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SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Behavioral event tracking, targeting & engagement analysis

There's no question that we're all increasingly, and often exclusively, interacting with brands digitally. Consumers are now online through countless mechanisms – from laptops and mobile apps to AI-enabled voice assistants and sensor-based wearables. Engagement is diversifying in fascinating new ways. And when organizations can't see their customers interacting in [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Behavioral event tracking, targeting & engagement analysis was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




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SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Enriching analysis with device usage data

Over the last 20+ years, global society has adopted digital devices at scale, and consumer interaction behaviors continually evolve and mature. As analysts, we're uniquely positioned to notice worldwide trends, country-specific nuances and localized market behaviors that can have significant impact on our brand's business goals. This global scope is [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Enriching analysis with device usage data was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




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SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Visual analytics, sankey diagrams and customer journeys

We live in the age of data. From global warming stats to customer behavior patterns, new technologies have made it easier to collect, store, access and analyze information. But our use of these technologies has also eroded our attention spans and fueled post-truth misunderstandings. To combat these trends, the question [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Visual analytics, sankey diagrams and customer journeys was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




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Time for government agencies to embed data and AI into environmental compliance

Government employees charged with monitoring environmental compliance face a downpour of information, wading through countless reports and stacks of paperwork to accomplish their mission. To help these dedicated public servants increase productivity, agencies should consider a broader set of tools to control pollution, enforce regulations and improve compliance. Although foundational [...]

The post Time for government agencies to embed data and AI into environmental compliance appeared first on Government Data Connection.




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Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC Review

Read the in depth Review of Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC Audio Video. Know detailed info about Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC configuration, design and performance quality along with pros & cons, Digit rating, verdict based on user opinions/feedback.




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MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard Review

Read the in depth Review of MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard PC Components. Know detailed info about MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard configuration, design and performance quality along with pros & cons, Digit rating, verdict based on user opinions/feedback.




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HP Dragonfly G4 Notebook PC Review

Read the in depth Review of HP Dragonfly G4 Notebook PC Laptops. Know detailed info about HP Dragonfly G4 Notebook PC configuration, design and performance quality along with pros & cons, Digit rating, verdict based on user opinions/feedback.




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SKOAR! College Gaming Cllub | Pillai HOC College of Engg | #conquerwithcourage #mountaindew




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Congress To Begin 'Delhi Nyay Yatra' Today Against AAP Government's Policies

The Congress will begin a month-long 'Delhi Nyay Yatra' from Rajghat on Friday to corner the Aam Aadmi Party government on various issues affecting the city.




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Explosion At Hyderabad Hotel Damages Six Huts, Injures 2

The explosion occurred in Telangana Spice Kitchen on Road Number One Jubilee Hills. According to police, the explosion damaged the boundary wall of the hotel.




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Raghav Chadha Attends Varanasi's Ganga Aarti With Parineeti Chopra

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha marked his 36th birthday in Varanasi.




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Man's Body Found In 7 Pieces In A Plastic Bag Near Mumbai's Gorai Beach

A body of a man has been found in a plastic bag in seven pieces on Mumbai's Gorai beach, the police said today.




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AG Noorani, Noted Constitutional Expert, Lawyer, Author And More

Abdul Ghafoor Noorani, eminent constitutional expert, lawyer and author, died today at the age of 93. A noted scholar on Jammu and Kashmir, his absence is being felt in the Union Territory, where many are mourning him.




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Sitaram Yechury: CPM Chief, Raconteur And Pragmatic Face Of Left

Sitaram Yechury, the fifth general secretary of the CPM, died on September 12, 2024, after a prolonged illness. He was admitted for days at Delhi's All-India Institute of Medical Sciences after he had contracted a lung infection.






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Chinese Man Duped Of Rs 11 Lakh By Fiancee In "Marriage Bed Burning" Scam

In a unique online romance scam, a man in Tianjin, China, fell victim to a bizarre "marriage bed burning" ritual, costing him Rs 11 lakh.




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Zomato Launches 'Rescue' Service To Combat Food Wastage. How Does It Work?

Zomato witnesses approximately 400,000 cancelled orders monthly which prompted it to launch the initiative.




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Man Seeks Online Help To Decode Devanagari Text He Found At German Market

A man recently took to Reddit, seeking help identifying an unknown Devanagari text he found at a flea market in Germany.




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ChatGPT Stuns Everyone With AI-Based Natural-Language Dialogues: Everything You Need To Know

On Wednesday, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) research company OpenAI announced ChatGPT which is a prototype dialogue-based AI chatbot capable of understanding natural language and responding in natural language.  ChatGPT Getting Famous In less than a week, this news has since taken the internet by storm and already crossed more than a million users.  Most of […]




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Family Members Of Foreign Workers In Canada Now Allowed To Work: Spouses, Working-Age Children Will Get Work Permits!

After its decision to strengthen visa infrastructure in Delhi and Chandigarh, Canada has now announced that family members of temporary international workers will also be allowed to work in the country. Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, recently informed the media that his agency will be granting work permits to relatives of […]




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Exciting Details Of Redmi K60 Series Revealed: Will It Be 2023’s 1st Flagship Smartphone? Check Specs, USPs & More!

The success of the Redmi K50 series, especially the Redmi K50 Pro was resounding, and now, a lot of leaks about the Redmi K60 series have emerged as well. The box of the Redmi K60 was leaked recently, and promotional dates of the phone series have also appeared. Redmi K60 Features Leaked: All You Need […]




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Five Suspects Appearing in Kariega Magistrate's Court for Possession of Cycads

[SAPS] - Five suspects are appearing in the Kariega Magistrate's Court today, after they were arrested and found in possession of cycads with an estimated value of R1 Million on Friday 08 November 2024.




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Urgent Intervention Needed to Address Illicit Gun Violence and Resource Shortages in the Western Cape

[DA] Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Ian Cameron MP.




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Again, Tyla Beats Asake, Tems, Ayra Starr, Burnaboy, Wins 'Best Afrobeats' at MTV EMA

[Premium Times] In September, Tyla made headlines at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for winning the "Best Afrobeats," but she stirred debate by clarifying that she identified with the Amapiano genre rather than Afrobeats






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Are You SAFE Yet? Leveraging the Ecosystem to Boost Your Product Time to Market

We live in a rapidly growing “digitalized world,” with an ever-increasing need for video/music streaming, gaming, AI/machine learning, etc. All of these propel demand on modern SoC design to quickly evolve the SoC by fitting more sophisti...(read more)




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How to import different input combination to the same circuit to get max, min, and average delay, power dissipation and area

Hi everyone. 

I'm very a new cadence user. I'm not good at using it and quite lost in finding a way to get the results. With the topic, I would like to ask you for some suggestions to improve my cadence skills.

I have some digital decision logic. Some are combinational logic, some are sequential logic that I would like to import or generate random input combination to the inputs of my decision logic to get the maximum, minimum, and average delay power dissipation and area when feeding the different input combination.

My logic has 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit input. The imported data tends to be decimal numbers.

I would like to ask you:

- which tool(s) are the most appropriate to import and feed the different combination to my decision logic?

- which tool is the most appropriate to synthesis with different number of input? - I have used Genus Synthesis Solution so far. However with my skill right now I can only let Genus synthesize my Verilog code one setup at a time. I'm not sure if I there is anyway I can feed a lot of input at a time and get those results (min, max, average of delay, power dissipation and area)

- which language or scripts I should pick up to use and achieve these results?

-where can I find information to solve my problem? which information shall I look for?

Thank you so much for your time!!

Best Regards




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read from text file with two values and represent that as voltage signals on two different port a and b

i want to read from text file two values  on two ports , i wrote  that  code, and i have that error that shown in the image below . and also the data in text file is shown as screenshot

 


module read_file (a,b);

electrical a,b;
integer in_file_0,data_value, valid, count0,int_value;


analog begin
@(initial_step) begin
in_file_0 = $fopen("/home/hh1667/ee610/my_library/read_file/data2.txt","r");

valid = $fscanf (in_file_0, "%b,%b" ,int_value,count0);
end

V(a) <+ int_value;
V(b) <+ count0;

end

endmodule




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which tools support Linting for early stages of Digital Design flow?

I am trying to understand the Linting process. I know that mainly JasperGold is the tool for this purpose. Though I think JasperGold is more suited for later stages of the design. As a RTL Design Engineer, I want to make sure that if another tool has the capability of doing Linting earlier in the flow. for example, does Xcelium, Genus or Confomal support linting. I have seen some contradicting information online regarding this topic, though I can't find anything related to Linting on any of these tools.

Thanks




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Achieve 80% Less Late-Stage RTL Changes and Early RTL Bug Detection

It has become challenging to ensure that the designs are complete, correct, and adhere to necessary coding rules before handing them off for RTL verification and implementation. RTL Designer Signoff Solution from Cadence helps the user identify RTL bugs at a very early development stage, saving a lot of effort and cost for the design and verification team. Our reputed customers have confirmed that using RTL signoff for their design IP helped save up to 4 weeks and reduce the late-stage RTL changes by up to 80%.(read more)



  • Jasper RTL Designer Signoff App
  • Jasper
  • Early Bug Detection

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IC Packagers: Workflows That Work for You

New IC packaging workflows in Cadence Allegro X layout tools allow you to follow a guided path from starting a design through final manufacturing. The path is there to ensure that you don’t miss steps and perform actions in the optimal order. W...(read more)




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What is Allegro X Advanced Package Designer and why do I not see Allegro Package Designer Plus (APD+) in 23.1?

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




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Introducing new 3DX Canvas in Allegro X Advanced Package Designer

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




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Creating Power and Ground rings in Allegro X Package Designer Plus

Power and Ground rings are exposed rings of metal surrounding a die that supply power/ground to the die and create a low-impedance path for the current flow. These rings ensure stable power distribution and reduce noise. Allegro X Package Designer Plus has a utility called Power/Ground Ring Generator which lets you define and place one or more shapes in the form of a ring around a die.

 To run the PWR/GND Generator Wizard, go to Route > Power/Ground Ring Generator or type "pring wizard" in the APD command window to invoke the Wizard.

   

This Wizard lets you define and place one or more shapes in the form of a ring around a die. The Power/Ground Ring Wizard creates up to 12 rings (shapes) at a time. If you require more rings, you can run the Power/Ground Ring Wizard as many times as needed. This command displays a wizard in which you can specify:

  • The number of rings to be generated
  • The creation of the first ring as a die flag (Die flag is the boundary of the die like the power ring.)
    • If you create a die flag and the first ring is the same net as the flag, you can enter a negative distance to overlap the ring and the die flag.
  • Multiple options for placement of the rings with respect to:
    • Origination point
    • Distance from the edge of the die
    • Distance from the nearest die pin on each die side
  • The reference designator of the die with which the rings will be used
  • The distance between rings
  • The width of each ring
  • The corner types on each ring (arc, chamfer, and right-angle)
  • An assigned net name for each ring
  • A label for each ring

The rings are basic in nature. For other shape geometries or split rings, choose Shape > Polygon or Shape > Compose/Decompose Shape from the menu in the design window.

Depending on the options selected, the Power/Ground Ring Wizard UI changes, representing how the rings will be created. Verify the Wizard settings to ensure that the rings are created as intended.

  1. When the Power/Ground Ring Wizard appears, set the number of rings to 2, accept the other defaults, and click Next. You can set Create first ring as die flag to create a basic die flag.

         2. Define Ring 1 and the net associated with it.

              a) Browse and choose Vss in the Net Names dialog box.

            b) Click OK.

            c) Specify the label as VSS.

            d) Click Next.

             The first ring should appear in your design. It is associated with the proper net; in this case, VSS.

  1. For the second ring, choose the net as Vdd and specify the label as VDD.
  2. Click Next.
  3. Click Finish in the Result Verification screen to complete the process.

The completed rings appear as shown below.

Now, when you click on Power and Ground Die Pin and add wirebonds, you will see that the wirebonds are placed directly on the Power and Ground rings.




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Package Design Integrity Checks

When things go wrong with your package design flow, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the cause of the issue. This can be something like a die component is wrongly identified as a BGA, a via stack has an alignment issue, or there are duplicate bondwires. These are just a few examples of issues; there can be many more. When interactive messages and log files do not help determine the problem, the Package Design Integrity Check tool becomes very handy. This feature lets you run integrity checks, which ensures that the database is configured correctly. 

To invoke the command from Allegro X Advanced Package Designer, use the Tools > Package Design Integrity menu. 

Or type package integrity at the Command  prompt. 

The Package Design Integrity Checks dialog box includes all categories and checks currently registered for the currently running product. You can enable all these categories and checks or only the one that you want to run. This utility can fix errors automatically (where possible). Errors and warnings are written to the “package_design_check.log” file.  

The utility can also be extended with your own custom rules based on your specific flows and needs. 




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How to transfer etch/conductor delays from Allegro Package Designer (APD) to pin delays in Allegro PCB Editor

The packaging group has finished their design in Allegro Package Designer (APD) and I want to use the etch/conductor delay information from the mcm file in the board design in Allegro PCB Designer. Is there a method to do this?

This can be done by exporting the etch/conductor data from APD and importing it as PIN_DELAY information into Allegro PCB Editor.

If you are generating a length report for use in Allegro Pin Delay, you should consider changing the APD units to Mils and uncheck the Time Delay Report.

In Allegro Package Designer:

  1. Select File > Export > Board Level Component.
  2. Select HDL for the Output format and select OK.

       3. Choose a padstack for use when generating the component and select OK.

This will create a file, package_pin_delay.rpt, in the component subdirectory of the current working directory. This file will contain the etch/conductor delay information that can be imported into Allegro.

In Allegro PCB Editor:

  1. Make sure that the device you want to import delays to is placed in your board design and is visible.
  2. Select File > Import > Pin delay.
  3. Browse to the component directory and select package_pin_delay.rpt. The browser defaults to look for *.csv files so you will need to change the Files of type to *.* to select the file.
  4. You may be prompted with an error message stating that the component cannot be found and you should select one. If so, select the appropriate component.
  5. Select Import.
  6. Once the import is completed, select Close.

Note: It is important that all non-trace shapes have a VOLTAGE property so they will not be processed by the the 2D field solver. You should run Reports > Net Delay Report in APD prior to generating the board-level component. This will display the net name of each net as it is processed. If you miss a VOLTAGE property on a net, the net name will show in the report processing window, and you will know which net needs the property.




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Unveiling the Capabilities of Verisium Manager for Optimized Operations

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.




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A Brief on Message Bus Interface in PIPE

PHY Interface for the PCI Express (PCIe), SATA, USB, DisplayPort, and USB4 Architectures (PIPE) enables the development of the Physical Layer (PHY) and Media Access Layer (MAC) design separately, providing a standard communication interface between these two components in the system.

In recent years, the PIPE interface specification has incorporated many enhancements to support new features and advancements happening in the supported protocols. As the supported features increase, so does the count of signals on PIPE interface. To address the issue of increasing signal count, the message bus interface was introduced in PIPE 4.4 and utilized for PCIe lane margining at the receiver and elastic buffer depth control.

In PIPE 5.0, all the legacy PIPE signals without critical timing requirements were mapped into message bus registers so that their associated functionality could be accessed via the message bus interface instead of implementing dedicated signals. It was decided that any new feature added in the new version of PIPE specification will be available only via message bus accesses unless they have critical timing requirements that need dedicated signals.

Message Bus Interface

The message bus interface provides a way to initiate and participate in non-latency-sensitive PIPE operations using a small number of wires. It also enables future PIPE operations to be added without adding additional wires. The use of this interface requires the device to be in a power state with PCLK running.

Control and status bits used for PIPE operations are mapped into 8-bit registers that are hosted in 12-bit address spaces in the PHY and the MAC. The registers are accessed using read-and-write commands driven over the signals M2P_MessageBus[7:0] and P2M_MessageBus[7:0]. These signals are synchronous with the PCLK and are reset with Reset#.

Message Bus Interface Commands

The 4-bit commands are used for accessing the PIPE registers across the message bus. A transaction consists of a command and any associated address and data.

All the following are time multiplexed over the bus from MAC and PHY:

  1. Commands (write_uncommitted, write_committed, read, read completion, write_ack)
  2. 12-bit address used for all types and read and writes
  3. 8-bit data, either read or written

There can be cases where multiple PIPE interface signals can change on the same PCLK. To address such cases, the concept of write_uncommitted and write_committed is introduced.

The uncommitted write should be saved into a write buffer, and its associated data values are updated into the relevant PIPE register at a future time when a write_committed is received, taking effect during the same PCLK cycle. Once a write_committed is sent, no new writes, whether committed or uncommitted, and any read command may be sent until a write_ack is received. Also, it is allowed to send NOP commands between write uncommitted and write committed. 

A simple timing demonstration of message bus:

Message Address Space

MAC and PHY each implement unique 12-bit address spaces. These address spaces will host registers associated with the PIPE operations. MAC accesses PHY registers using M2P_MessageBus[7:0], and PHY accesses the MAC registers using the M2P_MessageBus[7:0].

The MAC and PHY access specific bits in the registers to: initiate operations, Initiate handshakes, and Indicate status.

Each 12-bit address space is divided into four main regions: the receiver address region, the transmitter address region, the common address region, and the vendor-specific address region.

Each register field has an attribute description of either level or 1-cycle assertion. When a level field is written, the value written is maintained by the hardware until the next write to that field or until a reset occurs. When a 1-cycle field is written to assert the value high, the hardware maintains the assertion for only a single cycle and then automatically resets the value to zero on the next cycle.

Cadence has a mature Verification IP solution for the verification of various aspects and topologies of PIPE PHY design. For more details, you may refer to the Simulation VIP for PIPE PHY | Cadence page, or you may send an email to support@cadence.com.




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Deferrable Memory Write Usage and Verification Challenges

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




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Functional coverage report.

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.




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Farmers, Technology and Freedom of Choice: A Tale of Two Satyagrahas

This is the 23rd installment of The Rationalist, my column for the Times of India.

I had a strange dream last night. I dreamt that the government had passed a law that made using laptops illegal. I would have to write this column by hand. I would also have to leave my home in Mumbai to deliver it in person to my editor in Delhi. I woke up trembling and angry – and realised how Indian farmers feel every single day of their lives.

My column today is a tale of two satyagrahas. Both involve farmers, technology and the freedom of choice. One of them began this month – but first, let us go back to the turn of the millennium.

As the 1990s came to an end, cotton farmers across India were in distress. Pests known as bollworms were ravaging crops across the country. Farmers had to use increasing amounts of pesticide to keep them at bay. The costs of the pesticide and the amount of labour involved made it unviable – and often, the crops would fail anyway.

Then, technology came to the rescue. The farmers heard of Bt Cotton, a genetically modified type of cotton that kept these pests away, and was being used around the world. But they were illegal in India, even though no bad effects had ever been recorded. Well, who cares about ‘illegal’ when it is a matter of life and death?

Farmers in Gujarat got hold of Bt Cotton seeds from the black market and planted them. You’ll never guess what happened next. As 2002 began, all cotton crops in Gujarat failed – except the 10,000 hectares that had Bt Cotton. The government did not care about the failed crops. They cared about the ‘illegal’ ones. They ordered all the Bt Cotton crops to be destroyed.

It was time for a satyagraha – and not just in Gujarat. The late Sharad Joshi, leader of the Shetkari Sanghatana in Maharashtra, took around 10,000 farmers to Gujarat to stand with their fellows there. They sat in the fields of Bt Cotton and basically said, ‘Over our dead bodies.’ ¬Joshi’s point was simple: all other citizens of India have access to the latest technology from all over. They are all empowered with choice. Why should farmers be held back?

The satyagraha was successful. The ban on Bt Cotton was lifted.

There are three things I would like to point out here. One, the lifting of the ban transformed cotton farming in India. Over 90% of Indian farmers now use Bt Cotton. India has become the world’s largest producer of cotton, moving ahead of China. According to agriculture expert Ashok Gulati, India has gained US$ 67 billion in the years since from higher exports and import savings because of Bt Cotton. Most importantly, cotton farmers’ incomes have doubled.

Two, GMO crops have become standard across the world. Around 190 million hectares of GMO crops have been planted worldwide, and GMO foods are accepted in 67 countries. The humanitarian benefits have been massive: Golden Rice, a variety of rice packed with minerals and vitamins, has prevented blindness in countless new-born kids since it was introduced in the Philippines.

Three, despite the fear-mongering of some NGOs, whose existence depends on alarmism, the science behind GMO is settled. No harmful side effects have been noted in all these years, and millions of lives impacted positively. A couple of years ago, over 100 Nobel Laureates signed a petition asserting that GMO foods were safe, and blasting anti-science NGOs that stood in the way of progress. There is scientific consensus on this.

The science may be settled, but the politics is not. The government still bans some types of GMO seeds, such as Bt Brinjal, which was developed by an Indian company called Mahyco, and used successfully in Bangladesh. More crucially, a variety called HT Bt Cotton, which fights weeds, is also banned. Weeding takes up to 15% of a farmer’s time, and often makes farming unviable. Farmers across the world use this variant – 60% of global cotton crops are HT Bt. Indian farmers are so desperate for it that they choose to break the law and buy expensive seeds from the black market – but the government is cracking down. A farmer in Haryana had his crop destroyed by the government in May.

On June 10 this year, a farmer named Lalit Bahale in the Akola District of Maharashtra kicked off a satyagraha by planting banned seeds of HT Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal. He was soon joined by thousands of farmers. Far from our urban eyes, a heroic fight has begun. Our farmers, already victimised and oppressed by a predatory government in countless ways, are fighting for their right to take charge of their lives.

As this brave struggle unfolds, I am left with a troubling question: All those satyagrahas of the past by our great freedom fighters, what were they for, if all they got us was independence and not freedom?

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




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Knowledge Booster Training Bytes - Writing Physical Verification Language Rules

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

Product Manuals

Cadence Pegasus Developers Guide

Rapid Adoption Kits     Running Pegasus DRC/LVS/FILL in Batch Mode
Training Byte Videos

What Is the Run Command File?

How to Run PVS-Pegasus Jobs in GUI and Batch modes?

PVS DRC Run From - Setup Rules

What Is PVS/Pegasus Layer Viewer?

PVL Coloring Ruledecks with Docolor and Stitchcolor 

PLV Commands: dfm_property with Primary & Secondary Layer

PVS Quantus QRC Overview 

Online Courses

Pegasus Verification System

PVS (Physical Verification System)

Virtuoso Layout Design Basics

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.




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SPB17.4 installation package build defect

1, Some components in the installation package cannot choose to install; even if they do not choose them, they will still be installed; just less shortcut icons, the documents are still released to the installation directory.

2, "Catia Application Frame" repeat the problem?
       “x:CadenceSPB_17.4 oolsin“
       ”x:CadenceSPB_17.4 oolsspatial“
       "Catia Application Frame" shouldn't you use the latest version?

3,Follow-up update patch cleaning the useless files and extra empty folder action !!!

The SPB17.4 installation package is currently the worst installation package I have seen for large-scale software packaging.




ag

How to magnify a board on a film view

I have a small board that is not readable even though the document is 11' x 17'. Is there a way I could expand/magnify the board along with the components on them to make them legible? 
I have created a new film and is displaying the bottom and top side of the board but the board is too small and the components are not legible. Perhaps there is a way to upscale it or expand it?
Please note I have other stuff in the document that I am not showing , notes and other things, and I am trying to make just the boards look bigger in some way.
I do have a PDF image of the same file where the board appears to be MUCH bigger and is fully legible and I am trying to match that.


Thank you all.




ag

ddt VerilogA usage

Hi,

reading Verilog®-A Language Reference I found this description of ddt function I don't understand:

Use the time derivative operator to calculate the time derivative of an argument.

ddt( input [ , abstol | nature ] )

input is a dynamic expression.

abstol is a constant specifying the absolute tolerance that applies to the output of the ddt operator. Set abstol at the largest signal level that you consider negligible.

nature is a nature from which the absolute tolerance is to be derived.

Can anyone explain how abstol and nature are defined? how using them? an example would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Andrea




ag

Tagging uvm_errors in waveform file for post-processing

Hi,

Do anyone know if it's possible in simvision waveform viewer to see a timestamp of where uvm_errors/$errors occurred in a simulation via post-processing? 

Cheers,

Antonio




ag

Importing ODF to vManager does not update vplan

I exported vplan to .odf file in vManager and after editing it I imported it to vManager. The vplan was expected to be synchronized and updated. However, nothing has changed to it. Does anyone know why?




ag

Using Vmanager Pre-Script to launch a timed script

I would like to send an update about a vmanager regression status x days after the regression has been run. In the current environment, the vmanager regression is creating a new filepath for logs automatically based on regression name/date, so I can't use a cron job to gather logs, as the log location is not known. 


I tried to use the pre session script to launch a detached shell script that would run after a delay, but when the pre_script runs, it waits until everything is completed before finishing and moving on to starting the regression.

Here is the test pre_script I am using:

#!/bin/sh

echo "pre_script start"

delay_script "FIRST" 1
nohup delay_script "SECOND" 30 & disown
delay_script "THIRD" 1

echo "pre_script end"
exit 0

Here is the test delay_script I am using:

#!/bin/sh

echo "Starting $1"

sleep $2

echo "Ending $1"

Here is the script output when run from terminal. After the "pre_script end", I get control back.

Here is the script output when run from vmanager. There is no "nohup", and the pre_session phase doesn't complete until all the delay scripts complete.


My question is, is there a better way to achieve my goal here? (The goal being to run a script from the vmanager log directory automatically x days after the regression). I think I could use the pre_script to send directory information for an auxiliary cron job to pick up, but I would prefer to not have to have extra cronjobs needed for this.