Introduction

Abstract

Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is an IC targeted for a specific application, e.g., chips designed to run graphics on a game console, standard interfaces like USB, PCI bus to consumer electronics, special functions to control automotive electronics, and chips for smart phones. In the early days of chip design, ASICs were a few thousand gates. With advancements in deep submicron technology, today’s ASICs run into millions of gates. Today, some of the more complex ASICs combine processors, memory blocks, and other ASIC or ASIC derivatives called IPs (intellectual property). These are called SoCs or system on a chip. The reality is today’s SoCs will become the blocks or IPs for the future SoC design. This complex nature of ASIC development requires a well-structured design flow that is scalable and provides enough flexibility to designers and SoC integrators alike to define a methodology for seamless design.