Launched a 24-bit measurement chip made in Vietnam

On June 17, Integrated Circuit Design Research and Education Center (ICDREC) of VNU-HCM announced that it has successfully designed and fabricated 24-bit microprocessor (chip) applications in measurement.

Vietnam launched 24-bit measurement chip

24-bit chip of Integrated Circuit Design Research and Education Center (ICDREC)

This is a product of the topic 'Research, design and manufacture of photo compression chips under JPEG2000 standard and ADC chip versatile for medical use ' under the state-level key science and technology program.

Potential commercialization

The 24-bit ADC chip has the technical characteristics that are analog-to-digital converter (Analog-to-Digital Converter) circuits with high accuracy. This type of chip is widely used in measurement field such as electronic galvanometer, seismometer and especially in medical field such as electrocardiogram (ECG), medical signal processing .

Compared to the previous 8-bit chip of ICDREC itself, 24-bit ADC chips are capable of handling at a much more complex level.

If an 8-bit chip can be used for simple processing applications such as biomedical devices, sensors, audio processing, and voice, etc., ADC meets more complex processes, such as measurement. complex, requiring the ability to detect very small changes with very high accuracy.

' This is really a successful product of design engineers because the process of designing an analog chip is much harder than digital (digital) chip. Digital chips are supported by a variety of programming-like tools, but analog chips require designers to be like hand-crafted artisans. With 24-bit ADC, I am confident that this is a top-ranking chip in the market that we have made Vietnam ' - Mr. Ngo Duc Hoang - ICDREC's director - confidently shared.

Regarding the ability to commercialize, according to Ho Quang Tay MSc (ICDREC), compared with the chip with the same function of Analog Device - the world's leading company in IC design, ADC of Vietnam has many competitive advantages. not inferior in performance.

In particular, ADC is more than capable of saving power consumption for chips by using other technologies. In particular, ADC chips have a much lower trade price than Analog Device chips.

Dr. Vu Van Khiem, Director of the Southern Department of Work, Ministry of Science and Technology, assessed this as a typical example of a successful scientific research project.

According to Mr. Khiem, 'the preeminence of the topic has created a specific product, meeting the actual requirements' , thereby showing the ability to gradually master the technology of Vietnamese microchip engineers. This 'has special implications for national security ' for electronic products used in Vietnam in the future.

Need business hands up

According to many experts, 24-bit ADC has contributed to demonstrate the ability of analog engineers to design microprocessors from Vietnam. This has led many Japanese companies to order hardware for their products recently.

24-bit ADC will help many foreign companies know the design capacity of Vietnamese engineers and thereby order more outsourcing in the near future.

However, the application of chips to specific end products for commercialization is challenging.

Chip applications in many areas of measurement such as electronic galvanometer, seismometer and especially in the medical field such as electrocardiography (ECG), medical signal processing .

'For the time being, ADC chips will be applied in electronic electronic products of EVN second generation. In the first generation, the electronic galvanometer has one of our chips and one foreign chip. Therefore, the second generation of electronic galvanometer is about to be completely chip and IC of Vietnam. As for the applications in measurement products such as blood pressure, electrocardiogram, seismic . we still have to find investors to put chips into practical applications and commercialization '- Mr. Hoang shared .

According to Mr. Hoang, the 24-bit ADC clearly shows the potential for application, commercializing Vietnamese chips in a wide range of products in the medical field in the future. But a scientific research center like ICDREC certainly cannot get resources, capital, business ability to invest in mass production equipment and find outlets for the market.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Duc - Deputy Director of VNU HCM City - proposed: 'Our products are said to be R&D (research and development). Therefore, if you want to commercialize the product, you will need to use arms from the companies that offer it. '

Mr. Le Thai Hy - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications - added: 'We have had a test at a blood pressure monitor, but how can it be applied in a variety of other products'.

Hy also asked Ho Chi Minh City Microchip Association to find a way to connect the chip - the success of the scientific research project - to the terminal manufacturing enterprises to create commercial output for the product.