Articles – Page 545

July 29, 2008

Supposing that’s true, and we want to put a “system” onto a chip. What exactly is a “system”?

Wikipedia tells us a “system” is a “set of interacting or interdependent entities, real or abstract, forming an integrated whole.” An “embedded system” is widely accepted as a computer that is integrated or embedded into some other device. For our purposes today, though, I’d like to go with the definition offered by a former colleague of mine:

“A ‘ … Read More → "Complexitango"

A Non-Volatile Middle Ground

Few-Times-Programmable Memory from Virage and… um… Virage

by Bryon Moyer

July 22, 2008

A few weeks ago we started a look at Logic Non-Volatile Memory (Logic NVM) options. These are non-volatile memories intended for embedding in SoCs using only standard logic processes instead of the more complicated processes designed to optimize large quantities of memory. We looked at one-time programmable (OTP) versions, which, not too surprisingly, can be programmed only once. We also looked at multiple-time programmable (MTP) versions, which can in general be programmed 100,000+ times while maintaining a data retention time of 10 years or more even on the 100,000th programming.

But there’s another … Read More → "A Non-Volatile Middle Ground"

Citius, Altius, Fortius

XAP5 Goes for Gold

by Jim Turley

July 22, 2008

Better, stronger, faster. Isn’t that what every new microprocessor is supposed to deliver? Hope springs eternal in the breast of many a processor-marketing drone. Their new chip isn’t just better than the previous one, it’s better than everyone else’s, too.

And you know, sometimes that promise actually comes true. A case in point is the XAP5 processor from Cambridge Consultants, a company of consultants located in – wait for it – Cambridge, England. Actually, they’re located in Cambridge, Massachusetts as well, a choice … Read More → "Citius, Altius, Fortius"

How Many Nanometers Do I Need?

Unraveling the Node Wars

by Kevin Morris

July 22, 2008

Many of us toss the process node into casual conversation, pretending we know what it actually means… “I hear that SilBlaster is already working on a 37nm FPGA based on TSMC’s medium-K, oxide-minimized, semi-strained, anti-dielectric half-pitch.” (If you get enough things that sound like buzzwords in there, most people will be too frightened to challenge you.)

In reality, though, most of us designing products with programmable logic are pretty well insulated from the vagaries of semiconductor processes. When I got my first car that had four valves per cylinder, … Read More → "How Many Nanometers Do I Need?"

Yet Another Twist on Making Software Faster

CriticalBlue Creates Custom Coprocessors

by Bryon Moyer

July 15, 2008

We seem to have this love/hate relationship with software. We like it because it’s so durn flexible and we can implement changes quickly. Well, unless we really hose things up. But you have to be a real goober to need a change that takes longer than a hardware change*. I mean a real hardware change, like a silicon spin.

But there’s a problem with software: it’s slow. Since the dawn of time, man has labored to find ways to make software go faster. OK, so maybe more like the dawn … Read More → "Yet Another Twist on Making Software Faster"

HFame Academy for Engineers?

by Dick Selwood

July 15, 2008

The problem exists in all areas of electronics, from EDA through manufacturing to system developers, and in most geographical markets. It regularly crops up in conversations and seems to be part of a general trend away from Science/Engineering/Technology in Western countries.

A quick browse around some recent publications shows that a lot of work is going into analysing the problem, but nobody has yet come up with any serious suggestions as to how it can be solved.

For example, IEEE USA’s today’s engineer ran a long piece … Read More → "HFame Academy for Engineers?"

Who Are You People?

...and What Do You Want?

by Kevin Morris

July 15, 2008

Over 60,000 people in over 100 countries read FPGA Journal.

Apparently, you’re one of them.

While we may be the perennial pundits of programmable logic, we don’t deceive ourselves into thinking that FPGAs are some sort of universal unification language. We do, however, think that programmable devices like FPGAs will be one of the most important technologies in electronic design moving forward. With the rapid evolution of the global high-tech economy, our position in the FPGA space gives us a fascinating lens through which we can observe and prognosticate about the … Read More → "Who Are You People?"

New Approaches to Long-Term Memory

A Quick Look at Logic NVM – OTP and MTP

by Bryon Moyer

July 8, 2008

There’s been a quiet development brewing that you could file under “W” for “What’s old is new.” Non-volatile memory (NVM) is seeing renewed attention as Logic NVM, but with a twist – gone is the requirement for a boutique process. There’s enough activity here to warrant a one-day self-titled convention specifically dedicated to developments and usage (and particularly, quality and reliability). But I’m getting ahead of myself. To understand what’s new, we must understand what’s old.

Why Hamsters Cannot Save the Planet

by Dick Selwood

July 8, 2008

While low power was officially the theme of only a panel session at Globalpress Electronics Summit, it was also frequently the theme, sometimes explicit and frequently implicit, of much of what was discussed.

The most striking performance was by John East of FPGA company, Actel. He spoke mainly from the perspective of the USA, which is probably appropriate, as the US, with around 5% of the world’s population, daily consumes 20.7 million barrels of oil, or 25% of world consumption. “This 20-million-barrel-a-day habit costs $1.4 billion a day,” East said, but that was when oil was at $70 a … Read More → "Why Hamsters Cannot Save the Planet"

The Right Equipment

Dodging the Cheap Board Sucker Punch

by Kevin Morris

July 8, 2008

Alpe d’Huez loomed large ahead. His team had been supporting and protecting him until now, keeping him squarely in the running for the yellow jersey. Today, however, he’d have to prove himself on his own – without the benefit of the drag-reducing veil of his teammates’ slipstream shadow. Years of training, and it all came down to this – the classic weed-out mountain stage of the tour.

The unruly crowd cheered, and the adrenaline went straight to his soul. He felt like he was flying up the hill.& … Read More → "The Right Equipment"