FPGA design heads to cloud

SINGAPORE: As companies increasingly turn to the cloud for all things IT, the commonly held notion that cloud computing is not a mature technology is beginning to be dispelled. When it comes to chip design, the problem-solvers at innovative start-up Plunify are utilizing the cloud to give FPGA designers a platform to dramatically accelerate chip design workflows -- and save time and money in the process.

As chip design complexity continues to rise -- what can be done to keep costs and verification times in check? In the face of time and resource constraints, how can FPGA designers deliver results?

Chip design in the cloud signals an exciting new direction for the industry, and presents a host of advantages over traditional methods.
Harnhua Ng, director of engineering, Plunify, explains: "Before Plunify, lengthy, repetitive build iterations were necessary for each design, implementation was slow and design collaboration was extremely limited. Now, with multiple servers accelerating design flow and the cloud providing secure design collaboration capabilities, the sky (no pun intended!) is the limit for FPGA designers.

"Plunify also gives designers access to advanced analysis and verification tools as well as hardware on demand -- on a pay for what you need, when you need it basis. By combining all of this into a one-stop-shop for chip design, Plunify's approach can generate a savings of greater than 50 percent -- with a TCO reduction of between 35 and 55 percent."

Chip design companies are looking to reduce development costs as well as shorten their products' time-to-market. Design and verification include compute-intensive processes like complex simulations, rigorous regression testing and meticulous timing closure.

By maximizing the parallelism and flexibility of cloud computing, Plunify enables these tasks to be performed at a fraction of the time and with significantly less overhead -- dramatically shortening time-to-market and improving results. Personal datacenters give engineers freedom -- no longer do they need to spend hours crafting and waiting for different iterations.

Combining knowledge of both the semiconductor and cloud computing industries to accelerate chip design is an idea whose time has come. Plunify's solutions harness cloud computing's value in parallelizing design workflows, tackling resource bottlenecks and under-utilization -- solving longer term IT problems such as scaling and provisioning -- while also addressing the immediate issue of speeding up product time-to-market.

TI SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 module simplifies home network setup and improves user experience

USA: With the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, new devices are wirelessly connected to the home network and to the cloud. However, headless devices with no keypads or touchscreens including garage door openers, home appliances, lights, thermostats and treadmills can be complicated to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) offers developers a solution to these challenges with its latest SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 module available from TI. The self-contained module features the unique SmartConfig technology, a Wi-Fi configuration process developed by TI that allows multiple in-home devices without displays to connect to a Wi-Fi network via a smartphone or tablet—in just one easy step.

The CC3000 module now also supports service discovery applications on phones, tablets and PCs using Bonjour zero-configuration networking technology, making it easier for consumers to quickly identify and manage networked devices. The SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000 module is compatible with low-cost, low-memory microcontroller (MCU) systems, such as TI's MSP430 family.

"The need to easily connect display-less devices to the wireless network has become a barrier to wide deployment of connected-home products," said Gil Reiter, marketing director, Wireless Connectivity Solutions, TI.

"With TI's SmartConfig technology, ODMs can reduce the complexity of consumers' in-home provisioning through a simple Wi-Fi setup application for smartphones or tablets that gets a SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3000-enabled device on the network with just one click. Once devices are connected, the consumer's experience gets even better with intuitive service discovery capabilities that allow for easy device control and monitoring."

TI ultra-low power converter to accelerate energy harvesting designs in consumer electronics, smart home

USA: Answering the question, "How low can you go with power?" Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) introduced the industry's lowest power DC/DC step-down converter, which increases the amount of harvested energy an end application can use as much as 70 percent over alternative devices.

The ultra-low power circuit enables battery-free power to applications, such as wireless sensor networks, monitoring systems, smoke detectors, wearable medical devices and mobile accessories.

"Imagine not having to change the battery in your smoke detector – ever," said Sami Kiriaki , senior VP of TI's Power Management. "TI continues to develop circuits with very low operating current and high power efficiency that can manage microwatts to milliwatts and extract ambient energy. This new power circuit gives designers capabilities not possible with traditional battery-powered systems."

Lowest power DC/DC converter
TI's TPS62736 DC/DC converter delivers high power conversion efficiency from 10 uA to 50 mA output currents, and consumes only 350 nA of active current and 20 nA during standby. The converter achieves greater than 90-percent efficiency across output currents higher than 15 uA.

The TPS62736 regulator steps down the voltage from a power source, such as a thin-film or regular battery or a super capacitor and features a programmable output voltage.

Innovative power management, sensors and microcontrollers from TI are taking low-power design to the next level by optimizing extracted energy from ambient sources using the highest possible efficiency and lowest power consumption. In 2011, TI introduced its bq25504 boost charger circuit with a low quiescent current of 330nA, to allow start-up from single-cell solar cells under low light or thermoelectric generators with low temperature differences.  

TI also recently announced sampling of its MSP430FR59xx microcontrollers based on its "Wolverine" technology platform. These new FRAM-based microcontrollers can operate as low as 360 nA in real-time clock mode or less than 100 uA/MHz in active power consumption, and feature fast wakeup time of 6.5 us and high-precision peripherals.

The MSP430FR59xx enable developers to add flexibility, performance and battery life to a variety of applications, including wireless sensing, energy harvesting, smart grid, building automation and security.

The TPS62736 is currently sampling through TI. It comes in a 3.5-mm by 3.5-mm QFN package and is priced at US$2.00 in 1,000-unit quantities. Volume production is expected later in the first quarter. Evaluation modules are available to select customers.

DSP Group's VoIP processor powers MOCET communicator

USA: DSP Group Inc. announced that its industry-leading XciteR chipset will power the innovative MOCET Communicator offered by TECOM, a leading designer and manufacturer of IP telephony and mobile device accessories.

The MOCET Communicator delivers a superior audio and video experience for iPad users by seamlessly integrating advanced easy-to-use IP phone features together with the MOCET IP Commander app, available for download from the Apple iTunes app store.

The MOCET Communicator is the latest in a line of TECOM's advanced IP phones - which include the IP3032, IP3062 and IP3062D -- all based on XciteR. DSP Group's XciteR family of dual-core VoIP processors delivers an ideal combination of high performance and cost-effectiveness.

The state of the art Acoustical Echo Canceler (AEC) delivers best-in-class handsfree experience, and the Linux software SDK allows fast product development for shortest time to market. The XciteR chipset also provides DECT connectivity to high-quality cordless handsets and headsets, clearing cords from the office desk.

GEO completes acquisition of Maxim Integrated’s digital video processing business

USA: GEO Semiconductor Inc. has completed the acquisition of the digital video processing business from Maxim Integrated Products Inc. GEO is now the industry leader with a full range of IP covering all the needed elements for success in multiple mass-markets.

As a result of the acquisition, GEO’s IP portfolio now totals approximately 100 patents, including world-class H.264 video compression and audio processing technology. The transaction also provides GEO immediate access to broader markets such as IP and Cloud camera, Smart TV, surveillance, telepresence video communications and smartphone peripherals.

These markets complement GEO’s increasing focus on automotive camera and HUD opportunities. Combining GEO’s proprietary technology with the IP acquired from Maxim will enable single-chip solutions for all of these markets, increasing market share and lowering costs to customers.

GEO’s chairman and CEO, Paul Russo, commented: “We are very pleased to add the Maxim digital video processing team to GEO. Together, we are well-positioned for future growth. With the acquisition of assets from Silicon Optix and Maxim, GEO now has more than 40 customers in volume production.

"We expect this customer base to expand rapidly as we introduce new world-class single-chip (SoC) solutions combining our eWarp technology with H.264 compression that reduce the bill of materials and drive massive adoption into these rapidly growing markets. This transaction is transformational for GEO as we are seeing an explosion in camera-based applications in mobile, automotive and industrial applications.”

IDT to exhibit industry-leading wireless power products at 2013 CES

2013 International CES, USA: Integrated Device Technology Inc. (IDT), will be exhibiting its industry-leading wireless power solutions at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8-11. CES provides an ideal venue to showcase IDT’s solutions, which are suited for a myriad of mobile applications for convenient and effortless battery charging.

“We are excited to demonstrate our award-winning wireless power products and next-generation solutions at CES,” said Arman Naghavi, VP and GM at IDT.

“Wireless power is an important element of IDT’s power management strategy. Recently announced partnerships and the development of magnetic induction and magnetic resonance solutions have quickly established IDT as a leader in this market. We are building upon our early successes with continued innovation that provides our customers with the solutions they need to develop the most advanced next-generation consumer electronics.”

IDT will exhibit the world’s first true single-chip wireless power transmitter (IDTP9030) and highest-output-power single-chip receiver solution (IDTP9020). The high-level of integration enables system designers to significantly reduce component count, board area, and cost to deliver superior wireless charging products in convenient and attractive form factors.

Both devices comply with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Qi standard, which ensures interoperability with any other device meeting the WPC Qi standard. Both transmitter and receiver are capable of “multi-mode” operation, supporting both the Qi standard as well as proprietary formats for added features, increased power output capability, and improved safety.

In addition, IDT will showcase the recently-announced IDTP9035 and IDTP9036 wireless power transmitter solutions, designed to meet the WPC Tx-A5, Tx-A6, and Tx-A11 configurations. The new products expand IDT’s portfolio of WPC Qi-compliant transmitters with solutions optimized for single-coil 5 V and three-coil 12 V applications.

IDT has partnered with both Intel and Qualcomm to develop wireless charging solutions for magnetic resonance-based charging technology. IDT is also a member of the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), an independently operated organization composed of global wireless power and technology industry leaders. Next-generation magnetic resonance-based solutions will be on display at the show.

MRAM technologies boast higher densities, less power consumption

USA: The global market for embedded and standalone non-volatile RAM is poised for explosive growth in the next few years.

Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) and other non-charge storage-based memories including FeRAM continue to outperform charge-based semiconductor storage technologies such as SRAM, DRAM, NOR flash and NAND; but one challenge remains at the forefront: scalability and commercialization.

Recent announcements, such as Toshiba's new STT-MRAM prototype, mark a shift in MRAM as in-plane technology is replaced by perpendicularly magnetization methods. The latter uses significantly less current and is capable of functioning on smaller transistor sizes.

Perpendicular magnetization has also resolved a major dilemma manufacturers faced previously: making a tradeoff between SRAM-like performance and lower power draw. As next generation STT-MRAM come to light, manufacturers should look forward to the promise of a scalable path with potential to broaden appeal for these new memory elements in mainstream consumer applications.

Research and development is key to accelerating this movement and Global Information (GII) provides the latest market research reports covering the global MRAM technology and memory markets from our premium research partner Forward Insights.

Ultra-low power wireless connectivity IC market to grow to over $2 billion by 2016

ENGLAND: ABI Research expects the ultra-low power wireless connectivity IC market to grow to over $2 billion annual revenues by 2016. This will be shared by a number of technologies with Bluetooth Smart and 802.15.4 being the two main markets.

“Bluetooth Smart has seen strong growth in applications such as sports and fitness equipment, in many cases supplanting proprietary technologies,” commented Peter Cooney, wireless connectivity practice director.

“Bluetooth Smart device shipments are expected to grow to over 1 Billion units per annum in the next five years as manufacturers of devices such as remote controls, home automation sensors, and PC accessories embrace the ultra-low power capability of Bluetooth Smart and take advantage of the massive ecosystem of Bluetooth devices.”

There will be significant competition from other technologies. ZigBee’s mesh networking capability with theoretically unlimited node count gives it a significant advantage over Bluetooth Smart in markets where large nodes counts are likely, such as home networking.

However, in point-to-point applications including TV remote controls, wireless mice, and keyboards, Bluetooth Smart will prevail due largely to the high penetration rates of Bluetooth Smart Ready in many consumer devices. In the longer term low-power Wi-Fi is also expected to be a competitor as this technology is developed.

The ultra-low power wireless connectivity market is set apart from many traditional consumer markets for wireless connectivity as it is dominated by lower volume designs, spread across many different customers, much like many industrial markets.

Vendors such as Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, and STMicroelectronics are at an advantage having operated very successful catalogue type businesses for many years. Texas Instruments is seen as being in the strongest position currently, having the widest product portfolio, however, competition will be fierce over the next five years as the market grows and other vendors expand their presence in the market.

I-Rocks selects Cypress’s PRoC-UI to design wireless keyboard

USA: Cypress Semiconductor Corp. announced that I-Rocks Technology, Ltd., a leading PC peripherals manufacturer in Taiwan, has selected Cypress’s PRoC-UI (Programmable Radio-on-a-Chip–User Interface) solution for its RF6496 wireless keyboard with built-in trackpad.

PRoC-UI lowers bill-of-materials costs for the keyboard by providing superior touch performance with support for Windows 8 compatible multi-touch gestures along with best-in-class wireless connectivity in a single chip. The RF6496 also employs Cypress’s enCoRe V low-voltage companion microcontroller for its mechanical buttons.

With PRoC-UI’s robust wireless connectivity, the I-Rocks RF6496 Touchpad Keyboard can operate up to 10 meters from a computer. This allows users to connect a PC to their TV and easily surf the web, play music, and watch films from the comfort of their couch. The PRoC-UI solution combines the 2.4-GHz proprietary WirelessUSB-NL Radio with Cypress’s CapSense and TrueTouch capacitive touch technologies.

The one-chip solution also offers standard HID microcontroller functionality, effectively combining three chips into one to save BOM cost, board space, and power, while increasing reliability compared with multi-chip implementations.

“PRoC-UI eliminates the need for us to purchase capacitive touch controllers and wireless radios from multiple vendors for our RF6496 touch keyboard,” said Toby Lin, GM of I-Rocks. “Cypress offers great support and their capacitive touch performance is best in class.”

“The I-Rocks RF6496 Trackpad Keyboard design is an excellent example of the value PRoC-UI brings to wireless HID products,” said Jayant Somani, senior director of worldwide marketing for Cypress’s Data Communication Division. “PRoC-UI helped simplify the design and shorten time to market, while enabling its trackpad to support a variety of gestures for a differentiated user experience.”

PRoC-UI boasts an impressive -87 dBm receive sensitivity at 1 Mbps. This enhanced sensitivity enables longer range operation and allows for lower-power transmit signals. The device features low active and standby currents, which enable longer battery life. It also offers superior performance in the presence of 2.4-GHz interference from common sources such as WiFi, Bluetooth, cordless phones, and microwaves.

PRoC-UI supports Cypress’s AgileHID protocol that allows existing WirelessUSB-NL customers to get started quickly on their designs without any additional effort. Customers who have existing designs with WirelessUSB-NL can reuse the same dongles for new PRoC-UI based touch products. PRoC-UI comes with free software to enable end-product customization.

DSP Group's VoIP platform powers Cetis next gen IP phones

USA: DSP Group announced that its VoIP chipset solution has been selected to power the next generation of advanced IP telephones offered by Cetis Group, the world's leading manufacturer of hotel guestroom telephones under three world-class telephone brands: TeleMatrix, Teledex and Scitec.

Ideally suited for developing multiple innovative VoIP end points, DSP Group's highly-integrated XciteR VoIP chipset is powered by an ARM926 application processor running Linux OS, together with a
powerful DSP processor.

XciteR provides the market's best price performance, as well as a myriad of embedded software features, including HD voice, multi-line, multi-party conferencing and mobility support through DECT/CAT-iq handsets and headsets.

Tessera and Hynix enter into eight-year patent licensing agreements

USA: Tessera Technologies Inc. announced that Tessera Inc. and Invensas Corp. subsidiaries each entered into new eight-year patent license agreements with SK Hynix Inc.

“We are delighted that these new and broader agreements build on our long-standing and positive relationship with SK hynix, which has become the first DRAM manufacturer to reach agreements that give it access to both our Tessera Inc. and our Invensas patent portfolios,” said Robert A. Young, CEO and president, Tessera. “Multi-year agreements like these benefit our customers with secure pricing and provide us with running royalties that fund new innovations.”

The companies did not disclose the specific financial terms of the agreements, under which SK hynix will make a one-time payment and pay running royalties. The agreement will result in an increase in the company’s recurring royalty revenues from SK hynix beginning in Q2 2013 because the company reports royalties one quarter in arrears.

The company and SK hynix also agreed to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit pending in California state court. The Company is neither updating its financial guidance nor providing additional financial guidance in connection with this milestone.

“Our business is connecting patented ideas to manufacturers, like SK hynix,” said Young. “SK hynix now can make optimal decisions for its customers with the benefit of licenses to more than 1,200 issued patents in the Tessera and Invensas portfolios.”

Harwood Feffer investigating potential claims against BCD

USA: Harwood Feffer LLP is investigating potential claims against the board of directors of BCD Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by Diodes Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $151 million.

On December 26, 2012, BCD announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which the company will be acquired by Diodes.  Under the terms of the agreement, holders of BCD American depositary shares will receive $8 for each share owned.

Our investigation concerns whether the BCD board of directors is fulfilling its fiduciary duties, maximizing the value of the Company, disclosing all material benefits and costs, and obtaining full and fair consideration for company shareholders.