EDITORIAL FEATURE EXCLUSIVE THE DAWN OF
THE DIGITAL Teledyne e2v, digitisation and data transference
Words by Christian Lynn, editor of Electronics A
rriving at the Teledyne e2v facility in Grenoble, one is struck by the
grandiosity of the impressive structure’s surroundings: mountain vistas, forestry clinging onto their rockfaces, clusters of clouds patterning the sky above. But in spite of the expanse of its exterior, the interior is committed to the micro, or more specifically, the electronic components that facilitate the operation of machinery, like antennae and satellites, within their respective industries: aerospace, defence, industrial and telecommunications. This is demonstrated with Teledyne’s latest developments in data conversion, looking to reduce size even further, as the corporation connects with a growing trend: digitisation. The implication and value of
digitisation can be judged on how it affects analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analogue converters (DACs). To summarise, these converters act as the gateway between radio frequency (RF) signals and the digital data stream, opening the doorway to the ‘digital world’ (a Matrix style affair) through transmission via satellite and other data relays.
However, as the demands of the
digital world intensify, manufacturers and consumers ask more from data converters: an increase in RF bandwidth, lighter conversion at 30GHz. The difficulty in this comes in the long- winded procedure by which RF signals are received and processed. Some converters can only process
and transmit at 5GHz. But, with signal frequencies increasing to 30GHz plus, the reception of said RF signals results in a necessary down-conversion of the received data, followed by an eventual up-conversion once the RF signal has been accepted, processed and re- transmitted. Digitisation offers a solution to this, one that Teledyne aims to harness with its latest advancements.
10 MAY 2019 | ELECTRONICS Firstly, by simplifying RF conversion
systems so that they can process at a higher frequency band, the Ka band, one is able to receive and transmit data at the desired 30GHz, even beyond that. But the issue of down- and up- conversion remains. However, by digitising the RF hardware and shifting to a digital domain, receiving and transmitting data becomes more efficient and less time-consuming. Enter Teledyne e2v, looking to enable a new method of direct and distributed data conversion, through digital on fibre conversion between the ADCs/DACs and the field-programmable gate array (FGPA): ADCs/DACs can now be located close to the antennas, and are able to receive and transmit through digital code. Compared to its opposite option – an analogue centralised data conversion implementation with a heavy Rx & Tx RF interface – digital on fibre conversion reduces RF hardware, saving on precious weight through the removal of analogue components, whilst optimising transmission through the reduction of distortion and all of that invasive cross talk. All of this combined, presents the digitisation of data conversion as a technologically beneficial change.
The Teledyne e2v facility, enclosed by nature, but reflecting its overwhelming
presence, operating at a contrastingly micro-scale
There are certainly arguments to be made that signal digitisation might not compliment all applications. While a long-distance application, such as a satellite, can capitalise on distributed data conversion due to the loss of weight and augmentation of signal strength, enclosed applications can still function more effectually with centralised data conversion, via coaxial cabling. However, obsolescence is still an area of contention, with the six year development phase for hardware compressing to a two year phase, putting pressure on manufacturers to adapt to new technology accordingly. Implementing digital software ensures a smoother transition into the next generation of data conversion, as changes can be made at a freer, instant rate. This is particularly advantageous in the digital realm of data conversion as coders can manipulate the received RF signals and make any necessary changes to the code there and then: with analogue, there was merely the possibility of receiving and re- transmitting data. Putting the power in the hands of coders, digitisation affords a more flexible touch. The visit to Teledyne e2v offered many things: insight into the production of PCBs and the packaging of microprocessors, a tranquil, green setting, away from the scuttle of the urban jungle. But, most importantly, it highlighted the prevalence of impending digitisation. Due to the nature of obsolescence and the lighter, more adaptable qualities of a digitised domain for data conversion, digitisation reduces the difficulties one encounters with analogue frequency conversion. Digital data conversion looks to augment what could potentially become smaller, as satellite and broadcast applications reduce in size: a reflection of that earlier comparison between Teledyne’s e2v’s internal, developmental foci and its external, environmental surroundings.
Teledyne e2v
www.teledyne-e2v.com / ELECTRONICS
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