Donald O. Pederson, 79; Professor Pioneered Integrated Circuitry

Donald O. Pederson, 79, professor emeritus of electrical engineering at UC Berkeley, whose vision laid the groundwork for advances in the design of complex integrated circuits, died Dec. 25 at a healthcare facility in Concord, Calif., of complications from Parkinson’s disease.

According to an announcement from the university, Pederson was perhaps best known for spearheading the development three decades ago of an integrated circuit computer simulation program known as SPICE (simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis). Using the program, engineers were able to quickly and accurately analyze and design complex electronic circuitry.

The program helped improve the design of integrated circuits and led to advances in personal computers and cellphones.