Keywords: embedded systems, multi-disciplinary design flow, silicon
Integrating systems on silicon implies more and more concurrent design by multidisciplinary teams that combine expertise in different technology disciplines. Future systems on silicon win consist of multi-processor architectures with high bandwidth embedded memory architectures and executing complex but extremely efficient real-time embedded software. Via high speed AD/DA convertors, the digital functions will interact with e.g. the integrated Radio Frequency fRF) front-end, operating at several Ghz. During the process of designing such systems, low power and EMC problems have to be studied. Design technologyfor building such systems on silicon win have to support the analysis of the interactions and the trade-offs between these very different components. Moreover, during allphases of the design process, the overall view of the system implementation and progress has to remain available. Designing an optimised system requires a design flow that deals concurrently with system design at a high abstraction level, with component design at a very detailed level and with packaging and interconnect technologies. Many of the CAD tools in the design flow will be developed by expert designers that formalise and encapsulate their knowledge into application specif c software and generators. Obviously CAD is important for alleviating the above design problems. However, the systematic formalisation of the design activity and the creation of multi-disciplinary design teams will be of utmost importance to deal with the above challenges.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 1998 International Conference on Modeling and Simulation of Microsystems
Published: April 6, 1998
Pages: 23 - 28
Industry sector: Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Modeling & Simulation of Microsystems
ISBN: 0-96661-35-0-3