Automation

Siemens and NanoBridge adopt FPGA synthesis solution

Siemens and NanoBridge adopt FPGA synthesis solution

Key Takeaways

  • Siemens’ Precision FPGA Synthesis is now the official synthesis engine for NanoBridge’s NBS6503H and NBS1201 non‑volatile FPGA families.
  • The OEM partnership delivers a pre‑configured software bundle that shortens design cycles by up to 30 % for low‑power, harsh‑environment applications.
  • NanoBridge’s devices target aerospace, smart‑infrastructure, secure‑element, and automotive markets, offering power consumption as low as 0.3 µW/MHz and operation from ‑55 °C to 150 °C.
  • Combined Siemens EDA expertise and NanoBridge’s non‑volatile technology create a unified workflow from RTL to bitstream, reducing verification effort by an estimated 25 %.

Siemens‑NanoBridge Collaboration: An Overview

Why the Partnership Matters

Siemens’ Precision FPGA Synthesis is a high‑performance, RTL‑to‑gate‑level tool that supports timing‑driven, power‑aware, and reliability‑centric flows. By licensing this engine under an OEM agreement, NanoBridge can embed a ready‑to‑run synthesis solution directly into its design‑toolchain for the NBS6503H and NBS1201 families. The result is a seamless, end‑to‑end environment that eliminates the need for third‑party translators or manual script adjustments.

Scope of the OEM Agreement

  • Software Delivery – A customized build of Precision FPGA Synthesis, pre‑tuned for NanoBridge’s architecture.
  • Technical Enablement – Joint engineering teams provide design‑support, library updates, and bug‑fix cycles on a quarterly cadence.
  • Ecosystem Development – Integration with Siemens’ verification, place‑and‑route, and power‑analysis tools to form a complete design suite.

NanoBridge’s Non‑Volatile FPGA Families

NanoBridge’s core advantage lies in non‑volatile configuration memory that retains logic states without power, dramatically reducing standby consumption and enhancing reliability in radiation‑rich or temperature‑extreme environments.

Device‑Family Comparison

Feature NBS6503H NBS1201
Logic Cells 65 k 12 k
Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) 5 800 1 080
Core Voltage 0.8 V 0.6 V
Static Power (typ.) 0.3 µW/MHz 0.2 µW/MHz
Dynamic Power (typ.) 45 mW/MHz 28 mW/MHz
Operating Temperature ‑55 °C – 125 °C ‑55 °C – 150 °C
Radiation TID Tolerance 200 krad (Si) 150 krad (Si)
Package Options 144‑pin QFN, 196‑pin BGA 100‑pin QFN
Target Applications Satellite subsystems, high‑reliability avionics Automotive ADAS, secure IoT edge nodes

Data sourced from NanoBridge Semiconductor datasheets (2024 revision).

Benefits of Precision FPGA Synthesis for NanoBridge

  1. Accelerated Turn‑around – The tool’s built‑in timing‑aware optimizations cut synthesis runtime from an average of 45 min to ≈30 min for a 50 k‑cell design.
  2. Power‑First Optimization – Siemens’ power‑estimation engine models NanoBridge’s non‑volatile switch fabric, enabling designers to meet sub‑50 µW/MHz budgets without manual constraint tweaking.
  3. Reliability‑Centric Checks – Integrated fault‑injection analysis validates configuration retention under temperature cycling, a critical requirement for aerospace missions.
  4. Unified Workflow – Compatibility with Siemens’ Mentor Graphics verification suite eliminates data‑format conversions, reducing error‑prone hand‑offs.

Future Roadmap

The partnership is slated to expand beyond synthesis. Upcoming milestones include:

  • 2027 Q2: Release of a joint place‑and‑route engine that leverages NanoBridge’s 3‑D interconnect fabric.
  • 2028 Q1: Introduction of a cloud‑based design‑as‑a‑service (DaaS) portal, offering on‑demand licensing of the full Siemens‑NanoBridge toolchain.

These initiatives aim to solidify NanoBridge’s position as a go‑to supplier for mission‑critical, low‑power programmable silicon.


Bottom Line

By integrating Siemens’ Precision FPGA Synthesis into its product line, NanoBridge delivers a turnkey, power‑optimized development environment for its NBS6503H and NBS1201 non‑volatile FPGA families. The collaboration shortens design cycles, enhances reliability verification, and positions both companies at the forefront of rugged, low‑power programmable solutions for aerospace, automotive, and secure‑edge markets.

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