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3METRICS FOR TECHNOLOGY PERFORMANCEA customer pays for value. We often associate functionality with value and how well the productor service performs that function as performance. Though this is often true, it is always important to keep in mind that what we think is of value to the customer, may not always be the case.This is illustrated in Figure 3-1. In the context of information handling devices, performance isrelated to the specific function of the various types of information handling. 1982 by Sidney Harris – “What’s So Funny About Computers?”, William Kaufmann, Inc./ICE, "Roadmaps of Packaging Technology"16065Figure 3-1.INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION3-1

Metrics for Technology PerformanceINFORMATION HANDLING TECHNOLOGIESOur society has always had a thirst for information, and technology has been fueling the revolution in how we access information since the Gutenberg press first churned out 42 line Bibles in1454. Information is handled in four basic ways: processed transmitted stored interfaced with the physical worldEvery task performed by every electronic device fits into one of these four tasks. Figure 3-2 listsexamples of each of these activities. Computers, communications and consumer products arehuge markets for information handling.Information ProcessingData compressionImage morphingDatabase searchingTranslationInformation TransmissionTelephone transmission over twisted pairTV transmission over radio wavesPDA to PC over IR linkIDE controller to hard drive over SCSI busInformation StorageFloppy driveHard driveCDMagnetic tapeInformation InterfaceCRT monitorKeyboardMouseSpeakersSource: ICE, "Roadmaps of Packaging Technology"22164Figure 3-2. Four Information OperationsInformation processing is the transformation of data into information. This is a pervasive taskwhich happens in virtually all electronic systems from supercomputers to digital watches embedded in pens or rings. It only takes a few gates to process information, and when a 4-bit embedded microcontroller costs 25 in high volume, it is only a matter of time before any device withaccess to a battery or is plugged in the wall will be capable of information processing.3-2INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION

Metrics for Technology PerformanceInformation transmission is the transport of data from one location to another. Every electronicinterconnect interface is devoted to either power or information transmission. This task spans fromtransistor to transistor on a chip in 2 micron long fine line aluminum wires, to 45 kilometer longfiber-optic cables from repeater to repeater station, two miles deep in the Atlantic Ocean. In a scaleappropriate to our human size, we are touched by information transmission on a daily basis overtelephone lines, by electromagnetic waves to radios and by infrared links from our remote controlto a TV.Information storage is the placement of data in a static media where it can be located and retrievedat a later time. This task spans the scale from on chip registers that may be only 16 bits wide,through optical disk farms that may contain 10,000 CD discs, each with 10Gbits of data. There arethree currently used electronic media for information storage: semiconductorÑin various formsof random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic (DRAM), static (SRAM), video (VRAM), flash,etc.; magnetic, such as magnetic tape, floppy disks and hard disks; and optical, such as compactdisks (CDs), and digital video disks (DVDs).Information interface refers to the transfer of information from the physical world to the electronic world, either as input or as output. The Man-Machine interface is a specialized case. Themost common output interfaces encompass visual display devices such as CRT (cathode raytube), LCD (liquid crystal display) and printers, or sound generation through speakers. Vibrationis also popular as an output for pagers, transmitting one bit of information. The most popularinput devices today are keyboards, mice, pen-touch screens and microphones for use with voicerecognition software. In addition to the Man-Machine interfaces, there is a whole universe of sensors and actuators that are used in monitor and control applications for automotive, home andindustrial environments.Though only information processing and transmission are discussed below, the packaging technologies used in all four applications are discussed throughout this book.INFORMATION PROCESSINGThe Migration from Super Computer to Shirt PocketThere has never been, and will never be, enough processing power available to the individual.The functions performed by super computers today will eventually be performed by personalcomputers and PDAs tomorrow. Those functions only dreamed of now, will some day be performed by the leading-edge super computers.Information processing, or computing power, is an intrinsic feature of every electronic device weuse. We call some of these devices computers, such as a mainframe, server, personal computeror laptop. And some we do not recognize as computers, yet have information processing as theirINTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION3-3

Metrics for Technology Performancefoundation, such as digital cell phones, cameras, personal digital assistants, TVs, washingmachines, and sewing machines. Computers have become embedded into virtually every electronic device that plugs into the wall or is powered by a battery.The performance of a computer is not the factor that classifies it as a mainframe or a microcomputer. Any table that listed the MIPS (millions of instructions per second) or FLOPS (FloatingPoint Operations Per Second) rating of a ÒtypicalÓ super computer would be out of date within afew years of its introduction.For example, in 1982, a super computer was defined as a computer of about 20MegaFLOPS orhigher. In 1989, the Intel 33MHz 486DX had a peak speed of 27MIPS, roughly equivalent to20MegaFLOPS, the threshold for super computer speed. Also in 1989, NEC introduced the SX-X,at 22GigaFLOPS, three orders of magnitude higher than the super computer threshold. This everincreasing trend in performance is shown in Figure 3-3. The performance of any computer familyis a constantly increasing quantity.5Cray T90Cray C90Peak Speed (Millions of Operations Per Second)10 12MCray T3ECray T3DCray Y-MPCray 2410Cyber 205Cray X-MP310Intel iPSCTMC CM-1Cray 1210CDC 7600(DEC VAX 780)IBM 360/90CDC 6600Illiac IVIBM 7094(DEC PDP11)IBM StretchIBM 7090(IBM 360)IBM(PDP6)1704(DEC PDP1) 5M100.119551960196519701975Source: Physics Today/ICE, "Roadmaps of Packaging Technology"1980198519901995Year200021981Figure 3-3. Leading Edge Growth of Computer Technologies Since 1955Rather than performance capability, a computer or information appliance is defined by its formfactor. The form factor reflects the physical size of the product, the number of people it can serveand its shape. These factors also define general price ranges for each form factor. A variety of3-4INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION

Metrics for Technology Performanceform factors have emerged for computer systems and information appliances over the last fewdecades (Figure 3-4). As electronics technology evolves, these form factors and market prices stayrelatively the same. What changes is the performance capability of each product.Super Computer100 Inches 10M1 InchSize 1PriceMainframe meraTelephoneCalculatorWatchSource: ICE, "Roadmaps of Packaging Technology"RelativePerformance15778AFigure 3-4. Form Factors for Electronic SystemsThe real revolutions in new products are occurring in the large form factors and in the smallestform factors. At the high end, the total processing capability available to run an individual program opens up new problems to simulation, in a reasonable time period. For example, to simulate and predict the local weather for the next day, in less than one dayÕs worth of computationtime, requires an estimated performance of 100GigaFLOPS.Higher levels of chip integration have allowed what was PC performance to migrate into the shirtpocket. This is seen in the new generation of Òpersonal information managersÓ such as theZaurus, the Pilot and the Wizard, as well as the Notebooks, such as from Toshiba, Compaq, andIBM. This evolution of microprocessor performance is illustrated in Figure 3-5.INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION3-5

Peak Speed (Millions of Operations Per Second)Metrics for Technology Performance310Pentium Pro PC 5KPentium PC210Sun WSIBM PCApollo WSApple II10MacintoshPCAltair 880010.11955Intel 4004DEC PDPS 30K196019651970197519801985199019952000YearSource: Physics Today/ICE, "Roadmaps of Packaging Technology"21980Figure 3-5. Functional/Affordable Growth of Computer Technology Since 1955In between these two extreme form factors there is a steady migration of features and performancefrom the large systems into the smaller ones. Patrick Gelsinger, who led IntelÕs 80486 design team,has proposed a new law of computing,ÒEvery concept proven useful in mainframes or minicomputers has migrated onto themicroprocessor.ÓWe might even generalize this more and propose that,ÒAny function performed by a large size computer will eventually be offered in the smallestcomputers.ÓDriving Forces on Computing DevicesThe universal driving force for all these devices is more processing power, in a smaller volume, atlower price. This has often been summarized with the phrase, ÒFaster, smaller, cheaper.Ó Thismarch of ever increasing performance density per unit cost is propelled by finding engineeringsolutions that allow packing into each form factor more gates, able to switch at higher speeds, ata lower manufacturing cost.At the high end, the high power dissipation is accepted, and adequate means of dealing with itare implemented. At the low end, where portability is key, low power consumption becomesanother critical factor, and the driving force is more performance density per unit cost per watt.3-6INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ENGINEERING CORPORATION