(Episode originally released May 6, 2024)
If you’ve been waiting for us to venture back to the land of semiconductors, you’re in luck! On our NVIDIA and TSMC episodes, we explored two components of the silicon value chain: the fabless chip companies that design chips and the foundries that manufacture them. Today, we dive into the software that powers it all, the field electronic design automation (EDA). This is essentially the software that enables chip designers to do their jobs, which has changed dramatically with the rise of AI.
This interview is with two people who understand that world better than anyone: Aart de Geus, the co-founder and Executive Chair of Synopsys, and Sassine Ghazi, Synopsys’s CEO and President. Aart founded the company in 1986, and was CEO until January 2024 when he handed the reins to Sassine. Synopsys is now worth $80 billion, with virtually every chip company as a customer or partner for everything from AI to 5G to automotive. Aart and Sassine talked with us about the future Moore’s Law, where chip makers are finding efficiencies today, how we got here, plus a bonus section on simulation and their $35 billion acquisition of Ansys. Enjoy!
0:00 – Introduction to EDA and Guests — Synopsys revolutionized chip design with EDA, crucial for AI advancements
9:07 – History of Synopsys and EDA — Early chip design relied on manual methods, later revolutionized by synthesis
17:58 – Synthesis and Early Innovations — Trust in AI for EDA grew with proven optimization and verification
27:03 – AI’s Role in Chip Design — Synopsys drives Moore’s Law, innovating with customers and foundries
35:49 – Challenges in Modern Chip Design — Systemic complexity demands co-optimization, advanced packaging, and connectivity innovations
44:52 – Systemic Complexity Explained — Systemic complexity requires balancing technical and economic decisions across layers
53:51 – EUV Lithography and Future Tech — EUV’s decade-long potential, systemic complexity, and silicon’s rising importance
1:03:25 – Acquisition and Market Dynamics — Synopsys acquires Ansys to enhance simulation, expand from silicon to systems
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