Analog integration is driving the integrated factory. Advances in analog and mixed-signal ICs contribute greatly to factory productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, and security. These all lead to increased uptime and reduced maintenance costs. This integration enables robust machine to machine (M2M) communications and ultimately the internet of things (IoT). Distributed intelligence, smart machines, smart sensors, and the integration of factory data with business-management systems (information technology or IT) allows optimization of not only the factory process, but also material handling, machine utilization, scheduling, reporting, and throughput.
Introduction
Advances in analog and mixed-signal ICs have contributed greatly to unprecedented combinations of factory productivity, efficiency, quality, and safety. These ICs enable higher system performance, increasingly accurate measurements, robust communication, lower power, and higher levels of security. They are central to factory systems that act rapidly on large numbers of sensor-based measurements that precisely control material handling, processing steps, power and temperature, and operational safety.
When computational resources are integrated into these analog and mixed-signal ICs, the factory can deploy a distributed intelligence model. Factory data can now interface more readily with business-management systems. This integrated factory model, comprising many of the techniques and technologies described below, makes factory information available worldwide in real time to supply chain, sales, logistics, and senior management.
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