IP Subsystems: The Race is On

In the first half of 2012, two leading EDA/IP companies, Cadence and Synopsys, announced the availability of Subsystem IP. What is it? Why now? Is there a demand for this kind of 3rd Party IP?

In a unique, insightful look at this emerging market, Semico has released a new report entitled: IP Subsystems: The Race is On (SC103-12, May 2012), which examines the evolutionary forces and integration pressures that have caused this market to form. The report also examines how the implementation of IP Subsystems into the SoC design flow will change the way SoC designers conceptualize and craft their silicon solutions in the future.

Initially, the emerging IP Subsystem category will be comprised of at least seven different types of system level functionality to begin with and evolve to include other Subsystem types as more vendors enter the market and as designers become more familiar with this new concept.

An initial list of IP Subsytem functions include the following.

• Computing Subsystem
• Memory Subsystem:
• Video Subsystem
• Communications Subsystem.
• Storage Subsystem
• Multi Media Subsystem
• Audio Subsystem
• Security Subsystem
• System Resource Management Subsystem

The Semico IP Subsystem report provides an in-depth look at each of these areas and provides market data broken out as follows.

Forecast Data: 2011 - 2016
• Worldwide IP Subsystem market revenue forecast by Subsystem type
• Worldwide IP Subsystem market unit shipments by device type
• Worldwide IP Subsystem market revenues by end application category
• Worldwide IP Subsystem design starts by device type
• Worldwide IP Subsystem design starts by process geometry
• Worldwide IP Subsystem usage by region

The industry changes that are anticipated emphasize a rechanneling of effort away from merely implementing ever more-complex silicon solutions and moves towards a solution that deals with complex applications from a system-level point of view. This report is a ‘must read’ if you are embarking on an IP Subsystem development project or if you assessing your IP options.