ASIC Card

ASIC: Diving into Industrial Applications

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ASIC technology allows for the integration of required functionality to pave way for next generation designs. It also allows full customization of the design according to usage and specification. Besides that, Application Specific Integrated Circuits are lower power, high reliability, and difficult to copy.

ASICs are designed to carry out a specific task for a specific application. Since its development, many industries now depend on ASICs.

Common ASIC Industrial Applications

  • Manufacturing and process automation
  • Human/machine interface
  • Sensor interface
  • Home automation
  • Building automation
  • POS and Terminals like touchscreen, barcode scanners, and magstripe
  • Power monitors
  • Gas sensors
  • Power sensors
  • Precision timers
  • Ultrasonic sensor drivers
  • LED drivers
  • Vibration and motor sensors
  • Movement sensors
  • Speed and position sensors
  • Chemical sensors
  • Tags and RFIDs
  • GaN and laser drivers
  • And so much more

https://linearmicrosystems.com/ develops and manufactures ASICS for various industrial applications. And with over 20 years of experience in the business, the team offers provides solutions to all your ASIC needs.

Reasons why use an ASIC

  • Autonomy with lower internal components, less or lower power consumption, and better power management control.
  • Your device is fully protected from cyber-attacks that will compromise safety and data security. With an ASIC designed specifically for your application, the solution is also designed with firmware and security boot, authentication, and attack protection.
  • Using ASIC means optimization of performance according to your specifications. Besides, it is designed for specific regulatory compliance. https://linearmicrosystems.com/ adds functionalities that meet your ASIC needs.
  • ASIC reduces product weight and size.

For all your ASIC application needs, https://linearmicrosystems.com/ offers a multitude of ASIC designs and applications:

  • Communications like transceivers, telecommunications, WIFI, optical
  • Video such as laser drivers and laser micro projection
  • Audio like amplifiers and signal processing
  • Automotive such as linear position sensors and hall rotary sensor
  • Sensors include touchscreen processing, temperature, infrared, moisture, pressure, magnetic, and inductive proximity
  • MEMS include drivers and controllers
  • Power Management for power supply, low power, high voltage, and more
  • Medical ASICS design and application include ultrasound, pain management, and glucose monitoring
  • Display designs include LED, LCD, and OLED
  • Signal Processing and Control include digital and analog filters, synchronous detection, frequency synthesis, and more
  • Military design and application like Mems Avionics and 1553 bus transceiver and protocol,
  • Industrial Control
  • Motor
  • ATE ASICS for power management, data acquisition, and PIN driver.

For all your simple to complex ASIC needs, https://linearmicrosystems.com/ will make the task easier for you. You can submit your ASIC specifications and we will give you a quotation at no cost.

After clicking here, whether you will perform the design or participate in the design process, Linear will make it possible for your business.

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

analog design

Process Node Considerations in The Development Of High-Performance Data Converters

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Moving between analog design and digital domains require data converters, but sometimes they present both challenges and opportunities.

 

When it comes to sensors and actuators, the use of data converters is necessary. Moreover, they are used in many other places, including RF signals for wireless communications, on-chip from PVT monitors, embedded in the SerDes for wireline communications, and those in voltage domains.

 

Challenges for Data Converters

 

There are increasing challenges in the arrival of newer technologies. However, emerging applications, including autonomous driving array of sensors, may require reconsidering some established practices.

 

At the same time, data converters and analog ASIC can be considered in artificial intelligence instead of the power-hungry digital multiply/ accumulate functions.

How Data Converters are Designed

 

Data converters are designed and built for very exacting demands just like other basic components. So, the amount of accuracy needed for the power you can tolerate will determine what your system is capable of.

 

However, the biggest challenge for analog to digital converters used in wireless communication is when you need to get an analog signal into the transceiver. Such has been considered one of the challenges for 5G or the ecosystem around the automotive industry.

 

Smaller Technology Nodes

 

Analog to digital converters can be found all around the world. But the industry is seeing a push for higher performance, lower power solutions. This needs to be implemented in smaller technology nodes.

 

Take note that smaller technology nodes can cater to digital blocks to make it work faster while keeping or increasing their performance.

Pushing the Technology Limit

 

A lot of analog design are still adapted by many designers. But the decreasing size of the process nodes can pose a problem for analog designers.

 

However, there are converter technologies to address this issue, since analog designers are creative. This can be remedied using a digital-assisted calibration.

 

So, it requires a low-performance analog block design instead of trying to push analog performance beyond the technological limits. As a result, it can improve the efficiency and allow the reuse of old architectures previously limited to low-performance applications.

 

Such process nodes will enable lots of digital processing in a small area. However, it will require to run more simulations.

 

Pushing the Speed Limit

 

Getting data on and off chip is the function of many analog contents. This can be done via PCI express PHY with a decision feedback equalizer and auto-calibration. But they can be fast enough that it will get difficult to move the data from one location through the medium.

 

This can be through the FR4, absorbing the signal at high frequency, which is much faster than low-frequency signals.

Conclusion

 

Data converter technology is evolving rapidly. Since the demands are changing quite rapidly, the use of newer process nodes has added complications. So, any increase in the accuracy obtainable can be used to improve the overall chip performance and power profiles.

 

Therefore, to obtain the accuracy levels, calibration is essential. Nowadays, automotive analog design is pushing these circuits to undergo self-test, which is something to look forward to.

Looking to get in contact? Click here to be redirected right to our contact page!

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

Mixed Signal ASIC

Challenges of Integrating Microprocessors and Memory in A System On a Chip (SOC)

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Technological experts nowadays are relying more on integration, particularly in the field of microprocessors. However, there are challenges faced by engineers as it becomes harder to integrate system on a chip or SOC with the increasing amount of IP.

 

SOC integration has now been challenged with increased complexity such as multiple processors, power domains, and I/O. Here are several challenges that experts consider to be affecting technological advancement in different levels.

 

Problem with Complexity

 

Generally, people are not getting what they have expected. Expectations let them think that it is going to do something, but it does something else.

 

Another thing is complexity. Considerably, IP blocks are complicated, as well as the designs with such a short timeframe.

 

Timeframes Getting Too Short

 

Since integrators are under time pressure, it becomes quite challenging for integrators to do everything they can to achieve the highest quality in short period of time they have. At 15,000 CPUs running 24/7 for the verification process, it is a tough challenge.

 

Compatibility and Quality

 

Quality has a subjective and objective component. As far as the subjective component is concerned, nobody tends to get it right because it entirely depends on the user. On the objective component, however, it is what IP vendors are working to get right.

 

During the development of the system on a chip, sometimes the IP is being developed by other sources. Consequently, there will be more unknowns, while the other piece of verification is viewed at the IP level.

 

When it comes to verification in terms of use cases, there will probably be a million of them. Therefore, integrating the IP of company A and company B will be confusing since there is no assurance if that stuff works together.

 

Moreover, it will be difficult to ensure that the specs are interpreted in the same way.

 

Challenges of Sharing System On a Chip Memory

 

The same issue about SOC designs in 1958 was addressed in recent years. This was the need for larger memories to cater to increasingly powerful SOC designs. But sharing memory presented several challenges.

 

  • Shared memory physical interconnection
  • Concurrent multiprocessor shared memory access
  • Service-level guarantees
  • System performance

 

Consequently, a design methodology has been developed to utilize the elements that will be able to address such challenges.

 

  • Open-core protocol
  • Sonics Graphical SOC design, test, and modeling tools
  • MemMax memory access scheduler
  • SiliconBackplane MicroNetwork

 

Such elements will provide designers with essential architectural features and shared memory operational visibility to achieve optimized system performance. The main architectural methodology has adopted the Local Area Network concepts that offer high-performance communication between heterogeneous entities using a translucent shared transport mechanism.

 

Conclusion

 

Solving the challenges of SOC shared memory might not be enough to cater to the needs of integrating microprocessors and memory on a system on a chip. Basically, it is just a design methodology that employs atomic split-transaction operations to support multiprocessing and exploit multi-threaded MicroNetwork interconnections and opportunistic external memory access optimizations.

 

Therefore, solving the shared memory challenges of SOC is just an outcome of methodology philosophy. Perhaps technological experts of today can take advantage of this opportunity that was used to solve the interconnections problem in 1958, using the SOC designs of today.

Still interested in learning about system on a chip? Click here and head on over to our case study that features all things SOC.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

MicroSystems

Linear MicroSystems: When to Consider Outsourcing Engineering

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At Linear MicroSystems we know that the success of business nowadays is more focused on its technical capabilities. So, it is vital to have a great deal of expertise in translating engineering and technology projects from business requirements to avoid wasting time and money in the process.

 

One notable strategy that most businesses do in order to make investments more beneficial is to consider an outsourced team. That is because it can offer more avenues of engineering styles and capabilities compared to having just a single engineer onsite all the time for roughly the same price.

 

What Is Outsourcing?

 

Outsourcing happens when a business employs an outside entity to provide goods or services, instead of relying on its internal support. While outsourcing generally focuses on the reduction of costs for big businesses, others outsource engineers to bag in an extra set of skills.

 

In this sense, engineering is outsourced based on the vision that businesses can take advantage of the many benefits it can provide, which include the following.

 

  • Increased technical capabilities
  • Increased technical support
  • Reduced operating cost
  • More focus on the core business drivers

 

Although it may not always be overseas, outsourcing needs to have a team that can provide results, be a partner that understands your business needs, and be cost effective.

 

Linear MicroSystems can manage the needs by introducing a number of advantages when engaged in engineering outsourcing.

 

  • Latest technology
  • Reduce overhead cost
  • Comprehensive engineering services
  • On-demand services
  • Faster turnaround time
  • Focus on core business drivers

 

Why Outsource Engineering Process?

 

Apart from cost reduction, companies need to outsource engineering in order to access skills and expertise not readily available within them.

 

But it is also important to understand that engineering outsourcing requires the company to trust the team they have chosen. This means that you must trust their abilities, expertise, and interest and involvement in the project.

 

And because you may not be familiar with outsourcing, it is not possible to make the best decisions for the business. So, it is vital to understand how to mitigate and avoid any risks by becoming acquainted with outsourcing in general.

 

Thus, it can help your business if there is a productive collaboration with a remote team, particularly relying on a third-party engineering firm as Linear MicroSystems.

 

How To Outsource Engineering Services

 

There are many ways to outsource engineering services that can help you in your endeavor.

 

Freelancer Platforms

 

If you are on a tight budget but looking to get something done in a shorter period, several freelance websites can help you out without breaking a sweat.

 

Project Outsourcing

 

This means that you must hand over the whole project to an outside firm. Take note that this can be a hands-off approach that can of course be modified depending on the needs of your company.

 

Many other options are being used, including staff augmentation. This may mean that the company can add one or more staff members to your team on a per contract basis.

 

Still have some questions on outsourcing or looking to get in contact with one of our representatives? Click here to get in contact with us today!

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

system on a chip

Different Uses of Sensor ASIC

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Application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) are designed for specific use or application. Basically, an ASIC design will be used for products having a huge portion of the required electronics on a single integrated circuit.

 

Typically, ASICs are thought of usually as only digital circuits. Logic synthesis programs and physical layout are used to design these ASICs through automated place and route programs. While no analog circuitry is included in this setup, one exists in a mixed signal ASIC.

 

Today, ASICs are used in many industries to provide a variety of solutions. Sensor ASIC is just one of the many innovations for the enhancement of human and sensor interfacing. Here are some of the different uses of sensor ASIC in the industry.

 

Sensor Interface and Bar Display Driver

 

This type of ASIC will convert analog input into 1 of 10 programmable ranges. It will then display the result on a segment bar display of 10. Input ranges from 0V to 2.55V as set by either an external or internal reference voltage.

 

Each range has a voltage level with a resolution of 8 bits and stored in EEPROM. Bar and Pointer display options can drive either LCD or LED type displays.

 

           Basic Features of Sensor Interface & Bar Display Driver

 

  • Internal clock oscillator
  • Internal 5V regulator
  • Input range of 0V to 2.55V
  • 10 programmable ranges
  • Resolution of 8bits
  • Temperature ranges from -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius
  • External and internal voltage reference
  • Linearity is ±1LSB

 

Magneto-Resistive Position Sensor

 

This sensor ASIC will be able to determine the angular position of a disk that is magnetically encoded. An adaptive 5 channel IDAC will set an initial operating condition of 5 MR elements.

 

The optimum bias and sense levels can be determined by averaging the signals from 4 quadrature sensors. The circuit will compensate for the variations by way of processing, temperature, and voltage supply.

 

Basic Features of MR Position Sensors

 

  • 5V supply voltage
  • 5 channel IDAC
  • Channel to channel mismatch is lesser than 0.5%
  • Adaptive bias and sense levels
  • Temperature is -40 degrees Celsius to +125 degrees Celsius
  • 1 index and 2 quadrature outputs
  • Range = 0.2mA – 3mA, 64 steps

 

Piezoelectric Accelerometer Sensor

 

This sensor ASIC device will be able to detect the linear and angular acceleration with interface up to 3 piezoelectric sensing elements. For each sensor, there is a dedicated amplifier and window comparator.

 

An onboard EEPROM will be used to tailor the gain and trip levels of each application. Moreover, in order to minimize the power in battery applications, a sleep mode is provided.

 

           Basic Features of Piezoelectric Accelerometer Sensor

 

  • Wide supply range of 2.7V to 5.5V
  • Measures the angular and linear acceleration
  • Adjustable gain of 8 settings per channel
  • 3 piezoelectric sensor channels
  • Wide frequency range of 15Hz to 2KHz
  • Temperature is -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius
  • Fast response time with less than 10 microseconds

 

Modern intelligent technologies require action or notification whenever the environment changes. With the advancement of sensor ASIC technology, it will be possible to detect the changes along with the intelligent interface between the user and the sensor daily.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

microsystems

Challenges in Different Mixed Signal SOC Applications

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Mixed-signal design is a combination of digital and analog circuitry. Analog design is composed of capacitors, inductors, resistors, and transistors while digital circuits are designed using gates for designers to work on extensive ICs.

Today, traditional electromechanical systems are replaced by state-of-the-art and advanced electronic systems with the use of magnetic and light sensors.

These applications are designed to promote higher accuracy, intelligent performance, communication, and monitoring. More and more industries are reaping the benefits of SOC or System-on-a-Chip technologies: medical, consumers, automotive, and wireless technology.

Smart sensors, wireless technology, and medical devices are the most common applications of mixed-signal SOC technologies. Through mixed-signal designs, homeowners can now leave their homes without fear due to sophisticated security systems and monitoring.

One can leave home with confidence knowing that access is still possible through the keyless entry.

Smart sensors are prevalent in the automotive industry. These are integrated into their designs for smoke and alarm detection, traffic collision, detect pedestrians, detect traffic lights, read road signs, temperature sensing, gas analysis, detect pressure, flow, and so much more.

Incorporating analog and digital designs enable applications to achieve higher levels of performance. However, such approaches face significant difficulties and challenges that must be taken into account.

However, mixed-signal SOC presents several challenges:

  • Gate and memory size, these two need careful consideration as these generally drive cost. The digital device may have many IOs that the quantity of pads on the device is a determining factor of the perimeter therefore the area.

The sensitivity of the analog, mixed-signal designs, timing, and routing must be taken into consideration to avoid difficulties during the actual implementation.

  • Parasitic capacitance per gate of interconnect is decreased as geometry decreases which translates to high bandwidth and data rates. However, this is less predictable, so analog modeling must be well understood.
  • In a mixed-signal SOC, digital and analog circuits are on the same silicon surface which causes noise when simultaneously switching digital circuits.

The injected noise due to simultaneous switching will propagate through the silicon substrate which can affect the performance of the analog circuit which can lead to failure.

Designers must do something about the substrate noise challenge to lessen its impact. As a solution, designers have added the use of guard rings, triple wells, and additional spacing to separate sensitive analog circuits.

  • IC design. Modeling of analog circuits in small geometries is another challenge that needs to be understood. Careful planning and consideration of the integration are necessary to avoid undesired results and failure.

The increased demand for analog and digital circuits’ integration requires careful planning when it comes to design, area allocation, power budgets, verification strategy, electrical and noise constraints.

Designers must explore different options and be able to come up with alternatives to achieving an effective design approach.

All of the above-mentioned challenges present in a mixed-signal SOC must be considered to avoid or at least lessen the issues when during physical implementation.

A competent data and design management team enforcing all guidelines will be able to come up with cost-effective yet higher levels of performance applications.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

rf asics

ASIC Chips for Glucose Monitoring

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Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which your blood glucose level is too high. The condition impairs the body’s ability to process blood sugar. In the United States alone, there are about 30 million people diagnosed and undiagnosed of diabetes. It is a widespread disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Patients with diabetes rely on medication, diet, lifestyle, and blood glucose monitoring for better diabetes management.

The use of needle pricks and glucose strips is the usual approach to monitor blood sugar. Although popularly used among diabetic patients, the approach is painful and requires devotion to continuously monitoring sugar levels.

Researchers are constantly looking for more of a convenient approach such as the use of an ASIC chip for blood sugar monitoring.

 

A Bit About How it Works

Medical and health researchers are developing an ASIC chip controlled blood glucose monitor that is implantable for continuous blood sugar measurement. Senseonics, Inc., of Germantown, Maryland, has developed a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system that will constantly monitor glucose levels of diabetic persons up to 90 days.

The specifications for this ASIC design for control and analysis have to meet the measurement and analysis of reflected light, memory, wireless interface, low voltage requirements, and medical certification. This ASIC controlled blood sugar monitor can be implanted at the upper arm or the wrist of the patient.

 

Technologies

For the wrist application, a special watch is designed to power the sensor every 3 minutes. The sensor then starts to measure the blood glucose level and sends back the data to the wristwatch or smartwatch, displaying the data on the monitor.

A specified bandage with Bluetooth interface is created for the upper arm use. Real-time glucose measurements are then sent to the patient’s mobile phone. The data can also be sent from the smartphone to the patient’s physician for review.

The sensor must be implanted by a professional health care provider. The use of ASIC chip technology for blood sugar monitoring replaces the painful and inconvenient pricking. With the use of this tiny fluorescent sensor implanted in your skin, diabetic patients can now get accurate and painless blood sugar monitoring.

Even when you are doing physical activities or the sensor gets compressed; it remains to deliver precise data. Also, its transmitter is water-resistant, rechargeable, and removable which means you can take it off to recharge while doing activities like taking a shower.

For a maximum of 6 months, the sensor must be replaced afterward. In addition to these features, the sensor sends data every 5 minutes which you can check from your smart device.

 

Future for ASIC Chips

As technology progresses, advancement in medical and healthcare is also expected. Studies on wireless wear glucose levels for diabetic patients have been conducted.

The use of an ASIC chip to monitor blood sugar levels can help diabetic patients manage their illness with ease and confidence. It gives diabetic patients the freedom to carry on with their daily activities without the need to do the usual prick and strips twice or more in a day.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

System-On-A-Chip(SOC)

All about Flash and Scan Sensor ASIC Technology

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Light and Detection Ranging or LIDAR is a sensor technology for remote object detection. The technology works by using a light source and a receiver that operates like a camera using a high-power laser emitter and a solid-state sensor with many pixels.

Today, the scan sensor ASIC technology is used in drones, autonomous vehicles, robots for smart homes, and many more.

Light Detection and Ranging Sensor technology will be a major facilitator in the automotive industry. This technology will provide better safety for drivers, passengers, and road users in general.

It will be the future of highly automated vehicles that can withstand robust environment and weather conditions.

 

What is a Flash System?

Flash system is a LiDAR system that can observe the complete field of view (FOV) at one. This method was originally used for spacecraft in autonomous landing and docking with satellites.

This works by capturing the scene at once from short to mid-range (0-100m). Flash LiDAR sensors are commonly used in emergency braking and blind-spot detection. The Flash system also detects objects with high relative speed.

 

What is a Scan Sensor?

Scan sensor works by focusing on the subset of the field of view (FOV) and subsequently looking at the next subsets until full FOV is covered. Instead of the full FOV, scanning can focus the light on the subset which means it can detect an object at a longer range.

Currently, there are 2 steering principles used in scan sensor technology to move the light beam from one subset to another. The first method is by completely rotating the sensor head or called the spinning LiDAR. Another approach used is by using the mechanical components inside the sensor ASIC.

Autonomous vehicles rely mainly on flash or scan sensor ASIC to obtain information about their surroundings such as the presence of other vehicles, pedestrians, and other relevant details. State of the art LiDAR systems along with radar-based perception systems and cameras are used to capture data description of the environment for more accurate estimations.

 

Manufacturers

Today, several manufacturing experts provide solid-state LiDAR sensors and solutions. These technologically advanced providers have continuously developed and improved their sensors and solutions for high accuracy and efficiency. Experts are still working on realizing a long-range and low-cost solution.

But despite the development of LiDAR systems and products available in the market today, experts and manufacturers are still faced with several constraints.

  • First, is the cost as current solutions available are quite expensive.
  • Second, meeting safety and reliability standards set by the automotive industry.
  • Third, the flash and scan sensor ASIC’s ability to capture and measure the environment at a long-distance or range.
  • Fourth, the adverse weather conditions like snow, storm, fog, rain, and others.
  • The fifth is the image level resolution, and lastly, is the size.

Even if this technology is now readily accessible, experts and manufacturers are still working on improving their flash and sensor ASIC systems, technology, and solutions to overcome all of these issues.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

Mixed Signal ASIC

The Development of System-on-a-Chip over the Years

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System-on-a-chip continues to be an integral part of modern-day technology and products. The functionality of mobile devices, computers, automobiles, and others mainly rely on SOCs.

 

A Quick History

Back in the 1970s, SOCs were first developed for miniaturization; when the first LED wristwatch was announced. Back then, it took 44 Integrated Circuits (ICs) to be fused into one single chip.

The technology continued to grow when personal computing and cellular phone technology flourished in the 1990s. Later on, smaller chips were developed for other related functions such as LCD displays, audio, keyboard, and battery charging.

SOC technology has been used by fabless manufacturers. Its ability to integrate functionality into one chip-enabled SOC technology evolved from being the heart computers and smartphones to enabling full function and feature of portable ultrabooks.

Since then, major players in the industry have utilized System-on-a-chip technology to meet the diverse needs of each industry. SOCs are built to perform specific tasks and are power, cost, and performance-optimized. It is known to have the best performance to power ratio.

Recently, manufacturers developed programmable SOCs which integrate processor and FPGA architectures into one device. The processors in programmable SOCs can be “hard” or “soft”.

A programmable SOC with a hard processor is an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) with connections for a microprocessor for embedded on a chip, surrounded by programmable logic that you can use for custom applications.

 

Processors

A hard processor is optimized for power consumption and uses less space on the chip. Above all, a hard processor offers high CPU performance.

Soft processors in programmable SOCs are carried out through the use of on-chip resources and programmable logic routed onto FPGA. This type of programmable SOC can be reconfigured and offers flexibility when it comes to removing unnecessary functions in the future.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to configurability, predictability, software tools, and speed. The soft processor’s configurability is high compared to the hard processor. For predictability, software tools, and speed, hard processor wins.

Programmable system-on-a-chip offers key advantages. First, FPGA runs at a lower frequency, thus lowers power consumption. Second, FPGA SOCs show better performance compared to best-in-class SOCs. Third, programmable SOCs can is embedded with FPGA fabric that can be programmed to address evolving specifications.

With this, changes can be made without costing too much. Lastly, it can be customized. FPSOCs offer OEM to customize the software and hardware. Whatever the user or the customer requires can be customized in the FPGA without affecting performance.

 

Options

A variety of options are now available for programmable SOCs, the hard processor, and soft processor. Each of these options has unique architecture and tools to optimize the device.

Embedding FPGA fabric on SOCs offers advantages and application performance benefits. Traditional SOCs may be replaced with programmable SOC devices that show better cost, power, and performance ratio.

With these benefits, more and more companies might start to embrace the full disruptive potential of programmable system-on-a-chip. Eventually, standalone SOCs will be replaced by programmable SOCs.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.

microsystems

What Are MicroSystems Technology?

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Microsystems technology can be found all over the world, from suppliers of car parts, information and communication, and medical technology sectors.

In fact, it is unknowingly taking over more sensitive tasks nowadays. Innovative microsystems technology work as invisible helpers in various areas of everyday lives.

 

How does It work?

Basically, microsystems technology develops whole systems on a micro-scale level which is in constant communication with the environment. Particularly, microsystems must be able to do important things such as feel, evaluate, and act.

 

Technology to Ensure Intelligence

Microsystems are a group of various materials, components, and technologies combined together in a particularly tiny area. Modern microsystems are defined to be more than the sum of their parts.

The integration of the individual components intelligently forms more and more complex systems to enable completely new functions. This leads to intelligent products that would make lives safer, simpler, and more comfortable.

Car microsystems technology is able to assist drivers to avoid obstacles independently. It can also make automatic emergency stops in situations that are critical. One example is the modern air-conditioning system that can register when people leave their homes and adjust accordingly.

 

Microsystems In The Future

In the future, microsystems will not only feel, evaluate, or act because they will also make decisions from foresight and be able to communicate with their surroundings. That said, they will have an auto diagnosis function and will operate autonomously, a characteristic that is similar to cognitive abilities.

This means that while classical microsystems only function to pre-programmed patterns, smart systems will show signs of being able to think, understand, and learn. One of the most important motivators of innovation in technology, making intelligent products possible. Thus, microsystems technology is progress with a system.

 

Research Collaborations in Europe

In order to face future challenges in microelectronics and nanoelectronics, research collaborations across the national borders are necessary. These are key factors to ensure international competitiveness by setting international standards.

These enable participants to become leaders in the relevant market segments. Thus, the semiconductor industry in Europe has been reinforced and expanded by the Federal Research Ministry.

 

Funding Targets

Since microelectronics and nanoelectronics are main enabling technologies for the whole manufacturing industry, research a program has been launched by the Federal Research Ministry to encourage innovations and consolidate the technological leadership of Germany.

This is also intended to ensure the competitiveness of the country and make it a more attractive industrial option. The funding program for electronics research is intended for the following.

  • Expansion of enabling technologies for chip manufacturing, including chip design, 3D integration and process technologies, lithography and research novel materials
  • Facilitate the development of innovative mobility solutions by fortifying research on electronic components and systems for cars of the future
  • The use of cutting-edge electronic components to develop new applications
  • Promote new approaches to electronic systems, such as in the form of magnetic microsystems or organic electronics

The funding has been focused on the following fields of application, namely automotive engineering, energy, logistics, medicine, mechanical, and plant engineering.

 

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. is proud to offer its services worldwide as well as the surrounding areas and cities around our Headquarters in Irvine, CA: Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Orange County, Fullerton, and Los Angeles.