Re: TO be ASIC or not
If you are not experienced in ASIC design you should contact an ASIC design company to help you through the process. They offer tools, relationships and expertise that you will need to get it done.
The design process, in broad strokes, is as follows:
1. Write a specification that defines what the chip is suposed to do. Try to include example input files and desired outputs. The spec should also cover things like desired packaging with its pin configuration, what power supply will be used, etc.
2. Write an executable description of the chip behavior. This is usually in an RTL (register transfer level) language like Verilog or VHDL. Sometimes a higher level model of the chip is constructed first using C, C++ or System-C. But eventually you end up with an RTL description.
3. Perform functional simulation of the RTL to verify if it does what you want it to do.
4. Synthesize the RTL description to a gate level dscription that targets a particular foundry's library (e.g.: use Synopsys' Design Compiler tool or similar).
5. Implement the physical design of the chip with an automated place & route tool (e.g.: from Cadence, Synopsys, Magma or Mentor Graphics)
6. Perform physical verification to check that the chip layout matches what you wanted and meets all physical design rules.
7. Send the final layout and some test vectors to the fabrication partner to make, test and package some prototype chips.
8. Test the physical prototypes to verify they work. If they work you can go straight to volume production. If they don't, you will have to correct the error and make some more prototypes.