Post Union Budget 2023-24, in an exclusive video interaction with K, Krishna Moorthy - CEO & President, and Anurag Awasthi - Vice President, Policy, Government Corporate Relations at India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) we came to know about how the global and the Indian ESDM and semiconductor industry is moving fo
The Arduino platform is one of the most popular platforms for electronics enthusiasts and hobbyists for building electronic projects. Sometimes an Arduino board may not work as you might have expected and you might be wondering what the problem is. In this blog, we will learn the reasons why your Arduino board may not be working and how to solve it.
You can also go through our previous Arduino common problems blog or learn more about Arduino projects on our website
Let’s go through the problems one by one
So, you’ve bought yourself a new Arduino. you plug your USB cable and it’s not powering up. No power led. No Rx or Tx led’s working. Let’s see what can be the issues:
If your Arduino is not showing any signs of powering up…you might check the following issues to sort your problem: -
If you suspect that your AMS1117 voltage regulator is faulty in your Arduino project, here are some steps you can take to check and fix the issue:
The majority of Arduino boards are controlled by the Atmega IC microcontroller chip. Here are some steps you can take to address the problem if you believe that the Atmega IC on your board is faulty:
Removing the Atmega Chip can be challenging and calls for some soldering expertise.
If you believe that the serial converter on your Arduino board is broken (it's most likely a ch340 or cp2102). You can take the following actions to address the problem:
An Arduino board's primary capacitor aids in power supply stabilization and filtering. These are some steps you can take to solve the problem if you think the main capacitor is faulty:
Polyfuses are resetting fuses that shield an Arduino board's electronic parts from overcurrent and short circuits. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem if you think your Arduino board's polyfuse is defective:
Diodes are used on an Arduino board to stop voltage spikes and restrict the direction in which current can go. If a diode on your Arduino board is broken, use these steps to fix the issue:
The "Board not in Sync" error message in Arduino IDE typically means that the computer is unable to establish communication with the Arduino board. This can happen due to various reasons, such as incorrect board selection, damaged USB cable, or wrong port selection.
Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the "Board not in Sync" error:
This error in Arduino IDE means that the serial port which is selected is not the correct one for the Arduino board that you have connected. This happens when the board is not recognized by the computer or if multiple devices are connected to the computer, making it difficult to identify the correct port.
Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the "Wrong COM Port" error:
"avrdude: stk500 getsync (): not in sync: resp=0x00" often indicates that the computer is not able to connect to the Arduino board. This error can happen various reasons, including choosing wrong board, wrong port, having a corrupt bootloader, or a damaged USB cord.
To fix the "avrdude: stk500 getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00" problem, try the following steps:
This indicates that the Arduino board is not recognised by the computer. A broken USB cable, improper driver installation, or a hardware problem with the board are just a few causes of this message.
You can try the following things to fix the "Arduino board not detected" error:
Here are a few things you can do to solve the issue if you are having bootloader issues and none of the solutions mentioned above are working for your Arduino board:
Serial port issues in Arduino can occur due to various reasons, such as incorrect port selection, damaged USB cable, or a malfunctioning board.
Serial communication in Arduino refers to the process of sending and receiving data through the serial port of the Arduino board. Serial communication can be established between the Arduino board and another device such as a computer, another Arduino board, a sensor, or a display.
Here are the few common issues beginners face with serial communication are
If you are getting a "Serial Port Already in Use" error message when trying to upload code to your Arduino board or trying to open the Serial Monitor, it means that the port you are trying to use is currently being used by another application or process on your computer. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:
Close any other applications that may be using the serial port: Make sure that no other programs or applications are using the serial port that you want to use with your Arduino board. This could include other instances of the Arduino IDE, serial terminal software, or any other programs that use serial communications.
Disconnect and reconnect the Arduino board: Try disconnecting the USB cable from the Arduino board and then reconnecting it to see if that releases the serial port.
Restart your computer: Sometimes, the issue may be caused by a conflict with another software or process that is running on your computer. Try restarting your computer to see if that helps.
Use a different serial port: If your computer has multiple USB ports, try using a different port to see if that resolves the issue.
Check your code: Make sure that your code is not holding the serial port open or using it in a way that prevents other programs from accessing it.
If none of these step’s work, you may need to consult the Arduino forums or seek additional help from an expert.
If the Serial Port menu is grayed out in the Arduino IDE, it usually means that the IDE is unable to detect any available serial ports on the computer. This can occur due to several reasons such as an incorrect board selected in the "Tools" menu, a damaged USB cable, or a malfunctioning board.
Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:
If none of the above step’s work, there may be a hardware issue with the board that needs further investigation.
If you are experiencing issues with the Serial Monitor not working, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:
If you are getting a "Sketch Too Large" error message when trying to upload code to your Arduino board, it means that the compiled code (or sketch) is too big to fit in the available program memory on the board. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:
By following these steps, you should be able to reduce the size of your code and resolve the "Sketch Too Large" error message.
Many things, including as improper wiring, shoddy connections, and electrical noise, might result in grounding issues in Arduino. These are some methods you can take to investigate and fix grounding issues:
Employ decoupling capacitors to prevent electrical interference and noise, which are frequent causes of grounding problems in Arduino circuits. Decoupling capacitors should be placed as close as feasible to the component's ground and power pins.By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve grounding errors in your Arduino circuits
In this blog, we discussed some common issues that can occur when working with Arduino, along with steps to resolve them. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this blog, you should be able to resolve these issues and continue working with Arduino. However, it's important to remember that Arduino is a complex system and there may be other issues that can arise as well. If you continue to experience problems, don't hesitate to seek additional help from the Arduino community or an expert in the field. With patience and perseverance, you can become proficient in working with Arduino and enjoy the benefits of this powerful platform.
Looking to create your own audio spy bug? With an Arduino and the NRF24L01 module, you can create a compact and powerful bug that can transmit high-quality audio over long distances. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to create your own spy bug, from assembling the hardware to programming the software. With our step-by-step instructions and sample code, you'll be able to create a powerful spy bug that can pick up even the faintest sounds and transmit them wirelessly to your listening post. Don't miss out on this exciting project that will take your spy game to the next level!
Do you want to build your own digital multimeter? With an Arduino and some basic components, you can create a reliable and easy-to-use multimeter that can test voltage, resistance, LEDs, diodes, and continuity. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to build your own DIY digital multimeter, complete with a detailed parts list and step-by-step instructions. With our sample code, you'll be able to calibrate and test your multimeter to ensure accurate readings. Don't miss out on this fun and useful project that will help you become a better electronics hobbyist!
Do you want to build your own digital multimeter? With an Arduino and some basic components, you can create a reliable and easy-to-use multimeter that can test voltage, resistance, LEDs, diodes, and continuity. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to build your own DIY digital multimeter, complete with a detailed parts list and step-by-step instructions. With our sample code, you'll be able to calibrate and test your multimeter to ensure accurate readings. Don't miss out on this fun and useful project that will help you become a better electronics hobbyist!
The Taiwan based global semiconductor manufacturing firm TSMC, which is now equipped with the world’s largest foundry, is leading the industry. Chinese premier President Xi Jinping, who is considered to be one of the most powerful global leaders, has undertaken numerous efforts to reunify or invade the island country Taiwan. The danger of military takeover by China is increasing everyday. Now, on the other hand, the US is forming various strategies with its allies to defeat China in the global technology race and also to boost its growth in the chip industry. Since the time of the Trump administration Chinese giants like Huawei and ZTE were banned from providing services and solutions in the country. In fact Japan, which was once a preferred semiconductor destination is now trying hard to regain the growth like the 70s. Therefore, experts opine that Japan must increase their current strengths and must have amicable relationships with their equivalents overseas such as Taiwan and the US.
With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the global production of semiconductors slumped to a larger extent, which ultimately affected the international automobile and every chip-based sector. As per media reports, the worldwide sales of semiconductors towards the end of 2021 has reached $556 billion of which the US accounted for 46 percent. In fact, the global shares of top-notch semiconductor manufacturers in the US has degraded from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent until today. This is because the USA’s counterparts overseas have invested massively in semiconductor manufacturing coupled with billions of dollars of incentives. In an effort to revive its growth again, the US has finally unleashed the much-awaited CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 worth $52.7 billion.
Semiconductors act as the brain of electronic devices and are playing an imperative role in shaping the digital economy. Now, the point is the upcoming cutting-edge semiconductors, which will be equipped with millions of transistors coupled with massive integrations are relying on the volume of investments. The chip manufacturing is now going through a lot of geopolitical scuffles, which is because of the fact that China now produces 25 percent of the semiconductors and is aiming to lead the global market. The remaining 75 percent of semiconductors are manufactured in East Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Taiwan’s TSMC alone accounts for 90 percent of the advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Apart from Taiwan, one foundry is located in Nanjing, Shanghai, and in the US.
As per a previous report of the CircuitDigest, there were several heated discussions and speculations in the past couple of weeks regarding USA’s strenuous efforts to persuade Netherlands and Japan to join its league of no export of semiconductor technology to China. According to the experts, the US has been undertaking this strategy to boost its semiconductor industry and Japan and Netherlands will play an imperative role because they are the key providers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Although the US has the largest group of Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDM) for semiconductors, Netherland's ASML Technology and Japan's Advantest are the key players in this industry. ASML is the only company in the world that produces lithography machines that are utilized in making cutting-edge chipset. Therefore, if the country chooses to abide by Biden’s request, the matter will be a serious threat to China. Both India and the US have announced a strategic partnership on January 31 to boost the growth of semiconductors, space, defense, and modern technologies.
According to the experts, this association will help India to grab the benefits from initiatives on development, research, and the potential decrease of hurdles on US tech exports for supercomputers. Global experts have clearly added that by unleashing the CHIPS and the Science ACT, the US is looking to spearhead cutting-edge technology globally such as 6G, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. Before the alliance with India, the US decided to craft a ‘Chip 4’ association with Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to build a strong semiconductor supply chain that will keep out China.
Against the USA’s critical strategy of curbing export of key semiconductor technology to China, the latter has carried out a dispute against the former at the World Trade Organization (WTO) a month back. This is because of the fact that the world’s second largest economy with a GDP of 23.32 trillion dollars feels that they could be under a serious financial tussle. Back in October 2022, the USA had formed rules that stopped export of chips to China made from American technology and also American citizens working in Chinese firms are fearing of losing their jobs or risking their US citizenship. This move has severely affected China’s semiconductor industry and other high-tech industries. Because of these stern situations, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed the trade dispute in a media briefing and harshly criticized the US for misusing export control rules and fetching obstacles in global trade in chips and other tech products.
The WTO argued that tariffs foisted by President Trump on imported aluminum and steel deeply contravened international trade policy and this is when China initiated the tech trade dispute against the US, as per a report of CNBC. Experts opined that trade disputes in the WTO can take numerous years for a possible solution. The point to be noted is that WTO also has rules that says every country has the right to impose curtailment of export in the interest of national security. Hence, it could be difficult for China to win this battle.
In an interaction with CircuitDigest, Samrendra Mohan Kumar, Founder & MD, MitKat Advisory said, “In the coming years, the communist government in China will play a significant role in increasing the financial strength of the country and it could be harsh. Li Qiang who is now spearheading the economic policy of China has framed various policies, which are yet to be implemented. Currently, the country still depends on the US and other countries for key technology and intellectual property for its semiconductor manufacturing. After COVID, global firms have decided to move out of China and semiconductor firms such as TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and many more are investing massively in the American market and also in India. Attractive measures are also launched by the EU to magnetize chief semiconductor firms.”
If we go by history, Bengaluru has turned out to be a hotspot for IT and technology in 1985 and it also gave birth to the semiconductor industry. The commencement of the semiconductor journey seemed to be very propitious, but unfortunately the revolution lost balance. It then helped South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and China to lead the race. As per a report of The Print, semiconductor Complex Ltd (SCL), which was a government owned fabrication foundry in Punjab caught fire in 1989 and the numerous government initiatives were blown over. Rather than focusing on manufacturing, the country focussed deeply on chip design between the 1990s to 2000s. The nation now imports 100 percent of chips and it was negatively impacted by the global shortage of semiconductors due to Covid and the Russian-Ukraine tussle.
To achieve self-sufficiency and stop relying on imports, the government unleashed the much-anticipated PLI scheme of Rs 76,000 crore to boost display and semiconductor manufacturing. Also, a panel has been formed in April 2022 to assist start-ups and MSMEs in this industry. Now, there are various globals investments in the country in semiconductor manufacturing like investment from Singapore’s IGSS Ventures, Vedanta-Foxconn deal, Tata Group’s foray into manufacturing of chips, and Next Orbit Ventures and Israel’s Tower Semiconductor announcement of a $3 billion chip plant in Karnataka.
Now, the point is how China Plus One Strategy and USA’s export ban strategy will help India to grow its ESDM sector. The US is trying hard to pull out the supply chain strengths from China by forming amicable relationships with its allies such as the Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, and India. The White House has assured India to build its semiconductor industry due to which the latter is expecting to unleash an investment of $25 billion as an incentive scheme. The aim is to make India a key competitor in the international supply chain. In a recent interaction with The Diplomat, Sunil G. Acharya, vice president at India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) mentioned that the semiconductor major firms such as Micron, Intel, and Texas Instruments are all operating in India who are providing support services and designs. Apart from that, there are a couple of well-known fabless domestic firms who provide design services to numerous international companies. Acharya further added that due to the unleashing of the SCIENCE and Chips Act, the US based chip firms will be able to expand their support services, R&D, and design centers in India.
Faisal Kawoosa, Senior Research Analyst and founder at techARC told CircuitDigest, “ChinaPlus One Strategy is already helping India to grow its ESDM sector in various ways and the alliance with the USA will give India further impetus to boost its semiconductor industry both in terms of investment and revenues. The major problem is China is still leading the component industry and without that you can grow your industry. Therefore, both India and the US must find solutions to grow its component sector. Even if you set-up manufacturing bases you are still importing a huge chunk of components from China. Global investments have already happened in India and I am sure the close association with the US will make India a major player in the ESDM sector internationally.”
Geopolitics surely has a say as every major country has now put semiconductors as an important pill and there is an urgency as every key semi-country also depends on imports of various kinds of chips as well. It's the IP that is at stake here and the race is on....US, Korea specialize in high value advance chips and China needs to play a catch game here. All this means that diversification will happen, claim experts.
Tarun Pathak, Research Director, Devices and Ecosystems at Counterpoint Research told CircuitDigest, "As no one would like to put eggs in one basket. India has an added advantage in terms of design experts as leading semiconductor companies have design houses here and It's the manufacturing and IP where we catch up and we believe India is at the right place at the right time. Semi content within categories is increasing, while the electronic devices growth will continue too. Promoting product design, including both hardware and software can be a first step in making India a hub for the electronics system design and manufacturing sector. India semiconductor market consumption is all set to reach $64Bn by 2026 with a CAGR of 16 percent."
Of late, various reforms and policy measures have been announced with an aim of escalating the share of manufacturing in gross value added (GVA) to 25 percent. In the financial year of 2019-20, the manufacturing cluster offered 17.1 percent of GVA and exports accounted for 20.7 percent of the overall manufacturing yield. The point to be noted is that none of the computer chips are completely manufactured in India yet and although US semiconductor firms have shown a lot of optimism to India there is still a discrepancy between what has been committed in eloquence and what has been assured in a signed document.
Back in 2021, international chip production slumped to such a large extent that it almost stopped automotive and consumer electronics production lines. This continuity was negatively impacted by the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and are still affecting those industries, which are completely dependent on chip technology. Over the past years, industry leaders, governments, and global chip firms have undertaken various efforts to boost chip productions by unleashing various schemes, investments, and unleash of new technologies.
Transforming our traditional society to one that employs Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a significant task. When personal vehicles are eliminated in favor of ride-shared technologies, traffic, emissions, and even vehicle costs may decrease. However, pushback can occur because the right to transportation law allows us to select our transportation modes.
It was once said that starting an engine wasted more fuel and created more emissions than an idling vehicle. That has changed, especially with the technological prowess we have today. Modern cars don't just have a timing mark to indicate top dead center on cylinder 1. They have cam and crankshaft position sensors that indicate accurate angular position sensing.
Electronically controlled fuel injection systems can only deliver a spurt of fuel into the cylinder at top dead center or beyond. Since ignition spark is no longer magneto or distributor cap controlled, the same car computer can ignite that spurt of fuel and, very efficiently and cleanly, get that old motor turning again.
Engine restart is only an issue with gas cars. The shift to electric self-driving vehicles is a significant part of MaaS proposals. A higher level of autonomy means constant connectivity to the internet and GPS (and an extensive array of sensors).
Many cars already have radar and video-based collision avoidance systems, and they seem to play well together. More accurate GPS technologies, like Ultra-Wideband (UWB), will provide the centimeter resolutions needed to make autonomy safer.
With more responsibility placed on web-based information, cars now join the myriad of IoT devices monitored and controlled by cloud-based services and sites. IoT traffic devices include traffic lights, railroad crossings, lane closures, draw bridges, traffic sensors, speed sensors, cell phone transponders, E-Z pass transponders, RFID readers, facial recognition systems, biohazard sensors, radiation sensors, and more.
Rapid charging and widely deployed charging stations still need to be addressed. MaaS aims to eliminate all internal combustion engines, making all cars, trucks, buses, and delivery vans electric-only. This requires building reliable, fast, and clean charging stations, relying heavily on battery technology.
Despite not being the ideal choice, lithium-ion remains the industry standard. Lithium tech is dirty, expensive, dangerous, and not easily reclaimed. There are sounder battery technologies, and we need to find and use them.
Cleaner batteries are on the horizon. Air batteries promise higher energy densities than Lithium and use lower-cost, readily available metals. Sodium, graphene, and even hemp are viable substitutes. As more renewable energy is deployed, clean sources of power will be available for the large number of new charging stations needed to replace the internal combustion engine. Solar, wind, and geothermal technologies are being explored as alternatives to aged and dirty energy generation sources.
MaaS wants to eliminate internal combustion engines and reduce the number of privately owned vehicles. There are many environmental benefits to this idea if done right. We are at a point now where we can solve tech problems efficiently. The first-place experts are starting is at the battery level, so we can rely on fast and clean power to bring MaaS even further into the future.
After completing his studies in electrical engineering, Jon Gabay has worked with defense, commercial, industrial, consumer, energy, and medical companies as a design engineer, firmware coder, system designer, research scientist, and product developer. As an alternative energy researcher and inventor, he has been involved with automation technology since he founded and ran Dedicated Devices Corp. up until 2004. Since then, he has been doing research and development, writing articles, and developing technologies for next-generation engineers and students.
Original Source: Mouser
In the electronics value chain, the packaging is a very early stage. The semiconductor foundries can either outsource packaging or do it in-house. In the last two years, the international semiconductor packaging industry has been impacted tremendously because of the strict lockdowns in various countries. Due to this scenario, the production of the chipset has been slumped. In fact, the massive disruptions of the supply chain ecosystem also severely affected the growth and demand of the semiconductor packaging sector. Experts have clearly added that slowly consumer electronics demand will be augmented and that will lead to escalating demand for semiconductor packaging. Numerous international firms are carrying out innovative strategies to deploy cutting-edge technologies in the packaging production process.
The high-end semiconductor devices, wafers, PCBs, ICs, LED chips, and electronic components are mostly imported from China and hence, the closure of manufacturing units in the region has augmented the costs of semiconductor components by more than 2-3 percent. This has led to a supply slump. Nonetheless, OME’s slow manufacturing and the decrease in demand of consumer electronics and smartphones have marginally impacted the semiconductor packaging industry. The delay in planned ventures and the decrease in capital outlays in several end-use industries have crashed the international economy. Also, during that time, semiconductor firms monitored the volumes of product demand and the production schedules have been altered to fulfill the urgent needs by deploying AI-backed technologies.
The growth and resurgence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) and the sudden spike in demand for top-notch electronics spearheaded the cutting-edge application segment across the automotive and consumer electronics sector. Over the years, the packaging technology of semiconductors has been matured to reduce the costs involved and perk up the entire efficiency of Integrated circuits (ICs). Therefore, in the market, the vendors are surrounded by a huge challenge to offer efficient solutions in terms of the performance of the packaging, size, and on-time delivery aspects. Semiconductor packaging technology also plays a pivotal role in the defense and aerospace sector.
Sagar Sharma, Chief of Staff, India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) said, “When we speak about semiconductor design and manufacturing, packaging plays a very important role. The cost, power, performance, and normal functionality of all chips on a macro level are dependent on it. Basically, the container is the package where the semiconductor die is kept. After the COVID-19 scenario, many global semiconductor foundries are increasing their packaging units, which are now done by OSATs or vendors. The die is protected by the package, helps in dissolving the heat, and connects the chip to the board. Currently, the packages appear in various materials, which could be standard or custom and they can be furnished with active or passive cooling.”
As per a report by Future and Markets Insights, the semiconductor packaging market internationally reached a growth of CAGR 4.9 percent. In 2015, the overall market valuation of this industry reached US$ 19.1 billion, whereas by the end of 2021, the sector reached a growth of US$ 25.4 billion. Media reports further added that by 2030, the global market of this industry is speculated to reach $60.44 billion compared to $27.10 billion in 2020 which is increasing at a CAGR of 9.10 percent from 2021 to 2030. When speaking of the Asia-Pacific region, the market is expected to augment at a CAGR of 6.8 percent by grabbing a revenue of $19,078.5 million by 2028. The North American semiconductor packaging market generated $7,778.5 million in 2020 and is projected to register a revenue of $13,747.0 million by 2028.
The global firms operating in this space are massively investing in key strategies such as alliances, expansions, and mergers and acquisitions to increase their worldwide share and presence. Also, new products are being unleashed by these firms to enhance their product range. For example, Intel back in 2022 associated with the University College London (UCL) to unveil a new touchless computer that can be controlled and operated by waving the hands, face, full body, and head. Texas Instruments on the other hand unveiled a new camera and sensor for the mist, rain, and snow for the radar of the vehicle during rough weather.
The semiconductor packaging industry is not new and has been there for more than fifty years, says experts. Slowly, new transistors and architectures started coming in the market and there are innovative ways of increasing the performance with the same transistors or a better one. This is where the major technology was centered and it was inside the chip. The process became a bit intricate because more complex electrical functionality was centered around the central processor. There were necessities of top-notch transistors and different voltage domains. And if the performance needs to escalate in a cost-effective way, all of that functionality cannot be kept into what is going to be a relatively big chip in a cutting-edge node and in that case, the wafers are going to be very costly.
The major problem is that most of the semiconductor companies do not have skilled designers to design a custom SoC for the entire marketplace. In order to have a full operation product, the IP blocks are required to be re-aggregated at the package level, if a chip is disaggregated. Now, this is where the package is being pushed to do an end number of things. Fine lines are needed to retain things integrated. The power and the thermal waste heat requires managing. If a device is power-hungry, more power needs to be delivered. This is where the packages are endowed with additional demands.
One of the major impediments is power utilization and dissipation. It’s hitting the packaging sector due to the integration at the package level. A huge amount of wasted heat is generated by Silicon, which is not thermally methodical. This is because the heat needs to be dumped somewhere else. Experts highlighted that a good participation is required between the package edge and the die. The most important thing from a technological perspective, additional voltage regulations and conversions are required in the package. Through this way, higher voltages can be fetched into the package and then weed them out into lower voltages.
Shanmugavadivel S, Founder at IcOnT Technology & Co-Founder of Tohands, said "Packing is more important as it determines the usability of the silicon wafers. Packaging is core thing that ensures the life time of the semiconductor, Heat withstanding and protect the wafers from environmental hazards. Now a days chip sizes are reduced very much, which is eventually due latest packaging process. First point i would say is infrastructure provided for fab is not enough. It requires a lot of capitals to establish the fab, in which the government is trying to subsidize that too. Second part is the availability of academic institutions which are more into semiconductors. Though India has few but not like Taiwan ,US or other countries established."
Of late, a media report added that the semiconductor packaging industry in India is expected to craft a revenue opportunity of around US$ 1.7 billion during 2022-23. The All India Association of Industries (AIAI) stated that the nation has augmented its investment in defense and military by proclaiming a budget around US$ 67.4 billion during the union budget 2020-21. The investment has been increased to 10 percent when compared to the past few years. The increasing demand of semiconductors in this sector will escalate growth of the packaging industry in the country in the coming years.
Amid the government of India’s strong push to spearhead the growth and supply of semiconductors, packaging wafers will turn out to be the first node, which is going to be localized in the electronic component’s supply chain. In an interaction with the Economic Times, IIT-Madras director Kamakoti V and HCL founder Ajai Chowdhry mentioned that the packaging services like putting the wafers in casing and its shipment will be the most important thing that will start off. Now, when the investments are taken into consideration, the semiconductor packaging industry will make India an imperative part in the worldwide supply chain of semiconductors, used from luxury cars to phones.
Highlighting the importance of semiconductor packaging industry in India, Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Joint Secretary at Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) told CircuitDigest exclusively, “The growth in electronics manufacturing in India is happening immensely because back in 2014-15, the valuation was just 29 billion, and now, we have a target of 300 billion in the coming four years. In fact, the economy of semiconductors in the country is also growing around 110 million. So, you can imagine what kind of growth is happening. By 2030, the semiconductor industry is also poised to become a trillion dollar economy; around 450-500 billion economies exist in this industry. This is the right time for design and make products in India backed by incentive opportunities. Product design is the most important thing and the journey starts from there. In the semiconductor program, we have attributed 30 percent incentives for designing in India. Around 50 percent of the cost will be borne by the government from designing to testing and production of final products.”
To boost the growth further, homegrown electronics firm Sahasra Group has set up a memory chip assembly, test and packaging unit in the Bhiwadi region of Rajasthan with a capital outlay of Rs 150 crore, which in coming three years will increase to Rs 300 Crore. The plant is set to begin its operation from February 2023. Whereas, another home-grown firm Ruttonsha invested Rs 200 crore, which is under the compound semiconductor category. In Phase 1, the company aims to produce silicon wafers, phase 2 is about fabricating power electronic devices, and the unit is expected to commence its operation by March 2023.
In December 2021, the government announced a staggering Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme of roughly $10 billion dollar, which will offer an incentive of upto 30 percent on the capital expenditure for OSAT/ATMP. It is expected by the government that there would be 15 approvals for semiconductor packaging and compound semiconductors. And as per a report of the ET, Tata Electronics' Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) is in discussions with several international OSAT vendors and semiconductor firms to invest into advanced packaging of semiconductors.
Speaking of the grave concerns in this industry, Dr. Sandip Chatterjee, Director & Scientist at MeitY told CircuitDigest exclusively, “The semiconductor industry has transformed tremendously over the past few years and it requires a very high-tech workforce. Advanced materials should be the main thrust area. We require more skilled manpower, research in a very matured way and there should be more IPs. From the ministry side, we are creating an ecosystem along with the industry where we are trying to create more deep tech startups. We also have a couple of centers of excellence in India on semiconductors.”
“What we are trying to do is solve the pain-points of research and final development of the products. Investment will come, but unless we are working on the technology side we cannot grow our market. In the last four decades, the government of India has invested heavily on R&D especially on IIMs and IITs. We have even created nano-centers in IITs. But findings reveal that in the last two decades the institutes were not focused and the industry was also not capable of absorbing the high-end niche research areas. In the last 5-6 years, industry has started taking interest. Earlier, IITs were taking initiatives of upto tier-III cities, which is now extended beyond that.” added Chatterjee.
After watching and experiencing turning off and on our household water pump manually, it was really hectic and frustrating. It happened many times when you stay alone at home and while using the bathroom, the overhead tank got emptied and you were hassled. Even the opposite happened when you turned on the pump and forgot to switch it off, causing heavy water and power wastage. This leads us to make a circuit that can automatically turn the pump off or on depending on the level of water. Meanwhile building the circuit we came across that the water level measurement happens to the overhead tank which is usually placed on the terrace of the apartments and the pump is located on the ground floor. Now the cost of the wire of that length is huge. So we thought of making it wireless, and that too using simple components that are very cheap and affordable. And you can build the whole system under $3 or $4. Check out our previously built electronic circuits to learn more.
Also check our previous water level monitoring projects:
The circuit automatically turns on and off the pump that fills the tank by monitoring the level of water inside it. After reaching the upper threshold the pump turns off and after going below a lower threshold the pump turns on. The wireless control cuts the cost of wire that needs to be connected from the tank to the pump circuitry.
Project Used Hardware
Project Used Software
The hardware logic is purely built using Logic gates, more specifically just a bunch of NOR gates(universal it is). we used CD4001 quad Nor gates to develop our sequential logic and build the circuit. And since we are making the wireless, so we used simple RF modules to send the ON or OFF signals to the Water Pump. EasyEDA was used for designing the PCBs.
The project contains two schematics. 1. The measurement and transmitting circuitry, that measures the water level, and transmits ON or OFF signal i.e a high or low. In the circuit, we have three wires that connects to the screw terminals as the measuring input, from there it gets fed to the sequential logic made by the NOR gates CD4001 which is used to trigger the when the water inside the tank is empty and stop when the water is full. This signal is now fed to a 433MHz RF transmitter that transmits the desired signal. 2. The receiving and driving circuit that receives the ON or OFF signal by the RF receiver and drives a relay which will turn the Motor ON or OFF.
The system consists of two circuits, one, measuring the level of the water, latching control, and transmitting the on-off signal. Two, receiving the on, off signal and driving the relay to turn on and off the pump. The measurement is done using naked wires acting as leads, placed at two different heights(upper threshold and lower threshold). Don't worry it is safe to use the naked wires since it is powered by LV +5v. The control circuitry contains a sequential logic circuit that was built according to the truth table modeled for the output whenever going high. Now the output is fed into a 433Mhz RF transmitter that sends the ON and OFF signal. The RF receiver receives the ON and OFF signal and turns the relay on and off accordingly. The relay will be responsible to turn ON and OFF the HVAC pump.
Saves Power: Using a water level controller saves power. This is because water levels are controlled automatically, which limits the amount of electricity used. As a result, less water and power are used to regulate a water supply. In an age where energy conservation is of utmost importance, using one of these devices is very beneficial. -Cost-Effective: Since a water level controller conserves power, it saves money, as well. Basically, water regulation is optimized through these devices, which means that wasted electricity and wasted water are kept at a minimum. That saves a substantial amount of money over time. Also, the advantage of making it wireless is to reduce the cost of the wires that are required to connect the sensing end and the controlling end. -Works Automatically: It can work on its own. There is no need to operate them manually thanks to timer switches. This means that the frustrations involved with monitoring something like a water tank are minimized, and the water levels will be where they should be. -Sustainable Water Usage: Additionally, water usage can be maximized with a water level controller. Often, water pumps get more use during the middle of the day. A water level controller is helpful because it automatically provides more water during the middle of the day and less water at night. As a result, water remains at its appropriate level at all times. -Challenges we ran into The RF modules we bought were not perfectly tuned and were not responding correctly. So we got stuck there really badly for a long time. We figured it out later, that a small variable inductance is there by which the inductance can be changed and thus the frequency. Making the leads for measuring the level of water was a bit challenging as it required some amplification to turn the inputs high. We used two transistors here. -Accomplishments that we're proud of Tuning the RF transmitter and the receiver really got us a break. Modeling the control circuit using sequential digital logic, and implementing it using three NOR gates was great. And of course, the final step, where the circuit works like a charm.
We learned to model real-time tautology to digital logic using a truth table and thus implement it with logic gates. We studied latches in semesters, but never thought why by using two nor gates in that configuration. This project helped us to know deep about it and got a good grasp of sequential logic. We also learned about RF communication between two cheap RF modules.
Reason behind the project name One of our team member's mothers suggested the name 'Varun' for this project because in Indian Hindu mythology, the name of the Water God is said to be 'Varun', and since our project deals with the flow and conservation of water, we found this name suitable for our project. Therefore 'Varun' is a project not only spreads and glorifies the notion of 'save water, save life', but also shows immense respect towards the said community's history.
Ordering a PCB for it and gathering components so that we can make it professionally and use it, in our apartments, to test further reliability. Using a solar cell to power the transmitter unit consumes very low power in the order of 2mA. With that being said we can use this circuit in agricultural fields for irrigation.
While making a customized RGB LED set up at our home, basically it was a bunch of addressable 5v LEDs the WS2812, but unfortunately, we didn't have a high current power source to light them up properly. Since there was a lot of them, it required around 9 Amps of current to lighten up at full brightness. This led us to design one Power Supply for this purpose, as well as the Gerbers are shared, so if one wants to make this power source they can do so easily.
We have previously built many Power Supply Circuits, check them to learn more about Power Electronics.
What it does?
It is a High Watt Power Supply Unit that converts 85V to 250V RMS AC to 5V DC rated at 60W which provides a current draw of 12 Amps, and that too in a small form factor, and isolated output with high efficiency.
Project Used Hardware
Project Used Software
First, we tinkered with TI’s Webench Power Supply Design and found some really decent designs, as a perfect match for our requirements. After a while, by getting a balanced result from all ways, i.e a small size, high current draw (12A) ample to source our LEDs, high efficiency; we started making the schematic in EasyEDA. Next, we designed the PCB and rechecked every connection thoroughly for any disputes. Obviously, we don't want to get ourselves zapped. Main Components Used: Bridge Rectifier Coupled Transformer CV CC UCC28740 flyback controller by TI UCC24630 Synchronous Rectifier Controller by TI Optocouplers Power Mosfets TL431 adjustable Zener Schottky Diodes Power Inductors Complementary Passive components Challenges we ran into Orienting the PCB Layout was a bit challenging, Along with that routing and connecting the components was a bit tricky.
The circuit consists of the following stages: First, the rectifier converts the AC to pulsating DC and after that, it goes through a PI filter that smoothens the pulsating DC to stable DC, then this high voltage DC is chopped by the flyback controller and fed into a transformer that not only steps the voltage down but also provides galvanic isolation. An optocoupler constantly monitors the output voltage and provides feedback to the flyback controller and changes the pulse width for controlling the output voltage. The output is driven through a high power MOSFET with a decent amount of heatsinking capability that can drive high loads.
Accomplishments that we're proud of: Making the PCB design and completing the project on time with video and presentation was our greatest achievement.
It was a good experience, about learning about the fly-back controller, which not only provides isolation but also has great efficiency. How SMPS has been so efficient and small yet delivering such high power.
Later this week we are thinking of fabricating this PCB along with component sourcing, to make it real.
Warning- This Circuit deals with AC mains (aka High Voltage that can kill you). Take High precautions before performing. You have been warned.
Arduino is an open-source microcontroller platform that is widely used in DIY electronics and robotics projects. It is easy to use and has a huge community of users who share their projects and offer support to others. We made a lot of amazing projects with Arduino, ESPs, ARM, and Raspberry Pi in 2022.
Here is a list of the top 10 Arduino projects that you can build:
An animatronic eye is a mechanical device that is designed to mimic the movement and appearance of a real eye. The circuit we made is powered by Arduino, and can be used for a variety of applications including robotics, entertainment, and educational projects. They can be programmed to follow a specific set of instructions or can be controlled manually through the use of sensors and controls. The List of components to build an animatronic eye is shown below.
Components Required to Build the 3D Printed Animatronic Eye
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project How to Build a 3D Printed Animatronic Eye with Arduino.
An Arduino based resistor reel cutting machine is a device that is used to cut resistor strips from a reel of resistor material. These resistor strips are used in a variety of electronic circuits and devices, and the process of cutting them from a reel can be time-consuming and prone to errors if done manually. An Arduino based resistor reel cutting machine automates this process, allowing for accurate and efficient cutting of the resistor strips.
Materials Required to Build a Resistor Reel Cutting Machine
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For further information build instruction and code do check out the project Arduino Based Resistor Reel Cutting Machine.
An Arduino Bluetooth car controlled by a mobile application is a fun and interactive project that allows you to control a small car using your smartphone. This project requires some basic knowledge of Arduino programming and the ability to connect an Arduino board to a Bluetooth module.
Components & Tools Required to Build Wireless Arduino Bluetooth Robot
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project DIY Arduino Bluetooth Car Controlled by Mobile Application.
A Point of View (POV) display is a type of display that shows a message or image that appears to be floating in midair. It can be created using an Arduino and some simple electronics. In this tutorial, we have built a POV Display with WS2812B LEDs.
Components Required to Build Arduino Based POV Display
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project How not to Build a POV Display Using WS2812B Neopixel LEDs and ESP8266 .
An IoT (Internet of Things) based compact soil moisture monitoring device is a device that is designed to measure the moisture content of soil using sensors, and transmit the data to a remote location using an IoT network. These devices are often used in agriculture to help farmers optimize irrigation schedules, and in landscaping to help maintain optimal moisture levels in plants. Some compact soil moisture monitoring devices may also have additional features such as temperature and pH sensors, which can provide additional information about the soil conditions.
Components Required to Build Arduino Based POV Display
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project Low Power IoT Based Compact Soil Moisture Monitoring Device.
A motorized camera slider is a device that allows a camera to be moved horizontally along a track, often for the purpose of capturing smooth, panning shots. A motorized camera slider using Arduino is one that is controlled using an Arduino microcontroller, which is a small computer that can be programmed to control various electronic devices.
Components Required to Build Arduino Camera Slider
For further information build instructions and code do check out the project DIY Motorized Camera Slider using Arduino and Stepper Motors for Video Shooting.
A handheld retro gaming console using an ESP32 is a device that allows you to play classic video games on the go. The ESP32 is a microcontroller with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, making it well-suited for building wireless, portable devices.
Components Required to build Handheld Retro Gaming Console
For further information build instructions and code do check out the project DIY Handheld Retro Gaming Console using ESP32.
In this tutorial we have built a Touch Capacitive PCB using an ATMega328P IC to control the neo pixel led strip. We will include some features such as music reactive mode, random animation mode, and RGB controlling mode on our PCB.
Components Required to build the Front Panel PCB
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project Design and Build a Touch Capacitive Based PCB Light Panel to Control NeoPixel LED Strip.
A power consumption monitoring device using an ESP32 is a device that measures the power consumption of an electrical appliance or system, and transmits the data to a remote location using an ESP32 microcontroller with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.
Components Required to build Smart Power Consumption Meter
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project Power Consumption Monitoring Device.
An ultrasonic mist maker using an ESP8266 is a device that uses high-frequency sound waves to create a fine mist, and is controlled using an ESP8266 microcontroller with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities. This type of device is often used to add moisture to the air, for example in a greenhouse or to increase humidity in a room.
Components Required to Build Arduino Based Mist Maker
For further information build instruction and code do check out the project DIY Ultrasonic Mist Maker.
Shanmugavadivel S, founder of IcOnt Technologies and co-founder of Tohands is an electronics enthusiast. He is always open to making his hands dirty with soldering and his hobby is working with electronics. Whenever he finds time, he will do some experiments with electronics that sometimes he too doesn't know what he is doing. Recently, he has unveiled the first of its kind Made-in-India Smart Calculator, which he thinks is the backbone of small businesses.
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