Eric Vittoz - IEEE

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TECHNICAL LITERATURE Fig. 11: Early watch with telecom application (Swath The Beep) and ultra-low power RF circuits for portable electronic devices quency. These watches integrated a 32-bit dedicated ARM-Core platform. One of these models, the High-T, has been built for Tissot. The model featured a graphical user interface (GUI) based on a dot-matrix LCD display and tactile glass technology integrated in a steel case. Network and services availability being available only in the US, these models remained confined to this market. C. Ultra Low Power (ULP) Bluetooth Most communicating wristwatches realized so far with either a longer communication range or higher data rate capability could only be realized with rechargeable batteries. Acknowledging the need for demanding communication technologies at very low power, be it for watches or other applications, EM Microelectronic is currently working on a joint development project with partners from the industry and academic research to build a very low-power RF front end chip, compatible with the currently standardized ULP Bluetooth channels. X. Conclusion History tells that watch-making has been and still remains an extremely favorable, creative and innovative context for micro and nano-technologies. The wristwatch is acting as an extremely prolific catalyst in the technological quest for the better, smaller, more efficient and even more beautiful. Watch-making not only generates new technologies and whole industries, but often also acts as an early adopter. Numerous new technologies have been pioneered in watch applications; because wristwatches are a mass-market product, they are also the ideal platform to bring technological improvements to public awareness. Tactile technology increasingly becomes pervasive especially in portable electronic devices (music players, cell phones, etc). Tissot had introduced its T- Touch already in the year 2000. Electronic wristwatches have brought a long-term and steady contribution to the availability of lowpower, low-voltage technologies and they have thereby significantly contributed to the feasibility of a wealth of other portable electronic applications. The cross-fertilization described earlier in this article is however not limited to the electronic watch industry. Today, wristwatches have advanced to an abundance of choices from very cost effective entrylevel quartz watches to the very high-end bejeweled mechanical masterpieces. It is no secret that currently mechanical watches are again high in the trend. Technological improvements and innovations continue to happen also in the mechanical segment. Nivarox – a company of the Swatch Group specialized in the manufacturing of time-regulating components for mechanical wristwatches – prepares to install a production facility for silicon watch parts. Silicon is insensitive to magnetic fields and opens the way to new and more complex shapes. Moreover, silicon is lighter and harder than steel, needs no lubrication and is resistant to corrosion and wear. Production readiness of such parts originates on results of a joint MEMS project run by Swiss research institutes and Swiss watch-makers. This latest example further underlines how a very traditional handicraft (mechanical watch-making) can take advantage of the most advanced technologies to improve the precision of its masterpieces, thereby developing and improving a unique know-how which will not fail to show fall-outs again outside of the watch-making industry. But such an example also proves the inevitable and essential role of Switzerland’s industrial network, which remains at very forefront of watch-making technology. Acknowledgement To all engineers of the Swatch Group who over the years have contributed to bring research results to industrial maturity. References [1] J. Drori, S. Jewell-Larsen, R. Klein, W. Owen, R. Simko, W. Tchon, M. Darwish, H. Dill, "A single 5V supply nonvolatile static RAM", Solid-State Circuits Conference. Digest of Technical Papers. 1981 IEEE International, Volume XXIV, Issue , Feb 1981, pp. 148 - 149. 40 IEEE SSCS NEWS Summer 2008
[2] Th. Gyger, O. Desjeux, "EasyRide: active transponders for a fare collection system", Micro, IEEE, Volume 21, Issue 6, Nov/Dec 2001, pp. 36 - 42 [3] Some examples presented by Asulab : "SwatchTalk: The first wristwatch phone" : Congrès Européen de Chronométrie - Karlsruhe, Germany, 1998; "GPS-Watch: An analogue wristwatch including a very low power GPS receiver" : ION GPS 2000 Conference - Salt Lake City, USA, 2000; "Vibrato: Touch only time reading and alarm setting" : Société Suisse de Chronométrie - Geneva, Switzerland, 2002. About the Authors Mougahed Darwish holds a doctorate in Physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. He has been member of the Extended Group Management Board of the Swatch Group since 2005 and is responsible for EM Microelectronic, Micro Crystal, Renata, Microcomponent, Michel Präzisionstechnik, Sokymat Automotive, Oscilloquartz and Lasag. Dr. Darwish has been with the Group since 1979, starting as Project Manager for the Xicor-Ebauches joint venture. Previously, he had been active in research and development for the Centre électronique horloger (CEH) (today Centre Suisse de l'électronique et de microtechnique SA, CSEM). From 1985 to 2006, he ran EM Microelectronic as a CEO, where he is now a member and delegate of the board. Dr. Darwish is also member of the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences. Marc G. R. Degrauwe was born in Brussels, Belgium on August 16th, 1957. He received the engineering degree in electronics and the Ph.D. degree in applied sciences from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuwen (KUL) Leuven, Belgium, in 1980 and 1983, respectively. During the summer of 1980 he was on leave at the Centre électronique horloger (CEH), Neuchâtel, Switzerland. From autumn 1980 to 1983 he was associated with KUL where he worked on the design of micropower amplifiers and sampled date filters. In July 1983 he returned to CEH. In 1984 when CEH was reorganized into the CSEM, he became Head of the Circuits Department, reporting to Dr. E. Vittoz. Later on, he became responsible for the Microsystems activity, the IC design, mask shop and tribological measurement equipment. Dr. Degrauwe also lectured on analog circuit design from 1985 till 2006 at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He authored or co-authored more than 10 papers on low power in the JSSC Journal and the ISSCC Conference. He was also secretary of the European program committee of ISSCC. Dr. Degrauwe received the 1987 ESSCIRC Conference Best Paper Award for a paper on crystal oscillators he co-authored. TECHNICAL LITERATURE In 1999, he joined EM Microelectronic where he became COO in 2006 and CEO in 2007. Thomas E. Gyger was born in Switzerland, in 1961. He received the engineer degree engineer in electronics from the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) in Saint-Imier in 1984. Between 1984 and 1999, he worked as software project manager for various companies of Ascom, a international telecom solutions group, including 4 years at the corporate R&D labs. He is working for EM Microelectronic since 2000 as project manager for electronic systems and RFID projects with a focus on data security. He took over the function of Communication Manager in 2007. Part of his time at EM was devoted to project management for Swatch Group Research & Development, working on several watch projects with advanced technologies. Th. Gyger is also member of the Swiss Informatics Society. Günther Meusburger was born in Austria 1945. He received the Academic Degree from Technische Universität, Vienna, Austria. From 1973 to 1978 he was with Siemens Research Laboratories, Munich, Germany where he was involved in the design of DRAMs. In 1978 he joined Eurosil GmbH, Munich where he was responsible for the Design department for CMOS Low power, low voltage IC's. In 1984 he moved as Design Manager to EM Microelectronic in Marin, Switzerland, a company of the Swatch Group developing and producing also CMOS Low Power and Low Voltage IC's. Since 1994, G. Meusburger is business unit leader and responsible for the development of Watch IC's for the Swiss watch industry. Jean-Claude Robert graduated in electronics from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ), Switzerland, in 1971. He joined the Technical Direction of Ebauches SA in Neuchâtel where he was in charge of developing integrated circuits for watches with LED, LCD and electrochromic displays. Since 1986 he has been responsible for the electronic development at ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse in Grenchen. He is currently Project Manager in the Advanced Research group at ETA and works in the field of new technologies and devices for the future watches. J.-C. Robert has been Member from 1986 to 1998 and President from 1993 to 1995 of the Scientific Board of the Centre électronique horloger (CEH, french acronym for Watchmakers Electronic Center). He is also member of IEEE. Summer 2008 IEEE SSCS NEWS 41
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IEEE Member Digital Library Easy. E
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Up-to-date, Relevant Information Dr
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improving the EDA profession. Some
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Eric Vittoz - IEEE

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