SpringSoft's Verdi Automated Debug System Reduces Design Time for Microsoft's Xbox Team

Strategic Insights -

SpringSoft, Inc. (TAIEX: 2473), a global supplier of specialized IC design software, has announced that the development teams behind the key processors in Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox product line have used its Verdi Automated Debug System to significantly reduce design time and manage new levels of complexity in the latest generation of chips. The powerful debug platform enabled the Microsoft team to quickly comprehend intended design behavior, find design errors and manage design revisions. The Xbox team used the Verdi system on the latest versions of its graphics (GPU) and microprocessor (CPU) chip designs, which presented unprecedented verification challenges due to the size and complexity of the ICs being developed.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Microsoft Xbox team used SpringSoft's Verdi Automated Debug System to reduce design time by up to 50% in certain areas over previous projects.
  • The Verdi tool enabled the team to quickly comprehend intended design behavior, find design errors, and manage design revisions.
  • The Xbox team relied on the Verdi tool to automate important error-finding tasks and efficiently compare design revisions.
  • The team benefited from the Verdi system's automated design tracing and compare features, which allowed them to quickly trace activity across many clock cycles and pinpoint errors.
  • Senior verification engineer Nguyen Le stated that the Verdi tool "probably cut our debug time in half on the complex portions of our most recent designs."
  • The SpringSoft tool provides automatic tracing of signal activity and powerful behavior analysis technology to help engineers comprehend complex relationships and interactions within the design code and find sources of errors.

Statistics:

  • The Xbox team reportedly reduced design time by up to 50% in certain areas over previous projects.
  • The Verdi tool enabled the team to save time by automating important error-finding tasks and efficiently comparing design revisions.
  • The team used the Verdi system on the latest versions of its graphics (GPU) and microprocessor (CPU) chip designs.

Sources:

  • SpringSoft, Inc. press release announcing the use of Verdi Automated Debug System by Microsoft's Xbox team.
  • Nguyen Le, senior verification engineer at Microsoft's Xbox Group, quoted in the SpringSoft press release.
  • Thomas Li, director of product marketing for Verdi at SpringSoft, quoted in the SpringSoft press release.
  • "Microsoft Xbox team cuts debug time with SpringSoft" by Computer Weekly News, via VerticalNews.com.