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| The chip. |
| Source: russianelectronics.ru |
The implementation of the project will require several tens of millions of rubles, and the time frame can be estimated at two to three years. After the successful implementation of this initiative, the launch time of the chips may decrease up to a month, and small series will cost factories no more than large batches.
The initiators of the project were the Research Laboratory of Design Problems in Extreme Microelectronics of the Institute of Design Problems in Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPPM RAS) and the Don State Technical University (DSTU) and scientists Nikolai Prokopenko and Alexey Popov.
Candidate of Technical Sciences Alexey Popov told CNews that it is difficult to name the exact amount of the project, but it is worth counting on tens of millions of rubles. "For the first year before entering production, you will only need to pay for the work of developers, a small team of seven to ten people," he said. Then Alexey Popov estimated the preparation of the technology for production in the amount of 20 to 50 million rubles.
"With the traditional approach, we were offered to produce an experimental batch of 25 copies for 50 million rubles," Alexey Popov said.
They can be used to produce, for example, sensor signal amplifiers, decision and operational amplifiers, voltage and current stabilizers, electric motor regulators, and so on.
The authors of the project consider it advisable to create a family of specialized chips that will be used to build many intelligent sensors that allow measurements of various physical quantities. Such specialized chips can be created on the basis of a universal basic matrix (or structural) crystal and used for preprocessing signals for as many existing sensors as possible.
The main difference between BMK and BSK is that BSK is a set of functional nodes from which a ready—made system can be assembled, and BMK is a set of elements from which system nodes or individual components can be assembled. "BMK allows you to implement many different options, but requires advanced developer skills and more time, and BSK, in turn, is faster and simpler, but has less freedom of choice than BMK," explained Alexey Popov.
In addition to signal preprocessing, analog chips are also used to control electric motors of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and its actuators, control electricity flows in combined wind and solar generation systems, ultra-small hydroelectric power plants, medical systems, process control systems, robotics, etc. For these purposes, the set of BMK developed positions of at least medium power must be included.
The authors of the project believe that the need for rapid development of special-purpose analog chips on the Russian BMK platform is extremely high. In their opinion, it is advisable to develop and produce a fully Russian line of BMK.
This line can be used for the development and production of a wide variety of analog chips, including radiation-resistant and low-temperature ones. In addition, the authors propose to use BMK for the operation of voltage and current stabilizers, low-frequency amplifiers, power switches, etc. This type of BMK will allow, for example, to fully implement control systems for small and medium-power UAV engines.
A specialized BSC is also needed for analog signal processing of sensors of various physical quantities, including charge-sensitive, bridge ones, taking into account the influence of interference on communication lines.
It is planned to involve Belarusian colleagues who have significant experience in the creation and application of basic matrix crystals (BMCs).
The project says that currently Russian designers are using a line of analog basic matrix and basic structural crystals from the Integral company, which is located in Minsk. Some models are suitable for use in special conditions, for example, resistant to radiation or ultra-low temperatures.
DSTU already has a number of developed families of chips based on Belarusian developments for use in various conditions.
However, the use of non-Russian production components is limited in Russia. The current legislation does not consider developments based on Belarusian BMCs localized in Russia, which creates difficulties in their application.
Now several companies are making BMK in Russia, the most famous of them are Soyuz and Angstrom from Zelenograd near Moscow. Answering the question about the difference between the chips proposed in the project and the existing ones, Alexey Popov explained that the above-mentioned companies make analog-to-digital BMCs, and not purely analog ones. "Their BMCs are not suitable for all areas, they have a different scope of application and they are designed for a figure at once," he said.
The difference is that the analog BMK works as a "constructor, a set of parts" and with its help you can implement a lot of different device options.
The proposed concept is not a novelty. According to Alexey Popov, she is already 50 years old, but in the nineties, enterprises that were engaged in analog BMCs, for example, NPO Tor with the Yenisei-BMK project, were closed.