Custom Silicon Solutions, Inc. Newsletter
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November/December 2011
In This Issue
 
 
New Medical Mixed-Signal ASIC 

  Medical Applications

CSS recently received a contract to develop a new mixed-signal ASIC for Epitel, Inc.  Epitel is a medical diagnostic device company that has invented and will soon produce a game-changing technology.  They are developing miniature telemetric recording systems for small animal models of human disease, with its first focus on diagnostics for epilepsy.  Continuous monitoring and miniaturization will revolutionize the understanding and treatment alternatives in that field. The miniaturized Epitel system overcomes the difficulties of "tethered systems" and allows for continuous monitoring for long periods of time.  The mixed-signal ASIC is a key component in this new technology and provides the capability for miniaturization.

 

One of CSS's technology emphases - very low power instrumentation ASICs - made us an ideal choice for the development and production of this wireless medical monitoring device.  The ASIC consists of programmable gain amplifiers, an analog multiplexer, a clock generator, a 128 bit EEPROM and a programmable timer circuit.  To extend battery life the ASIC is designed for very low power operation as well as a sleep mode for ultra-low power consumption.  The EEPROM is used for configuration control, to calibrate the analog circuits and to store a serial number.  The ASIC will be packaged in a custom QFN package to further the miniaturization process.

 

We are very pleased to partner with Epitel in this development.  Epitel's ASIC requirements are an ideal match for CSS's design specialties.  If you have similar requirements for a low power instrumentation application, please contact us.  Call Mike McDaid at 949-797-9220 or send an email to [email protected] for further information.  Also, you may visit our website for a review of all of our capabilities.

 


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Greetings!

Welcome to the November/December edition of the CSS Newsletter.  We hope you find these articles informative and helpful in your work.

Custom Silicon Solutions (CSS) provides a true Turn-Key Solution to meet your Mixed Signal ASIC needs - from Development through Production.  Our mission is to develop an ASIC that meets your requirement at the lowest possible price and with a minimum of assistance from your technical staff.  Please visit us at  www.CustomSiliconSolutions.com for more information or send an inquiry to  [email protected].

Keith Shelton
CEO

In-House Testing at CSS

 

    

Testing is a critical aspect in both the development and production of mixed-signal ASICs.  At CSS, we typically develop the test program and conduct both prototype evaluation testing and production testing for all custom ASICs "in-house".  This is a little unusual since most ASIC development houses subcontract this work.  This has been our policy from the start and we feel it provides our customers real advantages.  The advantages include the following: 

  1. Faster ASIC prototype evaluation:  Our wafer probers are literally at our design engineer's fingertips.  When a new ASIC arrives from the foundry, an in-depth analysis of its performance starts immediately - by the person best qualified for this work - the ASIC designer.
  2. Efficient ASIC performance feedback:  Wafers are tested at CSS not only in the pass/fail mode - we also gather parametric data for in-depth analysis of the ASIC performance on each processed wafer.  By testing for "Key Process Parameters" in-house, at the wafer level, we are able to quickly check to assure that the process is maintaining our required "6-Sigma" performance level.
  3. Reduced cost:  Mixed-Signal ASICs are difficult (and usually expensive) to test - primarily due to the analog circuits.  Analog testing can take a long time and on an expensive general purpose tester this gets very costly.  Our custom PC-based testers are not as expensive as large general purpose testers - so wecan afford to spend all the time necessary to thoroughly test analog circuits without the usual high cost.

At CSS the ASIC test program development starts during the initial design.  Our design engineers subscribe to the "design-for-test" principle.  Using simple multiplexers and efficient serial interfaces, access to internal ASIC nodes is made available.  This allows for very efficient test program developments.

 

Following the design, while the ASIC prototype is in initial fabrication, the test development engineers at CSS complete a test program for evaluation of the ASIC at the wafer level.  This program is set-up to allow for more in-depth analysis of the ASIC performance than would be practical for an off-site tester.

 

After the ASIC prototype has completed evaluation, the production test program is completed.  The in-depth analysis parts of the program are removed and the program is optimized for efficient production testing.  However, the program still includes the parametric tests mentioned earlier as well as the standard pass/fail tests.  Both wafer testing (wafer sort) and package testing are included in the production level test program.

 

We feel this approach results in very real benefits for our customers.  In essence, it provides CSS the ability to provide the testing capabilities our customers needs in an efficient and cost effective manner. 

 

ASIC test development is just part of the ASIC development process.  For a more complete outline of the CSS approach to ASIC development, click on this link to our website:  Custom ASIC Development - The Process. 

 

 
 

Customer Testimonials

 

Customer Survey Comments:  

    • "Highest quality parts"
    • "Very easy to deal with"
    • "Great engineering help"

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Visit us at

   

www.CustomSiliconSolutions.com

or call us at

 

949-797-9220

 

Custom Silicon Solutions, Inc.

17951 Sky Park Circle

Suite F

Irvine, CA 92614