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.”
Andrew Morris designed a circuit that could detect a stroke victim's groan and convert the sound into a signal so caregivers would know when help was needed.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
On April 21, NASA launched a novel project, putting into orbit three satellites that employ an off-the-shelf commercial smartphone as the control system.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
