DigiKey is updating its strategy
Focus on embedded systems and automation
For the past few years, DigiKey has been stocking not only embedded computing products but also automation products. What are the reasons behind this new strategy, and what types of products does DigiKey currently offer for automation and embedded computing?
“At DigiKey, we are very interested in embedded systems and industrial automation,” says Kevin Walseth, Senior Manager Technical Engagement, DigiKey. “Industrial automation is a huge market, so we have a big team of sales people and application engineers who are covering the field of industrial automation. We have all the devices which are necessary to make complete solutions, and we have many people who can help our customers to build their solutions.” Five or six years ago his company didn’t have any strategy in automation. “But then we saw the big potential in this market and developed a strategy for it. For three or four years now we have a dedicated portfolio and dedicated people for automation. The opportunities across the industry are amazing.”
DigiKey offers a lot of Siemens automation products and Allen-Bradley automation products from Rockwell, for example. But the company has a large embedded systems portfolio, too: “We supply the Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards, and we supply processors from manufacturers like NXP, Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics, Microchip Technology and Nvidia.” The company is increasingly focusing on development boards as a starting point and for final design.
As Kevin Walseth says, Software – and choosing the right software – is the key factor in embedded computing. “Artificial intelligence and large language models are becoming increasingly important. Development tools get more and more important and easier available, too. And semiconductor suppliers are working hard on integrated security platforms to help the engineers.”
As a problem Kevin Walseth sees the allocation of memory chips. “There are major investments in AI data centers and data warehouses that are sweeping the market for memory chips. But the geopolitical conflicts have not really an impact in chip allocation so far.”
An important aspect of embedded technology is edge computing. “We are a leader in edge computing, and we have many opportunities for being and staying a leader in edge computing,” Kevin Walseth says.
