Software limits multi-core ICs, panelists say
Richard Goering, EE Times
(10/25/2005 11:14 PM EDT)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Multi-core ICs promise efficiency and performance, but will require new programming models that hide software and hardware details, according to panelists at the GSPx 2005 conference here Tuesday (Oct. 25).
With multi-core ICs, said Daya Nadamuni, chief analyst at Gartner Dataquest, "software is both the problem and the opportunity." She noted that systems-on-chip (SoCs) have not only hardware, but also a hardware/software binding layer, real-time operating system (RTOS), middleware, and applications software. Miss any of these components and you have problems getting to market, she said.
Nadamuni said that SoCs comprised 16 percent of the ASIC market and 31 percent of the ASSP market in 2004, and are expected to show rapid growth. The largest consumer, she said, is the handheld market, with automotive electronics expected to be a growth area in the future. But success depends on managing a "software explosion," she said.
The price of failure can be high, Nadamuni said. In China in 2004, she said, 65 percent of sub-$100 DVD players were returned, many due to software failures.
(10/25/2005 11:14 PM EDT)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Multi-core ICs promise efficiency and performance, but will require new programming models that hide software and hardware details, according to panelists at the GSPx 2005 conference here Tuesday (Oct. 25).
With multi-core ICs, said Daya Nadamuni, chief analyst at Gartner Dataquest, "software is both the problem and the opportunity." She noted that systems-on-chip (SoCs) have not only hardware, but also a hardware/software binding layer, real-time operating system (RTOS), middleware, and applications software. Miss any of these components and you have problems getting to market, she said.
Nadamuni said that SoCs comprised 16 percent of the ASIC market and 31 percent of the ASSP market in 2004, and are expected to show rapid growth. The largest consumer, she said, is the handheld market, with automotive electronics expected to be a growth area in the future. But success depends on managing a "software explosion," she said.
The price of failure can be high, Nadamuni said. In China in 2004, she said, 65 percent of sub-$100 DVD players were returned, many due to software failures.
To read the full article, click here
Related Semiconductor IP
- Band-Gap Voltage Reference with dual 2µA Current Source - X-FAB XT018
- 250nA-88μA Current Reference - X-FAB XT018-0.18μm BCD-on-SOI CMOS
- UCIe D2D Adapter & PHY Integrated IP
- Low Dropout (LDO) Regulator
- 16-Bit xSPI PSRAM PHY
Related News
- Platform ASICs a natural fit at 90 nm, say DAC panelists
- ESL needs more work, panelists say
- IP encryption brings trust, panelists say
- Siemens introduces Innovator3D IC - a comprehensive multiphysics cockpit for 3D IC design, verification and manufacturing
Latest News
- SEMI Reports Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase 13% Year-on-Year in Q1 2026
- POLYN Technology Announces Tapeout of Automotive Chip
- QuickLogic Establishes New Banking Relationship and Secures $10 Million Revolving Credit Facility
- TES is extending its PMU IP portfolio for X-FAB’s XT018 - 0.18µm BCD-on-SOI technology.
- RF Front-End Modules & Components IP Trends – Q1 2026 Monitoring Release