The most significant aspect of this device is processing the data at the sensor. This is becoming viable with integration of the ASIC and the MEMS sensor. Until recently, wireless mics used analog signals to the receiver because the delay introduced by signal processing would be noticeable. This is similar to the situation with smart cameras. With the amount of processing available in embedded SOCs, much of the signal work can be done without transmitting the data. This also allows, as in the case for the mic, real time correction of the signal, if required. The significance of MEMS is that it can more easily be integrated with circuitry than other types of sensors. This is the way to go.
naperlou thanks for your post on the blog - I totally agree that "this is the way to go" and I look forward to seeing how more and more processing will be done at the sensor. I hope that more folks (like you) will read this blog and get inspired with how to integrate and design in these smart MEMS sensors into more and more applications. Thanks again! Karen
Karen, I agree that intelligence at the sensor is the future. I believe Freescale does something simular with its Xtrinsic line of sensors, doesn't it?
Chuck, you are correct! What is interesting about these sensors is that they perform basic DSP functions right on the chip. While many microcontrollers have built in DSP hardware these days, it is still more efficient to have that function performed at the sensor.
The thing that makes music what it is comes from the distortions provided by the instrument. Otherwise we get somethng like the electronic music of the 1960's era. So it is not clear just exactly is meant by making things sound better through processing. Perhaps itwill be possible to compensate for the distortion from the microphone element, which could indeed offer an improvement, and it should certainly be easy to shape the frequency response to just about any curve desired. But eliminating noise without the ability to know what the noise is at any particular instant will probably have some unintended results.
The biggest advantage will be in reduced cost and smaller size, followed by a reduction in the installed cost.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
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 
