FONT SIZE : AAA
Technology Trends and SoC Education
One of the major technology trends over recent years has been the dramatic increase in internet connectivity. Whereas 10 years ago the primary source of internet connection was via a PC, consumers now expect wireless data on their smartphones and tablets, not only when at home or in the office, but also while mobile. Many households also make use of TV-on-demand services, via internet-enabled televisions, set-top boxes and games consoles, which allows them to watch their favourite programmes at any convenient time. As a combined result of these and other technologies, aggregate internet traffic is on a steep incline, and in fact global IP traffic is expected to surpass 1.0 zettabytes per year in 2015 [4].
As well as the growth in traffic, we are also witnessing an overall increase in the number of internet-connected devices. In fact, as of approximately 2008/2009, the number of such devices worldwide increased beyond that of the global population! [8]
The proliferation of connected devices is supported by Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), which supersedes IPv4 and removes the pressure on internet address space [3]. Partly due to this increased scope for connectedness, M2M has started to emerge, since the early 2010’s, as a significant source of internet traffic. As described in Chapter 5, M2M refers to a class of devices that can be connected to the internet to produce, consume, or otherwise share data without the direct intervention of humans. M2M relates closely to the concept of the IoT, a term which neatly encapsulates the need for autonomous machines to communicate and network with each other independently [2].
These M2M terminals can also be considered embedded systems, i.e. systems which are not general purpose computers, but which are designed and optimised to undertake a specific function. For instance, M2M might include sensors and actuator nodes distributed through an industrial process to monitor and adjust manufacturing conditions, with the aim of increasing productivity, minimising waste, etc. As discussed in Chapter 5, application areas of IoT include smart cities, a loose concept covering several aspects of city life; smart grids, electrical power distribution networks that can dynamically sense and adapt, in order to maximise power delivery performance and self-protect against faults; and the smart home, wherein sensors and actuators manage the light levels, temperature, security and entertainment systems in an environmentally and economically sensitive way.
The growth of M2M-style internet traffic is projected to continue over the next few years, and even to outstrip the growth in more conventional traffic types [4]. A 2013 report projected that there will be 212 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020, of which around 30 billion will be autonomous [14]. The implication is that more internetconnected embedded systems will be required for the realisation of smart grids, smart cities, smart buildings, smart health (and several other smarts!), asset tracking, ‘big data’, the industrial internet, and many applications yet to emerge. The potential opportunities for innovation, commercial success and societal benefits in this area are huge. The importance of the SoC to these applications is clear, given the demands for complete autonomous systems to be implemented at modest cost, with low power consumption, and often in physically compact form.
This aspect of technology advance is significant when contemplating the evolution of curricula in electronics and communications. It will be important for engineering institutions to educate young engineers with the skills and mindset to develop the networked embedded systems required for the next-generation internet.
Of course, the IoT is not the only factor driving SoC. As reviewed in Chapter 5, applications are many and varied, including advanced communications and radar systems, broadcast technology, machine vision, automotive and aerospace, and considerably more. Collectively, these technology areas will stimulate new commercial opportunities, and new problems for the engineers of the future to solve.
Manufacturer:Xilinx
Product Categories: FPGAs
Lifecycle:Active Active
RoHS: No RoHS
Manufacturer:Xilinx
Product Categories:
Lifecycle:Obsolete -
RoHS: No RoHS
Manufacturer:Xilinx
Product Categories: Embedded - CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices)
Lifecycle:Active Active
RoHS:
Manufacturer:Xilinx
Product Categories: Embedded - CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices)
Lifecycle:Active Active
RoHS: No RoHS
Manufacturer:Xilinx
Product Categories: FPGAs
Lifecycle:Active Active
RoHS:
Support
