Packet Protocols

At Ickam, we perceive and approach requirements from the fundamentals. Our expertise in packet protocols formed by various standards bodies, fully/semi custom types, expands our boundary across various target applications like, networking, storage, platform interconnects, memory channels, peripherals and other industry specific derivatives. Accurate compliance, service level business perspective extensions, optimal design architectures balancing power, performance, manageablitiy and reliablity are our strengths.

Compute Platforms/SoC

The team expertise spreads across, various general purpose compute platforms/SoCs, major names like x86, ARM, ARC, Tensilica. We collectively worked on different industry specific micro and macro processor/controller optimaly designed for specific purposes. Complexities attached to the general purpose compute platforms/SoCs had to deal with trending embedded compatibilities and provision. Code and engineering change management for different skews from the core structure is a critical challenge for the deliverable quality and timelines. Our expertise in such micro details enable us being principal resource for outcomes with accuracy, reliablity and predictability.

Mobility

Mobility is the trend of personal devices and to certain extent consumer infotainment devices including automobiles. Always connected is the mantra of design wins on every feature involved. The design elements that assure the reliability, stability and longevity of mobile devices are critical for the service providers in terms of infrastructure stability and revenue potentials. Mobility is the factor in almost all consumer electronic devices, it adds complexity to its design and verification programs to meet or beat the MTBF metrics on different physical, thermal and environmental conditions.We do acknowledge the aggressive business environment around this domain. Our engagment with client ASIC/FPGA in identifying critical and complex issues associated to PHY, Link, and Service layers, focussing on power-aware, performance, and, DFV reachability, saved few silicon spins and related cost and effort.

Security

Emerging and still evolving feature, that is center of marketability of any consumer device. The industry is still doing a catchup game with intruders innovations. With the cloud computing and electronic mining growing exponentially, whatever we do now has to have security-aware thinking and implementation. At Ickam, security stays in top most priority list and thought process in everything we do, because it is a double edged sword. Neither security, nor user experience can be compromised. We fully acknowledge the business sensitivity involving these two elements, and strive to keep both elements winning.

Avionics/DO-254

The DO-254 standard was created by the RTCA committee as a means of compliance for the design of complex electronic hardware used in airborne systems. DO-254 compliance is required for PLD, FPGA and ASIC devices for avionics applications. Devices in this domain tend to be relatively simple from a digital design perspective. There are five levels of compliance, A through E, which depend on the effect a failure of the hardware will have on the operation of the aircraft. Level A is the most stringent, defined as "catastrophic" (e.g. loss of the aircraft), while a failure of Level E hardware will not affect the safety of the aircraft. ICKAM has experience up-to Level A, which requires a much higher level of verification to meet compliance.

The complexity here arises from interfacing to real world mechanical systems such as motors. This may require mixed signal design and verification at the interfaces. Requirements must consider robustness against the unpredictable feedback and possible error conditions of such real world systems. From a verification perspective, some modeling of the physical system may be required. The real-time control nature of these systems leads to many critical timing requirements to be verified. The technical process of verification follows our typical approach, since most work at ICKAM already assumes a high level of verification certainty. The extra challenge with avionics is to document the traceability of the verification work performed and defend the process during external regulatory audits.

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