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ASIC Design

Swindon Silicon Systems – Your ASIC design partner

There are many defining reasons why product developers design an ASIC into their product. Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) are custom solutions that encompasses optimised high functionality and performance with an efficient use of power and space for a specified application and market.

    • Optimised performance
    • Footprint reduction
    • Lower power consumption
    • Intellectual Property (IP) protection
    • Non obsolescence assurances and options
    • Product manufacturing efficiencies
    • Improved reliability

    50 years of experience in the design, production test and supply of mixed signal ASICs

    In all ASICs, where market leadership is the aim, Swindon has nearly 50 years of experience in the design, production test and supply of mixed signal ASICs into the automotive, industrial and aerospace and defence markets.

    ASIC Specification

    ASIC Packaging

    ASIC Development

    ASIC Supply Chain

    ASIC Design

    Through higher integration, an ASIC can realise in a single IC, the functional equivalent of many discreet ICs and components resulting in a smaller footprint, lower power consumption and lower cost. Modern ASIC design techniques offer flexibility to chip partitioning and system architecture, combining to provide an optimised solution for the customer.

    Flexible chip partitioning and system architecture, combined with in house and third-party IP blocks, such as analog to digital converters (ADC), digital to analog converters (DAC), voltage regulation, signal conditioning, phase lock loop and serial interfaces can be used in varying degrees of customisation, meaning that ASIC technology is readily adaptable to provide an excellent return on investment for a given application.

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    Swindon’s Full Turn Key ASIC Design Solutions

    Swindon’s depth of engineering talent conducts all aspects of the design in-house at our fully equipped ASIC Full Turnkey (FTK) design and production test headquarters.

    Swindon’s enhanced analogue, digital and mixed-signal custom integrated circuits, designed to our customer’s demanding requirement enables a product with a distinct and unique technical and commercial advantage.

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    Swindon’s FTK starts from initial specification through to the supply of volume production tested and calibrated ASICs including analogue and mixed signal design, production test, packaging, component manufacture, logistics and supply chain management. Swindon also provides full evaluation, characterisation, industrial and automotive qualification (AEC Q100) and full failure analysis in accordance with defined industry standards such as TS 16949.

    This FTK service enables our customers to be able to focus on their core competencies whilst Swindon designs, manufactures, production tests and supplies their custom ASIC solution to anywhere in the world.

    What Swindon’s FTK offering encompasses

    • Complete in house expertise from ASIC specification to volume production and supply.
    • In house design, verification, production test, supply chain management, order fulfilment, quality assurance and legal teams.
    • Single point of responsibility for all project and supply matters.
    • Project Manager and Technical Lead assigned for each ASIC project.
    • In house high volume ASIC ATE and wafer probe facilities.
    • Swindon test 100% of delivered ASICs.
    • Detailed knowledge of ASIC foundries, processes and encapsulation.
    • ASIC process selected to meet customers’ requirements.
    • Detailed knowledge of ASIC packaging (custom and standard) and processes.
    • Experienced supply chain teams
    • Long standing relationships with most of the leading ASIC foundries.
    • Design for Test (DfT) on every ASIC development.
    • Adhere to TS 16949 operating principles.
    • Quality Assurance teams with extensive AEC Q100 and industrial qualification requirements.
    • Supplier quality assurance – dedicated teams ensuring the highest standards from our suppliers.

    ASIC Design and Development

    Swindon’s team of ASIC designers, utilising our own IP library from production proven former designs and supplemented by the IP libraries of its foundry partners, form the base for a predictable development plan.
    Swindon has a long established and proven design and development that provides a robust flow with gate checks at various points in the project.

    Swindon’s ASIC development phase includes

    • Mixed signal ASIC design (analogue and digital)
    • Corner simulations and verifications
    • Custom layout
    • Synthesis of all digital sections
    • Top level integration, layout and verification
    • Design documentation
    • Development and delivery of wafer probe and ATE production test programs
    • Qualification plan and execution
    • Design Tape Out procedure

    Analog ASIC Design

    Analogue design is one of Swindon’s primary areas of expertise. Over the years we have developed many analog IP blocks which can be used across many applications. Our proven analogue design covers many areas such as Analogue to Digital Convertors (ADC), Digital to Analogue Convertors (DAC), Amplifiers (OP Amps, TIA, LNA, VGA etc), Synthesizers, Voltage Regulators and Convertors (many different architectures), Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO’s), Constant Current Generator, Filters and Signal Conditioning to name but a few.

    Digital ASIC Design

    Integrating a DSP or advanced processor onto your ASIC is common place today. Swindon has designs with anything from a simple state machine, an 8bit 8051 microcontroller, a custom processing block to ARM Cortex processors. We work with our customers to assess and then deliver the optimum architect for their application.

    Advanced communications protocols such as BLE can also be incorporated into the design. Depending upon the customer’s requirements, these digital functions can be implemented in either a System on Chip (SoC) or a System in Package (SiP) configuration.

    Swindon, the mixed signal ASIC design partner of choice

    Swindon makes the implementation of a custom integrated solution (ASIC) easily accessible. Swindon has developed over time, an ASIC development path that removes development risk and cost. In addition to bringing a wealth of experience in successful Industrial and Automotive ASIC developments, our fundamental approach is to develop a thorough understanding of our customer’s unique application requirements and translate this into an ASIC, which we will supply for the lifetime of the end product.

    This goes far beyond what our customers initially ask of us an ASIC design and supply company and into the sphere of understanding the detailed objectives of the target application. We feel great professional satisfaction when our ASIC expertise empowers recommendations toward system architecture, technology selection and the functionality and the system contribution of the ASIC.  Our recommendations are given to provide an optimized ASIC, both in terms of technical and commercial initiatives, to achieve a balance of objectives including, technology deliverance and risk, competitive development schedule and cost, competitive unit price, and overall value add to the final product.

    Regardless of the many reasons that strongly support ASIC implementation, it is comforting to know that developing and integrating a custom ASIC is not the daunting task it once was. Swindon has a developed a volume production proven design process, aimed at easing the customer’s transition from specification into ASIC volume production. Our toolbox includes access to a wide variety of production qualified mixed signal geometries with many of the major global ASIC foundries, supplied with excellent process design kits (PDK) and behavior models and implemented using advanced design tools.

    By choosing Swindon as your ASIC design partner, you will take advantage of our 50 years of proven ASIC design experience which has culminated in hundreds of millions of our ASICs being in use across the globe today.

    Swindon Silicon Systems is a global leader in the design and supply of automotive and industrial mixed signal ASIC solutions for today’s increasingly connected world.

    Come and speak to us about your custom ASIC project, in an informal and no obligation discussion.

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