MODEL FOUNDRY SERVICES (MFS) Newsletter
May 2007 Edition
Volume 1
"Functional Models for Design Wins"
~ Welcome to our second quarterly newsletter for 2007~
In this issue we communicate with you about the the important value Model Foundry Services delivers by developing and distributing functional simulation models for IC components and IP cores.
In the semiconductor industry, the end result we all strive for is to have the IC component be designed into the final board/product by system companies. MFS is an important resource in accomplishing this important goal. We help you support your customers and their systems engineers with their evaluation and simulation process before they arrive at a decision on which components will be designed into their products.
Instead of offering the systems designer just a paper spec, reference design, or encrypted RTL model, our proposal is to adopt the best practice of providing them with a functional simulation model. This is an oft overlooked step in the selling process.
Why are simulation models important? What do engineers do with them? How can the IC industry do a better job supplying them?
Many of today's components are so complex, that it is difficult to be sure all aspects of their operations have been accounted for in a board design. An illustration of this point is: in one design we saw a board fail to meet customer requirements because the designers overlooked a footnote on the memory's datasheet saying the part should not be written to until it had been powered up for 200 microseconds and refreshed 64 times. That contributed to the company losing a very large contract with a major telecom company. The memory vendor did not get any orders from that project.
If the memory vendor had supplied their customer with a functional simulation model along with the datasheet, it would have allowed the design engineers to discover their error and make corrections before building the board. This would have resulted in a significant revenue generating business opportunity.
Functional models are also used during the development of FPGAs and ASICs for verifying the correctness of the chip's interfaces. Having these component models speeds the design and verification process, reduces board spins, and helps get the product to market faster.
Please do not ignore this important factor in your selling process. Your customers need it and with a small investment you can provide a level of design support they will appreciate. With out background in systems engineering, the team at Model Foundry Services can assist you in providing open source standards based FMF functional simulation models that would be your definite competitive edge. MFS has developed models for more than 10,000 parts and you can leverage our cutting edge methodology in creating models for your components.
For detailed information on our services, please visit us at www.ModelFoundryServices.com or call us at +1.408.774.1884.
MFS is led by an industry expert, Rick Munden, author of the best selling book on the subject, "ASIC & FPGA Verification - A Guide to Component Modeling" available to advise, manage and create solutions for your chip modeling needs.
Model Foundry Services (MFS) User Experience Column
This column shares user experiences from our open source model distribution site, www.FreeModelFoundry.com.
This month's experience is shared by Stewart Speed, Applications Engineer at IDT Stewart writes:
"At IDT, we find that working with FMF to supply models provides a significant advantage to our customers, helping them verify designs and improving their time to market. We believe that anything that makes life easier for our customers is good for IDT!
FMF is a superior source for models because they are available for download, immediately, around the clock. There is no need for engineers to email IDT, request a model, and wait for a reply. FMF posts a range of models which are not available elsewhere.
I have worked with FMF for 3 1/2 years, they have been very helpful and easy to work with."
Thank You.
To learn more about Model Foundry Services please contact us at sales@Model Foundry Services.com to discuss your requirements or visit us at Model Foundry Services.
Model Foundry Services
www.ModelFoundryServices.com
Tel: 1-408-774-1884