Rethinking Innovation

I bought my first wireless telephone back in the 1980s–a big, bulky device

lugged around on a shoulder strap. Costing many hundreds of dollars, it let me

just place and receive calls. Of course, we all know what’s happened to the

wireless telephone in the ensuing decade. New generation models cost

significantly less and fit neatly into a shirt pocket or clip inconspicuously to

my belt. The most important change, however, is what they can do. In other

words, it’s no longer just a communications device–it’s a convergence

device, one that mixes features and capabilities from the once-distinct worlds

of computing, communications and consumer electronics to provide greater value

to the user. We are surrounded by examples of how convergence devices are

changing our world and our lives. None of this convergence would be possible

without the recent dramatic increases in silicon capacity that has led to

innovative developments at opposite ends of the customer spectrum.

The new design dilemma



Behind these advances, however, is a dilemma. Despite the escalating complexity
posed by shrinking geometries and convergent worlds of computing,

communications, and consumer devices, the process of electronic design remains

largely unchanged. It is still partitioned into four distinct and separate

design ecosystems that are assigned to teams of engineers with specialized and

disaggregated knowledge, languages, and tools.

Hardware-software convergence



Unlike traditional IC designs, new generations of devices are rapidly

becoming more of a software effort than hardware. In fact, the amount of

software engineering content in such devices already exceeds the hardware

content, and the percentage is growing. As this rich mix of hardware and

software grows, so too must the interaction between the hardware and software

design teams. Breaking down the barriers between the hardware and software

design ecosystems has enormous implications for IC providers and their systems

customers, including the adoption of new IC platform strategies, tools and

processes that enable rapid co-development while protecting massive software

investments.

Digital-analog convergence



The insatiable appetite for communications capabilities in digital devices

is creating explosive growth in mixed signal ICs. Within the next five years,

analysts predict that nearly three-quarters of IC designs will be mixed signal.

For this reason, companies have isolated analog circuitry from digital circuitry

for a number of reasons. The design approaches are completely different. As a

result, the designer skills are completely different with analog designers

requiring more mathematical skills and digital designers requiring more computer

architecture skills.

Silicon-package-board convergence



Exponentially increasing silicon capacity and performance affects more than

just the silicon; it also affects the IC packaging and printed circuit boards

(PCBs) that interconnect the silicon in a complete system. There is little value

in IC advances that keep pace with ‘Moore’s Law’ if the packages and PCBs

that use them cannot. New levels of integration are required as pin counts

exceed 1,000, digital frequencies exceed 500 MHz, and sensitive analog signals

cross IC boundaries. These factors are creating explosive growth in custom

packaging, which–over the next five years–will grow to nearly $16 billion,

up from $4 billion today. Leading-edge design teams working on silicon, package,

or board design must develop the capabilities to design all of these three

components simultaneously.

The design chain



Creating a design chain represents an enormous challenge to the electronic

design industry, but it also creates an attractive opportunity for companies

that aggressively tackle that challenge. Design chain management will require

coordination and cooperation on a number of fronts to meet the needs of systems

customers.

BY Ray Bingham



The author is president and CEO of Cadence Design Systems, San Jose, CA