CAD/CAM/CAE : electronic design automation, 1992 - Archive Server

The Design Process 3^
forces acting upon the design wedge are the critical factors to
market success discussed previously. These forces, or vectors, act
upon the design wedge and contribute to the overall shape of the
design process. The two characteristics that define a vector—
direction and magnitude—^are equally valid in describing market
forces and impact upon the design wedge. For example, the timeto-market
vector will tend to decrease the length of the wedge
along the x-axis, while increasing system speed will necessitate an
expansion in the design flexibility axis, as designers pursue alternate
design styles and process technologies to decrease signal
delays.
The percent of time spent in each of the steps in the design cycle
for each geographic region is shown in Figure 3-9. While subtle
differences exist in the design styles and the amount of time spent
on each step, these differences may be statistically insignificant
overall.
Definition of Design Specification and System
Partitioning
The following inferences can be drawn, based on the results of our
survey:
• Consumes more than one-fifth of the overall design cycle
• System architects rank only behind digital designers in
population
• Design specification and system partitioning is most flexible
portion of the design cycle
The automation of system-level design is one of the few untapped
wells in electronic design automation. The time spent on this portion
of the design process, in addition to the number of self-labeled
system architects, makes this area an enticing target to companies
that can provide properly designed automation tools. Dataquest
foresees significant opportunity in this area, and indeed a few companies
have targeted this area for products that will be introduced
in the next 6 to 12 months.
Logic Design and Verification
The following conclusions can be drawn from our survey:
• Consume the most of the design cycle
• Has the largest population of engineers
o Digital designers
o Simulation and verification support engineers
• Has the largest numbers of EDA tools
o Design entry
o Logic synthesis
o Verification tools
CCAM-EDA-UW-9201 ©1992 Dataquest Incoiporated November 30, 1992