system on a chip

ASIC Chip in The World Of AI: An Overview

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Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have a basic need for application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips. The ASIC chip allows programming of instructions to operate as an accelerator for simultaneous algorithms.

 

An ASIC chip basically enables multiple AI algorithms to operate simultaneously without compromise to its computing power. This makes it more advantageous than other technologies, which will likely be the future of AI training and development.

 

Development of AI technology

 

Basically, there are several silicon options for training and development of AI technology aside from ASICs. Such would include central processing units (CPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and graphical processing units (GPUs).

 

The use of CPUs offers a great level of programmability, but they tend to give less power in terms of performance compared to dedicated and optimized hardware chips.

 

FPGAs, however, are so flexible and they have great performance, ideal for specialized applications that require a small volume of reprogrammable microchips.

 

FPGAs, on the other hand, are expensive and very hard to make.  In fact, in comparison to ASICs and GPUs, they still can falter in terms of performance and power. That said, GPUs are ideal for graphics, scientific algorithms, and underlying matrix operations.

 

Ideally, ASICs is the best option to accomplish a very specific task at high efficiency, performance, and power as it is a customizable chip.

 

Role of ASIC Chips for AI

 

  • ASIC chips are microchips that are created for a particular application
  • Their logic can be programmed to test an AI model without dedicating its resources or affecting any other task
  • They have faster computing power in comparison to regular CPUs, FPGAs, and GPUs

 

Technologies using ASIC Chips

 

Since ASICs support AI and similar algorithms, here are examples of technologies able to benefit from it:

 

  • Tensor processing units (TPUs) of Google, a series of ASICs created for machine learning
  • Deep learning unit from Fujitsu
  • Intel to release AI ASICs in the near future

 

ASIC chips perform specific computer operations and run a narrow and specific AI algorithm function. Since chips carry the workload in parallelism, AI algorithms accelerate faster using an ASIC chip.

 

 

Need a proposal for your ASIC chip project? Click 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.

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All about Time of Flight ASIC and Its Future

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beingTime of Flight is the measurement of travel time by an object, electromagnetic, or acoustic wave through a medium. From radiation detectors to automotive, the Time of Flight ASIC has come a long way.

Time of Flight ASIC in the Medical Field

The medical field has reaped the benefits of TOF techniques; medical PET or Positron Emission Tomography for medical imaging, using time of light to improve background ratio and spatial resolution.

Time of Flight measurement in PET scanners provide accurate image reconstruction at a lower radiation dose and eliminates the risk of diagnostic error.

Time of Flight ASIC in Modern Day

Today, the use of the Time of Flight technique in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is improving diagnostic and therapy assessment processes for patients in different medical fields.

Over the years several studies have been conducted on the use of Time of Flight ASIC technique and the development of high-resolution PET detectors with high accuracy and timing capabilities. Various ASIC designers and manufacturers have incorporated this method to improve imaging results.

Risk of missed diagnoses and cancer detections are lowering. This is also reducing the required time for data acquisition and the doses of radiation employed. Lower radiation dose equals lower cost.

The advancement of technology and recent ASIC designs allow higher accuracy while streamlining processes at lower costs. Designers and manufacturers have developed the design and production of a range of ASIC solutions used in clinical and medical evaluation.

Bettering performance in this area causes lower radiation doses being exposed to patients, and lowers costs.

Where do I find Time of Flight ASICs?

If you need ASICS, Linear Microsystems develops and manufactures high performance ASICs for your unique applications. The company’s over 20 years of experience gives them the knowledge and design expertise to come up with an advanced design automation toolset, packaging options, advanced processes, and the capability to conduct production testing while maintaining a high level of quality.

With the advanced tools, design system, and expertise, Linear Microsystem produces full SOC and mixed-signal ASICs.

Linear Microsystem is your one stop shop for all your ASIC needs. With a strong design team and the right experience levels, no design is too complex.

In-depth knowledge on various technologies and applications, tells you you will receive the perfect solution at a fair cost. Besides, you can get a free quote at any time by clicking here.

With the option to participate in the design, you get real time updates on how the project is progressing.

Linear Microsystem offers full service – where we perform all development activities from order, tests, and delivery.

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

LiDAR ASIC and its Environmental Applications

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LiDAR or Light Detection and Ranging technique uses light for remote sensing of the outdoors. Also referred to as laser radar, LiDAR ASIC is now used as an environment sensing technique, tracking changes in the environment in locations that are hard to navigate by foot or too large to be self measured .

LiDAR can be used in different environmental conditions, including in the dark and cloudy areas. Although LiDAR technology was first developed in the 1990s, environmental uses have only been available since 2005.

With LiDAR’s many uses, its ability to track changes can save thousands if not millions of lives during natural disasters.

Topographic LiDAR examines and maps land through near-infrared lasers while bathymetric LiDAR measures seafloor and riverbed elevations using water-penetrating green light.

Common uses of LiDAR

Forestry

  • LiDAR technology helps with forest mapping, inventory, research, treatment, and restoration. Detailed Surface Modeling(DSM’s) digital elevation products work with forest planning and management.
  • LiDAR technique is a proven method to study and monitor forest fire patterns. This allows fire departments to guestimate the next forest fire.
  • This technology helps better understand forest structure and density, leading to more accurate forest inventory.
  • LiDAR gives accurate information for land as well as ecological classification.

Sea

  • LiDAR ASIC measures coastline topography; above and below the water surface as deep as 3 times the visible depth.
  • The Light and Detection Ranging technology helps with map creation, the monitoring of sediment erosion, deposition, and dredge disposal.
  • LiDAR also measures beach storm response.
  • This approach proves effective in providing accurate data for safe marine navigation, seafloor mapping, shoreline mapping, and shallow water mapping.

Disaster Awareness and Preparedness

  • LiDAR can help residents in hurricane prone areas to determine if residential structures have enough elevation to withstand storms. It helps predict how a disaster may affect an area.
  • It used in climate monitoring.

Pollution

  • LiDAR ASIC measures particles in the atmosphere. Some studies even use this technology to measure pollutants in the air.

LiDAR is useful for many environmental applications including agriculture, mining, and river surveys. LiDAR systems allow mapping professionals, and scientists in the ecological field to examine the environment thoroughly and accurately.

Its high resolution is making it easier for environmental scientists to gather data precisely, accurately, and with high efficiency.

LiDAR ASIC technology minimizes the impact of natural disasters, streamline data acquisition, and preserve the environment and saves resources.

Most of all, LiDAR saves lives by spreading awareness of the severity of natural disasters.

Click here to learn more about our technology here at Linear MicroSystems.

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)

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.

Microsystem

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.

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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.

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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.