Chair: John Trnka, IBM, Rochester, MN
ISSCC Executive Committee Chair
Associate Chair: Richard Hester, Texas Inst., Dallas, TX
Program Committee Chair
FORMAL OPENING OF CONFERENCE - 8:30 AM
1.1 Technologies for Multimedia Systems on a Chip - 8:45 AM
Joseph Borel
SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, Crolles, France
Increased chip complexity, made possible by deep submicron technologies (0.35mm and below) allows integration of several million logic gates, tens of millions of DRAM bits with some additional analog functions, on 100mm2 of silicon. This is the beginning of single-chip multimedia system-integration capabilities, including hardware and software co-design, either targeted at high speed for high computing power or at very low power for portable equipment.
The design of key functions, such as MPEG decoders (audio and video), or videotelephone CODECs, will evolve from chips to the macroblocks of a portable multimedia system-on-chip, with tremendous cost and performance improvements leading to more competitive solutions for the consumer market.
Key ingredients for further improvements remain: design efficiency increases, intellectual property reuse, time to market reduction, early usage of advanced silicon processes and resource optimization.
Development of single-chip multimedia systems requires a concurrent engineering methodology. The Technology Platform Concept (including process, pilot line capabilities, HW/SW co-design tools, libraries and packaging) is presented with specific emphasis on multimedia chip development.
1.2 Fifty Years Down, 50 Years to Go - A History of the Invention of the Transistor and
Where It Will Lead Us - 9:25 AM
William F. Brinkman,
Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ
In December 1947, the first transistor was tested at Bell Laboratories. This talk covers the history of this invention, the people involved and the management planning that defined the need for a solid-state amplifier. In addition, the important scientific discoveries that led to the transistor and important subsequent developments are highlighted. Finally, the expected performance of the transistor is defined as physical limits are approached, along with the impact on system and device design from gigabit scales of integration and GHz clock speeds.
ISSCS, JSSC AND IEEE AWARD PRESENTATIONS - 10:05 AM
BREAK - 10:30 AM
1.3 Multimedia Impact on Devices in the 21st Century - 10:45 AM
Hiroshi Yasuda
NTT Information and Communications Systems Labs, Japan
The rapid growth in PC communications and Inter-LAN communications and the explosive increase in the number of Internet users make computer communications a promising approach to realize the 21st century multimedia era. This growth encourages the full bloom of various multimedia services such as Agent Communications, Cyberspace and Electronic Commerce, including Electronic Cash, early in the 21st century. The rapid growth in advanced telecommunications technologies, such as high-speed optics (FTTH), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), inter-networking/multicast protocols and high-functionality computing terminals are aided by progress in silicon device and design technologies. A vision of realization of Internet multimedia services, based upon experience gained from pilot multimedia experiments, is described. Services and the supporting high-speed connection-less digital network called Open Computer Network are described along with acknowledgments and challenges for VLSI engineers.
1.4 The Network Computer and its Future - 11:25 AM
Bob Brodersen
University of California, Berkeley, CA
Recently, major discussion has arisen about a new paradigm for personal computing, focused on supporting the new "killer app" of accessing and manipulating multimedia data from the Internet. The enormous growth of this activity, that had no significant presence as little as two years ago, has called into question the continuing relevance of placing ever more computation power and storage at the user's computer. The alternative offered is a terminal that includes only the processing power for network communications and multimedia display. This has the potential advantage of a substantial terminal cost reduction that could open the PC markets to vast numbers of new users.
Presently-conceived network computers facilitate information access. As important as this is, it is only the first step in development of a useful device. The device must evolve from its present concept, a computer with communication and display peripherals, to a communication and display device with a computer peripheral. It must be vastly lighter-weight and lower-cost than present notebook computers, have reduced power consumption, allowing days or weeks between recharging, and support variable-bandwidth wireless communications.
In the InfoPad research project, a system design has been developed that will eventually allow all these goals to be met. The circuit, system and device technologies critical in implementing the InfoPad system are described to show a possible path that will lead to the "Future Network Computer."
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