ASIC Categories
- Full – Custom ASICs
- Semi-Custom ASICs
- Programmable ICS
- Programmable: These are not custom made, and can be run in the data center, campus, or in a metro Ethernet environment. It is further subdivided into two categories.
- FPGAs: These are complex and larger reconfigurable devices, which include programming logic cells and interconnect. For Example Xilinx, Altera, QuikLogic, etc are some of the FPGA companies
- PLDs: These are the electronic devices used to build reconfigurable circuits. For Example- GAL ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.
- Full Custom: These are custom-made from scratch for a specific application. It is a design methodology useful for integrated circuits. There are the resistors, transistors, digital logic, capacitors, and analog circuits are positioned in the circuit layout. For Example Microprocessor. It takes a minimum time of 8 weeks for normal manufacturing and is quite expensive. Features- Maximum performance, minimized area, and the highest degree of flexibility.
- Semi-Custom: These are customized partially so that they can perform the different functions within the area of their general application. Basically, it is an alternative to full-custom designs. It is further subdivided into two categories:
- Gate Array Based: These have pre-defined transistors on the silicon wafer.
- Standard Cell Based: Some logic gates such as AND gates, OR gates, multiplexers, flip-flops are pre-designed by designers by using different configurations, standardized, and stored in the form of a library, this is known as a standard cell library. The cell area or flexible block is made up of standard cells arranged in the form of rows, with these flexible blocks mega cells like microcontrollers or even microprocessors are used on-chip.
ASIC Full Form
ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. It is specially built for a specific application or purpose. If compared to any other device, ASIC has improved speed. Basically, it is an integrated circuit that’s been specified for one specific purpose and is not software programmable to perform a wide variety of different tasks. These are widely used in applications, including auto emission control, environmental monitoring, and personal digital assistants. It often has an embedded CPU to manage suitable tasks.