Markus Lutz is CTO and founder of SIME Company. He is a Mems expert, a prolific entrepreneur and inventor who holds more than 100 patents.
Technological breakthroughs transform many facets of our daily life – communications and health care for financial systems. Although there is a complexity associated with these segments, transport is that which requires that some critical obstacles are overcome so that automated transport can be more widely adopted and deployed safely. If you have read one of my previous articles, I often discuss the essential role of the precision calendar in technology. The growing demand for precise synchronization of complex systems in various industries has motivated the evolution of synchronization technology.
Today, and even more in the future, precise and reliable synchronization technology is essential for the automotive and aerospace sectors. Synchronization technology is from mechanical and electromechanical solutions, but as technology progressed in industries such as aerospace and automotive, the need for greater precision has led to the use of oscillators in oscillators Crystal, which were invented at the beginning of the 20th century. The recent progression of crystal oscillators with synchronization technologies based on microelectromic (MEMS) systems has contributed to meeting the strict requirements of modern transport and aerospace systems.
A need for improvement
The development of autonomous vehicles has introduced synchronization challenges that crystal oscillators have struggled to take up. These vehicles require data processing in real time from sensors, cameras and radar systems to make specific decisions at all times, and the synchronization accuracy is essential to ensure fluid and safe operation.
In aerospace, the advent of complex aircraft systems and the rise of satellites for communication, navigation, emergency and military operations increased the bar for the precision of synchronization and stability. Crystal oscillators, although generally reliable, began to show limits in terms of resilience to the size of extreme conditions and energy efficiency. In the spacecraft, where calculation, control and communication systems must bear hard environments – vibrations when launching, cosmic radiation and significant temperature fluctuations – these limits have become even more apparent.
The transition to the Mems oscillators
To meet these growing needs, Mems technology has become an alternative to traditional crystal oscillators. MEMS oscillators are based on tiny mechanical structures made using semiconductor processes. These devices can reach the same precision or better than quartz oscillators but with several additional advantages.
A key advantage of Mems technology is its robustness. MEMS oscillators are more resistant to shocks, vibrations and extreme temperatures than traditional quartz oscillators, which makes them ideal for aerospace and spatial applications. In space transport, where systems must withstand intense launch vibrations and difficult space conditions, MEMS oscillators offer the reliability necessary for long -term missions.
Another advantage of mems -based oscillators is their smaller size. Automobile and aerospace systems are becoming more and more compact, and Mems oscillators, being considerably smaller than their quartz counterparts, is easier in the increasingly tight spaces required by modern electronics. In autonomous vehicles, for example, Mems oscillators provide the high precision necessary for real -time systems while taking up less space and consuming less power.
Automobile applications
In the automotive industry, the need for precise and reliable synchronization technology has become more and more important with the rise of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connected vehicle technologies and driving autonomous. These systems are based on synchronization between various sensors, including LIDAR, radar and cameras, as well as communication between the vehicle and external networks.
MEMS oscillators, with their precision and small form factor, have been essential to ensure that these complex systems can communicate and operate in real time. Their ability to operate effectively under high -temperature vibration and temperature conditions generally found in automotive environments was another key reason for their growing adoption.
Aerospace applications
In aerospace, precision timing has an impact, from communication systems to navigation and surveillance. Aircraft and satellites rely on a synchronized calendar for GPS systems, signal processing and radar systems. MEMS oscillators offer high stability and precision in such systems, allowing aircraft to navigate safely and to communicate reliably, even in difficult conditions such as bad weather or high -speed flight.
Space transport has some of the most extreme environmental challenges for synchronization technology. Aerospace orbit systems on low earth, for example, experience extreme temperature fluctuations and the absence of severity. MEMS oscillators have been designed to withstand these conditions, allowing spacecrafts to maintain reliable timing without the degradation with which quartz crystals are sometimes confronted in space.
The challenge of large -scale adoption
The incorporation of the precision calendar in advanced aerospace and automotive applications introduces certain challenges and large -scale implications. These systems require blocking mechanisms which offer exceptional precision, stability and reliability. Precision timing acts as the heart rate of these electronic systems, pushing the limits of performance.
However, reaching this level of precision in high density and integrated environments requires new design practices. Engineers must solve complex problems such as the integration of synchronization devices in closely packaged modules, maintaining functionality in extreme conditions and overcoming unique spatial constraints. Respond to these call requests to creative engineering solutions, closely of collaboration between disciplines and a continuous problem solving cycle to achieve the performance and reliability of advanced systems.
The adoption of MEMS oscillators accelerates as automobile and aerospace transport systems become more sophisticated.
The trip from Quartz to Mems marks an important step in the progression of precision synchronization technology in the most recent and most advanced modes of transport.
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