The application of gallium arsenide integrated circuit technology to the design and fabrication of future generation digital signal processors: promises and problems

The development of gallium arsenide digital integrated circuit technology has progressed rapidly during the past decade. It is argued that in order to derive the maximum benefit from this technology as it is inserted into next-generation signal and data processors, all aspects of the design, assembly, testing, and maintenance of the systems will have to be considered synergistically. Salient issues which must be considered in the implementation of these advanced digital processors are reviewed, including the effects of system, logic board, chip layout, and packing constraints on memory layout, logic design, and arithmetic implementation.<>