• • • SAFETY IN ENGINEERING • • •
distancing breaches to better advise on potential layout changes to help facilitate safe distancing.
The ASIC advantage Sensing, conditioning, digitalising and communicating analogue smart sensor signals into a digital format that is compatible with the facility’s wider network is key to enabling data analytics and deploying automation and alert flows. In the case of industrial safety, the accuracy
and reliability of this signal conversion is essential to the safety of workers. While an off-the-shelf solution could deliver similar functionality, there are several reasons why opting for an ASIC is the superior choice. An ASIC is a custom device designed specifically for the customer’s application, allowing the ASIC design team to invest in performance where it will most benefit the particular application. Swindon will be able to optimise the entire signal path down to the finest detail, while removing unnecessary features to reduce complexity and size where it is not required.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ASIC design focuses on integrating as much
circuitry as possible into a single package, reducing the component count for higher reliability. What’s more, assembly becomes simpler, and the electronics better protected from environmental factors such as vibration and high temperatures, which is essential for the equipment responsible for detecting if an environment falls outside of its safety parameters.
Another benefit for safety functions is ASICs’
non-obsolescence. ASICs ensure component supply for the lifetime of the product with no gaps in availability. Swindon provides assurances that the device will be available until the customer ends its product manufacture by using methods such as storing wafers in dry nitrogen cupboards for up to 25 years. Intellectual Property (IP) protection is another
key ASIC strength, and at Swindon, we can provide our customers full ownership of the completed system design, to ensure their system IP benefits them, and them alone. Choosing an ASIC partner that does not sell standard parts may also alleviate the risk of IP potentially being used at a future date in an in-house product. While Industry 4.0’s increased automation has
resulted in a reduction in direct human responsibility, safe operations are still absolutely crucial. Smart sensors, combined with ASIC technology, provide the ultimate solution to guarantee the reliability of safety systems, keeping the buildings, people and the wider environment protected.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2022 31
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