Sensor and the sensor interface miniaturization, can make more end product extensive use of such components, this can make end products to more sensitive and intelligent response to environment, as well as from the user input signals and other related equipment.

high performance sensor needs to be continued. As wisdom application trend rise, have high precision, accuracy and linearity of high-performance sensors, not only has become the essential key element of the mobile device, more began to permeate into the personal computer, lighting, automotive, medical, and personal fitness applications, such as overall shipments will be rising.

Compared with the past, the mobile phone, media player, car and other equipment can provide customers more entertainment, productivity, knowledge and communication function. At present the sensor electronics has become an important and popular key components, and more accurate, precise and reliable advanced sensor function, is the semiconductor device manufacturers can do. In fact, in the electronic components industry, highly efficient sensor is in rapid growth of the market, the following will discuss the general market trend and semiconductor sensor specifications and its interface technology development is analyzed.


Electronic sensors to build intelligent life

Market research shows that users expect action device can accurately sensor to the environmental changes, and according to these information input signal response to wisdom. Previous consumer digital content and processor specifications mostly focus on the mobile device, it's easy to forget the real world around is analogy to the environment, it is an advanced analog sensor and sensor interfaces can be functional areas.

For example, mobile sensor to users try to watch the screen in bright light, so the screen brightness will automatically increase, let the display content is easy to see. In the same way, when users use the telephone in a dark room, would reduce the screen brightness, in order to save power, this is the very suitable ambient light sensor light sexual function, this is the same as the nonlinear response of human do.

Likewise, the automotive sensors can improve the driver and passengers' comfort, safety, and tourism experience. Parking sensor, seat pressure sensor, and can automatically start driving lamp light sensors, etc., have been is a product of high popularity. Today whether the car can have sensing vehicle deviated belongs to lane, or when the vehicle and the front vehicle distance is too close, rapid response, the automatic brake more than driving.

Invisible to the electronic sensors are applied to drive places, for example, a new generation of car between the brake pedal and brake, or between the steering wheel and the front axle, will no longer use mechanical connections. Instead, electronic Angle sensor will be measured in the process of driving the location of the pedal or steering wheel rotation, and then tied the location information back to the brake and steering UK Watson Wchangeorganisation imported sensor series of electronic control unit (ECU), the design will provide higher reliability, lower weight, lower power consumption and easier to assemble. Application scope expanded sensor shipments bullish
In the field of personal health and fitness, the past is limited to hospital equipment of heart rate monitor, breathing rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood oxygen content measurement, now extends movement, personal fitness and home applications. In addition, in lighting applications, new types of cognitive light sensors can simulate human eyes react to light, and shall not be obliged to consider the visible light, including ultraviolet and infrared light. These sensors can provide 3 ~ 220000 lumens (lm) dynamic range and consolidation within a digital circuit (I2C) interface, on the commercial lighting can be used to launch "sunlight collection" function, that is to say, the light bulb can accurately adjust lighting brightness by environmental changes.

Accurate color sensor, on the other hand, can adjust the personal computer (PC) or the color of the TV screen, to compensate for ambient lighting situation, regardless of the environment changes, can produce vivid colour. In all applications, semiconductor sensors and sensor interface in terms of precision, accuracy and linearity of ascension, it is for the users to the key to more efficient use of electronic products.

In fact, the demand for advanced high resolution sensors is growing, this kind of sensors, such as magnetic rotary encoder, can detect small Angle change to 0.02 degrees; While other application of rotary encoder to measure the rotor rotation speed at eighty-two thousand revolutions per minute. Thanks to Moore's law (emitre 'covercumulation), CPU efficiency improving, logic components such as transistors costs (peremovedipoetisetytucet - per - semiconductor) is falling.
Today to promote advanced sensor usage growth there are three important trends, first of all, the mobile device users must be able to more accurate perception of the environment, so the device can play a proper function. In addition, the sensors need to be more rapid, efficiency is more powerful processors, with further details on the sensor input signal processing. Finally, thanks to the device miniaturization, appearance size, even if the mobile device can still hold more sensing devices.

For high performance analog components manufacturers, this is a virtuous cycle, due to the analog integrated circuit (IC) signal processing demand increase, drive the processor power continuously improve, for example in the motor control system, highly efficient processor for Angle measurement precision processing, can make the adjustment of the stator current to get more detailed, and torque of each point on the rotor trip would be maximized, let the latest generation of electronic motor can provide electric smooth power, and improve overall vehicle reliability.

Miniaturization is advanced sensor applications growing third big trend, also can saying is the miracle of the electronics industry. This trend is most obvious in the field of digital, miniaturization to promote the growth of the ability and speed of signal processing circuit. Now has four or eight core processor than it was 10 years ago used by single core processor takes up less space. Electronics (was) the number of transistors per square millimeter will double every 2 years of Moore's law, has been verified under the wafer process continuous improvement.

In the mobile phone, for example, in general, mobile phone use micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), a microphone, the element can be compared with the traditional capacitive microphone (ECM) to provide better and more powerful. MEMS microphones need a high sensitive and linear sensor interfaces, as micro-electro-mechanical sensor output voltage and input voltage signal processing circuit between the Bridges. From the first generation of microphone) to the fifth generation device, has put a sensor interface circuit chip size by 80%, and always use a 0.35 micron (& mu; m) process manufacturing.

Single stars components placeholder space reduce for mobile phone manufacturers can accommodate more components in the product, so, today's most advanced action towards phones into two or three microphones, to sensor noise from the surrounding environment, respectively, and the speaker's voice, to filter out the noise environment, let two people can more clearly hear each other.


Sensor city of widening

Obviously, the above drive electronics sensor number three fermentation technology trends will continue in the coming years, companies with advanced sensor technology investment, no matter in terms of medium and long term, and will be a profitable investment.

In the short term, of course, any sales of electronic components, including sensors and sensor interface, will be affected by the ups and downs of the whole industry. However, according to market research, according to a report in the next few years the sensor market share will become more and more big.

In addition to the long-term factors, industry outlook for the 2013 global electronics cautious confidence, slightly different and different parts of the economy. Observe all over the world market, North America has seen encouraging signs, and can be expected in the region a slow but steady recovery. By contrast, in Europe, unstable lower consumer confidence in the euro area, it will do little to many capital-intensive industries. , for example, German industrial market performed poorly, but the good of the auto industry, but most of the increase of its demand did not come from Europe, it is from outside of Europe, especially in emerging markets.

In Japan, industrial, medical and auto market looks in good condition, but the consumer electronics industry still distressed because of the prolonged slump. Instead, not only in South Korea everyone acquaint with of the advantages of the consumer electronics field has a good performance, powerful in every field, such as some very competitive car system suppliers are under development.


Overall, the market in the asia-pacific region, including Taiwan, will be more strong than Europe or the United States show signs of growth. For Taiwan market, with a high standard of new personal computers are no longer like the past is the necessary equipment, makes the weak of the personal computer market worrying, but at the same time, the rapid growth of the tablet market, long-term recession will help balance the PC business.