Electronic Design Automation (EDA) is a process that has revolutionized the way circuits and computers chip are made and how they function. Chip design was previously done completely by hand. The results were costly and not always ideal. So what is EDA and what does it mean for electronics?
What is EDA? -
EDA is a broad term for computer aided design, engineering, and manufacturing. EDA is used by companies that produce large circuits that are too complex to be designed by hand. Several marked accomplishments in circuit design technology including materials and processes have allowed companies to develop EDA. Design automation software was developed in the 1970s by large companies as well as academic institutions; however, this software became commercially available in the 1980s.
System on a Chip -
Early EDA focused on digital circuitry, but the trend has moved to analog as well as mixed systems and the system-on-a-chip model which is currently preferred. The System-on-a-Chip of SOC means integrating all components of an electrical system or computer of a single chip. These components, which are standard on most SOC, are a microprocessor, memory blocks, timing sources, peripherals, external interfaces such as USB or Ethernet, analog interfaces, and voltage regulators. Software is also created to control the various processors and interfaces on the chip.
EDA has made possible what many never would have imagined. It is used today is many areas and many products of printed circuit design.
By: Angela Oliver