Abstract :
Summary form only given. The Internet changed our lives. The Internet of Things (IoT) will change our lives again. From its humble beginning as Arpanet in 1969 to pervasive social networking, the Internet has been a major driving factor for the high tech industry. IoT is the next wave in the evolution of the Internet. With predicted 50 Billion IoT devices by 2020 and over $15 Trillion in generated profit over the next 10 years, IoT will have a profound and dominating impact on the high tech industry in general and the semiconductor industry in particular. Unlike semiconductor devices for mobile applications, most IoT devices do not use complex Systems-on-Chips (SoC). IoT devices are simple, small, do not require leading edge process technologies, and have low development cost. However, IoT devices have a very large spread of applications ranging from home automation, to smart power, to fleet management, to environmental control. The semiconductor device simplicity, lower development cost, and wide range of applications foster innovation, creativity, and novel technology applications. IoT creates an unprecedented era of IC design opportunities for small to medium size companies, worldwide. To prepare and capitalize on the IoT opportunities, a new IC design development model is needed. “IC design in cloud” offers a new enabling technology and a new business solution to lower the design barriers for IC design companies.
