According to Efabless, this new offering, which includes digital design and low cost ASIC development based on configurable design templates, provides a full “semiconductor ecosystem in a box” that brings GF’s 130G solution to a network of previously unserved OEMs, IC designers and IP providers.
The Cloud-based design platform provides access to EDA tools, infrastructure and prototyping services to accelerate the development of IP as full integrated circuits. The platform includes a complete EDA design flow based on qualified open-source tools. Digital design utilises a new automated RTL-to-GDS flow called OpenLANE which provides a completely automated digital implementation process from RTL-to-GDS without human intervention.
The Efabless platform gives users access to GF’s 130G solution as well as IP and SoC reference designs that are implemented as automated configurable design templates. By choosing templates based on specific application requirements, custom SoC designs are automatically generated from a web-based UI using drop-down menus. The offering enables IC and product designers to create a complete SoC without needing expertise for the full chip design.
For customers who need turn-key or partial design services, up-front cost of design and time-to-market can be reduced as much as 3-5x through leveraging automated design generation and development on the Efabless platform.
‘Falcon’, the initial SoC design template targeted on GF130G solution, includes an Arm Cortex M0 processor and a selection of analogue and digital peripherals that can be readily configured into a design. Target applications include IoT controllers, intelligent sensing and monitoring, industrial and manufacturing.
“We are pleased to work with Efabless to deliver differentiating design solutions for customers who are not enabled with broader established ecosystem platforms,” said Mark Ireland, vice president of Ecosystem and Design Solutions at GF. “Efabless’ new offering enables a flexible design environment for GF’s 130G solution, making it convenient for designers to develop custom silicon for a variety of analogue and digital solutions for IoT edge and various connected devices.”
