"A rose by any other name" may be the concept that is confusing when discussing DSPs. In a new comprehensive market study, 'DSP Silicon Strategies '09,' Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts and report author, points out that, "Many components that were once reported as 'DSP chips' are no longer." Instead, says Strauss, they are placed under systems on chip (SoC) ASIC or ASSP categories—even by such DSP vendors as TI and Analog Devices.

The report points out that off-the-shelf or "discrete DSP chips" are a small part of the DSP silicon universe. Specifically, discrete DSP chips now constitute only 11 percent of the $27 billion 2008 worldwide market for DSP silicon. While the report readily acknowledges that 2009 will be a "down" year for most DSP silicon market segments, but long-range, the report points out that DSP is the technology that is driving the entire semiconductor market.

What is an accurate picture for DSPs? Growth figures for the group are often misleading. Strauss cites, for example, the worldwide DSP silicon market is forecast to grow at a 9.4 percent rate over the 5 years from 2008 through 2013 to the $43 billion level; however, measuring from 2009, the 4-year growth rate is forecast at a more respectable 12.1 percent CAGR. Wireless and consumer electronics will grow at a much higher rate.

The report is said by Strauss to be the only market study providing worldwide electronic equipment production forecasts (by region and by application market) and both IC and DSP content for each year from 2008 through 2013.

The in-depth 230-page study profiles the DSP market stance of 46 companies and includes 87 Figures, 51 Tables, plus extensive Appendix of Abbreviations & Acronyms for DSP, Communications and Multimedia.

It is available from Forward Concepts at: Forward Concepts DSP '09.