Bisinfotech Magazine November Issue 2021 by Bis Infotech

NOVEMBER 2021 80.00

R.N.I. No: DELENG/2019/77352 l VOL 3 l ISSUE 11 l TOTAL PAGES 64 l PUBLISHED ON 1ST OF EVERY MONTH l WWW.BISINFOTECH.COM

3D PRINTING VETERAN'S WOW!

1980 - A Pivotal Point in the Industry!

ST's Veteran and Company's Ambitious Sustainability Goals.

Ultra-Compact Low-Power-Consumption Cellular LPWA Modules. Radio Testing - From the Bench to the Field. DCM for Tethered UAV Applications.

Editorial By the year 2025, India is targeting a GDP of $5 trillion and a digital economy of $1 trillion. Since electronics is the core to achieve this target, the demand for electronic products will rise to $400 billion by 2025. To meet this growing demand for electronic products, the dependence on imports is likely to increase unless timely steps are taken to boost indigenous electronic manufacturing. It is interesting to note that the electronics goods imports bill is second only to the country’s oil import bill which is the largest. According to the DGCIS figures import of electronic goods was US$ 39 billion in 2016, US$ 50 billion in FY 2017, $56 billion in FY 2018, US$ 54 billion in FY 2019, and US$ 33 billion in FY 2020. The government of India is taking several steps to boost electronics manufacturing in India, reduce import dependence and increase exports. The Make in India program, National Policy on Electronics ( 2019), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the electronics sector, the Modified Special Incentives Scheme, Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) Scheme, and several other measures are designed to provide incentives for domestic manufacturing, localisation of electronics manufacturing, inviting foreign direct investment, boosting exports. A lot of hope is being placed on the success of the Production Linked Incentive scheme for the electronics sector in boosting large-scale manufacturing of electronics products. The PLI scheme has been described as a game-changer by the industry. It provides for a 4% to 6% incentive to eligible companies on incremental sales (over base year i.e. 2019-20) of manufactured goods including mobile phones and specified electronic components for five years. The scheme is expected to bring an additional investment of Rs.11,000 crores and a total production of about Rs.11.5 lakh crores. Out of the total production, more than 60% is expected to be contributed by exports of the order of Rs.7 lakh crores. It is worth noting that two industries, Defense and Solar manufacturing have started to show positive results in this. Happy Reading!!

ManasNandi

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Bisinfotech is printed, published, edited and owned by Manas Nandi and published from 303, 2nd floor, Neelkanth Palace, Plot No- 190, Sant Nagar,East of Kailash, New Delhi- 110065 (INDIA), Printed at Swastika Creation 19 DSIDC Shed, Scheme No. 3, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi- 110020 Editor, Publisher, Printer and Owner make every effort to ensure high quality and accuracy of the content published. However he cannot accept any responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor and publisher. The information in the content and advertisement published in the magazine are just for reference of the readers. However, readers are cautioned to make inquiries and take their decision on purchase or investment after consulting experts on the subject. BisInfotech holds no responsibility for any decision taken by readers on the basis of the information provided herein. Any unauthorised reproduction of Bisinfotech magazine content is strictly forbidden. Subject to Delhi Jurisdiction.

Contents 08

WHITE PAPER TOF SYSTEM DESIGN—PART 2: OPTICAL DESIGN FOR TIME OF FLIGHT DEPTH SENSING CAMERAS

14 BIG PICTURE

BEFORE THE END OF THIS DECADE, INDIA WILL BE THE 3RD LARGEST CONSUMER OF ELECTRONICS GOODS AND 5TH LARGEST PRODUCER OF ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD

18 TECH-FEATURE

1980 - A PIVOTAL POINT IN THE POWER INDUSTRY!

24 BIG PICTURE SUSTAINABILITY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ST VALUE PROPOSITION SAYS JEAN-LOUIS CHAMPSEIX

K Krishna Moorthy CEO & President, IESA

Patrick Le Fèvre

Powerbox Chief Marketing & Communication Officer

TECH-FEATURE DCM FOR TETHERED UAV APPLICATIONS

32 BIG PICTURE

DIALOG PRODUCTS ARE VERY WELL MATCHED WITH THE RENESAS PORTFOLIOS

34 BIG PICTURE

ETHERNET & IIOT BECOMING A VEHICLE FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

COVER STORY 3D PRINTING-SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

EV-FEATURE NEXT-GENERATION ELECTRIC VEHICLES DEMAND THE SAFETY OF HIGH RELIABILITY CIRCUIT PROTECTION

Jean-Louis CHAMPSEIX Group VP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, STMicroelectronics

Sailesh Chittipeddi

Executive Vice President & General Manager of the IoT & Infrastructure Business Unit, Renesas Electronics Corporation

IOT-FEATURE ULTRA-COMPACT, LOW-POWER CONSUMPTION CELLULAR LPWA MODULES, ENABLING ALL KINDS OF INTERNET CONNECTIONS

T&M - COLUMN RADIO TESTING - FROM THE BENCH TO THE FIELD

TECHNOVATORS AER- A RENEWABLE STARTUP AIMS GREEN ENERGY INVESTMENTS IN INDIA

TECH-EXCLUSIVE MEASURE WHAT MATTERS – SENSE CO2 TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY IN SMART HOMES AND SMART BUILDINGS

TS Shankar

Regional Sales Manager-India, Analog Devices

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Animesh Damani Managing Partner, Artha Energy Resources

WHITE PAPER

ToF System Design—

PART 2: Optical Design for Time of Flight Depth Sensing Cameras Abstract

Optics plays a key role in time of flight (ToF) depth sensing cameras, and the optical design dictates the complexity and feasibility of the final system and its performance. 3D ToF cameras have certain distinct characteristics1 that drive special optics requirements. This article presents the depth sensing optical system Tzu-Yu Wu Senior Optical architecture—which consists of the imaging Design Engineer, optics sub-assembly, the ToF sensor on the Analog Devices receiver, and the illumination module on the transmitter— and discusses how to optimize each submodule to improve the sensor and system performance.

Depth Sensing Optical System Architecture

Figure 2 shows the optical system architecture. It can be broken down into two main sub-module categories: imaging module (also known as receiver or Rx) and illumination module (also known as transmitter or Tx). The following sections introduce the function of each component, requirements distinct to the ToF system, and corresponding design examples.

Illumination Module

The illumination module consists of a light source, a driver that drives the light source at a high modulation frequency, and a diffuser that projects the optical beam from the light source to the designed field of illumination (FOI), as illustrated in Figure 2.

Introduction

ToF is an emerging 3D sensing and imaging technology that has found numerous applications in areas such as autonomous vehicles, virtual and augmented reality, feature identification, and object dimensioning. ToF cameras acquire depth images by measuring the time it takes the light to travel from a light source to objects in the scene and back to the pixel array. The specific type of technology that Analog Devices’ ADSD3100 backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor implements is called continuous wave (CW) modulation, which is an indirect ToF sensing method. In a CW ToF camera, the light from an amplitude modulated light source is backscattered by objects in the camera’s field of view (FOV), and the phase shift between the emitted waveform and the reflected waveform is measured. By measuring the phase shift at multiple modulation frequencies, one can calculate a depth value for each pixel. The phase shift is obtained by measuring the correlation between the emitted waveform and the received waveform at different relative delays using in-pixel photon mixing demodulation.2 The concept of CW ToF is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The concept of ToF technology.

Figure 2. An example of a ToF optical system architecture cross-section.

Light Source and Driver

ToF modules normally use light sources that are narrow band with low temperature dependence of the wavelength, including vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and edge emitting lasers (EELs). Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are generally too slow for ToF modulation requirements. VCSELs have gained more popularity over recent years due to their lower cost, form factor, and reliability, along with being easy to integrate into ToF modules. Compared with EELs (that emit from the side) and LEDs (that emit from the sides and top), VCSELs emit beams perpendicular to their surface, which offers better yield in production and lower fabrication cost. In addition, the desired FOI can be achieved by using a single engineered diffuser with the designed divergence and optical profile. The optimization of the laser driver, as well as the electrical design and layout of the printed circuit boards (PCBs) and light source are critically important to achieve high modulation contrast and high optical power.

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Illumination Wavelength (850 nm vs. 940 nm)

While the ToF operational principle does not depend on the wavelength (rather it depends on the speed of light) and therefore the wavelength should not affect the accuracy, the choice of wavelength can affect the system-level performance in some use cases. The following are some considerations when choosing the wavelength. ► Sensor quantum efficiency and responsivity: Quantum efficiency (QE) and responsivity (R) are linked to each other. ■ QE measures the ability of a photodetector to convert photons into electrons.

■ R measures the ability of a photodetector to convert optical power into electric current

where q is electron charge, h is plank constant, c is speed of light, and λ is wavelength. Typically, the QE of silicon-based sensors is about 2× better or more at 850 nm than at 940 nm. For example, ADI CW ToF sensors have 44% QE at 850 nm and 27% QE at 940 nm. For the same amount of illumination optical power, higher QE and R lead to better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), especially when not much light returns to the sensor (which is the case for faraway or low reflectivity objects).

Figure 3. Solar spectral irradiance in NIR.3

Radiant Intensity (Optical Power per Solid Angle)

The light source generates a constant optical power distributed into a 3D space within the FOI produced by the diffusing optics. As the FOI increases, the energy sustained per steradian (sr)—that is, radiant intensity [W/sr]—decreases. It is important to understand the trade-offs between FOI and radiant intensity as they affect the SNR, and therefore the depth range, of the ToF system. Table 1 lists a few examples of FOI and their corresponding radiant intensity normalized to the radiant intensity of a 60° × 45° FOI. Note that the radiant intensity is calculated as optical power per rectangular solid angle.

Table 1. Normalized Radiant Intensity

► Human perception While the human eye is insensitive in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength range, light at 850 nm can be perceived by the human eye. On the other hand, 940 nm is invisible to the human eye. ► Sunlight Although the solar emission is maximum in the visible region of the spectrum, the energy in the NIR region is still significant. Sunlight (and ambient light more generally) can increase depth noise and reduce the range of a ToF camera. Fortunately, due to atmospheric absorption, there is a dip in sunlight irradiance in the 920 nm to 960 nm region, where the solar irradiance is less than half compared to the 850 nm region (see Figure 3). In outdoor applications, operating the ToF system at 940 nm provides better ambient light immunity and leads to better depth sensing performance.

Illumination Profile Specifications

To fully define the illumination profile, several characteristics should be clearly specified including the profile shape, profile width, optical efficiency (that is, enclosed energy within a certain FOV), and optical power drop-off outside the FOI. The illumination profile specification is normally defined in radiant intensity in angular space. Mathematically it is expressed as:

where dΦ is the power emitted into the solid angle dΩ. The FOI needs to match the aspect ratio of the imager, and hence is normally square or rectangular.

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WHITE PAPER ► Illumination profile shape inside FOI ► Optical power drop-off outside FOI The most common radiant intensity profiles in ToF flood illumination have a batwing shape. They have a profile that varies in cos-n (θ) to compensate for the drop-off (that is, relative illumination) of the imaging lens. Figure 5 demonstrates an example of a batwing illumination profile. If one wishes to achieve constant irradiance on the pixel array of the imager from a flat target, one should also consider a cos3 (θ) drop-off factor in irradiance (E) between the target center and the target edge [W/m2], which is defined as:

where E is irradiance, dA is the surface ar ea illuminated by optical power dΦ, R(θ) is the distance between the light source to dA defined in Figure 4, and dΩ = dAcos(θ)/R(θ)2.

Figure 5. An illumination profile example. In general, the optical efficiency can be improved by having a collimator lens between the light source and the diffuser to reduce the input angle to the diffuser, or by choosing a light source with a smaller divergence angle.

Imaging Module

The imaging module consists of an imag ing lens assembly, band-pass filter (BPF), and microlens array on the imager. The thickne ss and material of the backside optical stacks on the imager should be optimized for low back-reflection. Figure 6 shows an illustration of the imaging module.

Figure 4. Irradiance distribution vs. intensity. ► Width of the profile The width of the profile determines the FOI of the illumination pr ofile. It can be defined as full width half max or 1/e2 of the maximum intensity. To accommodate misalignment between the imaging lens to the imager and the tolerance of the diffuser, FOI is normally designed to be slightly larger than the FOV of the lens to avoid dark pixels. The width of the profile is the convolution of the intensity profile of the light source to the diffuser response to a collimated beam. The wider the input divergence angle to the diffuser, the wider the width and slower the transition slope. A wider and slower transition slope results in more energy falling outside the FOI, which causes optical power loss. The acceptance criteria for such loss can be specified using the following two requirements. ► Optical efficiency- enclosed energy within the imaging lens FOV This specification defines how much energy will be received by the imaging module and is specified by:

Figure 5c illustrates the concept of 2D integration of the illumination profile within FOV.

Figure 6. Illustration of the imaging module.

ToF Imaging Lens Design Considerations

Since the ToF camera collects light generated by active illumination, the efficiency and uniformity of the light collection on the pixel array greatly affect the overall performance. The lens needs to have a strong collecting power, high transmission, and low stray light. The following are design considerations for ToF lenses, which are distinct from traditional RGB camera lenses.

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► Light collecting efficiency Light collection efficiency is proportional to 1/(f/#)2, where f/# = (focal length)/ (aperture size). The smaller the f/#, the better the efficiency. There are some trade-offs with a small f/# optical system. As the aperture size increases, there tend to be more vignetting and aberrations, which make the optics more challenging to design. A low f/# system also tends to have shallower depth of field. ► Relative illumination (RI) and chief ray angle (CRA) RI is defined as:

The sensor illuminance declines based on the (cos q)4 law, in a distortion and vignetting free lens system where q is the CRA incident angle on the sensor plane. The result is a relative darkening of the image toward the sensor border. The irradiance fall-off can be reduced by introducing negative distortion in the lens system. The max CRA at the sensor edge should be optimized based on the imager microlens array specification. A smaller CRA helps narrow the bandwidth of the BPF to achieve better ambient light immunity.

as a technique to increase the image quality while trading off the brightness of the peripheral fields. However, the cutoff rays often bounce inside the lens system and tend to cause stray light issues. ■ AR coating AR coating on the optical elements reduces the reflectance of each surface and can effectively reduce the impact of lens reflections on depth calculation. AR coatings should be carefully designed for the light source wavelength range and the angle range for the incident angles on the lens surfaces. ■ Number of lens elements Although adding more lens elements provides more freedom to achieve the design specifications and better image quality in terms of resolution, it also increases the inevitable back reflections from the lens elements as well as increasing complexity and cost. ■ Band-pass filter (BPF) The BPF cuts off ambient light contribution and is essential for ToF systems. The BPF design should be tailored to the following parameters to have the best performance. (a) Lens parameters such as f/# and CRA across the field (b) Light source parameters such as bandwidth, nominal wavelength tolerance, and thermal shift (c) Substrate material properties to low incident angle drift vs. wavelength or low thermal drift vs. wavelength

The following examples demonstrate how the CRA and the focused light cone sizes (effective f/#) across the field affect the RI. The lens system of Example 1 in Figure 7 has larger CRAs and gradually decreasing imaging cones (that is, increased ► Microlens array f/#) as the field angle increases. The corresponding RI drops A ToF backside illuminated (BSI) sensor normally has a layer significantly with the field angle as shown in the corresponding of microlens array that converges rays incident to the image RI plot. Example 2 in Figure 7 demonstrates that the RI can sensor and maximizes the number of photons that reach the be well maintained by minimizing the CRA as well as keeping pixel modulation region. The geometry of the microlens is uniform f/# across the field. optimized to achieve the highest absorption within the pixel region where photons are converted into electrons. ► Stray light Stray light is any unintended light in a system that could be In many lens designs, the CRA of the lens increases as the image detected by the sensor. Stray light can come from in or out height increases toward the edge of the sensor, as shown in of field sources that form a ghost image (for example, lens Figure 8. This oblique incidence leads to absorption loss in the flare) through even numbers of reflections. Stray light can pixel and crosstalk between adjacent pixels when the CRA also emanate from opto-mechanical structures and any is too big. It is important to design or choose an imaging lens scattering surfaces. ToF systems are particularly sensitive such that the CRA of the lens matches the specifications of to stray light because the multipath nature of stray light the microlens array it is designed for. For example, the optimal contributes different optical path lengths to a pixel, which CRA that matches with ADI ToF sensor ADSD3100 is at around leads to depth measurement inaccuracies. Several strategies 12° at the sensor horizontal and vertical edges. in the design process need to be used to reduce stray light, such as optimization of the anti-reflection (AR) coating and the mechanical aperture, darkening the lens edges and mounting structures, and custom design of the BPF to optimize for wavelength and CRA. The following are some items that can impact stray light in a system: ■ Vignetting Ideally there should not be any vignetting in a ToF lens system. Vignetting cuts off the imaging rays and is sometimes used

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WHITE PAPER

Figure 7. Relative illumination examples.

optical systems and/or choose sub-components. For the illumination sub-module, the key factors are power efficiency, reliability, and the ability of the light source to be driven at high modulation frequency with high modulation contrast. Wavelength selection consideration between 850 nm and 940 nm, as well as how to specify the illumination profiles are discussed in detail. For the imaging sub-module, the lens design considerations including f/#, CRA that matches with the microlens specification, and stray light control are critical to system-level performance.

References Figure 8. Max CRA of an imaging lens.

Conclusion

ToF optics have unique requirements to achieve optimal performance. This article provides an overview of a 3D ToF camera optical architecture and design guidelines for the illumination and imaging sub-modules to help design such

1 Paul O’Sullivan and Nicolas Le Dortz. “Time of Flight System Design—Part 1: System Overview.” Analog Dialogue, Vol. 55, No. 3, July 2021. 2 Cyrus S. Bamji, Swati Mehta, Barry Thompson, Tamer Elkhatib, Stefan Wurster, Onur Akkaya, Andrew Payne, John Godbaz, Mike Fenton, Vijay Rajasekaran, Larry Prather, Satya Nagaraja, Vishali Mogallapu, Dane Snow, Rich McCauley, Mustansir Mukadam, Iskender Agi, Shaun McCarthy, Zhanping Xu, Travis

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Perry, William Qian, Vei-Han Chan, Prabhu Adepu, Gazi Ali, Muneeb Ahmed, Aditya Mukherjee, Sheethal Nayak, Dave Gampell, Sunil Acharya, Lou Kordus, and Pat O’Connor. “IMpixel 65nm BSI 320MHz demodulated TOF Image sensor with 3μm global shutter pixels and analog binning.” 2018 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), February 2018. 3 “Reference Air Mass 1.5 Spectra.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

About the Author

Tzu-Yu Wu is a senior optical design engineer at Analog Devices. She leads ADI’s optics development for time of flight

(ToF) technology and has been working on optical designs for imaging lens, illumination optics, stray light analysis, and optimizations on the microlens array and the optical stacks of the backside illuminated CMOS ToF sensor. Prior to joining ADI, she had worked at Canon U.S.A. to develop advanced medical imaging systems such as ultra-miniature endoscopes and cardiovascular imaging catheters. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in optical sciences from the University of Arizona, and an M.S. degree in physics from National Taiwan University. Her Ph.D. research focused on the development of high resolution imaging devices that provide rapid detection of early stage cancer through minimally invasive procedures. She can be reached at tzu-yu.wu@analog.com.

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BIG PICTURE

Before the End of This Decade, India Will Be the 3rd Largest Consumer of Electronics Goods and 5th Largest Producer of Electronics Systems in The World Before the end of this decade, India will be the 3rd largest consumer of electronics goods and 5th largest producer of electronics systems in the world. As a country, we have enabled the global OEMs and ODM’s two distinct advantages. In the first step, we have given our ESDM market to global majors which itself is the first incentive. By giving them PLI to manufacture their products in India we have given a second incentive enlightens K Krishna Moorthy - CEO & President, IESA while in an exclusive interview with Niloy from BISinfotech. As the veteran is also on-fleek across the dossiers of ESDM sector and the evolution of indigenous Startup ecosystem he leaves no pages unturned in the edited excerpts below.

To start, K Krishna Moorthy you’ve been around in the industry, leading many facets across your career. Hence kindly tell our readers about your professional journey and the vital changes you witnessed in the ESDM sector in these four (4) decades. Let me start by saying that each of the four decades was new learnings and new challenges. But if there is one technology that touched most human lives in the last 4 decades it is electronics and I am fortunate to have seen that happen during my active professional life. While the early part of my professional life was in the Military communication R&D in BEL where I was involved in developing tactical High frequency and very highfrequency communication systems for the defense and started as an individual contributor. By the middle of that 1980-90 decade, we saw the emergence of personal computers and powerful computer work stations and also the arrival of CAD/CAE SW products which enabled designers of electronics systems and also CAM SW tools which helped mechanical engineers to design and analyze their product design for robustness and reliability. The design process went

K Krishna Moorthy CEO & President, IESA

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through a paradigm shift during that period. Around the same time, the early to mid-’80s saw the arrival and maturity of HW description languages – VHDL and Verilog and very good compilers which made digital chip design flow transform. Around the same time the global Chip leader, Texas Instruments set up their design center in Bangalore and started developing some custom EDA SW products first. And STPI was setting up the Satcom links to enable these MNC companies’ high BW data communication infrastructures. The arrival of these design tools and powerful workstation and HW description languages made the chip designers think of packing more circuits in a sq mm of silicon and the concept of ASIC was getting born worldwide. It was in 1986, India designed its first ASIC and I am fortunate to have been piloting that project from the BEL R&D. We also saw the misfortune of the only CMOS Fab in India at SCL Chandigarh being destroyed in a fire in 1989. I must not forget here people like Mr N Vittal, the DOT secretary who at that time played a pivotal role in getting many initiatives giving the impetus required for the electronics and IT sector which later defined the road map for many new policies by the Government of India. The tax holidays for STPI units for Cap Ex etc. was a big game changer for the MNC’s to set up India design centers and leverage the engineering talent The 1990’s decade was when semiconductor design started in a big way in India with many global majors coming to India and starting their India design centers. By the mid-nineties, there were many of the big semiconductor OEMs in India with their IDC’s. Most of them started by developing embedded SW but also expanded to the less complex end of the design steps like verification etc. in chip design. But it was only a matter of time for the chip designers in India to prove their mettle to own full products from architecture onwards. I made the career change to the MNC, National Semiconductor Corpn. (NSC) in 2000 and within two years’ time we taped out the first processor embedded full-chip SoC from India and thereafter some baseband processor SoC’s for marquee customers were assigned to the team in India by NSC management. A lot was happening in the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Industry. Chip Majors were starting big design centers in NCR and Bangalore and some fledgling starts ups were upping the ante in places like Hyderabad and Pune. The eco system was beginning to develop. The economic meltdown in 2008-09 was a big dampener and what followed in the early to mid-2010’s decade was one of consolidation and M&A’s. But this also brought the Indian entrepreneurs out and many Indian startups got under way. Some of them who developed high-end IP’s even made successful exits like Cosmic Circuits. The IP value is being understood by the industry at large and by the Indian design entities particularly. It was in late 2011, I decided to join one of the world leaders in IP development namely Rambus Inc. The coming of age of the entire electronics and semiconductor ecosystem was seen in the late 2010-20 decade with many white-label mfg. entities starting to make in India for the world. The recipe is all written and the ingredients are in place set and the next decade of 2021-30 will see the ESDM getting accelerated in a big way. The skills needed for us to sustain

this momentum are becoming a challenge and India has to focus on this quickly, else the growth will get stunted for want of talent with the right skills.

According to you, your take on the future of the ESDM industry in the country? The future of the ESDM industry is very bright. We selected the theme of the IESA Vision Summit this year as “India’s accelerated ESDM growth – the defining decade” because of this. We at IESA believe that this is now or never - the defining decade for the ESDM Industry just as 2000 to 2010 was the defining decade for the SW industry in India. It takes some time for any industry to reach a level of maturity in a country and to develop the supporting ecosystem, skills and infrastructure and they are coming up now in India for the ESDM industry across many states. The design startups are beginning to succeed in the System and Semi space. The MSME’s and EMCs are seeing value in manufacturing, the bigger Indian white label manufacturers are reposing faith in this industry and global system mfg. houses are expanding capacity in India. I expect the ESDM industry to contribute 8-10% of the country’s GDP by end of this decade. That is also the benchmark for many developed countries.

First congratulations to IESA on completing the 16th edition of the IESA VISION summit with such new enthusiasm. In this edition, the word Startup and MSME seemed to be a vital topic. You, yourself have mentored many start-ups in the IoT products and semiconductor solutions space, according to you, what it needs for the startups to gain the interest of Venture Capitalist (VC) and also term profitability in a longer-term of their respective biz. Thank you! Yes, IESA Vision Summit (VS) was a great success. We had about 40 sessions and 100+ speakers, both a record for IESA Vision summits since its inception in 2005. Being a virtual summit, we also adjusted the time to suit the international speakers and that helped us get top ranking global speakers as well as Policymakers from India to speak at the VS this year which included Industry veterans like Mr John Chambers and Dr Ajay Choudhry and the teenage celebrity speaker Ms Ria Cheruvu and Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman, our Hon’ble Finance minister, Mr Som Prakash, MoS Industry and commerce, Dr Aswath Narayan, Minister for IT&BT Govt of Karnataka and the MeitY Secretary as well as IT secretaries from Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha and AP also speaking at Summit. In the Vision Summit this year, we had focused on 4 categories of the ESDM industry - Fabless Semiconductor companies, System Start-Ups, MSME’s and Electronics & Semi Manufacturing. And these are the four categories that we will follow throughout the year. I personally believe that the StartUps in Electronics & Semiconductor, as well as MSMEs, will define the future of the ESDM industry in India. For example, the medical diagnosis and delivery of medicare will become more and more remotely administered through IoT enabled devices. For a rural economy-based country like India, this will give huge opportunities for its entrepreneurs. India will need EV and alternate energy solutions in abundance by the end of this decade. As far as VC’s are considered, they will come

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BIG PICTURE once they see the megatrend emerging in the next couple of years. Unlike the SW industry, to which the entire mindset and thought process is tuned to in India, the Electronics and Semiconductor products and solutions take much longer to reach monetization levels. The VC’s normally have some proven equations to invest and the ESDM industry is yet to solve those equations to give the right inputs to VC’s but that is a short time away.

and foremost is to bring the industry together on a single platform as an Industry body that emerged to be the ‘ESDM leadership and knowledge partner for India’ in a short time span. IESA partnered with most of the state governments to help formulate the state level Electronics & Semiconductor policies. IESA is the undisputed knowledge partner today in India when it comes to ESDM Industry. IESA also worked with MeitY and STPI in getting the EMCs off the ground and also common facilities for ESDM Startups in many parts of India. Previously associated with Rambus India and National Now we are embarking on a prestigious skill development Semiconductor India Design Center, and also held key program along with premier institutions in India to ensure that positions in R&D at Bharat Electronics Ltd. How different from the well trained and rightly skilled talent supply does not run your previous stint is being on the leadership chair of IESA? out as we drive ESDM growth. IESA has now opened chapters It is different in the sense that in these companies I learned how in NCR, Hyderabad and Western India. We will soon launch to execute a program that converts technology to business the Tamil Nadu chapter and a USA Chapter in early 2022. meaning how to assimilate new technology, apply them and IESA is working with the many policymaking entities to expand create new products and solutions and do it myself or with a the Electropruner parks in many more states and also start team. In IESA, as an industry body, I am connected to a lot of semiconductor design center infra with the required shared such companies and though I do not get involved in program capacity created centrally and leveraged from across the executions like before. It also gives me a perfect view of the country. We expect the policy enabling this to come out ecosystem in India and its strengths and opportunities. The very soon. IESA is preparing two important documents which Indian ESDM startup community will show its mettle very soon should provide the right insight to the policymakers as well as announcing products, IP’s and Solutions made in India for investors associated with this industry- the 2021 ESDM report India and the world. My job is to enable and accelerate that and the Supply Chain Development report. The second one process and act as a go-between the entrepreneurs and the on the supply chain will identify the opportunities India will soon policymakers to make the ride smooth for them. have to become a supplier to semiconductor manufacturing worldwide for the metals, minerals and chemicals which they What are the key take-away from this year’s Vision Summit? use. They are abundant in India and need a certain level of There are many but the most important one is the keen processing to reach the required quality levels needed for this. interest the international Semiconductor and Electronics Given a few set policies now by the Govt. do you think Businesses has in India. They seem to be more upbeat about silicon in India is no anymore a distant dream? it than we are. Post-Covid when the GDP is projected to grow at 8.5-9%, while the best elsewhere in the world is about 5% or Certainly, I think it is not a distant dream. The seriousness with around, there is huge optimism about India and its electronics which the government is following up Silicon mfg. enablement, growth. So, our theme of “India’s Accelerated ESDM growth - it is not a distant dream. The expression of interest (EoI) process the defining decade” resonated well through the deliberations has been completed and I would expect some new pathof the Vision Summit. The address by the Honourable Finance breaking policies to come out very soon which imbibes the Minister of India stated this in no uncertain terms and called learnings from the EoI submissions. And silicon in India is not upon the industry to plan for the future not in short term but just silicon wafer fab, it covers Assembly Test, Marking and in longer terms of 10-15 years and reduce the dependency Packaging (ATMP) and also Compound fabs like Si Ge, GaN on one country for all our electronics needs. Strategically. etc. for mfg. a special class of devices. These require much The role of the ESDM industry in India and its potential to lower investments and hence can be started sooner and become a priority sector in the next few years was stated help build the ecosystem before the full-fledged Silicon fab by many global thought leaders. IESA also brought to the gets off the ground. In fact, the government in the meantime forefront some of the successful initiatives, in the recent past can even consider refurbishing and upgrading the SCL fab such as Electropruner park in Delhi and Bhubaneswar, and in Chandigarh with minimum investments and start offering it Hubli, all focused on innovative system-level products from commercially to Indian startups to design and test new chips. Startups as well as SFAL in Bangalore which is catering to This will help them to know how to build world-class products the development of Fabless Semiconductor design startups. at low costs. The opportunity this can create for our startups This has kindled a lot of interest in the start-up segment. The and fabless design houses to achieve maturity is enormous. speeches by Hon’ble MoS, Industry and Commerce Govt of The government can also consider a Govt to Govt. approach India and by the Hon’ble Minister for IT &BT Govt of Karnataka to bring fab technology to India soon. also brought to fore the laser focus the governments are giving Lastly, how do you foresee India becoming a global hub to ESDM through their programs. for Electronics specifically in propelling Semi Biz for the Also if you can enlighten us about IESA’S key contributions global economy? to the industry? Before the end of this decade, India will be the 3rd largest IESA has contributed to the ESDM industry in many ways. First consumer of electronics goods and 5th largest producer of

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electronics systems in the world. As a country, we have enabled the global OEMs and ODM’s two distinct advantages. In the first step, we have given our ESDM market to global majors which itself is the first incentive. By giving them PLI to manufacture their products in India we have given a second incentive. And with an economy that is expected to grow between 8-12% YoY and a young population that is tech-savvy, the inputs needed for the growth of electronics in India is all in place now. Government can now steer the policies to compel the global majors to manufacture the products and Silicon in India to make good use of these incentives and also develop the cause of ESDM in India. The Semi biz size is going from $25Bn (direct import and assembled modules) in 2020-21 to about $70Bn-75Bn in the next 5 years. And almost all global Semi majors are the direct beneficiaries of this market growth and they are all excited about it. The recent additional investments most of them are making to leverage the talent from India for furthering their design needs is proof of that. So, if you consider the total Semi Biz as Silicon Design, Silicon mfg. and ATMP, we have ticked the design box and are yet to tick the other two boxes. There can be compelling policy initiatives from the policymakers in India to make the other two happen soon. It can be a soft push policy or even a mandated policy through a consortium of global companies coming together to make that happen with Indian majors also joining hands.

Indian design centers are not competing in the recent inventory management issue per se. But the Indian design centers are now occupying the center stage in defining and designing new products that can cater to emerging needs of India and the world at large post pandemic. One example is the ability and agility of Indian companies to develop a cost-effective ventilator and produce about 30,000 ventilators in a short time. The entire mfg. supply chain was tested in this national cause and Indian design centers and mfg. capability came winners. Another example is the ability of our top academic institutions coming together to up process the critical chemical used in Oxygen concentrators called Zeolite from Agricultural grade to medical grade in the shortest possible time. These were multi-disciplinary approaches that again tested our systems & processes and India came winners. So, I am optimistic that Indian design centers, mostly the startups which are maturing rapidly will be able to create newer solutions tailored for the India needs like in EV, Non-Fossil energy etc. and we will also develop the silicon needed for this. We will see all this happen in the next 4-5 years. After Oil, India today imports more electronics than anything else. Even gold has dropped to No 3 position recently. This level of import is not sustainable long term and I am very confident that the Indian ESDM industry will come of age to reverse this trend. India today exports more cars than it imports and it also adds most of the value in India itself except for the latest engine technology. In a Component inventory has become crucial with the few years our ESDM design and manufacturing centers will market changing dynamically especially post-pandemic. achieve similar results in Electronics. Hence for Indian design centres how you do think they can successfully compete in these challenging times?

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TECH-FEATURE

1980 - A Pivotal Point In The Power Industry! October 29, 2020, after seven months of silence due to a major upgrade of the 70 meter wide radio antenna located in Camberra, NASA sent a set of commands to the 43 year-old spacecraft, Voyager 2 that has travelled billions of miles from earth since its launch in 1977. Voyager 2 acknowledged it had received the call and executed the commands without any issue. Interesting for sure - but what is the significance of this to power engineers? Although often considered as the last cog in the wheel by system designers, in truth the power supply is probably one of the most important parts of their equipment. From the thyratron tubes used in the type REC-30 power rectifier to supply HV power to teletype teleprinters in 1930 [1], through to the latest Wide Band Gap semiconductors, without their curiosity and passion, power designers would not have made a lot of things possible. Voyager 2 is a good example of that, but who remembers what happened in the late seventies and early eighties within the power industry and how leading power engineers changed the face of our industry?

Back in time to the battlefield!

Launched on August 20, 1977, Voyager 2 was powered by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) that turns heat from the decay of a radioactive material into electricity. The generated voltage is regulated and distributed to the 14 scientific equipments and to the master control board. The overall power system has been designed to accommodate the RTG and despite the schematic being kept secret, a brand new technology was mentioned called ‘switching power supply’! Known since 1930, switching power supply principles have been explored by power designers for decades with the aerospace industry with NASA being the driving force in research and development. Considering the astronomical cost of a launch, and also the lifetime of space probes and satellites, space power designers sought for lower weight, higher energy efficiency and compactness. In the sixties NASA had already used switching power systems in a number of satellites e.g. Telstar in 1962. In parallel with secret research conducted by aerospace and military organizations to miniaturize embedded power systems, power designers in the civil industry also considered alternative solutions to the old, heavy, bulky conventional architecture of transformer, rectifier, and linear regulation. Who launched the first commercial switching power supply is up for debate, but we can mention RO Associates who in 1967 introduced a 20Khz power solution, followed by a wave

Generic illustration – Voyager 2 – Image source NASA of products e.g. 1970 NEMIC Japan, 1973 HP 500W. For leading power designers it was obvious that switching power technology was the future. But at that time linear power supplies were the reference and ‘switching’ was considered to be a suspicious technology and some were predicting that the interference field generated by switching could cause major damage to the final application. We should remember that in the seventies linear power supplies were the norm, and despite Lambda introducing a line of ‘standardized’ linear power supplies, the launch of Power-One’s ‘H’ series is considered by many as the first ‘off the shelf’ power solution, first in USA and then in Europe. Based on a genius level concept of a folded aluminum plate used as case and power dissipater, Power-One launched an amazing number of variants offering systems designers a ready to use power supply (Figure 01).

Figure 01 – Power One Linear power supplies “H” series

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Simultaneously in Japan - with very little information coming out from that country – power supplies manufacturers not only launched a complete range of linear power supplies but only few years after, a range of switching power solution. One example is the company ELCO/COSEL, which launched the linear “G” series in 1975, followed in 1977 by a complete range of switching power supplies, the “H” series (Figure 02)! In truth, Japan was really ahead of the curve. Another example being SONY who in 1960 at the time when the TV industry used electronics tubes (valves), were the first to use transistors in their TVs and were probably the first to implement a switching power supply in TV equipment in the early seventies.

both cases, as it was in the aerospace industry, they aimed to make the power supplies smaller, lighter and more efficient. According to legend in his kitchen, in 1970, Robert Boschert started to develop a more cost effective, competitive and lighter power supply as an alternative to the bulky transformer and linear regulation model. He focused on developing a switching power supply for wheel and band printers that he produced in volume in 1974. In 1976 he launched one of the first ‘off the shelf’ switching power supplies and applied for patents 4,037,271 and 4,061,931 to protect its IPR (Figure 03). The two patents were granted in less than a year, followed by the commercial success of the OL25 switcher that received high profile coverage in the press and media e.g. “Flyback converters: solid-state solution to low-cost switching power supplies” published 21 December, 1978 in Electronics. Robert Boschert was also a pioneer in selling licenses of its IPR and in 1977 Boschert Inc. had more than 600 employees and was certified to design switching power solutions for space and military aircrafts.

Figure 03 – Boschert Associates switching regulators patents 4,037,271 and 4,061,931 Figure 02 – ELCO/COSEL 1975 Linear “G” series (Top) and 1977 Switching “H” series (Bottom) We should also remember that in the late seventies and early eighties, the vast majority of companies developing electronics equipment had their own in-house power departments designing dedicated power solutions for their applications. Not surprisingly, for many in-house power designers the launch of the Power-One ‘H’ series was perceived as a threat. Many equipment manufacturers adopted standardized ‘off the shelf’ power supplies, refocusing their internal power department’s R&D to the emerging switching power technology in order to stay ahead of their competitors.

With passion, talent and curiosity!

The seventies was full of talented engineers researching enhanced switching power solutions and it would require a dedicated article to name them all. Among all of them, to me it is interesting to mention two ‘power gurus’, Robert J. Boschert (Boschert Associates) and Frederick Rod Holt (Apple), both working at the same time on more efficient power solutions. In

At the same time Steve Jobs, known for his curiosity in new technology, considered switching power technology as being of interest, but due to lack of time the Apple I launched in April 1976 featured a conventional linear power supply. Never mind, working on the Apple II Rob Holt designed a 38W multioutput off-line flyback switching power supply (Figure 04) for which he filled a patent in February 1978 and got it granted in December (4,130,862). Apple II was a success and with volume levels increasing, Apple outsourced the manufacturing of the power supply to ASTEC, beginning the long history of OEM power supplies for computers. Perhaps anecdotal but nonetheless illustrating the competitive landscape within the power industry which suffered a number of IPR disputes, in Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography it is written that Jobs said: “Instead of a conventional linear power supply, Holt built one like those used in oscilloscopes. It switched the power on and off not sixty times per second, but thousands of times; this allowed it to store the power for far less time, and thus throw off less heat. That switching power supply was as revolutionary as the Apple II logic board was."

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TECH-FEATURE Jobs later added: "Rod doesn't get a lot of credit for this in the history books, but he should. Every computer now uses switching power supplies, and they all rip off Rod Holt's design." For sure, as a good marketer Steve Jobs would like APPLE to enjoy the accolade of implementing switching power supplies in PCs, though many others e.g. IBM and HP followed the same path at the same time, all aiming for higher performance and reduced costs.

off of modern switching power supplies, opening the way to inventions and innovations that we all benefit from today.

The race for switching power is open!

With the development of the personal computer and IT equipment, the demand for high efficiency and low weight increased the demand on power designers to improve performance further. Despite Steve Jobs’ perception, computer leaders such as IBM had impressive power departments and the launch of the IBM 5150 Personal Computer set the tempo for the design of a dedicated power supply using the NE5560 and later the SG3524 chip. Unique to the PC industry, switching power supplies are specific to a motherboard and are not as such ‘off the shelf’ for common applications use, although the snowball effect on contracted manufacturers contributed to boost their own products’ development, launching complete ranges of commercial products. On the industrial side it is impossible to name all the products and innovations but since we mentioned the Power-One ‘H’ series, it is fitting to mention a young engineer who joined Power-One in the early eighties named Steve Goldman who led the team that designed the new generation of switching power supplies, the MAP series. Anecdotally, MAP stands for the name of Power-One's Chief Engineer/Designer at that time, Michael Archer (Michael Archer Product).

Figure 04 - Apple II 38W multi-output off-line flyback switching power supply designed by Rob Hol However, despite the huge benefits of that technology, its implementation and market adoption has been relatively slow and market analysts have estimated that only 8% of the power supplies manufactured in 1978 were based on switching topology.

Make my Teletype smaller, lighter and faster!

In the introduction I mentioned the thyratron power rectifier type REC-30 powering a 1930 Teletype teleprinter [1]. Few know that, in those days, Teletypes used to be state of the art telecommunication machines and long before the introduction of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5G, a communication system that motivated power designers to invent and innovate. Besides topologies, one major evolution in the switching power supply industry occurred in 1976 when Robert Mammano, cofounder of Silicon General Semiconductors introduced the first control IC dedicated to switching power supply. The launch of the SG1524 was a major step forward within the power supply community, and its first application was a new generation of Teletype machines marketed as being ‘smaller, lighter and faster’. Originally developed to solve a Teletype manufacturing problem, the introduction of the SG1524 became the kick-

Simultaneously the computing and industrial industries moved towards switching power architectures and although it took years before that technology prevailed over the wellestablished linear solution, a number of power electronics conventions started all around the world, providing a forum for power engineers to learn and share knowledge about new technologies.

1980, the pivotal point in the power industry!

At the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties the power industry forged the foundations of where we are today. Despite the IEEE Power Electronics Specialist Conference (PESC) starting in 1970, power designers and industry leaders considered a different type of forum to share technology knowledge, new ideas and best practices. POWERCON took place in Beverly Hills, Calif., March 20 to 22, 1975, followed in 1978 by a conference primarily focused on telecommunications called INTELEC. Unfortunately, after nine years POWERCON ceased in 1984 leaving the power community as an orphan. Back in days when the grandfather of the internet, ARPANET had just adopted the TCP/IP protocol (January 1983), power engineers were still miles away from chatting and blogging, and with the growing demand for tighter cooperation within the power industry the need for a ‘one place to share’ became obvious. In 1983 the China Power Supply Society (CPSS) was founded [2], and in 1985 the Power Sources Manufacturers Association was incorporated (PSMA) [3]. Both organizations aimed to share knowledge and to facilitate communication within their respective power communities, and 35 years later both are still supporting power engineers.

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At the same time that PSMA was formed, a group of eight passionate engineers, Bill Hazen (Prime Computer) ; Don Drinkwater (DEC) ; Phil Hower (Unitrode) ; Jonathan Wood (Data General) ; Marty Schlecht (MIT) ; Jack Wright (GE) ; Trey Burns (Data General) and John Kassakian (MIT) had an idea to create a power conference which would embrace research, applied electronics, and serve to connect electronics engineers to a larger community including industry, and the provision of an exhibition. It was to be called the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) [4], and the first edition took place on 28 April to 1 May, 1986 in New Orleans.

References:

And the story continues..

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Powerbox, Patrick Le Fèvre is an experienced, senior marketer and degree-qualified engineer with a 35year track record of success in power electronics. He has pioneered the marketing of new technologies such as digital power and technical initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Le Fèvre Patrick Le Fèvre has written and presented numerous Powerbox Chief Marketing & white papers and articles at the world’s Communication Officer leading international power electronics conferences. These have been published over 250 times in media throughout the world. He is also involved in several environmental forums, sharing his expertise and knowledge of clean energy.

The power electronics industry has been through many periods of evolution, disruption and revolution. If the introduction of the Bipolar Junction Transistor was arguably the ‘first’ technological revolution, there is no doubt that the migration from linear power conversion to switching technology was the second, and the beginning of a long evolutionary path. 43 years after it was the launched, Voyager 2 has travelled 14 billion miles into deep space and the power supplies that pioneers designed in the early seventies are still doing their jobs. This is what makes all of us excited by what we do in the power industry and thanks go to all the genius power designers that I have been unable to name in this article that have contributed to make the transition from linear to switching technology possible.

[1] Teletype Model 19 Thyratron Power Supply - https://youtu. be/WX74GoHuwHk [2] China Power Supply Society (CPSS) - http://www.cpss. org.cn/en/ [3] Power Sources Manufacturers Association was incorporated (PSMA) - https://www.psma.com/ [4] Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) - https://apec-conf.org/ POWERBOX (PRBX): https://www.prbx.com

About the Author:

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BIG PICTURE

Jean-Louis CHAMPSEIX

Group VP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, STMicroelectronics

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Sustainability is an Integral Part of ST Value Proposition Says Jean-Louis CHAMPSEIX ST recently concluded its flagship virtual event extending its ‘Sustainability Strategy’. Niloy from BISinfotech got an exclusive opportunity to interact with, Jean-Louis CHAMPSEIX, Group VP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, STMicroelectronics. Elaborating across many facets and vital prospects of its leading Sustainability goals, Jean-Louis emphasizes on how crucial ‘Sustainability’ is in ST’s value proposition is, strategies creating technologies. product portfolio and R&D towards a greener and sustainable future also its ahead goals in becoming a complete carbon neutral organization. Edited Excerpts Below.

How is ST extending towards a sustainable world? updated this commitment through the Sustainability Charter At ST, we create technology for a sustainable world in a which is public information, and you can find much about it sustainable way. In fact since ST’s establishment in 1987, we on the website. And we have 24 years of Sustainability Report. have been strongly focusing into this area. Hence, we proudly What’s the key to keep a sustainability-front strategy state that it has been embedded in our business model and while creating technologies and product portfolio wooing culture for more than 30 years. Our innovation technology enables our customers to face environmental and social a greener future? Also, how much effort and investment is challenges. Today in a world with challenges from COVID 19, needed on R&D? it has created the condition for us to even accelerate further When it comes to creating technologies for a sustainable world, first of all, it is about innovation and strong R&D investments. different initiatives which I will share with you. Also in terms of product portfolio, we have various leading For us, basically sustainability means three things: We create technology for a sustainable world, We do it in a product portfolio when it comes to sustainability. And we sustainable way, prioritizing people and protecting the planet, have a unique product life cycle approach from responsible And of course we create long-term value for all stakeholders sourcing to end of life. including our employees, customers, investors and partners. We prioritize people. So it is about health and safety. It is about Sustainability is an integral part of our company value diversity. It is about engagement. I will not go into the details proposition. You may have known that because it is public but they include promoting human rights for example. We protect the planet. First of all, we lead the way in terms of information for many years. carbon neutrality, addressing water pollution risk and scarcity, We have been publishing goals on sustainability publicly and maximizing recycling. And we strive for zero waste in a and in our yearly results for more than two (2) decades now circular economy. Last but not least, this is something you will see in the Sustainability Charter. We aim to generate long empowering technology for a sustainable world. term value for everyone. We see risk management as an ST’s value proposition on sustainability and how is the opportunity for growth and agility. We monitor and develop company attaining its shareholders with new growth and the full supply chain of ST, not only Tier 1. And we promote profit trajectories? Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in all Sustainability is an integral part of ST value proposition. First our ecosystems in communities in order to develop these of all, for our shareholders, we aim to return value in line communities and attract not only new talents in these fields for with our sustainable, profitable growth objective. This is very us and for our customers, but also more women in these paths. clear. We see that was happening last year and this year. Kindly underline the applications where ST’s sustainable For customers, we provide differentiating enablers. Since the products are empowering newer sectors? semiconductor is very much driven by the society change, it means a lot about responsible products and sustainable We have the aim to become a leader in Smart Mobility, technologies. We will come back to that in a minute. And for especially electric vehicles for a safer and greener application. all stakeholders, we are extremely committed to sustainability. We are also extremely active in Power and Energy, especially in Perhaps, we have been part of the first five companies to all the renewable energy markets. Last but not least, we have join the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition. It has been plenty of ultra-low power systems, especially microcontrollers so successful that we changed its name which is now called and ASICs to make cities, home and offices smarter. Responsible Business Alliance. We signed the United Nations Given your total revenue, can you elaborate, what percent Global Compact in 2000. When I was based in Singapore from (%) of your products represent sustainable technology? 2004-2008, the company also helped Singapore to promote United Nation’s Global Compact. We are the only private 10 years ago, we were the unique company in semiconductor company invited to speak at this event. We have published to explain publicly how we drive the full product life cycle external long-term commitment since 1994 and we just recently from responsible sourcing, eco-design of our products, very

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BIG PICTURE advanced responsible manufacturing production, targeting responsible usage, and addressing with our customers the end of life. Our objective was to have at least 50% of new products recognized by the Sustainable Technology Program which is audited externally. Last year, more than 63% of our new products were recognized by the program. Our objective is to triple responsible product revenues by 2025 Vs 2016. That will represent around a minimum of one third of our revenue by 2027. We are very advanced in this program. Today if you look at the Sustainability Report of ST, the sustainable technology products represent 18.5% of our total revenue.

When the world lately was anguished because of the COVID situation, strategies of ST ensuring safety for its associates and employees? We lead the way on safety for many years. The COVID situation helped us to accelerate our efforts here. So in 2020, we reached a very low (0.15%) recordable case of injuries and illness. By the way, the 2025 goal of ST is to achieve 0.15% recordable case rate together with our contractors. We are still not there in terms of contractors, but somehow ST itself reached this target last year, which was 5 years in advance. I can already tell you that in 2021, our recordable case rate will be far below because we took the opportunity to make drastic steps in behavior of everyone including managers and employees. So we have reduced recordable case by more than 85% since 2002. As for employee experience, ST workforce is not only diverse, but also extremely engaged. We are engaged through the way we manage with true empowerment, but also engaged in sustainability. And 81% of our employees recommend ST as a great place to work. This engagement score is yearly monitored and also publicly reported in our report.

circular economy, but with some of our leading customers. Indeed, we have huge initiatives worldwide for zero waste.

ST’s carbon neutral goals and how is the company moving towards this green-vision? Well, we announced about our carbon neutral strategies last year itself that we will be carbon neutral by 2027. What is important is that we do more and better. First of all, we will be compatible with the COP 21 1.5°C most aggressive scenario by 2025. On top of that, we will be one of the semiconductor companies using renewable energy by 2027. Also, not forgetting to mention that ST also participated in the Apple Clean Energy Program. We have a plan on carbon neutrality to significantly reduce energy consumption, which is a strong business model for ST. We have reduced our PFCs emission by 78% since 1994, so carbon neutrality is not new for us. That is why exceptionally, ST has been recognized by the CDP belonging to the A list. I am sure you know this carbon disclosure project. It is the most demanding criteria and they selected only 277 companies around the world for all industries last year. So a lot of people (companies) lost their rating and ST was rated A in the 2020 edition.

ST’s strategies and programs empowering new-generation in creating more sustainable innovation and technologies? The last example is about STEM your way, which is also a unique program of ST in order to help the new generation to understand how we can make the world more sustainable through technology. This is important for business growth because we need to attract a lot of talents every year. It is also important for diversity because very few women/around 15% of women have diploma in this field, at least in the universities in which we source. We are committed to recruiting 30% women every year in exempt positions, but actually only 15% are available. So, STEM your Way program is also important for that. We do more at communities because we also have the ST Foundation that is working on digital divide. For example, we have plenty of initiatives in Singapore, India and China and everywhere in Asia.

How are you measuring the progress of the sustainability programs? What business value have you seen? We monitored and published yearly report of all our progresses publicly since 1994 through holistic measures like eco-footprint, You mentioned that ST is not just into semiconductor which is a concept we use for all of our sites, or through specific business but also a pioneer in producing ultrapure water, KPIs addressing different aspects of sustainability like health kindly elaborate? and safety, recordable case, severity rate, the level of people If we move to the planet protection and how we operate, again engagement, the training hours (more than 44 training hours we lead the way in terms of carbon neutrality. ST is a producer per employee, close to 3 million training hours a year), the of ultrapure water. Maybe you think ST is a semiconductor diversity indicators by workforce and by place, remuneration business company. In reality, we produce every year 30 billion standards including the fair wages, all the site certifications, liter of ultrapure water in order to operate. So we are also the direct and indirect emissions including transportation in the business of purifying water. We not only address the emission, the water usage and recycling, the recycling of

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waste, the percentage and revenue of responsible products, When talking about sustainability, water becomes a key the number of patents, the supplier risk management, and utility, strategies of ST to increase wafer efficiency while the community involvement. They are all holistic KPIs reported consuming less value per unit of water? because we believe that transparency is virtuous. Water is the first resources used in semiconductor manufacturing and this is also the most critical for life on earth. We address I would like to add that we follow almost all the most advanced water management since our creation, publish aggressive reported initiatives such as United Nations Principle, United long-term goals and report transparently for 25 years. We are Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Global compact a pure water manufacturer. ST produces every year 30b liters Initiative, SASB standard, TCFD (Taskforce for climate financial of ultrapure water. The difference of water management vs disclosure). We aim to present data from different angles to carbon emissions for example, is the differentiated approach different readers. What is the most important in ST (I don’t by region. Some regions suffer water scarcity risks, some water know whether it is unique or not) is that we use the same flooding, some are encouraged by authorities to extract definition both internally and externally. Everywhere, all the ground water which puts at risk the region etc. In any case sites, all the organizations use the same definition, so again it ST addresses all these challenges. We feel responsible and becomes very virtuous. We know what we are tackling, and accountable for all water-related challenges wherever we sustainability is embedded in ST management system, business operate, by assessing and evaluating the water stress level review, IT system and all risk management like enterprise risk of all our manufacturing sites considering local constraints management process that I was talking about. We review by ensuring all used water is appropriately treated before internally all these indicators in business reviews. discharging it back into the natural environment by continuously improving water efficiency across our operations. Sourcing 100pc renewable energy by 2027, so will it be We recycle water whenever it is possible. In 2020 our water primarily solar or also combining other forms of clean recycling rate was 41%. energy? The strategy that we started to execute more than 10 years Revamping complete R&D centers into carbon-neutral facilities ago is to source from renewable energy, so non fossil. This shall mentor and indulge a lot of investment. Hence how will excludes nuclear for example which is low carbon but it impact the direct ROI strategy of the company when the considered as fossil. It includes solar, wind, biomass, solar world is already facing chip shortage? thermal, photovoltaic, geothermal, fuel cells using renewable fuels, low-impact hydroelectric generation, digester gas, Our approach has always been to continuously maintain or landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, or tidal current. revamp our buildings to avoid major business disruption or major on-time financial impact. For example, all our sites are certified We encourage all sites to install onsite solar generation whenever OHSAS (Health & Safety), ISO 140001 (environment), EMAS possible and to sign Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with (environment disclosure), ISO 50001 (energy), 22301 (business renewable energy source close to them. The latest example continuity) or IATF (most stringent standards from automotive we announce this year is our plant of Bouskoura which has industry). We anticipate constantly new standards or long-term the biggest private solar installation in Morocco and will get goals by re-engineering the layout of our offices or plants. It its electricity from a wind farm close to the plant. can include environmental performance of course, but also health & safety, quality of the working environment for our people, innovation places or labs, opening to the external partners etc. Since we have started carbon neutrality approach more than 25 years ago, the remaining efforts will not impact our ROI strategy and absolutely not our production ramp up.

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TECH-FEATURE

DCM for Tethered UAV Applications

Arthur Russell & Alexander Mezin

Vicor Corporation

DCMs Help Tethered UAVs to Fly

Many applications require power to be supplied using long cables. To minimize cost and weight, power‑systems designers must find an optimal supply voltage that balances the size of the conductors and losses in the cabling, with the size and weight of the insulation required, as well as minimizing the size and weight of the converters in the equipment. Tethered drones are particularly demanding as weight reduction is a critical requirement: this post describes how Vicor DCMs can be used to create an optimum solution for this demanding application.

As the performance of UAVs improves, they are entering the consumer package delivery segment, formerly reserved for manned vehicles and foot delivery. Such airborne delivery methods improve delivery reach in cases where rough terrain, or flooding might otherwise block access. Alternately, rather than a delivery payload, drones can be outfitted with sensors for analyzing environmental gases, pressure, humidity, and other physical parameters. In military or secure industrial settings, tracking movement or inspection and examination of unidentified objects has already been a well-established core capability of UAVs.

The Drone Revolution

Tethered Drones

Recently the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has become more popular not only in military settings but also in commercial applications. The use of drones opens up a wide range of opportunities for more effective support from the air. One example might be a remote transmission of human senses – remote “eyes and ears” can be transmitted back to a personal computer or smartphone in the form of a real time video stream.

In most cases, when we talk of UAV, we mean a flying machine with remote control powered by a rechargeable battery. A UAV with a battery has limited energy stored on board, and therefore has finite flight time. UAVs whose missions involve a finite airspace, however, can use power provided by a cable to enable unlimited flight time.

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A cabled, or tethered UAV is referred to as an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and receives its primary power via a cable bundle back to the ground. Control and telemetry may also be transmitted via the cable, or may continue to be wireless like their battery powered counterparts. In a battery-powered UAV, the local battery discharge must be closely monitored by the drone. In contrast, the situation is quite different in a UAS, since the tether supplied DC power is typically very predictable and reliable.

UAS Power Systems

The base station of the UAS is the power provider for the UAV. A global manufacturer will want to build a system with capability to be able to work with different AC or DC power networks, supplying the tethered vehicle with a stable DC bus voltage. The designer must consider regulating against disturbances and changes on the power line as these changes could otherwise impact the UAV position in the air (modulated prop speed or other flight surfaces). Events such as load dumps and power transients are common while supporting the base station off‑grid, for example when a ground vehicle or sea vessel supplies power. These events can also create disturbances or even interruptions on the power source for the UAV, and so UAVs often include an emergency battery to guarantee controlled, powered descent from the greatest altitude. Therefore the UAV itself needs a power supply to regulate the tethered input power and handle management of the on-board battery. One of the challenges when designing a power supply for UAV is choosing the most suitable voltage range. The designer has to decide between Low Voltage (LV, up to 1500VDC) or Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV, less than 60VDC) to power the UAV. Supplying SELV from the base station means no hazardous voltages exist, and therefore the cable insulation can be thin, and relatively light-weight. On the other hand, transmission of high power within the limited SELV voltage range leads to high current flow. To offset otherwise unacceptable losses and heating in that case, larger conductors are needed, which adds copper weight and cost across the length of the tether. Moreover the maximum permitted AC line impedance presented to the UAVs on-board power supply are more aggressive at lower voltages, at a given power level. The copper is lighter and the impedance stabilization more straightforward for a UAS that uses a LV source. The higher voltage, however, brings with it higher safety requirements to control shock hazards, which tends to drive with thicker insulation on the tether power line.

that should remain undetected may be a disadvantage as a UAV capable of lofting this heavier cable may generate more acoustic noise, or be more easily spotted.

UAS Power Systems Using Vicor DCMs

The Vicor DCM family is an ideal solution for UAS applications, offering both ELV and LV input voltage options, with most UAS designers using higher voltages. The DCM is an isolated, regulated DC-DC converter utilizing a high-frequency, zerovoltage switching (ZVS) topology, with very high power density. It operates from an unregulated, wide-range input to generate an isolated, regulated output. Let’s consider a typical application. DCMs allow the design of an extremely flexible system with wide input voltage range. The DCM300P240x600A40, for example, has an input voltage range of 200 – 420VDC with a regulated 24V output at up to 600W, minimizing on-board energy storage. The DCM offers the capability to adapt to changing requirements. In the initial system requirement of the UAS application, a standard cable length will be chosen. If subsequent extensions to the cable length are needed, the wide input range of the DCM can accommodate added voltage drop per unit tether length. The DCM family offers outstanding output power to weight ratio. DCMs suitable for LV applications are offered in the 4623 package, with up to 600W output from a typical package mass of 29g! Saving several grams on each DC motor enables more lifting capacity (payload). The DCM offers high efficiency. Its high density is partially enabled by the stacked input cell structure possible with the double-clamped ZVS architecture. Stacking input cells safely permits the use of lower voltage FETs, with correspondingly higher figures of merit compared to higher-voltage switches. A typical UAS application is given in the PowerBench Whiteboard design here. It uses multiple DCMs to take a high voltage input through a long (30m) cable and provide regulated power to the motors and the batteries. A typical UAS application

The longer the cable is, the more voltage drop is expected. This disadvantage can be solved by using a power cable with higher cross section, but the weight of the cable directly offsets payload weight capacity. For example, a 10m copper cable pair with 1mm diameter weights 140g without insulation. A diameter of 2mm will be already 560g for every 10 meters! Heavier cable bears higher material costs and is less agile. In military applications using a thick power line in a system

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Technovation AUTOMATION | AGRI-TECH | MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE | IoT | SMART

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Dialog Products Are Very Well Matched with the Renesas Portfolios The Dialog products are very well matched with the Renesas portfolios, so the markets that our business unit addresses now, namely IoT, Industrial, Infrastructure, will continue to be our focus. The new products also will enable us to play a larger role in the mobile applications segment emphasizes Sailesh Chittipeddi, Executive Vice President & General Manager of the IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit, Renesas Electronics Corporation. Also in talks with Niloy from BISinfotech, the veteran anchors upon the company's strategies to cope up with the global pandemic and strategies post-merger of Dialog and Renesas. Edited Excerpts Below.

Given the stellar acquisition of DIALOG Semi, what will be the preliminary strategies of development RENESAS is expected to undergo and vital product portfolio synergy and accommodating the supply and demand to this extended customer base? The Dialog product portfolio is extremely complementary with Renesas’ offerings, especially in the IoT, Industrial and Infrastructure space. Dialog’s low-power PMIC’s, low-power Wi-Fi & BLE and CMIC technologies will enhance our solutions and augment our leadership products in MCUs, MPUs, sensors, timing, and signal-chain interface. I also want to stress that adding the global talent from within Dialog was just as important as acquiring its technology. Our teams are already working together to deliver what we call “Winning Combinations,” which include both Dialog and Renesas products, to speed the development process and reduce design risk for our customers.

Sailesh Chittipeddi

Executive Vice President & General Manager of the IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit, Renesas Electronics Corporation

Given the COVID-19 situation amidst your acquisition, were there any specific challenges in regard to the While supply chain issues are affecting all of us in the industry, seamless merger and also how did RENESAS cope up with Dialog was a fabless company, so we have extended, and in the pandemic situation. some cases expanded, their existing relationships with foundry Of course, COVID-19 precluded many face-to-face meetings, partners to ensure continued supply. Going forward, we expect but since most of the Dialog management team were located the expanded scale of the combined organization to give in Europe and US, while Renesas executives are in both Japan us additional advantages in securing production capacity. and the U.S., we would have had some level of online meetings

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even without COVID restrictions. The amount of additional diligence, which had to be conducted in the absence of direct interaction, increased the workload. However, I believe both companies have adjusted well to the environment, and we are pleased with the progress of the integration so far. With regards to how Renesas has coped with the pandemic, I am extremely proud of the flexibility our employees have demonstrated. We have functioned exceptionally well as evidenced by our financial performance and by the continued pace of new product introductions. Additionally, we offer ultra-low power devices, connectivity, sensing, voice- and vision-based technologies that address the market needs to be created by COVID.

Post the merger what areas or say sectors will be of pivotal focus for RENESAS? Again, the Dialog products are very well matched with the Renesas portfolios, so the markets that our business unit addresses now, namely IoT, Industrial, Infrastructure, will continue to be our focus. The new products also will enable us to play a larger role in the mobile applications segment.

Sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), IoT or cloud connectivity is designing newer products. Hence alongside, this also comprises the newer design and architectural challenges. How do you look into this dramatic change in silicon? Renesas has a wide range of design and uniquely architected solutions to meet the needs of the evolving marketplace. A few examples are our hybrid topologies when it comes to

power management, our energy harvesting micro-controllers, our embedded AI technologies such as DRP (Dynamically Reconfigurable Processor) which are unique but provide substantial advantages to our customers in their marketplace. Our sensor technologies are differentiated on the basis of process technology with the flow, air quality, optical, humidity, and temperature sensors that provide our customers with winning solutions. At the edge/end-point, it is the ability to maximize the compute capabilities at the lowest power consumption from a hardware perspective and software, security, and user experience from a system side that helps us create sustainable value for our customers.

Miniaturization, ultra-low-power, more integrated and interactive designs are winning the market, Renesas portfolio catering towards a smarter and sustainable world? Sustainability is one of the core tenets of our strategy, not just in our product offerings, but as a corporation as well. We are addressing this critical dynamic holistically, starting with our manufacturing and facility management, and continuing through our product offerings. From a product perspective, we deliver ultra-low-power PMIC and connectivity solutions; energy harvesting MCUs based on Silicon on Thin Buried Oxide (SOTB™) process technology that dramatically improves battery life; environmental sensors used in home, office, and industrial applications; and we design power efficiency into products across our portfolio. We believe that innovative engineering will be key to solving our global environmental problems.

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BIG PICTURE

Ethernet & IIoT Becoming a Vehicle for Industrial Applications

During an interaction with Nitisha from BISinfotech; TS Shankar, Regional Sales Manager-India, Analog Devices highlights the impact of IIoT on communication and automation industry. He says, IIoT tools can play a vital role in enabling location based services, ensuring a seamless transition through various changes. It will have a lasting impact on businesses. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) drives significant improvements in production and operational efficiency, proving transformative for industrialisation. He emphasized the ADI and its deep domain expertise, advanced technologies which connect the industrial equipment and networks of the future with solutions.

Please explain the impact of IIoT on the automation industry. How is it going to help businesses? Automation prevails as a supporting driver of technology and business decisions, data insights, continuous delivery and business profit. Over several decades, we have seen the benefits of automation and are now promoting these systems with advanced data, machine learning and artificial intelligence. And as autonomous systems become more interconnected and communicated, it becomes easier to analyse and interpret data to make intelligent decisions across factories. The interaction between humans and machines is on the verge of a revolutionary change through IoT that will introduce many possibilities. IIoT, a connected network of intelligent machines, will dramatically change business, just as the

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TS Shankar

Regional Sales Manager-India, Analog Devices

consumer Internet has changed our lives. The smart factories are creating new business value by increasing output, asset utilisation and overall productivity. They take advantage of new data streams to deliver flexibility and improved quality while cutting down energy consumption and waste. Increasingly, edge-tocloud is combining intelligent systems that make manufacturing environments become more efficient by optimising mass customisation.

What are the major benefits of Ethernet, and how is it impactful for IIoT? Intelligent, interconnected automation environments require digitally connected systems, machines, robots, etc., to create and share information. How these machines communicate and the factory communication network they use is at the heart of the enterprise and enable us to drive Industry 4.0. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) drives significant improvements in production and operational efficiency, proving transformative for industrialisation. For a few years now, Ethernet has been the choice of technology for enterprises, data centres and many service provider networks due to advantages like reliability, versatility, high performance and low cost. Similarly, it is becoming a vehicle for industrial applications on the factory floor as well. It accelerates the communication and synchronisation of the actuators participating in the process. Timely access to data and delivery of that data throughout the automation system depends on the connectivity network. Networking technology must handle the increased data volume, as should manufacturers’ processes and methodologies.

According to you, how can Ethernet solutions be made more advanced for industrial use? With connectivity being central to the vision for Industry 4.0, three things must become a reality to deliver a truly connected enterprise. First, high-level information technology (IT) or enterprise infrastructure must converge with the plant floor control network. Second, the various networks or manufacturing cells currently on the factory floor must all coexist and interact. Third, we need seamless, secure connectivity across our process environments, from the process edge to the enterprise cloud. We need to adopt a fundamental networking technology that can support interoperability, expandability and accessibility. Ethernet emerges as the ideal solution, a well-understood

technology with widespread deployment. It is also widely deployed in the IT infrastructure of all manufacturing environments, offering higher bandwidth and enabling faster commissioning.

What are the current industry challenges that you face and the scope for industrial Ethernet? The more the number of devices, the greater the challenges to keep them synced with each other. And the lack of common standards with IoT is a global challenge. For enterprises to adopt these devices and integrate them within their preexisting infrastructure is a cumbersome process, as network connectivity issues, unresponsive servers and machine downtime are very common. Furthermore, cybersecurity is a major concern with IoT and will remain so until enterprises adopt a global IoT security framework. Establishing a global IoT infrastructure is also a challenge. Companies adopting IoT should ensure that the design implements a robust IoT logging, monitoring and maintenance framework. In addition to technical challenges related to standards and security, lack of capital investment and skilled talent also hinder IoT adoption. Industry 4.0 as an ecosystem comprises a diverse set of stakeholders, including hardware vendors, software application vendors, network operators and system integrators. It leads to a broader scope for improvement and adoption within the industry. Similarly, there is a lot of scope around the adoption of IoT. Industrial Ethernet has emerged as the technology of choice at the control level of the operating system. The goal is to enable seamless connectivity apart from IT and high-end OT networks.

Could you elaborate on ADI’s offerings and strategies in this sector? Being at the forefront of Industrial Ethernet, ADI has developed a deep portfolio of solutions leveraging its rich automation domain expertise and advanced technologies. Its design ensures time-critical data and seamless connectivity across industrial applications while assuring operational efficiency. The ADI Chronous™ portfolio of scalable Ethernet solutions includes physical layer devices (PHYs), embedded switches and complete platform solutions with multiprotocol software. These are thoroughly tested and verified to be fast in the market. The latest ADI Chronous™ offering enables customers to reduce energy consumption in buildings and their overall carbon footprint through better control of building standards. Important solutions in this portfolio include: • ADIN1200, the industry-leading 10 Mbps/100 Mbps Industrial Ethernet PHY with advanced features set and verified robustness. • The ADIN1300, the industry’s lowest latency, lowest power gigabit PHY, delivers verified robustness for harsh environments.

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BIG PICTURE • The Fido5200/Fido5100, a real-time embedded two-port multiprotocol switch, supports many available TSN features. • The new ADI Chronous™ offering supports the 10BASE-T1L physical layer Ethernet standard, allowing new data streams from edge nodes in remote and hazardous locations to process and manufacturing facilities. • ADI SmartMesh® wireless products are embedded chips and pre-certified PCB modules complete with fully developed, field-proven, intelligent wireless mesh networking software for moving up the stack. • Multiprotocol software updates are also supported and available through the ADI Chronous™ developer portal.

How is India going to derive the potential of IIoT? Which sectors are upfront and name some strategies to enrich IIoT in India? India is already matching the pace of adoption of new technologies like IoT, 5G, AI and cloud to drive new business models. The Government of India has also initiated various policies and initiatives to leverage the benefits of these disruptive technologies in various sectors. Many start-ups in India are also using these technologies to create new and innovative business models. Industry watchers have chosen India as a hotspot for IoT deployment. According to one market analyst, the market expects to exceed the USD15 billion target set by India government to reach USD 17 billion in 2021. IoT is enabling new ways to monitor, manage and control devices. It is enabling real-time monitoring of product performance for better insights and faster development of new products. Currently, most IoT data is being used for anomaly detection and control. In the future, the data may be used for predictive analysis and optimisation, creating opportunities for new and innovative business models. Indian companies are leveraging IoT capabilities in product development. The onset of the pandemic has fuelled the demand for contactless technologies that are likely to lead to the adoption of IoT in the asset and security sectors. The commercial and residential sectors are also integrating with technology to deliver a contactless / touch-free experience. The need for personalised customer experience and increased after-sales will drive retail organisations to implement IoT in the consumer segment. Similarly, in the public sector, the Government of India’s focus on setting up smart cities will create a substantial potential for IoT spending in public safety, traffic management and energy management. Similarly, in the process industries, performance optimisation and preventive maintenance are crucial use cases. Companies that have invested in expensive equipment such as cranes can maintain them remotely using IoT. Sectors such as healthcare, logistics, agriculture, oil and gas, power and core manufacturing in the industrial segment will leverage the adoption of IoT solutions.

How do semiconductor players like ADI make IIoT more affordable and ‘sensible’ in the real world? We understand the need for a complete IoT stack and are developing an end-to-end solution that facilitates market adoption. ADI leverages its deep domain expertise and advanced technologies to connect the industrial equipment and networks of the future with solutions like ADI Chronous. Our Chronous solutions stand up to the toughest, time-critical environments and open the door to Gigabit and 10BASE-T1L connectivity. Similarly, our SmartMesh products are ultra-powerful, ultra-reliable wireless sensor networks for IoT connectivity even in harsh environments. These multi-hop mesh networks have been developed for distributed sensor applications that feature channel-hopping and time synchronisation for low power. Our suite of industrial Ethernet products includes technologies, solutions, software and security capabilities designed to connect the real world beyond factory networks and the cloud. ADI leverages over 50 years of experience in industrial connectivity to supply factories with next-generation industrial Ethernet technologies that address the key challenges surrounding seamless and secure edge-to-cloud connectivity.

The omnipresence of IIoT underlines new challenges putting cybersecurity centre stage. Could you highlight the critical security challenges faced by customers, common pitfalls in IIoT security implementation and best practices followed? Security and privacy can make or break the adoption of IoT products. Challenges include not only hardware vulnerabilities, but also security gaps created during the integration and implementation of IoT systems, as well as remote device access, communication and management. Features and solutions that mitigate these issues include software-based API security. Such security measures can authenticate and authorise data movements between devices. Security should be a fundamental risk management consideration in planning IIoT strategy. Creating security in today’s increasingly complex networks is not easy. Making it embedded in the entire system requires a multi-layered approach leading to edge devices, controllers, gateways, and stacks. ADI’s chronological portfolio provides security at each node point within the system while minimising trade-offs in power, performance and latency. Robust connectivity and cybersecurity enable better visibility into the supply chain, allowing the industry to respond to disruptions quickly. The time required to improve connectivity and cybersecurity will vary, largely depending on the company’s operational setup, including the number of machines and software solutions. As companies increasingly digitise their manufacturing operations, cybersecurity becomes more important. With massive connectivity, companies can more easily improve cybersecurity at all levels when asset downtime is high or operations are shut down, as there will be no major disruptions

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from implementing the fix. Companies can quickly take some simple cybersecurity measures, such as critical software updates and firmware updates of hardware. They can build a hardware-based trusted platform and execution strategy to ensure firmware authenticity. They can use a built-in encryption module with public key infrastructure and multi factor authenticated access. These small steps help reduce overall cybersecurity risks.

How has Analog Devices performed in the COVID-19 situation? With the onset of the pandemic, as working patterns changed, we also adopted remote working. And like everyone, we also observed the need for visibility and the ability to manage teams remotely. Remote monitoring, systems control and connectivity solutions have become a major requirement for industrial businesses. IIoT tools can play a vital role in enabling location-based services, ensuring a seamless transition through these changes. It will have a lasting impact on businesses even after the pandemic ends. On the customer side, industrialists may see a permanent shift towards contactless delivery or more end-user configurations. IIoT implemented in plug-and-play mode can play an important role in ensuring business continuity. It can minimise economic damage by ensuring employee safety and security, improving liquidity and reducing short-term costs.

What could be the next level of Ethernet solutions? In future, IoT may include applications that will clearly

show economic benefits for the end customer. There is also a tendency to prolong battery life by several years. In any wireless-based IoT monitoring system, the transmission of data consumes power. Therefore, smart segmentation, where understanding and processing occurs at the edge and small amounts of data (more sporadic or over shorter periods) due to localised decision making, can add significant value to IoT systems. The ability to build a reliable network, independent of wireless protocols, would be integral to maintaining this high reliability by using alternative paths and channels to remove interference. It will be one where customers will receive personalised services on-demand while deriving economic benefits with optimal use of resources and environmental benefits as well. Benefits of a convergent network based on Industrial Ethernet include simplified network architecture, cost reduction through the removal of gateways, elimination of hardwired connections, better system optimisation, increased up-time, etc. There are data islands of information and insight that we cannot access today, but as industrial Ethernet deployment becomes the norm, the challenge for Industry 4.0 will shift to security and all this data to maximise our business value. The vision of Industry 4.0 is to automate processes using connected tools to collect, send and receive information. Industrial Ethernet connectivity will awaken this reality by seamlessly transferring current and future data streams from automation networks to the cloud.

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COVER STORY

3D Printing Scaling New Heights

- Aishwarya Saxena

Priyesh Mehta Director, Imaginarium Rapid Pvt Ltd

Ravindra Kulkarni Surendranath Reddy Managing Director, Engineering Technique

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CEO & CTO, 3Ding

As the lines dividing digital to reality is starting to blur with the advancements and adoption of 3D Printing at a mass scale, India has started to show its presence in the metamorphic market of 3D Printing. Slower on the uptake, India is steadily climbing the adoption ladder of picking the nuances of 3D printed parts and its wide usage while providing customizable options. However, with the market still in its nascent stages, certain challenges regarding regional differences and societal norms are bound to occur. Mulling over these impending struggles, Aishwarya from BISInfotech had an extended dialogue with Priyesh Mehta, Director, Imaginarium Rapid Pvt Ltd, Surendranath Reddy, CEO & CTO, 3Ding, Ravindra Kulkarni, Managing Director, Engineering Technique.

Price Conscious Market

According to a popular report, parts to build a 3D printer are still very expensive. Priyesh feels that India surely is a price-sensitive market! Maybe that is one of the reasons why Indian manufacturers find "smart workarounds" to achieve a particular goal. He believes that if a product is able to survive the heat of price, quality and timeline in the Indian market, then the chances of its success elsewhere are higher. There exists this misnomer in the market about 3D printing being expensive. We're slowly seeing a trend where 3D printing is evolving from a Rapid Prototype technique to a low volume production alternative and even end-used parts. It's only a matter of time before additive manufacturing takes over the market altogether, he added.

While Surendranath has the opinion that Product/Service Pricing is one of the biggest challenges we continue to face in the Indian market. From an OEM perspective, it is tough to match the cheap prices of 3D Printers offered by Chinese counterparts. We're noticing that most Indian OEMs are moving towards premium/specialized machines. Beyond this, I think automation & innovative approaches are the way forward to maintain throughput efficiency yet keeping rising prices at check. For e.g. Before the pandemic, 3Ding had a large number of human resources interacting with clients, analyzing their designs & initiating 3d prints. Now, 3Ding has automated the ordering process via a webapp & have also connected 3D Printers to the cloud, so our engineers can queue & initiate 3D Prints right from their homes, reducing both HR & infrastructure costs, clarifies Surendranath. According to Ravindra, there are different applications 3D printing technology for different industry verticals i.e., Jewellery Industry uses EnvisionTEC DLP and other 3D Printing technologies for regular production of castable patterns and non-castable jewellery items for investment casting in Gold/ Silver or other precious metals. The cost of 3D printing in Jewellery segment is fairly low and is not considered expensive as the outcome is going to be in precious metal. 3D Printing is expensive for those industries which are in to mass production of their products. However, these industry manufacturers utilise 3D Printing during their product development process as prototypes avoiding expensive and time consuming toolings and thus they’re able to launch their products faster than ever before. Since we manufacture FDM 3D Printers, we have seen a new trend in India where people are buying affordable FDM 3D Printers at homes for hobby or small business, he explains.

Patent Protection

3D Prints always dangle its feet at the cusp of infringing patents as products may contain certain moving parts that are patent protected itself. Sensing the ambiguity of the situation, Priyesh cites that for a service bureau like ours, where we manufacture parts for customers, design secrecy is king. We sign mutual confidentiality agreements to prevent design leakages. Companies use reverse engineering techniques to "re-engineer" a product which might lead to patent and design infringement issues, but many legal compliance enforcement agencies are working to solve this challenge. From our perspective and network in India, we have not heard about any such case yet, which is under the public domain. Business remains as usual for us.

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COVER STORY Surendranath also feels the same as he talks about Copyright infringement of 3D Printable Design files as a serious issue. With over 50+ online repositories of 3D Printable files, a lot of beginners assume every open-sourced file is free & that they can use it however they please. End users have to start reading the license types on whether the author allows commercial usage of the designs or not. After all, one shouldn't end up paying a huge royalty fee after 3D Printing & selling thousands of parts of something just because he or she didn't bother to know about the license type. Ravindra shares the same views about patent related challenges exist in every industry with every evolving technologies. 3D Printing is no different. We should be exploring various options and developing products within the limits of legal boundaries.

Medical & Allied Sectors

Priyesh highlights that we are very proud of the work done by our Biomedical Engineering team, who are involved in life-saving applications that make use of the best in Design, Manufacturing and Clinical Science knowledge. Apart from this, we are also working on developing Digital Spare Part libraries for our clients. We help manufacturing firms eliminate unnecessary inventory of spare parts by redesigning, digitizing and producing these parts on demand, he elaborates. Surendranath also feels the same as in India, off-late, we've seen an increase in 3D Printing scanned 1:1 sections of patients for pre-surgical planning. Surgeons say they are able to perform more confidently after a rehearsal with a 3d printed replica. Our data shows large number of orders around the portions of skull (brain surgery), knees (ortho), ribs (heart/lung surgery).

On the other hand, Ravindra views that there are many applications today in healthcare segment. Some applications may not require certifications as they may not be directly interacting with human body. However, prosthetics, implants, organ printing, surgical guides and certain dental applications require biocompatibility certifications based on their interaction level with human body/tissues. Reputed global 3D printer manufacturers like, EnvisionTEC, 3D Systems, Stratasys, etc. are providing US FDA and European Biocompatibility and toxicology certifications based on the nature of the 3D printing material. EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter which is being used for organ printing applications allows bio-materials and also sterile printing environment. However, India should also have common certification program for 3D Printed healthcare related items to qualify it to be able to use safely with human body, he added.

Trends in 2022

Industry 4.0 has finally started making its importance felt. The pandemic put a complete halt to most traditional supply chains, forcing companies to innovate almost overnight and find alternatives. In the coming year, we plan to push forward our mission to make Design and Manufacturing accessible to everyone. Our deep expertise in 3D Printing, Mass Customization, On-Demand Production and Design Innovation positions us uniquely to offer services to clients across the globe and bring to them the best of Indian manufacturing at World-class quality. We have already started seeing live examples of metal 3D Printed Parts being incorporated into end-use products like jet engines, cars, medical instruments and more. It can be rightly said that the next few years will be the golden years of 3D Printing, marking the transition of Additive Manufacturing technology from a prototyping tool into a full-blown production technology, says Priyesh. Whereas, according to Surendranath “MaaS platforms (Manufacturing as a Service)” is the key. Be it a single piece to prototype or a batch of 20 to pilot test the market & using various technologies/materials, bringing it all under one webapp is something multiple brands are working on as we speak. For e.g., 3Ding.in/print is a beta version of our webapp that lets you order 3D Prints in 3 quick steps with the lowest part cost starting just Rs. 150/-. We are seeing few competitors trying & building similar platforms, he elaborates. Ravindra points out that since 2020, due to Covid-19 pandemic, more people (even non-engineers) have been introduced to 3D Printing technology because of its applications

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in making face shields, test swabs, non-contact key-chains, ventilator splitter, etc. This has made people aware about benefits and potential of the 3D printing technology in the times of emergency. This awareness helped our 3D printing business to grow by 45% YoY in FY2020-21. We’re expecting the similar growth rate in current fiscal year and it is true for other players in the market too. We see a linear gradual growth in adoption of 3D printing technology in coming years due to increased awareness and affordable FDM machines. However, we see a lot of Chinese products being sold in Indian market especially FDM 3D Printers due to less price. Through your medium we request our people to consider Indian made products. There’re a very few Indian manufacturers offering completely Indian make 3D printers without any Chinese component. We’re one of them. This may cost a little more to our customers, but our machines are far more reliable, comes with 1 year warranty, and locally serviceable. That gives worry free operation and peace of mind while doing business. Eventually our machines offer low cost of ownership, he explains.

Significance of 3D Printing Services

According to Priyesh when one compares how expensive 3D printing is to traditional manufacturing processes, then one can easily conclude it to be not that expensive. Additionally, it even takes less time to manufacture prototypes, jigs, tools and fixtures through this technology. It is perfect for short-run manufacturing and small-production jobs at present. It allows spare parts to be "stored in the cloud", which eliminates the need for a physical inventory. Both manufacturers and designers can work together in tandem owing to 3D Printing, thus building a strong bond with the end customer. Sharing similar views, Surendranath has highlighted that we've started seeing 3D Printing services becoming effective as a Hyperlocal Manufacturing service. 6-7 years back, clients placed orders across cities; but with the number of service providers on the rise, the best strategy is to play it Hyperlocal this makes Rapid Prototyping truly RAPID. Scaling up 3D Printing services for a brand this decade could mean investing into multiple geographies to provide seamless service. Ravindra says that we, being manufacturer and supplier of 3D printers, 3D Printing service is integral part of our business model. We provide our services to 200+ Indian and overseas customers and adding 30% new customers every year for our services business. Our customers are loyal to us because we’re not only a 3D printing service bureau rather a solution provider offering a whole product development service from concept to design to prototyping to manufacturing and vendor development for a respective product.

on Consultants first, then vendors - Having an in house design and production facility consisting of Additive Manufacturing, Vacuum/urethane Casting, CNC Machining and Injection Molding, we provide a hand-held experience to the designer or engineer to select the right process, material and finish tailored to their requirements and application. The company has also successfully taken the entire portfolio of the services online - allowing clients from anywhere in the world to access our Cloud Factory and start their Prototyping and Production projects with us. Our Application Engineering Team applies more than 150 years of combined experience in low volume production. We do not require MOQ’s for production. A client requiring one part is as precious to us as a client requiring 1000 parts. We don’t expect the client to give us a foolproof design, instead we help them make their design manufacturable using our DfM consultation services. Basically, we help them get past any tricky challenge during the New Product Development journey. One of the unique offerings that 3Ding provides is "FabX on Rent" - our flagship 3D Printers being offered on a rental/ subscription model. This offering makes perfect sense for tight budgeted customers like bootstrapped start-ups, student groups, etc who have a short requirement for 1-3 months till they prototype their products. e.g., a FabX Pro costs Rs. 69,999/- to buy, but costs Rs. 6,999/- per month or Rs. 17,999 per quarter to rent. If their outsourced prototyping costs are likely to cross 7K a month, the FabX Pro on rent is an excellent value proposition. Engineering Technique manufactures FDM 3D printers under DAMBOY brand with various size options, i.e., ET-160, ET-200, ET-300, ET-450. All are machines are Industrial grade known for reliable 24/7 operation. They also represent EnvisionTEC GmbH in India as their PAN India distributor for their entire range of 3D Printers to address wide range of verticals, i.e., Automotive, Aerospace, Medical, Dental, Orthodontic, Jewellery, Consumer products, Toys, and other manufacturing segments. EnvisionTEC offers 5 distinct technologies, i.e., DLP, 3SP, cDLM, Bioprinting and binder jetting. Recently, EnvisionTEC has launched one of their most advanced 3D Printer Xtreme 8K DLP which is the only large format DLP 3D Printer in the market, with wide range of materials, and fastest in the segment.

Offerings of 3D Printers & their Services

According to Imaginarium’s unique motto, what sets us apart from the competition is a key differentiator which we thrive

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EV-FEATURE

Next-Generation Electric Vehicles Demand the Safety of High-Reliability Circuit Protection Next-generation electric vehicles incorporate an array of complex and highly compact circuitry, and engineering design that can deliver both innovation and human safety remains a major challenge. It’s not simply a question of sophisticated microprocessor technology. These vehicles also implement the latest in EV onboard charging techniques. Designers need to ensure that the possibility of overloads, transients, and electrostatic discharge is taken into account, with safety and reliability the over-arching criteria, all the way through from concept to timing closure and sign-off. Designers must plan for contingency, and this whitepaper addresses seven mission-critical onboard charging circuits that provide recommendations for both circuit protection and efficient power control.

Moreover, the deployment of both an onboard charger and AC power line can result in the generation of both transients and overloads. The charger’s circuits demand adequate protection, and communications circuits must also be able to survive ESD transients, in order to avoid data corruption. Add to the design engineers will need to minimize power consumption, allowing the battery charge time to be as short as possible. The AC line voltage, converted to DC, charges the main battery pack to within an output range of of 300–500 volts. Key challenge for designers is meeting consumer demand for faster charging, which requires high-power charging circuitry, including three-phase designs. A single-phase circuit is shown in Figure 2. Each circuit block indicates the suggested protection components plus any components needed to optimize the charger’s efficiency.

Figure 1, above, is an overview of the electronic systems typical of a hybrid vehicle where the combination of internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric drive effectively multiplies potential transients by an order of magnitude, presenting the designer with a special challenge.

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Technology 1

Fuse MOV GDT SIDACtor

Thyristor

Gate Driver

TVS Diode

Gate Driver TVS Diode Diode Array

Fuse MOV TVS Diode

Diode Array

A MOV (metal oxide varistor) positioned downstream will absorb the transient energy and help prevent damage to other downstream circuits. If the charger uses three-phase power, MOVs for both phase-phase transient protection and phase-neutral transient protection could also be added. Better yet for protection of downstream circuits, place a bipolar thyristor in series with the MOV. The thyristor will have a very low clamping voltage, typically around 5V, and also enables use of an MOV with a lower standoff voltage. The net effect of this combination is the reduction of the peak downstream transient voltage. A gas discharge tube (GDT) can provide further circuit protection, offering high-resistance, plus electrical isolation between the hot and neutral lines and the vehicle’s chassis ground. GDTs also provide an additional level of protection against fast-rising transients provoked by lightning.

Thyristors - the advantages

Figure 2. Onboard Charger Block Diagram MOV: Metal Oxide Varistor TVS: Transient-Voltage Suppression

Input susceptibility

Lightning strikes and surges on the AC lineare among the transients threatening the input voltage, and an overload fuse provides the first line of defense — a high voltage rating will cover a worst-case current scenario.

The benefits of thyistors include the capacity to supply the necessary power for fast, high-power charging. Compared to rectifier diodes, they provide a “softer” start (lower in-rush current) and reduce electrical stress on the PFC block. Thyristors also suppress surge currents that may have passed through the input voltage and EMI filter stages.

PFC circuit — controlling inductance

The power factor correction circuit reduces the total power drawn from the AC power line, while a gate driver and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) can control the amount of inductance in the circuit (ensure the gate driver operates

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EV-FEATURE within a voltage range suitable for control of the IGBT). Also assess the gate driver’s immunity to latch-up since fast rise and fall times are need to switch the IGBT. Combined with a low supply current, these fast times improve the circuit’s power efficiency. Also ensure the gate driver has internal ESD protection. If not, add an external ESD diode. Bi-directional or uni-directional ESD diodes can withstand ESD transients as high as 30kV.

Protecting the DC Link

The DC link comprises the capacitor bank that stabilizes the ripple effect of the high-power DC/DC converter. Designers can use a high voltage TVS diode to protect the capacitor bank from large-voltage transients.

DC/DC Converter

The DC/DC section steps up the charge voltage and smilarly to the Power Factor Correction circuit, requires a robust gate driver. If a gate driver selection does not include internal ESD protection, be sure to add an ESD diode for protection — this will not degrade the performance of the gate driver. Importantly, the power IGBTs must be protected from voltage transients. In addition to protection from external transients, the IGBT creates turn-off switching transients due to L•di/dt effects from internal parasitic inductance. Place a TVS diode between the collector and gate of each IGBT to eliminate the potential damage to an IGBT from this transient. The TVS diode reduces the di/dt of the current transient by raising the gate voltage. When the collector-emitter voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage of the TVS diode, current flows through the TVS diode into the gate to raise its potential. The TVS diode continues to conduct until the transient is eliminated. Known as active clamping, this use of a TVS diode as a collector-gate feedback element ensures the IGBT remains stable. Some IGBTs that have built-in active clamping TVS diodes; otherwise add TVS diodes to the circuit.

Figure 3. TVS Diode Array For CAN Bus Lines Protection By following these recommendations for protection and control, design engineers can be assured their new onboard charging systems will have robust, reliable, and safe circuits for their electric vehicle consumers. Whenever possible, remember to use AEC-Q qualified components that have been certified for use in hazardous automotive environments (i.e., AEC-Q101 covers discrete semiconductors and AEC-Q200 covers passive components such as varistors). It’s important to remember that you can also take advantage of the manufacturers’ expertise and wealth of application knowledge for assistance when selecting appropriate protection and power control components.

Output Voltage

Current overloads and in-vehicle voltage transients can occur when motors power on or off or when current is instantaneously interrupted — by a break in a cable, for example. For these reasons, the output voltage needs specific protection. Possibly use a fuse to protect against a possible overcurrent resulting from a short within the battery pack or its cabling. An MOV or a TVS diode protects against any potentially damaging voltage transients.

Control Unit

The charger’s control unit communicates with the data network via the CAN bus. To avoid damage to the communication circuits, which could result in data corruption, provide ESD and transient protection. This can be achieved with a dual-line TVS diode array, for example, designed for CAN bus signalline protection. This type of array for the protection of signal lines has a minimal capacitance and will not degrade the transmitter/receiver I/O states.

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

5G NEWS

A Partnership on 5G Technical Training Trial

CircleGx, Zyter & Qualcomm Build Broadband Network

The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS), NTT DOCOMO (DOCOMO), and its Thailand-based subsidiary Mobile Innovation (MI) have decided to collaborate on a trial that will evaluate the feasibility of delivering AOTS's technical training programs remotely from Japan to overseas countries. The trial will utilize the 5G network capabilities and solutions of DOCOMO and MI, and will make use of the RealWear smart glass display and AVATOUR 360-degree remote presence solutions. The trial will run from today until 31 March 2022. During the trial period, Japanese enterprises participating in AOTS training programs will help to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of 5G solutions in providing remote practical training and technical guidance. AOTS is a Japan-based human resources development organization that supports developing countries by promoting technical cooperation through training, the dispatch of experts, and other support programs. AOTS engages with Japanese enterprises to provide training programs -- from management training to on-site technical training -- both in Japan and overseas, and dispatches experts to improve the technical level of the local employees of Japanese enterprises and their local partners in overseas countries. The RealWear solution being utilized during the trial features a 100% hands-free head-mounted smart glass display panel worn by the trainee or user in the remote location. The 5G solutions being trialed will enable trainers in Japan to ascertain the physical environment of trainees in Thailand remotely while conducting real-time training on practical operations. They will also provide trainees in Thailand the opportunity to "virtually" visit factories, construction sites and other facilities in Japan and study their operations, making them feel as if they were physically there. The trial will also assess the feasibility of transferring technology know-how and the skills required to maintain Japanese levels of quality across a wide range of industries overseas. AOTS will introduce DOCOMO and MI solutions to Japanese companies planning to implement remote technical training as effective support tools that help deliver smooth training sessions. Leveraging their 5G solution know-how, DOCOMO and MI will also propose use cases and on-site operational assistance for Japanese enterprises that are considering deploying the RealWear smart glass display and AVATOUR 360 camera solutions for implementing remote technical training.

CircleGx, Zyter and Qualcomm Technologies have decided to collaborate to drive digital equity with broadband infrastructure in Dallas County communities to drive accessibility for use across education, healthcare, emergency services, businesses and more. Circle Gx will be deploying a fixed wireless broadband network called the “Planted Circle” in communities of Dallas County, Texas. The network will initially begin with the deployment of more than 20 LTE CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) cell sites powered by Qualcomm® RAN Platforms and will include smart lighting, with both outdoor and indoor CPEs featuring a Qualcomm® Fixed Wireless Access Platform, with a potential path to 5G in the future. The funding for this project is provided by CircleGx. In the “Planted Circle” project, Zyter will deploy, manage, monitor, and operate the city’s private fixed wireless broadband network on the Zyter SmartSpaces™ Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

Verizon, Samsung & Qualcomm Partner Verizon, Samsung Electronics, and Qualcomm Technologies have announced their collective achievement on reaching upload speeds of 711 Mbps in a lab trial using aggregated bands of mmWave spectrum. Previous multi-gigabit speeds have been recorded on downloads before, but this is the fastest speed the companies have been able to reach while uploading data to the network. Speeds approaching those seen in this recent trial (for comparison, 700+ Mbps is the equivalent of a one GB movie uploaded in about 10 seconds) will pave the way for uploading videos, pictures and data to the cloud, social media accounts, or sharing directly with others in densely populated venues like downtown streets, concerts and football stadiums. These breakthrough uplink speeds will also drive new private network use cases for enterprises. Faster uplink speeds can enable quality control solutions for manufacturers using artificial intelligence to identify tiny product defects in products visible only through ultra-HD video feeds. The demonstration surpassed current peak upload speeds by combining 400 MHz of Verizon’s 5G mmWave frequency and 20 MHz of 4G frequency using the latest 5G technologies, including mmWave carrier aggregation and Single-User MIMO (SU-MIMO).

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IOT-FEATURE

Ultra-Compact, Low-Power-Consumption Cellular LPWA Modules, Enabling All Kinds of Internet Connections

Demand for IoT Devices That Can Collect Data over a Wider Range

We want to build a society that runs smoothly and efficiently based on data; one where people live thriving and healthy lives through data and where data is fully utilized for running valuable businesses. Companies and governments around the world are working to build and use new information systems to make this a near future reality. Together with people, goods, and money, the data that we generate every day in business and in our daily lives has become one of the management resources that drive our lives, business, and society. Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT), which connects all types of things to the Internet, has made it possible to collect not only data generated in the virtual world, but also data generated in various locations in the real world in great detail. There are already examples of IoT devices equipped with sensors and communication functions installed in various locations on factory production lines, in offices, and in homes to help predict failures and improve production efficiency by understanding the status of equipment and facilities in operation. However, compared to data collection within a specific area of 20 to 30 square meters, such as inside a factory, there were challenges in collecting data from a wide area of several square kilometers, which is required for automatic meter reading for smart meters and monitoring of social infrastructure such as roads and bridge supports. This is because there was no wireless communication technology suitable for use in IoT devices that could be used to wirelessly connect over long distances. For data collection within a specific area, existing shortrange wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, can be used for PCs and other information devices. Small,

low-powered communication modules incorporating these wireless technologies are readily available, making it relatively easy to create compact IoT devices. On the other hand, the above-mentioned IoT devices could not be used to collect data over a wide area, and so the only available choice was to use mobile communication technology for mobile phones, which consumes large amounts of power. However, because it is assumed that the devices will be used in places where frequent recharging is not possible, large-capacity batteries are required to provide sufficient power for practical usage, resulting in larger device sizes.

Cellular LPWA - Extremely Easy to Use for Wireless Communications for IoT Devices Commercial services for cellular LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), a wide area wireless communication technology for IoT devices, began in 2018 to open up potential uses for IoT

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devices that had been left out due to lack of an appropriate wireless technology. Cellular LPWA is based on LTE, a communication method for smartphones and other devices that features wide area coverage, and is designed to dramatically reduce power consumption by reducing the data transfer rate and frequency of communication. These low data transfer rates do not allow for the transfer of video data. However, the transfer rates are fast enough to transmit data on vibrations for assessing how old a road is, the temperature of a paddy field, which is essential for managing the growth of rice, and the locations of share cycles. In fact, the low power consumption provides a noticeable improvement in convenience, such as by enabling many years of use on batteries. Cellular LPWA has the potential to expand the use of IoT devices, but there are hurdles to be cleared in order to accelerate their adoption. Like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, an ultracompact, low-power wireless communication module that can be embedded and installed in any device or location is needed. Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ("Murata" below) has developed one of the world's smallest cellular LPWA modules by applying its technology and expertise gained through the development of many wireless communication modules. At the same time, we collaborate with providers and chip manufacturers to develop and provide modules that ensure reliable connectivity to the Internet without the need for user specialized knowledge of wireless communications.

Murata's Cellular LPWA Modules Drive Development of Valuable IoT Devices

The value of IoT devices is enhanced by their ability to be used in environments where data cannot be easily retrieved. For this reason, it is extremely important to develop IoT devices having a compact housing that can be installed anywhere and where the number of required battery changes and recharges are minimized. Murata develops and provides high-quality, ultra-compact, low-power-consumption cellular LPWA modules that meet these requirements. We asked the engineers involved in the development of cellular LPWA modules about the usage scenarios they envisioned for cellular LPWA modules during development, as well as the strengths of Murata's modules and their actions in the product development process.

Realization of Long-Distance Wireless Communication for IoT Utilizing Existing Mobile Phone Base Stations

- What are the potential applications of cellular LPWA as a means of transferring data collected by IoT devices to the cloud? First, I would like to talk about LPWA's positioning in the market. Up to now, IoT devices have had to use mobile phone service for applications that required data transfers over long distances, such as over 1 km. However, due to the high cost and high power consumption, this means of communication was not feasible for all applications. LPWA is a wireless communication technology that was created to solve these issues. There are two types of LPWA: cellular LPWA, which uses mobile phone base stations, and non-cellular LPWA, which mainly

uses its own access points (Table 1). Of these, cellular LPWA has the advantage of being able to easily deploy a global network by using the communication networks of major telecommunications carriers. It also offers a wider coverage area than non-cellular, as well as greater communication stability and security. This makes it suitable for smart cities, logistics systems, and cross-country data collection.

There are two standards within cellular LPWA: LTE Cat. M1 (LTE-M) and NB-IoT. LTE Cat. M1 features excellent mobility and low latency, as well as a maximum data transfer rate of 1 Mbps (theoretical), which is the fastest among LPWA services. It is suitable for applications such as tracking, emergency equipment, and wearables. NB-IoT, on the other hand, features low cost, low power consumption, and large-scale connectivity. It is suitable for applications that handle a small amount of information, such as automatic meter reading for smart meters.

To learn more on the common challenges faced by engineers during the design phase for the metering industry; how to incorporate Murata technologies and solutions into their product design while gaining insights of Murata’s unique design tool – SimSurfing; and for quick and easy components selection, check out our On-Demand webinar. https://www.murata.com/en-sg/webinars/murataspeaks/jul21-HA/ download

Ultra-compact Size and Low Power Consumption That Is Second to None

- What features does Murata offer in its wireless communication modules for cellular LPWA? Murata provides high-quality cellular LPWA modules that comply with national and regional radio laws and are carrier-certified.

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IOT-FEATURE We offer modules that enable usage with peace of mind in all aspects of communication stability, reliability, security and mobility. Also, we are proud to be second to none when it comes to ultra-compact size and low power consumption. - What benefits do the ultra-compact sizes of cellular LPWA modules bring to IoT devices? Among our developed cellular LPWA modules, the Type 1SC, which is encapsulated in a resin package, features an ultracompact size of 11.1 mm x 11.4 mm x 1.4 mm. Both the Cat. M1 and NB-IoT standards are supported in this single product, and the area ratio is less than half that of a typical compact module*1. When modules can be miniaturized to this level, they can be used in wristband wearable devices for health care and medical applications, tracking devices to ensure traceability in logistics, or embedded in share cycles to track movement. *1: Compared to the 18.0 mm x 16.0 mm x 2.0 mm LPWA module

- What are the technical hurdles in miniaturizing the module? If it was simply a matter of mounting small components or drawing a fine wiring pattern, it would not be so difficult. However, the smaller the size of a wireless communication module, the more subtle differences in characteristics and blurring of patterns have a significant impact on the overall characteristics and performance of the entire module. Moreover, because cellular LPWA has higher output than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, it tends to be more challenging to tune for radio law compliance and carrier certification. For more than a decade, Murata has been accumulating expertise in miniaturizing communication modules and developing cellular modules. There are many suppliers with experience in developing Wi-Fi modules, but I believe there are only a few manufacturers that have the expertise to miniaturize cellular modules.

Lower Power Consumption for More Than 10 Years of Operation Without Battery Replacement

- So what benefits does the low power consumption of modules bring to IoT devices? IoT devices are not always installed in places where the batteries can be changed and recharged frequently. In fact, IoT devices that can collect data from places where people cannot easily enter are even more valuable. Designing modules that consume less power will enable a longer battery life and easier operation of the IoT devices. However, reducing power consumption while achieving the communication stability, reliability, security, and mobility required for IoT devices is not easy. Simple communication technologies can be used to implement lower power consumption, but the use of complex communication technologies is essential for providing highquality modules. It is a challenge for us to find ways to design software and hardware to reduce power consumption. - What types of technologies have been used to achieve low power consumption? LTE Cat. M1 and NB-IoT have a technology to reduce power consumption called eDRX*2 or PSM*3. Murata's cellular LPWA

modules themselves are also designed with low power consumption in mind. The current consumption in standby mode can be reduced to Typ 3.5 μA, which enables 10 to 15 years of operation without battery replacement*4. *2: eDRX is an abbreviation for extended Discontinuous Reception. This technology is designed to lower power consumption by reducing the number of times that signals will be received while in standby. *3: PSM is an abbreviation for Power Saving Mode. This technology reduces power consumption by receiving signals only during limited time slots. *4: Assumes that an application sends sensor data once a day

Moreover, the communication quality and power consumption during usage are not determined solely by the quality of the module alone. It is extremely important to tune the modules so that the entire system, including the communication infrastructure, runs smoothly. Working as partners in close collaboration with carriers that provide cellular LPWA connectivity services, Murata is jointly developing a communication platform that balances high communication quality and security levels with low power consumption at the system level.

Reliable and Easy Connections Even for Customers Unfamiliar with Wireless Technology

- Murata has developed and supplied many wireless communication modules for mobile phones. What are the differences in developing modules for mobile phones and for IoT devices? Just because a company is developing IoT devices, it does not mean that the company is an expert in wireless communications technology. This is probably the most significant difference. Our customers who develop and produce mobile phones have many years of experience in making mobile phones. For this reason, they know how to handle high-frequency radio waves and what to keep in mind in order to make the device usable in a variety of locations. Moreover, because communication quality and reliability are directly related to the value of the device, they are investing enormous development resources in this area. By contrast, many customers developing IoT devices are focusing on sensors and other data collection methods to develop the technology. For example, if you're a customer developing an IoT device for agriculture, you'll develop technology that focuses on where, how, and how often to detect the temperature of the field. Wireless technology to transfer the data is an essential feature. However, wireless technology is a challenging technology to provide differentiation, and they don't want to go into it in depth if possible. Many customers believe that the best thing to do is to obtain a reliable means of data transfer from an outside source. Some customers have tried to develop wireless functions in-house, but found it too difficult to do and came to us for help.

Ensuring Reliable Connectivity by Creating a Module through Strategic Collaboration with Carriers

- The situation may be completely different for the same wireless device. What must you keep in mind when developing cellular LPWA modules for IoT devices? Since we are experts in wireless communications, we believe it

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is important for us to make sure that our wireless communication modules are easy to use and can provide reliable connectivity for anyone. This reduces our customers' resources needed for development of IoT devices and allows them to allocate more resources to data collection, which is their primary focus*1. *1: Our efforts to assist customers in developing IoT devices are not limited to module development. In addition to modules, Murata has many other products, and we can provide multifaceted assistance by supporting antenna design, simulating batteries, and suggesting batteries suitable for applications.

We have extensive experience in testing to verify the connectivity of wireless communication modules. For example, with Wi-Fi, which has been in use for many years, new communication standards have been introduced one after another, leading to complex usage situations where multiple specifications are used together in the market and resulting in a vast number of test items. At Murata, we have created our own evaluation items to enable effective and efficient verification. We also provide testing services to customers who have selected our modules for their products, many of whom have used our testing services in the development of 70 products and 10 million applied devices. We are applying this testing knowledge to the evaluation of cellular LPWA modules to further refine the software for developing modules with reliable connectivity. It is also important to keep in mind that, even if the IoT device itself is highly complete, reliable connectivity is not possible without smooth integration with the system to be connected. In fact, many customers often hit roadblocks in the operational phase after completing their IoT devices. We worked with carriers to develop the cellular LPWA module in a way that facilitates integration of the system with the module. For example, we have a strategic collaboration with SoftBank Corp. ("SoftBank" below) to optimize tuning and validation for SoftBank's IoT platform. This allows Murata's modules to be used on the SoftBank platform without any difficulties. We work with these carriers and partners to ensure that advanced communications protocols that increase the quality and security level of communications are readily available. For example, a protocol called OMA LwM2M*2 is often used in carrier-provided IoT services, and this can be pre-implemented in a module, allowing customers to easily connect to the carrier's IoT platform. The use of a technology called NIDD*3 is sometimes required to enhance security functions, and software to utilize this technology is installed in the module after negotiations with carriers and partners. Similar

cooperation is taking place with carriers around the world. *2: OMA LwM2M, Open Mobile Alliance Lightweight Machine to Machine, is a protocol for managing data communications and IoT devices that connect machines to each other. *3: NIDD, Non-IP Data Delivery. Because having an IP address makes you vulnerable to cyberattacks, this is a technology for transferring data without IP addressing.

Assisting in Radio Law Compliance and Carrier Certification - Who is responsible for complying with national and regional radio laws and obtaining carrier certification? We obtain certification at the module level if we can. 3GPP*4 has standardized the high frequency standards used in cellular LPWA, and each carrier and other entities define evaluation items based on this standard. The content is basically the same as LTE, but there are some additional evaluation items specific to LPWA related to low power consumption. In the development of a module, it is essential to have an evaluation environment that reliably verifies the predetermined evaluation items. At Murata, we have invested so much in our evaluation facilities and equipment that we have a system in place to cover evaluation items that other companies cannot.

*4: 3GPP- 3rd Generation Partnership Project. This organization is responsible for the standardization of mobile communication systems such as LTE and 5G for use around the world. Originally established for the purpose of developing specifications for wireless communications technology for third generation mobile phones, the group continues to develop standards for third-generation and later mobile phones.

However, there are many cases where certification cannot be obtained unless the module is installed in the applied device. In these types of cases, we can assist the customer in the development of their applied device by providing the data required for certification and helping them with pre-verification. Although the frequency of the radio waves used by cellular LPWA varies by country and region, Murata has designed its modules so that the same modules can be used throughout the world. However, the device must comply with the radio laws of the country and region where the service will be used. Many of the IoT device manufacturers who are our customers do not have a business presence in the region where their products will be released, and so we provide technical support tailored to the region in cooperation with local carriers. Murata's global offices located in the United States, Europe, Asia, and other regions provide a clear-cut advantage to our customers.

Industrial IoT Devices Must Have Long-term Reliability and Environmental Resistance

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IOT-FEATURE - Usually we tend to take for granted that communication devices like smartphones are connected to the Internet, but in reality, they are connected as a result of the efforts of many engineers. In addition to ensuring reliable connectivity, there are other module-specific requirements for IoT devices that are different from those for mobile phones. Generally, most consumers think that it is inevitable that consumer electronics will break after the warranty period has expired. Many people think that 5 years at the most, or at least 2 or 3 years of use is enough. In contrast, industrial IoT devices may require long-term reliability that lasts more than 10 years. In particular, because we are implementing low power consumption for our modules and we expect to use them for more than 10 years without battery replacement, it is important to ensure their long-term reliability. In the development of wireless communication modules such as Wi-Fi, we have conducted high-level reliability tests and built them for durability, even for consumer use. And so, these modules can also meet the reliability requirements for industrial applications. Also, it is possible that IoT devices with cellular LPWA will be used outdoors and in harsh environments. For this reason, we conduct load tests that simulate use in harsh operating environments and repeat tests under various conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and impact, to confirm the reliability of our products for use in a broader range of situations. To provide water resistance, for instance, some applications may require more than just measures at the module level, and instead, measures may need to be implemented for the entire IoT device including the module. In such cases, Murata will provide its expertise to assist the customer with design.

Cellular LPWA Applications Are Spreading Around the World and into Every Industry

- It looks like applications for cellular LPWA will continue to grow. What applications in particular do you expect to see growth going forward? Considering the wide application compatibility of cellular LPWA, we believe that its use could expand beyond developed countries such as Japan, the U.S., and Europe to include developing countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines. For example, smart agriculture, which monitors the conditions of large tracts of farmland and numerous grazing livestock, is one application that is likely to see widespread use.

To learn more on the new technologies and solutions in Smart Agriculture that can enhance the entire food value chain for higher yield and maximum returns, check out our On-Demand webinar. https://www.murata.com/en-sg/webinars/murataspeaks/sep21agritech/download

In addition, we expect the strengths of our developed modules to be utilized for expanding the applications for wearable devices, where miniaturization is essential. There may be many different use cases in the fields of in-home medicine and health care. Customers have told us that Murata is the only choice for modules when it comes to using cellular LPWA for wearable devices.

A Leader in Opening Up New IoT Usage Scenarios

Murata's cellular LPWA modules are at the forefront of the industry in opening up new uses for IoT because of their unrivaled ultracompact design and low-power consumption. Their ease of use, which enables reliable connectivity to the Internet without the need for specialized knowledge of wireless technology, provides added support for application development. In fact, as a company that studies and deals with IoT applications every day, we have received many requests from various IoT-related application development projects. I believe that if Murata is able to reduce the cost of the 1 trillion sensors used around the world, we could spur innovation that will enable everything that was previously handled by local communication to be performed by wide area communication. * Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.

For more information on the Growing Industry Applications of LPWA, download Murata’s whitepaper featured by Frost & Sullivan. https://www.murata.com/en-sg/campaigns/lpwa-download/en1

About This Article: This article is provided by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. https://article.murata.com/en-sg/article/small-low-power-cellular-lpwa-module-1 https://article.murata.com/en-sg/article/small-low-power-cellular-lpwa-module-2

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EV NEWS

Jankel and WAE Ink an Agreement

CESL Rolls Out Grand Challenge

Jankel has joined hands with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to provide services and technologies to prime contractors in the US defense market. The partnership will see Jankel and Williams Advanced Engineering working on joint projects to electrify legacy and new military vehicle fleets across the US DoD. Jankel’s US-South Carolina-based company Jankel Tactical Systems takes the lead in the USA with extensive experience designing, manufacturing and delivering vehiclerelated technology and integration solutions in the US defense market. Williams Advanced Engineering are renowned for providing world-class technical innovation, engineering and specialist electric vehicle solutions across multiple applications. Proven out in the Formula E and Extreme E arena, WAE is a pioneer in battery systems, battery management and EV drivetrain solutions across a wide range of sectors including motorsport, transport, mining and defense. The partnership will combine complementary technologies and capabilities to help progress military hybrid and electrification projects no matter what the size, from a light tactical vehicle to the main battle tank. The experience, innovation and engineering expertise of both companies will be combined to leverage the integration, problem-solving, and tailored approach required to solve the military problem set, essential to help meet the military engineering challenges of the 21st century - mobility, sustainability and efficiency.

Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has launched the ‘Grand Challenge’ through which it is inviting state transport departments to consider adopting electric buses for its people moving requirements. To be aggregated across nine cities, the ‘challenge’ invites State Transport Undertakings (STUs) to express their demand for electric buses and access the FAME II subsidy, for which a total of 3,472 buses of subsidy is equivalent is available. CESL will then aggregate this demand and based on a rating system, STUs will be allocated their total number of buses. The aggregated demand will be tendered out for the participation of OEMs and/or operators for the discovery of prices based on rupees per kilometer. The cities covered under this ‘Grand Challenge’ are Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, and Pune. Through the Grand Challenge, CESL intends to enhance its support to state governments in achieving their electric mobility targets and further build an infrastructure for electric mobility in the country. This tender is seen as a step in the series of initiatives to fulfill the government’s ambition towards making India a netzero nation by 2050 and getting closer to achieving energy independence by 2047.

area, a dedicated conference auditorium, several London EV Show 2021 Rescheduled ! exhibition breakout rooms, and onsite parking. Since the launch of the London EV Show 2021 have rescheduled and relocated the event to the Business Design Centre, located at 52 Upper St, London N1 0QH, the UK from 14 16 December 2021. Due to some unforeseen turn of events, the organizers had to change the venue and move the event by a week to the Business Design Centre (BDC), an iconic central London exhibition center, celebrating more than 10 years as a Carbon-Neutral venue. The CEO of Valiant Business Media, Shariq Abdul Hai stated that the ultimate endeavor of Valiant is to provide our clients with a smooth and unhindered experience and we are looking to use the venue exclusively with a state-of-the-art 6000m2 + of space that features a large

event earlier in the year London EV Show 2021 has received tremendous interest not only from the UK but internationally too and is anticipated to become one of the most influential EV shows in terms of scope and participation. The Business Design Centre is an iconic venue in the heart of London and hosts some of the best events in the UK and an average of 1 million visitors annually. BDC has built a strong reputation for being a certified carbon-neutral venue where sustainability is at the forefront of everything to leave as little of an impact as possible on the planet. The organizers are very optimistic about the London EV Show which is already emerging as the EV industry's can't miss event and have expressed great regret for this untimely decision which was not at all anticipated.

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T&M - COLUMN

RADIO TESTING -

From the bench to the field Land Mobile Radio

Land Mobile Radios (LMRs) are two-way communication devices used for person-to-person voice and data transmission in extensive use by many important government and commercial applications, providing essential voice and data communication for diverse users around the globe. As technology has progressed over the years, LMR devices are incorporating more advanced digital technologies that utilize computer-controlled access for efficient allocation of channels to subscribers.

Monojit Samaddar

Country Director, VIAVI Solutions, India Modern digital land mobile radio (LMR) technologies and software defined radio (SDR) have significantly improved security, range, and spectral efficiency. Radio test solutions have followed suit, incorporating advanced automation, signal mapping, and spectrum analysis features for the lab and field. Auto-Test and auto-tune applications provide fully automated test and alignment of mobile and portable radios without the need for user interaction. The test sets ensure that the test and alignment procedures are performed to manufacturer-recommended specifications and industry standards, delivering consistent and repeatable results, proper interoperability, and optimal radio and network performance.

Radio products and standards have evolved to have improved range, reliability, and spectrum utilization. Simultaneously, LMR test, measurement and mapping solutions have consolidated advanced capabilities into integrated, compact equipment suitable for multiple use cases, events, and environments.

LMR Testing

The range, security and reliability of land mobile radio systems have made them a logical fit for critical communications. With often unpredictable field conditions and security threats, LMR radios must remain robust while maintaining high performance standards of transmit power, error rate, and sensitivity. Overthe-air LMR radio testing aids deployment activities and helps test for equipment failures. Portability has become an invaluable asset for radio test equipment that often allows LMR subscribers to prepare for challenging environments. With a high degree of market diversity, exacting test requirements, and lofty reliability expectations, LMR testing can quickly become a complicated and challenging undertaking. Signal generators, spectrum analyzers, power meters, frequency counters, computers, and sensors must be interconnected and configured appropriately to constitute an accurate and repeatable communications test. This can become a long and arduous process, prone to hardware compatibility issues, setup errors, operator-to-operator variation, and inordinate test and reporting times. Technical resource constraints can further worsen these challenges as electronics industry expansion continues to place an unprecedented strain on the radio frequency talent pool. Today, the availability of a wide range of versatile, easy-touse, and portable radio test solutions allow development, testing and maintenance of LMR equipment of all leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

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Software Defined Radio Systems

Software has become the largest component of electronic systems today, demanding more development resources. There is a need for a paradigm shift in the software development processes that enables greater design flexibility, speed-up implementation of latest innovations, extend the lifetime of products and reduce overall lifecycle cost. Advances in technologies have significantly changed the way radios are built, to the point where it is no longer just hardware that modulates and demodulates waveforms. The Software Defined Radio paradigm is on the leading-edge of radio technology, using software to implement most of the radio functionality, including the modulation and demodulation of waveforms. eCoSuite provides the ideal integrated development environment (IDE) for implementing Software Communications Architecture (SCA) in Heterogenous Embedded Distributed Systems (HEDS). SDR technology uses software, instead of conventional hardware, to perform radio-signal processing functions. Filters, error correction, synchronizers, modulators/demodulators, and frequency tuners used in conventional systems can all be written in software. Software defined devices need to be quickly reconfigured to adapt to changing product requirements. SDRs use high-speed reprogrammable devices such as digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable grid array (FPGA), or general-purpose processors (GPPs), executing tasks performed by hardware in conventional radio systems.

that was not possible before. For example, OEMs of SCA tactical radios require a platform that is modular, scalable and traceable. In many cases, the products and protocols under test are evolving or still being defined until very late in the product development life-cycle. Supporting all the changes in hardware is very expensive and time-consuming. In fact, some traditional testers may even be obsolete by the time they are brought to market. Software-defined, or virtual, testing instruments provide the level of flexibility required to adjust as the standards and protocols evolve.

Working Together

Combining the functionality and precision of disparate radio test equipment into a singular package no longer requires an oversized form factor or unlimited budget. Test solutions required to support this rapid advancement have kept pace with unprecedented test feature diversity, as well as the need for automation.

SDR Testing

The flexibility provided by SCA makes the technology a logical choice to meet the ever-changing requirements of today’s commercial and military SDR products. As software-defined radios are being more widely deployed, test and measurement instruments are ramping up to be able to test SDRs in a way

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TECHNOVATORS

AER- A Renewable Startup Aims Green Energy Investments in India India’s leading renewable energy solutions provider, Artha Energy Resources (AER) present across nine states, the company has a significant portfolio spanning across Solar & Wind sectors. AER focusses on providing EPC services and financing options to the commercial & industrial segment for onsite solar plants and has been a long-standing partner to brands across sectors. Led by Animesh A Damani, a fourth-generation entrepreneur, Artha Energy has a vast network of professionals and path-breaking analytical solutions. While talking with Nitisha from BISinfotech; Animesh Damani, Managing Partner, Artha Energy Resources talks about drive green energy investments in India.

Kindly explain Artha Energy Resources and its special offerings. Artha Energy Resources was established in 2013 with the intent to drive green energy investments in India. Today, we have grown to become a leading renewable energy solutions provider in India and have a strong consulting arm. We have completed over 250MW of projects across Hydro, Solar, Wind, and Bio-mass and Bio-gas through project consultancy and development. Our focus is on project development, which is supplemented by our in-house EPC and financing divisions. Our solutions include both offsite and onsite solar projects, owner’s engineer services and a robust investment bank. As a consultant, we act as an enabler for EPCs, developers and technology partners for projects in the renewable energy space. We are present across 9 states and have a portfolio spanning solar, wind and hydro sectors.

How does Artha Energy define itself different from other renewable companies? Our strength lies in our vast network of experienced professionals, path breaking analytical solutions, and a quick turnaround time on all our projects. One of our key differentiators lies in our intelligence on over 90% renewable assets in the country.

What kind of challenges industry is facing after pandemic and what will be the future plans for handling such issues? As an industry, we faced challenges similar to other sectors during the pandemic. With projects requiring manpower, it was one of the biggest hurdles to overcome, along with the economic repercussions. The lack of strong policies and regulations to aid the sector was another deterrent, with the rooftop solar sector seeing the maximum policy flip-flop in the pandemic, which in-turn bred uncertainty and affected growth. The MSMEs were and are the most affected, putting ongoing and upcoming projects in jeopardy. Another major factor has been the rapid inflation in commodities and solar modules that have resulted in project costs increasing by 15-20% on average. However, the RE sector, especially rooftop solar, has witnessed significant growth in the first half of 2021. In fact, as per IEA, India is expected to be the biggest contributor to the growth of renewables globally. This is

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According to you, which solar-centric state has the best (or progressive) net metering policies? Currently, Maharashtra has the right approach to net metering. They have announced a policy that allows rooftop solar to grow upto 2 GW, which will ensure that consumers are able to take the benefit of the existing policy. After the 2 GW of What future growth prospect you expect from the Indian capacity is reached, the state plans to levy grid-support renewable energy market? charges (on rooftop solar projects). If these grid-support The potential for renewable energy in India is huge. We, as charges are applied on exported units and reflect the real a country, have demarcated high targets for Renewable cost implications for the DISCOM, it would be the right decision Energy. To achieve the same, we need to maintain the taken by the state government. momentum that we have been seeing recently, along with favourable policies that provide the desired push for RE as the desired resource for energy generation. The awareness among consumers is also increasing and both the residential and commercial segments are opening up to RE, given the financial and environmental benefits that it provides. What we need is a more robust framework that can aid the growth of the industry as a whole, and propel it to the forefront of energy conversations. a clear showcase of the strength of RE as a priority sector for economic growth. What we need are clear guidelines and visible show of support from the government going forward. If similar issues arise, a holistic policy framework can tide the sector through the challenges.

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TECH-EXCLUSIVE

Measure What Matters – Sense CO2 to Improve Air Quality in Smart Homes and Smart Buildings We are an indoor generation, spending most of our time in cars, plains, trains or buildings. The level of CO2 indoor has a severe impact on our wellbeing and performance. The health impact can range from headaches, drowsiness, and poor concentration that could lead to reduced productivity to the undetected build-up of airborne viruses, such as Covid-19. The demand for this sensing capability is immense. A recent 2021 market forecast projects the advanced CO2 sensors market to grow by USD 258.87 million during 2021-2025 at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The growth of

the global construction market is one of the major factors driving the market. System designers have choices for the CO2 sensing technology used in their sensors. Two common choices are non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors and sensors that estimate the concentration of carbon dioxide or eCO2 sensors NDIR sensors consist of an IR light source, a sample chamber, a spectral filter, and reference and absorption IR detectors. As a result, they are relatively large and expensive. In spite of

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and generate a pressure wave with each pulse. Detecting the pressure change generated by the CO2 molecules within the sensor cavity, the sensor’s microcontroller converts the output into a CO2 concentration reading. Incorporating an acoustic detector, similar to an internal microphone, Infineon’s XENSIVTM PAS CO2 sensor achieves size and cost benefits compared to NDIR sensors, without compromising performance. In addition to integrating a photoacoustic transducer with a detector, infrared source, and optical filter on a small PCB, the 14 x 13.8 x 7.5 mm3 XENSIV™ CO2 sensor contains a microcontroller for on-board signal processing, sophisticated algorithms, and a MOSFET for operating the infrared source (see Figure 2). To achieve the highest performance of the detector, the PAS sensor design had to minimize system noise. This required isolating the MEMS detector from external noise so that only the pressure change originating from the CO2 molecules in the chamber is detected. To do this, the absorption chamber is acoustically isolated from external noise to provide accurate CO2 sensing information and minimize the impact of noise. This results in the sensor achieving accurate and robust performance of ±30 ppm ±3% of reading. The integrated microcontroller in the XENSIV™ PAS CO2 sensor performs ppm calculations as well as providing advanced compensation and configuration algorithms for high performance CO2 sensing.

making accurate CO2 measurements, their form factor makes them difficult to integrate and unsuitable for installation in small internet of things (IoT) devices or smart home components. Unlike the NDIR sensor, eCO2 sensors can be smaller but they do not perform real-time measurements. Instead, they use algorithms to calculate an equivalent CO2 value. Based on many assumptions, the estimated values do not necessarily improve the air quality at the right moment, resulting in the climate control system consuming an unnecessarily large amount of energy. Using its extensive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, Infineon has developed a new CO2 sensor based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) that addresses the shortcomings of existing CO2 sensors. In the PAS sensor (see Figure 1), pulses of light from an infrared source pass through an optical filter tuned specifically to the CO2 absorption wavelength of λ= 4.2 µm. The CO2 molecules inside the measurement chamber absorb the filtered light, causing the molecules to vibrate

The PAS CO2 kits are now available. Showing how fast and easy the sensor is to use, the kits demonstrate plug & play CO2 measurements in ppm readout for indoor air quality monitoring. A complete suite of product evaluation boards (PAS CO2 evaluation board, Arduino-based Shield2Go board), software libraries, and comprehensive documentation, including application notes, will also be available soon to support customers and accelerate the design-to-market time of the PAS CO2 sensor. While CO2 is a colorless and odorless gas, Infineon’s XENSIV™ PAS CO2 sensor provides an electronic nose to sniff out potential air quality problems. The new sensor is ideal for high-volume, cost-sensitive smart home and building automation applications such as demand-controlled ventilation systems, air purifiers, thermostats, weather stations, and personal assistants. By integrating CO2 measurement into these systems, energy can be saved by an automated air ventilation system, operation only when needed and indoor air quality can be greatly improved, leading to a lower energy bill and a healthier indoor environment. Infineon is making a valuable contribution to enable everyone to track their environment in a smart, easyto-use and affordable way – for a better and healthier life! For more info, kindly click here.

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LAUNCH

ST Releases Isolated SiC Gate Driver STMicroelectronics has unveiled STGAP2SiCSN single-channel gate driver, optimized to control silicon-carbide MOSFETs. The gate driver comes in a space-saving narrow-body SO-8 package and delivers robust performance with accurate PWM control. Features: Applications: • Simplifies design, saves space, and enhances robustness Applications include electric-vehicle and reliability. charging systems, switched-mode power • Galvanic isolation between the gate-driving channel and supplies, high-voltage power-factor the low-voltage control. correction (PFC), DC/DC converters, • Operates with up to 1700V on the high-voltage rail. uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), • The input-to-output propagation time of less than 75ns ensures solar power, motor drives, fans, factory high PWM accuracy. automation, home appliances, and induction heating.

Availability: Available Now

Infineon’s CIRRENT Cloud ID Service Infineon Technologies has launched CIRRENT Cloud ID, a service that automates cloud certificate provisioning and IoT device-to-cloud authentication. The easy-to-use service extends the chain of trust and makes tasks easier and more secure from chip-to-cloud while lowering companies’ total cost of ownership. Features: Availability: Applications: • Simplifies the manufacturing processes while maintaining the capability to Ideal for cloud-connected Available have individual certificates without complex IT systems and processes p r o d u c t c o m p a n i e s i n Now • Provides asymmetric key security that leverage Infineon’s trusted security and the industrial, consumer, the strength of the X.509 certificates without the complex infrastructure healthcare, medical and • Comes with automatic provisioning to the cloud. Users can configure a cloud- manufacturing industries. to-cloud connection and provisioning with a private cloud, public cloud, or AWS IoT Core

Infineon’s Automotive Coreless Current Sensor

Infineon Technologies has rolled out its first automotive current sensor: the new XENSIV TLE4972. The coreless current sensor uses Infineon’s well-proven Hall technology for precise and stable current measurements. Features: • Compact design and diagnosis modes Applications: • State-of-the-art sensing without the negative effects caused by Ideal for xEV applications like magnetic cores. traction inverters used in hybrid • Neither core nor shield is required to protect the sensor against and battery-driven vehicles, stray fields. as well as for battery main • The integrated EEPROM allows customization of the sensor for switches. different applications and supports measurement ranges up to 2 kA.

Availability: Available Now

Infineon Presents EZ-PD BCR Solution Infineon Technologies’ EZ-PD™ BCR (Barrel Connector Replacement) is a highly integrated USB-C controller, together with the USB-C connector. The EZ-PD BCR solution supports the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard that interoperates with all USB-C power adapters without the need of firmware development. Features: Applications: Availability: • Allows consumers to charge their devices with the same USB-C charger, R e p l a c e s b a r r e l Available Now regardless of the device brand. connectors, custom • A common charging standard harmonizes fast charging technology and connectors or legacy prevents product producers unjustifiably limiting the charging speed when using USB connectors in a charger from a different brand. electronic devices. • Offers higher levels of convenience to consumer by being agnostic to connector types or product manufacturers when selecting a charger.

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Murata’s Antenna Array Integrated Module Murata has introduced a space-saving antenna array integrated module for mmWave 5G. A major disadvantage of existing products on the market is that to get around this problem, they require several radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) to be fitted to emit radio waves in multiple directions. Features: • Murata's solution is based around the MetroCirc™ mmWave antenna Applications: module board with its superior high-frequency performance. Smartphone, Internet of • Ability to disperse IC heat generation effectively thanks to the use of Things (IoT) and local/ extremely precise packaging technology. private 5G markets. • Has a unique L-shape design that delivers a secure mmWave wireless communication environment in two directions using just a single RFIC.

Availability: Available Now

ROHM’s High Optical Output Laser Diode

ROHM has developed a high optical output laser diode, the RLD90QZW3. The new launch improves the performance of laser diodes when used as light sources to increase detection distance and accuracy while reducing power consumption.

Features: • Establishing original patented technology to achieve narrower emission width. • Contributes to a longer range and higher accuracy in LiDAR applications. • This latest product expands applicability in the industrial sector by providing higher optical output. • Designed for LiDAR used in distance measurement and spatial recognition in 3D ToF (Time of Flight) systems.

Applications: AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and service robots in the industrial equipment sector and robot vacuums in the consumer field that incorporates LiDAR for distance measurement and spatial recognition.

Availability: Available Now

Vishay’s New Small Signal Schottky Diodes Vishay Intertechnology has released new surface-mount small signal diodes in the ultra-compact DFN1006-2A plastic package with wettable flanks. Features: Applications: • Designed to save space and improve thermal performance. • Occupy 90 % less board space than devices in traditional SOD/T packages Automotive and industrial while offering a 50 % lower profile and better power dissipation. Availability: • For protection again excessive voltage, such as electrostatic discharges, applications. The 40 V BAS40L Schottky the BAS40L features a PN junction guard ring. and 100 V BAS16L switching • The BAS40L and BAS16L offer a moisture sensitivity level (MSL) of 1 under diodes are each available in J-STD-020 and a UL 94 V-0 flammability rating. AEC-Q101 qualified versions. • Soldering can be checked by standard vision inspection; no X-ray is required.

Cadence Presents Integrity 3D-IC Platform Cadence Design Systems has introduced the Cadence Integrity 3D-IC platform. The Integrity 3D-IC platform underpins Cadence’s third-generation 3D-IC solution, providing customers with system-driven power, performance and area (PPA) for individual chiplets through integrated thermal, power and static timing analysis capabilities. Features: • Industry’s first comprehensive, high-capacity 3D-IC platform • Integrates 3D design planning, implementation and system analysis in a single, unified cockpit. • The platform uniquely provides system planning. • Integrated electrothermal, static timing analysis (STA) and physical verification flow, • Enabling faster, high-quality 3D design closure.

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Applications: N/A

Availability: Available Now

INDUSTRY UPDATES

ST Shares 2021 Third Quarter Financial Results

STMicroelectronics (ST) has recently shared U.S. GAAP financial results for the third quarter ended October 2, 2021. ST reported third-quarter net revenues of $3.20 billion, gross margin of 41.6%, operating margin of 18.9%, and net income of $474 million or $0.51 diluted earnings per share. • First nine months net revenues increased 31.8% yearover-year, driven by growth in all product groups, except the RF Communications sub-group. The operating margin was 16.7% and net income was $1.25 billion. • ST’s fourth-quarter outlook, at the mid-point, is for net revenues of $3.40 billion, increasing sequentially by 6.3%; gross margin is expected to be about 43.0%. • For the full year 2021, we now expect net revenues at the mid-point to be about $12.6 billion, translating into 23.3% year-over-year growth. The revenue growth planned for this year reflects continuing strong dynamics in all the end markets we address and our engaged customer programs.” Net revenues totaled $3.20 billion, a year-over-year increase of 19.9%. On a year-over-year basis, the Company recorded higher net sales in all product groups except the RF Communications sub-group. Year-over-year net sales to OEMs and Distribution increased 9.9% and 48.6%, respectively. On a sequential basis, net revenues increased 6.9%, substantially in line with the mid-point of the Company’s guidance. AMS and MDG reported increases in net revenues on a sequential basis while ADG decreased, caused by more severe than anticipated reduced operations at our Malaysian manufacturing facility due to the pandemic. Gross profit totaled $1.33 billion, a year-over-year increase of 38.7%. Gross margin of 41.6% increased 560 basis points year-over-year, mainly driven by improved product mix, manufacturing efficiencies, favorable pricing and lower unloading charges, partially offset by negative currency effects, net of hedging. Third quarter gross margin was 60 basis points above the midpoint of the Company’s guidance mainly due to product mix. Operating income increased 84.0% to $605 million, compared to $329 million in the year-ago quarter. The Company’s operating margin increased 660 basis points on a year-overyear basis to 18.9% of net revenues, compared to 12.3% in the 2020 third quarter.

Qeexo and ST Launch MLC Sensors Qeexo and STMicroelectronics have launched ST’s machinelearning core (MLC) sensors on Qeexo AutoML. By themselves, ST’s MLC sensors substantially reduce overall system power consumption by running sensing-related algorithms, built from large sets of sensed data, that would otherwise run on the host processor. Using this sensor data, Qeexo AutoML can automatically generate highly optimized machine-learning solutions for Edge devices, with ultra-low latency, ultra-low power consumption, and an incredibly small memory footprint. These algorithmic solutions overcome die-size-imposed limits to computation power and memory size, with efficient machine-learning models for the sensors that extend system battery life.

Infineon, Picovoice to Bring AI to Next-Gen IoT devices Infineon Technologies has partnered with Picovoice to jointly develop an endto-end voice platform that brings voice AI to edge devices. This collaboration enables smart voice solutions in ultra-low power IoT devices using Infineon’s PSoC 6 microcontrollers (MCUs). This gives designers an alternative approach to evaluating and deploying wakephase and intent recognition on the company’s PSoC 6 products. The joint effort opens up new possibilities with on-device AI-enabled voice technology for the smart home and wearable applications using energy-efficient PSoC 6 MCUs with comprehensive IoT connectivity support. The Picovoice platform creates an accurate and private voice interface that is now easily used with existing Infineon PSoC 6 solutions including seamless pairing with AIROC™ Wi-Fi®, low power CapSense™ touch interface and cloud connectivity. Leading in the highest sound quality capture, Infineon’s XENSIV™ MEMS microphones with the industry’s lowest SNR, wide dynamic range, low distortions and high acoustic overload point are included in this platform. Collaborating with Picovoice expands Infineon’s machine learning and AI ecosystem by allowing system developers using PSoC 6 the option to add a new voice feature for innovative IoT applications. Developers can now use a PSoC 6 Pioneer Development Kit and the IoT Sense Expansion Shield with an option to sign-up for a free Picovoice trial account.

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IESA Concludes its Vision Summit 2021

Infineon Rolls Out Automotive Security Controller SLI37

The India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) has finally drawn the curtains on its 4-day long summit. The ESDM conference’s theme for the year was - ‘India’s Accelerated ESDM Growth: The Defining Decade’. The highlight of the event was the keynote address by Honourable Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, Govt. of India, said, “I would like to highlight that electronic manufacturing has become the backbone of India's Make in India initiative, announced by PM Modi in 2014-15. Since then, we have witnessed rapid growth in the electronics industry. The national policy of electronics introduced in 2019 has a vision to position India as the global hub of electronic system design and manufacturing. With over 330 incubators and accelerators, 50,000 start-ups, with USD 95 billion valuations, these are the right kind of fertile ground for the electronics manufacturing industry. We hope that by the year 2025, India’s digital economy will touch 1 trillion USD that will play a big role in the making of a $5 trillion economy by creating employment for over 10 lakh people. The ESDM sector holds a very big promise for India's economic revival post the pandemic. I believe, IESA Vision Summit 2021 will contribute to India’s lookout for a quick and sustained recovery and help technologically qualified people in foreseeing India’s electronics manufacturing across the country.” It also witnessed the launch of the IESA Western India chapter with an extended invitation to the leading companies, policymakers, and industry experts to join hands in the vision of bringing global recognition to the country. The first day kick-started with the keynote by Saurabh Gaur, IAS, Joint Secretary, MeitY, while the conference witnessed industry veterans such as Sanjay Mehrotra, President & CEO, Micron Technology, Erez Imberman, VP - Business Development & Special Projects, Tower Semiconductor, Ashwini K Aggarwal, Director - Govt. Relations, Applied Materials India, Rangesh Raghavan, Corporate Vice President and GM India, Lam Research, Ajai Chowdhry, Founder – HCL, Chairman - EPIC Foundation, Jeet Vijay CEO of MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), and Suket Singhal, Group CEO, Secure Meters Ltd., were a few amongst others.

Infineon Technologies has launched SLI37 automotive security controller, an easy to design in and reliable trust anchor to secure safety-critical automotive applications like 5G-ready eUICC (eCall), V2X communication, car access or SOTA updates. With increasing electrification and connectivity, vehicles are at greater risk of cyberattacks, which can have serious consequences. For this reason, automotive manufacturers must provide adequate protection of telematics data. The unique and robust chip design of the SLI37 offers an extended temperature range as well as a lifetime of 17 years. While it comes with benchmark quality resulting in very low failure rates, its biggest advantage is the ability to be used for multiple applications. For this reason, OEMs can focus on a single qualification and design-in process.

Zhenghai Group, ROHM to Establish SiC Power Module Business Zhenghai Group and ROHM have entered into a joint venture collaboration to establish a new company in the power module business. The new company, “HAIMOSIC (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.” is scheduled to be established in China in December 2021, and will be owned 80% by Shanghai Zhenghai Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (Zhenghai Semiconductor) of Zhenghai Group and 20% by ROHM. The new company will engage in the joint venture business of development, design, manufacturing and sales of power modules using silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, to develop a power module business that is ideal for traction inverters and other applications in new energy vehicles. The agreement enables to development of highly efficient power modules by combining the inverter technology of the Zhenghai Group companies, the module technology of both companies, and ROHM's cutting-edge SiC chips. The module products to be developed through the new company are already scheduled to be used in electric vehicles, and mass production will begin in 2022. The Zhenghai Group and ROHM will work closely with this new company to contribute to further technological innovation through the development and widespread use of SiC power modules.

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INDUSTRY KART

Mouser Adds Almost 25,000 New Parts in September 2021

Mouser's customers can expect 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each manufacturer.

Last month, Mouser launched more than 24,740 products ready for shipment. Some of the products introduced by Mouser last month include: • Maxim Integrated MAX32672 ARM Cortex-M4F Microcontrollers Maxim Integrated MAX32672 microcontrollers combine a flexible and versatile power management unit with a powerful Arm® Cortex®-M4 processor with a floating-point unit (FPU). • Futaba LC070HA TFT-LCD Module The Futaba LC070HA is a touch-controllable display module designed for embedded applications. • Renesas Electronics FS3000 Air Velocity Sensor Module Renesas FS3000 is a surface-mount module that provides precision airflow monitoring for detecting system failures, measuring air handling, controlling fan speed, and more. • STMicroelectronics STEVAL-MKI210V2K iNEMO Inertial Module Kit STMicroelectronics STEVAL-MKI210V2K iNEMO Inertial Module Kit includes a main board and adapter board for evaluating the ISM330DHCX iNEMO inertial SiP module.

Digi-Key Presents New Scheme-it Features

Arrow Releases AI Thermal Sensing Solution

Digi-Key Electronics has introduced new features for its popular Scheme-it tool, a free online schematics and diagramming solution for engineers, educators and students. Scheme-it is a cloud-based tool available to users globally for designing and sharing electronic circuit diagrams and schematics. The new features that were recently released include: • Ultra-Librarian symbol integration: This feature brings in approximately 2 million of Ultra Librarian’s detailed, visually appealing symbols and images from Digi-Key’s product catalog. • Symbol Editor 2.0: A custom symbol editor that allows users to create new symbols that are not currently included in Scheme-it, offering endless ways to customize designs. • Mathematics markup: Powered by LaTeX, users can now properly format and insert mathematical formulas and calculations directly on schematics. The Scheme-it tool includes a comprehensive electronic symbol library and an integrated Digi-Key component catalog that allows for a wide range of circuit designs.

Arrow Electronics has rolled out a thermal sensing solution, powered by STMicroelectronics (STM)' X-CUBE AI. The integrated solution is designed to help engineers and product designers rapidly combine AI and thermal sensing technologies for developing smart, reliable, and affordable health monitoring devices. This integrated solution optimizes bill-of-materials and simplifies hardware and software integration, making it a good choice to deploy for temperature-screening devices, and a wide variety of other consumer-grade and healthcare applications. Arrow's AI-powered thermal sensing solution can achieve a quick and accurate temperature screening, with multiple individuals screened simultaneously. This special denoise process runs on a convolutional neural network (CNN). With the STMicroelectronics' AI expansion pack - STM32Cube.AI, the deep-learning algorithm can be exported and executed on STM32 Arm® Cortex®-M-based microcontrollers. The solution can detect target object distance and human presence. Images can be displayed in a heat map or RGB format.

Mouser Electronics has recently added almost 25,000 semiconductor and electronic component parts as over 1,100 manufacturer brands count on Mouser to help them introduce their products into the global marketplace.

62 11 | 2021 BISinfotech

What if we could simultaneously power the future and sustain it? The world’s growing demand for technology requires high-performance power solutions for spaceconstrained, mission critical systems. Now that Maxim Integrated is joining Analog Devices, our combined strength in intelligent power management solutions is helping pave the way for smaller, more energyefficient power solutions to keep pace. See What If: analog.com/Maxim

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