VLSI Design Methodology: The Problem of the 80's for Microprocessor Design

Abstract

The rapid evolution of semiconductor technology continues to make possible increasingly sophisticated electronic systems on single chips of silicon. By 1982, a single silicon chip is projected to have well over 100,000 transistors. This level of complexity represents a major problem for the VLSI designer in the 1980's. Unless there is a major change in design methodology, this level of VLSI technology will be grossly under-utilized due to the problems of design, layout and checking. With present design methods, a 100,000 transistor MOS chip will take 60 man years to layout and another 60 man years to debug.