SOC

A system on a chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that combines most or all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. SoCs are designed to provide a complete functional platform for a device, reducing size, power consumption, and cost compared with traditional multi-chip designs. They are widely used in mobile devices, embedded systems, and consumer electronics, as well as in automotive and IoT applications.

A typical SoC includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), memory controllers and caches, and various input/output interfaces. Additional on-die components commonly found on SoCs include image signal processors (ISP), digital signal processors (DSP), neural processing units or AI accelerators (NPU), encoders and decoders for video, and connectivity blocks such as baseband modems, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and multimedia accelerators. Security engines and cryptographic co-processors are also often integrated.

Architectures vary, but most modern SoCs employ some form of heterogeneous computing, combining different types of cores (for example big and small CPU cores) and specialized accelerators on a single silicon die or within a multi-die package. On-chip interconnects, memory hierarchies, and power-management networks are optimized for performance and energy efficiency. SoCs may be fabricated as monolithic dies or as multi-die packages (system in package) that place several dies in a single package.

Production and deployment involve advanced semiconductor processes and a mix of in-house and licensed IP. Foundries such as TSMC and Samsung fabricate many leading SoCs, while design houses license intellectual property blocks for CPUs, GPUs, and other components. SoCs dominate mobile devices and embedded systems due to their compact form, efficiency, and integrated functionality.