ABSTRACT
Progress in technology induces paradigm shifts in computing. The invention of the programmable microprocessor in 1974 resulted in the evolution from pure hardware-based computing to software-based computing. With the advent of programmable hardware in the early 1980s, we have configware-based computing. Finally, in the 21st century, due to Moore’s Law, the number of gates that can be squeezed into a tiny chip area has increased to such an extent that a full hardware-software system can be implemented on a single chip. With the advent of System-on-Chip (SoC), the design of electronic consumer products initiated an era of digital convergence, leading to the integration of numerous applications onto a single device. The mobile phone is a typical example, integrating GPRS, GSM, GPS, MP3, MPEG4, CCD Digital Still Camera, FM Radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth – you name it and you have it on your mobile phone!
