Report: Computer-Aided Engineering and Design for Interconnection Technology

Abstract

The vertical integration of the design and manufacturing elements of AT&T provides the right environment for developing and using an end-to-end computer-aided design process. We have applied this process to the design of the complete hierarchy of interconnection levels <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sup> — the integrated circuit (IC) package, circuit pack, backplane, multibackplane unit, frame, and system. Computer aids are available for the initial design phases (computer-aided engineering, or CAE) and the follow-on, detailed design phases and interfaces to manufacturing (computer-aided design, including computer-aided test design, or CAD.) The computer-aided design process has been in use throughout the AT&T R&D community for many years, <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and it is steadily enhanced to increase its benefits.