Structured Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Study

Many of the digital electronic subsystems in defense applications require the small-size and power efficiency of application-specific integrated circuits ASICs. Unfortunately, the high price and long design time of ASICs make them prohibitively expensive for low-volume DoD applications or systems requiring a rapid response time. This study introduces the concept of a structured ASIC that is an array of building blocks microprocessors, signal processors, logic blocks, and memories connected by an interconnection network. The vast majority of demanding DoD applications can be realized by configuring and connecting these building blocks with efficiency comparable to an ASIC but with a fraction of the development time and expense. This study also proposes a programming system that maps a high-level description of an application to a structured ASIC component. While this study has demonstrated the feasibility of structured ASICs, much work remains to mature this technology. This report closes with a set of recommendations for a program to develop this technology further.