An online bill of materials (BOM) calculator that shows how custom ICs are economically viable even in low to medium volumes has been released by S3 Semiconductors. Leaning on S3 Semiconductors’ 20 years of experience in designing custom ICs, the BOM calculator will provide an estimate of project development costs and give a guide to break-even volumes using just a few key data points. Such data includes shipment volumes, planned lifetime and technical information on the components required.Aiming to disprove the myth that custom ICs are too expensive for designs requiring relatively small quantities, the calculator will be of particular interest to engineers engaged in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) developments. The data needs of the IIoT are responsible for increasing control system complexity, which in turn adds to the number of components used and the pressures on diminishing board space. The compound result of all these factors leads to…