Electronics in transition-the tools and technologies for 2000 AD

This paper begins by putting electronics into a historical perspective, identifying it as the latest in a long line of knowledge technologies, noting that electronic writing (the sequential recording of original symbol strings) is now performed on magnetic surfaces and electronic printing (the mass replication of fixed knowledge) is now done on plastic in the form of CD-ROM. We note a shift away from classical Newtonian-electronics towards a VLSI culture that transcends the old paradigm; this `new electronics´ is here called epitronics, being built upon electronics, but no longer having the same essential physical nature. After a brief review of current technologies, some ideas about how we may expect these to evolve are presented, followed by a discussion of the new knowledge-based tools that will be needed for product development in the latter part of this decade. Finally, we try to imagine the impact-of epitronics on Earthtown in the year 2000