DailyPost 2753
ASICS
In a tech enabled world, where life and business run on technology, where a bottleneck or missing an upgrade can make or mar a business, knowledge of it even as users, consumers and informed professionals is a must. The semiconductor shortage of the Covid days is still fresh in our minds; what a disrupted global supply chain can bring about as a chain reaction. Tech has the capability to bring the world to standstill, or make parts of the world non-competitive for a variety of reasons. Today even geostrategic decisions are keeping the technological advantage one might gain. With the AI becoming mainstream, it is bound to propel the burgeoning GPU market.
Enabling AI is where the market is, in each and every area of the AI ecosystem. Ordinary chips are a passe, GPU is moving in but also trying to make an entry is a big way is AISCs in the fast-changing computer world. What is ASICSs? Application-Specific Integrated Circuits as they called are computer chips that combine several different circuits all on one chip. It is a ‘system-on-a-chip’ (SoC) design. The SoC design allows it to be “custom programmed to combine several related functions that together carry out a specific task.” Compared to the ordinary CPU and much enabled GPU fare in the AI world?
The simple logic that goes behind it is that because all the circuits are on the same chip, an ASIC can execute the task much faster than a less focused circuit. Generally, it is spread out over different chips. What makes it a front runner is custom programming, compact size and high reliability. Given these facts it is a popular choice for industry, intelligence agencies, space programs and defense systems. Coming to the use case specifics, each ASIC miner is constructed to mine a specific digital currency. So, a Bitcoin ASIC miner can only mine bitcoin. Bitcoin mining ASICs can be thought as specialized bitcoin mining computers optimized to solve the mining algorithm.
For the uninitiated there are three different categories of ASICs. The first is the Full-Custom ASICs which are custom made from scratch for a specific application. The ultimate purpose is decided by the designer. Semi-Custom ASICs are partly customized and perform different functions within their general area of application. The third is Platform ASICs, cost wise highly competitive are produced by using premanufactured materials reducing developmental costs of these circuits. Undeniably, ASICs are to be watched for precision, robustness and energy efficiency in the fast-moving world of computing.
ASICs CERTAINLY PUTS UP A PROMISE TO TRANSFORM INDUSTRIES.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.