The Internet of Everything is coming. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. Very many electronics devices needs to be designed for this in mind. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. Gartner suggests that the “the smart machine era will be the most disruptive in the history of IT.” Intelligent systems and assistive devices will advance smart healthcare.
Software-defined anything (SDx) is coming more into use. It means that many proprietary systems are being replaced with commonly available standard computer hardware and software running in them.
PC market: ABANDON HOPE all ye who enter here. Vendor consolidation ‘inevitable’. Even Intel had to finally admit this that the Wintel grip which has served it and Microsoft so well over the past decades is waning, with Android and iOS coming to the fore through smartphones and tabs. The market conversion to tablets means that consumers and businesses are sweating existing PC assets longer. Tablets to Make Up Half of 2014 PC Market.
The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Electronics Kits article mentions that many older engineers first became interested in electronics through hobbies in their youth—assembling kits, participating in amateur radio, or engaging in other experiments. The 1970s and 1980s were great times for electronics hobbyists. But whenever it seems that there’s nothing left for the hobbyist, a new motif arises. The Raspberry Pi has become a best seller, as has a similar experimental board, the Arduino microcontroller. A great number of sensors, actuators, cameras, and the like have quickly become available for both. Innovative applications abound in such domains as home automation and robotics. So it seems that now there is much greater capacity for creativity in hobby electronics then there ever was.
E-Waste: Lack of Info Plagues Efforts to Reduce E-Waste article tells that creation of trade codes is necessary to track used electronics products according to a recent study concerning the waste from growing quantities of used electronics devices—including TVs, mobile phones and computers. High levels of electronic waste are being sent to Africa and Asia under false pretenses.” StEP estimates worldwide e-waste to increase by 33 percent from 50 million tons in 2012 to 65 million tons by 2017. China and the U.S. lead the world as top producers of e-waste. America produces about 65 pounds of e-waste per person every year. There will be aims to reduce the waste, for example project like standardizing mobile phone chargers and laptop power supplies.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
PCIe 3.0 is the latest release of the ubiquitous PCI Express high-speed peripheral interconnect standard that provides 8GT/s of interconnect bandwidth which doubles the PCIe 2.0 bit rate while preserving full compatibility with all existing software and mechanical interfaces.
At the backplane design level, the doubling of data transfer rates in PCIe 3.0 means much higher signal speeds and additional signal integrity challenges
Source: Optimizing PCIe 3.0 Backplane Designs for Performance and Reliability
http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&t=1&ssid=24339&id=fk60dcdk9rfru6gyg3o5yi8i5d19y&id2=9rzcmdpm3q6ykkztre6ng458ruxdb&subscriber_id=addjrcivgyiakgvdovjxpccnvvqfbdo&messageversion_id=bopjgblvdjwuzvvfgchrgzrnuzblbgf&delivery_id=byysrphlxvckacyvvuehvmubmvloblc&tid=3.XxM.B1We4w.GtYo.AdgL_g..AtcG2g.b..s.AX4y.b.UyCgoA.UyCgoA.MvgaWA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Physicist proposes a new type of computing at SXSW. Check out orbital computing
http://gigaom.com/2014/03/10/physicist-proposes-a-new-type-of-computing-at-sxsw-check-out-orbital-computing/
Let go of your transistors. A physicist from SLAC who spoke at SXSW interactive has proposed using the state changes in the orbits of electrons as a way to build faster computers.
He calls this idea orbital computing and the big takeaway for engineers is that one can switch the state of an electron’s orbit 10,000 times faster than you can switch the state of a transistor used in computing today.
That means you can still have the features of computing in that you use binary programming, but you just can compute more in less time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embedded systems and devices based on Windows XP Embedded will soon be facing the termination of Microsoft support. Unlike desktop systems, embedded devices have been developed for dedicated applications that are intended for life cycles of up to ten years or more. Many of these systems have also undergone certification in certain specific application areas and cannot simply adopt a new version of the OS without a long, complex and costly recertification.
Source: http://files.rtcgroup.com/emails/iss/issenewsletter/1402_enewsletter_iss.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android for Embedded: The Good, the Bad and the [insert adjective here]
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103502
As with embedded Linux before it, the complexity inherent in building and shipping and monetizing Android-based designs is not stopping or even slowing adoption.
Android, Google’s mobile phone platform, has now climbed to the top of the embedded OS heap, where it reigns together with other versions of Linux and FreeRTOS. The ascendency of this mobile operating system may surprise embedded industry veterans—Google’s mobile OS boasts a large resource footprint, it’s not particularly well suited to serve real-time response requirements, and its functions are very display-centric.
Objections notwithstanding, Android’s popularity is large and still growing for applications as diverse as automotive (OEM and aftermarket IVI), wearable computing (wristwatches, head-up helmet displays and smart glasses), robotics (for domestic and telepresence applications), multimedia (TVs and media players), special-purpose tablets (most notably, the Amazon Kindle) and even near-earth satellites.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT, Embedded Tech Increases Internet Pervasiveness: Pew
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321418&
The next generation of users — those who will be interacting with the world in 2025 — will likely face pervasive connectivity that we can only begin to understand. Much of this new world is being created through developments in the Internet of Things, embedded technologies, and wearables, according to the Pew Research Center
Gartner Research puts the IoT’s market size at 26 billion units installed by 2020, and that’s not even counting PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
Globalization will be taken to an entirely new level as relationships and collaboration spread across the globe. People will have a better understanding of the world and their place in it and impact on it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Boffins propose brainwave privacy standard
EEG data can predict illness, and app-makers are storing it in the cloud …
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/14/boffins_propose_brainwave_privacy_standard/
Researchers from MIT Media Lab and the Technical University of Denmark have raised the issue of “Privacy for Personal Neuroinformatics”, a field they feel deserves attention because brainwave data is starting to go public.
The four writers’ paper on the idea points out that electroencephalography (EEG) has been around for ages and records brain activity using electrodes. Patients generally consent to EEG data being captured, often because it’s a useful diagnostic tool. But EEG data can also be used to “diagnose mental diseases, and traces of epilepsy, and decode personality traits,” the paper points out, arguing that current arrangements mean patients don’t consent to or contemplate deeper analysis. Nor can patients control the output of their minds
suggest that those who submit to EEG could benefit from privacy standards that make sure their data isn’t used to peer into their minds in ways they haven’t already contemplated
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is indeed the “invisible foe” of electronic product quality and reliability. ESD includes spectacular electric sparks, but also less dramatic forms which may be neither seen nor heard, yet still are large enough to cause damage to sensitive electronic devices. These unseen events can be extremely costly. ESD damage lowers production yields, increases warranty rework, causes higher inventory requirements, and lowers customer satisfaction.
According to industry experts, high tech OEMs lose at least 4% to 6% of annual gross sales due to ESD every year.
Source: http://rtcgroup.com/versalogic/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Latest DIY Craze: Brain Hacking
Home experimenters are building rigs to send currents through their heads
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/reviews/the-latest-diy-craze-brain-hacking
Lee was an early member of a DIY community that’s sprung up around a technology called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This noninvasive way to jolt brain cells
tDCS doesn’t require expensive equipment; all it takes is a 9-volt battery, some simple circuits, and a couple of electrodes.
Many self-experimenters got interested because of research studies that have shown tDCS to have a variety of fascinating effects, depending on electrode location and the amount of stimulation. Faster learning, better math skills, improved memory, more creativity: All these enhancements have been observed in one study or another.
Bikson says that at-home experimenters shouldn’t assume tDCS is risk-free, especially if they’re using rigs they built themselves.
Foc.us, advertises a US $250 headset as a tool to boost performance on video games while claiming that its product is not a medical device and so not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Is DIY Brainhacking Safe?
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/14/03/17/2355244/is-diy-brainhacking-safe?
Transcranial direct-current stimulation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_direct-current_stimulation
Tomi Engdahl says:
Growing awareness of counterfeit electrical products, survey says
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/growing-awareness-of-counterfeit-electrical-products-survey-says/6269f596a3d4abdcca1eec1c8dde139a.html
A joint survey from power management company, Eaton, and the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) showed both an increased awareness of counterfeit electrical products and a still growing need for more.
“The first step to tackling any issue is building awareness and an understanding of why it is important,”
“Electrical contractors are recognizing the prevalence and dangers of counterfeits in the industry,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Product Exclusive: OEMs can save time, costs with custom-build PLC
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/product-exclusive-oems-can-save-time-costs-with-custom-build-plc/bb4db37f231f8e8e1431413e4eddc04d.html
Triangle Research International Inc. (TRi) is supplying original equipment manufacturers with the brain of its top-of-the-line PLC in a small CPU board called SmartTILE (TRi Integrated Logic Engine), so OEMs can optimize their equipment with less time and effort.
TRi, an OEM PLC specialist for 20 years, is supplying the brain of its top-of-the-line PLC in a small CPU board. By using SmartTILE, OEMs can now focus time and effort on the simpler effort of creating a complementary daughter PCB optimized to a specific line of OEM equipment. Insert the SmartTILE into the board, and the result is a proprietary PLC.
TRi’s programmable controller technology allows design of a reliable, powerful PLC with built-in Ethernet and up to 256 digital input/outputs (DIOs) and 12 analog IOs (AIOs).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Battery vendors push ultracapacitor wrappers to give Li-ions more bite
Claim wrapping pack in wonder stuff will extend life
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/13/battery_vendors_tout_ultracapacitor_wrappers_for_power_boost/
A pair of battery vendors are hoping that a new design which incorporates the use of an ultracapacitor material will help to improve and extend the life of lithium-ion battery packs.
Paper Battery Company and TWS say they have developed a system which wraps a conventional lithium-ion battery pack in a sheet of ultracapacitor material. The result, the two companies claim, is a battery pack which lasts longer and better manages the power demands of mobile devices.
“This essentially enables the OEM to use batteries in a different way,”
TWS reports that the addition of an ultracapacitor sheet has extended the efficiency of the battery as much as 15 per cent
Tomi Engdahl says:
PLCopen part 4 blurs the lines among PLCs, robotic, and motion control
https://www.csemag.com/single-article/plcopen-part-4-blurs-the-lines-among-plcs-robotic-and-motion-control/7ff00f294e3a8a464666e51e024818eb.html
Inside Machines: The PLCopen working group for motion control has standardized and logically defined all aspects of machine control programming, providing one of the best attempts of integrating PLC, robot, and motion control in an easy-to-understand language common among many manufacturers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.plcopen.org/
Software plays an ever-increasing role in industrial automation. With this, the associated software costs increase, even to the point that it becomes the highest part of the total system. And not all costs are directly visible: the required maintenance over the life cycle, adding new functionalities, coping with new governmental rules.
To control these costs, one needs higher efficiency during the application development, while increasing the software quality.
PLCopen, as an organization active in Industrial Control, is creating a higher efficiency in your application software development and lowering your life-cycle costs. As such it is based on standard available tools to which extensions are and will be defined. With results like Motion Control Library, Safety, XML specification, Reusability Level and Conformity Level, PLCopen made solid contributions to the community, extending the hardware independence from the software code, as well as reusability of the code and coupling to external software tools.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MEMS Combo Market Growth Spurred by Mobile, Wearables
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321529&
As OEMs rush mobile products to market, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor makers are benefiting from the competitive fray. IHS Technology says the combo sensor market is set for continued substantial growth in 2014.
“The main reason for the success of combo sensors is their convenience,”
The market research firm predicts in its recently released Motion Sensors Report that revenue will grow 37% this year. That’s a paltry figure when compared to the unprecedented 417% increase in 2012 and the strong 94% increase in 2013
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multimeters Without A Country: Fluke’s Broad Trademark Bans Yellow Multimeter Imports
http://hackaday.com/2014/03/19/multimeters-without-a-country-flukes-broad-trademark-bans-yellow-multimeter-imports/
Fluke owns the trademark on multimeters with a dark face and yellow border. Great. This seems like a wonderful idea, right up there with Apple owning tablets that are shaped like a piece of paper.
The only two options they do have are shipping them back to China where they were manufactured, or having them destroyed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FinFET Reliability Issues
http://semiengineering.com/finfet-reliability-issues/
Thermal density increases by 25% compared with planar devices, raising questions about EM and longevity.
The 16nm FinFET node has introduced several new challenges in the IC design community.
Thermal characteristics for the 16nm FinFET node are much more complex to model due to the fin dimension of the device.
The Mean Time to Failures (MTTF) for metal interconnects on an IC has an inverse exponential dependence on temperature. A small increase in temperature can lead to a large decrease in the MTTF for a device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Grid Simulation
http://semiengineering.com/power-grid-simulation-2/
Strap on your seatbelt and take a deep dive into PG simulation and find out where and how performance can be improved.
A PG simulation can be decomposed into two major steps, problem formulation and solver computation
This article covers a great deal of material about PG simulation, ranging from problem formulation to a survey of the recent algorithm developments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Deployment of OASIS In The Semiconductor Industry
http://semiengineering.com/deployment-of-oasis-in-the-semiconductor-industry/
While there are many potential benefits from this improved format over the incumbent GDSII and MEBES standards, the main driver for the development of the OASIS format was the looming data volume explosion from the onward march of processing and design technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The combination of sensors is growing very fast
The fastest growth is a combination of sensors in a single housing planted in accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and other sensors, says IHS Research Institute.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1095:yhdistelmaanturi-yleistyvat-nopeasti&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
The year 2012 was bad for European components distributors. Last year, the turnover went distributors in Europe, almost 100 million euros. This year, the development will go. The 2011 level is exceeded in 2016.
Considerable growth is therefore that the European electronics production and components of the overall market is not really growing. This year, the European semiconductor market size of EUR 36.5 billion and next year 35, 7 billion.
Finland has always been a country other ones. Nokia’s strong position here meant that a large part of the components purchased directly from suppliers. Distributors’ share of the market was relatively the lowest in the world.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1052:jakelu-kasvaa-euroopassa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Last year was the first for which an application processors for mobile devices were sold over a billion units. A large part of them went to the smart phones, which account for cellular phone market rose more than 50 per cent.
This year, Mediatek is to challenge seriously for a long time dominated the cell phone circuits maker Qualcomm.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1061:mediatek-haastaa-qualcommin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iPhone 5 S’s from inside the processor found in the A7 was the world’s first 64-bit mobile phone application processor. ABI Research predicts now that, by 2018 for 64-bit processors are sold to smartphones and tablets 1.12 billion units.
After three years of 64-bit processors share of the mobile market should therefore 55 per cent. Of these devices is forecast that 60 percent run Android, iOS devices less than a third, and a Windows-based less than 9 per cent.
This year, the 64-bit mobile processors are expected to be sold 182 million. Among those the Android devices will go only 20 per cent because Android need to be updated for 64 bit processors.
In February at Mobile World Congress started a 64-bit processors avalanche: Intel, Marvell, Mediatek, Qualcomm and Nvidia
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1073:64-bittisyys-valtaa-alypuhelimet&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Taiwanese developer of embedded solutions Advantech has launched a new service concept. DTOS Service (Design to Order Service) concept is to offer customers the opportunity to get customized embedded solutions at a lower risk and faster development times.
DTOS is based on a four-step process: customization, integration, validation and certification.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1076:advantechilta-uusi-dtos-palvelu&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Graphene development centre will be set up in Manchester
Alan Turing also chosen to champion big data research as part of Budget 2014
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2335184/alan-turing-is-chosen-to-champion-big-data-research
The £19m will be invested over five years, with £14m for the Graphene Applications Innovation Centre and £5m towards the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in Manchester, where the material originated from.
A surprise annoucement from the budget was a plan to set up a big data research centre in the name of Alan Turing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Creative Solutions for Custom Switching
http://www.evaluationengineering.com/special-reports/201403/instruments/Creative-Solutions-for-Custom-Switching.html
Although many commercial off-the-shelf switching products are available, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Test equipment companies and system integrators must address each application separately, typically assembling a suitable switching system from standard modules. The more innovative companies design custom solutions with optimum performance. A few examples will demonstrate the wide range of constraints that real-world switching systems have overcome.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Snappy Approach to Low-Cost Wearable Displays
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321541&
Marketed as the SnapWatch to surf on the overhyped smartwatch wave, the wristband comes with a bistable electrochromic display developed by Swedish supplier Acreo.
Tomi Engdahl says:
UC Berkeley Scientists Advance On-Chip Inductor Technology
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321523&
University of California Berkeley scientists say they have found a way to advance on-chip inductor technology, triggering a new generation of miniature RF electronics and wireless communications systems.
Engineers have had problems trying to reduce the size of on-chip inductors while maintaining optimum levels of inductance and performance.
On-chip inductor technology hasn’t progressed the same way as transistor technology, which has followed Moore’s Law over the past 40 years.
When on-chip inductors are constructed, large areas are required, because they need a certain length, number of turns, thickness, and space between metal traces to achieve adequate levels of inductance and performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Collaborative Advantage: Blocked From Designing 3D Circuits?
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1319482
Although the semiconductor industry has benefited tremendously from 50 years of Moore’s Law there is also broad recognition that the era of regular process shrinks may be, for many, approaching an end.
A complex mix of technologies and design methods collectively referred to as “More Than Moore” is replacing that regular miniaturization. One of the most promising technologies is the vertical stacking of dies using through-silicon-vias (TSVs) for die interconnect to create a 3D circuit.
The promise of 3D includes greater functional density, reduced footprints, and lower power consumption, because the distance and capacitance of interconnect can be reduced.
A casual Internet search for “design of 3D circuits patents” quickly reveals at least five patents describing methods and systems for the design of 3D ICs, focused on design software tools.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will China Conquer MEMS?
6 reasons why its barrier-to-entry remains high
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321543&
In the world of CMOS-based SoC development, Chinese fabless companies, despite relatively little experience in the field, have been able to get rich quickly. The opportunity generated a few domestic winners (i.e. Spreadtrum, Allwinner, and Rockchip) who rose above the pack. Many, however, eventually ended up ruthlessly beating each other up on price.
MEMS is likely to be a different story. MEMS will test the patience, long-term vision, and breadth and depth of the IP portfolios held by Chinese startups. All of these qualities tend not to be China’s forté.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED Industry Innovations: 6 Trends to Follow
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321462&
This is Haitz’s Law, and it states that in every decade, the cost per lumen (unit of useful light emitted) falls by a factor of 10, and the amount of light generated per LED package increases by a factor of 20 for a given wavelength of light.
Fluorescents typically run in the range from 45 to 75 lm/W. Metal halide achieves up to 115 lm/W and high-pressure sodium up to 150 lm/W. LEDs can theoretically achieve a maximum of between 260 and 300 lm/W.
Essentially all of the LEDs used in lighting are based on the semiconductor gallium nitride, GaN. This is bonded to a substrate, which in the majority of LEDs today is either sapphire or silicon carbide. Other substrates are under development
Tomi Engdahl says:
Small Form Factor Ethernet Switch
http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/microchip/small-form-factor-ethernet-switch/
Microchip’s LAN9303/LAN9303i is a high-performance, small-footprint, full-featured 3-port managed Ethernet switch. This device is application-optimized for consumers, and embedded electronics designs which have a rapid development cycle and require low-cost switching functionality, flexibility and ease of integration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ultrasound beamforming source driver
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/ultrasound-beamforming-source-driver.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003684&vID=1593&from_mail=1#.UzAzhoVM0ik
Supertex‘ MD2133 is a programmable high-speed source-driver for pulsed current applications.
Aimed at medical ultrasound beam-forming applications, the part can also be used in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) using ultrasound, Laser Diode Drive, and other instrumentation applications such as arbitrary waveform generation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
German sensor industry provides positive outlook
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/german-sensor-industry-provides-positive-outlook.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920514&vID=209
A positive overall industry outlook for the sensor and measuring industry has been published by Berlin-based Association for Sensors and Measurements (AMA). Across the industry, R&D investment is expected to grow further. And so will the headcount.
Main growth driver for sensors is the internet of things (IoT) and its specific manifestation in the German manufacturing industry, dubbed ‘Industrie 4.0″. “Without sensors and measuring technology, Industrie 4.0 won’t be feasible”,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Europe sees slower speeds for IC Compiler II designs
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/europe-sees-slower-speeds-for-ic-compiler-ii-designs.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920521&vID=209
Chip designs in Europe are seeing less speed up from the new version of IC Compiler as more IP blocks are used.
European designs are seeing a 6 or 7x speed up in design planning rather than 10 or 20x from designs in other regions. This is down to more focus on IP rather than the influence of mixed signal or analog designs,
“I think part of the issue with the European instances is these designs are very IP dominated than, for example the Japanese designs, so there is less opportunity for big speedups,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
28nm – The last node of Moore’s law
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/28nm-the-last-node-of-moore-s-law.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920513&vID=209
We have been hearing about the imminent demise of Moore’s Law quite a lot recently. Most of these predictions have been targeting the 7nm node and 2020 as the end-point. But we need to recognize that, in fact, 28nm is actually the last node of Moore’s Law.
Beyond this point, we can continue to make smaller transistors and pack more of them into the same size die, but we cannot continue to reduce the cost. In most cases, in fact, the same SoC will actually have a higher cost!
Clearly, Moore’s Law is about “The complexity for minimum component costs,” and the minimum component cost will be at the 28nm node for many years, as we will detail in the remainder of this blog
Tomi Engdahl says:
Interview: Intersil powers up
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/interview-intersil-powers-up.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920462&vID=44
Intersil is ramping up its design centers in the UK and US as it shuts down most of its analog products to focus on power management.
“So we are focusing on our core strengths around power management.”
Power is 60% of the business today and that will rise to 80% over the next three years, says Downing. Most of the analog product lines will be discontinued, leaving the high reliability, space and automotive products.
“On the speciality analog side, theres optical sensors and drivers, previously driven by Blu Ray, now by gaming applications such as Microsoft Kinect and in the future could be heads up displays in automotive. But this is a cash cow that we will use to fund the other three businesses.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transistor-Cost Declines Slowing, Synopsys Says
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321615&
Moore’s Law will continue for the next decade, but declines in cost/transistor won’t be as great as they were in the past, said Synopsys chairman Aart de Geus. Growing complexity of chip designs is delaying a shift to larger wafers and may open doors for alternative technologies, he said at an annual event for Synopsys users.
His comments come at a time of increasing concern about the future of semiconductor technology. Some observers say the 28nm node could be the last to deliver the full range of benefits traditional with a new silicon node — lower costs and power and higher performance.
Starting at 20nm, fabs have to pattern some chip layers twice due to the lack of next-generation lithography tools. But lithography only represents roughly a quarter of the cost of making a chip, Hutcheson said.
In the face of potentially higher costs, “people will try to use today’s 28nm node as much as they can,” de Geus said. “Only a few people will move to the 20nm node [because its] benefits are not that high, so they will wait for 16/14nm nodes,” he added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple pushing automated production
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140324PD206.html
Apple is planning to have its iPhone batteries fully manufactured on automated production lines in 2014 to reduce its manpower demand. The move is expected to trigger other brand vendors to follow suit, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
With rising minimum wages in China and the fact that younger-workers are unwilling to work in the manufacturing industry, labor shortages and high turnover rates are common in the industry, which has increased costs
Tomi Engdahl says:
Slideshow: Focusing on power trends at APEC 2014
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/slideshow-focusing-on-power-trends-at-apec-2014.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920512
Fairchild Semiconductor, one of Silicon Valley’s founding fathers during the 1950s
The new focus will see Fairchild move from being better known for niche standalone products to now develop higher integration products for mobile devices. The company is also targeting the ‘cloud’ and is aiming to provide power-supply solutions for datacenters and low-power networked sensors.
Currently about 50 to 60% of Fairchild’s products are MOSFETS with only 30 to 40% of its overall portfolio reppresenting higher-level integrated circuits.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is 2014 the Year We Hit the Technology Tipping Point?
http://www.workintelligent.ly/technology/trends/2014-3-10-technology-tipping-point/
Earlier this year, Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer said more users would access its content on mobile devices and tablets than on personal computers. That’s the type of trigger that has her and many pundits proclaiming 2014 as a “tipping point” for technology.
Is 2014 the Technology Tipping Point? Let’s look at a few things that are impacting the scales in 2014.
Mobile’s Shift Is Well Underway
Sparking New Business Models
Make Friends With The Machines
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronic devices consume power even when not in use. Electronic devices in standby mode consume from 5 to 10 per cent of the total electricity consumption in the West.
Standby power consumption to zero
Power Integrations has developed a new 8-watt power supply reference platform that does not consume practically power in the standby mode (1 mW or less). The results are very close to the extremes of space standby power consumption.
IEC (62301/4.5) defines zero power consumption of the device, which power consumption is less than five milliwatts. Power Integrations DER-417 platform meets the requirements of the definition, therefore, handsomely. The platform is based PI LinkZero-LP series circuit.
- One-milliwatt power in standby mode is more than enough to drive a digital watch, to observe the enviroment, receive wireless signals and to activate the infrared link, Ong says.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1108:valmiustilan-tehonkulutus-nollaan&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Printed-electronics timer demonstrates flex electronics possibilities
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/printed-electronics-timer-demonstrates-flex-electronics-possibilities.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003701&vID=1594&from_mail=1#.UzJto4VM0ik
Describing it as the world’s first flexible multi-functional timer, event organisers IDTechEx have co-ordinated the manufacture of samples of a domestic timer that makes use of printing technology, to be distributed at its Printed Electronics Europe conference in Berlin, April 1-2.
Partners included consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, printed logic company PragmatIC, printed battery supplier Blue Spark Technologies, conductive ink and photonic curing equipment supplier NovaCentrix and Cal Poly, who designed and printed on the paper substrate.
The initial production demonstrates how new applications of electronics in novel form factors can be enabled by printed electronics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Programme details announced for Supercapacitors Europe 2014 event
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/programme-details-announced-for-supercapacitors-europe-2014-event.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003621&vID=44#.UzJu8IVM0ik
the event takes place in Berlin on 1-2 April.
Following the trend of increasingly thinner mobile phones and tablets, Cap-XX, that has in its portfolio, supercapacitors in the range of 0.3-1 mm of thickness is pursuing licensees of its new technology for consumer electronics including smartphones.
On another front, supercapacitors have now become a regular source of revenue for those companies that are selling to the automotive sector, such as Maxwell Technologies, whose supercapacitors are being used by PSA Peugeot Citroen. Maxwell Technologies reported sales in excess of $100 million in 2013 in the transportation sector (automotive and hybrid bus) and estimates a very positive outlook for 2014.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel’s Custom Chips Highlight Company’s 14 nm Process
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321621&
Intel has demonstrated a general-purpose, 14 nm SerDes chip designed to reduce the size of its successful 22 nm SerDes offering by 40%, and also to cut power consumption by 20% compared to the 22 nm SerDes product.
The March 20 announcement of the 1 Gbit/s to 16 Gbit/s SerDes appeared designed to defend Intel against both long- and short-term setbacks that have allowed competitors to suggest its traditional lead in semiconductor design and manufacturing is deteriorating.
The new 14 nm SerDes design is based on that of the existing 12 Gbit/s and 28 Gbit/s SerDes built on Intel’s 22 nm SerDes Tri-gate process.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable Electronics Driving Battery Revenue Growth
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321634&
With wearable electronics quickly becoming the fashion these days, demand for batteries to power smart watches, wearable health monitors, and smart glasses will increase tenfold over the next four years, according to an IHS report.
Worldwide revenue for wearable electronics batteries is expected to jump from $6 million in 2014 to $77 million in 2018. Revenue growth will be buoyed by annual shipments for wearable electronic devices, which will reach 56 million units by 2018, according to the IHS Power & Energy report (subscription required).
“Wearable electronics will be the key to sustaining the current very-high-growth levels of battery revenue in consumer electronics,”
Though wearable electronics is an emerging market, smartphones and tablets is still driving the majority of revenue growth in the lithium battery market for portable electronics. Shipments of smartphones and tablet PCs are expected to grow 46% from 2013 to 2015 but then decline, IHS said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Develop Solar Cell That Can Also Emit Light
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/14/03/25/1939244/scientists-develop-solar-cell-that-can-also-emit-light
“Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University have developed a solar cell that not only converts sunlight into electricity but also emits light as electricity passes through it.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ugh! This DUNKABLE wearable tech is REPELLENT
Something for a rainy day… like a waterproof Galaxy 5?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/26/wearable_tech_water_repellent_treatments_abound/
lthough last Week’s Wearable Technology Show was dominated by gadget solutions looking for a problem, on a couple of stands were solutions to, er, the problem of solutions from P2i and HzO.
The two companies collaborate with manufacturers to ensure that your shiny new wearable tech toy doesn’t turn into a damp squib when the thrills turn into spills.
US outfit HzO provides a more industrial strength polymer coating enabling devices to be used underwater for extended periods.
British company P2i has its roots in Porton Down,
the initiative that led to P2i’s formation was protecting military uniforms from chemical attack
The company has its own nano-coatings that takes care of protecting components, its latest barrier protection treatment is called Dunkable.
While HzO relies extensively on improved methods to apply Parylene – a coating that has been used commercially since the 1960s – P2i’s treatment is a three-stage process involving some some clever plasma techniques for both its Splash and Dunkable applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sarokal Test Systems (Oulu Finland) has developed a tool that can test all the mobile phone base station connection protocols (Ethernet, OBSAI, CPRI, JESD204B).
- The market has a lot of different solutions, which work only in a certain point in the design flow, or just to test some of the protocols. Our strong point is undoubtedly a comprehensive solution to different protocols. At the same time the product can do many different things and can be used in product development from beginning to the very end, Valasma says.
An important feature is enabled by Sarokalin platform reusability.
The big selling point is always the price of the test system. Valasman Sarokalin of the system must be at least 10 times cheaper traditional testers. Yet the price has access to the same features.
Testing is ongoing transition even stronger software based approach. Today, testers tend to be hardware-based, and their development is expensive and time consuming.
We have a traditional tester to the device functions have been transferred to the software-based, so the instrument’s development is faster and cheaper. At the same hardware platform can be made simpler and versatile.
In the future, base stations testing will become more complex over the time.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1105:sarokal-ratkaisi-tukiaseman-testausogelman&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED lighting were sold last year for $ 1.1 billion dollars.
According to the NPD Displaysearchin sales will grow to $ 3.4 billion (nearly € 2.5 billion) in 2017.
The Institute estimates that the standards of 500 x 500 micron LED chips was purchased in 2012 by about 17 billion pieces in various products. This year the number is growing as much as 61 billion chip.
2014 marks a new era in many ways the beginning of LEDs: use in TVs/monitors starts to decline and at the same time lighting LED sales will reach almost the same level.
Today’s most popular LED fixture is a fluorescent replacement LED tube because they do not contain mercury, are 50 percent more energy efficient and longer lasting traditional fluorescent tubes.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1116:valaistusledien-myynti-kasvaa-kohisten&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Infrared breakthrough makes silicon solar cells more efficient
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/infrared-breakthrough-makes-silicon-solar-cells-more-efficient.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920563&vID=44
A silicon photovoltaic cell capable of turning infrared radiation into electricity has been developed by a team of researchers in Spain.
Currently photovoltaic cells are capable of turning solar light into electricity. However, there are many obstacles that prevent their use on a large scale
with the main one being their relatively high cost (0.02 euros per watt generated). The low efficiency of silicon based solar cells at around 17 per cent is another key factor holding back their widespread acceptance.
Most solar cells are made of silicon which is relatively cheap to produce but these solar cells are only capable of generating electricity from the visible part of the sun spectrum. Until now the infrared region of the spectrum was not being harvested.