Pradeep Chakraborty's Point!

WhipTail's SSD addresses bottlenecks beyond HDD capabilities!

2012-01-31T00:39:00.002+05:30

Recently, WhipTail, maker of high-performance, cost-effective solid-state storage arrays, landed AMD as a customer, as well as a Series B round of funding. It announced that AMD's System Optimization Engineering Department has replaced 480 15K spinning drives with WhipTail's solid-state storage arrays. The move will help eliminate slow response times associated with traditional storage arrays.

Problem WhipTail solves!
The key question is: How are flash storage arrays changing enterprises?WhipTail addresses this question from the angle, “what problem does WhipTail’s technology solve?” According to Dan Crain, CEO of WhipTail, there is a unique problem in the storage industry right now. Hard disk drives (HDDs) are completely overprovisioned and have outlived their practicality for high performance applications.

Rather than fix the real problem (need for better performance), CIOs keep throwing money into hard disks, which have reached their capacity and cannot compete with the performance levels of solid state drives (SDDs). WhipTail has found a unique way to address the bottlenecks that have evolved beyond HDD capabilities.

WhipTail’s XLR8r (Note: this name will be changing in Q1) is comprised of an array ofSSDs, which are considered the next generation of data storage. Unlike traditional HDDs, the SSDs do not include spinning disks and are built fromfewer parts. Compared to an HDD, the SSD promises incredible increases in performance (nearly 30x faster), a dramatically lower total cost of ownership and an increased durability.

The XLR8r is the world’s first and most widely deployed all-flash enterprise class storage array. It leverages the advantages of SSD to solve three critical issues that face WhipTail’s customer base: performance, endurance and price.

Performance: The XLR8r delivers a read performance of 200,000 I/O per second and a write performance of 250,000 I/O per second, with 0.1 ms latency.

Endurance: Characteristic to SSDs, the XLR8r is inherently more reliable than an HDD because it has no moving parts. To increase the operational longevity of the device, the XLR8r uses wear-leveling technologies that are embedded on the drivers. These technologies evenly distribute data across all of the available storage space during write operations, eliminating the constant re-use of cells in your storage device. The XLR8r has a lifetime greater than seven years.

Price: WhipTail’s product has one of the most attainable prices in terms of investment for IT purchasers. The key to this price is that WhipTail uses multi-level cell (MLC), which is traditionally less expensive than single-level cell (SLC). While less expensive, MLC has historically also been less durable, but WhipTail found a way to extend the life of their MLC, allowing them to sell their product at an extremely attainable price.

Unique and proven SSD
The uniqueness of WhipTail’s SSD product — another way the company stands out from its competitors is through its proven track record. In the past 12 months, WhipTail has had tremendous achievements, including:
* Exceeded all sales goals every quarter and increased their customer base to over 100 satisfied clients.
* Expanded internally and brought on several key executives and other full-time employees.
* Continued to innovate and develop the technology to a point where there are zero failures.
* Grown and streamlined the VAR network, working to build out a customized business plan for each partner that incorporates that partner’s individual market strategies and preferred methods of selling.

As compared to its competitors, WhipTail has created a product that is easily attainable for an IT infrastructure in relation to the amount of performance that results from the investment.

WhipTail developed a scalable product that can be seamlessly integrated to work with any application used in the enterprise. Unlike many competitors, WhipTail’s product can run in a company’s existing SAN architecture, rather than forcing the company to change their systems to fit the storage array.

In the infancy of the company, WhipTail spent its funding dollars to create a superior product and has been deploying its XLR8r solution since 2009 to more than 100 customers. WhipTail has quietly built an extensive customer base and a track record for delivering performance results, two achievements competitors cannot claim.

Plans for 2012
By the end of Q1, WhipTail will release the next generation version of the company’s flash-based enterprise storage array. WhipTail also plans to greatly refresh the brand and continue to grow the company.

CIOs unfurl newer efficiencies out of IT operations

2012-01-26T00:43:00.000+05:30

How can today's CIOs be able to unfurl newer efficiencies out of their respective IT operations? At the same time, how can they, present solutions that can also empower their businesses even as the businesses work toward achieving their organizational goals? The answer perhaps lies in infrastructure optimization!

IT spends are said to be increasing and in line with the overall aim of accelerating a company's business performance. Balance between innovation and maintenance is said to be critical for the effective functioning of IT.

According to Greg Crider, senior director of technology product marketing at Oracle, IT leaders need to embrace an alternative model for optimizing data center performance that eliminates much of the time and cost associated with integrating, tuning, and maintaining complex multi-tiered environments.

“IT leaders need to know that they have choices other than integrating these pieces themselves or paying a service partner to do some of the integration. Oracle, for instance, has thousands of examples of how to squeeze cost and complexity out of IT infrastructures by doing optimization projects at each layer,” he says.

There is typically said to be a huge difference between one, installing a system and, two, having it production ready. Why? Ask any IT manager at any company, in case you do not believe this!

Crider says: “Many organizations just don’t have expertise in every dimension of a complex architecture. So, they have to rely on outside resources or make do with default configurations that don’t take into account everything else that is going on.

“Fortunately, many important business processes are now available as optimized end-to-end solutions based on open standards. Enterprises are beginning to realize that they can deploy customized, secure, high performance applications without taking on all the cost of integration, tuning and maintenance.”

IT leaders also need to embrace an alternative model for optimizing data center performance that eliminates much of the time and cost associated with integrating, tuning, and maintaining complex multi-tiered environments.

Driving a sustainable, future-focused transformation across an IT infrastructure is a layered process that requires the IT leaders to optimize the entire spectrum of their data center hardware and software operations. This includes servers, databases, middleware and business process management software, and so on.

Standardization, virtualization, consolidation, and rock solid cloud orchestration (management) capabilities are necessary steps organizations work on to improve the application lifecycle management process, as per Mike Palmeter, director of product management with Oracle.

“Many companies have started down the virtualization path, and have even consolidated some of the tier 2 and 3 workloads, but many still have yet to best determine how to standardize, what to standardize upon, and how to best manage all these disparate applications and workloads,” he says.

“These are key considerations especially as companies start moving mission critical workloads to a shared infrastructure. Furthermore, availability, data and app mobility, as well as performance become paramount as applications are moved from dedicated silos to a shared infrastructure.”

With the automation components that are inherently part of a properly deployed private cloud, IT administrators can install complex applications, without going through all of the traditional configuration steps. As IT leaders look to get out from under the complexities, the benefits of highly integrated and engineered solutions get strikingly clear.

India to allow imports of low-priced Chinese solar cells? Or, is it beaten?

2012-01-23T21:08:00.005+05:30

As per reports on the Internet, the Government of India has said that it has no objections to companies importing low-priced Chinese solar cells, so long as the cells imported meet the prescribed quality standards!

Oh, well! This is yet another blow to the battling group of the domestic manufacturers. A week before, their plea for seeking imposition of import duty on finished solar equipment was rejected!

Is this yet another admission of defeat, this time by the Indian government, at the hands of the hard-working Chinese solar PV manufacturers? Looks like it!

Now, I am not sure what has actually transpired! However, this was very much along the cards and expected! At least, I have seen all of this happen in the Indian telecom and later, electronics industries. Therefore, why should the solar PV industry be any different? Besides, it is a clear indication of the rising might of the Chinese.

Get it clear: as of now, there is no country or manufacturer, that can take the gigantic risks that the Chinese industry is so used to taking, and succeeding, in the long run! Unless the other manufacturers of the world are able to take necessary risks and continue to produce products on par or better than those from China, this story will be repeated, again and again!

Whether the Jawaharlal Nehru-National Solar Mission succeeds in the long run -- that's a major question! However, the fact remains that as of now, there is no country as strong as China, as far as solar PV is concerned, especially in manufacturing.

The Indian government's stance is directly opposite to the USA, which has reportedly taken China to the World Trade Organisation over dumping of solar cells and panels.

In fact, today, the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM), supported by more than 150 US employers of more than 11,000 workers, applauded an analysis by Hari Chandra Polavarapu, MD of solar and clean-technology research for brokerage firm Auriga USA, that underscores the importance of holding China accountable to international trade law.

Polavarapu’s target is China’s alleged campaign of underwriting development of massive solar manufacturing capacity – without cultivating a significant domestic market – then wielding exports of artificially low-priced product as a “battering ram” to knock down the US solar manufacturing industry.

Polavarapu contends in a series of research and analysis notes that China’s alleged actions against foreign domestic industries not only distort markets but also sap the power of competition to drive efficiency and innovation. Polavarapu characterizes China as a “state sponsor of predatory capitalism and asymmetric warfare” that “does not help in weeding out inefficient players but poisons the profit pool for everyone.”

What a contrast!

Now, I am not the judge, sitting with any decision! We, as a nation decide what is best for us!

In telecom, there are so many overseas makers, when there was room to cultivate local ones, back in the late 1990s. However, that never happened! In components, we tried our best to 'kill' the few local manufacturers by reducing import duty to zero. In electronics, we never did try to develop any local industry with earnest. Perhaps, the logic was: the presence of strong global players!

Redpine enters M2M market with fully-featured Wi-Fi module

2012-01-18T01:22:00.000+05:30

Redpine Signals Inc. has entered the M2M (machine-to-machine) market with its first fully-featured Wi-Fi module. Let's find out what the Wi-Fi module is all about, and specifically, M2M!

According to a Redpine spokesperson, the M2M market is different from the traditional mobile and PC Wi-Fi market – in the sense that it requires ‘self-contained’ hardware and software. Traditional Wi-Fi implementations from other leading vendors who sell into PCs and mobile phones don’t meet this requirement since PCs and Mobile phones are equipped with strong host processors that do a bulk of the Wi-Fi processing.

Redpine is a pioneer in this market and was the first to announce a 802.11n Wi-Fi module, which was self-contained. The 'WiseConnect' module builds upon its Connect-io-n product legacy and provides additional features like Wi-Fi Direct, enterprise security, SEP2.0 and embedded access point. Features supported and other capabilities include:

Self-contained: All hardware including antenna and crystal required for emissions certification (like FCC and IC) are integrated. All software required for Wi-Fi certification (like security supplicant) are included in the module. This makes the process of integrating the WiSeConnect module into an embedded system very easy.

Ultra-low power and high performance 802.11n: Single-stream 802.11n solution. Best-in-class transmit power of 18dBm and receiver sensitivity down to -98dBm, enabling excellent range. With shutdown power of less than 0.01mW, associated mode power of less than 3mW and active operational power of less than 30mW (UART 115K baud), the module enables ultra-low-power wireless battery operated applications.

Wi-Fi Direct: Wi-Fi Direct enables point to point link establishment without the necessity of connecting to an access point. With the prevalence of more and more smartphones and tablet PCs, it is desirable to directly interface the end-machines without going through the hassle of configuring and connecting to the AP (a.k.a bluetooth). Also, Wi-Fi Direct brings in a lot of power-save features that are desirable for the M2M sensor market.

SEP2.0: Integrating a high-energy home appliance or an in-home display or thermostat into the smart grid is made possible through the provision of SEP 2.0 communications in the WiSeConnect module.

Embedded AP: Provides an access-point functionality with limited number of stations (e.g., 8) for usage in embedded applications.

Host interfaces include SDIO, SPI, USB2.0 and Ethernet.

Commenting on the the future of Wi-Fi Direct, the Redpine spokesperson said that it is very bright. In addition, it is useful to note that all future Wi-Fi Alliance certifications like Wi-Fi Display have Wi-Fi Direct as a pre-requisite.

Finally, how is this solution going to benefit enterprises? He added that as an example, many hospitals have existing enterprise Wi-Fi networks used for intranet and Internet access. Wireless enablement of the medical devices has many advantages – for example it allows limited patient mobility while having all vitals streamed wirelessly to the monitors.

Secure streaming of data to and from a medical device to the servers and displays using enterprise security is enabled by embedding WiSeConnect modules into these devices. The advanced security features in WiSeConnect provides this and many other such benefits across multiple enterprises.

Trends to watch @ CES!

2012-01-10T00:36:00.004+05:30

CES 2012 is just around the corner! Let us look at some trends.

First, according to Ovum, ultrabooks are shaping up to be a CES 2012 show stopper. It is expected that 20-40 devices will be introduced. Next, there will be more of mobile connecrted devices, which are likely to be more app friendly, have brighter screens and offer intuitive user interfaces. TV manufacturers are expected to demonstrate capabilities of “smart” TVs.

According to Accenture, another big story is likely to be the TV market. The market is challenged by the fact that consumers are planning to buy fewer TVs next year, according to Accenture’s new survey of 10,000 consumers in 10 countries.

Consumers are also watching TV on TV screens less often, and say they are especially disinclined to buy TV sets until prices decline. The battle is on for consumers eyeballs and attention among the multitude of screens such as desktop and laptop PCs, smartphones and tablets. There will be a push to find more innovative ways to make TV content on TV screens more compelling involving cloud and online services.

Accenture also believes ultrabooks will be a big story at CES 2012. This is a promising product category because these are highly powerful yet thin and portable computers. Tablets and smartphone markets are continuing to grow, but the ultrabook market poses a threat to both.

Among the biggies, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd announced the launch of Samsung AdHub, its advertising platform for the Samsung Smart TV platform. Through the newly-announced AdHub service, brands can deliver 3D, video and interactive advertisements into the living room via Samsung’s market-leading Smart TVs. China's Haier Group will display connected televisions and key new design features and introduce the expanded line of audio solutions.

Elsewhere, dbx-tv announced Total Cal, an audio measurement and calibration tool that custom-optimizes sound quality from TVs, regardless of speaker size or price point.

VoiceBox Technologies Inc. has entered into a strategic agreement with Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) USA, Inc. to develop innovative in-car voice products and capabilities. Quantenna Communications will showcase 802.11n MIMO technology optimized for service providers and 802.11ac chipset for retail applications.

Alereon Inc. is demonstrating high-speed wireless connectivity from Android-based smartphones and tablets to integrated wireless monitors/docks as well as HDTVs.

Mobile500 Alliance has unveiled a breakthrough end-to-end solution that will enable its member broadcasters to build new revenue streams through Mobile DTV (MDTV). The goal is to make the solution available to Alliance member companies after beta launch and evaluation in Seattle, USA.

Two Bosch Group companies, Bosch Sensortec and Akustica, will be jointly showcasing their consumer MEMS products. While, Qualcomm Innovation Center Inc. (QuIC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, is expected to launch the Snapdragon GameCommand application to the Android market on January 10, 2012, the opening day of the CES.

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) hosts an OMAP4470 processor-based tablet running on a pre-release version of Windows 8 at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, demonstrating how the latest OMAP 4 platform distinctly supports Microsoft's new computing experience, Windows 8, that reimagines Windows.

Sensible Vision, the leading supplier of face authentication software, will demonstrate its face recognition app for iOS and Android mobile devices at the CES 2012 Wall of Apps. FastAccess Anywhere securely replaces passwords with a face to quickly and conveniently log in to apps and web sites on mobile devices.

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC), will be demonstrating the latest additions to its lineup of flash memory offerings – the TransMemory-EX series of USB flash memory products. The new drives are compliant with the new USB 3.0 standards – known as Super Speed USB. Initial storage capacities include a 32GB model and a 64GB model.

Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Inc. and The Shanghai Nutshell Electronic Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Shanda Networking Co. Ltd, China's largest interactive digital content provider, announced the first e-reader featuring mirasol display technology, the Bambook Sunflower, to be commercially available in China in the coming weeks.

The latest forecast figures from GfK Digital World, produced in partnership with Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), reveal global spending on consumer technology devices will surpass $1 trillion in 2012 for the first time, increasing by 5 percent over 2011’s figure of $993 billion.

These are just a few trends to watch out for!

SonicWALL on securing mobile devices!

2012-01-05T16:31:00.004+05:30

Welcome to the new year! :) Thanks to Dixita at MutualPR, I had a conversation with Shubhomoy Biswas, country director, SonicWALL India, regarding securing mobile devices.

First, users have come to expect secured access “anytime, anywhere”, whether over 2G or 3G networks or Wi-Fi, for both personal and business tasks. What is SonicWALL's take on this?

Biswas said: "Smartphones and tablets operate in two worlds: they can connect to the corporate network over wireless, or bypass the network entirely using mobile cellular connections. This means they might download malware from the web over 3G/4G, and then disseminate it to the network over the corporate WiFi network.

"Transferring data in and out of the corporate network, smartphones are beyond IT control. At the same time, however, IT needs to provide enterprise workers with secure access to network resources from tablets and smartphones.

"Today’s new workforce believes that their personal technology is better than what they have at work. Sixty-nine percent will use whatever application, device or technology they want, regardless of source or corporate IT policies. Less than half will stick to company-issued devices. This consumerization of IT has particularly affected the business use of smartphones and tablets."

What are the challenges of having multiple devices in an organization? Is there a need for IT departments to start managing users, and not just manage the devices in their environment?

Biswas replied: "Enterprises need an agnostic approach that supports multiple platforms for their users, as well as provide contingency for access continuity. A global business cannot depend solely upon the viability of a single smartphone vendor’s platform, but instead, must deploy smartphone solutions that are able to facilitate multiple platforms.

"The sheer volume of interactive Web 2.0 and streaming media traffic over smartphones can affect corporate bandwidth and wireless network throughput. Some of these applications, such as streaming video applications, constantly evolve to avoid control. In addition, like any web-facing endpoint device running applications over the network, smartphones present a potential channel for forced denial-of-service attacks.

"The proliferation of smartphones in corporate environments creates new and wider potential for data loss and leakage, whether by theft, unauthorized access or unauthorized transmission. Determined professionals can ultimately undermine even “unhackable” smartphone platforms.

"In addition, thieves can thwart attempts by IT to wipe data remotely by simply by removing the SIM. The widespread practice of “jailbreaking,” or opening a phone to customize its features or functionality (such as to overcome restrictions on alternate mobile service carrier networks), also poses a serious security threat.

"Most agree that enterprises should be able to enforce several basic security features on any mobile device, including mandatory passwords, over-the-air device wiping capabilities and data encryption on the device itself. In practice, the choice of the platform itself will determine the effectiveness of the overall policy. Not all mobile devices are equal, and some vendors make it harder than others do to enforce rigorous security protocols and policies."

Top five ways to secure mobile devices
Is there a need for security protection for mobile devices? Can SonicWALL suggest the top five ways to secure mobile devices?

Establish reverse web proxy and/or SSL VPN. This secures smartphone and tablet access from outside the perimeter. By providing standard web browser access to web resources, reverse proxies can authenticate and encrypt web-based access to network resources. Reverse proxy delivers access agnostically across platforms. Agent-based encrypted SSL VPN tunnels add easy “in-office” network-level access to critical client-server resources from both laptops and smartphones.

Add strong authentication. An effectively secure solution should integrate seamlessly with standard authentication methods such as two-factor authentication and one-time passwords.

Scan traffic through a next-gen firewall. Smartphones and tablets can act as conduits to enable malware to cross the network perimeter, even over WiFi or 3G/4G connections. Integrated deployment with a next-gen firewall can decrypt and scan smartphone and tablet traffic coming from outside the perimeter. Integrating a next-gen firewall with 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless connectivity can scan and decontaminate WiFi traffic when the smartphone user is inside the perimeter.

Control app traffic. In general, smartphones and tablets are are either critical business solutions or personal time-wasters. Application intelligence and control technology can enable IT to define and enforce how application and bandwidth assets are used.

Prevent data leakage. Data leakage protection for devices used inside the perimeter can scan outbound traffic and take policy-driven action to block or allow file transmission based upon watermarked content.

Enforcing usage policy
How can IT administrators track and enforce usage policy, allocate bandwidth, and throttle-down bandwidth of less-important applications?

According to Biswas, smartphones and tablets have become standard business tools. But securing access to network resources from consumer smartphones and tablets presents numerous challenges for IT. Best practices combine platform-agnostic access, strong authentication and integrated next-gen firewall countermeasures.

So, what are SonicWALL’s contribution in this regard?

He added: "We are the only provider to solve the challenges of access, security and control with one integrated solution that combines SonicWALL Clean VPN and application intelligence and control. When SonicWALL SSL VPN solutions are deployed with a SonicWALL firewall, SonicWALL Clean VPN scans tunneled traffic to block malware from the mobile communications as a conduit into the network.

"The multi-layered protection of Clean VPN enables organizations to decrypt and scan for malware on all authorized SSL VPN traffic before it enters the network environment. SonicWALL Clean Wireless delivers secure, simple and cost-effective distributed wireless networking by integrating universal 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless features with a SonicWALL firewall for deep packet inspection, application control and content filtering. SonicWALL Clean 3G/4G delivers the same level of protection over cellular wireless networks.

"Today’s users expect to choose their mobile device platforms. SonicWALL Mobility solutions deliver policy-enforced remote access to network resources from Apple Mac OS, iOS, Google Android and Windows Mobile devices; plus they provide flexible and secure remote access for laptops and enhance productivity and business continuity with full-featured, easy-to-manage, clientless or thin-client “in-office” connectivity to network resources over WiFi and 3G/4G.

"Our unified client app gives users full network-level access to corporate, academic or other organizational resources over encrypted SSL VPN connections to provide confidentiality and data integrity for users outside of the corporate network when they are traveling and using hot spots."

Round-up 2011: Best of semiconductors

2011-12-31T05:15:00.006+05:30

Right folks! This is the last post for 2011!! Here's a look at the good, bad and ugly, that the year had to offer in semiconductors. Enjoy! ;) Happy new year, everyone!!

Dec. 2011
Round-up 2011: Best of semiconductors

2012′s semicon sales and sales growth estimates $325.5 billion and 6.9 percent!

Video and mobility drivers for global semicon in 2012

Future materials and devices for power electronics

SuVolta solving power problem in SoCs across multiple CMOS process nodes

Global semiconductor industry keeps consolidating; 28nm will be stable: Dr. Wally Rhines

Synopsys acquires Magma! And, another one bites the dust!!

Nov. 2011
Lattice intros low power ECP4 FPGAs

Global semicon sales forecast at $329.4 billion for 2012!

MEMS Executive Congress 2011 round-up

Global semiconductor market will be $313 billion in 2012: SSIA

MEMS market overview: IHS iSuppli

NXP licenses Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology for in-vehicle networking

MEMS devices driving healthcare apps!

Updated global semicon sales forecast 2011′s estimate falls $2.74 billion

Oct. 2011
DIT outlines initiatives to promote ESDM in India

Game changers: New paradigms for future of electronic product realization

Designing systems to thrive in disruptive trends!

Realizing EDA360: Charlie Huang, Cadence

What’s happening with ISA and Indian semicon industry?

Altera launches SoC FPGAs

Emerging piezoMEMS apps and ion beam etch solutions for next gen MEMS and sensors

ESDM all over again? When will Indian semicon and electronics industries learn??

Semiconductor supply chain dynamics: Future Horizons @ IEF2011

Sep. 2011
India has restricted itself to only semicon design and R&D!

ST launches STM32 F4 series of MCUs

ARM connecting the world!

Renesas enhancing localization of products in India!

Magma announces Silicon One strategy

Need to work toward sustainable future: imec

Aug. 2011
Freescale launches first ‘base-station-on-chip’ products!

Semicon industry at inflection point of innovation: Rich Beyer

NXP launches CAN partial networking solution for automotives

Fabless fables and all that! Is India listening?

What’s happening with global semicon industry?

2011 global semicon sales growth likely to trend downward for rest of year?

Jul. 2011
Cloud key strategy for Intel: Liam Keating

Dr. Wally Rhines on global semicon industry

Creating measurable value through differentiation: Dr. Wally Rhines

Trends in embedded — smart and green energy: ST

Intel leads industry transformation to open data centers and cloud computing

Now, there is EDA software piracy!

SanDisk’s iNAND Extreme family of embedded eMMC storage devices for high-end mobile and tablets

Applied Vantage Vulcan RTP — better side of anneal

Jun. 2011
What’s this EoI got to do with semiconductor fabs in India?

Devices needing semicon on rise: Dr. Chi-foon Chan, Synopsys

Mobile as the nexus: Warren East, ARM

Chinese fabless market set to double! And India’s?

Slew of EDA announcements @ DAC 2011

MIPS driving Android to digital home @ Computex 2011!

May 2011
Where is Indian semiconductor industry headed?

Heart of dragon beats inside smartest devices: Qualcomm

Evolution of wireless market and emerging trends: Qualcomm

Indian semicon market update shows 28.3 percent growth in 2010!

Apr. 2011
Yet another plan for semicon fabs in India?

‘Long wait’ for Indian semiconductor industry?

Study on semiconductor design, embedded software and services industry in India

Lattice inaugurates new India office; to develop ECP5 products

Mar. 2011
Indian semicon industry poised at very interesting juncture: Dr. Pradip Dutta, Synopsys

Maxim well positioned for future success!

Impact of Japan’s quake and tsunami on global semiconductor industry

ST intros STM32L ultra-low-power Cortex‑M3 devices

Xilinx intros Zynq-7000 family of extensible processing platform (EPP)

Boom turned to bust? Chip industry’s future!

Feb. 2011
It’s Q1 seasonal slowdown, and yearly time for denial!

ISA Vision Summit 2011: Nanotech likely to catch us all unaware!

ST focuses on four key growth areas

Top 10 Indian embedded companies!

Quite a few challenges before Indian semicon industry!

Jan. 2011
What’s happening with Karnataka semicon policy?

Time to stop agonising; 2011 will be a strong year!

Congrats TSMC, for raising R&D spend! But, what about Indian firms?

AnXplorer: New generation analog and RF circuit optimization!

New apps in semicon — smart grid and secure transactions

Round-up 2011: Best of electronics, solar/PV and telecom

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000+05:30

Here's the best of electronics, solar/PV and telecom for the year 2011. Enjoy! ;)

ELECTRONICS
M/H can truly deliver ‘real TV’ experience!

Cisco’s borderless networks architecture help enterprises overcome security challenges

Symantec releases latest Intelligence Report!

Norton cybercrime report 2011: Exposing the true scale!

Cloud deployment trends in APAC: IDC

Very fitting finale to Harry Potter!

XConnect’s VIE set to make video calls as easy as voice calls!

Vision technology can add valuable capabilities to electronic products: Jeff Bier, EVA

Tablets likely to transform ICT industry landscape: Computex 2011

Embedded Vision Alliance (EVA) is born!

Kotura leads the way in silicon photonics!

Aftermath of Japanese earthquake: Implications for global electronics industry!

Disruptions to global electronics supply chain following Japan’s quake!

Japanese quake and tsunami — too devastating to watch on TV!

What’s with attack toolkits and malicious websites?

SOLAR/PV
Global solar PV industry likely to be 22 GW in 2012!

HCPV on way to utility market!

Solar PV industry recommended to stay optimistic; US govt. supports India’s clean energy initiative!

Solarcon India 2011 begins with record exhibitors

PV inverter — innovations and market trends

Solar installations: How long will boom last?

Lessons to learn from Solyndra debacle!

Solar power becoming increasingly affordable: Dr. Charlie Gay

What’s happening with Indian solar/PV industry?

TELECOM
LogMeIn resolving IT challenges due to enterprise mobility!

Microsoft launches developer program for Windows Phone

Lava Mobiles launches classy S12 smartphone!

Steve Jobs: Master of the game!

Telesphere Videoconnect: Videoconferencing in the cloud!

Ether 1.3.1 phone adaptive antenna solution integrates with smartphones!

Wavion offers gamer changer in Wi-Fi offloading

Celebrating the World IPv6 Day!

2012's semicon sales and sales growth estimates $325.5 billion and 6.9 percent

2011-12-20T22:50:00.010+05:30

This is a continuation of my coverage of the fortunes of the global semiconductor industry. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mike Cowan, an independent semiconductor analyst and developer of the Cowan LRA model, who has provided me the latest numbers.

We are into the back end of 2011 with just two more months of global semi sales numbers yet to be announced (by WSTS) in order to “wrap up” and finalize year 2011's official, overall semi sales result and the corresponding final sales growth compared to last year “cast in concrete.”

Various industry watchers' sales growth forecast expectations for 2011 are presently ranging from low positive single digits to low negative single digits including the latest Cowan LRA Model's sales growth forecast estimate of 2.1 percent based upon WSTS's October 2011 sales results published at the beginning of December.

Therefore, the soon to be released -- expected on or about Jan. 5th, 2012 -- November sales number in conjunction with exercising the Cowan LRA Model's "look ahead" analysis capability can shed more insight into 2011's final expected sales and sales growth forecast estimates as well as updated 2012 forecast numbers.

Consequently, the "look ahead" scenario analysis summary table shown immediately below nets out the “look-ahead” analysis derived high-level forecast expectations. A write-up providing the details is appended below.Source: Cowan LRA model, USA.

Analysis of global semicon industry
It’s that time of the month again; namely, time for a “preview” of next month’s global semiconductor sales forecast updates for both 2011 and 2012 as gleamed by exercising the “look ahead” forecasting capability of the Cowan LRA forecast model “operating on” November’s ‘actual’ sales expectation range.

The soon to-be-announced November 2011 global semiconductor sales result should be relevant in determining the forecasted sales growth expectation for the full year of 2011. In particular, one can ascertain whether 2011 will exhibit positive yearly sales growth for the industry or will it turn negative as a number of market researchers have recently forecasted based upon downward fourth quarter sales guidance updates recently announced by many semiconductor suppliers.

Presented below is a ‘snap shot’ of 2011′s global semiconductor sales and sales growth forecast prospects as a function of November’s possible ‘actual’ sales forecast estimate range derived via the Cowan LRA forecasting model that I have developed. Moreover, the model has been extended to include a view of what 2012’s sales growth prospects might look like, thereby providing a five quarter look ahead horizon that allows the model to capture the four quarters of 2012. It should be mentioned that November 2011′s ‘actual’ global semiconductor sales number is scheduled to be released by the WSTS (via its monthly HBR, Historical Billings Report) on or about Thursday, January 5th, 2012.Source: Cowan LRA model.

In advance of the WSTS’s release of its November HBR, Cowan has shared his monthly ‘what if’ outlook analysis. This analysis leverages the Cowan LRA forecasting model which projects worldwide semiconductor sales for 2011 (as well as 2012) by providing a ‘look ahead’ scenario for year 2011′s sales forecast range as a function of November’s assumed range of ‘actual’ global semiconductor sales estimates.

The output of this ‘look ahead’ modeling analysis is detailed in the scenario analysis matrix displayed in the table below. A discussion of the model’s results is provided in the paragraphs immediately following the table.

The results!
In order to facilitate the determination of these ‘look ahead’ forecast numbers, an extended range in assumed November 2011′s ‘actual’ sales is selected a-priori. In this month’s scenario analysis outlook, a Nov. 2011 sales range from a low of $23.195 billion to a high of $27.445 billion, in increments of $0.250 billion, is pre-selected as listed in the first column of the above table.

This best-guess, ‘what if’ estimated range in assumed ‘actual’ sales numbers is selected around November’s actual sales forecast expectation of $25.695 billion as gleamed from last month’s Cowan LRA Model run (based upon October’s WSTS published ‘actual’ sales number). The corresponding November 3MMA sales forecast estimate expectation is projected to be $26.182 billion. (NOTE – this assumes no, or very minor, revisions to either September’s or October’s previously published “actual” sales numbers as released in last month’s HBR by the WSTS).

The overall year 2011 sales forecast estimate corresponding to each one of these pre-selected November sales numbers over the full range of “actual” sales estimates is calculated by the model, and is exhibited in the second column of the table. The third column lists the associated year-over-year sales growth estimates for 2011 compared to year 2010′s global semiconductor sales of $298.315 billion, as reported by WSTS.

The fourth and fifth columns show the corresponding November 3MMA, three Month Moving Average, sales forecast estimates and the associated 3MMA year-over-year sales growths relative to November 2010′s 3MMA sales of $25.927 billion, respectively. The sixth column lists the model’s Momentum Indicator, MI defined as the percentage delta between the actual November sales result and the previous month’s (December) sales forecast estimate for November.

Finally, the seventh and eighth columns reveal 2012′s forecasted sales and sales growth estimates associated with last month’s November sales forecast estimate expectation, respectively.

Sales varying between $301.9-$306.6 billion for 2011!
Therefore, as the above ‘what if’ scenario analysis table lays out, depending on the actual WSTS (to-be-released) November 2011 global semi sales number, the forecasted full year 2011 sales estimate as determined by the model could vary between a minimum of $301.9 billion and a maximum of $306.6 billion.

Thus, the corresponding 2010 to 2011 sales growth forecast estimate would then vary between a low of 1.2 percent and a high of 2.8 percent, respectively. Moreover, the table also reveals the model’s expectations for 2012′s sales and sales growth forecast estimates, namely $325.5 billion and 6.9 percent, respectively.

Consequently, as gleamed from the above described ‘look ahead’ analysis capability, the model is capable of generating a sensitivity output of the “expected” year 2011 sales range (and a year-on-year sales growth range) as a function of the yet-to-be-announced (but, in this case, assumed) November 2011 ‘actual’ sales number.

Therefore, using this scenario analysis outlook table, one can select an anticipated November sales number (in the pre-selected range shown) and immediately see what the model would predict for year 2011′s sales forecast estimate along with its corresponding sales growth expectation well in advance of the actual (to-be-published) November 2011′s sales result.

Finally, stay tuned for the WSTS to post its November 2011 HBR (anticipated on or about January 5th, 2012) and thus the ‘actual’ sales number. Once released, the reader can then easily “zero in” on the model’s latest forecast results as abstracted (or extrapolated) from the provided table (above) even before the Cowan LRA forecasting model is put through its paces.Source: Cowan LRA model, USA.

Video and mobility drivers for global semicon in 2012

2011-12-17T22:24:00.002+05:30

While 2011 was generally a year of growth for the global semiconductor industry, 2012 promises to be more volatile, thanks to new macroeconomic issues that will weigh on consumer and IT outlay. The upside is that long-term business trends for semiconductors seem positive, with revenue projected by some industry analysts expected to grow more than twice as fast as global GDP over the next few years.

Global business drivers in 2012
According to Jaswinder Ahuja, corporate VP and MD, Cadence Design Systems (India) Pvt Ltd, the major semiconductor market drivers in 2011 have been apps, video, mobility, cloud computing and green technology, and they will continue to be so into 2012.

As seen over the past year, apps are driving new generations of products. Traditional devices have more functionality than ever before – mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets have the ability to email, tweet, text, browse the web, stream video, take pictures, calendar appointments, and manage your contacts. The pervasiveness of apps are changing the demands on electronic design – this is the basic tenet of the EDA360 vision that Cadence announced in May 2010.

Video drives development of both devices and networks. It is expanding from the television to the smartphone, to media tablets, to your wristwatch. Video is not just used for recreation or entertainment – witness business applications such as videoconferences, surveillance systems, and professional video blogs.

Over the past few years, we have see the consumer’s need for mobility with all their electronic devices – whether a tablet or a gaming console or even in a car. This continues to challenge electronics designers – the need to stay connected all the time is still driving cutting-edge semiconductor design.

Along with mobility, we also want long battery life, light weight, small size, and lots of communications options. This, along with the demand for green technology, is a market driver that makes lots of demands on designers.

National Electronics Policy in India
Closer to home, 2012 promises to be an interesting one for India with the National Electronics Policy expected to be passed in Parliament. It has the potential to be a game changer for the country which promises to have far-reaching consequences for all of us.

Ahuja added that the Policy will have a huge impact on the semiconductor ecosystem in India as it aims to take a holistic view of developing the ESDM ecosystem with the aim of addressing the demand-supply gap. Its provisions are wide ranging and cover diverse areas such as manufacturing, R&D, IP creation, manpower and training, standards, e-waste management, investments, and the setting up of a National Electronics Mission.

With the support and funding promised in the NPE, home-grown innovation will finally have the wherewithal to really take off in a way that is bound to have wide-reaching impact and establish India’s leadership in emerging markets.

The opportunities presented by the National Electronics Policy coupled with the vast potential of the underserved and underpenetrated market in the country suggest a promising 2012 for the Indian semiconductor ecosystem.

Future material and devices for power electronics

2011-12-15T13:39:00.001+05:30

Alexandre Avron, market analyst in power electronics, Yole Développement, provided a briefing on semiconductor material’s potential through an analysis of devices and systems for power electronics.

According to him, there is still a bright future for silicon. It will keep good market share until at least 2016 and even further, being cost competitive and very standard. On the other side, SiC is more applied to higher voltages. These are the smallest markets, but probably the one requiring SiC properties the most. PV inverters and EV/HEV are at intermediary voltage levels, they could both be targeted by SiC and GaN, this makes the predictions very difficult.

No technical aspects helps in knowing which material will be more used. They have their advantages and drawbacks, and both deserve their place. Prediction must be based on developments advancements. The points to watch about SiC and GaN devices include: samples availability is a main point for future integration, reliability is also a main concern, especially for SiC devices, voltage capability seems to keep GaN at smaller power, and cost: GaN appears to be potentially cheaper, as it is based on Si wafers and can be CMOS compatible.

Silicon, SiC and GaN materials and devices
The super junction (SJ) MOSFET market forecast - 2009-2016, the SJ MOS device market growth will stay around 11 percent until 2016. Recovery will push the market up to 12 percent annual growth in 2013-2014. The CAGR ‘11-‘16 is 12 percent.

Main added value of wide band gap semiconductor includes:
Higher switching frequency -- 20 kHz power converter and reduce the need for electric noise filtering.
Higher voltage operation -- 15kV is envisioned for train traction or energy T&D. It will divide by a factor 2 to 3 the size and weight of the overall power module.
Higher junction T° -- 200°C is envisioned. It will likely increase reliability and allow the integration of the inverter within the motor in traction applications. There is reduction in power losses -- 2 percent + more efficient.Source: Yole Développement, France.

Available devices in SJ MOS have specifications of 900V/20A, 0.8 A/mm², Ron: 190 mO and priced at $0.5 to 2/part. SJ MOS growth will be very high -- approximately 13 percent until 2016. It will enter new power range thanks to higher operating voltages. Available SiC devices have specification 1700V/20A, 1.8 A/mm², Ron: 80 mO and priced ˜$50/part. Cree’s SiC MOSFET bare dies are now available. Samples and production volume will accelerate integration in high-end systems.

Available GaN/Si devices have specification 200V/12A, 2 A/mm², Ron: 18 mO, and priced $5/part. Developments are very active. We expect GaN devices to be widely used in the 200V-600V range for high-end applications. Planar (lateral) MOSFETs will probably disappear of the HV MOSFET market in the next 15 years.

The SiC market will grow at 46 percent per year up to 2016. The GaN market will grow at 275 percent per year up to 2016. The SJ MOS market will grow at 17 percent per year up to 2016. There is caution advised. There is a limitation in the analysis as for some of the applications (EV/HEV, PV inverter, motor control or UPS), the three technologies are competing. Thus, we cannot exclude part of the business to displace from one to another.

Today’s solution of interest is still silicon, either with IGBT or Super Junction MOSFET. We envision planar MOSFET to nearly disappear, being replaced by SJ MOS which will become a standard. We already started to see this evolution, with SJ MOS being more and more proposed by foundries and smaller players (AOS, SMIC, Magnachip, Icemos).

GaN devices are now available at lower voltages, near 200V. System manufacturers start to think about DC/DC converters and smaller power supplies with GaN. The pending question is to now how they will increase in voltage, and which cost/performance capacity they will propose. We believe in 600V GaN competing with Si.

SiC switches are now available at 1200V and 1700V. They are still under field test, and are very expensive. They would have a greater interest at higher voltages (up to 10kV), but only a few device makers are targeting this area. At the moment, PV inverters and UPS are the market where SiC shows most potential, mainly because of diodes being already used. EV/HEV can adopt different scenarios between wide adoption and slow adoption. On the other side, high temperature niche applications will benefit from SiC as soon as packaging solutions are ready.

Potential applications: EV/HEV and PV inverters
SiC diodes are today already in production, mainly coupled with IGBT technology. The next step of large production for SiC-based devices will be for JFETs and later on MOSFETs. But today product availability, price and test results are not in line with inverter makers expectations. Particularity of GaN-based inverters will primarily target medium voltage applications (in the 200 – 600V range). GaN-based diodes will appear basically at the same moment as switches will be ready for industrialization.

Focusing on EV/HEV -- device roadmap for full/plug-in hybrid and EV, it is believed that the 1200V and 1700V will increasingly be used in EV and HEV. It will open opportunities for SiC devices. We believe GaN will have more difficulties in being used in powertrains, but it will probably take market shares in chargers. The need for high efficiency, smaller and lighter converters will push for wide band gap semiconductor.

Forecast 2010-2020 for EV/HEV
Hybrid type cars will represent most of the EV/HEV market, according to Yole. As the amount of power electronics is still consequent, we observe the same share at module level. SiC’s penetration in this market can follow different scenarios, between wide and rapid adoption and slow episodic use of SiC.

EV/HEV is a very promising market. It is forecasted to reach $1.5 billion in 2015 for the power module market only, it makes a lot of companies to prepare a strategy of entry. Future device landscape is blurry. Today, IGBT is the almost unique solution available for traction converters. The biggest players are working towards both SiC and GaN (Toyota, Delphi with GM), and SiC looks to be a better challenger for EV, as of today. The EV/HEV market players will have to think at system cost, to see that the extra cost of wide band gap can be smoothen by system cost savings. Device samples will also need to be widely available to see a penetration for SiC or GaN.

Focus on PV inverters
SiC and GaN switches are to enter PV inverter market starting from 2013. We expect IGBT to keep a large market share, as a cost competitive solution. There is still a bright future for silicon. It will keep good market share until at least 2016 and even further, being cost competitive and very standard. On the other side, SiC is more applied to higher voltages. These are the smallest markets, but probably the one requiring SiC properties the most. PV inverters and EV/HEV are at intermediary voltage levels, they could both be targeted by SiC and GaN, this makes the predictions very difficult.

No technical aspects helps in knowing which material will be more used. They have their advantages and drawbacks, and they both deserve their place. Prediction must be based on developments advancements. The points to watch about SiC and GaN devices include: samples availability is a main point for future integration, reliability is also a main concern, especially for SiC devices, voltage capability seems to keep GaN at smaller power, and cost: GaN appears to be potentially cheaper, as it is based on Si wafers and can be CMOS compatible.

Xilinx starts shipping Zynq-7000 EPP family!

2011-12-14T16:37:00.002+05:30

Xilinx Inc. has announced its first Zynq-7000 Extensible Processing Platform (EPP) shipments to customers. It showcased the first public demonstration of a Zynq-7000 EPP at the ARM European Technical Conference, in Paris, France. where attendees saw the device running a Linux-based application. Xilinx has recently started shipping Zynq, to at least three customers.

The Zynq-7000 family is the world’s first EPP. It combines an industry-standard ARM dual-core Cortex-A9 MPCore processing system with Xilinx 28nm unified programmable logic architecture. This processor-centric architecture delivers a complete embedded processing platform that offers developers ASIC levels of performance and power consumption, the flexibility of an FPGA and the ease of programmability of a microprocessor.Dave Tokic and Lawrence Getman.

Dave Tokic, senior director, partner Ecosystems and Alliances, said the company had made a number of investments. It has adopted a two-pronged approach: focusing on how it developed the ecosystem, and what it could do by itself. "We need a tool flow applicable across all customers. Our technologies are enabling much more complex designs. We are also raising the bar for the EDA providers. We do provide early access to our tools, etc."

Tokic added that the company has also invested a lot in training and certification in India. "Our partners are some very good companies. We have 24 members in our program. Eight of those are certified members." Some of the partner companies include Wipro, TCS, Corel, Mistral, CMC, GDA Technologies (L&T), Mechatronics, etc.

Lawrence Getman, VP of Processing Platforms, added that Xilinx has been seeing how to potentially leverage a cloud. "We are continuing to develop the IP ecosystem. We are also looking to engage expert service needs."

Commenting on developments, Getman said that Xilinx's Virtex-7 series FPGAs are based on high performance low power (HPL) process by TSMC. Xilinx wants to foster more collaborative approach in future for acquiring and working with customers.

IT optimization and database consolidation!

2011-12-12T05:40:00.001+05:30

How does an organization kick-start its transformation and achieve an optimized data center ready for the future? Does an organization adopt a futuristic, focused program to achieve immediate wins?

There is a need for CIOs to formulate a winning, if not, a workable strategy! In a white paper titled: "Planning for Tomorrow’s Data Center through Strategic Infrastructure Optimization", Greg Crider, senior director of technology product marketing at Oracle, recommends companies to take a look at their existing IT infrastructure and explore the strongest business needs. The companies can also find out where where its possible to realize immediate business benefits.

For instance, a shared database platform allows IT to get the elasticity they need so they can move resources where the demand is greatest. Standard configurations mean fewer moving parts, which means faster provisioning, notes Willie Hardie VP of database product marketing, Oracle, in the same white paper.

A quick poll on challenges of database consolidation within an organization, done in the same white paper, is interesting. At least 55 percent feel that IT resources are focused on managing the existing systems. However, 41 percent say there is no IT budget to embark on the consolidation project.

According to Crider, IT leaders need to embrace an alternative model, optimized from end-to-end by taking advantage of collective expertise and experiences throughout deployment.

Organizations also face a number of challenges, such as IT resources focused on managing existing systems, limited IT budgets to embark on consolidation projects, and running the risk of compromising enterprise information security. Hence, there is a need for database consolidation.

Benefits of database consolidation
The benefits of database consolidation are huge. According to a survey, 74 percent say it reduces IT costs, while 67 percent say it reduces complexity in the data center. It was found that 29 percent had already consolidated some or all of the databases, and 22 percent had started the process.

Private cloud computing is about consolidation, standardization and rationalization of the hardware, storage and software portfolio,” explains Hardie. As IT leaders move toward transforming data centers, a well-planned database consolidation strategy can help drive toward sustainable success. Similarly, application consolidation also plays a key role in helping IT leaders establish and support manageable environments capable of transforming data centers better prepared for an uncertain future.

Considering the potential benefits associated with application consolidation and optimization, it’s easy to understand why IT leaders are serious about embracing well-crafted plans as a key component of their data center transformation. Of course, IT leaders need to arm themselves with the right tools to overcome the potential obstacles head-on.

Specifically, it’s crucial to start by gaining an understanding of the potential challenges, developing a strategic plan, establishing a well defined end goal, securing senior support early in the process and staying determined throughout the process. That’s the surest route to an optimized infrastructure and a data center designed for the future.

Standardization, virtualization, consolidation, and cloud orchestration capabilities are necessary steps for organizations as they work to improve the application lifecycle management process, explains Mike Palmeter, director of product management with Oracle. IT leaders are starting to realize that even though they could create a list and build a system with the best-of-breed components, there is still a need to account for system efficiency.

Global solar PV industry likely to be 22 GW in 2012!

2011-12-09T05:30:00.006+05:30

Here is an outlook for 2012 on the global solar PV industry, done with the assistance of Dr. Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst, IHS iSuppli. First, the outlook for the global solar PV industry for 2012. According to Dr. Wicht, the bottom up analysis results for the global solar PV industry is at 22 GW. However there is upside potential, e.g., in Italy and China, of a total of 6 GW.

On the same vein, what is the outlook for solar cell production in 2012? He said that based on the 22 GW market, 19.6 GW of cSi cells will be produced in 2012. If the market is growing faster (upside potential), then 24 GW is possible.

Let us now have a look at the current top 15 producers. The graphs here are for global crystalline module producers and global thin film module producers, as of Q2 2011. The data for 2012 will certainly look different.

Fig. 1 is about the crystalline module producers, as of Q2-11, with Suntech the leader at 9.8 percent share. Yingli with 6.8 percent and LDK with 6.4 percent are the next two.Global crystalline module producers Q2-11. Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.

The others are: Trina Solar 6.2 percent, Canadian Solar 5.2 percent, Sharp 4.6 percent, Jinko 3.7 percent, Hanwha Solar 3.6 percent, Jabil Circuit 3.5 percent, SolarWorld 3.3 percent, REC 3.2 percent, Sunpower and Kyocera with 2.8 percent each, Sanyo Electric 2.5 percent, Bosch Solar 2.4 percent and all of the others at 33.3 percent.

Fig. 2 is about the global thin film module producers, as of Q2 2011, with First Solar as the leader at 45.5 percent share.Global thin film module producers, Q2-11. Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.

Solar Frontier with 10.5 percent and Sharp with 5.6 percent are the next two. The others are pretty small at the moment, with some of the major ones being Q-Cells with 3 percent, Bosch Solar 1.7 percent, etc. Others constitute 15.5 percent.

Improve cost structure, diversify downstream!
Two years ago, iSuppli had advised: "improve the cost structure, improve the sales side, and diversify downstream." How true does these hold for 2012?

Dr. Wicht said: "This advice remains very valid. Since 2009, nearly all Western players have developed downstream activities. They are using the power plant business to outbalance week demand and to enter into emerging markets.

"The challenge is now at the Chinese players: How do you maintain the high utilization of factories when sales is not visibility and there is no downstream business? PV installations in China are used as a “fast exit”, generating module sales and maintaining utilization (e.g., Yingli)."

Newcomers? And, road to grid parity?
Are the newcomers still having problems in getting the required credit for their projects? Also, are more new players entering, or has there been a cutback? Dr. Wicht said: "The hype of solar has actually cooled down. However, we expect that as soon as profits are just being back, the next wave of investments and expansions will happen. That will lead to the next wave of oversupply."

And, what about a “bumpy road” to grid parity? What's the scenario like for 2012? Dr. Wicht replied: "Grid parity is very close. We will have it in 2012 for the German and Italian residential household. However, we won’t see a “grid parity” PV boom. It will be a smooth transition from subsidized to unsubsidized markets. The challenge is on the PV downstream side: how do you develop PV business models in unsubsidized markets? This will start in 2012 and is forecasted to lead to significant growth by 2014."

Finally, what about HCPV? Dr. Wicht said: "High concentrated PV will remain a niche in 2012 since EU market are not really suited. Soitec/Concentrix has been quite successful with projects in China and South Africa recently, and that’s why it’ll survive."

SuVolta solving power problem in SoCs across multiple CMOS process nodes

2011-12-07T11:00:00.003+05:30

SuVolta Inc., based in California, USA, develops and licenses CMOS semiconductor technologies that significantly reduce the power consumption of integrated circuits (ICs). Back in June 2011, introduced the PowerShrink low-power platform and the first licensee, Fujitsu. Thanks to Amanda Crnkovich of The Hoffmann Agency, I interacted with Dr. Scott E. Thompson, CTO, SuVolta, on the deeply depleted channel (DDC) technology that delivers over 50 percent reduction in IC power consumption, while maintaining performance.

What's DDC technology all about?
First, I asked Dr. Thompson what the DDC technology is all about? He said that SuVolta’s PowerShrink platform in planar, bulk CMOS provides dramatic improvements in variability and device performance, and is compatible with existing CMOS processes. It integrates using conventional fabrication equipment and materials, and enables the reuse of existing circuit IP infrastructure. SuVolta is focusing on solving the power problem in system-on-chips (SoCs) across multiple CMOS process technology nodes.

He added: "SuVolta’s DDC transistor reduces threshold voltage (VT) variability and enables continued CMOS scaling. The structure works by forming a deeply depleted channel when a voltage is applied to the gate. In a typical implementation the DDC channel has several regions – an undoped or very lightly doped region, a VT setting offset region and a screening region. Each implementation of SuVolta’s DDC transistor may vary depending on the wafer fabrication facility and specific chip design requirements."

The DDC transistor has a much tighter distribution of threshold voltages. In addition, DDC transistors allow for the setting of multiple VTs, which is vital for today’s low-power products.

"Perhaps, the biggest benefit is in embedded SRAM memory blocks. For most chips, lowering supply voltage is limited by the SRAM. However, with a DDC transistor, conventional 6T SRAMs have been demonstrated operating below 500 milli Volts. This is significant as it is amongst the lowest voltage ever reported in a standard embedded SRAM," added Dr. Thompson.

Impact on reducing IC power consumption in devices
So, what impact will all of this have on reducing IC power consumption in devices, such as smartphones, tablets, etc.? While the increased density in transistors enables more features for all types of devices, power has now become the biggest issue in semiconductors. This “power impasse” is critical or two reasons:

* Excessive power consumption limits battery life for mobile devices, and causes huge electricity bills for server farms.
* Devices are hitting their thermal (heat) limit, thus preventing more capabilities from being added. Power consumption directly creates heat. This is becoming a major problem in mobile devices, which have very strict thermal limits. To hit thermal limits, chip makers must forego adding additional content, or “throttle” the chip back to a slower speed.

The impact of excess power on consumers is profound: shorter battery life, lower-content mobile devices - fewer features and/or slower performance, higher electronics costs because transistors hit their scaling limit because of power, excessive energy bills and an increased global demand for energy.

Dr. Thompson added: "SuVolta’s PowerShrink platform enables semiconductor firms to cut chip power in half without sacrificing performance, losing functionality, or migrating to a more advanced, and costly, semiconductor process node. And, it does so using planar, bulk CMOS, and does not require development of new manufacturing facilities or IP blocks."

Realistic alternative to FinFETs?
Why exactly does SuVolta think that this is a realistic alternative to other approaches, such as Intel’s FinFETs? Dr. Thompson said that to control VT variability, the industry needs a new device structure. Several fully depleted advanced device technologies have emerged to address VT variability, including FDSOI and Tri-Gate – a FinFET technology.

For the mobile market, cost and power considerations for SoC devices become a key consideration. SuVolta’s team of scientists and engineers essentially redefined the planar, bulk CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistor and related circuits, radically lowering the power consumption without the need for new fabrication equipment or design infrastructure.

He added: "The SuVolta PowerShrink low-power platform is compatible with current manufacturing and design infrastructure. SuVolta’s DDC technology - a component of the PowerShrink platform - leverages the existing CMOS design rules and process flows, and can be manufactured in existing fabs as it does not require new equipment or materials. SuVolta’s PowerShrink platform also uses conventional design tools and design flows."

Moving forward
Finally, what does SuVolta aim to do going forward? Dr. Thompson said: "SuVolta has generated strong interest in the industry with a number of companies including Broadcom, Cypress and ARM publically endorsing SuVolta’s technology. SuVolta is working with multiple foundries and has shared performance data at both 28nm and 65nm. We are not able to disclose our other foundry partners at this time, but will disclose that we are building DDC transistors at three different foundries at this time."

At IEDM 2011, Fujitsu Semiconductor Ltd – SuVolta’s first licensee and development partner – is presenting a jointly authored Fujitsu Semiconductor and SuVolta paper demonstrating ultra-low-voltage operation of SRAM down to ~0.4V. Fujitsu Semiconductor announced last June that it plans to have products incorporating SuVolta’s DDC and PowerShrink platform the second half of 2012.

Update to Cowan LRA model’s global semicon forecast numbers 2011/2012

2011-12-06T12:41:00.005+05:30

HCPV on way to utility market!

2011-12-05T20:01:00.004+05:30

According to Dr. Milan Rosina, Yole Developpement, high concentration PV (HCPV) does not follow the same way as PV. Adapted applications and installations in suitable regions are necessary. There are synergies between HCPV, LED, automotive and PV industries. New market entrants could help in the business development Dr. Rosina was speaking at an HCPV seminar organized by Yole.

He added that more than 80 companies are currently working in developing HCPV technology. Over 30 firms are developing new modules and systems. Large-scale installations are underway. There is said to be a large potential for the LCOE cost decrease. Positive track record from the large-scale installation could significantly improve the bankability of HCPV systems. However, strong competition with flat-module PV will remain.

Earlier, touching upon solar electricity generation and HCPV at a glance, he said that cells based on III-V materials have currently the best efficiencies, both in laboratory and in industrial production. A world record efficiency of 43.5 percent under concentrated light was obtained in 2011 by Solar Junction of USA. Commercially available cells are produced by Spectrolab of USA, Emcore of USA and Azur Space of Germany that reach 39-40 percent efficiency.

III-V cells have been used since 1997 to power satellites in space. They are too expensive to be used in standard terrestrial applications. Therefore, these are combined in terrestrial applications with light concentration systems in order to increase the efficiency and to decrease the cost per watt. The interest of HCPV is to use only a small amount of III-V material and to concentrate the light onto very efficient cells.

Drivers and barriers
Marker drivers and advantages of HCPV include high power production (MWh/y per watt installed) in high DNI areas due to high system efficiency, sun tracking, amd low temperature coefficient. There is reduced consumption of (costly) semiconductor material due to the use of optical concentrating system. Other advantages include system modularity, ,inimal water use, low environmental impact, promising LCOE potential in the high DNI areas, and large potential for efficiency increase and cost reduction.

As for market barriers, HCPV is still a niche market. There are geographical limitations for installations (high DNI required). It is best adapted for ground-mounted power plants only. There is high system price to contend with, as well as low product maturity and lack of standards and independent track records. Finally, there is competition with all electricity sources, especially with CSP and PV.

HCPV systems are targeting the utility market, e.g. electricity production on a large scale. An HCPV system is a multicomponent and multidisciplinary system.

System components include solar cell, receiver module, concentrating optics and HCPV module. High-precision assembly of all elements into the module is the key factor for reaching full module and system performance. The tracking system is equally important.

Emerging market
Before the end of 2010, there were over 50 HCPV installations. Most installations were in 10-kW or 100-kW range only. The biggest HCPV installation before 2011 used HCPV modules with high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells (Amonix/Guascor Foton). The cumulative volume of all installed HCPV systems based on III-V cells was around 15MW at the end of 2010, e.g. less than 0.05 percent of the PV total installed volume (~40GW). These were mostly test and prototype installations, and therefore, received some additional funding that enabled these projects.

The market is likely to take off during 2011-2018. According to Yole, in 2011 the new installed HCPV capacity will be approx. 38 MW. The HCPV market will continue to grow and the annual installed capacity will reach 1,020 MW in 2018.

There has been a move to use larger 6-inch substrates in order to decrease the cell costs. This transition will be done progressively depending on the HCPV market size and the manufacturing complexity of the cells with new designs.

Forecast of market share increase for 6” wafers in the HCPV industry.Source: Yole Développement, 2011.

Some novel cell designs are no more using Ge as active substrate element. The new cell manufacturing techniques enable the use of more expensive substrates. Progressive market share transition to GaAs substrate. The overall market concerning HCPV epiwafers will surpass $175 million in 2018.

Reducing LCOE for HCPV
A reduction of more than 50 percent of the LCOE can be expected in the next five to 10 years (depending on the market development). There are different paths to decrease the cost of LCOE in HCPV.

These include: targeting installation sites with very high DNI; improving module efficiency, especially by an increase of cell efficiency; increasing the product maturity; going to mass production; going to high-volume installation projects; iImproving the manufacturing technologies; standardization/independent field test studies; and co-operation within the supply chain.

HCPV supply chain
The HCPV supply chain is currently moving toward vertical integration. There are three possible scenarios. First, a single player - present in one technological segment only. Second, a player within the partnership network with select players. Third, a fully integrated player - this is high added value, but a risky approach.

As of now, about 80+ firms are in the HCPV supply chain, and 30+ companies are developing new modules and systems. There are few leaders -- Amonix, Soitec and SolFocus have managed to enter the solar farms business.

Many other companies, namely optoelectronic companies with strong background in LED industry (epiwafer growth, thermal management system manufacturing, are seeking new business opportunities by diversifying their activities. Expected fast HCPV market growth will provide a significant increase on III-V epiwafer demand providing new business opportunities.

In 2011, the HCPV market size is too small to allow successful vertical integrations. There is a clear trend to vertical integration in order to propose complete HCPV solutions, to reduce manufacturing costs and increase system performance, reliability and durability.

Global semiconductor industry keeps consolidating; 28nm will be stable: Dr. Wally Rhines

2011-12-02T14:01:00.006+05:30

The global semiconductor industry keeps consolidating, said Dr. Walden (Wally) Rhines, while making the keynote presentation at the ongoing Mentor Graphics' U2U conference in Bangalore, India.

According to a survey, the no. 1's market share has been relatively flat since 1972. The combined share of the top five semiconductor companies has been nearly the same as that of 1972. However, the share of the top 10 companies has been nearly the same but less than the historical average. If you look at the numbers, it is also evident that Texas Instruments' (TI) acquisition of National Semiconductors has had negligible impact. Also, the market share of the top 50 semiconductor companies continues to decline, especially in the last decade.

The answer lies in the fact that manufacturing is consolidating, while semiconductor is not! Foundries share of semiconductor revenue has increased. The share of total IC production has been flat. However, foundry capex has tripled over the last two years. Also, 28nm/32nm capacity has been sold out, and prices rising have been put on top of the next slide. Foundries are likely to revamp and record the highest market share of the 28nm/20nm market. Foundry spending is said to be at an all time high as percentage of total capex.

There have been significant design changes. In fact, 28nm has now become the 'work horse' technology. There have been high yields and at lower costs. The accelerated design activity has seen redesign take advantage of smalller node efficiencies. So, how can you prepare? Perhaps, do more design in less time, and use the same resources. Or, you could do less of power devices.

Significant changes are now coming in design. Because of 2010/2011 capital expenditures, 28/20nm semiconductor technology will become a major “work horse” compared to previous technology generations. Plenty of wafers will be available from silicon foundries. Yields will be high and costs will be low. As a result, design activity will accelerate beginning in late 2012 to take advantage of the 28nm capability and capacity. Favorable costs and yields will cause semiconductor companies to redesign 180/130/90/65/45nm products into 28/20nm versions while adding functionality. Totally new applications will emerge because of the 28/20nm capability and cost, thus growing the semiconductor market in 2014+.

Implications of plentiful 28/20nm foundry capacity include: 28nm will become “work horse” technology. There will be high yields and low costs, as well as an accelerated design activity. Redesigns will take advantage of smaller node cost efficiencies. New designs will leverage the additional transistors.

In future, more companies will be moving to ESL-based design. Place and route will be more in fashion -- 20nm double patterning, as well as DFM and integrated verification. DFM will pave the way for designing for reliability. The metal layer stack has been doubling as device complexity has been rising. Another factor is reliability checking. Initial efforts aer being offered at TSMC AMS flow 2.0. More will be offered by TSMC for digital flow in Q4.

To meet design, cost and power pressures, there will be a move to ESL-based design that require high-level design tradeoffs performance/power and RTL low power optimization. Place and route will assume importance -- 20nm double patterning, DFM and integrated verification as well as 100M+ instance capacity and top level assembly/clock tuning. DFM or design for reliability and yield ramp-up will also gain in importance.

More designs can be done in less time, at less power, and same resources. The intelligent test bench and hardware acceleration/emulation will help deal with 1000x increase in functional complexity. System design methodologies—chip, board and system level would come in, in form of signal and power integrity, 3D and embedded software.

Reliability checking is required at all process nodes to verify reliability issues (and not just the most advanced nodes). TSMC and Mentor are jointly developing and educating the industry on the need for this new class of checks. They are also co- developing reliability kits.

Next, emulation has been a fast-growing sector of the EDA industry for the past one to two years. System design methodologies and PCBs are core to product delivery. Also, 3D ICs are adding challenges while integrating packaging issues into IC design. Early 3D IC adoption is said to be driven by performance, power and form factor. The 2.5D IC will provide long cost-effective transition.

3D-IC is adding challenges while integrating packaging issues into IC design. The early 3D-IC adoption will be driven by performance, power and form factor. The 2.5D-IC will provide a long, cost-effective transition. There will be power/performance impact on processor/memory stacks, such as wide I/O 512 bit bus on processors, flip-chip memory with chip-layout standards, and interposers. Closely coupled package and chip design will provide low power, high performance system functions.

If one looks at the 3D-IC roadmap, today, there are sensors on logic, limited-volume stacked memory and package-on-package and flip chip memories on processors. The next two to three years will see 2.5D+ chips that see rapidly increasing use of interposers, integration of logic and memory with flip chips and interposers, mixed analog, RF, logic and memory in multi-die stacks, TSVs outside active circuitry, and interchangeable use of die from different vendors in 3D-IC configurations. The future, that is five+ years from now will see 3D that embed TSVs in leading-edge logic chips, as well as mixed analog, RF, logic and memory in multi-die stacks.

In summary, because of 2010/2011 capital expenditures, silicon foundry share of 28/20nm semiconductor revenue will double versus the 65nm+ generation. 28nm will be a stable, high volume, cost-effective production technology node. There will be cost-driven redesigns of products in older technologies and new designs will leverage the increased capability.

Design methodologies will change. There will be power/performance tradeoffs at the ESL level, new physical design capabilities including DFR, DP, P&R will come up, tools will be there to ramp-up production yields more rapidly. There will be 1000X in functional verification improvement, as well as system, software and 3D design methodologies.

Synopsys acquires Magma! And, another one bites the dust!!

2011-12-01T13:05:00.003+05:30

Wow! Yesterday, Synopsys signed a definitive agreement to acquire Magma Design Automation Inc. This news is interesting, and not surprising. This acquisition seemed to be on the cards, but at least, not so soon. Nevertheless!

So, that leaves Synopsys, Cadence and Mentor Graphics as the big three EDA vendors, now that Magma has been acquired.

Just a couple of months back, I was in discussion with Rajeev Madhavan, chairman and CEO, Magma, regarding Silicon One technology solutions on the sidelines of MUSIC India. Magma had outlined five technologies: Talus, Tekton, Titan, FineSim and Excalibur and expected to have the opportunity to be a dominant yield management company.

Where has all of this gone, one wonders! It can safely be assumed that the Silicon One series can very well go on, now under the guidance of Synopsys. However, it will only add up to boosting the revenues of Synopsys in the long run.

Some time ago, one thought that the EDA industry was having four big players. Now, there are three. In between, there was news such as Cadence trying to acquire Mentor Graphics, which did not happen. Even Magma seemed to be doing fine, at least, till 2006-07.

Thereafter, it has been a slightly different story, with not only the CEO leaving Magma India, and some changes in the Indian management team, as well as certain MUSIC India events with less attendances, and so on. One can accept these as the part and parcel for any industry/organization.

On Magma's website, there is a statement from Madhavan, which says: "Magma and Synopsys have always shared a common goal of enabling chip designers to improve performance, area and power while reducing turnaround time and costs on complex ICs," said Rajeev Madhavan, CEO of Magma. "By joining forces now we can ensure that chip designers have access to the advanced technology they need for silicon success at 28, 20 nanometer and below."

All the best to both Synopsys and Magma!

LogMeIn resolving IT challenges due to enterprise mobility!

2011-11-29T14:08:00.003+05:30

LogMeIn Inc., a provider of cloud services for data and devices, recently opened an office in Bangalore, India. Thanks to Mamata Sampath, I had a brief discussion with Anil Sharma, sales director, LogMeIn, India. LogMeIn provides cloud-based remote access, support and collaboration solutions to quickly, simply and securely connect millions of Internet-enabled devices across the globe — computers, smartphones, iPad and Android tablets, and digital displays. For instance, LogMeIn is working to resolve several IT challenges due to enterprise mobility.

First, I asked him about the challenges before enterprises due to the increasing mobile workforce. He said that mobility has become more complex for enterprises, and particularly for multinationals that need to manage the mobility of their staff across many countries. It has been observed that enterprise mobility is the biggest single trend across the tech industry investment, even outpacing the cloud computing trend. The increasing importance of the space is reflected in robust market traction predictions for India as well.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the enterprise mobility market in India was worth about Rs. 346 crore in FY2008-09 and is estimated to reach Rs 1,880 crore by FY 2015-16. Growth rates for the enterprise mobility market in India are estimated to be among the highest in the Asia region. There are simply more users with more devices using more applications.

In addition there has been a blurring of the boundaries between business and personal usage, and many IT managers struggle to enforce company policies while employees demand more consumer-like devices and applications. Their need for support in managing this complexity and cost has never been greater.

Some of the IT challenges faced due to enterprise mobility are: Securing information systems, integrating technologies, supporting devices, containing costs , controlling personal use, training users, justifying investments and limiting use.

When it comes to managing enterprise mobility, it has been noticed that the devices like tablets and smartphones are becoming “access” devices and enterprises are still figuring out how to best ensure data is neither lost nor accessed by unauthorized persons. Enforcing password policies and employing capabilities that allow IT helpdesk to remotely lock a lost or stolen device are musts.

Further, keeping data behind a firewall on the network (where it can be backed up regularly) helps ensure its integrity. Software like LogMeIn’s remote access solution, Ignition, enables users maintain the high level of mobility that they have become accustom to and get access to the data on the corporate network via their tablet or smartphone, without actually downloading or storing that data on the device itself.

How open are enterprises to provide remote access/support technology? According to Sharma: "Enterprises are rapidly understanding that their employees are going mobile whether it’s sanctioned by IT or not. Business users are going to use/introduce the products they want (e.g., iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S vs. BlackBerry, Tablets, etc.). The practices of standardizing IT equipment and environments in order to simplify IT support have become antiquated as businesses change; workers demand mobility, flexibility and choice; and internet-based devices and platforms proliferate. This evolution demands that IT teams and the enterprise keep pace with the business and likewise adapt their processes, tools, and approach to supporting an increasingly dispersed and technologically diverse workforce.

According to IDC , the combined India domestic IT-ITeS market will grow by 15 percent in 2010 to achieve revenues of Rs 1,20,666 crore. The domestic IT market is expected to grow 13 percent in 2010 to touch Rs 1,07,655 crore. Also, as per IDC, the worldwide market for remote support tools will grow from $171 million in 2008 to $473 million in 2013, representing a five year CAGR of 22.6 percent. It is observed that this market is niche and growing. Several trends are driving this growth: the economy is forcing businesses to do more with less; there is a shortage of skilled IT workers at branch locations, and telecommuters, remote workers and mobile workers are increasing as a percentage of the workforce.

He added: "Given this market scenario, we see an incredible potential in the Indian market – with fleets of customer support desks that can benefit from offering their end-users on-demand remote support. Our strategy has been to secure a few key customers to prove out the benefits this type of solution can have for Indian companies, and then bring the solution out to a broader audience. Anyone can take a free trial of LogMeIn solutions at anytime by simply registering on the web site. BPOs, MSPs and telcos are some of the verticals that have witnessed a lot of traction toward this technology."

It would be interesting to know about the evolving trends and challenges in remote access/support technology. Sharma said according to Frost & Sullivan the clientless remote support market is projected to hit global revenues of $588 million by 2014. Several trends are driving this growth: the economy is forcing businesses to do more with less; there is a shortage of skilled IT workers at branch locations, and telecommuters, remote workers and mobile workers are increasing as a percentage of the workforce.

Security is the biggest challenge when it comes to remote access; however, in a world that depends on an increasingly mobile workforce as well as online communications for conducting business, eliminating remote access in the interests of security is counterproductive to say the least.

"LogMeIn is very aware of the growing needs of the large enterprises and provides them solutions that help them remotely support and manage hundreds or thousands of desktops, laptops, servers, kiosks, POS machines and the applications that run on them. LogMeIn also provides cross-platform capabilities which include support for Windows PCs, Macintosh computers and smartphones, including BlackBerry, iOS, Android, Symbian, and Windows Mobile devices," he added.

Recently, LogMeIn published an update to its popular LogMeIn Ignition for iPad/iPhone app that adds Dropbox and integrates Google Docs. Sharma said: "LogMeIn Ignition for iPad/iPhone app blends the best of cloud services and remote access into a single app. Featuring integration with Dropbox and Google Docs, the new Ignition update gives iOS users the ability to quickly and seamlessly view, copy, transfer and save files between their mobile devices, personal or work computers, and popular cloud services. As a result, iPad and iPhone owners can access all of their digital files from anywhere with an internet connection – and never have to worry about forgetting to put a file into the cloud."

The LogMeIn Ignition for iPad/iPhone app gives users the ability to remotely access PCs and Macs from an iOS device – remotely view and control computers or simply access the computers’ file systems. With the introduction of My Cloud Bank, users of Ignition can:
* Transfer files and folders between remote computers and the cloud while on the go.
* View files and folders on their computers and popular cloud storage and sync services like Dropbox and Google Docs on their iPad and/or iPhone.
* Save files from the cloud or remote computers on to an iOS device.

Originally introduced for the iPhone, Ignition has since been extended to other major smartphone and tablet platforms, including the iPad, Android devices and most recently the Amazon Kindle Fire. It consistently ranks as one of the highest rated and top grossing apps on the popular app stores and was named the top grossing third party app for the iPad in 2010.

Finally, what are LogMeIn’s plans for India? Sharma said: "India is a very strategic market to us; we have had a terrific start in India with large managed services providers and technical support organizations deploying our solution at a large scale. Accenture, Quatrro are few bigger customers for us in India out of more than 20 enterprises who are using our solutions.

"The key markets/verticals we plan to target in India are managed service providers, outsourced IT services organizations and mobile service providers. Any organization providing technical support to internal and external customer can benefit from our solution(s). The global clients include Accenture, ACS, Vodafone (not a client in India) CompuCom, Perot systems (now part of Dell), Sony, Quattro, etc."

Lattice intros low power ECP4 FPGAs

2011-11-28T14:37:00.006+05:30

Lattice Semiconductor Corp. has introduced the low-cost and low-power ECP4 FPGAs. These feature 6Gbps SERDES in low cost wire-bond packages, powerful DSP blocks and hard IP-based communication engines for cost- and power-sensitive wireless, wireline, video, and computing markets.

The LatticeECP4 FPGA family features high performance, low power in low cost 65nm process, making a great FPGA family even better. Lower cost, high yield 65nm process is ideal for mid-range FPGAs. There has been an extensive use of wire-bond packaging. The FPGAs have CDR capable I/Os that lower customers' implementation cost. The POWER sysDSP minimizes multipliers and LUTs, and enables high bandwidth in a small area. There is also a 10X area reduction by use of hardened MACO communication engines.

The ECP4 features lower power architecture. It is optimized for mid-density devices, and not based on high-density high overhead platform. Modified logic/routing power ratio helps achieve higher performance with modest dynamic power increase. It also features higher bandwidth and performance.

As it is, the FPGA boasts 10X more efficient hard MACO engines. Besides, it has 7X more DSP processing capability, 2X faster SERDES (6G), 66 percent more LUTs, 50 percent higher LVDS performance, 42 percent more memory and 33 percent higher DDR3 I/O performance.

Diamond 1.4 beta design software is available for select customers, especially those who jumpstart cost-effective platform designs. The ECP4 device samples will be available in 1H 2012, and the ECP4 production devices will be available in 2H 2012.

Features include high performance for low cost -- such as up to 250K LUTs, multi-protocol CEI compliant 6G SERDES, 30 percent faster fabric, 42 percent more embedded memory, 50 percent faster GIGA sysIO with CDR capability, MACO communication engine hard IP and innovative power sysDSP with 4X bandwidth.

For low cost and low power, the FPGA uses mature, low cost 65nm process. There is an extensive use of wire-bond packages as well as of hard IP. It is architected specifically for mid-density devices and beats power dissipation of more “advanced nodes”. Finally, there is low cost of ownership. The MACO engines save 10X power and footprint. The GIGA sysIO is CDR capable I/O and saves SERDES. The power sysDSP is breakthrough signal processing using less LUTs and multipliers. Innovative low cost wire-bond packaging supports 6G SERDES, 1.25Gbps LVDS w/ CDR and 1066Mbps DDR3.

End market and equipment
The end market and equipment includes wireless access -- multimode remote radio heads (RRHs) and multimode base stations. Here, the key requirements are powerful signal processing to linearize MIMO based RRH, high performance SERDES for RRH and baseband connectivity, and optimized CPRI low latency variation support. The key ECP4 features include power sysDSP that provides 7X improvement, MACO communication engines -- SRIO2.1 x4, PCIe2.1 x4, 12 EMACs, 2 x EMAC10G, and specialized CPRI interface.

Another area is wireline access, such as wireless backhaul, wireline access, switches and routers, and storage and computing. Here, the key requirements include high bandwidth Ethernet support for data plane, multiple high speed DDR3 interfaces, and PCIe 2.1 for next gen control plane. The key ECP4 features include Ethernet MACO engines that support 10G, 2.5G and 1G, 1066Mbps DDR3 and SGMII on GIGA sysIO, and PCIe 2.1 x4 MACO engine.

A third area is video edge, such as professional video equipment, industrial and surveillance cameras, and digital signage. Here, the key requirements are high bandwidth signal processing, multi-data rate SERDES and multiple high speed DDR3 interfaces. The key ECP4 features include Cascading and Symmetry to support large FIR filters, SERDES supports 155Mbps without oversampling and 1066Mbps DDR3 support, respectively.

Lattice's Diamond design software has been built for cost sensitive, low power applications. Features include ease of use throughout, new system planner tool that optimizes resource usage and power calculator with static and dynamic low power modes.

Global semicon sales forecast at $329.4 billion for 2012

2011-11-25T22:32:00.009+05:30

This is a continuation of my coverage of the fortunes of the global semiconductor industry. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mike Cowan, an independent semiconductor analyst and developer of the Cowan LRA model, who has provided me the latest numbers.

It’s that time of the month again; namely, time for an “early showing” of next month’s global semiconductor sales forecast updates for both 2011 and 2012 as gleamed from October’s “actual” sales expectation range via exercising the ‘look ahead’ forecasting capability of the Cowan LRA forecast model.

The soon to-be-announced October 2011 global semiconductor sales result should, therefore, be influential in determining the sales growth expectation for the full year of 2011. In particular, one can ascertain whether 2011 will exhibit positive yearly sales growth for the industry or will it turn negative as a number of market researchers have recently forecasted based upon downward fourth quarter sales guidance recently announced by many semiconductor suppliers in reporting their third quarter financials?

Therefore, presented here is a “snap shot” of 2011′s global semiconductor sales and sales growth forecast prospects as a function of October’s possible “actual” sales forecast estimate range as derived via the Cowan LRA forecasting model that I have developed and previously shared. Moreover, the model has been extended in order to include a view of what 2012?s sales growth prospects might look like thereby providing a five quarter look ahead horizon that allows the model to also capture the four quarters of 2012.

It should be mentioned that October 2011′s “actual” global semiconductor sales number is scheduled to be released by the WSTS via its monthly HBR (Historical Billings Report) on or about Monday, December 5th.

In advance of the WSTS’s release of its October HBR, here’s a monthly “what if” outlook analysis. The analysis leverages the Cowan LRA forecasting model, which projects worldwide semiconductor sales for 2011 (as well as 2012) by providing a “look ahead” scenario for year 2011′s sales forecast range as a function of October’s assumed range of “actual” global semiconductor sales estimates.

The output of this “look ahead” modeling analysis is detailed in the scenario analysis matrix displayed in the table below. A discussion of the model’s results is provided in the paragraphs immediately following the table given here.Source: Cowan LRA model.

In order to facilitate the determination of these “look ahead” forecast numbers, an extended range in assumed October 2011′s “actual” sales is selected a-priori. In this month’s scenario analysis outlook, an Oct. 2011 sales range from a low of $23.948 billion to a high of $26.948 billion, in increments of $0.250 billion, is pre-selected as listed in the first column of the above table.

This best-guess, “what if” estimated range in assumed "actual" sales numbers is selected around October's actual sales forecast expectation of $25.448 billion as gleamed from last month's Cowan LRA Model run (based upon September's WSTS published "actual" sales number). The corresponding October 3MMA sales forecast estimate expectation is projected to be $26.416 billion. (NOTE - this assumes no, or very minor. revisions to either August's or September's previously published "actual" sales numbers released in last month's HBR by the WSTS).

The overall year 2011 sales forecast estimate corresponding to each one of these pre-selected October sales numbers over the range of “actual” sales estimates is calculated by the model, and is exhibited in the second column of the table.

The third column lists the associated year-on-year sales growth estimates for 2011 compared to year 2010′s global semi sales of $298.315 billion as reported by WSTS. The fourth and fifth columns show the corresponding October 3MMA, three Month Moving Average, sales forecast estimates and the associated 3MMA year-over-year sales growths relative to October 2010′s 3MMA sales of $26.200 billion, respectively.

The sixth column lists the model’s Momentum Indicator, MI, which is defined as the percentage delta between the actual October sales result and the previous month’s (November) sales forecast estimate for October. Finally, the seventh and eighth columns reveal 2012′s forecasted sales and sales growth estimates associated with last month’s October sales forecast estimate expectation, respectively.

Therefore, as the above scenario analysis table lays out, depending on the actual WSTS (to-be-released) October 2011 global semiconductor sales number, the forecasted full year 2011 sales estimate as determined by the model could vary between a minimum of $305.3 billion and a maximum of $309 billion. Thus, the corresponding 2010 to 2011 sales growth forecast estimate would then vary between a low of 2.4 percent and a high of 3.6 percent, respectively. Moreover, the table also reveals the model’s expectations for 2012′s sales and sales growth forecast estimates, namely $329.4 billion and 7.2 percent, respectively.

Consequently, employing the above described “look ahead” analysis capability, the model can generate a “sensitivity output” of the “expected” year 2011 sales range (and a year-on-year sales growth range) as a function of the yet-to-be-announced (but, in this case, assumed) October 2011 ‘actual’ sales number. Therefore, using this scenario matrix outlook table, one can “select” an anticipated October sales number (in the pre-selected range shown) and immediately see what the model would predict for year 2011′s sales forecast estimate along with its corresponding sales growth expectation well in advance of the actual (to-be-published) October 2011′s sales result.

Finally, stay tuned for the WSTS to post its October 2011 HBR (anticipated on or about December 5th, 2011) and thus the ‘actual’ sales number. Once released, the reader can then easily ascertain the model’s latest forecast results as abstracted (or extrapolated) from the provided table (above) even before the Cowan LRA forecasting model is put through its paces and I subsequently publish the latest, updated forecast numbers.Source: Cowan LRA model, USA.

Note: For comparison purposes last month’s previously published Cowan LRA Model’s sales growth forecast estimates for both 2011 and 2012 based on September 2011′s “actual” sales (of $29.442 billion) are summarized in the table here.

M/H can truly deliver ‘real TV’ experience!

2011-11-24T20:31:00.006+05:30

Siano Mobile Silicon, based in Israel, is going strong in mobile digital TV space. Thanks to Rachel Glaser, of Ruderfinn, Israel, I managed an exclusive with Ronen Jashek, co-founder and VP Marketing, Siano Mobile Silicon.

First, let’s understand what the US standard for mobile digital TV — ATSC-M/H (Advanced Television Systems Committee – Mobile/Handheld)– all about! Jashek said: ”ATSC-M/H is a standard that was established on the foundation of ATSC, a digital technology that replaced Analog TV in the US back in 2009. ATSC is the US equivalent to other international standards, like DVB-T (Europe), ISDB-T Full-Seg (Japan), and others around the world.

“ATSC is targeted (and consequently, was designed to do just that) to deliver HD content to domestic, stationary applications (i.e., big-screen TVs at home) that primarily use fixed antennae. It therefore does not address issues that are related to mobile use-cases – mobility (being able to receive the signal while moving at high speeds), efficient power consumption (to address the mobile, battery-powered devices) and extremely high sensitivity and immunity to interface (which is required in a typical mobile use-case when “on the go”). As a result, these aspects are exactly what M/H (Mobile/Handheld) is addressing. In a word, M/H can be considered the equivalent of DVB-H (again – in Europe), CMMB (in China) and ISDB-T 1-Seg (Japan and LatAm).

“ATSC-M/H was established by the ATSC standardization body, as a joint effort by its members, after realizing the need to secure a technology that would enable true mobile TV service to take off and flourish in the U.S. The various ATSC committees worked on the standard for several years, up until its final version was formally approved in the fall of 2010, paving the way to the deployment and launch of the M/H TV service.”

Given the considerable interest around mobile handheld TV, how significant is the mobile-ready programing? Jashek replied: “Based on the underlying M/H technology, US broadcasters now have the means to get their content out there – direct to consumers. Currently, there are about 60 cities with a total of close to 80 TV stations that are already airing mobile TV content.

“To date, however, most of this content is local – meaning, it’s produced and aired locally. But this is not nearly enough to generate a successful, enticing mobile TV market. Enter the Mobile Content Venture, the MCV – a coalition of the top US broadcasters (FOX, NBC, ION, and others) that set its mission on delivering the mobile TV service built on the broadcast technology and spectrum.

“Naturally, the content that can be delivered by this coalition is the best available premium content in the US Quoting their official plans – “At launch, the service will initially consist of at least two ad-supported, free-to-consumer channels in each DMA. Additional channels and markets are expected to be added.” There’s no doubt that once the MCV plans are in motion and materialize, the content will be extremely attractive to render the service successful.”

MDTV vs. HDTV
What difference will MDTV bring, versus, say HDTV? He said: “The term MDTV is somewhat innocently confused with the video streaming services/clips that we’ve all come to know in the last couple of years while using our smartphones. However, to those of us in the broadcast TV industry, the above is not TV – it’s merely an attempt by cellular carriers to provide us with low-quality, low-resolution, offline/buffered clips under the guise of “TV”.

“TV is something completely different – a true TV experience, one that we’ve all grown up with, is high-quality, real-time, non-interruptible and non-buffered/delayed – similar to the HDTV experience that we now have in our homes. Naturally, smartphones and tablets do not have the capability to show the same resolutions (although this is changing fast), but when using broadcast technology (i.e., the ability to deliver high bit-rate data/traffic to millions of users at the same time) vs. cellular technology (which is primarily based on one-to-one or one-to-few at best) is significant! Only broadcast TV technology such as M/H can truly deliver the real TV experience.”

Finally, what’s the future of Siano and MDTV, as well as ATSC-MH? He added: “Siano has been around the broadcast MDTV business for the past seven years; we’ve seen markets rise up successfully (Japan, Korea, China, Latin America) and fall miserably (Europe, US in the past – with Modeo’s DVB-H and Qualcomm’s MediaFLO). From this perspective, we believe very strongly in ATSC-M/H since it’s driven from the inner workings of the US broadcast industry.

“We are extremely successful in China and Latin America (50 percent and 40 percent market share, respectively) and we’ve moved into the US market very aggressively, having already launched a product in this market in the fall of 2010. Today, the Siano IC receiver for M/H is the best in the market, already being designed and deployed by several leading customers into devices that will be launched in 2012.

“As such, 2012 is the year for MDTV in the US – should it ramp up successfully, not only will the US be back again as a leader in showing just what TV innovation is all about, but also, Siano will be a pivotal player in the market with a dominant share – just as we have achieved in our other markets.”

Siano's RallyTV
Have you ever been stuck in the back of a cab forced to watch the same 5-minute video loop over and over? Almost all of us have firsthand experience with the extremely limited, pre-recorded, TV programming currently offered on public transportation.

This will all change with the introduction of Siano Mobile Silicon’s revolutionary new platform, RallyTV, that delivers high-quality, live in-vehicle digital TV. Consumers on-the-go can enjoy live TV broadcasts on smartphones, tablets and laptops anywhere, anytime.

RallyTV highlights
* Passengers can watch live TV, including local programming.
* Compatible with all smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
* No need for special hardware or software on the end-user side.
* Provides high-quality mobile DTV even while traveling at high speeds.
* Optimal for many end-users on public transportation or fewer users in private vehicles.

MEMS Executive Congress 2011 round-up

2011-11-22T18:30:00.001+05:30

Presenting the round-up or closing remarks from Ms. Karen Lightman, MD, MEMS Industry Group, at the recently held MEMS Executive Congress 2011 on Nov. 2-3, in Monterey, USA.

Market analyst panel
* Intelligence added to location will dictate consumer experiences on mobile, (Forrester).
* MEMS market growth at 10 percent in 2011. Nearly $12 billion market by 2015, says IHS iSuppli. Yole predicts $20 billion by 2015.
* Consumer MEMS growing at much faster pace, at 20 percent year-over-year – but look out for price erosion (iSuppli)!
* Be more like semiconductor manufacturing. Leverage standard processes and tools to get to volume production. Reduces cost and TTM (Semico).

Accelerating innovation through systems engineering best practices
* We are ushering in a “new wave” of innovation fueled by “building blocks” of the connected world.
* Software is the Iifeblood of today’s innovation and is changing design paradigm within many markets.
* Connect multiple products and services into a “system of systems” to deliver unique value.
* Leverage systems engineering and develop core competency in software delivery. Speeds time-to-market and enables differentiated products.
* IBM Rational implemented “system of systems” with GM to produce new drive system for Chevy Volt in just 29 months!

Panel on MEMS foundry models – in-house, fab-lite, fabless
* Time-to-market (TTM) is a key challenge. It’s still 2x slower than in the semiconductor business.
* MEMS is coming to attention of global semiconductor industry, which can address high- and low-volume apps. Barriers to entry are lower than ever.
* A difference of opinion: Reusing tools from CMOS fabs can lower costs for IDMs and large IC foundries. Pure-play foundries compete via engineering know-how and “ecosystem” approach.
* There will be more fabless companies in top 30 MEMS companies within next few years.
* “Remember that products pay the bills, not technology.”

Panel on MEMS sensor fusion/sensor networks
* MEMS sensors have potential to give us real-time situational analysis.
* We’re using cell phones to communicate with one another. Now, we need to communicate with the environment.
* HP’s Central Nervous System of the Earth (CENSE), used for oil and gas exploration, is ramping 1 million high-performance sensor nodes.
* But sensor companies have failed us (at least in part)! We need low-cost, lower-power MEMS devices that can withstand on-again, off-again demand.
* In the future, it won’t be about pushing data to someone else’s cloud. We’re going to have our own personal networks through which we manage secure communities of interest.

Panel on MEMS in consumer products
* Smartphones don’t just make computation mobile; they personalize it.
* Personal health management used to be the exclusive domain of men and women in white coats. Now it’s moving to consumer population at large.
* There are 24+ devices in consumer homes that produce data.
* “Ive seen espresso machines running Android!”
* In past, MEMS was obscure and invisible to the end user. In future, consumers will want to interact with many of these sensing technologies.
* The future of MEMS in consumer products is health/medical, LARGE, and ubiquitous.

Global semiconductor market will be $313 billion in 2012: SSIA

2011-11-17T16:04:00.003+05:30

The Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) recently held its 2011 Summit. Estimating the global semiconductor industry in 2012, the SSIA agrees with Future Horizon forecasts stating that 2011-Q3 will be flat (+/- 1 percent), and that 2011-Q4 will show a slight decline (-1/-2 percent) with total year growth of 1 percent as compared with growth of 2010 +32 percent.Pasquale Pistorio, honorary chairman, ST Microelectronics, who spoke at SSIA’s Summit, described expectations for 2012 as including a low first half, followed growth of +8 percent and 2013 growth of 22 percent. “The industry will reach the elusive $400 billion mark in 2013,” noted Pistorio. The global semiconductor market will be $313 billion in 2012.

Meeting semicon industry challenges
According to the SSIA, the semiconductor industry challenges going forward include:

Industry growth in an uncertain market: The semiconductor industry is cyclical – and this poses challenges. “Excessive investment in inventory during expansion or economic slowdown, or both, has been the way of life in this industry,” said Pistorio. “The semiconductor industry is characterized by big market swings. In 2001, the swing was +69 percent. Now is a new swing. This is the first correction of this decade. This is the nature of the industry - this is business as usual.”

Growth of emerging semiconductor companies: With semiconductor startups declining in number and VCs becoming more and more hesitant to invest funds in getting them off the ground, a different approach is needed to enable these innovative entrepreneurs to gain a foothold in the semiconductor market.

To encourage growth in this sector, SSIA will become involved in a semiconductor-focused company incubator to guide the creation of growth of Singapore- based fabless semiconductor startups; create an SSIA emerging company board with a focus on better meeting the needs of emerging semiconductor companies and facilitating coordination with established Singapore semiconductor companies; and coordinate with Singapore government agencies and the Economic Development Board on infrastructure support initiatives for emerging semiconductor companies.

Asian semiconductor industry worth $177 billion in 2012
Estimating the Asian semiconductor industry in 2012, the SSIA said that Singapore plays a significant role in the overall. The Asian semiconductor market is expected to be $177 billion in 2012. According to SSIA projections, the 2012 Singapore semiconductor market will be approximately $44.6 billion.

Year 2010 was a record year for Singapore's electronics industry. The industry attained historic highs in both manufacturing output and value-added. Electronics manufacturing output grew 26.9 percent in 2010 to reach S$89.9 billion, far surpassing the global industry growth of 9.3 percent. The electronics industry was also the largest contributor to Singapore's 2010 GDP from the manufacturing sector, with its share of GDP increasing to 7 percent from 5.7 percent in 2009.

The strong growth of Singapore's electronics industry was enabled through industry transformation. Over the years, the electronics industry has transformed to manufacture higher value-added products and R&D. This is illustrated through two main sectors - semiconductors and data storage.

Singapore's semiconductor industry posted a nominal growth of 49.8 percent, outpacing the global semiconductor industry's 32.5 percent growth in 2010. As a result, Singapore's manufacturing output share of global semiconductor revenues increased from 11.2 percent in 2009 to 13.5 percent in 2010.

Cisco’s borderless networks architecture help enterprises overcome security challenges

2011-11-15T20:02:00.002+05:30

Thanks to Riyanka Khanna at Text100, New Delhi, I managed to get into conversation with Bipin Kumar Amin, principle consultant, Borderless Networks – Security, Cisco. I started by asking him about the security challenges currently faced by enterprises.

Security challenges faced by enterprises
He said: “Indian network security market is growing consistently as organizations increasingly realize the importance of securing their data against external and internal threats. The advent of 3G in India has opened up new roads for technologies and applications owing to the greater bandwidth available, as well as faster data transfer. As data becomes more pervasive, privacy and security becomes the important concerns for the enterprises. Consequently, there has been no let-down in IT security spending because CIOs realize that without ensuring the security of their vital data, it’s not possible to expand business.

“The traditional network and physical perimeter is no longer the only border where information must be defended. Collaboration, IT consumerization, mobility, and new computing technologies are increasing productivity while presenting new security requirements.

“BYOD is a new phenomenon, which every enterprise is witnessing and has to deal with the management and security the data on mobile devices, whether they are owned by an enterprise or user. There is greater pressure on IT to meet the demands of a dynamic workforce-both in terms of service delivery and security challenges. New solutions are needed to protect borderless networks and to help further improve business efficiencies in the mean time.”

As for the trends in security, he added: “There are three major trends sweeping through the enterprise: rapid rise of the consumerized endpoint, onset of virtualization and cloud computing, and growing use of high-definition video conferencing. Each one of these critical technologies is transforming business—and forcing a fundamental shift in how security is developed and deployed.”

Borderless network architecture
So, the obvious question: what is borderless network architecture? How is Cisco’s borderless networks architecture enabling enterprises to overcome security challenges?

Amin said: “The challenges CIOs face today, from a business or technology perspective, is very different from what their predecessors have faced. Technologies such as collaboration, cloud computing, and web applications promote productivity for an increasingly distributed workforce. These technologies need to be employed within an organization to provide employees with the flexibility that they have come to expect. However they pose new security challenges for CIOs. Cisco Secure Borderless Networks promote workforce-enabling technologies while protecting company data, resources, and staff.”

On April 19th, 2011, Cisco announced the latest enhancements to its Borderless Network Architecture that allow organizations to achieve superior customer experience, higher workforce productivity, and increased IT efficiency. Cisco SecureX Architecture and TrustSec are key security solutions in Cisco’s Borderless Networks Architecture.

Some of Cisco’s recent enhancements to its cloud security offerings include: Cisco ScanSafe Web Intelligence Reporting (WIRe) and Cloud-based Cisco IronPort Email Data Loss Prevention and Encryption.

Borderless networks are here!
How does the borderless networks for government, finance, ITeS and wireless domains work? Amin added: “We believe that security challenges across verticals are similar; however the importance of security requirements differs from vertical to vertical. We see opportunity for our Borderless Networks solution in both SMBs and large enterprises. The banking and finance vertical is the biggest adopter of security solutions, closely followed by the ITS/BPO vertical. The traditional enterprises, retail, health and education verticals are now catching up.”

He mentioned three market transitions really driving the Borderless Networks Architecture across all segments. The first is mobility. Mobility is becoming extremely pervasive in organizations, and we expect, over the next three years, some 1.5 billion new network mobile devices moving into the enterprise. However, the resources that are being provided to support those devices are not growing at anywhere near the same level. The second one is around video, with the video growing so aggressively in organizations; they’re beginning to wonder if their networks are able to cope with this explosion.

The third market transition is around changes to the workplace experience where organizations, if they want to be nimble, if they want to be agile, if they want to be collaborative, have to break down the silos and the borders that exist within their organization and also between their organization and the outside world. And that outside world can be their partners, their customers and all their suppliers. With these market transitions we expect a demand for our Borderless Networks portfolio of solutions across all segments.

Relevance for India market
How is this solution relevant for the India market? Amin said: “In India, we’re witness to a change in the way we work- the biggest change is in the way we look at mobility. In the past enterprise organizations had defined models and makes for phones, laptops or any other end points which they would allow into their network.

“But now, with changing times, individual users have their own devices including smart phones (iPhone, Android, Mac etc.), which are needed to be given access; thus breaking the device border. Likewise they would like to have a workplace experience from where ever they connect – home, airports etc. And this user access needs to be fully secured without compromising the policies of the enterprises. Hence the location border is broken to drive flexibility, productivity and the changing business needs. More and more organizations are in the journey to implement these working environments due to the blurring borders.

“With technologies like third-generation (3G), virtualization and cloud computing, mobile networks are opening the way for access to an ever-expanding array of high-bandwidth applications and data services to mobile subscribers. As the Internet becomes more pervasive in India, people are expecting – and demanding – information to be accessible at any time using any device in any location. Because of these demands, businesses must balance the need to provide easy information access while protecting the information itself. Keeping this in mind Cisco has launched its Borderless networks Architecture in India.”

MEMS market overview: IHS iSuppli

2011-11-14T22:43:00.002+05:30

The MEMS Executive Congress, MEMS Industry Group’s annual executive conference, was held on Nov. 2-3, 2011, in Monterey, USA. Here are the excerpts from a presentation on the MEMS market overview by Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS & Sensors, IHS iSuppli.

The market for MEMS has been growing, and is slated to grow at a CAGR of +10.5 percent from 2010-2015. Consumer and mobile MEMS market is slated to grow 22 percent CAGR from $1.5 billion in 2010 to $4.4 billion in 2015.Source: Source iSuppli MEMS Market Tracker – Q2 2011.

Smart phones remain the locomotive. MEMS content has increased in smart phones. The Accelero has migrated to feature phones. There will be limited opportunity in the gray handset market. Tablets are providing an additional market boost. There will likely be 275 million media tablets in 2015. The 'full PC tablets' in consumer laptops segment will also be impacted positively. Dangerous games -- they peaked in 2010, will be down in 2011-2012, and go up again in 2014.

New MEMS devices in 2011 include MEMS thermopiles in handsets (TI), MEMS joysticks (Knowles) and RF MEMS switch/varactors. There will be new opportunities in sport/reha. However, IHS iSuppli not too excited about motion sensors for remote controllers and MEMS speaker -- there will be no revenue by 2015.

Hottest of the hottest include motion sensors in handsets and tablets. There are likely to be a few more fat years' for consumer MEMS. The fat years include the period from 2010-2013, which translates into robust smart phones sales and skyrocketing media tablets shipment.

The automotive MEMS market will grow at 8.5 percent CAGR from $1.90 billion in 2010 to $2.86 billion in 2015. Safety applications dominate, often with mandates. Examples are: ESC with (MEMS gyro, accelerometer, pressure sensors), airbags (accelerometer, pressure, ultrasound), and TPMS mandate in US since 2007, EU from 2012 and now China (from 2015).

Japan caused 2.2 million production drop globally, in 2011. Car production forecast has also been revised down in for 2012. China is driving sensor sales, e.g., basic MAP to lower emissions. Combo sensors are accelerating price erosion (7-8 percent, instead of 4 percent). Newcomers are finally breaking into safety sensor markets. Some examples are SensorDynamics for gyro, MEMSIC accelerometer in airbag-based ESC systems from Autoliv. Also, ST and Epson are gunning for safety applications.

Finally, high value MEMS markets will grow at 12.3 percent CAGR from $1.5 billion in 2010 to $2.7 billion in 2015. Global trends are benefiting high value markets. For instance, energy and global warming is witnessing MEMS reducing energy consumption (in industrial processes, residential heating and billing systems, in transportation systems). Also, MEMS are finding energy (geophones for oil/gas exploration, measurement-while-drilling).

MEMS is also handling the aging population, obesity issues, etc. MEMS for less invasive monitoring of patients and elderly people.Also, it is more affordable and provides continuous diagnostics. MEMS increase efficiency and comfort of drug delivery.

The rise of China and other BRIC countries is another trend. China has already turned into a major consumer of MEMS for industry, infrastructures, aerospace and defense as well wired communications. Fiber deployments in China is, for example, boosted by new government stimulus and largely pulls the global optical MEMS market for telecom.

NXP licenses Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology for in-vehicle networking

2011-11-12T13:32:00.006+05:30

NXP Semiconductors N.V. recently announced an engagement in automotive Ethernet as the first automotive semiconductor supplier to license Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach Ethernet technology for in-vehicle networking.

Speaking exclusively on the engagement, Lars Reger, VP automotive business & strategy and general manager integrated in-vehicle networking, NXP Semiconductors, said: "We are convinced that Ethernet will only be successful on a mass-market level if we manage to find one uniform standard in the automotive industry. Car manufacturers around the world are really pushing towards this. As no. 1 supplier of in-vehicle networking semiconductors, NXP can make a big impact and take a leading role to this end. NXP has taken the decision, as the first automotive semiconductors company, to license BroadR Reach.

"This technology uses single-pair, unshielded cable which makes high-bandwith networking very cost-efficient. We will use the licensed IP as a basis for developing the physical layer chips for Ethernet. For the development process, we can rely on our expertise in automotive electronics and our application know-how to meet the automotive quality requirements.

"Altogether, this license will save NXP an significant amount in R&D cost. At the same time, it will allow us to bring a full portfolio of Ethernet transceivers to the market in a much shorter time period. Ethernet will well complementary to other technology standards that NXP offers for in-vehicle networking, which are CAN, LIN, and FlexRay, as each one has its specific advantages. In short: it’s the next logical portfolio enhancement and we will be in the market early 2013 with first samples."

So, what does this arrangement set out to achieve? Reger said: "Ethernet will give a major boost to the connected car. With Ethernet, a networking technology will be available that is cost-efficient and yet powerful enough to cope with the huge amounts of data generated through modern infotainment systems, new camera-based driver assist systems like 360 degree cams, or traffic sign recognition.

"Ethernet technology, as it’s already well established in the consumer and business areas, will make it much easier to adapt existing technologies to automotive applications and to bring them into the car in much shorter development circles. NXP has a major interest to push this. As we combine in-vehicle networking with wireless technologies like broadcast reception, telematics, car-to-x, and car access technologies, we see a big market there for high performance mixed signal technologies – NXP’s focus area."

Given the high price of petrol in India, does NXP see a thriving market for automotives in future? Reger replied: "Reducing fuel consumption is definitely a main innovation driver in the automotive industry – and that’s not only true for India, but around the world. The effort to bring fuel consumption down concerns every single component in the car and is a number one priority for semiconductors suppliers. Let’s take in-vehicle networking as a good example.

"At a major international automotive conference held in Ludwigsburg, Germany, in June this year, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche, and Volkswagen made a public announcement in favour of rapidly introducing a new technology called “partial networking”. Partial networking gives design engineers precision control over a vehicle’s bus communication network.

"By intelligently de-activating those Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that are currently not needed, engineers are able to significantly reduce vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without sacrificing performance or consumer experience. NXP has recently announced the world’s first ISO compliant solution for this purpose. It saves 3 percent CO2, which equals 0.11 litres fuel per 100km. It’s one out of many steps needed to improve the efficiency of vehicles.

"For sure there is further fuel saving potential like this. In the end, growth potential in the automotive industry will depend to a large extent on whether we manage to really make these potential savings a reality."

MEMS devices driving healthcare apps

2011-11-11T14:21:00.003+05:30

Frédéric Breussin, Yole Developpement, an expert in Microfluidics for diagnostics and life sciences, recently presented on MEMS devices driving healthcare applications.

According to him, microsystem technologies are changing the healthcare industry. New in-vitro diagnostic systems, new therapy strategies, genetic disease treatment, targeted and intelligent drug delivery, artificial pancreas, drug discovery processes… are healthcare improvements promised to future generations.Source: Yole Developpement, France.

Microsystem devices, including MEMS devices, SI based sensors, Microfluidic chips and Bio sensors find many applications in healthcare markets:
* Pharmaceutical Research market ($870 billion worldwide 2010),
* In-vitro diagnostics ($57 billion worldwide 2010),
* Medical devices ($255 billion worldwide 2010), and
* Medical home care ($54 billion worldwide 2010).

Within these applications, the MEMS/microsystem technologies market for healthcare will grow from $1.4 billion in 2010 to $4.5 billion in 2015, which represents over 1 billion units per year in 2015.

The largest markets are microfluidic devices and bio-sensors for diagnostic and pharmaceutical applications. However, one should keep in mind that the unit price is relatively high, and that the microfluidic market is very segmented in terms of “biological” applications and players.

Geographic distribution of the medical device market (including IVD) - 2010, is as follows: Canada - market size $6.15 billion, world share 2 percent and growth 8 percent. The USA - market size $118 billion, world share 40 percent and growth 4 percent. Brazil -- market size $3.69 billion, world share 1 percent and growth 7 percent. The EU - market size $95 billion, world share 32 percent and growth 5 percent. China -- market size $13.50 billion, world share 5 percent and growth 14 percent. Japan -- market size $26 billion, world share 9 percent and growth 4 percent. India -- market size $3.82 billion, world share 1 percent and growth 12 percent. Russia -- market size $6.33 billion, world share 2 percent and growth 8 percent, respectively.

Four markets have been considered in the report -- pharmaceutical, in vitro diagnostics, medical devices and medical home care. In pharmaceutical, which involves drug discovery and sales, the market size has been estimated at $870 billion for 2010 with microsystems contribution at $220 million. This market is said to be growing at 4 percent CAGR in 2009. The in vitro diagnostics market, which includes biological tests development and sales, has been estimated at $57 billion in 2010 with microsystems contribution worth $690 million. It is said to be growing at ~11 percent CAGR in 2006.

Medical devices, inclusive of medical equipment development and sales, was estimated at $295 billion in 2010, with microsystems contribution $460 million. It is growing at 6 percent CAGR. Medical home care, inclusive of prescribed medical devices and services for home care, was estimated at ~$54 billion in 2010, with microsystems contributing $44 million. It is growing at 9 percent CAGR.

In microsystem devices for pharma research, discovering and bringing one new drug to the public typically costs a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company nearly $900 million and takes an average of 10 to 12 years.

The drug discovery and drug development process is designed to ensure that only those pharmaceutical products that are both safe and effective are brought to market. Biosensor, biochip and lab on chip systems are of great interest to reduce cost and time in the drug discovery process through automation, screening and multiplexing, and reduction of sample and reagent volumes.

Among microsystem devices for IVD, biochip and microfluidic components find applications in the medical, industrial and environmental in-vitro-diagnostic applications. These provide solutions to the market requirements in terms of miniaturization, multiplexing and integration of multiple functions.

Medical applications for microsystem technologies include commercialized products:
* Pressure sensors for blood pressure, respiratory or kidney dialysis monitoring.
* Accelerometers for pacemakers.
* Silicon microphones, micro-actuators and microelectrodes for hearing aids.
* Microelectrodes for cochlear implants.
* Micropumps for infusion drug delivery.
* Needle free injection devices.
* IR ear thermometers.
* Atomizers for nasal or pulmonary drug delivery.
* Ultrasound sensors for medical imaging.
* Neural stimulation for devices.
* Smart pills for imaging.
* Accelerometers for human fall detection.
* Sensors for home monitoring of elderly or diseased people.
* Microneedle for transdermal drug delivery.
* Active patches for transdermal drug delivery.

There are emerging products as well:
* Implanted systems for drug delivery.
* Wireless systems for patient monitoring.
* Advanced imaging devices (resolution, miniaturization).
* Sensors for computer-assisted surgery (force feedback, surgery robots).
* Smart pills for drug delivery.
* Closed-loop systems for drug delivery (theranostic).
* Miniaturized instruments combining sensors and effectors for image-guided therapy.

Market forecast
The medical market today represents 19 percent of the total MEMS market in dollars. It is expected to reach 26 percent of the market in 2016. The main MEMS device market in production volume remains the consumer market. Medical market represents less than 10 percent of the total MEMS production.

The microsystems market for healthcare applications is very segmented in terms of devices and applications (see graph).

Solar PV industry recommended to stay optimistic; US govt. supports India's clean energy initiative!

2011-11-09T23:43:00.007+05:30

Solarcon India 2011 started today in Hyderabad, with Jim Brown, president, Utility Systems Business Group, First Solar Inc., stating that the global solar PV industry is in a bit of the state of turmoil. Some are driven by pure supply-demand. He recommended the industry to be strategically optimistic. He cautioned that not everyone who's playing in this field, will go on to survive the next two to three years. First Solar reiterated its optimism regarding its own prospects in the industry.

Commending Solarcon as a flagship event for the Indian solar PV industry, Dr. Bharat Bhargava, director – Photovoltaics, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, said that the policies and programs started by the Indian government are now yielding results.The Jawaharlal Nehru-National Solar Mission has seen the participation of the industry, the academia and the funding agencies, showing that the success of the program lies in the hands of the people involved. When the Indian solar PV industry started, the country was said to have only 2MW. By the end of October this year, India had 125 MW. By 2013, it will likely reach 2GW, according to Dr. Bhargava.

He apprised the audience regarding the REC (renewable energy certificate) program. Initially, the REC was for three years, but was later extended to five years. As of now, experts are consulting to enable it to increase to seven years. He estimated that the Indian solar PV industry might even go up to 100GW, instead of 20GW, and encouraged everyone to work together and make this happen.

Francisco J. Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, USA, stated that a lot of excitement is in the air! “We are committed to India and its solar industry. There are opportunities to do big things in this industry.” He added that solar has achieved a triple bottom line.According to Sanchez, the solar industry is worth $17 billion in India and it is growing. India is spending $19 billion by 2022 to produce 20GW of solar energy. There will be a lot of engineers, manufacturers, etc., who can monitor and contribute to the growth of the industry. He advised that India will need to add 150GW of capacity over the next five years. Therefore, India is well placed to seize opportunities with trade partnerships.

He said: “The US government fully supports India’s clean energy initiative. There is an abundance of opportunities in solar. We can achieve much more in partnerships. We are committed to working with you. It is a huge opportunity for both countries.

“Some of the obstacles include repositioning for success, where companies indulge in unfair trade practices. When the market is open for competition, it creates thousands of jobs, and the market is growing quickly, helping many. It is all about chance and choice. We have a chance to build a great industry. We need to work together in partnership and share value. We will work together for the good of India and its consumers. We hope that India will take the same approach. India now has the chance to build an exciting industry for the future.”

Solarcon India 2011 begins with record exhibitors

2011-11-09T21:59:00.003+05:30

Presenting the excerpts from the welcome address by Debasish Paul Choudhury, president, SEMI India, at the ongoing Solarcon India 2011, being held in Hyderabad.

This year’s show features a larger exhibition, a three-day dual track conference, and will feature three concurrent technical programs. The theme for this year’s exposition, representing the widening solar value chain in India, is “Showcasing the Solar Eco‐System: From Polysilicon to Power Plants.”The exhibition with over 115 exhibitors from eight countries, compared to 81 exhibitors in SOLARCON India 2010, covers the entire solar value chain, will provide you an opportunity to see a wide range of new products and services offered by Indian and international companies, under one roof.

This year’s show, as many of you are aware, is certified by the US Department of Commerce (US DOC), and features an exclusive US Pavilion with 14 leading US companies participating in the exhibition. I am also delighted to welcome a 35-member Clean Tech Delegation led by the United States of America’s Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco J. Sanchez to the show.

I am delighted to have in our midst two other distinguished guests – Dr. Bharat Bhargava, director – Photovoltaics, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, who is widely credited to be the architect of the India’s National Solar Mission. In the same vein, I am happy to welcome Jim Brown, president, Utility Systems Business Group, First Solar Inc., the world’s largest thin film module manufacturer, with us this morning.

Featuring more than 70 speakers drawn from the industry, academia and government, the conference is themed "Charting India's Roadmap to Solar Leadership — Translating Potential into Reality." The conference attracts high-profile participation of solar energy leaders from all segments of the industry supply chain, academia and governments from India and around the world.

The three-day conference also includes an LED Lighting summit, co-organized with Frost & Sullivan, which will focus on SSL (solid state lighting) technology with speakers from among LED manufacturers, LED suppliers, researchers and others.

The climate in which we are holding the show this year has not been without its challenges – on two fronts: the events in Hyderabad on the one hand (which have now, we are grateful to all parties involved, returned to complete normalcy) and the considerable stress that the solar industry is under due the slowdown in the European economies, regulatory changes in the major solar markets and manufacturing over capacity resulting in a fall in PV system prices over the last two to three quarters. This show and the support it has received are proof that the long term prospects for the solar industry remain most bright in India.

NASSCOM announces top 10 start-ups to watch!

2011-11-08T22:38:00.005+05:30

On the eve of the NASSCOM Product Conclave 2011, to be held in Bangalore, on Nov. 9-10, 2011, NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) announced the list of the top 10 start-ups to watch.

These top 10 start-ups are:
1. Pawaa Software -- Pawaa
2. QuickoLabs -- SearchEnabler
3. Persistent Systems Ltd -- eMee
4. Imaginate -- Imaginate
5. Srijan Technologies Pvt Ltd -- DROWPS
6. Conwerge Web Services Pvt Ltd -- Grupur.com
7. Semgel Technologies Pvt Ltd -- Semgel
8. Openweb Labs Pvt Ltd -- HirePlug, Getlive.me
9. Ozonetel Systems Pvt Ltd -- KooKoo
10. NRich Software Pvt Ltd -- DiaSof.

Updated global semicon sales forecast 2011's estimate falls $2.74 billion

2011-11-06T22:41:00.006+05:30

Microsoft launches developer program for Windows Phone

2011-11-03T10:00:00.002+05:30

Microsoft has launched a program for developers where they can build applications (apps) for mobile and win a Windows Phone. It also showcased some of the latest Windows Phones from leading handset vendors.

Microsoft calls the Windows Phone as People vs. Icons -- it puts people first. The mobile phone itself has a load of features, such as People Hub, Groups, Threads, Better email, Calendar, Bing Vision, IE9 and Pictures Hub. There's more, in form of XBOX Live, Multitasking, Music + Videos, Custom Ringtones, Office 365, Live Tiles, Voice to text, My Windows Phone, SharePoint, Local Scout, Remote Wipe.

According to Harish Vaidyanathan, Microsoft, the company has moved up from zero (0) to 30,000 apps in just 12 months.

Microsoft also highlighted 'i Unlock Joy' for students. The Windows Phone is designed to put people in the center – making it easier for them to connect and share with friends, family and colleagues, so they never miss a moment. Here’s your chance to unlock your creativity -- build apps for the latest Windows Phone, and win the latest mobile phone.

Microsoft has unveiled a program for developers and students where they can participate and build apps, and win a Windows Phone. For students, the program runs till December 31, 2011, while it runs till March 31, 2012 for developers.

Windows Phone will present your apps to people in smarter and easier ways. The new Metro UI design helps developers create breathtaking apps and makes them easier to discover and use. “I Unlock Joy” program is definitely your chance to become the users’ favourite and get a brand new Windows Phone.

Developers can download the complete set of developer tools to build Windows Phone apps. They can choose the tools and technology for app development. They can also become a member of the Windows Phone Marketplace with an annual membership fee of $99 and get access to the App Hub and certification process.

Developers can submit an unlimited number of certified paid apps and up to 100 free apps as registered App Hub member.

In case you are a woman developer, you have a chance to win a Windows Phone by developing just 1 app (for first 100 female participants). Women are required to submit their apps on the Marketplace by March 31, 2012.

To participate, be aware that you are a technology professional – software developer, project manager or software architect – working and residing in India. You are not an employee, intern, agent or a relative of an employee of Microsoft Corp. (India) or Microsoft Corp. or any of their affiliates; You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this program.

You can participate in the program by:
* Submitting three (3) new Windows Phone Apps that get published at the Windows Phone Marketplace by March 31, 2012;
* Submitting two (2) new Windows Phone Apps that you have ported from existing Android and/or iPhone apps, which get published at the Marketplace by March 31, 2012; and
* If you are a woman developer, submitting one (1) new Windows Phone App based on Entertainment, Fashion, Leisure, Gaming, Recreation or Travel Themes, which gets published at the Marketplace by March 31, 2012.

So, fill up the Registration Form posted on Microsoft's website with all the required information. You need to register on the App Hub with a $99 annual membership fee, which entitles you to publish and manage apps at Windows Phone Marketplace. Your app should get certified on App Hub and published at Windows Phone Marketplace on or before March 31, 2012.

To participate, developers need to go through the application submission checklist.

PS: I shall refrain from commenting on the Windows Phone, for now! ;)

PV inverter -- innovations and market trends

2011-11-01T23:00:00.006+05:30

France's Yole Développement, recently organized a seminar on PV inverter - technical innovations and market trends. The speakers were Brice Legouic, Power Electronics Market & Technology Analyst, Yole and Paul Kleistead, Cree.

What are the trends for 2011-12? According to Legouic, one, a first step of standardization should take place at the added functionalities level. This includes MPP positioning with advanced solutions, monitoring, and anti-theft and protection. Two, players with a higher level of product quality will enter the EU market. These include Japanese players focusing on efficiency and reliability, but with more expensive inverters.

Yole also anticipates a double speed business to take place. If the residential segment is opened to Chinese manufacturers and industrial/solar farms are dedicated to high-end products, the PV inverter market would become two different markets.

Speaking about market trends, he said that trends will be driven by reduction of feed-in tariff, which hurries the end users to sign contracts. Over 2 million are likely to be sold in 2012. The total market in 2010 was slightly below €3.3 billion, and will overpass €3.5 billion by 2012.

Over 75 percent of the market is owned by the top 10 PV inverter players. Five of these are German, eight are European, and two are American. Eighty percent of EU inverters are made in Europe and 20 percent are made in the USA. Asian players will likely increase their supply for the EU market. Japanese players currently have very small implantation in the EU. However, Yole believes that their market share would reach 15 percent within the next three years.

On technological trends, Legouic touched upon the neutral-point-clamped (NPC) architecture. The NPC architecture uses diode to clamp the DC bus voltage in two equal voltages. The benefits are:
* allowing the use of lower 600V devices instead of 1200V,
* reducing dynamic losses, and
* SJ MOS can be used for outer switches for their higher frequency performances.

The NPC architecture is nearly always used for 10-50kW inverters.

Using the SiC free-wheeling diode can increase efficiency from up to 2 percent. More and more are used for low- to medium-power range. Benefits include much better recovery time and reduction in IGBT switching losses.

On the DC/DC stage component chart, he added that according to STMicroelectronics, we can assume that when the maximum input voltage of an inverter is below 650V, the DC/DC stage is MOSFET-based. Over 650V, the inverter can be considered to be built with a 1200V IGBT.

As for implementation of new technologies, such as SiC vs. GaN, 900-1200V will be the targeted range for over 10kW inverters. SiC diodes are already implemented in residential and commercial inverters.

In 2012, silicon will represent more than 90 percent of the modules market, and about 75 percent of the wafer market. SiC will be mostly driven by diodes. Components will be at an early stage of adoption.

Brice Legouic concluded that micro-inverters are also a place for technical innovation. Enphase is a global leader with about 30 percent market share in the US residential segment. The conversion architecture is totally different from standard inverters. The SiC diodes are implemented and represent a huge market for device makers as micro-inverter quantities are important.

Other expected products have shown significant improvements in the integration of the same silicon chip of several functions, such as command and driver IC, power conversion and RF components for communications in a PV plant.

Solar installations: How long will boom last?

2011-10-28T19:02:00.004+05:30

Dr. Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst, PV, IHS iSuppli Corp., presented a paper at PV Taiwan 2011. Let’s take a look at how long is the boom in solar installations likely to last!

According to Dr. Wicht, the solar market is forecasted to reach 21.9 GW in 2011. In 2011, global installations will record again and reach 21.9 GW. Germany and Italy will remain the leading markets. The USA and China are growing strongly. Worldwide PV installation forecast, updated May 20, 2011 is currently at around 25 percent. It will then likely dip to -10 percent in 2012, before finally moving up to 32-33 percent in 2015. The upside potential of 6.5 GW in 2012 may result in 27 GW of installations.

Installations in 2012 are forecasted at 20.5 GW (-11 percent). However, historically the photovoltaic market never declined. Even in 2009, the most challenging year, the market grew by 33 percent. Can it repeat again?

In that case, what’s the situation in the world right now? He replied: “In China, the support of domestic supplier industry will be the driver, while there will be expansion of solar subsidy programs. The forecast for 2012 is 2.4GW and the upside potential for 2012 is 1 GW. Germany will see pro REE politics. There will be re-opening of the ground installation market segment; and lifting of installation target to 5 GW, the upper edge of the target corridor. The 2012 forecast is 5 GW and the upside potential for 2012 is 1 GW. Italy will also see pro REE politics. There will likely be a target corridor of 2-3 GW. The 2012 forecast is 2.5 GW and the upside potential is 2 GW.”

Also, Japan will see pro REE politics. There will be an expansion of solar subsidy programs. The 2012 forecast is 1.6 GW and the upside potential is 1 GW. The rest of the world (RoW) will see an enhanced support of REE at the expense of nuclear energy. There will also be implementation of incentives and funding for solar. The 2012 forecast is 9 GW and the upside potential is 1.5 GW. In total, the realistic upside potential (50 percent) is estimated at 24 GW for 2012, and the total upside potential is estimated at 27 GW.

“Now, if we re-look at the global PV installation forecast, it is likely to be 21.9 GW in 2011, 24.17 GW in 2012, 28.23 GW in 2013, 32.3 GW in 2014 and 43.05 GW in 2015. In 2011, the installations in Europe will reach 63 percent, but will decrease to 33 percent in 2015.”

Let’s have a look at the emerging solar/PV market situation at the moment. According to Wicht, the solar emerging markets in 2014 include: Americas at 1,300 MW, Europe/Middle East at 2,150 MW, Africa at 950 MW, Asia 3,440 MW and Australia 775 MW.

So, where are prices going for modules, cells, wafers and poly? He said: “First, module prices will not stop falling. At the end of Q3 2011, modules are offered at 0.8€/W (factory gate). The residential systems are priced at 2.0€/W in Germany.”

The year end 2011 forecast, as of July 2011 shows the silicon (spot) price at $50-55/kg, wafer at $0.54/Wp (multi), cell at $0.80/Wp (for tier 2 players) and module at EUR 0.85/Wp (multi, top 10 players). The year end 2011 forecast, as of Sept. 2011 will show silicon (spot) price at $48-55/kg, wafer at $0.43~0.48/Wp (multi), cell at $0.72/Wp (for tier 2 players) and module: at EUR 0.80/Wp (top 10 players). Currently, the most profitable segments of the value chain lies at the tail ends in polysilicon and in the balance of system/inverter.

And, where does all of this place the cost roadmap? Dr. Henning Wicht said: “The total costs are set to drop below $1/W this year as many top tier companies guide $0.70/W non-silicon costs by the end of Q4 2011. By Q2 2012, this will drop further to $0.66/W, which combined with $45/kg polysilicon and a 5.5g/W assumption, brings us to $0.91/W total cost. As we move into 2014, new process technologies will penetrate the market, such as kerf recycling, reducing the grams per watt.”

As for prices, the market is set to become lean in 2012 as players compete in a flat market, and gross margins will reflect this competition. This trend will continue, but gradually lighten through 2013, as second tier players drop out and in 2014 with newer markets taking hold.

As for the products we will get to see, he added: “The trends have so far been continuous pressure on production cost and decreasing margins. Mainstream products will dominate. Crystalline silicon is setting the pace of cost/price decline. Low margins and cashflow impacts R&D. Radical innovation, e.g., MWT, backcontacts might be delayed since R&D spending will slow down (margins).”

Also, exotic products will face difficulties. Productivity and scale increase will not be as fast as mainstream. Spectrawatt, Evergreen and Solyndra are already going out of business. Niches like BIPV will grow slowly.

Solar/PV in future
Finally, what can we expect from solar/PV in the future? He said: “First, there will likely be grid parity in Germany by 2012. The assumptions of LCOE Germany 2011 include insolation at 900kWh/kW, interest rates at 5 percent, equity at 30 percent, and operations and maintenance at 1 percent per annum. The system price will likely be 2.4 €/Wp. The LCOE in 1H 2011 would be 0.26 €/kWh. The grid price will likely be 0.24 €/kWh (< 3,000kWh per year), as the electricity prices are increasing: 3 percent every year.

“Still on Germany, there is grid parity, but there is an absence of a PV boom. What is wrong? The microeconomic view is that the investment case is not working without additional incentives (FIT). Incentives for end-consumer of about 20-30 percent will be required. Also, the switching costs are not included.

“Further, grid parity does not include all costs, such as grid supply and management as well as storage. The question before families is: do we buy a new car or shall we invest in a solar system? A long-term solar investment often does not match households’ preferences.

“There is also a macroeconomic view. Now, grid parity should mean solar boom. However, traditional energy suppliers are losing revenue through decentral production. Grid management needs to develop for decentral production. Storage techniques have to be developed as well. For Conservative politicians, there are little incentives for them to change the system. They need to focus on centralised systems (gas, offshore wind) supporting the traditional energy system. The official quota is calculating at 2-5 percent of solar electricity in 2020.”

So, how long does the solar boom look like lasting? Dr. Wicht replied: “The MW growth is dropping in 2012 and 2013 before new dynamics will pick up. We expect two drivers to appear: One, emerging markets will take larger volumes. And two, we expect by 2014 that utilities in industrial countries will incorporate solar as a mainstream power generation technique. Today, the utilities are mainly fighting to limit solar because it eats into their business.”

For that matter, how does the Indian solar/PV appear? He added: “The Indian market is of high interest. Our PV installation forecast as of today is as follows: 2011: 0.5 GW; 2012: 0.9 GW; 2013: 1.4 GW; 2014: 2.1 GW; and 2015: 3.2 GW.”

Lava Mobiles launches classy S12 smartphone!

2011-10-26T14:54:00.006+05:30

Lava Mobiles has introduced the classy S12 smartphone. The phone's smooth curvature and slim arc back gives it an easy palm-fit. It is only 1.3cm thick and has a matte leather finish.The S12 runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and works on quad GSM band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 2100 MHz. It supports 3G, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 384 kbps. It uses a Qualcomm 7227 600MHz processor, and is WiFi, A-GPS and EDGE/GPRS enabled. The Lava S12 allows connecting to the Internet with either 3G or WiFi. It has a 3.2-inch HVGA (480x320) display.

Some other features include 5MP camera with 2X zoom, Android music player, Android video player, Bluetooth v2.1, Android browswer, 120MB storage and extenal memory expandable up to 32GB.

The home screen has the feature to change to an engaging 3D user interface, allowing the user to switch between various screens using a single gesture.

Like many other smartphones, the Lava S12 allows users the opportunity to do much more than simply calling or messaging. For business, there is Moneycontrol, while users can access Gmail, as well as Google Maps and Latitude. There is Google Places as well, besides a Voice Search app.

Users can download froma a range of Hungama.com content, such as songs, ringtones, videos and wallpapers. Saavn allows you to listen to latest Bollywood songs, etc., and has a smart search that delivers fast results. TuneWiki is yet another app that plays music, and streams Internet radio and videos. Then, there is YouTube, and a year's free subscription of Zenga TV - that allows you to watch MTV, Colors, Headlines Today, Movies, etc. The TOI app provides news.

For those who book air or rail tickets, there's Ngpay. You can also use it to book movie tickets or for shopping. For the social networking buffs, the S12 has Facebook, Twitter and Nimbuzz apps built in.

Those looking to do some work on the move can take the help of Adobe Reader. The SlideIT feature is an innovative keyboard. It can be used to send/type emails, SMSs, or for chatting.

I could not find a stylus, and wonder how easy it will be for users to type. Perhaps, this is the only drawback.

The S12 has in-built smart sensor technology as well. Its Pocket Mode feature makes the incoming call alert convenient, and the Quiet ringer on gesture feature can silence phone calls by simply sliding a hand over the phones.

The phone uses a 1,300 mAh, Lithium-ion battery. It supports a talk time of GSM up to 650 minutes and UMTS up to 485 minutes, and a stand-by time of GSM up to 590 hours and UMTS up to 650 hours. The phone itself weighs 120g with the battery and measures 117 x 57.5 x 13.4mm. The Lava S12 can be bought online from Lava Mobiles' website for Rs. 8,500.

DIT outlines initiatives to promote ESDM in India

2011-10-21T16:47:00.000+05:30

The Department of IT, Government of India, recently organized a workshop on electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM), conducted by the India Semiconductor Association (ISA). Dr. Ajay Kumar, joint secretary, Dept. of IT, Government of India, touched upon some major initiatives to promote ESDM. These include:

* Setting up two semiconductor wafer fabs for manufacture of chips.
* Introducing Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme to encourage manufacture of high-priority electronic products in India.
* Provide incentives for setting up of electronics manufacturing clusters.
* Setting up of the National Electronics Mission (NEM).
* Providing Preferential Market Access to domestically manufactured electronics products for government procurement and procurement by government licensees.
* Setting up of “Electronic Development Fund”.

Some of the other initiatives to promote ESDM include:
* Draft National Policy for Electronics, 2011 released for public consultation on October 3, 2011. Comments invited till end October.
* Additional items included under ESDM for benefit of Special Focus Scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy recently.
* Mandating health and safety standards for 16 major electronic items under finalization in consultation with BIS.
* Private sector participation in human resource development being promoted.
* Sector specific initiatives for set-top boxes, medical electronics, avionics, industrial electronics, automotive electronics, LEDs, strategic electronics for defense, space and nuclear.
* Awareness creation and interest generation domestically and globally.
* Renaming the Department as Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY).

The semiconductor design industry in India consists of VLSI design, board/hardware design and embedded software development. The size was estimated at $6.5 billion in 2009 and is expected to log a CAGR of 17.3 percent over the next three years to reach $10.6 billion in 2012. Nearly 2,000 chips are being designed each year and more than 20,000 engineers being engaged in various aspects of chip designing and verification.

India is emerging as a semiconductor chip design destination. Among the top 10 countries by estimated jobs in R%D (2009), India leads the pack, with 12,120 jobs, well ahead of the USA at 7,290 jobs and China 4,000 jobs. Also, Indian institutes are focusing their research across the semiconductor value chain, with chip design leading at 33 percent, embedded at 17 percent, process related at 16 percent, EDA at 13 percent, MEMS/sensors at 10 percent, and testing/verification at 10 percent.

Key players in the semiconductor ecosystem are already building a presence in India. Major demand drivers of electronics in India include growth in per capita income and corporate spend on electronics. Per capita income in India has doubled between 2004-05 and 2010-11 to touch Rs 54,835 per annum. There is government focus on e-governance infrastructure and applications. There is growing penetration of Internet including broadband and mobile phones. Mobile phone connections in India have grown from 1 million in 1998 to 851 million subscribers as of June 2011. There is a National Optical Fiber Plan. There is also a need for innovative products at low cost -- medical electronics and sub $100 tablet for education.

There is a compelling rationale for developing semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in India. India's strategic priorities include national and information security, sourcing stability and self reliance, reducing technology import bill and exports, provide platform for scientific innovation and R&D based industries, and energy conservation and alternative sources.

India has the economic opportunity to raise the manufacturing capability of telecom infrastructure and smart cards from $3.7 billion in 2010 to $17.9 billion by 2020. There are opportunities for IT and office automation from $2.5 billion to $11.2 billion, for consumer electronics and mobile phones from $1.3 billion to $5.3 billion, for aerospace and defence from $0.2 billion to $0.5 billion, and for LEDs from $0.1 billion to $0.9 billion, respectively.

ESDM is emerging as a priority sector for India. There are major segments of demand, such as telecom products and equipment at $152 billion, exports at $80 billion, semiconductor design at $60 billion, IT systems and hardware at $56 billion, high-tech manufacturing at $24 billion, consumer electronics at $16 billion, etc.

India’s electronics industry is expected to grow at 22 percent per year, which is 7x the global rate. The India story comprises a robust GDP growth, which is projected to quadruple to $4 trillion by 2020. It has a large domestic market. Several infrastructure initiatives are being planned. India also has a large human capital -- world's third largest pool of scientific and technical manpower.

2011 sales estimate could vary between $303.8 billion and $311.9 billion: Cowan LRA model

2011-10-21T02:01:00.003+05:30

This is a continuation of my coverage of the fortunes of the global semiconductor industry. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mike Cowan, an independent semiconductor analyst and developer of the Cowan LRA model, who has provided me the latest numbers.

It’s that time of the month again; namely, time for an advanced showing of next month’s global semiconductor sales forecast updates for both 2011 and 2012 as gleamed from September’s “actual” sales expectation range by exercising the “look ahead” forecasting capability of the Cowan LRA forecast model.

September’s upcoming global semiconductor sales result should, therefore, be instrumental in determining the sales growth expectation not only for the third quarter of 2011 but also for the full year of 2011. In particular, one can ascertain whether 2011 will exhibit positive yearly sales growth for the industry or will it turn negative as a number of market researchers have recently forecasted based upon downward third quarter sales guidance recently announced by many semiconductor suppliers?

Therefore, presented here is a “snap shot” of 2011′s global semiconductor sales and sales growth forecast prospects as a function of September’s “actual” sales forecast estimate range as derived via the Cowan LRA forecasting model. Moreover, the model has been extended in order to include a view of what 2012’s sales growth prospects might look like, thereby, providing a six quarter look ahead horizon that allows the model to also capture the four quarters of 2012.

It should be mentioned that September 2011′s “actual” global semiconductor sales number is scheduled to be released by the WSTS via its monthly HBR (Historical Billings Report) on or about Friday, November 4th.

In advance of the WSTS’s release of its September HBR, here is the monthly outlook analysis leveraging the Cowan LRA forecasting model, which projects worldwide semiconductor sales for 2011 (as well as 2012); namely, by providing a “look ahead” scenario for year 2011′s sales forecast range as a function of next month’s (in this case September’s) assumed range of “actual” global semiconductor sales estimates.

The output of this “look ahead” modelling analysis is detailed in the scenario analysis matrix displayed in the table.Source: Cowan LRA model.

In order to facilitate the determination of these “look ahead” forecast numbers, an extended range in assumed Sept. 2011′s “actual” sales is selected a-priori. In this month’s scenario analysis outlook, a Sept. 2011 sales range from a low of $27.028 billion to a high of $33.028 billion, in increments of $0.250 billion, is pre-selected as listed in the first column of the table.

Note that the range in September sales has been “purposely weighted” toward lower possible September sales estimates, that is, “skewed” toward a reduced monthly sales expectations range due to a perceived universal pessimism in industry sales for the second half of 2011 caused by lethargic consumers spending brought on by a generally sluggish global economy possibly extending into 2012.

This “best-guess” estimated range in assumed “actual” sales numbers is “downward offset” around the September actual sales forecast expectation of $31.528 billion as gleamed from last month’s Cowan LRA Model run (based upon August’s WSTS published “actual” sales number). The corresponding September 3MMA sales forecast estimate expectation is projected to be $26.413 billion. (Note: This assumes no, or very minor. revisions in either July or August’s previously published “actual” sales numbers as released in last month’s HBR by the WSTS).

The overall year 2011 sales forecast estimates corresponding to each of these pre-selected September sales numbers over the range of “actual” sales estimates is calculated by the model, and is exhibited in the second column of the table. The third column lists the associated year-on-year sales growth estimates for 2011 compared to year 2010′s global semiconductor sales of $298.315 billion as reported by WSTS.

The fourth and fifth columns show the corresponding September 3MMA, three Month Moving Average, sales forecast estimates and the associated 3MMA year-over-year sales growths relative to September 2010′s 3MMA sales of $26.209 billion, respectively. The sixth column lists the model’s Momentum Indicator, MI, which is defined as the percentage delta between the actual September sales result and the previous month’s (October) sales forecast estimate for September.

Finally, the seventh and eighth columns reveal 2012′s forecasted sales and sales growth estimates associated with last month’s September sales forecast estimate expectation, respectively.

Therefore, as the above scenario analysis table lays out, depending on the actual WSTS (to-be-released) September 2011 global semiconductor sales number, the forecasted full year 2011 sales estimate as determined by the model could vary between a minimum of $303.8 billion and a maximum of $311.9 billion. Thus, the corresponding 2010 to 2011 sales growth forecast estimate would then vary between a low of 1.8 percent and a high of 4.6 percent, respectively. Moreover, the table also reveals the model’s expectations for 2012′s sales and sales growth forecast estimates, namely, $333.6 billion and 7.6 percent, respectively.

Consequently, employing this above described “look ahead” analysis capability, the model can generate a “sensitivity output” of the “expected” year 2011 sales range (and a year-on-year sales growth range) as a function of the yet-to-be-announced (but, in this case, assumed) September 2011 ‘actual’ sales number.

Therefore, using this scenario matrix outlook table, one can “select” an expected September sales number (in the pre-selected range shown) and immediately see what the model would predict for year 2011′s sales forecast estimate along with its corresponding sales growth expectation well in advance of the real (to-be-published) ‘actual’ September 2011′s sales result.

Finally, stay tuned for the WSTS to post its September 2011 HBR (anticipated on or about November 4th, 2011) and thus, the ‘actual’ sales number. Once released, the reader can then easily ascertain the model’s latest forecast results as abstracted (or extrapolated) from the provided table (above) even before the Cowan LRA forecasting model is put through its paces and the latest, updated forecast numbers are published.

Game changers: New paradigms for future of electronic product realization

2011-10-20T23:07:00.002+05:30

The Cadence Executive Forum, titled, 'Game Changers: New Paradigms for the Future of Electronic Product Realization', was held this evening in Bangalore, India. The speakers were Lip-Bu Tan, president and CEO, Cadence, and Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman of Microsoft India.

In the opening address, Tan remarked that there is likely to be challenging next 12 months in the USA and Europe. It may also impact the Asia Pacific region. However, from an EDA perspective, there will be new design, as companies would be involved in designing next-generation products and killer applications. There will also be more consolidation, which will continue. Another trend is that the number of start-ups has dropped.

There are two main drivers -- technology and market. The cloud is starting to present a big opportunity. Other key areas include green technology and power management. Video will be driving a lot of traffic. The impact on the electronics industry will be new product development, with the IP having expanded beyond processor cores, an increase in collaborations and a changing EDA landscape -- Cadence is investing on its decision to deliver the on the EDA360 vision.

Some of the recent highlights include Cadence's new software development suite that addresses the hardware-software design gap, expansion of the Palladium XP, and releasing the industry's first DDR4 solution, which includes controller, soft and hard PHY, drivers, verfication IP (VIP) memory models and signal integrity reference designs.

He spoke about horizontal collaborations such as app programing interface, and vertical collaborations, which creates differentiation in the end markets. It also engages foundries in EDA, IP, etc. As an example, Tan spoke of Spreadtrum achieving one-pass silicon realization for the first 40nm product. Some other examples highlighted include Samsung designing and implementing 20nm product, ARM and Cadence collaborating on GHz implementation of Cortex-A15, and ARM, TSMC and Cadence collaborating on the industry's first 20nm Cortex-A15.

Speaking on 'Consumerization of IT', Bhaskar Pramanik touched upon consumer trends driving IT. These trends include the economic system of computers, natural interaction, data explosion, social computing, pervasive displays, ubiquitous connectivity, and cloud computing.

Computers will adapt to us. They will enable computing interfaces that are far more easier to use. The key business requirement is to balance the user expectations with the enterprise requirements.

Designing systems to thrive in disruptive trends!

2011-10-20T16:42:00.000+05:30

Srini Rajam, CEO, Ittiam Systems presented the guest keynote at the CDNLive! 2011 in Bangalore, India, titled 'Designing Systems to Thrive in Disruptive Trends'. According to him, key factors for design project success include scope definition, realistic targets, good estimation and right resources. Today, smart system design enables being a step ahead in the world of disruptive system demands.

The concergence decade saw an affordable convergence of media and functions. The world also moved from the PC in 2000 to the smartphone in 2010. There has also been a convergence of audio, video and communications. The SoC and system design require performance, quality and price to work in tandem.

In the imagination decade, we have come to expect electronics to do whatever we fancy. In the smart system design era, we have come to anticipate a future system that will also work perfectly today.

Today, we are in the world of IP video communication. First, everything is evolving. There have been advances in video technology, SoC and infrastructure. Technologies designed elsewhere are being brought in. There is a virtually infinite range in quality and price levels. The video communication system holds the key dynamics. The SoC, software and system have entered into a synergistic relationship.

For smart system design, there is a need to look at the big picture. Scaling down is easier than scaling up. Smart system is built to achieve efficiency in scale down. The reference platform is needed for the development roadmap.

For designing, the system may function as a module in other system. Also, critical components of the system may evolve outside. Parts of the system may also get replaced by the ecosystem. As for the SoC, there must be a roadmap enabling application software portability. There should be modular scaling with plug and play of IPs/components. Tools for hardware-software co-development must be available from the early stages.

All of this would enable you to being a step ahead in the world of disruptive system demands.

Realizing EDA360: Charlie Huang, Cadence

2011-10-20T15:21:00.005+05:30

Long-term trends are strong for semiconductor and electronics. According to databeans estimate (Feb. 2011), semiconductor revenue will likely reach $450 billion by 2015 and electronics revenuw will likely reach $2,800 billion by 2015.

Speaking at the CDNLive 2011 event in Bangalore, India, Charlie Huang, SVP of Worldwide Field Operations, Cadence Design Systems Inc., said that the challenges in the near term are slowdown in Europe and USA. The weakness is driven by increasingly negative views on the global economy, end demand, orders and outlook. Key indicators are also showing that the economy is facing headwinds. The 2011 GDP growth projections have deteriorated since the beginning of the year. The economy has been marred by high unemployment and low consumer confidence.

As of now, innovation has been driving growth. Apps have been driving innovation, followed by video, mobility, cloud and green technology. The impact on the electronics industry is multi-fold. There is a new development paradigm and collaboration has been increasing. The IP is also expanding beyond cores and the EDA is changing.

The new development paradigm for system companies is to differentiate on applications and semiconductor companies must deliver on application-driven hardware-software platforms. IP has now expanded well beyond the core.

EDA is also changing, and Cadence is investing to deliver on the EDA360 vision. There are multiple silicon realization challenges. Cadence silicon realization solutions enable fast, deterministic, end-to-end path to silicon success.Source: Cadence.

As an example, ARM and Cadence have collaborated on the GHz implementation of Cortex-A15. ARM chose ARM Artisan physical IP, evaluated the Cortex-A15 RTL, and supported CPF. Cadence optimized the EDA flow, experienced support at EAC, and provided EDA tool releases and iRM.

ARM, TSMC and Cadence also collaborated on the industry's first 20nm Cortex-A15. TSMC provided the 20nm process qualification and A15 learnings. ARM handled the 20nm implementation experience, A15 considerations in 20nm and TSMC 20nm readiness milestone. Cadence provided the 20nm research to reality, contributed and grew the A15 expertise and TSMC 20nm readiness milestone.

The end result: the industry's first 20nm Cortex-A15 tapeout, thanks to a successful three-way vertical collaboration. ARM, Cadence and TSMC engineers worked side-by-side. The project priorities included 20nm DPT implementation schedule and 20nm readiness milestone.

Huang touched upon the recent silicon realization highlights. Cadence has delivered advanced and unified end-to-end flows. This includes new integrated RTL-to-GDSII and custom/analog flows for low-power, mixed-signal, gigascale 28/20nm IP and SoCs. New tehnology from Altos Design and Azuros aquisitions improves performance and results in challenging designs.

The in-design DFM signoffs gives up to 100x performance gains. There was UVM metric-driven verification for LP, MS verification. Proven 3D-IC/silicon interposer offering was made for SiP/co-design.

Cadence has also experienced strong collaboration results with key ecosystem partners. There have been multiple 20nm/14nm test chips with multiple foundries. With TSMC, GlobalFoundries and Samsung, there have been 28nm flows and mixed-signal enablement. ARM optimized its A9 and A15 design flows.

The SoC realization challenges include finding, comparing, integrating and verifying IP. Interfaces must be verified across multiple subsystems. Cadence SoC realization solutions include memory management IP, interface IP and verification IP (VIP).

Some recent highlights of SoC realization include the industry's first DDR4 IP solution. The complete solution includes controller, soft and hard PHY drives, VIP memory models and signal integrity reference designs. Another is the wide I/O memory controller IP for mobile apps. This includes the memory controller, PHY and integration environment. There is also the Cadence design IP roadmap with focus on 28nm. This includes the PHY and SerDes IP targeted at TSMC 28HPM, as well as the DDR, Ethernet and PCI Express.

System realization challenges include bridging the hardware-software convergence gap. This involves the time-to-market, development cost, multi-core design and verification complexity, integration of new designs and derivatives, software stack development and hardware-software convergence.

Cadence's system realization programs include the system development suite, transaction level modelling and verification IP.

Some of Cadence's recent system realization highlights include new system development suite that bridges the hardware-software design gap to meet the demands of apps-driven electronic design. A new ARM ACE verification IP accelerates development of multiprocessor mobile devices. There is also a new verification IP for emerging mobile device standards.

Cadence is involved in several strategic programs. There is 20/14nm work with foundries, such as double patterning, in-design DFM and FinFETs. There are ARM optimized solutions, such as high-speed cores, integrated into system development suite. There are high-performance advanced-node design IP such as SerDes and analog front-end solutions. There is time to integration, which involves automation to accelerate time to market for derivative designs. Finally, there is SiP/3D-IC co-design, such as unique silicon/package/board co-design flow for SiPs and 3D-ICs.

What's happening with ISA and Indian semicon industry?

2011-10-17T14:57:00.007+05:30

What? The India Semiconductor Association (ISA) only has around 25 Indian companies in its list? This startling piece of statistic was recently conveyed to me by a company looking to enter India! I frantically contacted ISA to clarify. As of now, am yet to get a reply.

I look around, especially across Asia. There are so many local companies listed in China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, but the number drops drastically, when it comes to India!

Having spent a number of years in Asia Pacific and being more familiar with its ways definitely helps. Why, I remember meeting TSMC, back in 1998, in Taiwan. It was considered a small entity, with few takers. Where has it risen today?

Even Huawei, for example, showed off its 3G base stations, while still a young Chinese company, to me in 2000. I recall asking Richard Lee, then with Huawei, what's the company's expansion plans. Today, everyone knows how fast and wide Huawei has expanded!

Now, when you compare two of the biggest players today - TSMC and Huawei -- with Indian players, who do you come up with? Nothing?? Some may say, AirTel and Reliance? Excuse me, but aren't they telecom operators?

Now, I do know of several start-ups in the Indian semiconductor space, who have time and again given a negative response when asked the question: Are you an ISA member? The single biggest and telling response has been: "ISA caters to global companies or MNCs. What does it do or has done for the Indian companies? We are fine without its support!"ISA founder members in Oct. 2004!

Wow! If this is the response that the Indian semiconductor start-ups have toward the industry association, I wonder what lies ahead!

When the ISA had started off in Oct. 2004, things weren't this way! Going back to that year, India was said to have a major advantage in building fabless semiconductor companies. Some other advantages in favor of India at that time (Nov. 2004), were: local IC design service firms, who were creators of selective IP, development of smart chips with embedded software and the need for microelectronics as national agenda. Today, all of that seems to have been lost!

And now, the ISA has latched on to ESDM (electronics system design and manufacturing). That's really 'easy to say, but difficult to manage!' Going by the current happenings, one does not feel even this can happen! One wishes, it eventually does.

But hey, this post is not about ESDM! It is about having the number of Indian-born-and-bred semiconductor companies within the ISA! Take a good look at the image! Only one member of the Executive Council is currently present! Where are all the founders of ISA? Or, do you now want to tell me that the Indian industry does not even respect its founding fathers?

"The India Semiconductor Association is committed to including all players of the electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem within it’s member base. As such, any company which plays in this ecosystem, irrespective of their country of origin, is welcome to join the ISA. Having said that, the ISA is particularly partial to getting more companies registered within India, and who are doing both R&D and development within India, to join it’s membership base. We are also very supportive of startups in this space and are very proud of the startups who are already members," said PVG Menon, president, ISA.

Altera launches SoC FPGAs

2011-10-12T16:20:00.004+05:30

Altera Corp. has introduced SoC FPGAs that integrates an ARM processor with the FPGA. The SoC FPGAs are said to deliver reduced board space, power and system costs, as well as increased performance. Altera also launched the FPGA industry’s first Virtual Target that enables immediate device-specific application software development prior to hardware availability.

The ARM-based FPGAs integrate 28-nm Cyclone V and Arria V FPGA fabric, a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor, error correcting code (ECC) protected memory controllers, peripherals and high-bandwidth interconnect into a single chip. The Cyclone V and Arria V SoC FPGAs further extend the portfolio's reach into the embedded processing market. Embedded developers needs include increased system performance, reducing system power, and reducing board size as well as system cost. ARM + Altera = SoC FPGAs.

The SoC FPGA family highlights include the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor, which includes hard memory controller, peripherals and high-bandwidth interconnect. Altera’s 28-nm FPGA fabric involves the Cyclone V SoC FPGA the and Arria V SoC FPGA, respectively. ARM’s ecosystem and Altera’s hardware development flow is also featured in the form of the Quartus II software and Qsys system integration tool. These also have a proven virtual prototyping methodology in form of SoC FPGA Virtual Target for device-specific software development.

The ARM processor has been combined with hard IP. The SoC FPGA uses the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor that features 800 MHz per core (industrial grade), NEON media processing engine, single/double precision floating point unit (FPU), 32-KB/32-KB L1 caches per core and ECC-protected 512-KB shared L2 cache. The hard IP features multi-port memory controller with ECC, such as DDR2/3, mobile DDR, LPDDR2, as well as QSPI, NAND flash, NOR flash memory controller with ECC, and a wide range of common peripherals.

The advanced 28nm low-power (28LP) FPGA fabric is the optimal choice for addressing today’s power- and cost-constrained applications and boasts the lowest absolute power. The hard IP features up to three memory controllers with ECC, variable precision DSP technology, up to two hard PCIe Gen 2 x4 and high-speed transceivers operating up to 10 Gbps.

System-level benefits of SoC FPGA
System-level benefits of the SoC FPGA include increased system performance such as 4,000 DMIPS for under 1.8W, up to 1,600 GMACS, 300 GFLOPS DSP, >125 Gbps processor to FPGA interconnect and cache coherent hardware accelerators. It offers reduced power consumption -- up to 30 percent power savings vs. a 2-chip solution.

There is reduced board size with up to 55 percent form factor reduction and as few as two power rails. All of these lead to reduced system costs leading to lower component cost and reduction in PCB complexity and cost -- less routing with fewer layers. The SoC FPGA device portfolio is tailored to address diverse application requirements.

As for the SoC FPGA design flow, it features a standard hardware development flow using Quartus II software and Qsys system integration tool. The ARM software ecosystem is present with tools, OSs and middleware. The virtual prototyping environment enables immediate device-specific application software development prior to hardware availability. It moves the code quickly to final hardware and shortens time to market.

Boasting the FPGA industry’s first Virtual Target, there is immediate device-specific software development that are binary- and register-compatible. It uses proven virtual prototyping technology, and is Linux and VxWorks enabled, compatible with ARM tools. The SoC FPGA also has the FPGA-in-the-loop extension option.

It facilitates advanced embedded system integration by enabling rapid development of high-performance systems. Features include network-on-chip interconnect technology that supports ARM AMBA AXI interface, Avalon memory mapped and Avalon streaming interfaces. The SoC FPGA also leverages productivity-enhancing hierarchical design flow and simplifies IP re-use.

Emerging piezoMEMS apps and ion beam etch solutions for next gen MEMS and sensors

2011-10-11T23:25:00.005+05:30

Yole Developpement of France recently organized a seminar on next generation MEMS. The speakers were Dr. Eric Mounier, project manager, Yole Développement, and Dr. Adrian Devasahayam, senior director, Technology, Veeco Instruments.

As performance requirements for MEMS and other devices become more stringent, the industry is encountering etch challenges that cannot be overcome with existing toolsets. The use of materials that are not readily etched reactively, combined with higher sensitivities to post etch corrosion in smaller devices, is driving a search for a more suitable etch solution for certain applications.

According to Dr. Mounier, Yole, it is estimated that until 2015, the ferroelectric thin film business will grow at rate of +7.5 percent per year with many current or new applications. In the MEMS field, these applications could be wafer level autofocus, IR sensors, RF switches, medical ultrasonic transducers. In other markets, applications would include IPD tunable capacitor, IPD hearing aids, FeRAM, optical switches, etc.MEMS ferroelectric thin films: Source: Yole.

Dr. Mounier added that the ferroelectric thin films global market growth is mainly driven by two high growth rate MEMS applications until 2015, namely, IR sensors and wafer level optic autofocus.

He added that many other applications are expected to emerge in 2014-2015. These would include RFMEMS and ultrasonic thin film technologies that are under development by large groups, such as IBM, Philips, Toshiba, etc. IPD high density planar capacitors with thin films are being evaluated all over the world by key companies, such as STMicroelectronics, Ipdia, On Semi, Maxim, etc.

Magnetometers using MEMS technologies are currently under development, such as at Bosch, VTT, etc.. They are likely to be integrated with accelerometers to create inertial sensing modules (combo sensors) for consumer/auto applications.

Dr. Adrian Devasahayam, Veeco, advised that Veeco has a broad portfolio of process technologies for various applications. Ion beam etch is a key technology for several applications, which use hard to etch materials. Veeco has developed IBE processes for several key areas, such as PZT etch, magnetic sensor materials, III-V materials, metal etch for ohmic materials and hard mask materials.

New uniformity, CD and damage requirements for emerging applications has been driving ion beam etch activity. A high uniformity across large areas, accurate end-point detection and etch profile shape control has been a common request.

Global semiconductor sales forecast estimates fall: Cowan LRA model

2011-10-09T23:16:00.005+05:30

Steve Jobs: Master of the game!

2011-10-06T12:30:00.003+05:30

This morning, I woke up to find the headline staring at me: Steve Jobs has died! RIP, Steve Jobs!

I first had a look at the Apple Mac while at SBP Consultants & Engineers back in 1988. I was pleasantly surprised to find a computer that could do desktop publishing that well! By then, Jobs had gone out of Apple, fired by John Sculley, then Apple's CEO, sometime in 1985.

Jobs only returned to Apple in 1996, a time when he had floated PIXAR and of course, NeXT -- the company that Apple eventually bought and with that, returned Jobs to Apple. The rest, as they say, is history!

First, Jobs, and of course, Apple, brought color to computers, when the iMac line was launched. I remember seeing the entire line in Hong Kong! The iMacs were followed by the 'now very well known' iBook!

Next, Jobs focused on the music industry, and that led to the creation of the revolutionary iPod, as well as the Apple Store. I remember several suppliers in Hong Kong and China telling me that they were grateful to Apple for 'rewriting the musical devices history' with the iPod. Those suppliers were very much in business, and continue to remain so, till today.

And then, the iPhone happened in 2007! The iPhone 4S, launched yesterday, serves as a reminder of Jobs' vision and strategy. The iPhone caught everyone in the telecom industry napping! Suddenly, there was a rush to produce iPhone clones or iPhone-like phones. Of course, this also hit a major telecom player in a big way!

Today, smartphones are all the rage! But, believe it or not, no one, yes, no one, has actually come close to what Apple and Steve Jobs have managed to do with the iPhone.

The revolutionary iPad, which hit the streets in 2010, literally gave a new lease of life to computing! It also opened a new section - tablets - in front of the computing world. Today, all of the tablets that you get to see from numerous players is only because of Jobs and Apple!

This August, Jobs stepped down as Apple's CEO. Who knew that he would pass away to eternity in early October? There is a message on Apple's site, which I am pasting here:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

ESDM all over again? When will Indian semicon and electronics industries learn??

2011-10-03T23:45:00.005+05:30

Today, the government of India released the National Policy on Electronics titled: Policies to drive national agenda for ICTE: National policy on Electronics 2011 (NPE 2011). One glance is sufficient to note: it is the same old thing in new bottles! There is the dreaded 'ESDM' all over again! Easy to say, (but) difficult to manage -- electronics system design and manufacturing!

Oh! Where were those folks about 15-20 years ago, who have written this policy, especially when the world had started to make the first movements toward a solid electronics infrastructure back in the mid- to late-1990s? India was and still remains a good 15-20 years behind, as far as electronics and semiconductor industries are concerned! Yes, I am very well aware that there are certain Indian electronics manufacturing companies. They do creditable work for global MNCs!

Now, I've been requested to write nice things about ESDM! So be it!! First, ESDM does not exist!! Frankly, there is no need to coin any new and special terminology to boost the electronics and semiconductor industries!!! At least, I don't see any other booming global economy of the world that has coined a special term to do that!! So, why India? All that those nations have done is to focus on R&D and product development, instead of resorting to any terminology! Perhaps, it would be wise for India to follow that path, if it so wishes!

Second, please get specialists to develop the national electronics policy. Else, can I do it?? I am not qualified, though! Besides, I am just a small-time blogger who people don't really notice!!

Third, where is the electronic components industry in India? It has been said in the policy that 'electronic components, which are basis of an electronic product, are low volume low weight, cheap and easy to transport across the globe. Moreover, under Information Technology Agreement-1 (ITA-1) of the World Trade Organization, which came into force in 1997, a large number of electronic components and products are bound with zero tariffs making trade unrestricted across international borders. Also, the electronics manufacturing is characterized by high volume and low margins. All these have resulted in the electronics hardware industry being globally integrated with few large global players catering to a large part of the world.'

I am sorry, I don't agree!

Can you show me one single Indian company manufacturing quality electronic components? There used to be some, in the early 1990s, but those have long vanished! Has anyone ever wondered why? Were their components not good enough? Were the tariffs higher than average? Was it global competition that forced them to exit? Please find out the reasons!

Without the presence of a solid local electronic components industry, forget about ever developing a good, strong and robust Indian electronics and semiconductor industries!

Just a few days ago, I interviewed Soni Saran Singh of NMTronics. He had said: "There are few products like MP3 players, flat panel displays, memory cards, gaming consoles, cameras, etc., which are yet to be see light in Indian manufacturing. When I see this, I feel there is a lot yet to come to India," he said. Singh also asked the question, "How India will compete in marketing of these products compared to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers, who have more than 30 years of experience in these industries?"

Well, as of now, nothing has been said about marketing of the products that 'are proposed to be developed in India'!

I am glad, though, that this new electronics policy has touched upon the setting up of semicon wafer fabs, although I am not sure what the outcome will be! One wishes that India had at least two fabs by now. Perhaps, my wish will someday be granted! There is a need for continuous and uninterrupted electricity and water to make that possible, so there's a pressing need to focus upon.

The ISA was set up in October 2004. MAIT and ELCINA have been around much longer. These industry bodies are set up to lead the specific industries into the future. I am sure MAIT and ELCINA have made proposals to the government in the past. Have those seen light? You answer!

Semiconductor supply chain dynamics: Future Horizons @ IEF2011

2011-10-03T00:10:00.003+05:30

The last decade heralded a dramatic transformation in supply chain dynamics, driven by the complexity challenge of staying on the More Moore curve. On the demand side, the high cost of fabs persuaded almost all integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) to use foundries for their leading-edge wafer supply.

The ever-increasing process complexity and its negative impact on manufacturing yields forced the adoption of sophisticated foundry-specific design-for manufacturing (DFM) techniques, effectively committing new chip designs to a single foundry and process.

At the same time, the industry adopted a much more cautious lagging rather than leading demand approach to new capacity expansion, resulting in under-supply and shortages in leading-edge wafer fab capacity. To make matters worse, the traditional oxide-based planar transistor started to misbehave at the 130nm node, as manifested by low yields and higher than anticipated power dissipation, especially when the transistors were supposed to be off, with no increase in performance, heralding the introduction of new process techniques (e.g., high-k metal gates).

Even before these structural changes have been fully digested, supply chain dynamics have been further disrupted by the prospective transition to 450mm wafer processing, to extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography, and from planar to vertical transistor design.

Transistor design
Since the start of the industry, adding more IC functionality while simultaneously decreasing power consumption and increasing switching speed—a technique fundamentally known as Moore’s Law—has been achieved by simply making the transistor structure smaller. This worked virtually faultlessly down to the 130nm node when quite unexpectedly things did not work as planned. Power went up, speed did not improve and process yields collapsed. Simple scaling no longer worked, and new IC design techniques were needed.

While every attempt was made to prolong the life of the classic planar transistor structure, out went the polysilicon/silicon dioxide gate; although this transition was far from plain sailing, in came high-k metal gates spanning 65nm-28nm nodes. Just as the high-k metal gate structure gained industry-wide consensus at 28nm, it too ran out of steam at the 22nm-16nm nodes, forcing the introduction of more complex vertical versus planar transistor design and making the IC design even more process-dependent (i.e., foundry-dependent). Dual foundry sourcing, already impractical for the majority of semiconductor firms, will only get worse as line widths continue to shrink.

Fab tight
With more firms adopting an outsourcing strategy at 65nm and below (often misleadingly termed fab-lite or asset-lite, but in reality actually meaning fabless) the source of supply for such leading-edge processes became increasingly tight. This was driven by the limited number of foundries and remaining IDM players that could afford $3 billion fabs. There was also a deliberate change in wafer fab investment strategy, cutting back capital expenditure so capacity lagged rather than led demand to avoid the financially crippling side effects of over-capacity at the high-tech end of the market.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, investment in new semiconductor equipment as a percent of semiconductor sales straddled the 16.75 percent average from 1988 through 2008.Source: Future Horizons, UK.

This changed in Q1 2008 when investment was cut back well before over-heating occurred and at a time when the “Main Street” economy was still in good shape; this cut back occurred a good three quarters before the Lehman Brothers global economic crash.

While new fab investment bounced back in 2010, it failed to reach the level of investment seen in 2007, was 9 percent lower than the previous investment peak in 2000, and significantly slowed in Q4 2010, despite the fact that utilization was running at 96.6 percent and on allocation. As can be seen from Fig. 2, utilization figures have continued to increase, a situation that is not going to change given the investment cutbacks now in place.Source: Future Horizons, UK.

The writing is thus now clearly on the wall; leading-edge wafer fab capacity is not going to become a commodity item, supply will be limited and longer term supply commitments are the new name of the game. The era of ever-cheaper, freely available wafers is over, at least at the leading edge. Welcome to the new world of a slowdown in processed wafer price reduction and the need to commit to capacity versus wafer procurement to guarantee sufficient availability.

Impact of 450mm
Just to add further competitive mud to the waters, 2011 saw the 450mm wafer transition gain traction. For several years now, 450mm wafer processing has been under discussion, but apart from work on setting standards, little has actually emerged. Indeed, much discussion focused on whether the industry could actually afford to make this transition, how much it would cost and who would pay for it.
Whereas the major chip players wanted it, the equipment industry was universally against it—stung by the huge costs they were forced to swallow with the 300mm transition.

This climate changed dramatically during the first quarter of 2011 following Intel and TSMC’s near simultaneous announcements that they intend to roll out 450mm wafer technology in their latest fabs and Samsung’s “hints” that they would be “right up there too.” And at least three other fast followers are known to be waiting in the wings.

A parallel initiative by the European Commission to investigate the benefits of setting up 450mm semiconductor manufacturing in Europe, along with IMEC and ASML’s crucial role in the transition execution (together these firms control many of the 450mm patents) and New York State’s subsidized investment in a 450mm tool prototyping complex in Albany, added a geographic and political dimension.

As such, even the most die-hard sceptics from the industry have now come round to accepting that 450mm will actually happen.

As with previous wafer size changes, the transition to 450mm wafer processing cannot be done overnight. But this time it does seem as if it will be well co-ordinated across the full industry food chain, from the advanced research centres in IMEC and Albany to the potential leading-edge semiconductor end users keen to keep up their 29 percent per year gate cost learning curve decline.

The transition from today’s 32/28nm advanced production nodes to the 11/10nm structures expected to be in early production around 2015/2016 is littered with process dislocations, both in the structure of the transistors and the means to pattern and build them, with the structures and patterning techniques different for each node.

Years 2015/2016 are also the approximate timescale for the first 450mm prototype facilities, which means that for the leading-edge memory and MPU supplier extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a must. The more conservative and longer design ramp lead times of foundries indicate that their flip will likely be one node behind in technology, albeit coincident in timing. Thus, whereas foundries do not need EUV lithography for their early 450mm production, for the rest, by 11nm EUV will be a must. The alternative option of triple- and quad-patterning immersion lithography is too slow and costly to bare thinking about.

The single biggest problem with the 300mm conversion was the fact that the process node became a rapidly moving target, starting at 250nm and, ultimately, ending up at 90nm, causing a raft of false starts and overlapping and redundant equipment development costs. It was this “wasted” research and development (R&D) cost that bruised the equipment industry so badly, hence their understandable reluctance to embrace 450mm processing.

Thus, while there are still some dissenting opinions as to whether the semiconductor process node roadmap and the transition to 450mm wafers are independent topics or if the two will need to become intrinsically linked, the fact that the industry is unwilling to repeat its 300mm mistakes and each node has its own process peculiarities, the balance of probabilities is that the node and 450mm development will be linked.

There is also an agreed and clear process introduction strategy to prove the 450mm platform first on a (relatively) mature and well-understood technology node before moving what by then is an established and well-understood 450mm platform to the then leading-edge technology node. This means that for a period of time 300mm will appear to be more node-advanced than its 450mm sibling. But it would be wrong to interpret this as an opportunity for extended or parallel 450/300mm node development—it is not. It is merely the reflection of a carefully thought out transition process; once node comparability has been established, 450mm will flip and all future advanced processing will be on a 450mm-based platform only.

While some people still argue that parallel node development will continue on 300mm and 450mm platforms, the likelihood is that this will not make economic sense, even if the equipment R&D resources are available. History has shown such transitions are both a huge drain on the infrastructure and the majority of the capacity investment dollars. This means that once the 450mm flip has occurred, all pressure (and capacity spend) will be on ways to improve 450mm productivity.

Demand from the likely fast followers such as Toshiba and the other large memory manufacturers (if Samsung goes 450mm, they have no choice); GlobalFoundries (likewise but by now competing against TSMC, Samsung and Intel all on a 450mm platform); and probably IBM (what chance does a 300mm end-of-life node-based Common Platform Alliance have against three hugely competitive 450mm-based foundry giants) will strain the equipment industry’s tool development resources further. There will thus not be enough residual investment dollars or resources available to parallel develop both platforms, nor does it make economic sense from a wafer cost point of view.

The downstream squeeze on the chip industry will be enormous. Customer pressure, limited R&D resources and dwindling long-term demand will drive the mainstream equipment industry to a “follow the 450mm dollars” strategy. Those firms on a 450mm platform will then enjoy a huge cost and technology advantage, forcing legacy 300mm capacity into ever-more boutique and specialist low volume product areas or other less-demanding applications (e.g., to cost reduce 200mm-based products).

Plus Ça change??? No, it IS different this time!
The move to 450mm will inevitably be an inflection point for the industry, with enormous ramifications for the complete semiconductor ecosystem. Those firms with 450mm capability will enjoy a huge competitive advantage of staying on the More Moore node development roadmap, a potential 30 percent lower die cost advantage and a more efficient manufacturing tool platform. The remaining 300mm platforms will be squeezed into increasingly over-crowded niches.

Transistor design complexity, new structures and increasingly tighter design rules will mean that semiconductor firms will be forced to choose a lifetime foundry partner; divorce and second sourcing will become too expensive for all but the very biggest firms to even contemplate. Only a handful of chip firms will have early access to next-generation foundry technology, giving them at least a one-year advantage over their competitors. This means many of today’s Tier 1 ex-IDMs will become foundry Tier 2 accounts—quite a humbling and significant competitive demotion.

The era of abundant leading-edge capacity is over; a deliberate over-investment strategy would be recklessly suicidal, even for an industry not best known for its rationality. Buying capacity up front will become the new industry norm, eventually to be enhanced by up-front contributions to future capacity investment costs and effectively co-owning portions of the capacity—a kind of IDM-lite model.
From an equipment industry perspective, financing new tool development will mirror the airline industry model, whereby customers make long-term up-front commitments with deposits and partial payments to ensure both delivery and their place in the queue.

The combined effect that these changes will have on the semiconductor supply chain will be both far-reaching and profound, and a very different industry will emerge by the end of the decade. No longer will the industry simply muddle through the various challenges. New business models will emerge built increasingly on co-operation and partnerships, with an ever-increasing need for all parties to share the technology risks and costs.

The past adversarial-driven supplier-customer relationship will no longer be appropriate; for the first time in the industry’s history, across-the-board consolidation is unavoidable. The industry might even finally break its fixation with its inherent quarterly short-term fixation of making the quarterly number.

The issues address in this report will be debated more deeply at IEF2011 in Seville, Spain, 5-7 Oct 2011, Future Horizons 20th Annual International Industry Forum under the general theme "New Rules For Old...Achieving Success In The Age of Nano Tech".

The event will focus on what we see as the immense paradigm shifts currently occurring in the industry as it squares up to the various technology challenges of embracing the nano-tech age (450mm, EUV, 3D transistors); the need for new business models (what Future Horizons has termed “the broken semiconductor industry model”; and the new design methodologies necessary to deal not just with the technology and manufacturing complexities, but the system related challenges as well.

Welcome to Durga Puja @ Jayamahal, Bangalore!

2011-10-02T22:38:00.004+05:30

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutey Shu...
Shakti Roopena Sanasthitha
Namas tasyai, Namas tasyai, Namas tasyai, Namo Namaha!
To the goddess who abides in all beings as power: Salutations to thee!

Friends, welcome to Durga Puja @ Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore! Today is Maha Shashti, the first day of the Puja. Goddess Durga is awakened from slumber in a program known as 'Agomoni'. She then goes on to slay the infamous 'Mahishasur or the demon king'!

In Hindu mythology, it is said that the evil Mahishasur started terrorising Heaven and earth. He invaded heaven, defeating Indra, the king of Gods, and drove all the other Gods out of heaven. This led the Gods to convene a meeting and come up with Goddess Durga. She fought with the Mahishasur for nine days. On the 10th day, Goddess Durga finally killed Mahishasur, who had taken refuge in the shape of a Mahish (buffalo).

Given below is a map - with driving directions - to Jayamahal Durga Puja, Bangalore.Naturally, I am involved here. Should you happen to drop by on any of the next three days, especially during afternoon Bhog, or community lunch, I may even serve you! ;)

Welcome, my dear friends, to the 2011 Durga Puja celebrations @ Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore.

India has restricted itself to only semicon design and R&D!

2011-09-30T22:37:00.002+05:30

Chatting with Soni Saran Singh, executive director, NMTronics, is a pleasure. The company has managed to maintain leadership in the Indian electronics industry with 55 percent market share.

NMTronics has taken initiatives in bringing interest among Indian entrepreneurs for local mobile phone manufacturing, and is a pioneer in providing turnkey solutions for mobile phone manufacturing. According to Singh, the Indian government is making some initiatives by introducing a domestic manufacturing policy. Hence, the company sees huge potential in mobile phone manufacturing in the coming years.

How does NMTronics see the Indian electronics industry performing in 2012 and beyond? Soni Saran Singh said: "With miniaturization becoming part and parcel of each electronic gadgets, with more and more sophistications coming day by day, there is no end for electronics manufacturing growth. As an equipment supplier, our role will continue to bring in the latest technology equipment to meet those challenges. The industry is in the trend to shift to handle more complex, more volume assemblies.

"With MNCs in this segment already having set the example of quick ramp up with developed ecosystems, it is the time for the local Indian companies to adopt those initiatives for increased domestic manufacturing. The government also has to introduce some local manufacturing policy and there is a need to set up the necessary infrastructure faster in terms of uninterrupted power, water and good connectivity for the industries to go with their investments.

"There are few products like MP3 players, flat panel displays, memory cards, gaming consoles, cameras, etc., which are yet to be see light in Indian manufacturing. When I see this, I feel there is a lot yet to come to India and therefore, foresee lots of new investments to happen in the year 2012 and beyond."

What about the Indian semiconductor industry? According to Singh: "Everyone knows that semicon is a very big opportunity for India, considering the market size and the increasing application of semiconductors in our day to life. Semiconductor consumption in India is estimated at $43 billion, which will grow multifold in next few years to reach about $80 million. We have been closely monitoring the industry for over a decade now, but India has restricted itself to only design and R&D when it comes to the semiconductor industry.

"Unfortunately, this strength was never converted to mass manufacturing till now. There are some less complex products like bright LEDs, memory chips, memory cards, etc, which does not require very high level of investment, but still there is no major growth in semiconductor manufacturing.

"The government announced its semiconductor policy, which helps in setting-up of semiconductor manufacturing, but the big question is that how India will compete in marketing of these products compared to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers, who have more than 30 years of experience in these industries.

"There is a need for strong government policy to protect the Indian manufacturers initially (in the learning phase), by duty exemptions on raw materials and equipment, mandatory local content in government projects and so on. The India Semiconductor Association (ISA) has been working on this for very long, but there has been no appreciable result. We hope someday that policymakers will understand the requirement, and the Indian semiconductor industry will see a new light."

You can read the entire interview with Soni Saran Singh in the forthcoming issue of Global SMT & Packaging magazine.

Symantec releases latest Intelligence Report!

2011-09-29T18:29:00.004+05:30

Symantec presented its latest Intelligence Report with the following highlights:

* Spam – 74.8 percent in September (a decrease of 1.1 percentage points since August 2011).
* Phishing – One in 447.9 emails identified as phishing (a decrease of 0.26 percentage points since August 2011).
* Malware – One in 188.7 emails in September contained malware (an increase of 0.04 percentage points since August 2011).
* Malicious Web sites – 3,474 Web sites blocked per day (an increase of 1 percent since August 2011).
* 44.6 percent of all malicious domains blocked were new in September (an increase of 10.0 percentage points since August 2011).
* 14.5 percent of all Web-based malware blocked was new in September (a decrease of 2.9 percentage points since August 2011).
* Malicious emails masquerade as office printer messages.
* Spammers exploit WordPress vulnerability to promote pharmaceutical spam Web sites Fake Offers with Fake Trust Seals. (One hopes WordPress is aware of this and taking remedial action!)
* Spammers and malware authors making increasing use of obfuscated JavaScript.Source: Symantec.

The spam rate was 74.8 percent, as against last month's 75.9 percent. The top five geographies are Saudi Arabia 84 percent, Russian Federation 79.9 percent, Malaysia 79.8 percent, Luxembourg 79.1 percent and Italy 78.6 percent. The top five verticals targeted are automotive 77.8 percent, education 77.2 percent, marketing/media 76.4 percent, non-profit 76.4 percent and manufacturing 76.2 percent.

As for spam sources, US leads with 47.5 percent of spam originating from there. India at 9.6 percent, UK at 8.1 percent, Brazil at 7.6 percent, Russian Federation at 6.7 percent, China at 5,4 percent, Germany at 4.3 percent, Vietnam at 3.8 percent, Japan at 3.8 percent and Canada at 3 percent, make up the top 10 countries.

As for virus, 72 of email-borne malware was associated with variants of generic polymorphic malware, including Bredolab, Sasfis, SpyEye and Zeus variants.

New malware and spyware sites are appearing per day. Around 44.6 percent of all malicious domains blocked were new in September; an increase of 10 percentage points compared with August. Also, 14.5 percent of all Web-based malware blocked was new in September; a decrease of 2.9 percentage points since August.

Next, 20.8 percent of the most frequently blocked malware last month was identified and blocked using generic detection.

Global semiconductor sales expectation for 2011 and 2012

2011-09-25T20:26:00.003+05:30

This is a continuation of my coverage of the fortunes of the global semiconductor industry. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mike Cowan, an independent semiconductor analyst and developer of the Cowan LRA model, who has provided me the latest numbers.

Various industry watchers most recent 2011 sales growth forecast updates are dropping: from low positive single digits to even lower positive single digits or to low negative single digits. Therefore, the soon to be released WSTS August sales number will be pivotal in pointing directionally to where the 2011 sales growth forecast estimate, as seen by the Cowan LRA model, will end up. Consequently, per the subject the following analysis should assist in providing some insight into next month’s model run update via my monthly look-ahead scenario analysis matrix.

It’s that time of the month again; namely, time for previewing next month’s global semiconductor sales forecast update for both 2011 and 2012 based upon August’s “actual” sales expectation by exercising the “look ahead” forecasting capability of the CowanLRA Model. August’s upcoming global semiconductor sales will be pivotal in determining the sales growth outcome for both the third quarter and the full year of 2011.

In particular, will 2011 exhibit positive yearly sales growth for the industry or will it turn negative as a number of market researchers have recently forecasted based upon downward third quarter guidance being announced by many semiconductor suppliers?

Presented here is a “snap shot” of 2011′s global semiconductor sales and sales growth forecast prospects as a function of August’s “actual” sales forecast estimate range as derived via the Cowan LRA forecast model. Moreover, as part of this month’s update, the model has been extended in order to include a view of what 2012’s sales growth prospects might look like, thereby providing a six-quarter look ahead that allows the model to also capture the four quarters of 2012.

It should be mentioned that August 2011′s “actual” global semiconductor sales number is scheduled to be released by the WSTS via its monthly HBR (Historical Billings Report) on or about Wednesday, October 5th.

In advance of the WSTS’s release of its August HBR, Cowan has presented his monthly analysis leveraging the Cowan LRA forecasting model that projects worldwide semiconductor sales for 2011 (as well as 2012); namely, by providing a “look ahead” scenario for year 2011′s sales forecast range as a function of next month’s (in this case August’s) assumed range of “actual” global semiconductor sales estimates.Source: Cowan LRA model, USA.

The output of this “look ahead” modelling analysis is detailed in the scenario analysis matrix displayed in the table here. A discussion of these results is provided in the paragraphs immediately following Table 1 here.

In order to facilitate the determination of these "look ahead" forecast numbers, an extended range in assumed August 2011's "actual" sales is selected a-priori; in this particular scenario analysis, an August 2011 sales range from a low of $21.667 billion to a high of $27.677 billion, in increments of $0.250 billion, is pre-selected as shown in the first column of the table.

Note: The range in August sales has been “purposely weighted” toward lower possible August sales estimates, that is, “skewed” toward less monthly sales expectations than done in past look-ahead analyses due to a perceived universal pessimism in industry sales for the second half of 2011 due to lethargic consumers spending brought on by a weak global economy possibly extending into 2012.

This “best-guess” estimated range in assumed “actual” sales numbers is “downward offset” around the August actual sales forecast expectation of $26.177 billion as gleamed from last month’s Cowan LRA Model run (based upon July’s WSTS published “actual” sales number).

The corresponding August 3MMA sales forecast estimate expectation is projected to be $25.686 billion. (Note: This assumes no, or very minor. revisions in either June or July’s previously published “actual” sales numbers released in last month’s HBR by the WSTS).

The overall year 2011 sales forecast estimates corresponding to each of the pre-selected August sales numbers over the selected range of “actual” sales estimates is calculated by the model, and is exhibited in the second column of the table.

The third column lists the associated year-on-year sales growth estimates for 2011 compared to year 2010′s global semiconductor sales of $298.315 billion as reported by WSTS. The fourth and fifth columns show the corresponding August 3MMA, three Month Moving Average, sales forecast estimates and the associated 3MMA year-over-year sales growths relative to August 2010′s 3MMA sales of $25.597 billion, respectively.

The sixth column lists the model’s Momentum Indicator, MI, which is defined as the percentage delta between the actual August sales result and the previous month’s (July’s) sales forecast estimate for August. Finally, the seventh and eighth columns reveal 2012′s forecasted sales and sales growth estimates associated with last month’s August sales forecast estimate expectation, respectively.

Therefore, as the scenario analysis table lays out, depending on the actual WSTS (to-be-released) August 2011 global semiconductor sales number, the forecasted full year 2011 sales estimate as determined by the model could vary between a minimum of $306 billion and a maximum of $315.4 billion.

The corresponding 2010 to 2011 sales growth forecast estimate would then vary between a low of 2.6 percent and a high of 5.7 percent, respectively. Moreover, the table also reveals the model’s expectations for 2012′s sales and sales growth forecast estimates, namely $338.9 billion and 8.3 percent, respectively.Table 2. Source: Cowan LRA model.

Note: Last month’s previously published Cowan LRA Model’s sales growth forecast estimates for both 2011 and 2012 based on July 2011′s “actual” sales (of $23.495 billion) are summarized in Table 2 for comparison purposes.

ST launches STM32 F4 series of MCUs

2011-09-22T17:50:00.002+05:30

STMicroelectronics has launched the STM32 F4 series of microcontrollers (MCUs), based on the latest ARM Cortex-M4 core. This adds to the signal-processing capabilities and faster operations to the portfolio of STM32 MCUs.

The STM32 F4 series brings the world’s highest performance Cortex-M MCUs at 168 MHz FCPU/210 DMIPS and 363 Coremark score.

Vinay Thapliyal, technical marketing manager-India, Microcontroller Division, Greater China and South Asia region, STMicroelectronics Marketing Pvt Ltd, said that the series extends the ST'M32 portfolio of 250+ compatible devices already in production, including the F1 series, F2 series and ultra-low-power L1 series, respectively. ST is said to have 45 percent of the market share by units.

The STM32 F4 series of MCUs are re-inforced on five pillars:
* Real-time performance -- 168MHz/210 DMIPS.
* Outstanding power efficiency.
* Superior and innovative peripherals.
* Maximum integration - 1Mbyte Flash, 192 Kbyte SRAM.
* Extensive tools and hardware -- CMSIS DSP library, Matlab support, various IDE starter kits, RTOS and stacks.

A Coremark study says that STM32 F4 gives the best acceleration and highest speed. Thapliyal added, "We are ready for the market." It takes ART to be #1 in performance: It is a combination of core, embedded Flash design, process, acceleration techniques, etc.

ST's ART Accelerator, an adaptive real-time memory unleashes the Cortex M4 core's maximum processing performance equal to 0-wait state execution, and Flash upto 168MHz. Real-time performance is the 32-bit multi AHB bus matrix. The layers are independent of each other.

The STM32 F4 series boasts a high-performance digital signal controller. The MCU leads to the ease of use of C programming, interrupt handling and ultra-low power. The FPU facilitates single precision, ease of use, better code efficiency, faster time to market, eliminates scaling and saturation, and easier support for meta-language tools. The DSP is based on Harvard architecture, single-cycle MAC and barrel shifter.

It also boasts of an outstanding power efficiency. The 230 μA/MHz, 38.6 mA at 168 MHz executing Coremark benchmark from Flash memory (with peripherals off), has been made possible with:
* ST’s 90nm process allowing the CPU core to run at only 1.2 V.
* ART Accelerator reducing the number of accesses to Flash.
* Voltage scaling to optimize performance/power consumption.
* VDD min down to 1.7 V.
* Low-power modes with backup SRAM and RTC support.

The low power in real-life applications is not just low-power mode. There is also a need to consider the percentage of time spend in low-power (LP) mode and in Run mode. If competitors are claiming better low-power modes, these are only an advantage if the overall system is spending more than 90 percent of the time doing nothing in low-power mode.

Superior and innovative peripherals includes, among others, two USB OTGs, two full duplexes PWMs at 168MHz, ADC at 2.4MSPS.

As for maximum integration, the 1-Mbyte Flash and 192-Kbyte SRAM memories available in the product accommodate advanced software stacks and user data, with no need for external memories. The 4-Kbyte SRAM battery back-up is used to save the application state and calibration data (SRAM block used as an EEPROM). In addition, the 528 bytes of OTP memory make it possible to store critical user data, such as the Ethernet MAC addresses or cryptographic keys.

ST is providing an evaluation board for full product feature evaluation. This includes a hardware evaluation platform for all interfaces. There is a possible connection to all I/Os and all peripherals. A Discovery kit for cost-effective evaluation and prototyping is also available at $14.90. A large choice of development IDE solutions from the STM32 and ARM ecosystem is also available.

The STM32 F4 portfolio consists of the 405 and 415 families that supports 64, 100 and 144 pins, and the 407 and 417 families that supports 100, 144 and 176 pins.

Application areas served by the STM32 F4 series include points of sale/inventory management, building, security/fire/HVAC, industrial automation and solar panels, test and measurement, consumer, communication, transportation and medical.

The final Cortex-M MCU volume in 2010 was 144 million units. Growth into 2011 continues to be strong and healthy. STM32 already has ~ 45 percent of market share in cumulated Cortex-M shipments.

Smarter systems in third era of computing!

2011-09-19T19:57:00.003+05:30

Over 1.8 billion ARM cores were shipped in chips during Q1-2011. Consumers are now driving computing. The Internet of things envisages 100 billion+ units by 2020, according to Jeff Chu, director of Consumer, Client Computing at ARM, who was speaking on ‘Smarter systems for smarter consumers: 3rd era of computing’ at the ARM Technical Symposium.

ARM’s ecosystem has benefitted. Tablets have changed the competitive landscape. New OSs such as Android Honeycomb, Google Chrome OS and RIM QNX are enabling innovation. Also, Microsoft Windows 8 will likely transform PCs forever.

Consumers are always demanding more as they want choices. There are a range of devices available. These come in a lot of cool form factors, along with applications and services. There is a growing software ecosystem as well. It is all about smarter systems.

Smarter systems require a balanced approach. High-performance, low power CPUs are critical. The GPU is now critical and more important than the CPU. Video is now moving to 3D. All of these functions require processors that perform. ARM multicore enables the best of both worlds, allowing a perfect balance of peak performance and optimum power.

ARM offers a broad range of application processors. It also has power optimized MALI GPUs. ARM is providing choices in silicon solutions -- such as ARM Cortex A8, A9 or ARMv7A. ARM also has the TrustZone security to keep everything safe. A whole lot of software is also required. ARM's application diversity really delivers here. ARM also maintains a leadership in Android with over 550K devices shipped.

Momentum is leading to innovation. New devices and user experience is based on open source hardware. Local innovation has led to regional designs. As a result, we are now witnessing broader adoption and expanding markets. Enterprise needs are being met by thin clients. There are also a growing number of ARM SoCs.

ARM is building on the smartphone ecosystem. ARM works with OEMs and software developers to create an ecosystem.

ARM connecting the world!

2011-09-19T12:55:00.005+05:30

ARM is connecting the world today, according to John Cornish, VP and GM, Design Division ARM. Over 4 billion people are using ARM-powered mobile phones currently. He was speaking at the ARM Technical Symposium in Bangalore, India.

Looking at the end user product demand in 2010, there were 3.7 billion SoCs in mobile phones, 15.3 billion embedded and other SoCs, 1.5 billion SoCs in enterprises, 230 million units in client computing devices, etc. The end user product demand in 2015 will be 7.3 billion SoCs in mobile phones, 21.6 billion embedded and other SoCs, 750 million SoCs in client computing, 2.7 billion SoCs in enterprises, 1.2 billion SoCs in DTVs/STBs, and 110 million server and 140 million desktop and PC SoC devices.

It is well known that there are and will be billions of Internet connected devices. Mobile is now the nexus of this revolution. The computing revolution is driving computing, content and the cloud.

ARM is said to be scaling across the digital world. For instance, ARM technology is suitable for application processors across a huge range of devices. Chip suppliers can develop for multi-industrial applications. Also, OEMs can re-use software across mobile/consumer devices.

Despite all of this, there is still some way to go. As of now, 5.1 billion inhabitants of the planet don't have access to the Internet, and 2.2 billion don't have a mobile phone.

Cornish listed certain challenges such as the need for greater energy efficiency, greater software efficiency, improved security and diversity of solutions vital to address the opportunity.

Regarding smart energy-connected systems, he mentioned smart home energy management (HEM), smart meters, smart appliances, smart heating, home area networking, etc. "We will need smart devices that can be embedded on anything," he added.

ARM delivers on four main aspects -- provider of GPU technology, has the highest performing GPU market, enables better interconnect and provider of physical IP for highly optimized processor implementation.

ARM has reached scalability with its Cortex processors that provides compatibility across a diverse range of applications. The Cortex-M0 family is enabling mixed signal. The Cortex-R family includes the R5 and the R7, which will be released at the end of 2011. The Cortex-A family is in screens everywhere. The Cortex-A15 has introduced the cache coherent interconnect. Cornish advised that ARM's processor optimization pack (POP) includes the core optimized physical IP, certified benchmarking and implified knowledge.

GPU computing brings 100s of GFLOPs of processing power into the hands of developers. It is driving heterogenous computing to handle complex use cases. The ARM partnershio is said to enable strength in diversity -- thereby enabling richer end-product offerings. The OS, web and applications are all optimized for ARM.

TrustZone, a system-wide approach to security, on high performance computing platforms for a huge array of applications, including secure payment, digital rights management (DRM), and web-based services.

The ARM Connected Community currently has 850+ partners. The ecosystem is built and evolved over many years. The flexible, diverse ARM ecosystem is continuously evolving to enable new paradigms across new markets.

Renesas enhancing localization of products in India!

2011-09-17T17:55:00.004+05:30

Renesas Electronics was among the worst hit companies during the Japanese earthquake in March this year. To its credit, Renesas restarted production at its quake-hit factories by mid-June. For the record, Renesas' Naka factory had been the worst-affected by the March 2011 earthquake. The Naka factory produces around 20 percent of MCUs and SoC solutions, and about 10 percent of analog and power devices.

According to Jeffrey Soh, director - South Asia & Pacific Business Unit, Renesas Electronics Singapore Pte. Ltd, power shortages had been created by the earthquakes. "The Naka plant was the most affected. It has been housing 65nm and 90nm process technologies. We have had very good support from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI)," he said.Jeffrey Soh and Sunil Dhar, Renesas.

On June 1, 2011, the Naka factory started production again. "We are now in full recovery. We still have to recover a lot of backlog," noted Soh. From the earthquake to the recovery of the Naka plant, Renesas was able to start the production of automotive processors. The massive earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami in March saw Renesas strengthen its business continuity plan (BCP) and re-inforce the risk management system. "We have now taken up BCP. The earthquake only accelerated the BCP," said Soh.

So, what's the outlook like for 2012? According to Jeffrey Soh, there are double challenges. First, there is the high Yen. However, the high Yen has forced Renesas to be even more competitive. "We expect the Japanese government will roll out a recovery plan," Soh, noted.

Renesas' situation in India
Elaborating on Renesas' India plans, Jeffrey Soh said: "We plan to grow in India. We have spent the last five years cultivating the Indian localization. Here, we are developing all India based solutions." Out of the 30 products that have been developed in India so far, Renesas has been able to help 16 companies up until now.

"We have built a company that works on the localization of products. We are soliciting a lot of Japanese support to enhance the Indian localization of products," he added.

According to him, besides mobile communications, healthcare and medical electronics, automotive electronics and smart energy, Renesas is also looking at developing the power electronics segment in India.

Sensationally low turnout at electronica/productronica India 2011!

2011-09-15T21:56:00.006+05:30

I've spent two days at electronica/productronica 2011, going on at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, and I must say that I am disappointed by the crowds or lack of crowds! This is said to be the premier show for electronics in India, isn't it? The venue is as central as one can expect. Even then?To start off, I missed the opening ceremony. That was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Local Mobile Phone Manufacturing-Opportunity or Challenge.’ With all due respects to the participants, it was one of the worst panel discussions I've ever attended! Perhaps, it was of some use to those present in the auditorium.

Later, while going around the various exhibition halls, I was asked by quite a number of friends in the electronics industry whether it was wise for them to have participated, given that the turnout had been so very low! Now, I am no one to answer that question!! However, it seems that there is very little interest left in the Indian electronics industry. It may sound pessimistic, but so it is!

The Indian telecom equipment manufacturing sector is going through a critical phase where the benefits of development of the telecom sector's growth have not been carried over to the manufacturing domain. There is also a need to encourage indigenous R&D and creation of Indian IPR/patents. Was anything remotely close to this on display? I don't think so!!

Electronica/Productronica 2011, here I come!

2011-09-12T22:48:00.002+05:30

I am back in New Delhi, covering the electronica/productronica 2011 show! This is my second time at the show, however, the first time in New Delhi, as the previous year's edition was held in Bangalore.

Is there anything new that I see? Perhaps, not as yet! However, I shall reserve comment till I visit the show.

What I do notice is more or less a similar, or familiar set of names of exhibitors, if the one put up by the organizers on their website is correct. Maybe, there are a few additions, but that's all I can say, for now!

STMicroelectronics seems to have become a new addition, as is Renesas Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd. One other addition seems to be SiPlace, Of course, the show is graced by familiar names, such as Bergen Associates, element14, EMST Marketing, Inde Enterprises, Juki India, Leaptech, Murata, NMTronics, NXP, QUAD Electronics, Rohde & Schwarz, RS Components, Sumitron and so on!

There is one other difference! Most of these firms are multinational companies (MNCs) or arms of the MNCs. While I don't have anything against them, one is tempted to ask the question: where are the Indian companies? Specifically, where are the Indian electronics manufacturing companies?

We all love to talk about how India should play a major role in electronics manufacturing. However, seriously, how much of this is actually happening in India? More precisely, where are the home grown Indian manufacturing units?

I noticed that one of the sessions is going to be a panel discussion titled: Local mobile phone manufacturing: Opportunity or challenge!! Wonder, what will come out of the session! There's another on EMS - where, again, the weight lies with the MNCs. Of course, there are two speakers -- N. Jehangir from SFO and Raminder Singh from QUAD, in the final session. The other session on automotive electronics also seems to be loaded with speakers from MNCs.

Can India really get to become a global hub for EMS? Well, let's just wait and see what exactly do these august gentlemen in the two panel discussions have to say!

Symantec announces Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2012

2011-09-08T21:29:00.003+05:30

It’s no longer a PC-centric world. It's a world centered on people and information. There is cloud apps explosion, device explosion and information explosion. However, this world is also infested with threats.

Last year, information grew by 62 percent to nearly 800,000 petabytes. Symantec identified more than 286 million new threats last year. Eighty (80) percent of online adults have been a victim of cybercrime in their lifetime. Seventeen (17) percent of adults online have experienced cybercrime on their mobile phone. Norton has now expanded beyond the PC. Norton Everywhere protects people across locations, devices and digital experiences.Source: Norton from Symantec.

Symantec announced Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2012 products. A new feature is Norton Management, that brings the power of the cloud to you. Yet another feature is Identity Safe, which has improved login and form fill, major usability enhancements, and the vault can be synced to the cloud for anywhere access.

Some other features include Download Insight, Bandwidth Awareness. It also has an improved Simplified User Interface, as well as a Settings Interface Makeover. “Norton Secured” security badge is a new feature. The badge appears right in search results, indicating when a website owner’s identity has been verified and the site is malware free.

Powered by the largest community of users, 210 million users have contributed to Insight. Symantec is tracking over 3.1 billion executable files. Users perform 2 billion file lookups a day. Symantec also blocks 6.3 million malicious files each month. In fact, 3.1 billion attack attempts were blocked in 2010.

Norton’s Exclusive four layer protection stops threats while people are browsing and before it can write to your computer. It even scans links in Facebook feeds and search results.

Norton 2012 Protection highlights include network intrusion prevention, SONAR behavioral protection (4th generation), Insight reputation and anti-virus engine.

Norton from Symantec has listed the following reasons:
* The cloud expands beyond protection to enable the richest Norton user experience to date.
* Performance exceeds 2011’s all time highs.
* Norton has added significant new protection capabilities.
* It has also improved usability by addressing the issues that are important to customers.

Norton cybercrime report 2011: Exposing the true scale!

2011-09-08T20:40:00.005+05:30

According to the Norton Cybercrime report 2011, there are 1 million+ victims a day, including 50,000 victims every hour, 820 per minute and 14 per second. The total bill for cybercrime footed by online adults in 24 countries topped $388 billion over the past year. Gaurav Kanwal, country sales manager, India & SAARC, Consumer Products and Solutions, Symantec presented the report that covers 24 countries and 20,000 people. The most at risk are said to be the millennial males.

The total cost of global cybercrime was worth $114 billion annually. Based on the value victims surveyed placed on time lost due to their cybercrime experiences, an additional $274 billion was lost. Some of the prominent countries bearing the cash cost of cybercrime include USA -- $32 billion, Brazil -- $15 billion, China -- $25 billion, India -- $4 billion, and Australia, Japan and Mexico -- $2 billion each.Cybercrime hotspots: Source: Norton Cybercrime report 2011.

In India, the most common and most preventable type of cybercrime remains computer viruses or malware. It was 60 percent overall and 75 percent had occured in the last 12 months. The three most preventable crimes are said to be viruses/malware at 60 percent, scams at 20 percent and mobile threats at 17 percent. In India, over 29.9 million people fell victim to cybercrime last year, suffering $4 billion in direct financial losses and an additional $3.6 billion in time spent resolving the crime.

The Norton Cybercrime report also reveals that 10 percent of adults online globally (17 percent in India) have experienced cybercrime on their mobile phone. Besides the threats on mobile devices, increased social networking and lack of protection are said to be some of the main culprits behind the growing number of cybercrime victims.

The top six countries found to be in emerging danger due to cybercrimes include China at 85 percent, South Africa at 84 percent, Mexico at 83 percent, and Brazil, India and Singapore at 80 percent each, respectively.

It was also reported that 43 percent of Indian adults do not have an uptodate security software suite to protect their personal information online. Despite the huge costs of cybercrime, many people are not investing in adequate security software that protects against computer viruses and other preventable cybercrimes.

Globally, over a third of adults (35 percent) do not feel safe online from cybercrime attacks. This rises to 50 percent of French adults, 53 percent of Brazilian adults, 64 percent of Indian adults and 88 percent of Japanese adults. Also, a whopping 94 percent of Indians believe that more needs to be done to bring cybercriminals to justice.

Now, 43 percent of Indians say they need to access the Internet daily. And, 47 percent of the Indian social network users think they would lose contact with friends if they had to live without their social networks.

“Two things worry me. Mobile applications and crimes will be committed from or against mobile phones. As use of smartphones grow we are going to basically have computerised wallets and I would see that as being both a target and means of attack,” says a global user.

Cybercrime makes victims feel just as angry and upset as physical crime. Yet, people are not taking adequate protection. China, Singapore and South Africa are among today's cybercrime capitals. These also happen to be countries with the highest number of free AV software users, and people accessing the Internet and becoming a cybercrime victim via another mobile device.

With the growth in Internet access over mobile devices, coupled with a lack of protection for personal data is likely to lead to a corresponding global rise in cybercrime via mobile devices in the years to come.

Global semicon sales forecast: Cowan LRA model

2011-09-08T16:08:00.005+05:30

Magma announces Silicon One strategy

2011-09-07T16:28:00.004+05:30

Magma Design Automation has introduced the Silicon One technology solutions for Magma users in India. This was announced by Rajeev Madhavan, chairman and CEO on the sidelines of the MUSIC 2011 in Bangalore, India, today.

Silicon One aims at making silicon profitable, especially for Magma's customers. It is a presentation of innovative solutions for advanced analog and digital design challenges. Magma outlined five technologies: Talus, Tekton, Titan, FineSim and Excalibur. The solutions work off a unified database for designing chips that combine analog, digital, memory, etc. Just about a week ago, Magma launched the global Silicon One seminar series in the US, Canada, Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Israel and Europe, from Sept. 20 to Nov. 10.

"We are making solutions that customers can use. The global EDA industry is currently worth $4.5-$5 billion today, growing at a rate of 10 percent." As of now, 21 of the top 25 customers use Magma tools. It happens to be key EDA supplier to some household names in wireless.

Magma currently employs 696 people, of whom 77 percent are in application engineering or R&D. India has 220 (32 percent) employees as of now.

According to Madhavan, Silicon One is a platform of EDA solutions for emerging silicon. The three main pillars are: integration -- with a unified data model comprising capacity, concurrent optimization and chip finishing; completeness -- comprising full flow IP characterization, design implementation and design verification; and throughput -- comprising concurrent analysis and verification.

Magma has built three categories of solutions. These are:

SoC/ASSP: Building killer applications with an entire SoC.
AMS: Building analog mixed signal chips for mobility market.
Memory: Building high-speed memory chips for consumer applications.

Madhavan added: "We are mapping Silicon One solutions to the market. We are touching every single point of the silicon. We are providing a series for platforms -- such as digital design (Talus), analog verification (FineSim), analog design (Titan), digital sign-off (Tekton) and yield management (Excalibur). We have the opportunity to be a dominant yield management company."

Need to work toward sustainable future: imec

2011-09-05T23:20:00.006+05:30

At an ISA CXO Conclave, Luc Van den hove, president and CEO, imec, said that we need to work toward a sustainable future. Started in 1984, Leuven, Belgium-based imec performs world leading research in nanoelectronics. He touched upon some research programs currently undertaken by imec.

Green radio is for low-power wireless communications. Technologies would be 1000K energy efficient. He added: "We are also developing low cost, low-power reconfigurable radios. Further, we feel that videos will dominate mobile phones."

Another innovation, E-Nose, can be used for air quality, safety, food and well being. Human++ BAN life sciences, is yet another innovation. Now, the cost of healthcare is said to be exploding. By 2030, over 1 billion people will be over 65+ years. imec is developing body area network. According to imec, wearable wireless sensors can grow to over $400 million by 2014.

imec is working on technologies ranging from bio sensors to lab-on-chip. "We are also working on implantable devices such as microprobes," said Van den hove.

imec is also working on the NVision technology. According to estimates, there will likely be 78.1 million 3D TVs by 2012. Van den hove said, "we are developing holographic visualization."

On energy, he said that renewable energy was growing in importance. "We are working on solar, storage, switching, etc. As an example, we have replaced Ag (silver) with Cu (copper) metallization." Organic solar cells is yet another technology imec's working on.

In power electronics, imec is working on GaN power devices. "We also have a program for boosting chip performance and system functionality," he added. "We are also exploring the third dimension -- DRAM on logic."

CMORE, is said to be more than CMOS, as well as MEMS, sensors, photonics, SiGe based metals/devices. In organic electronics, imec and Holst have developed the first plastic microprocessor, which was introduced in 2011. imec has research programs for full ecosystems as well.

Van den hove noted: "We also celebrate the launch of imec India. We want to develop sustainable nanoelectronic solutions. For example, rural India drives the mobile phone growth. India is also driving e-health."

In Arise Labs, imec has provided the nanoelectronic platform, technology and design expertise, application programming and strong industry network.

Arise Labs -- an imec, Wipro initiative! Does it fit the bill?

2011-09-05T22:07:00.009+05:30

Belgium's imec Corp. has collaborated with India's Wipro Technologies to form the Arise Labs. Besides, imec has also opened its India office in Bangalore, according to Luc Van den hove, president and CEO, imec, at an India Semiconductor Association (ISA) CXO Conclave this evening.

On this same day, Cadence Design Systems (India), announced with imec Europractice IC Service, to develop a shuttle program for Cadence University Software Program members. Without a doubt, this news is of more importance, but Cadence, as well as imec, surprisingly, chose to underplay it, for now. Nevertheless!

On the Arise Labs event, Dr. Pradip Dutta, chairman, ISA raised an interesting query in his opening remarks: How do we bring the research quotient into the Indian semiconductor industry? He added that imec had most recently become an ISA member. imec has a huge focus on R&D as well.According to him, innovation to incubation to wealth creation was key!

Dr. Anurag Srivastava, CTO and senior VP, Wipro Global IT Business, said that emerging markets comprised 80 percent of the global population. Around 50 percent of the population in emerging markets was below 25 years of age. The rural population comprised 75 percent, and 64.7 percent users were those involved in high-tech adoption.

Overcoming challenges were essential to sustaining growth. In this regard, new service models and solutions were required to overcome challenges. As an example, remote health monitoring could be used to address this challenge.

There is now an opportunity for new service models. These could be in some of the following ways:
* Quality and reach of education through technology.
* Affordable healthcare through remote patient care and telemedicine.
* Address growing energy needs at affordable rates.

Dr. Srivastava laid out certain technologies that could be solutions for emerging markets. These are: intelligent machine to machine cyber convergence, natural user experience (NUE) technology, big data, web science and nano technologies. The ecosystem for emerging market solutions include the following: medical, securities, automotive and aerospace, energy, and HPC/cloud.

He announced the Arise -- Applied Research & Intelligent System Engineering, an R&D collaboration between imec and Wipro, that should try and take on all of the above mentioned challenges.

Coming back to the original headline of this post -- does it fit the bill? Perhaps, no! Here's why!

The Cadence-imec collaboration is likely to allow Indian universities with unprecedented access to advanced technologies, enabling students to work with state-of-the-art process and design techniques through to silicon tape-out. Also, as part of the agreement, Cadence will offer support to its University Software Program members by providing flows and methodologies, while imec will provide access to IC technologies down to 65nm, SPICE models, design rules, PDKs, and standard cell libraries.

Wonder, what kept them from even mentioning it!

Lessons to learn from Solyndra debacle!

2011-09-01T23:40:00.004+05:30

Am sure you all have heard about Solyndra, which has shut its manufacturing facility and will file for bankruptcy.

According to reports available, Solyndra's case has been an overall failure of the business. However, I will put it as -- too much, too soon! Also, this move should come as a warning to all solar/PV companies -- established as well as start-ups.

Perhaps, Solyndra had a problem of escalating costs of manufacturing the PV modules. Maybe, it could not find a way to balance that cost against the actual selling cost.

According to IMS Research, the global PV module industry recently suffered from a huge oversupply. This led to fierce price competition and the average prices dropped by about 20 percent in a single quarter. Now, will such a scenario help Solyndra? Perhaps, not!

Closer home, in India, there are said to be a lot of solar/PV players. How many of these players, who have petitioned for a license, do you think will last the course? Another interesting pointer: how many of these players will actually survive the very first year? Or, even the second?

There is something called consolidation, which simply means -- there are a lot of players in the market, but very few are going to last the course - isn't it? If that's the case, then why have so many players in the first place? The answer perhaps lies somewhere between how many players are actually relevant and how many players are actually competing for honours!

Deepak Gupta, secretary, MNRE, government of India, had mentioned during Solarcon India 2010 that there is a need to develop indigenous manufacturing capacity. Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Hon’ble Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, had added that “India should develop its technology right here! Don’t import third rate technology!” Wonder, how much of these advices are being followed!

Well, if these advices aren't being followed, then make no mistake: there will be some Solyndra-like cases in India too! I hope I am wrong!!

Freescale launches first 'base-station-on-chip' products!

2011-08-30T17:36:00.001+05:30

Freescale Semiconductor has announced the first “base station-on-chip” products built on its QorIQ Qonverge multimode platform at the Freescale Technology Forum China in Shenzhen.So, how are the first QorIQ Qonverge products a milestone for the wireless industry? Scott Aylor, GM, Wireless Access Division, Freescale, said: "The wireless industry is in dire need of innovative new solutions to address challenging power requirements and exploding demand for additional bandwidth. Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge portfolio offers unprecedented scalability and software compatibility, giving customers flexibility, reduced cost and design-time savings as they move up to larger capacity systems."

And, what exactly does the Freescale QorIQ Qonverge portfolio offer to customers? Aylor added: "Qonverge provides wireless networking equipment manufacturers a software compatible, single architecture that scales from femto and pico cell base stations, all the way up to macro cells with proven DSP and MPU technology that is already powering many of the world’s LTE and other advanced base stations. It also offers OEM’s a balanced solution, based on industry-leading MPUs and DSPs. This balanced approach allows for more efficient processing, than for example, DSP-centric approaches which assign MPU-optimal processing instead to a DSP."

Some months ago, Picochip had introduced 2G and 3G femtocell base stations. That leads to the question: how different are Freescale's solutions from Picochip's?

Aylor noted: "Freescale’s Qonverge is not a point solution for a certain cell size. Instead, it is a scalable portfolio from small to large cells, all with a common architecture. Also, the DSP and MPU technology that powers Qonverge is in chips currently powering macro base stations from virtually all the top wireless base station OEMS in the world."

Also, Freescale had earlier announced a 4G base station on chip based on Linux. How different is this one from the earlier solution? He said: "We first announced our QorIQ Qonverge technology back in February 2011 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This announcement centers around the availability of the first three product solutions in the Qonverge family, the 9130/1/2 products, which address the femtocell and picocell markets. All of these solutions have the capability to run Linux and other operating systems."

Solar power becoming increasingly affordable: Dr. Charlie Gay

2011-08-26T21:49:00.006+05:30

I had the pleasure of interacting with Dr. Charlie Gay, president, Applied Solar, Applied Materials Inc., recently. He began by saying that solar power was becoming increasingly affordable.

Dr. Gay said: "Most people don’t realize that solar is already cost effective in a number of locations and applications, and as those uses of solar expand, the scale of the industry grows. As scale increases, cost declines in a highly predictable way for manufactured technologies like PV.

"In 2011, PV electricity is already cost-competitive with traditional sources of residential power in 19 countries, including Italy, Spain and the Caribbean. By 2020, this number can grow to more than 100 countries, representing 98 percent of world population; 99.7 percent of world GDP; 99.2 percent of energy related CO2 emissions; and 99.5 percent of global residential electricity consumption. Areas with plenty of sunshine, such as India, already have costs that are a fraction of what they are elsewhere in the world.

"A common rule in the solar power industry is that for each cumulative doubling of installed photovoltaic (PV) solar power (the type of panel commonly seen on the roofs of homes and businesses) the price of solar modules decreases by 18 percent."

We have now reached a critical inflection point in the cost reduction of solar. Applied continues to drive down cost is to make the manufacturing of solar panels more efficient. The reduced cost is being driven by:
• A decreased cost for silicon, a key ingredient in solar panels.
• Increased capacity in solar panel manufacturing.
• Technology innovation, i.e., the ability to cut thinner wafers at higher yields with less silicon loss.

Dr. Gay added that the cost of manufacturing solar panels is already reported by some to have fallen below $1 per watt and is capable of continued decreases due to reductions in the cost of silicon, innovative crystal growth techniques, high precision printing technologies operating at 3,000 wafers per hour and many more advances based on increased yield and scientific insights. In 2010, for example, approximately 63 gigawatts of cumulative solar PV had been installed worldwide, with 18 installed last year alone.

"Solar power is already an ideal solution for electric power during peak use times in many locations and will continue to get more cost competitive as the manufacturing learning curve continues –namely, that for each cumulative doubling of installed photovoltaic solar power the price of solar modules decreases by 18 percent."

PV potential for India enormous
According to Dr. Gay, the potential for PV in India is enormous. He said: "Solar PV can make a significant difference in the country. Just as Mahatma Gandhi taught that self-reliance at the village tailor level can be the foundation for the future of an entire industry - so too can India be self-reliant in meeting its own growing energy needs by manufacturing PV.

"Solar PV is the fastest cycle between having a convenient way to add marginal energy generation needs that match a region’s growth needs without having to be slowed by long permitting cycles, issues related to construction delays, or the risk of stranded capital during the time construction is underway. The modularity of PV is its strongest attribute, especially in a sunny place like India with a bright future ahead."

Factors driving affordability of solar power
Dr. Charlie Gay listed some reasons as factors driving the affordability of solar power. These are:

• A significant factor driving the affordability of PV solar panels is the price reduction of silicon - a raw material for the majority of solar cells. Just three years ago silicon used to account for as much as half of the solar module cost. Supply shortages in 2008 drove the price up to more than $300 per kilogram. Since then, silicon supply has caught up with the solar industry’s growth, reducing prices to less than $50 per kilogram. These reductions have helped drive panel costs down more than 50 percent since the first quarter of 2008.

• Advances in solar technology are also pushing down costs and increasing capacity. To produce higher efficiency cells, manufacturers are using selective emitter technology, fine line metallization—such as double printing—or combinations of selective emitter and fine-line metallization to create a more efficient circuitry.

• As silicon wafers get thinner and move much more rapidly through manufacturing plants than those used in typical integrated circuit fabs, improvements have been made in wafer cutting using a simple twist on today’s wire - structured wire that can dramatically increase the speed of transforming blocks of silicon into thin wafers.

• As demand for panels increases, the industry is adapting automation methods from other high-volume manufacturing industries like integrated circuits and automotive production, leap-frogging the pace of development followed by these pioneering examples of mass production. Manufacturing processes are also becoming more complex – growing from 7 to more than 10 steps – and automation helps increase throughput, yield, and lower overall operating costs.

Coming to Applied's Solar Technology Center, this is said to be the largest solar technology research center in the world. Dr. Gay noted: "Our Solar R&D Center at Xi’an is a world class lab and features an accelerated aging and reliability lab, complete crystalline silicon solar pilot line, and can test virtually every kind of solar cell. A truly impressive facility, with more than 400,000 square feet, shows what Applied brings to the solar industry: industrialization and the ability to scale production in order to lower cost, complete with state-of-the-art automation and factory control."

Applied Materials' focus
Applied Materials’ focus is currently on making solar solutions a meaningful contributor to the global energy supply.

Dr. Gay said: "Applied Materials’ primary goal is to help solar manufacturers drive down cost per watt by supplying advanced manufacturing equipment with validated process methods. Simultaneously, we are committed to delivering capabilities that enable increased efficiency and productivity. Also noteworthy is the service, training and fab automation support that is locally available from Applied Materials.

"Recently, Applied Materials, in collaboration with IIT Bombay, established the Chemistry Lab for Electronics and Nanoelectronics (CLEAN) lab that supports the foundational work at our Indian customer’s plants. We have also established engineering and fab management software solutions in our Bangalore and Chennai sites. We have publicly announced several customers including Moser Baer and Birla Surya."

One hopes Applied continues in India in this rich vein!

Freescale-Bosch launch airbag reference platform

2011-08-24T23:28:00.006+05:30

Freescale and Bosch, the two automotive leaders, are jointly enabling emerging markets with reference platforms.

Freescale has a strong presence in automotive, offering MCUs and MPUs, sensors and analog. It also has a comprehensive software enablement. Bosch also has a strong presence in semiconductors and sensors, offering airbag systems, vehicle dynamics systems, engine management systems, transmission control systems, electric power steering, electric drives control, alternator electronics and IP.

The two companies have jointly introduced the airbag reference platform in India, on the sidelines of the Freescale Technology Forum 2011. It is said to be everything that you need to add your crash algorithm and make it your airbag solution.

Both the companies are leveraging their global leadership positions and system expertise to provide customers with automotive reference platforms specifically designed for emerging markets.

Airbags are ranked among the most efficient life saving passive safety applications. There is an increasing demand for mobility in emerging markets. That makes airbags necessary for reducing injuries and fatalities. Freescale and Bosch, the two global automotive leaders, are working in partnership to enable emerging market customers to provide greater occupant safety through these airbag reference platforms.

The proven design helps accelerate time to market, is affordable and scalable, based on the latest generation technology, and meets the latest automotive quality standards. It has the complete bill of materials with jointly developed firmware.

Freescale Qorivva MPC560xP MCU family
* Scalable MCU family for safety applications.
* e200z0 Power Architecture core @ 64 MHz.
* Scalable memory, up to 512 KB Flash.
* LQFP package.

Bosch CG1xx Airbag ASSP family
* Scalable airbag ASSP family.
* Power supply for complete ECU.
* Up to four satellite sensor interfaces (PSI5).
* Up to 12 firing loops integrated.
* Up to six analog interfaces.
* Safing block + Watchdog.
• Works with Sensors from Freescale and Bosch.

Customer benefits include Safing concept proven with Freescale and Bosch sensors. There is a faster time to market using airbag system evaluation software. Other benefits include ECU level debug and test over serial communications interfaces, fully supported application level debug and test using MCU ecosystem, and a friendly GUI.

Semicon industry at inflection point of innovation: Rich Beyer

2011-08-24T20:08:00.004+05:30

Rich Beyer, chairman and CEO, Freescale Semiconductor, at the Freescale Technology Forum 2011, in Bangalore, India.

Prior to this year’s FTF, Freescale marked another milestone in our company’s history. We have returned to the public trading arena with our IPO on May 26. We used the proceeds from the IPO to pay down a portion of our debt and reduce our interest expense. This will enable Freescale to continue to grow our investments in products, software, sales and customer support. We are confident, as a result, we will continue to offer you even better world class solutions.

Having publicly traded stock will also give us more flexibility than just available cash to fund potential acquisitions and future innovation investments that will reinforce our competitive differentiation moving forward. And, the IPO is a strong affirmation that Freescale is on a very successful trajectory in the eyes of the investment community! While we have changed to become a publicly traded company, we have not changed our vision or our strategic focus. Our vision remains the same: we are committed to being the leader in embedded processing solutions.

We will continue to build on our market leadership positions by focusing on our core strengths: embedded processors, applications processors, microcontrollers and DSPs; RF, analog and sensors; and the software that delivers a clear competitive advantage to our customers.

Era of connected intelligence
Over the past several years, we have entered the era of connected intelligence where embedded processing is driving the Internet of Things. In the PC era of the past, processing was centralized within a traditional computing environment. Users relied heavily on computing hardware and rigid software to perform desired tasks.

In today’s era of connected intelligence, data is ubiquitous, and we expect our electronic devices to conform to us. We want them to be social and mobile. They are aware of our surroundings, and they understand and adapt to the context in which we are using them. They are always on and they are always with us.

Semiconductor innovation
We are at an inflection point in what is driving semiconductor innovation. In the PC era, the focus was on the sheer performance of the processor. The power consumption implications were handled by a building bigger box, adding a cooling fan or using a larger battery.

In the era of Connected Intelligence, embedded processing performance needs to be balanced with power efficiency, and system capability is enabled by the intelligent integration of sensor, RF and analog interfaces and the usage of efficient, system sparing software.

The insatiable demand for connectivity will continue to push the industry for solutions that deliver more performance, improved efficiency and lower operating costs. Semiconductor innovation now is being driven by embedded processing solutions with a system-level view and developed with an application-level expertise that is critical to efficient and timely implementation.

Trends in era of connected intelligence
We want to examine some of the key trends in the Era of Connected Intelligence and explore some of the issues that are impacting our industry and affecting our lives.

Smart mobile: We want to take a look at the implications of the dramatic expansion of connected smart mobile devices.

Networking: The insatiable appetite for network bandwidth to support a new generation of data-intensive multimedia applications.

Automotive: We’ll look at how the automotive industry is using semiconductor innovation to achieve zero emissions and zero fatalities – and how embedded processing solutions are helping lead the way.

Smart energy: Distributed intelligence and connectivity are creating smart energy solutions for our homes, businesses and factories.

Medical: And, for the next generation of telehealth applications, mobility and connectivity are just what the doctor ordered.

Smart mobile device segment
Electronics have become an integral part of our lives. Thanks to embedded processing, we have cut the cord to the desktop, and we have unleashed our imagination.

We have a new generation of Smart, Mobile, Connected devices that are enabling the explosive growth of social media and communication on an unprecedented scale.

Smart mobile device growth
By 2015, there will be more than 10 billion smart mobile devices connected to the Internet. That’s more than one device for every person on the planet! In 10 years, half of the world’s population will access the Internet only on a mobile device.

Multimedia tablets
Within five years, a new generation of multimedia tablets will out ship traditional PCs. Optimized for content consumption, these devices will enable users to access personal content virtually anywhere.

HCL tablet
India is playing an important role in this evolution. HCL Technologies has created its ME AM7 tablet that utilizes our i.MX51 applications processor integrated with our advanced power management IC and MEMS sensor to deliver a mobile multimedia computing experience.

New generation tablets
The next generation of super tablets will incorporate high-resolution displays and enable a wealth of tablet-optimized applications and services for augmented reality, environment sensing, mapping and gaming features.

Mobile processor criteria
A new breed of mobile processors will be required to deliver improved performance with lower power consumption, and we will need mobile operating system compatibility, design scalability and lower overall system cost.

Next-generation networking challenges
The explosive growth in smart mobile devices is creating a challenge for network infrastructure.

As the wireless communications infrastructure evolves from 2G to 3G to LTE, service providers face the challenges of equipment redundancy and increased power consumption and operating expenses.

Evolution of cellular network
Our new QorIQ Qonverge processors combine multicore DSP and communication processors to deliver a ‘basestation on a chip’ solution that dramatically reduces the form factor size but also delivers a multimode solution that supports multiple standards.

Network traffic growth
As multimedia-based services continue to tax network enterprise infrastructure, Moore’s Law can’t keep up with the processing demands of the increasing IP traffic.

Requirements for application acceleration, security and quality of service are pushing the performance envelope, all within constrained power consumption budgets.

Multicore processors have emerged as the most viable approach to increase performance while minimizing power consumption, and Freescale is leading the way.

Tejas Networks, a market leader in the highly competitive Indian telecom market, was one of the first companies to selected our QorIQ P2020 multicore communications processor for networking applications.

This year, it was the first company in India to select our 64-bit P5020 multicore processor for their next-generation telecom products.

QorIQ AMP series
Two months ago, Freescale announced our new QorIQ Advanced Multi-Processing series, or AMP series of multicore communications processors to meet the challenges of next-generation networking systems.

Built on 28nm technology using our new 64-bit Power Architecture core, these devices will deliver 4X the performance at half the power consumption of our current, industry-leading communications processors. We expect to be sampling these devices in the first quarter of next year.

Portfolio scalability
Our QorIQ portfolio offers unbound scalability with code compatibility across all our communications processors. This allows our customers to migrate up or down the portfolio to select the processor that delivers the optimal performance while preserving software IP investments.

As the global leader in communications processors, Freescale is committed to providing the networking solutions that will help accelerate the evolution of this exciting market segment.

Automotive segment
The automobile has become the ultimate smart mobile device. Freescale has been a leader in automotive technology since we provided the processor that powered the industry’s first fuel injection system back in the early 1980s.

Evolution: Vehicles today have become as much an electrical machine as a mechanical one, driven in particular by the energy savings that electrification of many functions in the car is providing.

With the dramatic growth in automotive electronics, the challenge is to deliver innovative products that have zero defects, and to deliver the technology that enables energy-efficient green vehicles and advanced safety systems that protect the lives of the occupants.

Automotive emerging markets
With a growing middle class fueling economic advancements in emerging markets, the demand for automotive mobility is increasing significantly in developing countries. For many first time buyers in these markets, value oriented models with minimal safety and convenience features have been the only option for vehicle ownership.

Unfortunately, the lack of advanced safety features has resulted in an increase of vehicle-related fatalities. Of the 1.2 million annual global vehicle-related deaths, 50 percent of those casualties occurred in developing countries. New safety legislation in emerging markets like India and China, have created mandates for safety appliances like airbag solutions.

Automotive airbag reference platform
Today at FTF India, Freescale is announcing a partnership with Bosch to leverage our system expertise and global leadership positions to introduce a cost-effective and ready-to-use airbag reference platform for the automotive safety segment in developing markets.

Through our collaboration, we enable local suppliers to adopt an affordable airbag safety solution that reduces design risk, is easy to implement and represents the highest automotive quality standards. In the race to deliver new products with new technologies at an affordable cost, it is the consumer that ultimately wins.

Indian automotive market/Tata Motors vehicle
Auto makers in India are increasing their investments on technology to enhance the consumer experience and achieve competitive differentiation. Some of the innovation driving this trend has been done by Tata Motors Electronics Division.

Industrial segment
Energy management issues are becoming primary considerations in virtually every purchase decision, and increasing energy efficiency in everything we create is one of the primary challenges of the engineering community.

Electric motors consume about 45 percent of the world’s electrical energy, and by utilizing more efficient motors, we could cut up to 25 percent of the global electricity used by motors.

Electric motor
To help in this effort, Freescale announced our new generation of high-performance digital signal controllers to provide precise digital control for electrical motors and power supplies.

Our new digital signal controllers provide the fastest signal processing in the microcontroller industry with a 32-bit core and on-chip peripherals to provide a smarter way to manage energy use.

Network servers
The era of connectivity will increase the demand for more networking data centers.

Data centers are now consuming about 2 percent of the global electricity supply, and it is projected that data center power use will double by 2015. About half of that energy is used for cooling.

Data center power supplies using our new digital signal controllers will generate less heat and require less energy for cooling and help reduce circuit board design and overall system size.

Smart grid
The global deployment of smart grid technologies could deliver up to $2 trillion in benefits over the next 20 years.

The smart grid will enhance efficiency by reducing the information gap between utilities and consumers by using advanced metering infrastructure and data management technologies.

Smart home/smart appliances
Freescale is working with leaders in the industry to deliver smart meter and home energy management systems that will enable consumers to conserve energy.

We also have strategic partnerships with leading manufacturers to help develop smart and connected appliances. Freescale is the world’s leading supplier of microcontrollers for appliances.

A new Energy Star qualified washing machine typically has two to three MCUs inside, and over life of the appliance, the water savings could fill three backyard swimming pools and the savings in energy could pay for the matching dryer.

From the smart grid to the smart home with smart appliances, Freescale is developing the technologies that will deliver energy-efficient innovations.

Medical segment
Economic development and urbanization has shifted the focus of the public health agenda toward chronic diseases like hypertension, cardiac failure, diabetes and cancer. To address this growing challenge, the medical industry is shifting from high-cost treatment approaches to a more preventative discipline.

Freescale believes that semiconductor technology will play a critical role in the new technologies that assist with the medical monitoring of patients, diagnostics, therapy and imaging.

Medical/smart mobile/auto infotainment montage
In the era of connected intelligence, smart medical devices will converge with our smart mobile devices as they share the requirements of small, portable, easy to use and connected. Smart sensors will assist in the diagnosis and care.

Even our automotive customers have plans to integrate health applications into their driver information systems.

At Freescale, we take great pride in making the semiconductor products that make the world a smarter place. However, it is really special when we get to help deliver the medical technologies that dramatically improve our quality of life, and hopefully help save lives.

This morning, we are fortunate to have a unique speaker that will discuss the future of medical electronics that goes beyond the human-machine interface and examines the potential of human-machine integration.

The Freescale Technology Forum is all about Powering Innovation. We want to help you Make It Connected. We want to help you Make It Healthy. We want to help you Make It Safe. We want to help you Make it More Efficient. We want to help you Make It Smarter.

July's global semicon sales expectation for 2011

2011-08-19T16:30:00.007+05:30