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DXCorr: Custom Design Gurus Working to Create PPA Magic

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Nirmalya Ghosh,CEOThe increasing complexity of system design requires that each processor core in an SoC (System on Chip) must be critically optimized to meet the power, performance, area (PPA), yield, and cost goals appropriate for the task that it is specifically designed to perform. This is necessitated by the typical requirement from a client in the VLSI universe the need to provide the best possible PPAL (power, performance, area and leakage global metrics of semiconductor design) in the shortest possible time frame. This is the sweet spot that every design house tries to achieve during project execution, and this is the constant challenge that DXCorr overcomes project after project. Thanks to its battle tested core of domain experts and it’s enviable suite of inhouse tools, successful projects are delivered on time and with top quality.

DXCorr is a product based semiconductor company that facilitates SoC design solutions with inhouse IPs, design practices and processes. The principle of selfreliance was what led to the establishment of DXCorr, and it continues to guide the firm to this day. DXCorr was established in 2006 in Sunnyvale, US, with an objective to bring together the best aspects of hardware design and software development, thereby expediting chip design and silicon delivery.

To stay ahead of the pack and as a testament to self reliance, DXCorr continues to develop various inhouse tools that push the boundaries of the whole design process. Each step of the process is independently analyzed, worked upon and seamlessly delivered to the next. This is driven by a desire to amalgamate the vast potential of computer aided design with the algorithmic nature of IP development.

The net effect of this sort of out of the box thinking is as follows. With cutting edge inhouse software reducing layout generation time and a design team striving to provide the best PPAL using various optimization analyses coupled with proprietary algorithms to reduce time consuming iteration cycles, DXCorr delivers the industry's leading edge custom physical IP solutions across a staggering range of process nodes.

A Smorgasbord Of Product Offerings
DXCorr’s product portfolio includes highly advanced custom physical IP blocks such as SRAMs, MRAMs(STT & SOT), standard cells & I/Os accounting for most building blocks of SoC design. Also available are specialized physical IPs TCAMs, multiport register files, customizable data path, custom PDK & PCELL for mixed signal IC design and SoC hardening solutions from RTL2GDSII.

In the exponentially growing field of deep learning accelerators (DLA), DXCorr brings the innovation of “neural compiler” to assist VLSI architects, chip designers, and implementation teams in building best-in class deep learning chips to achieve predictable accuracy and performance targets with the quickest time to market.

DXCorr’s flagship offering includes it’s semiconductor memory portfolio in multiple nodes, running the gamut from SRAM, MRAM, and, lastly, TCAM. This is elaborated in the following paragraph.

DXCorr also develops high performance and high density SRAMs and MRAMs. Working on 7nm & 14nm finFET, 22nm & 12nm FDSOI, 28nm & 40nm low power process nodes, DXCorr elegantly resolves the conflict in concurrent read & concurrent write operations in two port SRAMs. Power efficient, high speed binary and ternary CAMs make its clients stand out in a market that craves faster networks and more efficient processors. An indepth understanding of custom design allows DXCorr to significantly improve the performance of various custom logic and arithmetic function blocks in multiple process nodes.

DXCorr is constantly attempting to infuse it’s in house tool development with the most practical aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These are 2 upcoming domains of the hardware software interplay that have the potential to dramatically alter humanity’s course for the better.

In order to expedite SoC design delivery, there is an ongoing effort to develop next generation analog IPs and interfaces to optimize inter and intra chip communication. DXCorr has steadily developed a home grown
analog portfolio consisting of high speed and high band width SerDes in multiple nodes, analog subsystems like ADC, DAC and GPIOs and supporting circuitry for next generation MRAM designs. The ultimate aim is to transfer all redundant aspects of chip development to the actual computer, thus freeing up human mind space to solve upcoming problems.

Through The UPS And Downs
Lately, the biggest challenge DXCorr faced was to continue to operate with the same cohesiveness that the firm enjoyed prior to the pandemic. The onset of COVID-19 has brought the people at DXCorr closer as a team. Facing the prospect of extended work from home sounds daunting to say the least, but the team ensured that the show went on as planned. Each individual realized the value of time and how best to use it most efficiently. “Time management was already running at high efficiency prior to Covid but has reached new peaks after work from home became the norm. Even though we are no longer working face to face, we now have the confidence that we can solve our toughest problems due to our online flexibility and creativity”, affirms P. Naga Srinivasa Reddy, India operations head, DXCorr.

DXCorr’s prime requirement is the ability to face challenges and put in the hard yards required to overcome them


The People Perspective
The credit for DXCorr’s success is due largely to the irrepressible optimism that its engineers bring to projects. DXCorr’s prime requirement is the ability to face challenges and put in the hard yards required to overcome them. “We believe in unshackling the creativity of our staff and allowing them the liberty to approach problems from any suitable angle. Our philosophy has been one of nurturing and rewarding merit and fostering an ecosystem of unified problem solving. This allows for the adoption of relevant ideas, irrespective of the source”, shares Nirmalya Ghosh, CEO, DXCorr.

Employees are encouraged to explore subdomains other than their own to develop a holistic understanding of VLSI. The exposure that they get by this sort of cross domain training allows them to fine tune their core domain basics and develop much deeper overall knowledge. This approach naturally leads to their involvement in the latest technologies and industry trends.

From a project execution perspective rather than focus on merely churning out serviceable designs, the emphasis is to innovate at every possible step. Since innovation tends to thrive in an ecosystem of unrestricted thought, DXCorr engineers are encouraged to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to problems. This allows the team to operate in R&D mode, thereby amplifying the free flow of ideas and independent thought.

“There are no ‘holy cows’ in DXCorr’s philosophy. Every idea can and must be challenged. This is made possible due to a significant lack of hierarchy. The only thing that matters is the idea. Every employee is at liberty to question existing approaches and suggest improvements. The process of thought is unrestricted”, adds Sagar Reddy, CTO, DXCorr.

The impetus to this approach is provided by the leadership, which is found in the trenches with the typical employee, busy at work trying to optimize, innovate and improve. This allows ideas to flow thick and fast. This cerebral amalgamation will give birth to the next big thing that will take DXCorr to greater heights of success and Industry leadership.

A Future Based On The Foundations Of R&D
DXCorr has made and will continue to make significant progress in establishing a homegrown R&D unit, which will serve to finetune DXCorr’s designs and processes. The firm had invested in growing its artificial intelligence, analog design, and machine learning capabilities a few years ago, which is now bearing fruit, thereby giving the firm more sub domains of influence in the VLSI Industry.

Grassroots Infusion Of VLSI
Since its inception, DXCorr’s philosophy has been the recognition and nurturing of intelligence. Blessed as India is with a gene pool rich in problem solving abilities, a lot of deserving individuals find themselves in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns which do not have the VLSI infrastructure that the metros enjoy. In order to tap all of this latent potential, DXCorr consistently conducts hiring sessions in institutes that are in the Indian hinterland.

Since its inception, DXCorr’s philosophy has been the recognition and nurturing of intelligence. Blessed as India is with a gene pool rich in problem solving abilities, a lot of deserving individuals find them selves in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns which do not have the VLSI infrastructure that the metros enjoy. In order to tap all of this latent potential, DXCorr consistently conducts hiring sessions in institutes that are in the Indian hinterland.

This radical departure from what it’s competitors do en masse has allowed DXCorr to spread awareness of the importance of VLSI to the grassroots populace of India. This is a significant shift in the way that a typical employer thinks about staffing it’s offices. It generates a unique symbiosis between a willing and able employer, and a readily available pool of intellectual work force.

The benefit of this approach has been to help educate tier-2 and tier-3 cities about the local availability of employment in a field as advanced and supposedly “first world” as VLSI. The confidence that is seen in potential employees is reassuring. It indicates that DXCorr’s efforts to provide an environment for growth has resulted in a systematic shift in how young India relates to VLSI as a life changing combination of fulfilling employment and generational nation building.