘Apple iPhone battery life’ yields an avalanche of articles to show that it’s an issue for users (and every phone release or OS patch promises fixes to battery life management). I’m happy that it’s not problem for you, Eli!

]]> Comment on Why Your iPhone Battery Doesn’t Last by Eli http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/2010/04/22/why-your-iphone-battery-doesn%e2%80%99t-last/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Eli Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:02:39 +0000 http://chipdesignmag.com/sld/mcdonald/?p=98#comment-62 Jon, the iPhone is certainly perfectible but is already pretty darn good. As far as I am concerned, I can rely on it for a full business day without recharging. Maybe Apple R&D didn't really need (your) ESL tools because their system was already "good enough". Writing blog posts advising the iPhone team what do to sounds a little pretentious IMHO. Jon, the iPhone is certainly perfectible but is already pretty darn good. As far as I am concerned, I can rely on it for a full business day without recharging. Maybe Apple R&D didn’t really need (your) ESL tools because their system was already “good enough”. Writing blog posts advising the iPhone team what do to sounds a little pretentious IMHO.

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