The Impact of Dennard's Scaling Theory - IEEE

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V. Oklobdzija Offers IEEE DL Talk and Keynote
Address to PEECS Symposium in Western Australia
Microprocessors in the Past and Future Explored at November Meetings
By Adam Osseiran, Edith Cowan University, a.osseiran@ecu.edu.au
Professor Vojin Oklobdzija, an
IEEE Fellow and Distinguished
Lecturer of the IEEE
Solid-State Circuits Society gave a
seminar entitled “Future of Microprocessors:
Retrospective and
Challenges” to the electronic and
computer communities in Western
Australia on Monday, 6
November, 2006. The venue was
the Innovation Centre WA at the
Technology Park in Bentley.
Twenty five researchers and professionals
from Perth attended the
lecture.
In his talk, Professor Oklobdzija
presented a retrospective of
modern microprocessor development.
He addressed advances in
enabling technology that have
brought unprecedented growth
and gave a perspective for future
development. The features which
have enabled the development
of modern microprocessors,
guiding principles and contributions
made by modern microprocessor
architecture were discussed,
as well as the move into
super-scalars with respect to performance
and implementation
difficulties.
Professor Oklobdzija then
addressed the one billion transistor
challenge and the impact of the
computer entry into consumer
market, representing new potentials
and new challenges. An interesting
discussion between Professor
Oklobdzija and the participants,
and among the participants
themselves, followed the talk and
From left, Dr. Vojin Oklobdzija, Dr. Adam Ossieran, and Dr. Lance Fung.
continued outside at a reception in
his honor provided by the IEEE
local section.
On the next day, Professor
Oklobdzija gave the keynote
address "Directions in Computer
Engineering" at the 7th Post Graduate
Electrical Engineering Computer
Symposium (PEECS) for
researchers and postgraduates
from the four Western Australian
Universities. The Symposium was
organized by Associate Professor
Lance Fung, who is the IEEE Western
Australia Section Chair. More
than 100 participants filled the
auditorium.
Professor Oklobdzija put the
computer engineering discipline
into a historical perspective and
showed how computers have
seen an unprecedented expansion
since the first electronic computers
were built some 50 years ago.
He later explained how computers
are playing a major part in our
lives and are fuelling economic
growth. He then outlined major
milestones and achievements in
computer development and continued
by showing trends and
sharing his view on where growth
and expansion in this area may be
expected. At the end, he offered
some recommendations for the
university computer engineering
programs.
The visit of Professor Oklobdzija
to Western Australia concluded
with a discussion about a proposal
to initiate a new joint IEEE
chapter of SSCS and EDS, which
should become two distinct
chapters later. Current developments
in the research communities
in Western Australia in the
fields of microelectronics, photonics,
solid states and electron
devices with new nanotechnology
and nanomaterial for applications
such as military, medical,
and general sensing applications
justify the establishment of a new
IEEE chapter.
Winter 2007 IEEE SSCS NEWSLETTER 71