What is ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)? - Definition from Whatis.com

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ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)

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ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)

An ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) is a microchip designed for a special application, such as a particular kind of transmission protocol or a hand-held computer. You might contrast it with general integrated circuits, such as the microprocessor and the random access memory chips in your PC. ASICs are used in a wide-range of applications, including auto emission control, environmental monitoring, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

An ASIC can be pre-manufactured for a special application or it can be custom manufactured (typically using components from a "building block" library of components) for a particular customer application.

Related glossary terms: spaghetti code, DC (direct current), CASE (computer-aided software engineering), ATX, Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), Communication and Networking Riser (CNR), British thermal unit (Btu), ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape), DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation)

This was last updated in August 2000

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