With widespread proliferation of wireless technologies in consumer, communications, industrial and medical markets, and with electronic design automation (EDA) tools getting more sophisticated in handling RF handling, it is not suprising to see this year's Design Automation Conference (DAC) will dedicate a special event, called Wireless Wednesday, to wireless design issues and challenges. The 42nd DAC, which will be held June 13-17, 2005, at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., will feature “Wireless Wednesday” on Wednesday, June 15, to offer attendees and exhibitors an opportunity to participate in a series of technical sessions, pavilion panels, special displays and presentations highlighting wireless design.

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According to market research firm Gartner Dataquest, in 2004 wireless semiconductor revenue grew in excess of $35 billion, a growth increase of more than 40% from the previous year.

“In recognition of the tremendous recent and anticipated growth of wireless applications in the consumer electronics industry, and the impact this has on the EDA industry, this year DAC is dedicating an entire day to wireless design issues and challenges,” said Steve Levitan, professor, computer engineering, University of Pittsburgh and DAC New Initiatives Chair.

In addition to technical sessions and panels, a wireless showcase in booth number 1968 will display wireless products from leading IC suppliers, systems houses, EDA and IP vendors. DAC attendees are also invited to participate in the “Wireless Walk,” which will feature exhibitors showcasing products used in the design of wireless systems, including design tools, IP, foundry services and design services. When attendees arrive at the show, they will receive a “Wireless Walk” passport and map. As they visit participating EDA and IP exhibitors that provide solutions for use in wireless system design, they will receive a passport stamp. Those who collect enough stamps will be eligible to participate in a select drawing for a special gift.

Jan Rabaey of the University of California, Berkeley will lead a panel, “Wireless Platforms: GOPS for Cents and Milliwatts,” discussing how data communications has overtaken voice as the main force behind the growth in wireless. Panelists will debate the various wireless implementation platforms that are breaking new ground, examining issues of efficiency, flexibility and programming models.

The “Wireless Wednesday” technical session will feature three presentations on the complexity of wireless systems, along with the resource constraints, such as area, power and cost, requiring the use of advanced design methods. The first, “Design Methodology for Wireless Nodes with Printed Antennas,” by Jean-Samuel Chenard, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, will discuss the use of EM simulators with PCB design tools. The second presentation, “MP Core: Algorithm and Design Techniques for Efficient Channel Estimation in Wireless Applications,” by Yan Meng, University of California, Santa Barbara, will describe design steps for a parametrizable IP core for a wireless channel estimation engine. The final presentation, “From Myst to Methodology: Cross-Layer and System-Level Mixed-Signal Design Concepts in Actual Designs,” by Wolfgang Eberle, IMEC, will present cross-layer system design methods to combine low power with flexibility in radios.

A special technical session, “Emerging Directions in Wireless,” will feature Bill Krenik, Texas Instruments, on cognitive radios; Jeff Gilbert, Atheros, on MIMO approach to wireless LAN; Ahmad Bahai, CTO National, on ultra-low-energy transceivers for personal area networks; and Clark Nguyen, DARPA, on RF-MEMS. Another special technical session, the annual “Best of Wireless at ISSCC,” will spotlight four papers selected from the 2005 ISSCC conference on wireless designs.

Wireless Wednesday also includes three industry led discussions in the DAC Pavilion. The first, “Wireless Design: Can You Hear Me Now?” features panelists John Kaewell, Interdigital Communications, Inc; Mark Kent, Broadcom Corp.; and Ken Tallo, Intel Corp., discussing how EDA is addressing wireless development needs.

A “Perspectives on Wireless” presentation will feature Gadi Singer, Intel Corp., on the future of wireless technology in a wirelessly connected world. Mike Muller, CTO of ARM, will lead the final pavilion panel, “The Wireless Carnac the Magnificent,” discussing the state of the art of wireless devices and providing a vision of the wireless world of the future.