Evaluation_Engineering_October_2020 - 4

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APAULTRE@ENDEAVORB2B.COM

INSTRUMENTATION VS.
TELEMETRY
With all the capability to monitor device
parameters and performance, there is a
real choice presented to the designer in how
much information is needed by the user.
One of the things I love about being back
at the top of a masthead is that I get to write
about cool stuff to share with you. Design
philosophy and best practices are a treasure
trove of subjects and issues we all confront
and address regularly. The ability to be able
to bring up some of these issues and ideas
with the goal of fomenting development is a
wonderful and humbling opportunity.
One of the ways to present ideas is to reflect
them in their allegories from the past. Many
design issues haven't changed, only in the way
of the technology that expresses them. The
same issues usually get rehashed with every
disruptive technological advance that causes/
forces/cajoles business and the marketplace
into moving forward.
For example, we often point out how the
conversation over Edge Computing and the
Cloud is very similar to the evolution from
Thin-Client architectures, back in the dawn
of distributed computing. Moving as much
processing power to the "point of load" of the
application will continue to be an issue, even
as computing migrates to smart autonomous
remote devices, wearables, and implantables.
One of the issues that comes up today when
developing advanced embedded systems is
the matter of information management.
Beyond the question of Big Data, the sheer
amount and types of information you can extract and use from a device today is tremendous. This ability is not just restricted to the
confines of the device itself, but is, in fact, part
of its operational suite for core functionality.
In remote and autonomous devices, telemetry is usually delivered by RF systems
to management. There may be a connector on
the product somewhere to attach a diagnostic
cable, but usually there isn't a need for a display of any kind, as the drone/tower/module

EVALUATION ENGINEERING OCTOBER 2020

doesn't have to provide dynamic information
to anyone on the spot. These kinds of applications are not the ones presenting a challenge
in that aspect.
It is when we come to consumer-oriented
devices that we get into the quandary of
information management as it applies to
sharing data with the user. Usually the device involved can obtain and present more
information than a person can be reasonably
expected to act upon. This threshold of ability, however, changes with the application,
the device capabilities, and the user-group
level of expertise.
With today's microdisplays, it is relatively
easy to provide every available operational
parameter to the user. Properly designed, a
display can convey about any tidbit of data
desired. But do you really need to show a user
all available information? Will it improve the
user experience? Will it support the application in a more effective way? Is there such a
thing as too much information?
A historic parallel exists for this issue as
well, and the space that had that discussion
in the past is still having it. The automotive
industry has wrestled with the data display
issue since the car was invented, as some information about a vehicle's engine is critical
for safe and effective operation. The debate
between gauges and "idiot lights" has been
mitigated to a degree by the cost-effectiveness
of LCD technology, but the core issue exists.
This issue has been amplified by the emergence of the new measurement and evaluation reality, where the ability to continuously
monitor operational parameters via the IoT
has enabled companies to provide an advanced
level of service and performance optimization
in a real-time manner in the field. Even if that
given piece of information isn't directly presented to the user, it is still a part of the device's
operational infrastructure.
Alix Paultre,
Editor

35.2 BILLION
Global semiconductor
sales in July 2020

4.9%
Increase in semiconductor
sales over July 2019
Source: SIA

110 BILLION
Predicted global spending
in 2024 on AI

20.1%
2019-2024 Compound
annual growth rate for AI
Source: IDC

2.6 BILLION
North American semiconductor
equipment billings for July 2020

27.6%
Increase over July 2019
Source: SEMI

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Evaluation_Engineering_October_2020

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