==================================Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter Electronic Design Magazine PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com September 1, 2004
=============================*************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** SPONSORED BY: TRUE CIRCUITS, INC. True Circuits, Inc. offers a family of award-winning clock generator, deskew, low-bandwidth and spread-spectrum PLLs and DDR DLLs that spans nearly all performance points and features typically requested by ASIC and FPGA designers. These high-quality, low-jitter, silicon-proven hard macros are available for immediate delivery in a range of frequencies, multiplication factors, sizes and functions in TSMC, UMC and Chartered processes from 0.25um to 90nm. Call (650) 691-2500 or visit http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh108eg0AU **************************************************************** Today's Table Of Contents: 1. Editor's View * Wanted! Transaction-Level Modeling Standards 2. Focus On ASICs * IP Acquisitions Broaden Product Offerings 3. News From The Editors * Technique Improves DC Convergence For Spice Simulation * PXI-Based Instruments Boost Sample Rates, Memories * Public Safety Agencies Seek Software-Defined Radios 4. Upcoming Industry Events * SensorsGOV Expo & Conference * Embedded Systems Conference * Assembly Technology Expo * PCB East 5. Magazine Highlights: August 23, 2004 * Cover Feature: Engineering Feature -- Chips In Space: On-The-Fly Intelligence * Technology Report -- Divide And Conquer: On-Chip Hardware Adjuncts Accelerate MCUs * Leapfrog: First Look -- Low-Level Measurement Gets High-Level Treatement * Leapfrog: First Look -- Thrifty ICs Tame Multichannel-Audio I/O * Design View / Design Solution -- Control High-Frequency Effects When Distributing Power To DSPs Electronic Design UPDATE edited by John Novellino, Executive Editor **************************************************************** DON'T MISS THE ASIC ROUNDTABLE WEBCAST! September 28 at 10:00 a.m. PDT: REGISTER NOW for this informative discussion, "Selecting The Best ASIC Solution." The participants in our roundtable -- Altera, AMI Semiconductor, Fujitsu, and LSI Logic -- represent all the various design options, from FPGAs to structured/platform approaches to full-ASIC solutions. To register for this exciting event, go to http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKve0AA ***** YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $500! Take our ISSUE POLL and win a $500 gift certificate. The editors would like to know what you think of the AUGUST 23 ISSUE of Electronic Design. Your feedback will help us better understand your critical information needs and provide valuable guidance for developing future editorial content. It's also your automatic entry into our drawing for a $500 American Express gift certificate. Go to ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvf0AB ***** BE SURE TO VISIT Electronic Design's Web site, where the power of Electronic Design is a mouse click away! Read our Web exclusives, enjoy our Quick Poll, discover Featured Vendors, access our archives, share viewpoints in our Forums, explore our e-newsletters, and more. TAKE OUR CURRENT QUICK POLL: Outsourcing, offshoring, downsizing, layoffs, declinining enrollments for science degrees, and more are adversely impacting the future of EEs in America. Do you think this trend can be reversed? Go to Electronic Design ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BGmZ0Ak **************************************************************** ********************** 1. Editor's View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE ********************** Wanted! Transaction-Level Modeling Standards By David Maliniak, Electronic Design Automation Editor With system-on-a-chip (SoC) designers' interest in architectural design exploration rising, it finally seems to be the year of electronic system-level (ESL) design methodologies. It's been decades now since design complexity forced the move upward in abstraction from gate level to register-transfer level (RTL), and the time is well nigh for a move to the next level of abstraction, which would be the algorithmic level. Proponents of ESL are quick to point to the benefits of transaction-level modeling. In particular, emerging SystemC-based design methodologies facilitate rich mixed-abstraction modeling capabilities. Such methodologies enable designers to begin with algorithmic models for their IP blocks, with which they can play games with hardware and software partitioning. Then, as they work their way toward RTL versions of those blocks, they can simulate in mixed-mode, mixed-language fashion, gradually replacing transaction-level models with fleshed-out RTL versions until their entire system is RTL-ready. Thus these methodologies, as exemplified by the Cadence-CoWare partnership, serve to provide a path to implementation. The sticky part lies in the fact that as of now, there are no hard and fast industry standards as to what constitutes a transaction-level model (TLM). TLMs come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors. These range from the pure algorithmic level, at which there is absolutely no distinction between hardware and software, to what some term "hardware views," or models that infer hardware-level timing and other information that at least imply a direction for implementation. In between are various shades of grey, all of which represent degrees of abstraction lying somewhere between algorithmic and RTL. Until standards are defined for TLMs, it'll be difficult for the industry to coalesce around an ESL methodology that's portable between EDA vendors' tool flows and IP companies' models. We're at a juncture at which large IP vendors such as ARM and Synopsys are beginning to get on board with providing SystemC models of IP. It would be of great help to SoC designers looking to implement ESL flows if they could all agree on how to provide those models. The Open SystemC Initiative's (OSCI's) Transaction-Level Modeling Working Group is in the midst of its efforts to define TLMs. If it can't define the models, it at least can define the terminology surrounding them, and that's where it has started. "One of the problems we have with transaction-level models is the very name itself," says ARM's Mark Burton, chair of OSCI's TLM Working Group. "Some people are assuming that it is one thing, 'transaction-level modeling,' and what has materialized through the Working Group is it's actually a number of different styles of models being used at different abstraction levels." Additionally, says Burton, the concept of TLMs can seem like a modeling panacea if not understood in all its nuances. "But as soon as you start digging, you discover that it isn't that simple and that you need to make a lot of other decisions," says Burton. "Some aspects of TLMs aren't yet stable, and others are. And that tends to worry people away from it. Which I think, in a lot of ways, is unnecessary, because 90% of people are indeed covered now." The good news is that OSCI and the Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP) have collaborated on an interoperable modeling structure for TLMs based on SystemC. Burton's TLM Working Group's set of definitions and taxonomy for TLMs are a start in the right direction. A set of application programming interfaces (APIs) will follow, including a transport API that OCP-IP will use for models of Open Core Protocol communication channels. Together, these developments point toward development of a SystemC-based modeling infrastructure that will allow designers to truly leverage the concept of transaction-level modeling and form the foundation of ESL design flows with a true path to implementation. To comment on this Editor's View, go to Reader Comments at the foot of the Web page: Electronic Design UPDATE ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvg0AC **************************************************************** *************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Samtec Introduces The Connector Wizard ConnectorWizard.com is Samtec's new on-line Signal Integrity resource for immediate access to expert technical support, with design, search, communication and reference tools for the development of high speed interconnects and systems. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BEEq0AR **************************************************************** ********************** 2. Focus On ASICs ********************** ***IP Acquisitions Broaden Product Offerings Two major product acquisitions, one by Mentor Graphics Corp. and the other by ARM Inc., will expand the ability of both companies to provide system solutions. The acquisition of the Serial ATA intellectual property developed by Palmchip Corp. adds to Mentor's large portfolio of standards-certified cores and increases the company's IP offerings for the growing storage systems market. In contrast, ARM expanded its IP capabilities well beyond its family of CPU cores with the acquisition of Artisan Components Inc., a leading provider of physical IP components for the design and manufacture of complex system-on-a-chip ICs. The IP portfolio includes standard cell libraries, embedded memories, input/output cells, analog functions, and high-speed interface blocks. ARM can now offer more of a system solution to potential customers, rather than forcing them to seek another IP supplier to support the ARM CPU cores. Mentor Graphics Corp. ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvh0AD ARM Inc. ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvi0AE ********************** 3. News -- From The Editors ********************** ***Technique Improves DC Convergence For Spice Simulation It's long been difficult to achieve dc convergence in Spice simulators for analog feedback circuits in which high-gain amplifiers are cascaded with active regions that are offset. Today's Spice convergence algorithms tend to oscillate and find a solution only by chance. The problem stems from the chaotic nature of Spice's numerical iteration process. In the real world, such circuits don't oscillate in the time domain because capacitors are used to dampen the oscillation. A new convergence stepping algorithm implemented by Larry Meares, president of Intusoft, has been demonstrated using a coupled two-stage feedback-loop circuit employing high-gain amplifiers. With the new ICStep algorithm, the circuit converged in only six iterations. Attempts to achieve convergence without the algorithm failed after 445 iterations. ICStep is the latest enhancement to IsSpice4, a fourth-generation version of Berkeley Spice 3F5- and XSpice-based technology. Intusoft ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BEtV0Al ***PXI-Based Instruments Boost Sample Rates, Memories The PXI-5124 12-bit, dual-channel digitizer and PXI-5422 16-bit arbitrary waveform generator double the sample rate and memory depth of National Instruments' digitizer and arb product families, raising the bar to 200 Msamples/s and 512 Mbytes/channel. The PXI-5124 offers 75-dBc spurious-free dynamic range and 150-MHz bandwidth. The PXI-5422 delivers less than 6% pulse aberration and a 1.8-ns rise time. The devices, part of the company's modular instrument line, use the Synchronous and Memory Core architecture. The architecture allows tight synchronization between instruments, with a module-to-module jitter of less than 20 ps. Both new modules can import external sample clocks, reference clocks, and triggers through front-panel connectors or the PXI trigger bus. Designers can use the modular instruments to quickly build stimulus/response test systems with minimal programming using the new SignalExpress interactive measurement software as well as LabView 7.1 and NI TestStand test management software. The PXI-5124 digitizer and the PXI 5422 AWG each start at $5995. National Instruments ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvj0AF ***Public Safety Agencies Seek Software-Defined Radios A strong majority of public safety workers, 88%, believe that software-defined radios (SDRs) could help solve the many interoperability problems of communications between departments, according to a study by Venture Development Corp. Because they use radios operating on different frequencies and with different protocols, public safety personnel often resort to swapping radios or sending communications gateways to incident sites. Both cause delays and confusion in critical situations, says VDC. Similar issues caused the Department of Defense to establish the Joint Tactical Radio System program, and plans call for spending an estimated $4.7 billion on SDR devices over the next four years. But because of problems like high cost and lack of a civilian standard for SDRs, no commercial products exist, says the Natick, Mass.-based market research firm. "It will probably be several years before SDRs penetrate the public safety community," says Chad Hart, VDC's datacom and telecom practice director. "However, successful military implementations and demand from public safety agencies will promote product development." Venture Development Corp. ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvk0AG *************************ADVERTISEMENT************************** Fall 2004 Intel Developer Forum Systems Conference, September 7-9 Stretch your boundaries with the latest updates on converging technologies. Join us at the Fall 2004 Intel Developer Forum Systems Conference, September 7-9, at Moscone Center South in San Francisco. Find the in-depth technical information--and the people--you need to stay nimble in a changing environment. SAVE up to $400! As our valued customer, you're entitled to a special rate on a full conference pass. Enter your Priority Code ATTMTELD to receive your savings. For more information or to register, visit http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BJuG0Ac **************************************************************** ********************** 4. Upcoming Industry Events ********************** Sep. 13-15, SensorsGOV Expo & Conference Virginia Beach, Va. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKch0As Sep. 13-16, Embedded Systems Conference Boston, Mass. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BGCX0A1 Sep. 28-30, Assembly Technology Expo Chicago, Ill. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvl0AH Oct. 4-8, PCB East Manchester, N.H. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvm0AI ********************** 5. Magazine Highlights ********************** In case you missed them, here are some of the high points of our most recent issue. August 23, 2004: * Cover Feature: Engineering Feature -- Chips In Space: On-The-Fly Intelligence Joint effort to develop rad-hard SOI chips synergizes commercial and military worlds to produce a network of security satellites that share and process data on the spot in orbit. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvn0AJ * Technology Report -- Divide And Conquer: On-Chip Hardware Adjuncts Accelerate MCUs Enhanced on-chip peripherals or asymmetric multiprocessing helps optimize performance and power consumption, avoiding the need to resort to higher-power processors. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvo0AK * Leapfrog: First Look -- Low-Level Measurement Gets High-Level Treatement A series of codecs and class-D drivers provides a gaggle of inputs and outputs for car and home audio systems without resorting to fistfuls of ADCs and DSPs. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvp0AL * Leapfrog: First Look -- Thrifty ICs Tame Multichannel-Audio I/O Able to perform 266 million searches/s, the Ayama 20000 NSE uses dual LA-1 ports to divvy up the tasks between two NPUs for faster throughput. http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvq0AM * Design View / Design Solution -- Control High-Frequency Effects When Distributing Power To DSPs http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvr0AN For the complete Table of Contents, go to Electronic Design ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0Gl4E70Fh10BKvs0AO **************************************************************** SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO ELECTRONIC DESIGN If you're reading this e-newsletter, then you are either a current Electronic Design subscriber, or should be (145,000 of your peers are). 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