Electronics and Cyber-physical Systems

Electronics is the discipline concerned with the design and operation of circuits and components that process, control, or transmit electricity. It underpins many everyday devices such as phones, computers, and sensors. Depending on the application, it can handle analog, digital, or power signals.

Cyber-physical systems, on the other hand, combine physical elements like sensors and actuators with digital systems—such as software or algorithms—to enable machines to interact intelligently with their environment. These systems process data in real time and respond automatically, like an autonomous vehicle adjusting its driving based on traffic conditions.

Electronics thus provides the hardware foundation upon which cyber-physical systems rely to create autonomous and intelligent devices capable of acting in the real world.

Sustainable Electronics

Sustainable electronics is an approach aimed at reducing the environmental impact of electronic systems, especially embedded systems, throughout their entire lifecycle. At CATIE, this is based on eco-design, which integrates criteria from the development phase to minimize the use of polluting materials, improve the lifespan and repairability of electronic boards, and assess their impact through an eco-score.

Furthermore, this approach takes energy sources into account by prioritizing sustainable solutions such as energy harvesting, hybrid systems, or the use of less polluting new energy sources. Managing energy storage and conversion is also essential, with the use of suitable batteries and optimized circuits to maximize energy efficiency.

All these efforts are part of a responsible design process carried out collectively, notably within the eco-design working group of Embedded France.

The 6TRON platform developed by CATIE represents a significant advancement in applying eco-design principles to embedded systems and industrial connected devices.