SoC Architect

Project

Work done for a product or program.

• Translate product marketing requirements into a quantified SoC architecture specification covering compute, memory bandwidth, IO and power budgets.
• Partition the chip into subsystems and select internal IP versus third-party IP from Arm, Synopsys, Cadence, Imagination or in-house teams.
• Define the address map, interrupt topology, clock and reset architecture, and power domain structure for the full device.
• Build and drive spreadsheet and SystemC performance models that size interconnect bandwidth, DRAM channels and cache hierarchies before RTL exists.
• Own the PPA budget allocation across subsystems and arbitrate trade-offs when blocks overshoot area or leakage targets.
• Review IP integration requirements with design, DFT, physical design and software teams and sign off the integration guide.
• Lead architecture review boards and drive closure on cross-team architectural change requests through the ECO process.
• Define the boot flow, security perimeter and low-power state machine jointly with firmware and security architects.
• Support silicon bring-up by diagnosing architectural shortfalls against the modeled performance and feeding corrections into the next derivative.

Function

Work that keeps the discipline running: methods, tools, suppliers and people.

• Mentor junior architects and maintain the architecture roadmap across product generations and process node migrations.

Project

1. Produce and hand over the role's key deliverables
   • SoC architecture specification and block diagram baseline
   • PPA budget and area/power tracking workbook per subsystem
   • Address map, interrupt map and clock/reset/power-domain definition
   • SystemC/TLM performance model and its correlation report
   • IP selection matrix and integration requirements document
   • Architecture change request log and review board minutes
2. Define the architectureGeneral
   • Collect and clarify the product requirements
   • Build performance and power models
   • Write and baseline the architecture specification
3. Support implementationGeneral
   • Answer specification questions from design and verification
   • Assess the impact of proposed changes
   • Compare results with the original targets

Function

1. Build the architecture practiceGeneral
   • Keep modelling tools and reference models current
   • Publish design guidelines and specification templates
2. Plan aheadGeneral
   • Study workload and technology trends
   • Contribute to the product roadmap