Wireless to Come (Wi2Come) Electronics in Ambient Intelligence J.M. López-Villegas Dept. Electrònica, UB

Present & Future Wireless world Technology Challenges OUTLINE OF THE TALK Conclusions The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

Present Wireless World Range (m) Data rate (bps) ZigBee Bluetooth GSM/GPRSUMTS b a/g/n <0.1M1M10M100M>1G K UWB 10K

WLAN Wi-Fi IEEE WPAN Bluetooth ZigBee IEEE UWB WWAN GSM/GPRS UMTS Wimax Present Wireless World GPS/Galileo TV-Radio Broadcast

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 Present Wireless World

WSN RF/Mixed signal Interfaces Signal Processing Systems Future Wireless World ZigBee+? UWB?

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 Future Wireless World

Autonomous devices: Self powered by harvesting energy from the environment. EM Energy, vibrations, temperature gradients 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.. Future Wireless World

Autonomous devices: Interconnected between them and with other devices using short range low data rate RF links. Future Wireless World

Seamless data transfer: Continuous flux of information from the sources to the processing units, through RF/Mixed signal interfaces, and back Future Wireless World

Improved processing capabilities: Distributed and pervasive computing. Future Wireless World

AUTONOMOUS DEVICES UBIQUITY Technology could be located anywhere Furniture, clothing, construction materials … Technology could sense anything Biometrics, weather, security tips … Means Because The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

SEAMLESS DATA TRANSFER TRANSPARENCY Means Because Technology will vanish in the user’s background Most data processing and transfer will be hidden to humans The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

IMPROVED PROCESSING CAPABILITIES INTELLIGENCE Means Because It will learn from us and will respond accordingly The environment will be aware of the human presence and will be capable to recognize individuals. The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

Ubiquity, transparency and Intelligence, the main characteristics of AMI, allow new applications in different fields, among others: Continuous health care The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

Tracking and surveillance The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

Domotics and Offimatics… The Ambient Intelligence Paradigm

The main technological Challenges which must be addressed to implement the diversity of devices constituting an AMI environment are: Packaging Powering System architecture Technology Challenges However, before AMI becomes a reality many innovations have to be realized, both hardware and software related.

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. Technology Challenges פּ צּ שּç ﯼ Actives: 20 % - 30 % Passives: 70 % - 80 % % Cost & Volume RF System

As long as RF SoC is not a real option, an alternative is the System in Package approach (RF SiP) RF Compact Module Actives lumped Integrated Passives Integrated lumped Embedded Technology Challenges Carrier Substrate

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. Performance and cost could be optimized using the best available technology for implementing each part of the system. Technology Challenges

RF-SiP approach example: (PSK2ASK converter module) Hybrid Implementation MHz Input Frequency RF-SiP Approach 2 GHz Input Frequency Technology Challenges

RF-SiP approach example: (PSK2ASK converter module) Embedded Transformer SMD Resistor VCO core RFIC BPSK Input ASK Output Technology Challenges

Powering: Self powering of autonomous devices is, probably, the most challenging issue in the development of AMI, that’s why important R&D efforts are carried out in fields like: Technology Challenges The development of New materials and Techniques for efficient energy harvesting. The improvement of low power IC design techniques. (New Piezoelectric, thermoelectric materials... ) (RF, Analogue, Digital and Mixed Signal)

Technology Challenges Yellow area denotes sources with a constant power output. Blue area denotes sources with a fixed amount of energy. Efficient energy harvesting

Technology Challenges Example of Energy harvesting from mechanical vibrations, using piezoelectric materials. Efficient energy harvesting

Technology Challenges Low power IC design techniques Reduce voltage swing by using inductors & transformers. Vss Vcc Vc Vbias Vc Increase as much as possible the reference impedance to reduce current. (Q?)

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. RF Front-Ends:Direct conversion architectures instead of superheterodine. Digital Back-Ends:Sleep & weak Up modes management. Medium Access Control to avoid collisions Technology Challenges

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. 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.