Editor’s note: Guge, known as Gu rongxiang, incumbent as chairman and general manager in Xi’an Chinastar M&C Limited. In his personal WeChat official account, he serialized a series of essays on "Guge Insights on Sensors and IoT", recording his own cognition and perception of sensors and Internet of Things industry. China exportsemi net authorized to reprint his articles, so that readers can look at the past, present situation and development of this industry from the perspective of a senior industry person. In order to facilitate reading, the article has been changed when reprinting. If necessary, you can find the original text at the end of the article to read.
This article discusses the author's observations and views on China's sensor technology and industry. Firstly, the author describes his feelings about the sensor industry in Shijiazhuang, and thinks that compared with other provincial capitals, the sensor technology and industry development in Shijiazhuang is backward and near-anonymity. Then, the author points out the competition and comparison of Chinese sensor technology in the world, and thinks that China needs to make continuous efforts to improve its technical level in order to have a greater say in the international arena. Through two examples, the author also discusses the practical application and development status of sensor technology in China, and shows some challenges and opportunities of China's sensor industry. Finally, the article calls on China's sensor industry to pay attention to product quality and supply reliability while improving its technical level, so as to meet the needs of domestic and foreign markets. The following is the original text shared by Guge:
When I booked a ticket to Shijiazhuang last night, I suddenly notice that I had never been to Shijiazhuang for decades. Although it has passed Shijiazhuang Railway Station countless times, it has traveled with Xi'an and Beijing. Shijiazhuang seems to have no company customers or suppliers. From personal experience, it seems that Shijiazhuang's sensor technology and industry lag behind other provincial capitals, and there is near-anonymity. In other words, Beijing sensor industry is prosperity and formed a big shadow, which has already "covered" Shijiazhuang under the "shadow". According to personal observation, the sensor industry in Hebei Province, including Shijiazhuang City, has little influence in the whole country. Is their heat pump industry strong? There is no way of knowing?
In today's world and China, sensor technology and industry are becoming more and more popular and important under the impact of new industries such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, unmanned aerial vehicles and networked cars, and then expanding to the digital economy.
Of course, as Chinese sensor people, we can neither overestimate China's sensor technology and industry, nor underestimate China's sensor technology and industry. Because we are not comparing a developed country, but the whole western developed country. We should not only compare the sensors in semiconductor form with the United States, but also compare the sensors in traditional form with Europe; It is necessary to compare image sensors with Japan and millimeter wave sensors with the United States; It is necessary to compare the pressure sensors in the process field with Yokogawa in Japan and Emerson in the United States, and to compare the pressure sensors in the non-process field with Te in Switzerland and Sensata in the United States. Why are we doing this? It's so hard for us!
To prove that our Chinese sensor technology is not very good, but it is not very bad. I use two sensors that recently searched for in his circle of friends and professional groups to make an example. To make a special note, I (Gu Ge, not Google) have nearly 7,000 WeChat friends c and dozens of professional sensor groups.
Although such a special example can't represent all, it is accidental and special, but it can also be confirmed by a common saying, "You can know the whole leopard at a glimpse".
For the first example, as a high-end pressure transmitter for process industry, it is compared with Emerson 3051 in the United States or Yokogawa EJA series in Japan. First of all, we need a high-precision and high-stability pressure core, which is what most of us call a pressure sensor. Performance requirements are as follows: (Pressure range may be more).
Figure 1: Performance Requirements for High Stability Pressure Core (Pressure Sensor)
This performance requirement is still high or high-end in the world. In Gu Ge's WeChat moments and more than a dozen professional pressure sensor groups, after send twice message, few people responded, but they did respond. Generally speaking, few Chinese manufacturers can achieve such performance, not only in terms of technical performance, but also in terms of stable product quality and guaranteed supply, which puts forward higher requirements for manufacturers' management ability and quality control. Because what customers need is not only to provide samples, but to be stable and reliable suppliers.
Looking at the second example, MEMS acceleration sensor is the main device of high-end inertial navigation system, middle and low-end inclination sensor and vibration sensor. It is also a basic sensor that will be widely used in the future, and it has developed very well in China in recent years. There are constantly new companies to make MEMS sensors. In order to replace a foreign three-axis acceleration sensor, I have sent it many times in moments and professional groups.
Figure 2: It is not easy to replace a foreign three-axis acceleration sensor
By the same token, as an enterprise, it is necessary to find a manufacturer with matching performance, stable quality and reliable supply. Although it is the Internet age, it is not an easy task to really find suitable products or suppliers. The performance of such acceleration sensors is not very high, but it is important to have a certain manufacturing level and supply capacity. After the information was sent out, it received a lot of feedback. Even after half a month, there was still information feedback last night. To sum up, there are the following categories:
First, universities and scientific research institutions think that this performance is not high, it can be done and has technology, but its timid to use it.
Second, the newly established technology companies also think that the performance is not high and they can provide samples, but they can only provide them after one year, which naturally needs to pass.
Third, the larger MEMS manufacturers are mainly at the consumption level. The performance is too low to use.
Fourth, MEMS manufacturers of military products have higher performance. The price of the chip has exceeded the overall price of the sensor, and of course it can't be used.
Finally, we finally found a suitable manufacturer, but there was too little choice.
As far as I know, there are nearly 800 manufacturers of various pressure sensors in China, regardless of their size. There are about 30 manufacturers of MEMS acceleration sensors.
It is hoped that more pressure sensor manufacturers can develop high-end pressure sensors, which can improve the quality and performance stability of products, stop engaging in price wars, and meet various needs of the Chinese market and export.
It is hoped that more MEMS accelerometer manufacturers can analyze their comprehensive capabilities, analyze the market and find a suitable market. Find its own position in consumer level, low-end, middle-end, middle-high-end and high-end, and fill the vast market in China.
