S3 Semiconductors today announced an online bill of materials (BOM) calculator that shows how custom ICs are economically viable even in low to medium volumes. Learning from S3 Semiconductors’ 20 years of experience in designing custom ICs, the BOM calculator will provide an estimate of project development costs and give a guide to break-even volumes using just a few key data points. Such data includes shipment volumes, planned lifetime and technical information on the components required.
Aiming to disprove the myth that custom ICs are too expensive for designs requiring relatively small quantities, the calculator will be of particular interest to engineers engaged in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) developments. The data needs of the IIoT are responsible for increasing control system complexity, which in turn adds to the number of components used and the pressures on diminishing board space. The compound result of all these factors leads to difficulties in production, testing and inventory management.
Dermot Barry, VP and General Manager at S3 Semiconductors commented, ‘Custom control ICs offer many advantages over discrete designs. Not only do they use less power, but they also have no redundant features, simplify PCB design and offer increased security and IP protection. Custom ICs also help in making product differentiation much easier, as well as offering a solution to a growing problem for the electronics industry, that of component obsolescence’.
S3 Semiconductors has launched this free BOM calculator to simplify the process of costing a custom IC and give developers a quick and easy way to see break-even volumes for custom semiconductor designs without allocating any resources. In the process, the calculation will demonstrate how viable custom silicon is for low- to mid-volume designs.
The BOM calculator can be found at https://www.s3semi.com/bom-
Additional Resources: The Compelling Economics for OEMs to Commission their own Semiconductor Chips
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