Triad Semi Introduces Three New Via Configurable ASIC Arrays

Three new via configurable arrays extend the solution space for mixed signal designers looking to integrate a wide range of analog circuits, digital logic, ADCs, and DACs onto a single chip with the industry’s lowest development cost. Customers can implement sophisticated new designs on these configurable arrays in three to six months.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – February 2, 2012 – Triad Semiconductor Inc., the industry’s leading supplier of configurable mixed-signal ASICs, today announced the availability of a family of three new mixed signal via configurable arrays (VCAs). The new arrays, VCA-3, VCA-5, and VCA-8 are the smaller siblings to VCA-6. VCA-6 is Triad’s million-gate plus mixed signal via configurable array. These new VCAs all share the same type of high-performance analog and digital configurable circuits as VCA-6. These new smaller arrays are ideal for cost optimized mixed signal applications that can benefit from single chip integration. This family of arrays (VCA-3, 5, 6 and 8) is fabricated on IBM’s 180nm RF-CMOS process (7RF) providing cost-effective, high-precision mixed signal solutions. Fabricated in North America, these arrays are ideal for commercial applications and can support a full ITAR-compliant flow as needed for defense applications.

Technical Highlights

The VCA-3, VCA-5, and VCA-8 family of devices share similar analog and digital resources. The arrays provide a range of analog and digital capabilities with VCA-3 being the smallest of the new arrays while VCA-5 and VCA-8 have similar die sizes with different mixes of analog and digital resources to better match a range of design requirements. This spread of capabilities allows designers to match their high-performance, mixed-signal requirements to exactly the VCA that best fits their needs thereby optimizing cost, package size and power consumption.

VCA-3 Technical Details

28 single-ended amplifiers, 16 fully-differential amplifiers, 17.9M ohms of resistance, 3,030 resistors, 625pF of capacitance, 4,037 capacitors, 334 PFETs, 339 NFETs, 81 PNP BJTs, 744 switches, resistive DAC tile, 56,700 ASIC gates, 83Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 144Kbits of via-ROM, 124 configurable I/O.

VCA-5 Technical Details

32 single-ended amplifiers, 8 fully-differential amplifiers, 21.54M ohms of resistance, 2,996 resistors, 615pF of capacitance, 4,250 capacitors, 525 PFETs, 534 NFETs, 81 BJTs, 528 switches, 5 current steering DAC tiles, resistive DAC tile, 100,800 ASIC gates, 147Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 192Kbits of via-ROM, 160 configurable I/O.

VCA-8 Technical Details

28 single-ended amplifiers, 12 fully-differential amplifiers, 15.9M ohms of resistance, 2,582 resistors, 543pF of capacitance, 3,469 capacitors, 270 PFETs, 275 NFETs, 648 switches, resistive DAC tile, 151,200 ASIC gates, 221Kbits of dual-port SRAM, 288Kbits of via-ROM, 160 configurable I/O.

All of the analog and digital resources are arranged into tiles. A single Via-Only™ mask layer change configures and interconnects these analog and digital resources into a wide range of mixed signal circuits. If the design can be conceived of as an interconnection of op-amps, resistors, capacitors, logic and memory then the design can be implemented on a Triad VCA. As with all Triad VCAs, a wide variety of package options can be supported to best match system requirements. An ITAR-compliant design and manufacturing flow coupled with an expansive packaging offering makes these VCAs a good choice as an End-of-Life (EOL) or obsolescence re-design solution. Older FPGA, FPGA plus analog, and EOL ASICs can be replaced quickly and inexpensively with these VCA solutions.

About Triad Semiconductor, Inc.

Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a privately held fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, develops and produces configurable mixed-signal ASICs. The company’s groundbreaking via-configurable array (VCA) technology delivers ASICs with silicon-proven analog and digital functions more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional full-custom approaches. Triad’s single-mask, Via-Only™ routing cuts engineering effort and fabrication time, resulting in fast-turn prototypes and allowing design changes to be made at minimal cost. For more information, please visit www.triadsemi.com or call (336) 774-2150.