Design & Reuse: Bigger Chips, More IPs, and Mounting Challenges in Addressing the Growing Complexity of SoC Design

As the semiconductor industry pushes the boundaries of innovation, modern system-on-chip (SoC) designs are growing exponentially in size and complexity. With hundreds of IP blocks and thousands of interconnects to manage, the challenges of maintaining performance, maximizing efficiencies, and meeting time-to-market demands are more significant than ever. There are pressing issues in SoC development, and solutions are needed to overcome these hurdles.

The latest SoCs often integrate 300 to 500 IP blocks, with some designs exceeding even these numbers. Each IP block requires careful management of interconnections and communication subsystems, which only adds to the complexity. Designers frequently face performance constraints as the sheer number of IPs increases. Managing several IP blocks not only increases the workload but also introduces potential bottlenecks that can affect overall system performance. The cascading effect of poorly managed interconnects can lead to latency issues, power inefficiencies, and reduced scalability, which are critical in applications like AI, automotive, and high-performance compute (HPC).

Many companies use a combination of licensed tools from multiple vendors, supplemented by internally developed solutions. This fragmented approach often leads to inefficiencies. This creates a mix of patchwork toolchains that may require a manual process to solve, resulting in less-than-optimal utilization of resources and higher risks of errors.

Moreover, disparate toolchains make it harder to achieve seamless communication between design phases, from floor planning to physical implementation. For example, a tool optimized for simulation might not easily integrate with one used for timing analysis, leading to additional workarounds and manual adjustments. This lack of cohesion is a barrier to achieving efficient and predictable design flows, adding unnecessary time and cost to the process.

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