Whetting the curiosity of engineers is the best way to attract and maintain their interest. Promising lower R&D costs is the only way to get the interest of the managers holding the chequebook. If the subject of interest is worthy – both technically and commercially – it will culminate in design wins. If not, then it will likely go the way of the Dodo. The trick is in balancing what is necessarily a mixed message of commercial and technical viability, without alienating either the engineers or those who sign the cheques.
From day one, the concept of the structured asic appeared to strike that perfect balance. The technology has an inherently nice feel to it – the best of both worlds – whilst the obvious cost savings involved in starting with a half finished asic should appeal to the commercially savvy. Despite this, it’s still not clear if the industry as a whole is ‘talking’ or ‘walking’.
