Following up on an earlier blog post where we discussed what is product lifecycle management for semiconductors, in this blog we will delve deeper into the challenges that PLM presents for a semiconductor design environment. Although PLM tools have seen some success in industries such as defense, automobile, aerospace, and others with large design teams and well-established methodologies, the adoption rate in the semiconductor space has been slow.

The severity and ingenuity of cyberattacks continues to increase as malicious actors become more proficient, breaking through the software layers and aiming to also compromise hardware like integrated circuits. Relative to software, it is much more difficult to patch security vulnerabilities in ICs – making early identification of IP security weaknesses increasingly important.

Embedded system software developers have a difficult job. For one, the work itself is challenging — embedded systems must withstand numerous updates to their environment to function properly. Plus, when something goes wrong in development, those higher up the chain tend to look at developers rather than the tools the team is using. You can’t solve new problems with old tools, and they are often at the root of a team’s mistakes or delayed releases.

The rise of game engines has sparked new innovations across industries. Amazon Lumberyard — the Amazon game engine — has recently transitioned to open source. Open 3D Engine (O3DE) may be new on the scene. But as companies continue to move to the cloud, many are looking at this new Amazon game engine to transform their pipeline.

Through FMEAs, product development teams are able to determine potential failures within a project and improve them to mitigate risk. The most efficient way to conduct a failure mode and effects analysis is through an automated tool. This blog will provide an overview of FMEAs and highlight the many benefits they can have on your product.

Using a package manager — also known as a repository or artifact manager — is a best practice for teams to secure their build pipelines and scale development. They can save developers time by breaking down silos, promoting reuse. For example, instead of needing to manually update each product that uses a binary component, you can simply update it once and changes will be available everywhere.

For companies working within regulated industries, achieving and maintaining compliance is critical to overall business success. Meeting the requisite compliance standards ensures the product’s quality and safety, which can have life-saving implications. With such high stakes, the road to compliance is an all-important one. Until a product is deemed compliant, it can’t generate revenue. So how can your organization accelerate the road to compliance?