Electronics Era in Conversation with Srinivas Prasad, Analog Devices, India

Electronics Era: How ADI experience in recently happened Indian Mobile World Congress 2023 Expo?

Srinivas Prasad: Participating in the Indian Mobile Congress proved to be a highly enriching experience for us. Beyond showcasing our technological capabilities, it provided a valuable opportunity to engage with new potential customers, connect with student communities, and interact with industry stalwarts. The event fostered an insightful exchange of ideas and knowledge, contributing to a mutually beneficial and rewarding experience.

Electronics Era: In this rapid pace of technology changing era, how Analog Devices design its products to help design engineers to solve toughest challenges in various fields?

Srinivas Prasad: Analog Devices navigates the fast-paced landscape of evolving technology by employing several strategies to assist design engineers in overcoming the toughest challenges across various fields:

• Innovation and Research: ADI invests significantly in research and development to stay at the forefront of technological advancements. This commitment ensures that their products are equipped with the latest innovations, addressing the ever-changing challenges faced by design engineers.
• Collaboration: ADI collaborates with industry partners, customers, and research institutions. This collaborative approach helps gather insights into real-world challenges and facilitates the development of solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of design engineers.
• Customer-Centric Approach: ADI places a strong emphasis on understanding the unique requirements of its customers. By maintaining an open line of communication with design engineers, ADI can tailor its products to address specific challenges and deliver solutions that align with industry demands.
• Comprehensive Product Portfolio: ADI offers a diverse and comprehensive range of products, including analog and digital signal processing components, that cater to various applications and industries. This extensive portfolio allows design engineers to choose the right components for their specific challenges.
• Application-Specific Solutions: ADI designs products with a focus on application-specific solutions. By understanding the context and challenges of specific industries (such as healthcare, automotive, or industrial automation), ADI provides targeted solutions that address the unique demands of each field.
• Continuous Education and Support: ADI invests in educational resources and support for design engineers. This includes documentation, training programs, and technical support to empower engineers in utilizing ADI’s products effectively.
• Adaptability: ADI maintains an agile and adaptable approach to product development. This agility allows the company to respond quickly to emerging challenges and technological shifts, ensuring that their products remain relevant and effective.
• Integration Capabilities: ADI focuses on creating products with high integration capabilities. This not only simplifies the design process for engineers but also enhances the overall performance and reliability of the systems they are building.

Electronics Era: How Analog Devices is gearing up to make 5G network infrastructure better in India?

Srinivas Prasad: With over 50 years of expertise, ADI has played a pivotal role in shaping today’s 5G network infrastructure. From advancing communication in Wireless technologies to enabling major 5G field tests, ADI has been at the forefront of delivering tech backed innovations in the communications industry.

• In the realm of 5G, our flagship offering is sub 6Ghz technology and 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) and, revolutionizing wireless communications above 24 GHz. As sub-6 GHz frequencies become congested and costly, operators may consider mmWave frequencies to complement existing 5G networks.
• The future of 5G mmWave promises unprecedented user experiences, impacting vertical markets like Industry 4.0, military communications, virtual healthcare, and widespread broadband access through fixed wireless access (FWA).
• With unparalleled expertise, ADI guides customers through the complexities of 5G transformation. Our 5G and sub 6Ghz and mmWave transceiver technology portfolio optimizes power consumption, bandwidth, and performance, allowing you to unlock 5G’s full potential with confidence and efficiency.

Electronics Era: How ADI RU platforms can help design engineers to release an ORAN compliant radio to market quickly?

Srinivas Prasad: The RadioVerse® ADRV904x- open radio unit (O-RU) reference design platform from Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) combines essential elements of the open RAN (O-RAN) design process and frees up RU engineers to focus on innovation rather than design hurdles. Combined with a customer supported development process, these O-RAN reference designs help empower engineers to develop unique and differentiated RUs with less risk and a shorter time to market by providing a known and trusted architecture that has been conformance and interoperability tested in multiple O-RAN plugfests and private installations.

• The RU platform is a complete solution from the fronthaul to RF and allows for hardware and software customization for macro and small cell RUs. The fully integrated platform leverages market-leading technologies that drive advanced 4G and 5G RU requirements and include support for all sub-6 GHz band and power variants, including multiband applications.
• This complete O-RAN design and development platform includes ADI’s advanced 8T8R 400 MHz, ADRV904x ADI RadioVerse SoC, and commercial grade and interoperability tested O-RAN 7.2a IP, running on the Intel® advanced node AGF014 Agilex™ FPGA.

Electronics Era: How ADI latest connectivity solutions are enabling consumer applications such as VR headsets and audible wearable’s?

Srinivas Prasad: Analog Devices’ hearable and wearable solutions combine market-leading technology such as audio codecs and amplifiers with battery management and power technologies such as single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO), fuel gauges, and vital sign monitoring along with the tested algorithms.

• Our interface products deliver hardware solutions in areas such as true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, smartwatches, over the ear headphones, and smart glasses, among others. In addition to hardware, ADI delivers a suite of advanced solution-focused algorithms to enable superior performance in key hearable and wearable applications such as active noise cancellation (ANC), voice calling, and body/health measurement.
• ADI offers a broad portfolio of codec and Class-D audio solutions that deliver top performance and unrivalled signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) optimized for hearables and wearables. Our speaker amplifiers offer output power levels from less than 1 W up to 50 W. Innovative packaging technology provides the smallest Class AB and Class-D amplifiers available with design solutions that require minimal configuration. Our Dynamic Speaker Management™(DSM) smart amplifiers combine high performance current and voltage (IV) sense amplifiers with a patented DSM algorithm to create louder and richer sound from micro speakers. Finally, our battery management solutions enable low power operations that extend run time and overall longevity for hearable and wearable technology.
• HDMI® receivers and DVI receivers remain in high demand for professional, consumer, and automotive video applications, with HDMI nodes constantly increasing. ADI offers a range of HDMI/DVI receivers that enable high quality conversion of digital video data to formats such as HDMI, MIPI, and TTL. Applications include video distribution, gaming, and HDMI/DVI consumer device connectivity for automotive infotainment systems. Our portfolio of HDMI receivers and DVI receivers offers competitive advantages such as automotive qualification, superior HDMI/DVI equalizer performance, comprehensive audio extraction, and small packages (6 mm × 6 mm, 0.5 mm pitch BGA).
• 3D time of flight (ToF) is a method of capturing short-range depth information using a type of scanner-less light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology. In AR and VR headsets, ToF systems use the camera to collect depth information, then process this data to simulate an additional dimension of reality for the user.
• ADI provides ToF products and solutions such as high-resolution CMOS imaging chips, depth computation and processing, laser drivers, power management, and associated development tools and software/firmware.

Electronics Era: How ADI is helping India to build a strong semiconductor supply chain and increase its demand in India?

Srinivas Prasad: Despite the prevailing uncertainty, the semiconductor industry is on the brink of further expansion, driven by the increasing digitization of products and services. Over half of the semiconductor industry’s current enterprise value relies on expectations of earnings growth, evident in current valuations. While there are short-term uncertainties, the mid-term and long-term growth will be high driven by the above tailwinds and India would be the key contributor as an end market. Semiconductors will continue to play a pivotal role in the growth of every market segment.

• Across all product segments, ADI has been introducing innovations featuring faster, more powerful chips and cutting-edge equipment. These advancements contribute to increased sales across all segments of the value chain. We are committed to establishing an indispensable semiconductor industry in the country, leveraging our distinctive technologies and products, positioning us on the path to becoming global champions.
• ADI places strong emphasis on various aspects, including technology leadership, long-term research and development, resilience, talent development, ecosystem capabilities, and expanded capacity. These efforts are crucial in cultivating a robust semiconductor supply chain and augmenting its demand in India. Our key performance metrics remain robust, reflecting our consistent commitment.
• The Indian government is actively driving initiatives to enhance the semiconductor industry, with the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). Geared towards reducing import dependency, initiatives like ISM and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme further supports electronics manufacturing self-reliance. These strategic moves underline India’s commitment to strengthening its position in the global semiconductor supply chains, and create a spectrum of opportunities in this segment, significantly benefiting companies in the industry.

Electronics Era: How ADI moving towards more sustainable Networks to reducing carbon footprints in various applications?

Srinivas Prasad: ADI across the globe is committed to developing and providing technologies that enable more sustainable networks and reduce carbon footprints in various applications. The company’s efforts focus on three key areas:

• Energy Efficiency ADI is developing innovative technologies that help to improve the energy efficiency of networks and devices. For example, the company’s energy-efficient power management solutions can reduce the power consumption of data centers and other high-performance computing systems. Additionally, ADI’s sensors and actuators can be used to optimize network traffic and reduce energy waste.
• Renewable Energy Integration ADI is enabling the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid. The company’s solar inverters and microinverters solutions convert solar power into usable electricity, while its smart grid technologies help to manage and optimize the distribution of renewable energy. ADI is also developing technologies for energy storage, which is essential for integrating renewable energy into the grid.
• Sustainable Infrastructure ADI is providing technologies that enable the development of more sustainable infrastructure. The company’s sensors and actuators can be used to monitor and control buildings, transportation systems, and other infrastructure elements, helping to improve efficiency and reduce waste. ADI is also developing technologies for intelligent transportation systems, which can help to reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
• Specific examples of ADI’s work in these areas include: Building Management Systems (BMS): ADI provides a wide range of sensors and actuators that can be used to monitor and control building systems, such as HVAC, lighting, and security. These products can help to reduce energy consumption and improve building efficiency.
• Industrial Ethernet Solutions: ADI’s industrial Ethernet solutions enable the secure and reliable transmission of data in industrial settings. This can help to improve productivity and reduce waste, leading to a smaller carbon footprint.
• Edge-Based Secure AI Processors: ADI’s edge-based secure AI processors enable intelligent decision-making at the edge of the network. This can help to optimize network performance and reduce energy consumption.
• Accurate Measurement of Energy Consumption: ADI is addressing energy consumption challenges with new technologies such as mSure® for non-invasive fault and accuracy monitoring. Our energy monitoring solutions support all metering types with a wide range of technology solutions including metrology, sensing, isolation, power management, and communication products.

Electronics Era: Please explore in brief on ADI’s breakthrough innovation across industries such as – aerospace and defense, automotive, communications, consumer, industrial automation, intelligent building, and etc.

Srinivas Prasad: Analog Devices is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of analog, mixed signal, and DSP integrated circuits to help solve the toughest engineering challenges. ADI has always worked towards Ahead of What’s Possible, to deliver the right set of innovations for every kind of emerging need.

We are dedicated to solving the toughest engineering challenges and have devised products across various industries and we are not only limited to those, this includes:

• Aerospace and Defense : Analog Devices is committed to designing, developing and delivering the most innovative signal processing solutions to the Aerospace and Defense Industry. ADI’s extensive portfolio of high-end and high-performance system-level products and decades of system level knowledge make a perfect combination that makes ADI a trusted and valued design partner to many domestic and international OEMs. ADI stands ready to provide the technical support and products needed to make your next design a success. Our current product portfolio caters to extensive domains like Radar, Milcom, Electronic Surveillance and Countermeasures, Unmanned Systems, Avionics, Space, Missiles and Precision Munitions, and Integrated Sub-Assemblies.
• Automotive : Our capabilities in autonomous driving, cabin electronics, MEMS safety and security, EV & HEV powertrain, and automotive power management help our customers design safer, greener, and more comfortable automobiles such as Vehicle electrification, MEMS Safety & Security, Digital Cabin Experience, Autonomous transportation & ADAS.
• Communications : ADI has been strongly building its network of broadband communications systems. Virtually every wireless call, text, and download today pass through an Analog Devices IC. Our broad portfolio provides high-quality, reliable, and cost-efficient solutions for point-to-point & point to multi-point communications systems, private mobile radios, and wireless infrastructure equipment. ADI is creating the next-generation communications that will connect us regardless of where or how remote we are. Analog Devices stands out as a market leader with expertise and technologies spanning the entire RF spectrum.
• Consumer : Analog Devices improves people’s lifestyles with technologies that seamlessly interface and interpret human senses to create immersive user experiences. We collaborate and discover with customers to deliver complete innovative solutions that help redefine the way people work, live, and engage with our solutions across hearables & wearables, personal electronics, home theatre & gaming, unified communication and ProAV segments.
• Industrial Automation : Through superior innovation and a premier technology franchise, Analog Devices is increasing productivity on factory floors, enabling personalized output with flexible manufacturing, and producing intelligent edge insights that reduce raw material usage and energy consumption. As a trusted advisor, ADI works hand-in-hand with our customers to co-create easily adopted solutions, enable digital transformation, build smart factories and support a sustainable industrial future.
• Intelligent Building : Analog Devices’ solutions for intelligent buildings are at the forefront of unlocking insights for the smart building digital transformation. ADI EagleEye™ enables a complete end-to-end, edge-based hardware and software technology solution for occupancy monitoring within defined spaces in buildings. The solution people counting system allows easy integration so you can solve higher complexity customer problems within your existing models.