INDUSTRY NEWS
Suited for use with medical electronic implants, a chip developed by Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas, TX, USA) in collaboration with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can run on 0.3 V. Most chips require 1 V to operate.
Although defense engineers are closely watching development of the chip, its low power consumption also excites device developers. Researchers note that at low voltages devices such as ECG monitors could operate on ambient energy, using the body’s heat or movement to provide all the necessary power.
The MIT design marks a breakthrough in energy efficiency, but significant production obstacles must be overcome before the chip is ready for widespread commercial use. New memory and logic circuits had to be designed for the chip, and new computer tools will be needed to finish the job, says MIT electrical engineering professor Anantha Chandrakasan, who is one of the researchers.
For more information, contact Chandrakasan, at MIT, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 50 Vassar St., 38-107 Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; phone: +1 617 2587619; fax: +1 617 2535053; e-mail: anantha@mtl.mit.edu.
