Triad Semiconductor Develops Mixed-Signal Structured Array.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers WINSTON-SALEM, N.C--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2004 Triad Semiconductor, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company A fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips. It achieves an advantage by outsourcing the fabrication of the devices to a specialized semiconductor manufacturer called a semiconductor foundry or "fab. announced today the development of a mixed-signal structured array (MSSA MSSA Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus MSSA Microscopy Society of Southern Africa MSSA Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association MSSA Military Selective Service Act MSSA Mid-South Sociological Association MSSA Minnesota Social Service Association ). This new integrated circuit (IC) design architecture uses a single IC fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. mask to configure an array of analog and digital circuit elements into an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC (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 patent pending technology reduces ASIC development costs to a fraction of full custom designs. The MSSA resembles well understood digital structured ASICs. Primitive circuit elements are fabricated in a structured manner in all but one of the manufacturing process steps. The fundamental difference is that the MSSA technology includes both analog and digital circuits. Digital logic, analog amplifiers, resistors, switches and capacitors are included in the array. Using a single process layer known as the "via," they are interconnected to form an ASIC. Tooling is reduced to one mask layer and the configuration step occurrs late in the fabrication process, thus drastically lowering ASIC tooling costs and manufacturing time. Because the design task is to configure a known array or circuit elements, design risk and development time are also reduced. In August of 2003, Triad Semiconductor and ViASIC, Inc. (www.viasic.com) began collaboratively developing the MSSA architecture and electronic design and automation (EDA (1) (Electronic Design Automation) Using the computer to design, lay out, verify and simulate the performance of electronic circuits on a chip or printed circuit board. ) tool extensions to ViaPATH, ViASIC's structured ASIC design software. The first chip design using the MSSA technology is currently being fabricated. The initial MSSA product platform, known as MSSA-1 is progressing towards production launch in October of 2004. It is being fabricated on the Austria Microsystems in a 0.35 micron 2 poly / 4 metal mixed-signal process. The MSSA-1 platform contains 24 operational transconductance amplifiers (OTAs), 12 buffer amplifiers, 33K configurable logic gates, 18K bytes of ROM and 6K bytes of SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory . Since founding in April of 2002, Triad Semiconductor's product developments have concentrated on mixed-signal ICs for sensor systems. With the invention of the MSSA technology, the company will be expanding to address a greater portion of the analog and mixed-signal IC market. About Triad Semiconductor, Inc. Triad Semiconductor, Inc. is a privately held fabless semiconductor company with proprietary mixed-signal structured array technology. The company headquarters are in the Piedmont Triad Research Park Piedmont Triad Research Park (PTRP), located in downtown Winston Salem is a highly interactive, master-planned innovation community developed to support life science and information technology research and development. in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 185,776; in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17,483 raising the population to 203,259. . For more information, please visit the web site located at www.triadsemi.com or call 336 721 9450. |
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