Digital Converter Research Articles

Research Model of the Degree of Technological Humanism in Manufacturing Companies in the Transformation towards Industry 5.0

Adopting the concept of Industry 4.0 enables manufacturing companies to gain advantages from digital production management, though issues have been identified related to human resources, management and organisation. Problem areas concern workplace ergonomics to the general wellbeing and satisfaction of workers, and social responsibility. Industry 5.0 promotes progress based on human-machine collaboration and sustainable, human-centred value creation. The research model of the degree of technological humanism, which aims to ensure that technological progress improves human wellbeing in manufacturing companies in the transformation towards Industry 5.0, is a demanding area that has not been sufficiently researched or unambiguously defined so far. The presented model can facilitate the digital transition of manufacturing companies towards Industry 5.0, as it contains the components necessary for the transformation of organisational processes, thereby enhancing and accelerating the implementation of smart manufacturing.

A Non-Linear Successive Approximation Finite State Machine for ADCs with Robust Performance

This work presents the detailed design of a Successive Approximation Analog to Digital Data Converter (SAR ADC) using bulk 180 nm CMOS IC technology. The focus of the study is on replacing the typical Successive Approximation Register array with a Finite State Machine. This converter features a fully differential and bipolar architecture, which leads to the logic SAR nonlinear behavior. A novel digital control logic mitigates the conversion errors through the conditions in the previous logic states. The logic scheme, in combination with a robust continuous comparator, demonstrates tolerance to Process, Voltage, and Temperature variations. The architecture does not include calibration or additional redundancies in post-layout simulations to emphasize the exclusive benefits of the new SAR logic. The proposed SAR ADC achieves a 14.07 effective number of bits with 7.04 fJ/conversion step Walden figure of merit in biomedical applications.

Digital Conversion of Document Management at Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong Province

Digital Conversion of Document Management at Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong Province

Evaluating the impact of a peer-education digital literacy course on older adults' digital skills and wellbeing: a mixed-methods study protocol.

The digital transition poses relevant challenges and opportunities for older adults in aging European societies. To unleash the potential of the digital transition in old age and avoid the risk of exclusion, digital education for older adults seems to be a valuable solution. One of the most suitable approaches to digital education for older adults appears to be the peer-to-peer approach. However, not much literature is available on this topic. Within the ACTIVE-IT project, we aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a digital peer education course for older adults, focusing specifically on the use of smartphones and daily utility apps, such as mailing, e-Gov, and e-commerce. The purpose of this contribution is to document the protocol adopted to evaluate the course. The course involved 32 participants aged 65 or older, who, between March 2024 and June 2024, divided into three groups, attended a 10-lesson weekly course taught by a peer. We aim to measure the effect of the course on participants' digital skills and their perceived wellbeing. To do so, we will adopt a mixed methods approach, employing: digital methods by collecting and analyzing data on participants' smartphone use (i.e., log data on smartphone use before/during/after the intervention); a quasi-experiment, collecting information on course participants' wellbeing before/after the course attendance using a questionnaire survey; ethnographic observation conducted during the course, observing interactions between subjects during the course. The study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the University of Milano Bicocca (prot.nr. 167541/2024).

Choosing an Analogue to Digital Converter with Data Safety in Mind

Choosing an Analogue to Digital Converter with Data Safety in Mind

Grounded and floating memristor emulator employing ICCTA: decremental or incremental operation

ABSTRACT This article describes floating and grounded memristor emulator built with an Inverting Current Conveyor Transconductance Amplifier (ICCTA). One ICCTA, one capacitor, and three resistors are used to implement the charge controlled floating memristor emulator. In contrast, a flux controlled grounded memristor emulator consists of one ICCTA, one resistor, and one capacitor. Both presented circuits do not incorporate complex circuits such as analog multiplier circuits, passive inductors, and analog to digital converter circuits in their implementation, which is advantageous in terms of circuit realisation. The designed circuits may be operated in incremental as well as decremental configurations by appropriate setting of MOS switches. In addition, PVT (process, voltage, and temperature) analysis of the proposed memristor is also included. Furthermore, the non-ideal explanation of the proposed circuits is mathematically examined. The proposed emulators are simulated in SPICE simulator using 180 nm technology. Meminductor circuit and memristor-based low pass filter are used to validate the effectiveness of the designed circuits.

Digital Teacher Training in the Portuguese National Plan for Digital Development at Schools: A Case Study

Schools have been responding to the ongoing digital transformation, which requires continuous self-reflection and decision-making skills from teachers in the inclusion of new digital technologies in the teaching and learning process. In the present study, descriptive measures were used to understand how 140 teachers, in a school group, perceived their digital competences through the Check-in Questionnaire (Study 1). A school group is a Portuguese organisational unit, constituted by different schools, catering to different age groups, managed by a single director. Study 2 addressed how this specific school group organised teacher training courses, considering the results of Check-in Questionnaire, and the scope of the National Digital Transition Plan. Interviews, in which data content analysis was applied, were undertaken with seven teacher instructors, selected to implement digital training. The results of Study 1 revealed that most teachers are positioned at level 2, an intermediate level, with no differences in age or years of service. In Study 2, instructors revealed that the proficiency level assigned in the Check-in Questionnaire did not always correspond to a teacher’s real digital skills, identifying this as one of the obstacles to achieving the initial training aims. The goal of the training was for these professionals to feel committed to their educational context and understand what is intended in the inclusion of digital skills in the classroom. The relevance of this study relates to the current context, which places education and teachers at the centre of a digital agenda focused on the development of digital skills, thus generating new pedagogical practices, while accompanying the process from the initial assessment to the implementation of training in the National Digital Transition Plan.

Dismantle the monster: teachers, parents, and others position themselves figuratively vis-à-vis the Israeli education system in times of crisis

ABSTRACT This article explores the characteristics of naturalistic digital forum conversations, focusing on the Israeli education system in times of crisis. The existing professional literature suggests that (1) There have been numerous attempts to change this system, but they have not been successful; (2) Discourse analysts have often used micro and macrolevels of analysis to explore professional life and the construction of individual or group positioning in digital discourse; (3) Figurative language (e.g. metaphors, similes and metonymies) often organises the essence of the text. This article shows that the naturalistic digital forum enabled the study’s participants (teachers, parents, and others who care about education) to vent their feelings and thoughts, as well as to use organising figurative language to highlight how the teachers positioned themselves and how they were positioned by the parents. Finally, the article underscores the need to bring about a radical change in the Israeli education system.

Enablers to Digitalization in Agriculture: A Case Study from Italian Field Crop Farms in the Po River Valley, with Insights for Policy Targeting

The prosperity of Po River Valley’s quality agri-food system depends on the efficiency of its field crops, which are recently facing a crisis evidenced by cultivated areas decreasing and yields stagnating. Several factors, including EU policies and climate variability, impose an improvement in the use of production factors and adapted business models: literature shows how digitalization and Agriculture 4.0 can contribute to addressing these challenges. This paper aims to explore drivers and barriers in the adoption of digitalization among Po River Valley field crop farms, in a dynamic view. Using a case study approach to guarantee adequate consideration of context and conditions, three farms were studied. As one of the main outcomes, several drivers (digital skills, data management practices, and interoperability) that should be at the heart of policies were identified as demands to farmers in exchange for financial contributions, or as “innovation space” offered by EU institutions. Policies should not only focus on supporting mechanical/digital equipment acquisition but also on promoting the evolution of farmers’ human capital. The framework developed paves the way for future research on the degree of farm digitalization in the same/similar territorial contexts: identified drivers of digital transition can be used as a basis for survey questionnaires, as well as tested in their validity.

Newly Discovered Temperature‐Related Long‐Period Signals in Lunar Seismic Data by Deep Learning

AbstractLunar seismic data are essential for understanding the Moon's internal structure and geological history. After five decades, the Apollo data set remains the only available one and continues to offer significant value for current and future lunar seismic data analyses. Recent advances in artificial intelligence for seismology have identified seismic signals that were previously unrecognized. In our study, we utilized deep learning for unsupervised clustering of lunar seismograms, leading to the discovery of a new type of long‐period lunar seismic signal that existed every lunar night from 1969 to 1976. We then conducted a thorough analysis covering the timing, frequency, polarization, and temporal distribution characteristics of this signal to study its properties, occurrence, and probable origins. This signal has a physical cause instead of artificial, such as voltage changes, according to its amplitudes during peaked and flat modes, as well as the digital converter status. Based on its relation to the lunar temperature and documents on Apollo instruments, we conclude that this signal is likely induced by the cyclic heater, with several unresolved questions that might challenge our hypothesis. Excluding interference from this newly identified signal is crucial when analyzing lunar seismic data, particularly in detecting lunar free oscillations. Our research introduced a new method for discovering new types of planetary seismic signals and helped advance our understanding of Apollo seismic data. Furthermore, the discovery of this signal holds valuable implications for the design of future planetary seismometers to avoid encountering similar issues.

Design of Digital Lock-in Amplifier based on FPGA

Abstract In order to achieve high-precision measurement of strong noise background signal, a digital lock-in amplifier based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) is designed. The core of the lock-in amplifier consists of a signal processing module, an acquisition and quantisation module and a digital demodulation module. The signal processing module completes the amplification and gain adjustment of the input signal and modulates the signal to be measured into a specific frequency band, which is digitally quantised by the analog to digital converter (ADC) after anti-aliasing filtering and transmitted to the FPGA, and the signal to be measured is extracted by phase-sensitive detection through the mutual-correlation digital demodulation method, thus realising the detection of the weak signal. The performance of the lock-in amplifier is evaluated with a signal generator as the input source, and the results show that the signal-to-noise improvement ratio is 35dB and the relative measurement error of voltage is less than 0.03% after the digital lock-in amplifier is processed, which accurately restores the direct current (DC) signals in the noisy background, and provides an effective technical way for the accurate measurement of weak signals.

An Analytical Solution for Sales of Seafood in District Karang Agung Ilir

The advent of internet technology has profoundly transformed information dissemination and commerce by providing continuous, global access. For Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) such as the Seafood District of Karang Agung Ilir—specializing in seafood products like shrimp, crabs, and squid—reliance on traditional market-based sales methods limits customer reach and hampers growth potential. This paper investigates the development of an innovative online-based sales information system aimed at modernizing and significantly improving the operational efficiency of the Seafood District. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system, a System Usability Scale (SUS) test was conducted with 50 participants. The results yielded an average SUS score of 72, indicating that the system offers good usability but also highlights areas requiring further enhancement. The online platform is designed to provide 24/7 accessibility, optimize the sales process, and broaden the customer base beyond the local market. The anticipated advantages of this digital transition include reduced operational costs, enhanced customer service, and increased sales volume. By adopting online technology, the Seafood District of Karang Agung Ilir stands to strengthen its market presence and boost its competitiveness on a global scale

THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH MONITORING OF THE EUROPEAN TOURISM ECOSYSTEM GREEN AND DIGITAL TRANSITION

Objective. The objective of the article is to generalize and analyze the theoretical and methodological basis of the green and digital transition of the European tourism ecosystem in the context of the implementation of the renewed industrial strategy of the EU. Methods. To achieve the outlined goal, such methods of empirical and theoretical research were used: literature review, theoretical generalization (to identify, collect and analyze modern research on the digitalization and greening of tourism), a descriptive method (to highlight the methodology of tracking ecological, digital and socio-economic aspects of tourism according to using harmonized data and indicators for the European tourism ecosystem), data visualization (for visualization and grouping of material). Results. Multi-annual EU Work Plan of the European Agenda for Tourism 2030 is characterized in five priority areas, namely: "Enabled policy and governance frameworks", "Green transition", "Digital transition", "Sustainability and inclusion", "Skills and transition support". The methodology of monitoring the green and digital transition of the European tourism ecosystem using the online tool "EU Tourism Dashboard" is highlighted. The indicators of the panel, which are grouped according to the priority areas: "Green transition", "Digital transition" as well as the blocks "Socio-economic indicators" and "Main descriptors of tourism" are summarized, the sources of information for the calculation of indicators are highlighted. The main tools for financing the green and digital transition and increasing the sustainability of EU tourism are substantiated, namely: private investments and loans, sources of EU funding for tourism, EU technical support for the transformation of the tourism ecosystem, programs at the national and regional levels within the framework of cohesion policy.

The EU’s twin transitions towards sustainability and digital leadership: a coherent or fragmented policy field?

ABSTRACT In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality, while also enhancing Europe’s industrial competitiveness on the global stage, the acceleration of the twin – green and digital – transitions has been among the top priorities for the European Union (EU). Given the multiplicity of policy areas involved in these twin transitions as well as the nature of the EU as a multilevel organisation, coherence is the key requirement for the twin transitions to be successful. Drawing on the concept of coherence, this article explores whether the EU can be considered a coherent actor when pursuing the twin transitions. It understands coherence as a process to reduce contradictions across different policy domains rather than as a status where no contradictions exist. It also challenges previous views centred solely on coherence during policy implementation, and proposes a broader assessment that begins by framing different policy domains as mutually beneficial and aligned towards common goals. This perspective introduces two dimensions of coherence – conceptual and operational – along horizontal and vertical levels. By examining how policies are framed and interconnected across different levels of governance and policy agendas, this study reveals that while the link between the green and digital transitions and the need for coordination across different governance levels has been widely accepted, conceptual coherence varies across governance levels and policy areas. Furthermore, the study argues that operational coherence – putting ideas into practice – lags behind conceptual coherence, which highlights the challenges of implementing the twin transitions effectively.

Digital transition from industry 4.0 to industry 5.0 in smart manufacturing: A framework for sustainable future

Digital transition to Industry 5.0 (I5.0) has finally arrived after Industry 4.0 (I4.0) was offered ten years ago to help address industry flaws in manufacturing. I5.0 is necessary in contemporary business to achieve competitive advantages for a sustainable future. However, despite the importance of I5.0, the critical success factors (CSFs) for the transition from I4.0 to I5.0 have not been explored extensively in the literature. This study develops a model to investigate potential CSFs for the smooth transition from I4.0 to I5.0. The study ensures systems flexibility, then ranks the identified CSFs based on their influential weights and explores their interrelationships. The study adopts the Bayesian best-worst method (B-BWM) to assess the perceptions of several decision-makers from a probabilistic perspective for reducing information loss. The results from this study reflect that CSFs, such as adoption of advanced technology to create value in I5.0 paradigm, high-powered analytical ability for smart manufacturing, cost and funding in transition from I4.0 to I5.0, aligned organizational strategy in transition to I5.0, and security and privacy to ensure effective digital transformation, contribute significantly towards the digital transformation from I4.0 to I.50 in smart manufacturing in the context of steel manufacturing business environment considering the developing countries. The successful implementation of CSFs can help achieve flexibility in the supply chain, contribute to flexible systems and support managers in framing strategies that help them prioritize for an easy transition towards a sustainable future.

Architectures for immersive performances in the green, digital and inclusive transition

This paper reports studies and project experiments being developed in researches financed by local authorities, the Ministry of University and Research with the support of NextGenerationEU and the European Commission. The work investigates the potential of culture, creativity and natural and built heritage in the green, digital and inclusive transition and is focused on the creation of sustainable, inclusive, beautiful spaces, involving the collaboration among different disciplines (architecture, music and immersive sound, visual arts, social sciences, and neuroscience). The studied spaces aim to create material and immaterial architectures, characterized by circular processes and therefore adaptable, flexible, removable, repositionable and reusable. We foresee the use of material elements (building products) and immaterial elements (sounds, images, colors, lights) to define spaces intended for the diffusion of different cultural forms and to implement the attractiveness of places afflicted by processes of abandonment and social degradation. Ideas, criteria and solutions for architecture and sound and video technologies (aimed at the definition of spaces whose perception involves full use of the senses as well as the application of the extended mind concept) will be presented to promote environmentally, economically and socially sustainable transformations of natural and built habitats for new forms of cultural diffusion.

Digital and Sustainable Transition in Textile Industry through Internet of Things Technologies: A Pakistani Case Study

The textile industry, a vital contributor to Pakistan’s economy, faces pressing challenges in transitioning towards sustainability amid global environmental concerns. This manuscript presents a comprehensive case study on the implementation of IoT-driven strategies in the Pakistani textile sector to achieve digital and sustainable transformation. The findings reveal that the implementation of IoT technologies facilitated real-time environmental monitoring, enabling compliance with regulatory standards, and fostering sustainable manufacturing practices. Ultimately, this manuscript offers valuable insights into the transformative potential of IoT technologies in driving sustainable practices in the textile industry. The case study serves as a benchmark for other textile-producing regions aiming to embark on a digital and sustainable journey. These findings hold significant implications for the ongoing dialogue on sustainable industrial development, providing valuable direction for policymakers and stakeholders in shaping a more resilient and ecologically conscious future. Future research should prioritize addressing issues like data confidentiality and interoperability while adhering to standard requirements. Additionally, exploring analytics and machine learning methods for predictive maintenance, optimized performance, and operational improvement is crucial.

Design of a nano-scale optical 2-bit analog to digital converter based on artificial intelligence

A novel, to our knowledge, optical 2-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) plasmonic waveguide was proposed using a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) with a circular disk resonator. A mutual cooperation between the finite element method of COMSOL software and MATLAB with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI) presented by the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) has been proposed for implementing the main structure. The phase shift difference between the input and the control ports is the basic principle used to select the outcomes on the output port. The transmission threshold (Tthreshold) is selected to be 0.5, resonance wavelength is 1040 nm, and the footprint of the design is 1200×2500nm. Several criteria like full width at half maximum (FWHM), contrast ratio (CR), modulation depth (MD), insertion loss (IL), and curves covering a complete wavelength range from 800 to 2000 nm versus transmission value (Tv) are simulated to evaluate the plasmonic system performance. The FWHM is 17 nm, CR is equal to 10.8 dB, MD and IL are 98.17% and −1dB, respectively, and the quality factor (Q-factor) for a single segment of the design reached 61.17.

The multilevel governance challenges of NextGenerationEU: the Spanish and Italian decentralised systems viewed through the lens of federalisation

The post-COVID-19 panorama presents serious economic and social challenges, prompting the European Union (EU) to allocate extensive funds to its Member States. The central financing instrument created for this purpose, NextGenerationEU (NGEU), requires the Member States to implement ambitious reforms to bring about green and digital transitions within their National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs). Despite innovative elements in NGEU’s decision-making process, legal basis and fiscal integration policy, the role of sub-state authorities in the context of multilevel governance (MLG) demonstrates a centralised tendency. In order to understand this issue, the management of NRRPs in the Spanish system of autonomous communities and Italian regionalism will be taken as emblematic case studies. Specifically, the constitutional significance of the MLG model in the context of the NGEU recovery package will be evaluated in light of the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, proportionality and partnership. This paper ultimately aims to offer broader insights into NGEU’s role in the ongoing EU federalisation process and its shortcomings with respect to national decentralised systems.

Industry 4.0 and sustainability: the case of the Italian textile district of Prato

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the twin transition of textile firms operating in an industrial district. The twin transition comprises two interconnected but distinct processes: the sustainable transition and the digital transition. The study specifically considers sustainability goals in terms of the triple bottom line and digitalization as the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. The study aims to understand how the characteristics of Italian districts influence the choices related to the twin transition and how it affects textile industrial firms.Design/methodology/approachThe author conducts a multiple-case study involving five firms of industrial textile district of Prato.FindingsThe results show the relationship between the characteristics of the district, such as fragmentation of the supply chain, lean manufacturing, territorial proximity and attachment to origins and traditions and the sustainable goals and I4.0 technologies adoption. Moreover, the study proposes a framework for twin transition. Market and technology drive the process in which sustainability represents the aim, I4.0 serves as enablers and the relevant outcome is the implementation of the business model innovation.Practical implicationsThese findings offer valuable insights for textile firms, policymakers and stakeholders seeking to navigate the complexities of twin transition.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the broader topic of twin transition. In particular, it links the particular context represented by the industrial district in which the textile firms operate to their conduct, and the two interconnected and distinct processes, sustainable transition and digital transition, with the business model innovation topic.