Mixed Signal ASIC

The Role of System-on-a-Chip in IoT and Embedded Systems

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In today’s era of advanced technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems are becoming increasingly prevalent. IoT devices and embedded systems require a compact and efficient solution for their processing needs, and System-on-a-Chip (SoC) has become the go-to solution for these applications. In this article, we will explore the role of System-on-a-Chip in IoT and embedded systems and how it has revolutionized these technologies.

What is System-on-a-Chip?

Before we dive into the role of SoC in IoT and embedded systems, it’s important to understand what it is. A System-on-a-Chip is a microchip that contains all the components of a computer or other electronic systems on a single integrated circuit (IC). It combines various components such as processor, memory, input/output interfaces, and peripherals on a single chip. This integration provides a cost-effective and power-efficient solution for many electronic devices, especially for IoT and embedded systems.

Role of System-on-a-Chip in IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained widespread popularity in recent years, with its ability to connect devices and exchange data wirelessly. IoT devices need to be compact, low-power, and capable of handling large amounts of data. SoC plays a critical role in IoT as it offers a cost-effective and power-efficient solution. SoC allows designers to integrate multiple functions on a single chip, enabling devices to operate on lower power and without the need for external components.

One of the main advantages of using SoC in IoT is that it enables secure and reliable connectivity between devices. SoC-based IoT devices can communicate wirelessly, and the chip’s built-in security features can protect against unauthorized access and data breaches. This makes SoC-based IoT devices suitable for applications where data security is a significant concern.

Role of System-on-a-Chip in Embedded Systems

Embedded systems are special-purpose computer systems designed to perform specific tasks. These systems are used in various applications such as automotive, medical devices, and industrial automation, where high reliability and safety are essential. SoC has played a critical role in the development of embedded systems by offering a compact and reliable solution.

SoC-based embedded systems have several advantages, including low power consumption, small size, and high performance. They are suitable for applications where the device needs to be compact and power-efficient, such as medical implants, smart home devices, and industrial automation.

Another advantage of using SoC in embedded systems is that it reduces the complexity of the design process. SoC provides a pre-integrated solution that includes the processor, memory, input/output interfaces, and other peripherals. This simplifies the design process and reduces the time and cost of development.

Conclusion

System-on-a-Chip has revolutionized the way we design and develop electronic devices, especially in IoT and embedded systems. Its integration of multiple functions on a single chip has led to the development of compact, low-power, and high-performance devices. SoC-based devices have become increasingly popular due to their cost-effectiveness, power efficiency, and reliability. As the demand for IoT and embedded systems continues to grow, SoC will continue to play a critical role in the development of these technologies.

Learn more about what we do at Linear MicroSystems by clicking here.

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 ASIC

Using ASIC Cards for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications

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The emergence of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) is mainly due to the intention of creating microchips to work for special purposes. Such technology enables specific actions to happen inside a particular device.

What is the ASIC Card?

The primary advantage of an ASIC card is the reduction in chip size in which a huge number of functional parts within a circuit are in a single chip. These units are designed from the root level on the basis of a particular application, such as chips used for memory and microprocessor interface.

An ASIC card has two primary design methods, namely the full-custom design and the gate array design.

Gate-array design

  • This requires minimal design work to make a working chip. So, the non-recurring engineering costs become much lower, while the production cycles also become much shorter.

Full-custom design

  • This is slightly more complex in comparison to the gate-array design. This increase in complexity only means it can do more compared to its counterpart while decreasing in size due to the level of customization and removal of unneeded gates.

The ASIC Card and AI

The development of ASICs to support artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing. One example is the Tensor Processing Units from Google. This design of a series of ASICs is for machine learning.

Fujitsu also developed the Deep Learning Unit, while Intel is likewise hinting at their development of commercial AI ASICs. That being said, ASICs can now be used to run a narrow and specific AI algorithm function, wherein chips are able to handle the workload in parallelism.

Overall, the algorithms of an AI can be accelerated faster using an ASIC chip. Nevertheless, this technology might not be around yet any time soon. That is because ASIC chip design requires substantial capital investment and requires frequent updating with the current manufacturing processes and new techniques.

ASIC Cards and Machine Learning

The revolution of ASIC technology has given designers the easiest path toward implementing highly integrated and highly standardized features inside a new system. For instance, the use of ASICs to implement machine learning in embedded systems requires interfacing with a set of peripherals and a host processor.

The use of ASIC card for machine learning enables printed circuit boards to work as high-speed digital systems, such as an analog front-end for wireless communication or interfacing with sensors. Thus, there are guidelines for developing these devices through high-speed PCB design guidelines. This will ensure the integrity of power, signal, and compliance with electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic interference (EMI/EMC) standards.

Stack up

  • In this guideline, the board stack-up should support high-speed signaling with controlled impedance.

Routing

  • This is a more general guideline in high-speed digital systems compared to specific systems with ASICs.

Analog isolation

  • The high-speed section should be separated from the analog section in systems using ASIC cards with machine-learning capabilities. This will ensure analog signals will not be corrupted.

Power integrity

  • In this requirement, it is important to allocate enough plane layers and space for the decoupling of capacitors. This will ensure low impedance of the power delivery network in these types of systems.

Learn about the contributions of Linear MicroSystems by clicking here.

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 SOC

The Impact of Process Technology Scaling on Mixed Signal ASIC Design

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In recent years, the advancement of process technology has shaped the landscape of mixed signal ASIC design. The rapid scaling of process technology enables the integration of more functionality into smaller, more efficient chips. Thus, leading to a significant impact on mixed-signal ASIC design. This article explores the impact of process technology scaling, including the benefits and challenges that may come.

Benefits of Scaling in MixedSignal ASIC Design

One of the biggest benefits of process technology scaling is the integration of more functionality into smaller chips. This enables the design of more compact and efficient ASICs. These can be used in a variety of applications, such as wearable devices and IoT devices. The integration of more functionality into smaller chips also leads to reduced power consumption. This is a critical factor in battery-powered devices.

Another benefit of process technology scaling is the improvement of performance. Smaller transistors have faster switching speeds and lower capacitance, which results in improved performance. This is particularly important in applications that require high-speed data processing, such as high-frequency communication systems.

Challenges in Scaling Mixed Signal ASIC Design

Despite the numerous benefits of process technology scaling, there are also challenges that need to be addressed. One of the biggest challenges is the increased complexity. As more functionality is integrated into smaller chips, the design process becomes more complex. This makes it more difficult to achieve the desired performance and functionality. This can result in increased design time and higher costs.

Another challenge is the increased sensitivity to process variations. Smaller transistors are more sensitive to variations in the manufacturing process, which can result in performance variations and reduced yield. This can lead to higher costs, as more chips may need to be tested and discarded to achieve a sufficient yield.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the impact of process technology scaling on mixed signal ASIC design is significant, bringing both benefits and challenges. The integration of more functionality into smaller chips enables the design of more compact and efficient ASICs, leading to reduced power consumption and improved performance. However, the increased complexity of mixed-signal ASIC design and increased sensitivity to process variations pose challenges that need to be addressed to achieve the desired performance and functionality.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of process technology scaling in mixed-signal ASIC design make it a critical factor in the continued advancement of ASIC technology. As process technology continues to advance, it is likely that this design will continue to evolve, bringing even more benefits and addressing the challenges posed by the increased complexity and sensitivity.

Learn more at LinearMicroSystems.com.

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

Overcoming the Challenges of System on a Chip Testing and Verification

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System on a chip (SoC) technology has become an essential part of the modern electronics landscape. It enables the integration of multiple functions and components on a single chip. This reduces the size, power consumption, and cost of electronic devices. However, testing and verification of SoC systems can be challenging. Why? Due to the complexity of the integration and the need to validate the interactions between the different components. In this article, we will explore the main challenges of SoC testing and verification and how they can be overcome.

The Complexity of System on a Chip

One of the main challenges is the complexity of the integration of multiple functions and components on a single chip. This complexity results in a large number of possible interactions between the components. This can be difficult to validate and test. In addition, the integration of multiple functions and components on a single chip increases the risk of functional and design defects. This can be difficult to detect and fix.

Another challenge is the increasing speed and performance requirements of SoC systems. This can result in increased power consumption and heat generation. This can have an impact on the reliability and performance of the SoC system and must be taken into account during the testing and verification process.

Overcoming the Challenges of System on a Chip Testing and Verification

To overcome the challenges of System on a chip testing and verification, it is important to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach. This approach should cover all aspects of the SoC design and implementation process. It should also include the following steps:

Design Verification

  • This involves the use of simulation and emulation tools to validate the functionality and performance of the SoC system before it is manufactured. This step can help identify and fix functional and design defects before they become more significant problems during the testing and verification process.

Test Automation

  • Automated testing is an essential part of the SoC testing and verification process. It helps to reduce the time and effort required for manual testing and ensures that the testing process is consistent and repeatable.

Power and Thermal Analysis

  • As mentioned earlier, the speed and performance requirements of SoC systems can result in increased power consumption and heat generation. It is therefore important to perform power and thermal analysis to ensure that the SoC system operates within acceptable power and thermal limits.

Debug and Trace Tools

  • Debug and trace tools are important for identifying and fixing defects in the SoC system. These tools provide detailed information about the operation of the SoC system, which can help to identify the root cause of defects and resolve them.

Conclusion

SoC technology has revolutionized the electronics landscape by enabling the integration of multiple functions and components on a single chip. However, testing and verification of SoC systems can be challenging due to the complexity of the integration and the need to validate the interactions between the different components. To overcome these challenges, it is important to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach that covers all aspects of the SoC design and implementation process. This approach should include design verification, test automation, power, and thermal analysis, and debug and trace tools. With the right approach, SoC testing and verification can be made easier, more efficient, and more effective, ensuring that SoC systems are reliable and perform to their full potential.

Learn more at LinearMicroSystems.com.

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.

Optical Control ASIC

Advancements in SOC Design and Architecture

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One of the essential technologies continuing to advance in the field of electronics is the System-on-Chip or SOC. In fact, it has become essential for computational devices that are smaller, faster, and cheaper to work while using less power.

Today, more than ever, the use of SOCs has become common in mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, among other gadgets for daily use. Portable devices like digital or smart watches, GPS navigation devices, and netbooks also use SOCs architecture embedded into the system.

What is SOC?

As the name suggests, SOC or system on chip has all the necessary electronic circuits to cause a fully functional system on a single integrated circuit. Thus, it only needs one chip to put all the analog inputs and outputs, CPU, internal memory, I/O ports, and the added application-specific circuit blocks.

These are different from PC architecture and traditional devices in which a separate chip is used in essential functional components, as well as the CPU, GPU, and RAM.

The development of SOCs depends on which device they are designed for. SOCs on smartphones and other related devices, for instance, might use cellular networks or Wi-Fi modems.

Advancements in the Industry

The advancements of SOCs in the industry are possible with the use of architecture description languages (ADLs). This is a popular processor modeling approach used for retargetable compilation, DSP tools, and SOC design.

ArchC

  • This is an open-source mixed ADL that can generate a processor-simulator that supports multiple abstraction levels. The simulator can be cycle-accurate or instruction accurate with complete pipeline behavior.

ArchC is able to generate a simulator using SystemC which is widely getting recognition all over the modeling world.

LISA

  • This is a mixed ADL that has no problem modeling SIMD, MIMD, and VLIW architectures, as well as complex pipelines and multi-threading. LISATek is the tool suite generated from the LISA machine descriptions. It can capture the path explicitly, which is an important aspect of the LISA language.

Bluespec

  • This is a rule-based language that describes computation as a series of changes in its atomic state. This expression will considerably simplify the design, increase the efficacy of the designer, and be automatically checked by the compiler.

Bluespec does not specifically aim to design processors but it mainly simplifies complex digital circuit designs. Thus, it simplifies modeling complex processor components considerably in comparison with RTL languages.

Model Driven Architecture (MDA)

  • This uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to develop models regardless of the implementation platform. MDA ensures that the executable software architecture creation is driven by model formulation instead of writing the source code manually.

Recently, MDA has been useful for SOC modeling. Designers start to create a model at a high level of abstraction. Then, they transform it into models at gradually lower levels of abstraction until they attain source code.

As the processor’s architecture increases in complexity, designers utilize high-level modeling tools and language. Thus, the use of ADL, extensible architecture and UML design solutions address a class of processors and each has been optimized for that class.

Learn more at LinearMicroSystems.com.

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 and Thought Leadership

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Every company strives to be the best for its customers. From industry innovation to establishing brand authority, every company wants to make the world a better place in some way.

At Linear MicroSystems, this desire is no different. Not only do we focus on making the best RF, Analog, and Mixed-Signal ASICs, but we’re constantly working on our thought leadership.

Who is Linear MicroSystems?

Linear MicroSystems, Inc. (LMI) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ASICs and SOCs. These can be sued for analog, digital, RF, and mixed-signal applications. With two decades of experience, our team is considered an authority in the industry. We’re proud to be known as a one-stop shop for every customer’s ASIC requirement.

What makes us different is that we’re the only source for both the development and production of your ASIC products. Our team takes care of everything from brainstorming to quality assurance, so you don’t have to.

MicroSystems and thought leadership

Thought leadership is a method where insights, experience, and expertise on an industry topic are shared via website content and copy.

The primary goal of thought leadership is to offer value to readers. So, they learn more about the industry, build trust with a brand and understand company practices.

The idea is to bring in experts to discuss topics they know well, so consumers can better understand the industry.

While some argue that thought leadership can bring about strong opinions, it can be very useful if curated properly.

At Linear MicroSystems we put a lot of value in the success stories of our loyal customers. We take a lot of pride in being one of the more innovative companies in the ASIC industry today.

As a company, we value the knowledge our experts have and are constantly working to produce valuable content to help share this with the world.

There are also many other benefits to using thought leadership in a company. According to Tim Gibbon, Founder, and Director of Elemental Communications: “There is also a strong cooperative element, with thought leadership allowing peers to collaborate, and share experiences, expertise, and knowledge.”

Final thoughts

Being one of the leaders in the ASIC market, Linear MicroSystems continues to work hard in offering the best service to its customers through methods like thought leadership that help leverage the brand as an authority in the industry while providing value to customers.

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

Analog Design 101

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Good analog design is one of the basic foundations of successful ASIC production and circuit design. But if you’re a consumer, you might not fully understand what it really means and how it can benefit you. Here’s everything you need to know about it:

Analog design: An overview

So, what exactly is analog design? It is the process of creating circuits that are then used for different applications requiring continuous time-domain behavior.

All devices using integrated circuit design require analog design. So, this is why it plays a crucial role in the creation of circuits and processors for different applications.

The nitty-gritty of analog design

Components

Analog design consists of different components including:

Resistor.

  • This component works by converting electrical current to electrical voltage or the other way around. From its name, a resistor helps to limit current, cut-off frequencies, control amplifiers, and condition signals.

Capacitor.

  • A capacitor stores electrical energy between two metal plates to maintain a consistent ratio between charge and voltage. In analog design, a capacitor offers local access to energy and creates modifications in the dynamics of an electric signal.

Inductor.

  • An inductor mainly stores magnetic energy and offers a constant relation between the current derivative and voltage. It’s used mostly to control systems and modify signal dynamics in circuit design.

Transistor.

  • This component is a crucial part of any good analog design because it controls the amount of current that passes between two terminals through a signal that’s applied to a third terminal. Depending on its use, a metal oxide-silicon field transistor (MOSFET), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), and junction field transistor (JFET).  

Tools

There was a time when the process of analog design relied solely on handmade calculations and schematics. Although these were effective, they also posed a lot of challenges for designers, especially since there was no possibility of a simulation before the actual testing.

But it’s a different story today because designers can already rely on different tools to help make the process easy and more accurate than ever.

You’ll find schematic, simulation, and layout tools that are part of Schematic CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to help designers create designs from scratch, make proper calculations and even conduct simulations to help them create the best circuitry products in the market today.

Importance

Analog design is a very important part of good IC design, especially in ensuring these three basic qualities are met: consistency, fidelity, and performance. These three factors are strong determinants of how a circuit will perform once it’s used in real-world applications.

Conclusion

Good analog design will continue to play a pivotal role in the success of ASIC design. So, if you’re using circuits as a component of your product, it’s very important to understand this process, its benefits, and the best company to work with in ensuring that you will get the best circuits to use in different applications within 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.

Mixed Signal ASIC

Linear MicroSystems Success Story: RF Transceiver | ASIC

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Over the years, Linear MicroSystems, Inc. has been a part of the success stories of satisfied customers. The RF transceiver is one of our most popular products that brought many successes to business in different industries.

Here, we’ll discuss RF ASIC and RF transceivers and the success stories of customers through the years:

Understanding RF ASIC

RF ASIC is a type of RF Unified Engine that improves the scanning frequency of an RF band. This allows it to offer accurate and efficient real-time analysis. Made with ASIC and RFIC chips, an RF ASIC converts RF energy into I/Q data that analyzes frequency ranges.

Understanding an RF transceiver

A radio frequency (RF) transceiver is basically a type of device that’s capable of sending and receiving radio signals. The device combines the capabilities of both a transmitter and a receiver. So, it’s used in different communication devices like computers, cellphones, walkie-talkies, and radios.

To achieve these functionalities, an RF transceiver needs specially designed circuitry allowing it to switch between transmitter and receiver.

Linear MicroSystems success stories

Being experts in the ASIC industry, we’ve worked with several clients who successfully utilized our products to perfect their own.

Features

Controller for 100G optical communications transmission

One of our success stories is a project for a client who needed a controller for 100G optical communications transmission. This system had features such as the ability to control the transmission of power laser, heaters to tune optical lasers thermally, a 12-bit accuracy pulse width (PWM) output and several 12- and 14-bit DACs.

Programmable inductive proximity control

Another successful project with a client involves a programmable inductive proximity control that featured capabilities like a high switching frequency, the ability to sense all metal targets through phase detection or combined phase shift/amplitude sending, and patented architecture.

It also includes important circuit blocks like ADC, signal modulator, oscillator, short circuit protection, SRAM and nvRAM memories, and embedded microprocessor.

RF transceiver

One of our clients requested an RF transceiver with features such as proprietary linear architecture, an 18 GHz electro-absorption modulator driver, and the capability to be a transmitter and receiver of NRZ data. It’s also dubbed as having the lowest power consumption in the industry.

Applications

The products that we’ve developed for some of our clients have been used in different applications such as:

  • Robotics
  • Industrial automation
  • Integrated photonics for 100G optical communications
  • Laser control for integrated photonics used in optical communications systems

Final thoughts

As a leader in ASIC production, Linear MicroSystems has created a wide range of products that have been used for applications in various niches throughout the world.

We take pride in the success stories of our collaborations with customers, and we continue to commit ourselves to helping customers create the best components that they will need for their own businesses.

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.

microsystem

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the World of Microsystem Manufacturing

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The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite significant in many applications. Most notably in big data analytics, facial recognition software, military equipment, and self-driving cars, among others.

What is AI?

 

AI enables machines to think. It provides the ability of the machine or software application to learn, act, and reason like human cognition. The beginning of AI goes back to the 1950s. However, recent developments in AI technology catapults the concept into new abilities and uses.

This is possible by creating sophisticated machine-learning algorithms to process huge data sets, learn from experience, and improve over time. It was in 2010 that advances in deep learning came.

That enabled the processing of a wider range of data through a certain type of machine-learning, requiring fewer data preprocessing done by human operators, and often producing more accurate results.

 

What is the role of AI in microsystem manufacturing?

 

There is a significant role of AI in the semiconductor industry due to its potential of creating huge business value. In fact, microsystem manufacturing companies investing in AI/ML are already generating value.

These are companies making notable investments in AI/ML talent, particularly in data infrastructure, technology, and other factors. They have also fully scaled up their initial use cases for that matter.

Although many are still in the pilot phase in terms of AI/ML, forecasts suggest that its application of such technology can accelerate dramatically over the next few years. If companies will take steps to scale up now, they will be able to capture the full benefits of such technologies.

 

How AI offers opportunities for microsystem companies

 

Chips intended to work with machine learning, or the neural networks called AI accelerators are expected to have a growth rate of approximately 18% per annum. This is more than 5 times the growth seen for semiconductor companies using non-AI applications. These also include areas of high growth in AI chips for the broader field of neural networks and for autonomous vehicles.

Neural networks are specialized AI algorithms working just as the human brain does. These are able to interpret sensory data and deliver patterns in huge amounts of unstructured data. Such is quite useful for facial recognition, predictive analysis, self-driving cars, and targeted marketing.

This is when microsystem manufacturing will benefit from the creation of AI accelerators and multiple inferencing chips required in the development of such AI technologies.

 

How semiconductor companies profit from AI technology

 

There are various areas of microsystem manufacturing that can benefit from the adoption of AI technology which includes but are not limited to the following.

  • High-bandwidth memory
  • High-speed interconnected hardware
  • Networking chips
  • Non-volatile memory
  • On-chip memory
  • Storage
  • Workload-specific AI accelerators

Accordingly, investment in AI technology enables chipmakers to capture their share of markets if they can meet the upcoming demand. Demand for AI will increase which brings many opportunities for the semiconductor industry but also a crisis in the acquisition of talent.

 

Learn about our semiconductor technology by visiting our products page here.

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.

Optical Control ASIC

How to Debug a Mixed Signal SOC

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Chipmakers strictly implement verification and debugging in a typical analog and mixed signal SOC design. This is important for manufacturing companies to save billions of dollars effectively and efficiently.

 

The designs can have a huge impact on the verification cycle when they become bigger and more complex. In fact, verification engineers often face various challenges daily for the verification of modern mixed signal SOC.

 

What is a mixed signal SOC?

 

A mixed signal SOC is the integration of both analog and digital functionality within the same chip. The key in the verification process of the analog and mixed signal design is the interaction between them.

 

There can be various components within a semiconductor SOC at different levels of abstractions from different sources and languages. In the design process, there must be an integration of IPs at various levels without losing its overall design goals.

 

Thus, there should be a thorough testing of IP quality inside and outside of the SOC. Designers have a huge role during the design considering the size of SOC with multiple IPs. They must have effective debugging tools having quick and easy visualization, annotation, and navigation, among other tools to make the right decisions.

 

How do you debug a mixed signal SOC?

 

The cost of chips in the semiconductor industry is skyrocketing due to the global chip shortage, particularly in the automotive industry. The manufacture of a robust chip employs a long, iterative process that may require a lot of re-spins.

 

This is the main reason why it is very important to find and fix bugs as early as the development cycle than during the implementation wherein they can get a hundred times more expensive to fix.

 

As a result, proper verification and debugging will have fewer re-spins, faster market-to-market, lower costs, and more reliable products. But how do you debug a mixed signal SOC for that matter?

 

Here are steps to debug mixed signal SOC in an effective and efficient way to avoid certain issues:

 

  • Test bench configuration using SPICE design and Verilog-AMS model in the AMS simulation
  • Narrow down the issue in the SPICE design during the AMS simulation using the modeling approach
  • Set up the correct Connect module via the Connect Rule in the AMS simulation
  • Include the correct process corners in the SPICE simulation
  • Force/access the SPICE net from the System Verilog test bench
  • Speed up the simulation time using appropriate levels of wave dump in the SPICE simulation
  • Select the appropriate simulator with the correct speed/accuracy options for the AMS simulations
  • Use the Verilog-AMS netlist for the AMS simulations

 

Note that there are common issues encountered during the AMS simulation. AMS verification engineers can debug and verify mixed signal SOC using this guide.

 

  • Pin swapped or mismatched between analog IPs when integrated at the analog top level
  • Branch not terminated properly in a Verilog-AMS model
  • The simulation takes longer due to the large dump file size and SPICE design
  • Some domains do not show correct values because of incorrect connect module
  • Improper simulator settings leading to incorrect results
  • Mismatched digital control signals coming to the analog IPs
  • Hierarchical references in the digital test bench

Learn more about our direct work in the industry here.

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.