Mobile devices, wearables and hearables from smartphones and smartwatches to earbuds and headphones are on a continuous innovation path that keeps delivering improvements thanks to advances in component technologies. But designers face a lot of challenges. Whether it is a smartphone, fitness tracker, earbuds or other battery-operated gadget, they face consumer demand for smaller form factors, longer battery life, better audio, faster wireless charging and overall improvements in user experiences.
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In the May/June 2024 digital issue, we look at some of the key components and technologies used in mobile device and wearable designs, including audio ICs, power management ICs (PMICs), sensors and sensor fusion, and wireless charging.
One of the biggest trends is a growing need for higher accuracy. Sensor fusion is a key component in mobile devices and wearables to handle all of the data coming from all kinds of sensors to offer new user features and experiences. Sensor-fusion algorithms help drive greater accuracy and precision as well as improve power consumption.
Sensor fusion is ubiquitous in mobile device designs, “fusing” data from different types of sensors to improve accuracy for features like motion tracking and orientation. These mobile devices integrate lots of sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, proximity, pressure and temperature, as well as integrated inertial measurement units. Many sensor manufacturers are adding data processing and intelligence into these sensors to save power, reduce development time and improve functionality.
Also driving new capabilities are advances in audio chips for wearable applications. Two areas where there are substantial advances include audio ICs based on the Bluetooth LE Audio specification and MEMS microphones, according to contributing writer Carolyn Mathas. A key driver is a growing need for true wireless stereo earbuds and headphones, as consumers use these devices daily for activities like working, commuting, gaming and exercising, and for longer periods of time. She reports that both leading players and startups are finding opportunities to address some of these trends with new audio ICs with advanced capabilities.
However, as you add more features and functionality into these wearables and hearables, it requires greater power management to satisfy these power-hungry devices. PMICs perform several tasks, such as regulating voltage levels for different types of loads; controlling power startup and shutdown sequences; managing battery charging and discharging; and monitoring power usage, according to contributing writer Stefano Lovati.
PMICs also safeguard against voltage, current and temperature fluctuations. Lovati shares several PMIC benefits that mobile device designers can leverage for their new mobile device designs, including high efficiency, high integration, flexibility and battery management.
Lovati also gives us the rundown on the benefits of Qi2, the next-generation of wireless charging. Developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the Qi wireless charging standard has revolutionized how we power our devices, he said.
To meet the demand for faster charging speeds and optimized energy transfer, WPC introduced Qi v2.0, or Qi2. This next-generation wireless charging standard builds on the established Qi protocol while addressing its inherent limitations. Lovati discusses its core functionality, the different power profiles and key improvements it brings to wireless charging.
In addition to these challenges around sensing, power efficiency and wireless charging, designers also face size constraints. Many component manufacturers, from sensors and PMICs to wireless MCUs and protection devices, are addressing these challenges with higher integration and smaller packaging. Higher performance and functionality are also on the table in these new designs, and AI is also starting to drive a lot of these improvements.
The passive component market for capacitors and resistors is meeting the challenges with greater miniaturization. Whether it is shrinking the size of the capacitors and resistors or packing higher performance in the same package size, these devices are helping designers save space and cost. This is true across all industries from consumer electronics and computing to automotive and industrial. Check out a selection of the latest capacitors and resistors introduced over the past year that meet these requirements for a range of applications.
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