An economic comparison of telecommunication system design costs utilizing a modular design approach

A modular ASIC system design approach for telecommunications equipment is compared with system design utilizing conventional ASIC design approaches and standard products. The modular design approach utilizes telecom system blocks (TSBs) which are predesigned and tested telecommunication functions contained in a megacell or netlist format which represent system functions as viewed by the systems designer and have proven compliance to industry standards. The economics of each methodology are analyzed with respect to three major phases of a product's life, which include design and development, production, and cost reduction and evolution to a new generation of product.<>