Mixed Signal ASIC
Integrated Circuit Design has historically been an expensive, time consuming, and risky undertaking accessible only to organizations with large budgets, high volume requirements and able to tolerate long and unpredictable development cycles; Until now…..
Introducing Mixed Signal ASICs by Triad Semiconductor
Triad Semiconductor (TRIAD) delivers mixed signal IC solutions using a radically different approach that allows you to integrate analog and digital circuitry into an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) at a fraction of the cost and time normally required.
TRIAD’s approach to IC design is inherently faster, less expensive, safer and simpler than any other approach in the market.
What We Do
TRIAD designs and manufactures mixed signal ASICs with a difference. Our experienced design team works with you to convert your idea into working silicon with reduced development cost, reduced development time, and with lower risk than competing development methods.
And, TRIAD has revolutionized how designers create mixed signal ICs (ASICs) with our Via Configurable Array (VCA) technology.
VCA technology delivers:
- Improved integration, power savings, and unit cost
- Shortest time to mixed signal ASIC prototypes and production in the industry
- Reduced fabrication costs (80%-90% savings)
- Safer, faster design using silicon-proven analog and digital building blocks
- Derivative products fabricated in weeks not months
- Lowest total cost of ownership from prototypes to mass production
- Support for any production volume
ASIC Know-How
The TRIAD engineering team consists of a seasoned staff of mixed signal ASIC experts with over 120 years of combined design experience and with 100+ successful ASIC tape outs. Our project teams become an extension of your development group allowing you to focus on the overall product execution while we craft an integrated circuit solution optimized for your specific requirements.
Disruptive VCA Technology
TRIAD is the only provider of patented mixed signal via configurable array (VCA) technology. Our VCAs combine silicon proven analog and digital building blocks on an integrated circuit die. These building blocks 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 processed 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-layer mask which is then sent to the foundry to be processed against the staged wafers.
Since only one mask layer needs to be produced and processed, fabrication costs can be reduced by 90% , fabrication time can be under 4 weeks, and your risks are greatly reduced by using building blocks, routing fabric, and existing VCAs that have been silicon proven and characterized by TRIAD.
Know-How and Great Technology Combine for Silicon Success
Your goal is to get your concept to working silicon quickly, inexpensively, and safely.
TRIAD’s mission is to help you achieve your goal by providing you with innovative VCA technology, superior engineering, and comprehensive project management.
We live and breathe the ASIC design process and it is never too early in the design process to engage with TRIAD. Some customers bring us a well-defined set of requirements, others have a schematic of a discrete PCB design they would like converted into an ASIC and many customers start the process with little more than an “idea on a napkin” or a rough block diagram. Our ASIC architects have decades of experience in determining how best to implement circuits and algorithms in silicon.
We welcome the opportunity to work together during the early “what-if” discussions and to help you with feasibility and architectural trade-offs.
You know your system and we know ASICs. Working together we can create an optimal application specific solution.
Selecting the Right VCA for Your Application
TRIAD engineers are full-custom analog/mixed signal circuit design experts and we are ready to work with you to determine which of TRIAD’s implementation options best suits your needs. We offer three primary ways to get your solution into silicon:
- Configure your design onto one of our Existing VCAs
- Assemble a New VCA out of existing IP optimized for your design
- Create a New VCA with Custom IP unique to your design
Each of these design approaches has advantages and we will work with you to provide the solution that best meets your integration, performance, development costs and production pricing needs.
Existing VCA
TRIAD has a catalog of existing VCA platforms tooled and staged at the foundry ready for your design. We work with you to determine if your design requirements can be satisfied by one of our existing arrays. Using an existing VCA results in the lowest development costs, lowest fabrication charges, and provides the fastest time to prototypes and production.
New VCA
If your design does not fit optimally on an existing VCA, TRIAD can assemble an optimized array from our existing silicon proven building blocks to provide the mix of logic, memory, and analog resources required by your application. TRIAD is a developer of a rich and ever expanding library of truly reusable mixed signal IP. We specialize in developing IP that is optimized for reuse within our via configurable routing fabric. By creating your new VCA with our existing silicon proven IP, we significantly reduce development time and engineering costs while providing you an optimum solution at significantly reduced risk.
Our customers often lament that licensing third-party IP often proves to be a time consuming, expensive and frustrating experience that impedes project progress. TRIAD’s unique VCA-Ready IP creation methodology combined with our patented via configurable technology allow us to quickly assemble your optimized VCA.
New VCA with Custom IP
After matching your design requirements to TRIAD’s existing IP blocks we may in some cases determine that a new piece of IP is required to achieve the special requirements unique to your design.
Even when your design needs new IP, the TRIAD VCA approach is the fastest and safest way to get your solution to prototypes and production.
Remember, TRIAD’s world-class full-custom analog and mixed signal IP developers are constantly creating VCA-Ready IP and they are ready to create exactly the function needed to differentiate your application.
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® CortexTM-M0
- 32-bit Processor
- USB 1.1, USB 2.0
- IIC, SPI, UART, LIN, CAN
- Digital filters, FFT
- PLLs, delay lines, real-time-clock
Analog Building Blocks
- Band gap, Brown-out detector
- Op-amps, comparators, integrators
- Arrays of capacitors, resistors, switches, & transistors
- Continuous time & switched capacitor filters
- Biquad sections
- Sigma delta modulators
- Capacitive touch interface
Analog to Digital Converters
- 8 to 24-bits, DC to 100-MSPS
- N-Slope, sigma-delta, SAR, pipelined & flash architectures
Digital to Analog Converters
- 6 to 16-bits, DC to 50MHz
- R2R ladder, C2C ladder, current steering
Power Management
- 1.8V to 70V operation
- LDO, buck-boost regulator, charge pump
- LED driver, H-bridge, motor control
Getting Started
Whether you are using one of TRIAD’s existing 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 information about getting your design on a VCA, email an FAE at info@triadsemi.com or give us a call at 336-774-2150.