1. Technological developments and the benefits of co-design

The invention of integrated circuits enabled the integration of logic functions on a silicon chip, functions based on a unitary element known as the transistor. Since then, the technology used to manufacture the fundamental hardware components of a computer, such as the memory and processor, has undergone unbridled development (see [H 1 058] ). Indeed, circuit integration density is on the increase, characterized by Moore's Law (named after one of the founders of Intel): the number of transistors in hardware components periodically doubles. Depending on the type of component, the period can...