EP&Dee no 5 - June 2012

EP&DeeDESIGN & MANUFACTURING JUNE, 2012 ISSUE NO. 5, VOL. 10

E L E C T R O N I C S P R O D U C T S & D E S I G N E A S T E R N E U R O P E

Design the next innovation inEAGLE V6 on element14's EAGLEdesign competition element14, the first collaborative community andelectronics store for design engineers and elec-tronics enthusiasts and a part of global electronicsdistributor Premier Farnell, has teamed withCadSoft Computer GmbH to invite engineers totake part in the EAGLE Design Competitionbetween 01 May to 31 August 2012. Electronic design engineers and enthusiasts willneed to submit their innovative design projectsto win prizes with a pot value of $7000. The competition, which is powered by Microchipand hosted on the element14 Community, aimsto bring the most innovative design engineeringcommunities together using CadSoft EAGLE’sVersion 6. To enter the competition applicants must ensurethat all designs use EAGLE Version 6 and that aMicrochip MCU or DSC is integrated in the design.After registering on the element14 Community,users can submit a screenshot of their layout andadd a description of their project on the competi-tion page. Users who do not have an EAGLElicense can download a free 30-days trial versionon www.element14.com/eagle-freemium to par-ticipate in the contest.

The prizes:1. DELL Alienware M17x r3 + EAGLE version 6Professional incl. all three modules2. MICROCHIP - DV164037 - KIT, EVAL, ICD3 W/EXPLORER 16 & DM163022-1 8-Bit develop-ment board + EAGLE Version 6#Professional incl.all three modules 3. EAGLE Version 6 Standard incl. all three modules

The outcome of the competition will featurepeer-voting from the element14 community.Members of the leading global technology com-munity can “like” entries and comment on thesubmission. Based on the community “likes” andcomments, a judging panel consisting of CadSoft,Premier Farnell and Microchip representativesalong with independent EAGLE expert Prof. Dr.Francesco Volpe from the University of AppliedSciences in Aschaffenburg will pick the winners.Judging criteria include clarity in description of theproduct, the electronic concept, the design com-plexity, the design quality and the functionality.

For more details and terms and conditions pleasevisit: www.element14.com/eagle-competition

Embedded Digital Control Facilitates AdaptivePower Control Strategies

T H E E A S T E U R O P E A N J O U R N A L F O R E M B E D D E D A P P L I C A T I O N S

Able to swap seamlessly between utility ac line and localbattery backup power, the intermediate-bus architecture(IBA) that the telecoms industry has refined over decadesto become cost-competitive with traditional offline-onlysources is an evermore attractive proposition for systemarchitects needing high availability in a wide range ofindustries. page 8

EP&Dee ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ www.epd-ee.eu2

The Sensors and sensing application electronics areconsidered as one of the fastest growing industries,with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of10 percent, outpacing the overall semiconductorindustry. Page 6

As the technology of choice for many high- to mid-range systems, Brushless DC (BLDC) motors offer aconstant or variable speed drive combined withhigh reliability and ease of control. Page 16

EAGLE and DesignLink Valueable information aboutcomponents. Page 18

COMMENTS INDUSTRY NEWS

3 Beyond the PC – Part 2

INDUSTRY NEWS COMPANIES

4 Low Power Industrial Use Transceiver for International Applications

DESIGN EMBEDDED

6 Complete sensor solutions at your fingertipsBee Thakore, explores some of the technologies influencing the sensing industry and how the distributor is working to offer customers latest solutions.

8 Embedded Digital Control Facilitates Adaptive Power Control StrategiesAble to swap seamlessly between utility ac line and local battery backup power, the intermediate-bus architecture (IBA) that the telecoms industry has refined over decades to become cost-competitive with traditional offline-only sources is an evermore attractive proposition for system architects needing high availability in a wide range of industries.

INDUSTRY NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

DESIGN WIRELESS

12 Medical Wireless Sensor Networks Use Ultra-Low Power Radio Technology To Enable Continuous Monitoring Using Low-Cost BatterieThe advent of wireless personal area networks (WPANs) and wireless bodyarea networks (WBANs) has created the need for sensing and monitoring solutions that can support continuous data streaming with extremely low power consumption.

INDUSTRY NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

DESIGN ANALOG

16 Sensorless BLDC motor control for the massesUsing Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) for sensorless control of BrushlessDC (BLDC) motor control to bring this technology within reach of low-cost,mass applications, explains Charlie Ice, of Microchip Technology Inc.

PCB-DESIGN TRAINING

18 EAGLE and DesignLink - Valueable information about componentsThis time I want to show you one specialty of EAGLE: the DesignLink interface.

INDUSTRY NEWS DISPLAY

INDUSTRY NEWS LIGHTING

INDUSTRY NEWS ACTIVE COMPONENTS

INDUSTRY NEWS PASSIVE COMPONENTS

SMT PRODUCTION

28 Using Essemtec’s SMD Tower for IGBT Storage in a Clean RoomABB Semiconductors in Lenzburg, Switzerland, long searched for a suitable production storage system for HiPak IGBT modules production. Project Manager Prabath Lewdeni found the SMD Tower by chance. Its supplier Essemtec re-engineered the SMD component storage system into clean room storage for ABB.

INDUSTRY NEWS SMT

INDUSTRY NEWS CONNECTORS

34 ODU-MAC Modular Connector System

DESIGN SENSORS

35 Optical fibres and optical fibre sensorsTogether with the advance of science and technology, the demand for the most optimum information carrier has grown incredibly fast, for long distances in particular. Optical fibres turned out to be an ideal solution.

INDUSTRY NEWS SENSORS

38 LSIS 400i - the smart camera from Leuze, now with new features

Table of Contents

JUNE 2012

Beyond the PC – Part 2Anyone wanting to get a better idea of the scale of the changes takingplace in the world of consumer electronics should take a look at the glob-alized supply chain, the main factor helping consumer-electronics compa-nies to cut costs. These companies are also benefitting from economies ofscale as the incomes of more and more people in more and more coun-tries rise to the point at which gadgets become affordable. Because of this,manufacturers of consumer electronics are now moving down productionlearning curves faster than most specialized tech firms.

The ability to amortize spending over a fast-growing audience encouragestech firms to pour money into consumer-focused R&D. The market forPCs grows faster than ever before; however, the market for smart phones,the flag product for consumer electronics, outgrows that for PCs by leapsand bounds. As a result, R&D is shifting to consumer-focused markets sim-ply because here it is monetized faster and with a higher return.

The economic trends are being reinforced by several technologicalones. Arguably the most important is the ability of micro-chip makers tosqueeze ever more computing power onto their products. One of themost important leaps has been the introduction of “multi-core” processors. Often, smart phones are used only for simple stuff, such ascalls and emails, which do not require much computing power. By usingmulti-core chips in conjunction with smart software, more functions canbe implemented and power can be saved by selectively shutting on andoff cores, reducing the drain on phones’ batteries. This way, smartphone companies have become experts at “doing nothing.”

Other technology advances also contribute to the personal electronicsrevolution. Lithium-ion polymer batteries, which can be easily molded todifferent shapes, have made possible ultra-slim devices. Developmentsin Flash memory technology have made it possible to store more dataonto portable devices. Advances in screen know-how have begottensuper-sharp displays. Photos and videos can be shot and shared on themove. Some phones even allow video calls.

Technologically impressive as all this is, the biggest change that thesenew devices have wrought is to transform many people’s experience ofcomputing. The PC may have been personal; a smart phone or tablet,held in your hand rather than perched on your desk, is almost intimate,and you can take it practically anywhere. This shift has been driven byApple, which likes to boast that most of its revenue now comes from“post-PC” devices such as iPods and iPhones rather than from itsMacintosh computers. This is partly true, partly marketing talk: crackopen an iPhone and you will find many of the paraphernalia – includingthe motherboard and microchips – that make up the guts of the PC.

Post PC electronics is driven by consumerism, an unstoppable force thathas hugely raised people’s expectations. It used to be that the best ITexperience people had were in the office. Now that technology has beenfurther democratized, they have become used to doing new and exitingthings themselves. For their employers, this creates both headaches andopportunities. (inspired and adapted from The Economist) nRadu Andrei

www.epd-ee.eu ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ EP&Dee 3


INDUSTRY NEWS

COMPANIES

The pin assignment in all frequency versionsis the same, so that by changing the PLL fre-quency program, manufacturers can switchbetween versions according to their market.LMD-400-R, the higher grade model of theSTD-302N-R, is available in FCC Part 90 andEN 300 113 compliant versions. Furthermore,the LMD-400-R has the same interface as theSTD-302N-R. Using this common platform,manufacturers can meet the requirements ofthe sub-GHz radio and the radio standards ineach country simply by replacing the radiocomponent.The STD-302N-R was developed as a narrow-band RF transceiver for use in industrial radio

equipment. It is resistant to mechanical vibra-tion and impact, and its double superhetero-dyne receiver circuit ensures high receiversensitivity. Operating in a narrow band andwith high selectivity, the STD-302N-R pro-vides highly reliable communication even inapplications where several devices are usedat the same time. The STD-302N-R is designed for high per-formance while the flexibility of discrete,interchangeable components ensures a stablesupply of products over the long term. This concept, combined with stable perform-ance and quality, is highly regarded by manu-facturers around the world.

About Circuit DesignCircuit Design, Inc. designs and supplies lowpower radio modules for various applicationfields such as telecontrol, telemetry, alarms,serial data transmission and audio. The prod-ucts comply with European ETSI, US FCC andJapanese ARIB standard. Quality is assured with an ISO9001-certifieddesign and manufacturing process based inJapan.

Inquiries:

Schleißheimer Str. 26380809 MünchenTel.: 089/358283-60Fax: 089/358283-66E-Mail: [email protected]: www.circuitdesign.de

We are looking forlocal distributors.

Low Power Industrial Use Transceiverfor International Applications

STD-302N-R lineupFrequency 335MHz 419MHz 429MHz 434MHz 447MHz 458MHz 869MHz

Market India China Japan E.U. Korea U.K. E.U.Power (mW) 1 10 10 10 10 10 5

CH space (kHz) 25 25 12.5 25 12.5 25 25Data rate (bps) 4800 9600 4800 9600 4800 9600 9600

Sensitivity (dBm) -120 -118 -120 -119 -120 -119 -116

* Sensitivity: 12 dB SINAD * 335 MHz is assigned as the frequency for remote control

LMD-400-R lineupFrequency 458 to 462.5 MHz 438 to 442 MHz 458 to 462 MHzStandard FCC Part 90 EN 300 113 EN 300 113

Market U.S. E.U. E.U.Power (mW) 10 10 10

CH space (kHz) 12.5 12.5 12.5Data rate (bps) 4800 4800 4800

Sensitivity (dBm) -116 -110 -110

* Sensitivity: 12 dB SINAD* An external power amplifier and control board are available from Reimesch

Kommunikationssysteme GmbH, Germany.

With STD-302N-R, Circuit Design,Inc. offers a radio transceiver modulewhich is not only available in 434MHz, 458 MHz and 869 MHz forEurope but also in 335 MHz (India),419 MHz (China) and 429 MHz( Japan). This variety of internationalfrequencies supports industrialequipment manufacturers seeking toenter these markets.


The Sensors and sensing application electronicsare considered as one of the fastest growingindustries, with a forecasted compound annualgrowth rate of 10 percent, outpacing the overallsemiconductor industry. The two strongestmarket segments impacting the sensor indus-try are consumer electronics and the automo-tive industry, together forming a 40% of thesensors market. A layer deeper, this is largelyaided by the rapid uptake of smartphones andmobile health devices; as well as MEMs andsensor integration into cars to enable smarterergonomic and safety features, better engineperformance management as well as net-worked infotainment devices.

MEMs integration into smartphonesA state of the art Smartphone such as the

iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S2 is loaded withvarious sensors (Image 1), such as motion sen-sors and accelerometers, a gyro, a camera (ortwo), a microphone, WiFi and Bluetooth radios(which can be used both for communicationand for sensing RF signals), Near FieldCommunication (NFC), a touch sensor, etc. Given the economy of scale of smartphonesand the tough competition in this market, theirprices are likely to be halved within a year, asnew models launch. Customers working onsmart phone applications are focused on

product improvement and looking at the com-petitive positioning of the sensor manufac -turer, age of the sensor (time since it waslaunched or revised) and the reliability orMTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) thatdetermines its operational life. An illustration of how fast things can move is therecent release of iPhone 4, the first mobilephone to integrate a micro-electromechanicalsystems (MEMS) gyroscope, followed a fewdays later by the announcement of IPO ofInvenSense. InvenSense has been a leader inintegrated six-axis motion processing employ-ing gyroscopes together with digital accelerom-eters. An emphasis on such new technologiesalong with the best in industry options for highres ADCs, low pass filters and signal processingetc would accelerate design cycles.

Going further and faster with thedesign cycleThese smartphone devices are increasinglyequipped with high performance processors,such as the 1.2GHz dual core Cortex-A9 proces-sor of the Galaxy S2. Additionally, these phonesrun a fully-fledged operating system and mo -dern developing languages. Analysts projectthe smartphone and tablet industry will soonconsume over $2 billion of sensors annually. Yet, for all that, the top mobile apps rarelyinvolve sensors. App developers say using sen-

sors is hard. And it is hard, because sensorspresent metrological measurements of theirphysical environment but, without properperspectives and interpretation, those meas-urements are often meaningless. This is why itis important that design engineers have easyand quick access to development kits, dev anddebug tools, operating stacks, software all theway to onboard test, PCB design and fabrica-tion – the full design cycle.

The advent of mobile health devicesNext generation smartphones would soon beable to incorporate a whole slew of newembedded sensors that could help to makemobile health services more accessible.

As location based services enhance, wewould see the introduction of altimeters, sen-sors to detect perspiration and microphones,

Complete sensor solutionsat your fingertipsBee Thakore, explores some of the technologies influencing the sensing industry andhow the distributor is working to offer customers latest solutions.

Image 1: A typical smartphone block diagram showing incorporated sensors.

Image 2: Mobile Health devices integrating

by Bee Thakore, European Technical Marketing Manager, Farnell element14

DESIGN

EMBEDDED

temperature and humidity sensors for more environmental data indevices to already compelling function of the GPS location and posi-tioning sensors. This would mean that sensors which are not contained within smart-phones, but embedded within garments or other items would beable to measure the user’s personal health factors. This is where thefuture forms of these devices offer a promising and safe way to copewith health issues like allergies (alert systems), location of someonewho is in need for medical help and even remote or distributed diag-nosis on basis of sensing heart rate/heart flux, blood pressure andmore (Image 2). There was much excitement about Apple filling a’smart garment’ patent in April 2010 which involves clothing that cantransmit location and physiometric data wirelessly to an “externaldata processing device”; well, that might take more than one form.Such a device becomes the ultimate sensor. The requirement here is to provide the design engineers of todaywith as many examples as possible for solutions that can connectdifferent application areas and offer the right level of choice. Development modules from STMicroelectronics are an example ofgetting this right and no wonder the manufacturer has establisheditself as a leader in wearable mobile sensors fit for medical and smart-phone applications. One can now imagine these sensors also interact-ing with wireless sensor networks, GPS location devices within vehi-cles in order to determine its precise location for emergency situa-tions. We are also seeing key manufacturers gear up to take advan-tage of the full scope of opportunity, like Freescale who offer entiresolutions for key sensor networks both for smartphones and automo-tive applications - sensors, processors, power etc. Farnell element14 has been working with these leading manufacturersto extend our offering of reliable components, high level of customersupport, an extensive product portfolio and price offers with designcycle resources through the element14 knode. Design engineers areable to get an overview of each device and easily select solutions from

major component manufacturers by using interactive block diagramnavigation and full application specific line cards on our dedicatedportal for sensing technologies on farnell.com/sensing n

g use of smartphone sensors is a disruptive growth opportunity.



Evolution or continuous revolution?Re-examining long-established practices andactively exploring new ones has never beenmore appropriate for a power-system designer.However, revolution is also a realistic descrip-tion of the step-change in capability thatrecently available power converters, whichexploit digital inner-loop control, deliver overanalog counterparts that have decades of evo-lution behind them, making significant func-tionality or performance gains unlikely forsuch a well-refined platform. To compete, the digital approach has to bebetter from initial product launches onwards,which is one reason it’s taken so long to suc-cessfully commercialize. Commodity mixed-signal processes that allow silicon architects topack a measurement and control subsystemand communications interface alongside thedigital PWM controller core at negligible addi-tional cost now enable products that are elec-trically superior to analog designs. For instance, at 396 W with ±2% regulationEricsson’s BMR453 almost doubles the powerdensity delivered by tightly regulated analogquarter-brick intermediate-bus converters. Moreover, the digital platform enables a raft of

programmable functions that range from set-ting constants such as output voltage, sequenc-ing delays and slew rates, and fault-conditionthresholds in a one-time programming step todynamically optimizing key parameters in a

running system. With its SMBus hardware basisand a standard power-control command lan-guage, PMBus™ - an industry success story in itsown right - makes it easy to explore and imple-ment a level of control that’s unprecedented in

analog converters and in turn enables com-pelling opportunities for system designimprovements. Figure 1 shows the key functions within a rep-resentative digitally controlled buck converter:

Able to adapt to line and load conditions inreal time, digital inner-loop control mitigateslosses using techniques that include adaptivedead-time control - that is, to vary the periodbetween the power switches conducting to

DESIGN

EMBEDDED

Figure 1A digitally controlled buck converter with power management and PMBus™ link.

Embedded Digital Control Facilitates Adaptive Power Control Strategies

Able to swap seamlessly between utility ac line and local battery backup power, theintermediate-bus architecture (IBA) that the telecoms industry has refined overdecades to become cost-competitive with traditional offline-only sources is an ever-more attractive proposition for system architects needing high availability in a widerange of industries. Continual development in areas such as intelligent power managementstrengthens the arguments in favor of the IBA approach and while such strategies havebeen possible for many years, the recent commercialization of digital power convertersvastly simplifies their implementation. Contemporary economic and environmentalsensibilities make potential energy savings impossible to ignore - and this particularlyapplies to demand-driven systems that experience significant load-level swings.

by Patrick Le Fèvre, Marketing and Communications Director, Ericsson Power Modules


avoid shoot-through. Using a buck-converterexample, the objective is to minimize the con-duction period of the relatively lossy bodydiode in the lower sync FET. The efficiencyimprovement that results from optimizing thisconventionally fixed parameter becomesgreater with increasing downconversion ratiosand higher switching speeds, and can be sev-eral percent higher. Relative to analog DC-DCconverters that are typically most efficientbetween about 50 – 70% of full load, theresult that figure 2 shows for the BMR453 is towiden the efficiency curve, which is almost flatfrom about 10% of full load upwards andachieves 96% or better in typical operationwhile also being relatively insensitive to inputvoltage levels. Significantly for power-converterdesigners, other family products of widely-varying power levels that employ commoncore designs reflect virtually identical efficiencycharacteristics that promise far greater scala-bility than delivered by analog circuitry.

Classic 48 VDC suits high-power systemsReliable power is increasingly crucial as soci-ety’s reliance upon communications-systemavailability rises, and that data-centric infra-structures structurally consign any meaningfuldivision between telecoms and datacomms tohistory. The generic model for assuring conti -nuously available power in such systems com-bines an AC-DC front-end that sources utility-line power alongside a battery backup systemand standby generator to supply a DC power-distribution bus; and it’s a well-proven arrange-ment that’s attractive to multiple industries.Keeping in mind that its roots lie in lead-acidaccumulator technology that pre-dates AC-linesupplies, the 48 VDC level that telecom-specETSI EN 300 132-2 defines as a service voltageof 40.5 – 57.0 VDC remains an excellent choicefor a DC power-distribution bus for systemsthat may require kW+ power levels, either ini-tially or as they evolve to meet increases indemand. Relative to say a 12 VDC distributionlevel that will struggle to service high-powerapplications, 48 VDC eases Ohmic-loss issuesand reduces wiring and connector bulk. Peripheral issues include the need to meetsafety specification IEC/EN 60950-1, which iseffectively a global prerequisite, which iseased by 60 VDC abnormal operation limit for

48 VDC systems. This consideration has cost-of-ownership implications that are easy tooverlook. Providing that the AC-DC front-endfurnishes double-insulation from the primaryAC-line supply, almost any system merely

requires an IBC to embody functional insula-tion that’s straightforward to construct. Thisapproach is more energy-efficient than barri-ers that require greater separation betweenelements, such as transformer windings, asenergy-transfer efficiency quickly degradeswith increasing coupling distance. It’s also worth remembering that the IBC’s isola-tion barrier rarely has any safety-related pur-pose, as systems almost invariably connect theirinput and output grounds at board level or at aremote protective-Earth reference point - short-circuiting the IBC’s isolation barrier as figure 3shows. The “two-wire” option requires no isola-tion within the IBC, but most designers preferthe “three-wire” option as it offers more flexi-bility in EMC counter-measures. Most often, iso-lation within the IBC exists to protect the devicefrom high voltages that transient currents maycreate in the wiring hierarchy due to events inexternal networks or switching between powersources. While isolated converters are intrinsi-cally less efficient than non-isolated ones, marketexpectations and production economics resultin vendors offering isolated IBCs with industry-

standard 1500 VDC isolation that exceeds therequirements of the vast majority of applicationsother than truly niche environments - notablyIEEE 802.3af-compliant outdoor Power-over-Ethernet links that demand 2250 VDC.

Optimizing conversion efficiency fortime-variant load conditionsAs figure 4 illustrates, a typical IBA systemboard includes an IBC that transforms distri-bution-bus power to an intermediate-buslevel that some number of point-of-loadregulators (POLs) use to generate the final

load voltages. Cascading DC-DC convertersin this way may not be the most intuitiveapproach for maximizing efficiency or mini-mizing component count.

DESIGN

EMBEDDED

Figure 3: Practical systems most often short-circuit an IBC’s isolation barrier.

Figure 2Adaptive digital inner-loop controlminimizes losses over wide-rangingconditions.

Figure 4An IBA system board with PMBus control for DC-DC converters in cascade.

10

The obvious alternative is to provide isolationand downconversion to a final level in onecomponent, as the classic distributed powerarchitecture (DPA) model demonstrates. Yetthis arrangement can create more problemsthan it solves as multiple isolated DC-DC con-verters per board are intrinsically more com-plex, expensive, and less efficient than an IBCand an equivalent complement of non-isolat-ed buck converters. Also, issues such as balanc-ing conversion efficiency, unconditional loadstability, and transient response performancemake it difficult to manage the very largedownconversion ratios that low-voltage siliconprocesses require in a single step. Yet the step down from 48VDC to the optimumintermediate-bus level for the POLs remainsdifficult to specify. Despite the paradox that assemiconductor voltages fall to create greaterdownconversion issues for the POLs, the12VDC intermediate-bus level that has its ori-gins in supplying legacy 12/5VDC componentsnow generally best suits boards that consume150W or more. Experience shows that belowabout 150W, 12VDC may not be most appro-priate and that below about 75W it’s not evena realistic option, leading vendors to offer IBCswith a range of preset output voltages such asthe 9, 5, and 3.3 VDC options offered by theBMR453 and its eighth-brick derivative, theBMR454. Preset values are traditionally fine forsystems that experience little load variation, butthe implication for heavily demand-driven sys-tems is obvious - for optimum efficiency, weneed to adjust the intermediate-bus voltage asload demands change. How best to implement this strategy for a par-ticular power system will depend upon factorssuch as its hardware configuration, the magni-tude of the load-level changes that it experi-ences, and time-related demand patterns thatare likely to be reasonably predictable. Thesefactors do not have to be givens as smart algo-

rithms can continually minimize energy lossesin unpredictable circumstances without com-promising supply stability, which is a keydesign objective. As a result, aggressive “bang-bang” control strategies are unlikely to matchsupervisory control software with a light-touchapproach that always favors power availabilityover minimization, yet can respond to rapidincreases in load demand.A pragmatic approach to developing supervi-sory control algorithms starts with establishing areference power loss value by recording theinput and output voltage and current levels atthe IBC and at each POL via PMBus commandsas the system runs, possibly also monitoring andcorrelating each device’s on-chip temperature.In operation, application software computespower losses until reaching a threshold valuethat triggers an optimization cycle and trims thebus voltage to maximize efficiency. The routinealways first checks for overcurrent risks and, ifnecessary, raises the bus voltage to safe levels.Figure 5 graphs the impact upon power lossthat results from varying the BMR453’s inter-mediate-bus voltage from no-load towards300 W that today’s high-density systemboards can consume:

A breakpoint clearly exists where each combi-nation of conditions converges, above orbelow which point adjustments to bus voltagedeliver appreciable energy savings that aremultiplied by similar savings in companionassemblies, and for communications infrastruc-tures across multiple systems that work in par-allel to provide adequate network capacity.Some people call this the “light-bulb effect” —saving a few Watts by selecting energy-savingluminaires makes consumers feel good aboutthemselves and reduces their electricitycharges, but the overall impact upon a soci-ety’s energy consumption is massive.

Development effort shifts to softwareAs with any other class of programmabledevice, from a user’s perspective the develop-ment effort that produces the physical hard-ware is invisible in comparison with any soft-ware development that’s necessary to applythe component. Accordingly, vendors invest indevelopment environments that ease applica-tion challenges, and the quality of those envi-ronments is very often the final decider in anengineer’s part selection process. This modelapplies strongly to digital power converters,PMBus control, and power-managementmethods that remain unfamiliar to manydesigners.To make these topics easily accessible to any-one with a PC and a power supply, Ericssonoffers an evaluation kit that includes the hard-ware and software elements that you need toexplore the technology. As you might expect,it includes samples of the company’s digitalIBCs and POLs and software that’s primarilydesigned to exploit their features. Unusually,the platform can also communicate with anyPMBus-compliant device and capture lengthymessage exchanges, making it useful for deve -loping and debugging real-world systems.

More details appear on the company’s web-site www.ericsson.com/powermodules togetherwith an archive of digital power conversionmaterial that is useful as a general-purposeresource to anyone wishing to learn moreabout the technology and techniques forapplying it.www.ericsson.com/powermodules

EP&Dee ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ www.epd-ee.eu

DESIGN

EMBEDDED

Figure 5System power losses depend upon intermediate-bus voltage and load demand.

11www.epd-ee.eu ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ EP&Dee

Innovasic announces a new andimproved version of its RapIDPlatform Network Interface forIndustrial Ethernet connectivity.PROFINET Class B, EtherNet/IPand ModbusTCP can all be sup-ported without changinghardware or changingthe host processor soft-ware. This means hostcommunication with theNetwork Interfaceremains the same regard-less of the protocol, sav-ing significant develop-ment time. TheEtherNet/IP andPROFINET Class B ver-sions have been certi-fied, enabling the finalproduct to get to marketquicker. All versions are ready toship today. In addition, all proto-col versions of the NetworkInterface incorporatePriorityChannel™, a new technol-ogy for Industrial Ethernet fielddevices that eliminates the effectsof network traffic and loading.PriorityChannel™ ensures real-time Industrial Ethernet messagesare always processed on-time,every time regardless of the

amount or type of network traf-fic. A field device incorporatingthe Network Interface is protect-ed from unpredictable packetdelays, excessive latency, andconnection failure. The RapID

Platform Network Interface isavailable as a module or anembedded design. The choice isup to the user and the transitioncan be made at any time. It ispossible to start with a moduleand migrate to the lower cost,smaller form factor embeddeddesign whenever it makes sense.

INNOVASIC www.innovasic.com

Innovasic Launches New Version of ItsRapID PlatformIndustrial Ethernet Connectivity Solution

PMC®, the semiconductor innova-tor transforming storage, opticaland mobile networks, hasannounced the industry’s lowestpower and most integrated radiotransceiver chipset for macrobasestation designs. PMC’s newUniTRX™ chipset replaces up to14 discrete devices, and reducesboth board space and power bymore than 50 percent for equiva-lent multi-standard basesta-tion radio designs. It address-es multi-standard macrobasestation performancerequirements and simplifiesthe design of dense MIMO(multiple input, multiple out-put) radio units, such asactive antenna systems. TheUniTRX chipset is designedto support wideband modulesoperating in the 400MHz to 4GHz

frequency range. It addresses theperformance requirements ofmacro basestation transceivers thatfeature multiple standards, includ-ing MC-GSM, cdma2000®,WCDMA and LTE. High integra-tion and low power make thechipset suitable for single-sectorradio module designs and scalablefor MIMO applications, such asactive antenna systems.

PMCwww.pmcs.com

PMC introduces industry’s most integrated,lowest power radio transceiver chipset fornext-generation macro basestations

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Solid State Disks Ltd, theadvanced storage systems design,development and integrationspecialist, has launched the SCSIBridge drive which solves thegrowing and increasingly expen-sive problem of repairing orreplacing ageing and failing SCSI-based hard disk (3.5 inch and5.25 inch HDD), magneto optical(MO), quarter-inch tape (Pertec,QIC DAT, DLT 3490), Jazz, ZIP,Bernoulli and floppy (FDD) driveson computer-based legacyequipment. The SCSI Bridgedrive provides a low-cost, solidstate drive replacement thatenables CompactFlash cardsto be seen as SCSI drives bythe host system. The SCSIBridge drive combinesproven SCSI drive architec-tures (SASI, SCSI-1, SCSI-2)with industry-standard, solidstate CompactFlash cardtechnology to provide ahighly reliable, solid statedrop-in replacement for any styleof SCSI-based drive including

hard disk, magneto optical, tapeand floppy drives. Importantly,SCSI Bridge is completely pro-grammable, enabling the SCSIdriver implementation nuances ofall equipment manufacturers tobe fully emulated. The SCSIBridge solution applies to abroad range of computer-basedlegacy equipment in a spectrumof industries and markets fromtelecommunications and broad-casting through to industrialprocess control, factory automa-tion and instrumentation, semi-conductor manufacturing, point-of-sale and mil/aero applications.

SOLID STATE DISKSwww.ssd.gb.com

Launch of SCSI Bridge provides drop-in,solid state replacement for ageing/failinglegacy SCSI drives

Microchip has broadened itsportfolio of zero-drift operationalamplifiers (op amps) with thedebut of the MCP6V11 andMCP6V31 single amplifiers.Operating with a single supplyvoltage as low as 1.6V and a qui-escent current as low as 7.5μA,these ultra-high-performancedevices offer some of the indus-try’s lowest quiescent current forthe given bandwidth without sac-rificing the optimal performanceessential for portable applicationsin the consumer, industrial andmedical markets. With an ageingworld population in need of newtherapies and early diag-nostic tools, devices such asthe MCP6V11/31 enablethe development ofportable medical productsintegrated with higher effi-ciency, and signal-condi-tioning hardware and soft-ware, which is critical toaccommodate the contin-ued push for lower costs andfaster times to market. In addition,

designers of industrial applica-tions such as portable sensor con-ditioning and instrumentationwhich require low power, smallerform factors, simplified thermalmanagement and cost control, canbenefit from the optimised per-formance, low quiescent currentand low operating voltage madepossible by the MCP6V11/31 opamps. The self-correcting archi-tecture of the MCP6V11/31 fami-ly provides a maximum input off-set voltage of 8μV for ultra-low-offset and low-offset drift,enabling maximum accuracyacross time and temperature.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGYwww.microchip.com/get/1L7G

Microchip expands zero-drift operationalamplifier portfolio


WPANs occupy a network space around anindividual that covers the living or workingspace nearby (typically up to ten meters), andare implemented with protocols such asBluetooth and Zigbee. WBANs occupy a small-er wireless space of approximately one meteraround a person and are used for sensor com-munication associated with the human body.Applications have expanded from heavily duty-cycled spot measurement to more data intensecontinuous links. There are a variety of uses forthis technology in hospital and clinical facilities,clinical home monitoring and ambulatory appli-cations, and consumer health and fitness (seeFigure 1). Many issues must be consideredwhen selecting a short-range radio transceivercapable of optimizing power efficiency in thesenetworks. Among these, power supply voltageis particularly important. Most sensors run on asingle battery cell depending on chemistry, sosub-2 Volt (v) supply voltages are preferable.

DESIGN

WIRELESS

Figure 1

by Reghu Rajan, Technical Marketing in Microsemi’s Wireless Machine to Machine group Microsemi Corporation

Medical Wireless SensorNetworks Use Ultra-Low PowerRadio Technology To EnableContinuous Monitoring UsingLow-Cost Batteries

The advent of wireless personal area networks (WPANs) and wireless body area net-works (WBANs) has created the need for sensing and monitoring solutions that cansupport continuous data streaming with extremely low power consumption. Today’swearable medical systems are targeted at applications including on-site and remotepatient monitoring, mobility therapies and the management of diseases such as sleepapnea, and are used in environments where frequent battery replacement would bedifficult and expensive. While solutions for these short-range applications previouslyrequired AA or AAA batteries, they can now be powered by a new generation ofmicro-power batteries – as long as power efficiency is optimized. Now, the advent ofultra-low-power short-range radio transceivers is enabling low-cost button cell or smalllithium ion batteries to support continuous data streaming in WPANs and WBANs forup to two weeks before replacement.

Figure 1External sensing use cases and technology requirements.


This means that short-range radio transceiversmust be designed for low-voltage operation –ideally, down to 1.1V in order to optimizedesign flexibility and reduce power manage-ment constraints. In contrast, radios that ope -rate at 2.5V consume twice as much power asthose with the same current consumption oper-ating at 1.25V. Operating at higher voltage isonly required when output power in excess of5dBm is needed. In short-range applications,output power rarely exceeds 0dBm. Other keypower supply considerations include the abilityto maintain transceiver and receiver perform-ance, and the use of a current profile withoutexcessive peaks to fit supply impedance.Another key issue is peak current. Almost allwireless-based sensor networks rely on somelevel of duty-cycling to save power and restrictthe usage of radio space, which generatespeaks in the current consumption profile ofthe sensor. Low peak current consumption inthe radio transceiver reduces constraints onthe wireless sensor’s power supply.Output impedance is also important, as it hasa major effect on power amplifier (PA) powerconsumption. Most radios have output impe -dance below 100 Ohms. Low impedance isonly required for high-output-power, long-range applications, however, and results in upto five times higher current consumption thanhigher-output impedance options that aremore suited for short-reach wireless intercon-nect applications. Overall, assuming a similarreceiver sensitivity and PA efficiency, a highimpedance 900MHz radio would use only1mW in its PA to achieve the same range as a50-Ohm 2.4GHz radio using 25mW to 40mW.The choice of carrier frequency also influencespower consumption. The two available optionswithin the medical (ISM) radio band are 2.4GHzor sub-GHz frequencies. The most prevalent2.4GHz protocols are Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® andZigBee®. In low-power and lower-data-ratewireless medical monitoring applications, how-ever, sub-GHz wireless systems offer severaladvantages, including reduced power consump-tion, as well as longer range for given power. The Friis Equation quantifies the superiorpropagation characteristics of a sub-GHzradio, showing that path loss at 2.4GHz is8.5dB higher than at 900MHz. This translatesinto 2.67 times longer range for a 900MHzradio since range approximately doubles withevery 6dB increase in power. To match therange of a 900MHz radio, a 2.4GHz solutionwould need greater than 8.5dB additionalpower. Another benefit of sub-GHz carrierfrequencies is that they reduce the risk ofinterference from airways that are crowdedwith colliding 2.4GHz Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® andZigBee® signals used in in everything fromwireless hubs and computers to cellphonesand microwave ovens. Sub-GHz ISM bands aremostly used for proprietary low-duty-cyclelinks and are not as likely to interfere with eachother. The quieter spectrum means easiertransmissions and fewer retries, which is more

efficient and saves battery power.Furthermore, the narrower sub-GHz bandwidthcreates higher receiver sensitivity and allowsefficient operation at lower transmission rates.For example, at 300MHz, if the transmi tter andreceiver crystal errors (XTAL inaccuracies) areboth 10 ppm (parts per million), the error is3kHz for each. For the application to efficientlytransmit and receive, the minimum channelbandwidth is two times the error rate, or 6kHz,which is ideal for narrowband applications. Thesame scenario at 2.4GHz requires a minimumchannel bandwidth of 48kHz, which wastesbandwidth for narrowband applications andrequires substantially more operating power. Carrier frequency also has a major impact onthe average power budget at the network level.

Zigbee and Bluetooth offer highly sophisticatedlink and network layers, but these stacksaccount for up to 50 to 75 percent of the radiopower consumption, with larger overheads. Forultra low-power systems, the “one size fits all”standardized option is rarely the optimum solu-tion. Instead, designers developing solutions forultra-low-power applications should considerusing the protocol best suited for their need.Finally, link data rate is one of the most impor-tant factors influencing power consumption induty-cycled wireless links. The average poweris almost inversely proportional to the linkdata rate; for instance, a 100kbps radio willconsume almost half the power of a 50kbpsradio for the same payload. When comparingRF transceivers, “energy per bit” is a betterindicator of power efficiency than current con-sumption. But high data rate radios are oftenthose with the higher peak currents, and theseare highly undesirable for most small batteriesas they result in large, leaky, storage capacitors.Each of the aforementioned factors is criticalfor applications where power is at a premiumand payload is greater than 10 bits/sec. Whereas previous body-worn wireless sensorscould only be used for slowly varying parame-ters, new RF technologies can be used to helpobserve more rapidly changing physiologicalparameters, such as heart and brain electricalactivity or blood oxygenation, that requiredata rates on the order of 0.5 to 5 kbit/s to

extract meaningful waveforms. One example of a solution that delivers this levelof performance is the ZL70250 transceiver fromMicrosemi (see Figure 2). Housed in an approxi-mately 2mm × 3mm chip-scale package, it hasstandard 2-wire and SPI interfaces for controland data transfer using any standard microcon-troller. The microcontroller’s analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) connects to the ultra-low-power analog front-end device. Combined withthe ZL70250 transceiver, the resulting solutioncan be used to develop a wireless ECG solutionthat can run continuously from a CR series coincell for up to a week. Similar power efficiencycan be achieved with such devices as a 3-axisaccelerometer or pulse-oximeter for patient res-piration measu rement, as well as a variety of

other wearable health monitoring platforms.The advent of micro-power batteries alongwith advances in ultra-low-power transceivertechnology are making it possible to buildsmart, flexible and smart wireless sensors.Proper transceiver selection is critical foraddressing a variety of key design issues so thatwearable wireless medical devices can performcontinuous monitoring of bio-signals for longperiods using a single, low-cost battery. n

DESIGN

WIRELESS

About the author:Reghu Rajan received his B.S. degree inBiomedical Engineering from CochinUniversity of Science and Technology, Indiain 1996, M.S. degree in Electrical Engineeringfrom Oklahoma State University in 2001 andis currently pursuing to receive his MBA atSan Diego State University. His master's the-sis involved wide range RF power sensor forthe US military (SPAWAR, San Diego). Hestarted his career with GE Medical systems attheir Medical Imaging division in 1996 andmoved on to power electronics and circuitdesign for Grentel Technologies Limited(India). From 2001 to present he has beenworking with Communication & MedicalProduct Group at Microsemi, San Diego,where his job roles included analog and RFcircuit design for Ultra Low-power Radiosand his current role is in technical marketingfor the wireless health care area.

Block diagram of a typical wireless sensor based on the ZL70250.

Figure 2


INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Vector Fabrics, a company thatspecializes in programming toolsto optimize software for multi-core architectures, todayannounced the launch of its newdevelopment tool, PareonTM.Pareon allows software devel-opers to optimize their appli-cations for multicore systemsin hours or days, a task thattypically takes weeks ormonths to complete. Thetool’s analysis engine preventshard-to-find and hard-to-reproduce threading bugs,while its hardware modellingengine prevents the develop-er from writing code that intro-duces performance bottlenecksor even causes slowdowns.Pareon helps developers addressthe consumer’s demand for fast,high-quality, and responsiveapplications. Pareon combinesthe features of Vector Fabrics’previous vfEmbedded andvfThreaded-X86 parallelizationtools into one product. In addi-tion, Pareon incorporates over 50

new features, including bus andshared cache contention model-ling, support for C/C++, ARMNeon, and recognizing manymore parallel code patterns.Whereas Vector Fabrics’ previous

tools were cloud-based and ranin the user’s web browser, Pareonruns locally on a workstation,integrating more closely with typ-ical development workflows thatinclude complex build mecha-nisms, and targets large applica-tions that rely heavily on callingroutines inside binary libraries.

VECTOR FABRICS www.vectorfabrics.com

New Pareon tool from Vector Fabricssmooths multicore software optimization

The dual-core variants of theIntel® Core™ processor family ofthe third generation (code name“Ivy Bridge”) that have just beenintroduced by Intel® are now alsoavailable on the newest COMExpress™ modules of MSCVertriebs GmbH. In an innovative22nm process technology byIntel® the processorfamily is manufacturedwith three-dimension-al transistors in orderto achieve higher per-formance with lowerpower dissipation.The new COMExpress™ modulesstand out for theadditional increase of the processing per-formance, graphics and video in comparison to the prede -cessor platform.MSC delivers two new COMExpress™ module families thatsupport the plug pin-out accord-ing to Type 2 (MSC CXB-6SI) orType 6 (MSC C6B-7S). Besidesthe first products with the quad

core processors Intel®Core™ i7-3615QE with 45W maximumpower dissipation (TDP) andIntel® Core™ i7-3612QE (35WTDP), which have already beenannounced in April, the moreeconomical Intel® Core™ i3 andi5 versions with two processorcores are now also available.

The COM Express™ modules areoffered with Intel® Core™ i5-3610ME (35W TDP), Intel®Core™ i3-3210ME (35W TDP) or Intel® Core™ i3-3217UE (17WTDP) processors.

MSC VERTRIEBS www.msc-ge.com

The newest Intel® Core™ Processors withtwo Cores on COM Express™ Modules

EnSilica, a leading independentprovider of IC design servicesand system solutions, hasannounced that Posedge hasstandardized on its eSi-325032-bit processor core for theprocessing engine architecturefor its range of wired/wirelessnetworking IP solutions. Thedecision to standardize on theeSi-3250 has enabled Posedge todevelop a single, flexible hard-ware architecture for multipleproducts that are also future-proofed for different protocols.Posedge chose the eSi-3250 overalternative solutions due to itsscalability, programmability, lowpower consumption and compet-itive licensing model. Posedgeuses the eSi-3250 processor core,which delivers a Dhrystone MIPSperformance of up to 1.41DMIPS per MHz, in both singleand challenging, mixed-modemulticore configurations to pro-vide scalable performance and

address different markets includ-ing those for Wired PacketProcessors, Wireless PacketProcessors, Security ProtocolProcessors and Wireless LANMAC Controllers. Posedge’s latest solution to usethe eSi-3250 is an innovative 12-core Wireless Packet Processorfor application-aware WLANaccess points and LTE basesta-tions that not only delivers a 10xperformance improvement overexisting solutions but also pro-vides application level valueadded features.

EnSilicawww.ensilica.com

Kontron has announced its newhigh-quality Mini-ITX mother-board for embedded applica-tions, the KontronKTQM77/mITX, featuring theIntel QM77 Express Chipset and3rd generation Intel Core proces-sors. It surpasses pre-vious designs basedon the 2nd GenerationIntel Core processorswith up to 20%enhanced computingpower and 50% high-er graphics perform-ance. It is thereforenot only the highestperforming Mini-ITXmotherboard in the Kontronseries, but, additionally, Kontronhas integrated a range of inter-faces which differentiates it fromtypical commercial mother-boards. It also includes the latestserial I/O performance such asPCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0. With long-term availability and support forup to three independent dis-plays, it provides everything tobuild a broad array of future-ori-

ented, rich media embeddedapplications on a single compactMini-ITX form factor, making it anideal fit for markets such as digitalsignage, gaming, kiosk/POS,industrial automation and med-ical imaging. The new Kontron

KTQM77/mITX provides OEMsand developers with a scalableperformance range from theprice-optimized, dual-core IntelCeleron processor up to thequad-core 3rd generation IntelCore i3/i5/i7 processors with upto 3.5GHz (in Turbo Mode) forhighest performance.

KONTRON www.kontron.com

Feature-packed Kontron embedded Mini-ITX motherboard with 3rd generationIntel Core processors

Posedge standardizes on EnSilica’s eSi-3250processor for wired/wireless networking IPsolutions

16 EP&Dee ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ www.epd-ee.eu

DESIGN

ANALOG

As the technology of choice for manyhigh- to mid-range systems, BrushlessDC (BLDC) motors offer a constant orvariable speed drive combined withhigh reliability and ease of control.The use of even a few Hall Effect sen-sors, however, adds to the total sys-tem cost which can take BLDC out ofthe reach of low-cost applications.Previous attempts at sensorless con-trol have also been priced out of thereach of mass-market applications byrequiring expensive controllers to runthe algorithms used to replace thesensors.

Now, however, with volume costs ofclose to one dollar per unit, DigitalSignal Controllers (DSCs) such as suchas Microchip’s dsPIC33FJ15MC102, canovercome these challenges and makesensorless BLDC motor control a viablechoice for low-cost applications.

Sensored BLDCTo understand how sensorless BLDC motorcontrol works, it is useful to consider the basicsensored control model.The BLDC motor uses an energised coil, or sta-tor, which causes a permanent magnet on therotor, or shaft, to align with the coil, and rotatethe rotor to generate torque. In a three-phaseBLDC motor the stator’s three coils, or phases,

are turned on and off sequentially in advanceof the rotor. To make the rotor spin smoothly,the motor is built using multiple sets of coilsfor each coil or phase and each phase must beturned on and off in a specific order to makethe rotor rotate. The position of the rotor dic-tates which phase needs to be turned on oroff. Therefore, it is critical that the position ofthe rotor is known, and that the controlleractively switches the phases on and off so thatthe BLDC motor can operate. The simplestway to calculate the rotor’s position is to useHall Effect sensors, which generate pulseswhich allow the controller to identify therotor’s position. With the rotor’s position iden-tified, the basic BLDC controller just needs tolookup which pattern for the three phasescorres ponds to the position of the rotor, andswitch the phases to that pattern.

Sensorless BLDCTaking a closer look at the three phases of aBLDC motor can help to explain how a sensor-less BLDC algorithm can calculate the positionof the rotor.In trapezoidal control, one phase is pulled high(+VBUS), one phase is pulled low (-VBUS), andthe third phase is inactive, at any one time. Thewaveform of each phase is shaped like a trape-zoid, as shown in Figure 1. When the rotor pass-es by a phase, the permanent magnet on therotor induces a current in that phase that resultsin a voltage known as back Electromotive Force(EMF). The back EMF is dependent on thenumber of turns in each phase winding, theangular velocity of the rotor, and the strength of

the rotor’s permanent magnet. The back-EMFwaveform of each phase is related to the posi-tion of the rotor, so the back EMF can be usedto determine the rotor’s position. Although there are many methods of usingback EMF to determine the position of therotor, one of the most common and robust iszero-crossing detection.

by Charlie Ice, Microchip Technology Inc.

Sensorless BLDC motorcontrol for the masses

Using Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs)for sensorless control of Brushless DC(BLDC) motor control to bring this technology within reach of low-cost, massapplications, explains Charlie Ice, ofMicrochip Technology Inc.

Figure 1: BLDC motor windings and trapezoidal waveforms.


DESIGN

ANALOG

When one of the back-EMF signals crosses zero,the controller must switch the pattern on thephases. This process, known as commutation, isshown in Figure 2. In order to keep the rotoradvancing, there must be a phase shift betweenthe point at which the zero crossing occurs andwhen commutation occurs. The controller mustcalculate and compensate for this. A simple way to implement zero crossing is toassume that a zero-crossing event occurswhenever the back EMF on any of the phasesreaches VBUS/2.

This method can be easily implemented byusing a few operational amplifiers, configuredas comparators. However, this does present anumber of problems: The back EMF is typical-ly less than VBUS, so the zero-crossing eventsdo not necessarily happen at VBUS/2; In addi-tion, the properties of each phase may be dif-ferent, so the back-EMF voltage for a zerocrossing on one phase could be different from

that of the other phase. Finally, this simplisticsensing method causes positive and negativephase shifts in the sensed back-EMF signals.

Real-world BLDCIn real-world applications, the zero-crossingthreshold voltage varies considerably. Thisvariable threshold voltage is, however, equalto the voltage of the neutral point of themotor, as the neutral point of motor is theaverage of the back EMF of all three phases.Therefore, whenever the back EMF of any

phase equals the motor’s neutral point, a zero-crossing event has occurred and the controllerneeds to commutate. This can be done byusing resistors and operational amplifiers, orby using the ADC module and software on thecontroller. With a programmable controller,such as a dsPIC® DSC, the back EMF for eachphase can be sampled using the ADC module,and the neutral point can be easily recreated

in software by taking the average of the threeback-EMF signals. The software can then com-pare this value to the sensed back EMF of thethree phases and detect when a zero-crossingevent has occurred. Once a zero-crossingevent has occurred, the controller commutatesthe motor and the process starts again. Usingthe back EMF of the motor to detect zerocrossings means that the sensor can be elimi-nated from the system without compromisingperformance. Real-world systems also introduce other chal-lenges to sensorless operation. First, at lowspeeds, the back EMF is very small and verydifficult to detect. So, the controller mustguess the rotor’s position until the motorbegins to spin fast enough to generate enoughback EMF to operate in sensorless mode. Asoftware-programmable controller enablesthe system startup to be tailored to eachapplication, which can minimise the effects ofthis issue. Another challenge is switching noisefrom the MOSFETs. As the MOSFETs switch tochange the voltage on each phase, they intro-duce noise into the back EMF which is sensedby the controller’s ADC module. This noiseneeds to be filtered out, in order to accuratelyrecreate the back EMF of each phase. A DSChas a DSP engine built into the processor,which can easily handle the computationsneeded to implement a digital filter and elimi-nate this switching noise. The use of a soft-ware-programmable controller can also pro-vide easier solutions to other challenges, whichare specific to each application.

Reducing development costNew development tools, optimised for sensor-less BLDC control, can significantly cut the costand development time for implementing sen-sorless BLDC in mass-market and other appli-cations. Microchip’s motor-control starter kit,shown in Figure 3, costs less than $100 andincludes detailed application notes, as well asexample software and hardware schematics.Motor-controller suppliers, including Microchip,also typically provide downloads of softwareand hardware files free of charge, which makesthe learning process even easier.

ConclusionDSCs are taking the cost out of BLDC motorcontrol. Sensorless BLDC motor control can beimplemented using DSCs which have a volumecost which is close to one dollar per unit, andwith development tools that cost less than$100, in addition to free software andschematic downloads and application notes.These are all good reasons why sensorlessBLDC is beginning to take its place in low-cost,mass-market applications. n

Note: The Microchip name and logo, and dsPIC are regis-tered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the U.S.A.,and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned hereinare property of their respective companies.

www.microchip.com

Figure 2: Back EMF zero crossing.

Figure 3: Low-cost sensorless BLDC Development Kit.


TRAINING

PCB-Design

This time I want to show you one specialty of EAGLE: the DesignLink interface. When you are in the design process of a schematic and you want to check whether oneof the components you plan to use exactly fits for your purposes, EAGLE offers a veryconvenient tool that allows to look up technical data and informs about availabilityand price. This function is realized in collaboration with Farnell/element14 by thehelp of an EAGLE User Language program which gives access to the Premier Farnellweb site and offers information about more than 400.000 components.

Simply click onto the DesignLink icon in the schematic editor andchoose the General option.

A window pops up that allows to enter search words in the bottom line.Type in for example ATMEGA88A and click onto the Search button.The result is shown in the window now. You have the option to look intothe data sheet (click on the datasheet link) or get information aboutdifferent variants and about availability and price.

If you would like to order this components directly. Click onto Add selection to shopping cart.

If you have made your schematic and want to order all the componentsnow, the DesignLink interface can serve again. Click onto theDesignLink icon and select the Schematic option. Now the DesignLink ULP loops through all the components placed inthe schematic and looks for already existing library attributes about theFarnell Order Code and Manufacturer Part Number. Then the ULP estblishes a connection to the web and checks information

about availablility and price. Components that do not have information in their attributes, EAGLEtries to find a matching result via DesignLink online. The value of thecomponent is taken as search word. The result will be shown and you can decide whether this is suitable foryou. If not, you can initiate a manual search. Type in fitting searchword(s) and check the results. If it is okay, click Accept and the nextcomponent will be processed. In case you don't want to have a certaincomponent ordered – maybe you have it already on stock and don'tneed to buy it – click the Skip button. Finally a bill of material will be presented that contains all informationyou need.

Now you can choose the Number of PCBs you want to order compo-nents for. Click Update for refreshing the list. To start the online order-ing process click Add to shopping cart. Optionally you can Exportyour BOM as a text file and forward it to the purchase department. If you activate the checkbox for Save order codes the ULP saves all theinformation collected in the schematic file. So you have them availablefor the next time.

Now we can start to create the layout in EAGLE. This can be done witha single mouse click. But this is subject for our next article. Stay tuned. ☺

Richard Hammerl

www.farnell.com

EAGLE and DesignLinkValueable informationabout components


Phoenix Display International(PDI), Inc., has introduced a newline of custom and standard trans-flective TFT LCDs ideally suitedfor demanding outdoor applica-tions. Phoenix Display transflectivecolor LCD screen modules areavailable in 320×240 (QVGA) res-olution in 2.2”, 2.8”, 3.2”, and 3.5”sizes as well as 800×480 (WVGA)in 5.0” size, and can be integratedinto any number of applica-tions. Designed with an inter-nal transflector, PDI’s TFTLCD modules are 100% sun-light readable, operating in areflective mode when indirect sunlight conditions,giving the user a clear imagewithout becoming washedout. Phoenix Display’s customand standard transflectiveTFT LCDs are designed to meetthe ever-growing need to displayfull-color graphical content with

high brightness, high contrast, andfull-speed video capability.Standard brightness ranges from80 to 160 nits, depending on size.If customization is required,Phoenix Display's US-based, localengineering team can design theLCD module around the standardtransflective glass platform to inte-grate both electrically and me -chanically into an existing project.

PHOENIX DISPLAYINTERNATIONAL (PDI)www.phoenixdisplay.com

PHOENIX DISPLAY Launches new Line of custom and Standard Transflective TFT Displays

Gleichmann Electronics nowoffers two new 10.6-inch (27 cm)WXGA display modules, partnumbers NL12876AC18-03 and-03D, from NLT Technologies.The new display modules fea-ture ultra-wide viewing angles of176 degrees horizontally andvertically, a brightness of 300cd/m2 and a high con-trast ratio of 1000:1.The combination oftwo advanced coretechnologies – UltraAdvanced Super FineTFT (UA SFT), NLT’sproprietary version ofIn-Plane Switching (IPS)technology, andColorXcell, an integrated color-enhancement technology thatdelivers color reproduction thatis comparable in color intensityto the original video source,without tint or color variance –ensures that the new 10.6 inchTFT-LCD modules provide ahigh-luminance, wide colorgamut and vivid colors.Thanks to the UA-SFT technolo-

gy, images can be viewed in bothportrait and landscape orienta-tion from almost any angle with-out color shift or compromisingbrightness. This viewing flexibilityis particularly important for appli-cations where the display orienta-tion may vary or where usersrequire accurate imaging results

from multiple viewing angles,such as portable medical imagingand diagnostics or test and meas-urement equipment. Typically,higher saturated color filters areneeded to improve color repro-duction but at the cost ofreduced transmissivity.

GLEICHMANN ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com

10.6-inch (27 cm) WXGA display moduleswith viewing angles of 176 degrees and acontrast ratio of 1000:1

In close cooperation with Intel,DSM Computer has integratedthe Intel® AIM Suite Web-basedsoftware in its large-area industrialdisplays. The Intel® AIM Suite isused for the anonymized detec-tion and analysis of the screenobserver’s eye contact. An indus-trial display system with 140 cm(55 inch) diagonal,integrated cameraand a built-in PC plat-form with the Intel®QM67 chipset andthe Intel® Core™ i5-2710QE processorspecially developedby DSM was present-ed for the first time atthe Embedded World2012. The Intel® AIM Suitedetects how long the observer'sattention remains directed at thelarge screen. The gender and theage group of the person can alsobe determined. The anonymizeddata that can be transmitted in

real-time via a Web portal can beevaluated after 24 hours at theearliest. This time interval ensuresthe further anonymization of thedata and so precludes a directreference to the viewer in front ofcamera. These features open anumber of interesting applica-tions for the large-area displays

with the Intel® AIM Suite. Forexample, the eye contact of theviewer can be followed over thecourse of time.

DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com

DSM Computer integrates the Intel® AIMSuite in its industrial displays

INDUSTRY NEWS

DISPLAY

Utilizing the latest in glass fabri-cation and thin-film vacuumdeposition technology,Dontech’s VCG-Series™ glass fil-ters provide exceptional opticaltransparency and environmentaldurability. Dontech’s precisionglass optical filters are incorpo-rated in demanding military,medical, industrial and avionicapplications.For high-end display programs,VCG-Series™ filters optimize dis-play clarity and high ambientlight contrast (e.g., sunlight read-ability). Filters can be fabricatedfrom a variety of glass substrates,such as chemically strengthenedsoda lime (etched or polished),borosilicate, fused silica, and opti-cal glasses (e.g., Schott nBk-7).VCG-Series™ filter customizationoptions include high-energy vac-uum deposited coatings such asantireflective, transparent con-ductive (EMI shielding, transpar-ent heaters), and infrared (IR) ornear infrared (NIR) blocking.Additional features include cus-tom screen printing, polarizers,precision machining, and con-

ductive optical grids (woven,etched and printed). Dontech’sglass filters can be laminated ormonolithic, clear or colored.Available VCG-Series™ filter sizesrange from less than 1” to greaterthan 42” diagonal, and can besold as a stand-alone display

cover glass product or integratedinto a higher level assembly. VCG-Series™ filters can be assembledinto frames or bezels, or opticallybonded to LCDs or touch screensby Dontech using its proprietaryIMO-bond™ optical bondingprocess to improve impactresistance and display contrast.

DONTECHwww.dontech.com

DONTECH VCG-SERIES™ Precision GlassOptical Filters Optimize Display Clarityand Contrast in Demanding Applications


Is your current LCD going end oflife? Does the recommendedreplacement LCD have an LEDbacklight and a built-in driver?Are your current input signalsincompatible with the newrequirements? Would you like tomake the LCD upgrade as seam-less as possible? ERG’s SmartBridge™ module resolves many ofthe problems users are currentlyexperiencing – quickly, easily andeconomically – by using the sys-tem’s existing input power signalsand converting the analog dim-ming signal used for the inverterinto a PWM signal for the LEDdriver. In this way, the system’sexisting signals are utilized, pow-ering the LED backlight driverwithout additional modifications.It’s one simple swap. Remove theinverter, plug in the footprint-compatible Smart Bridge module,and connect the input cable fromthe existing power supply or con-troller to the Smart Bridge. TheSmart Bridge module convertsthe Power • Ground • Enable •Control signals and mates directlyto the LCD via a small harness,

powering the new backlight driv-er correctly. This avoids the time-consuming and expensive alter-native of system re-design. Thestandard version (SBD4212F) is aSmart Bridge Pass-Through withIntegrated PWM Dimming andoperates from a typical 12V

signal. The Smart Bridge DC-DCConverter with Integrated PWMDimming (SBDCD4213F) is de -signed for applications requiringa step-up conversion from 5V to12V. The third version is theSmart Bridge DC-DC ConverterWithout Dimming (SBDC4227F).

ERG www.ergpower.com

ERG’s New SMART BRIDGE™ Module Makesfor an Easy Transition to LED BACKLIT LCD

Nothing lights up a rock arenaquite like a Coldplay audiencewith tens of thousands of flashingXylobands™ LED wristbands pow-ered by embedded technologyfrom Silicon Laboratories Inc.Created by UK-basedRB Concepts Ltd.,Xylobands use wire-less ICs and ultra-low-power microcon-trollers (MCUs) fromSilicon Labs toreceive and processwireless signals thattrigger each wrist-band’s LEDs to lightup in sync with themusic and stage lightshow. TheXylobands are the unique, patent-ed creation of inventor andColdplay fan Jason Regler, a co-owner of RB Concepts. Coldplay’shigh-energy music and lyricsinspired Regler’s bright idea tocreate a wireless LED wristbandthat could be controlled remotelythrough proprietary software anda laptop connected to a radiotransmitter to enable fans to bepart of the lightshow. Recognizingthe brilliance of Regler’s invention,

the Brit Awards- and Grammy-winning rock band has usedXylobands to light up arenas andstadiums all around the world.Xylobands have a very broadappeal. In addition to lighting up

rock concerts, Xylobands can gen-erate interactive audience partici-pation at a wide variety of sport-ing events, theme parks, festivals,parties and corporate activities.Seeing is believing. Visitwww.coldplay.com to seeXylobands flashing on and off toColdplay’s hit song, “CharlieBrown,” performed at Rexall Placein Edmonton.

SILICON LABORATORIESwww.silabs.com

Silicon Labs Embedded Technology HelpsRB Concepts “Light up the Possibilities”

Mouser Electronics, Inc., regard-ed as a top design engineeringresource and global distributorfor semiconductors and elec-tronic components, todayannounced it is stocking newLEDs from OSRAMOpto Semiconductors.OSRAM Ostar StageLEDs offer an extreme-ly slim, 1.23mm highprofile, made possibleby a flat glass coverwith an anti-reflectivecoating. The new flat-ter profile allows theseLEDs to provide thebasis for compact spotlights witha very narrow beam and highluminance. The glass cover hasbeen optimized specifically forinjecting light into lens systems,enabling a narrow light beam of±9º to be produced. This beamis smaller by factor 2 than that ofspotlights based on plastic-encapsulated LEDs and alsoincreases the luminance of the

spotlight by factor 2. The OstarStage LEDs are based on theOSRAM Ostar SMT platformand contain four different chipsin red, green, blue, and white,allowing them to produce virtu-

ally any color. All four chips are manufacturedusing efficient thin-film technolo-gy so that most of the light pro-duced internally is emitted atthe top and more light can befocused in the customer opticssystem.

MOUSER ELECTRONICShttp://www.mouser.com

Mouser Shines the Spotlight on OSRAMOstar Stage LEDs

The rising popularity of LED lightsources is making it more impor-tant for manufacturers, systemintegrators, illumination designersand scientific laboratories tocarry out complex measurementsfor LED lamps, whereby themeasuring equipment used mustalso accommodate LED modulesand engines of increasing physi-cal dimensions. GL Optic hasresponded to this need by deve -loping the GLS 1100 integratingsphere. The GLS 1100 providesthe basis for taking a wide varietyof photometric measurementsand can be used for entire mo -dules and engines. Discussion sur-rounding the introduction of LEDlighting equipment is frequentlycharacterized by the question ofenergy efficiency, which is deter-mined by quantifying the spectralcharacteristics of the respectiveluminous element and comparingthem to conventional lightsources. Key measurements are

those required to assess the lumi-nous flux and radiant power.Spectrally calibrated, the GLS1100 is the ideal tool for this task

and enables absolute measure-ment of radiant power and itsspectral distribution. Theabsolute value and various pho-tometric parameters can bemeasured simultaneously andinclude color coordinates, colortemperature and the color ren-dering index (CRI) determined inaccordance with CIE standards.

GL OPTICwww.gloptic.com

Integrating Sphere Enables PreciseMeasurements for Large LED Modules

INDUSTRY NEWS

LIGHTING


CML Microcircuits has increasedthe operating range of itsCMX994 Direct ConversionReceiver. Through an on-goingresearch and development pro-gramme, CML has extended theoperating range of the CMX994Direct Conversion Receiver(DCRx) IC. Now operating overan RF range of 50MHz to940MHz, the CMX994 nowaddresses a wider range ofSoftware Defined Radio (SDR)demands. The CMX994 is areceiver Integrated Circuit(IC) featuring I/Q demodu-lators intended for use as adirect conversion receiver.The device targets the nextgeneration of multi-modeSoftware Defined Radios(SDR) for wireless data andtwo-way radio applications.Its design provides the opti-mum route for on-board integra-tion, allowing a small RF receiverto be realised with a minimum ofexternal components in both zeroIF and low IF systems. A DCRxmixes the wanted RF signal downto 0Hz in a single quadrature mix-ing process using a local oscillator

(LO) tuned to the wanted RFchannel frequency. Selectivity fil-tering and gain can now takeplace at baseband with practical,low power, analogue and digitalcircuits. DCRx also eliminates theneed for an image-reject filter. The CMX994 DCRx IC offersexcellent RF performance, excep-tional IP2 from I/Q mixers and issuitable for modulation schemesincluding: QAM, 4FSK, GMSK andpi/4-DQPSK. Key features of thedevice include on-chip VCO for

VHF applications, on-chip LNA,precision baseband filtering withselectable bandwidths and thesmallest PCB area, typically lessthan 50% of a dual superhet.

CML MICROCIRCUITSwww.cmlmicro.com

CMX994 Operating Range Extended

MSC now offers 11 MCUs in theRX220 Group of 32-bit micro-controllers (MCUs) from RenesasElectronics. The new RX220Group of MCUs features pro-cessing performance of up to 50Dhrystone MIPS (DMIPS) at32MHz and areduced power con-sumption of lessthan half that of theearlier RX200 Seriesof MCUs.In particular, inintermittent opera-tion, the new RX220Group sets newstandards. Whenthe CPU is operatingand the peripheralfunctions are halted, the powerconsumption of the new RX220MCUs is only 0.2mA/MHz.When operating in softwarestandby mode, in which the con-tents of the on-chip RAM andregisters are maintained but

other functions are halted, theoperating current is reduced toan ultra-low level of 2μA. Incombination with the perform-ance of 1.56 DMIPS/MHz, whichis unusually high for mid-rangeMCUs, a significant reduction of

the overall system power con-sumption can be achieved in sys-tems with alternating processingand standby phases.

MSC VERTRIEBSwww.msc-ge.com

RX220 Group of ultra-low power MCUsenables a cost-effective entry into the 32-bit world

Murata Power Solutionsannounced the OKX series ofminiature non-isolated single out-put DC/DC converters designedfor embedded point-of-load(PoL) applications. Within theOKAMI OKX series there are 4models that provide 3A or 5Aoutputs with either 5V or 12Vnominal inputs. Complementingthe existing OKY range ofsurface mounted PoL con-verters available fromMurata Power Solutions, thenew OKX-T/3 and OKX-T/5series additions are pack-aged in a popular space-saving 5-pin single-in-linepackage (SIP). Design engi-neers now have a choice ofpackage format depending onavailable board space and appli-cation requirements. Measuringjust 22.9 × 10.2 × 7.1mm, the SIPpackage meets Distributed-PowerOpen Standards Alliance (DOSA)specifications and is designed as a

drop-in replacement for otherDOSA-compliant parts. These highly efficient converters,typically 94.5% at 3.3Vout, andcapable of driving ceramic capaci-tive loads up to 1,000 uF, havetight load regulation making themideal for powering applicationssuch as FPGAs and DSPs. The output voltage is program-

mable from 0.75 to 3.63VDC forthe 5Vin part, and up to 5VDCfor the 12Vin part.

MURATA POWERSOLUTIONS www.murata-ps.com

Murata Power Solutions extends point-of-load series to include 3A and 5A SIP packages

Silicon Laboratories Inc. intro-duced the broadcast videoindustry’s most advanced, single-chip multimedia demodulator,enabling developers to simplifythe design of iDTV, set-top box(STB) and Blu-ray/DVD recorderproducts. The new Si2169device is the first demodulatorto integrate the emerging DVB-T2 standard,advanced DVB-S2 standard, andexisting DVB-T,DVB-S and DVB-C standards intoa single CMOSchip supportingterrestrial, satel-lite and cableTV broadcast.The Si2169 iscomplemented by the Si2168, apin-compatible DVB-T2/T/Cdemodulator designed for ter-restrial and cable TV broadcast.The Si2168/69 demodulatorsoffer the industry’s highest levelof DVB-T2 terrestrial broadcastperformance, outperformingother competing DVB-T2demodulators in challenging

reception conditions and fullycomplying with the NorDig 2.2.1and D-Book 7 specifications.Offering superior echo perform-ance in all DVB-T2 transmissionmodes, the new demodulatorsenable the industry’s fastestDVB-T2 channel lock timesunder the most challenging echoconditions. In fact, Silicon Labs

has implemented a special archi-tecture to reduce DVB-T2 locktimes to industry-leading valuesunlike competing demodulatorsthat typically require significant-ly longer time to lock onto diffi-cult channels.


Silicon Labs Demodulator Simplifies VideoFront-Ends for TVs and Set-Top Boxes

INDUSTRY NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS


MSC now offers the M95 quad-band GSM/GPRS module fromQuectel. The M95 is provided inan easier soldering process SMDLCC package that has dimensionsof only 19.9mm × 23.6mm ×2.65mm. The M95 is currentlythe world’s smallest quad-bandGSM/GPRS module. Despite itscompact form factor, the M95features outstanding perform-ance data such as: GPRSmultislot class 12 for uplinktransfer up to 85.6 kbpsand an extremely low cur-rent consumption of only0.9 mA in sleep modewhen DRX is 5 as well asnumerous additional func-tions such as embeddedclass AB amplifier.Two UART interfaces and a largenumber of protocols, such asTCP/IP, UDP, FTP and PPP, arealready integrated on the mod-ule. This ensures that the M95meets the requirements of vari-

ous M2M applications includingVehicle Tracking System,Industrial PDA, Personal Tracking,Wireless POS, Smart Metering,etc. In addition to the module,MSC also offers a complete M95development kit for evaluationpurposes. The kit includes hard-ware and software, debug andtest tools, approvals, applicationexamples and test reports.

Detailed information about theM95 quad-band GSM/GPRSmodule is available from MSC.

MSC VERTRIEBSwww.msc-ge.com

The world’s smallest quad-band module in LCC package has a size of only 19.9mm × 23.6mm × 2.65 mm

International Rectifier has intro-duced the PowIRaudio™ familyof integrated power modulesfor high performance home the-ater systems and car audioamplifiers. The new devices inte-grate a PWM controller and twodigital audio power MOSFETs ina single package tooffer a highly efficient,compact solution thatreduces componentcount, shrinks PCB sizeup to 70 percent andsimplifies Class D ampli-fier design.The combination of anadvanced audio con-troller IC with MOSFETsfully optimized foraudio performance results inimproved efficiency, THD, andEMI, allowing the IR43xxM fami-ly to operate without a mechani-cal heatsink over a wide powersupply range on either a singleor split power supply. High volt-age ratings and noise immunity

ensure reliable operation overvarious environmental condi-tions. The single channelIR4301M and dual channelIR4302M offer the flexibility andconvenience of building stereoamplifier and multi-channeldesigns in various channel con-

figurations, while the devices’5x6 mm and 7x7 mm PQFNpackages enhance the benefit ofutilizing a smaller size of Class Dtopology.

INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIERwww.irf.com

IR’s Compact PowIRaudio™ ModulesReduce Component Count, Shrink PCB Sizeup to 70 Percent and Simplify Class DAmplifier Design

Silicon Laboratories Inc. intro-duced a customer-friendly micro-controller (MCU) die sales pro-gram, accelerating time to marketand giving customers anotheroption for small-footprintdesigns. Silicon Labs’ new diesales program has a minimumorder quantity of only one waferunlike typical die salesprograms that requirevery high-volumeorders to qualify. Theprogram is available forthe company’s 8-bit8051-based mixed-sig-nal MCUs and new 32-bit Precision32™ pro -duct family based onthe ARM® Cortex™-M3core. Silicon Labs’ die sales pro-gram offers a unique mixed-signaltest methodology at probe thatenables fully tested die to besold in wafer form. All wafers aretested to the same levels as pack-aged MCU products. In addition,customers have the option of

requesting factory programmingof unpackaged die to furtherspeed time to market.“Many customers prefer the optionof buying MCUs in die formbecause it gives them greater flexi-bility to optimize for space-con-strained designs requiring smallform factors and to implement

their own custom packaging inmodule applications,” said MikeSalas, vice president and generalmanager of Silicon Labs’ micro-controller products.


Silicon Labs Announces Customer-FriendlyMicrocontroller Die Sales Program

Mouser Electronics, Inc.,announced that it is stocking theEZ-USB® FX3 SuperSpeed USBController from CypressSemiconductor as well as the USB3.0 Re-Driver fromNXPSemiconductors. The Cypress EZ-USB FX3 is thenext-generationUSB 3.0 peripheralcontroller thatenables develop-ers to add USB 3.0device functionali-ty to any system.The FX3 has a fullyconfigurableGeneralProgrammableInterface (GPIF™II), which can inter-face with virtuallyany processor, ASIC, image sen-sor or FPGA. GPIF II provideseasy and glueless connectivity topopular industry interfaces suchas synchronous Slave FIFO, asyn-chronous SRAM, asynchronous

and synchronous Address DataMultiplexed interface, parallelATA, etc. The FX3's programmingflexibility makes it an ideal solu-tion for any USB 3.0 device. The

Cypress EZ-USBFX3 DevelopmentKit provides com-plete hardwareand software solu-tions for accelerat-ing the firmwareand device driverdevelopment forthe FX3 device. Itcan be used tostart hardware orsoftware integra-tion and build finalsystems after theintegration phaseis complete. Thekit contains theDevelopment Kit

PCB, a USB 3.0 A to Micro Bcable, the Quick Start Guide, a KitCD, and a 5V DC adapter

MOUSER ELECTRONICSwww.mouser.com

Mouser delivers latest USB 3.0 Technologies:Cypress EZ-USB® FX3 and NXP USB 3.0SuperSpeed re-driver

INDUSTRY NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS


Silicon Laboratories Inc. intro-duced the industry’s first isolated10-bit analog-to-digital converter(ADC) products designed specifi-cally for the demands of mainsline monitoring. The new Si890xfamily combinesSilicon Labs’patentedCMOS-baseddigital isolationtechnology andits proven ADCtechnology tocreate a robustline voltagemonitoring andprotection solu-tion for powermanagementapplications such as solar powerinverters, switched-mode anduninterruptible power supplies,and industrial applications withsensors in high-voltage areasrequiring isolated data acquisi-tion. Isolated ADCs are essentialfor applications where the powerdrawn from the ac mains must bemonitored. The most commonsolution for these applicationstoday uses a current transformercoupled with discrete compo-

nents and a data converter – abulky approach that drives upthe size and complexity of powersupplies. While standalone ADCsare available, they require exter-nal galvanic isolators to connect

to the mains or other high-volt-age systems. Other vendors offerisolated ADCs optimized formotor control, but these devicesare too costly for the mains moni-toring market. Silicon Labs engi-neered the Si890x isolated ADCsto meet the needs of the mainsmonitoring market in ways noother vendors have addressed.


Silicon Labs Delivers Industry’s firstIsolated Analog-to-Digital Converters forAC Mains Monitoring

Advanced Power ElectronicsCorp. (USA), a leading manufac-turer of MOS power semiconduc-tors for DC-DC power conversionapplications, has announced thenew AP6922GMT-HF-3, aspace-saving dual MOSFET forsynchronous buck converterapplications, with both the high-side (control) FET and low-side(synchronous) FET in one single5×6mm PMPAK package.AP6922GMT-HF-3 is a ruggeddevice combining fast switching,low on resistance and cost-effec-tiveness. The control MOSFET(CH-1) has a drain-source voltagerating of 30V, a maximum on-resistance of 8.5mΩ, and a contin-uous drain current rating at 25°Cof 15A, and has been chosen tooptimise switching performance.The synchronous MOSFET (CH-2)

also has a drain-source voltagerating of 30V and a continuousdrain current rating at 25°C of25.7A, with a maximum on-resistance of 3.8mΩ to minimise

conduction losses. The reducedparasitic inductances as a result ofthe short internal conductionpaths also contribute to improvedperformance.

ADVANCED POWERELECTRONICS www.a-powerusa.com

New dual MOSFET from Advanced PowerElectronics Corp. simplifies synchronousbuck converter design

INDUSTRY NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

XP Power announced that its25W to 2500W medical powersupply products have beenapproved to the new IEC60601-13rd edition standard. In contrast toother manufacturers who mayonly provide 2 × MOOP (meansof operator protection), XPPower's medical safety compli-ance extends to providing 2 ×MOPP (means of patient protec-tion). Also available are the com-plete risk management filesrequired by the 3rd edition. Theprovision of these files removethe burden and expense typicallyplaced on the end-productdesigner in achieving productcompliance. IEC 60601-1 is theharmonized standard for medicalelectrical equipment that hasbeen adopted globally. In Europethe new 3rd edition standard ismandatory from June 1, 2012,and will apply to both new prod-ucts introduced after that time aswell as products already in exis-tence. All of XP’s medical powersupplies are now approved toEN60601-1:2006 to meet thisrequirement. In Canada the stan-

dard CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 601.1will be used to signify their prod-ucts meet the new requirementsand their effective date is thesame as the EU on June 1, 2012.

Manufacturers of medical equip-ment need to be aware of themajor changes required in movingfrom the existing 2nd edition med-ical safety approval to the 3rd edi-tion standard as the standards arevery different.

XP POWER www.xppower.com/medical

XP Power eases product compliance to 3rd edi-tion medical safety standards with 2 × MOPP

Avnet Embedded is introducingthe new Memory LCD typeLS010B7DH01 from Sharp, anultra low-power display incorpo-rating for the first time a circularactive display area of 12,868 pix-els. At a diameter of 1-inch(2.5cm) with 128 × 128 pixel thenew Memory LCD providesexcellent resolution and a suffi-cient display area for the fullgraphic black and white visuali-zation of content. Excellent legi-bility in all light conditions isensured by the 14:1 contrastratio of the high reflectivityLCD. Thanks to the displayarea’s 0.25% transmissive ratio,the new Memory LCD can befitted with a backlight so thatthe screen content can be easi-ly recognized in the dark. Withits circular shape, theLS010B7DH01 is particularlysuitable for wrist-worn devicesrequiring extended runtimes.These include not only wrist-watches but also endurance and

mountain sports computers aswell as medical tele-monitoringdevices. The circular MemoryLCD can also be used as screenfor E-bikes speedometers, fitnessequipment or thermostats.Like all Memory LCDs, theLS010B7DH01 features very lowpower consumption with a mere

10 μW for static images, and,even with a regular display con-tent refresh rate of 1 Hertz, theLCD consumes only 45 μW.

AVNET EMBEDDEDwww.avnet-embedded.eu

Cutting edge technology – Avnet Embeddedpresents round Memory LCDs from Sharp


Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. isbroadening its optoelectronicsportfolio with the release of newnon-zero crossing photo-triac optocouplers in theindustry-standard miniflatSOP-4 package, savingup to 66% in PCB spacecompared to devices inthe DIP-6 package. Thenew VOM160 andVOM305x series offerthree choices of inputtrigger LED current: 5 mA(VOM160NT/VOM3053T),7mA (VOM160PT), and 10mA(VOM160RT/VOM3052T).With a package height of only2.0mm, they feature a blockingvoltage of 600VAC for high-volt-age applications. In consumerapplications, the VOM160 andVOM305x series will be used forturning on and off motors andsolenoid control in refrigerators,washers, lamps, and coffee mak-ers. The new devices will also be

used to drive TRIACs for solid-state relays and static AC powerswitches in industrial applications.

The VOM3052T andVOM3053T, with their highstatic dV/dt of 1500 V/μs, areparticularly well suited for noisyenvironments where a lowerdV/dt can cause a thyristor to betriggered as a result of a highslew rate transient on the outputload, even without any trigger-ing signal on the input.

VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGYwww.vishay.com

Vishay Intertechnology Launches New Non-Zero Crossing Phototriac Optocouplersin Compact, Environmentally Green SOP-4 Package

Vishay Intertechnology Inc.announced a new panel poten-tiometer that is the industry'sfirst to include a variable resistorand switch incorporated into abuilt-in knob. The Sfernice P16Spotentiometer is designed formilitary, professional audio, andindustrial applications thatrequire volume, speed, intensity,and voltage controls in a com-pact design — such as portableequipment, communicationheadsets, night-vision goggles,and cockpit panels.Featuring a compact, fully sealed,and panel-sealed construc-tion, the Vishay Sfernicepotentiometer releasedtoday is a revolutionary con-cept in panel mountedpotentiometers. Its uniquedesign consists of a knobdriving that incorporates acermet or conductive plasticpotentiometer. Only the mount-ing hardware and terminals are

situated on the back side of thepanel, which keeps the requiredclearance to a minimum andmakes it ideal for small, low-pro-file, low-weight equipment. The P16S offers a power ratingto 1W at + 40°C and TCR of±150 ppm/°C typical, with highdielectric strength of 2.5kVrms.The device is available in 7mmbushing length (15mm insideequipment) with a 16mm knobdiameter, and offers a tempera-ture range of - 40°C to + 125°C.It is RoHS-compliant and lead(Pb)-free.


Vishay Intertechnology Releases Industry'sFirst Panel Potentiometer With VariableResistor and Switch Included in Built-In Knob

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.introduced a new reflective opti-cal sensor with transistor outputin a miniature SMD package.Measuring just 3.4mm by 2.7mmby 1.5mm, the TCNT2000 offersa detection range from 0.2 mmto 5mm for consumer, industrial,and computer applications. Byutilizing Vishay's high-effi-ciency 940nm emitter chip,the TCNT2000 provides atypical CTR of 4%, outper-forming competingdevices by a factor of 2.With its high CTR, thedevice provides designerswith the option of increas-ing the detection range, or driv-ing the device at lower drivecurrents to reduce power con-sumption without incurring per-formance losses. The TCNT2000features a compact constructionwith its emitting light source andsilicon phototransistor detector

arranged in the same plane. Thesensor's analog output signal istriggered by detection ofreflected infrared light fromobjects 0.2mm to 5mm away(within > 20% of peak collectorcurrent). The TCNT2000 offersa built-in daylight blocking filter,which greatly suppresses dis-

turbing ambient light to increasethe signal-to-noise ratio, whilekeeping the maximum spectralsensitivity at the operating wave-length of 940nm.


Vishay Introduces New 940nm ReflectiveOptical Sensor With Detection Range From0.2mm to 5mm in Miniature 3.4mm by 2.7mm by 1.5mm SMD Package

AVX Corporation has developedthe industry’s first 63V and 75Vsingle-anode tantalum polymercapacitors. Part of the TCJ Seriespolymer tantalum capacitors,these new surface mount devices(SMDs) deliver high capacitance,high voltage andlow ESR values in asmall case size.Available in1uF/63V, 4,7uF/63V,10uF/63V and4.7uF/75V,6.8uF/75V ratedvoltages, the TCJSeries polymer tan-talum capacitorsmaintain 20% rec-ommended voltagederating, thus signif-icantly extending the usable volt-age range. This unique combina-tion brings polymer tantalumtechnology to a number of newapplications and enables thedevelopment of a new genera-tion of power supplies.The TCJ Series high voltage

capacitors feature reduced igni-tion failure mode, making themmore robust and less likely tooverload. The TCJ Series poly-mer tantalum capacitor maintainshigh reliability exceeding 1% per1000 hours at 85ºC and full-rated

voltage. In addition, SMD tech-nology provides the advantagesof small case sizes and low pro-files for high-speed pick andplace during manufacturing.

AVX www.avx.com

AVX launches industry’s first 63V and 75VSMD Polymer Tantalum capacitors for highvoltage applications

INDUSTRY NEWS

PASSIVE COMPONENTS


INDUSTRY NEWS

PASSIVE COMPONENTS

Crystek Corporation’s Ultra-LowPhase Noise CCHD-950 SeriesHCMOS Clock Oscillator pushesthe phase noise performancebenchmark with a -168 dBc/Hznoise floor (100 MHz model).The CCHD-950 gen-erates frequenciesbetween 45 MHzand 130 MHz, with50 MHz, 80 MHz,100 MHz and 130MHz offered as stan-dard. A high-Q crys-tal and 3rd overtonetechnology providethe ultra-low phasenoise and low-jitterperformance, making the CCHD-950 very useful in syntheticinstrumentation such as VXI/PXI. Generating no sub-harmonics,the CCHD-950 requires an inputsupply voltage of 3.3Vdc con-

suming 15mA of current. Thishigh performance oscillator isavailable in an FR5 9×14mm SMDpackage. An extended tempera-ture operating range of -40°C to+85°C is also available.

Applications include high defini-tion TV, avionics, low phase signalsources, and test & measurement.

CRYSTEKwww.crystek.com

CRYSTEK Achieves Phase Noise Benchmarkof -168dBc/Hz with CCHD-950 HCMOSClock Oscillator Development

Vishay Precision Group, Inc.announced that its Vishay FoilResistors (VFR) brand hasunveiled a new video highlightingthe stability of hermeticallysealed Bulk Metal® Foil resistors.The short videodemonstrateshow VFR'sVHP100 resistorexperiences nochange in resist-ance after beingimmersed in100% humidityunder highpressure withina pressurecooker for one hour. VFR's hermetically sealed foilresistors not only prevent mois-ture incursions, but they maintaintheir hermeticity under extremeconditions to hold their originalresistance value after exposure tohigh temperatures as well ashumidity. In the video demon-

stration introduced today, theresistance of a VFR 10 kΩVHP100 hermetically sealedresistor is measured at room tem-perature (+70°F/21°C). The resis-tor is then placed in a pressure

cooker set to +250°F (+121°C).After an hour, the VHP100 isremoved and measured again,showing absolutely no change inresistance (<1 ppm measurementaccuracy).


VPG's Extreme Pressure-Cooker TestHighlights Stability, Robustness ofHermetically Sealed Bulk Metal® Foil Resistors

AVX Corporation has developeda miniature 0402 varistor specifi-cally for FlexRay™Communication BUS Systemsused in automotive applications.The AEC-Q200 qualified FlexrayAutomotive Varistor Series auto-motive varistors combine ESDprotection with EMI/RF filteringand insertion loss characteristicsto protect against transients onhigh-speed data lines up to10Mbps. The Flexray AuomotiveSeries varistors provide protec-tion during jump-start and arecapable of withstanding multipletransient strikes while providingsub-1nS response to ESD strikes.A suitable drop-in replacementfor diode protection, the com-pact Flexray Automotive VaristorsSeries deliver superior transientclamping. “This Flexray varistorseries offers engineers a morerobust solution for the faster digitalserial bus systems currently beingdesigned into today’s vehicles,” saidMike Muir, North Americanproduct manager at AVX.

“By accommodating data rates thatare up to 10 times faster than currentcontrolled area network (CAN)BUS systems, AVX is leading the

way in circuit protection devices fortoday’s most demanding automo-tive applications. The 0402 casesize also demonstrates AVX’s abilityto meet the need for miniaturiza-tion in these critical applications.”

AVX www.avx.com

Miniature AEC-Q200 qualified varistorfrom AVX optimized for FlexRay™ commu-nication BUS systems

AVX Corporation, a leading man-ufacturer of advanced passivecomponents and interconnectsolutions, has announced that US-based Global Advanced Metals’tantalum processing division,(GAM Technology), the first tan-talum smelter to achieveEICC/GeSI Conflict-Free Smeltervalidation in December 2010, hasjoined the AVX “Solutions forHope Project.” GAMTechnology will processthe fourth shipment ofvalidated conflict-freetantalite ore minedfrom the world’s firstBGR Green Flag validat-ed tantalum mine site,the Mai Baridi/Lubamine complex in theKatanga region of theDemocratic Republic ofthe Congo (DRC). This particularsite utilizes the ITRI Tin SupplyChain Initiative’s (iTSCi) “bag andtag” scheme, which subjects alltantalum ore set for export to afinal-stage independent on-the-ground assessment.The “Solutions for Hope Project,”established in July 2011, workswith leading OEMs such as

Motorola Solutions, Intel, and HPto deliver a “closed-pipe” processfor delivering conflict-free tanta-lum material from the DRC underthe Organization for EconomicCooperation and Development(OECD). Incorporation of theindependently-validatedConflict-Free Smelter (CFS) pro-gram was noted by the USAmbassador to the DRC, Barrie

Walkley, in his keynote speech tothe EICC/GeSI in April 2012. “Westrongly commend the leadingefforts of the companies behindthe Solutions for Hope project,including AVX, Motorola, HP andMMR,” Walkley concluded.

AVX www.avx.com

Global Advanced Metals joins the AVX“Solutions for Hope” project


PRODUCTION

SMT

18th century writer and adventurer GiacomoCasanova said that we owe the best things tochance. This holds true for ABB — a coinci-dence brought the end to a long search for asuitable storage system for the production ofHiPak IGBT modules in Lenzburg.

BackgroundThe HiPak from ABB Semiconductors is a high-performance semiconductor switching modulefor high current and voltage, and is knownworldwide for its extremely short switchingtime and reliability (Figure 1). Therefore, theproduct is used where high power must beswitched fast, for example, on a train or in awind power plant.

A HiPak module consists of several IGBT mod-ules that must switch simultaneously and inabsolute synchronization. Therefore, it isimportant that all IGBTs within a HiPak havethe same properties. ABB measures and markseach IGBT individually and stores its characte -ristic in a database. This ensures that only suit-able IGBTs are combined in a HiPak module.

Buffer Store AutomationDuring production, the IGBT modules areplaced in a buffer store for one to two days(Figure 2). The IGBTs are held in so-called

washing baskets, which are identified with abarcode. For production, the specific baskets

holding the required IGBTs are required fromthe buffer store.

Using Essemtec’s SMD Tower forIGBT Storage in a Clean RoomABB Semiconductors in Lenzburg, Switzerland, long searched for a suitable production storage system for HiPak IGBT modules production. Project Manager Prabath Lewdenifound the SMD Tower by chance. Its supplier Essemtec re-engineered the SMD componentstorage system into clean room storage for ABB.

Figure 1HiPak IGBT Modules from ABBSemiconductors switch high voltage andcurrent especially quickly and reliably.

Figure 2The production

process for HiPakmodules requires a

buffer storage with acapacity of 1 - 2 days.


PRODUCTION

SMT

Previously, the buffer was a simple shelf wherethe baskets were moved in and out by hand.However, using this method, it was not possi-ble to store the IGBTs in an inert gas atmos-phere as recommended. Furthermore, the constant searching for theright baskets was time-consuming, cumber-some and prone to errors.

Prabath Lewdeni, process engineer for ABBSemiconductors, was looking for alternatives.For a long time Paternoster systems was theonly choice. However, these were unable tofulfill ABB’s requirements regarding inert gasatmosphere, access protection, scaleability

and redundancy. So Lewdeni continuedsearched for something better. He found thesolution - by coincidence - in another industry.

Coincidence Leads to a SolutionDuring a visit to Essemtec AG, the leadingSwiss manufacturer of production systems forelectronics, Lewdeni learned about the SMD

Tower, which is an automatic and scaleablestorage system for electronic components inthe form of reels and trays. Storage and retrieval is possible only through alock (Figure 3). This lock secures access to thestored material while separating the storage

area from the environment, allowing an inertgas atmosphere with controlled temperatureand humidity to be formed within. The Tower features a small footprint of onlyone square meter and several Towers can begrouped for larger scale storage. For Lewdeni,this was the ideal solution for HiPak produc-tion at ABB Semiconductors. However, it stillneeded a few modifications.

Flexible Adaptation to ABB’s RequirementsSMD reels are round, thin and have very exactmeasurements. ABB’s washing baskets are thecomplete opposite. They are square, thick andtheir sizes differ by several millimeters. Also, aclean room atmosphere is not likely for anSMD production. Therefore, the SMD Towercould not be used “out of the box.”

Essemtec has many years of experience in cus-tomer-specific adaptation of standard machines.The engineers constructed and build a newgripper arm for the washing baskets. The height of the lock and the position of thebarcode reader were adapted. Additionally, the Tower was made clean roomcompatible.

Connection to the Production Control SystemABB Semiconductors uses a special control sys-tem, Manufacturing Execution System (MES),with which all machines must be able to com-municate. The Tower offers an open Web-Service-Client interface that a user can imple-ment for such purposes. Therefore, ABB wasable to integrate the Tower to the MES easilyand by themselves.

The adaptation by Essemtec and ABB took onlya few weeks. In February 2012, Essemtec deli -vered two Towers in advance for installationand testing. The installation went smoothly. “Normally, we have to fight a few days with newmachines, but not with the Tower,” recallsLewdeni. In April 2012, the remaining Towerswere delivered and installed.

24/7 Continuous OperationA total of eight Towers are currently in opera-tion for the HiPak production (Figure 4). Sevenof them are productive, and the eighth can beplaced into operation to replace anotherduring maintenance. In this configuration, thebuffer storage is ready for the 24 hour/7 dayproduction.

Awareness and a coincidence helped ABB findthe right system for its HiPak buffer storage. Butonly the flexibility, the adaptability and thescaleability of the Tower storage system hasensured that all ABB Semiconductors’ require-ments were met with one simple, robust system.

www.essemtec.com

Figure 3: A lock prevents manual access and allows a controlled storage climate within the Tower.

Figure 4: The Tower storage is easily expandable by adding another module. Storage control is accomplished with a single computer.

INDUSTRY NEWS

SMT


Juki Automation Systems, Inc., aworld-leading provider of auto-mated assembly products andpart of JukiCorporation,participated inJuki’s 25,000th

machineshipped cele-bration thathas been heldin conjunctionwith the JISSOPROTEC 2012exhibition, atthe Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. JAS, Inc. hosted ScottFillebrown, President of ACD,David Lane, Chief TechnologyOfficer of OncoreManufacturing Systems,Francisco Saralegui, SMTManager of Newsan, andAdriån Lamandia, CEO ofNovatech, as its guests ofhonor. Under the concept of3E evolution: Easy, Economical,Expandable, Juki showcasedcutting-edge products thatimprove productivity and quali-ty. New products displayed forthe first time include the TR-7D High-Speed Matrix TrayServer and MDS Matrix TrayServer designed specifically for

die components to present thewafer or waffle tray directly tothe machine. Both the TR-7Dand MDS are designed to feedparts via shuttle at the rear ofthe machine. The TR-7D high-speed matrix tray server isequipped with dual magazinesand drive systems to present twodifferent trays simultaneously.This method is required to meetthe increased IC placementspeed of the KE3020V and toeliminate wasted time duringtray exchange while increasingthe efficiency of placement.

JUKIwww.jukiamericas.com

The new EXPERT 04.6IXM wasintroduced at SMT Nuremburg2012 and created a lot of inter-est. Single-sided printed circuitboards (PCBs) are placed on aglass plate, which is heated withIR radiators rated at up to3000W. This results in very rapidheating, even when processinglarge aluminium or ceramic sub-strates (suitable for sizes between30 × 30 mm and 300 × 300 mm).The system is designed for appli-cations wheresubstratesneed to beheated quicklyto tempera-tures up to200°C andwithout over-shoot. LEDrework, forexample, bene-fits from high substrate tempera-tures to facilitate the removal and

replacement of individual com-ponents from an array. Two manipulator arms, each witha movement lock, individuallycarry the placement tool and hotair solder pen to cover the entireworking area. Small componentscan effortlessly be picked up froma dispenser and precisely placedon the PCB with manual align-ment. Optimized soldering toolsprecisely deliver hot air to the sol-der joints for gentle heating.

MARTINwww.bgarework.com

MARTIN’s EXPERT 04.6IXM: Reworking Heavy Substrates

ESCATEC, the EMS innovator, hasadded Package-on-Package (PoP)capability to its production facili-ties at Heerbrugg in Switzerland.PoP enables one BGA package,such as a memory chip, to be sol-dered on top of another BGA,such as a processor.

ESCATEC has invested in a spe-cial Dipping unit for their newSiplace assembly line that willenable them to do PoP. The dip-ping unit wets about 50% ofeach ball of the Ball Grid Arraywith paste/flux. Before reflow,

both components are stacked oneach other and then both aresoldered in one process step.During the soldering the upperdevice sinks down so that, in thefinal assembly, there is virtuallyno gap between the two stackedchips. Verification of accuratebonding between the layers ofthe PoP stack is checked using X-Ray inspection.

The darker balls are from theupper BGA and the lighter ballsare from the lower BGA.

ESCATECwww.escatec.com

ESCATEC now offers Package-on-Package capability

Computrol, Inc., a world-classprovider of mid- to low-volume,high-mix electronics manufactur-ing services to OEMs, recentlyinstalled another KISS 103Selective Solder System fromACE Production at its man-ufacturing facility inMeridian, Idaho.Additionally, the companypurchased a spray fluxerfor mini-wave applicationsfor both its new and exist-ing KISS 103 SelectiveSolder units. Computrol’spurchase of the first KISS103 eliminated masking and handsoldering, resulting in significanttime savings and leading to thedecision to invest in a secondunit. The production of boardsthat required skilled employees

to hand solder/fountain now arebeing run on the KISS 103, allow-ing the skilled employees to focuson other higher-level work. As aresult, Computrol is experiencingsubstantial improvements in time

standards as well as consistentquality of the boards soldered onthe KISS 103.

COMPUTROLwww.computrol.com

Computrol Installs Second KISS 103Selective Soldering System at MeridianFacility

Juki Goes All Out for Its 25,000thShipment at JISSO PROTEC 2012

PoP stack after flow soldering

Xray of PoP stack

PoP stack before soldering


INDUSTRY NEWS

SMT

Multitest, a designer and manu-facturer of final test handlers,contactors and load boards usedby integrated device manufac-turers (IDMs) and final test sub-contractors worldwide,announces that its InCarrier™Loader/Unloader is available in avariety of configurations, e.g. forloading from tube, bowl, trayand for unloading into tube,bulk or metal mag in any combi-nation. Additionally, partnersolutions for loading from waferring or unloading into tape-and-reel can be offered. TheMultitest InCarrier is a uniquetest handling solution that com-bines the substantial advantagesof the strip handling processwith the advantages of the stan-dard test handling process. Theconcept of the InCarrier consistsof a tray/carrier into which singu-lated ICs are loaded to be test-

ed in the InStrip®, Multitest’s highparallel strip test handler. Finally,the tested ICs are unloaded intothe final packaging and shippingmedium. Multitest offers theInCarrier™ Loader/Unloader toolfor these processes.

The InCarrier™ is a unique solu-tion for stable, high parallel testhandling of semiconductors andsensors in the smallest packagesdown to 1.2 × 1.2 mm.

MULTITESTwww.multitest.com

Multitest’s InCarrier™ Is Now Availablein a Wide Range of Loading andUnloading Configurations

Nordson DAGE, a division ofNordson Corporation, announcesit will exhibit in Booth #5971North at the upcoming SEMI-CON West conference and exhi-bition, scheduled to take placeJuly 10-12, 2012 at the MosconeCenter in San Francisco,California. Featured at the showwill be the Nordson DAGE4000Plus Bondtester – the newindustry standard in bond testingwith unsurpassed data accuracyand repeatability. NordsonDAGE bond test technologymeets the requirements ofemerging test applications includ-ing ribbon pull, pad crateringusing hot pin pull, bend andfatigue testing. The 4000Plusbondtester uses the next-genera-tion Paragon™ software providingsemi-automatic test routines,automatic GR&R calculation,unique database search enginewizard and superior data report-ing. Also on display will be theNordson DAGE XD7600NTDiamond X-ray InspectionSystem. The unique NordsonDAGE NT maintenance-free,sealed transmissive X-ray tube,

providing 0.1μm feature recogni-tion and up to 10 W of power,together with the 2 MpixelXiDAT3 digital image detectormakes this system the choice forthe highest performance andhighest magnification imagingtasks. The vertical system configu-ration, with the X-ray tube sittingbelow the isocentric ‘move andtilt’ of the detector, all controlledthrough the simple, joystick-free,‘point and click’ operation of theNordson DAGE Image WizardSoftware provides the safe andcollision-free inspection requiredfor production applications.

NORDSON DAGEwww.nordsondage.com

Nordson DAGE to Exhibit Bond Test andX-Ray Solutions at SEMICON West 2012

SEHO Systems GmbH, a world-wide leading manufacturer ofautomated soldering systems andcustomer-specific solutions,debuting the new PowerWaveN2 with the SEHO tunnel con-cept for reduced nitrogen andenergy consumption.The PowerWave N2 is equippedwith a closed tunnel system. Thespecial design ofthe stainless steeltunnel results in lownitrogen consump-tion. The innovativetunnel insulationensures very highenergy efficiency, aclear advantage forproduction costs.Hinged heat-resist-ant glass covers not only make fora very attractive design but alsoallow for ideal accessibility to allmachine areas. The PowerWaveN2 features an innovative fluxerunit that reduces flux consump-tion remarkably, and simultane-

ously makes for low maintenancerequirements. The spray fluxerwith HVLP technology (high-volu -me – low pressure) ensures a sta-ble spray jet and a very precisespray pattern even at the outeredges of the printed circuitboards (PCBs). This allows areproducible fluxing process withconsiderably reduced flux con-

sumption. Additionally, alcohol-based as well as water-basedfluxes can be processed withoutany problems.

SEHO SYSTEMSwww.seho.de

SEHO Systems Introduces the Cost-Effective, Energy-Efficient PowerWave N2

GPD Global, a manufacturer ofprecision fluid dispensing sys-tems for high-volume 24/7, low-volume/high-mix and R&D pro-duction, announces that it willexhibit in Booth #6085North at the upcomingSEMICON West confer-ence and exhibition,scheduled to take placeJuly 10-12, 2012 at theMoscone Center in SanFrancisco, California.See a live demonstra-tion of the new Island3S benchtop manufac-turing solution. The dis-pense system features alarge work area of 12" x16". The system fea-tures a new easy-to-usetouch screen interfaceand will be configured with aPCD dispense pump for LEDmanufacturing. GPD will have adisplay of dispense pumps tocover a wide range of dispensingapplications. The Hyflow dis-pense pump is ideal for heavy

fluids such as thermal grease, theMicroDot valve will be on dis-play for precision small volumedispensing such as conductiveadhesives and solder pastes.

Additionally, the Syringe mixingsystem format is ideal for gaininghomogeneity of fluids such as sil-icone with phosphor.

GPD GLOBALwww.gpd-global.com

GPD Global to Demonstrate World-ClassDispensing Systems at SEMICON West 2012

Kyzen, a world leading providerof environmentally responsibleprecision cleaning products forelectronics and high-technologymanufacturing operations,will feature the proventechnology of itsAQUANOX® A4520 inBooth #6453 in the NorthHall at the upcoming SEMI-CON West conference andexhibition, scheduled totake place July 10-12, 2012at the Moscone Center inSan Francisco, California.A4520 is a highly testedaqueous cleaner for flip chipsand advanced packaging thathas proven to be effective on alllead-free, no-clean, and eutecticmaterials when run at low tem-peratures and low concentra-

tions. Easy to use, it is effectivewithout the use of sump-sideadditives and provides brilliantjoints. A4520 is widely used in

military applications or any-where a robust cleaner is need-ed for the harder to clean fluxes.

KYZENwww.kyzen.com

Get Proven Results with Kyzen’sAQUANOX® A4520 Advanced PackagingChemistry – Learn More at SEMICONWest 2012

Engineered Material Systems, aleading global supplier of elec-tronic materials for circuit assem-bly applications, introduces 535-10M-1 UV Cured Adhesive for-mulated for disk drive cameramodule, optoelectronic and cir-cuit assembly applications.535-10M-1 is an ultra low stress,lower glass transition tempera-ture version of the 535-10M UVCure Adhesive. The material isdesigned toeliminate any“crowning”(warpage) ofsliders in headgimbal assem-blies and canbe used inother bondingapplications inthe head stackassembly. Thematerial alsocan be used for lens bonding incamera modules, chip encapsula-tion in smart cards and a varietyof general bonding applicationsin photonics assembly.This new nonconductive UV

cured adhesive cures rapidlywhen exposed to high-intensityUV light. 535-10M-1 is a lowoutgassing, extremely flexible,high-strength epoxy adhesivethat does not contain antimony. The 535-10M-1 was developedto pass the rigorous reliabilityrequirements in disk drive, cam-era module, photonics and cir-cuit assembly applications. 535-10M-1 is the latest addition to

Engineered Material Systems ex -tensive line of electronic materials.

ENGINEERED MATERIALSYSTEMSwww.conductives.com

Engineered Material Systems Debuts UVCure Adhesive for Disk Drive, CameraModule, Optoelectronic and CircuitAssembly Applications

INDUSTRY NEWS

SMT

32 EP&Dee ⏐ June, 2012 ⏐ www.epd-ee.eu

PBGA 928-HiP — A large com-ponent with a single small die isa recipe for HiP failureHead-in-Pillow (HiP) solderingdefects are common with mod-ern SMT component placement.As a result, Practical Componentshas introduced the PBGA 928-HiP, a component that isdesigned specifically to be sus-ceptible to HiP defects. It fea-tures a large 4×4 body size, 928balls and a single small die thathas a propensity toward the ball-in-socket HiP soldering defect.The HiP effect takes place whenthe solder joint and the sphereare touching but no intermetalliclayer is formed. Lead-free assem-blies have increased warpagedue to their higher processingtemperatures. Mastering the cor-rect soldering profile and pasteis essential.PBGA 928-HiP is maximized tocreate the HiP effect due to

component warpage with itslarge plastic body size combinedwith the small single die. This combination creates themaximum thermal expansion mis-match.

These components have a 1.0mm pitch with perimeter ballalignment and the tray quantityis 21. Minimum order quantitiesmay apply.

PRACTICAL COMPONENTS www.practicalcomponents.com

Practical Components Helps Diagnoseand Treat Head-in-Pillow Failure

Virtual Industries Inc., a leadingsupplier of manual vacuum han-dling solutions, will highlight theSmall Part Handling Kit in Booth#1047 at the upcomingAssembly & AutomationTechnology Expo, scheduled totake place June 19-21, 2012 atMcCormick Place North inChicago, IL.The Small PartHandling Kit(TV1000-SP8-BD-MAG1), thecompany’sshow special, isfor parts assmall as 01005.This general-purpose vacu-um handlingtool plugsdirectly into110 V 50/60 Hz. The compactunit will handle a variety ofoptics, ball lenses and SMT partsused in the industry today. Thekit includes a set of rubbertipped vacuum tips as well as aset of eight small parts tips. As aspecial at the show, all Small PartHandling Kit purchases will come

with a free 2.5X lighted magnifi-er that runs on three AAA bat-teries (included). With the Small Part Handling Kit,parts as small as 0.05" (0.10 mm)are handled without damage. Avacuum tweezer eliminates lostparts associated with mechanicaltweezer handling. The long-life

diaphragm vacuum pump gener-ates up to 10" of mercury withan open air flow of 2.3 lpm. Theunit connects to ground auto-matically with a three-wirepower cord.

VIRTUAL INDUSTRIESwww.virtual-ii.com

Virtual Industries Announces ShowSpecial for AAT Expo

Cobar Solder Products ExhibitedLeading Technologies at SMTA UpperMidwest Expo & Tech Forum 2012The Balver Zinn Groupannounces that Cobar SolderProducts Inc. exhibited its lead-free SN100C-XF3+ solder pasteand wire at the SMTA UpperMidwest Expo & Tech Forum.

Cobar Solder Products’ XF3+lead-free solder paste accom-modates extended reflow pro-files with or without the use ofnitrogen. With XF3+, wetting onall common pad finishings isexcellent, yielding shiny joints

reminiscent of leaded solders. Italso exhibited a robust printingwindow. SN100C- XF3+ performs betterin eliminating voiding whencompared to any SAC-alloy.XF3+ paste provides improvedprint performance, as well aslong stencil life. It also allowsreflow without N2 and offers ahigh tack force/time.

Cobar Solder Products is theU.S. division of the BalverZinn/Cobar Group.

COBARwww.cobar.com

Kyzen to Feature Its Award-WinningCleaning Chemistries at NEPCON WestChina 2012Kyzen announces that it will fea-ture its award-winning LONOX®L5611 stencil cleaning chemistryand AQUANOX® A4703 neutralpH aqueous cleaning chemistryin booth #B06 at the upcomingNEPCON West China 2012 exhi-bition and conference. The event is scheduled to takeplace June 19-21, 2012 at thenew InternationalConvention &Exposition Center inChengdu. LONOX® L5611 is anaqueous blend cleaningchemistry designed foroptimum effectivenesson removing flux, solderpaste and uncuredadhesives from stencilsand misprints. Easy to use, L5611is intended to be diluted withwater and effective at ambienttemperature to provide an eco-nomical cleaning solution.LONOX® L5611 is compatible

with most standard stencil clean-ing equipment and can be usedin immersion, spray-in-air as wellas ultrasonic systems. LONOX®L5611 is a biodegradable lowVOC aqueous solution. It con-tains no CFCs or HAPs.As an aqueous cleaning solutiondesigned with a pH neutral for-mulation, AQUANOX® A4703 is

combined with Kyzen’s inhibitiontechnology to provide superiormaterial compatibility.

KYZENwww.kyzen.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

SMT


ODU ROM Manufacturing Str. Fundătura Lânii nr. 22, 550019 Sibiu, Romania

Tel: +40(0)269 206345; Mobile: +40(0)748 144488; Fax: +40(0)269 221006

For general information visit: www.odu.de

ODU-MAC Modular Connector SystemINDUSTRY NEWS

CONNECTORS

• The docking solution: Possible lengths up to 182.5 mm

• For simple operation Size II to IV

• For simple operation Size I to IV

For further details please visit the company website - online catalog. Together we can find the perfect solution!

ODU-MAC in aluminum frame

ODU-MAC in DIN housing with spindle locking

ODU-MAC in DIN housing with lever locking

Signal, power, HF, fiber optic, bus and pneumatic modules are someof the modules that can be built into

ODU-MAC.

The ODU-MAC modular connector system, manufactured by ODU, is equipped with a range of combination possibilities and with particular modules: customizable frames,plastic insulation bodies and removable crimp contacts for power, signal, coax, air couplings and fiber optic connections. The connectors are equipped with spring wirecontacts, which allow up to 100 000 mating cycles. ODU-MAC modular connectors areavailable in aluminum frame or DIN housing.

Main characteristics: • Extremely high mating cycles (>100.000).• Vibration protection and stability.• Easy operation.• High connector density, low space requirements.• Alu-frame and Din-housing available.

Contact:

Email: sales@odurom.ro

www.odurom.ro

Modules - individuallyput together


As far as the quality of information transfer isconcerned, optical fibres are much moreadvanced than other methods of signal trans-mission. It results from the fact that light trans-mission is insensitive to any interference ofelectromagnetic field influences. It is particu-larly important in industrial environmentwhich, as a principle, is packed with varioustypes of electromagnetic interferences.Another reason for using optical transmissionof signal is the possibility of using a very wideband. In optical fibres for transmission of data,instead of electrical current, properly modu-lated light beam. It helps to achieve band-width of 3 Tb/s and considerably extends thedistance of transmission without using any kindof amplifiers.

Optical fibre structureOptical fibre is a kind of a cable-connectionused for sending digital information in theform of visible light. It is made of the specialtype of quartz glass which is used for the pro-duction of optical fibre core. The core is cov-ered by a mantle and protective layer.The optical fiber’s principle of operationincludes the use of two light conducting mate-rials with various light reflection coefficients.

Reflection coefficient in the core is alwayshigher than in the mantle, which ensures thatlight beam is maintained all the time inside theglass core, because the beam reflects from thesurface of contact between glass and mantle,as a result of complete internal reflection andruns further through the glass until its oppositewall, where the story repeats itself. The mantleis covered with a Kevlar shield (lightweight buthighly resistant polymer used for productionof e.g. helmets, bulletproof jackets etc.) pre-venting cracks of the fibre and external PCVcoating. A single optical fibre is responsibleonly for one-way transmission. The two-waytransfer is possible with double optical fibers.

Optical fibres are made as single mode andmultiple modes (a mode- a constituent “por-tion” of visible radiation). Due to the structure,they can be divided into: fibrous, laminar andbar, and due to the type of material into: glass,plastic and semi-conductive.

Optical fibre transmission principleOptical fibre transmission is connected withtransmitting light beam, whose source is laseror e.g. LED. At the other side of the opticalfibre, it is received by a light-sensitive elemente.g. photodiode. In order to ensure properand fast transmission, light beam is modulated.It prevents possible signal interferences. Inmost cases, modulation is applied to: lightwave intensity, frequency, polarization orphase.

Advantages and disadvantagesof optical fibresThe basic advantages of optical fibres include: 1. Huge information capacity of every singlefibre and incredible data transfer speed (bandwidth);2. Low losses and capability of sending signalsto long distances;3. Complete resistance to electromagneticinterferences as well as absence of emission of

any interference;4. Light weight and small dimensions;5. The fact that they do not emit any interfer-ence makes them highly reliable and confiden-tial means of information transfer. There is virtu-ally no possibility of putting a tap on a phone;6. More and more cost efficient – the opticalfibres prices are continuously decreasing;7. No sparking threat, safety at work;8. High reliability;9. Simplicity of operation;10. They are becoming more and more common.

The disadvantages of optical fibres include,among others:1. The existence of a phenomenon of disper-sion in multi-mode optical fibres. This phe-nomenon includes broadening of the lumi-nous flux as a result of separating its individualbeams during refraction. Those beams, fromthe moment of their fission, start to movesomehow “willfully” and they do not reach thereceiver at the same time. A secondary effectof that dispersion is limitation of transmissionband width. This is particularly disadvanta-geous in case of multi-mode cables, because intheir case, the bandwidth is already limited byrespective modes differing in run time. In con-nection to the dispersion inside the opticalfibre, there is also little space and there ischaos. The smallest dispersion exists at thewavelength of 1.3 micrometers.2. Natural dispersion of glass, existing in singleand multi-mode optical fibers which are theresult of changes of light refraction coefficientin glass, resulting mainly from glass defects –lack of uniform structure and also wavelength. 3. Damping – depending on the wavelengthand thickness of optical fibre material.Presently, the lowest theoretical damping takesplace at the wavelength of 1.55mm and isequal to 0.16dB/km. 4. Complex and precision requiring process ofassembling optical fibres: for connecting opti-cal fibre parts, special couplers are used.

Together with the advance of science and technology,the demand for the most optimum information carrierhas grown incredibly fast, for long distances in particular.Optical fibres turned out to be an ideal solution.

Optical fibres andoptical fibre sensors

DESIGN

SENSORS


They are applied in laboratory conditions,very precisely and in an environment free fromany dust. This is particularly difficult in case ofsingle – mode optical fibres, whose core isvery thin. And to make the optical fiber workproperly, one part of the core must centrallyadhere its other part.

Optical fibre sensors operation principleIn case of light beam modulation, external fac-tor can influence it directly through the opticalfibre structure (external modulation) or on awave derived from the optical fibre (externalmodulation). In sensors with external modula-tion, optical fibre functions as an optical trans-mission channel providing and carrying awayoptical signal to the sensor’s head. In sensorswith internal modulation, certain section of theoptical fibre constitutes sensor’s head i.e. dueto the external conditions influence on thatpart of the optical fiber; parameters of thepropagated light wave also change. Depending on the type of optical fibre usedfor the manufacturing of the sensor, differentlight wave parameters can be modulated.

Optical fibre sensor is a converter or a set ofconverters existing at the beginning of themeasuring channel, which can receive informa-tion with the magnitude measured, describedwith several parameters and then process itinto signal parameter changes at the output,and its structure contains the optical fibre. Optoelectronic sensors as functionallydefined appliances it according to the princi-ple of operation is divided into:– Active i.e. with a structure containing opticalsignal source;– Passive i.e. with external source of light. The output signal can be: – optical, – processed internally into electrical signal,including those with standardized parameters.Block diagram of optical fibre sensor is pre-sented by the following sketch:

Not every optical fiber sensor comprises of allthe three converter types given in the abovesketch, however, it must be at least the first one. Optical fibre sensors are manufactured gener-ally as parametrical (passive). Therefore, ancil-lary energy must be connected to the sensor.Input signal generally causes a change of onlyone of the optical converter’s signal outputparameters. Those sensors have propertieswhich make them useful everywhere, where

their use is difficult or even impossible forother sensors.Basic features of optical fibre sensors include:– non-electrical input signal,– possibility of operation in flammable, explo-sive and chemically aggressive environments; – possibility of non-contact operation,– light weight and small dimensions,– resistance to electromagnetic interferences,– high processing sensitivity,– easy coupling with telecommunications systems.

Types of fiber optic sensorsClassification of fiber optic sensors can bedone according to different criteria, e.g. pro-cessing location, manner of receiving the infor-mation about measured magnitude and formof output signal.

1. Division according to the processing location:

– with external processing, also called hybrid.The role of optical fibre is to provide and car-rying away light to and from the optical con-verter, e.g.: – reflection sensors, – with transmission change,– with complete internal reflection, – with diffraction gratings,– multi-mode polarimetric sensors.– with internal processing, i.e. completely fibreoptic. Optical fibre here, is, at the same time, awaveguide and optical measuring converter, e.g.:

– micro-bending sensors, – interferometric sensors,– Bragg’s special grating sensors.

2. The division according to the measured magnitude information receipt manner:

– single – point e.g.: reflection sensors or sen-sors using optical fibre – optical fibre couplinglevel wastes; – multi – point: they use changes of wastes,

backward scattering intensity, polarization, flu-orescence and others, e.g. multi-point sensorsof transmission wastes are micro-bending sen-sors of force, pressure and offset; – with the continuous receipt in space – that issplitting sensors e.g. for measurements ofstresses distribution in metal constructions andbuilding structures, as well as for the measure-ment of temperature distribution in technicalappliances and big size reservoirs. Fibre optic sensors use linear and non-linearoptical phenomena in optical fibres.

3. Division in accordance of output signal form:

● amplitude (intensity),● phase (interferometric),● frequency. In fibre optic sensors with intensity modula-tion, the change of electromagnetic wave is ameasure of the measured physical magnitudechange. The advantage of those sensors is thefact that intensity modulation does not imposeany conditions on light sources and receivers,it also does not require any additional sensoroutput signal processing, and the signal modu-lated by means of usual photodetectors.

A drawback of the sensors with amplitudemodulation is their considerably lower sensi-tivity compared to sensors with phase modu-lation. Intensity sensors are commonly used as:micro-bend sensors, absorption sensors andtransmission waste, or fluid refraction coeffi-cient measurement sensors. The most commondesigns of intensity sensors include sensorswith modulation of optical fiber- optical fibercoupling and refection sensors. In case of sensors with modulation of opticalfiber- optical fiber coupling, the measuringhead is made of two optical fibres, whose endsare located opposite to each other. The inten-sity of light conducted through the two opticalfibres depends on their mutual location. Theamount of energy that is permeating from oneoptical fibre to the other depends on the shiftof fibres axis, on the angle between the axesand on the distance between optical fibers’fronts. The intensity of the light conductedthrough the optical fibres can be modulatedby mechanical shift of optical fibres. The aber-ration (distance) of the optical fibre or move-ment of a stop can be proportional to theforce, pressure and thermal expansion etc.

DESIGN

SENSORS


Reflection sensors constitute a large group ofoptical fibre sensors with intensity modula-tion. They are very common and often used intechnological processes inspection – they areused for the measurement of vibrations, loca-tion, distance etc.The basic elements of the sensor are:- Fibers beam or a single fibre providing light,- Fibers beam or a single fibre carrying awaylight,- Reflecting surface.A beam of fibres or a single fibre providing lightilluminates the reflecting surface. Reflected lightpenetrates receiving optical fibre beam.Reflection sensors can be single or double fibre.In case of singlefibre sensors, thanks to the useof a coupler, conveying optical fiber is at thesame time off take optical fiber.When the reflecting surface moves away fromthe measuring head, the intensity of radiationreflected from the surface and entering theofftake optical fiber.

Applications of fibre optic sensorsAt present, fibre optic sensors are used in mostof industrial applications, in particular for:- Mechanical magnitudes measurements: pressure, stress, distance etc. - Temperature measurement;- Chemical magnitudes measurements: chemi-cal composition, pollution concentration, pHand others.- Measurement of electrical and magnetic values:voltage, current, capacity, intensity and mag-netic field direction, etc. - Telecommunications and audio - video;- Measurement technology;- Signals processing circuits;- Medicine, electroengineering and powerengineering;- Automotive, aviation and marine industry;- Multimedia appliances: PC’s displays andCRT displays;Optical fibre sensors have multiple advan-tages compared to traditional sensors:- Light weight and small dimensions,- High reliability, accuracy and sensitivity,- They are not the source of electromagneticfields and are resistant to electromagneticinterferences,- Offer the opportunity of locating the signalsource and detection system in long distancefrom the test point.

Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z [email protected]

INDUSTRY NEWS

SENSORS

Sensirion, the world's leading sensor manu-facturer, has launched the SPD500 low-costpositive differential pressure sensor. Thisfully calibrated and temperature compen-sated sensor is suitable for measuring dif-ferential pressure in the range of 0 to 500Pa and is able to detect even minute pres-sure differences (less than10 Pa). With a zero-pointaccuracy of 0.2 Pa, the sen-sor offers both low cost andexcellent specifications.Integration of the sensorelement and signal condi-tioning circuitry on a tinyCMOS silicon chip enablesnoise-free and preciseamplification and digitiza-tion of sensor signals. As a result, the differ-ential pressure sensor achieves extremelyhigh meas-urement accuracy and outstand-ing long-term stability. The underlyingCMOSens® technology allows themicrochips to be produced in large vol-ume at competitive end-user prices with

consistently high quality. With an accuracyof 4.5% of the measured value, zero-pointstability and I²C digital output, the new dif-ferential pressure sensor is especially suit-able for applications in the HVAC industry.Like all other sensors in the SPD600 series,the new sensor is available in two different

versions. The SDP500 is designed to bescrewed directly to a manifold with O-ringsealing, while the SDP510 is designed fortube connections.

SENSIRION AGwww.sensirion.com/SDP500

Low-cost differential pressure sensor features highmeasurement accuracy

Honeywell expands its magnetic positionsensor product portfolio with theSS360NT/SS360ST/SS460S HighSensitivity Bipolar Latching Digital Hall-effect Sensor IntegratedCircuits. Bipolar latchingmagnetics make theseproducts well-suited foraccurate speed sensingand revolutions-per-minute (RPM) measure-ment. For brushless DCmotor manufacturers thatneed latching sensor ICswith reliable, consistentperformance for efficient and smalldesigns, Honeywell’s family of new HighSensitivity Latching Digital Hall-effectSensor ICs respond to low magneticfields and offer consistent repeatabilitywhile providing the fastest response to achange in magnetic field for enhancedmotor efficiency. These new sensors offerreliable switching points with high mag-netic sensitivity of 30 G typical (55 Gmaximum) without using chopper stabi-lization on the Hall element, resulting in aclean output signal and the fastest latchresponse time in its class.These small, sensitive, and versatiledevices are operated by the magneticfield from a permanent magnet or an elec-

tromagnet. They are designed to respondto alternating North and South poles. TheSS360NT/SS360ST/SS460S can be used ina wide range of applications. Potential

industrial/commercial applications includebrushless dc motor commutation, flow-rate sensing for appliances, speed andRPM sensing, tachometer/counter pickup,motor and fan control, and robotics con-trol. Potential transportation applicationsinclude speed and RPM sensing, tachometer/counter pickup, motor and fan control,electronic window lifts, and convertibleroof position. Potential medical applica-tions include medical equipment that utilizes electric motors. These devicesoperate over the full temperature rangeof -40°C to 150°C [-40°F to 302°F].

HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL www.honeywellnow.com

Honeywell Introduces SS360NT/ SS360ST/ SS460S HighSensitivity Bipolar Latching Digital Hall Effect Sensor ICs

DESIGN

SENSORS


INDUSTRY NEWS

MISCELLANEOUS

The curent hardware and software have beenextended. From now on, you can order modelswith IR ilumination, RGBW ilumination and amodel for C-mount lenses. New characteristicshave been added to the software.LSIS with integrated IR or RGBW has the samecharacteristics as the standard model with theexception of the colour of the light. The IR ver-sion can be used for applications that bringbetter results in the infrared spectral rangethan with normal light. RGBW ilumination onthe other hand, allows a bigger safety marginin testing due to the possibilty of selecting theright colour of the ilumination or even mono-chrome analisys.The new models with C-mount lenses don’thave motorized focus adjustment, but theyare very flexible when they are used togetherwith lenses that have focal distances between6 and 75mm. With this models you can readbarcodes from a distance of up to 2m.

LSIS 400i model “C-Mount”To realize larger objectdistances, for exampleto read codes from alarger distance, nowthree C-Mount modelsof the LSIS 400i areavailable: BLOB analysis, Code reading andGeneral Purpose.

Field of view from adistance of 1,5m witha standard device,16mm focal length.

Field of view from adistance of 1,5 m witha C-Mount lens,75mm focal length.

Please consider: • The C-Mount model has no internal illumina-tion and no motorized focus adjustment • IP 65, IP 67 degree of protection is onlyachieved with mounted lens tube • The window of the lens tube is made of glass • For inspections with infrared illumination thedefault built-in infrared-blocking filter is replaced by a daylight-blocking filter, whichis available as accessory.

LSIS 400i device model “infrared”For applications that bring betterresults in the infrared spectralrange than with normal light, nowthere is a available a model of theLSIS 400i with integrated infrared illumination.Long-wavelength light as electromagnetic radi-ation oscillates less frequently than short-wave-length light, and therefore shows less interac-tion with matter. It is therefore better able to godeeper into the material and produces less sur-face reflections as a short-wave light. IR radia-tion sometimes even shines through objects.Since infrared radiation is not visible tohumans, it can be used particularly well inareas where normal light would be disturbing,especially when it is operated flashed.

Typical applications• Backlight inspections with IR light of not com-pletely transparent, but colored materialswhich have no more inherent color in the IRand thus will be (more) transparent. • Surface inspection despite printing or slightpollution: many inks are invisible, cracks anddefects on the surface can be found. • Text-on-label presence on banknotes, creditcards, etc. • Note: InkJet printing (expiration date, etc.) isinthe IR often no longer visible. • Normal applications. But in combination withthe integrated daylight filter they are nowindependent of the ambient light. • Whether the use of IR-light helps to solve a cer-tain application or not has to be tested in eachindividual case using real application samples.Whether the use of IR-light helps to solve a cer-tain application or not has to be tested in eachindividual case using real application samples.

Printed labels innormal light. The writing of anapplied stickeron the left labelis almost invisible

in normal light because of the printing on thelabel in the background.

The majority ofthe label printingdisappears withinfrared illumina-tion. The printingon the sticker is

now very easy to see. The reason is that in theink of the sticker printing IR-absorbing pigments are present but not in the ink of thelabel printing.

Milk carton in normal light

The ink jet printing ofthe expiration dateand a part of theprinting on the cartondisappears withinfrared illumination.

LSIS 400i device model “RGBW”The use of colored lighting sourcesis very common in industrialmachine vision. A smart matchingof colored light with the color ofthe test objects allows an increase (or decrease)of the contrast of certain colors. Thus colors canbe better separated within the gray image. Ared and a similar green then produce differentshades of gray. For such applications, there isnow a RGBW variant of the LSIS 400i. Illuminating a certain area with the three col-ored quadrants red, green and blue of the LSIS

400i, results in whitelight in the overlap zoneof the three colors.Illuminating with two ofthe colored quadrantsresults in mixed colors

according to the graphic depicted below -depending on the color com-bination. This principle of lightmixture is referred to as RGBmodel (each monitor is work-ing to this principle).In order to assess which colors of a test objectappear lighter or darker at which illuminationcolor, the color wheel shown on the right isquite helpful: - When lighting a color of a test object withthe same light color, the color within the image will appear brighter- When lighting a color of a test object withthe complementary color (ie the color that isexactly opposite on the color wheel), the colorwithin the image will appear darker.

LSIS 400i - the smart camera from Leuze, nowwith new features


INDUSTRY NEWS

MISCELLANEOUS

O’BOYLE s.r.l.Tel.: +40 (0) 256-201346Fax: +40 (0) 256-221036

[email protected]

Using the example of a redbar code on green back-ground, this means:

When illuminating with whitelight, the red linesas well as the green background absorb moreor less equally a large part of the light.

The code in the image appears dark andlow contrast.

When illuminated with redlight, the green background absorbs the light strongly (-> largedistance from red in the color wheel!), whilethe red lines reflect the light well.

The code appears very bright against adark background.

When illuminated with green, the red linesabsorb the light strongly (- > largedistance fromgreen in the color wheel!), while the greenbackground reflects the light well.

The code appears very dark against a lightbackground.

LSIS 400i accessory “diffuser”To smooth out unwanted reflec-tions within the image, there is nowa “low cost” alternative to thepolarizing filter: a plastic diffuser.

Image with integrated illumination:

Due to the slightly reflective surface of thepaper strong reflections appear in the centerof the image.

Image taken with diffuser:The strongreflections inthe center ofthe image aresmoothedaway, but notcompletely.

Image taken with polarizing filter:Only the use ofthe polarizingfilter eliminatesreflections inthe middle ofthe image completely!

SPECTRO-3 series there is a family of color sensors that has beenspecifically designed for “true-color” detection (“human colorreception”) and high switching frequency.

The sensors can be operated both in ACand in DC mode, with integrated or externallight source. With the included SPECTRO3-Scope software illumination can also beturned off with a simple mouse-click, whichthen also allows the color and brightnessinspection of self-luminous objects such asLEDs, automobile tail lights, halogen lamps,or fluorescent lamps.

Up to 31 colors can be provided through the 5 digital outputs, the maximumswitching frequency is 30kHz. Apart from a super-bright white-light source, a

high-performance UV light source also is available,which allows the color and brightness differentia-tion of fluorescent colors without any problems. Different frontends make it possible to implementoperating distances of almost 0 mm through to500mm, with detection areas of Ø 0.5mm toapprox. Ø 100mm. The use of an optical fibreversion allows applications in Ex areas.

In the SPECTRO-3 series great importance wasattached to a compact design and to the largestpossible extent to a uniform appearance of thevarious types (M34 design), which facilitates sensorinstallation.

Characteristics of the SPECTRO-3 series• Optical-fibre version with different optical fibres and frontends;• Light spot sizes with a diameter of 0.5mm to 100mm, or a

cross-section of 0.2mm × 2mm or 0.7mm × 4mm;• Operating distances from 0.5mm up to 2000mm;• Diffuse illumination for gloss effect suppression

(DIF types);• Wide dynamic range due to focused white-light operation

(FCL types);• Polarisation filter for avoiding gloss (POL types);• Color fluorescence evaluation with UV illumination

(UV types);• Switching frequency of up to 30 kHz;• High-speed color mark detection;• siM evaluation according to the L*a*b* method;• RS232, USB, and ETHERNET connection;• L*u*v* measurement of extraneous light sources;• Teaching to a product series (Teach Mean Value);• High-speed automatic light power adjustment;• Color candidate selection acc. to the “smallest distance

method”;• Teaching of up to 31 colors;• Forming of color groups;• Compact M34 housing;• SPECTRO3-Scope Windows® user interface.

Human vision and recognition - only a thousand times faster:T h e c o l o r s e n s o r s o f t h e S P E C T R O - 3 s e r i e s

O’BOYLE s.r.l.Tel.: +40 (0) 256-201346Fax: +40 (0) [email protected]


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Mouser Electronics,Inc., regarded as a topdesign engineeringresource and globaldistributor for semi-conductors and elec-tronic components,today announced thatit is the first distributorto stock a new push-button switch fromOmron. The A9PS ultrasubminiature series,with a height of only

INDUSTRY NEWS

SWITCHES

Omron Electronic ComponentsEurope unique new dust proofswitch provides a very costeffective solution for the greatmany domestic and commercialelectrical systems that don’tneed a fully waterproof solution.Priced lower thantypical fully sealedalternatives, thenew Omron D2FDultra-sub miniaturedust proof detec-tion switch is sealedto IP6x, and com-plements the fullysealed switches inOmron’s range suchas the D2QW.By using rubber packing, Omronhas created a low cost switchthat is very effectively protectedagainst dust and other dry con-taminants with a J-size case of 6.5× 12.8 × 6mm. The switch is

based on a single leaf movingspring design, and is available ina total of 12 versions, with solder or PCB terminals, pinplunger, hinge lever or simulatedroller lever actuators, rated at2A or 0.1A. The D2FD is

protected against dust to IP6standards but provides no protection against liquids.

OMRONhttp://components.omron.eu

Omron adds miniature dust-proof detection switch

Omron Electronic ComponentsEurope has made 2D and 3DCAD drawings for the over-whelming majority of its electro-mechanical solid state relays andswitches as well as its connectorsand sensors available for instantdownload online.The drawings are published onthe portal run by Traceparts, aleading CAD software companywith nearly a million registeredusers and a database of millions

of parts including electroniccomponents. They can be downloaded atwww.tracepartsonline.net/ws/omron/index.aspx.Commenting, Mark Jones, COOof Omron Electronic

Components Europe, said, “Now,customers can quickly find a 2Dor 3D CAD drawing of theOmron component they need fortheir design, and download itinstantly in native formats for pop-ular CAD systems or industrystandard CAD formats. This willenable engineers to design PCBlayouts much quicker and moreefficiently. Technical specificationsand datasheets are already avail-able on the Omron website.”

By registeringon theTracepartswebsite,Omron cus-tomers canreadily searchthe catalogueof Omroncomponents,view the com-

ponents and configure them tosuit their specific requirementsthen download a 2D or 3D CADmodel in their preferred format.

OMRONhttp://components.omron.eu

Omron offers downloadable 3D CADDrawings for full electronic component range

Omron’s A9PS Ultra Subminiature PushbuttonSwitches Now at Mouser

10.5mm, is 30% smaller thanOmron’s A9P series. Features ofthe new pushbutton switchinclude a gold-plated clip con-tact, ensuring high reliabilityand a sealed bottom, prevent-ing flux penetration. The switches are washable, withprotection equivalent to IP64(IEC-60529). A9PS pushbuttonsare available as SPST or DPST,and with DIP, right angle, or ver-tical mount terminals. Typicalapplications include securitycontrol boards, electric powerinstrumentation, and programcontrollers. To learn more, visit the page:www.mouser.com/OmronA9PSWith its broad product line andunsurpassed customer service,Mouser caters to design engi-neers and buyers by delivering

What’s Next in advanced tech-nologies. Mouser offers cus-tomers 19 global support loca-tions and stocks the world’swidest selection of the latestsemiconductors and electroniccomponents for the newestdesign projects. Mouser Electronics’ website isupdated daily and searchesmore than 8.9 million productsto locate over 3 million order-able part numbers available foreasy online purchase.Mouser.com also houses anindustry-first interactive catalog,data sheets, supplier-specificreference designs, applicationnotes, technical design informa-tion, and engineering tools.

MOUSER ELECTRONICSwww.mouser.com

Documents

EP&Dee no 5 - June 2012