Flying High Above the Cloud with Cadence

The semiconductor industry has long been ambivalent about embracing cloud technology for design and verification, expressing several concerns in the process. Foremost among these are the potential security risks, difficulties in cost-effectively transferring on-premises data to the cloud, and the substantial investments already allocated to existing infrastructure and resources. More specifically, apprehensions revolve around safeguarding design intellectual property (IP) when stored in a public cloud, the compatibility of cloud data centers with high-performance computing demands, and the dependability of cloud services for electronic design automation (EDA) workflows.

High-Level Cloud Architecture by Groq: Presented at CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley 2023
Source: Groq

In the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), Groq is taking a unique approach to building an all-encompassing AI solution. Groq specializes in developing hardware accelerators for AI applications, enabled by proprietary software and an easy-to-use tool suite for developers. Their GroqChip^TM processors are designed to deliver HPC for deep learning tasks. By focusing on a software-first philosophy and leveraging the power of the cloud with proper VM management, license utilization techniques, and disk space management, Groq is revolutionizing how hardware is developed.

During CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley, Bivraj Koradia and Eduardo Flores from the Groq Silicon Engineering team delivered this presentation on how they fly above the cloud using innovative approaches and the automation techniques, enabled by Cadence tools. This blog provides insights into their presentation.

The Cloud and Hardware Design

While many hardware design companies are still contemplating their cloud strategy, Groq has embraced the cloud from the ground up. Their hardware development cycle and methodology are rooted in cloud infrastructure, enabling them to build automation into their processes. By leveraging the cloud, they have empowered their lean design team to rapidly prototype designs in a fast-paced environment. This unique approach requires the orchestration of various automated flows built within the cloud, merging software practices with hardware implementation.

Growing Demand for AI

The exponential growth in AI models has created a massive demand for compute power. Traditional central processing units (CPUs) struggle to keep up with this demand, leading to the rise of domain-specific architectures like tensor processing units (TPUs) and graphics processors. While these architectures offer increased performance, they also introduce complexity for software engineers. Groq acknowledges this challenge and aims to bridge the hardware and software development gap.

Hardware-First Challenge

In the semiconductor industry, the traditional approach has been to build hardware first and then develop software. However, Groq is challenging this norm with a software-first mindset. By prioritizing software development, they can optimize performance and minimize complexity. Their commitment to this approach is evident in the fact that they spent six months developing Groq^TM Compiler before writing the first line of register-transfer level (RTL) code. This philosophy allows them to focus on clean slate infrastructure deployment, which we will cover later in this blog.

Cloud Infrastructure with the Right Set of Tools

The Groq cloud infrastructure included tools, storage, and compute resources. They use Cadence full-flow digital design, seamlessly operating in its managed cloud environment. Cadence tools and flows are designed to operate seamlessly in any cloud environment, whether a Customer Managed Cloud or Cadence Managed Cloud.  Cadence tools eliminate any migration challenges for companies still migrating to the cloud. These tools empower teams to enhance their workflows and fully leverage the capabilities of all major public cloud service providers, resulting in efficient and scalable operations. Moreover, Cadence tools have a well-established track record of seamless integration with different foundries and process design kits (PDKs). The Cadence team provides dedicated support to assist in adopting and updating our customers’ workflows to utilize new tooling effectively.

Automation for Clean Slate Infrastructure Deployment

Automation is essential for efficient processes in software and hardware design. Companies frequently update their software systems with hundreds of changes daily, integrating them seamlessly through automation. Similar principles apply to hardware design, allowing for consistent incremental changes. Automation in hardware design goes beyond cost reduction or hiring difficulties; it enables tasks and optimizations that are impossible or impractical to achieve manually. This automation leads to higher optimization, efficiency, and scalability in software and hardware design.

Engineers can achieve faster and more efficient iterations by automating the input-to-output process. Cadence provides aesthetically pleasing and great dashboards. Also, Cadence tools save results in the JSON format, which is a significant advantage for the software industry. Moreover, it is incredibly simple for Groq to extract data from Cadence tools and store it in their proprietary database. Consequently, they can easily access the data through dashboards or even integrate it into platforms such as Slack, allowing engineers to view the results conveniently on your phone or any other device you prefer.

Automation simplifies the engineer’s workload by allowing them to focus on supervising and overseeing the build process instead of manually executing each step. The ease of use of the Cadence toolset enabled Groq to create GroqBot using a combination of open-source APIs/plugins and internal libraries that works in conjunction with Cadence full-flow digital design. Check out the full GroqBot video first seen at CadenceLIVE 2023.

By embracing a software-first philosophy and harnessing the power of the cloud, Groq is revolutionizing the hardware development landscape. Cadence is proud to be part of this soaring journey.

Cadence full-flow digital design offers faster design closure and better predictability with the best power, performance, and area (PPA). It is all about innovations that go across individual tool boundaries by integrating core engines and critical technologies. Customers can beat their PPA goals ahead of schedule using the Cadence full-flow digital design. Read how our customers use full-flow digital design to achieve better predictability, power, performance, and area while reducing time to market.

If you missed the chance to catch Groq’s CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley 2023 presentation, register at the CadenceLIVE On-Demand site to watch it and all other cloud track presentations.