Pair Hopes To Beat ICs’ Heat

June 19, 2006

A partnership between Gradient Design Automation and Flomerics aims to co-develop tools that will enable chip designers to analyze and avoid temperature-induced electrical issues at the chip level while taking into account the effects of the package and

David Maliniak

The integrated software will be based on product platforms from both companies. Gradient's FireBolt is a full-chip thermal analysis tool that enables IC designers to access temperature anywhere within a chip and to evaluate how to improve the design with respect to timing, leakages, and reliability. Flomerics' Flopack is a package-level thermal analysis tool that automates model creation through wizard-driven, intelligent geometry macros (SmartParts). SmartParts produce thermal models in detailed or two-resistor and DELPHI (JEDEC-compliant) compact forms.

Together FireBolt and Flopack will form a complete silicon-to-environment thermal analysis solution that enables temperature-aware silicon design within the context of the surrounding environment that includes the package, printed circuit board (PCB) and chassis.

Related Links Flomerics
www.flomerics.com

Gradient Design Automation
www.gradient-da.com

About the Author

David Maliniak | MWRF Executive Editor

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.