Diapositiva 1

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Wireless to Come (Wi2Come) Electronics in
Ambient Intelligence
J.M. López-Villegas Dept. Electrònica, UB
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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OUTLINE OF THE TALK
Present Future Wireless world
The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Technology Challenges
Conclusions
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Present Wireless World
Range (m)
10K
GSM/GPRS
UMTS
1K
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
802.11.b
100
802.11.a/g/n
10
UWB
Bluetooth
ZigBee
1
lt0.1M
1M
10M
100M
gt1G
Data rate (bps)
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Present Wireless World
WWAN
GSM/GPRS
Wimax
UMTS
TV-Radio Broadcast
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
WLAN
WPAN
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
ZigBee
IEEE 802.11
UWB
IEEE 802.15
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Present Wireless World
Coexistence of main powered and battery powered
devices. Complex data transfer between devices
and systems, dependent on standards and/or data
rates. Human operation required
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Signal Processing Systems
RF/Mixed signal Interfaces
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
WSN
ZigBee?
UWB?
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Future Wireless World
Coexistence of main powered, battery powered and
Autonomous devices. Seamless data transfer
between devices and systems, regardless of
standards and/or data rates. Improved
processing capabilities. Human operation NOT
usually required
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Autonomous devices
Self powered by harvesting energy from the
environment.
EM Energy, vibrations, temperature gradients
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Autonomous devices
Combined with sensor of very different kinds to
configure the primary nodes of a global network.
Pressure, temperature, flux, light, humidity,
drugs, etc..
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Autonomous devices
Interconnected between them and with other
devices using short range low data rate RF links.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Seamless data transfer
Continuous flux of information from the sources
to the processing units, through RF/Mixed signal
interfaces, and back
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Future Wireless World
Improved processing capabilities
Distributed and pervasive computing.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Means
AUTONOMOUS DEVICES
UBIQUITY
Because
Technology could be located anywhere
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Furniture, clothing, construction materials
Technology could sense anything
Biometrics, weather, security tips
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Means
SEAMLESS DATA TRANSFER
TRANSPARENCY
Because
Most data processing and transfer will be hidden
to humans
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Technology will vanish in the users background
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Means
IMPROVED PROCESSING CAPABILITIES
INTELLIGENCE
Because
The environment will be aware of the human
presence and will be capable to recognize
individuals.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
It will learn from us and will respond
accordingly
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Ubiquity, transparency and Intelligence, the main
characteristics of AMI, allow new applications in
different fields, among others
Continuous health care
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Tracking and surveillance
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm
Domotics and Offimatics
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Technology Challenges
However, before AMI becomes a reality many
innovations have to be realized, both hardware
and software related.
The main technological Challenges which must be
addressed to implement the diversity of devices
constituting an AMI environment are
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Packaging
Powering
System architecture
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Technology Challenges
Packaging
Using available technologies it is not yet
possible the monolithic integration of a whole RF
system (RF SoC). The bottle neck is the
integration of passive component.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
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Technology Challenges
As long as RF SoC is not a real option, an
alternative is the System in Package approach (RF
SiP)
Actives
Passives
Integrated
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
lumped
Integrated
Embedded
lumped
Carrier Substrate
RF Compact Module
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Technology Challenges
Keys of success of RF-SiP approach
Combines together the reliability and
reproducibility of the RF SoC approach with the
versatility of the traditional hybrid
implementation.
Up to 80 of the passive components in an RF
system could be embedded or integrated, keeping
unchanged the system performance with an
important reduction in size, power consumption
and noise.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Performance and cost could be optimized using the
best available technology for implementing each
part of the system.
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Technology Challenges
RF-SiP approach example (PSK2ASK converter
module)
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
RF-SiP Approach
2 GHz Input Frequency
Hybrid Implementation
433.92 MHz Input Frequency
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Technology Challenges
RF-SiP approach example (PSK2ASK converter
module)
BPSK Input
Embedded Transformer
SMD Resistor
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
VCO core RFIC
ASK Output
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Technology Challenges
Powering
Self powering of autonomous devices is, probably,
the most challenging issue in the development of
AMI, thats why important RD efforts are carried
out in fields like
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
The development of New materials and Techniques
for efficient energy harvesting.
(New Piezoelectric, thermoelectric materials ... )
The improvement of low power IC design techniques.
(RF, Analogue, Digital and Mixed Signal)
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Technology Challenges
Efficient energy harvesting
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Yellow area denotes sources with a constant power
output. Blue area denotes sources with a fixed
amount of energy.
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Technology Challenges
Efficient energy harvesting
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Example of Energy harvesting from mechanical
vibrations, using piezoelectric materials.
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Technology Challenges
Low power IC design techniques
Reduce voltage swing by using inductors
transformers.
Vcc
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
Increase as much as possible the reference
impedance to reduce current. (Q?)
Vc
Vc
Vbias
Vbias
Vss
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Technology Challenges
System Architecture
Small size and low power requirements of
autonomous devices requires a reduction of system
complexity
Both RF Front-Ends and Digital Back-Ends should
be properly designed, avoiding over dimensions or
extra capabilities.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
RF Front-Ends Direct conversion architectures
instead of superheterodine.
Digital Back-Ends Sleep weak Up modes
management. Medium Access Control to avoid
collisions
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Conclusions
Future wireless world will be characterized by
the presence of self powered, autonomous devices
distributed everywhere, able to sense almost
everything, connected one to each other without
human interaction and with improved computing
capabilities.
Wi2Come, New Challengues in RF-IC design
All of us will be surrounded by technology. It
will be hidden for us but it will be aware about
our presence and able to respond to our needs.