D&R Headline News (June 2011)

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 30, 2011

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ANSYS signs definitive agreement to acquire Apache Design Solutions

ANSYS and Apache Design Solutions announced today that they signed a definitive agreement whereby ANSYS will acquire Apache for a purchase price of approximately $310 million in cash, which includes an estimated $29 million in cash on Apache’s balance sheet.

• Wafer Demand Outpaces Semiconductor Unit Growth in 2011
• Elliptic Technologies Partners with Amos Technologies to Offer Security Solutions to the Israeli Market
• Konica Minolta Accelerates Hardware Debugging with EVE's ZEMI-3 Transaction-Level Modeling Methodology
• Sankalp Adds Sanjay Kulkarni & Harianth Renukamurthy to Senior Leadership

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 29, 2011

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videantis announces 40nm low-power silicon success with multi-core, multi-standard video processing solution

videantis GmbH has successfully realized a multi-core, multi-standard high-definition (HD) video processing solution in the most advanced high-performance 40nm low-power CMOS technology together with Infineon Technologies (now Intel Mobile Communications).

• SiliconBlue raises $18 Million in Series D Funding
• SMSC Licenses Cosmic Circuits IP
• Aizyc Technology unveils hardware DRM solution with HDCP 2.0 IP Core for multimedia SoCs
• Fresco Microchip Raises $9 Million Series C Round

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 28, 2011

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Kilopass Embedded Non-Volatile Memory IP Selected For SMIC 55nm CMOS Logic Processes

Kilopass is expanding its one-time programmable (OTP) NVM product offering to SMIC’s 55 nanometer (nm) logic CMOS process. Kilopass has already successfully taped out in SMIC’s 65nm process.

• Ralink Selects AuthenTec SafeXcel Packet Engine to Enhance Security of Newest RT Series Communications ICs
• AMIMON Reaffirms Commitment to MIPS Architecture with New Core License
• Namsong Designs Spartan-6 into Newest Line of Multi-format Portable Field Monitors for Professional Broadcast Applications
• CEVA and CellGuide Partner to Offer Software GPS Solution on CEVA-XC
• Arasan Chip Systems Appoints Director of Sales, North America

Headlines for Monday Jun. 27, 2011

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Synopsys Announces Immediate Availability of Reprogrammable Non-Volatile Memory IP in 180-nm CMOS Process Technology

DesignWare AEON Embedded Non-Volatile Memory IP Improves Electrical Performance and Lowers Integration Risk for Wireless and Analog SoC Designs

• Evatronix Releases USB 2.0 High Speed PHY to Complement its USB Offering
• iWave announces its low cost i.MX51 based SBC board
• Freescale’s makeover: How's it look?
• Opinions divided on patent reform impact
• Faraday and AST Reach Track Record Production of Over 18 Million Units
• Link_A_Media Devices Announces the Availability of its Customizable Controller Platform for Enterprise, Client, Hybrid and Consumer SSD Applications
• MunEDA WiCkeD Tool Suite to Enhance Circuit Analysis, Performance and Yield Optimization Has Been Selected by Toshiba
• Tilera Unveils the Ultimate Cloud Computing Processor

Headlines for Friday Jun. 24, 2011

• Fractal Technologies nominates Avant Technology as distributor for China, Taiwan and Korea
• Houses passes patent reform bill

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 23, 2011

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PCI Express takes on Thunderbolt

The PCI Special Interest Group will launch an effort in July to create a cabled version of PCI Express that will take on the Thunderbolt interconnect developed by Intel.

• PCI Express poised for 2x upgrade
• SST and INSIDE Secure Enter Design Partnership
• ST-Ericsson announces new cost savings plan
• Touchstone Semiconductor Announces Immediate Availability of Second-Source Maxim Analog Comparators
• Touchstone Is the Only Silicon Valley Semiconductor Company to Receive First-Round Funding in 2010
• Arasan Chip Systems Introduces MMC/eMMC 4.5 Device and Multi-CardHost Controller IP

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 22, 2011

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PLDA and PerfectVIPs, team up to provide the industry's fastest and most reliable IP/VIP Solution for ASIC Based on the PCI Express 3.0 Specification

PLDA and PerfectVIPs today announced that the PLDA XpressRich3™ PCIe 3.0 IP for ASIC will be available pre-verified with the PerfectVIPs Genie-PCIe Verification IP (VIP).

• Accellera and Open SystemC Initiative Announce Plans to Unite
• Sibridge Technologies Ensures Maximum IP Reliability with Blue Pearl's Next Generation Software
• Calxeda Joins OpenStack Community; Leads ARM-based Server Movement for Emerging "Green Clouds"
• Cadence Demonstrates PCI Express 3.0 Offering at 2011 PCI-SIG Developers Conference
• Digital Core Design Announces Revolutionary Quad-Pipelined Ultra High Performance 80251/8051 Microcontroller IP Core
• USB SuperSpeed-Enabled Device Shipments to Approach 80 Million in 2011
• Signs Point to a Short Slowdown - IPI Ticking UP!
• Imagination Technologies Group plc: Preliminary Results for the twelve months to 30 April 2011
• PerfectVIPs Offers First PCI Express 3.0 VIP with UVM Support
• Freescale Demonstrates Breakthrough Quad-Core ARM Applications Processor

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 21, 2011

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Gartner Says Worldwide Semiconductor Industry to Grow 5.1 Percent in 2011 With Revenue Reaching $315 Billion

Worldwide semiconductor revenue is projected to total $315 billion in 2011, a 5.1 percent increase from 2010 revenue of $299 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. This is down from Gartner's previous projection in the first quarter for 6.2 percent growth this year.

• Mentor Graphics Announces Embedded Linux Platform Support for Freescale Semiconductor's Most Advanced QorIQ Family of Multi-threaded 64-bit Processors
• Analyst: yield drove Globalfoundries change
• PLX and Avago Technologies Team-Up to Prove PCI Express over Fiber Optics at 64Gbps
• SiliconGear Designs Spartan-6 FPGAs into Latest Generation High-Definition Video Security Surveillance & Video Display Platform
• Brite Semiconductor Achieves First-Pass Silicon Success with SMIC's 40nm Process

Headlines for Monday Jun. 20, 2011

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Hitachi Selects Gennum's Snowbush IP PHY and Inventure's Z-core Controller for PCI Express 3.0 Robust Solution Enhances Yield and Performance of PCIe 3.0 Products

The Gennum Snowbush IP Group, a leader in high-speed serial interface IP (intellectual property), announced that Hitachi Ltd., Information & Telecommunication Systems Company-Micro Device Division, Japan, has selected its PCI Express® 3.0 PHY IP and the Inventure Z-core PCI Express 3.0 Controller IP, for its next generation chips.

• Cosmic Circuits tapes out Clocking Solutions in 40nm
• Dolphin Integration announces breaking density records with the AURA Single Port memory registers (1PRFile) at 65 nm LP
• ClariPhy Announces New Funding Round Led by Nokia Siemens Networks

Headlines for Friday Jun. 17, 2011

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ARM Acquires Obsidian Software Bringing Flexible Verification Solutions to Future ARM Processor Designs

ARM today announced that it has acquired Obsidian Software, a market leader in verification and validation used in the design of increasingly complex processors. Obsidian Software is a privately-owned company, with offices in Austin, Texas.

• CSR plc and Zoran Corporation agree to revised terms for proposed transaction creating a global leader in connectivity, location, imaging and audio
• Arasan Chip Systems Introduces MMC/e.MMC 4.5 Host Controller IP
• MOSAID Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Year-End Fiscal 2011, and Dividend
• U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Institutes an Investigation of Certain Cisco Equipment Based on MOSAID Complaint

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 16, 2011

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ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES announce new leadership to drive continued investment through 2012

As part of a plan to continue significant investments in technology, talent and manufacturing capacity over the next 18 months, the board of directors of GLOBALFOUNDRIES announced today it has appointed new leadership to run the company.

• Why AMD is opening up Fusion: CPU, GPU cores are the new gates
• DAC 2011: How to Respond to the ITRS SoC Design Cost Slide
• JEDEC Announces publication of e.MMC standard update v4.5
• SMIC Appoints Former Chartered Executive Mike Rekuc as President of SMIC Americas
• Dialog Semiconductor adds ARM multicore support in next generation of system level power management ICs
• STMicroelectronics Makes 28nm CMOS Process Available Through CMP
• Analog Devices Acquires Lyric Semiconductor
• The rise of China's fabless industry

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 15, 2011

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AES performance and flexibility boosted by Barco Silex with its innovative BA411E crypto engine

Barco Silex has announced the enhanced version of its multi-purpose AES crypto engine. Just like its predecessor, the BA411E supports a wide range of ciphering modes and offers an outstanding ratio performances/resources for ASIC and FPGA.

• Mentor Graphics Optimizes the Mentor Embedded Inflexion UI for Use on ARM Mali GPUs
• Rambus Develops Breakthrough Clocking Technology for Power Reduction in High-Speed Interfaces

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 14, 2011

• Imagination launches POWERVR FRC271 Frame Rate Conversion IP Core
• Imagination METAflow connected processor links embedded systems to the cloud
• Calxeda Announces Trailblazer Initiative; Ecosystem Dedicated to the Promise of Hyper-Efficient Servers
• RF Engines Releases ChannelCore Flex - the World's Most Flexible Ultra-Wideband Channelizer Solution
• Vivante GPU Core Brings Android 3.0 Honeycomb Support to Ingenic's Latest JZ4770 Application Processor
• SMSC Deploys Multiple Connectivity Solutions in Samsung Central Station
• POWERVR Series6 leads next mobile and embedded graphics generation

Headlines for Monday Jun. 13, 2011

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Mixel Achieves First Silicon Success With Its MIPI M-PHY IP

Mixel’s M-PHY IP supports both TYPE I and TYPE II operation, A and B data rates, and all current and future MIPI M-PHY use-cases, such as DigRF v4, UniProSM 1.4, CSI-3, LLI, and JEDEC’s UFS.

• MIPI Alliance Launches New M-PHY and UniPro Specifications for Mobile Device Applications
• China's Fabless Market Set to Double by 2015
• Lattice and Flexibilis Announce First FPGA Ethernet Switch IP Cores With HSR (IEC 62439-3) Protocol Support
• Intel, Samsung and Toshiba Continue to Lead Softening World Semiconductor Market, According to ABI Research
• Synopsys Custom Design Solution Enables Moortec Semiconductor to Tape Out High-performance Analog IP

Headlines for Friday Jun. 10, 2011

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Vivante Corporation Dynamic GUI Composition Engine Lowers GPU Power Consumption Up To 5X

Vivante announced today industry wide adoption of its energy saving display and pixel composition engine by 5 of the top 10 application processor vendors and used in over 30 SoC designs. The composition and GUI engine is a super-fast 2D and pixel processing pipeline that supports up to 8K x 8K resolution.

• TSMC May 2011 Sales Report
• Qualcomm to Acquire the Assets of Semiconductor Design Innovator Rapid Bridge
• Dolphin Integration brings relief to Assertion-Based Verification

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 09, 2011

• Arteris Supporting Deployment of ARM's AMBA 4 ACETM Specification
• Arteris Joins TSMC Reference Flow 12.0 With Flexnoc Network-on-Chip (NoC) Interconnect IP
• ICube Technology Unveils Its Groundbreaking Harmony Unified Processor Technology
• Intilop corporation announces a ‘Game Changing’ record breaking Ultra low latency & highest bandwidth 10G bit TCP offload engine SOC for Xilinx and Altera FPGA families
• Radically scalable CRISP General Stream Processor solves pitfalls of many-core
• Cosmic Circuits is attending TSMC Symposium in Israel on 27th June 2011

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 08, 2011

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Alvand Collaborates with GLOBALFOUNDRIES to Provide Analog Mixed-Signal IP for Wireless MIMO Applications

Alvand Technologies today announced that GLOBALFOUNDRIES has chosen to collaborate with Alvand to develop semiconductor IP for the foundry’s 40nm process nodes.

• ARM and Panasonic Corporation Partner to Drive Development of UniPhier SoCs for Internet Connected Digital TV Applications
• Tensilica Licensees Ship One Billionth IP Core, Projected to Reach Two Billion Cores in 2012
• EDA earns mixed grades in latest report card
• ARM to play in games consoles, says analyst
• Cavendish Kinetics adds Qualcomm as investor
• OCP-IP Delivers Memory Model Package
• Accent Announces Availability of Advanced Metrology Solution for Smart Grid Market

Headlines for Tuesday Jun. 07, 2011

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Sonics Announces Innovative Design Environment for Accelerating Network-on-Chip Configuration

Sonics today announced Sonics StudioXE™, an innovative system-level design environment for rapid network-on-chip (NoC) configurability. Sonics StudioXE helps designers accelerate every stage of SoC design —from early architectural exploration to final output, and features an array of robust utilities that help optimize for power, performance and area.

• Triad Semiconductor secures $6M funding from new investor Development 72, LLC
• Kaben Wireless Announces Programmable JAT
• ALLEGRO DVT now targets Wireless Display (WiDi) with its ultra-low latency H.264 IP cores.
• CEVA and Carbon Design Systems Partner to Offer Fast Simulation Models for CEVA DSPs
• Open-Silicon and Micron Align to Deliver Next-Generation Memory Technology
• Jasper to Release First of Its Kind System-Level Verification IP (VIP) for ARM ACE-based SoCs
• Samsung Qualifies 28nm LP Process Technology for High Performance Mobile Applications
• Open-Silicon Collaborates with GLOBALFOUNDRIES on 28nm Low-Power Solutions
• Dini Group Selected by Cadence to supply high-capacity FPGA-boards
• Rambus and Freescale Sign Patent License Agreement

Headlines for Monday Jun. 06, 2011

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New AMBA 4 Specification Optimizes Coherency for Heterogeneous Multicore SoCs

ARM today announced the latest AMBA® 4 interface and protocol specification featuring the AMBA 4 AXI Coherency Extensions (ACE™). Cache coherency is essential in multicore computing applications to efficiently maintain the consistency of data stored in local caches of a shared resource.

• Cadence Accelerates Development of Multiprocessor Mobile Devices with New ARM ACE Verification IP
• Vitesse Gigabit Ethernet IP Cores Enable Proliferation of Ethernet Applications
• Sidense First to Offer Antifuse OTP Supporting 1.8V IO in 40nm and 28nm Process Nodes
• ARM and Synopsys Sign Multi-Year EDA Tools and ARM Cortex-A15 Access Agreements
• Cadence Extends IP Offering, Collaborates with TSMC via Open Innovation Platform
• Sonics Named as Early Supporter for Phase Two of the AMBA 4 Specification
• Sonics Announces Support for TSMC's Reference Flow 12
• Mentor Graphics Announces Common Embedded Software Development Platform for any Stage of Development from Virtual Prototypes to Hardware Emulation and Boards
• Cortus APS3 Processor Licensed by Certicom
• S2C Announces a Breakthrough Verification Module
• Bluespec High-Level Synthesis Toolset is Selected by Hitachi
• Target Compiler Technologies Unveils New Tool-Suite for Multicore SoC Design
• Imec and Target Present Innovative Flexible Forward Error-Correction Solution for Software-Defined Radios
• Conexant Adopts Target's IP Designer Tool-Suite to Build Next-Generation Foundation DSP IP
• Fujitsu Kyushu Network Technologies Limited Adopts Atrenta's SpyGlass AutoVerify for RTL Functional Checks

Headlines for Friday Jun. 03, 2011

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Analyst: Qualcomm in, Intel out of iPhone 5

Qualcomm Inc. has snagged the baseband socket on the next Apple Inc. iPhone, displacing Intel Corp., according to Craig Berger, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets Corp.

• CogniVue Adopts Target's IP Designer Tool-Suite to Build Next-Generation Image Cognition Processor
• CAST Complements Popular 8051 Family with New 32-bit Processor Core Partnership
• Aldec, Cadence, Proximus Utilize OVP Fast Processor Models in System Design Solutions
• ARM Cortex-A8, Cortex-A9 and Cortex-M4 Fast Processor Models Provided by Imperas and OVP

Headlines for Thursday Jun. 02, 2011

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Nimbic Secures $6.9M Series B Financing

Nimbic today announced that new investor Austral Capital, and existing investors Madrona Venture Group and WRF Capital, have collectively invested $6.9 million in venture funding.

• PLDA Signs Distribution Agreement with Singapore-based DYNAMIC C4, further expanding its presence in the Asian IP Market
• HP open to limited licensing of WebOS
• Maxim Acquires Edinburgh-Based Calvatec Ltd.
• Qualcomm cautiously upbeat on Win 8 plans
• RUSNANO invests in MEMS
• Imagination brings long standing experience to successfully deliver DirectX for next generation Windows for SoCs
• Pulsic to Introduce Integrated, Full-chip Planning and Top-level Routing Solution for Custom IC Design at DAC 2011
• IC Manage Announces IP Central to Maximize IP Reuse

Headlines for Wednesday Jun. 01, 2011

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Elliptic's NEW security Engine does double duty Between key management and Application processors

Elliptic Technologies has announced the immediate availability of its highly programmable and configurable security accelerator and Hardware Security Module, SPAcc-HSM.

• Micron and Intellectual Ventures Sign Intellectual Property License Agreement
• Cortus Appoints Roddy Urquhart as VP Sales & Marketing
• X-FAB Releases Ready-to-Use Design IP Blocks for MEMS Accelerometers
• DarbeeVision Licenses HDMI Smart Cable Design to Video Game Accessory Maker
• Xylon Announces new Memory Controller IP core
• POSEDGE announces Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch IP with IEEE 1588 &Audio/visual (AV) bridging Support