Chip design giant Synopsys (Nasdaq: SNPS) and SiMa.ai have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at providing automakers with a new solution that accelerates the development of the silicon and software required to run the firmware and applications of artificial intelligence integrated into next-generation vehicles. The new solution will combine Synopsys' electronic design automation (EDA) solutions, its automotive hardware IP components, and its hardware-assisted verification solutions with SiMa.ai’s machine learning accelerator and its full development environment for machine learning applications, enabling maximum optimization of logic units, subsystems, dedicated computing units, and system-on-chip (SoC) architectures.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and in-car entertainment systems, which offer a vast array of applications, have become key differentiators among automakers. The increasing use of generative AI (GenAI) necessitates on-board data processing within vehicle computers rather than in the cloud. However, existing automotive software architectures do not support the requirements of these diverse applications, nor do they provide the necessary computing power, performance, and reliability. To compete in this evolving landscape, automakers need a complete AI development environment. This environment must facilitate efficient hardware and software design while optimizing power consumption from silicon development to functional systems, ultimately 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 developing high-performance, power-efficient machine learning systems on chips (MLSoCs) for edge devices. The company’s technologies offer maximum flexibility by supporting the widest range of models, sensors, and applications, which automatically adapt to achieve peak performance.
The companies’ integrated solution will enable early-stage validation of architectural designs to develop hardware and software with improved performance, lower power consumption, and optimal software compatibility in the development of SoC systems for automotive edge devices. The solution will leverage multiple language models and hardware libraries that have already been successfully utilized in previous automotive industry projects.
Ravi Subramanian, Senior Vice President of Products and Markets at Synopsys, stated: "The collaboration with SiMa.ai will propel automotive manufacturers forward in modernizing the co-design process of hardware and software to meet the growing demand for rich in-vehicle experiences, which are becoming increasingly costly and complex to deliver. Our leadership in architecture validation, IP, and hardware-assisted verification, combined with SiMa.ai’s innovative capabilities in performance optimization and machine learning power efficiency, will enable customers to differentiate themselves while adhering to strict budget constraints and industry standards."