What if the concept of the “Intelligent Edge” were made a little easier to understand? Einstein famously said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." This blog will explain the Intelligent Edge with an example of a power-efficient solution within a traditional industrial end application.
Corporate clichés go in and out of fashion. We've transitioned from the cutting edge of technology to the bleeding edge, now widely referred to as the Intelligent Edge. It’s worth recognizing that before the latest corporate cliché became fashionable, many analog design solutions already empowered the Intelligent Edge.
Terms and Conditions Apply!
Within process control solutions, there is ongoing demand for traditional 4 – 20mA current output products to control actuators and valves. To remain competitive, the same functionality and performance are now required within modules/cards, which are shrinking in size. Commonly referred to within the industry as Slice I/O, these thin modules are similar in form factor to a credit card. Having less space for the same power dissipation results in greater heat generation. Without any means of dissipating this heat, the module/cards are often derated to reduce the maximum power. This restriction is usually hidden deep within the “Terms and Conditions” of product usage. Therefore, the advantages of a smaller size often cannot be realised without an intelligent power management feature.
The Intelligent Edge within the Analog Domain
The Intelligent Edge is widely accepted as referring to real-time data processing and local decision-making at the edge of the network. Or the edge of a factory where data is born. While data processing is generally carried out in the digital domain, let’s now consider the Intelligent Edge extending to processing and decision-making within the analog domain. What if the part continuously monitored real-time load conditions at the edge and used an analog feedback loop to choose the optimum power supply? What if this resulted in a power reduction of up to 40%? ADI’s latest solutions, the recently released AD74416H, a Quad-Channel, Software Configurable Input and Output with HART Modem, and the AD5460, a Quad-Channel, Software Configurable Analog Output, both provide this power reduction feature. It is called Adaptive Power Switching (APS).
How Does APS Work?
Using a feedback loop, the AD74416H/AD5460 determines the optimum supply based on meeting minimum headroom requirements on the Analog O/P pin. The solution automatically switches to use the lowest supply rail, reducing the overall power consumption. Closed-loop intelligence upon which the part is designed performs this action while maintaining a noise-free output signal. Furthermore, inbuilt hysteresis ensures that no unwanted switching takes place within the region of supply transition.
Some more complex design implementations allow for Dynamic Power Control (DPC), which has inherent advantages in tracking the supply. The more straightforward nature of Adaptive Power Switching minimizes the requirement for external passive components, which are more common in alternative buck/boost type architectures. Furthermore, it addresses the worst-case power dissipation scenarios.
Toward the Future
Traditional factories will shift towards efficient, sustainable production, supported by product lifespans of up to 30 years. During that time, the newest corporate clichés will keep evolving; some will be phased out as newer ones become popular. As part of this evolution, the edge may well be redefined. But, having an edge over the competition at the edge of the factory is undoubtedly an Intelligent Edge!
Read all the blogs in the Configurable Industrial I/O series.