Mixed Signal ASIC Design Flow

Swindon develops all its own proprietary test software and the test flow and test limits must be first agreed with and approved by the customer before the start of production. Sample parts tested by the production test program are provided for certification. In production Swindon conduct 100% wafer probe and ATE of the packaged devices to guarantee compliance.

The two possible components of an ASIC that can go obsolete are the processing and the packaging. Swindon will choose a process with longevity in supply attached to it and most packages can be sourced from more than one supplier. Swindon will even port the design onto a new process if required as a foundry will normally provide 2 years notice of obsolescence. The important fact to note is that Swindon will provide assistance throughout and will not leave the customer in a situation where obsolescence becomes a major issue. A last time buy of packaged devices is a major financial outlay and Swindon aim to find a solution for our customer long before that scenario develops.

This is totally dependent upon the complexity of the design that is to be commenced. Adding RF, micros and memory all adds to the engineering time needed to complete the project. The more complex the design may also mean that a higher speed process may be required. Generally, the lower geometry process that is used for the ASIC usually means that the tooling costs are increased. Therefore a simple design on a 0.6µm CMOS will cost less than a design on a 0.18µm BiCMOS SiGe process. Swindon guides our customers through this process and advises on the optimal process to choose to ensure that the result is an ASIC that provides the customer with the best performance versus price versus size, that is achievable.

One of the main reasons why a company will commission an ASIC is to protect its IP. Some ASIC companies will demand that any part of the ASIC can be re used in their other designs. Swindon gives its customers ownership of the final system design ensuring that the IP of the final solution remains firmly in our customer’s possession.

Quality is a word and function that some companies only pay lip service to. Within Swindon quality is fundamental to the way we operate. TS 16949 and its processes are integral to how we approach all that we do hence all our projects are subject to the strict quality standards. Swindon provides a design and performance warranty on all its ASICs that demonstrates to our customers that the quality of the final product is unsurpassed

The customer needs to fully understand the objective of the system. A full knowledge of the power budget, of the measurement resolution required, the temperature profile and how the IC will communicate to the end users. This information is critical to know when designing a custom IC.

This depends upon many factors, with the main ones being how complete is the customer requirement specification, the quotation and decision process time and most importantly, the complexity of the ASIC required and how long it will take to design, productise, manufacture and qualify.

Every project at Swindon is allocated a Project Manager and a Technical Lead. These will be in place throughout the whole project and we encourage weekly, if not daily, contact. The relationship is very much a partnership and it is vital that efficient communications are established and continued.

Yes, this can be achieved very easily. However, it is important to note that the longer into the IC development project the changes are made, then the cost of doing so will increase. Changes can be made early in the project with potentially no cost implications to the project.