Chip makers' dependence on software, IP growing

Majeed Ahmad, EE Times
(08/27/2007 10:42 AM EDT) 

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Software and IP solutions took center stage at this year's Embedded System Conference-Taiwan and EDA & Test-Taiwan.

ARM and nemesis MIPS Technologies pitched their new IP and processor core solutions here. MIPS showcased its 24KE processor cores for consumer applications like digital TV and set-top boxes. MIPS stressed that its IP cores consume less power than is commonly believed in some design circles.

Robbins Yeh, country director at Synopsys Taiwan Ltd., said software accounts for most of the cost for 90-nm design. "The cost of software development is bigger than verification and prototype," Yeh added.

Haruji Ishihara, Chief technical officer at Renesas Technology Taiwan Co. Ltd., agreed that that software clout is growing in the semiconductor business. "In SoC-based solutions, software poses a critical challenge," he said.

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