PCB007 Magazine

PCB-Oct2014

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October 2014 • The PCB Magazine 25 • lower power delivery network (PDN) self-impedance due to reduction in overall thickness of substrate • lower loop inductance due to thinner substrate • lower voltage drop/shorter run lengths • thin dielectrics offer possibility for reduction/elimination of decoupling capacitors • surface wave effect suppression due to high impedance surface • increased small antenna efficiency with consequent increase in range and battery life • overall smaller footprint/weight/volume for wireless radio Conclusion The potential of wearable electronics is pro- portional to the ability to provide the function- ality outlined in the "More than Moore" con- cept—the need for interactivity with others, with things, and with the data environment. Improved efficiency and range will open up ap- plications such as the impact sensor, or a whole host of remote monitoring systems that simply don't exist today. The key to greater efficiency and range is a departure from the radio and antenna technol- ogies which up to now have worked well as por- table devices have scaled from the dimensions of a small briefcase/handset to the ubiquitous smartphone. The next step to a true, wearable device involves another order of magnitude scaling (about 30x, compared to an iPhone), and at that point conventional planar antennas as well as planar designs in general start to run out of gas. Just as the semiconductor industry is pushing the boundaries of physics in the at- tempt to cram more into smaller and smaller volumes, the radio transceivers which form the backbone of the wireless world must be shrunk to dimensions compatible with the devices they will be housed in. TransSiP has found a way to transcend the physical and electromagnetic limitations of conventional materials with the potential to enable the development of truly in- teractive wearable electronics. PCB WEARABLE ELECTRONICS continues figure 7: transsiP 3d embedded siP. desmond wong is the founder, president, and Cto of transsiP inc., in irvine, California. he may be contact- ed at dwong@transsip.com. william (bill) burr is owner and principal of lPC ltd, senior consultant with bPa Consulting ltd (uK), and currently col- laborating with transsiP, inc. as a senior advisor. he may be contacted at w.burr@transsip.com.

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