Domestic EDA Enters Era of Intelligent Computing

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing has transformed the technological landscape of modern societyIn this era, termed the "intelligent computing era," the design, complexity, and scale of computing power chips have escalated dramaticallyThis shift has been accompanied by unprecedented challenges in packaging, process technology, and system design, all exacerbated by intense competition, stringent investment conditions, and the multifaceted impacts of geopolitical tensionsAs a result, indigenous electronic design automation (EDA) industries in countries like China face multiple and urgent challenges in this rapidly evolving landscapeMoreover, the specific characteristics of the EDA industry—such as high technical barriers, a scarcity of expert talent, and the continuous evolution of deployment practices—further complicate these issues.

In response to these challenges, local EDA practitioners are actively contemplating how to elevate domestic EDA tools to advanced levels, striving to secure a foothold in the highly competitive international marketThe ongoing technological competition in the AI-driven era underscores the critical role of EDA tools in supporting the development of China's integrated circuit industry, which is pivotal for advancing intelligent computing.

Meeting these challenges requires a determination to innovate consistently and an unwavering focus on technological advancementsEDA companies need to prioritize customer-centric approaches and expedite product iterations to adapt to the changing environment while seizing new opportunities.

The intelligent computing era presents new demands for local EDA solutionsGenerative AI has catalyzed rapid growth within the intelligent computing industry, establishing computing power as a vital source of momentum in the digital age and a reflection of national technological strengthIn intelligent computing systems, chips provide the fundamental support for computational architecture

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With every iteration of large model training and inference tasks resulting in exponential increases in parameter quantities, there is a surging demand for domestically produced computing power infrastructure, particularly GPUs and CPUs.

However, the intelligent computing domain presents multifaceted challenges for chip design, contributing to heightened complexityThe need for precise and efficient design and verification processes has intensified, with increasingly rigorous timelines for product releasesSystems-level design requirements, along with hardware-software co-design complexities, set a new benchmark for developersThese evolving challenges disrupt traditional chip design methodologies and continually heighten the complexity of EDA tool development.

Powerful entities like GPUs and AI chips stand at the forefront of intelligent computing, delivering improved efficiency while managing extensive data processing demandsEmploying high-bandwidth (400G/800G) low-latency networks, they facilitate massive data transfersThe demand for immense computational power has led to the proliferation of AI servers equipped with high-performance GPU chipsIn system-level architecture, printed circuit boards (PCBs) function as foundational components for chips, acting as conduits for signal transmission and significantly influencing server performance.

The outburst of the intelligent computing epoch imposes stringent timelines on domestic EDA efforts—a call to action that cannot be ignoredTo align with the intense demand stemming from the intelligent computing revolution, the domestic supercomputing and intelligent chip industry faces numerous constraints regarding design, tools, and manufacturing, as well as intricate software and hardware application needs and exceptionally demanding product launch timelinesThe need for EDA in China's chip design sector has evolved beyond previous paradigms, presenting new challenges for the entire industry chainAs a critical segment of the chip industry, the domestic EDA sector must navigate these daunting challenges while capitalizing on immense growth opportunities.

These dynamics drive three pressing needs within China's high-end digital chip design: first, the crucial demand for indigenous EDA tools; second, the urgency to enhance chip performance at the systems level, addressing challenges tied to hardware-software collaboration from initial design stages; and third, the need to better serve China's digital chip clientele, particularly in contributing to cutting-edge fields like Chiplets, which demand new high-speed interface intellectual property (IP) solutions and systems-level design tools.

Shanghai Hejian Industrial Software Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as Hejian Soft) emerges as a leader in the EDA and industrial software sector in China

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The company has garnered extensive recognition within the Chinese integrated circuit industry for its remarkable innovation, exemplified by the launch of over 20 products within three years, showcasing its robust technological capabilitiesHejian Soft is not only responding to the challenges posed by the evolving technological landscape but is also setting a new standard for industrial development, technological innovation, and the enhancement of the domestic EDA ecosystem.

Hejian Soft has redefined its innovation strategy, transitioning from merely addressing critical bottleneck issues to forging technological advantages that benchmark against international monopolistic products, responding to the challenges of intelligent computingThey provide high-level EDA and IP solutions tailored for the ever-evolving digital chip landscape.

On September 24, during the IDAS 2024 Design Automation Industry Summit, Hejian Soft hosted the "2024 Hejian Annual New Product Launch Conference," where several indigenous, self-developed EDA and IP products were unveiledNotably, many of these products reached advanced international performance standards, offering a significant boost to breakthroughs in domestic EDA technology.

The event showcased an impressive array of 11 products, including the first expandable hardware emulation platform in China with a capacity of up to 46 billion logic gates, a next-gen single-system advanced prototype validation platform, a comprehensive design for test (DFT) platform, electronic system design tools, and five high-speed interface IP productsThis annual product launch reflects Hejian Soft's commitment to sustainable development through innovative, strategic responses to the escalating challenges posed by the rapid growth of computing power clusters.

The launch drew over 400 representatives, including industry elites from significant semiconductor firms, academic leaders from Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Shanghai University

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The event underscored the collaborative spirit of the EDA community, echoing a collective commitment to fostering innovation and overcoming market challenges.

Pan Jianyue, Chairman of Hejian Soft, delivered the opening address, emphasizing the company's vision to evolve into a world-class EDA providerHe highlighted the goal of offering internationally leading EDA tools aligned with national priorities for accelerating the development of new productive forcesThe history of EDA development has invariably positioned it at the forefront of the integrated circuit industry, driving innovationSince its inception, Hejian Soft has prioritized product technology, maintaining a focus on foundational research and development, which has propelled its growth from a startup to a leading player in the digital chip EDA domain in ChinaMoreover, the company has expanded its influence into systems-level design and IP areas, aiming for global competitiveness through iterative advancements in EDA and IP productsHejian Soft has emerged as China's first supplier capable of offering consolidated "EDA + IP + systems-level" solutions for digital chip design, setting a new pace for EDA research and leading the current era of domestic EDA innovationPan Jianyue reiterated that the company's journey has garnered extensive support from users and partners, and Hejian Soft remains committed to pursuing technological breakthroughs and product innovation to fuel advancements within China's integrated circuit design sector and the broader global industry.

A key highlight of the launch was the unveil by Hejian Soft's Chief Technical Officer, He Peixin, who led the technical expert team to share EDA innovation trends alongside the new product releasesThese products span digital front-end, digital back-end, systems-level, and interface IP domainsAs the global race for AI computing centers heats up, China's strategy for developing data center computing clusters necessitates addressing the complexities and urgency inherent in chip design and systems validation—areas where expectations for EDA technologies must evolve correspondingly.

Specifically, the 11 innovative products announced by Hejian Soft included:

A new digital validation hardware platform: The UniVista Hyperscale Emulator represents a data center-level hardware simulation acceleration validation platform that can be expanded to accommodate over 46 billion logic gates, supported by a new generation of commercial-grade, single-system advanced prototype validation platform known as the PHINE DESIGN Advanced Solo Prototyping.

The DFT platform consists of domestically developed tools for comprehensive reliability and efficiency testing: including the UniVista Tespert, which provides a measurable design to test (DFT) end-to-end platform, a highly efficient defect diagnosis tool, and a built-in self-test software tool aimed at effectively addressing modern chip design complexities.

The PCB design tool segment featured the new UniVista Archer, an integrated PCB design environment with advanced design capabilities

Followed by the introduction of the PCB layout tool which serves as a schematic design input environment, both designed to meet the growing demands of engineers faced with increasingly complex PCB and electronic system requirements.

Hejian Soft emphasizes its commitment to producing solutions that face high-performance challenges in PCB design, leading the industry towards accommodating mass-scale production efficientlyThe competitive edge it provides through adeptly meeting local market needs, paired with the international comparisons, further establishes Hejian Soft's role as a pivotal player in the charge toward future innovations in China’s electronic design automation landscape.

Moreover, the urgent evolution within autonomous driving, AI-driven applications, and high-performance computing necessitates that reliance on high-performance, low-latency networks becomes paramountIn this context, Hejian Soft unveiled its latest RDMA IP solution designed for robust, efficient networking at scale, which supports extensive data flows, all integrating within a seamless design framework marked by low power usage and high bandwidth efficiency.

As a new entrant geared towards solving intricate, multi-layer PCB design challenges through preeminent technology applications and collaborations, Hejian Soft sets the stage for accelerating market shifts and product innovationsThe industry can anticipate a landscape characterized by evolution grounded in local expertise, international competitiveness, and unprecedented responsiveness to growth in digital infrastructure and computing power needs.

In conclusion, Hejian Soft stands at the crossroads of opportunity in the pursuit of advancing EDA tools for digital chip design in China, imbuing the marketplace with homegrown solutions designed to tackle the complexities and challenges of tomorrow’s technology landscapeWith a firm gaze on both national requirements and global standards, it is poised to redefine capabilities in handling the intricate demands of the intelligent computing paradigm.

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