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Spansion and Cadence: A Case Study on Improving Designer Productivity and Time to Market
Technology Category
- Sensors - Flow Meters
- Sensors - Liquid Detection Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Electronics
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Experimentation Automation
- Time Sensitive Networking
Services
- System Integration
- Testing & Certification
The Challenge
Spansion, a leading provider of Flash memory technology, faced significant challenges in improving designer productivity and compressing time to market. The company's electronic design automation (EDA) tools were no longer sufficient, and a more automated, industry-standard solution was needed. The company also sought to incorporate a more automated approach to custom layout and adopt a front-to-back analog/mixed-signal design flow. The process design kit (PDK), a complete set of technology files enabling analog/mixed-signal custom IC circuit design, was a critical component of this design flow. However, the development and testing of PDKs were time-consuming and costly.
About The Customer
Spansion is a global leader in Flash memory technology for electronic systems. The company's products are integral to many critical technologies, including routers that run the Internet and consumer and automotive electronics that enhance people's daily lives. Spansion has a diverse Flash memory product portfolio, award-winning MirrorBit charge-trapping technology, and industry-leading services and support. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive, consumer and gaming, communications, and industrial segments around the world rely on Spansion's solutions.
The Solution
Spansion partnered with Cadence Services to develop a full front-to-back analog/mixed-signal design flow. This allowed Spansion designers to go from design through implementation and verification with a single, integrated design flow. Cadence introduced a set of tools and methodology for efficiently developing and testing PDKs. The Spansion PDKs were developed using the PDK Automation System (PAS), which includes a graphical technology editor, verification run-set generators, parameterized cell (Pcell) generators, and the Design Framework II (DFII) library builder. This technology reduced PDK development time and maintenance costs. After the PDKs were developed, Spansion used the System for Testing PDKs (STeP) for quality assurance. This allowed Spansion to standardize its testing efforts and ensure the quality of its PDKs.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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