Your core, my design, our problem

摘要

Following the precept that it is better to reuse than to rein- vent, the electronics industry has created a new business segment: commerce in IP (intellectual-property) cores, also known as virtual components. This article refers to reusable logic as a virtual component because the term "IP" refers to more than just electronics design and has other connotations in our industry. The premise seems to be a matter of common sense: Instead of investing money designing circuitry to implement a function that someone else has already implemented, obtain that implementation and integrate it into your design.