From: bharrell@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Ben Harrell)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,sci.engr,sci.misc
Subject: ASIC Survery for MBA Project
Summary: ASIC Survey for an MBA project for a friend <Thanks in advance>
Keywords: ASIC
Date: 7 Apr 92 21:48:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: garfield.bharrell.702683316
Organization: North Carolina State University


 I'm posting this survey questionnaire about  ASIC (Application 
Specific Integrated Circuit) for a friend who doesn't have access
to the Internet Newsgroups.  He needs the information for an
MBA project.  I would appreciate your sending any responses to
the survey directly to me via email instead of via posting to this
newgroup.  I will forward the responses to Alex via our intra-
email.  Also, I would appreciate suggestions of other, possibly
more appropriate newsgroups to which to post this.

Thank you very much!
**************************************************
 
Hi, I am an MBA student who is doing a market prospect study for
a new high-tech company as a graduation project.  My project
requires gathering information about the use and needs of
fast-turn-around ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)
and writing up a market analysis paper.
 
With that introduction, I would like to ask any engineers out there
with experience in ASICs to take a few moments to fill out the
survey form I am attaching with this posting.  I know that most of
you are very busy and that it is often very inconvenient to fill
out any questionnaires.  However, it would be extremely helpful to
me if I can get as many replies as possible.
 
Thank you in advance for your help and I would really appreciate
your response.
 
                              Alex Chin
 
QUESTIONNAIRE:
 
Name: ________________________
Company: ____________________________
Address:______________________________________
        ______________________________________
 
Title: ________________________________
 
 
Preliminary information - A new high-tech company is planning to
   offer a 40,000 gate equivalent device with less than $5,000
   prototyping cost.  It also promises 3 day turn around time
   for small volume production (500 devices @$100/device).
   Transparent migration path to high volume production with
   4 weeks guaranteed initial volume delivery.

Which of our services described above is most important?
(please rank them in order starting with 1-most important,
 2-second most important, etc.)
 
   Array size __          Turnaround time ___
   Low cost prototyping __   Small volume production __
   Production quantities delivery time __
   Low volume piece cost __
 
 
Gate Arrays:
 
  1. Are you currently using Gate Array or Standard Cells
     for ASICS ? (if No, please proceed to question 9)         ----
 
  2. Are you designing your Gate Arrays or Standard Cells
     in house?                                                 ----
 
  3. How many different designs a year do you have?            ----
 
  4. How large are they? (In gates equivalent counts)       -----------
 
  5. What are your typical speed requirements?               --------
 
  6. Rank the relative importance of: (1- highest, 2-second, etc.)
 
               Device Speed: __       Turn around Time ______
               Prototyping Cost __    Small volume piece cost __
               Large volume piece cost __
 
  7. Do you have many ASIC applications that require fewer than
     10,000 piece per year ?                                     ----
 
  8. If YES, does the cost of prototyping make gate arrays too
     expensive to use?                                           ----
 
 
  9. Why don't you use gate array ASICs?
 
     Don't need Gate Array __
     Volume requirements too low __
     No in-house expertise __
     NRE (Non recurring engineering) cost too high __
     Other:__________________
 
 10. Would you considest, volume requirment,
     and level of expertise went down ?                          ___
 
 
FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays):
 
  1. Have you done any FPGA designs in your company?            ----
 
  2. If not, are you planning to use FPGA?                      ----
 
  3. If YES, how many designs a year does your company do?      ----
 
  4. What type of FPGAs are you using or planning to use:
       - Xilinx,Actel,Altera,Plessy, etc.                       ----

  5. Are you constrained by FPGAs speed?                        ----
 
  6. Are you contrainted by FPGAs density?                      ----
 
  7. Can you benefit from low volume device if it costs
     $100/piece?                                                ----
 
  8. Can you benefit from low volume device if it costs
     $50/piece?                                                 ----
 
 
Software/Interface:
 
  The company is planning to offer place & route software and
  interface to simulation.
 
  1. What support software do you must have before considering
     using our technology?
     __________________________________________
 
  2. On what platform should the software run?
 
     Unix workstation __         MS-DOS machine  __
     Window 3.0       __         MacIntosh       __
     Other  ____________
 
  3. What would get your company to try this new product?
     __________________________________________
 
End of Questionnaire
Newsgroups: sci.electronics