Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) in Embedded Systems

Application Specific Integrated Circuit, also called ASIC, is a type of Integrated Circuit built for a specific application. The use of ASIC is instrumental for improving speed and reliability; ASIC has been specifically designed to do one purpose or do a specific task. It can also be miniaturised and consumes less power. One of the drawbacks of this type is that its design and manufacturing costs are high.  The above features make  ASIC Design and Verification a promising career choice, especially for jobs in Industrial Applications that carry out specific tasks. 

While ASIC can be found in most electronic devices, its application ranges widely from sound conversions to image rendering. Since companies make tailor-made ASICs for their specific needs, ASIC chips are used by the company that develops them and falls under the respective company’s proprietary technology. 

The three different categories of ASICs are given below – 

Full-custom ASICs 

Made for a specific application, these are custom-made from scratch, and the designer decides their purpose. During the manufacturing process, it’s photolithographic layers are well-defined; hence, any modification during the manufacturing process will not be possible. 

Semi-custom ASICs 

Semi-custom ASICs, as the name suggests, is partly customised for specific functions and includes general application areas. Semi-custom ASICs allow for modifications during the manufacturing process, despite the masks for the diffused layers already being well-defined. 

Platform ASICs

Platform ASICs are specifically designed and produced from a set of methodologies and well-defined design of silicons. These make it possible to reduce development costs and shorten the design cycle. Platform ASICs are produced from platform slices where each slice is a pre-manufactured device, logic or even an entire system. Using pre-manufactured devices is crucial to reducing ASIC chips’ high development and design costs. 

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