Consumer electronic (CE) devices are no longer the boxes, which
operate on their own for a given fixed application (like TV watching).
Instead, CE devices are becoming more complex, incorporate more
functionality, and have to operate in an environment that is constantly
changing. In addition, the CE devices are interconnected.
Consequently, the possibility emerges to update them on the fly. Such
flexibility can only be supported by realizing a large part of the CE
functionality in software.
On the other hand, the latest chip technologies like Network on Chip
(NoC) or Systems on Chip (SoC) incorporate more functionality on an
ever-decreasing surface and volume. The CE industry is clearly at a
crossroad: flexibility asks for software solutions, but performance asks
for hardware solutions. Currently there is no general rule that will tell
us whether a given functionality should be provided in software or
hardware. This open choice is clearly reflected in this book, where
both approaches are equally represented.
Within the context of ever-increasing complexity, one subject is
becoming more important over the years: communication media and
protocols. Gradually, homes now contain multiple PCs or digital
appliances, which drives the emergence of home networks. The
subject of streaming video between CE devices becomes important
given the arrival of (wireless) home networks. The chips that
constitute the CE devices are reaching such levels of complexity that
networks are also used on chips within CE devices. Therefore,
networks are used between CE devices as well as within the CE
devices themselves.
Traditionally, a network operator manages the network to adapt to
user wishes. In the home, no such operator is present and measures
must be taken in chips and network to auto-manage the network.