Every technology we currently enjoy as a society started at one point as an idea in the mind of an engineer. Engineers are constantly working to make the world simpler, safer, cleaner, more connected and much more. Whether that includes building transportation options that eliminate human error, improving our clean energy infrastructure, building medical equipment that can increase our quality and length of life, or connecting us as a world like never before, both evolutionary and disruptive innovation start with a problem that an engineer sets out to solve.
With over 60 years of ancestry, onsemi has been at the forefront of some of the greatest innovations in history. Along the way, we have amassed a product portfolio that is approaching 100,000 products, created market-leading technologies, developed a robust and reliable supply chain and developed tools to make the designer’s job easier. In order to simplify the design process, we have introduced a model for considering each aspect of your next project.

The onsemi Engineering Design Model
- As mentioned above, every design project starts with a value proposition or, in other words, the problem you are trying to solve. Are you introducing the next innovation in factory automation that will reduce costs and speed time to market or are you simply looking to preserve battery life in your next version of the smartphone? Every product starts with the benefit you are trying to create for your targeted audience.
- In the era of the internet of things (IoT), Bluetooth Low Energy, Next-Gen WiFi and 5G, connectivity is a crucial part of any device. Whether your project will be wired or wireless, you start by understanding how you plan to connect your device with the environment that surrounds it. After the value proposition, connectivity will determine the direction for many of the other onboard systems.
- Sensing is another decision hurdle or, in other words, how will your device observe its surroundings and in what quantities? Whether you are trying to build machine vision into your next project or building the next driver-assist system, sensing can add unique differentiators to your project that can help your product stand apart from the competition. As the leader in image sensing, onsemi has many different resolutions, optical formats and technologies to choose from.
- Every processor, memory bank, wireless module and function needs power. Power systems make up a central part of onsemi’s heritage and whether you are trying to address core power, auxiliary power or power conversion, we have the solutions to support the full power range needed for any design. We are even at the forefront of wide bandgap materials such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) to power future high-performance applications. Energy-efficient innovations are at the heart of everything we do.
- Processing is another core system to consider, which addresses how your device will process signals. As your device captures signals through connectivity and image sensing, it will be critical for your device to process those signals so that it can act on them. onsemi carries a full line of amplifiers and comparators, signal conditioners, controllers and more.
- After powering and processing the signals, you need to protect your device. Whether you are trying to isolate a faulty power system, protect against overloads or switch to a battery back-up, onsemi has a full line of protection devices, such as ESD Protection Diodes and Digital Isolators, to meet almost any protection need.
- Your next consideration is actuation, or what it is that your device will do. Converting electricity into kinetic energy is another specialty for onsemi, whether it be motor drivers, switches, or controllers. You can greatly increase your process efficiency and complexity with onsemi’s actuators.
- Now that your core systems are identified, it is critical to identify how your components will interact with each other to support your various systems and get your processed signals out of the system. Whether you need simple analog switches, analog to digital converters, or even optoelectronics, onsemi can help your various systems play well together. This includes modules such as smart card and SIM card interfaces as well as USB type-C interfaces.
- Now that you have identified how all of your systems will work together, it is critical to support all of your systems with the electrical building blocks. onsemi excels at producing a full line of discrete devices, including diodes and rectifiers, MOSFETS, JFETs, Gate Drivers, IGBTs and BRTs.
Leveraging onsemi’s design model helps you to think through almost every aspect of your new design and build your new product around customer value. By starting with the value proposition and working back through differentiators to core systems to the building blocks of your design, you ensure that you are able to produce a product that is both elegant and future-proofed.
Engineering Design Tools
In addition to our design model and other content, onsemi produces many design tools, block diagrams, reference designs, app notes and more, all to help you create innovations that can disrupt your industry. We have teams dedicated to your success, so reach out today and discover how we can help. Here are a few links to get you started:
Strata Developer Studio -Strata Developer Studio is a secured, cloud-connected development software to evaluate reference designs, development kits and evaluation boards with automatic updates and alerts.
WebDesigner+ Power Supply Tools - WebDesigner+™ Power Supply tools generate and optimize power supply designs based on your input requirements. Buck, Boost, Charge pump and LDO/linear converters are currently supported.
Interactive Block Diagrams - Our Interactive Block Diagram tool is as easy to use as 1, 2, 3. With a vast variety of diagrams to choose from, you are able to experience the full breadth of the onsemi product portfolio in a clear, concise mapped out system level block diagram. If you are new to onsemi or are simply looking for some inspiration to power your next major project, check out our interactive block diagrams and create your own bill of materials (BOM) worksheet today.
Video Library – Browse our library of hundreds of videos, from solutions such as WiFi 6e, connected lighting, asset management to products such as eFuse, traction inverters, or SIC boost modules for solar inverters. If you have a question about a particular product or solution, chances are we have a video on that.
Webinars and Seminars – For an even deeper dive into a particular topic, join us for one of our webinars or seminars. From improving solar inverter efficiency and power density with SiC hybrid and SiC MOSFET modules to revolutionizing asset management with IoT, we have specialized webinars for most needs. You can also scroll through our previously recorded webinars to find the answers to your questions.
Technical Support – onsemi has supported highly skilled technical support engineers that can answer almost any question about products, applications, block diagrams, bills of materials, or other support issues. Submit a question via web form, send an email, call the dedicated number, or chat live with a technical engineer.
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