Arteris Articles

EE Journal: I hear you NOCing, But Can You Close Timing?

Steven Leibson from EE Journal authored this article with quotes from Frank Schirrmeister, VP of Solutions and Business Development at Arteris.

March 29th, 2023 - by Steven Leibson

Network on Chip (NOC) IP has been around for a while. I wrote an article about academic research papers on NOCs presented at the seventh annual International Symposium on System-on-Chip conference held in Tampere, Finland in late 2005. NOCs were the conference’s theme back then and the jury was out on using NOCs to interconnect large IP blocks, including processors, network controllers, and memory on SoCs. NOCs introduce overhead that wasn’t particularly welcome back in 2005. Today, it’s a different story.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC Semiconductors AIP Arteris EE Journal

EDN: Create high-performance SoCs using network-on-chip IP

Andy Nightingale, VP Product Management & Marketing at Arteris, authored this EDN article.

March 13th, 2023 - by Andy Nightingale

A system-on-chip (SoC) containing a million transistors was considered a large device in the not-so-distant past. Today, SoCs commonly contain up to a billion transistors. Consider, for example, the recent case study with SiMa.ai and its new machine learning (ML) chip called MLSoC; it provides effortless machine learning at the embedded edge.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC EDN Semiconductors AIP Arteris

DesignNews: Network On-Chip IP Speeds SoC Development

Spencer Chin, Senior Editor for Design News, authored this Design News Article on Arteris' FlexNoC 5.

March 6th, 2023 - By Spencer Chin

As with other designs, engineers looking to create system-on-chips are seeking to accelerate the design process. Arteris, Inc., a provider of system IP, has launched its Arteris FlexNoC 5 physically aware network-on-chip (NoC) interconnect IP. FlexNoC 5 enables SoC architecture teams, logic designers and integrators to incorporate physical constraint management across power, performance and area (PPA) to deliver a physically aware IP connecting the SoC.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC Semiconductors AIP DesignNews

Semiconductor Engineering: Physically Aware NoCs

Andy Nightingale, VP Product Management & Marketing at Arteris, talks with Ed Sperling in this Semiconductor Engineering video.

March 6th, 2023 - By Ed Sperling

More functions, greater security risks, and increasingly complicated integration of IP and various components below 7nm is increasing the time and effort it takes to get a functioning chip out the door. In many of these devices, the network on chip is the glue between various components, but it can take up to 10% to 12% of the total area of the SoC. Andy Nightingale, vice president of product marketing at Arteris IP, talks about how to shrink the NoC area, improve security, and reduce time to market.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC Semiconductor Engineering Semiconductors AIP

Electronic Design Article: Physically Aware Network-on-Chip Streamlines SoC Design Cycle

Andy Nightingale, VP Product Management & Marketing at Arteris, talks with William G. Wong in this Electronic Design video.

February 22nd, 2023 - by William G. Wong

Arteris IP has released FlexNoC 5, a network-on-chip (NoC) IP configuration tool, designed to improve system-on-chip (SoC) designs and streamline the design cycle. I spoke with Arteris IP's VP of Product Development, Andy Nightingale, about the company's physically aware NoC IP (see video above). The system is designed to provide an optimized, working NoC layout while significantly reducing the design-cycle time.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC electronic design Semiconductors AIP Arteris

EDN Article: How physically aware interconnect IP bolsters SoC design

Majeed Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of EDN, authored this article about Arteris' FlexNoC 5.

 February 23rd, 2023 - By Majeed Ahmad

The network-on-chip (NoC) technology, which connects IP blocks in highly complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs, has ascended to the next logical level by becoming physically aware. According to Andy Nightingale, VP of product marketing at Arteris, that accelerates the exploration of the needed space to achieve an optimal NoC topology at the front-end and speeds up timing closure at the back-end. Arteris has unveiled its next-generation interconnect IP, FlexNoC 5, which it calls the first physically aware NoC technology. It’s aimed to allow SoC architecture teams, logic designers, and integrators to incorporate physical constraint management and achieve faster physical convergence over manual refinements with fewer iterations from the layout team.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip Semiconductor Engineering PPA EDN Semiconductors AIP Charlie Janac sondrel

Semiconductor Engineering: The Game Of Ecosystems Intensifies

Frank Schirrmeister, VP of Solutions and Business Development at Arteris, authored this Semiconductor Engineering article.

 March 2nd, 2023 - By Frank Schirrmeister

You may know about my fascination with ecosystems if you have followed my writing. It is only fitting that I am writing this Blog in Munich (shiver, it’s cold), where I attended the GSA McKinsey workshop on “Distributed E/E Architectures and Zonal Computing.” This workshop had attendees from semiconductor foundries, EDA vendors, IP vendors, Tier 1 Semis, Tier 2 Integrators, software vendors, and automotive OEMs. Earlier this week, we announced our extension into the processor ecosystem with our work with SiFive on RISC-V on Edge AI, just months after we had announced our partnership with Arm on automotive applications. As you can tell, we are neutral and work with all processor vendors equally.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip Semiconductor Engineering Semiconductors AIP ecosystems

Semiconductor Engineering: Considering Semiconductor Implementation Aspects Early During Network-On-Chip Development

Frank Schirrmeister, VP of Solutions and Business Development at Arteris, authored this Semiconductor Engineering article.

February 22nd, 2023 - By Frank Schirrmeister

As they say, while history may not repeat itself, it sure rhymes. In 2015, I wrote the blog “Why Implementation Matters To System Design And Software.” At the time, I mused that while abstraction is essential in system design, it has limitations that users must consider. Critical decisions, such as those regarding power and performance, require more accuracy than can be feasibly abstracted. But it takes time to get to this increased accuracy. Power analysis driven by RTL-based emulation would provide more accurate power predictions when considering implementation effects seen when modeling semiconductor technology more accurately.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip Semiconductor Engineering Semiconductors AIP place and route

Design & Reuse: Meet the Next-Generation Network-on-Chip From Arteris

Andy Nightingale, VP of Product Management at Arteris, authored this Design & Reuse article.

 February 23rd, 2023 - By Andy Nightingale

Today’s system-on-chip (SoC) designs continue to grow in capacity and complexity. The only way to continue developing components of this class is by increasing the sophistication of the design, implementation and verification tools while simultaneously increasing levels of automation. The launch of the latest generation of network-on-chip (NoC) IP, FlexNoC 5, from Arteris addresses all these issues.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip Semiconductors AIP Design&Reuse

EDN: Why network-on-chip IP in SoC must be physically aware

Andy Nightingale, VP of Product Management at Arteris, authored this EDN article.

Why network-on-chip IP in SoC must be physically aware

 February 10th, 2023 - By Andy Nightingale

Today, multicore system-on-chip (SoC) designs can be composed of hundreds of IP blocks, typically containing up to ten million logic gates. One way for SoC developers to create devices of this complexity is to make use of proven IP blocks provided by trusted third-party vendors. There’s no point in devoting thousands of hours to reinventing a USB 3.2 Gen x interface, for example, when it is already available as off-the-shelf IP. Instead, engineers can focus their efforts on creating their own internal IP that will differentiate their SoC from any competitive offerings.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC software network-on-chip EDN Semiconductors AIP Arteris ic design design management

Semiwiki: Taming Physical Closure Below 16nm

Arteris CEO Joins Bernard Murphy for this Semiwiki article.

Taming Physical Closure Below 16nm

 January 30th, 2023 - By Bernard Murphy

Atiq Raza, well known in the semiconductor industry, has observed that “there will be no simple chips below 16nm”. By which he meant that only complex and therefore high value SoCs justify the costs of deep submicron design. Getting to closure on PPA goals is getting harder for such designs, especially now at 7nm and 5nm. Place and route technologies and teams are not the problem – they are as capable as ever. The problem lies in increasingly strong coupling between architectural and logic design and physical implementation. Design/physical coupling at the block level is well understood and has been addressed through physical synthesis. However, below 16nm it is quite possible to design valid SoC architectures that are increasingly difficult to place and route, causing project delays or even SoC project cancellations due to missed market windows.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip SemiWiki PPA AIP physical design Charlie Janac Arteris

EDACafé: Industry Predictions for 2023 – Arteris

Frank Schirrmeister, VP Solutions and Business Development at Arteris IP, authored this EDACafé article:

EDACafé Industry Predictions for 2023 – Arteris

 January 24th, 2023 - By Frank Schirrmeister

Discover this article by Arteris’ Frank Schirrmeister on the trends that will shape 2023. See how the ever-increasing demand for higher performance and power efficiency will drive the development of new materials, designs and manufacturing processes.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip automotive data center 5G AIP Arteris AI/ML EDACafé Frank Schirrmeister

Semiwiki:The Impact of Using a Physically Aware NoC with Charlie Janac Podcast

Arteris CEO Joins SemiWiki’s Daniel Nenni on Semiconductor Insiders Podcast

Podcast EP138: The Impact of Using a Physically Aware NoC with Charlie Janac

 January 20th, 2023 - By Daniel Nenni

Tune into Podcast EP138: The Impact of Using a Physically Aware NoC with Arteris CEO, Charlie Janac, as he discusses the benefits of using network-on-chip, or NoC IP on several types of design projects. Discover the tangible benefits of using physical awareness for the NoC and how to set up this valuable capability to streamline SoC design, get to market faster and achieve better SoC economics with lower risk.

Topics: SoC System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip SemiWiki AIP Charlie Janac Arteris

Semiconductor Engineering: Shortening Network-on-Chip Development Schedules Using Physical Awareness

Frank Schirrmeister, VP Solutions and Business Development at Arteris IP, authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

Shortening Network-on-Chip Development Schedules Using Physical Awareness

 January 5th, 2023 - By Frank Schirrmeister

Taking physical design into account as early as possible has been a consideration of chip development teams for quite some time. Still, in interactions with customers and partners, 2022 marked a sharp uptick in concerns about whether a design that may be functionally correct can also be implemented using physical implementation flows. Given the intricacies and complexity of network-on-chip (NoC) architectures and the dependencies on the size and placement of other IP blocks, they are susceptible to physical effects.

Topics: SoC System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip power Semiconductor Engineering security physical design design chip test

Semiconductor Engineering: When Does My SoC Design Need A NoC?

Michael Frank, VP and Chief Architect, and Frank Schirrmeister, VP Solutions and Business Development at Arteris IP, authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

When Does My SoC Design Need A NoC?

 December 1st, 2022 - By Michael Frank and Frank Schirrmeister

Excluding the simplest offerings, almost every modern system-on-chip (SoC) device will implement its on-chip communications utilizing a network-on-chip (NoC). Some people question whether it is necessary to use a NoC or whether a more basic approach would suffice.

Topics: SoC System-on-Chip NoC network-on-chip FlexNoC Semiconductor Engineering

Semiconductor Engineering: Are We Too Hard On Artificial Intelligence For Autonomous Driving?

Frank Schirrmeister, VP Solutions & Business Development at Arteris IP authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

Are We Too Hard On Artificial Intelligence For Autonomous Driving?

 November 3rd, 2022 - By Frank Schirrmeister

FMEDA Automation-1Making sense of the many automotive safety standards and requirements.

I recently attended and presented at Detroit’s “Implementation of ISO 26262 & SOTIF” conference. Its subtitle was “Taking an Integrated Approach to Automotive Safety.” After three days, my head was spinning with numbers of ISO/SAE and other standards. And at the end of day two, after yet another example that tricked autonomous driving prototypes into behaving wrongly, I sighed and asked whether anybody else would feel bad for these AIs. It feels like we ask AI to do much more than any human being could ever do. My question got some chuckles but caused some honest discussion about how to quantify autonomous driving capabilities.

Download Frank's presentation "FMEDA Automation for Scalability and Reuse in Complex System on Chips" presented at this year's "Implementation of ISO 26262 & SOTIF" conference in Detroit.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC functional safety network-on-chip Semiconductor Engineering FMEDA scalability traceability

Semiconductor Engineering: The Automotive Paradigm Shift

Frank Schirrmeister, VP Solutions & Business Development at Arteris IP authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

The Automotive Paradigm Shift

 October 6th, 2022 - By Frank Schirrmeister

Featured Image NoC NoC articleHow to deliver best-in-class automotive solutions.

We are currently experiencing a pivotal moment concerning the automotive industry. Three major technology areas are converging. First, there is an enormous demand for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) coupled with the increasing trend toward autonomy. Second is the digitization and electrification of everything, which is driving the need for efficient compute. Third is the trend to highly advanced digital cockpits and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems to provide the best user experience.

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip Arm NoC network-on-chip automotive ADAS Ncore cache coherent interconnect Semiconductor Engineering AI CPUs GPUs Arm NPU

SemiWiki: The Impact of Arteris IP and Its Partnerships on the Automotive Industry and Beyond

Podcast EP107: The Impact of Arteris IP and Its Partnerships on the Automotive Industry and Beyond

September 16, 2022 - Michal Siwinski with Daniel Nenni

Dan explores the impact Arteris is having on high-growth markets such as automotive with Michal. The company’s partnership with Arm is also explored. The impact of Arteris and its partnerships beyond the automotive market are also discussed.
 
Topics: SoC System-on-Chip Arm NoC network-on-chip automotive SemiWiki

Semiconductor Engineering: A Looming Problem In Safety Analysis

Stefano Lorenzini, Functional Safety Manager and Fellow at Arteris IP authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

Scalability: A Looming Problem In Safety Analysis

 September 1st, 2022 - By Stefano Lorenzini

Scalability A Looming Problem in Safety AnalysisA reuse-centric methodology for generating FMEDA

The boundless possibilities of automation in cars and other vehicles have captivated designers to the point that electronic content is now a stronger driver of differentiation than any other factor. It accounts for a substantial fraction of material cost in any of these vehicles. But this revolution in automotive technology comes with a caveat. In other applications, an electronics problem may be corrected with a shutdown or a reboot. The same resolution, however, does not work well for cars. Misbehavior in the electronics can lead to accidents, even fatalities.

Topics: SoC System-on-Chip Arm NoC functional safety network-on-chip automotive ADAS Semiconductor Engineering scalability traceability

Semiconductor Engineering: Time For FMEDA Reuse?

Stefano Lorenzini, Fellow & Functional Safety Manager at Arteris IP authored this Semiconductor Engineering article:

Time for FMEDA Reuse?

 July 7th, 2022 - By Stefano Lorenzini

FMEDA Reuse_480X275pxMaking it easier to integrate configurable IP into safety-critical systems.

How do designers quantify safety in electronic systems? Through one or more tables called Failure Modes, Effects and Diagnostic Analysis – FMEDA. In fact, an FMEDA does not have to be a table; it could be manifested in scripts or some other form, but a table is the easiest way to think of this information. Think of an FMEDA for an IP, as the concept extends easily to a system-on-chip (SoC). The table has a row for each failure mode that the IP experts can imagine might lead to a critical safety problem. Following identifying information for that failure mode is a description of the effect – the safety problem it might cause. Through fault simulation, the safety engineer determines the likelihood of the root cause problem leading to that effect. If the likelihood is significant, the designer will propose a mitigation technique, such as a parity check to detect the problem or an error-correcting code (ECC) check to correct it. A completed FMEDA then represents a comprehensive safety quality document for that IP, a characterization that an SoC integrator can use when determining the FMEDA for the whole design.

Learn more about Arteris IP Deployment Technology Products .

 

Topics: SoC IP System-on-Chip NoC functional safety network-on-chip Semiconductor Engineering FMEDA scalability traceability Stefano Lorenzini