Sherwood Engineering Design Services, Inc. specializes in low-cost design and redesign using ASICs. We have the engineers, the facilities, and the tools needed to squeeze the last penny out of your product cost. Our clients have saved millions of dollars because they came to us, and their savings continue to accrue year after year. Our innovative ASIC designs are one way we have been able to reduce product costs for our customers.

We are experts at inexpensively converting analog signals to digital signals suitable for processing by our ASICs. Many of the ASICs we have designed are used in sensing and control applications such as sensing humidity and adding moisture to a room or sensing temperature and controlling a heater. Most have a human interface such as pushbuttons and a LED or liquid crystal display. We know how to measure temperature, humidity, force, pressure, gas concentrations, or other physical parameters.

ASIC Characteristics
Used in high volume consumer products
Less than 10,000 gates
3 to 84 pin packages
Digital
Price range from 12¢ to $2.00

How Does the ASIC Design Process Work?
First, we evaluate our customer's needs and their current product. Using our PCB layout capabilities and lab facilities, we develop a prototype printed circuit board that uses PLDs in place of the target ASIC to emulate the ASIC functions. We design, test and verify the design to make sure the product does what the customer wants it to do. After testing the ASIC emulator, we send it to the customer to verify its operation. Then we submit the design to a foundry along with test vectors for testing the ASIC. We work with the foundry to optimize the design for their fabrication process. When we receive the "real" ASIC silicon, we evaluate and test the ASIC thoroughly. Prototypes that use the actual ASIC parts are then submitted to the customer for final approval. Finally, parts are ordered and production begins.

How long does this take?
The development cycle depends a lot upon how well established the design requirements are. For consumer products utilizing an ASIC with a gate count less than 2500 gates, about 3 months seems to be the typical turn around time from the beginning of the design to the production order.

How much does all this cost?
Less than you might imagine. Mask charges start at about 10K. And our up-front NRE costs can often be reduced significantly by committing to purchase a minimum quantity of parts from us within the first year.

Can't I get an ASIC cheaper in the far-east?
Our ASICs are manufactured in the far-east where (because of our relationship with the manufacturers), we already get the best prices available.

But can you design a product from scratch?
We are often called upon to design a product from scratch. We like that best of all because we can design for lowest cost from the outset.

What kinds of products have you designed using an ASIC?
You'll find our ASICS in consumer products you can buy at places like WalMart, Target, and Radio Shack. We've designed ASICs into heating pad controllers, crock pots, curling irons, fans, heaters, air filters, humidifiers, metal detectors, and remote controls - to name a few. We've also designed ASICs into non-consumer products such as an automotive headlight controller and an aircraft transponder.

Can you tell me what it would take to design or redesign a product for my company?
We'd be glad to. asic@seds.com.