Welcome to Guangzhou Tongsen Electronic Technology Co., LTD. Website!
What is an ASIC? Definition of Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
There is currently no official statement on the exact meaning of ASIC, and many electronics professionals may not always agree on what exactly constitutes an ASIC, or whether a particular component should be classified as one. Nevertheless, I believe the following definition is a good starting point for understanding ASICs:
There's currently no official statement on the exact meaning of ASIC, and many electronics professionals may not always agree on what exactly constitutes an ASIC, or whether a given component should be classified as one. Nevertheless, I believe the following definition is a good starting point for understanding ASICs:
Part of this definition (an IC designed for a specific customer, application, or market) reflects a broader and perhaps more common understanding of the term. However, the two-part definition is useful because it distinguishes "ASIC" from simply a "custom IC." If an ASIC is the same as a custom IC, why do we need the term ASIC?
The complete definition defines an ASIC as an IC that provides custom functionality but doesn't require a completely custom design process. Instead, custom functionality is achieved through a process analogous to PCB design. When drawing a schematic, we take components from a library and interconnect them, sometimes verifying parts of the schematic through simulation. For ASICs, designers take functional blocks from a library, interconnect them, and verify functionality and performance through simulation.
A What does "specific application" mean in ASIC?
The term "specific application" in ASIC can be somewhat misleading. In current electrical engineering terminology, "application" usually refers to the actual use of an electrical device. In other words, the application of an electrical device answers the question: What useful work is this device intended to perform?
For example, in an introductory article on filters, Nick Davis explains that the applications of filters include radio communication, DC power supplies, and audio electronics. This means that filter circuits are very useful in modules or systems used to implement wireless communication, generate reliable supply voltages, or reproduce high-quality sound.
It turns out that Application-Specific Integrated Circuits are often not targeted at a specific application, or at least not limited to one. For example, a highly integrated data converter ASIC might be primarily designed for medical imaging applications, but it's entirely possible that the same device would be equally suitable for industrial video processing or a multi-channel automotive sensor network. We can even think of more general things, such as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) ASIC originally designed for smartphones, but whose capabilities are sufficient to succeed in a variety of applications.
Therefore, I think the terms Task-Specific Integrated Circuit (TSIC) or Function-Specific Integrated Circuit (FSIC) would be more accurate. However, TSIC and FSIC are certainly not as catchy as ASIC. Generally speaking, ASIC design allows a single chip to efficiently perform a specific combination of tasks. Even if this combination of tasks was initially needed for a specific application, there may be various other applications where such an ASIC would be an effective and ideal replacement for off-the-shelf ICs.
ASIC Design Cycle
Designing and verifying custom ICs is not easy, even with the help of functional blocks from cell libraries. If designers cannot find the required functionality or performance in off-the-shelf ICs, one solution is usually to "keep looking." If difficulties persist, programmable logic—Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs)—may be a reasonable option.
Before a single chip is manufactured, ASIC development can require months or even years of labor and millions of dollars in Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. Therefore, in high-volume projects with demanding performance requirements, management can usually justify the time and money invested in ASIC development. If the production volume is large enough, ASICs can actually have an economic advantage. The overall production cost will be lower because the reduction in component and assembly costs is sufficient to offset the increased amortization of ASIC development costs.
The following list outlines the major parts of an ASIC design project:
System requirements and other relevant constraints are used to develop the specifications for the ASIC.
The specifications provide a framework for creating a high-level architectural design.
The high-level architecture is implemented in low-level logic. As with FPGAs and CPLDs, Hardware Description Languages (VHDL and Verilog) have become invaluable tools for ASIC design.
The design is tested to verify functionality and timing.
The logic design must be translated into a physical layout.
After verifying the physical layout, the project is ready for tape-out and manufacturing.
After successful manufacturing and packaging, the ASIC can undergo electrical testing and be integrated into prototypes for lab and field testing.
RECOMMENDED NEWS
High-end Custom Services: SMT Chip Processing Meets Diverse Industry Needs
(Telephone contact)
Email:
Address： Room 502, Building 1, No. 13, Bohua 4th Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou City
COPYRIGHT © 2025 Guangzhou Tongsen Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.