''Smart Systems, as illustrated above, implement very complex functions and are often extremely heterogeneous, with parts from digital and analog electronics, RF, MEMS and other types of sensors, power sources and wireless transmission devices. Currently, no design methodology and tools exist that can master, simultaneously and seamlessly, all of the challenges that designers of smart micro-systems are confronted with when they need to develop new products. These challenges include potential intended or parasitic couplings (e.g. thermal or electromagnetic) of closely packed elements.''

In general, for the modeling, simulation, design and integration of Smart Systems, the scenario today is:

• The non-electrical parts (micromechanical structures, electromagnetic fields, thermal phenomena, wave propagation etc.) are designed using Partial Differential Equation (PDE) solvers such as the Finite Element Method (FEM) or schematic-based behavioural libraries.
• The analog and RF parts are designed based on reuse of existing macros by highly specialized engineers, following a template-based approach.
• The digital parts are designed using automated synthesis tools (from high-level synthesis to physical synthesis) following a top-down paradigm.
• System design is supported by block diagram simulation (e.g., MATLAB-SIMULINK, SystemVue), which allow a comprehensive view of the entire system but use simple models of the subsystems and of the components.
• The amount of software implemented in microcontrollers and DSPs is significantly increasing

http://www.4-traders.com/STMICROELECTRONICS-4710/news/STMICROELECTRONICS-Europe-Targets-Leadership-in-Next-Generation-%93Smart-Systems%94-15514501/

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