Synopsys IC Compiler II Delivers First-Pass Silicon Success for Graphcore's Multi-Billion Gate AI Processor
October 12, 2020 at 06:35 pm IST
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Synopsys, Inc. announced that Graphcore achieved first-pass silicon success using the IC Compiler™ II place-and-route solution, part of the Synopsys Fusion Platform, for designing its second-generation Colossus MK2 GC200 Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU), featuring 59.4 billion transistors, on an 7nm advanced process technology. Graphcore leveraged Synopsys IC Compiler II ultra-high capacity architecture and innovative technologies for AI-hardware design resulting in an accelerated implementation of their massive AI processor. Synopsys' RTL-to-GDS flow with power optimization capabilities along with embedded golden signoff technologies like PrimeTime® delay calculator, provided Graphcore design teams superior out-of-the-box PPA metrics, and the fast design closure. The second-generation Colossus GC200 IPU from Graphcore is a sophisticated chip, integrating 1,472 independent processor cores and more than 900 megabytes of on-chip memory to deliver superior parallel processing power for data-center scale AI applications. Synopsys' IC Compiler II, with its AI-design focused capabilities, includes top-level interconnect planning, logic restructuring, congestion-driven mux optimization and full-flow concurrent clock and data optimization delivers best-in-class PPA for the highly repetitive, MAC-based topologies typical in complex AI accelerator chips. Further, its native, high-capacity data model with adaptive abstraction and distributed implementation can efficiently handle multi-billion instance designs with quick turn-around-time. With a unique, golden signoff engine backbone, IC Compiler II delivers highest correlation and hyper-convergent design, to further accelerate design turnaround time.
Synopsys Inc. specializes in the development and marketing of software programs aimed mainly at manufacturers of semi-conductors, computers and electronic equipment. Net sales break down by activity as follows:
- sale of software and hardware (82.4%): sale of software for the automation of integrated circuit design, pre-designed circuits for semiconductors, software and hardware for the validation of electronic systems, etc.;
- provision of services (17.6%): consulting, maintenance and technical assistance services in the areas of software security, quality and compliance.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: the United States (47.7%), China (15.2%), Korea (10.9%), Europe (10.2%) and other (16%).