
22 Chapter 1 Embedded Computing
both by labor and by the equipment used to support the designers. (The server
farm and CAD tools required to design a large chip cost several million dollars.)
Lifetime cost takes into account software and hardware maintenance and
upgrades.
design time The time required to design a system may be important. If the design pro-
gram takes too long to finish, the product may miss its intended market. Calcula-
tors, for example, must be ready for the back-to-school market each fall.
reliability Different markets place different values on reliability. In some consumer
markets, customers do not expect to keep the product for ...