Which criteria can be used to classify chips?

ICs(integrated circuits or chips) are essential components in modern electronic consumer products such as speakers, mobile phones, and computers. We can describe integrated circuits as the brains of electronic devices, laying the foundation for their operation. To enhance our understanding of chips, this article will introduce the complexity of chip design and the classification of chips. If you are interested in chips and related content, please continue reading.

 

There are many methods to classify chips. Let's briefly introduce the most common classifications:

 

Firstly, according to the signal processing method, chips can be divided into analog chips and digital chips. The signal is either analog or digital. Analog signals are processed by analog chips such as operational amplifiers, linear regulators, and reference voltage sources. Digital signals are processed by digital chips, such as CPUs and logic circuits. Nowadays, most chips have both digital and analog functions. Classification usually depends on the core functionality of the chip.

 

According to the application scenario, chips can be divided into different levels, including aerospace-grade chips, automotive-grade chips, industrial-grade chips, and commercial-grade chips.

 

 

They can also be used in various fields such as aerospace, automotive, industrial, and consumer. We classify ic this way because each field has different performance requirements, such as temperature range, precision, and continuous operation time (lifetime). Each parameter has specific requirements to ensure normal operation. For example: Industrial-grade chips have a wider temperature range than commercial-grade chips. Aerospace-grade chips have the best performance and are the most expensive. Therefore, customers should choose the most suitable and cost-effective components based on their use case when purchasing IC products.

 

 

The touch chips, storage chips, and Bluetooth chips that we just mentioned It is classified based on their usage function. As companies often say, "Our main business is audio chips/WIFI chips," it is also divided from a functional perspective.

 

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There are many other methods to classify circuits. However, no matter how they are classified, it ultimately explains the understanding of specific types of chips. Choosing the appropriate IC can maximize its effectiveness. This is what I want to share with you about chips. I hope you can better understand this topic now.