As we kick off 2015, it’s important that we take time to assess and anticipate the technical challenges and breakthrough innovations the new year will bring. Having met with a number of technologists across our ecosystem of strategic customers, university partners and TI’s product lines in 2014, I would like to highlight important technology trends where TI can play a strategic role. These technology trends are fueling a diverse set of markets including automotive and industrial, in which engineers across TI can address unique semiconductor challenges and advance technology and the way we live.

Top five technology trends for 2015:

1-    Internet of industrial things:

While the business model for Internet of Things in consumer applications is still evolving, many industrial enterprises have embarked on adopting large scale connectivity of sensors, machines and devices along with data analytics. The key enabling technologies are sensors, connectivity, efficient energy management, and ultra-low power analog front-end and embedded processors. The proliferation of integrated MEMS sensors over the last few years has largely been driven by mobile devices. In contrast, industrial enterprises have been utilizing expensive high-performance sensors for safety, quality, and efficiency of complex industrial systems. With the improvement of embedded sensors’ performance, deployment of larger sensor networks in industrial, robotics, automotive, commercial and residential automation applications are ramping up. Many diagnostic and prognostic applications in complex industrial plants also can benefit from large deployment of networked sensors. Industrial connectivity will adopt large scale machine-to-machine communication sooner than expected; and industrial and automotive networking will increasingly adopt all IP Ethernet extensively as it becomes more secure and deterministic. Other enabling technologies such as isolation and Electromagnetics Interference (EMI) robust circuits and systems, including low power wireless connectivity, will be instrumental. With these developments taking hold quickly, the Internet of industrial things is about to become a reality.

TI’s product portfolio and innovations include most key technologies required in industrial wireless or wired networks including highly-differentiated isolated interfaces for industrial sensing and measurement, integrated sensors with smart analog frontend, ultra-low power wireless links and embedded processor intelligent power management and many other high precision analog frontends.

2-    Semi-autonomous vehicles (cars, robots, drones):

Intelligent vehicles are ready for prime time. Many advances in sensing and processing capabilities that have previously been available in expensive military and scientific platforms are becoming commonplace thanks to exponential advances in semiconductor technology. Advanced driver assistance systems come equipped with a dozen HD cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors, and subsequently Lidar – providing unprecedented safety and convenience and paving the way toward a further automated driving experience. Drones, which until recently have been novelties in military and entertainment applications have become a commercial instrument in many growing new applications such as security, metrology, and agricultural applications. Robotic applications so far have been mostly in industrial factory floors for highly repetitive, well controlled tasks – isolated from human interaction. However, deployment of robots in healthcare facilities, assembly lines for consumer products and warehouses are among examples which demand smaller and lighter yet highly intelligent robots.

TI’s strong portfolio and new innovations in motor drives, sensors, and battery management are well positioned to play a critical role in the new generation of highly intelligent autonomous vehicles. 

3-    Small radios: The next big push in communications infrastructure

Today, more than two thirds of the 1 billion terabytes of digital universe data is used and produced by mobile device users. In 2014, the increasing demand for mobile data applications accelerated deployment of 4G LTE networks. However, growth of mobile data has outpaced capacity of macro base stations. Therefore many infrastructure manufacturers and operators have been working on smaller radios with less than 1 watt transmit power and a large number of antenna (massive MIMO) offering both LTE and Wi-Fi capabilities to complement macro base stations. Within the next two years, deployment of lighter radios in hot spots and indoor environments will most likely accelerate and pave the way for massive and heterogeneous radio coverage promised by 5G standard, which is still being defined. Light radios are supposed to be low cost, easy to install and low power.

Technologies such as Power over Ethernet, efficient power amplifiers, high performance processors and integrated radio are among critical IP blocks for future light radios.

4-    Smart power and high voltage:

Power management continues to be one of the fastest-growing opportunities within the semiconductor industry. More applications are relying on intelligent power management for efficient generation, distribution, and consumption. Many offline applications including chargers for consumer products have extensive intelligent power management that allow a plugged-in device to communicate its energy needs with a power supply to improve efficiency. Also, power management in servers and data centers are evolving to offer higher efficiency in diverse and highly dynamic load conditions.

Demand for intelligent drivers for high voltage devices ranging from motor drivers, fast chargers, hybrid vehicles, AC/DC line power converters and semiconductor content is growing. Also, new devices such as GaN and SiC are maturing to play a key role in high voltage applications.

5-    Isolation key to communications in high-voltage environments:

Isolation technology is increasingly critical for many industrial, automotive, medical and offline applications to provide protection, noise immunity and reliable performance. Gate drivers for high-voltage devices, industrial measurement and monitoring and Industrial Ethernet are among many applications for this technology. The trend toward transferring higher data rates of several hundreds of megabits/s and more across isolation barriers with high efficiency and robustness against high voltage surges is increasingly common in many industrial applications. Also, transferring data and power across isolation barriers is finding applications in gate drivers and industrial sensors.

TI has many new isolation technology offerings and is in development for higher data rate digital isolation with high efficiency.

As a technologist, I am excited about the inventions we are creating in the product lines and within Kilby Labs to answer the demands for these top five trends. I find inspiration and energy knowing that TI has innovators actively working on the technologies today and dreaming big about the breakthroughs that will define the next big trends. Throughout the year in my quarterly columns, I will dig deeper into the above trends. Let’s keep our eyes on these trends and how we can make a stronger impact for TI.