SOCs drive new product development

To dispel a potential misperception that system-on-chip designs are a long way off, the authors describe several examples of new products that derive benefits from using SOCs. These designs emphasize the combination of a complementary set of functions into an economically viable package. SOCs are fueling new products that wouldn't have been possible a few years ago. The article describes the features of Motorola's chip that answers the call for smaller wireless handsets and longer battery life by integrating the separate DSP and microcontroller onto one piece of silicon. It also makes some predictions about what's next in this design area. It goes on to describe how SOCs offer original equipment manufacturers an economical package on which to base new products. It is reported that thin-client vendors like Wyse are using this model to make serious inroads into corporate computing, a domain long dominated by the desktop PC. Next, the article explains how OEMs can save time and money by buying a product that integrates several networking functions-copier, facsimile, and laser-quality printer-into a single chip. Finally, the article presents a sampling of emerging commercial products that use microelectromechanical systems-semiconductor chips that integrate mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a silicon substrate. It describes some advantages of MEMS over current devices that perform the same functions and explains why MEMS is sure to be the technology of the future for many applications.