Electronica Azi - New Layout...solutions. Compact Fingerprint Biometric Module Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) is a world-leading biometrics company with its roots in Sweden. Its

2/2020

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Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components dis-tributor, announced that it has expanded its product portfolio by signing a global distribution partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB, providing Digi-Key customers with standalone, compact biometric fingerprint sensor solutions. Compact Fingerprint Biometric Module Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) is a world-leading biometrics company with its roots in Sweden. Its solu-tions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch.

“We are excited about the new partnership with Fingerprint Cards,” said David Stein, vice president, glob-al supplier management at Digi-Key. “Biometric authenti-cation is growing as it continues to be implemented into new applications and devices. Digi-Key now offers cus-tomers an easy path to develop secure devices with inte-grated capacitive fingerprint sensor technology.”

“This is a step for us to be able to scale with FPC BM-Lite and to reach new verticals that require additional sales channels to drive business,” said Michel Roig, senior vice president, payments & access at Fingerprints. “Digi-Key will help us reach out and find new potential markets and application areas.”

For more information about Fingerprints and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website.

Digi-Key Electronics | www.digikey.com

Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) – the world’s leading biomet-rics company, with its roots in Sweden. We believe in a secure and seamless universe, where you are the key to everything. Our solu-tions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applica-tions, and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch.

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 10.2 million components, with over 2.2 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,200 quality name-brand manufacturers. In addition, Marketplace Product provides a singular shopping experience for all things related to technology innovation – IoT, industrial automation, test and measurement and more.

Digi-Key Electronics Announces Global Distribution Partnership

with Fingerprint Cards AB

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COMPANIES

Electronica Azi International | 2/20204

3 | Digi-Key Electronics Announces Global Distribution Partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB 6 | DSA Joins eSync Alliance 6 | New Vicor 270V-to-28V DCM5614 provides 1300W of power at 96% efficiency

7 | Ultra-tiny MOSFETs from Nexperia are 36% smaller with lowest RDS(on) 7 | Power Integrations’ GaN technology increases output power of high-efficiency display PSUs to 75W 8 | Precisely Control LED Luminance Using a Current Output DAC and TIA

11 | Secured connectivity and blockchain technology for data-driven supply chains

11 | PLS' Universal Debug Engine now also supports SAFERTOS 12 | Smart Power for a Smart Industry

16| Dual Core Solutions for Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications 22 | Process or control? 30 | Task force for medical technology manufacturers 31 | Thermographic Cameras for Fever Detection in the Corona Pandemic

32 | Corona face masks created on a 3D printer 35 | High temperature soldering systems for enamelled copper wire processing 36 | Time4Academy 37 | Martin offers an innovative solution to gently

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Electronica Azi International » TABLE OF CONTENTS


PRODUCT NEWS

The eSync Alliance announces that DSA, a global supplier of life-cycle management solutions for automotive electronics, has joined the Alliance. The eSync Alliance is spearheading the development of end-to-end over-the-air (OTA) updating and data services, enabling bi-directional communica-tions with all electronic devices in the vehicle. DSA provides state of the art products and services to improve commissioning, quality assurance, diagnostics, flash programming and maintenance of all vehicle electronics, with remote diagnostics and FOTA-solu-tions for passenger vehicles, agricultural and construction machinery, trucks, buses and trailers. DSA serves customers from the automotive, commercial vehicles, off-highway and after sales sectors in more than 30 countries worldwide. Mario Ortegón, Head of Strategy & Innovation Management at DSA, said, "We see a major impact on vehicle diagnostics and communication coming from the changes in automotive electronics architec-ture driven by autonomous driving, e-mobil-ity, digitalization and the sharing economy. We joined the eSync Alliance as we see the potential of the new technology and are enthusiastic to contribute to standardizing OTA in the automotive arena." Rick Kreifeldt, Executive Director at the eSync Alliance, said, "DSA products improve efficiency in automotive manufac-

turing, test and field support. The company’s long-term expertise in working with diagnos-tic data brings a new skill set and perspective to the eSync Alliance. We look forward to their participation as we continue to expand the eSync ecosystem."

The Alliance is based around eSync, a multi-vendor OTA platform of server and embedded software, which provides a secure bi-directional data pipeline between the cloud and electronic end devices in vehicles. eSync can deliver and

update software and firmware over-the-air, while collecting real-time operational data from in-car devices. With a global network of co-operating suppliers, the eSync data pipeline helps automakers avoid costly and inconvenient

vehicle recalls, creating new opportunities to enhance vehicle software and features on vehicles in the field. eSync™ Alliance | www.esyncalliance.org DSA | www.dsa.de

DSA Joins eSync Alliance

Vicor announces the DCM5614, an isolat-ed, regulated 270V-28V DC-DC converter with an output power rating of 1300W in a 5.6 × 1.4 × 0.3in (142.2 × 35.6 × 9.4mm) VIA™ package. Providing unmatched power density of 451W/in3 at a weight of just 178g, the DCM5614 supports advanced airborne, shipboard and UAV systems where power density, weight and efficiency are critical. With 96% efficiency, power dissipation is sig-nificantly reduced, and the innovative planar and thermally adept VIA package enables multiple cooling strategies for enhanced thermal performance. Modules can also be easily paralleled for increased power or stacked for increased output voltage. Learn more about the Vicor DCM5614:

www.vicorpower.com/all-products/mil-cots/dc-dc/mil-cots-dcm/dcm5614-sample-

qualification.html Vicor Corporation | www.vicorpower.com

New Vicor 270V-to-28V DCM5614 provides 1300W of power at 96% efficiency


PRODUCT NEWS

Nexperia, the expert in essential semicon-ductors, has launched a range of MOSFETs in the ultra-small DFN0606 package for mobile and portable applications including wearables. The devices also offer the low-est RDS(on) for their size and employ the commonly used pitch of 0.35 mm to simplify PCB assembly processes.

With a footprint of just 0.62 × 0.62 mm, the PMH family of DFN0606-packaged MOSFETs delivers a space-saving of over 36% when compared to previous-genera-tion DFN1006 parts. Due to advanced process technology, the new devices offer the lowest RDS(on) in market, with more than 60% reduction compared to competi-

tor devices, excellent ESD performance, and VGS low voltage threshold down to 0.7 V, a vital parameter for portable appli-cations with low drive voltage.

Sandy Wang, Nexperia’s product manager commented: “The latest generation of wear-ables continues to push boundaries in con-sumer technology. The evolution of smart-phones, smart-watches, fitness trackers and other innovations requires miniaturized MOSFETs that provide leading performance and efficiency for an ever-growing list of complex functions. Nexperia has a high-vol-ume production capacity for these devices and the manufacturing footprint to upscale for the most demanding of markets."

Nine PMH devices in the new DFN0606 package are available now. More informa-tion including product specs and datasheets is available at https://efficiency-wins.nexperia.com/eff icient-products/ dfn0606-mosfets-efficiency-in-the-smallest-packages.html

Nexperia | www.nexperia.com

Ultra-tiny MOSFETs from Nexperia are 36% smaller with lowest RDS(on)

Power Integrations, the leader in high-volt-age integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced that its InnoSwitch™3-MX isolated switcher IC family has been expanded with the addition of three new PowiGaN™ devices. As part of a chipset with Power Integrations’ InnoMux™ controller IC, the new switcher ICs now sup-port display and appliance power supply applications with a continuous output power of up to 75 W without a heatsink. The InnoMux chipset employs a unique single-stage power architecture that reduces losses in display applications by 50% when compared to conventional designs, increasing overall efficiency to 91% in constant-voltage and constant-cur-rent LED backlight driver designs. Additionally, by eliminating the need for post regulation (i.e. buck and boost) stages, TV and monitor designers can halve component count, improving reliability and reducing manufacturing cost. With a high breakdown voltage of 750 V, the PowiGaN InnoSwitch3-MX parts are also extremely robust and highly-resistant to the line surges and swells commonly-seen in regions with unstable mains voltages. InnoSwitch3-MX flyback switcher ICs com-

bine the primary switch, the primary-side controller, a secondary-side synchronous rectification controller, and PI’s innovative FluxLink™ high-speed communications link. The InnoSwitch3-MX receives control instructions from its chipset partner InnoMux IC, which independently measures the load requirements of each output and directs the switcher IC to deliver the right amount of power to each output, maintaining accurate

regulation of current or voltage. Samples of the INN3478C, INN3479C, INN3470C InnoSwitch3-MX ICs are avail-able now with prices starting at $2.52, $3.14 and $3.71 respectively in 10,000-piece quantities. Technical support for the chipset is available from the Power Integrations website at: https://ac-dc.power.com/prod-ucts/innomux-family Power Integrations | www.power.com

Power Integrations’ GaN technology increases output power of high-efficiency display PSUs to 75 W


LEDs

Author: Rich Miron Contributed by Digi-Key's North American Editors

Precisely Control LED Luminance Using a Current Output DAC and TIAThe light emitting diode (LED) is popular because of its physical robustness, long life-time, efficiency, fast switching capability, and small size. LEDs emit more lumens per watt than incandescent light bulbs, and their efficiency is unaffected by their size and shape. Yet, despite their widespread use and technol-ogy support, it’s still a chal-lenge to precisely control an LED’s luminance. The reasons are many and have to do with the physics of each LED wave-length, but precise luminance control can still be accom-plished using the right com-ponents and design approach. This article briefly discusses the issues associated with achieving consistent LED luminance. It then shows how a programmable, 14-bit current output digital-to-analog con-verter (DAC), an op amp, and a precision analog microcon-troller can be used together for precision LED luminance control. Components from Analog Devices will be used by way of example.


LED ARRAYS/APPLICATIONS An LED semiconductor is a light source that emits light with current flow from its anode to cathode. The semiconductor electrons recombine with electron holes and release energy in the form of photons. The required energy for electrons to cross the bandgap of the semiconductor determines the color of the LED light. The LED’s electrical behavior operates simi-lar to a standard diode. As with a standard diode, it is important not to overdrive the device in its forward bias mode. An overdriv-en diode overheats and in the worst case, will become an open circuit. When the LED is forward biased, a current flows through the device, creating light and a voltage drop from anode to cathode (Figure 1).

In Figure 1, an LED’s forward voltage varies with color (R = red; O = orange; G = green; Y = yellow; B = blue; W = white). Typically, the LED is excited with a 20 mA source to measure and specify its forward voltage value. It is tempting to drive LEDs with a voltage source, but it is hard to control a voltage source precisely, which can run the risk of overdriving the device, causing overheating and premature failure. PARALLEL VERSUS SERIES LED CONFIGURATIONS The three most popular LED configura-tions are parallel, series, or a combination of each, but in most cases it’s recommend-ed that LEDs be driven with a voltage source and resistor to control the current magnitude (Figure 2). Parallel strings of LEDs (A) must all have the

same forward voltage specifications, and therefore, the same color LED (see Figure 1 again). Even in this configuration, the LEDs will not share current evenly due to the manufacturing tolerance in their forward voltage. For this parallel configuration, one or more of the LEDs probably becomes a current hog. The brightness of the LEDs differs because of differing forward cur-rent/luminance intensity - a factor that can render inconsistent LED displays.

In the parallel configuration (A), the RLED value depends on a predetermined supply voltage (VLED), the nominal forward voltage of the LEDs, and the number of parallel LEDs, each consuming approximately 20 mA. For example, RLED equals 10 Ω, with ten parallel white LEDs (forward voltage ~3.0 volts @ 20 mA) and VLED of 5 volts. The value of 10 Ω for RLED is calculated using Equation 1:

Where VLED = supply voltage, per Figure 2 N = # of LEDs = 10 I1 = 20 mA (Note: ILED = I1*N) RLED = LED bias resistor VX = nominal LED 20 mA voltage drop In the series configuration (B), each LED receives the same amount of current with differing forward voltages. It is possible to have multiple colored LEDs in this series configuration. In this formation, the supply voltage is equal to the sum of each nominal LED voltage, plus the voltage drop across the resistor, RLED.

For instance, if there are ten red LEDs (for-ward voltage ~1.9 volts) in this series with 20mA through a 330Ω resistor, the system voltage supply (VLED) is ~25.6 volts. In this configuration a faulty or open LED causes the entire string to fail. The LED combination of parallel and series (C) provides the best of both worlds. In this configuration, there are fewer LEDs in the series string. This reduces the value of VLED. Also, there are fewer LEDs in parallel which

reduces the likelihood of current hogs. As an added benefit, this configuration means a programmable current output DAC can be used as an economical excitation source, in lieu of the traditional static voltage source. PROGRAMMABLE LED CONTROL OPTIONS In Figure 2, the LED driving mechanism for the parallel (A), series (B), and combination series/parallel (C) configurations has a series resistor, RLED, and a voltage source, VLED. In these three configurations, the lowering of the forward current – meaning a reduction in VLED or an increase in RLED – will dim the LEDs. A voltage output DAC can provide the programmable voltages for VLED; how-ever, the required high currents may pres-ent a problem. A voltage output DAC is often not able to supply the high current required for the LEDs, so it is often the case that a power amp (op amp) is required. A manual potentiometer, or better yet, a digital potentiometer, can replace RLED with some power dissipation constraints, such as how to handle the high current as the potentiometer approaches zero ohms.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Control LED Luminance

Figure 1: Using a forward current of 20 milliamps (mA), the various colors of LEDs are shown to have different forward voltages.

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics)

Figure 2: The three LED driving configurations are parallel (A), series (B), and a combination of parallel and series (C). (Image source: Digi-Key Electronics)


To avoid the problems and complexity asso-ciated with voltage output DACs and poten-tiometers, the most elegant design approach is to instead use a current output DAC. A current output DAC offers programma-ble current to the LED. The critical specifi-cations for this DAC are the capability to provide 20 mA per LED and a high degree of resolution of that current. The current programmability can be used to tune in the desired luminance with the assistance of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) (Figure 3).

In Figure 3, the two LEDs seek their forward voltage level with their 20mA excitation current. To finish the LED system in Figure 3, a photodiode (PD) on the front end of a TIA senses the LED luminance. For this sys-tem, the amplifier requirements are low input bias currents to avoid competition with the photodiode current (IPD) and low input offset voltage to keep the drop across the PD to a minimum. IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROGRAM-MABLE LUMINANCE LED CONTROLLER The implementation of a programmable luminance LED controller system requires a precision analog microcontroller, such as the ADuCM320BBCZ from Analog Devices, as well as an AD5770RBCBZ-RL7 current out-put DAC, and an ADA4625-1ARDZ-R7 op amp, both also from Analog Devices.

The microcontroller: • Drives the 14-bit DAC output current

values • Receives the output voltage of the TIA

into an onboard 14-bit analog-to-digital (ADC) converter

• Performs the necessary computations to control the luminance

The programmable DAC provides accu-rate output currents for the LEDs, while the op amp, configured as a TIA, receives the analog LED luminance magnitude through

the photodiode. The TIA then sends an output voltage (VOUT) to the microcon-troller’s ADC input (Figure 4). The magnitude of the current is under sys-tem control with a TIA in the feedback loop. The ADA4625-1 op-amp has a 15pA input bias current (per the datasheet) and a 15μV offset voltage, providing a wide TIA dynamic range. This dynamic range provides a high degree of luminance flexi-bility to change the LED from a maximum intensity down to a completely dark state. The system designer determines the varia-tion and range of the LED’s luminance. For instance, a 14-bit DAC provides 214 or 16,384 divisions. For this DAC with a full-scale output of 100 mA, the least signifi-cant bit (LSB) size is 6.1 microamps (μA), per the equation:

Where: IDACxLSB = the current LSB size of the × channel IDACMAX = the rated maximum channel current N = number of DAC bits With a supply voltage of 5.0 volts, the six-channel AD5770R drives the two series LEDs with a nominal current of 20 mA. In this circuit, the LED voltages seek their own forward voltage level. In the circuit shown in Figure 4, the maxi-mum output current of each output port (IDAC0-IDAC5) can be adjusted down to 50% of the nominal value. This flexibility allows the designer to better match the LED excitation currents. This action also lessens the LSB current magnitude. In Figure 4 again, the maximum IDAC2 cur-rent is 55mA, and the maximum IDAC5 cur-rent is 45mA (per the datasheet). If the LEDs in the IDAC2 string are red LEDs, the nominal voltage at the IDAC2 pin is 1.9 volts × 2, or 3.8 volts, and the DAC’s LSB size is 3.4 mA. To further improve the system accuracy, the designer can replace the DAC’s on-chip ref-erence generator with an external reference or an added precision resistor. Finally, the AD5770R has a multiplexed on-chip diag-nostic function that allows the designer to monitor output compliance voltages, output currents, and the internal die temperature, all with an external ADC. The AD5770R current output DAC drives the strings of two LEDs with a low-noise controlled, program-mable current source with an IDAC2 and IDAC5 output noise spectral density of 19 nA/√Hz and 6 nA/√Hz, respectively. CONCLUSION With their physical robustness, long life-time, low energy consumption, fast switch-ing, and small size, LEDs have many advan-tages over other lighting technologies. However, despite the extensive use of LEDs, it is still challenging to precisely and effectively control their output luminance. As shown, precision LED luminance control can be achieved using an ADuCM320BBCZ precision microcontroller, an AD5770 14-bit, programmable, high-accuracy current output DAC, and an ADA4625-1 JFET op amp in a TIA configuration. This combina-tion can help designers meet precision LED luminance requirements with full diagnostic capability to monitor all LED driver currents, as well as provide dimming control.

Digi-Key Electronics www.digikey.com

LEDs

Figure 3: A programmable output current DAC renders direct forward LED current control, and a TIA provides the luminance level control. (Image source: Digi-Key Electronics)

Figure 4: This precision system provides programmable currents to the LEDs to control luminance.

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics, generated using Analog Devices’ Photodiode Circuit Design Wizard online software)


PRODUCT NEWS

Industrial supply chain solutions like digital twins, usage-based pricing models, product warranties or licensing solutions increasingly require reliable and auditable sensor and process data. Yet security is paramount, especially when data is transferred from one company or organization to another. Tributech Solutions GmbH takes cross-com-pany data sharing to a new level. To provide an advanced, tamper-resistant data security layer, the Austrian technology company relies on the OPTIGA™ Trust M security solution from Infineon Technologies AG. Tributech’s DataSpace Agent combines hardware-based security and blockchain technology to securely share and track sen-sor and process data. Different options for the integration and a very low footprint in terms of memory- and computation-resources allow the integration of the DataSpace Agent at nearly every type of data source, from sensors with low level microcontrollers to powerful edge devices. Inside Tributech’s DataSpace Agent, Infineon’s OPTIGA Trust M single-chip solu-tion acts as a highly secured vault for sensi-tive authentication and cryptographic keys. In addition, the OPTIGA Trust M also pro-vides the cryptographic hashing and signing operations to enable the auditability of sen-

sor data by a hardware based root-of-trust. So far, most companies have focused on data generation within their companies. However, by sharing data across companies, they can unlock additional value and acceler-ate innovation. Such additional insights allow to increase process automation across the supply chain, to optimize quality and to cre-ate new business models and data services. To provide an auditable quality level for verifying shared data whether used for deci-sion-making, documentation, triggering payments or as an underlying basis for legal

agreements, Tributech uses blockchain technology. The blockchain is an open, dis-tributed ledger that records the so-called hashes for verifying origin and integrity of data and related transactions efficiently. As each block is linked by cryptography to the previous block and contains a timestamp as well as transaction data, all required infor-mation for verifying shared data is stored in a verifiable and tamper-resistant way. Further information: www.tributech.io Infineon Technologies AG www.infineon.com

Secured connectivity and blockchain technology for data-driven supply chains

PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme has expanded its Universal Debug Engine® UDE with a comprehensive add-on for the SAFER-TOS® real-time operating system. UDE now offers additional and very helpful functions for software development of real-time and safety-critical applications using the SAFER-TOS real-time operating system. SAFERTOS is available pre-certified by TÜV SÜD to ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL 3. A key advantage for customers is the upgrade path from FreeRTOS to SAFER-TOS; developers can prototype using FreeRTOS and convert to SAFERTOS at the start of formal development. The SAFERTOS Add-On from PLS pro-vides an additional window within the UDE framework that provides a comprehensive and detailed view of the SAFERTOS resources and objects. This gives develop-ers access to all information relevant for their development. The information shown by the SAFERTOS Support Window is divided into functional groups which typi-cally include task information, queues, semaphores and mutexes, and timers, as

well as information about the current con-figuration. By using separate tab pages the user can easily navigate between these groups. The available information shown by the SAFERTOS Support Window depends on the particular SAFERTOS con-

figuration, which is determined at compile time and does not change during run-time. UDE collects the data via the debug inter-face directly from the target system. PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme www.pls-mc.com

PLS' Universal Debug Engine now also supports SAFERTOS


Smart Power for a Smart Industry

Because power supplies are a core component within any electronics application, the power industry often has to develop power solutions years before certain applications reach the market. This is a big challenge and to be able to achieve that and to support customers, power designers not only have to work closely with system and equipment manufacturers, but equally and ongoing, perform business trends analysis to define what power solutions will be required in the coming years in the industrial, medical and other industry sectors.

POWER

Author: Patrick Le Fèvre, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Powerbox

Smart factory automation is already well established in many industries, but with the progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote communication and the growing demand for shorter customer lead times, it is predicted to explode in coming years.

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DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Smart power supplies

With a lot of uncertainty in the global econ-omy, trade wars, BREXIT, a lack of qualified operators, 99.99% quality requirements and many others, the transformation of the industrial landscape from conventional to smart is accelerating. In a study published by the Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute, they estimate that within the next five years smart factories could add as much as 1.5 trillion USD to the overall industry. This is really significant and if only a portion of that amount is represented by power supplies it is not a negligible growth. However, that will require a lot of technical innovation from power supplies manufac-turers to meet customers’ expectations. At a time when some are talking about Industry 5.0 that will focus on the co-opera-tion between man and machine, Industry 4.0

is still at an early stage, though the growing numbers of applications is truly impressive. A lot has been written about Industry 4.0 and intelligent power solutions but since 2015 we have seen other segments such as medical moving forwards to smarter levels of automation and a growing number of robotics requiring power supplies meeting both industrial and medical safety approvals. Small and medium size robotic equipment is becoming more common place across all industries and if we are used to the impres-sive robots operating in the car or heavy industries, there is a myriad of smaller robots accomplishing complex tasks, assist-ing people to improve life (e.g. home healthcare robotics helping disabled peo-ple in daily tasks) and even helping sur-

geons in complex operations, some even being performed by remote control miles away from the surgery theater. The surgical robotic segment alone is expected to grow from USD 3.9 billion in 2018 to USD 6.5 bil-lion by 2023, which is only a fraction of the 600,000 robotic units projected in 2023. SMART POWER TO SMALL AND MEDIUM ROBOTS Powerbox (PRBX) and its parent company COSEL are developing power solutions for demanding industries and in both industri-al and medical segments we see a strong demand from systems designers for a new generation of power supplies with lots of built-in functionalities, requests for higher flexibility levels in configuration, and more communication interfaces.

The industrial and medical segments are influenced, at one point or another, by the Internet of Things (IoT), and for connected devices from a few watts to multi-kilowatts, communication is becoming very important. We are used to CAN Bus or PMBus but in the smart industry, power supplies will become an active part of the machine-to-machine architecture embedding radio communica-tion and using much faster Bus communica-tion that what is currently in practice. For many it might seem like science fiction but already today, power systems used with-in the car industry are able to control and test Lithium-ion battery charging during the car assembly process, operating as an autonomous equipment transferring charg-

ing information data to the next work station to continue charging and testing without dis-ruption. All power supplies are communicat-ing via radio transmission, making it possible for car manufacturers to physically move charging equipment to accommodate ever changing production needs. Another interesting area is the new gener-ation of small and medium size robots deployed in various industries and the medical sector. The level of integration is impressive, requiring power supplies man-ufacturers to integrate more features such as IGBT gate drivers with high isolation in addition to normal power channels, with-out mentioning the flexibility required by designers in terms of output voltage com-binations (figure 1).

ADDING CHALLENGES TO CHALLENGES Because small and medium size robots are used differently in various industries, robotics equipment manufacturers often require power supplies to comply/certify with industrial standards such as EN62477-1 (OVC III) making it possible to connect the equipment directly to the distribution panel, but also with the new EN62368-1 which was originally created for audio, video and ICT equipment, without forget-ting medical standards such as IEC 60601-1 and collateral. Additionally, power designers have to consider a large raft of safety and opera-tional standards, adding yet another level of complexity to an already challenging environment.

Figure 1: This precision system provides programmable currents to the LEDs to control luminance.


Smart industry also means a smart way of organizing factories, with site developers optimizing factory and workshop layouts to increase flexibility and efficiency. Examples include minimizing the main power cabling to equipment, and exchanging Ethernet and other data transmission cabling for ruggedi-zed and secure RF communications. Industrial RF communications networks will develop to facilitate machine-to-machine communications and although power sup-plies might not need built-in RF transmis-sion capability, they will need a higher level of interaction with their surroundings com-pared to now, and as it has been in the car industry, it could become a must for certain applications.

RF communication is an interesting research area for power designers to explore, and similarly, how power supplies will follow the machine-to-machine evolution. SMART POWER TO SMART FACTORY AUTOMATION Smart factory automation is already well established in many industries, but with the progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote communication and the growing

demand for shorter customer lead times, it is predicted to explode in coming years. Similarly, the growth of automated parcel-hubs is expected to rise spectacularly. The rapid development of e-commerce has con-tributed to the creation of highly automated hubs with conveyers, sorting switches and many other equipment requiring efficient and intelligent power solutions able to work in demanding environments. Parcel hub-designers and hub-operators are facing multiple challenges in having to deal with a large variety and types of equipment. The new generation of parcel hubs are built on a very sophisticated archi-tecture. Instead of having (say) a 100-meter long conveyer belt, the new lines are com-

posed of shorter individual segments five to ten meters long, and turned on and off on demand when a parcel is transported from point A to point B. Each segment is powered by a DC motor requiring the use of an advanced power supply able to not only deliver power but also to meet the complex requirements inherent to the modern parcel hub environment. Traditionally, below 1000W, DC motors are powered by a single-phase AC/DC power supply.

Though to simplify installation, reduce unbalanced phase loading and for better optimization of energy from the grid, parcel hub designers now require that all power supplies for DC motors have a three-phase input, and for whatever the power level. Also, considering energy saving and reduc-ing peak-loads, hub designers require power supplies to include peak energy con-trol and energy storage, thus able to store energy when motors are decelerating or stopping, but also to deliver high energy levels when DC motors are activated. This is usually achieved by capacitors or superca-pacitor banks partly controlled by the microprocessor in charge of the power sup-ply energy management (Figure 2).

THE SMART POWER REVOLUTION IS COMING Those two examples illustrate the changes in demand from systems designers, the levels of innovation required, and the challenges that power supplies manufacturers will face. This is a really exciting time for power designers, not just to think out of the box, but to add more to the box. Powerbox | www.prbx.com

POWER

References: POWERBOX (PRBX): https://www.prbx.com COSEL: https://en.cosel.co.jp Capgemini: How can manufacturers realize the potential of digital industrial revolution https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/resources/smart-factories-how-can-manufacturers-realise-the-potential-of-digital-industrial/ Editor note: Article reproduced with courtesy of Power Electronics News and Powerbox (PRBX) - URL: Power Electronics News https://www.powerelectronicsnews.com

Figure 2: PRBX ENI250A24 designed for high speed e-commerce hubs conveyers with microprocessor controller and energy recycling.


PRODUCT NEWS

Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorised global distributor with the newest semi-conductors and electronic components, is now stocking the Hello FPGA Kit from Microchip. The kit is an entry-level plat-form developed for end users with low to medium experience with field-programma-ble gate arrays (FPGAs). The Hello FPGA Kit supports artificial intelligence (AI) and digital signal processing prototypes and includes a power monitor GUI that allows developers to measure FPGA core power consumption while running designs. The Microchip Hello FPGA Kit, available from Mouser Electronics, includes the FPGA mainboard, a camera sensor board, LCD board, and required USB cable. The FPGA mainboard is based on the SmartFusion®2 system-on-chip (SoC) FPGA. The low-power SmartFusion2 device combines FPGA fabric with a 166-MHz Arm® Cortex®-M3 microcontroller subsystem that includes 256 Kbytes of embedded flash, extensive peripherals, instruction cache, and Embedded Trace Macrocell. The FPGA mainboard also includes a Microchip PIC32MX7 microcontroller – which controls the SmartFusion2 SoC, mon-itors power, and more – as well as Arduino

and Mikroe mikroBUS connectors to offer flexibility for prototyping and expansion. The kit can work as a standalone unit as well as an extension to existing Microchip kits over the PICkit™ Header. To learn more, visit https://eu.mouser.com/ new/microchip/microchip-m2s-hello-fpga-kit/. To watch a video about the Microchip Hello FPGA Kit, go to https://eu.mouser.com/new/ microchip/microchip-m2s-hello-fpga-kit/. As an authorised distributor, Mouser Electronics

is focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies, giving cus-tomers an edge and helping speed time to market. Over 800 semiconductor and elec-tronic component manufacturers count on Mouser to help them introduce their prod-ucts into the global marketplace. Mouser's customers can expect 100% certified, gen-uine products that are fully traceable from each manufacturer. Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

Now at Mouser: Microchip Hello FPGA Kit Simplifies FPGA Development for AI and Image Processing Applications

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the Sentrius™ IG60-BL654 and BT510 Starter Kit from Laird Connectivity. Including the latest wireless IoT gateway offering in Laird Connectivity’s growing family of IoT devices, the kit securely and reliably con-nects Bluetooth®-enabled sensors to the cloud, providing everything needed to start a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) proof-of-concept – with temperature sens-ing, vibration sensing, proximity, and door open/close reporting – in minutes. The Laird Connectivity Sentrius IG60-BL654 and BT510 Starter Kit, available from Mouser Electronics, includes the Sentrius IG60-BL654 gateway with Amazon Web Services (AWS), plus three BT510 Bluetooth 5 sensors. Engineers can gather data from the BT510 sensors and collect the data with the IG60-BL654 gateway before sending it to the cloud via AWS IoT Greengrass, while available iOS and Android mobile apps enable fast, in-field provisioning. Based on Laird Connectivity’s 60 Series sys-

tem-on-module (SoM) and BL654 embed-ded Bluetooth module with Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 system-on-chip (SoC), the IG60-BL654 provides a powerful platform for Bluetooth 5 long-range sensor-to-cloud applications. The combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi allows customers to cap-ture data from Bluetooth 5 sensors, add edge intelligence, and send that data to the cloud over high-performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The Sentrius BT510 is a multi-sensor platform

that combines temperature, open/ closed, motion, and impact sensing with Bluetooth 5 capabilities such as long-range (Coded PHY), security, and Bluetooth Low Energy beacon-ing. The module integrates the field-proven long-range Laird Connectivity BL654 Series module with the Nordic nRF52840 SoC, which delivers advanced processing capabili-ty, enabling feature-rich application develop-ment with 1 Mbyte of flash memory. Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

Mouser Electronics Now Stocking Laird Connectivity Sentrius IG60-BL654 Starter Kit with Three Bluetooth 5 Sensors


A representative example is advanced power-supply design. Today’s implemen-tations do not only call for precise, efficient control of energy conversion through mathematical algorithms and real-time pulse width modulation (PWM) control. They also require connectivity to relay real-time operational status and receive commands from a system-level manage-ment unit using protocols such as PMBus. Similarly, in an automotive fan or pump controller, communication through a pro-tocol such as Controller Area Network Flexible Datarate (CAN-FD) is needed for commands, system monitoring and diag-

nostics reporting. An air conditioning unit may have even more complex require-ments, with separate DSP-oriented tasks to support power-factor correction in its mains power supply as well as closed-loop motor control in fan and pump units. In principle, a single high-speed CPU core can, through time-slicing, run many inde-pendent threads to handle both low-laten-cy real-time control tasks along with net-working and system management tasks. However, a core that is designed to achieve such high performance in any given process technology may be suboptimal in terms of power consumption and complexity.

A further issue for any real-time application running on a single core is how easily threads and interrupt handlers will meet their respective deadlines. With any resource-sharing implementation, a con-cern is the length of time that a given thread will be blocked from running by an unrelated process or interrupt handler. To guarantee that a thread will meet its dead-lines under all conditions where threads have no interdependencies, conservative algorithms used to calculate the amount of headroom required will call for leaving a relatively significant portion of processing cycles unallocated.

By Markus Wimmer, Business Development Manager. 16-bit microcontroller business unit Microchip Technology

Embedded applications that need high digital signal processing (DSP) performance are not just demanding an increase in performance to accommodate increasingly complex mathe-matical algorithms but the addition of communications, functional safety and management features. This combination of factors is leading to changes in the way processing power is deployed in high-integration microcontrollers and digital signal controllers.

Dual Core Solutions for Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications


There is also the overhead of frequent task switching that needs to be considered and its impact on processing throughput. With a large number of interrupting events to a single core, the overhead of interrupt han-dling and the associated task switching can be significant. One option is to build more headroom for performance through even higher clock speeds. In practice, it can make much more sense to divide the application across more than one processor core. For any multitask-ing application that is not primarily dependent on the throughput of a single thread, using parallelism often leads to greater energy efficiency, greater deter-minism and easier development.

A dual-core implementation can share the workload of a multitasking system more effectively. It can also result in being able to use lower core clock frequencies which can be a better match for flash memory, reduc-ing or eliminating the number of stall cycles (wait states) during which the processor has to wait for instructions or data to return from a fetch request.

In some applications the closely coupled nature of tasks that handle related data feeds still favour a single pipeline. But when different functions are being executed in a high-performance embedded application, using more than one core makes more sense as the various functions are relatively loosely coupled. For example, in a power supply where the closed-loop control is implemented in firmware, the performance is predominately determined by the time it takes to convert an analog sample to digital, calculate a new duty cycle from that data, and then update the PWM. With a multi-core controller, it is possible to ensure this latency-critical func-tion is not impeded by other system activi-

ties by running it on a core that has no other priority tasks to perform. In parallel with the time-critical control loop calculations, anoth-er CPU core can be tasked with other responsibilities such as PMBus communica-tions and system monitoring functions. Similarly, in a motor control application, splitting the control loop processing and the CAN interface stack across different cores

ensures that the motor’s commutation is precise and deterministic. There is a further benefit to split process-ing in terms of project development time. However, it is important that the two cores are homogeneous to take advantage of this. One traditional option for multipro-cessing was to divide the workload accord-ing to processor type. Signal-processing code would be dedicat-ed to run on a pipeline optimised for mul-tiply-accumulate options but with little ability to run control code efficiently while a general-purpose processor took care of branch-intensive routines. In practice, in many real-time applications, this is a diffi-cult architecture to work with.

The signal-processing operations often depend on external conditions that may change rapidly. The interprocessor com-munications needed to synchronise states across the different cores can be complex to implement because they impose tighter timing synchronisation requirements than messages used to relay commands and sta-tus updates to a network interface.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Digital Signal Controller

Figure 1


EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS

Unified digital signal controller architec-tures such as Microchip’s dsPIC33 over-came the synchronisation problems by bringing the two types of execution behav-iour together into a single architecture. Such a pipeline can stream multiply-accu-mulate and matrix operations at high speeds but offers fast branching capability and high responsiveness to interrupts so that parameters and algorithms can adapt to changing conditions on the fly. This eases the software implementation of com-plex signal-processing algorithms. However, pressure on design times means customers face challenges of code integration no matter which architecture they choose. The combination of communication and con-trol functionality in many applications is often split between development teams, each of which is a specialist in their area. A key issue with integrating the code from two or more teams is determining how scheduling and task prioritization will work

between them. Seemingly small decisions such as the priority of individual tasks can have a major impact on the overall real-time behaviour of the application. A poor decision will mean vital tasks will be locked out of access to the processor for longer periods than is desirable for good performance. By having the task sets distrib-

uted across two processors, the engineers with the most knowledge about the relative priorities of the threads their part of the application uses are responsible for setting those priorities. Split processing also allows for easier man-agement and allocation of data memory and can be sure that make files and linker settings they have created and debugged during their project remain in place in the final software package. This reduces the overhead on the software-integration team and reduces time to market. Although split processing already helps optimise both development effort and processing throughput, Microchip contin-ues to make architectural improvements to help increase performance as well. An example in the dual-core dsPIC33CH is the deployment of an increased number of context-selected registers to boost inter-rupt responsiveness. Also implemented in the new dsPIC33CH core are additional instructions to increase DSP performance.

As a Digital Signal Controller (DSC), the dsPIC33CH includes a number of advanced peripherals to reduce system costs and board size. They include high-speed ADCs, DACs with waveform genera-tion, analogue comparators, analogue pro-grammable gain amplifiers and high-resolu-tion PWM generators with resolution down to 250ps. Advanced features such as more

intelligent peripherals and a peripheral trigger generator help reduce the number of interrupts a core is subject to in a power-supply or motor control application. For example, the UARTs provide hardware support for LIN/J2602, IrDA®, DMX and smart card protocol extensions to reduce software overhead. Likewise, the CAN-FD peripheral includes a bit stream processor and programmable automatic retransmis-sion to enable it to run more autonomously from the CPU core. With a design focused on the development requirements of today’s engineering teams, Microchip’s dsPIC33CH is opti-mised for high-performance and time-criti-cal, real-world embedded-control applica-tions. The architecture provides the sup-port customers require to “design sepa-rately, integrate seamlessly.” The result is an architecture that increases performance while reducing time to mar-ket and system size and cost.

Microchip Technology www.microchip.com

Figure 2


PRODUCT NEWS

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has just launched a new robust entry-level thermal transfer printer. The new T2212 printer is easy to operate and, with its small footprint, it can be installed in either an office or industrial environment. The printer produces a high-quality print on a range of our printable tubing, tags and label products. Continuous Tube product will require an external reel holder. Optimal printing results on TE identification products can be achieved by using the T2212 printer in conjunction with the recommended rib-bon and WINTOTAL software. The new T2212 model features an upgraded CPU and firmware, making it more powerful compared to the T200-IDENT printer. It has a full-color touch screen that uses intuitive icon-based set-ting adjustments. Its memory is pre-loaded with “help” videos that can reduce the need to consult manuals or call technical support. The printer is equipped with USB and Ethernet ports as well as an RS-232 serial interface and slot for a flash card, enabling the printer to be connected to all sorts of sources for direct printing. WiFi

printing is also possible with the addition of a WiFi dongle, which is available as an accessory. Further printer accessory infor-mation, including external reel holders, can be found at TE.com within the Identification & Labelling section. The T2212 printer is also available with WINTOTAL v7 software, which supports high quality printing applications. WINTO-TAL is a label/marker design package that makes printing simple. Running in the familiar Windows environment, WINTO-TAL has over 2,500 standard TE identifica-tion products pre-installed. This makes the creation and printing of identification products a quick and simple task.

TE Connectivity | www.te.com

TE Connectivity adds to its thermal transfer printer range with T2212 entry-level model

Belden Inc. announces that its Hirschmann brand has joined the Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) Industrial Partner Network. Hirschmann is the technology and market leader in industrial networking, and its research and engineering programs in sup-port of SPE continue to further the field around the world. The SPE Industrial Partner Network’s members stand for a strong partnership of technology leaders who are committed to the T1 Industrial interface defined by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25/WG 3 and TIA TR-42 in 2018 according to IEC 63171-6 as a uniform media depend-ent interface (MDI). Single Pair Ethernet is a critical component to Industry 4.0 transfor-mations. It will allow for sophisticated net-works to span across networks of industrial machinery and to go down to the sensor and actuator level. This enables data trans-mission from sensors to the cloud, enabling operational and manufacturing analytics applications and value-add services. Belden recognized very early on that the

world’s industrial automation technology ecosystem had a unique opportunity to take the next step when a wide spectrum of standardization and specification bodies converged on SPE. PROFINET International (PI), ODVA, and the FieldComm Group had agreed upon an advanced physical layer (APL) specification, and these were worked on further in various IEEE and ISO/IEC work-ing groups and task forces globally.

At the same time, the engineers working on these programs were able to leverage the prior work that their peers in Single Pair Ethernet for automotive in-car networks had accomplished before. This also includ-ed power-over-data line (PoDL) functional-ity, all still in scope of the single-copper-wire-pair engineering envelope. Belden | www.belden.com

Hirschmann Automation and Control Joins Single Pair Ethernet Industrial Partner Network


PRODUCT NEWS

5G is the communication standard of the future. Rutronik has already been supply-ing its customers with the first 5G modules since 2019. In the future, the distributor will work with the companies that are mem-bers of the 5G Alliance, which will allow it to offer more complex system solutions. Around 15 years ago, Rutronik founded

the Wireless Competence Center and has already been involved in the development of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, including narrowband IoT, M1, and in some cases competing technologies like LoRa and Sigfox. Through its collaboration with the 5G Alliance, the company will be able to significantly expand its services for cus-tomers in the future. Bernd Hantsche, Director Product Marketing Embedded&Wireless at Rutronik, explains: “I am pleased that with the 5G Alliance, we now have a central point of contact for interested parties. This means that we can use the network of mem-ber companies to cre-ate more complex sys-tem solutions for our

customers, which may even go beyond our existing range. Setting up a complete 5G campus network on large industrial sites is much more difficult than simply hanging wide-area Wi-Fi equipment in the corners of a building.” A Powerful Partnership Markus Bau, Director Digital and Content Marketing at TEMA, founding company of the 5G Alliance, takes an equally positive view of the new partnership: “We are pleased to have Rutronik, a global distributor of electronic components, on board. The company’s range of 5G modules, antennas, SIM cards, the IoT device management plat-form, the new SmartData Analytics range, and its Embedded Computing portfolio allow interested companies to build 5G devices as well as components deployed on the infrastructure side.” Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

Rutronik Is a Member of the 5G Alliance

The Composite SMD Antenna W3415 from PulseLarsen with a frequency from 617 to 6.000MHz is perfectly suitable for 4G and innovative 5G IoT applications. The antenna is available at www.rutronik24.com. By combining all sub 6GHz bands (4G and 5G), the broad band antenna W3415 is ideal for devices that require a high per-formance compact internal 4G/5G anten-na. It delivers a gain of 0 / 2,5dBi. When mounting two antennas onto the radio board, they are suitable for 2 x MiMo (mul-tiple input / multiple output).

The antenna W3415 measures 40×7×3mm and is fully SMT compatible and in tape and reel packaging for automated assem-bly available at Rutronik. Once unpacked, it has to be assembled within 168 hours (MSL-3, Moisture Sensitivity Level 3). For more information about PulseLarsen‘s new Antenna for 4G and 5G IoT Applications and a direct ordering option, please visit our e-commerce platform at www.rutronik24.com. www.rutronik24.com/search-result/qs: W3415 Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

Rutronik: Antenna for 4G and 5G IoT Applications from PulseLarsen

u-blox, a global provider of leading position-ing and wireless communication technolo-gies, has completed AT&T’s chipset verifica-tion process for the UBX-R5 multi-band Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) chipset platform to operate on the carrier’s LTE-M network for the Internet of Things. The chipset fea-tures end-to-end device security, data secu-rity, and access control management. The u-blox UBX-R5 is a cellular chipset plat-form supporting LPWA LTE-M and NB-IoT technologies, optimized for long life cycle IoT applications such as smart metering, telematics, tracking, security systems, build-

ing automation, as well as smart lighting solu-tions and connected health. It implements key features of 3GPP Release 14, answering the need for longevity in IoT solutions. UBX-R5 also offers unmatched built-in end‑to‑end security thanks to a hard-ware‑based root of trust (RoT) integrated in a discrete secure element compliant with EAL5+ High common criteria certification, which makes it ideally suited to protect sensitive assets and communications. The platform also offers integrated eSIM capa-bility, offering customers SIM activation and subscription management options.

u-blox IoT chipset certified by AT&T for LTE-M

Bernd Hantsche

u‑blox | www.u-blox.com/en


Digi International®announced the launch of several new cellular routers and extenders, each designed to meet the present and future connectivity needs of organizations in the transportation and enterprise mar-ketplaces: the Digi TX54 and Digi TX64 mark the launch of its TX line of transporta-tion and intelligent traffic system routers, while the Digi EX12 cellular extender joins the Digi EX15 in supporting indoor, enter-prise use cases, particularly in signage, retail and food service markets. Digi now has routers that include 5Ge / Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios, Band 71 and CBRS connectivity, 5G readiness, and are FirstNet Ready™. Digi has created its new cellular connectivity offerings to match the shifting needs of the IoT marketplace and revamped their fea-tures to align with customer needs: whether TX for transportation, IX for industrial, or EX for enterprise, Digi has the right routers for the market’s needs. On supported Digi devices, additional flexibility is available with the Digi CORE® plug-in module: no need to replace the whole unit, just swap the Digi CORE to the LTE standard needed. While designed for different applications, Digi’s new TX54, TX64 and EX12 are built on a strong foundation that is shared by the rest of Digi’s routers, including: • Digi Accelerated Linux (DAL), Digi’s secure

operating system for the most demanding business-critical and mission-critical applica-tions. This release adds multicasting, expands routing protocols, and – critical for transpor -tation applications – offers dual APN capa-bilities and supports dynamic DNS updates. • Edge Compute, as each new router comes with Python built-in, allowing users to add intelligence on the device – from simple scripts to full-fledged IoT applications. • Digi Remote Manager® for centralized device deployment, monitoring and con-trol. With Digi Remote Manager, organiza-tions can easily automate firmware, soft-ware and configuration updates of all units

in the field – for complete asset tracking and compliance, including security protec-tion. Also available as an Android or iPhone mobile app. • Digi TrustFence®, the built-in security framework, protects internal and external I/O ports to prevent unwanted local intru-sion. Digi TrustFence also provides data authentication and device identity man-agement options. Digi TrustFence utilizes the latest encryption protocols for data in motion and over-the-air (OTA) transmis-sions to ensure the integrity of data flowing across a network. Digi International | www.digi.com

Digi International introduces new routers and software to address Next-Generation IoT Connectivity and 5G applications

The LTE-M/NB2 modules ME310G1 and ME910G1 from Telit are compliant to 3GPP Release 14. Thus, they enable low-cost IoT device deployments at a scale and provide the basis for future 5G IoT appli-cations and services. With the introduction of 5G, many compa-nies face the question whether it is still worth to invest in LTE IoT (eMTC/NB-IoT). As LTE will evolve seamlessly into 5G, the invest-ment in current LTE IoT solutions is also an investment in 5G IoT (mMTC) solutions: eMTC (enhanced MTC; GPP Release 13) becomes FeMTC (Further enhanced MTC) with Release 14 and eFeMTC (even Further enhanced MTC) with Release 15. The LTE Cat. M1 (1,4MHz) / NB2 (200kHz) combo modules ME310G1 and ME910G1 from Telit are already compliant to the 3GPP Release 14. Thus, they enable increased power saving for IoT applications using the Power Saving Mode (PSM) and extended

Discontinous Reception (eDRX), allowing devices to wake up periodically, while deliv-ering only the smallest amounts of data nec-essary before returning to sleep mode. Maximum Coupling Loss (MCL) ensures an enhanced coverage of up to +15dB/+20dB and a superior in-building penetration com-pared to earlier LTE standards. The modules offer a data rate for LTE-M of up to 1 Mbps (Uplink, Downlink up to 365Kbps) and for NB-IoT of up to 160Kbps (Uplink, Downlink up to 120Kbps). With these features, the modules are ideal for a quick implementa-tion of LTE technology where low cost and low power consumption are more important than high speed. The ME310G1 features a small size of 14.3 × 13.1 × 2.6mm (ME310G1-W1), the ME910G1 module measures 28.2 × 28.2 × 2.2mm. Both modules support the OMA Lightweight M2M protocol and Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware updates. For appli-cations with positioning or tracking func-

tions, the integrated GNSS Receiver (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo) can be used. Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

Pave the Way to 5G: LTE Cat. M1/NB2 Modules from Telit, available at Rutronik

PRODUCT NEWS


OPERATING SYSTEM For extensive, computer-intensive industrial and consumer applications that are based on operating systems like Linux or Android and require numerous high-speed connections or user interfaces with a broad functional scope, a microprocessor is the best choice. Because, instead of an operating system, most microcontrollers have only bare metal programming which runs programs almost without any human intervention thanks to

sequential processing loops and state machines. Many high-performing microcon-trollers, however, can support a real-time operating system (RTOS) such as Free RTOS in order to respond to processes in real time in a deterministic manner for applications that require a hard real-time behavior. As a universal operating system with a lot of free software, extensive hardware support and a growing ecosystem, Embedded Linux has enjoyed great success. A further plus

point: There are no user or licensing fees due. However, an application that runs with Embedded Linux requires at least 300 to 400 DMIPS (ARM-Dhrystone MIPS) which makes a microprocessor the better choice. In this application, a microcontroller does not gener-ate enough computing power nor is it equipped with sufficient memory. If it is a complex or a time-critical control system, then an RTOS is useful, but requires a high-performance microcontroller that offers at least 50 DMIPS.

Every new application design requires a microcontroller or micro-processor. And when making a decision between the two, there are a few factors to consider. An overview of the microprocessor and the microcontroller, and heterogeneous architectures. When deciding between a microprocessor (MPU) and a micro-controller (MCU), the type of application is often a critical factor. The final selection, on the other hand, depends on criteria like the operating system and memory. However, sometimes a combina-tion of the two makes sense, and this is referred to as a heteroge-neous architecture.

By Hao Wang, Product Manager Digital

Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and their Periphery

Process or control?


This is much less than required for Embedded Linux; the traditional RTOS are designed to be lean so that they run on a microcontroller. This makes sense when it concerns real-time computing hardware, such as an anti-blocking system for vehicles where too much latency in the response can have deadly consequences. Even if a larger num-ber of functions, interrupt sources, and standard communications interfaces have to be supported, a microcontroller with RTOS is recommended. MEMORY Another main difference between micro-processors and microcontrollers consists normally in the fact that microprocessors rely on an external memory for saving and exe-cuting the program and not – as in the case of microcontrollers – on an embedded flash memory. In microprocessors, the program is normally stored on a non-volatile memory such as eMMC or Serial Flash, to name a few.

During the start, it is loaded into an external DRAM and executed here. Both the DRAM as well as the non-volatile memory can have several hundred megabytes or even giga-bytes. This means microprocessors are almost never limited with regard to memory capacity. One potential disadvantage is that the design of the PCB layout can be more complex due to the external memory. Current high-performing microcontrollers, such as the STM32H7 produced by STMicroelectronis, offer maximum 2 MB program memory which can be insufficient for many applications. Because the pro-gram lies on an On-Chip memory, its advantage is that it carries out start-up and reset processes considerably faster. COMPUTING POWER Computing power is a classic selection cri-terion. However, the lines between micro-processors and microcontrollers have become fuzzy in this regard. This becomes obvious, for example, if you look at the ARM architecture as one of the most broadly distributed in the microcontroller and microprocessor market. ARM offers different processor architectures for vari-ous requirements:

Cortex-A offers the highest performance of all of them and is already optimized for comprehensive operating systems. They are mainly deployed in powerful devices like smart phones or in servers. Cortex-M are smaller with a more On-Chip periphery, however, with lower energy consumption – and thereby optimized for embedded applications.

Dhrystone is used as a benchmark to com-pare the performance of different proces-sors. Based on this benchmark, the differ-ence between a typical inexpensive micro-controller with 30 DMIPS and a microcon-troller with the highest currently available performance, including an embedded pro-gram flash memory, is 1027 DMIPS. In con-trast, microprocessors do not start until almost 1000 DMIPS. ENERGY CONSUMPTION Microcontrollers score high when it comes to energy consumption, which is quite a bit lower than that of microprocessors. Although microprocessors have an energy-savings mode, their consumption is never-theless considerably higher than that of a typical microcontroller. Moreover, the exter-nal memory makes it harder to switch the microprocessor to an energy-saving mode.

For ultra-low power applications in which a long battery run-time is critical and which have only a little-used or no user interface, the microcontrollers are the better choice, particularly for consumer electronics or smart meters. CONNECTIVITY The majority of the microcontrollers and microprocessors come equipped with all the conventional peripheral interfaces. However, if ultra-fast peripheral devices are required, then users will not find the rele-vant interfaces, such as the Gigabit Ethernet, in microcontrollers. However, they have become practically a standard feature in microprocessors. This makes complete sense because microcontrollers can barely process the data volume incurred. One key question to ask is: Are there sufficient band-width and channels available to handle the emerging data traffic? REAL-TIME PERFORMANCE If it is all about real-time performance, a microcontroller is definitely the component of choice. Thanks to its processor core, the embedded flash memory, and the software (RTOS or Bare Metal OS), the microcon-troller does an outstanding job meeting its real-time tasks. Because the Cortex-A micro-processors are masters at pipelining, users can expect an increasing depth of the pipeline with higher latency times during jumps and interrupts. Hard real-time is diffi-cult to realize due to the fact that the OS multitasks with microprocessors. SYSTEM BASE ICs A power supply is already integrated in microcontrollers, they only require one sin-gle voltage rail. Microprocessors, on the other hand, require numerous rails to sup-ply the core and the other components. Power is supplied, for example, by special ICs, so-called system basis chips, that only have to be configured. HETEROGENEOUS ARCHITECTURE Nevertheless, the line between micro-processor and microcontroller is becoming visibly fuzzier. With the introduction of the STM32MP1 with one or two Cortex-A7 cores typical for a microprocessor and a Cortex-M4 core as a representative of the microcontroller class, STMicroelectronics has added to its portfolio a powerful microcontroller for performance and resource-hungry applications based on open source software.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Heterogeneous architectures


This opens up the option of combining the advantages of both worlds. For example, an OpenST Linux can be run on microproces-sor cores while the M4 core runs a FreeRTOS in order to meet the real-time and safety requirements, as needed in process monitoring. Due to this separation,

all of the operating system features, such as HMI with touch control and network com-munication, can be used without going into the safety requirements of the entire appli-cation. Heterogeneous architectures also have an advantage when it comes to the

latency time during system start or energy consumption because the more suitable processor can be used any time. For example, with the help of its retention RAM, the M4 can wake up in milliseconds while the A7 takes up to one second in latency time to wake up. This makes it pos-

sible, for example, to keep the micro-processor in Stop mode while the micro-controller component performs an A/D conversion, which, when compared to the run-run configuration, saves about three-quarters of the energy.

REFERENCE DESIGN FOR THE STM32MP1 The STM32MP1 is available with the Evaluation Board (STM32MP157C-EV1) and Discovery Kit (STM32MP157C-DK2) as a ref-erence design. Developers benefit from the support with the system design. It is based on the combination of STM32MP1 and the technologies from proven partners like Nanya. It consists of a 4-Gbit DDR3L SDRAM, a 4GB e-MMC from Kioxia (previously Toshiba) and an optimized power management IC STMPIC1 as a support chip. CONCLUSION It is hard to say when a microprocessor or a microcontroller is the better choice, but the rule of thumb is that you should always weigh the various pros and cons against one another. The following can be used as a rough guideline: • Microcontrollers are ideal for more

inexpensive and mobile applications in which energy consumption is a main concern, as well as for applications with real-time requirements.

• Microprocessors are perfectly suited for

intense computing applications that run with an operating system and require the high-speed interfaces. Games and other graphic-intensive applications are networked using special microprocessors.

Rutronik www.rutronik.com


PRODUCT NEWS

Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader empowering inno-vation, announces a global distribution agreement with Kontron, a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT)/ Embedded Computing Technology (ECT) and a Premier Member of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance. Through the agreement, Mouser offers a range of Kontron computer-on-modules (COMs), including COM Express modules based on Intel Atom® E3900 series, Pentium® proces-sor N4200, and Celeron® processor N3350. The highly scalable COMe-cAL6 series comprises COM Express Type 6 modules that combine state-of-the-art image pro-cessing and graphics capabilities with extensive real-time computing. The mod-ules are available in dual-core and quad-core versions for applications, such as POS/POI systems, digital signage, gaming and medical PCs, human-machine inter-faces, and industrial machinery. The COMe-mAL10 is a series of credit card-sized COMs with up to 8 GBytes of DDR3L memory. The IoT-ready modules maximise graphics and processing per-formance in a robust, energy-efficient, and

standardised Type 10 COM mini form fac-tor. The integrated Intel Gen 9 HD low-power graphics controller provides 4K encode/decode algorithms supporting HEVC, H.264 and VP8/VP9 formats. The SMARC-sAMX7 modules capitalise on a low-power NXP Semiconductors i.MX 7 processor, available in both single-core and dual-core configurations, to enable develop-ment of smart devices in a fanless, compact SMARC 2.0 form factor. The highly scalable

modules balance processor and graphics performance while retaining a very low ener-gy footprint, making them ideal for IoT and Industry 4.0 applications. The modules offer up to 2 GBytes of DDR3L and 8 GBytes of eMMC, with up to two Gigabit Ethernet, three PCIe, and four USB 4.0 ports. To learn more about the Kontron product line available from Mouser, visit www.mouser.com/manufacturer/kontron. Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

Mouser Electronics Signs Global Distribution Deal with Kontron, Stocks Embedded COMs with Intel Processors

With the v6.70 release of SEGGER’s J-Link software, all the included tools are now available on the most popular operating systems (OS) options: Windows, macOS and Linux. While the J-Link software and its accompanying command line tools have been cross-platform for years, the applications with graph-ical user interfaces (GUIs) have only been available on Windows. These have now been rewritten, one at a time to give the package much wider OS compatibility. The concept and underlying plat-form has been proven for a long time in applications such as SEGGER Embedded Studio, SystemView and the Ozone debugger and per-formance analyzer. With this release the popular J-Flash appli-cation, which provides an easy to use inter-

face for production flash programming and automation, is finally available not only for Windows, but also for Linux and macOS.

“It has been a common request, especially from our customers in production environments, for J-Flash to support a non-Windows OS. Linux is often considered ideal in these applications, as it mitigates the risk of cyber threats and opti-mize production efficiency,” says Alex Grüner, CTO at SEGGER. “I am excited to say that J-Flash is now fully cross-platform enabled, and that the process of making J-Link software available on all major OS platforms is now complete.” For more on J-Link, and for a full list of the J-Link tools (i.e. Ozone, J-Link GDB Server, J-Link Remote Server, J-Flash, J-Flash SPI, J-Scope, RTT Viewer, SWO Viewer, etc.), please see: www.segger.com/prod-

ucts/debug-probes/j-link SEGGER | www.segger.com

Cross-platform freedom: SEGGER's J-Flash now available for macOS & Linux


Renesas Electronics Corporation, a pre-mier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced a new Renesas Solution Starter Kit (RSSK) for developers working with the 32-bit RX23E-A micro-controller (MCU), which features one of the most highly accurate analog front ends (AFE) in the industry. The RX23E-A RSSK brings together hardware, software, and tools optimized for evaluating the MCU’s high-precision 24-bit delta-sigma (ΔΣ) A/D converter with industry-leading accuracy. The RSSK enables users without any AFE development expertise to accurately eval-uate analog characteristics to the nanovolt (nV) level, thereby reducing development workload and time-to-market. Evaluating analog characteristics with high precision requires strong analog design and development expertise, from evalua-tion board design to software develop-ment. In addition, identifying and analyzing problems when the desired characteristics cannot be obtained is time-consuming, making it difficult to bring products to mar-ket in a timely manner. Designed to optimize evaluation of the RX23E-A AFE, the new RSSK evaluation board allows users to check characteristics of the 24-bit ΔΣ A/D converter with high accuracy, regardless of analog develop-

ment expertise levels. The evaluation board is equipped with a plug-in terminal block to connect a variety of sensors with-out soldering, a thermocouple (tempera-ture sensor) connector, and the reference junction compensation circuit required for thermocouple measurement applications. By referencing thermocouple and weight measurement application software (both available for download on the Renesas website), users can immediately start their evaluation, thereby shortening the time

needed to develop IoT sensor devices. With the kit’s graphical user interface (GUI) tool, users can enter and change settings for a variety of AFE and A/D converter parameters, as well as display graphs and histograms of A/D conversion results. This simplifies the task of evaluating characteris-tics matched to the user’s system. With the GUI, users can check A/D conversion results in real-time in the same manner as using an oscilloscope. Renesas Electronics | www.renesas.com

Renesas Introduces RX23E-A MCU Starter Kit to Jumpstart Accurate Analog Evaluation for Industrial Automation and Measurement Equipment

Infineon Technologies AG has achieved an impeccable quality record in its deliveries to Toyota's Hirose plant for the sixth con-secutive year. For this, the car manufacturer has now awarded Infineon the plant's high-est quality award, the Honor Quality Award, for the third time in a row. Infineon is the first non-Japanese semiconductor company to achieve this. At the Hirose plant, Toyota manufactures electronic components for automobiles. Infineon supplies the site with transceivers for the Controller Area Network (CAN). These devices enable different control units in the car to exchange data. The plant awards quality prizes to its sup-pliers every year: the longer the zero-defect quality record of a supplier, the higher the award. The Honor Quality Award is presented to suppliers who have delivered zero-defect quality for at least four consecutive years. This year's award is

Infineon's fourth Honor Quality Award and its twelfth Zero Defect Award in total from the Hirose plant since the beginning of the

cooperation more than 18 years ago. Infineon Technologies AG www.infineon.com

Toyota Hirose plant honors Infineon: First non-Japanese chip manufacturer with three Honor Quality Awards in a row

COMPANIES


Sectigo, a leading provider of automated digital identity management and web secu-rity solutions, today announced a partner-ship with Infineon Technologies AG to provide automated certificate provisioning for Infineon’s OPTIGA™ Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 using Sectigo IoT Identity Manager. The integration pro-vides manufacturers with a complete cer-tificate management solution, including issuance and renewal, starting right on the factory floor, with secure certificate cre-ation and insertion using the OPTIGA™ TPM for private key storage. The Sectigo-Infineon joint solution enables manufacturers to provide the enhanced levels of security required to protect their devices and to ensure compliance with ever-emerging and evolving IoT security standards and regulations across the globe. For example, manufacturers are able to provision certificates into devices before they leave the factory, so that their connected IoT and IIoT products comply with the authentication requirements of the California IoT Security Law, along with other similar legislation. Device identity certificates enable strong authentication and the TPM - a specialized chip on an endpoint device - provides secure key storage to ensure keys are protected

against attacks. The joint solution enables the insertion of certificates into the device during the manufacturing of the device, when the device is first provisioned into a network, or into the TPM chip itself before the chip is shipped to the manufacturer.

By installing certificates into the TPM chip prior to manufacturing, manufacturers are able to track the component throughout the supply chain to protect against device counterfeiting, ensuring that only authentic devices are manufactured. The Sectigo IoT Identity Platform removes

the complexity associated with securing and authenticating connected devices so that businesses can protect their infrastructure in an easy, scalable, cost-effective, way. The platform enables enterprises and OEMs to ensure the integrity and identity of their

devices and maintain that security by man-aging certificates throughout the lifecycle of the device. Organizations interested in a demo of the fully integrated, automated certificate provisioning solution, please visit https://sectigo.com/about/contact. Sectigo | www.sectigo.com

Sectigo and Infineon Partner to Protect IoT Devices with Automated Factory Provisioning of Certificates

Analog Devices, Inc., a leading global high-performance analog technology company, announced a series of actions to support the global response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by expediting production of its healthcare technologies that can help fight COVID-19. These include critical measurement and control technologies that are used in medical equipment essential for diagnostics and treatment for COVID-19 patients, such as ventilators, respirators, diagnostic test systems, infusion pumps, patient monitors as well as in imaging sys-tems, such as CT scanners and digital x-ray. To address the increased needs of our healthcare customers, ADI is taking the fol-lowing actions: • Analyzing order backlog daily to identi-fy and prioritize customers who are manu-facturers of critical medical equipment as the supply environment becomes increas-ingly difficult for them. • Dedicating manufacturing lines to increase production of healthcare compo-

nents to meet the higher demand for these products from healthcare customers. • Providing manufacturing teams with protective equipment, social distancing guidelines and clean workplace practices to ensure their health and safety.

• Working with local governments world-wide to ensure ADI’s facilities or subcon-tractors’ facilities remain in operation so they can continue producing this essential healthcare technology. Analog Devices | www.analog.com

Analog Devices takes action to support customers during COVID-19 Pandemic

COMPANIES


Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the HARTING Technology Group has taken numerous measures to pro-tect its employees on the one hand, while ensuring that customers continue to benefit from a reliable supply of HARTING prod-ucts and solutions on the other. HARTING supplies renowned manufacturers of med-ical and respiratory equipment with cus-tomer-specific cable assemblies. Working under high pressure, several German manufacturers are currently pro-ducing the devices on which patients and doctors are urgently dependent in the coronavirus pandemic. HARTING has aligned its internal processes so as to supply these medical device manufacturers as quickly as possible. For years now, HART-ING has been manufacturing complete con-nectivity system solutions for these devices. The current high and short-term require-ments and the maintenance of the associat-ed supply chain present major challenges for all parts of the company. At HARTING, securing the supply of the required compo-

nents takes priority over all other activities. All manufacturing, storage and delivery functions are secured by separation in space and time as well as a multitude of hygiene measures. Where expedient and sensible, many employees are already working from their home office. In addi-tion, HARTING started to ramp up its stock

levels weeks ago in order to be able to respond in the best possible way to any supply chain disruptions. Specially formed back-up teams serve to safeguard key areas when necessary. A corona task force and a pandemic team coordinate all necessary measures. HARTING | www.HARTING.com

HARTING supplies cable assemblies for medical devices

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. has acceler-ated the production of its medical technolo-gies to address increased customer need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The com-pany’s semiconductor devices are used in medical equipment such as virus detection devices, ultrasounds, analytical/laboratory equipment, ventilators, patient remote mon-itoring devices, intravenous blood monitors, temperature loggers for critical COVID drugs, pulse oximeters, remote patient/IR thermometers, blood glucose meters for diabetics, anesthesia machines and dispos-able patches for blood pressure. “We are committed to helping alleviate the impact of this global pandemic. In order to support efforts in fighting this disease, we are adjusting manufacturing capacity to prioritize products used in medical equipment which assists in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients,” said Tunç Doluca, President and Chief Executive Officer at Maxim Integrated. “Our products help enable a variety of medical solutions, such as those used for wearable and remote vital-sign monitoring, drug delivery, surgical equip-ment, as well as lung and airway imaging.” In addition to accelerating technology pro-duction, Maxim Integrated is helping to pro-

tect the wider community. For example, it has donated N95 masks to hospitals in Portland and Silicon Valley, and is continu-ing to conduct fundraising to support other impacted regions. The company has per-sonal protective equipment for front-line workers in Cavite, Philippines, and is also providing weekly contributions towards food in the region. At the company’s head-

quarters, employees are participating in a giving campaign supporting Second Harvest

Food Bank in which Maxim Integrated will match employee donations up to $20,000. The company has also taken the necessary precautions as part of a comprehensive business continuity plan to help safeguard the health and safety of its employees, applying measures such as frequent disin-fecting of test equipment, social distancing and remote working for most employees.

Maxim Integrated www.maximintegrated.com

Maxim Integrated Accelerates Production of Essential Medical Solutions for Customers During COVID-19 Pandemic

COMPANIES


CUI Devices has announced new initiatives in its support of the medical industry’s response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These initiatives include prioritizing orders and expediting free product samples to OEMs, makers, vol-unteers, and organizations designing med-ical equipment key to fighting COVID-19, such as respirators, ventilators, blood analy-sis machines, test equipment, patient moni-tors, imaging systems, and home medical equipment. “CUI Devices recognizes the urgent need to support the critical systems and applications used in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Jeff Schnabel, President at CUI Devices. “As an organization we are com-mitted to OEMs, individuals, and compa-nies designing medical equipment to com-bat COVID-19, by allocating the necessary resources to make their projects a priority.” In addition to streamlining its existing prod-uct sample program, CUI Devices is working closely with its manufacturing facilities and distribution partners worldwide to ensure

ready availability of its diverse product portfolio to meet the demand. The compa-

ny is also following proper social distancing guidelines and clean workplace practices,

to protect the health and safety of all team members supporting these efforts.

CUI Devices https://www.cuidevices.com

CUI Devices prioritizes efforts to support COVID-19 and medical applications

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a pre-mier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced a new open-source ventilator system reference design that customers can use to swiftly design ready-to-assemble boards for medical ventilators. Many regions are experiencing a critical shortage of ventilators as COVID-19 infections continue to rise and hospital demand exceeds supply. “Renesas’ engineers have created a ventilator system reference design to address the chal-lenges our global community faces as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris Allexandre, Senior Vice President, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas. “Leveraging our broad product portfolio and system design expertise, we are enabling cus-tomers to accelerate their development of medical ventilator systems capable of operat-ing in a home or hospital environment.” Renesas’ engineers have followed several open-source ventilator designs, including the Medtronic PB560, to come up with an easy to assemble three board ventilator design. It controls the tidal volume and mixture of gas delivered to the patient while monitoring the patient’s status. The ventilator is portable and can be used with or without gas tanks. In

addition, a humidifier can be connected to the ventilator’s intake path to soothe the patient’s breathing, making it more comfort-able to be connected for long durations.

The reference design uses 20 Renesas ICs, consisting of microcontroller (MCU), power, and analog ICs that address many of the ven-tilator’s signal chain electrical functions. The system design implements a sensor board, a motor control board, and features Bluetooth® connectivity that allows medical professionals to monitor several patients simultaneously via a tablet or other mobile

device. Each board has a microcontroller (MCU) to control its specific task while mon-itoring the status of the connecting board. The ventilator solution also provides a sys-

tem of checks and balances to enable regu-latory approval and provide patient safety. Renesas is committed to developing innova-tive solutions that address the challenges our customers face. Learn more about the Renesas solutions used in equipment critical for fighting the life-threatening coronavirus: www.renesas.com/about/press-center/covid-19. Renesas Electronics | www.renesas.com

Renesas Electronics Creates Open-Source Ventilator System Reference Design to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic

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COMPANIES

“Some of our electronic components are important elements in medical technology, and in some cases also in intensive care med-icine. Our task force is the central point of contact for medical technology manufactur-ers and companies currently converting their production to urgently needed devices. The task force works closely together with them, determines their component requirements, which in many cases have grown consider-ably, and prioritizes the corresponding deliv-eries”, says Oliver Konz, CEO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. “As a component manufacturer we are an important part of many supply chains. With a preferred, reli-able supply we can make our contribution to cover the additional demand for medical

technology triggered by the corona crisis”, adds Alexander Gerfer, CTO at the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. In addition, the company has taken com-prehensive measures to protect its employees. Wherever possible, work is done from the home office. “Extensive hygiene measures have been implemented in production, warehouse and logistics. In addition, the employees are divided accord-ing to shift times and spatial areas so that in case of illness and corresponding quarantine measures in one team, the other teams remain able to work”, explains Thomas Wild, CFO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. In addition, groups from adminis-tration and sales are instructed in logistics

processes in order to be able to maintain the ability to deliver in an emergency. Another focus is the online support of cus-tomers by know-how transfer via webinars and online conferences. “Many companies use the forced shutdown to familiarize them-selves with new technologies and invest in training. Our record last week: 950 partici-pants in a single webinar. We have therefore expanded our range of technology webinars because we want to support the upcoming restart of our customers”, says Thomas Schrott, CEO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. Würth Elektronik eiSos www.we-online.com

Task force for medical technology manufacturersWürth Elektronik ensures prioritized delivery In addition to comprehensive measures for the protection of employees and to ensure the ability to deliver, the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group has set up a task force to guarantee preferential supply to manufacturers of medical devices. As one of the largest European suppliers of electronic components, the Waldenburg based company thus wants to ensure that the production of urgently needed medical technology can be further expanded worldwide.

Würth Elektronik now prefers to supply medical technology manufacturers. Image source: Würth Elektronik


The pandemic triggered by the coron-avirus currently poses enormous chal-lenges to public life and health care sys-tems worldwide. A significant contribu-tion to containing the rapid spread of the virus is the interruption of infection chains. In addition to the precautionary measures known in this field, the detection of infected people can be a contributory factor. Especially when the currently highly restrictive measures to prevent contact in daily life are lifted step by step, appropri-ate screening measures should be used: Highly frequented areas with a great risk potential, such as medical first-aid wards, hospitals and nursing homes, but also

schools, shopping centres, large compa-nies, sports stadiums and theatres as well as transport hubs such as airports, seaports, railway and intercity bus stations are just a few examples of where screening measures are applied. They help to minimise the spread of dan-gerous infectious diseases, such as the coro-navirus (2019-nCo, Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2) and, in the past, the “severe acute respira-tory syndrome” (SARS), the Ebola virus (EVD) and the “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus” (MERS-CoV),

through consistent checks on individuals. Certainly, thermographic cameras can nei-ther detect the virus itself nor a person car-rying the virus! However, these cameras enable the non-reactive, contactless and planar recording of surface temperatures. Hence, they are highly suitable for the quick and easy detection of elevated body temperatures or fever, which can be an indication of a possible virus infection of the people subjected to screening. Such indications must, of course, always be fol-lowed by other examination methods that allow a reliable positive or negative state-ment about the disease and to initiate appropriate actions!

The thermographic temperature measure-ment for fever detection puts high demands on suitable thermographic cam-eras: In addition to a high thermal resolu-tion, which can make even the smallest temperature differences visible, there must be very good stability and measuring accuracy in order to be able to reliably dis-tinguish a person with an elevated body temperature or fever from a person with-out these symptoms using critical tempera-ture thresholds and alarm values. Another very important criterion is the required

high geometric resolution, which is expressed in the number of so-called infrared (IR) pixels. This is necessary because the area that has been proven in several studies to be suitable for reliably detecting fever and elevated body tem-perature at the inner eyelid angle has only a small surface area, but must be sharply mapped for error-free temperature meas-urement. The measurement itself takes less than a second and is usually carried out in access areas, for example at the entry con-trol at airports, where the people who are to be screened are already lined up. Largely determined by the wide-ranging requirements of the users, the evaluation of the measured data can range from sim-ple manual use to select people with ele-vated body temperature or fever for fur-ther examinations to automatic detection and storage. INFRATEC THERMOGRAPHIC CAMERAS AS INSTRUMENTS FOR FEVER DETECTION The very stable and highly accurate digital VarioCAM® HD series thermographic cam-eras from InfraTec are based on thermally and geometrically high-resolution microbolometer FPA detectors with up to (1,024 × 768) IR pixels. They deliver bril-liant 16-bit thermographic images in real-time and are therefore ideally suited as instruments for fever detection. Large external displays can easily be connected to the cameras via HDMI interface to visu-alise the high-resolution thermal images. The comprehensive range of accessories, interchangeable lenses for adaptation to local requirements, optional PC or laptop connection, the IRBIS® 3 software packages with various functionalities as well as expert advice from experienced InfraTec engi-neers complete the range of services. This results in a thermography system that is optimally tailored to the requirements of fever detection for the individual user, and which is easy to operate and works with extreme reliability and repeat accuracy. InfraTec | www.infratec.de

Thermographic Cameras for Fever Detection in the Corona Pandemic

InfraTec supplies high-resolution thermographic cameras for detecting fever and elevated body temperature

COMPANIES


The risk of infection to personnel in the health and care sector must be kept a min-imum. So, the German fan manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg has created face masks on 3D printers and handed them over to the District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth. “Our employees and their families work and live here – so naturally we provide them with as much support as we can, particularly dur-ing a crisis such as this” says CEO Peter Fenkl. A Ziehl-Abegg employee had by chance been sent a set of build instructions via WhatsApp on the Wednesday evening – and on the Thursday morning Ziehl-Abegg sent a photo of the first face masks to the Crisis Team in the Local Administration Office. Once it gave the immediate go-ahead, both 3D printers went to work at the Künzelsau InVent Development Centre.

“We have been using 3D printing technology since 2010,” explains Achim Kärcher, Laboratory Director at Ziehl-Abegg. The Development Centre already had its sec-ond 3D printer by the following year. The cost of a unit is about 100,000 euros. The layers are printed at a thickness of 0.16 mil-limetres. “We normally use this to create prototypes for implementing new ideas from our engineers,” explains Kärcher. Ziehl-Abegg is a technology leader in biomimet-ic-based fan design; “so we need to be able to trial new shapes quickly and easily,” adds the Laboratory Director.

The process of creating the protective masks was also quick and easy: the frame is printed, the lens is a foil for an overhead projector, a standard perforator punches the openings, with rubber bands used for fastening.

Corona face masks created on a 3D printerFast, direct help from Ziehl-Abegg for the Hohenlohe district

The District Administrator for the district of Hohenlohe, Dr. Mathias Neth (from the left), taking receipt of face masks created on 3D printers from CEO Peter Fenkl and Laboratory Director Achim Kärcher (both Ziehl-Abegg).

The frame construction is manufactured at Ziehl-Abegg on 3D printers.

COMPANIES


COMPANIES

District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth says he is also pleased with the “simple but effective” design. He will be passing on the temporary face masks to the ancillary staff in the Hohenlohe district. “We will get through this crisis together and can depend upon on each other,” said Neth. “The District Authority is working in close cooperation with the local companies in the Hohenlohe district,” adds the District Administrator. “We’re pleased about being able to help employees in the health and care sector in this way” says CEO Fenkl. The medical sec-tor is also part of the company’s normal area of business: for years now, Ziehl-Abegg has been producing large fans for both operat-ing theatres and quarantine stations. The company supplied special fans for Chinese hospitals that were built in the cities of Wuhan, Shandong and Shenzhen within just a few days. The German company also man-ufactured the core equipment for negative or positive pressure in clinics in Italy and other countries. It is also currently still working at full speed

manufacturing these fans in Hohenlohe and worldwide.

Ziehl-Abegg www.ziehl-abegg.com/global/en

70 basic face masks have been officially handed over at Ziehl-Abegg in Künzelsau – “and we’ll print more if they’re needed”, says CEO Peter Fenkl.

District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth tries out a face mask which consists of a 3D-printed frame, an overhead projector foil and rubber band.


ZESTRON is pleased to announce the hiring of Jeff Kennedy as the Strategy and Business Development Manager. He is active in advanced technology roadmaps and development initiatives, working with the Applications Technology teams and customers as well as leading activity in key industry consortium initia-tives. He has more than 30 years of engi-neering and management experience in system integration, process development, PWB fabrication, packaging in the micro-electronics industry, and over 20 years in contract electronics assembly. Mr. Kennedy is the past SMTA president, a past SMTA Board member, active on the SMTA Technical and Students and Young Professionals Committees, and participates in other committees when able. He is also an IEEE and IMAPS association member. ZESTRON Europe | www.zestron.com

ZESTRON Announces Jeff Kennedy as Strategy and Business Development Manager

The safety of personnel is of the upmost importance in these chal-lenging times. To help its cus-tomers find solutions to protect employees and visitors, Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment, has intro-duced a new and innovative access control system which auto-matically measures body temper-ature when staff pass through it.

The portal uses infrared tech-nology to detect temperature. As soon as a body temperature above an adjustable limit value is measured, an alarm is trig-gered. Joe Booth, Altus Director – Business Development and Marketing explains: “It is extremely important to implement preventative measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. We understand that temperature screening is an important tool in limiting the spread of the virus. This new system remotely and automatically checks for increased body temperature.” “It is vital in these unprecedented times to take any steps we can to prevent the spread of the disease. We hope that adding this new access control system to our portfolio will give our customers the opportunity to implement an extra preventative step in the safety of their staff and visitors.”

The high-precision system detects body temperature measurement in less than 0.5 sec-onds to an accuracy of ±0.3°C. When temperature is above the inputted figure an audi-ble and visual alarm is triggered.

The modular design makes it easy to install and operate and it can be further utilised by extending with security equipment including a metal detector, turnstile barrier, finger-print sensor; camera surveillance and card reader.

Altus Group | www.altusgroup.co.uk

Altus Introduces Innovative Systems for Personnel Safety

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a global leader in specialty materials for electronics, announces Rick Fricke will be joining MacDermid Alpha Electronic Solutions (MAES) as the Vice President and General Manager of their Semiconductor Solutions division.

“Rick brings to his new position extensive commercial experience in the semiconductor industry and will provide strategic, operational, and com-mercial leadership to our Semiconductor Solutions division. I know Rick will utilize his energy, skill and leadership capabilities to drive the perform-ance of our business and the world leading solutions we provide our cus-tomers. I look forward to his integration and participation as a key mem-ber of the MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions leadership team,” said Joe D’Ambrisi, Senior VP of MacDermid Alpha.

Rick joins MacDermid Alpha with over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry most recently as VP/GM of Honeywell’s Electronic Materials business. Rick holds a BA in Biology from the University of Connecticut as well as an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He will be based at our Semiconductor Solutions headquarters in West Haven, Connecticut.

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions | www.macdermidalpha.com

MacDermid Alpha Announces the Appointment of Rick Fricke as Vice President and General Manager of Semiconductor Solutions Division

COMPANIES


For these many new requirements, enam-elled wire manufacturers are constantly developing new products, which are equipped with a wide variety of insulation materials, some of which are also newly developed. This is intended to improve the insulation class and thermal resist-ance for future end products. “This development always presents us with challenges,” says Matthias Fehrenbach, Managing Director of Eutect GmbH. Because, by using the usual soldering techniques under normal atmosphere, it is impossible to process compo-nents coated with polyurethane or polyesterimide in such a way that no oxide formation occurs, or insu-lation residues considerably reduce the final soldering quality of the tinned wire. In its module toolbox, Eutect has all selective soldering methods at its disposal that are capable of thermally stripping coated enam-elled copper wires in one step without additional removal of the insulation. Lead-free processing with all its specific process finesses with regard to the specific solder alloy, the flux, the temperature-time curve with flowing or stand-ing solder melt is the comprehen-sive core know-how of a target-oriented process processing. High-temperature soldering sys-tems from Eutect have been developed for this purpose. These systems work with the static or flowing solder melt. It is important to achieve a high quality of copper alloying, leaching and soldering. By using the static or flowing solder melt as well as an exact temperature-time curve, the process-conserving and product-specific stripping is defined. In order to counteract various nega-

tive effects, newly developed or yet to be developed solders with doping properties are used. These reduce wire deposition, sol-der oxide formation and solder contamina-tion and protect the soldering equipment. The high-temperature process for tinning

from Eutect can be carried out with a static solder bath and a dynamic, freely program-mable squeegee system. This reduces con-tamination and keeps the base alloy of the solder constant. Thus, the alloy remains in its original composition throughout the entire

process. The controlled removal of the contaminated solder and the automatic solder replenishment of the base solder are thus kept con-stant over the entire production quantity. For a clean delineation of the lacquer between the tinned wire and the poly insulation, the wire ends can be kinematically moved during the immersion movement in the static or flowing solder wave or can be cleanly delineated with appropriate mask-ing. This prevents burn-off residues of the poly insulation from sticking to the bare tinned and stripped wire or from visibly stick-ing to the wire as black dots, thus reducing quality. Although these impurities are harmless, they do not look nice. Surfaces that come into contact with the hot solder are completely protected by special coatings, both in the static or flowing solder melt. In addition, an induction sol-der pump, which is free of moving parts, was developed for this area of application. The specially pro-grammed algorithms with associat-ed process control, redundant monitoring of the solder melting temperature as well as a nitrogen protective gas bell above the sol-der process surface and the height control of the solder waves round off the high-temperature solder-ing system. This includes an input HMI and process data acquisition for process tracking. EUTECT® GmbH www.eutect.de

High temperature soldering systems for enamelled copper wire processingThe assembly and connection technology using enamelled copper wire technology is a core process, especially for future mobility requirements. More and more regenerative energy gener-ation systems are being installed in electric drive of modern vehicles, for which electric generators must be integrated. In addition, today’s e-mobility concepts require a large number of switching and transformation components, coil bodies, magnetic heads, sensors, relays and other exotic electronic components, for which enamelled copper wire technology is also used in production.

COMPANIES


COMPANIES

ASM’s Time4Academy program offers proactive and wide-ranging support for cus-tomers and partners that enables them to use mandatory production stops or home office hours to acquire knowledge and

expand their skills in the field of SMT pro-duction. In just a few days, more than 1,200 new users have registered on the program’s website, and by the end of March over 3,500 online sessions had been streamed. Among the most popular topics were seminars in the SIPLACE Pro programming environment and in creating component descriptions in the SIPLACE vision system. Many electronics manufacturers also used the time for mainte-nance work, as indicated by the strong demand for related video instructions and tutorials, many of the technical modules employ virtual-reality techniques. ASM customers and Time4Academy users are thrilled: “I really like ASM’s e-learning pro-gram and give it five stars. I have already invited several colleagues to give the program a try and watch the interactive video courses. The three months of free use are a great opportu-

nity to try out courses and become acquainted with the advantages of online training. In addi-tion, the general courses provided by Docebo that are not directly related to ASM equip-ment are also very interesting.”

MORE THAN 150 MODULES WITH CONCENTRATED SMT KNOW-HOW The ASM Academy offers more than presently 150 modules covering all areas around SMT production with ASM equip-ment, which are continually growing. To support the campaign, platform partner Docebo provides 70 additional features at no charge. The offerings in the ASM Academy range from operation, mainte-nance and technical modules as well as product introductions that bring together an excellent coverage of modules that will reach all areas of the production staff. The individual modules can be completed in any order and repeated as needed. Many modules conclude with questions about their contents, which makes it easy to check your level of knowledge. “E-learning has many advantages for the user: It’s a fact that lessons that are short, high-quality

and to-the-point convey the contents much more effectively than classic classroom training. If something is not clear, you can simply repeat it until it sticks. That’s learning without pres-sure,” explains Jim Leather, Head of Service

Product Management at ASM SMT Solutions. “The ASM Academy conveys prac-tical knowledge around SMT-related manufac-turing. It enables users to perform their duties more competently, more autonomously, and in a much more relaxed manner. With its use of 3D animations as well as virtual reality, the ASM Academy creates highly realistic learning situa-tions, that bring the hands-on feeling into the learning experience, which makes the learning process even more effective.” APPLICATIONS STILL POSSIBLE Interested users can register without any further obligations at www.asemo.world/hot spots/asm-academy/time4academy. When the free period expires, users don’t need to do anything – the accounts will be closed auto-matically. ASM | www.asm-smt.com

Time4AcademyLots of interest in ASM’s Digital Learning platform On March 17, technology leader ASM launched its Time4Academy campaign that gives compa-nies and users three months of free access to the contents of the ASM Academy Digital Learning platform. By the end of the month, more than 1,200 users had already used the offerings to deep-en their knowledge of SMT production with ASM equipment.


LTHD Corporation S.R.L. Head Office: Timișoara - ROMÂNIA, 300153, 70 Ardealul Str., [email protected], www.lthd.com

Tel.: +40 256 201273, +40 356 401266, Fax: +40 256 490813. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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