CANDE Predictions for the Early 2000's

(Made in August 1996)

Predictions:

1. Windows NT will be the only OS for commercially viable CAD applications.
2. X86 machines will ship as over 50% of EDA platforms.
3. More than 80% of the CAD effort will be directed towards software and "FPGA" based programmable hardware.
4. EDA companies will distribute all of their products (tools, libraries, etc.) on the internet.
5. The hardware/software co-design problem will have become the driving system level problem.
6. "Pay Per Use" EDA tools will be in widespread use.
7. Tools suites for mainstream system designers will be a significant fraction of the total EDA.
8. Portable voltage will be 1.8-1.2V, driving significant new circuit design and EDA challenges.
9. The IP crisis will be solved by an open IP industry and a mix-and-match standard.
10. Software will have become 60-80% of the overall embedded system cost.

Commentary: (9/2001)

Well, what a period of five years! The internet has gone from boom to bust, EDA is once again respectable in the eyes of VCs, but the darn economy does not seem to agree with anything these days. Windows NT is not as dominant as once thought for EDA (1), engineering workstations from Sun continue to be a popular choice for EDA platforms though a lot of EDA software is appearing on x86 platforms (2); physical CAD continues to be major CAD effort, while the industry continues to figure out a workable revenue model for CAD for software (compilers continue to set a bad example here) (3).