FEATURED VIDEO

SLIDE SHOWS
The chip giant adds new remote management, encryption and anti-theft tools baked right into next-gen Intel Core vPro processors for commercial desktops and notebooks.
The long-awaited iPad has arrived. But here are 12 other tablet devices that will take aim at Apple this year as the suddenly crowded tablet PC market heats up.
Going green was the rage of 2009, and the buzz in 2010 isn't letting up. Manufacturers are responding to increased demands from their white box makers for more eco-friendly components.
INSIDE CHANNELWEB

Results found for: ASIC
Printer Print This Page

Image Friendly
techweb
ASIC
techweb
(Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. The use of ASICs improve performance over general-purpose CPUs, because ASICs are "hardwired" to do a specific job and do not incur the overhead of fetching and interpreting stored instructions. However, a standard cell ASIC may include one or more microprocessor cores and embedded software, in which case, it may be referred to as a "system on a chip" (SoC).

     A full custom ASIC chip is the most costly, and like standard cell ASICs, use a custom-designed mask for every layer in the chip. Unlike standard cells, designers of a full custom device have total control over the size of every transistor forming every logic gate, so they can "fine tune" each gate for optimum performance. Thus, a full custom ASIC performs electronic operations as fast as it is possible to do so, providing that the circuit design is efficiently architected.

     Today, full custom ASICs represent a small percentage of the ASIC market because gate arrays, structured ASICs and standard cells turn circuit designs into working chips much faster and at much less cost. Such chips have greatly improved in speed over the years and provide the necessary performance for many applications. The speed advantage of a full custom ASIC is not as relevant as it was in the past. It is used primarily for devices such as microprocessors that must run as fast as possible and will be produced in huge quantities.

     Also promoting the decline of full custom ASICs are chip manufacturers that make generic chips containing all the necessary functions for specific mass market products such as DVDs, CDs, digital cameras, etc. See structured ASIC, gate array, standard cell, ASSP, PLD, adaptive computing and CSIC.




Types of ASICs
ASICs can be defined as made in a semiconductor fab only or they can embrace the programmable logic market as well. (Diagram courtesy of Clive Maxfield, www.techbites.com)
Search For ASIC On ChannelWeb

Find the latest news and information on ASIC from across the Channelweb Network of IT Web sites.


techweb
temrs similiar to your header
Entries before ASIC
techweb
techweb ASCIIbetical
techweb ASDL
techweb ASE
techweb ASF
techweb Ashton-Tate
 techweb Entries after ASIC
techweb
techweb ASK
techweb askSam
techweb ASM
techweb ASMO
techweb ASMP
techweb
define another it term
techweb techweb

techweb
Or get a random definition
techweb
copyright THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.

Copyright (©) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company
Inc All rights reserved.
Media Kits | Reprints | Privacy Statement | Copyright © 2010 United Business Media LLC | Terms of Service
CRN Logo ChannelWeb Logo CRN Logo CRNTech Logo Vision Events XChange IPED
ADVERTISEMENT




CHANNEL SERVICES >>