Emulation is enjoying its moment in the spotlight and none too soon. Design complexity of all types has conspired to make chip verification an arduous task. These days, the fabric of system-on-chip (SoC) designs includes several processing cores, large sets of specialized IP, a plethora of peripherals and complex memories, routinely pushing the design size into the hundreds of million gates. Embedded software now exceeds the complexity of the hardware.

Consider that for each hardware designer there are at least five software developers. No surprise that chip verification and validation has become an overriding concern for all project teams, particularly when hardware and software integration is concerned. Here is where the rubber meets the road, and where the verification challenges reach their peak.

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Verification is never ending process! You can never be sure that you have verified everything. The aim of verification is risk reduction to the level of practical perfection.

The increase in chip complexity coupled with pressure to shorten time to market, are pushing chip design companies towards adoption of third party IPs. Let us consider you have weighed in all pros and cons of IP outsourcing and decided have to go for a third party IP for your next project. Then the question is – Does the externally bought IP need re-verification?

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Many of you may have heard the story about the woodcutter and his blunt axe. The “Switching cost” of sharpening/buying a new axe may seem to be too high when in a time crunch. But a step back to review the situation and switching to a better tool can be life changing!

In today’s world this applies to chip design and verification teams more than ever. A Verification IP plays a key role in controlling verification schedules. Consider a case where tape out schedule is slipping in spite of having both – Internal VIP and External VIP.

Just like a blunt axe will take much longer to fell a tree, a sub standard Verification IP will prolong your IP Development. On the other hand if you “sharpen your axe” i.e. develop/buy a better Verification solution, it may initially seem like its taking longer and others are getting ahead. But, in the long run you will develop your IP faster.

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Two weeks ago my associate and myself attended the DATE conference to meet people and try to get new leads. This year, the conference took place in Dresden, Germany, which is at the heart of the “Silicon Saxony”, with no less than 40,000 jobs mostly in the semiconductor industry, so we were expecting a lot. If you’re not familiar with the conference, according to their website, “DATE combines the world’s favorite electronic systems design and test conference with an international exhibition for electronic design, automation and test, from system-level hardware and software implementation right down to integrated circuit design.” We had high expectations, and in the end we were quite disappointed. Granted, receptions (exhibition reception and DATE party) featured very good food and the party even included a visit of Volkswagen’s awesome luxury car plant. The staff was professional and nice, and we were lucky to have a neighbor who gave us an interesting perspective and helpful advice. What about the actual exhibition?

First, DATE is not cheap. Special start-up price is 2K€ ($2.7K). I just looked up DAC, it has a special “first exhibitor” package, for a mere $1.5K. DAC is about three times bigger, too. Concerning attendance, I was able to find numbers here and on the websites for the previous editions. There were 625 exhibition visitors in 2010, increased to 890 in 2011 (probably due to the presence of GlobalFoundries), and 800 in 2012 and 2013; the number of conference attendees has been around 1,300 and now is around 1,400. I couldn’t find any other statistics. By contrast, DAC compiles in-depth statistics about its visitors, including demographics and an event audit.

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Photo credits: mush

The Titanium Technologies Platform in New Zealand is getting some attention around the world for their work with new ways to use titanium. This is exciting news for a lot of people involved with businesses that use the material for one reason or another. Specifically, the group has developed a way to make porous materials from powdered titanium. This is going to open up a lot of applications in the aerospace industry not to mention marine engineering and possible biomedical uses.

According to initial research and results, some are saying that new titanium based products are going to open up a huge market in New Zealand in the coming years. This brings up an interesting point – whether or not other countries around the world will try to duplicate the technology on their own in order to find even newer ways to use titanium in an industrial sense.

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Got cash to spare? Want to be the talk of town by acquiring some nifty chindogu? If your answer is a resounding yes, then check out our short list of unique japanese innovations you can fill up your collection with. Yatta!

Photo Credits:techeblog

1. Japanese kissing training device – Brought to you by Zima, a cocktail brand with an added twist, Kiss-a-Zima lets you (somewhat) make out with hot Japanese idols Aya Kiguchi, Yukina Kinoshita or Yutaka Teshima – kissing ronins can attach the nifty silicone lips (molded after said idols) to the cocktail bottle and smooch away.

Photo Credits:Japantrendshop

2. Talking fridge toys – Lonely and bored each time you open the refrigerator? Now with Fridgeezoo Fridge Pets, you don’t have to shed tears of boredom whenever you make the pilgrimage to the ice box. Not only are they friendly and chatty, your very own fridge pets (choose from Polar Bear, Walrus, Penguin and Seal) also gently remind you whenever the fridge is left open too long!

Photo Credits: LaughingSquid

3. Anti-loneliness ramen bowl – Useful or just plain anti-social, this anti-loneliness ramen bowl features an iPhone dock that allows your smartphone to be perched precariously on the edge of your bowl. We can’t make up our mind whether it’s smart or just plain sad. ForeverAlone.jpg, anyone?

Photo Credits: Animal Designer

4. Gotochi Dissection Animals – Cute keychains are the norm in the Land of the Rising Sun, but keychains of animals (think: panda, fish, cow, pig and the like) that allow you take apart piece by piece, organs and all? We think this would make heartfelt gifts for biology students but other than that, we’ll pass for now.

 5. Marriage-Hunting Bra – To boost Japan’s rapidly declining marriage rate, the Marriage-Hunting Bra or Konkatsu Bra features a marriage-countdown digital clock right smack in between your future wife’s mammary glands. Want to stop the countdown? In the words of Beyonce, you gotta “put a ring on it”.

Sara Xiang is Japanese gadgets and toys collector. She has more than 200 pieces in her home. In her spare time she become active in  social media marketing, personally she likes melbourne digital agency.