System-level design: a strategic investment for the future of the electronic industry

A rigorous and well-supported system-level design methodology is essential to solve some of the pressing problems of the electronics. In the electronic system industry (e.g., automotive, consumer, defense, telecommunication), the reduction of the life time of products, the increasing market demands in terms of cost and features, the complexity of the design problem have created problems that are causing severe inefficiencies and may even jeopardize the economic viability of a company. In the semiconductor industry, the deep submicron effects, the increasing manufacturing and NRE costs, make the design of new circuits a very challenging proposition. These combined effects require a novel way of approaching the design problems. We present some issues and potential solutions stressing the strategic nature of system level design. Investing in methodologies, environments and tools for system-level design has to be considered strategic by all players in the electronic industry.