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passion and drive of our research
team to make these breakthroughs in
electronics design possible and the
positive contributions they will have
on society, is what moves me, and
us forward.”
He noted that one of the greatest
challenges is keeping up with Moore’s
Law.
“The data density on computer chips
has doubled every 18 months since
the mid- 1960’s,” says Baldwin. “Ultimately,
our goal is to move beyond complex
multi-chip systems found in today’s
cars and consumer electronics products
and create simpler, single-chip designs.”
NEW HORIZONS
Gary Baldwin remembers when computers
filled entire rooms and parts of rooms,
then they were small enough to fit
under the desk, then atop the desk,
to now, where they fit in the palm
of a hand. Now, imagine a world where
tiny yet powerful computer chips are
embedded in, for instance, shirt buttons
that can monitor respiration rates.
Or in soup- can labels that can monitor
freshness and expiration dates; lighting
fixtures that can detect the optimal
and energy-efficient deployment of
light; and fresh paint, when applied
to walls, to help monitor energy consumption
in the home or place of business.
The GRSC is a consortium of 14 universities
nationwide. Their mission is to develop
new tools and techniques to enable
cost-effective design and maximize
the potential performance capabilities
of integrated circuits.
Thus far, this collaboration has
yielded a fundamental re-thinking
of existing design methods.
According to Baldwin, “The GRSC’s
‘Platform-Based Design’ methodology
promises to open up new horizons that
will transform everyday electronics
and appliances into ‘smart’ devices
with far greater utility. Most importantly,
the added intelligence will not add
complexity or cost.”
The brainstorming required to conceive
tomorrow’s technology where single
“chips” have billions of transistors
operating at many times today’s gigahertz
clock rates requires an equal measures
of engineering, intuition and inspiration.
“This demands a creative work style
where researchers bounce ideas off
each other, generating sparks,” says
Baldwin.
OVERCOMING LIMITATIONS
The Pederson Center team’s search
for a videoconferencing solution began
because of limitations in the layout
of their offices on the U.C. campus.
Working closely with counterparts
located off-campus at the Berkeley
Wireless Research Center was problematic.
The casual communication style that
is the lifeblood of the research community
was restricted. Instead of being able
to informally drop by to ask questions
or to share thoughts, colleagues had
to catch a bus or ride a bike across
town. This hampered the flow of information,
insight, ideas and, ultimately, innovation.
After extensive research to find
the right videoconferencing solution,
the team determined that Sony Electronics’
Business Solutions & Systems Company
(BSSC) could meet the challenge with
its Systems Integration Center (SIC),
based in San Jose, CA, managing the
installation process.
SIC is one of the leading providers
of services and product integration
for broadcast, corporate, government
and education video installations.
“We dovetailed in behind the expertise
of their facilities management team
on the install, bringing our knowledge
of networking IP-based videoconferencing
to this project,” says Peter Hargreaves,
the SIC project manager. “In a matter
of a day on site, the videoconferencing
system was fully functional and running
optimally between the various sites.”
Each of the endpoints consists of
a Sony PCS-6000 videoconferencing
system with an Ethernet connection
of 1920 kbps. The codec is mounted
between a pair of PFM-42B2 PlasmaPro™
flat-panel plasma monitors. The monitors
run in two modes. The first mode utilizes
the system as a collaboration tool.
One monitor shows a far field view
of the conference room alongside a
“whiteboard” with graphics. The alternate
mode displays near
MORE EFFICIENT, MORE
EFFECTIVE
Since its installation in June, the
Sony PCS-6000 videoconferencing systems
have quickly become an indispensable
part of the daily routine, helping
Baldwin and his fellow researchers
and students work more efficiently
and effectively.
“The PCS-6000 is a wonderful tool
that has transformed our communications,”
says Baldwin. “We don’t need to structure
use with reservations though it is
constantly being utilized. We find
that one of the most attractive features
is how informal it has all become.”
The final step in integrating videoconferencing
into the daily workflow is to expand
the system beyond Berkeley to other
affiliated institutions across the
country. Already, GRSC management
is having weekly meetings across the
continent via videoconference with
the Center’s associate director located
at Princeton University in New Jersey.
The next step is linking the seven-member
executive committee together for monthly
meetings and allowing students and
others to join in. “The roadmap for
this deployment realizes videoconferencing’s
promise of overcoming geography and
creating a viable virtual workplace,”
says Walter Sebastian, vice president,
segment marketing, for Sony Electronics’
Business Solutions and Systems Company.
“This is a practical application affording
real return-of-investment.”
For Baldwin and his colleagues and
students at the University of California
at Berkeley, the videoconferencing
system surpassed payback from day
one. “In calculating our cost savings,
the Sony PCS-6000 goes beyond the
hours and costs of airfare this technology
spares,” Baldwin says. “The very nature
of our community and cross-country
work depends on collaboration. Our
collaboration leads to the breakthroughs
needed. So, in a very real way, the
Sony videoconferencing system is crucial
in achieving our goal of accelerated
semiconductor research.”
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