Ex-ST exec calls for EDA to take strategic view

PARIS — When asked if the EDA industry has a roadmap, Joseph Borel, ex-executive vice president in central R&D at STMicroelectronics NV (Switzerland, Geneva), answers affirmatively as Europe continually renews the Medea+ EDA roadmap. The real question should however be: Does the EDA industry need an international roadmap?

Writing in an article on EDA DesignLine, Borel argued for an international EDA roadmap. As Moore's Law splinters and new approaches such as TSV gain credibility, he said it's time for EDA to move to a more open approach in terms of sharing the definition of priorities and sharing strategic developments requested by users. It's time for EDA to adopt a more productive approach.

The publication of the article began with a discussion between Borel and EDA DesignLine.

"Does the EDA industry have a roadmap? My answer to this question is definitely YES," emphasized Borel, now at the JB-R&D EDA consulting company. "Europe has an EDA roadmap, and has had it for several years within European programs, established on my initiative, under my responsibilities and in collaboration with all European players."

Indeed, Europe has been in a continuous EDA roadmapping process with the definition of its annual global R&D programs.

"Europe is ahead in terms of EDA roadmapping. This may be explained by the fact that EDA business remains small in Europe, and also because US companies tend to acquire our startups' accomplishments. It is high time that we change this situation with the advent of new technology approaches such as TSV."

Borel attracted the attention on The European EDA Roadmap 2009, a 352-page document that he and twenty European industry and R&D contributors wrote for the timeframe 2008 to 2013.

In more specific terms, The 2009 European Roadmap for design automation in semiconductor products describes mainly SoC and SiP products, taking the best of technology capabilities for addressing new markets. The 2009 edition mainly focuses on demonstrating a complete top-down design flow, starting at specifications, then system level Design linking designers to formal customer's specification, parametrizable IPs creation, standards and Design for Manufacturability (DfM) supported by new TCAD (Technology CAD) developments.

Published mid-2009, the document is revised and expanded with new ideas, notably CAD linked to Design for Manufacturability (DfM), Systems in a Package (SiP using new technology approaches such as TSV or Through Substrate Vias for 3D stacking), security and reliability (Dependability), every year.

Borel indicated that Chinese contacts called for the translation of the European EDA Roadmap 2009 in their language.