Category: Embedded systems

Renewable energy sources are those that can renew/ replenish/come back and do not harm the environment. A few examples are

• Wind
• Solar
• Geothermal
• Hydroelectric
• Tidal

Since electronics are being used everywhere, renewable energy source stations also use this circuitry.

Mostly, power electronics is used in power plants, which are set up to generate electrical energy.

These electrical energy generation plants transmit this energy, so it is first converted to high voltage because it will cause low losses during transmission.

Power electronics circuits are efficient enough to convert the storage energy.

Suppose we have a wind. In the power plant, as we know, there is a wind turbine that rotates with the flow of wind, which causes the gear train to move at high speed and generate AC electrical energy. Here, we will use an AC-to-AC converter, which will change it to an efficient transmission frequency, and a transformer for voltage upgradation.

On the other hand, solar power plants that use photovoltaic cells convert solar energy to DC electrical energy and store it in batteries

Here we have two options:

• First, we can use this DC power and produce hydrogen through the electrolysis process, which will later on be used in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or other applications.
• Second, we can convert DC to AC and then use a power electronics circuit like a cycloconverter for a particular frequency. And use a transformer for voltage conversion to high voltage.

Power electronics is a branch of electronics that studies the high-voltage and high-current processing

Some of the most famous power electronic devices are as follows

• Power diodes
• Power MOSFETs, IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)
• Thyristors (SCRs)

Power electronics came into existence in the year 1902 when Peter Hewitt invented the mercury rectifier.

Power electronics are used for high voltage/ current transmission, conversions, and regulation.

• Lighting
• Electric vehicles
• Renewable energy
• Motor drives
• Industrial equipment

If we take important parameters of power electronics, then important components are the electronic converter, feedback circuit, and controller unit.

Power electronics circuits are used in AC/ DC or DC/AC conversion circuits as per the application.

There are a few power electronics present.

• DC to AC converter, which is called an inverter
• AC to AC converter, which is called a cycloconverter (frequency changer)
• DC to DC converter, which is called a chopper (Fixed DC to variable DC)
• AC to DC converter (Rectifier)

Smart sensors consist of a sensor, a microprocessor/ microcontroller (for computing), and wireless communication technology embedded in it.

Smart sensors are the backbone of embedded systems/electronic gadgets, and without them, it is very difficult to develop a product.

• Sensors: They convert one form of energy into an electrical signal, which is used by the processor in the next stage.
• Microprocessor/ Microcontroller: The Electrical signal received from the sensor is used by the processor to convert and compute it into meaningful data
• Wireless communication: It is used to communicate with a main device and transfer information from the processor.

Ok, let’s take an example of a smartwatch using the sensor for step count.

In this, the accelerometer is used as a primary sensor that measures the acceleration forces acting

After getting this data, the processor works on it to convert it to meaningful data. In computing, the processor also uses technology like DSP (Digital Signal Processing), which reduces the noise coming into the data and eliminates it.

The communication circuit transmits it to the other device when required.

Consumer electronics is a huge market valued at 1.3 trillion dollars in 2023.

A few examples of consumer electronics are

• AC (Air Conditioner)
• Refrigerator
• Mobile
• Television
• Computer
• Gaming consoles
• Wearables, etc.

Consumer electronics are a type of electronics that are used by consumers.

You will find consumer electronics everywhere, from mobile phones to smartwatches. From a smart pencil used in tablets to high-end satellite communication devices. It is everywhere.

A few consumer electronics seen in recent years are as follows

• More use of AI, ML, and VR technology

In recent years, we have seen that more technology-based products are coming onto the market. As we can see, technology like AI is used in almost every consumer household electronics item like washing machines, TVs, refrigerators, AC, etc., even earphones. ML and virtual reality are also being used in electronic items.

• Fast/ Quick E-commerce

People are becoming more prone to laziness and want everything fast with just a click of a button on their mobile phones. So companies like Amazon.com have introduced same-day and one-day delivery options to attract customers who just have to join their loyalty program by paying a subscription fee.

• Environmentally friendly products

This is also one of the most popular trends, as more and more products are becoming environmentally friendly through the use of recycled plastic or materials that are biodegradable to an extent.

• Social media as a marketing platform

Every big company nowadays has an online channel and page that is used for marketing online. Every mobile company sends mobile phones for review to big content creators for promotion.

Making videos that are appealing attracts more and more people to purchase them.

If you see a big celebrity or content creator using a particular brand or model of smartphone. You will also try to be like them by buying a phone. So, mind programming plays a big role in these types of marketing campaigns.

Nowadays, electronic wearables can be seen everywhere. Smartwatches are the most common ones

Other wearables are VR (Virtual Reality), smart glasses, smart clothes, sports wearables, activity trackers, smart jewelry like rings, etc.

All of these devices have the same concept of working: they measure some parameter, process it, and display or send it to some location.

Smartwatches: They are the most common wearable electronics nowadays. Different famous companies manufacture smartwatches like Apple, Samsung, Google, Boat, OnePlus, etc. They can measure different parameters like

• Steps
• Skin temperature
• Heart rate
• Calories burned
• Sleep Quality
• Blood pressure
• Blood oxygen levels, etc.

With the advancement in technology, they have become very cheap, and today, anyone with a low budget can buy them.

Virtual reality set: It is a computer environment that looks like a real-life experience. It has different sensors that create the environment corresponding to the real world and give a real-like sensation/feeling.

Smart clothes: They consist of a special type of fiber/ fabric and several different sensors embedded in it. It gives real-time data of users’ body responses in different situations in terms of body signals.

Sports wearables: They are also used to measure body markers and body responses in different conditions, which could be optimized to enhance the performance of players.

Jewellery smart ring: It can measure heart rate, SpO2, sleep, activity rate, steps, calories burned, GPS, ECG (electrocardiogram), etc.