Chip design giant Synopsys (Nasdaq: SNPS) and SiMa.ai have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at providing a new solution for automakers that will accelerate the development of the silicon and software required to run firmware and AI software applications in the next generation of vehicles. The new solution will integrate Synopsys' electronic design automation (EDA) tools, its hardware components (IP) for the automotive industry, and its hardware-assisted verification solutions with SiMa.ai's machine learning accelerator and full development environment for machine learning applications, enabling optimal adaptation of logic units, subsystems, dedicated computing units, and system-on-chip (SoC) architectures.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle entertainment systems, offering a vast range of applications, have become key differentiators among automakers. The increasing use of Generative AI (GenAI) necessitates on-board data processing rather than relying on the cloud. However, existing automotive software architectures do not support the requirements of these diverse applications, nor do they meet the necessary processing power, performance, and reliability demands. To compete in this evolving landscape, automakers need a comprehensive AI development environment. This environment must enable efficient hardware and software design solutions and power efficiency from silicon development to fully operational systems, reducing development costs and mitigating risks associated with production timelines.
Synopsys' virtual modeling technology for computing systems is used by more than 50 OEM manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Over 1,000 virtual models for SoC IP, computing units, and ASIC chips have been equipped with this technology.
SiMa.ai is a software company specializing in high-performance, power-efficient deep learning systems-on-chip (MLSoC) for edge devices. The company's technologies offer maximum flexibility by supporting the broadest range of models, sensors, and applications, which automatically adapt for optimal performance.
The companies’ integrated solution will enable early validation of architectural solutions to develop hardware and software with superior performance, lower power consumption, and optimal software compatibility for SoC development in edge devices for the automotive industry. The solution will leverage multiple language models and hardware libraries that have already been successfully implemented in previous automotive industry projects.
Ravi Subramanian, Senior Vice President of Products and Markets at Synopsys, stated: "The collaboration with SiMa.ai will take automotive manufacturers a significant step forward in modernizing co-design processes for hardware and software, meeting the growing demand for enriched in-vehicle experiences, which are becoming increasingly costly and complex to deliver. Our position as a leader in architecture validation, IP, and hardware-assisted verification, combined with SiMa.ai’s innovative capabilities in performance and power optimization for machine learning workloads, will enable customers to differentiate themselves while strictly adhering to budget constraints and industry standards."