The mixed message of mixed-signal chips

Digital electronic equipment has always needed analog circuitry to link its abstract logic with the physical world. The pressure to put more analog and digital functions on the same chip is intensifying. The source of the pressure is simple: the huge increase in the variety and number of ways people...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electronic Business 2003-06, Vol.29 (8), p.46
Main Author: Poe, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analog
Cellular telephones
Circuits
CMOS
Communications systems
Design
Designers
Digital electronics
Digital signal processors
Integration
Manycompanies
Semiconductors
Silicon
Software
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Summary:Digital electronic equipment has always needed analog circuitry to link its abstract logic with the physical world. The pressure to put more analog and digital functions on the same chip is intensifying. The source of the pressure is simple: the huge increase in the variety and number of ways people interact with electronic communications systems - that is, more cellular phones, more wireless computers, more modems, and generally more people using more wired and wireless communications devices. In theory, integrating the two types in mixed-signal semiconductors can make a lot of sense. The biggest attraction is efficiency, on several fronts. If done right, replacing two chips with one can decrease size, power consumption and cost. This is particularly important in portable electronic devices, where size, weight and battery life are major selling points.
ISSN:1097-4881