1 Automatic Generation of Design

Automatic generation of design has been used by the industry for reducing manual, repetitive work. We have been seeing the use of automatic generation using templates and code generators for over a decade. Now this automation is growing and includes specialized languages like Chisel and Python.

Use of code generators with these languages and templates will ensure higher levels of productivity, high quality and fast turnaround times.  In addition, the use of highly configurable and customized IPs will grow ensuring that design engineer’s life will improve as they will be able to focus on their secret sauce.

2 Automatic Verification

An area that supposedly takes 70% of the development time, Design Verification will not be untouched from the growing trends of ML and AI. Current labor intensive work of writing tests will be automated requiring minimal human intervention. The area of test bench infrastructure plumbing will be automated by three factors 1. Code generators (just like for design), 2. Standardized Verification IPs. Currently no standard exists in the VIP business. Once VIPs are standardized, it will be easy for code generators to build the test bench. 3. The cloud. Verification Engineers won’t lose jobs but the work they do will change.

3 RISC-V and Open HW movement

The tsunami of RISC-V and the inception of Open-HW movement will have an unprecedented impact on the Semiconductor industry. These major trends will further democratize the hardware development and we will see a field of new companies mushrooming. This also means that the need for co-simulation of hardware and software will grow and there will be a renewed focus on Virtual prototyping.