MediaTek Adopts AI-Driven Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre Simulation

Cadence announced that MediaTek has adopted the AI-driven Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator on the NVIDIA accelerated computing platform for its 2nm development. 

As design size and complexity continue to escalate, advanced-node technology development has become increasingly challenging for SoC providers. To meet the aggressive performance and turnaround time(TAT) requirements for its 2nm high-speed analog IP, MediaTek is leveraging Cadence’s proven custom/analog design solutions, enhanced by AI, to achieve a 30% productivity gain.

“As MediaTek continues to push technology boundaries for 2nm development, we need a trusted design solution with strong AI-powered tools to achieve our goals,” said Ching San Wu, corporate vice president at MediaTek. 

“Closely collaborating with Cadence, we have adopted the Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator, which deliver the performance and accuracy necessary to achieve our tight design turnaround time requirements. Cadence’s comprehensive automation features enhance our throughput and efficiency, enabling our designers to be 30% more productive.”

Using the Virtuoso ADE Suite, MediaTek has integrated its own AI-powered optimization algorithm in its future product development workflow, improving its designers’ circuit design efficiency. 

Cadence’s Spectre X running on NVIDIA H100 GPUs delivers the same accuracy as Spectre X running on CPUs while delivering up to a 6X performance improvement for post-layout simulations of large, advanced-node designs.

“Improved performance and efficiency are key to advancing today’s complex chip design processes,” said Dion Harris, director of accelerated computing at NVIDIA. 

“With Cadence’s Spectre X running on NVIDIA Hopper GPUs, companies like MediaTek can accelerate the verification of their complex post-layout designs, maximize analog circuit simulation performance and reduce time to market.”

MediaTek’s analog layout team has also adopted the Virtuoso Layout Suite device-level router for custom digital blocks in 2nm technology, significantly enhancing layout productivity.

MediaTek is leveraging AI and Virtuoso’s open platform to customize a prototyping placement and low power prediction flow, which provides another 30% design productivity improvement.

“MediaTek’s validation of our latest Virtuoso Studio release and Spectre X Simulator on NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform demonstrates that Cadence’s continued investment in enhancing our industry-leading custom design solutions and AI tools is a game changer for our customers’ most challenging 2nm designs,” said Vinod Kariat, corporate vice president and general manager of the Custom Products Group at Cadence.