Introduction
Explore the transformative story of BITSILICA, a pioneering tech powerhouse since 2019. From modest origins to global prominence, they redefine innovation across semiconductors, embedded systems, and AI. Discover the future with BITSILICA’s groundbreaking journey.
We’ll embark on a journey through the vibrant landscape of Indian semiconductor startups, exploring one VLSI startup each day for the next one week. Today we bring you BITSILICA, a promising startup offering an array of services from chip design to AI solutions.
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History of BITSILICA
BITSILICA was established in 2019 by three passionate engineers: Bhaskar Kakani, Venugopala Rao M, and Raj P.Bhaskar Kakani, a IIIT Hyderabad alumnus, before co-founding Bitsilica, accumulated over 15 years of valuable experience through companies like UST, Vaaluka & Synopsys specializing in pre-silicon design and verification for multiple chip tape outs.
Venugopala Rao had worked for NVIDIA and Mindtree specializing in ASIC Design and IP/SoC Verification, low-speed/high-speed IO subsystems, and ARM-based Soc.
Mr. Rajasekharam Naidu P, an IIT Bombay alumnus, had gained 14+ years of experience in product Development, Mobile Device Management, Embedded Software, and Al.
They started with a small team of four engineers and a modest office space in Hyderabad, India. Their vision was to provide innovative and reliable solutions for the semiconductor and embedded markets, leveraging cutting-edge tools and technologies.
Since then, BITSILICA has grown exponentially, serving over 20 global customers across multiple geographical regions, including India, USA, Singapore, and Malaysia. They have also expanded their team to nearly 350 dedicated professionals, who are experts in various domains such as ASIC/RTL design, IP/SoC verification, physical design & STA, FPGA design, design for testability, device drivers, multimedia, IoT, modem, automotive, computer vision, NLP, and AI services.
Read More: Explained: Wonders of SoC (System-on-Chip) Design: Challenges & Future – techovedas
Services provided by BITSILICA.
BITSILICA offers three main types of services: Semicon services, embedded services, and artificial intelligence services. Each of these services has its own sub-services that cater to different needs and applications of the clients.
Semicon Services
These are the core services that involve designing and verifying semiconductor systems using various tools and methodologies. Some of the sub-services offered by Bitsilica are:
ASIC/RTL Design: In this domain Bitsilica excels in micro-architecture development, RTL design, linting (using tools like Spyglass), CDC (Clock Domain Crossing) analysis, LEC (Logic Equivalence Checking), and synthesis (tools like Design Compiler).
IP/SoC Verification: They offer comprehensive expertise in IP migration, functional verification, formal verification, gate-level simulations (GLS), and power-aware verification. Their team is proficient in industry-standard verification methodologies like UVM and utilizes advanced verification IPs and test case libraries.
Physical Design & STA: Their services encompass floor planning, placement, clock tree synthesis (using tools like ICC2 compiler), routing, optimization, timing closure, and signoff checks. With strong expertise in different technology nodes ranging from 28nm to 4nm, they ensure optimal performance and efficiency of the designs.
FPGA Design: In FPGA Design, they have extensive experience in developing complex design IPs and subsystems for Xilinx devices such as Spartan, Virtex, Zynq-7000, and Zynq-Ultrascale. Additionally,their services include RTL implementation, IP core development, embedded application development using Xilinx SDK, high-speed interface design (AXI, AXI-4, 10G Ethernet PHY), and FPGA optimization techniques.
Design for Testability: Their expertise encompasses all aspects of DFT, including physical implementation, timing closure, physical verification, library generation, and characterization support. They leverage the latest technologies and tools, such as FinFET libraries, low power concepts, custom clock tree design, and CLP/MVRC checks.
Read More: What is a Fab Lite Model: Advatages and Comparison with Other Models – techovedas
Embedded Services
These are the services that involve developing firmware or software solutions for embedded systems using various platforms and technologies.Furthermore, BITSILICA offers a wide range of embedded services to cater to various industries and technological needs. Here are the details of their embedded services.
Multimedia: BITSILICA specializes in high-definition audio/video, advanced camera systems, real-time streaming, efficient encoding (such as H.264/H.265), Dolby Audio, 4K video processing, AR/VR experiences, and image signal processing.
Automotive: They provide embedded services for the automotive industry, including AUTOSAR compliance, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) solutions, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, intelligent infotainment systems, embedded automotive software, telematics, and eco-friendly EV (electric vehicle) technology.
Modem: They offer expertise in modem technologies, including 5G connectivity solutions, high-speed Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), LTE Advanced, RF systems, IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity, network protocol stacks, and seamless data transmission.
Internet of Things (IoT): The company provides services for IoT implementations, including smart sensor integration, edge computing, IoT data analytics, machine-to-machine communication, AI at the edge, secure IoT connectivity, and support for multiple IoT technologies like 5G, LoRaWAN, and NB-IoT.
Device Drivers: They also specialize in kernel-level programming, custom device driver development, cross-platform support, drivers for USB/PCI/UART interfaces, efficient I/O management, debugging, testing, and firmware integration.
Artificial Intelligence Services:
These are the services that involve applying machine learning algorithms to solve various problems in different domains. Some of the sub-services offered by the company are:
Data analytics: Their data analytics services span predictive analytics, customer segmentation, sentiment analysis, demand forecasting, and anomaly detection. Additionally,they provide actionable insights to drive business growth and optimize operations.
They harness industry-leading tools such as Python, R, SQL, Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, and Tableau to process and analyze large volumes of structured and unstructured data.
Machine Learning: BITSILICA delivers comprehensive Machine Learning services, utilizing tools like Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. Furthermore,their expertise spans the entire ML lifecycle, covering data preprocessing, model training, and evaluation. Proficient in supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning.
Computer vision: They also excel in advanced Computer Vision solutions, harnessing state-of-the-art tools like OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras. Their team employs deep learning algorithms for applications such as object detection, image recognition, video analytics, OCR, image segmentation, and localization.
NLP: In Natural Language processing their expertise includes Natural Language Processing frameworks such as NLTK, SpaCy, and Gensim, along with machine learning algorithms, deep learning models, and sentiment analysis techniques.
Some of their notable solutions include distributed computing solutions using Edge devices for vehicle tracking, traffic violation identification, and accident detection, specifically tailored for the Indian subcontinent.
Collaborations and Research
BITSILICA has engaged in dynamic collaborations with esteemed universities, prioritizing innovation and staying abreast of technological advancements. Additionally,they have formalized Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with renowned institutions like IISC-Bengaluru, NIT-Andra Pradesh, Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering, BV Raju Institute of Technology, and other autonomous Universities. Furthermore,demonstrating a steadfast commitment to research and development, BITSILICA’s contributions are reflected in published research papers, including a notable work titled “Exploring Machine Learning Algorithms for Load Forecasting and Fault Detection in Smart Grids.”
BITSILICA’s involvement with India Semiconductor Mission
It has been involved with India’s semiconductor mission, which is a government initiative to develop the semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country. BITSILICA has:
BITSILICA has significant contributions in the working group 7 – ‘Semicon India Chipsets’ of the India AI report released by the Ministry of Electronics. Additionally,, this report outlines a path to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of the nation.
It participated in the first round of applications for setting up semiconductor fabs in India under the scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021. Applied for the second round of applications for setting up compound semiconductors / silicon photonics / sensors fab and semiconductor assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) / OSAT facilities in India under the scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2023.
It joined as an engaged member of IESA (Indian Electronics & Semiconductor Association), which is a trade body that represents the interests of the Indian electronics and semiconductor industry.
Conclusion
BITSILICA stands as a trailblazer in the tech landscape since its inception in 2019. From a small team to a global force, their journey reflects unparalleled dedication to innovation. Along with the services it provides it also runs a blog sharing interesting insights on trending VLSI topics. With expertise spanning semiconductors, embedded systems, and AI, BITSILICA collaborates with top universities, contributes to groundbreaking research, and actively participates in India’s semiconductor mission. This pioneering spirit cements BITSILICA’s status as a transformative force, shaping the future of technology. Explore the possibilities with a company that doesn’t just keep up; it leads the way.
