System on a chip (SoC) is a type of integrated circuit in which many components such as microprocessors, memory, analog circuits, and other digital logic, along with I/O peripherals, are all integrated into single chip. An SoC typically contains a combination of programmable processors, dedicated hardware blocks, and embedded memories.
SoCs provide many benefits to their users such as improved performance, lower manufacturing costs, power efficiency, and miniaturization. The idea behind an SoC is to have many components of the system, such as processor, memory, and peripherals, within one integrated chip which can reduce the overall cost. As technology advances, SoC becomes capable of larger and more complex tasks, which unlock new potential for mobile and embedded applications.
SoCs are commonly referred to as System on Chip, or SOC, and sometimes are referred to as application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). Depending on the SoC design, they may contain interfaces such as I2C, UART, SPI, CAN, USB, and Ethernet. SoCs are usually developed by manufacturers to suit a specific application or market segment, and therefore are primarily used in embedded systems and mobile computing platforms.
Due to the large variety of components integrated in an SoC, they are incredibly versatile and can be found in devices such as smart phones, IoT devices, game consoles, digital media players, embedded systems, and consumer electronics such as TV sets and radio receivers. SoCs are also used in medical, aerospace and military applications.
SoC design is a mix of two design approaches: hardware description language (HDL) and system design algorithm. HDL describes the basic electrical/logic structure of a system while system design algorithm describes the behavior of the system. Examples of system design algorithms include data paths, state machines, and digital filters.
In conclusion, System on a Chip (SoC) is a single integrated circuit that combines many components including microprocessors, memory, analog and digital circuits, and I/O peripherals. An SoC typically contains a combination of programmable processors, dedicated hardware blocks, and embedded memories, and is primarily used in embedded systems and mobile computing platforms. Due to the large variety of components integrated in SoCs, they provide many benefits for users such as improved performance, lower manufacturing costs, power efficiency, and miniaturization.
