Cadence Design Systems has unveiled ChipStack, an AI “super agent” that can be used for semiconductor design and verification, SiliconANGLE reported on Feb. 10 local time.

The company said the super agent boosts chip design engineer productivity by 10 times and supports tasks from writing code to generating testbenches, coordinating regression tests, debugging and automatic fixes.

ChipStack is not a simple AI agent but presents itself as an “orchestrator” that coordinates functions including IP design, verification, system-on-chip (SoC) integration and debugging. With verification seen as the biggest hurdle in chip design, the company said ChipStack works like a junior engineer by analysing design documents, block diagrams, waveforms and timing relationships and automatically detecting and fixing errors.

Cadence aims to automate chip design and verification using ChipStack. ChipStack integrates with Cadence’s optimisation AI and AI assistant solutions. When engineers input design specifications into the AI system, it automatically creates a test plan, runs simulations and analyses logs and waveforms. Engineers work with the AI system, taking on a role similar to supervising a junior engineer.

The company said ChipStack can be deployed in cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments, and major companies including Nvidia, Altera and Tenstorrent are adopting it.