Telecommunication Applications: new challenges for microelectronics

This article presents a rapid overview of the expected performance of the n ext generation of digital VLSI circuits designed for communications. This f orecast is based on the SIA roadmap for silicon with continuously improving performance up to the 0.05 mum generation (even the 0.03 mum generation). The enormous processing capacity that will be feasible on one square cm(2) of silicon is presented, which will itself impose a new vision of chip arch itecture so as to take maximum advantage of this processing performance. In the years to come designers will have to face the challenge of managing th e hardware-software ubiquity of the next VLSI generation. System-on-Chip (S oC) will lead to the hardware and software developments and to "things that think," the ultimate production of complex, "intelligent," and autonomous systems communicating anywhere, anytime.