iEdge, Nanomechanical Hardware Platform for Edge Computing

具有挑战性的操作环境在许多与企业和循环经济相关的重要物联网（IoT）应用中很常见，包括汽车、航空航天、工业和发电。然而，传统的电子设备不适合在具有挑战性和恶劣的环境中运行，例如在高温下。i-EDGE为在苛刻条件下（即高温（<1 Mrad））运行的物联网边缘设备建立了一个使能的纳米机电（NEM）开关技术平台，使用零待机功率，非易失性存储器，计算性能要求低。i-EDGE将实现NEM“片上系统”（SoC）物联网节点的概念验证演示，该节点具有FPGA、非易失性存储器和温度传感器，由高温电容器组供电，具有用于对电容器进行点滴充电的无线电源接收器，以及用于连接片上FPGA和非易失性存储器的简单数据收发器和传感器读出接口。FPGA结构将基于用于数字逻辑的NEM开关技术，并集成非易失性存储器阵列、用于无线电力传输、数据交换和传感器读出的模拟实用模块。我们将开发用于设计和电路仿真的NEM物理设计套件（PDK），这将促进应用工程师的广泛使用。该技术和设计流程将通过为工业物联网流程开发的状态监测应用程序进行演示。在之前的几个欧盟和国家项目中，我们的技术已经成熟到TRL3， i-EDGE将把它带到TRL5。i-EDGE联盟拥有建立完整供应链的所有专业知识，从基本逻辑和存储单元设计到片上系统，以及迁移路径到NEM技术在欧洲的试点制造。因此，正如欧盟芯片法案所设想的那样，i-EDGE将帮助欧盟在芯片设计和制造能力方面处于领先地位。

Challenging operating environments are common across many important internet of things (IoT) applications related to enterprises and the circular economy, including automotive, aerospace, industrial and power generation. However, conventional electronics are not suitable for operation in challenging and harsh environments, e.g. at high temperatures. i-EDGE establishes an enabling nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switch technology platform for IoT edge devices operating under demanding conditions, i.e., high temperature (<1 Mrad) uses zero standby power, non-volatile memory and has low compute performance requirements. i-EDGE will realize a proof-of-concept demonstrator of a NEM “system-on-chip” (SoC) IoT node with an FPGA, non-volatile memory, and a temperature sensor, powered by a high-temperature capacitor bank, with a wireless power receiver for trickle charging the capacitor, and a simple data transceiver and sensor readout to interface to the on-chip FPGA and non-volatile memory. The FPGA fabric will be based on the NEM switch technology for digital logic, and integrated with a non-volatile memory array, analog utility blocks for wireless power transfer, data exchange and sensor readout. We will develop a NEM physical design kit (PDK) for design and circuit simulation, which will facilitate broad usage by application engineers. The technology and design flow will be demonstrated with a condition monitoring application, that has been developed for industrial IoT processes. In several previous EU and national projects, our technology has matured to TRL3 and i-EDGE will bring it to TRL5. The i-EDGE consortium has all expertise to establish a full supply chain, from basic logic and memory cell design to Systems-on-Chip and a migration path to pilot manufacturing of the NEM technology in Europe. Thus, i-EDGE will help position the EU at the cutting edge of chip design and manufacturing capabilities, as envisaged by the EU Chips Act.