Magma Design Automation has declared that Magma software has been utilized by Adapteva for taping out the Epiphany-IV 64-core microprocessor chip in the 28-nm SLP process of GLOBALFOUNDRIES.
Powered by Magma's Quartz DRC and Quartz LVS physical verification instrument with the lately tested runsets for the 28-nm SLP technique and Titan, Hydra and Talus analog and digital integrated circuit design solutions, Adapteva’s microprocessor has achieved superior energy efficiency with a record performance value of 70 GFLOPS/W.
The Magma flow is ideal to tackle Epiphany-IV’s innovative architectural and design challenges. Hydra, a multi-level, hierarchical design planning software of Magma with rapid and precise floor planning functionalities, helped Adapteva to tightly pack numerous processor arrays. It also delivered early and rapid feedback required to fulfill the package and power needs. Its complete continual block and full- and semi-abutted planning support allows Adapteva to test various configurations to obtain optimal performance and minimal area.
The Talus netlist-to-GDSII platform with its unprecedented capacity and turnaround time allowed Adapteva to study various architectures. This unique design flow ensures the achievement of power metrics, area, timing and early placement during the design flow’s later phases, making designers to concentrate more on the product value instead of sparing time on design flow.
The full-flow optimization and multi-mode multi-corner functionalities of Talus along with the comprehensive AOCV support reduced margins, allowing Adapteva to create a design with superior performance and a compact footprint. The Talus Flow Manager, developed for the 28nm SLP process of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, contributed valuable analysis and feedback during the configuration and architecture exploration phases. Magma’s expertise in deploying the 28nm SLP sign-off reference flow of GLOBALFOUNDRIES also leveraged the flow configuration and optimization.
Source: http://www.magma-da.com