As communications systems continue to evolve to support higher data rates, lower power consumption and increasing levels of integration, the choice of silicon architecture has become a key design decision. While FPGAs have traditionally provided the flexibility needed for rapid development, growing performance demands and cost pressures are driving many OEMs to consider custom ASIC solutions.
In this article, EnSilica CEO Ian Lankshear examines the technological and commercial factors behind this transition, exploring how custom ASICs can deliver significant advantages in power efficiency, performance, integration and total cost of ownership. The article also discusses when it makes sense to migrate from FPGA to ASIC, and how advances in semiconductor design have made custom silicon an increasingly attractive option for next-generation communications infrastructure.
