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Overview

Parade Technologies, Ltd., headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a leading supplier of mixed-signal ICs for a variety of display and high-speed interface standards, including USB, DisplayPort?, HDMI?, and PCIe?. Their portfolio serves the growing demand for USB Type-C? devices, incorporating complex functions such as port configuration switches, redrivers, retimers, and port controllers. Parade Technologies maintains close relationships with Tier-1 OEMs, making their ICs integral to products from nearly every major computer and display vendor globally. Seeking to enhance their USB4 retimer DUT verification, Parade turned to Synopsys for a robust, high-performance solution.

Parade Logo

Synopsys¡¯ verification solutions were critical to our success ¨C allowing us to get up and running within hours, enabling us to find bugs quickly, and supporting us with custom enhancements per our DUT."

George Qian

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Director, Parade Technologies

Challenges

Parade Technologies faced several significant challenges in their quest to meet their stringent design requirements and aggressive timeline:
  • Aggressive Design Schedule: Parade needed a verification solution that could meet a tight timeline for delivering high-performance server system-on-chips (SoCs).
  • Custom Support: Specific support was required to meet the unique needs of their DUT.
  • Integration Needs: They needed an easy-to-integrate, end-to-end VIP solution with exhaustive debug, log, and trace capabilities.

Solution

Synopsys provided Parade Technologies with a comprehensive verification suite, including VC Verification IP (VIP) for USB4, VCS? Simulator, and Verdi? Debug.

  • Ease of Use: Synopsys' VIP for USB4 enabled Parade to set up their verification environment swiftly and achieve first-test success within hours.
  • Seamless Integration: The VIP seamlessly integrated with both Verdi and VCS, accelerating the setup of the verification environment.
  • Scalability and Reusability: The solution facilitated the creation of a scalable and reusable UVM verification environment.
  • Rapid Bug Detection: The first design bugs were identified within an hour of connecting the VIP, highlighting the efficiency of Synopsys' debugging tools.
  • Expert Support: Synopsys provided expert verification support, crucial for meeting Parade's aggressive time-to-market schedule and adapting to changing specifications.

Results

The implementation of Synopsys' verification solutions yielded impressive results for Parade Technologies:

  • First-Test Success: Achieved within hours of setting up the verification environment.
  • Efficient Tapeout: Parade successfully taped out their first USB4 retimer DUT in less than one year.
  • Reduced Development Time: The detailed error messages and protocol checks significantly cut down the overall development time.
  • Enhanced Debugging: Integration with Verdi debug enabled quick identification and resolution of bugs, ensuring a robust final product.

By leveraging Synopsys' robust verification solutions, Parade Technologies achieved their goal of delivering high-performance SoCs within a stringent timeline, reinforcing their position as a leader in the mixed-signal IC market.