| Alba is the ancient
Gaelic term for Scotland. |
Alba |
| Application Specific
Integrated Circuits are designed to suit a customer’s particular
requirement, as opposed to DRAMs or microprocessors, which
are general-purpose semiconductors. [Top]
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ASIC |
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| Computer-Aided-Design,
Sophisticated, computerised workstations and software used
to design integrated circuits. [Top] |
CAD |
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| An individual integrated
circuit built in a tiny, layered square on a silicon wafer.
[Top] |
Chip |
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| Digital circuits
designed to address a broad class of problems in signal reception
and analysis that have traditionally been solved using analog
components. DSP is used to enhance, analyse, filter, modulate
or otherwise digitally manipulate standard analog functions,
such as images, sounds, radar pluses and other such signals.
[Top] |
Digital
Signal Processing (DSP) |
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| A device that contains
one active element, such as a transistor or diode. In comparison,
an integrated circuit could contain millions of active elements
on a single chip. [Top] |
Discrete
Device |
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| Dynamic Random Access
Memory is a type of memory component. " Dynamic"
means the device’s memory cells must be recharged periodically.
Information stored in the memory cells is accessed randomly.
Memory is a key component of most electronic products. [Top] |
DRAM |
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| Design Rule Checking
and Layout versus Schematic. DRC is where the designer verifies
that the IC meets the limits of the manufacturing process.
LVS is where the designer verifies that the connectivity on
the physical layout is the same as on the logic. LVS is sometimes
called NVL (Netlist vs Layout) [Top] |
DRC/LVS |
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| Electronic Design
Automation, (computer aided design - CAD) software applications
used to create the electronic design schematic or high level
description (HDL). [Top] |
EDA |
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| A computer chip
that controls the function of its product. While embedded
processors sometimes refer to the type of chips used in simple
electronic toys, "talking" greeting cards and similar
consumer products, they are also high functioning microcontrollers
that are the brains of products such as laser printers. [Top] |
Embedded
Processor |
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| A semiconductor
company with no wafer fabrication capability. [Top] |
Fabless
Semiconductor Company |
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| A faster form of
EPROM that permits more erase/write cycles. Flash memory is
increasingly used instead of EPROM when there is a requirement
for large amounts of non volatile program memory. It is repairable
in that there are redundant memory cells which can be programmed
to replace faulty cells. [Top] |
Flash
Memory |
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| A wafer fabrication
and processing plant. Usually denotes a facility that is available
on a contract basis to companies that do not have wafer fab
capability of their own or that wish to supplement their own
capabilities. [Top] |
Foundry |
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| In this style of
design, the designer designs all the physical layout of the
IC by hand, or using auto layout techniques. Most suitable
for analog & mixed signal design. Lengthy process and
typically used on smaller designs (<50k gates) [Top] |
Full
Custom Design |
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| A semi custom chip.
The integrated circuit is pre-processed to the first interconnect
level. The remainder of the interconnect is customised to
meet specific requirements of the customer. [Top] |
Gate
Array |
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| High level description
language for example VHDL, verilog and VHDL -A (analog VHDL).
[Top] |
HDL |
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| A semiconductor
chip in which many active or passive elements are fabricated
and connected together on a continuous substrate, as opposed
to discrete devices, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors
and diodes that exist individually. [Top] |
Integrated
Circuit (IC) |
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| Similar to a standard
cell but larger. Macro cells contain predefined circuit elements
that may be selected and arranged to create a custom or semi-custom
integrated circuit more easily than through design. Designers
building ASICs use macro standard cells. [Top] |
Macro
Cell |
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| A microcontroller
is a stand alone device that performs computer functions within
an electronic system without the need of other support circuits.
A microcontroller contains memory functions. Microcontrollers
are used in TV’s, VCRs, microwave ovens and automobile engines.
[Top] |
Microcontroller |
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| One-millionth of
a meter. The diameter of a human hair is about 100 microns.
Today’s semi conductors have lines etched at 0.18 microns
(0.18u) [Top] |
Micron
(u) |
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| A central processing
unit (CPU) fabricated on one or more chips, containing the
basic arithmetic, logic and control elements required by a
computer for processing data. Microprocessor also refers to
an integrated circuit that accepts coded instructions, executes
the instructions and delivers signals that describe its internal
status. [Top] |
Microprocessor |
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| Mixed signal devices
have analog and digital functions in the same chip. They are
used to integrate complex functions of high speed telecommunications
or real-time data processing. [Top] |
Mixed
signals |
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| In 1965, Intel Corporation
co-founder Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors
(and capacity) that can be squeezed onto a chip would double
every eighteen months. If this trend continued, he reasoned,
computing power would rise exponentially with each new generation
of chips. His published observation holds to this day. [Top] |
Moore’s
law |
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| Programmable Logic
Device. A digital IC that can be programmed by the user to
perform a wide variety of logical operations. FPGAs (Field
Programmable Gate Arrays) and CPLDs (Configurable Programmable
Logic Devices) are classes of PLDs. [Top] |
PLD |
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| Register Transfer
Level - Language describing the architectural blocks of a
design. [Top] |
RTL |
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| This is the generic
name for discrete devices and integrated circuits that can
control the flow of electrical signals. Silicon is the basic
substrate material on which semiconductors are fabricated.
[Top] |
Semiconductor |
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| Electronic functions
that enhance the representation of physical or electrical
phenomena. Temperature, pressure, vibration, acceleration
and flow are examples of physical properties that rely on
signal processing enhancements. The detection and conversion
of RF, X-Ray or ultrasonic energy into images and sound is
another form of signal processing. [Top] |
Signal
Processing |
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| Predefined circuit
elements that may be selected and arranged to create a custom
or semi-custom integrated circuit more easily than through
design. Designers build ASICs using standard cells. [Top] |
Standard
Cell |
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| The body or base
layer of an integrated circuit onto which other layers are
deposited to form the circuit. The substrate is usually silicon,
although sapphire is used for certain applications, particularly
military, where radiation resistance is important. The substrate
is originally part of the wafer from which the die is cut.
It is used as the electrical ground for the circuit. Germanium
is another substrate material currently being developed. [Top] |
Substrate |
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| A single chip that
is a self-contained system, including CPU processing, memory
and input-output functions. [Top] |
System
on a Chip (SoC) |
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| This is a method
of design, where the designer starts at a hi level describing
the design in conceptual terms. He then uses an HDL (High
level description language such as VHDL, Verilog) to describe
the specification of the design. The next stage is to synthesise
the design to produce logic gates from the HDL. Typically
used for a digital design but for analog designs a Schematic
diagram is more commonly used as the starting point. [Top] |
Top
Down Design |
