Chip voltage: why less is better

Article Abstract:

As chip designers pack circuit elements more closely, internal electric fields rise to levels that threaten the circuit. The fields can be reduced only with a lower voltage, which also brings less power dissipation and less heating. This in turn allows more elements in a given chip area, improving performance all around. For years, chips have operated at 5 V until the introduction by IBM and NTT Corp of a 4M-bit RAM and a 16M-bit RAM, respectively; both chips operate at 3.3 V. Many conservative designers think 3.3 V is not necessary; they favor retaining 5 V for the coming generation. Nevertheless, the new experimental chips strongly suggest that a significant number of 3.3 V circuits will be around before the decade is over.

Integrated circuits, Standard, Standardization, Technology, Product introduction, Electric potential, Power supplies (Computers), New Technique, Power Supply, Voltage, Transistor-Transistor Logic

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Software tools speed circuit board design

Article Abstract:

The continually increasing complexity of printed-circuit boards (PCBs) requires the use of computer-assisted design (CAD) systems. The minimum features a CAD system should have are: maintain and control a net list; help determine component placement; perform automatic and interactive layout of conductor routes; perform audits and violation checks; produce graphical data to generate artwork; and keep an electronic file of drilling information. Formal industry standards are needed for data exchange and for a translation mechanism so hardware and software products can directly substitute for each other.

Computer aided design, Software Packages, Computer-Aided Design, Boards/Cards, Surface-Mount Technology, Surface mount technology

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