Mindgrove Technologies, a fabless semiconductor startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, has recently made a significant stride in India's electronics manufacturing sector. The company unveiled its first commercial high-performance system-on-chip (SoC), named "Secure IoT."
What is a System-on-Chip (SoC)?
A system-on-chip (SoC) is a type of microchip that integrates the essential components of a computer – such as a processor, memory, and input/output channels – onto a single integrated circuit. This design offers enhanced performance and power efficiency for various electronic devices.Benefits of Mindgrove's Secure IoT Chip
Mindgrove Technologies emphasizes that their RISC-V-based Secure IoT chip will significantly benefit domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). By incorporating a domestically produced SoC, OEMs can substantially lower production costs for their products. The company asserts that the Secure IoT chip is 30% more affordable than comparable options on the market.What is RISC-V?
RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). This means it provides a freely available standard for designing computer processors, offering greater flexibility and innovation potential than proprietary alternatives.Applications of the Secure IoT Chip
The Secure IoT chip boasts wide-ranging applications due to its high performance and adaptability. It's suitable for diverse devices, including:- Wearables: Smartwatches and fitness trackers
- Smart City Infrastructure: Connected utility meters (electricity, water, gas), smart lighting, and traffic management systems
- Smart Homes: Connected appliances (speakers, fans, locks)
- Electric Vehicles: Battery management and control systems
Driving Factors and Significance
Mindgrove Technologies CEO, Shashwath TR, highlights the pandemic's impact on the embedded systems market – revealing a disparity between high-end and low-end manufacturers. Mindgrove's strategy targets the "middle market" by offering cost-efficient, high-performance chips, providing enhanced flexibility, adaptability, and security.The Secure IoT chip, clocked at an impressive 700 MHz, stands as a pioneering example of India's growing semiconductor capabilities. This development aligns with the government's "Make-in-India" initiative, bolstering domestic manufacturing capacity and self-reliance within the electronics sector.
