The system on a chip is a small chip with all the necessary electronic components and circuits. In the English language literature, the term SoC (system-on-a-chip) is used. The system in the sound detection device may include an ADC, an audio receiver, a memory, a microprocessor, and logical user I / O control on a single chip.
In medicine, a nano-robot-based SoC system can act as programmable antibodies to delay early ailments. Chip-based video devices can help blind people by allowing them to capture images, and SoC audio devices can make deaf people hearing. The system on a chip is being developed along with other technologies such as SOI (silicon on insulator).
Definitions of Terms
The SoC system combines the required electronic circuits of various computer components on a single integrated chip (IC). SoC is a complete electronic substrate system that can contain analog, digital, mixed or radio frequency functions. Its components typically include a graphics processor (GPU), a central processing unit (CPU), which may be multi-core, and system memory (RAM).
Since the system on a chip includes both hardware and software, it consumes less power, has better performance, requires less space and is more reliable than multi-chip systems. Most system chips today are part of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
The on-chip system is specifically designed to meet the standards for incorporating the required electronic circuits of multiple computer components onto a single integrated chip. Instead of a system that collects several chips and components on a circuit board, SoC creates all the necessary circuits in one device.
SoC tasks include higher prototyping, architecture, and more complex debugging costs. ICs are not cost effective. However, this may change as technology advances.
Required microchip parameters
System on Chip SoC - very complex devices. For example, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 system on a chip is the SoC that was used on the old Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
People want to be able to use their smartphones to use the Internet, listen to music, watch videos, use GPS navigation, take photos and videos, play games, and access to social networks. All these functions are provided not only by a good processor, but also by the powerful System on Chip SoC graphic chip, fast Bluetooth wireless chipset, and support for connecting to 4G networks. All this should work with the least energy consumption.
The solution is to miniaturize everything that can be installed. Devices should be as compressed as possible and placed compactly on a smaller surface. The result is higher processing power and lower power consumption. This is exactly what SoC offers.
Designing Systems on a Chip
Conceptually, there are three levels of design strategies for functional crystals. The first level is the symmetry of a point group. It dictates the presence or absence of a specific physical response and anisotropy of the crystal. Therefore, it can be used to search for and screen new functional crystals.
The symmetry of a point group is a necessary requirement, but not a sufficient condition for a functional crystal. In order for a system on an SNK crystal to exhibit a specific property, it must be supplemented by the second level of the design strategy — the structure or symmetry of the space group.
Finally, in order to increase or optimize the answer, there is a third level of the molecular engineering design strategy, which includes fine-tuning the electronic or magnetic structures of building blocks of atoms, molecules, and crystal clusters.
Mobile device components
A SoC chip system can have various elements, depending on its purpose. Since the vast majority of SoCs are used on smartphones, we offer a list of the most common components of such devices:
- CPU is the core inside SoC. This is the part that is responsible for making most of the calculations and decisions. It receives input from other hardware components and software and provides corresponding output responses. Without a CPU, there would be no SoC. Most processors today have two, four, or eight cores inside.
- GPU - abbreviated for the graphics processing module. It is also called a video chip. The GPU is responsible for 3D games, as well as for the neat visual transitions that are visible in the interface of any device using a single-chip system.
- RAM Memory - All computing devices need memory. To be able to run applications and software data, you must use them. To do this, the system on the chip must have RAM.
- ROM - any device must have a ROM memory for storing software, such as firmware or the operating system in which it works.
- Modem - the smartphone will not be a telephone if it cannot connect to radio networks. Modems take care of network or cellular connectivity.
In addition to the processor and memory, other SoCs may include PCIe interfaces for connecting radio transceivers, SATA interfaces, or USB devices.
Chip design
Systems on a chip must have semiconductor memory blocks to perform their calculations. Depending on the application of SoC, memory can form a hierarchy of memory and cache. This is a common occurrence in the mobile computer market, but this is not required in many low-power embedded microcontrollers.
Memory technologies for SoC include read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and flash memory. As in other computer systems, RAM can be divided into relatively faster, but more expensive static RAM (SRAM) and slower, but cheaper dynamic RAM (DRAM), as in a system on a chip, the photo of which is presented in our article.
External interfaces
SoCs include external interfaces, usually for communication protocols. They are often based on industry standards such as USB, FireWire, Ethernet, USART, SPI, HDMI, I2C, and others. Wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 6LoWPAN and near field communication can also be supported.
If necessary, SoCs include analog interfaces for signal processing. They can interact with various types of sensors or actuators, including smart transmitters. They can also contact specific applications of the modules or be internal to the SoC, for example, if an analog sensor is built into the SoC, and its readings must be converted to digital signals for mathematical processing.
Digital Signal Processors
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) are often included in on-chip systems. They perform signal processing operations for sensors, drives, data collection, data analysis and multimedia processing. DSP cores usually have a very long command word (VLIW) and a unidirectional instruction set architecture, so they lend themselves to concurrency.
4DSP cores most often contain instructions for specific applications and are the processors of a set of manuals for specific ASIP applications. Such instructions correspond to specialized functional devices.
Typical DSP instructions include multiple accumulation, fast Fourier transform, smooth multiplication, and convolution. As with other computer systems, SoCs require clock sources to generate clocks, control the execution of functions, and provide a temporary context for signal processing applications, if necessary.
Popular time sources are crystal oscillators and phase-locked loops. SoCs also include voltage regulators and power management circuits.
The difference between SoC and CPU
Once upon a time, many thought that the CPU was completely isolated from the monitor. Now many understand that the CPU is only a tiny part, and a computer consists of many parts.
The system on a chip is an electronic printed circuit board that combines all the necessary components in a computer and other electronic systems. These include a graphics processor, central processing unit, memory, power schemes, a USB controller, wireless radios, and more. These components are soldered to the motherboard, which differs from ordinary computers, parts of which can be replaced at any time.
We can say that a system on a chip (SoC) is what happens when Vector from Despicable Me uses “beam compression” on a full-fledged computer. Due to the power of miniaturization, the system on the chip is a functional computer that has been compressed for installation on a single silicon chip.
Where are the chips used?
SoC, usually tiny, does not take up much space inside an electronic device, making it an ideal solution for small devices. It combines many different parts on one chip, which means that its manufacturer does not need to spend time, money and resources on laying significant physical parts and creating long chains, which, in turn, means lower production and costs. Systems on a chip are much more efficient than with dedicated individual components such as a desktop PC or laptop. SoC can run on battery power for a longer time.
Traditional approaches to electronics concerned the creation of systems operating on separate independent parts. Examples are computers and laptops. However, the constant miniaturization of all things around means that they are increasingly relying on smaller, more energy-efficient, chip-based systems. Smartphones, tablets and even IoT devices (Internet of Things) prove that chip-based systems are an important part of the future of all electronics.
Intel Pentium N3710
Pentium N3710 is a 64-bit quad-core system on a chip, developed by Intel and commissioned in early 2015 under the number 3710. They are based on Airmont microarchitecture. This chip operates at a frequency of 1.6 GHz with a mode of up to 2.57 GHz. SoC includes an HD Graphics 405 GPU, which has 16 execution units and operates at a frequency of 400 MHz
System architecture details on n3710 chip:
- Designer - Intel.
- Manufacturer - Intel.
- The model number is N3710.
- Part Number - FH8066501715927
- Scope - mobile.
- Issue - March 2015
- Pentium N3000 Series.
- Frequency - 1600 MHz.
- Rotational speed - 2567 MHz (1 core).
- Type of bus - IDI CPUID 406C4.
- Microarchitecture - Airmont.
- Main name is Braswell.
- Technology is CMOS.
- The word size is 64-bit.
- The maximum processors are single-processor.
- Maximum memory is 8 G.
- PP temperature 0 C - 90 C.
- Integrated Graphics Information GPU - HD Graphics 405.
- The maximum frequency is 700 MHz.
Advantages of Chip Systems
The main purpose of using SOC in design includes stages that form the advantages of the device:
- The SOC size is small, but includes many features.
- Flexibility. In terms of chip size, power and form factor, such systems are very difficult to beat other devices.
- Cost effective, especially for specific SoC applications such as video code.
- The chip system is countless. For high-capacity products, they simplify resource protection and the cost of engineering solutions.
However, such an excellent device also has disadvantages:
- Big time expenses. The SoC design process can take from 6 to 12 months.
- Limited resources.
- If you are developing a product with a low volume level, you will need high-end equipment. It might be better to use hardware from a different manufacturer, to spend time and resources for application software.
Chip-based systems have the big disadvantage that they cannot be adaptable at all. In other words, they cannot be upgraded. A system on a chip usually dies the same as it was created. It does not change anything during the entire service life. If something breaks inside the appliance, you cannot repair or change only this part. We have to replace the entire SoC.
The largest manufacturers of mobile chips
We offer a brief overview of systems on a chip from the largest manufacturers: Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, Huawei, NVIDIA and Broadcom. Qualcomm, NVIDIA and MediaTek mainly produce and sell mobile SoCs for the hardware companies that use them in the devices they manufacture. Broadcom releases SoCs, which are used in routers and network devices, while Samsung and Huawei not only create SoCs, but also are the two largest companies in the world in their use.
This is not to say which system on the chip is the best. The design and development of systems on a chip is advancing so quickly that by the time the comparison is made, the option will already be obsolete. However, keep in mind that the best SoC may not be the best for processors or the fastest wireless transmissions.