D&R Headline News (January 2013)

Headlines for Thursday Jan. 31, 2013

Top Story

Cadence Releases Verification IP for USB SuperSpeed Inter-Chip Specification

Cadence today announced production-proven verification IP (VIP) for the new USB SuperSpeed Inter-Chip (SSIC) specification, enabling customers to thoroughly verify designs deploying the latest extension of the USB 3.0 protocol.

• VESA Introduces Updated Dual-Mode Standard for Higher Resolution Interoperability with HDMI Displays
• Digital Core Design introduces Local Interconnect Network IP Core
• Daou InCube to offer Design Platforms based on Cortus processors
• Imagination Technologies ships Caustic Series2 R2500 and R2100 ray tracing acceleration boards
• Cadence Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Results
• EEMBC Undertakes Development of Industry-Standard Ultra-Low Power Microcontroller Benchmarks
• Mature Fabs Still Process 40% of all Silicon
• MIPS Technologies Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Financial Results

Headlines for Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013

Top Story

Kilopass NVM IP Achieves JEDEC Qualification on High-Demand SMIC 65/55/40nm Processes

Kilopass Secure NVM IP Qualified for 10-Year Life in Mobile Phone and Consumer Electronics SoCs on SMIC 65/55/40nm Low-Leakage CMOS Logic Processes

• Imagination Technologies Selects Synopsys as Advanced Verification Technology Partner
• CEVA, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Year End 2012 Financial Results
• Recore Systems Joins Constellations Program, Adds DSP IP to Constellations Semiconductor IP Center
• Xilinx Stays a Generation Ahead with Multiple 20nm Firsts
• DesignCon: Nvidia's engineering VP wants better design tools
• Accent Extends Its Market Leading Position In ZigBee Solutions With ZigBee IP and SEP 2.0
• Sidense Exhibiting at Common Platform Technology Forum
• Real Intent Unveils Major Performance Enhancements in Ascent IIV and Ascent XV Tools for Early Functional Verification of Digital Designs

Headlines for Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013

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Synopsys Announces Energy-Efficient 28-nm PCI Express 3.0 PHY with Support for 10GBASE-KR

Optimized for long backplane interfaces in server blade chassis, switches, routers and other high-performance computing and networking systems, the 28-nanometer (nm) Enterprise 10G PHY supports multiple interface standards, including PCI Express® (PCIe®) 3.0 and 10GBASE-KR, for a flexible interconnect solution.

• MegaChips Licenses Arteris FlexNoC Fabric IP for Next-Generation Imaging SoCs
• Flash Forward at the leading edge?
• New 32-bit BA25 Application Processor Adds More Performance to Royalty-Free BA2x Family
• STATS ChipPAC and UMC Unveil World's First 3D IC Developed under an Open Ecosystem Model
• GUC Successfully Validates a 28nm GPU/CPU Platform
• Posedge Launches 2x2 MIMO WLAN MAC and Baseband IP
• Freescale Semiconductor partners with IAR Systems to reach new performance high
• Oasys Design Systems Joins the TSMC Soft-IP Alliance Program

Headlines for Monday Jan. 28, 2013

Top Story

Intel says no LTE-processor integration until 2014

Intel is making progress with its development of LTE modems since but does not expect to have an integrated LTE modem and application processor until 2014, according to CEO Paul Otellini.

• The Linley Group Releases First Report Exclusively Focused on Wireless Modem Silicon
• China's IC Market Growth Continues to Outpace Its IC Manufacturing
• Cadence Unveils New Virtuoso Advanced Node for 20nm Design
• Rambus Introduces R+ Enhanced Standard Memory and Interface Solutions
• Rambus Introduces R+ LPDDR3 Memory Architecture Solution
• SENSIO announces its first SENSIO Autodetect integration deal with major semiconductor manufacturer
• JDSU Adopts Altera Stratix V GT FPGA for Production of Next-Generation Optical Testers
• Phoenix Systems ports Phoenix-RTOS to EnSilica's eSi-RISC processor family
• Evatronix Adds the Scaling Capabilities to its PANTA DP20 Display Processor
• Qualcomm preps ARM server SoCs--and they want to hire you
• S2C Boasts Largest Prototype Ready Interfaces Library for Virtex-7 2000T FPGA based Rapid ASIC Prototyping
• WXIC names industry veteran Simon Yang as CEO

Headlines for Friday Jan. 25, 2013

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intoPIX Launches new compact JPEG2000 Encoder and Decoder FPGA IP-cores at ISE 2013

intoPIX launches its customizable reference applications for JPEG 2000 targeting the smallest 28nm FPGA devices from Altera and Xilinx at ISE 2013.

• Lattice Semiconductor Reports Fourth Quarter 2012 Results
• Cadence Receives TSMC's Customers' Choice Award
• Intel's 450-mm wafer spend starts in 2013

Headlines for Thursday Jan. 24, 2013

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Wafer Demand Increased 3.8% in 2012

Semico recently released our Quarterly Wafer Demand Summary and Data, and as usual, there is good news and bad news. The good news is, manufacturing yields on 28nm have improved so for the time being, capacity is no longer a constraint in the supply chain.

• Pengwyn open development platform from SILICA targets industrial applications
• VESA Finalizes Requirements for Display Stream Compression Standard
• Samsung Surpassed Apple as the Top Global Semiconductor Customer in 2012, According to Gartner
• Altera Announces Fourth Quarter Results

Headlines for Wednesday Jan. 23, 2013

Top Story

KALRAY successfully completes the Prometheus project and secures a new funding round of 5 M Euros

KALRAY today announces that it has successfully completed the Prometheus project with 8 other partners, an achievement that allows KALRAY to secure a new funding round of 5 M€.

• Avago Technologies Improves Performance by 57% on 28nm IC Using Cadence Encounter Digital Implementation System
• Oticon Standardizes on Synopsys Low Power Implementation Solution
• WiLAN Signs License with Alpha Networks Inc.
• India fab decision likely this quarter
• Imec Teams With Cadence to Present Automated Design-for-Test (DFT) Solution for 3D Memory-on-Logic

Headlines for Tuesday Jan. 22, 2013

Top Story

Open-Silicon Implements Arteris FlexNoC Interconnect IP in ARM Cortex-A9 ASIC

Arteris today announced that Open-Silicon implemented the Arteris ® FlexNoC™ interconnect IP as the backbone SoC interconnect in a high-performance ARM®-based networking SoC design.

• MoSys Announces Renesas Electronics Support of GigaChip Interface for Chip-to-Chip Communications
• New Release of Cadence Incisive Platform Doubles Productivity of SoC Verification
• Synopsys Accelerates Adoption of FinFET Technology with Delivery of Production-Proven Design Tools and IP
• Updated IDE and Latest GCC Toolset Improve Application Development for BA2x Family Processors
• Faraday and UMC Deliver 300 Million Gate 40nm Customer SoC
• IP Cores, Inc. Announces Additional Shipments of the LZR3 Scalable Lossless Data Decompression IP Cores
• Tablet and Cellphone Processors Give MPUs Needed Boost
• Apple Helps Propel MEMS Microphone Market Grows by Nearly Fivefold from 2009 to 2012
• Chip Inventory at Semiconductor Suppliers Reaches Worrisome High
• Lattice Upgrades FPGA Design Software Platforms, Focuses On Ease Of Use, Low Power
• Mentor Graphics Delivers Emulation Solutions for the Verification of ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore-based Products
• Cortina's New 15g CDR and Backplane PHY Leads Industry in Performance, Density and Low Power

Headlines for Monday Jan. 21, 2013

Top Story

Are ARM's big-little days numbered?

In the early days of digital electronics a good architectural idea could be implemented and the advantage it granted could be expected to apply for all foreseeable manufacturing generations. But now the complexity and pace of change of chip manufacturing is such that ideas and techniques sometimes struggle to last without significant re-invention.

• Freescale Boosts Verification Productivity with Synopsys Verification IP
• ST plans for Dresden FDSOI production
• New Quad Virtex-7 2000T 3D IC Rapid ASIC Prototyping Platform from S2C Optimized for Design Partitioning
• Xilinx buoyed by strong new products sales
• eMemory's NeoEE SIP Qualified for 2.4GHz RF Product Application
• PLX Tech stands alone
• Facebook covets core-heavy ARM SoCs

Headlines for Friday Jan. 18, 2013

• Xilinx Announces Q3 Fiscal 2013 Results

Headlines for Thursday Jan. 17, 2013

Top Story

Arasan Chip Systems Announces the Most Complete ONFI 3.1 NAND Controller IP & PHY Solution

Arasan announced today the availability of the most complete solution of ONFI 3.1 NAND Controller IP & PHY, including ONFI 3.1 compatible NV-DDR2 I/O pads. Arasan has ported its ONFI 3.1 NV-DDR2 I/O pads in to advanced process running at 400 MT/s with 200 Mhz clock.

• Elliptic Technologies Introduces New Multi-Protocol Security Engine To Support Home/Office Networking and LTE Small Cell Applications
• Intilop delivers true Ultra-low latency 10G NIC with their 5th Gen 76 ns TCP & UDP Offload technology breaking yet another record in latency and bandwidth
• AppliedMicro Contributes First ARM-Based Microserver Specification to Open Compute Project
• Infineon's New XMC1000 Industrial Microcontroller Family Delivers 32-Bit Performance at 8-Bit Prices
• TSMC Reports Fourth Quarter EPS of NT$1.61
• HDL Design House appoints Applied Micro Systems Limited to offer IP cores and SoC services in the UK and Ireland
• AMD reportedly sues former employees over trade secrets
• Chasing elusive LTE design wins
• Avnet Embedded and Calxeda Showcase ARM-Based Solutions
• ARM backers jump on Facebook's server bandwagon

Headlines for Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013

Top Story

Intel Targets Fast-Growing, Low-End Smartphone Market with New Atom Processor Platform

Intel Corp.’s introduction of a new Atom processor platform designed to target the fast-growing market for low-end smartphones in emerging economies represents a shrewd strategy that could allow the company to expand its currently minimal market share in the industry, according to the IHS iSuppli/Screen Digest Mobile & Wireless Service at IHS

• Analog Market to Grow 9.5% in 2013
• Imagination reports on CES 2013 highlights
• D&R Announces Design-Reuse.com Database Snapshot Capture Service for restricted firewall environments

Headlines for Tuesday Jan. 15, 2013

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Samsung Jumps to #3 in 2012 Foundry Ranking, Has Sights Set on #2 Spot in 2013

In 2012, Samsung almost doubled its foundry sales and surpassed UMC to become the third-largest IC foundry in the world. Moreover, IC Insights believes that the company will challenge GlobalFoundries for the number two spot in the ranking in 2013.

• ARM friends Facebook at summit
• Whose GPU in Exynos Octa?
• UMC Introduces Thick Plated Copper Process for Monolithic PMIC Applications
• MediaTek extends licensing partnership with Imagination to TV market
• Semiconductor Leaders See Massive Industry Transformation
• GUC Unveils The First IPD ASIC Service
• ALi Corporation integrates Cryptography Research CryptoFirewall Security Core into Next Generation System-on-Chip Solutions

Headlines for Monday Jan. 14, 2013

Top Story

The Linley Group Says Mobile Semiconductor Market Topped $30 Billion in 2012

Although overall semiconductor industry growth was nearly flat in 2012, sales of mobile semiconductors reached $31 billion in 2012 according to The Linley Group, an increase of 18 percent over the previous year.

• Atmel Expands ARM Cortex-M4 based Flash Microcontroller Family With New Advanced Connectivity Peripherals and Floating Point Unit
• Dialog Semiconductor Invests In Innovative Power Management Start-Up Company
• Renesas big-little LTE processor wins praise
• Are ARM's core days numbered?

Headlines for Friday Jan. 11, 2013

• Five intellectual property trends to watch in 2013

Headlines for Thursday Jan. 10, 2013

Top Story

ARM CEO on giant smartphones; IoT

ARM CEO Warren East sat down with EE Times during the Consumer Electronics Show this week to discuss the radically changing landscape for TVs, the slowly unfolding "Internet of Things" and whether the world's largest processor IP vendor should offer RF IP modules to get IoT off the ground.

• Amantys appoints Chief Executive Officer to drive revenue growth and new market engagement
• TSMC December 2012 Sales Report
• SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) Performance to Double with New Capabilities
• Globalfoundries behind 'Project Azalea'?
• Archband achieves SMIC qualified 96dB Hi-Fi Audio CODEC IP in 65nmLL process
• Nitero Demonstrates High-Speed 60GHz Wi-Fi Solution on GLOBALFOUNDRIES' 65nm-LPe RF Technology
• Algo-Logic Systems Announces Membership in the Solarflare Application Onload Engine (AOE) Partner Network

Headlines for Wednesday Jan. 09, 2013

Top Story

Fabless IC Company Sales "Shine" While IDM IC Sales "Slump" in 2012

Contrary to some opinions, the fabless/foundry business model shows no signs of "collapsing". The report shows that the fabless IC suppliers grew by 6% in 2012, 10 points better than the 4% decline registered by the IDMs and eight points better than the 2% decline shown by the total IC market last year.

• SAMSUNG Highlights Innovations in Mobile Experiences Driven by Components, in CES Keynote
• GLOBALFOUNDRIES To Build R&D Facility in New York to Accelerate Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Global Customers
• Silicon Image Looks to Expand MHL 2.0 Ecosystem with Reference Design Platforms for MHL Accessories
• ARM and Broadcom Extend Relationship With ARMv7 and ARMv8 Architecture Licenses
• Leading Taiwanese Companies Select Synopsys PrimeTime SI for Signoff
• Imagination's PowerVR graphics and video licensees deliver chips powering the next generation of TV and STB at CES 2013
• IPextreme Announces Atrenta as First EDA Company to Join Constellations

Headlines for Tuesday Jan. 08, 2013

Top Story

Vivante Joins GENIVI Alliance Bringing OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenCL to Automotive Platforms

Vivante today announced it has joined the GENIVI Alliance, an automotive and consumer electronics industry association driving the development and adoption of an open in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) reference platform.

• Mindspeed to Showcase the Industry's First ARM Cortex A9-based Communications Processor with Integrated DPI at 2013 CES
• Imagination pushes the boundary for existing PowerVR Series5XT (SGX) GPUs with new extended API features
• Silicon Image Announces Reference Design for UltraGig 6400 Ultra-Low Power, 60GHz WirelessHD Mobile Transmitter
• Silicon Image Brings Latest HD Connectivity Technology Into Mainstream Home Theater Market With New Port Processors
• ST-Ericsson opens the way for a new era of smartphones and announces the world's fastest, coolest integrated LTE Modem and Application Processor platform based on FD-SOI
• Digital Blocks Extends its I2C Controller IP Core Family with Enhanced Capabilities & System-Level Features
• CSR aptX Audio Codec Technology Licensed by Sony
• UMC Reports Sales for December 2012
• Ambarella Introduces 4K Ultra HD Video for Next Generation Mirrorless, Sports, and Digital Still Cameras

Headlines for Monday Jan. 07, 2013

Top Story

Fabless companies out-performed IDMs in 2012

Fabless semiconductor companies as a group outperformed chip makers with their own fabs again in 2012, according to the latest numbers from the upcoming McClean Report 2013.

• NVIDIA Introduces World's Fastest Mobile Processor
• EDA Consortium Reports Revenue Increase for Q3 2012
• Waves MaxxAudio Sound-Enhancement Technology Is Now Available for Tensilica HiFi Audio DSP Cores
• Xylon Announces logiSPI SPI to AXI4 Controller Bridge IP Core for Xilinx Zynq-7000 AP SoC and FPGAs
• GUC Monthly Sales Report - December 2012
• Sequans Communications' LTE Chip Certified by Verizon Wireless
• Green Plug Appoints Kevin Jones to New Post of Chief Scientist, Names Rajeev Prasad VP of Engineering
• CEVA Partners with iOnRoad to Deliver Personal Driving Assistance Technology with CEVA-MM3101 Platform
• DarbeeVision Licenses HDMI Video Processor Design to Lumagen
• Inside Secure Provides End-to-End Security Solutions for Set-Top Box Chip Maker Telechips
• Sequans Communications Updates Expectations for Q4 2012 Results
• MIPS Highlights Extensive Connected Entertainment Ecosystem for Android and More at CES

Headlines for Friday Jan. 04, 2013

• InterDigital and Quanta Computer Expand Patent License Coverage to Include 4G
• YoYo Games and MIPS Release Free Android Game Development Platform Exclusively for MIPS-Based Devices
• Highly-Integrated MIPS-Based SoC from Ingenic Sets New Performance Point for Power-Efficient and Affordable Devices
• Silicon Image Updates Fourth Quarter Revenue Outlook
• Broadcom Boosts Content Protection for Set-top Box Platforms
• GEO Semiconductor Completes Acquisition of Maxim Integrated's Digital Video Processing Business
• InterDigital Files New Complaint Against Huawei, Nokia, Samsung and ZTE with U.S. International Trade Commission
• Microsemi and Intrinsic-ID Deliver Integrated Security Solutions for Government Applications
• Global Semiconductor Sales Post Best Month of 2012 in November
• Multimedia and connectivity technologies are key to making devices feel "smart", says Imagination

Headlines for Thursday Jan. 03, 2013

Top Story

IDC Forecasts Worldwide Semiconductor Revenues Will Grow 4.9% and Reach $319 Billion in 2013

Semiconductor revenues worldwide will see nominal growth this year at less than 1% reaching $304 billion according to the year-end 2012 update of the International Data Corporation (IDC) Semiconductor Applications Forecaster (SAF).

• IPad 3 called 'unbalanced' as Apple, TSMC rumors fly
• Wi-Fi Alliance and Wireless Gigabit Alliance to unify
• Allegro DVT showcases the first HEVC video hardware decoder IP at CES 2013
• Sony and InterDigital Team to Launch Machine-to-Machine Focused Joint Venture Called Convida Wireless
• Digital Core Design introduces DQSPI - quad performance SPI
• Tensilica Introduces the Smallest, Lowest Power DSP IP Core For Always-Listening Voice Trigger and Voice Recognition
• Xilinx Honors Xylon With 2012 Alliance Program Collaboration Award
• CEVA Introduces Comprehensive Computer Vision Library Optimized for CEVA-MM3101 Imaging & Vision Platform

Headlines for Wednesday Jan. 02, 2013

Top Story

InterDigital and Research In Motion Extend Patent License and Include 4G

InterDigital today announced that its patent holding subsidiaries have entered into an agreement which extends the term of their worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-bearing patent license agreement with Research In Motion Limited.

• Eclipse IDE now available for users of IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM