Hewlett-Packard has unveiled software that lets computers design computer chips.
The software will allow the wholesale design and manufacture of 'embedded chips' - the tiny electronic brains that are powering the next-generation of 'smart' devices, such as washing machines that design a wash cycle based on the dirt level of a load. Embedded chips are found in everything from toys to sophisticated medical equipment.
The new software is called 'PICO,' for Program In, Chip Out. PICO contains the design specifics of 2.5 million different embedded chip designs. Once a manufacturer determines the complexity of the program for a particular device, PICO can then suggest a design, within user-specified parameters of cost and time to market.
HP, together with such companies as Adelante Technologies and Celoxica, are rushing to come up with ways to keep up with design demands for the hundreds of computer chips that technologists say will find their way into our everyday lives.
In the 1950s a single computer chip in a large mainframe computer was shared by thousands of users. In the 1980s, desktop computers brought that ratio down to one chip per person. But now, an individual can come into contact with hundreds of small, behind-the-scenes chips. For instance, a modern car can have from 30 to 70 computer chips, monitoring fuel flow, climate and air bag readiness.
