Applications

military1Size, weight, and power are everything for mission-critical military and aerospace applications such as secure radios, man-packs, UAVs, avionics, satellites, munitions systems, and vehicle health monitoring systems. These applications demand high performance analog and digital processing while staying within the stringent size, weight, and power requirements that only an ASIC solution can provide. Triad’s via-configurable array (VCA) technology is the disruptive solution that defense industry designers need to rapidly and inexpensively create single chip mixed signal solutions for tomorrow’s applications.

Size, Weight and Power are Critical for Mil/Aero Applications

Mil/Aero applications such as secure software defined radios, man-packs, avionics, satellites, munitions, electronic vehicle health systems and mechanized vehicle electronics require small, light weight, and low power electronics. ASIC integration of electronics has been a key way to achieve size, weight, and power reductions while maintaining mission-critical performance and tamper-protecting critical electronics.

Unfortunately, mixed signal full-custom ASIC development has been an expensive, time-consuming, and risky endeavor.

VCA Technology Benefits

  • Cut development time by 70%
  • Prototype in silicon
  • Reduce development cost
  • 4-Week Fabrication
  • IP Reuse
  • Low Risk

Announcing the End of High-Priced ASICs

Triad’s disruptive Via-Configurable Array (VCA) technology is a new way to design mixed signal ASICs using a single mask Via-Only™ fabrication process.

VCAs combine silicon proven analog and digital tiles on an integrated circuit die. These tiles are overlaid with a global routing fabric which covers the digital, memory, and analog resources throughout the VCA.

Vias placed between two of the metal layers are used to interconnect and configure all of the mixed signal resources throughout the VCA.

Wafers containing VCA die are partially processsed at the foundry up to the via layer and these wafers are then staged at the foundry. Your mixed signal design is processed by TRIAD’s patented design tools and converted into a single Via-Only™ mask which is then sent to the foundry to be processed against the staged wafers.

Mil/Aero Focused Engineering

  • ITAR Compliant & 100% US-Citizens
  • ASIC Design Experts with over 120 years experience
  • 100+ Successful ASIC tape outs

Radiation-Hardened Arrays

  • Via Configurable Digital & Mixed Signal Rad-Hard Arrays
  • Rad-Hard by Process & Rad-Hard by Design (RHBD) Arrays
  • Total Ionizing Dose (TID) > 1 Mrad
  • Ionizing Dose Rate > 5×108 rad(Si)/s
  • Eliminate ELDRS effects
  • 350 – 90 nm CMOS bulk or SOI
  • Apps up to 70V
  • Custom Rad-Hard mixed signal VCAs available
  • Customer owned tooling/EDA flow available for digital-only arrays

Analog Building Blocks

  • Band gap references & supply independent voltage references
  • Arrays of capacitors, resistors, switches & transistors
  • Continuous time & switched capacitor filters
  • Capacitive touch interface
  • Op-amps, comparators, integrators, Sigma delta modulators

Data Converters

  • High speed ADCs and DACs
  • 8 to 24-bits resolutions

VCA Technology

  • 5,000 to 1-million ASIC gates
  • Distributed and block RAMs
  • 1-KB to 128-KB EEPROM
  • Configurable analog & digital I/O
  • ARM® Cortex™-M0 32-bit Processor
  • USB 1.1, USB 2.0
  • IIC, SPI, UART, LIN, CAN
  • Digital filters, FFT
  • PLLs, delay lines, real-time-clock

Power Management

  • 1.8V to 70V operation
  • Linear (LDO) & switching (DC-DC) regulators
  • LED drivers & H-bridges

Getting Started

Whether you are using one of TRIAD’s exisiting arrays or having us create an optimized array for your application, the best way to get started is to have one of our FAEs take a look at your design and help you explore your options. To get more infomation about getting your design on a VCA, email an FAE at info@triadsemi.com or give us a call at 336-774-2150.

Download the Triad Mil/Aero Datasheet.

industrial.jpgSmart sensors are a key component in today’s industrial environment. Temperature, pressure, torque, displacement and humidity are a few of the measurements that are now typical for today’s industrial customer. These measurements need to be converted from an analog measurement to the digital domain. The digital information is processed and sent through a digital communications link. The drive to incorporate the latest technology at the lowest cost makes the Triad ASIC solution a top design priority.

medical.jpgThe healthcare market is moving toward devices that require less power and smaller size. Blood glucose monitoring, implantables, defibrillators, temperature sensors, and bioelectric amplifiers all fit into this category. Triad Semiconductor has design experience to turn a discrete implementation into a low-cost, low power configurable ASIC that will reduce time to market.

automotive.jpgMarkets move fast.  Product development must keep ahead of the curve.  Demands of size and cost are constantly putting pressure on designers.  Automotive products require sensor interfaces; combined with digital processing and communication bus requirements.  Designers are driven to look for the lowest cost solution.  The Triad Semiconductor mixed signal ASIC meets that need.  Triad has the design experience for the automotive segment and will design your mixed signal ASIC using our silicon-proven IP.  Combine that with the benefits of VCA technology and you have a low-risk approach to your production ASIC.

power.jpgSystem requirements for multiple power planes, several voltage levels, power sequencing, sleep mode power, high-voltage LED drivers, quality audio processing, and intelligent control of these functions has led to the need for mixed-signal ASICs that sweep up a variety of analog functions for costs savings, performance, and integration. Portable electronics include a wide range of supply voltages: 1.8V and 3.3V for digital ICs, 4.2V for a Lithium-ion battery, 5V for legacy interfaces, 36V for LED backlighting, isolated voltages for sensitive analog circuits, and high voltages for motor control.