The evolution of electronic design automation technology

Electronic design automation (EDA) tools are available to engineers working at integrated circuit, printed circuit board, and system level. This article looks at how EDA has contributed to electronic product development until now, and how it might continue to do so in the future.

The invention of the transistor in 1947 at Bell Laboratories spawned an explosion in electronics technology, and an industry that has profoundly changed our way of life. Evolution and the appearance of ever-smaller and more powerful devices has been driven at a relentless pace as companies compete to get to market first, and maximize profits from new technology opportunities.

The size of the stakes, and the efforts that tech companies devote to becoming winners, is vividly illustrated in a nonfiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning book called ‘The Soul of A New Machine’ written by Tracy Kidder in 1981. It describes the attempt by Data General in 1980 to develop a next-generation computer to prevent Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) achieving domination of the new 32-bit minicomputer market. A key theme in the book is the tension between engineering quality and time to market. This has persisted as a potential if not actual problem, but has been mitigated by the appearance and evolution of electronic design automation (EDA) – sometimes known as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) – tools. They are available to facilitate integrated circuit (IC), printed circuit board (PCB) and complete system design.

05.04.2021 From Power & Beyond