Month: May 2022

Thalia upgrades Design Enabler with enhanced ML algorithm delivers optimized performance and optimal layout options

by PRPress Release

30 May, Cologne, Germany – Thalia Design Automation Ltd., provider of analog and mixed-signal circuit IP reuse platform, today announced its core Design Enabler product has been enhanced to significantly boost the value it brings to product development teams in both optimizing the performance of migrated designs and improving or preserving layout.

An improved set of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in Thalia Design Enabler now presents the designer with the best solution by balancing circuit and layout requirements. The ML algorithms go further in factoring in the impact of layout changes, and further simplify an effective migration by preserving, improving and validating the topology and the floorplan.

Design Enabler is part of the powerful AMALIA IP Reuse Platform that enables cost-effective re-use of analog and mixed signal integrated circuits. The technology agnostic Design Enabler software enables users to efficiently centre designs after migration from one technology to another.

By quickly identifying the minimum set of devices needed to adjust the design the tool reduces the number of changes required in layout while improving performance. With the use AI and machine learning this software can make significant savings of up to 50% time and resources.

The new enhancements to Design Enabler’s algorithms improve time to market advantages and cost savings by balancing improved performance of the design with essential layout requirements to present the designer with multiple solutions.

A Thalia customer case study provides an example of a 45% reduction in design time using the existing Design Enabler:

Thalia has now deployed Machine Learning (ML) across all of its AMALIA platform to analyze waveforms and to propose the ideal solution for the designer, based on differential analyses.

Christopher Yates, VP Software Engineering at Thalia, commented, “Customers using Design Enabler tell us they’re saving at least half of their original re-design time, and with the enhancements we’re announcing today, we expect our customers to see immediate benefits both in optimizing the performance of their design and quickly and easily being able to balance this against the best layout to suite their design.”

Ramifications for planning in the face of chip shortages

by Sowmyan RajagopalanBlog

This is the third and final blog in a short series of posts looking at the chip shortage crisis our industry is facing. Previous posts looked at the political situations both affecting and attempting to tackle the problems, and how the chip makers are ramping up and investing in their own attempts to sensibly fill the supply gaps and maximize on the opportunities as quickly as possible. 

In a previous recent blog, I’ve set out some thoughts on the realities and impacts of chip shortages on the evolving connected car market.  

S&P are scaling back forecasts on car production for 2022, given the chip supply issue affecting the industry. Automotive industry impact: ‘Toyota and Nissan, have scaled back production and others such as BMW, Ford and Volvo have removed certain features from some cars to enable them to continue production.’ 

In the mobile phone markets, Samsung and Apple have been using their might to maintain their own supplies…but other OEMs have been left struggling
“low-end OEMs…struggled the most to adapt with chip foundries expected to take “years” to spool up to demand.” https://www.androidpolice.com/apple-and-samsungs-smartphone-businesses-are-surviving-the-global-chip-shortage-in-ways-only-they-can/ 

In the face of chip shortages and times of geopolitical uncertainty, shortages will continue in the short to mid-term at least, so OEMs looking to remain competitive will need to continually assess their options and consider moving or duplicating (second-sourcing) designs to secure capacity from more than one manufacturing partner. 

Some Tier 2 fabs are positioned ready to seize the opportunities in these times of uncertainty – they can offer attractive costs and potentially be more responsive and adaptable to customer needs. 

Migrating IP to other fabs, design nodes or process technologies can be complex and, itself, time-consuming (hence competitively prohibitive) unless it’s done with the right tools. That is where we at Thalia can help. For 2022 and possibly into next year we need to help our customers reduce their costs in IP migration through innovative IP reuse, and help to maintain their competitive edge.