
Mixed-signal integration into system-on-chips has become common these days. Integrating analog functions cuts system BOM cost, lowers board-space, and improves power-consumption. Often times, the analog functions to be integrated are non-standard. They would have to be tailored for the application. However, developing the analog functions internally usually distracts away from the core system design and can be expensive. Analog functions, due to their nature, could end up being a long-drawn design activity and cost time-to-market for SoC design companies. Moreover, the kind of functions that need integration can be varied. For example, the requirement might include an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, a PLL and a voltage regulator. It becomes virtually impossible for startups and new business entities to develop this internally in reasonable time, making it necessary to procure these functions from outside.
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Mixed-signal integration into system-on-chips has become common these days. Integrating analog functions cuts system BOM cost, lowers board-space, and improves power-consumption. Often times, the analog functions to be integrated are non-standard. They would have to be tailored for the application. However, developing the analog functions internally usually distracts away from the core system design and can be expensive. Analog functions, due to their nature, could end up being a long-drawn design activity and cost time-to-market for SoC design companies. Moreover, the kind of functions that need integration can be varied. For example, the requirement might include an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, a PLL and a voltage regulator. It becomes virtually impossible for startups and new business entities to develop this internally in reasonable time, making it necessary to procure these functions from outside.
