DXCorr Design
Pioneering A Path to Next-Gen SoC Excellence

The proliferation of mobile devices, tablets, smartwatches, and similar devices has brought power optimization to the forefront in application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs. However, achieving excellence in power, performance, area, and leakage metrics (PPAL) within a tight timeframe requires a high level of dedication and expertise from design houses. The increasing design complexity, shrinking design cycles, and stringent cost considerations of custom memory designs have compelled the semiconductor industry to embrace a system-on-chip (SoC) paradigm to effectively address these multifaceted design specifications.

DXCorr Design is a prominent provider of advanced physical intellectual property (IP) solutions tailored for advanced process nodes, such as 40nm, 28nm, and 20nm. These solutions are intended to support a diverse range of SoC designs, including those involving complex memory IP components like static random-access memories (SRAMs), content-addressable memories multiport (CAMs), memory subsystems, and standard cells. In essence, DXCorr focuses on developing crucial components essential for modern semiconductor designs, particularly those related to memory and standard cell technologies. These offerings are meticulously designed to meet the exacting power, performance, and area (PPA) requirements of optimized SoC designs tailored to advanced process nodes.

DXCorr Design’s primary focus lies in custom memories, which are at the core of modern semiconductor development. Custom memory solutions are emphasized as core expertise, addressing the memory-related challenges in developing advanced processors. They offer diverse memory solutions, including single-port memories, multi-port register files, and specialized memories like Ternary CAM, as well as experimental memories like MRAM and CB RAM. These solutions are engineered to meet the dynamic nature of foundry processes and the substantial financial investments required in semiconductor development.

DXCorr Design also excels in niche mathematical functions relevant to areas such as cryptography, cryptocurrency, security, and complex mathematical problem-solving. Their expertise extends beyond traditional data paths and encompasses these specialized functions.

“We don’t offer off-the-shelf IPs. Our objective is to design high-quality processors with specifications desired by our clients, aligning with their goals and effectively relieving them of the burden of specification compliance,” says Nirmalya Ghosh, CEO of DXCorr Design.

The company’s approach to client interaction is based on a thorough understanding of the particular challenges faced by each client and customizing solutions to address those issues. They collaborate closely with clients to remove the potential performance losses associated with combining many tiny memory units using register transfer language (RTL). Instead, they assist clients in investigating the viability of building more extensive memory structures, streamlining the process of solving problems.

“When clients express uncertainty about a problem, we offer them a range of solutions, complete with assessments of power, performance, area, leakage, latencies, yield concerns, and perspectives from various angles like packaging and system considerations,” says Ghosh.

This comprehensive approach equips them with a well-informed understanding of their architectural options.

In one case, DXCorr Design embarked on a challenging three-nanometer project for a startup client who was just starting and had substantial financial backing. However, they soon realized that assembling an in-house team capable of handling the intricate physical IP aspects of the project was a formidable task. Money alone couldn’t resolve this issue because the team needed to possess the right expertise and disentangling them from larger corporations was a time-consuming and risky process.

It was at this juncture that DXCorr Design stepped in to guide the technical architecture along with designing an analog IP for them. After evaluating all their requirements, they formulated a specification and provided a roadmap for achieving their objectives. Given their startup status and the need to demonstrate progress to investors, they had to work on an aggressive schedule. In the end, this collaboration proved highly successful, becoming a testament to the company’s adaptability and commitment.

DXCorr has ambitious goals for the future, intending to create a benchmark product portfolio by integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence into their in-house tool development. It believes these technologies will revolutionize the hardware and software industry. The company is also focused on expediting SoC design delivery by developing next-generation analog IPs and interfaces for efficient intra-chip and inter-chip communication. They have already built an analog portfolio with high-speed SerDes, GPIOs, DAC, and ADC, along with supporting circuitry for MRAM designs. The ultimate goal is to automate repetitive aspects of chip development, allowing human creativity to tackle upcoming challenges.