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Embedded R&D secures Mexico's national welfare |
In the 1980s and 1990s, plans to move electronics manufacturing companies to Asia were cause for concern regarding Mexico's future. Decisive efforts to promote education and R&D—in partnerships between universities and companies—turned that trend around.
Right now, embedded technology products are developed in Mexico, for production in Mexico. Design activities complement production and minimize vulnerability when Mexico is no longer a typical low-wage country.
“I believe that we are starting to prevent companies from moving to Asia. Instead, we're now beginning to attract Asian companies,” says Mr. Luiz Gonzalez Perez, director of the Electronic Design Center at Tecnológico de Monterrey, a large Mexican technical university. |
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| The Tecnológico de Monterrey University was one of the stakeholders behind an initiative to launch the Electronic Design Center. The university has 93,000 students on 34 campuses throughout Mexico. |
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Just a few decades ago, all IBM laptops, most of Sony’s HDTV systems, and all HP printers were manufactured in Mexico. Global electronics companies' production had enormous impact on Mexico's economy. Consequently, its worries were well-founded when wages rose among Mexican factory workers, and Asia seemed to be the better production option.
“Almost 20% of income generated in Mexico came from the electronics industry located in the north and western region of the country,” says Gonzalez Perez. |
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Starting the Electronic Design Center |
Something had to be done. Intel Guadalajara Design Center, the Mexican government, and Tecnológico de Monterrey launched an initiative to promote design activities in the country. That is how Centro de Diseno Electronico was born in 2005 in the Guadalajara campus. This center does research and development, training and offers design services focused on hardware, firmware, and software.
“The idea behind this initiative was that by promoting national design efforts, manufacturing companies would be less likely to move abroad.”
Partnerships between private companies and the university have served as a key driver since the foundation of Tecnológico de Monterrey in 1943. Each of the 34 campuses spread throughout Mexico is adapted to the regional strengths to maximize partnership outcomes. For instance, in southern Mexico, focus is on agriculture; in Guadalajara it’s electronics and software development. |
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Many success outcomes |
Now, four years after the launch of this initiative, results are becoming evident. Gonzalez Perez gives one example after the other . . .
Jabil Circuit assembles mobile phones for Nokia; two years ago, its first design group was started. Sasken develops mobile-device firmware and software; a few years ago, it established a branch in Monterrey. Perot Systems, a software company, now has a presence in Mexico. Recently, Intel established important research and development centers such as the Communications Technology Group devoted to IC design for wireless communications. And many small companies that work with electronics design have also started.
The Center also designs platforms for mobile applications development that is based on technologies such as:
- Global system for mobile communications (GSM)
- General packet radio service (GPRS)
- Global positioning system (GPS)
- Bluetooth
“Once we've developed these general purpose platforms, we offer them to electronics companies in order to develop high tech products entirely designed and manufactured in Mexico with shorter time to market.” |
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Streamlining emergency care |
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| Mobile device for emergency care uses wireless technology to transmit patient data to hospital's call center. |
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Nahual is one of the platforms that targets mobile application development. Several companies have been interested in designing high-tech devices from it. Among these, Medisist, a med-tech company, is interested in using the Nahual in a mobile device for ambulance emergency care.
The resulting product (for streamlining emergency medical care) is now close to being launched. When ambulances respond to emergency calls, timing is life-critical.
A mobile device is connected to the patient to transmit vital, body-function data (e.g., pulse, respiration, and EKG) to a call center for evaluation.
Based on the patient's data, specialists at the call center determine the severity of the patient's condition and decide if the patient must be quickly transported to a hospital.
“The same data determine preparations that are made at the hospital,” says Gonzalez Perez. “Minutes are saved, and the patient can be promptly treated.” |
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Quality assurance in patient care |
Another healthcare project is now in a start-up phase. A product using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology will support medication administration and quality assurance during patient treatment at hospitals. An RFID tag attached to a bed contains vital patient information such as allergies, medical history, blood type, and current and previous treatments. To support nurses in their work, secure digital (SD) cards, with RFID transceivers in PDA slots or cell phones, read and display that information.
“Right now we're in the process of miniaturizing the design,” says Gonzalez Perez. |
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Reducing time to market |
The RFID-based product uses the MSP430 microcontroller from Texas Instruments. Software engineers chose IAR Embedded Workbench as the development environment to reduce time to market.
“The engineers realized that IAR Embedded Workbench made microcontroller and transceiver integration faster and easier because libraries were already included. In addition, the engineers told me that the environment is very user friendly and easy to work with.”
These two product examples are designed to be useful within Mexico's medical care system. Medical care isn't always easily available because it’s expensive and hospitals are full. Using wireless technologies, the products boost availability.
“One example is "home visit" opportunities. Here, patient data are transmitted from homes to medical centers, so patients just pay physicians for interpreting text-and graphics-based information.” |
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Using ZigBee and RFID |
A few other projects that involve MSP430 and IAR Embedded Workbench were also launched. One application uses the ZigBee network technology in a plant that produces lubricant. The other is an RFID application that will be used in a supply chain management project; here, RFID tags will be put on warehouse items.
There isn't enough space here to go into all details of the many embedded design projects and business related activities that Gonzalez Perez describes. Mexico seems to be well on its way to achieving its goal of a balancing manufacturing with design and research in its electronics industry. |
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Organization: Electronic Design Center
Location: Tecnológico de Monterrey University in Guadalajara, Mexico
Size: 15 engineers and 7 design projects
Objectives: Using MSP430 microcontrollers integrated with RFID transceivers
IAR Systems offering: IAR Embedded Workbench with support and update agreement
Benefits: Included software libraries shortens time to market
Web site: www.itesm.edu |
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| Shortcut to this page: http://www.iar.com/monterrey |
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