At what stage in the design cycle do you start to think about the PCB material costs? What about the costs to assemble the PCB? Once a design becomes successful, should you then redesign it to achieve a scalable product? Placing components and routi...(read more)

Community engagement is a dynamic concept that does not adhere to a singular, universal approach. Its various forms, methods, and objectives can vary significantly depending on the specific context, goals, and desired outcomes. Whether you seek assis...(read more)

Power network design and analysis of 3D-ICs is a major challenge due to the complex nature and large size of the power network. In addition, designers must deal with the complexity of routing power through the interposer, multiple dies, through-silicon vias (TSVs), and through-dielectric vias (TDVs).
Cadence’s Integrity 3D-IC Platform and Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution provide a fully integrated solution for early planning and analysis of 3D-IC power networks, 3D-IC chip-centric power integrity signoff, and hierarchical methods that significantly improve capacity and performance of power integrity (PI) signoff while maintaining a very high level of accuracy at signoff. This blog summarizes the typical design challenges faced by today’s 3D-IC designers, as discussed in our recent webinar, “Addressing 3D-IC Power Integrity Design Challenges.” Please click here to view the full webinar.

Major Trends in Advanced Chip Design

From chips to chiplets, stacked die, 3D-ICs, and more, three major trends are impacting advanced semiconductor packaging design. The first is heterogenous integration, which we define as a disaggregated approach to designing systems on chip (SoCs) from multiple chiplets. This approach is similar to system-in-package (SiP) design, except that instead of integrating multiple bare die – including 3D stacking – on a single substrate, multiple IPs are integrated in the form of chiplets on a single substrate.

The second major trend is around new silicon manufacturing techniques that leverage silicon vias (TSVs) and high-density fanout RDL. These advancements mean that silicon is becoming a more attractive material for packaging, especially when high bandwidth and form factor become key attributes in the end design. This brings new design and verification challenges to most packaging engineers who typically work with organic and ceramic substrate materials.

Finally, on the ecosystem side, all the large semiconductor foundries now offer their own versions of advanced packaging. This brings new ways of supporting design teams with technologies like reference flows and PDKs, concepts that have typically been lacking in the packaging community. Cadence has worked with many of the leading foundries and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test facilities (OSATs) to develop multi-chip(let) packaging reference flows and package assembly design kits. The downside is that, with the time restrictions designers are under today, there isn’t enough time to simulate the details of these flows and PDKs further.

For those who must make the best electro/thermal/physical decisions to achieve the best power/performance/area/cost (PPAC), factors can include accurate die size estimations, thermal feasibility, die-to-die interconnect planning, interposer planning (silicon/organic), front-to-front and front-to-back (F2F/F2B) planning, layer stack and electromigration/ IR drop (EMIR)/TSV planning, IO bandwidth feasibility, and system-level architecture selection.

3D-IC Power Network Design and Analysis

The key to success in 3D-IC design is early power integrity planning and analysis. Cadence’s Integrity 3D-IC platform is a high-capacity 3D-IC platform that enables 3D design planning, implementation, and system analysis in a single, unified cockpit. Cadence’s Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution is a comprehensive full chip electromigration, IR drop, and power analysis solution. With its fully distributed architecture and hierarchical analysis capabilities, Voltus provides very fast analysis and has the capacity to handle the largest designs in the industry. Typically, 3D-IC PDN design and analysis is performed in four phases, as shown in Figure 1.

Phase 1 - Perform early power delivery network (PDN) exploration with each fabric’s PDN cascaded in system PI with early circuit models.

Phase 2 – Plan 3D-IC PDNs in Cadence’s Integrity 3D-IC platform, including micro bumps, TSVs, and through dielectric vias (TDVs), power grid synthesis for dies, and early rail analysis and optimization.

Phase 3 – Perform full chip-centric signoff in Voltus with detailed die, interposer, and package models, including chip die models, while keeping some dies flat.

Phase 4 – Perform full system-level signoff with Cadence’s Sigrity SystemPI using detailed extracted package models from Sigrity XtractIM, board models from Sigrity PowerSI or Clarity 3D Solver, interposer models from XtractIM or Voltus, and chip power models from Voltus.

Figure 1. 3D-IC PDN design and analysis phases

3D-IC Chip-Centric Signoff

The integration of Integrity 3D-IC and Voltus enables chip-centric early analysis and signoff. Figure 2 and Figure 3 highlight the chip centric early PI optimization and signoff flows. In early analysis, the on-chip power networks are synthesized, and the micro bumps and TSVs can be placed and optimized. In the signoff stage, all the detailed design data is used for power analysis, and detailed models are extracted and used for package, interposer, and on-die power networks.

Figure 2. Early chip-centric PI analysis and optimization flow

Figure 3. Chip-centric 3D-IC PI signoff

Hierarchical 3D-IC PI Analysis

To improve the capacity and performance of 3D-IC PI analysis, Voltus enables hierarchical analysis using chiplet models. Chiplet models can be reduced chip models in spice format or more accurate xPGV models which are highly accurate proprietary models generated by Voltus. With xPGV models, the hierarchical PI analysis has almost the same accuracy as flat analysis but offers 10X or higher benefit in runtime and memory requirements.

Conclusion

This blog has highlighted the major design trends enabled by advanced 3D packaging and the design challenges arising from these advancements. The design of power delivery networks is one of these major challenges. We have discussed Cadence solutions to overcome this PI challenge. To learn more, view our recent webinar, "Addressing 3D-IC Power Integrity Design Challenges" and visit the Voltus web page.

The OrCAD X and Allegro X 24.1 release is now available at Cadence Downloads. This blog post provides links to access the release and describes some major changes and new features.   OrCAD X /Allegro X 24.1 (SPB241) Here is a representative li...(read more)

Melika Roshandell, Cadence product marketing director for the Celsius Thermal Solver, recently published an article in Designing Electronics discussing how the use of modern thermal analysis techniques can help engineers meet the challenges of today’s complex electronic designs, which require ever more functionality and performance to meet consumer demand.

Today’s modern electronic designs require ever more functionality and performance to meet consumer demand. These requirements make scaling traditional, flat, 2D-ICs very challenging. With the recent introduction of 3D-ICs into the electronic design industry, IC vendors need to optimize the performance and cost of their devices while also taking advantage of the ability to combine heterogeneous technologies and nodes into a single package. While this greatly advances IC technology, 3D-IC design brings about its own unique challenges and complexities, a major one of which is thermal management.

To overcome thermal management issues, a thermal solution that can handle the complexity of the entire design efficiently and without any simplification is necessary. However, because of the nature of 3D-ICs, the typical point tool approach that dissects the design space into subsections cannot adequately address this need. This approach also creates a longer turnaround time, which can impact critical decision-making to optimize design performance. A more effective solution is to utilize a solver that not only can import the entire package, PCB, and chiplets but also offers high performance to run the entire analysis in a timely manner.

Celsius Thermal Management Solutions

Cadence offers the Celsius Thermal Solver, a unique technology integrated with both IC and package design tools such as the Cadence Innovus Implementation System, Allegro PCB Designer, and Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution. The Celsius Thermal Solver is the first complete electrothermal co-simulation solution for the full hierarchy of electronic systems from ICs to physical enclosures. Based on a production-proven, massively parallel architecture, the Celsius Thermal Solver also provides end-to-end capabilities for both in-design and signoff methodologies and delivers up to 10X faster performance than legacy solutions without sacrificing accuracy.

By combining finite element analysis (FEA) for solid structures with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for fluids (both liquid and gas, as well as airflow), designers can perform complete system analysis in a single tool. For PCB and IC packaging, engineering teams can combine electrical and thermal analysis and simulate the flow of both current and heat for a more accurate system-level thermal simulation than can be achieved using legacy tools. In addition, both static (steady-state) and dynamic (transient) electrical-thermal co-simulations can be performed based on the actual flow of electrical power in advanced 3D structures, providing visibility into real-world system behavior.

Designers are already co-simulating the Celsius Thermal Solver with Celsius EC Solver (formerly Future Facilities’ 6SigmaET electronics thermal simulation software), which provides state-of-the-art intelligence, automation, and accuracy. The combined workflow that ties Celsius FEA thermal analysis with Celsius EC Solver CFD results in even higher-accuracy models of electronics equipment, allowing engineers to test their designs through thermal simulations and mitigate thermal design risks.

Conclusion

As systems become more densely populated with heat-dissipating electronics, the operating temperatures of those devices impact reliability (device lifetime) and performance. Thermal analysis gives designers an understanding of device operating temperatures related to power dissipation, and that temperature information can be introduced into an electrothermal model to predict the impact on device performance. The robust capabilities in modern thermal management software enable new system analyses and design insights. This empowers electrical design teams to detect and mitigate thermal issues early in the design process—reducing electronic system development iterations and costs and shortening time to market.

To learn more about Cadence thermal analysis products, visit the Celsius Thermal Solver product page and download the Cadence Multiphysics Systems Analysis Product Portfolio.

Live Doc is an advanced automated PCB documentation generation tool integrated with OrCAD X Presto designed to streamline the creation of PCB documentation. By automating the generation of PCB fabrication and assembly drawings, Live Doc significantly...(read more)

Does anyone know how to not include a pbar in a constraint manager analysis? I have some relative delay constraints applied on a group of differential nets. When I analyze the design these all show an error. If I delete the plating bar from the design they are all passing. The plating bar gets generated on the Substrate Geometry / Plating_Bar class. I understand that I could just delete the plating bar to verify the constraint but the issue is when I archive this design I would like it to be clean meaning it is in the final state for manufacturing AND passing all constraints according to design reviews.

Anyone have an idea? 

Thank you!

Starting SPB 23.1, Allegro Package Designer Plus (APD+) has been rebranded as Allegro X Advanced Package Designer (Allegro X APD).

The splash screen for Allegro X APD will appear as shown below, instead of showing APD+ 2023:

For the Windows Start menu in 23.1, it will display as Allegro X APD 2023 instead of APD+ 2023, as shown below

23.1 Start menu 

In the Product Choices window for 23.1, you will see Allegro X Advanced Package Designer in the place of Allegro Package Designer +, as shown below: 

23.1 product title

Have you heard that starting SPB 23.1, Allegro Package Designer Plus (APD+) will be renamed as Allegro X Advanced Package Designer (Allegro X APD)? 

Allegro X APD offers multiple new features and enhancements on topics like Via Structures, Wirebond, Etchback, Text Wizards, 3D Canvas, and more. 

This post presents the new 3DX Canvas introduced in SPB 23.1. This can be invoked from Allegro X APD (from the menu item View > 3DX Canvas). 

Some of the key benefits of the new canvas: 

• This canvas addresses the scale and complexity in large modern package designs. It provides highly efficient visual representation and implementation of packages. 
  
• The new architecture enables high-performance 3D incremental updates by utilizing GPU for fast rendering. 
  
  
• Real-time 3D incremental updates are supported, which means that the 3D view is in sync with all changes to the database. 
  
  
• The new canvas provides 3D visualization support for packaging objects such as wire bonds, ball, die bump/pillar geometries, die stacks, etch back, and plating bar. 
  
  
• This release also introduces the interactive measurement tool for a 3D view of packages. Once you open 3DX Canvas, press the Alt key and you can select the objects you want to measure. 
  
• 3DX Canvas provides new 3D DRC Bond Wire Clearances with Real 3D DRC Checks. True 3D DRC in Constraint Manager has been introduced. If you open Constraint Manager, there will be a new worksheet added. Following DRC checks are supported: 

  Wire to Wire 
  Wire to Finger 
  Wire to Shape 
  Wire to Cline 
  Wire to Component

Have you ever encountered ERROR(SPMHNI-67) while importing logic? If yes, you might already know that you had to export libraries of the design and make sure that paths (devpath, padpath, and psmpath) include the location of exported files.  

Starting in SPB23.1, if you go to File > Import > Logic/Netlist and click on the Other tab, you will see an option, Reuse device files for existing components. 

After selecting this option, ERROR(SPMHNI-67) will no longer be there in the log file, because the tool will automatically extract device files and seamlessly use them for newly imported data. In other words, SPB_23.1 lets you reuse the device / component definitions already in the design without first having to dump libraries manually. An excellent improvement, don’t you think?  

Hi，

I want to delete via use skill，but i dont write this skill. can you help me.

This skill has Interactive interface，the interface can imput  Select Net and select padstack；

I can  use temp group to select the via；

example，i want to delete via，the padstack is L1:L3，the net is vss. i can imput padstack  L1:L3 and select net: VSS；

Note: The green is VSS，the padstack L1:L3 and L3:L5 ；

thanks

At times, there might arise a condition in the design where you need to push the net of selected pins to all its physically connected objects. For example, a few pins are updated with a new net, and it is required to push the new net to all its connected objects. At times, you might update the die or copy routing to other components, when a portion of routing gets the wrong net.

To propagate the net of the pin to all its physically connected objects, Allegro X APD uses the standalone command, Push Connectivity.

You can call the command through Logic > Push Connectivity.

Alternately, you can use the push connectivity command at the command line. Once the command is active, it lets you select pins or symbols that will be used to push net connectivity to all connected objects.

Presently, dynamic shapes and filled rectangles are not considered as part of connectivity. Static shapes are supported.

The vision manager is good tool for routing check. but no quickly or effective  tool to fix or optimize this  problems to be optimized.

For example, parallel Gap less than preferred, min seg/Arc length,uncoupled diff-pair segs，and so on.

I only know use spread between voids to fix the non-optimized segs. in fact it is inefficient.

the parallel gap less than preferred is only to slice evry trace, its inefficient.

If i set the paraller gap less than 50um, Is there any tool to quickly fix these problems（gap less than 50um）?

For other problems，i can use tool to quickly fix the min seg/Arc length，uncoupled diff pair segs，accoding to select by polygon or select  by windows.

In a package design, designers often need to perform degassing. This is typically done at the end of the design process before sending the design to the manufacturer.

Degassing is a process where you perforate power planes, voltage planes, and filled shapes in your design. Degassing holes let the gas escape from beneath the metal during manufacturing of the substrate. The perforations or holes for degassing are generally small, having a specified size and shape, and are spaced regularly across the surface of the plane. If the degassing process is not done, it may result in the formation of gas bubbles under the metal, which may cause the surface of the metal to become uneven. After you degas the design, it is recommended to perform electrical verification.

Allegro X APD has degassing features that allow users to automate the process and place holes in the entire shape.

In today’s topic, we will talk about how to avoid adding  degassing holes on a particular shape.

Sometimes, a designer may need to avoid adding degassing holes to a particular shape on a layer. All other shapes on the layer can have degassing holes but not this shape. Using the Layer Based Degassing Parameters option, the designer can set the degassing parameters for all shapes on the layer. Now, the designer would like to defer adding degassing holes for this particular shape.

You may wonder if there is an easy way to achieve this. We will now see how this can be done with the tool.

Once the degassing parameters are set, performing Display > Element on any of the shapes on that layer will show the degassing parameters set.

You can apply the Degas_Not_Allowed property to a shape to specify that degassing should not be performed on this shape, even if the degassing requirements are met. Select the shape and add the property as shown below.

Switch to Shape Edit application mode (Setup > Application mode > Shape Edit) and window-select all shapes on the layer. Then, right-click and select Deferred Degassing > All Off.

Now, all shapes on the layer will have degassing holes except for the shape which has the Degas_Not_Allowed property attached to it.

Verisium SimAI App harnesses the power of machine learning technology with the Cadence Xcelium Logic Simulator - the ultimate breakthrough in accelerating verification closure. It builds models from regressions run in the Xcelium simulator, enabling the generation of new regressions with specific targets. The Verisium SimAI app also features cousin bug hunting, a unique capability that uses information from difficult-to-hit failures to expose cousin bugs. With these advanced machine learning techniques, Verisium SimAI offers the potential for a significant boost in productivity, promising an exciting future for our users.

Figure 1: Regression compression and coverage maximization with Verisium SimAI 

What can I do with Verisium SimAI?

You can exercise different use cases with Verisium SimAI as per your requirements. For some users, the goal might be regression compression and improving coverage regain. Coverage maximization and hitting new bins could be another goal. Other users may be interested in exposing hard-to-hit failures, bug hunting for difficult to find issues. Verisium SimAI allows users to take on any of these challenges to achieve the desired results.

Let's go into some more details of these use cases and scenarios where using SimAI can have a big positive impact.

1. Using SimAI for Regression Compression and Coverage Regain

Unlock up to 10X compute savings with SimAI!

Verisium SimAI can be used to compress regressions and regain coverage. This flow involves setting up your regression environment for SimAI, running your random regressions with coverage and randomization data followed by training, and finally, synthesizing and running the SimAI-generated compressed regressions. The synthesized regression may prune tests that do not help meet the goal and add more runs for the most relevant tests, as well as add run-specific constraints. This flow can also be used to target specific areas like areas involving a high code churn or high complexity.

You can check out the details of this flow with illustrative examples in the following Rapid Adoption Kits (RAK) available on the Cadence Learning and Support Portal (Cadence customer credentials needed):

• Using SimAI with vManager (For Regression Compression and Coverage Regain) (RAK) 
• Using SimAI with a Generic Runner (For Regression Compression and Coverage Regain) (RAK)

2. Using SimAI for Coverage Maximization and Targeting coverage holes

Reduce your Functional Coverage Holes by up to 40% using SimAI!

Verisium SimAI can be used for iterative coverage maximization. This is most effective when regressions are largely saturated, and SimAI will explicitly try to hit uncovered bins, which may be hard-to-hit (but not impossible) coverage holes. This is achieved using iterative learning technology where with each iteration, SimAI does some exploration and determines how well it performed. This technique can also be used for bug hunting by using holes as targets of interest.

See more details on the Cadence Learning and Support Portal:

• Using SimAI for Coverage Maximization - vManager flow (RAK) 
• Using SimAI for Coverage Maximization - Generic Runner Flow (RAK)

3. Using SimAI for Bug Hunting

Discover and fix bugs faster using SimAI!

Verisium SimAI has a new bug hunting flow which can be used to target the goal of exposing hard-to-hit failure conditions. This is achieved using an iterative framework and by targeting failures or rare bins. The goal to target failures is best exercised when the overall failure rate is typically low (below 5%). Iterative learning can be used to improve the ability to target specific areas. Use the SimAI bug hunting use case to target rare events, low hit coverage bins, and low hit failure signatures.

See more details on the Cadence Learning and Support Portal:

• Using SimAI for Bug Hunting with vManager (RAK) 
• Using SimAI for Bug Hunting – Generic runner flow (RAK) 

Unlock compute savings, reduce your functional coverage holes, and discover and fix bugs faster with the power of machine learning technology now enabled by Verisium SimAI!

Please keep visiting  https://support.cadence.com/raks to download new RAKs as they become available.

Please note that you will need the Cadence customer credentials to log on to the Cadence Online  Support  https://support.cadence.com/, your 24/7 partner for getting help in resolving issues related to Cadence software or learning Cadence tools and technologies.

Happy Learning!

The Cadence Palladium Emulation Platform is a hardware system that implements the design, accelerating its execution and verification. Itoffers the highest performance and fastest bring-up times for pre-silicon validation of billion-gate designs, using a custom processor built by Cadence.

This Palladium Introduction course is based on the Palladium 23.03 ISR4 version and covers the following modules:

• Introduction
• Palladium flow
• Running a design on the Palladium system

This course starts with an “Introduction” module that explains Palladium and other verification platforms to show its place in the big picture. It also compares Palladium with Protium and simulation and discusses its usage and limitations.

The “Palladium Flow” module includes two stages at a high level, which are Compile and Run. Then, it covers these stages in detail. First, it covers the ICE compile flow and IXCOM compile flow steps in detail. Then it explains Run, which is common for both ICE and IXCOM modes.

The third module, “Running Design on the Palladium System,” covers all the items required for running your design on the Palladium system, including:

• Software stack requirements
• Basic concepts required to understand the flow
• Compute machine requirements

In addition, this course contains labs for both the ICE and IXCOM flows with detailed steps to exercise the features provided by the Palladium system. The lab explains a practical example of multiple counters and exercising their signals for force, monitor, and deposit features, along with frequency calculation using a real-time clock. The course is available on the Cadence support page:

There is also a Digital Badge available. You will find the Badge exam opportunity when you enroll in the Online training or after you have taken the training as "live" training.

For questions and inquiries, or issues with registration, reach out to us at Cadence Training. Want to stay up to date on webinars and courses? Subscribe to Cadence Training emails. To view our complete training offerings, visit the Cadence Training website.

Related Training Bytes

• Palladium: What Are Verification Platforms
• Palladium: What Is Processor Based Emulation
• Palladium: Comparing Emulation (Z2) and Prototyping (X2)
• Palladium: What Are ICE and IXCOM Compile Flow
• Palladium: How to Process a Design to Run on Palladium
• Palladium: XCOM Compile Flow (TB+RTL to Palladium Database)
• Palladium: ICE Compile Flow (RTL to Palladium Database)
• Palladium: Legacy ICE Compile Flow
• Palladium: Cadence Software Releases for Palladium and Protium Flow
• Palladium: Setting of PATHs for Using Palladium
• Palladium: Z2 Hardware Structure (Blade and Boards)
• Palladium: What Is Sourceless and Loadless nets
• Palladium: Design Clocks
• Palladium: Step Count and Step Clock
• Palladium: Steps for Running the Design on Palladium Z2

Related Courses

• Verilog Language and Application Training
• SystemVerilog for Design and Verification
• Xcelium Simulator

Related Blogs

• Training Insights – A New Free Online Course on the Protium System for Beginner and Advanced Users
• It’s the Digital Era; Why Not Showcase Your Brand Through a Digital Badge!
• Training Insights - Free Online Courses on Cadence Learning and Support Portal

DDR5 is the latest generation of PCDDR memory that is used in a wide range of application like data centers, Laptops and personal computers, autonomous driving systems, servers, cloud computing, and gaming are now increasingly being used for AI applications with advances in memory bandwidth and density to allow DDR5 DIMMs (Dual Inline Memory Modules) to support densities higher then 256 GB per DIMM card. The highest speed DDR5 SDRAM devices can support data rates of up to 8800 MTps.

DDR5 SO-DIMMs and UDIMMs

One of the most recognized uses of PCDDR is with client devices like laptops and personal computers. These client devices mostly use two types of DDR5 DIMMs called SO-DIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) and UDIMM (Unbuffered Dual Inline Memory Module).

These types of DIMMs have no signal regeneration or buffering (which, for example, the Registering Clock Driver or the RCD does for clocks/command/control signals for a registered DIMMs). A typical 2-Rank UDIMM with x8 DDR5 SDRAM components has 8 or 10 components per rank depending on the system ECC (Error Correction Code) memory being part of the DIMM.

Why DDR5 Clock Buffer and CUDIMM?

Clocks are one of the most important signals for synchronous devices, and DDR5 SDRAMs are no exception. The host is responsible for the fanout to all the DRAM input ports, such as clocks for UDIMMs. Driving of all these DRAM clocks can put quite a bit of load on the host output drivers, thus affecting the signal quality, which can result in unexpected memory errors. This issue gets amplified when operating at the higher clock and data rates where the clock signals transition from one logic value to the next over a very short time. To solve these signal integrity issues with DRAM clocks, JEDEC has come up with a new type of DDR5 DIMM component that is called DDR5 clock buffer. Clock buffers can be used for both DDR5 SO-DIMMs and DDR5 UDIMMs. DDR5 UDIMMs that include a clock buffer component as part of the DIMM card are called DDR5 CUDIMMs (Clock Buffered UDIMMs).

DDR5 Clock Buffer Overview

DDR5 Clock Buffer is a simple logic device that takes in two sets of input clock pins and drives two sets of clock pins as output per channel. The clock buffer device can operate in three types of clock modes: -

• PLL bypass mode: In this mode, the clock buffer just passes on the input clocks to output without any kind of signal buffering. The PLL bypass mode enabled CUDIMM devices behave like traditional UDIMMs without any buffering of the clocks. This is why it’s also referred to as legacy mode. Recommended CUDIMM operating speeds in PLL bypass mode are typically limited to 3000 MHz.

• Single PLL mode: In the single PLL Mode, the clock buffer device will use a Phase Lock Loop (PLL) for the regeneration of the incoming host clock to create a better-quality clock that is sent to the DRAMs. However, since there is only one PLL that is used in this mode, both sub channel output clocks will be driven based on only one set of input clocks with the other set of input clocks remaining unused.

• Dual PLL mode: In this mode, the clock buffer will use two PLLs to independently generate each sub channel output clock based on each set of incoming host clocks. The second set of PLL can be turned on or off on the fly if needed to save power.

Beyond the clock modes, clock buffers provide additional flexibility to the system designers with register-controlled additional signal delays, optional output clock enable/disable per bit feature, drive strength and termination choices, etc. All DDR5 clock buffer device control word registers are accessible via DDR5 DIMM sideband.

Cadence VIPs offers a compressive memory subsystem solution that includes memory models for DDR5 SDRAM, DDR5 RCD, DDR5 DB, DDR5 clock buffer, all types of DDR5 DIMMs, including the DDR5 CUDIMMs, DFI Memory Controller/PHY VIPs, and a system VIP compliant to JEDEC specifications defined for each of those devices along with latest DFI Specification.

More information on Cadence DDR5 DIMM VIP is available at the Cadence VIP Memory Models website.

The course "Jasper Formal Fundamentals v24.03" introduces formal analysis to those who want to use formal analysis for design or verification. 

To optimally benefit from this course, you must already have sufficient knowledge of the System Verilog assertions to be capable of writing properties for formal verification. Hence, this training provides a module on formal analysis to help cover this essential background. 

In this course, you will learn how to code efficient SVA Properties for formal analysis, understand formal complexity and how to overcome it, and learn the basics of formal coverage.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Define reusable, functionally correct SVA properties that are efficient for formal tools. These shall use abstract auxiliary code to simplify descriptions, make code maintenance easier, reduce debug time, and reduce tool-proof runtime.
• Set up, run, and analyze results from formal analysis.
• Identify designs upon which formal is likely to be successful while understanding formal complexity issues and how to identify and overcome them.
• Use a systematic property development process to approach a completely new verification problem.
• Understand the basics of formal coverage.

 The most recently updated release includes new modules on:

• "Basic complexity handling" which discusses the complexity in formal and how to identify and handle them.
• "Complexity reduction methods” which discusses the complexity reduction methods and which is suitable for which type of complexity problem.
• “Coverage in formal” which discusses the basics of coverage in formal verification and how coverage can be used in formal.   

Take this course to learn the basics of formal verification. 

What's Next? 

You can check out the complete training: Jasper Formal Fundamentals. There is a free online version of the training available 24/7 for all customers with a Cadence Learning and Support Portal account. If you are interested in an instructor-led version of the training, please contact Cadence Training. And don't forget to obtain your digital badge after completing the training!

You can also check Jasper University page for more materials on formal analysis and Jasper apps. 

Related Trainings 

Jasper Formal Expert Training Course | Cadence

Verilog Language and Application Training Course | Cadence

SystemVerilog for Design and Verification Training Course | Cadence

SystemVerilog Assertions Training Course | Cadence

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Jasper Formal Property Verification (FPV) App: Basic Usage Demo (Video)

Jasper Formal Methodology playlist

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Verisium Debug, the Cadence unified debug platform, offers a variety of debugging capabilities, including RTL debug, UVM testbench debug, UPF debug, and DMS debug. From IP to SoC level debug, the user can take the benefits of the rich debugging features to reduce the time for debug.

Not only the common and advanced debug features, Verisium Debug also provides Python-based interface API, which enables capabilities allowing users to customize functions with Verisium Debug Python API to access from design, waveform databases and add functions to Verisium Debug’s GUI for visualization purposes. With Verisium Debug’s Python API, users can turn repetitive works into automatic programs or reduce efforts to create in-house utilities with well-established infrastructure from Verisium Debug.

Here is an example of how the user uses Python API to create a customized function. Users can write a Python program to extract signals in a specific design scope and report the values of the extracted signals. From Fig 1., you can understand the procedure of the traversal steps.

1. Import Python library in Verisium Debug package.
2. Setup the database for traversal.
3. Search the scope with the hierarchy information in the design DB.
4. Query the signal list and the values of the signals.
5. Print out the results.

Fig 1. Procedure of Verisium Debug Python Program

The result from the Verisium Debug Python App can be used for post-process design checking or fed into other utilities in the design flow.

The concept is very straightforward. With Verisium Debug and the Python API environment enabled, you can easily query any information that is stored in the databases of Verisium Debug. The result can be outputted in text format, or you can also use the API to display the results back to Verisium Debug’s GUI.

The Verisium Debug Python API is an important capability and resource for Verisium Debug users. To make Verisium Debug Python API easier to access, from Verisium Debug 24.10 release, Verisium Debug introduced the new Verisium Debug Python App Store.

Fig 2. Verisium Debug App Store

The Python App Store includes ready-to-use Python App examples with the availabilities of original source code documents, which help the user to understand how to start writing an app that fits their use case.

Fig 3. Example apps in Verisium Debug App Store

The Verisium Debug Python App Store can also be used by a team as an app management system. App creators can share the developed apps across teams within their companies. The in-house created apps will become easy to manage, and engineers can easily access the apps from the central location, which makes it possible for users to see the updated available Verisium Debug Apps from the Verisium Debug App Store.

Check the following videos for more information about Verisium Debug Python API:

Customize Verisium Debug with Python API

Verisium Debug Customized Apps with Python API

In SoC development, the verification cycle is a crucial phase that ensures products meet their specifications and function correctly. However, the complexity of modern SoC projects, with their constant data flow, multiple validation teams working in parallel, and tight schedules, presents significant challenges. This article explores these challenges and introduces Verisium Manager as a solution that embodies the 'One Tool Fits All' concept. This means that Verisium Manager is designed to handle all aspects of the verification process for SoC development, from planning to coverage analysis to regression testing, thereby addressing the complex needs of SoC verification.

The Hurdles in Traditional Validation Cycles

 A typical validation process involves planning, coverage analysis, and regression testing. This complexity is compounded by using separate tools for each activity, leading to multiple control environments, APIs, and databases, not to mention the array of tool owners. Such fragmentation results in constant data transfer and translation between systems, from the planning tool to the coverage analysis tool and then to the regression testing tool. This continuous movement of data causes delays, system instability, poor user experiences, and, ultimately, a dip in the quality of the validation process.

The use of multiple platforms leads to inefficiency and reduced productivity. What's needed is a unified system that can streamline the workflow, simplify the verification process, and enhance its effectiveness.

Envisioning the Ideal Solution: Verisium Manager

 The cornerstone of an efficient validation cycle is integration and simplicity. The ideal solution is a singular platform that consolidates planning, coverage analysis, and regression management into one smooth, unified process. Verisium Manager emerges as this much-needed solution, encompassing all the functionalities necessary to streamline the validation process. Its comprehensive nature instills confidence in its ability to handle all aspects of the verification cycle. It can be fully customized to address and enforce any validation methodology and can facilitate smooth integration into any customer environment.

Features that stand out in Verisium Manager include: 

• Unified Workflow: It acts as a single cockpit from which all activities are orchestrated, ensuring the validation teams' work is uninterrupted and seamlessly integrated.
• Customization and Integration: Verisium Manager supports customizing test-plan structures and mapping results per project, ensuring a perfect fit for various project requirements. Its ability to smoothly integrate into the project's environment and compute platforms is unparalleled.
• Support for Continuous Updates and Migration: The tool accommodates constant updates to project data and supports the migration of legacy data, ensuring that no historical data is lost in the transition to a new system.

Addressing Project-Specific Needs

 Verisium Manager recognizes diversity in different projects and offers project-specific solutions, including:

 Enforcing Project Test-Plan Structures and Attributes: It supports and enforces each project's unique test-plan structure and mapping guidelines.

• Unified Data Views and Measurements: Verisium Manager promotes a unified view of data across all teams and enforces unified measurements, ensuring consistency and clarity in the validation process.
• Enabling Project-Specific Actions and Integrations: The tool is designed to support project-specific actions directly from its graphical user interface and allows for smooth integration with in-house databases, dashboards, and the project execution stack.

Verisium Manager is the epitome of efficiency in software/hardware validation. Its differentiating features, such as support for customization, unified data view, and comprehensive coverage and regression requirements, make it an indispensable tool for any validation team looking to elevate their workflow.

The application of real-time data processing or responsiveness is crucial, such as in high-performance computing, data centers, or applications requiring low-latency data transfers. It enables efficient use of PCIe bandwidth and resources by intelligently managing memory write operations based on system dynamics and workload priorities. By effectively leveraging Deferrable Memory Write [DMWr], Devices can achieve optimized performance and responsiveness, aligning with the evolving demands of modern computing applications.

What Is Deferrable Memory Write?

Deferrable Memory Write (DMWr) ECN introduced this new memory transaction type, which was later officially incorporated in PCIe 5.0 to CXL2.0. This enhanced type of memory transaction is Deferrable Memory Write [DMWr], which flows as another type of existing Read/Write memory transaction; the major difference of this Deferrable Memory Write, where the Requester attempts to write to a given location in Memory Space using the non-posted DMWr TLP Type, it Postponing their completion of memory write transactions to improve overall system efficiency and performance, those memory write operation can be delay or deferred until other priority task complete.

The Deferrable Memory Write (DMWr) requires the Completer to return an acknowledgment to the Requester and provides a mechanism for the recipient to defer (temporarily refuse to service) the Request.

DMWr provides a mechanism for Endpoints and hosts to choose to carry out or defer incoming DMWr Requests. This mechanism can be used by Endpoints and Hosts to simplify the design of flow control, reduce latency, and improve throughput. The Deferrable Memory writes TLP format in Figure A.

(Fig A) Deferrable Memory writes TLP format.

Example Scenario

Here's how the DMWr works with a simplified example: Imagine a system with an endpoint device (Device A) and a host CPU (Device B). Device B wants to write data to Device A's memory, but due to varying reasons such as system bus congestion or prioritization of other transactions, Device A can defer the completion of the memory write request. Just follow these steps:

1. Initiation of Memory Write: Device B initiates a memory write transaction to Device A. This involves sending the memory write request along with the data payload over the PCIe physical layer link.
2. Acknowledgment and Deferral: Upon receiving the memory write request, Device A acknowledges the transaction but may decide to defer its completion. Device A sends an acknowledgment (ACK) back to Device B, indicating it has received the data and intends to complete the write operation but not immediately.
3. Deferred Completion: Device A defers the completion of the memory write operation to a later, more opportune time. This deferral allows Device A to prioritize other transactions or optimize the use of system resources, such as memory bandwidth or processor availability.
4. Completion and Response: At a later point, Device A completes the deferred memory write operation and sends a completion indication back to Device B. This completion typically includes any status updates or additional information related to the transaction.

Usage or Importance of DMWr

Deferrable Memory Write usage provides the improvement in the following aspects:

• Reduced Latency: By deferring less critical memory write operations, more critical transactions can be processed with lower latency, improving overall system responsiveness.
• Improved Efficiency: Optimizes the utilization of system resources such as memory bandwidth and CPU cycles, enhancing the efficiency of data transfers within the PCIe architecture.
• Enhanced Performance: Allows devices to manage and prioritize transactions dynamically, potentially increasing overall system throughput and reducing contention.

Challenges in the Implementation of DMWr Transactions

The implementation of deferrable memory writes (DMWr) introduces several advancements and challenges in terms of usage and verification:

1. Timing and Synchronization: DMWr allows transactions to be deferred, complicating timing requirements or completing them within acceptable timing windows to avoid protocol violations. Ensuring proper synchronization between devices becomes critical to prevent data loss or corruption.
2. Protocol Compliance: Verification must ensure compliance with ECN PCIe 6.0 and CXL specifications regarding when and how DMWr transactions can be initiated and completed.
3. Performance Optimization: While DMWr can improve overall system performance by reducing latency, verifying its impact on system performance and ensuring it meets expected benchmarks is crucial.
4. Error Handling: Handling errors related to deferred transactions adds complexity. Verifying error detection and recovery mechanisms under various scenarios (e.g., timeout during deferral) is essential.

Verification Challenges of DMWr Transactions

The challenges to verifying the DMWr transaction consist of all checks with respect to Function, Timing, Protocol compliance, improvement, Error scenario, and security usage on purpose, as well as Data integrity at the PCIe and CXL.

1. Functional Verification: Verifying the correct implementation of DMWr at both ends of the PCIe link (transmitter and receiver) to ensure proper functionality and adherence to specifications.
2. Timing Verification: Validating timing constraints associated with deferring writes and ensuring transactions are completed within specified windows without violating protocol rules.
3. Protocol Compliance Verification: Checking that DMWr transactions adhere to PCIe and CXL protocol rules, including ordering rules and any restrictions on deferral based on the transaction type.
4. Performance Verification: Assessing the impact of DMWr on overall system performance, including latency reduction and bandwidth utilization, through simulation and testing.
5. Error Scenario Verification: Creating and testing scenarios to verify error handling mechanisms related to DMWr, such as timeouts, retries, and recovery procedures.
6. Security Considerations: Assessing potential security vulnerabilities related to DMWr, such as data integrity risks during deferred transactions or exposure to timing-based attacks.

Major verification challenges and approaches are timing and synchronization verification in the context of implementing deferrable memory writes (DMWr), which is crucial due to the inherent complexities introduced by deferred transactions. Here are the key issues and approaches to address them:

Timing and Synchronization Issues

1. Transaction Completion Timing:
   • Issue: Ensuring deferred transactions are completed within the specified time window without violating protocol timing constraints.
   • Approach: Design an internal timer and checker to model worst-case scenarios where transactions are deferred and verify that they are complete within allowable latency limits. This involves simulating various traffic loads and conditions to assess timing under different scenarios.
2. Ordering and Dependencies:
   • Issue: Verifying that transactions deferred using DMWr maintain the correct ordering and dependencies relative to non-deferred transactions.
   • Approach: Implement test scenarios that include mixed traffic of DMWr and non-DMWr transactions. Verify through simulation or emulation that dependencies and ordering requirements are correctly maintained across the PCIe link.
3. Interrupt Handling and Response Times:
   • Issue: Verify the handling of interrupts and ensure timely responses from devices involved in DMWr transactions.
   • Approach: Implement test cases that simulate interrupt generation during DMWr transactions. Measure and verify the response times to interrupts to ensure they meet system latency requirements.

In conclusion, while deferrable memory writes in PCIe and CXL offer significant performance benefits, their implementation and verification present several challenges related to timing, protocol compliance, performance optimization, and error handling. Addressing these challenges requires rigorous testing and testbench of traffic, advanced verification methodologies, and a thorough understanding of PCIe specifications and also the motivation behind introducing this Deferrable Write is effectively used in the CXL further. Outcomes of Deferrable Memory Write verify that the performance benefits of DMWr (reduced latency, improved throughput) are achieved without compromising timing integrity or violating protocol specifications.

In summary, PCIe and CXL are complex protocols with many verification challenges. You must understand many new Spec changes and consider the robust verification plan for the new features and backward compatible tests impacted by new features. Cadence's PCIe 6.0 Verification IP is fully compliant with the latest PCIe Express 6.0 specifications and provides an effective and efficient way to verify the components interfacing with the PCIe 6.0 interface. Cadence VIP for PCIe 6.0 provides exhaustive verification of PCIe-based IP and SoCs, and we are working with Early Adopter customers to speed up every verification stage.

More Information

• For more info on how Cadence PCIe Verification IP and TripleCheck VIP enable users to confidently verify PCIe 6.0, see our VIP for PCI Express, VIP for Compute Express Link, and TripleCheck for PCI Express
• See the PCI-SIG website for more details on PCIe in general and the different PCI standards.

Cadence Protium prototyping platforms rapidly bring up an SoC or system prototype and provide a pre-silicon platform for early software development, SoC verification, system validation, and hardware regressions. In this Training W ebinar, we will explore debugging using Save/Restart on Protium X2 . This feature saves execution time and lets you focus on actual debugging. The system state can be saved before the bug appears and restartS directly from there without spending time in initial execution. We’ll cover key concepts and applications, explore Save/Restart performance metrics, and provide examples to help you understand the concepts. Agenda: The key concepts of debugging using save/restart Capabilities, limitations, and performance metrics Some examples to enable and use save/restart on the Protium X2 system Date and Time Thursday, November 7, 2024 07:00 PST San Jose / 10:00 EST New York / 15:00 GMT London / 16:00 CET Munich / 17:00 IST Jerusalem / 20:30 IST Bangalore / 23:00 CST Beijing REGISTER To register for this webinar, sign in with your Cadence Support account (email ID and password) to log in to the Learning and Support System*. Then select Enrol to register for the session. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing all login details. A quick reminder: If you haven’t received a registration confirmation within 1 hour of registering, please check your spam folder and ensure your pop-up blockers are off and cookies are enabled. For issues with registration or other inquiries, reach out to eur_training_webinars@cadence.com . Want to See More Webinars? You can find recordings of all past webinars here Like This Topic? Take this opportunity and register for the free online course related to this webinar topic: Protium Introduction Training The course includes slides with audio and downloadable lab exercises designed to emphasize the topics covered in the lecture. There is also a Digital Badge available for the training. Want to share this and other great Cadence learning opportunities with someone else? Tell them to subscribe . Hungry for Training? Choose the Cadence Training Menu that’s right for you. To view our complete training offerings, visit the Cadence Training website . Related Courses Protium Introduction Training Course | Cadence Palladium Introduction Training Course | Cadence Related Blogs Training Insights – A New Free Online Course on the Protium System for Beginner and Advanced Users Training Insights – Palladium Emulation Course for Beginner and Advanced Users Related Training Bytes Protium Flow Steps for Running Design on Protium System ICE and IXCOM mode comparison ICE compile flow IXCOM compile flow PATH settings for using Protium System Please see the course learning maps for a visual representation of courses and course relationships. Regional course catalogs may be viewed here

The Sigrity and Systems Analysis (SIGRITY/SYSANLS) 2024.1 release is now available for download at Cadence Downloads . For the list of CCRs fixed in this release, see the README.txt file in the installation hierarchy. SIGRITY/SYSANLS 2024.1 Here is a list of some of the key updates in the SIGRITY/SYSANLS 2024.1 release: For more details about these and all the other new and enhanced features introduced in this release , refer to the following document: Sigrity Release Overview and Common Tools What's New . Supported Platforms and Operating Systems Platform and Architecture X86_64 (lnx86) Windows (64 bit) Development OS RHEL 8.4 Windows Server 2022 Supported OS RHEL 8.4 and above RHEL 9 SLES 15 (SP3 and above) Windows 10 Windows 11 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2022 Systems Analysis 2024.1 Clarity 3D Solver Clarity 3D Layout Structure Optimization Workflow : A new workflow, Clarity 3D Layout Structure Optimization Workflow, has been added to Clarity 3D Layout. This workflow integrates Allegro PCB Designer with Clarity 3D Layout for high-speed structure optimization. Component Geometry Model Editor : The new Clarity 3D Layout editor lets you set up ports, solder bumps/balls/extrusions, and two-terminal and multi-terminal circuits using a single GUI. Coaxial Open Port Option Added to Port Setup Wizard : The Coaxial Open Port option lets you create ports for each target net pin and reference net pin in Clarity 3D Layout. The nearby reference net pins are then used as a reference for each target net pin, reducing the number of ports needed. In addition, the ports of unused reference net pins are shorted to the ground. Parametric Import Option Added : Two new options, Parametric Import and Default Import , have been added to the Tools – Launch Clarity3DWorkbench menu. The Parametric Import option lets you import the design along with its parameters into Clarity 3D Workbench. The Default Import option lets you ignore the parameters when importing the design into Clarity 3D Workbench. Component Library Added to Generate 3D Components : Clarity 3D Workbench now includes a new component library that lets you use predefined 3D component templates or add existing 3D components to create 3D designs and simulation models. AI-Powered Content Search Capability : Clarity 3D Workbench and Clarity 3D Transient Solver now support an AI-powered capability for searching the content and displaying relevant information. Expression Parser to Handle Undefined Parameters : Clarity 3D Workbench and Clarity 3D Transient Solver support writing expressions or equations containing undefined parameters in the Property window to describe a simulation variable. The improved expression parser automatically detects any undefined parameter in an expression and prompts users to specify their values. This capability lets you define a model or a simulation variable as a function instead of specifying static values. For detailed information, refer to Clarity 3D Layout User Guide and Clarity 3D Workbench User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Clarity 3D Transient Solver Mesh Processing Improved to Simulate Large Use Cases : Clarity 3D Transient Solver leverages a new meshing algorithm that enhances overall mesh processing, specifically for large designs and use cases. The new algorithm dramatically improves the mesh quality, minimum mesh size, number of mesh key points, total mesh number, and memory usage. Advanced Material Processing Engine : The material processing capability has been enhanced to handle thin outer metal, which previously resulted in open and short issues in some designs. In addition, the material processing engine offers improved mode extraction for particular use cases, including waveguide and coaxial designs. Characteristic Impedance Calculation Improved : The solver engine now uses a new analytical calculation method to calculate the characteristic impedance of coaxial designs with improved accuracy. For detailed information, refer to Clarity 3D Transient Solver User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Celsius Studio Celsius Interchange Model Introduced : Celsius Studio now supports Celsius Interchange Model generation, which is a 3D model derived from detailed physical designs for multi-physics and multi-scale analysis. This Celsius Interchange Model file ( .cim ) serves as a design information carrier across Celsius Studio tools, enabling a variety of simulation and analysis tasks . Celsius 3DIC Thermal Workflow Improvements : The Thermal Simulation workflows in Celsius 3DIC have been significantly enhanced. Key improvements include: Advanced Power Setup with Transient Power Function and Multi Mode options Enhanced GUI for the Mesh Control and Simulation Control tabs Improved meshing capabilities Celsius Interchange Model ( .cim ) generation Material library support for block and connections Import of Heat Transfer Coefficients (HTCs) from a CFD file Bump creation through the Bump Array Wizard Layer Stackup CSV file generation Celsius 3DIC Warpage and Stress Workflow Enhancements : The Warpage and Stress workflow in Celsius 3DIC has undergone significant improvements, such as: Improved multi-stage warpage simulation flow for 3DIC packaging process Enhanced GUI for the Mesh Control , Simulation Control , and Stress Boundary Conditions tabs Support for large deformations and temperature profiles Bump creation through the Bump Array Wizard New constraint types Enhanced meshing capabilities Geometric Nonlinearity Support in Warpage and Stress Analysis : Large deformation analysis is now supported in warpage and stress studies. This study uses the Total Lagrangian approach to model geometric nonlinearities in simulation, which allows accurate prediction of final deformations. Thermal Network Extraction and Simulation : In the solid extraction flow in Celsius 3D Workbench, you can now import area-based power map files to create terminals. For designs with multiple blocks, this capability allows automatic terminal creation, eliminating the need to manually create and set up 2D sheets individually. Additionally, thermal throttling feature is now supported in Celsius Thermal Network. This makes it ideal for preliminary analyses or when a quick estimation is required. It runs significantly faster than 3D models, allowing for quicker iterations and more efficient decision-making. For detailed information, refer to the Celsius 3DIC User Guide , Celsius Layout User Guide and Celsius 3D Workbench User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Sigrity 2024.1 Layout Workbench Improved Graphical User Interface : A new option, Use Improved User Interface , has been added in the Themes page of the Options dialog box in the Layout Workbench GUI. In the new GUI, the toolbar icons and menu options have been enhanced and rearranged. For detailed information, refer to Layout Workbench User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Broadband SPICE Python Script Integration with Command Line for Simulation Tasks : Broadband SPICE lets you run Python scripts directly from the command line for performing simulation and analysis. The new -py and *.py options make it easier to integrate Python scripts with the command-line operations. This update streamlines the process of automating and customizing simulations from the command line, which makes your simulation tasks faster and easier. For detailed information, refer to Broadband SPICE User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Celsius PowerDC Block Power Assignment (BPA) File Format Support : PowerDC now supports the BPA file format. Similar to the Pin Location (PLOC) file, the BPA file is a current assignment file that defines the total current of a power grid cell, which is then equally distributed across the power pins within the cell. This provides better control over the power distribution. Ability to Run Multiple IR Drop Cases Sequentially : You can now select multiple result sinks from the Current-Limited IR Drop flow and run IR Drop analysis for them sequentially. PowerDC automatically runs the simulations in sequence after you select multiple result sinks. This saves time by automating the process. Enhanced Support for Mixed Conversion Devices : PowerDC now supports mixing different conversion devices, such as switching regulators and linear regulators within a single DC-DC/LDO instance. This enhancement offers added flexibility by letting you configure each instance in your design according to your specific needs. For detailed information, refer to PowerDC User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. PowerSI Monte Carlo Method Added : A new option, Monte Carlo Method, has been added in the Optimality dialog box. This option lets you create multiple random samples to depict variations in the input parameters and assess the output. Channel Check Optimization Added : The S-Parameter Assessment workflow in PowerSI now supports Channel Check Optimization . It uses the AI-driven Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) technology that lets you optimize your design quickly and efficiently with no accuracy loss. For detailed information, refer to PowerSI User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. SPEEDEM Multi-threaded Matrix Solver Support Added : The Enable Multi-threaded Matrix Solver check box has been added that lets you accelerate the simulation speed for high-performance computing. This check box provides two options, Automatic and Always, to include the -lhpc4 or -lhpc5 parameter, respectively, in the SPEEDEM Simulator (SPDSIM) before running the simulation. For detailed information, refer to the SPEEDEM User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. XtractIM Options to Skip or Calculate Special DC-R Simulation Results : The Skip DC_R of Each Path and Only DC_R of Each Path options have been added to the Setup menu. Skip DC_R of Each Path : This option lets you skip the calculation of the DC-R result during the simulation. Other results, such as SPICE T-model , RL_C of Each Path , Coupling of Each Path , etc., are still calculated. Only DC_R of Each Path : This option lets you calculate the DC-R result only during the simulation. Other results, such as SPICE T-model , RL_C of Each Path , Coupling of Each Path , etc., are not calculated. Color Assignment for Pin Matching : The MCP Auto Connection window includes the Display Color Editor , which lets you assign a color for pin matching. It helps you easily identify the matching pins in the left and right sections of the MCP Auto Connection window . Ability to Save Simulations Individually : The Save each simulation individually check box has been added to the Tools - Options - Edit Options - Simulation (Basic) - General form. Select this check box and run the simulation to generate a simulation results folder containing files and logs with a timestamp for each simulation. Reuse of SPD File Settings : The XtractIM setup check box lets you import an existing package setup to reuse the configurations and settings from one .spd file to another. For detailed information, refer to XtractIM User Guide on the Cadence Support portal. Documentation Enhancements Cloud-Based Help System Upgraded The cloud-based help system, Doc Assistant, has been upgraded to version 24.10, which contains several new features and enhancements over the previous 2.03 version. Sigrity Release Team Please send your questions and feedback to sigrity_rmt@cadence.com .

Wild River Technology (WRT), the leading supplier of signal integrity measurement and optimization test fixtures for high-speed channels at data rates of up to 224G, has announced the availability of a new advanced channel modeling solution that helps achieve extreme signal integrity design to 70GHz. Read the press release. The CMP-70 program continues the industry-first simulation-to-measurement collaboration with Cadence that was initially established with the CMP-50. Significant resources were dedicated to the development of the CMP-70 by Cadence and WRT over almost three years. The CMP-70 will be on display at DesignCon 2025 , January 28-30, in Cadence booth 827 to benchmark the Cadence Clarity 3D Solver . “I am not a fan of hype-based programs that simply get attention,” remarked Alfred P. Neves, WRT’s co-founder and chief technical officer. “Both Cadence and Wild River brought substantial skills to the table in this project as we continued our industry-first simulation-to-measurement collaboration. The result is a proven, robust and accurate platform that brings extreme signal integrity to 70GHz designs. This application package has also been instrumental in demonstrating the robust 3D EM simulation capability of the Cadence Clarity solver.” “We’re delighted to continue the joint development and validation program with WRT that started with the CMP-50,” said Gary Lytle, product management director at Cadence. “The skilled and experienced signal integrity technologists that both companies bring to the program results in a superior signal integrity solution for our mutual customers.” CMP-70 Solution Features The solution is available both in a standard configuration and as a custom solution for customer-specific stackups and fabrication. The primary target application is to support a 3D EM solver analysis modeling versus the time- and frequency-domain measurement methodologies. The solution features include: The CMP-70 platform, assembled and 100% TDR NIST traceable tested, with custom stands Material Identification overview web-based meeting including anisotropic 3D material identification A cross-section PCB report and structures for using as-fabricated geometries Measured S-parameters, pre-tested for quality (passivity/causality and resampled for time domain simulations) A host of novel crosstalk structures suited for 112G HD level project analysis PCB layout design files (NDA required) An EDA starter library including loss models with industry-first accurate surface roughness models Comprehensive training available for 3D EM analysis – correspondence, material ID in X-Y and Z axis for a host of EDA tools Industry-First Hausdorff Technique The WRT application package also includes an industry-first modified Hausdorff (MHD) technique , included as MATLAB code. This algorithmic approach provides an accurate way to compare two sets of measurements in multi-dimensional space to determine how well they match. The technique is used to compare the results simulated by the Clarity solver with those measured on the CMP-70 platform. The methodology and initial results are shown in the figure below, where the figure of merit (FOM) is calculated from 10, 35, and finally to 50GHz. The MHD algorithm requires a MATLAB license, but WRT also accommodates customer data as another option, where WRT provides the comparison between measured and simulated data. Additional Resources If you are attending DesignCon 2025 , be sure to stop by Cadence booth 827 to see WRT’s CMP-70 advanced channel modeling solution in action with the Clarity 3D Solver. Check out our on-demand webinar, " Validating Clarity 3D Solver Accuracy Through Measurement Correlation ." Learn more about the CMP-70 solution and the Clarity 3D Solver . For more information about Cadence’s full suite of integrated multiphysics simulation solutions, download our Multiphysics System Analysis Solutions Portfolio .

As a verification engineer, you’re surely looking for ways to automate the debugging process. Have you developed your own scripts to ease specific debugging steps that tools don’t offer? Working with scripts locally and manually is challenging—so is reusing and organizing them. What if there was a way to create your own app with the required functionality and register it with the tool? The answer to that question is “Yes!” The Verisium Debug Python App Store lets you instantly add additional features and capabilities to your Verisium Debug Application using Python Apps that interact with Verisium Debug via the Python API. Join me, Principal Education Application Engineer Bhairava Prasad, for this Training Webinar and discover the Verisium Debug Python App Store. The app store allows you to search for existing apps, learn about them, install or uninstall them, and even customize existing apps. Date and Time Wednesday, November 20, 2024 07:00 PST San Jose / 10:00 EST New York / 15:00 GMT London / 16:00 CET Munich / 17:00 IST Jerusalem / 20:30 IST Bangalore / 23:00 CST Beijing REGISTER To register for this webinar, sign in with your Cadence Support account (email ID and password) to log in to the Learning and Support System*. Then select Enroll to register for the session. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing all login details. A quick reminder: If you haven’t received a registration confirmation within one hour of registering, please check your spam folder and ensure your pop-up blockers are off and cookies are enabled. For issues with registration or other inquiries, reach out to eur_training_webinars@cadence.com . Like this topic? Take this opportunity and register for the free online course related to this webinar topic: Verisium Debug Training To view our complete training offerings, visit the Cadence Training website Want to share this and other great Cadence learning opportunities with someone else? Tell them to subscribe . Hungry for Training? Choose the Cadence Training Menu that’s right for you. Related Courses Xcelium Simulator Training Course | Cadence Related Blogs Unveiling the Capabilities of Verisium Manager for Optimized Operations - Verification - Cadence Blogs - Cadence Community Verisium SimAI: SoC Verification with Unprecedented Coverage Maximization - Corporate News - Cadence Blogs - Cadence Community Verisium SimAI: Maximizing Coverage, Minimizing Bugs, Unlocking Peak Throughput - Verification - Cadence Blogs - Cadence Community Related Training Bytes Introducing Verisium Debug (Video) (cadence.com) Introduction to UVM Debug of Verisium Debug (Video) (cadence.com) Verisium Debug Customized Apps with Python API Please see course learning maps a visual representation of courses and course relationships. Regional course catalogs may be viewed here . *If you don’t have a Cadence Support account, go to Cadence User Registration and complete the requested information. Or visit Registration Help .

In this edition of the Women in CFD series, we feature Vassiliki Moschou, aka Vicky, senior supervisor at BETA CAE, now part of Cadence. Her career journey serves as an inspiration for anyone who believes that studying in one field and working in another is less desirable. Vicky demonstrates how knowledge gained in one discipline can be effectively applied in another, often providing fresh and intriguing insights. Join us in this conversation to learn more about Vicky, her career path, and her advice for those considering a career in a field different from their studies. Tell us something about yourself. I've lived all my 41 years in the vibrant city of Thessaloniki, Greece. I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and together we're raising two incredible daughters who are 11 and almost 8 years old. These girls are absolutely the center of my world, and every day with them feels like a gift. My entire life, including where I have built my career and family, is deeply rooted in Thessaloniki. It's not just where I am from; it's a big part of who I am. Could you share your educational background and how you first became interested in computational fluid dynamics (CFD)? In 2001, I started my academic journey at the Computer Science Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , where I focused on studying signal processing and artificial intelligence. This field fascinated me, and I pursued a master’s degree in the same area to further my expertise. Concurrently, I was involved in European research programs on signal/audio processing and machine learning methodologies. It became evident early on that my career would revolve around software engineering, a path I was fully prepared to pursue. However, everything took a turn when I joined BETA CAE in 2008. It was there that I was introduced to the field of CFD, which was completely unfamiliar to me at the time. This presented a new challenge that I eagerly accepted. I received support from all my colleagues, but I was primarily mentored by two brilliant and dedicated engineers, Michael Giannakidis and Vangelis Skaperdas , who introduced me to the world of CFD. Over time, what was once an unknown territory for me has become my passion. My journey through CFD has been a significant part of my professional growth. In my 30s, I pursued and completed a PhD in systems physiology in collaboration with the Medical and Computer Science Departments of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Our research focused on examining the EGF-activated MAPK pathway (often associated with cancer) from the perspective of complex self-organizing systems. Using graph theory, signal processing, and machine learning, we extracted information from the signals observed in this dynamic, distributed biological system to target novel drug development. What are the different positions you have held within the company, and what responsibilities do you currently hold? I started my career as a junior engineer at BETA CAE (now Cadence). It was a role that plunged me deep into the fascinating worlds of software and CFD, a crucial time of my career filled with learning and growth. My hard work and dedication didn't go unnoticed, and after a few years, I was promoted. That promotion was the first step on a career ladder that I've been ascending ever since. Now, I'm in the position of a senior supervisor. Though my job now involves a wide range of managerial tasks, I'm still deeply passionate about the technical side of things. I love writing code and working through the complexities of our projects, merging my leadership responsibilities with my enthusiasm for the technical facets of our work. What would you be doing if not working in CFD? Had my career taken a different trajectory, I envision myself in a role deeply embedded in human connections—perhaps as the owner of a quaint bakery or a cozy hotel, a teacher, or even venturing into human resources. There's a certain allure in careers that foster direct engagement with people, creating experiences and memories. In fact, I have an inherent desire to connect and communicate with people, aspects that are fundamentally different yet equally fulfilling as my current career. What are some of your favorite pastimes and hobbies? Family is at the center of my leisure time. We love taking short trips to the village, hanging out with our friends, and connecting. Our activities range from solving puzzles in escape rooms to passionately cheering at basketball games, especially since my older daughter has taken up the sport. But beyond these activities, being a mother is my most cherished pastime. The moments I share with my daughters, the lessons we learn together, and the joy we find in everyday adventures are what I hold dear. What are your thoughts on women in technical fields? The landscape for women in technical fields is gradually transforming, a change I observe with optimism and hope. In Greece, the increasing presence of women in engineering is a positive sign. In Cadence specifically, the representation of women is high compared to other tech companies. As a mother to two daughters, I am acutely aware of the importance of being a role model to them. It's crucial to demonstrate that aspirations should not be limited by gender and that the technical field is as much a place for women as it is for men. Encouraging this mindset is vital for the progress of our society and for the empowerment of the next generation of women in technology. Advice from Vicky for those considering a career in a field different from their studies: Learning is a lifelong journey. Embrace every challenge as an opportunity to grow and learn something new. Stay curious and adaptable to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology. Being labeled an 'expert' is less important than the willingness to learn and adapt. Finding happiness in your work can lead to natural success. In the epoch of artificial intelligence, train the most powerful neural network: your brain. At Cadence, our commitment is towards establishing an inclusive workspace where women feel empowered to achieve their professional best. Anchored by our One Cadence—One Team ethos, we take pride in fostering a community where our driven, devoted, and skilled women employees excel, making exceptional contributions to our customers, communities, and one another. Are you just like Vicky, venturing beyond your academic background, and considering a career in a different domain while being surrounded by an encouraging and uplifting atmosphere? Then, you won't want to miss exploring career opportunities at Cadence—celebrated as 'A Great Place for Women to Work'! Click the button below to discover your next adventure! Learn more about Cadence Fem.AI Alliance, which aims to lead the gender equity revolution in the AI workforce.

DDR5 DIMM Architectures The DDR5 generation of Double Data Rate DRAM memories has experienced rapid adoption in recent years. In particular, the JEDEC-defined DDR5 Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) cards have become a mainstay for systems looking for high-density, high-bandwidth, off-chip random access memory[1]. Within a short time, the DIMM architecture evolved from an interconnected hierarchy of only SDRAM memory devices (UDIMM[2]) to complex subsystems of interconnected components (RDIMM/LRDIMM/MRDIMM[3]). DIMM Designs and Popular Verification Use Cases The growing complexity of the DIMMs presented a challenge for pre-silicon verification engineers who could no longer simply validate against single DDR5 SDRAM memory models. They needed to consider how their designs would perform against DIMMs connected to each channel and operating at gigahertz clock speeds. To address this verification gap, Cadence developed DDR5 DIMM Memory Models that encapsulated all of the architectural complexities presented by real-world DIMMs based on a robust, easy-to-use, easy-to-debug, and easy-to-reconfigure methodology. This memory-subsystem-in-a-single-instance model has seen explosive adoption among the traditional IP Developer and SOC Integrator customers of Cadence Memory Models. The Cadence DIMM models act as a single unit with all of the relevant DIMM components instantiated and interconnected within, and with all AC/Timing parameters among the various components fully matched out-of-the-box, based on JEDEC specifications as well as datasheets of actual devices in the market. The typical use-case for the DIMM models has been where the DUT is a DDR5 Memory Controller + PHY IP stack, and the validation plan mandated compliance with the JEDEC standards and Memory Device vendor datasheets. Unique Use Case for the DIMM Discrete Component Models Although the Cadence DIMM models have enjoyed tremendous proliferation because of their cohesive implementation and unified user API, the actual DIMM Models are built on top of powerful, flexible discrete component models, each of which was designed to stand on its own as a complete SystemVerilog UVM-based VIP. All of these discrete component models exist in the Cadence VIP Catalog as standalone VIPs, complete with their own protocol compliance checking capabilities and their own configuration mappings comprehensively modeling individual AC/Timing parameters. Because of this deliberate design decision, the Cadence DIMM Discrete Component Models can support a unique use-case scenario. Some users seek to develop IC Designs for the various DIMM components. Such users need verification environments that can model the individual components of a DIMM and allow them the option to replace one or another component with their Component Design IP. They can then validate that their component design is fully compatible with the rest of the components on the DIMM and meets the integrity of the overall DIMM compliance with JEDEC standards or Memory Vendor datasheets. The Cadence Memory VIP portfolio today includes various examples that demonstrate how customers can create DIMM “wrappers” by selecting from among the available DIMM discrete component models and “stitching” them together to build their own custom testbench around their specific Component Design IP. A Solution for Unique Component Scenarios The Cadence DDR5 DIMM Memory Models and DIMM Discrete Component Models can provide users with a flexible approach to validating their specific component designs with a fully populated pre-silicon environment. Augmented Verification Capabilities When the DIMM “wrapper” model is augmented with the Cadence DFI VIP[4] that can simulate an MC+PHY stack and offers a SystemVerilog UVM test API to the verification engineer, the overall testbench transforms into a formidable pre-silicon validation vehicle. The DFI VIP is designed as a combination of an independent DFI MC VIP and a DFI PHY VIP connected to each other via the DFI Standard Interface and capable of operating seamlessly as a single unit. It presents a UVM Sequence API to the user into the DFI MC VIP with the Memory Interface of the PHY VIP connected to the DIMM “wrapper” model. With this testbench in hand, the user can then fully take advantage of the UVM Sequence Library that comes with the DFI VIP to enable deep validation of their Component Design inside the DIMM “wrapper” model. Verification Capabilities Further Enhanced A possible further enhancement comes with the potential addition of an instance of the Cadence DIMM Memory Model in a Passive Monitor mode at the DRAM Memory Interface. The DIMM Passive Monitor consumes the same configuration describing the DIMM “wrapper” in the testbench, and thus can act as a reference model for the DIMM wrapper. If the DIMM Passive Monitor responds successfully to accesses from the DFI VIP, but the DIMM wrapper does not, then it exposes potential bugs in the DUT Components or in the settings of their AC/Timing parameters inside the DIMM wrapper. Debuggability, Interface Visibility, and Protocol Compliance One of the key benefits of the DIMM Discrete Component Models that become manifest, whether in terms of the unique use-case scenario described here, or when working with the wholly unified DDR5 DIMM Memory Models, is the increased debuggability of the protocol functionality. The intentional separation of the discrete components of a DIMM allows the user to have full visibility of the memory traffic at every datapath landmark within a DIMM structure. For example, in modeling an LRDIMM or MRDIMM, the interface between the RCD component and the SDRAM components, the interface between the RCD component and the DB components, and the interface between the SDRAM components and the DB components—all are visible and accessible to the user. The user has full access to dump the values and states of the wire interconnects at these interfaces to the waveform viewer and thus can observe and correlate the activity against any protocol violations flagged in the trace logs by any one or more of the DIMM Discrete Component Models. Access to these interfaces is freely available when using the DIMM Discrete Component Models. On the unified DDR5 DIMM Memory Models, a feature called Debug Ports enables the same level of visibility into the individual interconnects amidst the SDRAM components, RCD components, and DB components. When combined with the Waveform Debugger[5] capability that comes built-in with the VIPs and Memory Models offered by Cadence and used with the Cadence Verisium Debug[6] tool, the enhanced debuggability becomes a powerful platform. With these debug accesses enabled, the user can pull out transaction streams, chip state and bank state streams, mode register streams, and error message streams all right next to their RTL signals in the same Verisium Debug waveform viewer window to debug failures all in one place. The Verisium Debug tool also parses all of the log files to probe and extract messages into a fully integrated Smart Log in a tabbed window fully hyperlinked to the waveform viewer, all at your fingertips. A Solution for Every Scenario Cadence's DDR5 DIMM Memory Models and DIMM Discrete Component Models , partnered with the Cadence DFI VIP, can provide users with a robust and flexible approach to validating their designs thoroughly and effectively in pre-silicon verification environments ahead of tapeout commitments. The solution offers unparalleled latitude in debuggability when the Debug Ports and Waveform Debugger functions of the Memory Models are switched on and boosted with the use of the Cadence Verisium Debug tool. [1] Shyam Sharma, DDR5 DIMM Design and Verification Considerations , 13 Jan 2023. [2] Shyam Sharma, DDR5 UDIMM Evolution to Clock Buffered DIMMs (CUDIMM) , 23 Sep 2024. [3] Kos Gitchev, DDR5 12.8Gbps MRDIMM IP: Powering the Future of AI, HPC, and Data Centers , 26 Aug 2024. [4] Chetan Shingala and Salehabibi Shaikh, How to Verify JEDEC DRAM Memory Controller, PHY, or Memory Device? , 29 Mar 2022. [5] Rahul Jha, Cadence Memory Models - The Gold Standard , 15 Apr 2024. [6] Manisha Pradhan, Accelerate Design Debugging Using Verisium Debug , 11 Jul 2023.

Each November, we are reminded of the bravery and dedication of those who have served our country. At Cadence, we thank our Veteran employees for their patriotism by reaffirming our commitment to honoring their sacrifices and recognizing their contributions to our business success. Our diverse and inclusive culture is strengthened by the unique perspective of our Veteran employees, and we are proud to support the Veterans Inclusion Group as a space for community members and their allies to connect. In celebration of Veterans Day, we were excited to catch up with Johnathan Edmonds, Veterans Inclusion Group Lead and Design Engineering Director, for a heartfelt chat on his journey through military service to leadership within Cadence. Throughout the conversation, he shared the importance of creating space for Veterans, the skills they offer, and his aspirations for what the Veterans Inclusion Group will achieve in the years ahead. Oh yeah, and he flies planes, too! Join us as we dive into what makes this holiday special for so many across the nation and how we can respectfully commemorate it together. Johnathan, you’re a retired Air Force Reservist, pilot, and now a Design Engineering Director. Can you tell us about your journey from the military to your current role at Cadence? I started my military and electronics journey in the Navy. I enlisted at 18 and served for six years as an aviation electronics technician. During this time, I was able to learn about and repair electronics on planes. This set me up for success, and when I was honorably discharged, I attended Virginia Tech to study computer engineering. Once I graduated, I continued my career as an engineer, but I still wanted to be a military pilot. From my past experience, I knew the reserves were an option where I could learn to fly and still have a civilian career. Not only was I lucky enough to get selected to go to pilot training, but after I returned from flight school, my luck grew, and I was hired at Cadence. Cadence has supported me throughout my military career, which has been a great benefit, as many companies don’t support reservists. The best thing about serving and being employed at Cadence is how I could blend my skill sets to further the Air Force’s mission and achieve great things in engineering. As the first lead of Cadence’s Veterans Inclusion Group, you played an integral part in growing our culture and building community at the company since launching the group four years ago. What inspired you to take on the role of Inclusion Group Lead? I was inspired by three things: camaraderie, service, and outreach. I wanted to see if we could achieve a similar sense of community through the Veterans Inclusion Group as we had during our service life. I also wanted to see how we could better serve our Veterans here at Cadence. I wanted to explore any benefits that could be expanded, roles that could be developed by Vets, and, lastly, I wanted to serve a broader community. COVID-19 put a damper on some of the community support, but we are getting back on track with Veteran employment programs and volunteer efforts like Carry the Load and Gold Star Families. Why is it important to have this space dedicated to Veteran employees? There are many reasons! Networking, for one, creates a stronger, more unified Cadence culture. Two, Vets face a variety of issues not generally understood by those who have not served, such as PTSD, where to get help for disabilities, how to get an old medical record, etc. As I mentioned, I’m also passionate about connecting Veterans with employment and job opportunities. It is so nice to work for a company that actively recruits Vets. We have our own “language,” if you will, so it’s nice to have a space to talk in the language that we are familiar with. What have been some of your favorite moments leading this group over the past few years? Are there any “wins” that you would like to recognize? We have a lot of wins. Events held during COVID-19 and getting past COVID-19, donating to worthwhile causes, and hosting guest speakers are all fantastic milestones and accomplishments. That said, the biggest win is the hiring of new Veteran employees. Mark Murphy, Corporate VP of Sales Operations, and I have both welcomed Vets to our team during this time, and it is such a joy to watch what someone can do when given the opportunity to succeed in the right environment. As you are set to transition out of the lead role next year, what do you hope to see the Veterans Inclusion Group accomplish next? My hope is that the Veterans Inclusion Group partners with other companies, expanding our reach externally and exploring new opportunities to engage Veterans outside of Cadence. Johnathan (left) speaks on an inclusion group panel, along with David Sallard (center), lead of Cadence's Black Inclusion Group and Sr. Principal Application Engineer; Christina Jamerson (on screen), lead of Cadence's Abilities Inclusion Group and Demand Generation Director; and Dianne Rambke (right), lead of Cadence's Latinx Inclusion Group and Marketing Communications Director. What are the important ways that people can signal inclusion and respectfully honor Veterans at work? What are the most meaningful or impactful actions employees everywhere can take to support Veteran coworkers? I think there is one answer to both questions. I recommend that people engage with their companies’ employee resource groups (ERGs) and have conversations with them. Opening up the lines of communication will lead to new paths in their journeys. What are you looking forward to in 2025, both personally and professionally? In 2025, professionally, I am looking forward to taking mixed-signal systems and verification to another level by including emulation, automatic model generation, and seeing which boundaries we can push in our SerDes and Chiplets products. Personally, I am looking forward to making my SXS street legal so I can drive places without getting a ticket, seeing my children participate in sports, church, and school, and taking my wife on vacation to Europe or somewhere else we can unplug. Learn more about Cadence’s Inclusion Groups, diverse culture, and commitment to belonging.

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is a high-speed interface standard widely used for connecting processors, memory, and peripherals. With the increasing reliance on PCIe to handle sensitive data and critical high-speed data transfer, ensuring data integrity and encryption during verification is the most essential goal. As we know, in the field of verification, randomization is a key technique that drives robust PCIe verification. It introduces unpredictability to simulate real-world conditions and uncover hidden bugs from the design. This blog examines the significance of randomization in PCIe IDE verification, focusing on how it ensures data integrity and encryption reliability, while also highlighting the unique challenges it presents. For more relevant details and understanding on PCIe IDE you can refer to Introducing PCIe's Integrity and Data Encryption Feature . The Importance of Data Integrity and Data Encryption in PCIe Devices Data Integrity : Ensures that the transmitted data arrives unchanged from source to destination. Even minor corruption in data packets can compromise system reliability, making integrity a critical aspect of PCIe verification. Data Encryption : Protects sensitive data from unauthorized access during transmission. Encryption in PCIe follows a standard to secure information while operating at high speeds. Maintaining both data integrity and data encryption at PCIe’s high-speed data transfer rate of 64GT/s in PCIe 6.0 and 128GT/s in PCIe 7.0 is essential for all end point devices. However, validating these mechanisms requires comprehensive testing and verification methodologies, which is where randomization plays a very crucial role. You can refer to Why IDE Security Technology for PCIe and CXL? for more details on this. Randomization in PCIe Verification Randomization refers to the generation of test scenarios with unpredictable inputs and conditions to expose corner cases. In PCIe verification, this technique helps us to ensure that all possible behaviors are tested, including rare or unexpected situations that could cause data corruption or encryption failures that may cause serious hindrances later. So, for PCIe IDE verification, we are considering the randomization that helps us verify behavior more efficiently. Randomization for Data Integrity Verification Here are some approaches of randomized verifications that mimic real-world traffic conditions, uncovering subtle integrity issues that might not surface in normal verification methods. 1. Randomized Packet Injection: This technique randomized data packets and injected into the communication stream between devices. Here we Inject random, malformed, or out-of-sequence packets into the PCIe link and mix valid and invalid IDE-encrypted packets to check the system’s ability to detect and reject unauthorized or invalid packets. Checking if encryption/decryption occurs correctly across packets. On verifying, we check if the system logs proper errors or alerts when encountering invalid packets. It ensures coverage of different data paths and robust protocol check. This technique helps assess the resilience of the IDE feature in PCIe in below terms: (i) Data corruption: Detecting if the system can maintain data integrity. (ii) Encryption failures: Testing the robustness of the encryption under random data injection. (iii) Packet ordering errors: Ensuring reordering does not affect data delivery. 2. Random Errors and Fault Injection: It involves simulating random bit flips, PCRC errors, or protocol violations to help validate the robustness of error detection and correction mechanisms of PCIe. These techniques help assess how well the PCIe IDE implementation: (i) Detects and responds to unexpected errors. (ii) Maintains secure communication under stress. (iii) Follows the PCIe error recovery and reporting mechanisms (AER – Advanced Error Reporting). (iv) Ensures encryption and decryption states stay synchronized across endpoints. 3. Traffic Pattern Randomization: Randomizing the sequence, size, and timing of data packets helps test how the device maintains data integrity under heavy, unpredictable traffic loads. Randomization for Data Encryption Verification Encryption adds complexity to verification, as encrypted data streams are not readable for traditional checks. Randomization becomes essential to test how encryption behaves under different scenarios. Randomization in data encryption verification ensures that vulnerabilities, such as key reuse or predictable patterns, are identified and mitigated. 1. Random Encryption Keys and Payloads: Randomly varying keys and payloads help validate the correctness of encryption without hardcoding assumptions. This ensures that encryption logic behaves correctly across all possible inputs. 2. Randomized Initialization Vectors (IVs): Many encryption protocols require a unique IV for each transaction. Randomized IVs ensure that encryption does not repeat patterns. To understand the IDE Key management flow, we can follow the below diagram that illustrates a detailed example key programming flow using the IDE_KM protocol. Figure 1: IDE_KM Example As Figure 1 shows, the functionality of the IDE_KM protocol involves Start of IDE_KM Session, Device Capability Discovery, Key Request from the Host, Key Programming to PCIe Device, and Key Acknowledgment. First, the Host starts the IDE_KM session by detecting the presence of the PCIe devices; if the device supports the IDE protocol, the system continues with the key programming process. Then a query occurs to discover the device’s encryption capabilities; it ensures whether the device supports dynamic key updates or static keys. Then the host sends a request to the Key Management Entity to obtain a key suitable for the devices. Once the key is obtained, the host programs the key into the IDE Controller on the PCIe endpoint. Both the host and the device now share the same key to encrypt and authenticate traffic. The device acknowledges that it has received and successfully installed the encryption key and the acknowledgment message is sent back to the host. Once both the host and the PCIe endpoint are configured with the key, a secure communication channel is established. From this point, all data transmitted over the PCIe link is encrypted to maintain confidentiality and integrity. IDE_KM plays a crucial role in distributing keys in a secure manner and maintaining encryption and integrity for PCIe transactions. This key programming flow ensures that a secure communication channel is established between the host and the PCIe device. Hence, the Randomized key approach ensures that the encryption does not repeat patterns. 3. Randomization PHE: Partial Header Encryption (PHE) is an additional mechanism added to Integrity and Data Encryption (IDE) in PCIe 6.0. PHE validation using a variety of traffic; incorporating randomization in APIs provided for validating PHE feature can add more robust Encryption to the data. Partial Header Encryption in Integrity and Data Encryption for PCIe has more detailed information on this. Figure 2: High-Level Flow for Partial Header Encryption 4. Randomization on IDE Address Association Register values: IDE Address Association Register 1/2/3 are supposed to be configured considering the memory address range of IDE partner ports. The fields of IDE address registers are split multiple values such as Memory Base Lower, Memory Limit Lower, Memory Base Upper, and Memory Limit Upper. IDE implementation can have multiple register blocks considering addresses with 32 or 64, different registers sizes, 0-255 selective streams, 0-15 address blocks, etc. This Randomization verification can help verify all the corner cases. Please refer to Figure 2. Figure 3: IDE Address Association Register 5. Random Faults During Encryption: Injecting random faults (e.g., dropped packets or timing mismatches) ensures the system can handle disruptions and prevent data leakage. Challenges of IDE Randomization and its Solution Randomization introduces a vast number of scenarios, making it computationally intensive to simulate every possibility. Constrained randomization limits random inputs to valid ranges while still covering edge cases. Again, using coverage-driven verification to ensure critical scenarios are tested without excessive redundancy. Verifying encrypted data with random inputs increases complexity. Encryption masks data, making it hard to verify outputs without compromising security. Here we can implement various IDE checks on the IDE callback to analyze encrypted traffic without decrypting it. Randomization can trigger unexpected failures, which are often difficult to reproduce. By using seed-based randomization, a specific seed generates a repeatable random sequence. This helps in reproducing and analyzing the behavior more precisely. Conclusion Randomization is a powerful technique in PCIe verification, ensuring robust validation of both data integrity and data encryption. It helps us to uncover subtle bugs and edge cases that a non-randomized testing might miss. In Cadence PCIe VIP, we support full-fledged IDE Verification with rigorous randomized verification that ensures data integrity. Robust and reliable encryption mechanisms ensure secure and efficient data communication. However, randomization also brings various challenges, and to overcome them we adopt a combination of constrained randomization, seed-based testing, and coverage-driven verification. As PCIe continues to evolve with higher speeds and focuses on high security demands, our Cadence PCIe VIP ensures it is in line with industry demand and verify high-performance systems that safeguard data in real-world environments with excellence. For more information, you can refer to Verification of Integrity and Data Encryption(IDE) for PCIe Devices and Industry's First Adopted VIP for PCIe 7.0 . More Information: For more info on how Cadence PCIe Verification IP and TripleCheck VIP enables users to confidently verify IDE, see our VIP for PCI Express , VIP for Compute Express Link for and TripleCheck for PCI Express For more information on PCIe in general, and on the various PCI standards, see the PCI-SIG website .

I'm trying to simulate a practice code . Verilog verification of my code do not give any error.But when I try to elaborate, this error is being showed:

ncelab: *E,CUVHNF (./FSM_test.v,17|20): Hierarchical name component lookup failed at 'l'

What does this mean? How can I debug this error ? Is there any archive or list of possible error list so that I don't have to ask in forum to understand the errors. 

Hello Folks,

Problem statement first: How does one properly setup tensorflow for running on a DSVM using a remote Docker environment? Can this be done in aml_config/*.runconfig?

I receive the following message and I would like to be able to utilize the increased speeds of the extended FMA operations.

tensorflow/core/platform/cpu_feature_guard.cc:140] Your CPU supports instructions that this TensorFlow binary was not compiled to use: AVX2 FMA

Background: I utilize a local docker environment managed through Azure ML Workbench for initial testing and code validation so that I'm not running an expensive DSVM constantly. Once I assess that my code is to my liking, I then run it on a remote docker instance on an Azure DSVM.

I want a consistent conda environment across my compute environments, so this works out extremely well. However, I cannot figure out how to control the tensorflow build to optimize for the hardware at hand (i.e. my local docker on macOS vs. remote docker on Ubuntu DSVM)

hi,

     I save the waveform file of the oscilloscope as CSV file format.

     Now, I need to use this waveform file as the source of the low-pass filter .

     I searched and read the PSPICE help documents, and did not find any  methods. 

     How to realize it?

     Are there any reference documents or examples?

     Thanks!

Is there a way to generate coverage reports, not in ucd or any other format. I have written basic covergroup and passed arguments[-covoverwrite -cov_cgsample -cov_debuglog -coverage u] to the xrun command, however I don't see anything in sim directory, nor do I see anything in the logs indicating the covergroups have been hit. How can I confirm that cover groups are getting hit and essentially observe the bins. In Questa sim, you essentially get them as part of the log itself.

When the Arduino Mega2560 is added to the first serial port, the dynamic memory is 2000 bytes, and when the second serial serial is added, the dynamic memory is 4000 bytes. Now I need to add the third Serial serial port. The dynamic memory is 6000 bytes. Due to the many variables in the program itself, the dynamic memory is not enough. Please help me how to save the dynamic memory?

Hello,

I'm reading the Design specification for IP6514E.

We will use the DAC mode.

It would seem to be very simple but I don't see any code sequence, i.e.

  1.Write 03(Basic Read) to this register

  2, Write start adress to this register

  3. Write "execute" to this register

  4. Read the data from this register

Thanks,

Stefan

Please give me some ideas. Thank you very much.

While doing the lvs it's showing an error in gnd connection, I am not being able to understand exactly what is the error and what do I need to do to remove this error?

Hello,

I am new in formal verification and I have a concept question about how to verify an I2C Slave block.

I think the response should be valid for any serial interface which needs to receive information for several clocks before making an action.

The the protocol description is the following: 

I have a serial clock (SCL), Serial Data Input (SDI) and Serial Data Output (SDO), all are ports of the I2C Slave block.

The protocol looks like this:

The first byte which is received by the slave consists in 7bits of sensor address and the 8th bit is the command 0/1 Write/Read.

After the first 8 bits, the slave sends an ACK (SDO = 1 for 1 clock) if the sensor address is correct.

Lets consider only this case, where I want to verify that the slave responds with an ACK if the sensor address is correct.

The only solution I found so far was to use the internal buffer from the block which saves the received bits during 8 clocks. The signal is called shift_s.

I also needed to use internal chip state (state_s) and an internal counter (shift_count_s).

Instead of doing an direct check of the SDO(sdo_o) depending on SDI (sdi_d_i), I used the internal shift_s register.

My question is if my approach is the correct one or there is a possibility to write the verification at a blackbox level.

Below you have the 2 properties: first checks connection from SDI to internal buffer, the second checks the connection between internal buffer and output.

property prop_i2c_sdi_store;
  @(posedge sclk_n_i)
  $past(i2c_bl.state_s == `STATE_RECEIVE_I2C_ADDR)
    |-> i2c_bl.shift_s == byte'({ $past(i2c_bl.shift_s), $past(sdi_d_i)});
endproperty
APF_I2C_CHECK_SDI_STORE: assert property(prop_i2c_sdi_store);

property prop_i2c_sensor_addr(sens_addr_sel, sens_addr);
@(posedge sclk_n_i) (i2c_bl.state_s == `STATE_RECEIVE_I2C_ADDR) && (i2c_addr_i == sens_addr_sel) && (i2c_bl.shift_count_s == 7)
  ##1 (i2c_bl.shift_s inside {sens_addr, sens_addr+1}) |-> sdo_o;
endproperty
APF_I2C_CHECK_SENSOR_ADDR0: assert property(prop_i2c_sensor_addr(0, `I2C_SENSOR_ADDRESS_A0));
APF_I2C_CHECK_SENSOR_ADDR1: assert property(prop_i2c_sensor_addr(1, `I2C_SENSOR_ADDRESS_A1));
APF_I2C_CHECK_SENSOR_ADDR2: assert property(prop_i2c_sensor_addr(2, `I2C_SENSOR_ADDRESS_A2));
APF_I2C_CHECK_SENSOR_ADDR3: assert property(prop_i2c_sensor_addr(3, `I2C_SENSOR_ADDRESS_A3));

PS: i2c_addr_i is address selection for the slave (there are 4 configurable sensor addresses, but this is not important for the case).

Thank you!

Hi, all.

When I use vavlog to compile verilog rtl, it will recognize IO width mismatch problem as a fatal error.

How to turn the error into warning?

VCS can use -error=noIOPCWM to ingore the error.

Is vavlog has similar arguments?

This is the 15th installment of The Rationalist, my column for the Times of India.

It’s election season, and promises are raining down on voters like rose petals on naïve newlyweds. Earlier this week, the Congress party announced a minimum income guarantee for the poor. This Friday, the Modi government released a budget full of sops. As the days go by, the promises will get bolder, and you might feel important that so much attention is being given to you. Well, the joke is on you.

Every election, HL Mencken once said, is “an advance auction sale of stolen goods.” A bunch of competing mafias fight to rule over you for the next five years. You decide who wins, on the basis of who can bribe you better with your own money. This is an absurd situation, which I tried to express in a limerick I wrote for this page a couple of years ago:

POLITICS: A neta who loves currency notes/ Told me what his line of work denotes./ ‘It is kind of funny./ We steal people’s money/And use some of it to buy their votes.’

We’re the dupes here, and we pay far more to keep this circus going than this circus costs. It would be okay if the parties, once they came to power, provided good governance. But voters have given up on that, and now only want patronage and handouts. That leads to one of the biggest problems in Indian politics: We are stuck in an equilibrium where all good politics is bad economics, and vice versa.

For example, the minimum guarantee for the poor is good politics, because the optics are great. It’s basically Garibi Hatao: that slogan made Indira Gandhi a political juggernaut in the 1970s, at the same time that she unleashed a series of economic policies that kept millions of people in garibi for decades longer than they should have been.

This time, the Congress has released no details, and keeping it vague makes sense because I find it hard to see how it can make economic sense. Depending on how they define ‘poor’, how much income they offer and what the cost is, the plan will either be ineffective or unworkable.

The Modi government’s interim budget announced a handout for poor farmers that seemed rather pointless. Given our agricultural distress, offering a poor farmer 500 bucks a month seems almost like mockery.

Such condescending handouts solve nothing. The poor want jobs and opportunities. Those come with growth, which requires structural reforms. Structural reforms don’t sound sexy as election promises. Handouts do.

A classic example is farm loan waivers. We have reached a stage in our politics where every party has to promise them to assuage farmers, who are a strong vote bank everywhere. You can’t blame farmers for wanting them – they are a necessary anaesthetic. But no government has yet made a serious attempt at tackling the root causes of our agricultural crisis.

Why is it that Good Politics in India is always Bad Economics? Let me put forth some possible reasons. One, voters tend to think in zero-sum ways, as if the pie is fixed, and the only way to bring people out of poverty is to redistribute. The truth is that trade is a positive-sum game, and nations can only be lifted out of poverty when the whole pie grows. But this is unintuitive.

Two, Indian politics revolves around identity and patronage. The spoils of power are limited – that is indeed a zero-sum game – so you’re likely to vote for whoever can look after the interests of your in-group rather than care about the economy as a whole.

Three, voters tend to stay uninformed for good reasons, because of what Public Choice economists call Rational Ignorance. A single vote is unlikely to make a difference in an election, so why put in the effort to understand the nuances of economics and governance? Just ask, what is in it for me, and go with whatever seems to be the best answer.

Four, Politicians have a short-term horizon, geared towards winning the next election. A good policy that may take years to play out is unattractive. A policy that will win them votes in the short term is preferable.

Sadly, no Indian party has shown a willingness to aim for the long term. The Congress has produced new Gandhis, but not new ideas. And while the BJP did make some solid promises in 2014, they did not walk that talk, and have proved to be, as Arun Shourie once called them, UPA + Cow. Even the Congress is adopting the cow, in fact, so maybe the BJP will add Temple to that mix?

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.” This election season, my friends, the people of India are on the menu. You have been deveined and deboned, marinated with rhetoric, seasoned with narrative – now enter the oven and vote.

The India Uncut Blog © 2010 Amit Varma. All rights reserved.
Follow me on Twitter.

This is the 16th installment of The Rationalist, my column for the Times of India.

Steven Pinker, in his book Enlightenment Now, relates an old Russian joke about two peasants named Boris and Igor. They are both poor. Boris has a goat. Igor does not. One day, Igor is granted a wish by a visiting fairy. What will he wish for?

“I wish,” he says, “that Boris’s goat should die.”

The joke ends there, revealing as much about human nature as about economics. Consider the three things that happen if the fairy grants the wish. One, Boris becomes poorer. Two, Igor stays poor. Three, inequality reduces. Is any of them a good outcome?

I feel exasperated when I hear intellectuals and columnists talking about economic inequality. It is my contention that India’s problem is poverty – and that poverty and inequality are two very different things that often do not coincide.

To illustrate this, I sometimes ask this question: In which of the following countries would you rather be poor: USA or Bangladesh? The obvious answer is USA, where the poor are much better off than the poor of Bangladesh. And yet, while Bangladesh has greater poverty, the USA has higher inequality.

Indeed, take a look at the countries of the world measured by the Gini Index, which is that standard metric used to measure inequality, and you will find that USA, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom all have greater inequality than Bangladesh, Liberia, Pakistan and Sierra Leone, which are much poorer. And yet, while the poor of Bangladesh would love to migrate to unequal USA, I don’t hear of too many people wishing to go in the opposite direction.

Indeed, people vote with their feet when it comes to choosing between poverty and inequality. All of human history is a story of migration from rural areas to cities – which have greater inequality.

If poverty and inequality are so different, why do people conflate the two? A key reason is that we tend to think of the world in zero-sum ways. For someone to win, someone else must lose. If the rich get richer, the poor must be getting poorer, and the presence of poverty must be proof of inequality.

But that’s not how the world works. The pie is not fixed. Economic growth is a positive-sum game and leads to an expansion of the pie, and everybody benefits. In absolute terms, the rich get richer, and so do the poor, often enough to come out of poverty. And so, in any growing economy, as poverty reduces, inequality tends to increase. (This is counter-intuitive, I know, so used are we to zero-sum thinking.) This is exactly what has happened in India since we liberalised parts of our economy in 1991.

Most people who complain about inequality in India are using the wrong word, and are really worried about poverty. Put a millionaire in a room with a billionaire, and no one will complain about the inequality in that room. But put a starving beggar in there, and the situation is morally objectionable. It is the poverty that makes it a problem, not the inequality.

You might think that this is just semantics, but words matter. Poverty and inequality are different phenomena with opposite solutions. You can solve for inequality by making everyone equally poor. Or you could solve for it by redistributing from the rich to the poor, as if the pie was fixed. The problem with this, as any economist will tell you, is that there is a trade-off between redistribution and growth. All redistribution comes at the cost of growing the pie – and only growth can solve the problem of poverty in a country like ours.

It has been estimated that in India, for every one percent rise in GDP, two million people come out of poverty. That is a stunning statistic. When millions of Indians don’t have enough money to eat properly or sleep with a roof over their heads, it is our moral imperative to help them rise out of poverty. The policies that will make this possible – allowing free markets, incentivising investment and job creation, removing state oppression – are likely to lead to greater inequality. So what? It is more urgent to make sure that every Indian has enough to fulfil his basic needs – what the philosopher Harry Frankfurt, in his fine book On Inequality, called the Doctrine of Sufficiency.

The elite in their airconditioned drawing rooms, and those who live in rich countries, can follow the fashions of the West and talk compassionately about inequality. India does not have that luxury.

The India Uncut Blog © 2010 Amit Varma. All rights reserved.
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This is the 24th installment of The Rationalist, my column for the Times of India.

Back in the last decade, I was a cricket journalist for a few years. Then, around 12 years ago, I quit. I was jaded as hell. Every game seemed like déjà vu, nothing new, just another round on the treadmill. Although I would remember her fondly, I thought me and cricket were done.

And then I fell in love again. Cricket has changed in the last few years in glorious ways. There have been new ways of thinking about the game. There have been new ways of playing the game. Every season, new kinds of drama form, new nuances spring up into sight. This is true even of what had once seemed the dullest form of the game, one-day cricket. We are entering into a brave new world, and the team leading us there is England. No matter what happens in the World Cup final today – a single game involves a huge amount of luck – this England side are extraordinary. They are the bridge between eras, leading us into a Golden Age of Cricket.

I know that sounds hyperbolic, so let me stun you further by saying that I give the IPL credit for this. And now, having woken up you up with such a jolt on this lovely Sunday morning, let me explain.

Twenty20 cricket changed the game in two fundamental ways. Both ended up changing one-day cricket. The first was strategy.

When the first T20 games took place, teams applied an ODI template to innings-building: pinch-hit, build, slog. But this was not an optimal approach. In ODIs, teams have 11 players over 50 overs. In T20s, they have 11 players over 20 overs. The equation between resources and constraints is different. This means that the cost of a wicket goes down, and the cost of a dot ball goes up. Critically, it means that the value of aggression rises. A team need not follow the ODI template. In some instances, attacking for all 20 overs – or as I call it, ‘frontloading’ – may be optimal.

West Indies won the T20 World Cup in 2016 by doing just this, and England played similarly. And some sides began to realise was that they had been underestimating the value of aggression in one-day cricket as well.

The second fundamental way in which T20 cricket changed cricket was in terms of skills. The IPL and other leagues brought big money into the game. This changed incentives for budding cricketers. Relatively few people break into Test or ODI cricket, and play for their countries. A much wider pool can aspire to play T20 cricket – which also provides much more money. So it makes sense to spend the hundreds of hours you are in the nets honing T20 skills rather than Test match skills. Go to any nets practice, and you will find many more kids practising innovative aggressive strokes than playing the forward defensive.

As a result, batsmen today have a wider array of attacking strokes than earlier generations. Because every run counts more in T20 cricket, the standard of fielding has also shot up. And bowlers have also reacted to this by expanding their arsenal of tricks. Everyone has had to lift their game.

In one-day cricket, thus, two things have happened. One, there is better strategic understanding about the value of aggression. Two, batsmen are better equipped to act on the aggressive imperative. The game has continued to evolve.

Bowlers have reacted to this with greater aggression on their part, and this ongoing dialogue has been fascinating. The cricket writer Gideon Haigh once told me on my podcast that the 2015 World Cup featured a battle between T20 batting and Test match bowling.

This England team is the high watermark so far. Their aggression does not come from slogging. They bat with a combination of intent and skills that allows them to coast at 6-an-over, without needing to take too many risks. In normal conditions, thus, they can coast to 300 – any hitting they do beyond that is the bonus that takes them to 350 or 400. It’s a whole new level, illustrated by the fact that at one point a few days ago, they had seven consecutive scores of 300 to their name. Look at their scores over the last few years, in fact, and it is clear that this is the greatest batting side in the history of one-day cricket – by a margin.

There have been stumbles in this World Cup, but in the bigger picture, those are outliers. If England have a bad day in the final and New Zealand play their A-game, England might even lose today. But if Captain Morgan’s men play their A-game, they will coast to victory. New Zealand does not have those gears. No other team in the world does – for now.

But one day, they will all have to learn to play like this.

The India Uncut Blog © 2010 Amit Varma. All rights reserved.
Follow me on Twitter.

Read on to know about the Operating Point Parameters Summary window that gives you a one-stop view of the categorized and tabulated details on all operating point parameters in your design. This window improves your review cycle with its many benefits.(read more)

Designers have long recognized the need to analyze the reliability of ICs. Two commonly used approaches for performing reliability analysis include calculating the change in device degradation and relying on safe operating checks in circuit simulators. 

With the advent of the ever-increasing use of ICs in mission-critical applications, the need for reliable reliability analysis has become of paramount importance. Over the years, you have been using reliability analysis in Virtuoso ADE Assembler and Virtuoso ADE Explorer to measure and review aging effects, such as device characteristic degradations, model parameter changes, self-heating effects, and so on.

Reliability analysis can be performed using two modes: Spectre native and RelXpert. The reliability analysis analyzes the effect of time on circuit performance drift and predicts the reliability of designs in terms of performance. In ADE Assembler, you can run the reliability simulation for fresh test (when time is zero), stress test (to generate degradation data), and aged test (at specific intervals, such as one year, three years, or 10 years). In the stress test, extreme environmental conditions are used to stress devices before aging analysis.

The following figure shows the reliability simulation flow.

The Reliability Options form has the following four tabs: 

• Basic: Enables you to specify analysis type, aging options, start and stop time of reliability simulation, and options related to device masking, degradation ratio, and lifetime calculation. 

• Modeling: Enables you to choose the modeling type you want to use during reliability simulation. 

• Degradation: Enables you to specify the options to print device and subcircuit degradation information into a .bt0 file. 

• Output: Enables you to specify the degradation reports to be generated and methods to filter degradation results in the reports.

While the Basic and the Output tabs are used by design engineers, the Modeling and the Degradation tabs are primarily used by model developers.

Reviewing degradation reports in text or XML formats can be a tiresome exercise because degradation data can be large and can contain a large number of instances due to advanced technology nodes and post-layout simulations. For you to work effectively and interactively with these reports, the new reliability report is based on the SQLite database, which adds the benefit of improved performance and capabilities of sorting and filtering reliability data using SQLite operators.

As they say, watching this in action might help you more than reading about it, so please take a look at our Training Bytes video channel, which offers many helpful videos on how to run Reliability Analysis in Virtuoso Studio.

All the related videos are linked together in a channel so that you can easily access and watch as many as you like.

Reliability Analysis in Virtuoso Studio

Want to Learn More?

For lab instructions and a downloadable design, enroll for the online training courses of your interest on

Reliability Analysis in Virtuoso Studio vIC23.1 (Online)

 Training is also available as "Blended" or "live" class.

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About Knowledge Booster Training Bytes

Knowledge Booster Training Bytes is an online journal that relays information about Cadence Training videos, online courses, and upcoming webinars that are available in the Learning section of the Cadence Learning and Support portal. This blog category brings you direct links to these videos, courses, and other related material on a regular basis.

Niyati Singh

On behalf of the Cadence Training team

Virtuoso Studio IC23.1 ISR7 production release is now available for download.(read more)

This blog describes an efficient way to name the histories saved by the simulation runs in Virtuoso ADE Assembler.(read more)

Read this blog to know how you can easily create and insert connect modules using Spectre AMS Designer with the Verilog-AMS standard language defined by Accellera. (read more)

At a bustling Cadence event, we met Adrian, an intern at a startup who immerses himself in Cadence tools for his research and work.

Adrian was enthusiastic about the innovative technologies at his disposal but faced a significant challenge: internet access was limited to a single machine for new joiners, forcing interns to wait in line for their turn to use online resources.

Adrian's excitement soared when he discovered a game-changing solution: Doc Assistant. The cloud-based help viewer, Doc Assistant, ships with all Cadence tools, enabling Adrian to access help resources offline from any machine equipped with the software. This meant Adrian could continue his research and work seamlessly, irrespective of internet availability!

Meeting Cadence users and customers at such events has given us the opportunity to showcase how they can benefit from the diverse features that Doc Assistant offers.

With that note, welcome back to our Doc Assistant A-Z blog series! In Part 1, we explored key features and benefits that our innovative viewer brings to the table. Today, in Part 2, we'll dive deeper into the advanced functionalities and customization options that make Doc Assistant indispensable for its users.

Whether you're looking to streamline your workflow or enhance your user experience, this blog will provide the insights you need to fully leverage the capabilities of our documentation viewer. Let’s get started!

What Makes Doc Assistant Stand Out?

Here are a few (more) cool features of Doc Assistant!

That's not all. We have more coming your way. Until next time, take care and stay tuned for our next edition!

Want to Know More?

For any questions or general feedback, write to docassistant.support@cadence.com.

Subscribe to receive email notifications about our latest Custom IC Design blog posts.

Happy reading!

-Priya Sriram, on behalf of the Doc Assistant Team

Have you ever wanted to write a DRC rule deck to check for space or width constraints on polygons? Or have you wondered how the multiple lines of an LVS rule deck extract and conduct a comparison between the schematic and layout? Maybe you've been curious about the role of rule deck writers in creating high-quality designs ready for tape-out.

If any of these questions interest you, there is good news: the latest version (v23.1) of the Physical Verification Rules Writer (PVLRW) course is designed to teach you rule deck writing. This free 16-hour online course includes audio and labs designed to make your learning experience comfortable and flexible. Whether you are new to the concept or an experienced CAD/PDK engineer, the course is structured to enhance your rule deck writing skills.

The PVLRW course covers six core modules: Layer Processing, DRC Rules, Layout Extraction, ERC and LVS Rules, Schematic Netlisting, and Coloring Rules. There are also three optional appendix sections. Each module explains relevant rules with syntax, concepts, graphics, examples, and case studies.

This course is based on tool versions PEGASUS231 and Virtuoso Studio IC231.

Pegasus Input and Output

Pegasus is a cloud-ready physical verification signoff solution that enables engineers to support faster delivery of advanced-node integrated circuits (ICs) to market.

Pegasus requires input data in the form of layout geometry, schematic netlists, and rules that direct the tool operation. The rules fall into two categories: those that describe the fabrication process and those that control the job-specific operation.

Pegasus provides log and report files, netlists, databases, and error databases as output.

Overview of Pegasus Rule File

The rule decks written in Physical Verification Language (PVL) work for the Cadence PV signoff tools Pegasus and PVS (Physical Verification System).   

The PVL rules are placed in a file that gets selected in a run from the GUI or the command line, as the user directs. PVL rules may be on separate lines within the file and can also be contained in named rule blocks.

Each line of code starts with a PVL rule that uses prefix type notation. It consists of a keyword followed by options, input layer or variable names, and output layer or variable names.

A rule block has the format of the keyword rule, followed by a rule name you wish to give it, followed by an opening curly brace. You enter the rules you wish to perform, followed by a closing curly brace on the last separate line.

  Sample Rule deck with individual lines of code and rule blocks.

DRC Rules

The first step in a typical Pegasus flow is a Design Rule Check (DRC), which verifies that layout geometries conform to the minimum width, spacing, and other fabrication process rules required by an IC foundry. Each foundry specifies its own process-dependent rules that must be met by the layout design.

There are three types of DRC rules: layer definition rules, layer derivation rules, and DRC design check rules. Layer definition rules identify the layers contained in the input layout database, and layer derivation rules derive additional layers from the original input layers, allowing the tool to test the design against specific foundry requirements using the design check rules.

A sample DRC Rule deck

A layout view displaying the DRC violations

LVS Rules

The Pegasus Layout Versus Schematic (LVS) tool compares the layout netlist with the schematic netlist to check for discrepancies.

There are two essential LVS rule sets: LVS extraction rules and comparison rules. LVS extraction rules help extract drawn devices and connectivity information from the input layout geometry data and outputs into a layout netlist. The LVS extraction rule set also includes the layer definition, derivation, extraction, connectivity, and net listing rules.

LVS comparison rules are associated with comparing the extracted layout netlist to a schematic netlist.

A sample LVS Rule deck. 

TCL, Macros, and Conditional commands

Tcl is supported and used in various Pegasus functionalities, such as Pegasus rule files and Pegasus configurator. Macros are functional templates that are defined once and can be used multiple times in a rule file. Conditional Commands are used to process or skip specific commands in the rule file.

Do You Have Access to the Cadence Support Portal?

If not, follow the steps below to create your account.

• On the Cadence Support portal, select Register Now and provide the requested information on the Registration page.
• You will need an email address and host ID to sign up.
• If you need help with registration, contact support@cadence.com.

To stay up to date with the latest news and information about Cadence training and webinars, subscribe to the Cadence Training emails.

If you have questions about courses, schedules, online, public, or live onsite training, reach out to us at Cadence Training.

For any questions, general feedback, or future blog topic suggestions, please leave a comment.

Related Resources

About Knowledge Booster Training Bytes

Knowledge Booster Training Bytes is an online journal that relays information about Cadence Training videos, online courses, and upcoming webinars in the Learning section of the Cadence Learning and Support portal. This blog category brings you direct links to these videos, courses, and other related material on a regular basis. Subscribe to receive email notifications about our latest Custom IC Design blog posts.

Virtuoso Studio IC23.1 ISR8 production release is now available for download.(read more)