Rajita D’Souza

ST Believes in Strong Culture of Innovation, Collaboration & Diversity & Inclusion for Gender Equality

Rajita D’Souza

President|Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility|STMicroelectronics

What are the key HR skills, strategies needed to lead as an HR in a leading semiconductor company like STMicroelectronics? Niloy from BIS in an exclusive-extensive interview with Rajita

D’Souza, President, Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility, STMicroelectronics

pans around the skill-sets of talent acquisition, tabling her hefty experience in this new window of opportunities, being women in tech and programs to abridge the talent-gap. Most importantly the veteran also highlights her plans in this post-pandemic world where working culture has dynamically changed and how she is keeping the balance and shaping ST in this new normal. Much more in this edited nub below.

Q. Rajita D’Souza, now you will be leading ST’s global HR organization, tell us about your journey till now and how you strategize to drive ST’s programs in coming years?

I joined ST in Jan 2021 and am still learning about the organization. Fundamentally, I believe that the HR & people strategy must align with the business strategy. The approach I will follow will be to work closely with my colleagues to understand and get to know our expectations for the next 3-5 years, understand what we want to do and what capabilities, processes, and investments we need to focus on in talent development. Based on that, we will build programs and create opportunities to develop our people, close gaps of capabilities, and teach and coach our people on the technologies in this new digital world that we need to embrace. We also need to recruit

people with the best technical and leadership capabilities we can find from everywhere in the world to help ST grow our portfolio and achieve our strategic goals.

Q. What it is like being a women-leader in a tech company. How responsibilities and strategies are drawn and evaluated on a day-to-day basis and your thoughts as global companies move towards gender equality?

Women leaders in global Tech companies are making lots of news and will continue to make their presence felt in C-suite roles. It is very important and satisfying for a female leader to be considered for, and promoted into, roles for the capability and experience they bring to the table instead of for their gender. Most women leaders have collected enough stories about their sacrifices, addressing gender bias, balancing work/life, and the difficult competition at work.

Gender diversity will continue to be a priority as companies implement diversity policies and take constructive actions to build cultures that are inclusive so that everyone feels that they belong and is treated fairly.

Being a women leader in a Tech company in some ways is not different from being a woman leader in any other company. If there are differences, it may be in thought processes or in the way organizations approach things, and these are certainly not triggered by gender thinking. However, in Tech companies, the challenge is from the strategic side and less operational on a day-to-day basis i.e., strategically, being able to coach yourself, and groom and guide capabilities within the company to be very agile and quick and to take calculated risks, and to make sure we ride innovation to serve customers and put ST on the map for new products that we want to roll out.

Gender equality is already in place at ST and we will set further clear targets to drive it as well as putting in place lots of different initiatives to support it. This includes speeding up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs by, on one hand, going to schools to influence girls and young women to think about having a career in an industrial environment. And, on the other, directly addressing the challenges that most women have of trying to balance career and family, home, and other obligations. We (both the executive team at ST and Women Leaders) must create an environment that encourages and fosters open conversations on gender equality and the importance of cultivating diversity within organisations. We also need to teach and educate all peers to understand the differences in approach and thinking that women can have and how those peers can support, interact, and coach women in their teams.

I have had the pleasure of working with some fantastic women leaders in my career. We look at problems and challenges in a broad framework and tend to make our decisions not just on what the best strategy or action is but also think through what the impact of these decisions will have on all stakeholders.

Q. You bring along an experience from co-related yet diverse fields. How different you see the strategy and programs in the semiconductor workplace when it comes to talent acquisition?

One big difference is that the semiconductor industry requires specific highly specialized skills, and the availability of these skills is very limited. The number of students studying the kinds of electronics or electrical engineering that we want is small and sometimes the employed base of these skills in the industry is very low. And, of course, with the industry boom, there is a high demand for the kinds of profiles we’re looking for. So, to drive talent acquisition becomes even more challenging: you have to appeal to candidates with the job and the company by offering them a complete value proposition, such as giving people an environment, community, opportunity to grow and change, to do different things and to inculcate entrepreneurial skills and an innovation mindset, while still following guidelines and compliance with company rules and norms. Infact, talent acquisition for manufacturing technology is particularly challenging.

The strategy we have in place at ST is to secure quality talent and new-generation talent, whether male or female, as there is a shortage of both. ST’s value proposition and the experience we offer employees has to be full spectrum. We have to provide a stimulating environment to foster the ability for someone to fulfill his or her desires and we should have a performance-driven culture that also encourages entrepreneurship so people can be innovative and creative. Another requirement is flexibility - because the younger employees want flexibility; they don't want to be in an office building or at a desk, from nine to six. They have different ways of thinking and want a balanced life.

Covid-19 has forced many of us into home working, which is also another challenge in our talent acquisition strategy that we have to consider. Employer branding and the awareness of people with different cultures in different countries that we operate in are also paramount when identifying and hiring new talent.

Q. You have around two decades of experience in your respective field-leading different responsibilities. What will be your one suggestion to women seeking success in the HR field?

We are living today in a largely technology-driven world where virtual connectivity has, to a large extent, replaced in-person and personal connectivity. There is an ever-present challenge of losing touch with your internal and external colleagues and associates. My mantra, even more, important in my HR capacity, has always been to engage often with colleagues. This may not be easy to do, but successful engagement leads to higher retention. So leaders need to communicate, share their vision, listen actively, and finally provide open continuous feedback.

Tied into the need for connectivity, to be successful in any field, you need to speak the language of the business as well

as understanding that business as deep below the surface as you can. The most successful HR programs are the ones that address first, the interests of the business supported by the human capital in the company.

Q. How would you shape the workplace and company culture in ST?

ST already has a strong culture in place as I've discovered from spending my first few months doing a lot of what I call “listening tours,” although due to Covid-19 global travel restrictions, I’m using the new way of virtual sessions.

ST features a strong culture of innovation, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. These are some of the expressions that I have heard constantly and consistently from all geographical and functional parts of the ST world. So rather than focusing on changing the culture or reshaping the workplace, I think we should further strengthen the solid base we have - to create more agility, increase cross-functional collaboration, inject more inclusiveness of different people and share the diversity of our experiences.

Most importantly, we need to step up our existing programs and initiatives on Diversity and Inclusivity company-wide. This I believe we have much room to expand and facilitate. As organizations are striving to become more global, digital, and transparent, they can’t overlook diversity and inclusion because employees have become more exacting in their demands for respect for diversity, inclusion, and gender equality. Today, HR is a custodian to promote diversity and inclusion among employees and this can, in turn, help companies become more efficient, innovative, and productive.

Just to reiterate, ST’s Diversity & Inclusivity philosophy and practice, which says that as an organization we are convinced that diversity and inclusion bring value to our business through effective innovation, (organizational) attractiveness, engagement, and agility. Also one of our ongoing objectives is strengthening the role of women in building ST’s future. Our ambition is to create value from the diversity of our workforce by ensuring that all employees reach their highest potential in an environment that respects and harnesses the richness of our differences for both individual and collective success.

Q. What are the qualitative and quantitative results of the talent acquisition strategy and how it has changed over the years?

Changes in the talent acquisition strategy extend beyond the Semiconductor industry. I think technology has also pushed the frontier in talent harnessing, talent development, and talent retention. Today, companies constantly invest to attract and retain the right talent by using social networking, new cognitive technologies, and big data. Taking a simple example: physical job fairs have been largely replaced by social media channels like LinkedIn; online forms and Skype/Zoom interviews have spread like wildfire. This has sped up recruitment and reduced costs. Nevertheless, employees’ experience is not to be discounted. Organizations are also using multimedia to strengthen competencies in, for example, performance management, coaching, and leadership development to boost the career development of employees.

So, while in my view training and mentorship programs remain fundamental, the avenues for such programs have changed from traditional methods to using more digital tools. For us, talent retention is very challenging as this young generation is highly mobile and ambitious. So, it is imperative to have good plans & programs in place to increase employees’ interest in staying with ST as well as monitoring the effectiveness of HR initiatives implemented by our competition in the industry.

Q. What trends will shape Human Resource departments over the next five years?

The digital world has gradually redefined the HR function. More than just the way we manage our people, it has also redefined how HR operates. From recruitment to performance management, we are seeing automated processes being used. I expect Bots will continue to take over the mundane function of sifting through applications to select the qualified few. In other words, extend the paradigm shift from human-driven to digital-driven in recruitment. AI has also begun to play a strategic role in HR functions. So that's a huge part of the change.

The other area where I believe the shift will continue is that HR has to continue to up its game as a consultant in terms of know-how, competency building, agility, and flexibility to provide advice on many aspects of employees’ well-being and welfare. Here the consultations must cut across different organizations, different projects, different countries, different languages, and different cultures.

In short, while preserving the relevant aspects of traditional ways of working, we must embrace automation that will greatly enhance job productivity. Usage of AI will also enable us to address whatever is the next level of complexity for recruitment, as chatbot services have found a niche in most companies. And as far as ST is concerned, we have already started the journey and process of digitization, wherever possible and relevant. This is particularly challenging for ST where a large percentage of the employees are operating in manufacturing environments. Regardless of whatever trends will shape the future of companies and the human resources function, enhancing employees’ engagement in the company is critical. The bottom line is to significantly increase employees’ engagement and satisfaction level in this ever-demanding and ever-changing industry we operate in.

In addition, organizations around the globe are looking for a new type of leader - one that has both a strong technologyinfused capability and is largely grounded in using human touch to manage dynamic and diverse teams in continuous learning and development and in taking accountability for their work and career. So really, as effective as it is, my priority at ST is in helping make the company even more engaged and empowering to its employees.

Digi-Key Honored as Global High Service Distributor

Digi-Key Electronics has been recognized as on Semiconductor’s Global High Service Distributor for 2020. This is the second year Digi-Key has been honored with the Global High Service Distribution Partner Award, which honors the distributor that led channel sales, grew market share, captured increased sales of products and scored highly on overall process excellence in the evolving semiconductor market. “Digi-Key is thrilled to be recognized with this prestigious award for the second consecutive year from one of our most valued global partners to our engineering community, ON Semiconductor,” said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management at Digi-Key. “ON Semiconductor continues to provide Digi-Key’s customers with high-quality semiconductor-based solutions that empower innovators to reduce global energy use.” ON Semiconductor is an industry leader in leveraging partnerships in the global distribution channel. Approximately 60 percent of the company’s business results from distribution sales and distribution remains the fastest channel to market.

Arrow Electronics has signed a pan-European distribution deal with global cybersecurity company Secureworks to offer a comprehensive portfolio of software and services that deliver scalable, complementary security solutions to the European channel. The collaboration between Arrow and Secureworks intends to deliver the ability of businesses to digitize and to do so securely. As a software-driven security solutions leader, Secureworks will provide Arrow with a streamlined way to meet growing customer demand for cybersecurity. Secureworks has joined forces with Arrow for its capabilities in channel recruitment, channel enablement, and sales support. Products and services available through the new distribution agreement include Secureworks Taegis XDR (Extended Detection and Response), Secureworks Taegis ManagedXDR, Secureworks Taegis VDR, and the Secureworks Incident Management Retainer, for proactive and emergency incident response. element14 has formed a partnership with Yageo, extending its’ existing relationship to give customers access to the full product range. This new agreement represents a further strengthening of element14’s extensive passive component range, with the complete portfolio of Yageo products available for fast delivery.

Passive component solutions, available from element14, will support design and maintenance engineers working in the following key markets:

• Automotive and transportation • Telecommunications • Industrial and smart manufacturing

Mouser, NXP eBook on Smart Mobility

Mouser Electronics has launched a new eBook produced in collaboration with NXP Semiconductors that explores strategies for enabling safe, secure, and efficient mobility in cities through new technologies.

In Smart Mobility and the Technologies Paving the Way, subject matter experts from NXP offer their perspectives on secure identification and authentication solutions for intelligent transportation systems. Traffic congestion, aging infrastructure, and rapid urbanization are increasing the need for new mobility solutions. The ease of getting from point A to point B, the efficient movement of goods and services, and the flexibility and integration of different modes of transportation all play a key role in developing solutions that enhance mobility.

Smart Mobility and the Technologies Paving the Way, the new eBook from Mouser and NXP, explores the applications, design topics, and featured technologies essential for developing smart mobility solutions that will move us forward. Topics include advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), radar, vehicle networks, and vehicle electrification.

Arrow Electronics Partners with Secureworks element14 with Yageo to Expand Portfolio

Private 5G Networks

PRIVATE 5G NETWORKS

5G equips communication service providers with the ability to serve a multitude of use-cases with lightning fast connectivity, enhanced mobility, flexibility, reliability and security. The global pandemic has highlighted the importance of evolving networks and the major role digital technology plays. From smart phones to smart factories the unique combination of ultra-high speed connectivity and ultra-low latency, 5G is all set and ready to transform the communication landscape and the way we perceive it.

Transforming the connected ecosystem and enabling societies to take the leap with other next generation technologies such as; Internet of Things (IoT), network slicing & machine to machine communication, 5G is pushing the boundaries of connectivity to break new ground, spurring innovation for a smarter, safer and sustainable future.

With commercial 5G networks live around the globe and continue to roll out in many regions, the development of private networks over 5G — something that started in LTE — will create the infrastructure needed to expand the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), as well as enable greater capacity for critical radio communications, campus environments, sports venues and enterprises.

Private networks generally consist of a wireless local area network (LAN) that uses 5G technologies to deliver dedicated bandwidth, providing massive connectivities to support defined automation and IOT needs. One significant driver behind the growth of private 5G networks is the release of unlicensed spectrum for industry verticals, enabling deployment of private 5G networks without going through a mobile operator. This development is expected to give rise to new classes of business-to-business service providers, changing the competitive landscape for today’s network operators.

Sameh Yamany

Chief Technology Officer, VIAVI Solutions

Capturing new opportunities

Generally, an enterprise turns to a private network to guarantee coverage, gain network control, ensure data security and meet performance profiles. Private networks can take several forms.

Beyond the traditional model of operator-run networks, private 5G networks can be deployed and managed by infrastructure vendors, including traditional, large infrastructure vendors, as well as suppliers with cloud and software backgrounds.

Findings by ABI Research estimate that the total market value unlocked by 5G could reach $17 trillion by 2035, fueled by vertical enterprise services. Savvy CSPs are recognizing the greenfield market opportunities that can be created in enterprise markets. Not only can mobile operators lease their own spectrum to support private enterprise networks, they also can develop private wireless networks that are then sold to enterprise customers.

Unlike networks that provide mobile network services to the general public, private 5G networks are deployed on the company’s premises, such as; across a campus or in a factory. Such networks have high quality of service (QoS) and security requirements, helping to isolate the network against problems that occur in the public mobile network. As such, private networks can improve performance, security, privacy and safety for the enterprise, while also making it easier for the enterprise to manage availability, maintenance and operations.

Stage for future operations

Private mobile networks also provide enterprises with opportunities to optimize and redefine business processes in ways that are not possible or feasible on wired and Wi-Fi networks. Already, several test cases have emerged demonstrating how private 5G and IoT networks can contribute to improvements across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, oil and gas production, mining and utilities. For instance, Ford is building a private network to test connected cars on a private LTE/5G network located in a parking lot of its Dearborn, Michigan campus. And in the healthcare sector, Norwegian CSP Telenor is partnering with Oslo University Hospital to trial the use of 5G for remote-controlled medical procedures. As enterprises and network operators continue developing trials for private networks, the need for service assurance and business-to-business SLA management becomes vital at every stage of development. Historically speaking, testing and service assurance has been primarily manual, reactive and time-consuming, especially in relation to service activation, change management, service quality monitoring and fault isolation.

Private 5G networks that use coordinated shared spectrum will require improvements in RF planning, network design, installation, test, management and operation. As such, private network operators would be well-advised to automate workflows and service assurance. Doing so not only provides immediate benefits for existing, hardware-based 4G networks, it also sets the stage for future operation of new virtualized and cloud-native 5G networks.

5G for business

5G networks present a number of exciting opportunities; not only for mobile operators, but for enterprises as well. Yet it’s important for enterprises to consider the level of technical skill needed to set up and service a private 5G network. Ultimately, those enterprises that fully understand the benefits — and challenges — of private 5G networks will reap the rewards offered by this next-generation technology.

About the Author

Sameh Yamany, PhD, is Chief Technology Officer at VIAVI Solutions where he drives technology innovation and execution for the company.

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Getting Your Networks Ready for the Future

It may be tempting to rest on your laurels when you finally have your IIoT networks up and running. Nonetheless, change remains the only real constant in life, and the world of industrial networking is no exception. Your IIoT network may be sufficient for your current needs—it may even be ready for your foreseeable application requirements over the next several years. But what about the next decade or more? Change is always on the horizon, and we need to be prepared.

Since the early days of industrial automation, manufacturers have adopted a variety of purpose-built protocols and systems, instead of standard Ethernet technologies, for highly specialized industrial control applications. However, as the IIoT market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24%1 by 2023, industrial networks of the future will in all likelihood be required to transmit large amounts of data between interconnected devices or collect data from remote devices. With these growing demands on the horizon, how well-prepared you are for the future of industrial networking may determine your success in tackling new challenges. This section provides three considerations to help you prepare your IIoT-ready industrial networks for the future.

Achieve Greater Integration With Unified Infrastructure

Over the years, various devices using different industrial protocols have been deployed on industrial networks to provide diverse services. Under these circumstances, network integration usually costs more than expected or becomes more difficult to achieve.

Manufacturers can either choose the status quo, that is, maintain their preexisting isolated automation networks with numerous purpose-built protocols of the past, or alternatively seek solutions to provide deterministic services and integrate these “islands of automation”.

If our goal is to be ready for the growing demands on our IIoT network in the future, the choice is obviously the latter. The rule of thumb is to take potential industrial protocols into consideration and ensure you can redesign your networks in case any new demands arise in the market.

Time-sensitive networking (TSN) is a set of new standards introduced by the IEEE 802.1 TSN Task Group as an advanced tool box. With TSN, you can build open, unified networks with standard Ethernet technologies that reserve flexibility for the future. Furthermore, you may consider selecting solutions offered by the key players who are advocating this new technology because they actively participate in TSN plugfests to complete the ecosystem and ensure compatibility among different vendors.

Access Anywhere to Your Remote Machines With Hassle-free Cloud Services

Cloud-based remote access offers many benefits to IIoT customers, such as reducing the traveling time and expenses of sending maintenance engineers to multiple remote sites. Furthermore, cloud-based secure remote access can provide flexible and scalable connections to meet the dynamic, changing requirements of the future. However, operational technology (OT) engineers for water and wastewater treatment plants, machine builders, and other IIoT customers may find it cumbersome to set up and maintain their own cloud servers to provide new services and applications. Indeed, considerable efforts are associated with setting up new infrastructure, even if it is in the cloud. Fortunately, OEMs and machine builders can now deliver secure cloud-based services and remote access to their customers without having to maintain their own cloud servers.

One key issue you should definitely scrutinize is the cloud server license scheme. Often, upfront costs may seem low for limited server hosts. However, these apparent cost savings on server hosts may actually make your project uneconomical due to a limited scale of connections. Secondly, you may also need to consider central management capabilities in order to flexibly expand remote connections in the future. With this said, carefully weigh the costs and benefits of incorporating secure remote access to your industrial networks. Always select solutions that can eliminate the hassles mentioned and help you focus on delivering more value and benefits to your customers.

Visualize Your Network Status for Both OT and IT Professionals

You may have seen the following scene in a movie or photograph in the news. The control room of a metro system has a group of monitors showing the current status of each metro station in the system, the locations of all the moving trains, and so on. Managers or operators need to quickly judge the current situation and take action according to the information aggregated on the screens in front of them. This visibility helps them keep everything under control. When complexity increases with greater connectivity on industrial networks, it can become very difficult to identify the root cause of problems and maintain sufficient network visibility. Control engineers often have to revert to trial and error to get the system back to normal, which is time-consuming and troublesome.

Therefore, in order to facilitate and manage growing industrial networks, network operators need an integrated network management software to make more informed decisions throughout network deployment, maintenance, and diagnostics. In addition, as your systems continue to grow, you will need to pay attention to a number of network integration concerns. First, only managing industrial networks in local control centers may not be feasible three or five year later, especially when existing systems need to be integrated with new ones. It is therefore important to use network management software with integration interfaces, such as OPC DA tags for SCADA system integration or RESTful APIs for external web services. Furthermore, an interface to facilitate third-party software integration is also a key criteria to ensuring future flexibility.

As a pioneering expert in industrial networking, Moxa provides a number of innovative technologies and solutions, such as secure cloud-based remote access and a network management tool, that already satisfy the above three factors to help you accelerate your network readiness for future IIoT applications. If you are interested in learning more about industrial networking, download our E-book.

1. The Industrial Internet of Things Market Forecast, MarketWatch, March 2019

(The article is an original piece written by MOXA.)

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YOUR JOURNEY TO DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL CELLULAR IOT DEVICE

Lavi Semel

CTO|Sony Semiconductor Israel

There are many hurdles to overcome on the path to developing a successful cellular IoT device.

Today, the IoT device and smartphone ecosystems are worlds apart

The cellular IoT market is very different from the smart phone market. With varying requirements & challenges, there is no one size fits all. KPIs such as battery life, size, latency, location accuracy and radio conditions all change according to use case. The fact there is no human access for many of the use cases, leads to challenges of reliability, monitoring, security, and battery life.

What are the main challenges of Cellular IoT?

The main challenges to cellular IoT relate to the lack of physical access, and the need to sustain (sometimes) extreme radio & ambient conditions for a very long time. How can we ensure that radio conditions will remain good enough for 15 years? Would the network coverage remain the same? At what cost? How do we monitor, debug or upgrade the devices? Are there long-term (e.g. seasonal) implications on device behavior & power consumption?

Global connectivity challenges – With smartphones, there is human access involved, rechargeable batteries, and no issues with connectivity. Users can select which networks to search and lock on to, and when to do so. By contrast, a cellular IoT device must autonomously decide when to search for a network and which to connect to – based on low data-connectivity costs, and ‘good enough’ coverage. In addition, the need to support more than one RAT (radio access technology, e.g. NB-IoT and CAT-M and sometimes also 2G) doesn’t make it easier.

The limited /out of coverage problem is much more severe than with broadband. Since the device is static, has one antenna, and with limited bandwidth, it is sensitive to coverage and interference.

Battery life is sometimes the most important KPI, yet it is very difficult to predict power consumption in a cellular environment. It is affected by many factors, including; chipset, wireless conditions, network parameters & application. Power consumption may change drastically between carriers and within the same carrier (between eNB vendors).

Reducing the device’s size and cost is another challenge. Manufacturers need to look at the whole BOM structure. A high level of integration reduces costs, eases development and reduces size.

There are also many security challenges. Aggressive cost targets impact memory sizes, CPU performance, certification and the production process. Devices sleep most of the time and connection is not maintained. There is a strict limit on the amount of information that can be communicated. Legacy protocols may be inefficient and power-hungry.

Top Things to Consider When Building a Cellular-Based IoT Device

Below are a few tips on what to pay attention to when building a cellular-based IoT device.

Let’s start with the obvious:

1. Target battery life: First we need to define the battery lifetime, and its probability. Meaning, do we want to target the 90%-tile, 95%-tile, or the average power consumption of all devices? 2. Transmission profiles and message sizes: We need to take security into account. In some cases, a 50B packet becomes the negligible part when security is involved…. 3. Reachability (i.e. PSM or eDRX): Do we need the device to be reachable? And if so, what is the maximal latency? 4. Device conditions – stationary – and if so, where is it located? Mobile? And if so, what is the mobility profile? Followed by the less obvious….

5. Radio technology – NB-IoT or CAT-M?

The industry has developed two standards for radio technology – NB-IoT and CAT-M, with quite a large overlap between them. NB-IoT is targeted for very low data rate applications, usually non-TCP, batch-communication, and focused on stationary devices, such as water meters. CAT-M is targeted for higher data throughputs, mobility and voice. There is a myth that NBIoT power consumption is lower than CAT-M. This is not always the case. Also, network coverage is not constant, especially if the device is deployed for years. A device deployed for over 2 years in the field might need an upgrade. Doing this over NB-IoT is very challenging, as throughput is low. Therefore, a dual-mode device gives you peace of mind. You enjoy both worlds, at a higher cost (which could pay off, at the end). 6. Power consumption: Networks today are not optimized for edge IoT devices, as they are tuned to smartphones. This leads to issues with SIM power consumption, network timers, C-DRX and scheduling parameters. Close discussions between network operators and chipset/module suppliers could overcome some of these challenges. 7. Transport and Application Protocols: HTTPs is not relevant for IoT devices with battery/data connectivity constraints. MQTT is better, but still not efficient. COAPs (used by LWM2M) is the most (standard-based) efficient protocol. 8. Addressing network coverage: Firstly, optimize your network scanning parameters. Then, monitor battery life, integrate a FOTA solution, design a robust connection manager. Finally, test extensively in the field. 9. Positioning technologies: In terms of GNSS, in many cases the need is for occasional fixes (non-tracking mode). For cellularbased positioning, NB-IoT/CAT-M networks are new and base station databases are still immature. A multi-mode modem (as opposed to single-RAT) can be used to close this gap. Work with a trusted cellular IoT partner

As you can see so far, designing a cellular IoT device is very challenging, and you need an experienced partner. As a leading provider of Cellular IoT chipsets, targeting all IoT markets and all relevant use cases, Sony Semiconductor Israel are here to help you achieve your goals.

Practical EMI Control in a Power Component Design Space -David Bourner

Vicor

Abstract

The control of electromagnetic interference (EMI) within switched-mode power systems is a perennial topic. This article attempts to address the notion of control of conducted emissions in the context of applying Vicor Power Components in a customer application. Vicor has developed quasi-resonant topologies that mitigate noise to a great extent by design. Although there are significant noise reductions to be had using resonant topologies in SMPS, no converter is ever noise-free. Applying power modules in a way to assure compliance with CE engineering standards can often prevent unforeseen, costly delays in bringing products to market.

Comments on the Model

In the context of noise, analog and digital systems are thought of respectively as receivers and transmitters of electrical noise. Switched-mode power converters present a mixed-mode environment. Controllers, be they digital or analog in nature, are set alongside switched power devices. Power components are modular: to a great extent the OEM (original engineering manufacturer) will have taken great pains to mitigate the effect of noise sources internal to the module, sometimes with mixed results. If not countered, self-noise of a power module is often sufficient to affect signaling affecting control of power within the component.

Implementing a system with such products involves introducing measures that the OEM should provide in applications literature. Module self-noise can be reduced with the introduction of suitable external components that are selected and arranged in a board layout designed to introduce minimal parasitics. The components will interact with the printed circuit layout, which means that noise performance is not something that can be automatically guaranteed. In almost every case that such provisions are offered, there will be reference made to engineering standards for CE (conducted emissions) such as CISPR22 or EN61000-4-6. These two standards contain clear definitions and detailed test arrangements that can be used to authenticate a power system’s emission and susceptibility characteristics.

CE standards focus on conducted electrical noise that propagates to the input power source. Noise appearing at the output side of the system can also be attenuated, with either CM (common-mode) or DM (differential-mode) filtering or a combination of the two, just as for input-source-terminated CE. It can be argued that using power components facilitates noise control design in the integrated application. Although it is generally not possible to integrate all the suppression elements in a power component, the manufacturer will recommend the minimum effective external measures required in an optimal board layout. Given the nature of the varied types of applications being worked on by customers, applications engineers at the OEM can often be called upon to determine adequacy of current noise control strategies and suggest ways to suppress noise. This paper illustrates such an example.

Managing conducted emissions from concept through implementation

Introduction

Conducted emissions control must be a consideration at the outset of a power system design, made well before final integration with other parts of a complete application. The noise mitigation schemes used must be developed alongside the power and signal processing pathways. The implementation of the system should be routinely subject to a series of prequalification tests, which although subjective, quickly bear results which indicate whether or not the final product will be adequately arranged for successful qualification outcomes. We look for minimal emissions that are below those levels that represent adequate performance.

Model of an embedded power component

The block diagram shown in Figure 1 is the author’s attempt to show all the features of a power system that address aspects that go beyond a simple DC input / output power specification. Identifying power support functions in this way allows us to be able to look at tradeoffs and interactions between these various functions. Knowledge of interactions between required functions allows the designer to adopt a design sequence that effectively addresses all aspects of performance of the finalized design.

Figure 1 Generic system block diagram for a switching power system. DC power flow on the busses are represented with bold arrows. The DC-DC converter

is generally arranged with galvanically-isolated input and output power ports Applying the Model

To illustrate an important interaction example using Figure 1, the inductance of the input power bus and the capacitors situated at the input port of the DC-DC converter (be they part of the hold-up or the filtering function) interact with the dynamic (negative) input impedance the converter presents. This introduces the prospect of input power bus instability.

[b] Clearly, the choice of the hold-up capacitors with their attendant ESR is critical. These components, along with necessary surge and transient protection elements, impact the differential filtering of conducted noise travelling from the DC-DC converter’s input port to the source.

Besides DM noise, there are CM noise currents emanating from each of the converter’s input and output ports. Controlling such noise mandates the use of highly localized commonmode filtering components. These components will offer HF currents very small loops which are formed going from the power terminal, back through the coupling capacitance, afforded by a specially devised shield plane, back into the converter. Figure 2 shows the equivalent circuit of the DC-DC converter expressed in noise terms, as input-referenced noise current sources with X and Y capacitors set in place.

Figure 2 Input-power-port noise equivalent circuit of a DC-DC converter expressed with differential and CM noise current sources, along with noise-suppression X and Y capacitors, installed and connected to an underlying shield plane which offers HF capacitive coupling (Cs1, Cs2 shown as lumped equivalents) back to the source at low impedance.

Noise-control development strategy

A full qualification test is expensive and time-consuming. This process should only be carried out once, at the preproduction stage of development, before freezing the design for production. In the meantime, many simpler tests can be performed using equipment that is accessible to most designers and technicians working on hardware in a laboratory setting. It will be possible to set up and tailor noise control networks so as to minimize noise. This is often an iterative process, based on engineering intuition and a detailed understanding of parasitics in the layout, possibly exploiting them to aid in noise control. [h]

Test references should be established at the outset. It is important to run some “zerosignal” tests to establish the instrumentation’s noise floor and to establish whether there are other noise sources that unexpectedly contribute energy to the system. These sources, if present, need to be noted; if it is possible to eliminate them with modest measures, then a small investment in shielding and grounding of the lab bench may be in order. Once a zero-energy input profile has been secured and collected, data should be developed for a signal with known characteristics. This test data set will be used as a background template which can be used to assess noise sources associated with the application’s CE noise profile. With the veracity of the oscilloscope instrument and its coaxial probe established, it is now possible to exploit featured FFT processing running on the wideband oscilloscope as a rapid indicator of the conducted noise signal spectrum. It is easy to quickly establish read-back of the effectiveness of differing arrangements of CM and DM filtering and to iterate on topologies and discrete component selections for CE control.

Example of noise-control assessment

The block diagram in Figure 3 shows a system that was set up and augmented using networks of CE control elements. Some experimentation on component technology options and optimal placement of component networks (such as for the set ups shown in Figures 4 and 5) carried out to maximize noise control. At the completion of the iterative phase of establishing and testing noise control arrangements highlighted with Figures 6 through 9 inclusive, the customer had a full qualification test done on their previously non-compliant target system, modified in accordance with the measures outlined. It was established that the CE noise profile of the system was robustly attained with a good margin to spare. [h]

Figure 3 Block diagram showing basic source / power converter and load arrangement for the unsuppressed system

Figure 4 Intermediate bench set up shows coaxially-grounded scope probe, inboard-shield ground contacts made at measurement stations out of adapted pieces of shielding cages of Johnson jacks. Shield ground plane is a solid copper layer. Y-cap provisional placement was changed to gain better oscilloscope acquired noise spectra

Figure 5 View on the VTM™ evaluation test fixture board’s edge. Shows the noise reference voltage point for the system which is located at VTM’s (–OUT) terminal

Figure 6 Unsuppressed CE noise characteristic

for the PRM™ (+IN) power terminal

Figure 7 Outline of CE

noise suppression arrangement The M-FIAM™

is a filter and

input attenuator module offering CE compliance in conformance with

MIL-STD 461E

Figure 8 Partial view of adapted noise-control prototype: see the probe attached for the measurement of CE at the M-FIAM‘s (–IN) terminal. Note that the “bypass style” Y caps (C4a, C4b) across the top and bottom of the VTM™ isolation barrier are mounted underneath the VTM evaluation board Figure 9 Outcome of the CE noise-suppression arrangements measured at the 28VDC source (+) terminal, location of which is shown in Figure 8

Table 1

Summary of DC power figures or system under test

Summary

A suggested method for resolving a functional design whilst testing and providing for control of CE noise early on in the design and development of a power system has been outlined. This forms a paradigm that is easily followed. The noise reductions arising from exercising this approach have been successfully demonstrated, using equipment commonly available in most electronic development lab settings.

References

[a] Vicor Application Note AN: 005 “FPA Printed Cicuit Board Layout Guidelines” P. Yeaman Rev 1.2, Nov 2013 [b] Vicor Application Note AN:023 “Filter Network Design for VI Chip DC to DC Converter Modules” Xiaoyan Yu, Vicor Applications Engineering, Aug 2012 [c] “Power System – CE EMI Topology Review”, Vicor Internal document [d] “Introduction to Electromagnetic Compatibility” P Clayton, (Wiley Interscience ISBN-13 978-0471755005) [e] “The Circuit Designer’s Companion” T Williams, 2nd Edition, (EDN Series for Design Engineers, Newnes ISBN-13: 978-0750663700) [f] “Back to Basics -- What are Y-Capacitors?” Vicor PowerBlog, June 5, 2013 [g] “Capacitor Characteristics Impact Power Supply Decoupling” D Bourner, PCIM, May 2001 [h] “CE EMI Topology Review” D Bourner, Vicor Internal Report

Reach of 5G in Cybersecurity

As 5G has started making its marks in every sphere of today’s technology, it has enabled society to take the leap towards a smarter, safer and sustainable future.

Related to the increasing stress of secure network with the advent of new technology, the IEEE experts have shared their insights on the scope of 5G in terms of cybersecurity.

The Ericsson Mobility Report 2020 shows how the impact of Covid19 has led to the network’s crucial role in society.

The report expects the global number of 5G subscriptions to top 2.8 billion by the end of 2025. In India, 5G is expected to represent around 18 percent of mobile subscriptions at the end of 2025.

It also states that in India, the projected value of the 5G-enabled digitalization revenues will be approximately USD 17 billion by 2030. With 5G being a platform for innovation it will enable the development of new services for consumers, enterprises, and industry, including large-scale IoT use cases.

BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS 5G?

When we spoke with Dorothy Stanley, IEEE Member and Chair of the IEEE 802.11 Working Group, she pointed out that confusion stems from the term ‘5G’ being used to refer to several ideas interchangeably: “Is 5G a vision? A set of services and data rates that are a goal to be accomplished, requiring multiple technologies? Or something that’s tied only to cellular carriers and what they can deliver?”

Some experts are most focused on the mixed nature of the technology. Babak Beheshti, IEEE Member and Interim Dean, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, for example: “The very design philosophy of 5G is based on network heterogeneity. This means that the network can be a combination of technologies such as Wi-Fi and LTE.”

Therefore, what 5G means depends on the context of the discussion, but it’s likely to include a combination of technologies.

This heterogeneity makes security more complex. However, there are already some exciting developments in the pipeline for 5G and IoT device security.

“According to T-Mobile US, 4G information being carried across mobile networks was not always encrypted. In 5G, end-to-end encryption is intended to provide much stronger safeguards for data privacy,” Beheshti says. That will be coupled with a globally unique subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI) for each user. Beheshti: “The SUPI is never broadcast over the air during connection establishment for a mobile device, which can help prevent the hijacking of a mobile’s identity. 3G and 4G networks are inferior in this respect.”

For Stanley, top of mind is “The latest security solution, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Easy Connect. You scan the QR code, and that bootstraps a protocol exchange that gets you on the network securely, so your traffic over the wireless link will not be snipped.”

Since IoT devices don’t often have robust user interfaces, using a QR code lets manufacturers create security protocols that can be operated without the use of a keyboard, Stanley says. “The QR code is just a way to encode data. You’re encoding a public key that then can be used to establish and bootstrap trust. Only the peer device that has the private key can decode that.”

So upcoming security technologies are promising.

WHAT CAN CONSUMERS DO TO MAKE SURE THEIR CURRENT IoT SETUPS ARE SECURE?

For Kayne McGladrey, IEEE Member and Director of Security and Information Technology at Pensar Development, “Consumers should use the ‘guest’ network of their home Wi-Fi routers as a dedicated network for IoT devices, so if one of those devices were compromised, the threat actor can’t easily pivot to more valuable data.”

That’s the case for newer devices, he says. “For older, cheap, IP-based security cameras and digital video recorders (DVRs), the easiest way to secure them is to recycle them responsibly as there often are no security updates available.”

The ability to update devices over their lifetime is essential to security, and should factor into buying decisions, he says.

Han Guangjie, IEEE Senior Member and professor at Hohai University, seconds this point: “Check and update the IoT device firmware. If IoT devices have exploitable vulnerabilities, manufacturers often identify and fix problems before the hacker can access the device’s environment.”

NTC Temperature Control for IGBT and Power MOSFET Modules

Temperature control is one of the key factors for a MOSFET or IGBT power module to work efficiently. Although some MOSFETs are equipped with an internal temperature sensor (body diode), there are other ways to monitor and control temperature. A semiconductor silicon PTC resistor can be used with well-defined current control or a Pt- or Ni-based resistance temperature detector (RTD) with moderately low resistance values and more linear performance. Whether the sensor is an SMD, a wire bonded die, or even a sintered die, an NTC thermistor remains the most sensitive and versatile temperature sensor. When designed properly, it will ensure the proper derating and eventual shutdown of the module in case of overheating or excessive external temperature.

In this article we will focus on a bondable NTC die and adopt the path of analog electronic simulation to show how fundamentally a derating and a shutdown can be operated in a power module. Why analog? It’s the best way to simplify things and illustrate the different phenomena in a visual way. It’s also ideal for developing an intuitive application. The last motivation is pecuniary: we will develop a simulation within the limits of a free software (LTspice), while other design tools would possibly allow for more sophisticated designs.

So, let’s take the LTspice design in Figure 1, which is a simple boost converter design. However, thanks to the versatility of LTspice, the IGBT and the diode models have been replaced with thermal models, where the heat fluxes are explicitly represented with an output pin, allowing them to be connected to a thermal circuit (the heatsink, for example). We will here use a simple RC circuit (in the real world, the designer would need to carefully define the Zth model as a Cauer or a Foster model).

Figure 1

During the converter’s operation, the heat flux results in a hot spot (the voltage at the node Tsyst in this case, which is the temperature to control). This temperature is input into an NTC model (Vishay wire bondable die NTCC200E4203_T). The NTC signal is used via a Wheatstone bridge, compared to a threshold, amplified, and compared to a sawtooth signal (Vsaw). The final output Vsw is the pulse signal applied at the gate of the IGBT. Under the temperature threshold defined by the Rlim resistor value, we apply a 100 % full duty cycle pulse at the IGBT’s gate. When there is overheating — produced by the IGBT and the diode — cumulated with the ambient temperature (the voltage at the node Tamb in the thermal circuit), the duty cycle is reduced and the output / input ratio of the buck converter (Vout / Vcc) will be reduced. This produces less heat and the temperature begins to stabilize. At the limit above a certain temperature, this ratio must be reduced to 1.

Alain Stas Bruno Van Beneden

Vishay NLR Product Marketing

In order to perform a simulation within a reasonable time, we must scale down the thermal capacity of the heatsink. Thermal increases can take minutes or even hours, and we want to visualize them within a very short time. Here are the results of the simulation: in each figure, the results are shown with or without temperature derating (in order to eliminate the temperature control, the Rlim value is taken as very low).

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

In Figure 2, you will notice the usual oscillating, non-optimized behavior of a boost converter during the first 20 ms. The temperature Tsyst (Figure 4) begins to increase, and then when the ambient temperature increases, the derating Vout / Vcc begins when the Tsyst reaches 90 °C. Every further increase of the ambient temperature decreases the duty cycle until the total deactivation of the boost converter. At 110 °C, the derating is maximum. Without temperature protection, Tsyst can reach 160 °C to 170 °C (Figure 4). In real power modules, peak die temperatures could reach 200 °C or more. The voltages Vsense, Vntc, and Vlim are shown in Figure 3. The variation of the duty cycle is also illustrated at different times in Figures 5 and 6. Of course, all the thresholds are scalable and the switch threshold can be adapted accordingly.

Figure 5

Going further into more complex simulations, we can also try to reproduce a full-bridge IGBT module (as shown in Figure 7). This circuit produces a 50 Hz sinusoidal current through an inductive load, with an IGBT switching at 30 kHz. The gate driver stimulation circuit will deliver a constant frequency up to 125 °C and will reduce the duty cycle in order to mitigate the IGBT losses above this temperature.

Figure 6

In Figure 8, we visualize the sum of the heat-power produced by the IGBT’s switching (I(V6) expressed in W), together with temperature (V(Tsyst) expressed in degrees Celsius) increase in time.

Figure 7

The produced current is also shown in the lower pane of Figure 8. Figure 8

Without entering into the details, it is possible to mitigate the temperature increase (Figure 8 lower pane, red curves) in time by playing into the modulation parameters: a reduction of switching duty time will reduce the heat production, but will also result in a less sinusoidal signal. We will not go further in the details of this case, but we hope to have shown with the provided examples that LTspice circuit simulations with NTC thermistors can be pushed very far and can help a MOSFET / IGBT power module design engineer to develop their intuition about their circuit, and help them to mitigate the crucial thermal aspects related to circuit protection.

The simulations shown in this article are available on request at edesign.ntc@vishay.com and can be downloaded at:

https://www.hackster.io/alainstas/spice-simulation-of temperaturederating-of-boost-converter-5acef8 https://www.hackster.io/alainstas/ltspice-inverter-simulation-withthermal-effects-dadf6a

Forty years of Know-How How Infineon shapes power for growth through MOSFET innovation Ashita Mirchandani

Lead Principal – Device Design and Technology Development and Bastian Lang| Product Marketing Manager at Infineon Technologies

Our world has experienced dramatic change over the past 50 years. New economic, social and technological trends have emerged significantly impacting our way of life in different ways. Regardless of the way and degree to which the world has been changing, one thing remains: technology plays a crucial role in it.

Whether we think about electro mobility, internet of things, artificial intelligence, connectivity or 5G, all are heavily technology-driven innovations of today and tomorrow. These new application areas not only have profound implications for our lives, but also for underlying design requirements. Design engineers face new challenges in their jobs every day: adapting new power architectures and increased bus voltages, needing more power in small form factors, demanding higher levels of power density and energy efficiency. Looking at the value chain behind the solutions that respond to these challenges, it all comes down to the tiniest detail: the microchip. System performance (including reliability aspects) hinges on the selection of the right power switches.

At the forefront of key power semiconductor innovations

With more than 40 years of experience in power MOSFET innovation, Infineon has led the way in solving the challenges design engineers face on a daily basis while helping engineers achieve their targets. Although these targets may have changed over the years, the innovative spirit behind Infineon’s product offering has persisted – from device design, technology-, package- and product development through manufacturing. Looking at the evolution of MOSFETs in the industry, numerous advancements in MOSFET technology have enabled the applications and trends that have become an indispensable part of our lives. Consider the introduction of the first hexagonal topology MOSFETs in 1979 or the new generation of MOSFET technology launched in 1995 which was based on an advanced four-mask process utilizing innovative self-alignment features to improve manufacturing precision and increase yields. That process enabled MOSFETs to be manufactured with a low cycle time (compared with requirements for the six-step process) and allowed junction depths up to 40 percent smaller than conventional processes thereby greatly reducing the transistor junction resistance while increasing ruggedness.

Shortly after these technological developments, the world’s first FETKY product was introduced integrating the MOSFET and a Schottky diode into a single package reducing form factor and losses in DC-DC applications. Later, in 1999, leveraging manufacturing expertise, a stripe planar technology with a fully self-aligned manufacturing process that featured high density planar structure providing extremely low on-resistance, excellent high-frequency operation, industry-best ruggedness and excellent manufacturing cycle time was introduced. The same year, a family of MOSFETs with the industry's highest cell density and lowest RDS(on) trench MOSFETs was also introduced. That technology focused on the latest products for handsets, laptop computers and a variety of other portable electronic devices, paving the way for ever-better performing products in the market. In 2000, the first family of OptiMOS™ MOSFET technology featuring ultra-low switching losses for high efficiency to help designers increase power density was launched. The OptiMOS™ family has evolved throughout the years and is now in its sixth generation. OptiMOS™ products offer an impressive reduction in R

DS(on) combined with superior switching performance. The OptiMOS™ family is optimized for a variety of applications and circuits, such as synchronous rectification in switched mode power supplies (SMPS) in servers, desktop PCs, wireless chargers, quick chargers, and OR-ing circuits. Additionally, in 2012, the StrongIRFET™ family of MOSFETs optimized for low RDS(on) and high current capability – making them the ideal choice for low frequency applications requiring performance and ruggedness – was also introduced to the market.

Figure 1 Technology development and product family positioning of Infineon’s 12-300 V power MOSFET offering

Packaging innovation has also been at the heart of Infineon MOSFET development. In 1993, the SOT-223 was introduced as the first surface mount power MOSFET in the industry. In 2002, the DirectFETTM power package was introduced as a proprietary

surface mount package featuring a new interconnection methodology with radical gains in both conduction and thermal efficiencies. In 2013, the widely utilized TO-Leadless package that allows for high current capability in a reduced footprint compared to a traditional D2PAK was introduced. Most recently, Infineon has launched a family of OptiMOS™ power MOSFET devices in a PQFN 3.3 x 3.3 Source-Down package with a flipped die inside to allow for improved thermal performance and reduced RDS(on).

Figure 2 Space-saving and high performance packages in the StrongIRFET™ and OptiMOS™ product families

Let’s take a closer look at what benefits packaging innovations can bring to an application.

Innovating on chip-level for system performance

The chosen application example is artificial intelligence. Power management – more specifically, the power density of the power converters fueling the processors and ASICs in a system – is one of the biggest challenges designers face in enabling artificial intelligence and keeping up with the calculation and storage needs in the cloud.

With the introduction of 48 V bus voltage, some additional power conversion is introduced into the power chain. This conversion has to be done close to the payload to avoid transmission losses and benefit from the higher bus voltage. With Infineon’s Hybrid Switched Capacitor (HSC) resonant DC-DC converter, innovation is at the system-level by utilizing Infineon’s newest Source-Down OptiMOS™ power MOSFETs. This new topology shows great potential to offer higher power density and efficiency levels than the current solution. Combined with Infineon’s new Source-Down product portfolio, this solution can be optimized from the ground up, component-level innovation with the system in mind.

Let’s take a look at how this is done. Addressing power density challenges requires innovation at the component level with advancements in resonant topologies. With the introduction of Infineon’s Source-Down package technology, the IQE006NE2LM5 further enhances electrical and thermal performance, enabling the power density needed in modern datacenter applications. The main benefits of the innovative package include: – 30 percent lower RDS(on), decreasing I²R losses – Lower package-related parasitics, reducing the FOM and leading to lower switching losses – Lower Rthjc, optimizing the distribution of the generated heat from the package – Thermal pad located on the source pin, enabling optimized layouts where the large GND area can be utilized as a heatsink

To compare the performance benefits, two versions of an 8:1 hybrid switched-capacitor (HSC) converter board were examined. One is based on a standard Drain-Down device (BSZ011NE2LS5I) and the other on the new Source-Down device (IQE006NE2LM5). Figure 2 shows the thermal performance of the devices. With the traditional package a hot-spot can be observed (Figure 3a) that is eliminated with the use of the new Source-Down package (Figure 3b). The surface temperature of the MOSFET is significantly improved, showing a 9°C difference compared to the Drain-Down device. Figure 4 illustrates the efficiency comparison (including auxiliary losses). The higher efficiency of the system featuring the new Source-Down device leads to a significant increase in power density as well.

Figure 3 The thermal behavior of the HSC at 450 W from 48 V input at Tamb=24°C and v=3.3 m/s: a) with BSZ011NE2LS5I, b) with IQE006NE2LM5

Figure 4 The HSC converter efficiency from 48 V to 6 V, including auxiliary losses, with the BSZ011NE2LS5I and with the IQE006NE2LM5 at Tamb=24°C and v=3.3 m/s

The current megatrends shaping everyday life pose tough challenges for design engineers and semiconductor manufacturers. For more than 40 years, Infineon power MOSFET innovation has proven that optimization at the component level brings significant system-level performance advantages and contributes to an easier, safer and greener future.