Cadence Design and Arm develop first system chiplet for ADAS and drone applications

The semiconductor industry’s first system chiplet for ADAS, drones, and AI applications has been developed by Cadence Design Systems in collaboration with Arm.

Key Innovation: Cadence Design Systems has created the industry’s first Arm-based system chiplet, a device that manages resources in multi-chiplet System-on-a-Chip (SoC) designs.

• The system chiplet includes a system processor, safety management processor, various controllers, and a Network on Chip (NoC)
• It features Cadence PHY IP for LPDDR5 memory and uses Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) for inter-chiplet communications
• The design complies with Arm’s Chiplet System Architecture (CSA), ensuring interoperability with other chiplets

Technical Context: A system chiplet functions as the central management hub for multi-chiplet SoC designs, similar to how a traffic controller coordinates multiple lanes of vehicles.

• UCIe, an open specification adopted by numerous semiconductor companies, enables communication between different chiplets within a package
• The system includes a SOAFEE-compliant virtual platform that allows software development to begin before hardware completion
• This development represents a significant step toward Cadence’s goal of delivering a complete chiplet reference design

Industry Impact: The semiconductor landscape has transformed significantly, with new packaging technologies and AI-enhanced design tools enabling smaller companies to enter the market.

• Startups with small engineering teams can now design custom chips with fewer resources than traditionally required
• The system chiplet helps streamline SoC designs and addresses integration challenges
• Designers can more easily scale and modify their designs by swapping or augmenting different chiplet components as needed

Market Applications: The system chiplet targets several high-demand sectors within the technology industry.

• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can benefit from the flexible architecture
• Drone manufacturers can leverage the system for their specific computing needs
• AI data centers can utilize the technology for specialized processing requirements

Looking Forward: The successful development of this system chiplet marks a significant milestone in semiconductor design, potentially accelerating innovation across multiple industries while reducing design complexity and time-to-market. However, the real test will be how quickly and effectively manufacturers adopt this new approach to chip design and whether it can deliver on its promise of improved flexibility and efficiency.