Archive for category: System-On-A-Chip and ASIC Design Blog

Engineers must mimic a tried-and-tested ASIC chip design flow to guarantee successful ASIC design. This should be derived from having a good understanding of ASIC specifications, low power design, and performance, requirements while focusing on achieving the goal of the right time to market.

So, what are we talking about?

• Design specification
• Architectural design
• Behavioral and functional modeling
• Logical implementation
• Synthesis and testing
• Place and route
• Design layout

 

The ASIC chip design cycle

 

Certainly, fulfilling the demands of ASIC chip design is achievable by applying changes in design tools, methodologies, and hardware and software capabilities.

So, what do you need to know?

Chip specification

• This is the time when the engineer will define features, functionalities, microarchitecture, and specifications with design guidelines of the ASIC chip. So, there are two teams involved, namely the design team and the verification team.

 

Design entry / functional verification

• This confirms the functionality and logical behavior of the circuit by simulation on the design entry level. Then, the design and verification teams will come into play at this stage to generate RTL code with the use of test benches. This process is the behavioral simulation.

• • Types of simulation tools

• • • Functional simulation tools – This will verify logical behavior. Also, the implementation after the testbench and design code.
    • Timing simulation tools – This will verify the timing requirements are in check by the circuit design. Also, will confirm the design is free of delays in the circuit signal.

 

RTL block synthesis / RTL function

• After the generation of RTL code and testbench, the RTL team will work on the description by translating the RTL code into a gate-level netlist with the use of a logical synthesis tool.

 

Chip partitioning

• This is when the engineer follows the ASIC design layout requirement and specification for the creation of its structure aided by EDA tools with proven methodologies.

 

Design for test insertion

• To ensure that system-on-chip variation requirements are in check, new models and techniques allow for high-quality testing. Thus, the design for the test comes with a number of techniques.

Scan path insertion

• • This links all register elements into a single long shift register to evaluate small parts of the design instead of the entire design in a single process.

Memory built-in self-test

• • Certainly, chip memory requires lower area and fast access time in lower technology nodes. So, the memory built-in self-test is a device that checks RAMs.

Automatic test pattern generation

• • This method creates test vectors or sequential input patterns to check for faults in different elements of a circuit.

 

Floorplanning

• This is the first step in RTL-to-GDSII design, which places blocks into chips. In any case, the floorplan will determine the size of the chip and places the gates and connects them with wires.

 

Placement

• This process is the placement of standard cells in a row.

 

Clock tree synthesis

• This process builds the clock tree. Also, meets the defined timing, area, and power requirements.

 

Routing

• This process is done via global and detailed routing.

Global routing

• • This calculates estimated values per net by the delays of wire fanout.

Detailed routing

• • This is where the actual delays of wire are calculated by different methods. So, among others, these methods are timing optimization and clock tree synthesis.

 

Final verification

• This process involves 3 steps of physical verification also known as signoff checks. Also, this will help check if the layout is working just as it intends to.

 

 GDS II or graphical data stream information interchange

• The engineer will perform wafer processing, packaging, testing, verification, and delivery to the physical IC in this final step.

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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.

There are many questions regarding the use of system on a chip (SoC) technology these days and why many experts recommend it. To gain more knowledge about SoC, here are basic information about this type of technology.

 

What is system on a chip technology?

 

SoC is an integrated circuit with all the components of a computer. These include a CPU, I/O ports, memory, and secondary storage. This type of circuit can consume less power and consume less space compared to a multichip design. They are also common in embedded system designs.

 

Unlike a motherboard-based architecture, all the components are in a system on a chip design. Usually, SoCs are built around a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or designed as a programmable SoC for a specific application with some programmable aspects.

 

In comparison to microcontrollers, SoCs have more pins and more systems integration of various peripherals. This can also refer to many things found on the market, which generally means a single chip that does everything instead of multiple chips. So, do not get misled by the name.

 

Why is SoC better than similar technologies?

 

The initiative to take on more complex tasks with minimal number of components has given rise to system on a chip in the mobile phone industry.

 

From the early days of a 2G handset containing a dozen chips until the advent of smartphones compressing all functions into a couple of chips, chip designers were able to sell early versions of SoCs as fabless designs to handset manufacturers.

 

The use of SoC is a priority of companies like Apple leading to the mass production and extreme integration of modern system on a chip technology into their products.

 

Reportedly, it helped in the reduction of cost of earlier generations of SoC so that devices like the Raspberry Pi can use this technology and offer it at affordable prices to everyone.

 

Is it different than a microcontroller?

 

There is a difference between SoC and a microcontroller unit which can be based on definition. While SoC has a lot of definitions and will typically change over time. A microcontroller unit already has a clear definition. But the distinction between the two can be a bit confusing at some point.

 

• Microcontroller unit – This is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. These have a processor core, memory, and programmable I/O peripherals, among others. This also provides minimal interface, memory, and processing power.

 

The peripherals you can see inside a microcontroller are less specific in comparison to those inside a system on a chip. Thus, it focuses on small, embedded control systems or control applications.

 

• System on a chip – An SoC is an encapsulation of 1 or more CPUs, microcontrollers, accelerators, or other supporting hardware. It does not have a specific standard about the type of circuitry it must have.

 

Moreover, it is designed for applications with more complex requirements. There might be more than 1 microcontroller inside a SoC. This is because it is like a complete computer system on a single chip. This makes it able to do complex tasks with higher resource requirements.

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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.

Aerospace engineering, automotive, and medical industries are just a few that have seen the significance of microsystems technology (MST) in modern times.

 

But the industrial challenges just kept on building up. This led industries to get abreast of the times by updating with the latest in MST trends.

 

With that said, here are some of the different uses of microsystems technology and their importance in particular industries.

 

Microsystems’s technology in medical applications

 

Otherwise called micro-electromechanical systems or MEMS, microsystems technology has proven useful as an enabling technology for innovative medical devices. Nowadays, they have become part of many medical devices, which include sensors and actuators of all kinds.

 

The small size of MST components also offers considerable advantages compared to other technologies with its high integration density which enables superior functional performance and improves system reliability.

 

Notable examples include the cardiac rhythm management implants, cochlear implants, microsurgical instruments, and point of care testing devices.

 

Ophthalmic current solutions

 

Microsystems integrate into medical instruments for measuring intraocular pressure. This is through pressure and strain sensors that stimulate electrodes, microelectronics, and additional microsystems.

 

Medical microsystems are also combined into medical instruments and tools to help in the process of ophthalmic surgery. There is also significant progress made in the field of multi-vision intraocular lenses for the replacement of lenses with cataracts.

 

Microelectronics technology for the aerospace industry

 

Due to the demanding performance and reliability requirements of the aerospace industry, MST provides exceptionally reliable solutions. Such solutions are based on experience and comprehensive knowledge in challenging industries like active implants.

 

With miniaturization capabilities and 100% traceability, MST also provides a comprehensive collection of materials and processes for advanced equipment in communication, radar, and other airborne control applications.

 

Micro metal injection molding

 

There is a potential for powder injection molding for microsystems technology. In fact, it is one of the most promising future technologies today. Such innovations are now in different markets: information technology, life sciences, automotive and power engineering, machine construction, and chemical and physical process engineering, among others.

 

Wireless integrated microsystems

 

The addition of non-electrical components to the wireless sensor microsystems has been given emphasis in wireless integrated microsystems (WIMS). This is the combination of semiconductor and microelectromechanical elements into a single hybrid system to enhance system functionality and expand the application space.

 

One of the notable examples of a hybrid WIMS is the prototype gas chromatography system to provide highly sensitive chemical detection. Furthermore, the combination of MEMS with embedded signal processing and wireless communication is enabling new applications to cover different areas, such as food and environmental monitoring, healthcare, homeland security, and many others.

 

Photonic crystals in microsystems

 

Optical microsystems come from a wide variety of micro-optical components, such as micro-lenses and micro-mirrors. These rely on the guiding of light in waveguides, which plays a major role in the application of photonic microsystems to optical communications.

 

Various applications have emerged for photonic crystals relevant to microsystems. Such would include the 2D waveguide structures with ultra-compact couplers, splitters, and bends. Other uses of photonic crystal structures in passive optical systems include resonators and large-area biosensors.

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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.

ASIC Chip stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit which is designed for one specific purpose while FPGA is short for Field Programmable Gate Array which can be programmed and reprogrammed to work as per intended design.

Comparison between ASIC Chip and FPGA

 

• An ASIC chip cannot change and will function the same throughout its operating life. On the other hand, FPGA can reconfigure while the other parts of the chip remain the same.
• ASIC is suitable for high volume mass production while FPGA is not.
• The use of ASIC only requires less power consumption compared to FPGA which is less energy efficient.
• ASIC runs on higher frequency in contrast to FPGAs limited operating frequency.
• ASICs are more flexible in comparison to FPGA with limited analog designs.
• FPGAs are highly suitable for designs that require updates while ASICs are not fitting for applications that need an upgrade.

Conclusion

Choosing between FPGA and ASIC depends on your target market, speed requirement, power necessity, and expected price range. But when working on achieving cost effective with high efficiency and better results, ASIC is the better choice.

 

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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 or SOC is an electronic circuit board responsible for integrating all the necessary components in electronic and computer systems.

The components consist of memory, a central processing unit, wireless radios for Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio, Bluetooth, and 2G/3G/LTE, and USB controller. These are permanently fastened into the motherboard. While compact, fast, and reliable, these parts are not as easily replaceable, requiring finer tuning in the building process to ensure long lasting productivity.

System on a Chip (SOC) is common in single-board computers, smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi routers, game consoles, and other computing devices. SOCs consist metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, having 2 major subsystems: functional unit and inter-module communications.

The functional unit of a SOC holds the microprocessors responsible for memory, running code, and digital signal processors while the second subsystem has the communication networks and topology.

With the power of miniaturization, all these components shrink into one single silicon chip, leaving more space for other functionalities and sections at the same time consuming less power.

Advantages of SOCs

• Lightweight
• Consumes less power
• Greater design security (both for firmware and hardware)
• Faster performance due to faster memory and faster processor
• Smaller overall cost

Drawbacks of SOCs

• Complex
• Higher or expensive initial cost
• If the design or functionality consists of smaller SOCs, it can be costly as you pay per SOC

However, in this case the advantages are worth the investment. SOC on average performs better than CPU, and here’s how:

What is a CPU?

The Central Processing Unit or CPU is commonly referred to as the “brain of the computer”. CPU is in charge of tasks like manipulating data and calculations.

A computer’s Central Processing Unit is the one responsible for doing logical input/output operations and arithmetic. Basically, the CPU picks up instructions; what to do, follows these instructions, and executes them. Every key that you press on your computer goes through the CPU to be executed.

Most of the devices that we use today to complete office tasks, research, or entertainment through video games have a CPU. While CPUs function as the core part of a computer system, they are still only a small part of the entire motherboard architecture.

Today, computer systems have multiple CPU cores keeping up with different information being received. Certainly, the more CPU cores installed on your computer, the better. They aid your machine in handling the complexity of websites, graphics, and programs. The more CPUs, the better your computer will perform.

System on a Chip vs CPU

Although CPU is bigger than a SOC, the latter has more functionality compared to a regular CPU. Therefore, based on how the world and technology are consistently changing, it will be of no surprise when regular CPUs have been completely replaced.

 

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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.