4 Analog Front End (AFE) Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for analog front end (afe) as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 4 analog front end (afe) manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked analog front end (afe) companies as of November, 2024: 1.Analog Devices, Inc., 2.STMicroelectronics, 3.Elmos Semiconductor SE.
Table of Contents
What Is an Analog Front End (AFE)?
An analog front end (AFE) is a set of analog circuits that connects a device that detects signals, such as a sensor, to a device that processes digital signals.
It is sometimes called an AFE from the initial letters of "analog front end." AFE is sometimes called a "signal conditioning circuit" because its main role is to adjust the analog signal output from a sensor in order to connect it to a digital circuit.
Since analog signals detected by sensors and other devices are very weak and often contain many noise components, it is necessary to adjust these analog signals by removing noise, amplifying, and so on.
Usage of Analog Front End (AFE)
An analog front end (AFE) is used to control various sensor modules.
The current era is often referred to as the IoT era, and among the many sensor modules, IoT sensor modules play an important role in the IoT era. The basic system configuration is to detect physical phenomena as analog values using sensors, convert them to digital signals, process them digitally using a microcontroller, and then upload them to the cloud using a wireless communication chip.
In this configuration, the AFE plays an important role along with the sensor and wireless communication chip, and in order to improve the performance of the IoT sensor module, it is necessary to design the AFE appropriately so that digital processing can be performed while extracting as much of the sensor's characteristics as possible.
Principle of Analog Front End
The principle of the AFE is based on various circuit innovations to connect the analog information of the sensor output value with the digital circuit accurately. Specifically, since general sensor outputs are noisy and the signals themselves are weak, it is necessary to use filters and amplifiers for noise reduction and signal amplification. The necessary circuits are integrated in an AFE and then combined with an A/D converter for converting analog signals to digital values.
The A/D converter is generally of the delta-sigma modulation type, and the circuit scale is usually from 16 to 32 bits, depending on the amount of data to be handled. Amplifier circuits include instrumentation amplifiers, operational amplifiers, and trans-impedance amplifiers, which have several switching functions and gain adjustment functions to adjust a wide range of sensor signals.
The AFE itself must operate with digital circuits for serial communication control such as SPI, and digital circuits for serial interface are also provided for this purpose.
Other Information on Analog Front End
Semiconductor chips are often high performance, and AFE includes discrete products with a high degree of freedom, as well as integrated products that integrate many functions. Multiple integrated functions are relatively easy to use.
Highly integrated AFE chips are also available in the market, such as those that integrate analog front ends into pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and other high-performance products. Amplifiers, A/D converters, and other components are integrated into a single chip, which has functions such as adjusting the characteristics of the AFE section and current source according to the characteristics of the sensor element. The reason for this is that sensor elements generally have various output variations depending on temperature and intensity. The compensation function is also a very important characteristic for AFE.
In addition, there are a wide variety of analog front ends for optical sensors, including those that are integrated with optical elements and available as a package, and those that do not include optical elements and only provide AFE functions, allowing the user to select the optical elements freely, to be connected.
List of 4 Analog Front End (AFE) Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
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- Company Size: largest first
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- United States of America
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- Japan
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Analog Devices, Inc.
Analog front-end (AFE) IC
Manufacturer Overview
Incorporated in 1965, Analog Devices, Inc. designs, manufactures, tests, and markets integrated circuits (ICs), software, and subsystems that leverage analog, mixed-signal, and digital signal processing technologies. The company provides data converter products, power management and reference products for power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing, and energy management applications in the automotive, communications, industrial, and high-end consumer markets. In addition, the company provides digital signal processing and system products for high-speed numeric calculations. It serves clients in the industrial, automotive, consumer, instrumentation, aerospace, and communications markets.
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LAPIS Technology
Lithium-ion battery monitoring LSI
Manufacturer Overview
LAPIS Technology, founded in Japan, in 2020 is a manufacturer of Microcontroller, Video LSI, and Speech Synthesis LSI. The company's product portfolio includes Wireless LSI, Wireless Charging LSI, Display Driver, Li-ion Battery Monitoring LSI and displays that are used in TV sets, PC monitors, vehicles and industrial monitors. The company serves markets including Automotive and Electric Vehicles, Renewable Energy and Energy Storage and Electronics and IT Infrastructure. The company provides services such as Product Selection Guidance, Engineering Support, and Custom Manufacturing.
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Elmos Semiconductor SE
Sensor signal processor
Manufacturer Overview
Elmos Semiconductor AG, established in 1984, is a German manufacturer of integrated, application-specific microelectronic circuits for the automotive industry. The company offers sensor ICs, power management ICs, motor control ICs, and interface ICs and sensors for various applications, such as ADAS & safety, body & convenience, infotainment, lighting, and powertrain, and also serves non-automotive markets, such as smart home and industrial automation. They have their own research & development, testing, and production facilities, as well as global sales and distribution network. It aims to create microelectronics-based solutions to enhance the lives of people and shape future mobility.
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STMicroelectronics
Smart metering analog front end (AFE) IC
Manufacturer Overview
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
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Analog Front End (AFE) Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
43.1%
|
| 2 | STMicroelectronics |
27.5%
|
| 3 | Elmos Semiconductor SE |
19.6%
|
| 4 | LAPIS Technology |
9.8%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the analog front end (afe) page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
- LAPIS Technology: 449
Newly Established Company
- LAPIS Technology: 2020 (4 years ago)
Company with a History
- LAPIS Technology: 2020 (4 years ago)
Analog Front End (AFE) Manufacturers in United States
*Including some distributors, etc.
Global Distribution of Analog Front End (AFE) Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
United States of America
|
1 | 33.3% |
Japan
|
1 | 33.3% |
Germany
|
1 | 33.3% |
