<h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-4-0">Introduction</h3><p>No matter the size of your electronic device, it’s going to have a Printed Circuit Board or PCB inside. These familiar green boards ensure our devices work the way they are intended. Their design, or the precise arrangement and choice of components, are at the heart of your device functionality. While a PCB is a ubiquitous object, the design cycle to bring it into existence is complicated, involving a huge number of stakeholders. The relationship between these key players greatly impacts the ability for innovation in the electrical systems and devices. This article will examine the design lifecycle of PCBs, introduce the key players in the design and manufacturing process, and highlight how collaborations within the design cycle can spur innovation.</p><p>PCB board design and manufacture is a multi-faceted process that converges multiple component manufacturers, designers, and processes. The scale of production can vary from a single engineer, designing, placing, and soldering their own board to multi-billion dollar manufacturing facilities printing millions of boards per year.</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-5-0">PCB designer</h2><p>The functionality and quality of a PCB board starts with the decisions that a PCB designer or electrical engineer makes. Each board is embedded with a large variety of components. These range from resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, and fuses. Both the choice of the component, i.e., its individual capabilities and qualities plus their arrangement, and method and quality of fixing affect the overall size, quality, and function of the board. Either poor component choice or poor mapping of components can both lead to a lower quality PCB.</p><p>Designing a board has four major steps:</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-6-0">1. Parts research and selection</h3><p>At this stage, the designer is looking to find the right selection of components to fulfill the function of the board. As comments or PCB parts are constantly getting upgraded and new products are being released, this stage requires careful research to select the most appropriate component for the board’s intent and budget. This research is done on a component manufacturer’s website or via an online component library.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-7-0">2. Schematic capture and selection</h3><p>The schematic capture is the general electrical layout of the board. This is usually done with a piece of CAD software known as a schematic editor. Once done, tests can be performed to check the integrity of circuit designs, and to compare the effects of components and signals upon the design. Simulations on the design at this stage can quickly identify the majority of bugs and errors before the design is physically manufactured. Adequate testing and simulation at this level significantly reduces the amount of time-to-market and production cost.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-8-0">3. Board layout</h3><p>Upon capturing the schematic and simulating the design, a &nbsp;physical prototype is built to test the board’s performance under real load conditions. At this stage, electronic design automation tools in a CAD program assist the designer in turning the board schematic into a ‘real-looking’ board by converting the symbols for components that represented the design in the capture stage into the physical dimensions of the represented components.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-9-0">4. Verification and validation.</h3><p>&nbsp;Prototype tests and manufacturing tests are the final steps in the validation of a PCB.</p><p>The final design is then exported to a Gerber format, which can be used by PCB manufacturers to create a physical representation of the board. A prototype test validates if the design meets the target specifications, while a manufacturing test ensures that high-volume production of the board is possible.&nbsp;</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-10-0">Component designers and manufacturers</h2><p>Component manufacturers may specialize in specific industries or parts or create components across diverse portfolios. Manufacturers are the gatekeepers to innovation in some respects as they must continually find ways to improve on existing products to make them more efficient, safer, more powerful while adhering to miniaturization trends.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-11-0">PCB assembly</h3><p>PCB assembly usually occurs in a large manufacturing facility. These may specialize in printing boards at a large scale or have the capacity to create one-off or small-run designs. Parts of the process may involve automation and machinery while other aspects are still done with the dexterity, knowledge, and skill of PCB assemblers. There are a large number of steps involved to go from Gerber file to completed PCB. This video gives a concise overview:</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8NOK1JJbgw?enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" style="width: 761px; height: 383px;" data-gtm-yt-inspected-25="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-headingsmap-frameid="4956"></iframe></span></p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-13-0">PCB incorporation into the device</h3><p>Physically adding the completed PCB into a device happens in the assembly of the overall product. This usually happens in a factory type environment and depending on the product may have elements completed using automation, or manually on a production line. By the time the PCB is ready for installing into its final home, it may have parts from several different countries, and input from designers in others.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjAzMTgyNDAxNjMyLXBjYiBhc3NlbWJseS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-14-0">How the PCB Design Process is evolving to boost innovation</h2><p>Computer-Aided Design (CAD) came to the PCB industry in the late 80s becoming commonplace by the late 90s. This revolutionized a process that before was intensely manual and laborious. As CAD systems developed, it became the norm for PCBs to be designed as both 2D schematics and full 3D boards. This allowed for virtual testing and better quality control. However, it also replaced the arduous work of manually designing boards with the intense work of 3D modeling each and every component and board layout.</p><p>PCB design bureaus did begin to create CAD libraries of common components. Unlike architecture, where common CAD objects rarely change, PCB component manufacturers may launch hundreds of products a year - keeping on top of every single new release is a massive challenge. Not to mention having to create a new 3D model for every single new component for each design that it was to be included in. This began to change about a decade ago with the introduction of online component libraries that offered designers and engineers the chance to download pre-made models for their designs, both saving them huge amounts of time and helping them stay up to date on the latest available components.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-15-0">SamacSys</h3><p>One of the leading online CAD libraries is SamacSys. The component library tool allows engineers to download fully realized CAD models of PCB components directly into their drawings. The models don’t need to be unzipped or even imported. SamacSys works by pairing with major manufacturers to get their components modeled, checked then available in the library for engineers to use for free. This is not only a huge help to engineers working at all scales, but it provides the manufacturer with an insight into design trends much earlier than before. They can understand which components are popular for use and respond to this by increasing production or shifting design teams into that area.</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-16-0">Nexperia and SamacSys</h2><p>Nexperia is one of the world leaders in semiconductor development and manufacture. We chatted with Edwin Van De Merbel from the European Nexperia marketing team to get an idea of how SamacSys fits into their vision to help make engineers more efficient.</p><p>Nexperia produces and sells up to 100 billion semiconductors annually, with products going into mobile phones, industrial applications, and consumer products. If you want to do electronic design, Nexperia is likely to have the products you need. We asked Edwin why Nexperia chooses to be a part of the SamacSys library. “We wanted to help our engineering customer community with additional design support,” explains Edwin. “We are continuously looking for ways to make the life of an electronics designer as easy as possible.”</p><p>Before services like SamacSys, component manufacturers only understood which products were being used after they were ordered. But SamacSys feeds data back to its component partners about which parts are being downloaded giving manufacturers a view into the future.</p><p>“We are gaining insights into how many models are downloaded from our website, says Edwin. “And we get information on how the models are downloaded throughout the entire Samacsys network, including our distribution partners and other websites. It’s helpful for us to know which models are most downloaded. The marketing part takes place especially online, for the most popular products we are adding additional design resources to our website, and provide suggestions on which products are also suitable as alternatives. It’s all about focusing on our customers.”</p><p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1603182219940-ezgif.com-gif-maker+%281%29.gif" style="width: 788px;"></p><p>Online CAD libraries such as SamacSys significantly reduce the amount of time PCB designers need to spend building models, instead of shifting that time towards innovation. “We understand how engineers design applications and the steps that need to be supported in that process,” explains Edwin. “With shortening design cycles, engineers tend to be under serious design pressure and are often working on multiple projects at the same time.”</p><p>SamacSys not only reduces the amount of modeling time for PCB designers, but it also adds a layer of security to designs by ensuring that all models are verified, 100 percent accurate, and up to date. “We develop a lot of new cutting-edge new products. And all information/ data and services we provide must be 100%, correct,” says Edwin. &nbsp;“Within Nexperia we work with a highly structured topic-based approach for our technical specs and characteristics. We want to be as efficient as possible for our target audiences and help them with their applications. In such a way that they hopefully choose our products for their designs. We can provide them with samples, products, part approval documents, technical specifications, design support, tutorials, and a lot more.”</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-17-0">Conclusion</h2><p>While large parts of the PCB manufacturing have stayed relatively stable over the last few decades, online CAD library services are making big impacts on the design process. By reducing the amount of time waste on CAD modeling and improving the reliability of designs these services are dramatically improving the engineer’s time. Additionally, they are revealing for the first time the potential for a closer relationship between component manufacture and the individual engineer. By feeding insights of engineers’ behavior within the library back to major comments manufacturers, these services anticipate and lay the foundation for innovation.</p><p><em>This the second article in a series about PCB design. <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/samacsys-power-user-case-study-icarus-design" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The first article&nbsp;</a>looked at the design process for PCB design bureaus. The next article looks at the case study of NASA designing a new ventilator in just 37 days.&nbsp;</em></p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-18-0">About the Sponsor: Supplyframe</h2><p><em>This article is sponsored by Supplyframe. Supplyframe aligns electronics demand with supply and brings new levels of resiliency to the global electronics value chain, with transformative, intelligence-based solutions to deliver insights at key decision points throughout the entire design-to-source product lifecycle. Leveraging billions of continuous signals of design intent, demand, supply, and risk factors, Supplyframe’s Design-to-Source Intelligence (DSI) Platform is the world’s richest intelligence resource for the electronics industry. Over 10 million engineering and supply chain professionals worldwide engage with our SaaS solutions, search engines, and media properties to power rapid innovation and optimize in excess of $120 billion in annual direct materials spend. Supplyframe is headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., with offices in Austin, Belgrade, Grenoble, Oxford, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.&nbsp;</em>&nbsp;</p><p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAzMTgxMTY1MjM3LXN1cHBsZXlmcmFtZSBsb2dvIGJhbm5lci5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;"></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Article 2 in our PCB design series: Collaboration between key players opens up space for innovation.

The Printed Circuit Board Design and Manufacturing Cycle: Symbiotic Relationships Engage Innovation

<p dir="ltr"><em>Co-authored by Andreas Hardock &nbsp;</em></p><h1 dir="ltr">Introduction</h1><p dir="ltr">Automotive connectivity, such as&nbsp;telematics and infotainment, as well as&nbsp;autonomous driving trends are pushing demand for higher data-transfer rates within the vehicle. To meet this need vehicles have a growing number of computer-based systems, applications, and connections as well as the cabling, network interfaces, and onboard computing power to support them. Automotive ethernet is now at a stage where it can reliably reduce these electronic costs and support increasing bandwidth requirements.</p><p dir="ltr">While automotive ethernet usage solves some problems it also brings to light the critical importance of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) robustness to ensure the reliable high performance of automotive communication networks. As data rates in a communication network increase ESD robustness decreases.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rIWff-hQP28?enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" style="width: 779px; height: 411px;" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span></p><p dir="ltr">In simple terms, ESD is the release of static electricity when two objects come into contact. It produces a high current in a very fast event. Much like the shock you can get from a door handle after walking on particular carpets. In an automotive setting, ESD events can result in sub-micron damage to the device that can lead to device failure. This article will examine how the risk of ESD can be mitigated with an optimized ESD protection concept.</p><h2 dir="ltr">The current state of in-vehicle networks</h2><p dir="ltr">The current makeup of today&rsquo;s in-vehicle networks is a culmination of past technologies including Local Interconnect Network (LIN) &nbsp;and Controller Area Network (CAN) as well as CAN-FD which is gaining more importance due to flexible data rates. &nbsp;This presents a challenge for the industry as it aims to both reduce the number of technologies while at the same time retaining the necessary legacy technologies to reduce cost and retain reliability.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">All automotive subsystems were initially connected by dedicated cables. &nbsp;However, as automotive systems became more complex, and the number of automotive subsystems relying on electronics increased, so did the amount of cabling required for their interconnection. The concept of fieldbuses was introduced. A fieldbus is a serial bus allowing message exchange between nodes connected to the fieldbus. Using a fieldbus, several previously dedicated cables are replaced by a serial bus interconnecting the ECUs. This decreased both the weight and cost of the automotive system. More recently, in response to the ever-increasing network demands, in-vehicle networks now use zonal architecture which aims to form a network by which any Electric Control Unit (ECU) can talk to any other.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">To do so, every ECU is connected to a domain or zone controller directly via a short CAN, LIN, or 10BASE-T1s interface. The domain or zone controllers are connected using a high-speed backbone network technology such as Automotive Ethernet (IEEE automotive Ethernet standards 100BASE-T1, 1000BASE-T1, and 1000BASE-RH) which provides flexibility and determinism (see Figure 1).</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxODkwNTg5Njg2LTIwMjAtMDAxNyBORVhfMDY4X0ltYWdlcyBmb3IgWm9uYWwgQXJjaGl0ZWN0dXJlXzIuanBnIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ=="><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Figure 1.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr">Software for versatility</h2><p dir="ltr">Software is integral to making the zonal architecture system versatile. It allows for virtual CAN/LIN networks to be implemented, so that legacy ECUs can operate as though via a CAN-/LIN-only topology. Software also means that every ECU with a dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) address can be used in plug-and-play operations as well as support features such as over-the-air updates. Secure sub-networks can also be formed based on software to ensure compliance with safety standards in safety-critical applications and to protect sensitive data.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Automotive Ethernet</h1><p dir="ltr">Automotive Ethernet is a physical network that is used to connect components within a car using a wired network. In the past, it was previously reserved for limited to data heavy applications that CAN and FlexRay were unable to provide such as diagnostics, in-vehicle-infotainment (IVI) systems, and connecting remote sensors. However, the technology has now matured and is ready to meet the demand of fast-growing trends such as <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/putting.highperformance.computing.into.cars.automotive.discrete.semiconductors.for.autonomous.driving" target="_blank">autonomous vehicles</a>, providing the desired flexibility for zonal architecture configuration. It is also easy for engineers to implement with globally recognized standards specific to the automotive market.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Advancing specifications</h2><p>The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) recognizes three automotive Ethernet standards; 100BASE-T1,1000BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-RH &nbsp;that can meet automotive emissions standards and reduce cabling weight and cost in automotive networking<sup>[1]</sup>. &nbsp; The standard was ushered in by the work of <a href="https://www.opensig.org/" target="_blank">the OPEN (One-Pair EtherNet) Alliance</a>, a special interest group formed by major automotive OEMs and tier-one suppliers who are collaborating to push the wide-scale adoption and standardization of Ethernet-based networks and their security and reliability. The alliance was early adopters of automotive Ethernet and have been key in defining automotive ethernet standards.&nbsp;</p><h1 dir="ltr">ESD robustness&nbsp;<iframe id="6422b69e2f9a8000088dee15" width="250" class="specs-iframe" height="420" src="https://wevolver.com/iframe/specs/nexperia-nevb21-usbc1ul-usb-type-c-esd-evaluation-board?iframe=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></h1><p dir="ltr">Automotive Ethernet Systems have to pass several environmental tests to be very robust in the field at any climate condition. One of these is the System-level ESD robustness which is a very crucial feature for any electronic system, even more so in an automotive environment where smaller ICs mean a loss of space for internal ESD protection. These <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/how.advanced.driverassistance.systems.adas.impact.automotive.semiconductors" target="_blank">smaller devices</a> are also vulnerable as even lower voltages can damage the thinner gate oxide. The danger posed by potential system failures caused by ESD is severe - particularly in autonomous driving technologies. Both discrete ESD protection devices as well as the system design play a role. Rigorous ESD protection can be avoided or heavily mitigated with an optimized ESD protection concept. ESD protection depends on several factors beyond the robustness of individual components, including the robustness of the weakest device in the system, the properties of the protection device, the properties of other elements in the signal path, and the parasitic effects arising from the board and mounting wires.</p><h2 dir="ltr">SEED simulation methodology for product development</h2><p dir="ltr">System-efficient ESD design (SEED) is a system-level approach to ESD simulation to develop protection components suitable for increasing demand. The concept of SEED is to consider all the parameters of ESD protection as outlined above into account in the form of an equivalent circuit or circuit-like simulation to predict system-level robustness. More detail on SEED can be found <a href="https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/innovation/SEED-delivers-OPEN-Alliance-compliant-ESD-protection.html" target="_blank">here.&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.opensig.org/" target="_blank">OPEN Alliance</a> members use <a data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" href="https://assets.nexperia.com/documents/white-paper/Nexperia_Whitepaper_ESD_Discharge_Current_Measurement_Using_SEED_1.pdf" target="_blank">SEED methodology</a> when developing silicon-based, OPEN Alliance-compliant ESD protection for 100 and 1000baseT1 Automotive Ethernet systems</p><h2 dir="ltr">Redesigning physical systems</h2><p dir="ltr">In previous Automotive Ethernet implementations, PHY (physical layer interface, referring to the transceiver) vendors were advised to put any required discrete ESD protection device between the CMC (common-mode choke) and the PHY.</p><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxODkxMTQ0OTQwLWVzZCBwcm90ZWN0aW9uLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;"></p><p dir="ltr">Now, the ESD protection device is recommended to be placed immediately next to the connector, protecting not only the PHY but also the CMC and passives. In this position, external ESD protection is decoupled from internal protection of the PHY and protects also the DC block as well as other passive components. In the figure above there is a comparison shown between the OA approach with the ESD protection close to the connector (middle), a classic approach with the ESD protection close to the PHY (right), and without any ESD protections (left). The red color indicates a high current density. One can see that having the OA approach provides by far the lowest currents at the circuitry behind the ESD protection and especially the PHY. This means the best ESD robustness for the entire Ethernet system.&nbsp;</p><h1 dir="ltr">Nexperia ESD solutions</h1><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.nexperia.com/" target="_blank">Nexperia</a>, a leading semiconductor manufacturer and&nbsp;technical member&nbsp;of theOPEN Alliance, used the SEED methodology&nbsp;to replicate the ESD Discharge Current Measurement test when developing the industry&rsquo;s first silicon-based, ESD protection for 100/1000BAASE-T1 automotive Ethernet systems.&nbsp;Silicon-based ESD protection devices offer a significantly higher performance level of protection - up to 30 kV system level robustness &ndash; than competing technologies such as varistors.</p><p dir="ltr">Nexperia has a wide range of discrete components for ESD protection in targeted applications:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">ESD protection for in-vehicle network lines in automotive environments</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">OPEN Alliance 100BASE-T1 Ethernet and 1000BASE-T1 Ethernet</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">PESD2CANFDx series for CAN-FD bus</p></li></ul><p dir="ltr">Key features and benefits of the first two OPEN Alliance Ethernet compliant ESD Protection devices:</p><h3 dir="ltr">PESD2ETH100-T For 100BASE-T1 Ethernet</h3><ul><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Fully 100BASE-T1 OPEN Alliance compliant</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Low capacitance &lt;3pF</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">ESD protection up to 30kV (IEC 61000-4-2, contact)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">1000 contact discharges with 30 kV (IEC 61000-4-2)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">High trigger voltage: Vt1 = 10V min.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">SOT23 package</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">AEC-Q101 qualified/automotive grade</p></li></ul></ul><h3 dir="ltr">PESD2ETH1G-T For 100/1000BASE-T1 Ethernet</h3><ul><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Fully 100/1000BASE-T1 OPEN Alliance compliant</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Low capacitance &lt;2pF</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">ESD protection up to 30kV (IEC 61000-4-2, contact)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">1000 contact discharges with 15kV (IEC 61000-4-2)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">High trigger voltage: Vt1 = 100V min.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">SOT23 package</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">AEC-Q101 qualified/automotive grade</p></li></ul></ul><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxODkyMjg0ODkwLWNvbXBvbmVudHMuanBnIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;"></p><p dir="ltr">Nexperia also has solutions for other relevant technologies within the network including: PESD2CANFDx for CAN-FD and PESxIVNx Series for LIN and CAN. More on these solutions can be found <a href="https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/Automotive-ESD-Design-Engineers-Guide.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></p><h2 dir="ltr">Essential elements for ESD design</h2><p dir="ltr">Nexperia&rsquo;s ESD products can help minimize the risk of ESD damage while their research, knowledge, and <a href="https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/Automotive-ESD-Design-Engineers-Guide.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">design guides</a> support the engineering community in protecting applications and products against ESD issues. To help designers navigate ESD protection, Nexperia has developed a set of &lsquo;golden rules&rsquo; for ESD design.&nbsp;</p><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Place the device as close to the input terminal or connector as possible.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Provide a solid ground connection for the device</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Keep parallel signal paths to a minimum.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Avoid running protected conductors in parallel with unprotected conductors.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Minimize all Printed-Circuit-Board (PCB) conductive loops including power and ground loops.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Minimize the length of the transient return path to ground.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Avoid using shared transient return paths to a common ground point.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Use ground planes whenever possible. For multilayer PCBs, use enough ground vias.</p></li></ol><h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1><p dir="ltr">The increasing demands for higher bandwidth and low-latency communication in automotive are driven by the exciting increase in drive-assist technology, infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving. Automotive ethernet can reliably support these increasing bandwidth requirements but its adoption must be tied with optimized ESD protection concepts. The challenges of automotive communication can be met with new ESD protection concepts that deliver high system-level robustness, good signal integrity, and PCB design flexibility.&nbsp;</p><hr><h1 dir="ltr"><em>About the sponsor: Nexperia</em></h1><p dir="ltr"><em>Nexperia is the expert in high-volume production of discrete and MOSFET components and analog &amp; logic ICs that meet the stringent standards set by the Automotive industry. With an absolute focus on efficiency, Nexperia consistently produces the essential semiconductors required by every electronic design in the world: more than 90 billion annually. Products that are benchmarks in efficiency - in process, size, power, and performance - with industry-leading small packages that save valuable energy and space.</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em>With decades of experience, supplying to the world&rsquo;s biggest companies, Nexperia has over 11,000 employees across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., offering global support. The company has an extensive IP portfolio and is certified to IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001.</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxOTY1MzEyMjU3LW5leHBlcmlhIGJhbm5lciBsb2dvLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;"></em><br></p><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p><hr><h1 dir="ltr"><em>References</em></h1><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><em>https://standards.ieee.org/standard/802_3bw-2015.html</em></p></li></ol><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

As data rates in automotive communication networks increase optimized ESD protection concepts become critical.

Enabling Robust Automotive Communication: Ethernet ESD Protection

<p dir="ltr"><em>This is our second article of three exploring the printed circuit board (PCB) design process. It aims to reveal the changes in the industry that have led to increased efficiency in the PCB design process and discuss how these changes influence the relationship between designer and component manufacturer. In this article, we talk with Johnnie Howman, Managing Director of the PCB design bureau, Icarus Design, about the changes in the industry over the last four decades and the role of CAD component library services in his design process.&nbsp;</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em>This series is sponsored by Supplyframe, a company connecting engineers and designers with vertical search engines, and online communities. SamacSys is a Supplyframe Company. &nbsp;Through their sponsorship, Supplyframe is dedicated to broadening education about electrical engineering and the PCB design process.&nbsp;</em></p><hr><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-4-0">Introduction&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">Every modern piece of technology contains a printed circuit board or PCB loaded with electronic components. The board and its components provide a way to integrate the electronics for a device in a compact space. Each PCB is designed for a specific task or tasks such as computing, communications, and data transfer related to the function of the device it is enclosed in. &nbsp;The design of modern PCBs allows for fragile components to be correctly connected to a power source while being safely insulated.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">There are many stakeholders and technologies involved in PCB production. These include the component manufacturers, the actual PCB designers, the client or designer of the final device, and the PCB manufacturer.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-5-0">The PCB production process</h2><p dir="ltr">A core step is the design of the board itself. While many devices require similar PCBs which can be bought as a standard item, new boards need to be designed all the time to meet new technological demands, improve existing designing, and create custom boards for new and one-off technologies.</p><p dir="ltr">Boards are designed by specialized PCB designers or electrical engineers who may work for PCB specializing design bureaus, OEMs, or ODMs.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">For a board to be manufactured it first needs to be designed in software (CAD), this design contains exact models of every single component within it. These components include semiconductors, LEDs, batteries, capacitors, etc that work together to define the board’s functions and properties. &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">There are a huge amount of component manufacturers who each produce thousands of different types of components. Efficiently finding and modeling these components for inclusion in a design is a significant part of a PCB designer’s workload. This is not only a time-consuming task within the design project timelines, it can also divert expert resources away from other high-level tasks.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-6-0">Addressing the problem</h2><p dir="ltr">One of the major shifts of PCB design over the last decade has been the introduction of free, online, accessible CAD component libraries. Previously each designer or design bureau would attempt to maintain a CAD component library to assist them in their design process and make using the same components easier each time. However, manufacturers can produce thousands of parts per year, and maintaining a library that is accurate and completely up to date is near impossible.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/alex-macdougall-is-on-a-mission-to-solve-a-problem-at-the-core-of-the-electronics-industry" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SamacSys</a> is the most used provider of CAD library services that is working to solve the CAD modeling problem that has plagued the electrical engineering and OCB design world for decades. SamacSys works by collaborating with major PCB component manufacturers who provide the models for their components. SamacSys ensures that the component models are completed correctly and can be downloaded straight into common design software without unzipping or further alterations. The SamacSys library service is free for designers who can search for the right component for their board design from a wide variety of manufacturers, providing the choice of the right component without being limited by access to a single supplier library. SamacSys aims to reduce the amount of time designers and engineers need to spend designing individual components and instead use that time for innovation.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-7-0">Johnnie Howman and Icarus Design&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">Johnnie Howman is the Managing Director of <a href="https://www.icarus-design.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Icarus Design</a> a PCB design bureau based in the UK. Wevolver spoke to Johnnie about the role SamacSys has played in his PCB design process, the changes he has witnessed in the industry, and his predictions and thoughts on the future.</p><p dir="ltr">Johnnie has been working in the PCB world for more than four decades since starting as an intern at British Aircraft Corporation guided weapons development (later BAE Systems) in the 1970’s. This first foray into the electronics design industry put him on a learning path that he still enjoys today. After completing his internship he was offered a job at BAE, joining the company in the drawing office as a PCB Draughtsman. The timing was perfect for him to begin immediate training on the then-new and highly advanced Computervison system, laying out complex PCB’s for many military projects. Looking for new challenges Johnnie eventually left BAE and joined the design team at Rank Cintel where he worked on multichannel digital and analog video PCBs. He later worked for Orbitel Mobile communications in the early days of mobile phone development. In 1994, together with distributors of PADS software in the UK, Johnnie setup Icarus Design.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-8-0">Building efficiency into the process&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">Johnnie has been designing PCBs every day for over forty years and he says without a doubt the single most influential change in the PCB design process has been the introduction of well-functioning online CAD libraries. &nbsp;“I'll probably find a good 95% of parts I want are there,” says Johnnie describing the SamacSys library. “And even if they're in a fashion that I might not quite want to present - because I might want to do something in a certain way for my customer - they've done the core of the work for me. It's become a really good resource, it's one of the most interesting things that has happened to us for a long time.”</p><p dir="ltr">Johnnie says he was an early advocate for these resources as he could immediately the value they would bring to his design process. Additionally, he was interested in ways of easily and intuitively browsing newly released components in a centralized location. He is now a daily user of SamacSys, adopting it into his design process soon after the service launched.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1600841172025-ezgif.com-crop.gif" style="width: 788px;"></p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-9-0">Designing with SamacSys</h2><p dir="ltr">For Johnnie the advantage of SamacSys is two-fold. First, it streamlines his design process, saving him countless hours modeling the relevant component for each board design. In addition, it also adds a level of design security by increasing his confidence that the board design is accurate. “The library gives us another level of checking,” says Johnnie. &nbsp;“Because they have done their quality control. I might do another thermal check and then it gives me much more confidence in the product. If I just model the parts, no one's checked that. So using the library this way gives us two levels of checking. That works very well for us.”</p><p dir="ltr">In addition to individual components, Johnie says that when required he will sometimes use the schematic deck tools that can be easily and quickly rearranged to reflect the needs of his customers.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-10-0">Streamlining design in a competitive space</h2><p dir="ltr">SamacSys also plays a role in the way Johnnie plans to work with clients. &nbsp;Knowing that the research and selection step of a new PCB design will now take a fraction of the time it did previously allows Johnnie to both accept design jobs with shorter project timelines as well as accurately cost the hours for new board designs. Additionally, it means his team can simply do more boards per year as they are able to design more efficiently.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">“It’s sped up my design process, so instead of now having to spend a day, or more than a day making library parts just to start the job, I can now get started within an hour, because all the hard work is done for me. I don’t need to say to my customer, ‘Sorry I need to make my library parts, I need two days, I'll call you back Friday then we'll start the job.’ Now I know, within an hour, I can be up and running,” Johnnie says.</p><p dir="ltr">Johnnie observes that while SamacSys has already assisted in streamlining his company’s PCB design process he believes there are still improvements to be made in the online CAD library area. He is looking forward to even larger selections of available components being available, as well as innovative methods to stay informed of component changes and advances.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-11-0">Looking forward at PCB design&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">As the PCB design world gets increasingly competitive and more design work is done in China and other southeast Asian locations Johnnie predicts that bureaus will need to use a combination of experience and design efficient tools to remain competitive. Online libraries will play a role in informing designers about what is new and in demand by other designers. Johnnie expresses some concern for the industry, speculating about the lack of training opportunities for new PCB designers. “There is going to be a real lack of PCB designers coming through and there will be a real skill-shortage of young trained people,” say Johnnie. “I think that's going to be a big thing for the industry. I don't see PCB design in a university course and big companies like British Aircraft Corporation don’t offer internships like they used to. The PCB designer’s job is going to sort of wither away a bit. It might have an impact on manufacturing. If you're using poor techniques, then that may result in a board that is difficult to manufacture, which can impact on innovation,” Johnnie muses.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAwODQxNjU4OTc2LVBDQi1hc3NlbWJseS1zZXJ2aWNlcy0xMjAweDU2NS5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Image: Service Mount Press</span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-12-0">Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">While there have been huge technological advancements within PCBs themselves, the process of designing boards has experienced very few changes since the introduction of CAD. However, CAD library services like SamacSys are now changing the way designers work, improving their efficiency, and freeing up their time for more innovation.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><em>This is the first article in a series about PCB design. <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-printed-circuit-board-design-and-manufacturing-cycle-symbiotic-relationships-engage-innovation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The second article</a> examines the role of collaboration between suppliers and designers. The final article looks at the case study of NASA designing a new ventilator in just 37 days.&nbsp;</em></p><hr><h2 dir="ltr" data-element-id="headingsMap-13-0"><em>About the Sponsor: Supplyframe</em></h2><p dir="ltr"><em>This article is sponsored by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://supplyframe.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Supplyframe</em></a><em>. Supplyframe aligns electronics demand with supply and brings new levels of resiliency to the global electronics value chain, with transformative, intelligence-based solutions to deliver insights at key decision points throughout the entire design-to-source product lifecycle. Leveraging billions of continuous signals of design intent, demand, supply, and risk factors, Supplyframe’s Design-to-Source Intelligence (DSI) Platform is the world’s richest intelligence resource for the electronics industry. Over 10 million engineering and supply chain professionals worldwide engage with our SaaS solutions, search engines, and media properties to power rapid innovation and optimize in excess of $120 billion in annual direct materials spend. Supplyframe is headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., with offices in Austin, Belgrade, Grenoble, Oxford, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAwNzU5MDU3ODQ5LXN1cHBseSBmcmFtZSBlbmQgZm9vdGVyLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;"></em></p><p><br></p>

Article 1 in our PCB series: Incorporating CAD library design tools radically improve efficiency and design accuracy in the PCB design process.

SamacSys Power User Case Study: Icarus-Design

<p><em>This is the fifth article of an&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/what-is-a-collaborative-robot" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>eight-part series</em></a><em>&nbsp;that explores how collaborative robots or cobots are transforming industrial workspaces. It will survey the technologies that have converged to make robotic influence possible, unpack the unique engineering challenges robotics pose, and describe the solutions that are leading the way to the influential robots of the future.</em></p><p><em>The articles were originally published in an e-magazine, and have been substantially edited by Wevolver to update them and make them available on the Wevolver platform. This series is sponsored by Mouser, an online distributor of electronic components. Through their sponsorship,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.mouser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Mouser Electronics</em></a><em>&nbsp;supports spreading knowledge about collaborative robots.</em></p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-4-0">Introduction</h2><p>A new generation of robots, termed “collaborative robots” or “cobots,” is now being integrated into manufacturing environments. Rather than being used to replace human labor, these robots are being used to work together with humans in a common workspace. These cobots are typically used on tasks that require improved process control and/or greater flexibility, scalability, and agility. To enable cobots to work together with the human workforce, numerous improvements have been incorporated to enhance worker safety. The result is increased productivity and better labor utilization at lower overall costs. Consequently, these cobots are affordable for small- and medium-sized companies to support lower-speed, lower-volume production runs. This article examines some of the technological advancements that enable collaborative robotics and provides some examples of how these cobots are being used in a<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/industrie.40.deep.dive.part.5.flexible.manufacturing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;manufacturing environment.</a></p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-5-0">Enabling Technologies</h2><p>Collaborative robotic platforms incorporate numerous enabling technologies that differentiate them from traditional robots and enhance human/robotic interaction, improve worker safety, and reduce costs. Improvements in sensor, actuator, control, and computation technologies empower the<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-complexities-of-mimicking-humans-is-just-the-beginning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;cobot’s perception</a>, data fusion and processing, artificial intelligence, and actuation. Other technologies promote ease of use, adaptability, and lower costs. A brief overview of some of these technologies follows:</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-6-0">Perception</h3><p>Technologies that improve perception include sensors that can detect and measure any physical property, such as distance, proximity, force, torque, velocity, sound, vibration, volume, weight, surface finish, texture, chemical composition, temperature, electrical current, and magnetism. Other technologies, such as machine vision, allow the cobot to detect and identify objects, spaces, scenes, orientations, and locations of objects in the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths. Together, these perception technologies allow improved accuracy, higher throughput, collision avoidance, and situational awareness. Voice recognition and motion tracking technologies may also allow operators to control the cobot through voice commands and hand gestures.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk5MDM0MTY5Mjk4LXNpY2suanBnIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ=="><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Cobots can be equipped with a variety of sensors. Image:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sick.com/at/en/the-new-mobility-how-sensors-control-the-cobots-of-the-future/w/blog-sensors-cobots/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sick</a></span></span></span></p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-7-0">Data Fusion and Processing</h3><p>Raw data from numerous sensors must be integrated, processed, and interpreted to enable the cobot to make informed and accurate deductions about the environment so that appropriate actions can be taken. This must be rapidly accomplished to avoid undue delays in the robot’s operation, especially if the robot needs to interrupt its operation to avoid a collision with an object or human. Sensor-fusion algorithms must effectively integrate data from different types of sensors, which may come from different locations within the workspace or may be sensed at different times to make informed and accurate deductions about the environment and situation.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-8-0">Artificial Intelligence</h3><p>A traditional robot operates according to preprogramed instructions that are repeated without regard to changes in its operational environment. A cobot, on the other hand, incorporates <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/industrie.40.deep.dive.part.1.introducing.smart.manufacturing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">artificial intelligence (AI)</a>, which encompasses its ability to perceive its environment; reason and solve problems; recognize, learn, and adapt to new situations and environments; autonomously make decisions; and interact with humans. The “programming” of a cobot to operate in a new environment is not necessarily complicated and can simply involve a human operator manually walking through the desired motion by moving the cobot’s arms through the desired trajectory. AI is enabled through high-speed computer processors and software that may incorporate a variety of technologies such as fuzzy logic, probabilistic methods, neural networks, and expert systems. These technologies provide cobots with human-like qualities that promote human-robot interaction and collaboration.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-9-0">Actuators</h3><p>While traditional robots have very stiff joints with high force, high torque actuation devices, cobots have compliant joints that can provide smooth or soft motions and forces, so they may seamlessly interact with their human counterparts. Compliant actuators do not require expensive, high-precision drive mechanisms or motion sensors, as they rely on force or current feedback to compensate for potential errors in position accuracy. Furthermore, since cobots are lighter and designed to work with humans in a shared workspace, they do not need the expensive high-force actuation devices or motor drives that are commonly used in traditional robots.</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-10-0">Applications</h2><p>New applications for collaborative robotics within manufacturing continue to develop and expand. Because cobots are affordable, highly adaptable, and almost plug-and-play capable, small- and medium-sized manufacturers are eager to take on this technology. Some of these notable applications include the following:</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-11-0">Machine Tending</h3><p>A typical production machine, such as the kind used for computer numerical control (CNC) machining, must continuously be tended by an operator who will load raw material, start the machine, ensure its proper operation, and unload finished parts. Machine tending is one of the most common industrial jobs. Often monotonous and boring, it does not require a high skill level, and operators are prone to injury due to the repetitive lifting of heavy materials and parts. Other examples of machine tending operations include traditional machining operations (e.g., stamping, grinding, trimming, and welding), injection molding, printed circuit board (PCB) testing, part inspecting, and coordinate measuring.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk5MDM0MzM5MTU5LTA0MDIgKDEpLnBuZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0="><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="true">A cobot tending a CNC machine. Image:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.robotiq.com" target="_blank">Robotiq</a></span></span></span></p><p>Cobots may be an ideal fit for machine tending applications. They can be placed in front of a traditional manufacturing machine and easily programmed to perform the required loading and unloading tasks. Periodically, skilled technicians can examine the machine and tools and perform regular maintenance. This can lead to better workforce utilization, where the cobots are used for the lower-skill-level manual operations and technicians are used for the higher-skill-level tasks such as inspecting, repairing, and changing tools, performing quality control tests, and taking appropriate corrective actions. This, in turn, can result in significant labor savings, lower injury rates, less production downtime, a more motivated and skilled workforce, and higher productivity.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-12-0">Packaging and Palletizing</h3><p>Packaging and palletizing tasks typically involve the removal of products from an assembly line or conveyor belt, counting and wrapping them appropriately, applying labels, placing them into cartons, and sealing the cartons. High-speed, high-volume manufacturers can create specialized robotic machines and equipment for packaging. On the other hand, small to medium companies may still require manual packaging operations since automated equipment may not be cost-effective due to limited production runs or variations in product form factors.</p><p>Cobots may be an ideal fit for such packaging and palletizing applications. They can be easily programmed to recognize and count items on a conveyor belt, apply packaging materials and labels, and place them into the appropriate cartons. Human workers can still work with the cobots while performing higher-skill-level tasks such as quality-control inspections. Programming for the cobot can be easily modified to adapt to changes in the product configuration or packaging requirements.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk5MDM0NDAwNDM3LTA0MDMgKDEpLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0="><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="true">Cobot in packaging application. Image:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.robotiq.com" target="_blank">Robotiq</a></span></span></span></p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-13-0">Collaborative or Adaptive Assembly</h3><p>Traditional (pick and place) robots require the precise location of the unfinished assemblies and parts. Cobots, on the other hand, are adaptable to non-precise placement, as they might incorporate vision systems that facilitate position feedback. A collaborative or adaptive assembly operation may involve use of a human operator to first inspect, sort, and select a particular part then roughly align the part onto an unfinished assembly (that is, a work-in-progress). In a subsequent assembly step, a cobot would complete the assembly by fastening the part to the unfinished assembly. An operation such as this might be advantageous in situations where parts are too small to align with unaided human vision; or where the final alignment and attachment of the part requires a great deal of dexterity or strength; or where final assembly must be performed at high temperatures, in a difficult environment, or with hazardous chemicals or adhesives. A cobot would, therefore, be useful if the location, orientation, or placement of parts onto an unfinished assembly is not accurate or repeatable.</p><h3 data-element-id="headingsMap-14-0">Human Augmentation</h3><p>Collaborative robots can be used to augment human capabilities during manufacturing and assembly operations by assisting in the performance of menial (repetitive) tasks or tasks that require strength or extended reach. For example, certain manufacturing operations might require lifting and positioning a heavy part, like an automobile door, onto an unfinished assembly, like an automobile body. Such a process might not lend itself to a completely automated operation if it requires fine adjustments to the part position to ensure the part properly fits onto the unfinished assembly. For example, in an automobile assembly operation, different vehicle styles might require varying amounts and styles of doors for installation, which may not be a suitable situation for a completely automated process. However, a cobot can be useful in this situation to lift the heavy part. It could then carry out “instructions” from the human operator by responding to the operator’s touch and move to position the part on the desired location of the unfinished assembly.</p><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-15-0">Conclusion</h2><p>These are only a few examples that illustrate the role of collaborative robotics in manufacturing. As enabling robotic technologies in the areas of sensors, actuators, controls, and computation continue to evolve, we expect that more and more manufacturers will continue to adopt collaborative robotic systems into their workplaces. What might the eventual role of cobots be in manufacturing environments? The advancement in its technology and applications continue to unfold.</p><p><em>This article was originally written by Phi Hipol for Mouser and substantially edited by the Wevolver team. It's the fifth article of a series exploring collaborative robots.&nbsp;</em></p><p id="isPasted"><em>Article One</em><em>&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/what-is-a-collaborative-robot" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>introduces collaborative robots.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Two</em><em>&nbsp;describes&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/a-history-of-industrial-robots" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>the history of Industrial Robots.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Three</em><em>&nbsp;gives an&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-complexities-of-mimicking-humans-is-just-the-beginning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>overview of collaborative robots sensor technologies.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Four</em><em>&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/designing-collaborative-robots-maximizing-productivity-and-safety" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>examines the balance between cobot safety and productivity.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Six</em><em>&nbsp;explores the&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/programmable-versus-fixed-function-controllers-alternatives-for-complex-robotic-motion" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>challenges of motion control of robotic arms.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Seven l</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/cobots-are-collaborators-ai-will-make-them-partners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>ooks at the potential of AI in cobots.</em></a></p><p><em>Article Eight&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/social-impact-of-robotics-in-the-workplace-the-arrival-of-the-perfect-coworker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>discusses the social impact of cobots.</em></a></p><hr><h2 data-element-id="headingsMap-16-0"><em>About the sponsor: Mouser Electronics</em></h2><p><a href="https://www.mouser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><em>Mouser Electronics</em></a><em>&nbsp;is a worldwide leading authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components for over 800 industry-leading manufacturers. They specialize in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design engineers and buyers. Their extensive product offering includes semiconductors, interconnects, passives, and electromechanical components.</em></p><p><em><em><img class="fr-fic fr-dii" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg1NDQ1NDcyNzI5LTE2ODU0NDU0NzI3MjkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ=="></em></em></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Article 5 of our Cobot Series: Traditionally, robotics have served limited roles in manufacturing environments; however, various technologies have converged to make robots work well as collaborators with humans and to succeed in various applications.

Technologies Converge to Help Drive Manufacturing Applications

<p dir="ltr">SamacSys, a Supplyframe Company, is the world&rsquo;s leading provider of 2D and 3D CAD models for the electronics industry. &nbsp;The company, driven by founder and CEO Alex MacDougall, has a singular vision to free up electronic engineers&#39; design process to ensure there is more time on innovation and less time on drawing CAD models. We sat down with MacDougall and asked him to reflect on the experiences that helped him launch a global company that offers a free service to engineers and gathered his thoughts on future trends and predictions for the electronics industry.</p><h2>Introducing Alex MacDougall</h2><p dir="ltr">MacDougall grew up in the rural area of Hertfordshire, North of London, and received his initial engineering education with the UK military, he went on to study electronics and circuit board design. After leaving the Royal Marines he completed the IPC CID certification, becoming the youngest person in Europe with the certification.</p><p dir="ltr">His first job in the electronics industry was in an applications Engineer (AE) role at the UK branch of PADS software, the global leader in PCB design software at the time. His love for engineering pulled him into an additional role in a design bureau in the same building as PADS Software. &ldquo;I would go to the design bureau, from 5 or 6am and would work with them, designing circuits&rdquo; recalls MacDougall. &ldquo;Then I would do my nine to five as an AE. Then I&#39;d go back to do more design work from five until late. So I was, for a number of years learning two different professions, one as the designer and one as the guy supporting other people using design software. I was grinding hard for a few years to give my career path various options.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">MacDougall found this combination of intimately understanding both electrical engineering design and software development would provide the confidence and knowledge for starting SamacSys many years later.</p><h1><strong>SamacSys Origin Story</strong></h1><h2><strong>Who is SamacSys?</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The idea for SamacSys developed over many years as the issue of the lack of available CAD models for electronic engineers kept coming up again and again. &ldquo;I&#39;d be speaking with engineers from different companies and was listening to what they were saying, and this subject just kept coming up - and I couldn&#39;t believe that it hadn&#39;t been fixed yet,&rdquo; says MacDougall. &ldquo;I was also feeling my own frustrations from designing products and then hearing that it was more of a widespread issue and I just wanted to solve this for the industry.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">Every modern piece of technology contains a printed circuit board or PCB packed full of electronic components. Before a PCB gets made, it is designed in software (CAD) by an engineer with exact models of every single component within it. There are currently millions of components available for engineers to choose from for inclusion in their designs and thousands more are brought to market every year as technology advances. Correctly modelling the components, including their functions, their connections, and their physical dimensions is essential to ensure the PCB design is suitable for its application both in size and function. So engineers must painstakingly model each component themselves or spend hours finding and obtaining these models online.</p><p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzI4MjIzNjM4LWZvb3RwcmludHMgc2FtYWNzeXMucG5nIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;"></p><p dir="ltr">SamacSys goes a long way to solve this problem by providing high-quality CAD models of components for free. The SamacSys model library contains millions of models that allow engineers to streamline the design process, reduce error rate, and innovate quickly.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><strong id="isPasted">Recommended reading:&nbsp;</strong><span style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/samacsys-power-user-case-study-icarus-design" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SamacSys Power User Case Study: Icarus-Design</a></span></p><p dir="ltr">The urgency to solve this industry-wide issue has always been the driver for Alex. From the very inception of SamacSys to today. The need to solve this issue is behind every decision the company makes.</p><h2><strong>The early days</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">SamacSys was started in 2010, while the world was still in recovery mode of the 2008 financial crisis. There was a degree of uncertainty in the market, but MacDougall had a certainty about the product. By observing other similar ventures at the time, he decided not to pursue a heavy VC investment, but rather try to go bootstrapped and in doing so avoid the risk of VC taking over significant equity-based on risk in the business model. &ldquo;Despite the risks, in a way building the business was secondary,&rdquo; explains MacDougall. &ldquo;The first goal for us really was to solve a market challenge.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">This drive for an industry-wide solution restrained the company from scaling too early and instead focussed them on perfecting their product and testing their theory that this would become an essential service for all electronic engineers.</p><p dir="ltr">What worked for the company was that they had a product that made sense to potential customers and that they could get immediate validation of its value. Even on very early sales calls, MacDougall was able to make some initial sales which provided some cash but even more importantly the energy to continue the project buoyed by the reception their idea was receiving.</p><p dir="ltr">One of the best rewards from that early success was the genuine appreciation from engineers which they could express very clearly, not only with words of gratitude but with case studies where they could describe exactly how SamacSys was helping improve their design process.</p><p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzI4MzI1NDM2LWNhZCBtb2RlbC5wbmciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;"></p><p dir="ltr">Despite this initial success, there were still big hurdles in the early days of the company, one of the more difficult to overcome was getting taken seriously by larger companies in the industry. MacDougall remembers it was an easier task to be understood by the Electronic Design Automation players, but much harder to establish a reputation within the components business. &ldquo;Imagine walking through the door of a leading component manufacturer or distributor, with a new world changing concept. I just looked like some crazy young guy with unrealistic dreams! Getting taken seriously by company execs was a nightmare early on. I&rsquo;m pleased to say they have now become our customers. &rdquo; MacDougall remembers.</p><h1><strong>SamacSys in 2020 and beyond</strong></h1><p dir="ltr">SamacSys was recently acquired by Supplyframe, an intelligence platform for the global electronics value chain. Supplyframe&rsquo;s solutions align electronics demand with supply and by delivering insights at key decision points throughout the entire design-to-source product lifecycle with the goal of ensuring a resilient and agile supply chain. &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">SamacSys had received other acquisition offers in the past, but they were not a good fit for MacDougall. &ldquo;Supplyframe&rsquo;s position in the industry allows us to stay neutral so that we can do what&#39;s right for the industry and not be steered towards one particular area in the market,&rdquo; says MacDougall about the decision. &ldquo;I have a vision match with Supplyframe CEO Steve Flagg, he understands what we are doing and gave me confidence that together we would be able to keep evolving our solution in a way that&rsquo;s best for Engineers &amp; our customers.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">The acquisition of Samacys by Supplyframe was based on a shared vision of expanding the intelligence that can be provided to engineers at the point of design. &nbsp;The combined entities have a belief that new forms of digital engagement drive innovation in electronics manufacturing, from initial idea to design-driven part selection to procurement-driven purchasing activities, all optimized alignment with supply chain capacity and market response.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This &ldquo;Design-to-Source&rdquo; lifecycle requires that organizations effectively manage direct materials sourcing and procurement across numerous siloed workflows and applications. &nbsp;By connecting engineering design and sourcing and augmenting decision-making capabilities with real-time market intelligence, Supplyframe and Samacsys offer resiliency, agility, and profitability to the electronics value chain. &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzI4MzUwODQ4LXNjcmVlbiBzaG90IHNhbWFjc3lzLnBuZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;"></p><h2><strong>What is next for SamacSys?</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">When asked about the future for SamacSys, MacDougall&rsquo;s answer is clear: &ldquo;Engineers of the future will not believe their senior colleagues used to waste their valuable time building CAD models. With our solution engineers can now experience ubiquitous CAD model availability, embedded at the point of design.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">The downstream impact of this vision is significant. Streamlining a design process means products are getting to market faster, while engineering teams are overall reducing costs and errors which again, enables more time for innovation and development.</p><h2><strong>Predictions for the industry</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;MacDougall is motivated by the advances occurring in the electronics industry including a move towards more modular design processes. &nbsp;&ldquo;If you have a modular approach, it is easier to engage. &nbsp;We provide the building blocks, we have done the hard work already. Electrical engineering is a high barrier profession, you can&rsquo;t just watch one YouTube video and be qualified, but modular design will help open access - and that will drive more people to innovate.&rdquo;</p><p dir="ltr">Another exciting development for MacDougall is the continued connection to Artificial Intelligence (AI). &ldquo;It&rsquo;s reasonable to expect that some of the design can be done via a platform where the designer selects functionality, such as this device &lsquo;has a screen&rsquo;, &lsquo;is USB powered&rsquo;, etc. and the algorithm will be able to generate the specific product, essentially ready for manufacture.&rdquo;</p><h2><strong>Final thoughts</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">SamacSys is a company with a singular vision to help an industry. Alex MacDougall and SamacSys are increasing the potential for innovation by freeing up electronic engineers from the tyranny of the CAD model. As MacDougall states: &ldquo;If engineers can spend the time they used to waste building cad models thinking and building life-changing technology for humanity, - that has got to be a good thing right?&rdquo;</p><hr><h1><strong><em>About the Sponsor: Supplyframe</em></strong></h1><p><em>This article is sponsored by Supplyframe. Supplyframe aligns electronics demand with supply and brings new levels of resiliency to the global electronics value chain, with transformative, intelligence-based solutions to deliver insights at key decision points throughout the entire design-to-source product lifecycle. Leveraging billions of continuous signals of design intent, demand, supply, and risk factors, Supplyframe&rsquo;s Design-to-Source Intelligence (DSI) Platform is the world&rsquo;s richest intelligence resource for the electronics industry. Over 10 million engineering and supply chain professionals worldwide engage with our SaaS solutions, search engines, and media properties to power rapid innovation and optimize in excess of $120 billion in annual direct materials spend. Supplyframe is headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., with offices in Austin, Belgrade, Grenoble, Oxford, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.&nbsp;</em></p><p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MjIzNjQzNjU0LVN1cHBseWZyYW1lLUxvY2t1cC1CbGFjay5wbmciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 150px;"></p><p><br></p>

We talk with SamacSys founder and CEO about his startup journey.

Alex MacDougall is on a mission to solve a problem at the core of the electronics industry

<p dir="ltr">Voice command will continue to become a natural and broadly accessible method of interacting with technology. As described in our previous article, Voice At The Edge Helps Technology Work For More People, controlling devices with speech offers a huge range of advantages to users and designers.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Devices with voice interfaces are <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/press-releases/digital-voice-assistants-in-use-to-8-million-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expected to rise</a> from 3 billion devices worldwide to 8 billion by the end of 2035. These won’t just be more sophisticated versions of the home assistants that we know today, but a whole new range of devices and applications that will offer natural voice interaction.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">In this article, we dive deeper into how voice command on edge devices works, and take a look at the leading low power devices available for voice command system design by examining a recent <a href="https://www.syntiant.com/post/keyword-spotting-power-comparison" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">white paper</a> from Syntiant.</p><h1 dir="ltr">The basics of keyword spotting</h1><p dir="ltr">Smart devices are always active - listening for the predefined “wake” up instruction, such as "Alexa," "Ok Google," etc. This action is commonly known as keyword spotting (KWS). When a keyword is detected, the device wakes up and its full-scale voice recognition is activated either on the cloud or on the device. In some devices, keywords are also used as voice commands, for example, ‘hello, start, stop’ in a voice-enabled robot vacuum.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">As a KWS system is always-on, it must have very low power consumption. &nbsp;A KWS system also should detect the spoken keywords with high accuracy and low latency to attain the best user experience. Low power consumption is especially important for portable devices, such as smartphones and wearables.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxMjc4NDg5ODUxLXNvbnkuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ=="><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Image: Sony</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">These tough conflicting system requirements, in combination with the increasing amount of voice command applications and audiences, make KWS a hugely relevant research area.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Until recently, the only devices capable of performing KWS at edge-compatible power levels were low-power microcontroller units (MCUs) and digital signal processors (DSPs). Processor-designer, Syntiant, has recently introduced the NDP10x series of its Neural Decision Processors (NDPs), a suite of highly efficient chips purpose-built for KWS using deep neural networks that increase the options for system designers.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Introduction to microcontrollers</h1><p dir="ltr">Microcontrollers, sometimes known as an embedded controller, &nbsp;are present in applications with and without voice command, such as vehicles, robots, office machines, medical devices, vending machines, and home appliances. They were first developed by Intel in the early 1970s and are now produced by many other manufacturers, including &nbsp;Microchip (PIC microcontrollers), Atmel ( AVR microcontrollers), Hitachi, Phillips, Maxim, NXP, Intel, etc.</p><p dir="ltr">The need for low power consumption for keyword spotting systems makes microcontrollers a natural choice for deploying KWS in an always-on system. However, deployment of neural network-based KWS on microcontrollers comes with the challenges of limited memory footprint and limited computer resources.&nbsp;</p><h1 dir="ltr">Introduction to neural decision processors</h1><p dir="ltr">The Syntiant<sup>R</sup> NDP100<sup>TM</sup> microwatt-power <a href="https://www.syntiant.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neural Decision Processor</a><sup>TM</sup> is the first and currently the only commercial silicon device designed to put machine learning processing into almost any consumer device. The custom-built chips are specialized to run TensorFlow neural networks. TensorFlow is an open-source software library developed by Google and available for free for dataflow and differentiable programming across a range of tasks.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">The Syntiant NDP is specifically designed for devices that use voice commands and have ultra-low power requirements making them well-suited to devices with KWS systems.</p><p dir="ltr">The Syntiant NDP100 and NDP101 chips have been certified by Amazon, which enables the company’s neural processors to be used in Alexa-enabled devices, however, Syntiant NDPs are not limited to Alexa devices only.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 788px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzE4NzkyNTM2LWNyb3BwZWQgZWFyYnVkcyBzeW50aWFudC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The Syntiant NDP100 microwatt-power Neural Decision Processor&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><h1 dir="ltr">How do they compare and what do I need for my device?</h1><p dir="ltr">System designers are faced with a growing number of high-quality options for adding a KWS algorithm to their devices. As previously described, a voice command interface often requires the device to be ‘always on’ and listening for its wake words, thus low power consumption is essential. However, it can be difficult to compare the power consumption of different devices from different manufacturers. Datasheets may describe current consumption in uA/MHz, but it is not generally possible to convert that into the power required for a given task. Additionally, different network topologies, training procedures, etc., can affect system accuracy and power consumption.</p><p dir="ltr">The critical question system designers must ask is how much power consumption will be added by a solution running a KWS algorithm with sufficient accuracy to satisfy the use case?</p><h1 dir="ltr">Syntiant White Paper</h1><p dir="ltr">Two recent research projects have compared device options for KWS. The 2018, “Hello Edge,” paper<sup>&nbsp;[1]</sup> performed neural network architecture evaluation and exploration for running KWS on resource-constrained microcontrollers. In 2019, Syntiant tested their NDP10x series of Neural Decision Processors against a range of MCU’s suitable for KWS which they outlined in this whitepaper <sup>[2]</sup>. The rest of this article will be dedicated to examining the results of the Syntiant test, which provides a good overview of some of the leading options for adding KWS to edge devices.</p><h1>The line-up</h1><p dir="ltr">The test compared several of the lowest-power options for KWS available, including their own NDP10x, and compared speed, accuracy, and power on a common task: the Google keyword<a href="https://ai.googleblog.com/2017/08/launching-speech-commands-dataset.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;dataset</a> assembled by Pete Warden of Google.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Included in the test were the STM32F746 Discovery<a href="http://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/32f746gdiscovery.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;board</a>, the STM32L476G, and its <a href="https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/32l476gdiscovery.html" target="_blank">evaluation board</a>, as well as the Ambiq Apollo 3 Blue, using the <a href="https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/using-sparkfun-edge-board-with-ambiq-apollo3-sdk" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/using-sparkfun-edge-board-with-ambiq-apollo3-sdk" target="_blank">SparkFun Edge Board</a>, a joint effort by Google, Ambiq, and SparkFun, and the Syntiant’s NDP100 solution using their own internal development board.</p><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzE4ODc1OTA4LWNyb3BwZWQgc3ludGlhbnQgYm94LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;"></p><h1 dir="ltr">The test</h1><p dir="ltr">The researchers modified the code to run a batch of 20 inference cycles on each of the platforms. For the MCU targets, the input audio was taken from a pre-recorded waveform stored in memory to avoid contaminating the measurements with microphone power. The measured power includes computation of<a href="http://practicalcryptography.com/miscellaneous/machine-learning/guide-mel-frequency-cepstral-coefficients-mfccs/" target="_blank">&nbsp;MFCC</a> or filter-bank energy features, but not an ADC or microphone power. The NDP measurements include decimation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-density_modulation" target="_blank">PDM outpu</a>t from a digital microphone, as well as feature extraction and the neural inference energy.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">MCUs often have several on and off-chip peripherals powered from the same supply, so the Syntiant team subtracted a baseline current measurement made with the MCU powered up but idle. The NDP results are direct measurements with nothing subtracted. The MCU experiments were performed with HW settings as set in the available open-source software linked above.</p><h1 dir="ltr">The results</h1><p dir="ltr">The table below summarizes the measurements. Simple ‘side by side’ comparisons are difficult due to the trade-offs between model complexity, accuracy, compute time, and energy. To make reading the results more clearly, the researchers compared across three axes:</p><p>- Energy per inference is the energy required to process one frame of audio samples and produce a label (e.g., “yes,” "no,” “hello”), including feature extraction and running inference.</p><p>- Inference time is the time required to process one frame of audio and frame rate is its inverse, indicating the maximum number of audio frames per second that the processor is capable of processing with a given network.&nbsp;</p><p>- G10 Accuracy is the accuracy result on the Google-10 keyword task.</p><p dir="ltr">Estimates for the operations and parameter counts for the Small FC and Small DS-CNN networks are taken from the “Hello Edge” paper. For the TinyConv network used on the Ambiq chip, those figures were estimated from the code in the “Speech Commands” TensorFlow example.</p><p dir="ltr"><img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk3MzA5ODAxMjI3LXRhYmxlMSBhcnRpY2xlLmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;"></p><h1 dir="ltr">What does this mean?</h1><p dir="ltr">It’s clear that the purpose-built compute path in the NDP100 provides dramatic energy savings relative to the stored-program architecture of an MCU solution. The closest result in energy, from the Ambiq Apollo 3 Blue, is 27x higher than the NDP energy, operating with a much smaller and less accurate network.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">The STM32L4786 running the Small DS-CNN network had a comparable accuracy to the NDP but requires 193x the energy.</p><p dir="ltr">The frame rates are also critical to examine. Production KWS systems typically require at least 20 and often 100 fps in order to avoid “stepping over” a target utterance. The NDP also provides a speed advantage over low-power MCUs thanks to its parallelism and dedicated data path.</p><p dir="ltr">The Apollo's energy advantage comes with a speed penalty resulting in a maximum frame rate of 3.7fps, which will typically yield much lower real-world precision than the software accuracy of 66 percent &nbsp;(in TensorFlow on pre-aligned data) would predict.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Of the tested MCUs, only the STM32F746, from ST’s high-performance F7xx line, exceeds 20 fps, and it does so at an energy cost about 700x higher than the NDP, resulting in a power cost of about 50 mW (milliwatts), in addition to the baseline power required to power up the MCU initially.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1><p dir="ltr">This test clearly demonstrates that a purpose-built compute engine for neural inference can provide energy and speed advantages over stored-program architectures. The continued development of ultra-low-power MCU’s and highly efficient purpose-built chips will bring voice to the edge in a range of applications that have the potential to disrupt the way we interact with technology.&nbsp;</p><hr><h1 dir="ltr"><em>AI Voice Applications: Call for Projects</em></h1><p><em>Are you developing devices that include a voice interface or another application of voice technology? We would love to hear from you!&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>Wevolver is looking to connect with exciting relevant projects to profile in an upcoming article about AI empowered voice applications. This is a great opportunity to get exposure among the engineering community!&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>Please leave your details via this <a href="https://forms.gle/3HuBqDiRqX3wEHtK8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">short form</a>. &nbsp;We will be in touch shortly.</em></p><hr><h1 dir="ltr"><em>About the sponsor: Syntiant</em></h1><h2><em>Voice at the edge</em></h2><p dir="ltr"><em>Semiconductor company Syntiant is pushing forward voice at the edge possibilities with the development of the Neural Decision Processors™ (NDP10x). These high power r devices offer highly accurate wake word, command word, and event detection in a tiny package with near-zero power consumption.&nbsp;</em></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Currently, in production with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service firmware, the NDP10x family makes Always-On Voice interfaces a reality by supporting entirely new form factors designed to wake up and respond to speech rather than touch. These processors will move voice interfaces from the cloud on to devices of all sizes and types, including ultra-portable wearables and devices.</em><em></em><br></p><hr><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1><p dir="ltr">1. <em>Zhang, Y., Suda, N., Lai, L., &amp; Chandra, V. Hello Edge: Keyword Spotting on Microcontrollers. ArXiv, abs/1711.07128. Feb 2018. Available from:</em><a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1711.07128.pdf" target="_blank"><em>https://arxiv.org/pdf/1711.07128.pdf</em></a></p><p dir="ltr">2. <em>Holleman, J. The Speed and Power Advantage of a Purpose-Built Neural Compute Engine, June 2019. Available from: https://www.syntiant.com/post/keyword-spotting-power-comparison</em></p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Ultra-low-power MCU’s and highly efficient purpose-built chips are bringing voice to the edge.

Keyword Spotting in Edge Device

<div data-element_type="widget" data-id="ece92e" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>Speeding up innovation is always easier with the right tools. Additive manufacturing is already revolutionizing various industries from the <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/3d-learning-hub/3d-printing-applications/3d-printed-car/" target="_blank">automotive sector</a> to the <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/3d-learning-hub/3d-printing-applications/medical-3d-printing/" target="_blank">medical field</a>, can this technology disrupt the electronic industry? We will see here that 3D printing gives you the flexibility and the speed you need when building new hardware and electronic products. Discover the benefits of <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/3d-learning-hub/3d-printing-applications/3d-printing-electronics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3D printing for electronics</a>!</p></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="72893c8b" data-widget_type="heading.default"><h2>What are the advantages of 3D printing for electronics?</h2></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="a647257" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><h3>3D print the perfect prototype</h3><p>3D printing helps you get from the idea to the product in a matter of days. Thus, 3D printing electronic devices appears to be really interesting. The professional 3D printers used by Sculpteo&rsquo;s online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/" target="_blank">3D printing service</a> allow you to create high-quality casings for your devices with the highest level of details. They will perfectly match your electronics components such as a circuit board. Rapid prototyping is also made easy thanks to the 3D printing process and will allow you to build the best product designs.</p><h3>Launch your first series</h3><p>Moreover, the electronics industry can truly benefit from additive manufacturing. No stock, no minimum number of units and short turnaround are the key upsides of using Sculpteo&rsquo;s 3D printing service for your electronic devices, regardless of where they are in product life cycle management. Electronic production is made easy thanks to our 3D printing technology and will improve and simplify your whole&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/3d-learning-hub/3d-printing-business/rethink-your-supply-chain-management-3d-printing/" target="_blank">supply chain management</a>!</p><p>3D printing and electronics are strongly linked. Online 3D printing allows you to create a new kind of relationship with your clients. You can easily produce small series, limited editions and spare parts in a small batch. Whether you&rsquo;re looking for just a prototype or a thousand units, your 3D printing product will benefit from our experience and know-how to achieve the best quality.</p><h3>Design freedom</h3><p>Electronic components production can now be thought in terms of 3D design and not only 2D, with new ways of stacking the circuits. It opens new possibilities to design for electronics, that are new to explore! Customization is becoming a big asset while using additive manufacturing for the creation of your products: you can create parts perfectly adapted to a circuit board or any electronic device. 3D printing can be used to create personalized electronic enclosures, USB stick cases, and keyboards, for example.</p><p>Using additive manufacturing also offers you flexibility in the creation of your design. More than a perfectly adapted device, you can also elaborate complex geometries impossible to make with other traditional manufacturing techniques. With 3D printing, you can also make the most of parts that don&rsquo;t require any assembly process!&nbsp;</p></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="437f7296" data-widget_type="heading.default"><h2>Conductive 3D printing offering new opportunities</h2></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="5eeef67" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>3D printing complex electronic components could go even further with <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2018/09/04/conductive-3d-printing-how-can-additive-manufacturing-help-electronics/" target="_blank">conductive 3D printing</a>. The creation of electronic devices with conductive features using 3D printing can particularly be <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2018/07/25/iot-and-3d-printing-how-to-combine-these-two-technologies-to-build-better-products/" target="_blank">useful to develop IoT (Internet of Things) projects</a>. This innovative technology could allow creating 3D printed devices like LED, or touch sensors. But this ability to 3D print conductive devices could be involved in bigger projects, in soft robotics, 3D electronics, and also for communication devices such as 3D printed Near Field Communication (NFC) antennas.</p></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="61caf8c0" data-widget_type="heading.default"><h2>3D printed electronics: What is possible?</h2></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="3e49c7c" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>As you will see, this 3D technology can be used for various applications in the electronics industry. Get inspired by these innovative electronic devices made using additive manufacturing!&nbsp;</p><h3>3D printed circuit board by Nano Dimension and Harris Corp: 3D Printed Circuit Boards</h3><p>Nano Dimension is known to work actively on 3D printed electronic devices &nbsp;The Nano Dimension&rsquo;s DragonFly&trade; system is used to 3D print functional electronics prototypes and complex multi-layer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). But that is not all.</p><p>Nano Dimension and Harris Corp partnered to develop 3D printed electronic devices to create a radio frequency (RF) amplifier. They now work to go further and create hardware for the International Space Station. Their goal is to optimize the 3D printing process for RF components for flight studies aboard the ISS. Using additive manufacturing is a solution for them to find new ways to create radio frequency and circuit boards to find new innovative techniques.&nbsp;</p><h3>The Simusolar project</h3><p>At&nbsp;<a href="https://sculpteo.com/" target="_blank">Sculpteo</a>, some of our customers are working on solar energy using 3D printing. On the blog, we already told you about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2017/07/26/3d-printing-and-solar-energy-in-tanzania-simusolar/" target="_blank">Simusolar</a>, a company created in 2014 and looking to bring solar energy to the rural population of Tanzania. They develop and implement small-scale sustainable solutions to help local people in their everyday life.&nbsp;</p><p>They decided to use 3D printing because they needed a lot of custom made parts, for a low price. Their clients are farmers, fishers, or rural residents looking for various equipment powered by solar energy.</p><h3>Optomec developing the Aerosol Jet Technology</h3><p>Optomec announced that their Aerosol Jet Technology will be printing embedded electronics at the micron scale. The innovative process relies on both local deposition and local curing. This way, electronics parts are more affordable and require less waste of materials, and all of this with a superior resolution.</p><h3>Start 3D printing enclosures!</h3><p>3D printing enclosures are one of the most common uses of 3D printing for the electronic industry. Solidity, quality, customization, and accuracy, this is what you will make the most of while 3D printing your electronics enclosures.&nbsp;</p><p>If you are interested in 3D printing your own enclosure, you can follow our <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2017/06/14/3d-printed-enclosures-learn-the-basic-design-guidelines/" target="_blank">3D printed enclosure design guide</a>!</p></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="542d15a" data-widget_type="heading.default"><h2>What about the future of 3D printing in the electronics industry?</h2></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="5fd7084" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>What if in a few years, we could be able to create fully-functional smartphones or multi-material products using additive manufacturing? If these ideas are still dreams today, the innovations related to conductive 3D printing and electronic devices are now showing new opportunities. It might be time to rethink the way we conceive enclosures, circuit boards, and electronic components. From your prototyping process to the production and the management of your supply-chain, additive manufacturing could help you go through new challenges.</p><p>As you can see additive manufacturing has a lot to offer for electronics. It could become quite common to 3D print electrical elements. If you have an electronic project, but you don&rsquo;t know what software you could use to start it: here is our selection of <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2017/11/29/top-10-of-the-best-3d-design-software-for-electronics/" target="_blank">the best CAD software for electronics</a>. Then, don&rsquo;t hesitate to try out our <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/" target="_blank">online 3D printing service</a>. You will just have to <a href="https://www.sculpteo.com/en/upload/" target="_blank">upload your 3D file</a>, we will take care of it and send you your 3D printed objects in a few days.</p></div>

3D printing gives you the flexibility and the speed you need when building new hardware and electronic products.

3D printing electronics: Transforming the electronic industry

Four trends are setting the scene for 3D printing to become ever more versatile and deliver products that are closer to end-use, production level

Trends in 3D Printing

Automotive semiconductors are getting smaller and lighter. Image: Nexperia

PCB

ORGANIZATIONS.

SHAPING THE INDUSTRY.

MacroFab

Voltera

HQ NextPCB

AllSpice

Harwin

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