In the world of smartphone chips, such as Kirin, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple’s, they are all competing for single-digit nanometer processes to achieve the highest efficiency and advanced instruction sets for maximum performance release.
However, in the industrial field, if you casually open a PLC, you will find that the main control CPU on the PCB is not advanced in the entire chip field. Similar products may include set-top boxes and washing machines. Why don’t industries use the most advanced CPUs?
High CPU Frequency in Smartphones
High-end CPUs often have frequencies ranging from hundreds of MHz to several GHz. A high frequency means higher power consumption, and some industrial embedded devices (like the well-known gas meters and electronic tags in the IoT) require low power consumption. Therefore, high-end CPUs are unsuitable for low-power industrial embedded applications.
Stability
High-end CPUs generally use single-digit nanometer processes. More advanced processes do not necessarily mean higher stability. In fact, 10nm processes are less resistant to interference compared to the 90nm and 45nm chips that are more common in industrial applications. The reason is simple: the wider the line width, the stronger the resistance to interference.
Operating Voltage
High-end CPUs have high frequencies and low operating voltages. There are many applications that must operate at 3V or 5V (for example, some automotive component modules require 5V).
Market Positioning
The main market for high-end CPUs is the smartphone industry, focusing on camera support and optimization, cellular network support, voice functionality support, and image and video processing support. In contrast, some industrial embedded devices need to connect to CAN bus networks (automotive sensors), Zigbee networks (smart homes), EtherCAT networks (for servo devices requiring high synchronization performance), etc.
Model Binding
High-end CPUs are updated too quickly, making it impossible to ensure that the same model of CPU can still be purchased new after five years. Additionally, Qualcomm CPUs are often sold bundled with related patents, creating a seller’s market for most domestic smartphone manufacturers. These factors are of little use to industrial embedded products.
Price
You know what I mean.
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Source: Jicheng Training Network, Author: Jicheng – Sun Guorui, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited!