Megatrend-enabling ASIC technology at Embedded World 2020

Product and system designers are encouraged to visit Stand 3A-708 to discuss the benefits that a custom designed device can bring to their current and future projects and how Swindon’s full turn-key (FTK) capability is the perfect solution.

According to Richard Mount, Sales and Marketing Director at Swindon, a whole new generation of manufacturers are turning to single chip, custom devices. Many of these are behind a variety of innovative, high volume applications which are being described by many as Megatrends. The key market drivers for many of these applications are electrification, autonomy, smart and connected and clean and efficient.

“Examples include the Smart Factory and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), electric and hybrid vehicles, autonomous driving and all manner of applications that require a feature rich, single chip device that can interface with real-world sensing,” said Mount. “These are all applications where silicon will play a major part in a product by adding functionality in a smaller footprint and providing the commercial advantage.”

Embracing a customer specific ASIC device brings many other advantages in addition to functionality, size and cost. An ASIC solution will reduce a user’s inventory and bill of materials (BOM) while protecting the originator’s Intellectual Property (IP). The wrongful use of IP is a major threat to all technology companies and many methods can be used to ensure the security of such a valuable asset. ASICs provide a solution where reverse engineering of the device is difficult if not impossible to achieve.

Customers also choose the ASIC route to guarantee component supply for the lifetime of their product with no gaps in availability. This is in sharp contrast to a solution built using standard components whose manufacturers readily consign them to the obsolescence bin once the part no longer makes financial sense to the supplier.