By almost any prediction the “Internet of Things” will connect many billions of devices to a global network in the coming decade. In the abstract, it is extremely difficult to understand the function and quantify the economics behind this trend. However, in the industrial networking space, the benefits to utilities and cities are already clearly driving economic and societal value. With applications such as distribution automation and distributed energy management, forward-thinking utilities are reducing operating costs, improving quality of service, and saving natural resources. Similarly, through streetlight automation and intelligent methane sensing, “smart cities” are harnessing the power of connectivity to create greener, safer, and more efficient communities with engaged citizens. This talk will review the benefits and challenges of smart utilities and cities, with a focus on the underlying technologies. The current role of compound semiconductors, such as GaAs, will be discussed, as well as a perspective around future innovation needs to enhance safety, security, and efficiency in the end applications.

The design paradigm for computing has historically been determined by the form factor of the core electronics. Ever since the mobile revolution, that design paradigm has been turned on its head. This talk will focus on the designs of mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables which are purpose built for a specific use-case as well as for the ergonomics of the user. Using teardowns conducted by IHS Markit, details of core electronic and physical designs are highlighted, and evolutions tracked from generation to generation. We will be exploring the 10 generations of Apple iPhones and 4 generations of the Apple Watches as core examples of how form follows function forcing innovative electronic designs to accommodate for this mobile design philosophy. The study is made possible by the IHS Markit teardown and cost benchmarking team over the course of the last 10+ years. The mobile products covered should serve as a good representation of how the semiconductor manufacturers are evolving their products to accommodate mobile design dictated by customer’s needs.

This paper gives an overview on the methodology and results obtained from performing early in-orbit demonstration and space qualification of microwave GaN technology for the European Space Agency PROBA V and Biomass missions.