Foreword

DATE has become the pre-eminent European conference addressing research and development activities in the field of design technology. World leading companies in multimedia, wireless communications, and automotive industries have led to the emergence of recognised European strengths in System-on-Chip Technologies, particularly Embedded Systems with a strong analogue and mixed-signal content. DATE is a unique event where the latest scientific and technological developments are brought to the public from the leading players in the field. DATE, therefore, offers a once-in-a-year occasion to find out more about the technical and architectural trends of circuits and systems, small and large, and the design automation and test challenges they bring to users, tool providers and PCB companies as well as semiconductor and IP providers alike. A total of 780 submissions were received for DATE 04, a significant increase over the previous edition. After careful consideration, the Program Committee has selected 181 papers for regular oral presentation in 53 sessions ????????? an acceptance rate of 27 percent ????????? and 73 papers as interactive presentations (a new format started at DATE 04 to present novel ideas of ?????????ongoing work????????? of high quality in an interactive one-to-one format). An additional 52 regular papers and 5 interactive presentations are presented in the Designers????????? Forum, a technical program track devoted to the presentation and discussion of practical, industry-oriented design experiences and methodologies using state of the art design tools. In addition, 12 Special Sessions (embedded tutorials, panels, etc.) have been chosen to bring stimulating insights and vibrant discussions in state-of-the-art topics. In complement to the main technical and scientific program, there are a number of valuable education activities in the days before and after the conference. These are the Pre-Conference Tutorials and Industrial Tutorials on Monday and 3 f- ll-day Master Courses and 4 Workshops on Friday. The organisation of a PCB Symposium, a University Booth, fringe meetings and social events during the conference offer a wide variety of extra opportunities to meet and exchange information on relevant issues for the design, automation and test communities.