D&R Headline News (September 2012)

Headlines for Friday Sep. 28, 2012

Top Story

Samsung and STMicroelectronics Enter Strategic Relationship for Advanced Foundry Services at 32/28nm Technology

STMicroelectronics has selected Samsung's foundry business unit for the production of ICs using a 32/28-nm high-K metal gate manufacturing process.

• Renesas Electronics Announces the Successful Implementation of Measures to Ensure a Robust and Profitable Structure
• Technology Trends: DDR4 first look
• Adapteva Introduces the Parallella Kickstarter Project
• Rambus and Fujitsu Semiconductor Sign Patent License Agreement

Headlines for Thursday Sep. 27, 2012

Top Story

Cisco chip exec sees steady ASIC investments

Competitors of Cisco Systems have been talking smack lately, claiming the router giant is increasingly turning to off-the-shelf chips instead of building its own ASICs. Not so, says one of the router and switch giants top silicon honchos in an exclusive interview with EE Times.

• Altera Delivers Industry's Broadest Portfolio of 28 nm FPGA Development Kits
• Digital Core Design introduces USB [IP Core] combo pack
• TI steering OMAP to embedded
• DRAM Content Rises and Becomes More Uniform in Smartphones
• eMemory Introduces The New NeoMTP Technology

Headlines for Wednesday Sep. 26, 2012

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Profits at Stake in IC Foundries' Push for Leading-Edge Technology

Before GlobalFoundries entered the IC foundry market, TSMC was by far the technology leader among the major pure-play IC foundries. In 2012, about 37% of TSMC’s revenue is expected to come from ≤45nm processing. As expected, with GlobalFoundries’ fabs producing AMD’s MPUs over the past few years, its processing technology is skewed toward leading-edge feature sizes.

• Texas Instruments unveils the Stellaris LaunchPad - a fully-functional, flexible and low-price kit for ARM Cortex - M4 developers
• X-FAB to Invest More than $50M in MEMS Operations
• Silicon Image Expands MHL Product Line with Four New Products
• China Fabless: Rockchip rattled by Android tablet wars

Headlines for Tuesday Sep. 25, 2012

Top Story

JEDEC announces publication of DDR4 standard

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association today announced the initial publication of its widely-anticipated Synchronous DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) standard.

• IP Cores, Inc. Announces a Reed-Solomon Codec Supporting the IEEE 802.3bj Draft
• New Atmel Cortex-M4 MCUs Consume 66% Less Power, Provide Highest Efficiency
• Intel, rivals gird for IC manufacturing showdown
• Touchstone CEO eyes Linear, Maxim, disruption
• Contract Manufacturers Make About Nine Out of 10 Media Tablets in 2012
• ARM announces the new Keil MDK-Fujitsu Microcontroller Development Kit for Fujitsu FM3 Family
• Aldec Enhances Award-Winning Active-HDL with Flexible File Management to Manage Complex FPGA Projects
• Microtronix Announces Link Alignment Support for Medium and Full Camera Link IP Core Configurations
• Micrel and Marvell Deliver World's First Standards-Compliant Ethernet PHYs for In-Vehicle Networking

Headlines for Monday Sep. 24, 2012

Top Story

Synopsys Extends Mobile Storage Leadership with UFS and MIPI Alliance UniPro Controller IP

Synopsys today announced the availability of the DesignWare MIPI UniPro Controller for host and device storage, camera and display applications, and the DesignWare UFS Host Controller for storage applications.

• Rambus Receives Decision in SK Hynix Case
• Fujitsu said to want out of chip business
• Intel plans to crush ARM beyond 20-nm
• Nufront and ARM Extend Partnership to Provide OEMs with Competitive Solutions for Next-Generation Smartphones, Tablets and Smart-TVs
• Teardown: Inside Apple's iPhone 5
• Japan Inc. reportedly moves to block KKR's Renesas takeover
• North American Semiconductor Equipment Industry Posts August 2012 Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.84
• Apple A6 processor has landed, sort of

Headlines for Friday Sep. 21, 2012

Top Story

Dolphin Integration measures 15% area reduction on 65 nm logic circuit with its 6-Track standard cell library

Dolphin Integration today announced the availability of benchmark results on real conditions at TSMC 65 nm LP process, comparing its SESAME uHD-BTF DV standard cell with a 7-Track library.

• Could Apple's A6 be a 'big-little' processor?
• Ambarella S2 IP Camera SoC Delivers 4K Ultra HD Resolution Video
• Digital Blocks Announces UDP/IP Hardware Stack / UDP/IP Off-Load Engine (UOE) Targeting High-Frequency Trading Systems

Headlines for Thursday Sep. 20, 2012

• Xylon logicBRICKS Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Now Runs on the ZedBoard Development Kit from Avnet Electronics Marketing
• GLOBALFOUNDRIES Unveils FinFET Transistor Architecture Optimized for Next-Generation Mobile Devices
• China Fabless: Going it alone, GigaDevice targets 'no-growth' NOR flash market
• eSilicon Korea Now Open for Business
• MIPI Alliance M-PHY Physical Layer Gains Dominant Position for Mobile Device Applications
• The A6: Apple's SoC Design Team Finally Gets Serious
• Samsung Begins Mass Producing Industry's Highest Density (128GB) Embedded NAND Storage

Headlines for Wednesday Sep. 19, 2012

Top Story

Long-Term Forecast Improves for IC Market

The market for integrated circuits is forecast to post much stronger average annual growth through 2021 compared to the average market growth over the past 15 years, according to an analysis recently completed by IC Insights

• Silicon Image Announces Advanced DTV Port Processor Solution With InstaPrevue Technology
• Sisvel Advances Toward Formation of DVB-C2 Patent Pool
• Synopsys Completes Major Steps Toward Acquisition of SpringSoft, Inc.
• Hitachi Selects Synopsys' Discovery Verification IP for ARM AMBA Interconnect for Verification of its Storage Systems
• Sunplus Achieves Volume Shipments of New Home Entertainment SoCs powered by the CEVA-TeakLite-III Audio DSP
• SMIC Unveils 0.13um-1.2V Low-Power Embedded EEPROM Platform
• iPhone 5 Carries $199 BOM, Virtual Teardown Reveals

Headlines for Tuesday Sep. 18, 2012

Top Story

Kilopass Announces Breakthrough Technology to Quadruple Memory Capacity for Embedding Non-Volatile Data in SoC Products

Kilopass describes today its new embedded VCM (Vertical Cross-point Memory) NVM IP bit cell. The new VCM bit cell quadruples the density of today’s anti-fuse NVM IP bit cell.

• PCI-SIG and MIPI Alliance Collaborate to Extend PCI Express Technology to Mobile Devices
• Synopsys Announces DesignWare DDR4 Memory Interface IP
• Kawasaki Microelectronics Achieves First-Silicon Success with Mixel's MIPI and MIPI/LVDS Unified Solutions
• EVE Unveils Wireless SoC Accelerated Validation Platforms
• Novocell Semiconductor Announces NVM IP Tape Out at Trusted Foundry 32nm
• Barco Silex Opens Design Center in Ghent
• SK Hynix Introduces DDR3L-Reduced Standby for Mobile Solutions
• Renesas: Software is new battlefront in MCUs
• China Fabless: Resurgent Spreadtrum looks to expand
• Predictable semiconductor cycle ahead?
• Vote for DCD's DQ80251, the world's fastest 8051 CPU

Headlines for Monday Sep. 17, 2012

Top Story

The iPhone 5's A6 SoC: Not A15 or A9, a Custom Apple Core Instead

When Apple announced the iPhone 5, Phil Schiller officially announced what had leaked several days earlier: the phone is powered by Apple's new A6 SoC.

• MoSys Announces Second Generation Bandwidth Engine IC Delivering up to 384 Gbps Throughput in a Single Device
• Peraso Introduces Industry's Smallest Fully Integrated 60 GHz Transceiver
• Kalray claims 25 customers for 256-core processor
• Aquantia Acquires 10GBASE-T Assets From PLX Technology
• ClariPhy Announces Enhanced 40G LightSpeed Coherent SoC to Boost Performance of Coherent Optical Transport in Metro and Regional Networks
• Xilinx Acquires Wireless Backhaul Solutions Provider Modesat Communications
• S3 Group and Siano Mobile Silicon Collaborate on Mobile TV Receiver Chips
• WiLAN and SENSIO Technologies Enter Licensing Partnership
• WiLAN Announces Consolidation of Cases Involving Apple, HTC and Other Parties
• Aldec Enters the ASIC Prototyping Market with HES-7
• Intel's Haswell: a viable platform for tablets?
• China IP debate: "Everyone's afraid their tech will be stolen..."
• Intilop to demo live Full TCP Offload based FPGA System for Financial Applications with Altera and BittWare at the HPC Wall Street Conference
• LFoundry launches several technology enhancement projects in R&D and innovations
• InterNiche Technologies Announces Immediate Availability of Network Object Code Protocol Libraries for STMicroelectronics STM 32 Family

Headlines for Friday Sep. 14, 2012

• STMicroelectronics Announces New Appointments in the Executive Management Team
• Intel describes 22-nm SoC process, not chips
• Smartphone is next stop for PCI Express
• Chip design’s recycle cycle: Interview with Aart de Geus, chairman and co chief executive, Synopsys
• Chipus demonstrates silicon proven high performance IPs during Brazilian symposium on microelectronics
• Cortus APS3 Processor Deployed in Selected Discretix CryptoCell Security Platforms

Headlines for Thursday Sep. 13, 2012

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Analyst: Apple A6 processor is dual-core Cortex-A15

The A6 processor inside Apple's iPhone 5 mobile phone is a dual-core Cortex-A15 design manufactured for Apple by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in its 32-nm HKMG manufacturing process, according to analysts at Nomura Equity Research.

• Altera Expands Its OTN Portfolio with a Single-Chip 100G Muxponder Solution
• Samsung begins building China fab
• Intel sees quad-patterned path to 10 nm chips
• Intel's Bohr sees at least 10 more years of scaling
• IPhone 5 bill of materials estimate is $167.50
• Maxim Integrated Launches Corporate Venture Group to Invest in Startups and Innovative Technologies
• Imagination Technologies Group plc: Interim Management Statement

Headlines for Wednesday Sep. 12, 2012

Top Story

Samsung Invests $4 Million in Carbon Design Systems, Companies Enter into Strategic Partnership

Carbon Design Systems™ Inc., the leading supplier of virtual platform and secure model solutions, announced today that it received $4 million in investment funding from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. Additionally, the companies have entered into a strategic partnership.

• Five Companies to Account for 64% of $61.4B Semiconductor Capex in 2012
• John Dickson, Former Agere CEO, Joins eSilicon Board
• CEVA, Inc. Makes Strategic Equity Investment in Antcor, a Provider of Software-Based Wi-Fi IP
• IHS Downgrades Semiconductor Market Outlook
• X-FAB Goes 3D
• Logiways Licenses Cryptography Research CryptoFirewall Security Technology
• Secure Content Storage Association (SCSA) Selects Cryptography Research to Provide Security Expertise
• Sigma Designs to Select the Cryptography Research CryptoFirewall Security Core for Next Generation System-on-Chip Solutions
• Cosmic Circuits launches "Nebula 12" - Electronic Circuit Design Contest

Headlines for Tuesday Sep. 11, 2012

Top Story

Apple puts audio processor on hold for iPhone 5

Audience Inc., a supplier of audio processing ICs and intellectual property, said Apple is unlikely to "enable" Audience's IP in its next generation iPhone 5, which is expected to be launched on Wednesday (Sept. 12).

• USB-IF Reaches SuperSpeed USB Certification Milestone, Industry-Wide Adoption
• The Linley Group Says Mobile Processor Market Grew 60 Percent in 2011
• Sidense Licenses 1T-OTP to Exar
• Xilinx Demonstrates Industry's First QPI 1.1 Interface with FPGAs at Intel Developer Forum
• SEMI Reports Second Quarter 2012 Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Figures; Billings US$ 10.3 Billion
• VESA Improves Mobile Device Battery Life and Display Performance with Upcoming Release of Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) Version 1.4
• IPhone 5 expected to sport quad-core, LTE
• GLOBALFOUNDRIES Appoints Joe Chen as New Sales Head for Greater China
• Mentor Graphics Extends UVM Connect to Support OVM
• Tensilica Reaches Audio/Voice DSP Milestone: Most Widely Licensed Audio Architecture for SOC Design
• Global Semiconductor Sales Increase Slightly in July

Headlines for Monday Sep. 10, 2012

Top Story

TSMC set to expand 2013 capex to $10bn

TSMC is planning to set capital expenditure for 2013 at $10 billion, up from about $8.25 billion in 2012, according to reports that reference the Chinese-language Economic Daily News. Reports also reckon TSMC will be making processors for Apple in 2013.

• IPextreme Announces Silicon Valley IP Users Conference
• Intel preps interconnect for server CPUs
• Renesas Electronics Introduces USB 3.0 Hub Controller with Industry-Leading Low Power Consumption and Small Mounting Area
• Kalray Announces First Samples of MPPA-256 Processor in 28nm
• TSMC August 2012 Sales Report
• intoPIX JPEG2000 technology selected for integration in the new "4K Gateway" product of Visual Unity
• As Wintel Dominance Wanes, the Microsoft/Intel Alliance Frays
• Why China still can't create the next Texas Instruments

Headlines for Friday Sep. 07, 2012

Top Story

Intilop's Patent filings approved by the US patent office for 3 Patents with 51 claims for their Full TCP Offload Technology.

Intilop today announced that the three patents filed with a total of 51 claims have been accepted by the US patent office. These patents are designed to protect the unique algorithms, architecture and design concepts in conjunction with FPGA and ASIC hardware design techniques which make implementation of a full TCP /IP stack in hardware to accelerate TCPprocessing in 76 nanoseconds.

• Apple said to cut Samsung memory order
• intoPIX and AXON build on successful collaboration
• UMC Reports Sales for August 2012
• Intel forum is next front in x86 vs. ARM war
• Fujitsu Semiconductor Adopts Mentor Graphics HyperLynx for Fast and Accurate SerDes Signal Integrity Analysis

Headlines for Thursday Sep. 06, 2012

• IDT Announces World's First PCI Express Gen 3 NVMe NV-DRAM Controller
• Xilinx and Barco Silex Ease Video Over IP Development With Launch of All Programmable Solutions and Design Services at IBC 2012
• Altera Accelerates "Beyond HD" Video Processing with High-Performance System Development Kit
• Xilinx and OmniTek Launch the Era of All Programmable SoCs for Broadcast Equipment Makers at IBC 2012
• GUC Monthly Sales Report - August 2012
• UMC to Develop 65nm BSI CMOS Image Sensor Process with STMicroelectronics
• Sequans' Second Generation LTE Technology Approved by China's MIIT
• Front-End Fab Equipment Spending to Grow 17 Percent in 2013

Headlines for Wednesday Sep. 05, 2012

Top Story

Synopsys Achieves 100th Design Win with its 28-nm DesignWare IP

Synopsys today announced the 100th design win of its DesignWare IP optimized for 28-nm. The silicon-proven 28-nm portfolio consists of widely-used IP including PHYs for USB, PCI Express, SATA, HDMI, DDR, MIPI, as well as data converters, audio codecs, embedded memories and logic libraries, with tens of millions of units shipped.

• London Calling: ARM's East copes with uncertainty
• TSMC said to plan 450-mm production for 2018
• Altera Unveils Innovations at 20nm
• VeriSilicon touts shift from fab lite to design lite
• Elliptic Technologies and ViXS Systems Collaborate to Secure Streaming of HD Video and Audio Content in Entertainment Devices
• Nufront NS115 adopts Hantro Video IP
• Altera First in Industry to Achieve Production Rollout of All 28-nm FPGA Families
• Altera Updates Third Quarter Revenue Guidance

Headlines for Tuesday Sep. 04, 2012

Top Story

Cadence Announces Industry's First DDR4 Design IP Solutions Are Now Proven in 28nm Silicon

Cadence today announced that the first products in the Cadence DDR4 SDRAM PHY and memory controller design intellectual property (IP) family have been proven in silicon on TSMC’s 28HPM and 28HP process technologies.

• Digital Blocks Extends the DB9000 TFT LCD Controller IP Core Family with Support for Quad Full High Definition (QFHD) LCD Panels
• EVE's ZeBu SystemVerilog Approach Used by Fujitsu Kyusyu Network Technologies to Implement UVM Co-Emulation
• Innovative Logic demonstrate their USB3.0 SuperSpeed IP using Spartan FPGA and TI USB3.0 PHY
• Optimized Port of micro-T-Kernel RTOS Now Available for Tensilica's DPUs
• Semiconductor R&D Spending to Hit Record-High $53.4 Billion in 2012

Headlines for Monday Sep. 03, 2012

Top Story

Allegro DVT annouces the World first HEVC hardware decoder IP

Allegro DVT is proud to introduce the world first HEVC hardware decoder IP at IBC 2012. HEVC is the next generation video standard, currently being developed by the JCT-VC team.

• CSR aptX puts the "Hi" into Arcam Hi-Fi Audio Gear
• Scaleo chip introduces SILant, a functional safety technology enabling ISO 26262 ASIL D system design at no performance compromise
• Award for DQ80251, world's fastest 8051 CPU