John Metcalfe, senior director in Apple’s silicon engineering group and Jonathan Redshaw, Director in Apple’s platform architecture team took to the stage at the IET London:Savoy Place for the IETEngTalk series lecture. They spoke about how developments in silicon fabrication techniques are allowing Moore's law to remain relevant within the chip design industry.

However, the need to increase performance and power efficiencies will always be present and described how consumer features that were once part of a console, through innovations, are now seen as part of chip architecture itself, such as machine learning, smart sensing, security and multi bus requirements - the chip itself is becoming the mother board !


It’s this rate of quality innovation that allows us to have better virtual reality and gaming experiences and for this to continue, they described how all elements of chip architecture are in constant innovation, from materials that are used, fabrication methods and design architecture to ensure the features are scalable across any product range whether it be a watch, medical device or an entertainment item.


The topic of DSP usage in chip design was touched on in 2015 (here) and it’s clear since then our needs for better efficiency in power and performance in all digital items is not going to stop and will fuel some even moore (get it?) amazing innovation chip design methods.  A very insightful lecture on how chip design is evolving  ..fast !


Full evening details found here.