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Autos, Energy and Handheld Drive DSPs
DSPs: bigger performance, smaller size
Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor -- Design News, October 5, 2008
A number of trends in electronics have changed the nature of digital signal processors (DSPs). The automotive industry is going through a transformation toward energy efficiency, from hybrids to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Electronics are central to the radical revamp of cars. Power efficiency is becoming important in virtually all products. Smart electronics have become key to that change. New DSPs are designed to deliver greater power efficiency in smaller sizes, which is critical for handheld devices such as smart phones and home-based medical instruments.
The auto industry is using a greater assortment of microcontrollers from engine performance control to entertainment systems inside the passenger compartment. “Automotive systems such as network-management, comfort and security are now ready for the high-performance 32-bit power architecture,” says Comenico Bille, general manager of the Car Body Div. at STMicroelectronics. “By providing application-optimized platforms that enable engineers to maximize investment in software and hardware development, new microcontrollers will accelerate delivery of greater performance to end users.”
Microcontrollers are also critical in the development of small, power-saving devices such as smart phones that have become tiny entertainment devices and handheld medical devices for home use. “In recent years, customers big and small have approached us with a focus on pure performance, but there has been a shift in the last year or so and developers' first question is now, 'This is my power budget — how can you help me do more with it?'” says Gene Frantz, TI's principal fellow. “The answer is somewhat simple — decades of experience allow us to cut power consumption, improve ease-of-use and drive performance within the controller's architecture through better technology, peripheral integration, parallel processing, analog, connectivity and power management software and tools.”
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"...small, power-saving devices such as smart phones that have become tiny entertainment devices and handheld medical devices"
Telephones are "power saving devices" that have become handheld medical devices? Hmm. I thought the "Kill-A-Watt" was a power saving device.
And Mr. Frantz... first off, what's a "principal fellow"?
And why would he say a vague thing like . “experience allows us to drive performance within the controller's architecture through ... analog, connectivity and power management software and tools.â€
What's the very "drive" mean in this case? Control? Allocate? Improve? Say what you mean, sir.
And how can you do it "through analog"? Analog what?
And, software and tools? That's as redundant as "software program".
Pardon the curmudgeonliness, but it just rubbed me the wrong way to see an article written in the style of a bad press release.'>Well, that was about 1 paragraph of information in a 3 paragraph bag.
"A number of trends ... have changed the nature of (DSPs)."
Trends do not change things. How about "The nature of DSPs has changed along a number of trends"? Or, just, "DSPs have become smaller and more efficient"?
And Mr. Bille "...enable engineers to maximize investment ... development"
I would think engineers would rather maximize the return on their investment, though they'd only put it in those words if they were forced to talk to a committee of managers. "allow us to not waste our development time" would be more to the point.
"...small, power-saving devices such as smart phones that have become tiny entertainment devices and handheld medical devices"
Telephones are "power saving devices" that have become handheld medical devices? Hmm. I thought the "Kill-A-Watt" was a power saving device.
And Mr. Frantz... first off, what's a "principal fellow"?
And why would he say a vague thing like . “experience allows us to drive performance within the controller's architecture through ... analog, connectivity and power management software and tools.â€
What's the very "drive" mean in this case? Control? Allocate? Improve? Say what you mean, sir.
And how can you do it "through analog"? Analog what?
And, software and tools? That's as redundant as "software program".
Pardon the curmudgeonliness, but it just rubbed me the wrong way to see an article written in the style of a bad press release.
Renard DellaFave - 2008-11-10 06:01:51 EDT
