Meeting date: 13 jun 2006
Members (asterisk for those attending):
*Arpad Muranyi, Intel Corp.
*Bob Ross, Teraspeed Consulting Group
*Todd Westerhoff, Cisco Systems
*Mike LaBonte, Cisco Systems
Paul Fernando, NCSU
Barry Katz, SiSoft
*Walter Katz, SiSoft
Ken Willis, Cadence Design Systems
*Ian Dodd, Mentor Graphics
*Lance Wang, Cadence Design Systems
Richard Ward, Texas Instruments
*Doug White, Cisco Systems
Sanjeev Gupta, Agilent
*Joe Abler, IBM
John Shields, Mentor Graphics

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Review of ARs:

- no ARs from last week

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Last week we said we would discuss input ports/controls to Matlab model:
- Which model?
- A lot of controls are for S-parameter models.
- This discussion is to decide if AMS can handle the job.

Status of encryption:
- Joe Shields gave comprehensive overview of proposal.
- Seems to be a general framework for encryption, no products yet.
- Specification still in development, largely at Accelera.
- First question is whether AMS is viable for advanced models.

API for executable plug-in models:
- Cisco pressuring Cadence to open up their API standard.
- Can't be proprietary.
- Meeting next week.
- What about System-C, System-AMS, etc. ?
  - Do any of these define a simulator API?
- IBIS could point to any language:
  - As long as the language has a well-defined interface.
  - IBIS could define the API instead of a node interface.
- Is this API a private effort between Intel and Cadence?
- Keeping models in sync is a problem.

IBM model discussion:
- If IBM's process is unique, why try to propagate it?
  - A proprietary silicon interface is also unacceptable.
- Thanks to Joe for sharing his insights.
- First step is defining the interface between simulator and model.
- IBM code has simulator and model intertwined.
- Need to define the functional split.
- Would IBM system catch on with other IC vendors?
- Joe participates IEEE802.3 backplane effort, among others.
  - Multiple vendors bring in simulations.
  - High level models.
  - Won't see low device models for SerDes devices.
- IBM tool proves architecture and algorithms for channels.
  - Channels, not just models.
  - Customers provide the channels.
  - Tool provided to customers now.
  - Needs to model jitter, for example.
- How to put bounds/guidelines for channel design parameters?
  - Some customers want to simulate different scenarios.
  - Others want a complete channel model to design to.
  - Days of "Intel Yellow Book" are behind us.
- Richard Mellitz proposed executable models for IP protection and speed.

Question about whether AMS can handle the job seems to have been
already decided by those who have used other languages.

How to control model parameters before simulating

- IBIS is pointing to already-implemented simulators
- Is there broad support for SystemC?
- Division between IC and PCB design tools.
- Not such a big division between digital and analog.
- API is a solution because the language becomes unimportant.
  - Debugging becomes a problem though.

No duplication between our group and IBIS futures.

Should we change the name of our group?
- We have moved on from macro-models to:
  - Encryption
  - AMS
  - Executable models
- No change until we lock onto something.
- We could call it the SerDes Modeling Group, since that seems to be
  the immediate problem to solve, regardless of which approach is taken.

Presentation at DAC IBIS summit?
- Todd not going.
- Arpad can present.
- We need to keep this topic active in meetings.

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Next meeting: Tuesday 20 Jun 2006 12:00pm PT