ON Semiconductor unveils cloud-based design tool

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

ON Semiconductor launched its Strata Developer Studio, a cloud-based development platform, to help engineers evaluate and design with its technologies. Providing a simpler way for engineers to work with evaluation and development boards, they get access to the latest documentation, product information, design and application notes, and reference design files at their desktops.

All future evaluation boards from ON Semi will be Strata-Ready, making them instantly recognizable by the Strata Developer Studio when they are connected to the host computer. How it works: Designers get a user interface to the board, which provides direct control of the configuration parameters and visual feedback of the board’s functionality, and all related design information needed to start an evaluation or design is downloaded to the desktop. Automatic over-the-air updates ensure that all design materials are the latest revisions.

What’s unique about this design tool is that it’s designed as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, typically used in the information technology (IT) industry as a subscription model for business applications. The Strata Developer Studio is provided as a Microsoft-signed application, which connects to ON Semiconductor’s SaaS platform. The platform can operate unconnected in a lab or where Wi-Fi isn’t available, but when connected, it delivers the live data updates and support.

The platform is packed with security features. It provides secure authentication, data transfers, and full information containment using encrypted and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant databases, providing full privacy and content controls to the user. All information and security follow National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity guidelines, according to ON Semiconductor.

Initial boards available on the platform include a Configurable Multifunction Logic Gate, a Dual 100-W USB-PD Automotive Charging System, and a Universal Offline 200-W 4-Port Type-C USB-PD Source. The company plans to demo the new Strata boards along with solutions for automotive, power conversion, and motor control, as well as industrial and vision IoT markets at CES 2019 (Murano 3302, Venetian).