GN ReSound standardizes on Magma Talus for next-generation ICs

BANGALORE, INDIA: Magma Design Automation announced that GN ReSound, a world leader in innovative hearing instruments, has standardized on the Talus implementation system for its next-generation ICs.

GN ReSound selected Talus after encountering difficulty closing timing while meeting low-power requirements on a critical design with its previous tools. Talus delivered a fast, predictable and repeatable flow that allowed GN ReSound to quickly perform trial place-and-route runs to find the optimal power/performance tradeoff.

“Minimizing power consumption to prolong battery life is extremely critical in hearing instruments, and performance and time to market are also important,” said Dr. Lars J. Stenberg, director, HWP Electronics Research & Development at GN ReSound.

“Talus delivers consistent timing throughout the flow, even during routing, which means we don’t waste time solving timing divergence problems or have to reduce chip functionality or performance, and can still achieve the low-power goals of our next-generation ICs. In addition to advanced technology, Magma provided outstanding support.”

Customizable flow enables innovative low-power design techniques
The ability to customize the standard Talus flow was important in achieving minimal power. First, the clock tree synthesis was customized to deliver a low-power, low-area clock tree – a specific goal for the clock tree was to make the buffer count as low as possible to reduce area.

Second, the optimization, including clock gating, was customized to be driven by switching activity to get the lowest power. The ability to easily customize the standard flow helped GN ReSound deliver a design that met both the low-power and performance requirements.

“Unlike other implementation tools, Talus performs continuous power, timing and area tradeoffs throughout the design flow,” said Premal Buch, general manager of Magma’s Design Implementation Business Unit.

“This unique capability, coupled with the flexibility and Talus’ ease of customization, enables industry leaders such as GN ReSound to efficiently balance power and performance in their next-generation ICs.”