Beyond Virtualization: A Novel Software Architecture for Complex Multi-Core SoCs

Moore’s Law continues to drive the development of increasingly complex semiconductor devices, most notably the SoC (System on a Chip). However, silicon designers have now hit a significant constraint in utilizing the seemingly infinite number of transistors available to them when trying to increase processor performance: they have reached a point where they are limited by the power consumption (and heat) generated by simply increasing clock speed to gain performance.

In response, the industry has embarked upon a disruptive change by increasing performance through processors composed of multiple computing cores, essentially turning to parallel computing as the new performance driver. In addition, certain computing environments use an additional “trick” to increase system performance by adding application-specific hardware offload engines along with multiple computing cores to accelerate overall SoC performance.

Both of these approaches have significant implications for both the operating system and the applications running on an SoC. While the simple answer has always been to invoke the “magic” of virtualization to provide a flexible software framework for these advanced SoCs, reality says otherwise. This talk will illustrate the limits of virtualization (at least as currently available) and describe some new operating system approaches that look to provide a better fit between the advanced SoC hardware and the application software.

About the speaker,  Jim Ready, Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Called “arguably the one individual most responsible for establishing the embedded OS and tools market” by LinuxDevices.com, and “an iconic figure within the IT industry” by SD Times, Jim Ready is currently Chief Technology Advisor, Software & Embedded Systems, at Cadence Design Systems.

As the co-founder of Ready Systems, he developed the world’s first commercially viable real-time operating system (RTOS) product: the VRTX real-time kernel. Ready Systems, founded in 1980, merged with Microtec Research in 1993, went public in 1994, and was acquired by Mentor Graphics in 1995. During this period, Jim served as Ready Systems’ President, and as chief technical officer (CTO) at Microtec/Mentor.

Jim invented the category of embedded Linux commercialization in 1999 when he founded MontaVista Software where he served as CEO and later CTO. In 2009, MontaVista was acquired by Cavium, a leading SoC supplier for the networking and telecommunications market. After the acquisition, Jim continued to serve as CTO for MontaVista until he joined Cadence in May 2012.

CNSV Pre-meetings: 6-7 pm

Intellectual Property (IP) SIG

Co-Chairs: Peter Salmon and Jonathan Wells

Presentation: License or Litigate: What is Happening in the Real World?

Speaker: Jerry Klein

Considering todays economic turmoil and the changing laws, what is a patent holder – the little inventor – to do? You would like to be able to license your invention or be able to sell it to someone, but inventors faces numerous obstacles that include actions that cause them to defend their patents in the courts or at the USPTO. The result can be having your patents invalidated.

The America Invents Act (AIA) was supposedly going to help the little guy, but it has only made matters more complicated. This talk will cover the choices the inventor faces as a practical matter, and how to formulate a business strategy for one’s patents and inventions.

Jerry Klein has over 30 years experience in intellectual property and litigation. He was the founder of several high tech companies, and was a Fortune 500 executive. Mr. Klein holds a BSME from USC, has done graduate work in engineering business, is a Registered patent agent, and holds a JD in Law.

He has been a frequent guest speaker on intellectual property, the future of technology and the Internet. Jerry is President of The Chatham Group, a technology litigation consulting firm. He is also the Managing Director of Telemaze, LLC, an internet telephony licensing firm.

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