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Another very successful CDNLive! Silicon Valley concluded recently in San Jose, California. Part of a series of global conferences, this event brought together over 800 Cadence technology users from 9 countries and 183 companies to share ideas, tackle complex issues, and meet Cadence experts.

This year's highlights included:

KEYNOTES

CDNLive! Silicon Valley keynotes revolved around complexity, low-power design, and system-level design. Cadence CTO Ted Vucurevich and guest keynote Dr. Jan Rabaey, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, described the challenges and opportunities facing customers and partners in the years ahead.

Complexity, collaboration, and Cadence innovations to help designers address the future
Ted Vucurevich observed how electronic innovation occurs in waves, and that we need a new round of transformational products to lift the industry and the global economy out of their current doldrums. According to Vecurevich, "During challenging economic times the companies that came out in the best shape were transformational in nature. They looked for opportunities in higher levels of functionality and capability.”

Cadence users are on the forefront of the next wave. However, the leading-edge designs underlying these transformational products will be more complex and require greater collaboration among teams of people with different disciplines interacting in a global environment across company boundaries.

"Cadence understands that...a very broad set of functions, relationships, and capabilities have to be developed," said Vucurevich. "We are making important investments in the areas beyond tool technology to understand the broader problems you face and provide you with services and enterprise-level capabilities to bring your ideas to market."

Designing for a wired world
Dr. Jan Rabaey addressed wireless technology, explaining how it will continue to stimulate growth and innovation in electronics. "The good news is that exponentials are not going away," said Rabaey. "By 2015 five billion people will be connected wirelessly. By 2017 seven trillion wireless devices will be available (there can be seven radios in a single cell phone)."

Rabaey described a world in which virtual workplaces will soon be the norm; sensors in modern buildings will dramatically reduce energy usage; and GPS devices in every car will allow real-time monitoring of traffic. One of the more compelling wireless technologies we will see in the coming years is "sensory" technology. Tiny devices no larger than a flake of pepper will enable a bewildering array of personalized products.

Ironically, these tiny devices will need to be designed as holistic systems in order to be successful. "The complexity of sensory networks is challenging," said Rabaey. "If you ignore system-level design, you're toast."

Technical Sessions
Attendees chose from over 100 sessions and panels in nine tracks, spread over three days. Presentations and papers were delivered by Cadence technologists and customers such as AMD, Chartered, Freescale, IBM, MIPS, National Semiconductor, Qualcomm, Spansion, Sun, Texas Instruments, and TSMC. Content included practical “how-to” tips, successful flow and methodology implementations, and lively panel discussions.

Technology Night
Technology Night gave Cadence a chance to show its latest products, flows, and methodologies, including system-level verification and power estimation, mixed-signal implementation, and manufacturing-aware design implementation. Users talked directly with the technologists who develop the Cadence solutions.

Designer Expo
At the Designer Expo users met over 30 of the Cadence partners across the electronic industry, including global sponsors ARM, IBM, and TSMC.

nTAG
nTAG, an electronic lanyard, was a hit with conference attendees. It helps people make connections with others with similar interests, enables real-time surveys and immediate session feedback, and with a preloaded agenda keeps everyone on track during the conference. This reusable device eliminates paper agendas and surveys. And, attendees get a list of contacts delivered to their inbox!

Poker Tournament Winners
Some 200 attendees tested their newly learned Texas Hold'em poker skills taught by professional gambler and ex-engineer Phil Gordon. After three hours of raucous fun, Derek Stephenson, of Gennum Corporation prevailed. The drawing for a free trip to Las Vegas was won by Leonard Toohey of Cisco, who may be the luckiest person at the conference. Earlier in the year he won a store drawing for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.