Analog semiconductors will not be cold this year"

Has many of the major news simulation recently, such as the United States began to study the need to use wireless mode power transmission to the development and utilization of solar energy and the earth's air, MEMS oscillator has made a breakthrough and so on, these are my motivation to simulate the development trend on new year in. Although from the aspects of information came this year, the semiconductor market is less optimistic, but many companies and institutions are forecast up to the expectations that the development of semiconductor simulation, simulation IC this year will be good. This trend seems to be from large IC vendors can also find some traces, such as TI, shortly before the increase in the simulation field of R & D investment and promotion, the sale of ADI digital business, and will experience the simulated business to focus on its core.

Including the simulation is a broad category, including signal amplification, comparison, drive, attenuation, filtering and conditioning products, to achieve a variety of signal conversion (including interface conversion) conversion products, as all kinds of time base frequency source based on related products, realize the simulation parameters acquisition sensor products in the world there is a large class, it is the power supply and power management products.

So why the institutions for development this year is expected to have a better simulation of semiconductor? The main basis for this year's flat-panel TVs and monitors, GPS and mobile TV market demand is better than expected. But what are the trends in the field of these products?

Signal conditioning products faster, lower power consumption

Crudely, the amplifier and the ADC are classified into the category of signal conditioning. JeffWaters, vice president of global marketing National Semiconductor Corporation Ns believes that this year, engineers or designers demand for low-power analog devices will be more eager. This year the market will need to consume a lower current, faster operational amplifier, as well as a higher power loss of high speed ADC. Under the same power condition, the bandwidth of the devices can be 4 times higher than that of the existing devices. Should have the ability to deal with HD video broadcast, he said, in addition, simply do not need the power of the cable equalizer will also be this year's hot analog products. He added that the basis for such a view is that this year with a video feature of portable products will have a good development. In addition, the field of communications will also make good development, compound growth rate of 18%, mainly in the field of Wimax and 3G/4G mobile phones, as well as PoE power supply. In addition there is a good support for the development of analog products in the field of composite growth rate will not be less than 10% of the automotive electronics industry for 5 consecutive years.

Figure 1: the use of adaptive voltage regulation technology to improve energy efficiency PowerWise.

Figure 2: digital programmable LP3906 efficiency up to 96%.

Power management products and higher efficiency and more flexibility

Ubiquitous nature based on power supply products always in analog products consistent occupy an important position. There is no doubt that power products will continue to be more efficient and intelligent direction. JeffWaters believes that the full use of energy will be not only their own thing, more far-reaching significance is that it will have a huge impact on the design decisions, which inspired a lot of innovative design. "So, in the new year, people will continue to focus on energy efficiency and power density, and the higher efficiency of the switching regulator will come together with other new technologies that reduce overall power consumption and volume. "In order to strengthen his judgment, he also gave a few specific data. He believes that this year, estimates the compound growth switching regulator in consumer electronics for efficient demand rate will reach 19%, in addition to some other portable products MP3, PMP, digital camera and LCD TV's demand growth will be higher. "Energy efficiency and integration are the most important because consumers need smaller, more efficient and more integrated products," he said.

But on the other hand, we must see that the limit today are close to further improve the efficiency. In recent years, the power chip manufacturers are committed to the development of new technology to improve the efficiency of energy utilization, but only rely on the power supply chip itself to further improve the efficiency of the limited potential to seek new breakthroughs in terms of efficiency, we must change the traditional ideas, using the new method, the whole system from the level of overall consideration the budget and the efficiency of the whole system to enhance the power, increase more intelligent power management chip, from the aspects of the system to implement energy efficiency. Based on this limitation, it is estimated that the new management technology will emerge in the new year.

Figure 3:Linear circuit diagram of the company's switching PowerPath.

Actually, the simulated production manufacturers has started to implement and improve the efficiency of the idea of change. For example, NS recently launched the PowerWise series products. Including intelligent power management chip, low power amplifier with different bandwidth, low power consumption and high speed ADC, and related interface chip. The core idea is to improve the efficiency of energy utilization through the whole matching optimization. PowerWise adopts the technology of adaptive voltage regulation (AVS) and threshold voltage regulation to minimize the work of digital logic integrated circuit and the leakage power consumption