Yep – It’s Still an Analog World in this Digital Age

With all the advances in digital technology to serve mankind’s insatiable appetite for automation, it’s easy to lose sight of the reality that we still live in an analog world.  It’s easy to take for granted that somewhere in the chain of events that takes place in the process of applying state-of-the-art computational technology to real-world applications – data-conversion from analog to digital must take place.  Conversion of real-world information into a digitally encoded representation, and often back again to an analog representation.  Some are now claiming that we have evolved past the “digital age”, and we are now in the “age of data” – big data.

Sentient beings are largely algorithmic engines driven by the need to survive in a hostile environment – touch, vision, hearing, smell, taste (and sometimes “proprioception”). The human system converts our real-world senses into electrochemical “data” for processing by the brain’s neocortex to render our perception intelligence. As Artificial Intelligence (a.k.a. “AI”) promises to reshape our way of life beyond recognition, more data will be the key to better performing AI.  And, yes – I am referring to real-world data.  From online user data for better commercial transactions, to biosensor data for better healthcare, to real-time physical environment data for autonomous vehicle navigation.  In Kai-Fu Lee’s book “AI Super-Powers”, the use of real-world physical environment data by AI leads to what Kai-Fu refers to as perception AI – where AI-driven machines can “perceive their environment”.  And, clearly, high performance data-conversion will be a key ingredient for perception AI to achieve its full potential.

Omni Design Technologies is a leading provider of high-performance, ultra-low power data-conversion IP cores for SoCs that enable environment perception.  Specifically, Omni Design provides production-proven data-conversion IP that is more commonly known as ADCs (analog-to-digital converters), DACs (digital-to-analog converters), and AFEs (analog front-ends).  As you can easily imagine, ADCs, DACs, and AFEs are essential architectural components for any system that needs to interact with the real-world for environment perception – including those systems employing Light Detection and Ranging (“LiDAR”) technology.  LiDAR is making its way into a wide assortment of applications from the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max with built-in LiDAR scanners for better photos and AR – to enabling vehicles with environment perception for autonomous navigation.

If the use of LiDAR in autonomous vehicles is your thing, Omni Design has recently published a white paper entitled “LiDAR Implementations for Autonomous Vehicle Applications”.  The white paper introduces LiDAR technology and discusses pulse-detection LiDAR as well as continuous-wave LiDAR.

Figure 1: Pulse-Detection LiDAR

Figure 2: FMCW LiDAR

The white paper goes on to discuss several different implementations of LiDAR systems, SoC design requirements, and a block diagram example of a pulse-based LiDAR system SoC with available Omni Design IP.

Figure 3: Pulse-Based LiDAR Block Diagram

Finally, the white paper wraps up with a summary of Omni Design’s IP offering for implementing SoCs for LiDAR applications.

About Omni Design Technologies
Omni Design Technologies  is a leading provider of high-performance, ultra-low power IP cores in advanced process technologies that enable highly differentiated systems-on-chip (SoCs) in applications ranging from wired and wireless communications, automotive, imaging, sensors, and the internet-of-things (IoT). Omni Design, founded in 2015 by semiconductor industry veterans, has an excellent track record of innovation and collaborating with customers to enable their success. The company is headquartered in Milpitas, California with additional design centers in Fort Collins, Colorado, Billerica, Massachusetts and Bangalore, India. For more information, visit www.omnidesigntech.com.