The software cause used to be championed by the EDA guys. Today, you increasingly hear it echoing down embedded halls. This is to be expected, as software is an intrinsic part of embedded systems. Voices from the embedded camp, however, are growing louder, and they were clearly heard at the recent Embedded Systems Conference-Taiwan (ESC-Taiwan) held in Taipei.

The two shows—EDA & Test-Taiwan (EDA&T-Taiwan) and ESC-Taiwan—run in tandem. This year's show clearly identified the respective scopes of the two industries in Asia: while the former is steady and stable, the embedded part is growing significantly. And one word that kept buzzing on the show floors was software.

They were all there—from leading embedded processor makers like Intel and AMD to top fabs such as TSMC and UMC. Spansion carried the flag in the embedded memory space, while Wind River led the embedded software providers.

ARM showcased its tools and processor offerings for cellphones, with mobile gadgets gradually moving toward the PC-like software model. The IC IP supplier also presented the ARM road map for advanced mobile applications such as gaming and smart phones, and how this will relate to hardware integration as well as software and system architecture compatibility.

ADI spin-off On Demand Microelectronics showed details of its IP strategy for launching new programmable solutions for multimedia applications currently done in hardware. The Vienna-based firm—while complementing existing SoCs or systems with video encodes, decode and image processing functions—plans to launch its own chip in Q1 of 2007.

Altera presented a progress report on its low-cost embedded processor Nios II and how such FPGA chips can support the main processor by offloading a number of tasks, thus reducing clock frequency. Altera execs are optimistic that low-cost FPGAs will give designers greater adaptability and subsequently facilitate a shift from hardware to system architecture.

Company officials told EE Times-Asia that the FPGA industry is now talking extensively with system and software engineers. They added that the new architectural shift could lead to a strategy in which design engineers can find a low-cost processor and put everything else on the FPGA.

Also at the show was test and measurement expert National Instruments, which is making a big push into the embedded design business. The company is marking the 20th anniversary of its LabVIEW graphical system design platform with its latest version, LabVIEW 8.20, which extends the popular graphical programming language to simulation and test tools for communications engineers.

Atmel, while acknowledging its roots in the memory business, is now positioning itself as an MCU specialist targeting the automotive, RF and security segments. The chipmaker showcased a number of embedded solutions from its AVR-based 32bit processor family.

Then there were industrial PC players from Taiwan—armed with multicore processors and bucking the integration trend—who are looking to mainland China's vast manufacturing base with renewed optimism.

The forums and press briefings echoed expert opinions on Taiwan engineers' need for greater design creativity and participation in international standards formulation. Senior industry executives also encouraged EEs to move to higher-value design in product applications.

Lack of essential IP and convergence of system chips were also hot topics. Discussions with exhibitors give one the impression that Asian engineers have reached a new level of maturity as they tackle design issues related to system architecture and software.

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