Electronic systems design: The need for integrated software simulation

The continuous increase in complexity of electronic systems is making the design of such systems more challenging than ever before. As a result, designers are finding it impossible to design efficient systems without employing an integrated software simulation environment and using sophisticated Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. This paper describes the benefits of an integrated software simulation approach and presents the industry design trends. These trends include concurrent design, system level design, virtual prototyping, design verification, design for test, fault simulation, and design for manufacturing. The paper also discusses the importance of teaching integrated simulation methodologies in engineering and engineering technology programs.