Over the years, the semiconductor design services market has expanded with the revolutionary digital disruption. The key drivers behind this increasing trend are owed to the business world relying on semiconductors to power everything from small toys to complex electronics and smartphones.
As the breakthrough in technology continues on the linear scale, miniaturized chips are expected to rule the industrial landscape. However, like most of the technologies, semiconductor solutions for the industries also have their share of challenges. While the enhanced complexity in small-sized semiconductor is addressed by the semiconductor researchers, the demand for mass manufacturing has increased manifold.
This increase is attributed to the competitive semiconductor market where, if a company fails to reduce time-to-market, its business comes down to its knees.
After all, the steadfast ecosystem of semiconductors has to constantly cope with the ever-changing technology and stay innovative and dynamic. To resonate with the increase in demand, semiconductor design services deploy intelligent solutions to reduce the time-to-market, while maintaining its quality.
Here is how the end-to-end semiconductor solutions are contributing to the reduction in time-to-market:
- Building embedded product design
A process that requires trained experts to work with state-of-the-art tools and transform ideas into high-quality products. Developing an architecture that encompasses a mechanical design, software and hardware of the embedded system becomes vital to ensure superior product quality. Aligning with the latest trends of Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the embedded system not only retains the company’s turf in quality products but also enhances time-to-market scope.
- Deploying embedded software engineering
An electronics or non-computer product demands low failure tolerance, low power consumption and a small footprint. By addressing the software engineering in embedded electronics engineering design services, companies can leverage the complexity of implementation. Embedded software engineering allows to program, develop, test, implement, analyse, and cost-effective deliver quality software. Thus, the system delivered is efficient and reliable.
This paves for a high-quality product service while making it relevant for the market requirements.
- Deploying embedded hardware engineering
Considering the critical application verticals of embedded software solutions, it is vital to focus on the hardware that forms the core of the technology. With experts working closely on the hardware for optimizing processor, chip, graphics video and small form designs to be operational in harsh environments, embedded hardware engineering is a prime requirement. Addressing the hardware issue will exponentially amplify the product quality, resonate it with the market requirement and also speed up the time to market.
- Validating product and system safety
Assurance of safety and security are the basic requirements of any electronics product. While a user expects to receive a product for which quality and safety are prioritised, it is the company that tirelessly works on validating the functionality and safety for both hardware and software. It requires a planned process of selection of validation methods where hazard identification and classification must be considered. It can be followed by a thorough review, risk analysis and adopting dynamic methods. It is also critical to prioritise the areas for validating product and system safety that will eventually determine the quality.
- Develop embedded applications
Embedded software solutions often are industry-specific and with an array of industries using these solutions, the design engineers need to develop the embedded applications that meet the current market needs. After all, this software is forever going to sit on the user's device. Therefore, it is vital to use industry-specific tools that are technologically advanced such as editor, compiler, assembler, debugger, linker, emulator to name a few. It must also be ensured to optimize the system for best in class product quality.
- Simulation and modelling
For making sure the product takes minimum time to reach the market and stays relevant in the industry, besides being of the highest quality, it is pertinent to adopt modelling and simulation. This method allows for a thorough analysis that can not just be communicated but also verified and gives a better insight into the complex system. This also future proofs the embedded software and electronics from major anomalies. Modelling of the embedded system builds an architecture, while simulation uses the same architecture to study the actual behaviour and performance of the system. The amalgamation of both can cut operational costs, enhance product quality and at the same time the operational efficiency.
In the technologically advanced and fast-paced world, electronics products will be of no relevance if they fail to reach the market after their competitors or lack quality. However, building a model that encapsulates the above requirements can make the process smooth and streamlined. It will also create an environment of harmony and ease the decision-making process while fine-tuning the entire process.
Sasken is a specialist in product engineering and digital transformation providing concept-to-market, chip-to-cognition research and development services to global leaders in semiconductors, automotive, industrials, consumer electronics, enterprise devices, satellite communication, and transportation industries.
Sasken provides its customers with the ability to integrate third-party solutions and perform extensive testing of the final product to ensure steadfast time-to-market launch with a multi-layer analog/RF/high speed digital, mixed-signal and high power printed circuit board (PCBs) board design, platform and application software, multi-level software development and maintenance services for modem chipsets.