Unlocking the IP vault
Startup retools in-house chip technology for the mass market
For decades chip companies have been sitting on a wealth of intellectual property they have developed for their own use. But now that the commercial market for semiconductor IP has hit more than $1 billion, chip companies are looking for new ways to unlock the value of internal IP.
The market for this IP consists of SoC developers that want to integrate as many functions on a chip as possible. "The question for these companies is, 'Do I acquire existing IP or develop it internally?'" says Jim Tully, vice president for semiconductor research at the Gartner Group. "It's the classic make-versus-buy decision."
Designers can go to a third-party IP vendor, but the process can be time-consuming and expensive. Getting internal semiconductor IP into the hands of the external SoC market can be problematic, for several reasons. First, most in-house IP wasn't developed for reuse or for the commercial market and requires modification for widespread use. Second, most chip companies are not set up to develop, license or sell IP to the masses. "We are designing silicon, and that's what our business model is based on," says Norbert Huemmer, a marketing manager for Freescale Semiconductor power train products in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. "Licensing IP is not our domain."
Related News
- Unlocking IoT Security: Crypto Quantique Introduces QuarkLink Ignite - A Free IoT Security SaaS Platform
- BrainChip integrates Akida with Arm Cortex-M85 Processor, Unlocking AI Capabilities for Edge Devices
- Unlocking Lightning-Fast Data Transfer: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 total solution for Host and Device functionalities in 28nm HPC+ technology
- Silex Insight delivers state-of-the-art security features to the award-winning Secure Vault technology from Silicon Labs
- Xilinx Announces Vitis - a Unified Software Platform Unlocking a New Design Experience for All Developers
Breaking News
- Ceva multi-protocol wireless IP could simplify IoT MCU and SoC development
- Controversial former Arm China CEO founds RISC-V chip startup
- Fundamental Inventions Enable the Best PPA and Most Portable eFPGA/DSP/SDR/AI IP for Adaptable SoCs
- Cadence and TSMC Collaborate on Wide-Ranging Innovations to Transform System and Semiconductor Design
- Numem at the Design & Reuse IP SoC Silicon Valley 2024
Most Popular
- GUC provides 3DIC ASIC total service package to AI/HPC/Networking customers
- Qualitas Semiconductor Appoints HSRP as its Distributor for the China Markets
- Siemens collaborates with TSMC on design tool certifications for the foundry's newest processes and other enablement milestones
- Credo at TSMC 2024 North America Technology Symposium
- Huawei Mate 60 Pro processor made on SMIC 7nm N+2 process
E-mail This Article | Printer-Friendly Page |