Current Articles

December 28, 2015

• Year in Review: Mobile Market Stalls, Qualcomm Falls (MPR/MCR)
  Mobile-processor revenue fell in 2015 amid an LTE price war and a shift toward in-house processors. After years of growth, Qualcomm was hit particularly hard.
  

• Year in Review: Wireless Restrains Embedded Growth (MPR/NWR)
  Embedded processor vendors are jostling to capture market share and win SDN/NFV and ADAS designs while dealing with rising manufacturing costs and a transition to ARM.
  

December 21, 2015

• Year in Review: Consolidation Rocks Networking Chips (NWR)
  The 2015 acquisition wave hit both market leaders and niche vendors. Following this flurry of activity, many companies will focus on integration and execution in 2016.
  

• Phytium Aims for Chinese Servers (MPR)
  An ambitious  Chinese startup targets Intel’s Xeon E7 with a 28nm ARMv8 processor integrating a massive 64 custom CPU cores, 16 DDR3 channels, and 256Gbps of I/O capability.
  

• Smartphones Gain Microphone IQ (MCR)
  Smart microphones from vendors such as Knowles, Akustica, and InvenSense can improve voice-activated personal assistants in smartphones and interpret ambient sounds.
  

• Intel Xeon D Targets Embedded (MPR/NWR)
  Intel has deployed its Xeon D processor into embedded systems, offering up to 16 powerful CPU cores for networking and storage applications.
  

• VaultIP Secures All Things (MPR)
  Inside Secure’s VaultIP provides robust security, FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certification and authentication, while consuming little power and die area, making it ideal for IoT devices.
  

• Editorial: The Transformation of Intel (MPR)
  Former Qualcomm executive Murthy Renduchintala has become the most powerful Intel manager ever hired from outside and will help change the company's staid engineering culture.
  

December 14, 2015

• X-Gene 3 Reaches for Xeon Servers (MPR)
  AppliedMicro’s X-Gene 3, a 32-core ARMv8 server processor built in a TSMC 16nm process, could compete with mainstream Xeon E5 processors in 2017.
  

• Newest SiPs Hold Many Chips (MPR/MCR)
  Multidie packages, commonly referred to as SiPs, are now broadly used in mobile devices. 2D approaches dominate, but 2.5D and 3D products are now in production for high-end systems.
  

• Broadcom Adds 2.5GbE to Switches (NWR)
  Two new StrataXGS architectures for enterprise access support the emerging 2.5Gbps standard. Hurricane 3 integrates GbE PHYs, whereas Ranger 2 leaves out the PHYs for “all-wireless” offices.
  

• Ceva Optimizes DSPs for IoT (MPR)
  Ceva’s new XC5 and XC8 DSP cores extend the company’s software-defined modem architecture to address the plethora of emerging standards in low-data-rate Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
  

• Xeon E3 Flies To Skylake (MPR)
  The Xeon E3-1200v5 offers Intel’s first upgrade for low-end servers and workstations in two-plus years, using the new Skylake microarchitecture to boost CPU performance significantly.
  

December 7, 2015

• MIPS Broadens Reach With New Cores (MPR)
  Imagination has updated its top-end MIPS CPU cores to 64 bits and added enhanced low-end models for embedded applications.
  

• Exynos 8 Integrates Modem (MCR)
  Samsung’s Exynos 8890, an octa-core chip with a powerful GPU and a Category 12 LTE modem, is the company’s first integrated application processor for high-end smartphones.
  

• GlobalFoundries Takes ASICs to 14nm (NWR)
  After acquiring IBM Microelectronics, GlobalFoundries is moving its ASIC offering from 32nm SOI to a 14nm FinFET process licensed from Samsung and qualified at its Fab 8.
  

November 30, 2015

• Marvell’s G.hn Unifies Physical Media (NWR)
  Marvell intends its new 2Gbps G.hn chip set for residential-access applications in addition to in-home networks, placing it in competition with alternatives including VDSL2 and G.fast.
  

• Biometric Security: The Eyes Have It (MCR)
  Toshiba and OmniVision have delivered camera-sensor modules designed to add iris-scanning biometrics to smartphones and other mobile devices, improving their security.
  

• Editorial: Server or Smartphone? (MPR)
  Qualcomm and ARM will not achieve their goal of 25% server-market share using only smartphone-optimized CPU designs. New, more powerful server-class CPUs are needed.
  

• Nvidia Brings Learning to the Server (MPR)
  Nvidia’s two new Tesla GPUs and software suite target supervised machine learning and multimedia applications. The M40 and M4 GPUs will be available in the next few months.
  

November 23, 2015

• Intel’s FM10000 Is a Switch, Controller (NWR)
  Intel has introduced its unique Red Rock Canyon chip in three distinct versions that span switch, controller, and hybrid controller/switch use cases. 
  

• Kirin 950 Takes Performance Lead (MPR/MCR)
  HiSilicon’s latest custom processor is poised to be the first Cortex-A72 device to ship in a smartphone (the Huawei Mate 8), exceeding the performance of current-generation phones.
  

November 16, 2015

• Cortex-A35 Extends Low End (MPR/MCR)
  The new Cortex-A35 is ARM’s smallest and most power-efficient 64-bit design. It will serve as the “little” core in smartphone processors and also in embedded and IoT applications.
  

• ARM Dons Thicker Armor (MPR)
  ARMv8-M is a new subset of the ARMv8 architecture that’s optimized for future Cortex-M CPUs. It improves TrustZone security and supports the new Amba 5 AHB5 bus.
  

• PMC Doubles Router OTN Density (NWR)
  PMC-Sierra’s latest combined OTN/Ethernet PHY for routers, the Meta 240G, doubles the port density of its predecessor and adds AES-256 encryption features from the company’s optical-transport-specific Digi line.
  

November 9, 2015

• Qualcomm Serves a Teaser (MPR)
  Qualcomm’s first server processor is a prototype that includes 24 custom ARM CPUs, representing a credible first step toward mainstream server products expected in 2017.
  

• 5G Aims to Connect Everything (NWR/MCR)
  Work has already begun on the 5G cellular standard, which will improve data rates, reduce the cost of IoT devices, and accelerate the deployment of small cells.
  

• Marvell Debuts 1Gbps Automotive PHY (NWR)
  Marvell has jumped ahead of the IEEE 802.3 committee’s nascent single-pair 1000Base-T1 standard by sampling a physical-layer device intended for 1Gbps in-car networks.
  

• VeriSilicon Adds Vivante to IP Mix (MPR)
  The last standalone company offering GPU cores is no more, as VeriSilicon expands its IP portfolio beyond DSPs.
  

• ARM CoreLink Snoops Six Aces (MPR)
  To increase data-transfer bandwidth in high-performance processors, ARM has introduced a new CoreLink cache-coherent interconnect (CCI-500) and memory controller (DMC-500).
  

November 2, 2015

• AMD Embeds Carrizo (MPR)
  AMD’s Embedded R-Series processors improve integration and performance but still struggle to match the power efficiency of Intel’s embedded Atom processors.
  

• Editorial: No Synergy? No Problem (NWR)
  The new model for semiconductor mergers is to combine dissimilar product portfolios. This approach is more innovative than the dying like-swallowing-like model, but it’s more challenging than many companies anticipate.
  

• Mali-470 GPU Targets Wearables, IoT (MCR)
  Purpose-built for ultralow-power designs, the Mali-470 will reshape the wearable landscape, extending practical battery life while maintaining performance.
  

October 26, 2015

• Marvell MoChi Changes SoCs (MPR/NWR)
  The AP806 and Armada A3700 are Marvell’s first embedded processors to implement its new MoChi scheme, which allows designers to easily add processing engines and I/O chips.
  

• Sarda Delivers Granular Power (MPR/MCR)
  After Intel removed its integrated voltage regulator from Skylake PC processors, startup Sarda hopes to capitalize by offering GaAs voltage regulators with a low profile and fast switching.
  

• Editorial: Self-Driving Cars Accelerate (MPR)
  Powerful new video processors (VPUs) support deep learning from data collected in real road tests and simulations, accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles.
  

• MoSys Gearbox Expands 100G Options (NWR)
  The MoSys LineSpeed family has expanded with the new MSH321, which supports the OIF’s Multi-Link Gearbox 1.0 and 2.0 standards, and the MSH221 100Gbps retimer for optical modules.
  

• Marvell Exits Smartphones (MCR)
  A long time coming, Marvell’s decision to exit the mobile market leaves almost the entire smartphone-processor supply in the hands of three large vendors.
  

• Ceva Enables Deep Learning (MPR)
  Ceva’s deep-learning neural-network (CDNN) framework enables designers to build embedded computer-vision applications optimized for the company’s XM4 DSP.
  

October 19, 2015

• Skylake Scales Graphics, Fixes Media (MPR)
  In an attempt to displace discrete GPUs, Intel increased the graphics performance of its Gen9 GPU by 40–50%, finally achieving 1Tflops of single-precision compute capability.
  

• LoRa Alliance Drives Low-Power WAN (NWR)
  Founded by Semtech and several chip, module, and OEM companies, the LoRa Alliance is promoting a low-power long-range IoT WAN for linking sensors to gateways.
  

• TI Sitara Chips Sprout DSPs (MPR)
  Texas Instruments brings DSP cores to the Sitara family for the first time with its new AM57x processors, which also boost general-purpose performance using 1.5GHz Cortex-A15 CPUs.
  

• iPhone 7 Dials 411 for InFo (MCR)
  A new packaging technology has helped TSMC win more of Apple’s business. A variant of wafer-level packaging (WLFO), InFo reduces package height and improves performance.
  

• EZchip Gives Mellanox Brains (NWR)
  Although Mellanox says its purchase of EZchip will be immediately accretive, the deal appears more forward looking than most recent semiconductor-industry acquisitions.
  

October 12, 2015

• Soft Machines Shows Progress (MPR)
  Soft Machines disclosed a roadmap that includes both CPU cores and SoC reference designs based on its innovative VISC architecture. Initial estimates show compelling performance.
  

• Cadence P5 Boosts Embedded Vision (MPR)
  The Vision P5 video-processing unit (VPU) quadruples performance on popular vision algorithms while trimming power compared with the previous generation.
  

• MoSys Offers BE3 Universal Memory (NWR)
  MoSys is offering three serial memories in its third generation of Bandwidth Engine, including one optimized for use with EZchip’s NPS-400.
  

• NetSpeed Gemini Adds Cache (MPR)
  NetSpeed announced its second-generation Gemini coherent network-on-chip IP, improving configurability and adding a last-level-cache option called Pegasus.
  

• Dialog Seeks to Diversify With Atmel (MPR/MCR)
  Dialog Semiconductor, best known for its power-management chips, announced plans to acquire microcontroller-maker Atmel, reducing its reliance on revenue from Apple.
  

October 5, 2015

• Editorial: Unlicensed to Kill? (NWR/MCR)
  Should operators such as Verizon be permitted to deploy LTE Unlicensed, a more efficient protocol that could disrupt existing Wi-Fi users? The FCC must now decide.
  

• Cognivue Extends Freescale’s Vision (MPR)
  Freescale’s acquisition of Cognivue’s vision-processing cores give it a leg up in the competition for advanced driver-assistance systems in next-generation automobiles.
  

• Microsemi Assembles FPGA Security (NWR)
  Microsemi is offering unified security-design services under the EnforcIT brand. The company’s secure FPGAs are certified by Rambus’s Cryptography Research division to resist differential-power-analysis (DPA) attacks.
  

• Toshiba TZ1000 Targets Things (MPR)
  Toshiba has turned its sights on the Internet of Things with its TZ1000 line of wireless microcontrollers. The newest model upgrades the Bluetooth subsystem to version 4.1.
  

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