Software extends focus to IC-package codesign

Software combines core switching, power delivery network, I/O subsystem and package/PCB models in a single environment for accurate IC-package codesign.

Sentinel is a new product line released by Apache Design Solutions to address system-level power integrity, IO-SSO and EMI challenges.

Sentinel combines the chip's core switching, power delivery network (PDN), I/O subsystem and package/PCB models in a single environment for accurate IC-package codesign from early prototyping to signoff.

The Sentinel product line spans three new solutions: Sentinel-CPM for chip-package power integrity, LC resonance; Sentinel-SSO for high-capacity I/O SSO, optimal pad/package selection; and Sentinel-EMI for EMI noise source modelling.

Apache's RedHawk product line has been leading the market in SoC dynamic power and noise.

The new Sentinel solutions extend the focus to IC-package codesign, a critical market for system performance optimisation and cost reduction.

Sentinel-CPM is industry's first compact chip power model for IC dynamic power behaviour.

Sentinel-CPM accurately models the spatial and temporal switching characteristics of digital core, memories and IPs.

It also models the on-die P/G resistance, decoupling capacitance and transistor parasitics.

Sentinel-CPM is derived from full-chip dynamic simulation, P/G extraction and wideband network reduction.

It delivers the accuracy of silicon-correlated RedHawk signoff engine with proprietary reduction technique to provide orders of magnitude speed up for IC-package-PCB cosimulation.

The compact, Spice-compatible Sentinel-CPM model enables system and I/O designers to accurately and efficiently analyse the system power and signal integrity (SI) behaviour including LC resonance, noise budgeting, and optimal package selection early in the design process.

Sentinel-SSO is a high-capacity I/O subsystem solution for combined power and signal integrity.

It accurately models all noise sources and channels that impact the timing and signal integrity of I/O subsystem, including I/O power grid, on-die decoupling capacitance, chip's core power model, as well as off-chip noise channels from wideband package and PCB models.

Sentinel-SSO is the first in the industry to deliver a global IO-SSO simulation solution with Spice-level accuracy, the capacity to handle an entire bank of I/O subsystem, and a physical layout based automated flow.

With Sentinel-SSO, I/O and system designers can analyse the SSO and SI impact on timing and jitter, determine the I/O pad selections and placement, optimise power/ground to signal ratio, and resolve the system timing closure issues associated with IC-package-PCB codesign in high-speed interfaces such as DDR.

Sentinel-EMI delivers a compact Spice model of full-chip internal clocked power network for system EMI analysis.

Sentinel-EMI captures spatial and temporal switching characteristics of digital core, memories and IPs, as well as the distributed on-die RC parasitics.

It also models the noise coupling from digital core power supply to the I/O pad output through I/O power delivery network.

Sentinel-EMI enables system designers to gain better understanding of those mystery board-level radiations that can not be accounted for by modelling only the active toggling of I/O buffers.

With Sentinel-EMI, chip and system designers can quantitatively analyse system EMI and mitigate potential sources of risk prior to production.

"Apache recognises that power is a system-wide challenge, not just an IC related issue", says Dian Yang, Vice President of Product Management at Apache.

"By delivering the new Sentinel product line, we are leveraging our core competencies in SoC power and noise to address the system-level power integrity, signal integrity and EMI challenges faced by the system designers".

The Sentinel product line is a fully integrated system with the ability to analyse, debug, diagnose, and optimise the IC-package-board system in a single environment.

Pricing for the Sentinel product line starts at US $100,000 for either Sentinel-CPM or Sentinel-SSO.

Sentinel-EMI is priced at US $50,000 and requires Sentinel-CPM.

Sentinel-CPM is available now, Sentinel-SSO will be available in Q3, and Sentinel-EMI by end of the year.

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