Thai high-tech pioneers in embedded systems and chip design: Dr. Wiwat Wongwarawipat and Design Gateway
By Jon Fernquest
A
new innovative small Thai high-tech company
has designed a computer chip for Nasa, the US space agency. Today's article from the Database section of the Bangkok Post provides the details.
The article follows the vocabulary:
pioneers - the first
people or company to do something
embedded systems - a special-purpose computer systems that can respond to events in real time, designed to perform special "dedicated" tasks such as controlling a piece of machinery on an assembly line, embedded systems range from portable devices such as digital watches and MP3 players, to large systems such as traffic lights, factory controllers, or even systems controlling nuclear power plants (See Wikipedia)
Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) - the US government agency that runs the US space program, established in 1958, Nasa was responsible for Apollo missions to the Moon, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle, currently NASA is supporting the International Space Station and developing new Ares I and V launch vehicles (See Wikipedia)
innovative - new and original, unlike other things in the past
embedded systems - a special-purpose computer systems that can respond to events in real time, designed to perform special "dedicated" tasks such as controlling a piece of machinery on an assembly line, embedded systems range from portable devices such as digital watches and MP3 players, to large systems such as traffic lights, factory controllers, or even systems controlling nuclear power plants (See Wikipedia)
Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) - the US government agency that runs the US space program, established in 1958, Nasa was responsible for Apollo missions to the Moon, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle, currently NASA is supporting the International Space Station and developing new Ares I and V launch vehicles (See Wikipedia)
innovative - new and original, unlike other things in the past
(In photo to the right: Wiwat Wongwarawipat, Managing Director at Design Gateway (left), and project leader Thanaporn Sangpaithoon (right) shows the DG SATA, which has acquired Nasa as a customer)
Nasa to use Thai system
Prestigious customer for local design house2/12/2009
Suchit Leesa-nguansuk
After spending more than 10 years in embedded business in Thailand, a local pioneer has gained Nasa as customer by providing Serial ATA IPcore for high-speed applications, highlighting Thailand's capabilities.
Dr Wiwat Wongwarawipat, Managing Director at Design Gateway, a fabless semiconductor integrated circuit design house and embedded system, told Database that Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center will use Design Gateway's product in their spacecrafts.
a prestigious
customer - a customer twho is respected and admired by other
people
a design house - a small company which does a business in designing things (products, clothes, computer chips)
embedded business - a business that designs and produces embedded systems
Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center - a major NASA space research laboratory established in 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, employs about 10,000 people, located aabout 10.5 km from Washington, D.C. (See website and Wikipedia)
IPcore - "in electronic design a semiconductor intellectual property (IP) core is a reusable unit of logic, cell, or chip layout design and is also the intellectual property of one party. IP cores may be licensed to another party" (See Wikipedia)
vendors - companies that sell a product
Serial ATA - a kind of "computer bus" or way of connecting hard drives to the rest of the computer (See Wikipedia)
hard disk drive, hard drive (HDD) - the place where files are saved for a long time on a computer (See Wikipedia)
integrated circuit - the small computer chips you typically find inside your computer (See Wikipedia)
fabless - a fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips, does not produce the design itself, but sends to semiconductor fabrication plant (See Wikipedia)
a semiconductor fabrication plant, a fab - a factory that makes chips and integrated circuits (See Wikipedia)
fabless semiconductor integrated circuit design house - a small company that does chip design but outsources manufacturing
a design house - a small company which does a business in designing things (products, clothes, computer chips)
embedded business - a business that designs and produces embedded systems
Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center - a major NASA space research laboratory established in 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, employs about 10,000 people, located aabout 10.5 km from Washington, D.C. (See website and Wikipedia)
IPcore - "in electronic design a semiconductor intellectual property (IP) core is a reusable unit of logic, cell, or chip layout design and is also the intellectual property of one party. IP cores may be licensed to another party" (See Wikipedia)
vendors - companies that sell a product
Serial ATA - a kind of "computer bus" or way of connecting hard drives to the rest of the computer (See Wikipedia)
hard disk drive, hard drive (HDD) - the place where files are saved for a long time on a computer (See Wikipedia)
integrated circuit - the small computer chips you typically find inside your computer (See Wikipedia)
fabless - a fabless semiconductor company specializes in the design and sale of hardware devices implemented on semiconductor chips, does not produce the design itself, but sends to semiconductor fabrication plant (See Wikipedia)
a semiconductor fabrication plant, a fab - a factory that makes chips and integrated circuits (See Wikipedia)
fabless semiconductor integrated circuit design house - a small company that does chip design but outsources manufacturing
The company provides Serial ATA IPcore (SATA IP) for FPGA, an integrated circuit in FPGA enabling high-speed read-write data on a Serial ATA hard disk drive with a maximum reading data speed of 280 MB/s, and 220 MB/s for writing data.
Serial ATA IPcore (SATA IP)
FPGA, FPGA prototyping - a method of designing and testing chips and computer hardware (See Wikipedia)
enabling high-speed read-write data - makes both writing and reading data possible
FPGA, FPGA prototyping - a method of designing and testing chips and computer hardware (See Wikipedia)
enabling high-speed read-write data - makes both writing and reading data possible
And as one FPGA chip can install eight SATA IP, this enables the system to read and write data faster, at 1.76 GB per second (220 MB/s x 8), making it suitable for high-speed interface applications such as spacecrafts, airplanes, high-definition video and digital cinema, or high-speed communication and high-resolution picture storage. All these applications require a high-speed controller.
"This is a very niche area and Thailand is one of the few countries that can provide products such as this. We have price comparative advantage and previous customers in Europe, Japan and the US, which allowed Nasa to have confidence in us," Dr Wiwat explained.
He continued that in the past, the company has only focused on design by customer order.
This new Serial ATA IPcore is the first product under the company brand in global standard products and the high-end market.
interface applications -
a program that sends and coordinates data between two different
machines or software systems
niche area - a small area of expert knowledge producing for customers with very special needs
have confidence in us - be sure about our ability
design by customer order- the customer tells them what they want, then they make a design to meet these exact needs
niche area - a small area of expert knowledge producing for customers with very special needs
have confidence in us - be sure about our ability
design by customer order- the customer tells them what they want, then they make a design to meet these exact needs
With its niche and high value-added products, the company expects to at least break even next year.
Further to the individual company's success, this will also help showcase Thailand's skills and capabilities in this area. Dr Wiwat sees that if Thailand can build its skilled IC design and embedded system labour force, it can be exported, especially to Japan, which has a demand in this field of 90,000 people each year. At present, only 5,000 Thai students graduate in such disciplines each year.
He also believes that embedded system development will bring a new source of revenue to the country especially in the automotive, agriculture and health-care industries.
break even - make 0
profit, when a business neither loses money nor gains money
expects to at least break even - believes they will either make a profit or at worst lose nothing
showcase Y - showing Y in the best possible way
showcase Thailand's skills and capabilities - show Thailand's skills and capabilities in the best possible way
build its skilled IC design and embedded system labour force - educate skilled electronics workers (IC, embedded systems) and also have them build their work experience
disciplines - specialized subjects that students study in university
expects to at least break even - believes they will either make a profit or at worst lose nothing
showcase Y - showing Y in the best possible way
showcase Thailand's skills and capabilities - show Thailand's skills and capabilities in the best possible way
build its skilled IC design and embedded system labour force - educate skilled electronics workers (IC, embedded systems) and also have them build their work experience
disciplines - specialized subjects that students study in university
In the automotives, the embedded system can be used in many areas, such as the electric car, which helps save energy, and smart controls, which can load new software programs on to the vehicle's electronic systems, enabling greater customisation.
And in agriculture, electronic trackers that use embedded systems, such as a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and solar cells, can program farm tasks automatically, without human control.
"Every time that has a new technology disrupts industries, it opens opportunities for new players to enter the market.
"For example, in the camera business, when digital technology emerged, it opened the market for Panasonic, Sony and Fuji in this area," Dr Wiwat concluded.
vehicle's electronic systems -
the computers and electronics in cars and trucks
customisation - making something specially to meet one customer's needs
track (verb) - the follow something and check it as it
tracker (noun) - a device that tracks people or things (for example: where a package is as it is being sent)
electronic trackers - an electronic device that tracks things
GPS (Global Positioning System) - a small device that allows you determine your position on a map using satellite signals, mobile phones often have this device nowadays (See Wikipedia)
solar cells - a battery that gets its energy from the sun (See Wikipedia)
disrupt - cause difficulties and prevent activity from continuing normally
new technology disrupts industries - new technology (mobile phones, computers) causes difficulties in industries which causes industries to change
digital technology emerged - computer and network technologies grew, developed, and finally became useable by many people
customisation - making something specially to meet one customer's needs
track (verb) - the follow something and check it as it
tracker (noun) - a device that tracks people or things (for example: where a package is as it is being sent)
electronic trackers - an electronic device that tracks things
GPS (Global Positioning System) - a small device that allows you determine your position on a map using satellite signals, mobile phones often have this device nowadays (See Wikipedia)
solar cells - a battery that gets its energy from the sun (See Wikipedia)
disrupt - cause difficulties and prevent activity from continuing normally
new technology disrupts industries - new technology (mobile phones, computers) causes difficulties in industries which causes industries to change
digital technology emerged - computer and network technologies grew, developed, and finally became useable by many people
(Source: Nasa to use Thai system, Prestigious customer for local design house, 2/12/2009, Suchit Leesa-nguansuk, link)
