Imagination collaborates with Synopsys to accelerate 3D visualisation in mobile and data centre

IMG CXT GPU with Synopsys Fusion QIKs optimise PPA for mobile ray tracing applications

London, England – January 13, 2023 – Imagination Technologies is collaborating with Synopsys, a leading provider of electronic design automation (EDA) solutions and services, to create a faster, more efficient design process for mobile ray tracing solutions. Ray tracing technology delivers a step-change in graphics realism by imitating how light behaves in the real world to create 3D scenes that are near indistinguishable from real life.

The collaboration provides mutual customers with Synopsys Fusion QuickStart Implementation Kits (QIKs) that are highly optimised to accelerate end-to-end chip design and achieve the best power, performance and area (PPA) for the IMG CXT GPU. Imagination used the Synopsys Fusion QIKs to achieve the target performance on 5nm process technology, using seven partitions and a hierarchical flow designed with the Synopsys Fusion Compiler™ and Synopsys Design Space Optimization (DSO.ai™) solutions.

Synopsys Fusion QIKs for Imagination’s CXT GPUs leverage the Synopsys Fusion Compiler RTL-to-GDSII design product and Synopsys DSO.ai, which autonomously explores multiple design spaces to enhance PPA metrics. In addition to the Synopsys Fusion QIKs, designers can also integrate Synopsys RTL Architect into their flow to pinpoint bottlenecks in the RTL source code. The fast, multi-dimensional implementation prediction engine anticipates the PPA and congestion impact of RTL changes downstream, addressing them before RTL handoff.

Sanjay Bali, Vice President of Strategy and Product Management, Synopsys, says: “Achieving aggressive PPA goals for advanced processors targeting highly immersive mobile experiences, such as Imagination’s CXT GPU, requires a huge engineering effort. Working closely with Imagination, we’ve created Synopsys Fusion QIKs to help customers reduce design iterations and dramatically accelerate time to market with an optimised EDA design methodology for their high-performance SoC designs.”

Trina Watt, Vice President of Product Marketing, Imagination, says: “In our rapidly evolving and resource-conscious market, it’s vital that silicon is designed with a first-time-right approach. Our collaboration with Synopsys on the Fusion QIKs for our CXT GPU cores helps ensure our mutual customers have access to advanced mobile ray tracing, with enhanced performance and efficiency for next-generation technologies. We look forward to continuing our exciting journey together.”

Imagination has been a long-time user of Synopsys EDA solutions for its processors’ design implementation and verification. The IMG CXT features the revolutionary PowerVR Photon architecture, bringing high-performance, desktop-quality ray-traced visuals to applications ranging from mobile to desktop and data centre. Leveraging Synopsys Fusion QIKs for the IMG CXT GPU enables SoC designers to accelerate their design activities whilst optimising their design to match their power and performance requirements. These QIKs are available today by request through Synopsys SolvNetPlus online support.

Thanks to its advanced Photon hardware ray tracing, the IMG CXT is a market-leading GPU IP, delivering incredible performance for games and other graphical use cases. Photon, the industry’s most advanced ray tracing architecture, brings desktop-quality visuals to mobile and embedded applications and has already been licensed for multiple markets.