The virtues of virtual test for fabless IC developers

摘要

Here at NVIDIA, being a leading developer and manufacturer of 3-D graphic-processor chips for PC manufacturers such as Compaq and Dell means we live and breathe quick cycle times. Our continued success relies upon our ability to rapidly develop innovative technologies and introduce new graphics chips every six months. To achieve this aggressive output, we employ two design teams, both of which work continuously on separate projects. NVIDIA has adopted a fabless model to ensure our ability to keep producing at this level and to enable us to quickly adapt to the PC industry's needs. Although being fabless certainly has its benefits for a growing company, the fabless model can pose interesting challenges when moving an IC from design through test.