Sondrel, a prominent player in the ultra-complex custom chip space, has announced a significant step forward in the high-performance computing (HPC) sector. The company is currently engaged in front-end, Register Transfer Level (RTL) design and verification for a new HPC chip, commissioned by a major customer. Speaking to Electronics Weekly Blog, Ollie Jones, Sondrel’s CEO, emphasised the importance of HPC designs for their operations, stating, “HPC designs are a key area for Sondrel because they require large, ultra-complex custom chips on advanced nodes, which are our speciality. We have developed the skills, tools and advanced design methodologies to be able to create billion-transistor designs at leading nodes.”
In a parallel development in the semiconductor industry, Intel has reported a revision of its Chips Act funding, with the preliminary amount of $8.5 billion now confirmed at $7.9 billion. The New York Times highlighted that this reduction stems from Intel's decision to scale back its investment plans in Ohio, alongside a $3 billion foundry initiative linked to the Pentagon and underwhelming results from its process development efforts. Apart from the revised funding, Intel is positioned to receive $11 billion in government loans, a move likely aiming to bolster its future manufacturing capabilities.
Raspberry Pi continues to innovate in embedded processing solutions with the introduction of its latest offerings. The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, measuring 55 x 40mm, is designed for embedded applications, powered by a Broadcom BCM2712 chip with four 2.4GHz Cortex-A76 cores. This module features connections via two high-count connectors instead of traditional interface connectors, presenting multiple RAM and flash options, along with an optional wireless module that supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth 5.0.
Moreover, Raspberry Pi has launched the Pico 2 W, a new version of its microcontroller board, which incorporates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. This board, measuring 21 x 51mm, includes dual 150MHz Arm Cortex-M33 cores, which can be replaced at boot by dual Hazard3 RISC-V processors. It maintains 520kbyte of on-chip SRAM, complemented by 4Mbyte of on-board QSPI flash, with wireless connectivity options including 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2.
Looking ahead, the semiconductor market exhibits a mixed outlook for 2025, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). The third quarter of 2024 saw a significant revenue jump to $166 billion, reflecting a 10.7% increase from the previous quarter and 23.2% year-over-year growth, the highest since 2021. Nvidia remains at the forefront, ranking as the largest semiconductor company with a remarkable $35.1 billion in revenue, driven by its leadership in AI GPU production. Nvidia's AI GPUs are packaged as modules, incorporating memory from key suppliers such as SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and Samsung, indicating a robust supply chain supporting its rapid growth in the sector.
Source: Noah Wire Services