The range of possibilities for the use of microelectronic components is growing daily. Simultaneously engineers are faced with the problem of developing more and more complex, ready-to-market products, always in a shorter time. Defects that are not detected in this critical time of the development phase may have tremendous consequences at a later stage. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that the people involved in development come from various faculties and do not speak the same language. The engineer with his acquired touch for details sells his product to the client, e.g. marketing, according to the defined requirements and in the nicest colors. The client is gladly persuaded about the efficiency of the product. He believes the engineer's words about the results of the simulation, which does exactly what he expects of the system. But are his expectations really fulfilled? Has the client a chance to understand the system and prevent a failure?

Bio:
Peter Cairoli is Managing Director of the MICROSWISS-Center. MICROSWISS is a service-center for microelectronic solutions. After his diploma in microelectronics, Peter Cairoli was project-manager in a design center for mixed analog/digital circuits. For four years he has been working for Microswiss and has managed the center for a year. MICROSWISS is an institute founded by the swiss covernment to force microelectronic know-how in Wwitzerland.