[sdiy] FPAA for analog synthesis?

[Dave Manley]

> isn't the problem really that you need lots and lots of different
> devices? digital stuff can pretty much all be synthesized out of just
> two operators... with analog all this stuff can work different from
> one another! You can't really take, say, 5 types of transistor and
> synthesize everything that is out there, can you? And that's only
> touching transistors and not any other parts, especially passive! i
> think this shows how digital electronics are a MUCH narrower category
> than analog electronics...

All the original SSM/CEM chips are based on an analog array - it isn't a 
*programmable* array - you need to make a mask, and connect elements in 
the array with metal.  That said, the number of unique elements in the 
array is small.

If you'd like to see similar technology, including libraries, look 
around here:

http://www.arraydesign.com/

Ok, so what?  If there was a big enough market for these parts I'd 
hazard to guess it shouldn't really be all that difficult to design an 
analog array with technology similar or better than the ancient CEM 
arrays that has a modern programmable interconnect.  After all, these 
old devices used only a single mask layer, so the routing possibilities 
aren't endless.  The question is who is going to pay to develop such a 
technology given the state of ADC/DAC/DSP technology?

-Dave