Ireland to spearhead European Union research into complex new digital television technology
(PRWEB) December 3, 1999
Thursday 2nd December, 1999.
LIMERICK, IRELAND.
University of Limerick, Analog Devices and NMRC to pioneer IRP 1.7 million (EUR 2.15 m) digital TV research project
Ireland will spearhead European Union research into complex new technology
The University of Limerick campus company PEI Technologies, semiconductor giant Analog Devices and the Irish National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) in Cork have joined forces to collaborate in a pioneering IRP1.7 million (EUR 2.15 m) EU funded television research project. In one of the largest single country EU research projects ever awarded to Ireland, the high-tech consortium will investigate new micro-circuit design methods aimed at producing a universal "set-top" box for international television use.
Set-top boxes are used to convert cable, MMDS, digital and conventional terrestrial TV signals into a form suitable for a normal television. What this project will do is to design a single circuit which will be able to handle all the different formats and consequently make the set-top box cheaper to manufacture and more versatile. As digital TV is introduced around the world so the demand for this type of circuit will run into many millions of units. This product will also be used in DVD players and Digital TV's of the future.
This high level EU research project, which is part of the ESPRIT - Mixed Signal Initiative, is so complex that it will take about 15 design engineers working together for 18 months to complete the first prototype design. The microchip to be developed will receive a TV signal, convert it to computer type information and then perform about 100 million calculations per second on the information before outputting it to the television. Previously it would have taken many different circuits connected together on circuit board to realise the functions of the set-top box, but now that it is possible to put millions of transistors on one chip, the aim is to put everything into one single circuit. In order to do this the design team rely very heavily on computer aided design to check and simulate the final circuit because just one small mistake could mean failure.
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According to Professor Phil Burton, Centre Director of PEI Technologies, "The details of how the system will work are buried in a difficult mix of advanced mathematics and circuit design. There are few companies in the world, like Analog, who have the mathematical and electronic skills to carry the concepts to a full practical model which results in something that the ‘man in the street’ can use to his or her advantage." The project will use a new system architecture that was originally proposed by Dr Colin Lyden of the NMRC. The NMRC will be contributing additional design skills to the project while PEI Technologies will be working on the design of high speed, low voltage amplifiers that are necessary for this project. Analog Devices provide the project management and a significant part of the design team.
The overall project manager is Mr. Martin Cotter, Video Projects Manager at Analog Devices. Mr. Cotter comes from Ennis, graduated from the University of Limerick in 1986 and has since added masters degrees in Electronic Engineering and Business Administration to his portfolio. The final product will be manufactured by Analog Devices on a 0.25 micron CMOS process where transistors have dimensions down to one four thousands of a millimetre.
Analog Devices, together with the Higher Education Authority, also recently donated twenty five highly advanced computer workstations, valued in excess of £100,000, to the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at University of Limerick.. The new laboratory is being used by students of Electronic Engineering to learn advanced Computer Aided Design techniques (CAD) for Microelectronic Circuits. All final year graduates in Electronic Engineering now receive full training in CAD as part of their final course work which is expected to increase their employment prospects on graduation and open a new talent pool to potential employers.
Commenting at the recent opening of the new laboratory, Mr. Dick Meaney, Vice President, Precision Conversion Products of Analog Devices in Limerick said, "Ireland is internationally recognised as being one of the prime educators for Integrated Circuit Design and there is a very high world-wide demand for graduates in this discipline. Last year Analog Devices recruited 10 electronics graduates from the University of Limerick – that is roughly 20% of the total graduating class in Electronic Engineering. We have found the standard of graduate emerging from Irish third level institutions to be among the best available anywhere in the world."
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For more information:
Martin Cotter, EU Project Manager (Analog Devices) Tel. +353 61 229 011.
Email: martin. cotter@analog. com
Prof. Phil Burton, University of Limerick, Tel. +353 86 829 2325. Email: phil. burton@ul. ie
Tim Kinsella, Kinman Public Relations. Tel. +353 1 678 8330. Email: tim@kinman. ie
Full text of this release also available by email on request.
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