Bisinfotech Magazine September issue 2020

Experts of Semiconductors Powering Renewables

R.N.I. No: DELENG/2019/77352 l VOL 2 l ISSUE 09 PAGES 64 | PUBLISHED : 1 SEPTEMBER 2020 MAY 2020 80.00

SEPTEMBER 2020

80.00

R.N.I. No: DELENG/2019/77352 l VOL 2 l ISSUE 05 l TOTAL PAGES 60 l PUBLISHED ON 1ST OF EVERY MONTH |WWW.BISINFOTECH.COM

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Designing Military-Grade Rapid-Start Power Applications Cover story

Pit-Stop With EV Innovators Wearable Technology and the Future of Electronic Developments

INDUSTRY 4.0

ENGINEER'S CORNER

Time Sensitive Networking: Five Ways the IEEE Standards Will Advance Industry 4.0

Improving Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications Through Dual Core Solutions

Prevent Electric Vehicle Recalls

INTERVIEW

SEI SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

Publishing Group

Lt Ge n Dr. SP Kochhar Director General, COAI

The Challenge Of Powering Industrial IoT Applications

Edge Computing for Industrial AIoT Applications

Editorial

Strategizing the Next Decade Ever since COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the supply chain and political tensions rising across the globe, semiconductor businesses have become more focused in accomplishing end-to-end design and manufacturing capabilities for leading-edge technology.

Many countries share this interest and are collaborating to support their local semiconductor markets.

But new manufacturing setups and extensive R&D programs— needed for fabrication of leadingedge technologies at quantum volumes—require billions of dollars in investment. A wrong move in these areas, careless cost control, or lower demand can stress or even end a company’s ROI. Technologically advanced design and manufacturing require strong R&D, supply chain, talent pool and intellectual-property (IP) protection, as well as the ability to navigate government policies. While semiconductor business may excel at some of these tasks, few have top capabilities across the board.

Over the last few years, the need for cutting-edge technology has transformed from just a goal to an absolute necessity at semiconductor companies. The number of transistors on a chip roughly doubled every two years over that period, although the pace has recently slowed. While complexity has increased, they have shrunk in size.

CONSULTANT EDITOR NILOY BANERJEE niloy@bisinfotech.com

•Vol - 02 / 09

SUB EDITOR NITISHA DUBEY nitisha@bisinfotech.com

04

MARKETING MANAGER ARNAB SABHAPANDIT arnab@bisinfotech.com DESIGN HEAD DEEPAK SHARMA

WEB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER JITENDER KUMAR WEB PRODUCTION BALVINDER SINGH SUBSCRIPTIONS PRIYANKA BHANDARI priyanka@bisinfotech.com MANAGER FINANCE KULDEEP GUSAIN accounts@bisinfotech.com

Only a few companies are capable of designing and manufacturing the most advanced chips because of the skills and large investment required for design, R&D, scaling, and other activities. Meanwhile, demand for these chips are soaring at a very high speed. In some major market segments, including AL and ML, chips under 14 nm are critical because they combine strong performance with lower power consumption.

The semiconductor industry’s reaching of new technological milestones has surely created a winner that has all dynamics to make leading-edge capabilities vital within several segments. If a company’s product or service is even slightly better than its competitor, it typically enjoys a higher portion or even the vast majority of the pie. This phenomenon is apparent along the entire value chain, from equipment production to chip manufacture.

Companies that want to challenge the winner may find it difficult to catch up, since the leading players are often several years ahead in technology development.

ManasNandi

MANAS NANDI EDITOR manas@bisinfotech.com

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.

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The Future Stows Here!

Contents 14 BIG PICTURE

42 INTERVIEW

5G A CATALYST TO ACHIEVE INDIA’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND AMBITIOUS ‘DIGITAL INDIA’ VISION

5G Business Potential to Grow by 2026

08

COVER STORY Experts of Semiconductors Powering Renewables

25

EDITOR'S DESK LOCALISATION IS THE NEW GLOBALISATION – IMPACT ON TECH COMPANIES

26

T&M IOT: POWERING THE NEW NORMAL

30

ENGINEER'S CORNER IMPROVING ADVANCED DIGITAL SIGNAL CONTROLLER APPLICATIONS THROUGH DUAL CORE SOLUTIONS

35

•Vol - 02 / 09

5G ASSURING THE PROMISE OF 5G

06

48 TECHNOVATORS - FLUTURA MAKING OIL & GAS, HEAVY MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENT

20

INDUSTRY 4.0 TIME SENSITIVE NETWORKING: FIVE WAYS THE IEEE STANDARDS WILL ADVANCE INDUSTRY 4.0

22

WEARABLE WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF ELECTRONIC DEVELOPMENTS

28

AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNING SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND HIGHLY RELIABLE EV CHARGING STATIONS

36

EDGE COMPUTING EDGE COMPUTING FOR INDUSTRIAL AIOT APPLICATIONS

32

IOT/FEATURE DUAL RADIO CONNECTIVITY: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IN IOT

50 TECHNICAL ARTICLE - THREE WAYS TO

ADJUST POWER CONSUMPTION AND DISSIPATION IN YOUR PROCESSING SYSTEMS

COVER STORY

SEPTEMBER 2020

- NILOY BANERJEE

•Vol - 02 / 09

Experts of Semiconductors Powering Renewables

08

The importance of semiconductors in clean energy sector is nimble, as Semiconductor solutions are getting miniaturized, reliable, power-efficient and yes smart. Conditioning power from solar arrays and wind turbines to help energy for electric equipment to get into electric grids is critically important. Semiconductors help harness, convert, transfer, stores and also make sure that the grid is responsive and efficient. To less known, Semiconductors are also help in harvesting power optimally. Now IoT-Powered and advance power semiconductors are all coming into a successful GigaWatt drive for clean energy sector. Harnessing further on the changing paradigm of clean energy and utility of semiconductors, this article brings along Raghavan Nagarajan, T&D and Wind Application Expert and Suresh Thangavel, Global Application Manager from Infineon Technologies AG | Ali Husain, Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy & Marketing, ON Semiconductor | MORNSUN Marketing Department to further infer on the role and the growing importance of semiconductors for clean energy.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Raghavan Nagarajan

Suresh Thangavel

Global Application Manager|Infineon Technologies AG

COVER STORY

T&D and Wind Application Expert| Infineon Technologies AG

Semiconductor, The Vital Element for Clean Energy?

Stating on what makes semiconductors such an important element for clean energy, Raghavan cited, without semiconductor based power electronics systems, harnessing clean renewable energy such as wind energy would not be simply possible. Therefore, semiconductors are the heart of any clean energy generation technology. This way, there would be increasing demand for efficient and reliable power semiconductors to perform all this conversion with as low losses as possible.

Whereas, Suresh further elaborates by giving an example on solar application, the photovoltaic (PV) module provides D-C current. However, we need to have a grid compatible A-C voltage to consume locally or for efficient transmission of the power that comes from the module. This is possible thanks to the solar inverter, which are build up with power semiconductors. Thus, power electronic devices make the

MORNSUN

Marketing Department

modern P-V system widely usable. Solar energy, unlike their fossil-fuel alternatives, cannot be relied upon to provide the necessary fast response to plug load gaps in power generation.

Instead, it makes more sense to collect and store this energy when it is generated, making it available for use later. For this purpose, Energy Storage Solutions (ESS), large and small, are being developed, providing power for everything from charging electric vehicles to powering cities.

Inscribing on the eminence of Power Semiconductors, Ali said, to use clean energy, it has to be converted – increase the voltage or go from DC to AC – in order to feed into the grid and travel to the homes, businesses, and factories which depend on it. Power semiconductors are the key to this power conversion. Without them, we could not deliver clean energy to those who need it. Power electronics also is critical to smaller, distributed generation like solar panels on homes and businesses. Even the storage and release of

•Vol - 02 / 09

Ali Husain

Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy & Marketing, ON Semiconductor

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SEPTEMBER 2020

energy from batteries is mediated by power semiconductor devices. It’s all about efficiency: the more efficient the power conversion, the more of which can be used.

•Vol - 02 / 09

COVER STORY

Whereas, Mornsun states, clean and renewable energy has increasingly become a critical resource to solve the shortage of conventional energy worldwide, however, due to the cost, efficiency, reliability and other factors, it has been restricting the prevalence of renewables applications. Semiconductors, as the basis of high-tech products and technology revolution, is playing a significant role in all walks of life to help space-saving, cost-saving, energy-saving, etc., such as IoT, communications, medical care, etc.

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Similarly, the renewable energy area can't thrive without the help of semiconductors. As a technological mover, semiconductors play a key role in how to effectively harness, convert, transfer, store, or distribute electricity, and to improve efficiency or to reduce the demand or reliance for current energy. Solar and wind source are the fastest-growing clean, renewable energy. Semiconductors form the basis of the photovoltaic (PV) system. Semiconductor devices are widely used to convert power from solar arrays and wind turbines so the energy can be used by electric equipment and fed onto the electric grid. By increasing the capacity proportion of clean and renewable energy in the power grid, semiconductors have their huge potential to make more contributions to boost up the efficiency, stability of energy conversion, enable large-scale applications, and meet the increasing demand for more energy-saving semiconductor equipment.

How Renewable Companies Can Make The Best Out Of Semiconductors?

With new possibilities and benefits emerging, Renewable companies are tapping the benefits of semiconductor technologies in their process cycle. Ali emphasizes, when designing the power conversion stages, be sure to take into account of the total cost of ownership. It may seem to make sense to reduce the cost of the converter as much as possible, but you may end up wasting many multiples of that cost in energy burned up as heat instead of delivered to customers.

Semiconductors can also be used to monitor and protect the renewable power generation and also to measure and optimize the local and regional grid system as a whole.

Suresh starting with an example and sharing importance of SiC devices, noted; in utility application, lighter weight string inverter for solar applications is gaining popularity. The key requirements are to attain greater design flexibility, easy transportation, quick and easy replaced by two people.

Further, the high operation voltage of 1500 V results in the requirement of a low cosmic radiation induced failure rate, at the same time with higher system efficiency for the power devices. Because of these contradictory requirements, A-NPC multilevel topologies are the preferred solutions today due to its highest efficiency over the full range of power factor operation. Where, the inverter is designed for both solar and battery storage applications. A cost-effective way for a special

adaptation of the A-NPC topology is optimally combine Infineon’s CoolSiCTM 1200-Volt MOSFET with TRENCHSTOP IGBT technology. In this way, switching losses only occurs in the fast and highly efficient SiC MOSFETs and hence the IGBTs are optimized for lower conduction losses. Thus, the amount of SiC devices is reduced to a minimum, achieving an optimal cost performance ratio.

Sharing a purview on Infineon’s expertise, Raghavan underlines, Infineon enables an unlimited world of energy by not only providing semiconductor solutions (discrete & modules) for renewable energy generation. But, we also provide battery managements system solutions, which enable battery based energy storage systems to store the generated renewable energy and to reuse it on demand. Renewable companies need to find a good balance between system performance, system reliability and system cost on a high level. The key for success is to find the optimal devices with short design time to market.

Benefited from semiconductor technology and integrated storage solutions, renewables companies enable more economical, eco-friendly energy production, and explore the potential to continuously increase the current generation of renewable energy said Mornsun.

Mornsun further stated, many renewables companies in solar, wind, hydro, and biomass energy and some companies engaged in the market business of LED lighting and solar cell energy-saving technology are strengthening their cooperation with semiconductor companies. Some PV companies, for example, hope to create new designs or devices by leveraging their own proprietary solar cell technology, patents, and equipment to combine with conventional silicon solar cells manufactured by semiconductor companies. By doing these, both of them aim to achieve cost reduction, efficiency improvement for PV, and further progress on less cost in high volumes for manufacturing.

Semiconductor Technologies Empowering Renewable Sector

Some applied material companies are taking advantage of the strong associations between PV and semiconductors to research and develop new processing technologies and semiconductor materials such as thin-film semiconductor material. They are using their expertise in the semiconductor field and the material production technology, and trying to address material and production challenges to reduce the usage cost of renewables emphasized Mornsun.

Suresh highlighted on two technologies silicon carbide and the newest chip technology IGBT7. With CoolSiC™ MOSFETs, the power of a string inverter can be doubled at the same inverter weight. CoolSiC™ MOSFETS allows a power density increase by a factor of 2.5, e.g. from 50 kW (Si) to 125 kW (SiC) at a weight of less than 80 kg, so it can be lifted by two installers. Furthermore, the efficiency reduction at high operating temperatures is significantly lower compared to a

SEPTEMBER 2020

The IGBT7 chip technology comes with a short-time overload operation that reaches up to 175 degrees junction temperature, in order to cope with short-term overcurrent operations, which occur during grid ride through events. This enables the possibility to increase the junction’s operating temperature as close as possible to its allowed maximum. This may allow the increase of the inverter’s power, since it will be operated with lower safety margin limits under nominal operation said Suresh.

Ali accentuating on Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor materials, said, these enable smaller and more efficient power conversion. Also, packaging is becoming more and more important. Removing heat from power electronics is a very important part of the reliability and safety of the system. Semiconductor packaging is very important to the heat removal. The fast switching capabilities of GaN and SiC also demand innovative packaging, to reduce parasitic inductance which can cause ringing and system instability.

Mornsun elaborated, the types of semiconductors used in the field of renewable energy mainly include semiconductor materials, discrete devices, sensors, analog and mixed signal devices, and digital integrated circuits. Silicon is the most efficient and by far the most common semiconductor material for clean energy. It is widely used for all integrated circuits and in approximately 90% of all PV modules.

PV cells consist of large-area Silicon (Si) wafers, which are the basic components of PV panels, accounting for more than 70% of the cost of the entire photovoltaic (PV) system. Therefore, the demand and supply of semiconductor materials in the field of renewable energy, PV industry, in particular, have been continuously on a rise. PV cells mainly use single-crystal Si wafers and multi-crystal Si wafers. And poly silicon was originally made for PV applications. In recent years, the demand for poly silicon for PV has been increasing, which has directly led to an increase in its price as well. The crystalline silicon used in PV has the advantage of high purity, high efficiency with a long lifespan of around 25 years, but the high material cost and high manufacturing consumption also put a limit on its plentiful use for PV. Mornsun also cited, another new material is organic PV materials. These materials have the potential to provide electricity at a lower cost, but they are about 50 percent as efficient as silicon cells. In addition, organic PV materials can’t last long because of their limited operating lifetime. The efficiency and stability of these materials need to be improved before they are commercially viable. So, what is the future of semiconductor materials? Many researchers are studying a semiconductor material called perovskite. This material has a special crystalline structure and can be composed of different materials including lead which is used as a common option. It has the potential to boost power output by converting some parts of the solar spectrum into electricity more efficiently than silicon. However, it has a short lifespan, and the substitution for the toxic lead is also a big concern.

COVER STORY

Si solution. You can achieve a maximum efficiency of over 99% by using CoolSiC™ MOSFET solutions from Infineon.

SEPTEMBER 2020

With the understanding of fundamentals of semiconductors and the increasing investment in applied research, today's researchers and engineers are constantly striving to break through the cutting-edge semiconductor technology.

Renewable energy will be able to be widely used at a lower cost, more efficiently. Most significantly, it will continue to innovate the utility of clean energy in tomorrow's businesses and consumer area concluded Mornsun.

devices and programming software are combined to form a smart renewable energy network with computing and communication capabilities, covering smart home appliances, electric vehicles, charging stations, transportation, factories, and medical care and more areas. Such intelligence is expected to change multiple industries and markets and create an energy-saving, clean, and eco-friendly future noted Mornsun.

Semiconductor Companies Enabling Intelligent Future Renewables and Emerging GaN, SiC Power Semiconductor With new advanced technologies complementing and Market

COVER STORY

honoring clean energy, semiconductors are driving the future. Ali believes with the intelligence coming from powerful embedded processors, inexpensive sensors and communication technologies, and expanding artificial inelegance (AI) algorithms, we are enabling a new model where the household can become a consumer and producer (prosumer) at the same time. People will be able to optimize their use of the grid, make some money, and have resiliency when the grid fails. Intelligence will manage all of it for us in a seamless way.

Underlining example of centralized energy generation is utility scale, Suresh cited, at least over 20 megawatt or even over 100 megawatt solar power plants. A 100-megawatt solar plant can be installed with over 36 times 3 megawatt or 50 times 2-megawatt central inverters. The central inverter with increased power will significant reduces the system quantities. In the business model of centralized energy generation, companies are not selling central inverters but 50-megawatt energy, for example. A 50% power output increase of each system translates into cost savings of at least 14 central inverters. It is a huge saving. Those utility-scale solar plants first require large tracts of land and are commonly placed in rural agricultural areas. Projects of this size are designed to last for decades.

Therefore, maintenance and installation costs play a central role on the cost.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Quoting on the development of IoT technology, Mornsun said, technology progress is leading renewables to forward-looking intelligent future. The industry coupling between renewables companies and semiconductor companies will also play a key role in achieving this goal. These companies can expand their digital capabilities and meet the challenges and opportunities both in cost, reliability, efficiency and intelligent management.

Driven by data, on the energy supply side, the realization of intelligence can produce more valuable results, including increased power generation capacity, resource optimization, integration of operations and maintenance with energy management and remote intelligence. On the demand side, allowing demand management to match the loads to the power capacity on a real-time basis can make a big difference in optimizing the distribution and efficiency of energy in a more reasonable way continued Mornsun.

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For semiconductor companies, they will likely place many chips in solar cells, wind turbines, combiners, inverters, smart grid equipment, energy storage BMS, various sensors, drives, and home energy management equipment, etc. These smart

As aforementioned in the article by Suresh *(Read How Renewable Companies Can Make The Best Out Of Semiconductors). Suresh here mentions, solar PV is becoming cheaper than ever. Our Customers face huge price pressure and consolidation in the market. We see a trend towards high power density to reduce to $/W for PV systems. Our Customers need to combine suitable topologies and devices to balance the reliability, efficiency and cost. GaN could play a role in future for 1000V string inverter and MPPT for micro-inverter.

This technology is in validation, and could be leveraged to further reduce the size and weight of the inverter.

Whereas, Ali stating on the benefits, said, SiC and GaN offer much lower losses than traditional silicon power electronics, which means more power for us to use. These Wide Bandgap (WBG) devices also have much faster switching performance than silicon. This allows higher frequency switching which leads to smaller passive devices like inductors and capacitors.

In many power converters, the passive elements constitute the most weight, largest cost, and biggest size in the system.

WBG devices can allow these all to shrink.

Mornsun concluded, Meanwhile, compound semiconductors are poised to revolutionize clean energy innovations. Such as, Silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO), the very promising wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials. They enable WBG-based components smaller, faster, more reliable and with higher efficiency than the silicon-based components. WBG-based inverters, for example, are able to convert the DC electricity generated by solar and wind energy into AC electricity that can be used for homes and businesses, while integrating the power onto the grid through reducing transmission losses by about 50%. However, challenges are still there in cost reduction and mass manufacturing.

An endeavor in developing the newer technologies that use semiconductor materials and understanding of their behavior is continuing. Thin-film semiconductor material with a lower cost is becoming more prevalent. Amorphous silicon and Copper Indium Gallium Selenium (CIGS), for example, are such materials. Their cost is lower than that of crystalline silicon, but their efficiency for PV panel is not as high as it is for crystalline solar cells. The advantage of these materials lies in the potential to provide much lower cost solutions for PV.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Our portfolio comprises a broad selection of inverters ranging from just a few watts and kilowatts for residential use to several megawatts for the commercial and utility-scale markets. It includes best-in-class discrete OptiMOS™, CoolMOS™ and CoolSiC™ MOSFETs and IGBTs as well as highly integrated 3-level Easy 1B/2B modules, functionally integrated EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs, XENSIVTM current sensors TLI4971 and XMC™ controllers. Backed by our end-to-end application expertise, we offer the best chip combinations to achieve leading power density levels and best-in-class efficiency.

Discrete CoolSiC™ MOSFET switches, CoolSiCTM Schottky Diodes, IGBT TRENCHSTOP™ 5 and IGBT Highspeed 3 can cover applications as far as 30 kW, whereas power modules from the CoolSiC™ MOSFET Easy 1B/2B, 3-Level EasyPACKTM 1B/2B and Booster EasyPACKTM 1B/2B should start being considered for systems beyond 30 kW. Thangavel: Central inverters make use of power modules, with 3-level NPC topologies turning to the 62 mm, EconoDUAL™ 3 and PrimePACK™ 3/3+ families.

Common to all solar inverter solutions are drivers, and here design engineers have a range of high-side (1ED) and halfbridge (2ED) products in the EiceDRIVER™ family. With SiC MOSFETs switching at up to 50 V/ns or above, it is essential that gate driver strength matches the switch’s needs, as well as providing accurate timing and tight tolerances. Negative gate voltages or a Miller clamp may also be required, along with fast short-circuit protection, as SiC devices are less shortcircuit capable than IGBT alternatives. EiceDRIVER™s to match the CoolSiC™ range are available, with devices such as the 1EDC20I12MH being UL 1577 certified for 2.5 kV(rms) for one minute.

Current sensing within the inverter solution can be implemented optimally using XENSIV™ devices, such as the TLI4971. Everything from simple monitoring and system feedback to central control systems, to control of the switching inverters can be covered by programmable devices such as the XMC™ 4000 range of Arm® Cortex®-M4 microcontrollers. Finally, the auxiliary supply is optimally implemented using AC/DC integrated power stage devices such as those in the CoolSET™ family.

Additionally, Infineon offers hardware security solutions. Our OPTIGA™ Trust authentication chips give effective protection against counterfeit products. This helps avoiding damage to user devices as a result of non-original, sub-standard accessories or parts.

Security is of critical importance within an isolated production plant and even more so in an interconnected value chain.

Our high-quality industrial security solutions, which are easy to integrate, enable the monitoring whether or not only authorized people, machines and renewables are communicating.

ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor designs and fabricates the full range of power electronic devices for clean energy conversion. We have workhorses like IGBTs and power diodes, a range of Superjunction MOSFETs for any switching profile, new SiC diodes and MOSFETs, and ICs for gate drivers, auxiliary power supply controllers and galvanic isolation. Many of these devices are packaged together in modules for topologies from a simple half-bridge to complex multilevel inverters. Outside of power, ON Semiconductor supports a variety of communication technologies such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, and WiFi to monitor and optimize the renewable assets.

MORNSUN

MORNSUN, a manufacturer provides one-stop solutions of power supplies, has a line of products for renewables applications engineered to meet the challenges of the latest in power generation technology.

Included in this product line are power converters that support a 1500V PV system, which reduces the quantities of strings, inverters, combiners, and DC-side cables, while significantly increasing the power density and power-per-array. With the right conversion components, overall system losses associated with 1500V designs can be significantly reduced.

At Mornsun, we are constantly updating our power solutions, allowing our customers to take advantage of the latest technology in renewable energy, including power generation and distribution of solar and wind energy. If you are looking to harness and control power for a renewable energy source, then Mornsun has the solutions for you, offers everything from isolation converters, voltage regulators and integrated IGBT drivers to power management ICs, which are UL 1741, CSA-C22.2 No.107.1, EN62109 safety approved.

References 1. Ballentine, Paul Duran, Lindsay Anderson, Emily (2008). The Role of Semiconductors in Clean Energy, found at: https:// repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/47379 2. U.S. Department of Energy (2013). Wide Bandgap Semiconductors: Pursuing the Promise, found at: https:// www.energy.gov/eere/amo/downloads/wide-bandgapsemiconductors-pursuing-promise 3. Kerry Taylor-Smith (2018), Solar Panels and Semiconductor Materials, found at: https://www.azocleantech.com/article. aspx?ArticleID=747 4. Accenture (2020). Applied Intelligence for renewables, found at: https://www.accenture.com/mu-en/insights/utilities/ renewables-applied-intelligence

COVER STORY

Infineon

They also reliably reveal if a system has been manipulated, helping avoid unnecessary downtime. Finally yet importantly, they enable secured software updates to devices in the field.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Individual Leadership and Expertise in this Domain

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5G Catalyst to Achieve

•Vol - 02 / 09

BIG PICTURE

Lt Gen Dr. SP Kochhar

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Director General, The Cellular Operators Association of India(COAI)

India’s Digital Transformation & Ambitious ‘Digital India’ Vision

Lt Gen Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General, The Cellular Operators Association of India(COAI) in an exclusive extensive interaction with Niloy Banerjee from BISinfotech shares strategies on implementing 5G in India, challenges and scopes for Indian Telecom Companies, new trends, impact of COVID-19, and also purviews on the stated financial stress of the industry.

Edited Nub Below.

Indian carriers have been busy conducting trials and implementing 5G-ready equipment, the way ahead?

5G will be the catalyst of digital revolution and would be the key to achieve India’s digital transformation and the government’s ambitious Digital India’ vision in real sense. 5G will usher in novel business models enabling TSPs to offer innovative applications to individuals and to different economic verticals from industrial, commercial, educational, healthcare, agricultural, financial and social sectors. The feature of Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) of 5G networks will also lead to the growth of myriad of emerging technologies such as IoT, M2M, AI, AR, VR, blockchain and fixed wireless high-speed broadband networks. The 12-fold data growth due to online high-definition content consumption will open up new business opportunities and applications, thereby augmenting revenue streams for telecom operators. This is crucial as telecom is the very backbone of India’s digital revolution.

Operators are readying 'networks of the future' by deploying 5G technologies, forging partnerships, and developing use cases through 5G trials. New and emerging technologies such as Convergence, Big Data, IoT, AI, AR, Cloud and Robotics are bringing about transformational changes for individuals and enterprises alike. Technology advancements with the proliferation of broadband have led to explosive growth of personal data creating opportunities for value creation and socio-economic development.

The planned 5G trials will further help identify India specific use

cases and enable partnership models to emerge to actualize the full potential of this technology. The telecom industry for more than two decades, has played a significant role in keeping the country not only connected but also operational, and will continue to drive growth for India's ambition to achieve a $5 trillion economy by 2024.

India has recently celebrated its 25 years of mobility, what is the new trends and future that the mobile communication industry is helming towards and COAI’s leading role in it?

Ever since the first mobile call, made on July 31, 1995, telecom service providers have always come through in difficult situations, keeping the citizens connected, the nation's economy buzzing, governments functioning and the networks running. Surely, we hope to make further strides towards excellence and meet our goals. There are a many sectors doing good work in their respective fields. But without Telecom linkages they would be isolated specks. Telecom interconnects and helps societies to be connected and communicable. It is like the nervous system of the human body.

Currently, the telecom companies are offering 4G/LTE with high upload/download speeds. 5G is the next generation of mobile networks, so, the task is cut out, as we expect and are working for a supportive policy framework & ecosystem to bring in the new technology.

SEPTEMBER 2020

The new trends about bigger dependence on digital platforms have emerged significantly because of pandemic and are here to stay. Online education, sundry online activities, including limited e-commerce activities, have not only helped in maintaining the well-being of the people of the country but have also ensured that some form of economic activity is maintained with the sector enabling 30-35% of the GDP during the period. Banking services and limited BPO/KPO (that were allowed to open up) and content and consultancy services were able to perform activities through a healthy network maintained by the telecom warriors.

that telcos can make the necessary investments in networks to ensure the robust connectivity and quality of services as per global standards.

We expect 5G deployments in India in the medium term and this leap forward in connectivity will enable the TSPs to significantly scale up their IoT and M2M offerings. IoT in India will grow at a much faster rate and it is estimated that there will be around 2.7 billion IoT units in India by end of 2020 and is estimated to be around 100 billion IoT Units by 2035.

Higher adoption level of IoT is expected in industries such as Manufacturing, Automotive, Transportation & Logistics and Utilities. These will drive the future revenue growth for telcos.

However on a long term view, Edge Computing, Quantum computing, Block chain, robotics and whole lot of technologies will surely be playing a much critical role in the next 5 to 10 years.

How is India moving towards Digital Networks?

The rapid adoption of the mobile phone, internet, social media platforms and expansion of digital payments has empowered hundreds of millions of Indians. This has been due to numerous initiatives by the Government and the industry to bridge the digital (and socio-economic) divide. Our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of Digital India and his stress on 'Jaan hai tho Jahan Hai' is a guidance for the telecom industry.

The sector responded to this clarion call of the Hon'ble Prime Minister and is helping to ensure that the physical and mental health of billions of Indians is protected during the ongoing pandemic. The sector has given a new meaning to telecom being the 'lifeline of the country' by ensuring that everyone remains connected in this hour of need and that we can stay on course for the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

How is COAI working towards to next level of reforms in order to uplift and strengthen the sector while initiating measures for the benefit of end consumers?

To move forward, it is very essential to address the financial

The critical nature of mobile networks has become increasingly clear, especially as seen in the context of the most recent national and global emergency. In such a situation, it would not be cavalier to say that the health of the industry is also the health of the Nation. In such a scenario the Government support for a vibrant telecom sector is very critical. Given the ever increasing demand for data and services on our networks, the Government must address the issue of the financial distress of the sector and provide immediate and timely relief, so

stress of the industry, the telecom industry had approached the Ministry of Finance with key asks including providing soft loans against GST input credit due to Operators, to address the immediate liquidity crunch as also reducing the SUC by 3% for all TSPs and reducing Licence Fee (USOF Contribution) from 8% to 3%. The industry had also urged to exempt the levy of GST on License Fees, SUC and Payment of Spectrum debt acquired in auctions. Industry has also sought earliest allocation of the E & V bands (80GHz and 60GHz) for Backhaul, in order to meet the capacity requirements.

The Right of Way Rules, 2016 by DoT are progressive and forward looking step to achieve the Digital India vision. It allows the uniform growth of telecom infrastructure in all States, as it provides for the process for grant of permissions for installation of underground and over ground telecom infrastructure, Single Window Clearance via an online portal, appointment of nodal officers and simplifying documentation.

Revenue of 5G network infrastructure is set to see generate massive market revenue globally with growing number of CSPs are prioritizing 5G projects. How do you think India is revving up for this market sentiment and transformation? Any specific initiatives and dialogues COAI is representing to woo this segment?

5G, once commercialized, has the potential to positively impact the entire ecosystem in which we live and do our business. Enhanced connectivity and increased digitalization of services will also contribute significantly toward bringing in

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Despite the deep financial stress, the industry continues to ensure the uptime of their networks remains at 99.99% while maintaining the key quality of service parameters. When the dimension of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent, the industry quickly implemented its Business Continuity Plans that would ensure the networks would perform with no disruption, in the face of the challenges thrown up by the pandemic. Telcos have placed their personnel in kirana stores, medical stores, grocery stores, mother dairies and other locations approved to be kept open by the government, so as to enable customers to top up their service packs. Online access through company websites have been streamlined and made easy to navigate and for payments to be made.

The industry has also gone the extra mile to ensure those in the “bottom of the pyramid� receive some free voice services and SMS services during the period of the quarantine. All this was done to ensure the welfare of the end consumers and make sure that they are able to perform their activities digitally with ease.

BIG PICTURE

NDCP 2018 has rightly recognized the requirement of catalyzing the investment in the sector by promoting ease of doing business. This includes review of license fee, SUC, definition of AGR, principle of input line credit to avoid double incidence of levies and making available new Spectrum bands for Access and Backhaul segments. Indian Government need to work on these issues at the earliest.

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an inclusive society, empowering each and every one. 5G is not just about faster data speeds and seamless connectivity. It is about unique use cases, especially in the Indian context as technologies like autonomous driverless cars, smart irrigation, smart transportation and logistics, smart farming, drone patrolling for road safety, holograms and remote robotic healthcare and such would eventually enter into our ecosystem and become the order of the day.

BIG PICTURE

The potential can be imagined by the fact that by 2026, there will be an estimated USD $619 billion revenue potential for telecom operators addressing 10 specific industries with 5G — manufacturing, energy and utilities, public safety, healthcare, public transport, automotive, media and entertainment, financial services, retail and agriculture. It has been forecasted

by Ericsson that there will be around 230 million 5G subscriptions in India by 2025.

COAI TSP as well as OEM members have collaborated with various CSPs and have demonstrated various applications at the India Mobile Congress including Cloud gaming, Fixed Wireless access for enhanced mobile broadband to replace OFC in densely populated areas, Virtual Reality based Virtual classroom, 5G Surgical Consultation & Simulation; smart ambulance, Public safety related application, 5G virtual soccer, Karaoke on 5G, Smart Agriculture, 5G hologram, Smart industrial manufacturing/factory, Virtual shopping experience.

With WIPRO- drone based warehouse management to improve logistics and inventory management, Smart and efficient airport boarding gates. As stated above, 5G would have business case if there are applications for its use. In some other countries more than 100 use cases for 5G which have been built through initiatives from Govt, Academia, and Operators & Industry verticals. In India too, coordinated Govt. actions are required for enabling digital transformation across sectors (Health, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture etc).

Do you think the ongoing heat between India-China will affect the industry at a longer run?

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We are in support of Prime Minister clarion call of “AtmaNirbhar”, we have the talent and we must monetize our capacity to create value, there might be some realignment in short to medium term but in the long run, it has the potential to be a force multiplier. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in terms of creating value within the country, if we focus on certain aspects as a country, we can achieve a lot. Traditionally, we not invested heavily in R&D and hence have been left behind in the IPR game, so going forward we have to incentivize R&D if we want to make Atma Nirbhar Bharat a reality and must also consider Open Source as a serious business opportunity and become smarter at trade negotiations. This all has to be supplemented by a supporting ecosystem for businesses, where doing business is easy and convenient from approvals to trade practices.

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Leading semiconductor and T&M companies are offering 5G-ready solutions to help reliability and low latency benefits, unlocking vast new applications and use cases also expanding testing and expansion of 5G wireless networks. COAI’s strategies to empower and exchange technology know-how for the growth of the industry?

To ensure the commercial deployment of 5G, a high level 5G India Forum has been instituted where experts across the globe are collaborating and discussing challenges and opportunities, making India a true 5G powered nation. The technology is poised to open up a plethora of possibilities in terms of business models, better education, healthcare, smart cities, smart manufacturing, intelligent logistics and overall, enhanced lifestyles for one and all. Thus, the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi's ambitious Digital India program and better telecom and internet connectivity cannot be separated from each other. 5G will open up new opportunities and catapult India's transition towards digital empowerment.

Further , Prime Minister announcement of taking optical fiber network to 6 lakh villages in the next 1,000 days, will give a boost to the adoption of the 5G service in the country.

COAI recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA), working party of ZVEI to shape and promote 5G mobile communications in different vertical industries, particularly in the manufacturing and process industry.5G India Forum (5G-IF) is a collaborative body under the aegis of COAI whereas 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) is a working party of ZVEI German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers‘ Association.

The three years, a not-for-profit, MoU is signed with the purpose to cooperate with each other on issues related to 5G and its adoption for industry automation across sectors. Under the partnership, both bodies will identify topics of common interest and work to strengthen their relationship and foster closer cooperation on common agenda by joint participation in events, meetings, promotional activities and many other joint initiatives.

COAI members are collaborating with various technology providers including IBM, Red Hat, STL, etc. to make their networks technology ready for the onset of 5G. Going forward, we foresee many such technology tie ups which will be key enablers for 5G in India.

Impact of COVID-19 in the industry how is COAI working alongside the Government to make an optimistic futureready workforce and business sentiment?

While the Indian telecom industry has always been a key driver of the nation's economic growth, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has brought its contribution to the forefront. The industry, despite its challenges and deep financial distress, has kept a nation of 1.3 billion connected in this difficult hour. Engineers and ground staff of telecom operators have kept the lights on 24x7 while India stayed safe inside their homes. Despite the surge in voice and data traffic, the industry has worked

SEPTEMBER 2020

The critical nature of mobile networks has become increasingly clear, especially as seen in the context of the most recent national and global emergency.

In India, telecom sector has once again proved to be the backbone of many other industries in the country. Technology solutions driven by robust data networks of telcos have helped in creating a virtual world for everyone, whether it was for businesses or for individuals. Thus, going forward telcos in India will need to redefine their business model.

Further, companies are now in a unique position to reimagine the future workforce, and of the workplace powered by technology. There thus exists an opportunity to accelerate the pace of digital transformation through implementation of automation, robotics, cloud, and cognitive computing. By offering virtualization, cloud-based services, remote work, and enabling collaboration, the workplace can be altered forever.

COAI is working with the government and various agencies to prepare the industry for future technologies and enable a future-ready workforce. For example, recently in an endeavour to identify and promote applications relevant to India in the 5G realm, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched ''5G Hackathon'' in association with a number of government, academia and industry stakeholders. COAI has been an active partner in this initiative. Total prize money of Rs 2.5 crore is spread across three phases.

India has major digital-revamp plans helping reach network accessibility and internet to the last mile. How do you see the way ahead, challenges and scopes?

Over the past two months, as most people were working from home due to the COVID-19 threat, it was the strength of the telecom network that kept the people and India going.

The data services – video calling, education for children, binge-watching web series – ensured that people at home could work, play or study on the strength of high bandwidth connectivity. The voice network ensured migrants in cities could stay connected with their families in the villages. The Telecom industry has demonstrated that it has the resilience required to keep the nation connected, amidst a crisis Going forward, AI-linked technologies such as smart transport and traffic management, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, smart healthcare, autonomous vehicles, drones and telemedicine or remote consultation between doctors and specialists will

One of the critical aspects to benefit the end customer is how soon we can adopt new technologies and build on customer delight. Fiberization is a must to address the digital divide and to reach all parts of the country to empower the citizens. Growth of fibre is the foremost priority for the ongoing exponential increase in data demand and improved quality of services. Fiberization will surely meet the present requirement of bandwidth and future technologies such as 5G, emerging technologies etc. Apart from this, early allocation of E & V bands to meet the backhaul requirements is also a pending request of the industry which is being considered by the Government. To ensure the proliferation of internet and telecom services Right of Way is going to be critical as of today industry face a lot of issues at ground level including high fees by local authorities etc.

COAI’s ahead plans for 2020 and any major announcements expected for the indigenous industry?

We expect that the coming year will usher in possible disruptions, hitherto unconceivable. Technology innovations, new revenue streams, new applications, new network configurations, new competitors, and all this will require significant investments to propel India to newer heights of economic growth and prosperity. With progress in Machine Learning and intense interest in smart technologies, Artificial Intelligence is also coming into the mainstream. This will bring many opportunities for operators in the form of AI based solutions for applications, services and underlying infrastructure. This may also be adopted to support the new digital infrastructure, improve customer service and reduce customer churn.

COAI and its member operators will continue their focus on building the new age digital infrastructure to support the nation and providing value to their customers, advocating for a stable, long term, sustainable, policy and regulatory environment which will promote innovation and orderly growth for a fully connected and digitally empowered India delivered through a financially strong and viable industry.

Our members are gearing up for the uptake of 5G and they would announce their further plans. Reliance Jio has already developed a complete 5G solution from scratch, by young engineers, right here in India. This will enable RJio to launch a world-class 5G Services in India using 100% home grown technologies and solutions. This Made-in-India 5G solution will be ready for trials as soon as 5G spectrum is available. Bharti Airtel Limited has tied up with Nokia to deploy SRAN solution to enhance current network capacity and make their network 5G ready with low latency and faster speeds. Vodafone Idea has been deploying 5G ready products in existing bands, incl.

SRAN. A large no. of massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) are deployed in 2500 MHz, which can provide 5G as well. We also look forward to continuing our partnership with the Government and Regulator to achieve the above vision.

BIG PICTURE

This would not have been possible without the support received from the Department of Telecommunication, Home Ministry (local police), Ministry of Health, State governments and others, as they are at the forefront fighting the Covid-19 virus.

be the building blocks of a sustainable future.

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tirelessly to deliver 99% plus network availability in every corner of India. It has made sure everyone can call their loved ones, access the internet, children can attend school virtually and businesses can continue to operate from homes. Even for hundreds of millions of customers at the bottom of the pyramid, the industry has lent a helping hand by extending validity and crediting free talk time.

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INDUSTRY 4.0

SEPTEMBER 2020

Time Sensitive Networking: Five Ways the IEEE Standards Will Advance Industry 4.0

Jordon Woods

Director of Deterministic Ethernet Technology, Analog Devices

Across the world, I meet with customers investing hundreds of thousands, even millions, into making the promise of Industry 4.0 a reality. This new paradigm of ubiquitous connectivity is inspiring manufacturers, from the largest automation OEMs to emerging businesses. They see the potential to make their businesses more productive, efficient, adaptable, and profitable for the bottom line and ultimately for their employees, stakeholders, and customers.

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Industry 4.0 promises unprecedented levels of flexibility that translate into agile production by allowing manufacturers to adapt to seasonal or changing customer needs, for example.

We will be able to improve uptime (which controls overhead and maintenance costs), reduce resource time and involvement, and boost business and customer confidence. These are just a few examples of potentially industry-changing outcomes we can anticipate as a result of the fourth industrial revolution.

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Underscoring these massive opportunities is the need to acquire, communicate, and analyze data. Data, and most importantly the insights extracted from that data, is the currency by which all of these improvements can be obtained. However, in most factories today, data lives in siloes where it sits isolated and inaccessible—and, therefore, unactionable. For years,

manufacturers have tried to solve for this, but working in siloes has stunted these projects. Enter time sensitive networking (TSN), a set of IEEE Ethernet standards that is foundational for meeting the many powerful outcomes of Industry 4.0. With TSN, all data across the factory—from the floor to servers, front office, and everywhere in between—can coexist and communicate. Because TSN is the first step to breaking down existing data siloes that hinder industrial communications, it can enable ubiquitous access to precious, decision-making data.

TSN is the jumping off point for helping industrial organizations achieve the promise of Industry 4.0 in five key ways, all rooted in making data more accessible. ► Creates a common language. By creating a uniform understanding of time synchronization—and uniform treatment of all data packets and information— TSN allows data to speak a common language. While equipment interoperability challenges will still exist, manufacturers will be able to deriv e more value from their data that can now all coexist in the same Ethernet path. ► X Enables scalability and agility. TSN can help Ethernet manage a range of transmission rates for data sends so that there is enough bandwidth for data throughput at all priority

SEPTEMBER 2020

levels. Ultimately, manufacturers can add or reduce capacity more easily and adapt to changing customer priorities and needs.

► X Helps close the divide between information technology (IT) and operating technology (OT) specialists.

By providing a common set of tools, TSN supports the often distinct and competing goals of IT and OT teams. It presents a common framework, a shared language, that supports collaboration. Additionally, we’re seeing many OT specialists near retirement age, meaning they’ll take their historical expertise of today’s field buses to retirement with them.

TSN has the potential to solve for these future skills gaps by providing a common framework that enables IT specialists to support Industrial Ethernet. This saves resources and can increase productivity. ► X Allows companies to allocate their R&D spend elsewhere. Since TSN solves for bandwidth constraints, companies no longer need to build new bandwidth allocations when they try to scale up or add new capacity. We’ve seen companies invest tens of millions in infrastructure that becomes obsolete or ineffective just a decade later. TSN dramatically reduces the need for rebuilding and thus creates opportunity for investment in technologies that support greater automation.

It frees up capital for reinvestment in upskilling employees by training them to manage and operate complex robotic systems, for example.

Analog Devices offers a wide portfolio in TSN Ethernet solutions that enable the Industry 4.0 revolution.

For more information on the ADI Chronous™ portfolio and how it accelerates the transition to real-world Industrial Ethernet networks, please visit analog.com/chronous.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that TSN standards are a crucial, foundational building block for the promise of Industry 4.0 and the many applications it will transform—ushering in the next generation of technology to revolutionize how manufacturers work and operate. Yet it’s just one piece of a br oader ecosystem we’re building to bring the fourth industrial revolution to life. That requires software, middleware, advanced silicon components, brilliant inventors and engineers, dedicated technicians and operators, education, and time. But my colleagues at Analog Devices and across the industry believe in the incredible potential of these emerging technologies and, like our customers and partners, feel inspired by the nearly endless opportunity.

INDUSTRY 4.0

► X Supports more reliable automation. TSN supports the real time, deterministic data crucial for accuracy and precision. If the timing of a data point (for example, a signal) is delayed or off in any way, a machine may not respond properly and cause downstream impacts that decrease productivity and result in lost revenue. Consider, for example, the precision required for a robot to work alongside a human; if the robot’s movements are off by even a fraction of an inch, worker safety can be jeopardized. TSN facilitates instantaneous communication applications like this and many more to improve safety and quality.

Figure 2. Requirements for time sensitive networks.

About the Author

Jordon Woods is the director of the Analog Devices Deterministic Ethernet Technology (DET) Group. The DET Group enables the seamless and secure connection of customer products across the entire landscape of Industrial IoT. Woods has 35 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. He is familiar with a variety of Ethernet-based industrial protocols, including PROFINET and EtherNet/IP®, as well as IEEE standard 802.1AS and other emerging TSN standards. He is also a voting member of the IEEE 802 working group that defines new Ethernet standards for time sensitive networks. He can be reached at jordon. woods@analog.com.

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Figure 1. Time sensitive networks solve the four main requirements of time, traffic shaping, synchronization, and bounded latency.

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WEARABLE

SEPTEMBER 2020

Wearable Technology and the Future of Electronic Developments

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earable technology started with the watch enabling individuals to tell the time, initially in the 1500’s via a necklace worn device, and later in the 1900’s as the wristwatch. Pulsar’s calculator wristwatch was the first consumable wearable device to achieve global success. Fast forward to the 21st Century and we now see computer technology integrated into so many parts of daily life. In the year 2000, the first Bluetooth headset was sold and 2004 saw the launch of the Go Pro. 2013 heralded the development of Google Glass, the first voice operated optical head mounted display with hands free internet access with Augmented Reality and the ability to capture images. Amazon’s first Echo-Loop was launched in 2019, a sleek design enabling users to make payments, manage stress and inspire innovation. Connected wearable devices are expected to have reached over 1.1 billion worldwide by 2022 with the change from 4 to 5G. Pioneers have successfully extended and enriched the functionality of clothing, harnessing the electronic functions used in everyday life and incorporating them into devices and accessories that can comfortably be worn on the body.

Jade Bridges

Technical Manager - Electrolube Jade.bridges@electrolube.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2020

Just considering the medical profession a little further, the options are endless. Just think for a moment about the kind of wearable devices (still in the prototype stage) that could be specifically designed for the prevention of disease and maintenance of good health such as weight control, blood pressure monitoring and monitoring of physical activity. Data gained from the wearable device could have a direct impact upon a clinical decision regarding medication etc. There are arguments in favour of more wearable tech for these kinds of devices to improve patient care and reduce costs to the NHS. As the devices are still at prototype phase, there is still a long way to go in terms of patient acceptance, security and confidentiality, ethics and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) required to cope with the data outputs. The ‘big data’ that these devices are capable of collecting and utilising with AI could revolutionise the treatment of some extremely serious conditions such as heart diseases, Parkinson’s and Diabetes.

In short, wearable technology can help significantly with health management, but the questions of security, ethics

Looking into these developments, generally speaking, there are two huge challenges when designing a functioning wearable device – will the device behave/interact/collect data as required, and the second challenge, will the device continue to function when exposed to the environments in which it is designed to function. For example, a temperature sensor on a static device will have to withstand the temperatures within that immediate environment and any thermal shock or cycling that may take place. A temperature sensor as part of a wearable device has the added consideration of physical interactions; the device will be moved, worn, may see impact, may be flexed and potentially exposed to a number of additional elements, such as water or chemicals, for example. It is therefore imperative that these devices are protected accordingly to ensure reliable performance when utilised in their end-use environments.

Protection for the exposed electronics/components of the wearable device can be afforded in the form of Encapsulation Resins or Conformal Coatings. The variety of potential applications can also generate another challenge and that is to select the most suitable protection compound. As we have already concluded, the wearable device is likely to collate and transfer data, whether it be direct to another device or system or via a sensor to record changes in information gathered. This connection to other devices may operate via radio waves and therefore any protection compound used, must allow RF signals to be transmitted without any interference. In addition to this, the environmental conditions and general use of the device must be considered in order to produce a full picture of its working life.

To enable a better understanding of likely performance and simplify the selection process, it is possible to draw on experience

WEARABLE

The Moodmetric Smart Ring is destined for exponential growth in 2020 as it is capable of stress measurement and management, payments, vehicle access and control of other smart devices. A monumental amount of features for such a small device. Mental health issues are currently very topical and a ring that can help to measure stress as a key earlier indicator of depression could prove invaluable to the medical profession.

and acceptance by the user still remain. 5G will also play a huge part in the volume of data that can be transmitted and communicated to numerous hospital devices at the same time.

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Athletics has been one of the areas to really benefit from wearable technology with numerous devices able to monitor an athlete’s output; movement, heart-rate and performance alongside environmental conditions and potential health risks.

The wearable technology market has been steadily increasing over the past few years with the huge popularity of fitness trackers, monitoring diet, exercise, sleep and movements.

Some devices will even prompt the wearer to move after a sedentary position for 20 minutes as prolonged sedentary behaviour has long been associated with health concerns.

Prompts to improve posture have been effective in studies illustrating positive changes of behaviour. The future may hold many further collaborations between clothing manufacturers and technology companies inputting smart sensors with 5G technology and enabling closer connections between humans and the IoT. In a recent study by Statista from 2019, the most popular areas of the world for wearable technology are China, USA, India, UK and Germany with the largest market share of 36.4% falling into the age group 25-36 years’ of age.

Regular users of wearable technology tend to be on the lookout for the latest and greatest versions of their favourite gadgets. The use of Smart Watch by Apple has become a way of life for many. As well as telling the time, it is a ‘phone, capable of receiving emails, recording noise levels, track heart rates and so much more. Similar technology is used to alert family members of potential falls and accidents of vulnerable loved ones, allowing them to live alone but retain a degree of independence. This is becoming particularly significant with an ageing population.

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WEARABLE

SEPTEMBER 2020

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from other industries and technologies. For instance, if we think of a wearable device that can be worn by a swimmer to monitor heart rate and general health when in the pool, it is immediately understood that this device must still work when immersed in water. Any changes in temperature will be minimal but quite rapid and the frequency and length of time the device could be immersed in water is an unknown quantity. It is therefore a sensible assumption that the device will be required to be constantly operational when immersed in water. This application can be likened to that of a sonar buoy used in marine applications where sensors are utilised for providing vital information about the sea environment. In this case, the device will have to send an RF signal and operate when constantly immersed in salt water; a similar environment to that of the wearable health tracker worn by the swimmer.

Trackers used on sea or river dwelling creatures to study habits and behaviour must also receive similar consideration.

As a company, Electrolube effectively utilises and compares the information and knowledge gained from other industries.

For example, salt water is generally more corrosive than the water found in a swimming pool and therefore the application experience gained from the sonar buoys will show the performance of a device protected with a suitable potting compound in a similar but more aggressive environment. This is obviously just one example of many different considerations; the degree of flex and toughness of the device, the operating temperature range and the possibility of any chemicals coming into contact with the device are all possible factors

to take into account during the selection process. Thinking about all of these properties and not forgetting the need to allow connectivity and information transfer, there are many properties such as the dielectric constant, salt mist resistance, shore hardness and elongation at break that can be used to find the optimal product for in-use testing.

It is clear that each application of wearable technology will have its own criteria in terms of performance, environment and expected use and in all cases, a reliable and accurate response is required from the device. Whatever the application, the wearables market is definitely a hot topic and right now, technology is shaping our lives more than ever. Home working and perhaps more importantly, home schooling, is changing before our very eyes as technologies such as podcasts, videos with flipped classrooms and the myriad of apps, games, AR/ VR and simulations available on wearable devices become part of the educational system that the new generation are facing.

The concept and new developments in this field are what will continue in the future and with the variety of devices possible will come the vast array of requirements which will define the need for suitable protection medium. Wearable technology is designed with the intention to make everyday tasks easier and more accessible. It will encourage different methods of interaction and communication, again increasing our mobility within the electronic world and thus shall further enhance relationships and collaborations in this field.

Localisation is the New Globalisation – Impact on Tech Companies Emerging and major economies are chalking blueprints to become self-reliant and create jobs in the country. Total tech spending in 2019, witnessed a plunge when compared to 2018, where, the total tech spending drew a forecasted amount of 3,212 billion U.S. dollars. Major initiatives and announcements by world-leaders amidst the growing geopolitical tensions is helming Tech giants to establish operations in new geographies.

Persistent China-USA trade war and COVID-19 has struck associated economies at large scale.

In terms of revenue, Apple accounts for 37 per cent and Samsung 22 per cent for global sales of mobile phones and the PLI scheme is expected to increase their manufacturing base manifold in the country, an official statement issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) said. The companies that have applied for components production of around Rs 45,000 crore include AT&S, Ascent Circuits, Visicon, Walsin, Sahasra, Vitesco and Neolync. The Indian government is committed to production-linked incentive scheme wherein it expects to attract Rs 1 trillion investments in the sector and sees a target manufacturing revenue potential of Rs 10 trillion by 2025.

Made in China Plans by 2025

Resource extraction, low wage manufacturing—largely mining, energy, and consumer goods such as clothing and footwear has been China’s focus and builds half of the country’s economy. Apart, China has also dominated in the semiconductor sector. Annually, China consumes more than 50 per cent of all semiconductors. In a scenario for other economies, semiconductor design and production remain a complex business, requiring decades of research and development to advance. Made in China or (MIC) 2025 is the first stage of a larger three-step strategy to transform China into a leading manufacturing whizz. The program aims to use government subsidies, mobilize state-owned enterprises, and pursue intellectual property acquisition to catch up with—and then surpass—Western technological prowess in advanced industries. The plan comprises industries such as electric cars

and other new energy vehicles, next-generation information technology (IT) and telecommunications, and advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. Other major sectors include agricultural technology; aerospace engineering; new synthetic materials; advanced electrical equipment; emerging biomedicine; high-end rail infrastructure; and high-tech maritime engineering.

Localisation is the New Globalisation

India’s electronics production will grow at least by USD 153 billion (around Rs 11.5 lakh crore) in the next five years noted electronics and IT secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney lately.

Fostering relations with South Korea, Japan, Germany and the US are the way out to bring the glory of manufacturing and emerge as a technology power-house. Technology know-how, creating a suitable talent-pool and government support shall draw more than rhetoric’s and change sentiments of major tech companies to drive the ‘Localisation’ mantra.

In the last few interviews, I did (Click Here) industry-leaders are sanguine about India though many find Vietnam, the Philippines also other growing manufacturing hot-spots. The GigaWatt(GW) drive of renewables in India is putting a perfect example for other industry’s to bolster. Though industry pundits believe just manufacturing Mobile Phones shall not help large scale electronics manufacturing in the country but a larger spectacle has to be amended focusing on electronics product manufacturing. This is the time when semiconductor companies are finding alternatives to drive the demand of components across new geographies. Semiconductor design and production remain a complex business and India shall strive towards it at earliest. India can be the country where ‘Localisation is the New Globalisation’ aptly work in a scenario where companies are rapidly expanding their supply chains.

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Logging more than 1 billion wireless subscribers, India is the hot-spot which provides huge potential for smartphone makers. Land acquisition, tax benefits and cheap labour are added benefits for multi-billion dollar companies planning to set up in India. India has reiterated its intentions to promote local manufacturing under, Make in India and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India). The Government’s proposal under the Government's Rs 41,000-crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phone manufacturing is expected to create around 12 lakh jobs, 3 lakh direct and 9 lakh indirect employment opportunities, in the country.

EDITOR'S DESK

Make In India

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T&M

SEPTEMBER 2020

Powering the New Normal Janet Ooi

IoT Industry Solutions Lead, Keysight Technologies

•Vol - 02 / 09

T

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he world was not prepared for the coronavirus pandemic and the disruption it has caused. With the public desperate for a cure, scientists are working hard to find the best treatment options. Meanwhile, “scientist-wannabes” are coming up with a variety of hoax treatments — everything from sesame oil, vinegar gargles, and sheep’s head soup to garlic water. IoT and AI are helping curb the pandemic, and connected devices are helping people cope during this extraordinary time. However, with enterprises rushing through the large-scale implementation of automation and remoteworking infrastructure, building a robust architecture might not be a priority.

Figure Contact tracing technology using the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Many workplaces are using wearable devices for contact tracing and monitoring the health of medical personnel and patients. A contact-tracing device includes passive GPS location tracking and proximity sensors powered by Bluetooth® and ultra-wideband connectivity, a rechargeable battery, and built-in Long Term Evolution (LTE). Wearers can update their health status to indicate whether there is any potential or verified infection, and the devices will notify people they have been in contact with, based on location history. A centralized system in the organization can use this information for a full health dashboard in the workplace.

A wearable that monitors the health of practitioners and patients — even patients at home — uses the same concept.

A sensor applied directly to the wearer’s body monitors realtime temperature change. The device transmits data wirelessly to a nurse’s station for continuous monitoring. Through this capability, the nurse can monitor and manage more patients who are at home, preserving hospital capacity for those at higher risk.

Assistive Drones

In the unprecedented push to reduce human-to-human contact, drones are helping prevent the spread of the disease.

Drones are the safest way to deliver medical supplies and groceries to locations with high rates of infection, monitor quarantine areas for movement and congregation of people, and perform thermal scans to monitor the body temperature of people in a specific location. Agricultural drones carry out tasks such as spraying disinfectant in potentially affected areas.

They are easy to operate and can help reduce sanitation workers’ risk of exposure to the virus.

Integrated Facial Recognition, Temperature-Sensing Systems, and Contactless Access Control Reducing human touch points is critical to slowing the spread of the virus. For healthcare facilities and other major sectors hit hard by the pandemic, embracing IoT technologies is one way to improve the safety of patients, executives, and administrators.

An advanced facial recognition system, combined with a cloud-connected thermal imaging device for temperature monitoring, is useful to identify someone with a high temperature.

The integrated system can link to an IoT sensor-enabled door to restrict access to anyone who might be infected. This contactless system allows companies and businesses to avoid the contamination caused by finger-based biometric sensors.

Because COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, air quality is a significant concern during the pandemic. The goal is to stop the spread of the virus, which people can contract through the air or surfaces. Harmful particles like the coronavirus are so small that they might pass through traditional HVAC filters.

Crowded public spaces can use a new optical biosensor to measure the concentration of virus in the environment in real time. This technology will be able to provide an alternate and reliable solution to clinical diagnosis and continuous monitoring.

Contactless Payment

Many countries are still behind in the adoption of contactless payment systems and prefer to use cash and debit / credit cards, despite the digital payment revolution. Contactless payment has been around for a while. China widely implemented contactless mobile payments even before the pandemic and ahead of developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Wireless technologies such as near field communication and Bluetooth® are enabling huge opportunities in the contactless payments space.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Research

To date, the pandemic has spread to 213 countries and territories around the world, with nearly 18 million confirmed cases and close to 6 million active cases. As research details emerge, the data pool will grow exponentially. The amount of data will reach a point where it is beyond a human’s capacity to make sense of it. Scientists, doctors, and clinicians who work with patient data will need to use AI for diagnosis and vaccine development. Many companies are collaborating and sharing their algorithms in the hopes of improving their research efficiency.

Companies and much of the public are relying on connected devices to get through this extraordinary time. Although the practice might differ from country to country, many people are more open to sharing sensitive personal information in the name of disease prevention. However, the use of assistive drones and IP cameras in public places has led to concerns about intrusion into people’s lives. With so much sensitive and personal data collected and uploaded to the cloud, security must be top of mind.

Building a robust security architecture might not be a top priority for enterprises rushing through large-scale implementations of automation and remote-working infrastructure. Hackers will look to exploit the public’s fear and take advantage of the strain on critical infrastructure, potentially resulting in a surge of ransomware and other attacks. Enterprises are relying on security experts to take charge of the situation.

Like it or not, IoT and AI are being integrated into people’s daily lives. The pandemic might have accelerated the adoption even further, seeing how critical social distancing is to stopping the spread of the virus. In this unprecedented time, once-hesitant enterprises are now eagerly deploying the technology. With massive change in the healthcare industry, Keysight is ready to help our customers prepare for the future.

Find out more about what Keysight has to offer here.

T&M

Wearables

Optical Biosensors

•Vol - 02 / 09

While digital infrastructure might not be the cure to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, it is undoubtedly helping the world cope in many ways. More and more, governments, enterprises, healthcare, and even the education sector are using the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomously fight the effects of the pandemic as it continues to spread globally.

Here are six ways IoT and AI are helping curb the pandemic:

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Designing safer,

•Vol - 02 / 09

AUTOMOTIVE

more efficient, and highly reliable EV Charging Stations

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Many countries are encouraging the adoption of electric and hybrid electric vehicles as a means to improve air quality and fight climate change. Adoption depends on the construction of a network of charging stations. Consumers don’t want to run out of power in a place where they cannot recharge their vehicles.

Adoption also depends on reductions in charging time. The goal is to get EV charging time on par with the time of a conventional petrol fill-up. In turn, this depends on relatively more expensive high-power charging stations having more than 50 kW of charging power.

Given the importance of charging stations, the high level of power involved, and the significant investment required, EV charging system designers need to plan for safety, reliability, and efficiency.

• Safety. Consumer safety is paramount.

Until the advent of DC charging stations, the general public has not had access to power higher than the 230 V they see at home in the wall outlet. Newer EV chargers deliver 400 to 1,000 V DC. EV chargers must minimize the threat of electrical shock and other hazards.

• Reliability. Once installed, the EV charging equipment must operate dependably for 10 or more years, even in the harshest outdoor conditions, to ensure an acceptable return on investment.

• Efficiency. Power conversion is crucial for DC fast charging systems. Minimizing

losses in power conversion ensure the maximum amount of power delivered for charging the vehicle’s battery and reduces heat buildup.

Figure 1. All six functional parts of a DC charging station require circuit protection.

Safety

In an EV charging station, the two biggest safety threats are electrical shock and overcurrent. Electrical shock is usually the result of a ground fault.

Electrical shock

A ground fault is an unintended contact between an energized conductor and ground or the equipment frame. Usually, the culprit is insulation breakdown. Also, dust and moisture can cause unintended pathways for electricity. Wet and dusty environments, such as those found around outdoor equipment, require diligence in design.

Use AC ground-fault protection on the input side of the design to protect components from damaging faults, and to protect consumers from electric shock should the equipment frame or housing become energized. A groundfault protection device uses a current transformer on the phase conductors to ensure that all current coming from the source returns on those same conductors, or it reads the current in the connection between the transformer neutral and ground. A ground fault anywhere in the system will return current through this path.

Similarly, employ ground-fault protection at the output side, so that when a consumer picks up a nozzle capable of 1,000 V, the handle or the frame is not energized. A DC ground-fault monitor is installed on the output side to detect any earth leakage and shut off power immediately. As the output side is not grounded, the ground-fault monitor depends on a ground-reference module between the two buses to establish a neutral point, which is used as a reference to detect low-level ground faults.

Overcurrent

By their nature, vehicle charging stations are connected to a power supply that has high available fault current. Electrical faults, including those that start ground faults, can draw high current that can be very destructive, damaging components,

SEPTEMBER 2020

Unless interrupted quickly, even moderate overcurrents can overheat system components, damaging insulation and conductors. However, the worst damage will be to the many electronic components, many of which are susceptible to even low-value overcurrents.

Reliability

Unlike consumer devices like laptops that are engineered for a lifetime of three to five years, DC charging stations are expensive, so buyers need them to last for 10 years or more, in order to get a return on their investment. The value of semiconductor content alone ranges from $350 USD in an AC charger to more than $3,500 USD in a 350 kW charging system.

Proper circuit protection will keep that investment working reliably for a longer amount of time.

Semiconductor devices are sensitive to electrical threats and must be protected from overcurrent by fuses. These devices are typically fabricated from silicon or silicon carbide and have low thermal withstand capacity.

Conventional fuses are sufficient to protect most of these, but specialized highspeed DC fuses are needed to protect power semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs, IGBTs, diodes, and thyristors used in power converters (inverters, rectifiers, etc.) Such fuses are engineered with a specific time-current characteristic so that they operate very quickly compared to traditional AC input fuses.

Another threat to sensitive semiconductor devices is overvoltage. If an EV charger is located near an industrial facility with large motors, the switching on and off

When it is used to protect sensitive circuits, the length of time a transient suppressor requires to begin functioning is extremely important. If the suppressor is slow-acting and a fast-rising transient appears on the system, then the voltage across the protected load can rise to a damaging level before suppression kicks in.

Figure 2. TVS Diodes like this SMF Surface Mount Series device from Littelfuse are designed specifically to protect sensitive electronic equipment from voltage transients induced by lightning and other transient voltage events.

That’s why advanced technology devices based on SiC and GaN technology are utilized in power conversion; compared to silicon devices they provide ultra-fast switching for lower power losses.

Circuit protection devices are made with different technologies. While many types of devices may work, it is better to select a device having the ideal technology for that application. In a DC charging system, a high-power Transient Voltage Suppressor (TVS) diode or metal oxide varistor (MOV) is usually the best type of suppression device. Other types of protectors—such as protection thyristors, gas discharge tubes, and multi-layered varistors (MLV) or combinations of suppression devices — are often specified.

SiC MOSFET devices are now available that blend high operating voltages and fast switching speeds, a combination typically not available with traditional power transistors. To be useful in automotive charging applications, they must operate at high junction temperatures and feature low gate resistance, low gate charge, low output capacitance, and ultra-low on-resistance. Designers prefer devices that offer high power density and reduce the size and weight of filter components, which reduces cost and space requirements.

Efficiency

Power semiconductor devices convert AC power into the DC power needed to recharge vehicle batteries. To match the level of charge to what the vehicle battery needs, the power semiconductor device controls the charge through switching, a process that naturally incurs power losses in the form of heat. In an EV charging application, the heat can create engineering challenges.

AUTOMOTIVE

Select fuses based on their interrupting capacity, their rating based on normal operating current, and their time-current curve characteristics. “Current limiting fuses” operate quickly in the event of a high-value overcurrent, which limits peak let-through current.

of those motors can produce voltage surges in the power supply. Also, if there is a lightning strike near the charging station, the electromagnetic energy may induce a voltage surge on the power lines in the neighborhood that could propagate into the charger via the AC power input lines. Overvoltage protection devices must be used to absorb that energy, preventing it from damaging the sensitive electronics that make the charger work.

Figure 4. SiC-based devices, like this 1200 V 80 mOhm MOSFET from Littelfuse, are optimized for high power, low resistance, and low power conversion losses not available with traditional silicon devices.

Figure 3. Some varistors, like those in this UltraMOV Metal Oxide Varistor Series from Littelfuse, are designed for applications requiring high peak surge current ratings and high energy absorption capability.

Efficiency, reliability, and safety are achievable in EV charging station designs.

Littelfuse offers a white paper on this topic that includes block diagrams and specific device recommendations.

•Vol - 02 / 09

twisting bus bars, starting fires, and even cause an arc-flash incident—a kind of explosion that could injure or kill anyone standing nearby.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Improving Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications Through Dual Core Solutions

ENGINEER'S CORNER

The processing power for Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) has been evolving to achieve the demanding requirements of today’s real-time control applications. In addition to requiring increased Digital Signal Processing (DSP) performance, embedded applications also require extra Central Processing Unit (CPU) performance to further enhance communications and implement new functional safety and management features. These factors are thus responsible for the way processing power is deployed in High-Integration Microcontrollers and Digital Signal Controllers.

Contemporary digital power supplies are an example of an application that demands stellar DSP performance coupled with high CPU performance to meet stringent system specifications.

In this application the DSC is responsible for precise and efficient control of energy conversion using mathematical algorithms and real-time PulseWidth Modulation (PWM) control. It also requires connectivity to relay real-time operational status and receive commands from a system-level management unit using protocols such as PMBus. Another application example is an automotive fan or pump controller. While the closed-loop control of the motor leverages the signal processing capability of the DSC, communication with other modules in an automobile for control, status and diagnostics reporting is often accomplished through a protocol such as Controller Area Network Flexible Data (CAN-FD).

•Vol - 02 / 09

Some applications have complex and diverse control requirements such as an air conditioning unit. Today it is practical and cost-effective to control the power-factorcorrecting power supply, a heavy-duty compressor, and the fan motor of the AC unit all from a single DSC. The supply, compressor, and fan each require different real-time critical control algorithms.

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A single high-speed CPU core is, in theory, designed to handle low-latency real-time control tasks as well as networking and system management tasks through time-slicing in the execution of several independent threads. However, the ability to achieve high performance in any given process technology comes at the cost of power consumption and software complexity to minimize the impact one thread might have on the performance of another thread running on the same CPU. This software complexity, where one needs to determine the way threads and interrupt handlers will meet their respective

Tom Spohrer

Sr. Product Marketing Manager, MCU16 Business Unit, Microchip Technology Inc.

deadlines becomes a challenging problem for the designer.

Conservative approaches maximize the amount of headroom the CPU has left over by leaving a relatively significant portion of processing cycles unallocated to guarantee that a thread can meet its deadlines under all conditions.

We also need to consider the impact of the overhead of frequent task switching on processing throughput. There can be significant overhead due to interrupt handling and the saving and restoring of internal state during task switching that is exacerbated when more and more threads are running simultaneously on a single core.

How do you improve your processing efficiency? The answer is simple, Dual Core Solution!

Imagine if you could run multiple threads without the overhead of having to save and restore the CPU’s state every time the system needed to switch between them.

With a dual-core implementation, the workload of multiple threads can be divided across independent cores thereby minimizing some of the thrashing created by context switches.

The inherent parallelism of multiple cores allows lower core clock frequencies to be used for a given level of throughput which could be a better match for flash memory speeds. Thus, we can reduce or eliminate the number of stall cycles (wait states) where the processor needs to wait for instructions or data from the flash memory. And, lastly, running each core slower can improve overall energy efficiency because circuits do not need to be designed to run as fast so they can use less power.

Leveraging multiple cores in an application often results in greater determinism for time-critical tasks and it can simplify development efforts.

In some applications, a single core is more efficient at handling large sets of related data that involve closely coupled tasks. But this is not true in the case where different functions are being executed in a high-performance embedded application. Here, it makes sense and is more efficient to use more than one core since the computational functions are loosely coupled.

Single-core Solutions Vs Dual-core Solutions

Let’s take an example of a power supply, where the closedloop control for the power conversion is implemented in firmware. In this case the quality of the power supply’s output is determined mostly by the latency, or how much time it takes, to convert an analog sample to digital, perform a complex

SEPTEMBER 2020

In parallel with the time-critical control loop calculations running on one CPU core, another core can be tasked with other responsibilities such as PMBus communications and system monitoring functions. Similarly, in a motor control application, splitting the closed-loop control processing and the CAN interface stack execution across different cores ensures that the motor’s commutation is precise and deterministic.

From a project development standpoint, overall design time can be reduced when the firmware is partitioned across different CPU cores. Applications are easier to develop and the code for each core can even be created by different design teams residing at different locations. The separately coded functions require less integration then would be necessary if all the code had to interoperate and run on a single CPU core and it is easier to debug on separate cores.

Dual Core Solutions and its Underlying Benefits

Unified Digital Signal Controller architectures such as Microchip’s dsPIC33 core helped solve synchronisation problems by bringing the two types of execution behaviour together into a single architecture. With such a pipeline, one can stream multiply-accumulate and matrix operations at high speeds while still providing fast pointer-chasing and change-of-flow capability. Also, high responsiveness to interrupts can enable real-time reaction and adaptation to changing conditions.

However, challenges of code integration exist irrespective of the architecture customers choose. Often, we see development teams split the combination of communication and control functionality in many applications between themselves, based on specialization.

of context-selected 40-bit accumulators to boost interrupt service routine responsiveness. These accumulators’ contents do not need to be saved to the stack during a context switch thereby saving CPU cycles and reducing the time it takes to perform a context switch. Additional instructions to increase DSP performance are implemented in the new dsPIC33CH core such as data limit instructions that enable single cycle clamping a value within an upper and lower bound. Instructions are added that allow 32-bit load and stores to the 40-bit accumulators and an accumulator normalization instruction, faster divides and bit field instructions.

The dsPIC33CH DSC is highly integrated with many advanced peripherals such as high-speed ADCs, DACs with waveform generation, analogue comparators with reference DACs, analogue programmable gain amplifiers and high-resolution PWM generators that have resolution down to 250 ps to help rein in system costs and board size.

Peripherals that tend to interrupt the CPU core frequently can be an impediment to overall system performance. To combat this, the dsPIC33CH includes intelligent peripherals and a peripheral trigger generator that can off-load the CPU from needing to respond to as many interrupts. For example, the device’s UARTs can reduce software overhead through hardware support for LIN/J2602, IrDA®, DMX and smart card protocol extensions. High performance peripherals such as the CAN-FD module include features such as dedicated DMA that allow it to run more autonomously from the CPU core.

Microchip’s dsPIC33CH is optimised for high-performance and time-critical, real-world embedded-control applications. With its dual-cores this cutting-edge product family offers designers increased performance while easing software development by enabling the easy partitioning of tasks across the cores.

The dsPIC33CH is architected so that engineering teams can “design separately, integrate seamlessly.”

ENGINEER'S CORNER

calculation resulting in a new duty cycle from that data, and then update the PWM with that new information. With a multicore controller, latency-critical functions such as this are not hampered by other system activities since unrelated system tasks can be executed on a another core that doesn’t have these time-critical tasks to perform.

This solution has its own set of challenges. Figuring out scheduling and task prioritization is a key issue while integrating code from two or more teams. While such decisions may seem small, they can have a major impact on the overall real-time behaviour of the application. Knowledgeable engineers are responsible for setting task priorities across two or more processes.

The Advent of dsPIC33CH Although distributing processing tasks across multiple cores optimises both development effort and processing throughput, Microchip is constantly innovating to help increase overall performance of its controllers. An performance-enhancing example in the dual-core dsPIC33CH is the implementation

•Vol - 02 / 09

Allocating code to different cores for processing that was developed separately makes it easier to manage and integrate diverse code. It also makes allocating the resources of each core easier such as how best to allocate and use the limited data RAM of each core.

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IOT/FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 2020

DUAL RADIO CONNECTIVITY: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IN IOT

Vishal Goyal

Group Manager – Technical Marketing South Asia and India, STMicroelectronics

Introduction

•Vol - 02 / 09

According to statistica, IoT market is expected to reach $1.6trillion by 2025 from $248billion in 2020. Meteorical rise in IoT devices is also expected to increase their complexity and versatility in wide range of use cases. Choosing right connectivity option is a critical decision for any IoT device but often it is not possible to use a single connectivity option for all features in a device.

This article highlights the need of optimizing the combination of short- and long-range technologies to significantly increase the performance and versatility of the devices. The article also put special focus on Bluetooth® Low Energy [BLE] and Sigfox as they have emerged as a technology of choice for optimized architectural decisions.

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Topology for IoT devices Connectivity

IoT connected devices can be broadly categorized in three categories:

1) Devices directly connected to long distance Infrastructure Technologies such as GPRS, CDMA allows our Smartphones or IoT devices to be connected directly to Telecom towers. With the advent of LPWAN technologies such as Sigfox, LoRa and NBIOT it is possible to get similar connectivity range but with reduced current consumption and data rate. These devices allow roaming of IoT connected devices and need not be confined to one particular place.

2) Devices connected to a local gateway which in turn is connected to long distance Infrastructure Wireless technologies such as WiFi or wired technologies such as LAN, IO-Link, PLC etc allow interfacing gateway with locally connected IoT devices. With this approach one can connect multiple devices to the Cloud with a single connected gateway. In general, these technologies are very high data rate and are used for High bandwidth uses such as Internet

browsing, online video or Audio etc. The advantage of this approach is that you can control or monitor several devices at your home, office or Industry remotely. So, it is also used in many control applications of IoT devices. But as they are dependent on gateway they cannot move outside the premises as first approach.

maker need not customize the product at the factory. Device can even be configured to range of customized features such as pedometer working as per wearing position, setting alarms or toggle LEDs etc. Even industrial products such as LED drivers can be configured using BLE to suit the type of LED configuration needed by the consumers

3) Device which are locally connected to Smart phone or each other with or without internet connectivity Technologies such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy [BLE] enable peer to peer communication in shorter distance. In many scenarios they use mobile phone as the gateway to the Cloud. The advantage of short-range communication is that they can work independently without any requirement of Cloud network.

With the advent of Human-Machine Interface (HMI), connected devices such as Mobile phones and laptops etc. are normally powered by more than one connectivity technologies such as BLE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS etc. However, majority of IoT devices are designed to execute one particular task so are connected by only one of the three approaches discussed above. However, it also limits the usability, longevity and versatility of those devices.

- Local Monitoring Presence of BLE based interfaces enable direct monitoring of sensor data in absence of Cloud connectivity. This is particularly important where a fast local response is needed.

It can also be used to optimize the cost of data as user can decide which data need to send to Cloud and which is to be monitored locally

An optimized architecture with a combination of long-range technology and short-range technology can be a milestone in penetration of IoT device in wide range of applications.

Long-range connectivity will enable communication directly with communication infrastructure and even allows for roaming. Short-range technology in the same device will enable independent short-range communication for wide range of requirements.

Bluetooth Low Energy [BLE] is an incredible short-range technology which can complement long-range connectivity technology in wide range of usage scenarios. BLE can offer short-range direct connectivity whereas long-range connectivity can give Cloud connectivity to IoT devices.

Some of the features enabled by BLE for an IoT device are - User Interface A BLE connected device can connect to a smartphone App which in-turn enables user to interact with device in intuitive way. This can also reduce number of buttons or display needed on device making it cheaper, lighter and water or dust proof.

- Configurability BLE can also be used to configure the device to act in a certain way. Allowing configurability at user’ end, device

- Firmware Upgrade Firmware upgrade features allows to update the firmware of device after shipping. This is important to provide new features and bugs update even after the device is shipped.

Using firmware upgrade a device functionality can also be configured as per the use cases. Firmware upgrade is also an important diagnostic feature.

BLE can be complemented with other long-range technology such as GPRS or LPWAN to offer long-range connectivity. An important and versatile low-power long-range technology is Sigfox. When a BLE SOC drives a Sigfox radio, it can enable wide new features and use cases with a minimal increment in power, form factor and price. Sigfox is a LPWAN technology which offers global Cloud, long-range connectivity, and consumes very low current. Sigfox devices can freely connect around the world without the need of any separate agreement or roaming charges with network operators.

Some features which can be implemented by implementing long-range technology in the same device. Let us understand the same using Sigfox implementation.

- Remote Monitoring Sensors data can be sent to Cloud using Sigfox network without the need of local gateways. The device can uplink the data directly to Sigfox gateways operated by Sigfox operators. These gateways can be connected directly up to few kilometers.

- Data aggregation Data from gas meters, water meters or other sensors need to be aggregated in Cloud for consolidation, billing or analytics purpose. The data sent over time over Sigfox network can be used for this purpose.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Optimized Dual Connectivity

- Diagnostic Often when a device breaks down the service engineer need to open the device or connect a cable to device to get into the device. This is complicated and limits the creativity and features in the device. For example, the device may not be waterproof if it has open ports and can be opened easily by screws. A BLE interface can facilitate getting into the device wirelessly in case main system fails and BLE interface is enabled.

In many scenarios, BLE may not be made available to user but activated only for diagnostic purposes.

IOT/FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 2020

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SEPTEMBER 2020

- Tracking and Positioning Tracking and positioning is one the most widely used use case of IoT devices. In case an accurate positioning is required, the GPS coordinate can be sent to Cloud over Sigfox network.

Many use cases such as fleet monitoring accept accuracy of few kilometers. In such use cases, Sigfox network enables positioning using triangulation method using Sigfox network itself without the need of GPS signals. Sigfox has introduced a new feature, called Monarch, to recognize radio service and manage radio frequency changes as per local regulations.

Using this feature, the device can roam across national boundaries and still remain connected.

IOT/FEATURE

- Notification of events When someone opens a lock using BLE, the information also need to be recorded on Cloud using an independent network. Similarly, events such opening of door, crossing a threshold of a sensor, burglar alarm, fire alarm etc need to work independently of local interface. A device powered with right sensors, logic and Sigfox radio can do it with ease.

- Diagnostic and assistance An IoT device can raise an alarm over Sigfox network in case it needs assistance or if some part of the device is malfunctioning.

Sigfox also allows downlink message to configure device in diagnostic mode and provide relevant data.

STMicroelectronics has introduced a unique solution to combine BLE and Sigfox radio into a common solution. The dual radio will offer long-range connectivity via Sigfox and Smartphone connectivity using BLE. Smartphone connectivity to Sigfox devices will enable User Interface [UI], over the Air firmware update [FUOTA], direct configuration and control.

Mesh connectivity over BLE enables connecting multiple BLE devices in Mesh networks of IOT solutions. Introduction of the Mesh solution has made it possible to be connected even when devices are not in direct range of a network.

The S2-LP is a high performance ultra-low power RF transceiver, intended for RF wireless applications in the sub-1GHz band.

It can be programmed to operate at sub-1GHz frequencies in the 413-479 MHz, 452-527 MHz, 826-958 MH, 904-1055 MHz bands. The S2-LP supports different modulation schemes: 2(G)FSK, 4(G)FSK, OOK and ASK. The S2-LP shows an RF link budget higher than 140 dB for long communication ranges and meets the regulatory requirements applicable in territories worldwide, including Europe, Japan, South Asia, India, China and the USA.

Conclusion

As IoT use cases will develop, there would be need of more connectivity options in the same device. This will enhance usability, versatility and reliability of devices. A combination of BLE SoC driving a sub-1Ghz radio is expected to gain momentum as it brings additional connectivity without compromising on cost, power consumption and form factor. STMicroelectronics has adopted this architecture with two world class radios and witness huge response from its customers.

Reference: https://www.statista.com/statistics/976313/globaliot-market-size/

•Vol - 02 / 09

STDES-MONARCH is Sigfox Verified and is provided free of charge with all the necessary design documents and software.

This reference design embeds both BlueNRG-2 low-power BLE system-on-chip (SoC) and S2-LP narrow band ultra-low power sub-1GHz transceiver.

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The BlueNRG-2 from STMicroelectronics is an ultralow-power BLE 5.0 certified wireless processor, which provides seamless connection with sensors, Privacy 1.2, Secure Connection 4.2, Data Length Extension, 8dBm of output power, and a reliable BLE link to IOT devices. Besides, it supports standard fully compliant SIG BLE Mesh.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Assuring the Promise of

Stephen Douglas

Head of 5G Practice,Spirent Communications

Blazing speeds and more

The 5G performance improvements that have been lauded are certainly worthy of excitement and anticipation: • Blazing fast speeds with peak data rates 100 times faster than 4G. • Vast coverage density that can support one million devices for every square kilometer.

• Large area traffic capacity up to 10Mbps per square mile.

• Latencies as low as one to five milliseconds.

These feats, delivered via mobile networks, are transformational.

Industries from agriculture and automotive to shipping and manufacturing stand to benefit. And demand will skyrocket fast. For instance, Gartner has already anticipated that 21 billion IoT devices will invade networks in 2020. Planning for this level of complexity and adoption requires right insights, resources and collaborative environment.

Bringing clarity to 5G complexity

5G will introduce a new core, radio, spectrum, devices, and physical and virtual infrastructure. This means complex

Assuring the promise of 5G

We’ve only begun to imagine the use cases that 5G will make a reality. But we do know that innovation will span an untold number of industries and applications.

This technology and business transformation calls for a dynamic service assurance approach that will ensure flawless 5G performance and use of advanced automation processes that expedite testing. From channel emulators to over-the-air testing, an end-to-end agile approach to service assurance is necessary to assure the promise of 5G. The network operators need to proactively test the network before going live and continuously monitor it afterwards. Active Assurance is the only way to address these critical needs.

Telecom operators are accelerating system testing, spanning a range of network elements and complex procedures to bring higher stability & endurance and reduce the complexity & costs of 5G testing, while accelerating 5G innovation and time to revenue.

5G

new antennas and chipsets, new KPIs, new vendors, cloud distributions and new spectrum frequencies. And it all must work perfectly together.

Compounding this complexity is the urgency with which many operators are moving. They are staking the future of their business on critical investments being made now, unable to wait for all standards groups and alliances to agree on a common path forward. In this scenario, test and assurance become critical to assuring the promise of delivering transformational 5G services.

About the author:

Stephen Douglas - Head of 5G Practice, Spirent Communications.

Stephen works for Spirent’s strategy organization helping to define technical direction, new innovative solutions and market leading disruptive technologies. Currently Stephen leads Spirent’s strategic initiatives for 5G, IoT and Automotive.

With over 20 years’ experience in telecommunications, Stephen has been at the cutting edge of next generation technologies and has worked across the industry with service providers, start-ups and network equipment manufacturers, helping them drive innovation and transformation.

•Vol - 02 / 09

There is a tendency to hype the next big developments in tech years before they can be widely deployed. Few technologies have been buzzed about with more fanfare and promises than 5G. It is the answer to competitive challenges, flat revenues and insatiable mobile data demand from consumers and businesses alike. 5G promises to transform our world and power a new industrial and social revolution. We are talking about great expectations.

Assuring this promise is possible, but it requires navigating unprecedented change. That means planning for a completely new and highly intricate technologies and architectures, to meet the most demanding requirements of 5G applications.

An exciting shift is happening and the modern mobile network is under vast, unpredictable levels of stress, as network services and devices are getting more and more complex.

As networks evolve to 5G, SD-WAN and NFV, service providers need new methods for assuring the network. Think customer expectations are high today? With 5G, they will become downright formidable. Getting there will be an intense journey but the rewards will be well worth it.

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Ethan Chen

Edge Computing

Product Manage, MOXA

•Vol - 02 / 09

Product Manage, MOXA

Angie Lee

Product Marketing Manage, MOXA

Edge Computing for Industrial AIoT Applications Abstract

IIoT applications are generating more data than ever before.

In many industrial applications, especially highly distributed systems located in remote areas, constantly sending large amounts of raw data to a central server might not be possible.

To reduce latency, reduce data communication and storage costs, and increase network availability, businesses are moving AI and machine learning to the edge for real-time decision-making and actions in the field. These cutting-edge applications that deploy AI capabilities on IoT infrastructures are called the “AIoT.” Although you still need to train your AI models in the cloud, data collection and inferencing can be performed in the field by deploying trained AI models on edge computers. This white paper discusses how to choose the right edge computer for your industrial AIoT application and provides several case studies to help you get started.

Bringing AI to the IIoT

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Alicia Wang

The advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has allowed a wide range of businesses to collect massive amounts of data from previously untapped sources and explore new avenues for improving productivity. By obtaining performance and environmental data from field equipment and machinery, organizations now have even more information at their disposal to make informed business decisions. Unfortunately, there is far too much IIoT data for humans to process alone

so most of this information goes unanalyzed and unused1.

Consequently, it is no wonder that businesses and industry experts are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions for IIoT applications to gain a holistic view and make smarter decisions more quickly.

Most IIoT Data Goes Unanalyzed

The staggering number of industrial devices being connected to the Internet continues to grow year after year and is expected to reach 41.6 billion endpoints in 20252. What’s even more mind-boggling is how much data each device produces. In fact, manually analyzing the information generated by all the sensors on a manufacturing assembly line could take a lifetime3. It’s no wonder that “less than half of an organization’s structured data is actively used in making decisions—and less than 1% of its unstructured data is analyzed or used at all”4.

In the case of IP cameras, only 10% of the nearly 1.6 exabytes of video data generated each day gets analyzed5. These figures indicate a staggering oversight in data analysis despite our ability to collect more and more information. This inability for humans to analyze all of the data we produce is precisely why businesses are looking for ways to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their IIoT applications.

Imagine if we relied solely on human vision to manually inspect tiny defects on golf balls on a manufacturing assembly line for

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Combining AI with IIoT

In each of the previously discussed industrial applications, the “AIoT” offers the ability to reduce labor costs, reduce human error, and optimize preventive maintenance. The “Artificial Intelligence of Things” (AIoT) refers to the adoption of AI technologies in “Internet of Things” (IoT) applications for the purposes of improving operational efficiency, human-machine interactions, and data analytics and management7. But what exactly do we mean by AI and how does it fit into the IIoT? “Artificial intelligence” (AI) is the general field of science that studies how to construct intelligent programs and machines to solve problems that are traditionally performed through human intelligence. Artificial intelligence also includes “machine learning” (ML), which is a specific subset of AI that enables systems to automatically learn and improve through experience without being programmed to do so, such as through various algorithms and neural networks. Another related term is “deep learning” (DL), which is a subset of machine learning in which multilayered neural networks learn from vast amounts of data.

Since AI is such a broad discipline, the following discussion focuses on how computer vision or AI-powered video analytics, other subfields of AI often used in conjunction with ML, are used for classification and recognition in industrial applications.

From data reading in remote monitoring and preventive maintenance, to identifying vehicles8 for controlling traffic signals9 in intelligent transportation systems, to agricultural drones and outdoor patrol robots, to automatic optical inspection (AOI) of tiny defects in golf balls10 and other products, computer vision and video analytics are unleashing greater productivity and efficiency for industrial applications.

storage costs, and increase network availability, IIoT applications are moving AI and machine learning capabilities to the edge of the network to enable more powerful preprocessing capabilities directly in the field. More specifically, advances in edge computing processing power have enabled IIoT applications to take advantage of AI decision-making capabilities in remote locations. Indeed, by connecting your field devices to edge computers equipped with powerful local processors and AI, you no longer need to send all of your data to the cloud for analysis13. In fact, the data created and processed at the far-edge and near-edge sites is expected to increase from 10% to 75% by 202514, and the overall edge AI hardware market is expected to see a CAGR of 20.64% from 2019 to 202415.

Choosing the Right Edge Computer for Industrial AIoT

When it comes to bringing artificial intelligence to your industrial IoT applications, there are several key issues you need to consider. Even though most of the work involved with training your AI models still takes place in the cloud, you’ll eventually need to deploy your trained inferencing models in the field.

AIoT edge computing essentially enables AI inferencing in the field rather than sending raw data to the cloud for processing and analysis. In order to effectively run AI models and algorithms, industrial AIoT applications require a reliable hardware platform at the edge. To choose the right hardware platform for your AIoT application, consider the following factors.

1. Processing Requirements for Different Phases of AI Implementation 2. Edge Computing Levels 3. Development Tools 4. Environmental Concerns

Processing Requirements for Different Phases of AI Implementation Generally speaking, processing requirements for AIoT computing are concerned with how much computing power you need and whether you need a CPU or accelerator. Since each of the following three phases in building an AI edge computing application uses different algorithms to perform different tasks, each phase has its own set of processing requirements.

EDGE COMPUTING

8 hours each day, 5 days a week. Even if you could afford a whole army of inspectors, each person is still naturally susceptible to fatigue and human error. Similarly, manual visual inspection of railway track fasteners, which can only be performed in the middle of the night after trains have stopped running, is not only time-consuming but also difficult to do6. Likewise, manual inspection of high-voltage power lines and substation equipment also exposes human personnel to additional risks.

As previously mentioned, the proliferation of IIoT systems is generating massive amounts of data. For example, the multitude of sensors and devices in a large oil refinery generates 1 TB of raw data per day11. Immediately sending all this raw data back to a public cloud or private server for storage or processing would require considerable bandwidth, availability, and power consumption12. In many industrial applications, especially highly distributed systems located in remote areas, constantly sending large amounts of data to a central server is not possible. Even if you had the bandwidth and sufficient infrastructure, which would be incredibly costly to deploy and maintain, there would still be substantial latency in data transmission and analysis. Mission-critical industrial applications must be able to analyze raw data as quickly as possible.

In order to reduce latency, reduce data communication and

Figure 1: Three Phases in Building AIoT Applications

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Moving AI to the IIoT Edge

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EDGE COMPUTING

• Data Collection The goal of this phase is to acquire large amounts of information to train the AI model. Raw, unprocessed data alone is not helpful because the information could contain duplications, errors, and outliers. Preprocessing collected data at the initial phase to identify patterns, outliers, and missing information also allows you to correct errors and biases. Depending on the complexity of the data collected, the computing platforms typically used in data collection are usually based on Arm® Cortex® or Intel® Atom®/Core™ processors. In general, I/O and CPU specifications (rather than the GPU) are more important for performing data collection tasks.

• Training AI models need to be trained on advanced neural networks and resource-hungry machine learning or deep learning algorithms that demand more powerful processing capabilities, such as powerful GPUs, to support parallel computing in order to analyze large amounts of collected and preprocessed training data. Training your AI model involves selecting a machine learning model and training it on your collected and preprocessed data. During this process, you also need to evaluate and tune the parameters to ensure accuracy.

Many training models and tools are available for you to choose from, including off-the-shelf deep learning design frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Caffe. Training is usually performed on designated AI training machines or cloud computing services, such as AWS Deep Learning AMIs, Amazon SageMaker Autopilot, Google Cloud AI, or Azure Machine Learning, instead of in the field.

• Inferencing The final phase involves deploying the trained AI model on the edge computer so that it can make inferences and predictions based on newly collected and preprocessed data quickly and efficiently. Since the inferencing stage generally consumes fewer computing resources than training, a CPU or lightweight accelerator may be sufficient for your AIoT application. Nonetheless, you will need a conversion tool to convert the trained model to run on specialized edge processors/accelerators, such as Intel® OpenVINO™ or NVIDIA® CUDA®. Inferencing also includes several different edge computing levels and requirements, which are discussed in the following section.

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Edge Computing Levels

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Although AI training is still mainly performed in the cloud or on local servers, data collection and inferencing necessarily take place at the edge of your network. Moreover, since inferencing is where your trained AI model does most of the work to accomplish the application objectives (i.e., make decisions or perform actions based on newly collected field data), you need to determine which of the following levels of edge computing you need in order to choose the appropriate processor.

• Low Edge Computing Level Transferring data between the edge and the cloud is not only

expensive, but also timeconsuming and results in latency. With low edge computing, you only send a small amount of useful data to the cloud, which reduces lag time, bandwidth, data transmission fees, power consumption, and hardware costs.

An Arm®-based platform without accelerators can be used on IIoT devices to collect and analyze data to make quick inferences or decisions.

• Medium Edge Computing Level This level of inference can handle various IP camera streams for computer vision or video analytics with sufficient processing frame rates. Medium edge computing includes a wide range of data complexity based on the AI model and performance requirements of the use case, such as facial recognition applications for an office entry system versus a large-scale public surveillance network. Most industrial edge computing applications also need to factor in a limited power budget or fanless design for heat dissipation. It may be possible to use a high-performance CPU, entry-level GPU, or VPU at this level. For instance, the Intel® Core™ i7 Series CPUs offer an efficient computer vision solution with the OpenVINO toolkit and software based AI/ML accelerators that can perform inference at the edge.

• High Edge Computing Level High edge computing involves processing heavier loads of data for AI expert systems that use more complex pattern recognition, such as behavior analysis for automated video surveillance in public security systems to detect security incidents or potentially threatening events. High Edge Compute Level inferencing generally uses accelerators, including a highend GPU, VPU, TPU, or FPGA, which consumes more power (200 W or more) and generates excess heat. Since the necessary power consumption and heat generated may exceed the limits at the far edge of the network, such as aboard a moving train, high edge computing systems are often deployed in near-edge sites, such as in a railway station, to perform tasks.

Development Tools

Several tools are available for various hardware platforms to help speed up the application development process or improve overall performance for AI algorithms and machine learning.

Deep Learning Frameworks

Consider using a deep learning framework, which is an interface, library, or tool that allows you to build deep learning models more easily and quickly, without getting into the details of the underlying algorithms. Deep learning frameworks provide a clear and concise way for defining models using a collection of pre-built and optimized components. The three most popular include: • PyTorch Primarily developed by Facebook's AI Research Lab, PyTorch is an open source machine learning library based on the Torch library. It is used for applications such as computer vision and natural language processing, and is a free and open-source

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• Caffe Caffe provides an expressive architecture that allows you to define and configure models and optimizations without hard-coding. You can set a single flag to train the model on a GPU machine, and then deploy to commodity clusters or mobile devices. https://caffe.berkeleyvision.org/

Hardware-based Accelerator Toolkits

AI accelerator toolkits are available from hardware vendors and are specially designed to accelerate artificial intelligence applications, such as machine learning and computer vision, on their platforms.

• Intel® OpenVINO™ The Open Visual Inference and Neural Network Optimization (OpenVINO) toolkit from Intel is designed to help developers build robust computer vision applications on Intel® platforms.

OpenVINO also enables faster inference for deep learning models. https://software.intel.com/content/www/us/en/develop/ tools/openvino-toolkit.html • NVIDIA® CUDA® The CUDA Toolkit enables high-performance parallel computing for GPU-accelerated applications on embedded systems, data centers, cloud platforms, and supercomputers built on the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) from NVIDIA. https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-toolkit

Environmental Considerations

Last but not least, you also need to consider the physical location of where your application will be implemented. Industrial applications deployed outdoors or in harsh environments—such as smart city, oil and gas, mining, power, or outdoor patrol robot applications—should have a wide operating temperature range and appropriate heat dissipation mechanisms to ensure reliability in blistering hot or freezing cold weather conditions.

Certain applications also require industry-specific certifications or approvals, such as fanless design, explosion proof construction, and vibration resistance. And since many real-world applications are deployed in space-limited cabinets and subject to size limitations, small form factor edge computers are preferred.

Moreover, highly distributed industrial applications in remote sites may also require communications over a reliable cellular or Wi-Fi connection. For instance, an industrial edge computer with integrated cellular LTE connectivity eliminates the need for an additional cellular gateway and saves valuable cabinet

To see how real-world industrial applications enable and benefit from AIoT edge computing, let’s examine the following two examples.

Case in Point 1: How AIoT Keeps Mass Transit On Track

All trains—whether in an inter-city railway line or municipal mass transit system—run on metal tracks that need to remain upright and properly spaced according to a standard gauge at all times. If the tracks become uneven, trains could derail. That’s why you always see some sort of support, known as railroad ties or ballasts, laid perpendicularly beneath the tracks. To ensure a smooth ride, railroad tracks need to be securely fastened to the ties by spikes, screws, or bolts. Due to constant friction and vibration between fast-moving train wheels and the tracks, as well as damage from the natural environment, track fasteners degrade and break over time. Consequently, timely detection and repair of track fasteners is crucial to ensuring the safety of any railway line.

A large metropolitan railway in East Asia needed a more efficient way to inspect the vast number of fasteners used to stabilize thousands of miles of tracks throughout its entire mass transit system. Located in the Ring of Fire where many earthquakes occur, the transit system cannot take any chances on the safety of its infrastructure since constant tremors compound the regular wear and tear from rolling stock and high passenger traffic. Usually, after train service ends on one of the lines, the railway operator dispatches human maintenance engineers to perform manual visual inspection of the tracks and check for loose fasteners.

EDGE COMPUTING

• TensorFlow Enable fast prototyping, research, and production with TensorFlow’s user-friendly Kerasbased APIs, which are used to define and train neural networks. https://www.tensorflow.org/

space and deployment costs. Another consideration is that redundant wireless connectivity with dual SIM support may also be needed to ensure that data can be transferred if one cellular network signal is weak or goes down.

If a loose or damaged track fastener is detected, the fastener must be repaired before train service recommences on the railway line.

Since visual inspection of railway tracks during non-operating hours is time-consuming and human fatigue may lead to data omission, the transit system decided to deploy an AI edge computing solution that could accelerate track fastener inspection with computer vision. More specifically, the transit operator wanted a customized AI inference model with object recognition for track fastening systems that could detect track fastener defects while the trains are moving and perform maintenance between journeys.

AI inferencing for track fastener inspection also requires the edge computer to have powerful computing performance and storage expansion for video data, compact size and fanless design for installation in small cabinets, wide operating temperature range, and EN 50155 compliance for use on rolling stock.

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software released under the Modified BSD license. https://pytorch.org/

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companies around the world have been increasingly looking towards autonomous technology and AI to help improve occupational safety and productivity.

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EDGE COMPUTING

Figure 2: AIoT Track Fastener Inspection System

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The first step was to install high-resolution cameras underneath the train carriages, which enabled the system operator to capture real-time video of track fasteners as trains run on the tracks during service hours. Video data is then transmitted to an onboard edge computer for image processing and object recognition of track fastener defects. The train operator selected Moxa’s V2406C Series rail computer for its compact-size with an Intel® Core™ i7 processor that provides ample computing power for running the trained AI inferencing model. The V2406C also runs on low power consumption and has a wide operating temperature range of -40 to 70°C. Last but not least, the V2406C supports the Intel® OpenVINO™ toolkit and features two mPCIe slots for Intel® Movidius™ VPU modules to accelerate image recognition computations and edge AI inferencing.

By replacing manual visual inspection with real-time AI visual inspection during operating hours, the transit system was able to improve efficiency and reduce maintenance expenses.

Figure 3: Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) As with self-driving commercial vehicles, autonomous hauling systems involve training and deploying AI models to enable haul trucks to safely traverse rugged terrain and move rocks across the excavation site. These autonomous haulage systems (AHS) also rely on computer vision and navigation technology to enable autonomous haul trucks to identify obstacles and move into the proper position to collect excavated rocks from excavators and dump the debris in designated locations By installing a high-performance edge computer such as the Moxa MC- 1220 series to connect PTZ cameras and sensors on each autonomous haul truck in the fleet, mining companies can obtain real-time video data from the excavation site as well as the exact position of each truck.

The MC-1220 provides high-performance Intel® Core™ i7

Case in Point 2: How AIoT Helps Autonomous Mining processors for video analysis and self-driving systems, as well Trucks Boost Safety and Productivity as Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity to transmit preprocessed The growing popularity of autonomous haul trucks in open-pit mining, an application which is expected to triple by 202316, is mainly driven by the ability of autonomous hauling systems to reduce accidents, fuel consumption, and operating costs, while also increasing machine life and overall productivity.

Automating the trucks not only enables mining companies to move human workers to a control room, where they can oversee operations from a safe distance, but also optimizes overall production by shortening truck exchanges and eliminating shift changes17.

Surface mining operations depend on heavy-duty dump trucks, called “haul trucks,” to transport rocks and debris from excavation sites. Due to the heavy weight and large volume of rocks and other materials that need to be moved in mining operations, haul trucks are often massive vehicles in their own right. For example, some of the largest haul trucks used in openpit mining are designed to carry payloads of 400 tons or more18. Traditionally, these giant vehicles are operated by human drivers in quarries located in dangerous, extreme outdoor environments, such as deserts or mountains, where explosives are used to excavate mineral resources and ore from the Earth’s surface. Besides the inherent dangers involved with openpit mining, human truck drivers often need to work 12-hour shifts or longer19, which results in fatigue and a greater risk of human error. In recent years, leading mining

field data to the control center. Since mining trucks need to traverse rugged terrain, solid metal casing and high shock and vibration tolerance are also required. What’s more, extreme outdoor quarry environments also necessitate a wide operating temperature range. The MC-1220 is not only Class 1, Div. 2 certified for safe, explosion-proof operation in hazardous mining locations, but also ensures reliable performance from 40 to 70°C.

Conclusion

As the aforementioned case studies illustrate, enabling AI capabilities at the edge allows you to effectively improve operational efficiency and reduce risks and costs for your industrial applications. Choosing the right computing platform for your industrial AIoT application should also address the specific processing requirements at the three phases of implementation: (1) data collection, (2) training, and (3) inference. For the inference phase, you also need to determine the edge computing level (low, medium, or high) so that you can select the most suitable type of processor.

By carefully evaluating the specific requirements of your AIoT application at each phase, you can choose the best-suited edge computer to sufficiently and reliably perform industrial AI inferencing tasks in the field.

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Electronics Manufacturing to Grow by 30% in India In this global pandemic, a good news has come from electronic industry. According to our electronics and IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney, electronic manufacturing may register annual growth of 30 per cent in next five year.

The country's electronics production will grow at least by USD 153 billion (around Rs 11.5 lakh crore) in the next five years, the secretary said.

"Electronics manufacturing in India has been growing quite significantly. We have registered 23 per cent cumulative annual rate of growth over past five years. Now in this journey the growth is expected to be 30 per cent year on year for next five years,� added Sawhney.

As many as 22 domestic and international firms, including iPhone maker Apple's contract manufacturers as well as Samsung, Lava, Dixon and so forth, have lined up with proposals for mobile phones production worth Rs 11 lakh crore over the next five years.

Japanese companies have tremendous expertise and market share in capital goods which are used in the factories that manufacture electronic goods, digital displays, semiconductors, and India is looking forward to their engagement in the domestic market, added Sawhney.

Medical Devices May Hugely Grow in Upcoming Years

Indian medical device market is of $11 bn growing at a CAGR of 15% and we will be expecting the market to touch $50 bn by 2025, said Dr Praveen Gedam, Addl. CEO, Ayushman Bharat during a Technical Session on Medical Devices Sector organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

He further mentioned that this Covid situation has given priority to healthcare now a days and made staying alive a key parameter during the Pandemic times. He mentioned that this Covid situation and geo political reasons depicts India's ability to innovate, produce and become self-reliant

Report

Also, the exports of electronic products will grow in the range of 40-50 per cent annually over the next five years, he said.

According to Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, these proposals under the government's Rs 41,000-crore productionlinked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phone manufacturing are expected to create around 12 lakh jobs, 3 lakh direct and 9 lakh indirect employment opportunities in the country.

in Medical devices giving an example of PPE kits where there is were PPE manufacturers in India before Covid and now India is producing more than 6 lacs PPE kits per day.

The present panelists during the session were Dr Jitender Sharma, MD, AMTZ, Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Fortis Escort Hospitals Ganesh Sabat, CEO, Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd, and Sunil Khurana, CEO, BPL Medical Technology.

While sharing the inputs about the challenges India facing in medical device industry Dr Jitender Sharma said skilled manpower which has now been managed through HR & skill development is the first problem, second is the lack of infrastructure to support the manufacturing for which India needs to replicate the medical device park (AMTZ) model at more places. The supply chains issues of medical devices are the third issue as the majority of the same are imported and not made in India.

Dr Seth mentioned that the real Aatma Nirbharta is when the Indian Stents and devices like pacemakers beats in the heart of US & UK citizens because of the quality and not come up only as a low price option, which makes the industry viable and shine across the world. There should be a financial reward for the R&D, Government support to R&D and policy to reduce the taxation.

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"Last year we have seen spurt of 25 per cent. In next five years, growth in exports could be 40-50 per cent year on year at a bare minimum," Sawhney said.

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5G

INTERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2020

Dr Rishi Bhatnagar

Business Potential to Grow by 2026

President - Aeris Communications

5G has become a basic need for today’s business. From handling the large amount of data to making a normal home to smart home, everything is only one button away. With 5G, employees will be able to work with the technologies anywhere on the factory floor. They will be able to use it for activities like training, machine maintenance, data visualization and designing. It helps manufacturing companies to be more flexible and adjust the network based on their needs. Dr Rishi Bhatnagar, President - Aeris Communications, Chairperson of The Institution of Engineering and Technology - IoT panel for India while explaining anecdotes with Nitisha Dubey from BISinfotech says, 5G technologies have the potential to amplify and accelerate the ongoing transformation, and to unlock a next level of efficiency gains in manufacturing even for the vast community of manufacturing MSME sector in India.

information management system and ERP implementations using ICT technology. The goal of smart factory is to make production system intelligent, optimized and efficient, thus reducing the manufacturing cost, raising manufacturing rate and realizing a manufacturing company that actively responds to customer demand in fast changing and advanced environment. Technologies such as 5G for the speed it brings and IoT for connecting objects, are critical to functioning of a smart factory as they offer real-time, on-demand visibility into performance across the production chain, refine processes and production using advanced analytics, offer flexible, adaptive, and on-demand production, as well as stronger end-to-end integration with suppliers and customers.

2. Trends, Technologies and future of Connected Factories with the power of 5G?

In an era of intense volatility due to shorter business and

1. What is a connected factory and technologies which product lifecycles, and now the supply chain disruption due are empowering it and the role of 5G? to Covid-19 pandemic, manufacturing companies worldwide

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In this highly competitive world, harnessing the latest technology can lead to differentiation, better customer experience and a definitive competitive advantage. For manufacturers, automation of repeated tasks enables much-needed gains in efficiency, profitability and process innovations.

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Industry 4.0 is what results in smart factory and it includes the internet of things, cyber physical systems, cognitive computing and cloud computing. A Smart factory is based on, logistics automation, process and equipment automation, factory automation, product development, factory energy management, supply chain management, collaborative

are under extreme pressure. Margins are being squeezed more than ever as components increasingly become more varied and now more complex and costly to produce outside China.

In addition, demographics also poses a problem in certain countries with aging workforces or unskilled workforce which becomes costlier to maintain.

Competitiveness is everything to manufacturers, and muchneeded gains in efficiency and profitability will have to be achieved through new process innovations. This includes, for example, the continued automation of robots and warehouse transportation and cutting cables to become genuinely

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flexible. 5G and IoT will be vital in enhancing and enabling these advances in manufacturing. According to the Ericsson study, ‘The 5G Business Potential’, the expected addressable market in 2026 will be USD 113 billion, a substantial 7 percent potential revenue growth from current service revenue forecasts. Also, the IIoT market is expected to grow from USD 77.3 billion in 2020 to USD 110.6 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. The growth of the IIoT industry is driven by factors such as technological advancements in semiconductor and electronic devices, increased use of cloud computing platforms, standardization of IPv6, and support from governments of different countries for R&D activities related to IIoT. 5G networks offer manufacturers the chance to build smart factories and genuinely take advantage of technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, augmented reality for troubleshooting, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

4. India as a market for Connected Factories?

3. Challenges and Scopes of 5G connected factories?

We already see smart factory implementations in full swing.

Among the country’s first “self-aware” factory was established in Bengaluru at the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing with seed funding from the Boeing Company. The factory continuously collects and monitors data from both sensor-fitted machines and digitally connected wearables, to provide real-time insights into every movement and process taking place on the factory floor. Mahindra & Mahindra’s plant in Nashik has robots building car body frames as does the Tata Group’s Tata Motors’ factory in Pune. Godrej has started implementing preventive maintenance to understand why a particular machine line needs maintenance frequently using the IoT technology. Welspun run their factory floors with the help of an Intelligent Plant Framework and Manjushri Technopak’s manufacturing plant in Bidadi, Bengaluru has more than a dozen of its packaging machines connected to a network that relays monthly updates on maintenance issues. Piramal Group has deployed connected technology for ‘Real-Time Manufacturing Insights’ (RTMI) for 60 production lines across 4 plants, enabling real-time visibility into manufacturing operations for analysing production line losses at various stages. Hero MotorCorp adopted connected technologies which helps them brings out a motorcycle every 18 seconds.

These technologies is helping them sustain as a volume player.

Continental, the German automotive manufacturing company plant in India has also recently implemented Industry 4.0, which paved the way for achieving its goal of robust production processes with a zero-defect strategy and high utilization rates. IoT technologies have also been deployed across JK Tyre’s various manufacturing units to identify bottlenecks of a particular manufacturing line. This helps the company with insights such as which manufacturing unit is performing better or which shift of employees within a unit is underperforming.

However, given the push that connected manufacturing is getting the world over, and the evident and considerable advantages it promises to bring, corporate leaders across industries will be encouraged to embrace the factory of the future. To make it a reality, they will have to think outside the box, prioritize upskilling and re-skilling of the workforce and emphasize considerable investment in R&D and technology as well as come up with relevant Data Privacy and Security Standards to ensure Indian manufacturing doesn’t merely survive in the new world but actively thrives.

INTERVIEW

Manufacturing companies currently rely on wired network connections for these features. However, 5G allows for a higher frequency, lower cost, and shorter lead times for factory layout changes and altercations.

Although India scores high in the sheer size of its workforce, there are several challenges manufacturing companies must overcome to adapt to smart factories. Primarily, manufacturers worry on foregoing the investments done in old factories and the huge capital required to build new smart factories. Th good news is that companies like Aeris bring the technology to India to help convert their brownfield factories into smart and connected units, thus, protecting their earlier investments.

Another impeding challenge is the requirement of a skilled workforce that is experienced and equipped to create and manage intelligent systems. Equally crucial is the willingness of senior leadership, other stakeholders, and investors to invest in new technologies. And additionally, the need to address fears of security breaches that can occur anywhere along the entire value chain of manufacturing is open, interconnected, and networked.

5. How connected factories integrated with 5G can bring value to factories?

Fundamental to the fourth industrial revolution is the implementation of a reliable communication layer capable of dealing with an increase in several orders of magnitude the number of assets, volume, variety of information and

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Manufacturing with 5G technologies opens up a plethora of opportunities to automate and streamline the manufacturing of products. 5G provides the exact characteristics essential for manufacturing. Low latency and high reliability are necessary for supporting critical applications. High bandwidth and connection density make for secure connectivity. All of these characteristics make for essential features needed as part of the future of manufacturing.

The government of India’s 'Make in India' initiative launched in September 2014 as a part of India's renewed focus on Manufacturing, and post Covid 19 pandemic outbreak, the focus on Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) India with global integration are the key drivers for a booming market for connected factories in India. As per TechSci Research report “India Factory Automation Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020”, factory automation market in India is projected to witness a CAGR of around 12% during 2015-2020. Upsurge in adoption of robots on factory floors for increasing efficiency, reliability and accuracy of the production processes, is driving the country’s factory automation market. Western and Northern regions are the major markets as they are the hubs of industrial growth, and have presence of Special Economic Zones and various automotive factories.

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reaction times in future manufacturing systems. 5G promises to be a key enabler for Factories of the Future. It will not only deliver an evolution of mobile broadband networks, but also provide the unified communication platform needed to disrupt with new business models and to overcome the shortcomings of current communication technologies. As such, 5G technologies have the potential to amplify and accelerate the ongoing transformation, and to unlock a next level of efficiency gains in manufacturing even for the vast community of manufacturing MSME sector in India.

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To manage a large amount of data and information from connected devices, manufacturing companies will need 5G’s capacity and speeds. From procurement to distribution, 5G will mean manufacturers can connect more sensors, devices, and assets through a single network giving them better visibility into the supply chain. The possibilities for these connected devices are nearly endless. For example, these connected devices could improve predictive maintenance and operational efficiency on the factory floor and prevent theft and quality issues within logistics channels.

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6. Your Expertise and solutions in this domain?

We see two major trends in manufacturing driving industry 4.0 having a significant influence on the future competitiveness of the manufacturing companies – The role of services increasing in manufacturing, and, Integrated global value chains. It is estimated that by 2025 manufacturers will get more revenue from services than from products with “servitization of manufacturing”, indicating a shift from solely selling produced goods to providing added value services together with either connected (smart) or non-connected goods. To help our clients transform and be ready for these disruptions, we have created a rich portfolio of connected technology solutions for the manufacturing sector. From several point solutions that can be deployed to boost efficiency, optimise cost and improve productivity to complete transformation of brownfield factories into smart factories, Aeris provides right sized solutions for manufacturers worldwide. We have very strong engineering, industry vertical expertise and IoT skills, and work closely within the well-established ecosystem of IIoT partners.

SEPTEMBER 2020

NI, Eta Wireless Partner to Demonstrate ETAdvanced

Rohde & Schwarz Presents R&S TS8980 Test System

Yokogawa, Swiss Startup Bloom Biorenewables

Rohde & Schwarz has recently introduced 572 new GCF validations and 215 new PTCRB validations for the R&S TS8980FTA 3A, the updated version of the leading RF test system R&S TS8980, which can now perform a broad range of 5G device certification tests.

The device certification process is vital for the mobile communications industry, since compliance with GCF and PTCRB certification requirements ensure that handsets operate as specified in various networks.

Following the recent test case validations for a large number of 5G frequency bands and band combinations, the R&S TS8980FTA 3A now fulfills 23 test platform approval criteria (TPAC) for GCF WIs and can therefore be used for a wide range of device certification and testing applications. The R&S TS8980 is a unique test solution for all radio access technologies for GSM, WCDMA, LTE and 5G, and is a well-established tool for consistent RF tests from R&D to conformance testing.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has signed an agreement with Bloom Biorenewables SA (Bloom) with the aim of developing business opportunities in the bioeconomy field.

The two companies will collaborate on the commercialization of a breakthrough technology from Bloom that maximizes the extraction of lignin from plant material to replace petrochemicals in a range of chemical products.

Yokogawa and Bloom are both undertaking initiatives to promote the bioeconomy, which involves the utilization of biomass and biotechnology to solve global issues such as the depletion of natural resources and climate change and enable long-term, sustainable growth. The agreement brings together Bloom’s lignin extraction technology with Yokogawa’s advanced technologies and knowhow related to the automation of industrial production processes, as well as its global sales network. Bloom was established in January 2019 as a spinoff from EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. With the mission of making biomass a true alternative to petroleum, the startup is initially focusing on commercializing its new, far more efficient method of extracting lignin.

T&M

Anritsu Company has introduced the ShockLine™ ME7868A family of modular 2-port vector network analyzers (VNAs) that can conduct full vector S-parameter measurements over wide distances of up to 100 meters.

Consisting of two MS46131A 1-port VNAs with the PhaseLyncTM synchronization option hardware and accessories, the ME7868A VNA uses the MS46131As as portable VNA ports to directly connect to the device under test (DUT) to deliver vector transmission measurements over longer lengths and at a lower cost. The VNAs offer multiple advantages compared to traditional solutions that use 2-port VNAs with very high dynamic range and require long and expensive phase stable microwave cables to reach the DUT. Available in 8 GHz, 20 GHz, and 43.5 GHz frequency models, the ME7868A series supports multiple existing and emerging commercial and military applications, including high frequency 5G. As the first modular-port-based VNA, the ME7868A eliminates the need for long port cables to measure transmission over distance for applications such as outdoor antenna range testing, over-the-air (OTA) chamber installations, large vehicle (aircraft, ship) electromagnetic characterization (shielding, RF propagation), and longdistance cable insertion loss measurements.

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Anritsu Introduces Modular 2-port VNA Family

NI in collaboration with Eta Wireless to implement and demonstrate full support of ETAdvanced, the industry’s first ever Digital Envelope Tracking (ET) technology for mmWave 5G RF front-end devices.

Developed by Cambridge-based Eta Wireless, the technology enables extended battery life in smartphones, wearables, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, improving both data rates and connectivity range.

ETAdvanced addresses the power efficiency challenges that have historically plagued RF front-ends. Wideband power amplifiers (PAs), such as those found in 5G devices, waste a significant amount of power in the form of heat, greatly reducing battery life.

ETAdvanced uses the signal’s envelope information to increase the amplifier’s efficiency by delivering only the power needed at that instant.

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TECH-FEATURE

X-CUBE-STL: Supporting All STM32 for Industrial Functional Safety

- STMicroelectronics To improve the accessibility of our content, please find the audio version of this blog post.

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Our Functional Safety initiative now includes documentation for nearly all our STM32 devices and the new X-CUBE-STL self-test libraries, thus creating the most extensive family of general-purpose microcontrollers capable of running in Safety Integrity Level 2 and 3 certified systems. The only MCUs currently missing are the STM32MP1, the STM32L5, and the STM32H7 dual-core, but X-CUBE-STL will support all of them by the end of the year. Additionally, we revamped our Functional Safety page to make it easier to find the various ST resources that will assist engineers looking to acquire industrial, automotive, or household electrical appliance certifications. It also lists the ST Authorized Partners providing real-time operating systems, development tools, engineering services, and training to ensure teams can cross the bridge from proof-of-concept to commercial product.

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The International Electrotechnical Commission defines safety as the “freedom from unacceptable risk of physical injury or of damage to the health of people.” When designing an embedded system, functional safety covers the various aspects of safety that depend on that system. For instance, in a manufacturing plant, functional safety ensures that the circuit controlling a robot fails gracefully instead of harming its operators. In a medical application, standards guarantee

that users are aware of malfunctions by the use of an alarm, among other things, to prevent detrimental usage. And since our STM32 microcontrollers are everywhere, it was crucial for us to see that all of them had a straightforward path to IEC 61508 for industrial applications.

Before X-CUBE-STL: All the Documentation to Start Working on IEC 61508 The IEC 61508 governs functional safety for electrical and electronic systems in all sorts of industries and applications.

However, many STM32 users seek the certification when working in an industrial setting where the risks are higher and the requirements more stringent. The first significant aspect of the standard is the safety life cycle. Before anything else, engineers must document all the steps and measures they will take to accomplish functional safety, from the very first design operations all the way to the product’s decommissioning. The process includes risk analysis, safety protocols and validations, maintenance, and many other aspects.

Our Functional Safety initiative is a great starting point for engineers because it provides a “safety manual” for all the STM32 microcontrollers, ensuring that they can begin working on defining the life-cycle of their product. The document is available to download on the ST page of each STM32 series and it describes the user’s responsibilities for installation and

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Functional Safety: The Unique Position of the STM32 and STM8 Families of MCUs

X-CUBE-STL exists within an ST ecosystem that aims to help engineers with a lot more certifications than simply IEC 61508. For instance, we updated our STM8A-SafeASIL with new safety documentation and self-test library specification.

We do not provide the libraries themselves but a specifications including a set of requirements to implement them since this package primarily targets customers that will code their libraries themselves anyway.

We also have packages for IEC 60335-1/60730-1, which target household electrical appliances. The X-CUBE-CLASSB is for STM32 MCUs, while the STM8-SafeCLASSB is for STM8.

They both contain safety documentation and self-test libraries, as well as their source code. Since these certifications are a lot less stringent than IEC 61508, we offer the source code to help developers that are looking to study our implementations.

The second aspect of IEC 61508 is the assignment of a Safety Integrity Level or SIL. After a hazard analysis, which determines what can go wrong and how bad it can inflict damage on a person, or the environment, there’s a risk assessment to determine how often or how likely a hazard can potentially occur. From these analyses, functional safety standards draw safety requirements or SIL. There are four levels, the first one being the laxest and the fourth representing the strictest standard. SIL 4 is traditionally for railway or nuclear applications.

SIL 1 is looser and tends to apply to code while SIL 2 and 3 are much more common All these packages turn our in hardware designed for STM32 and STM8 generalA robot arm in an industrial setting industrial applications, and the purpose microcontrollers into main difference between the two is the great candidates for the most complex requirement to perform redundant measurements in SIL 3. protocols. Traditionally, MCUs aimed at these standards are custom products, which means that they are a lot more To start working toward SIL 2 or SIL 3 certifications, teams expensive and use hardware specifications that are sometimes begin by selecting an STM32 with the hardware safety features more prohibitive in one way or another. ST’s approach is thus that match their application’s requirement. For instance, all unique because we make these standards more accessible our MCUs have a dual watchdog, but only the STM32G0, and provide an essential network of partners. As great as the STM32G4, STM32H7, STM32L4/L4+, and STM32L5 have ECC documentation and self-test libraries are, we know that they Flash memory, and out of them, only the STM32H7 has ECC represent only the first steps in a long process. Many teams SRAM, which is traditionally only a requirement for applications often underestimate the difficulties associated with getting that necessitate a high-performance MCU. a certification, which is why we have ST Partners who know our devices and can ensure engineers cross the finish line by Teams can also use the self-test libraries available in the shipping a certified product.

X-CUBE-STL to start implementing failure detection mechanisms.

For instance, they can help spot random failures in the CPU, the SRAM, or the Flash. The diagnostic capability of X-CUBESTL is verified by fault injection methodology to improve the customers’ confidence in our solutions. To make these libraries

TECH-FEATURE

X-CUBE-STL: Self-Test Libraries to More Rapidly Obtain SIL 2 or SIL 3 Certifications

more accessible, we offer them as object code, meaning that they can be integrated into potentially any application, and developers can use any compiler.

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operations. The manuals focus on IEC 61508 compliance but can also help engineers looking to branch out to other safety certifications, such as ISO 13849, for safety machines. We provide a failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), which lists all the MCU failure modes and how to mitigate them. We also offer a failure mode effect and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA), which is an extension of the former and which computes failure rates for the MCU and at the function level.

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Designing Military-Grade, Rapid-Start David Berry Power Applications

Principal Applications Engineer

Design of a mission-critical, rapid-start, isolated power system needs to be flawless. These systems need to start in milliseconds and start every time.

VICOR

The purpose of the power supply in an electronic system is to provide a regulated voltage and / or current to a load. Attention is given to the performance of the power system in its response to rapidly‑changing loads and to rapidly-changing voltages demanded by the load. The input voltage and start up time of the power system is given much less consideration because it is generally assumed that the power source to the system is always present.

However, there are systems where the power source isn’t present and the system must be active within milliseconds of application of input power. These systems typically require isolation from the power source to keep grounds isolated or to meet military specifications such as Military Standard 704.

For example, in many missile launch systems, the target information isn’t programmed into the missile until moments before the time of launch. There are several systems that need to be active within the missile before target information is loaded and the power system is only one of these systems and it needs to be the first system that is active to drive all others. So it is essential to get it right.

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Figure 2 Block diagram of the internals of a typical input filter

Designing mission critical power systems

Capacitance is an important factor in rapid-power start up

There are a few critical areas of consideration when designing an isolated power system that must start within 10ms from application of input voltage. The input dV/dt should not exceed the ratings of the power components, the input capacitance cannot cause the sourcing components to exceed their ratings and the output capacitance value should be selected such that the system does not go into current limit or exhibit instability.

To aid in achieving a less than 10ms start time, the filter must charge its output C as fast as possible. Selecting the lowest value of this output capacitor is best when designing for a fast turn-on time. Using an unregulated isolator at the output of the filter would be best because these require little to no input capacitance and because they don’t regulate, thus a control loop is unaffected. A good input filter will also include EMI and transient protection to meet Mil 461 standards for EMI and Mil 704 and Mil 1275 for input transients.

The input section of many DC-DC converters includes an LC filter. If this LC filter is hit with a step voltage, i.e., application of DC to the power system, the LC filter can ring up to a voltage level that can damage the internal circuitry of the power component. A common specification for maximum input dV/dt is 10V/ms. A mechanical switch or FET that closes too quickly can easily exceed a 10V/ms rise time.

Using the Power Component Design Methodology, an input filter with current limiting would keep the input to the DC-DC converter within its input dV/dt specifications.

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Figure 1 Power system block diagram

Figure 1 shows the power system block diagram and Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the internals of a typical input filter. The input to a regulating DC-DC converter typically needs an input capacitor because it needs to see low-source impedance and insure converter stability over line and load changes. This capacitor needs to be charged slowly as to not exceed the maximum dV/dt, but fast enough to help achieve the less than 10ms start-up time of the power system. Starting at the application of system input voltage, Q1 in Figure 1, is off. At the undervoltage turn-on level the charge pump / control block in Figure 1 will begin to enhance Q1 and raise the output voltage of the filter.

This output voltage rise is controlled to not exceed the input dV/dt of the converter as well as control current drawn from the source.

If an isolator is used at the output of the filter and the filter output rise time is controlled, then the output of the isolator will be controlled. The isolator’s output mirrors the input by the voltage ratio of the converter.

This will keep the downstream regulators in Figure 1 within their input dV/dt specification range. The regulation stage does need input capacitance for source impedance requirements and stability. So this needs to be taken into account when determining capacitance seen by the filter. The isolator will reflect its output capacitance to its input and this will be seen by the input filter.

The capacitance reflection is the isolator’s output / input voltage ratio squared, multiplied by the isolator’s output capacitance. If the output / input voltage ratio is 1/2 and the isolator’s output capacitance is 47μF, then the reflected capacitance to the filter is 1/2 squared times 47μF or 11.75μF. The performance of the isolator is critical in this application. The isolator needs to have very little inductance as part of its power train. The low values for inductance allows current to flow rapidly from input to output while maintaining a fixed input to output voltage ratio.

Some isolators have power train internal inductances in the nH range.

The input filter also keeps the source from exceeding its maximum

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In many applications, the power supply will have its own output capacitance as well as load capacitance. This capacitance is charged by the output voltage of the converters. When designing for a less than 10ms start time, the output voltage rise across the output capacitance must not cause the converter to exceed its current maximum, resulting in shut down or output voltage dip due to current limit. If the converter shuts down and restarts, then the start-up time is lengthened. If the converter goes into current limit then the output voltage drops, resulting in a longer rise time and extension of the start-up period. Taking this into account, it is best to design using the smallest amount of output capacitance possible. The output current charging the output capacitance is determined by the equation:

a power system configured for a less than 10ms start up time. The system is configured with an isolator and two non-isolated regulators.

The isolator allows the system to have a separate ground between input and output. The regulators are starting into a load of 25W and 33W. The start time from application of input voltage is measured to be around 4ms. This system is very scalable by simply adding power components in parallel or using components with higher power levels.

Adding components in parallel also allows for redundant operation.

A better approach to building rapid start power systems Designing an isolated power system with less than a 10ms start-up time is achievable and reliable when using the right components.

The Power Component Design Methodology allows for a quick design turn because these proven components were designed with these specifications in mind. Their high efficiency and small size makes them perfect for many military applications.

Using the Vicor power modules, the power system can easily be configured, scaled and analyzed using the on-line Power System Designer Tool. This Power Component Design Methodology (PCDM) has many advantages over a discrete power system design. The PCDM is based on using a range of proven power modules as building blocks of the power system. These power subsections include input filters, transient protectors, power isolators, power regulators and output filters. In addition, the building blocks are small, lightweight, power dense components that are easily scaled for higher power levels and redundancy.

I = C • dV/dt I is the converter output current, C is the output capacitance and dV/ dt is the converter output voltage rise time. If the load is active during the rise time then this needs to be added to the current supplied by the converter. In either case, the current should not exceed current maximum. If the current does exceed the maximum, then another converter in parallel can be added to boost the current rating of this output.

VICOR

current ratings. As an example, during a high dV/dt event such as a hot plug, mechanical switch or FET switch closing, the filter will shield any capacitance from seeing this high dV/dt. The power system source always has a maximum‑current rating due to source capability, connectors and traces that go to the power supply. If these components see higher-current levels they can fail or become weakened and turn into latent failures. In power systems that require less than 10ms start up, the input voltage to the supply must come up quickly as this timing is part of the 10ms start up. A quick start up into capacitance will result in high inrush current. The filter helps to reduce this inrush. Many filters have inrush ratings in Amps per output μF. If the rating is 0.007A/μF and you have 47μF at the filter’s output, then the inrush current is 0.007A*47μF or 0.329A.

When designing a power system for less than 10ms start up as shown in Figure 1, you will have several components that must become active and stay within each component’s power, voltage and current ratings. When the system input voltage is applied, the filter controller must wake up and begin controlling the filter’s output voltage, keeping the source current below its maximum and keeping the downstream converters within their maximum input dV/dt. When the downstream converters reach their undervoltage turn-on level, their internal controllers must wake up and effectively control their output voltages charging the output capacitance and in many cases the load current demand.

These wake-up times are cascaded and the resultant wake-up time has to be less than 10ms. Figure 3 shows the performance of

Figure 3 Performance of a power system configured for a less than 10ms start up time

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The output capacitance of the converter helps keep the converter output ripple low as well as help keep the converter stable during operation. Using a converter with a high-switching frequency will help with keeping the output capacitance low. The high-switching frequency will allow the design to use low values of inductance and capacitance to maintain output ripple as low as 30mV to the load.

Typical switching frequencies are in the 500KHz – 1MHz range.

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TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Three ways to adjust power consumption and dissipation in your processing systems

Thomas Porchez

Thomas Guillemain

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Application Engineer, Data Processing Solutions, thomas.porchez@teledyne.com

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Marketing & Business Development, Data Processing Solutions, thomas.guillemain@teledyne.com

Jane Rohou

MarCom Manager, jane.rohou@teledyne.com

SEPTEMBER 2020

Teledyne e2v, the leading supplier of High Reliability microprocessors, has developed over the years a core competence to customize processors beyond their standard specifications; this allows system designers to increase both system’s safety margins, and get additional SWaP benefits (Size, Weight and Power).

This paper outlines Teledyne e2v’s tailored approach proposed to system designers to adjust power consumption and dissipation in processing systems using High Reliability processors. In many cases, selecting one or even a combination of three degrees of customization can deliver significant value to the design. The three degrees discussed include: 1. Power consumption optimization for a specific customer use case. This consists of characterizing the processors versus the customer application, prior to selecting those with the lowest total power consumption.

2. Alternative custom package selection for thermal resistance optimization. In most case, this brings as well circuit / die protection.

3. Raised maximum junction temperature (TJ) specification can extend operation. This requires additional qualification work at elevated temperatures combined with careful consideration of operating life profile. The key point is to quantify this, since elevated temperature operation affects device failures in time (FIT rates) Teledyne e2v High Reliability Microprocessors have been the workhorses across a broad range of defense, aerospace and other high-reliability markets for several decades now.

Meanwhile, contemporary processor advancement is today driven by the demands of other future mass markets such as the extreme number crunching needs of autonomous driving. Thus, the changing economic focus of suppliers, like NXP, has deep consequences for high-reliability supply chains. Not least, that products are engineered with less stringent requirements for many applications.

Meanwhile SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) minimization persists and informs daily decision making of high-reliability system designers working with harsh environments, such as aerospace, defense, mor even space. This paper focuses on the selection of processors targeting such roles. Afterall, processors are a strategic component choice representing a large contributor to the total power budget (the P of SWaP).

Equally, thermal dissipation drives heatsinking, impacting upon system size and weight goals (the S & W of SWaP).

BACKGROUND ON PROCESSOR POWER CONSUMPTION

Processor power demands have been on the rise with every new generation. Diving into the electricals for a typical device can be a confusing experience except for those who are already pre-armed with an understanding of the system level design issues.

Consider the datasheet extract provided in Table 1, taken from the quad-core ARM® Cortex® A72 64-bit Layerscape® processor, the LS1046. This shows power characteristics for the standard component for two different processor clock frequencies (1.6 & 1.8 GHz) and three different junction temperatures (nominal 65, 85 & 105 °C). Furthermore, three different power modes are indicated: Typical, Thermal and Maximum. Across environmental conditions, it is clear there is practically a doubling in platform power quoted. This highlights that thermal management is going to be a major design topic regarding processor selection.

Furthermore, it is important given that datasheets warrant device performance, a manufacturer’s standard specification includes guard-banding or margins to account for process lot variations. So for example, a customer forced by design to use the highest operating junction temperature specified, might on inspecting Table 1 easily conclude that this ‘ideal’ processor consumes too much power and thus, has to be rejected. However, as will be shown later, there were some power enhancements to be made resulting helpfully in a positive outcome.

TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Despite the rising power efficiency of new processors, the accelerating demand for computational power often outstrips the ability to cool the systems down and/or to provide them the right amount of current. Furthermore, mechanical/the mal design usually happens late in the development cycle.

Consequently, it is likely to run up against thermal limits late in the design process. Designers naturally want to optimize their systems and find acceptable tradeoffs.

Table 1: NXP LS1046 Processor power consumption specifications.

REVIEWING THE THREE DEGREES OF FREEDOM

Approach 1: Power consumption optimization This consists of evaluating a population of target components, taking test data and examining the power consumption spread.

Ultimately the purpose is to select out only those devices exhibiting the best power consumption characteristics for a given application use case.

Power screening evidence suggests that for some applications when the use case is clearly defined, it is possible to operate a processor well within its operating envelope. However, this requires knowing with greater precision, how the device behaves within the target use case. There is no quick answer to this, but power screening provides the detailed analysis necessary to reach a definitive understanding. In one project, Teledyne e2v demonstrated its ability to source processors with

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ABSTRACT

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power consumption 46% lower than the worst-case standard product scenario as illustrated in Figure 1, and this by combining characterization of the cutomer’s application and power screening. Here, a device initially believed unsuitable for the task due to assumed excess power consumption, could now be sourced and designed-in with confidence.

Figure 2: Typical evolution of static power consumption over junction temperature.

TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Figure 1: T1042 processor worst case power specification versus customer’s target use case.

This will not always happen and to understand that, demands an understanding that power consumption within processors comprises two contributing factors namely: • Static or quiescent power drain – the power demanded by the IC to supply all its internal peripherals irrespective of any number crunching or code execution taking place • Dynamic power draw is essentially the computational power consumed. It can vary considerably in multicore processors depending on the instantaneous computational load.

Unique power insights for Teledyne e2v

Teledyne e2v, with multiple decades of collaboration with NXP and Freescale before that, has built up an enviable knowledge of processor performance and has access to the same tools, product testers and test programs as the original manufacturer. This is the foundation that gives Teledyne e2v a credible and unique background to offer custom device power optimization through screening and characterization as its referred to at Teledyne e2v.

Processor characterisation work performed within Teledyne e2v’s manufacturing system has shown that the following characteristics are not at all unusual of current processors: • Static power demand can vary significantly, device to device • Static power can be close to zero at cold, but can represent 40% or more of the total power budget at 125 °C (see Figure 2) • Dynamic power is dictated by the customer’s use case.

That fortunately varies minimally device to device, over temperature or between process lots

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Relationship between processor power consumed and ambient temperature

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Figure 2 illustrates the typical relationship between junction temperature and static power consumption observed on a real processor; a higher junction temperature (Tj) leads to the non-linear power characteristic shown. In this example, a 45 °C temperature rise to 125 °C – the nominal maximum, yields a static power increase of ~3x, from ~4W to 14W. Conversely, a good way to reduce power consumption is by reducing junction temperature through enhanced cooling.

From this curve, it is not practical to maximize all processor SWaP elements simultaneously. The curve points to the fact that if power consumption is optimized, then junction temperature must be minimized. That often impacts size and weight since some form of cooling such as heatsinking may be necessary.

So, whilst SWaP is a key design element, sadly a tradeoff is always needed between: • lowering the power consumed or • reducing the thermal management system to gain size and weight benefit

Teledyne e2v is well placed to deliver power optimized microprocessor components

Thanks to access to both NXP original test programs, equivalent testers and the skills in-house to modify environmental conditions and develop enhanced product specifications, Teledyne e2v can work to guarantee a custom power specification.

Furthermore, Teledyne e2v can perform a deep technical power analysis of a customer application noting especially its dynamic power requirements.

Outcome: Power consumption reduction

Figure 1 charts initial customer assumptions in respect to a T1042 quad-core processor under consideration for a low power design environment. The commercial specification indicated a worst-case power budget of 8.3 W (with 1.2 GHz clock and Tj = 125 °C). However, the customer had a hard power budget limit of 4.5 W. At the outset of their project it looked unlikely that they could confidently select the T1042.

Armed with enhanced product testing data and Teledyne e2v’s analysis of the customer use case led to a conclusion that the company could guarantee the supply of specially selected devices consuming almost half the power originally anticipated.

Overall this approach can help reduce power consumption or simplify a project’s thermal design.

Approach 2: Custom packaging

This consists in modifying or redesigning the existing standard product package to lower its thermal resistance from junction to board, or junction to package top: • Can be used to reduce the junction temperature, thus lowering power consumption (assuming the same heatsink

SEPTEMBER 2020

remains in place). Alternatively, reduces the cooling system (size/weight) since the package thermal resistance (Rth) is lower, that of the heatsink can be larger.

• An alternative package can enhance vibration protection for the component and/or simplify and improve the thermal interface between the cooling system and the processor.

• To deploy a lid or not to further impact thermal performance.

were estimated. Thanks to the lid, the junction to board thermal resistance is expected to roughly halve to 4.66 °C/W with the lid, down from 9 °C/W for the standard device. In that case, the junction to top thermal resistance increases due to the addition of the lid, from less than 0.1°C/W to 0.85°C.

A lid is the cover that is found on most processors which acts as a heat spreader and protection for the component’s die.

However, depending on the application, some designers might want a lid to help integrate a heatsink more easily. Others prefer a lidless design because they can’t accept the extra thermal resistance of the lid. Also, note that a lid dramatically reduces the junction to board thermal resistance, a clear benefit if it is desired to conduct more heat through the printed circuit board (PCB).

Figure 4: Proposal of optional cover (lid) for T1040.

Some components are delivered with lids (e.g. LS1046), others come without (e.g. T1040), see Figure 3. Usually the designer doesn’t have a choice because with ‘commercial off the shelf’ (COTS) components, both versions are rarely available. That’s where Teledyne e2v has the flexibility to help, by proposing to add or remove a lid.

Teledyne e2v is well placed to deliver custom packaging Teledyne e2v has specific knowledge and experience repackaging semiconductor components. This includes but is not limited to specific package development projects, for example a package developed especially for the Teledyne e2v EV12AQ600 Analog to digital converter. Moreover, Teledyne e2v has in-house expertise to handle the re-balling of packages to allow for solder formulation changes to suit the tin-lead alloy free needs of some space customers (e.g. to protect against tin whiskers forming in space).

Outcome: Custom packaging A feasibility study was recently performed to add a lid to the NXP T1040 processor. A mechanical proposal for the optional lid was made (see Figure 4), and revised thermal specifications

Although both these examples focus on lowering the junction to board thermal performance, a similar approach can be taken to reduce the junction to package top thermal resistance.

Approach 3: Extended (i.e. > 125 °C) junction temperature

This optimization considers the viability of operating silicon beyond conventional thermal limits of commercial, standard products. Certainly, silicon is not physically limited to operate only up to 125 °C, several elevated temperature applications exist and are already served. The benefit of higher junction temperature operation is the extra thermal headroom on offer. But, as seen earlier, elevated temperatures have an implied penalty namely significantly raised power dissipation (see Figure 2). Where a higher junction temperature can pay off is in applications with an operating profile requiring short bursts of increased dynamic power, yet it is critical these bursts can be handled within the thermal capacity of the design.

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Figure 3: LS1046 lidded design [Top], T1040 lidless design [Bottom].

The ideal thermal design is operable without a heatsink where all heat is conducted just through the PCB. Though unrealistic in many cases, it is still possible to consider alternatives to the commercial standard package in some applications to get a marginal gain. Modifying the package to reduce the thermal resistance from junction to PCB might be enough given that multi-layer PCBs offer a low thermal resistance, a fair portion of the heat can be conducted through the PCB, relieving the constraints on heatsink design, or reducing the power consumption with the same heatsink (through lowering the junction temperature). One example of what is possible at Teledyne e2v is the PC8548 (on ceramic substrate). This is equivalent to the MPC8548 (plastic substrate) available from NXP. Though looking similar and identical in size, they differ substantially with respect to thermal performance. Thanks to the ceramic substrate of the PC8548 the thermal resistance from junction to board is 60% lower (@ 3°C/W) than the plastic version (@ 5°C/W).

TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Further thoughts on package improvements

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Teledyne e2v is well placed to deliver extended temperature Thanks to in-depth product knowledge and testing experience, combined with product qualification infrastructure, Teledyne e2v can explore in detail with customers the likely operating life impact of choosing extended temperature operation.

It’s an existing capability served by the company, given that Teledyne e2v already supplies NXP processors guaranteed up to 125 °C - an advance over the commercial device’s 105 °C limit.

Outcome: Extended temperature

TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Following a positive viability evaluation, Teledyne e2v can supply a custom IC specification at elevated operating junction temperature levels. This specification will be delivered in a manner that comprehends careful consideration of the following four operating factors.

Four factors of extended junction temperature operation To increase operating junction temperature four important topics need be evaluated: • Functional performance: At higher temperature, a processor might not meet all its electrical requirements. Teledyne e2v characterization shows that maximum clock frequency may need to be reduced to comply with datasheet electricals (see Figure 5). Thus, some specifications might need to be scaled back compared to the standard component if it is to be successfully used over the extended temperature range.

• Reliability: Reliability for silicon components decreases rapidly and non-linearly as temperatures rise. This is defined in literature by a modified Arrhenius ‘reliability’ equation. Figure 6 shows typical FITs (Failures-In-Time) from NXP processors operating up to +105 °C. Extrapolating these out to +150 °C, reliability drops by a factor ten compared to +105 °C FITs. Such a drop in reliability has to be acceptable in the target application.

• Power consumption: As shown in the Figure 2, power consumption increases exponentially with temperature, which means that operating in the extended temperature zone implies the acceptance of considerably higher power consumption.

• Packaging ability to sustain high temperature operation needs to be verified. Plastic epoxy packages in particular, start to deteriorate beyond about 160 °C. Repackaging with high temperature epoxies would be a mitigation strategy here.

Qualifying the above four factors can precede a positive decision to extend the upper thermal limit on a device in a specific application, making appropriate changes to the guaranteed electricals, and packaging materials. The ability for Teledyne e2v to support custom requests is highly dependent on the customer’s understanding of their mission and operating lifetime profile. Knowledge of how long the extended temperature condition should persist; whether for some applications the high temperature conditions are merely transient or represent a steady-state condition will make or break this as a viable option. Irrespective of these factors, Teledyne e2v is well placed to provide advice.

Figure 6: Typical FIT rates versus temperatureextrapolated out to 150 °C.

THREE DEGREES OF FREEDOM AID SOURCING POWER OPTIMIZED PROCESSORS

This paper has discussed how Teledyne e2v, building on its longterm strategic relationship with NXP is uniquely positioned as a trusted supplier of customized processor options. Customization is possible based on either the power architecture (e.g. T series processors such as the T1042) or ARM architecture (e.g. Layerscape LS1046). Outlined here were three degrees of freedom to power optimize and customize processors for harsh applications. These three options are: • Definitive power screening for optimal, use case specific power consumption • Alternative custom package selection for enhanced thermal handling capability.

• Raised maximum junction temperature (TJ) to support raised dynamic power demands

•Vol - 02 / 09

Owning independent test and qualification infrastructure and having access to skilled product engineers combined with a preferential, long term supply agreement with NXP gives Teledyne e2v an edge when offering specialized, high-reliability, power optimized processor solutions for specific customer use cases in complex applications.

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Figure 5: Example of 1.8 GHz clock frequency limitation at high temperature (>100°C).

If you remain unsure whether a bespoke processor solution is the right choice, we encourage you to connect with Teledyne e2v to discuss the specifics of your current challenge. You just might be surprised by the value customization brings to your design.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Altair Partners with Avicenna Alliance

Analog Devices has announced its collaboration with Intel Corporation to create a flexible radio platform that addresses 5G network design challenges and will enable customers to scale their 5G networks more quickly and economically.

The new radio platform combines the advanced technology of ADI’s radio frequency (RF) transceivers with the high performance and low power of Intel Arria 10 Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) giving developers a new set of design tools for more easily creating optimized 5G solutions.

The communications market is moving at a rapid pace to keep up with the strains put on bandwidth and latency as more people transact business digitally and consume and transmit data from everywhere. A significant increase in traffic over existing wireless networks is occurring in both private networks and public spaces. As a result, wireless operators are looking to shorten development times and cost-effectively implement new solutions that increase the capacity, performance and reliability of 5G networks. Through a mix of open standards and existing communication links, mobile network operators are developing a broader set of specifications and supporting a growing span of use cases.

Infineon Recognised with the Prestigious Awards by DENSO

Updates

Analog Devices Collaborates with Intel

DENSO has recently honored Infineon Technologies with two awards. Infineon is the first recipient of the “Special Contribution Award”. This award was established this year to recognize vendors showing excellent commitment to provide top-quality products that advance automotive innovation and meet the demands of the future of mobility while continuously providing premium service that transcends cultural differences.

Furthermore, the Infineon Americas team received the “North America Business Partner of the Year Award,” which is presented to a vendor delivering exceptional quality, performance, design support and partnership activities in the region. A total of 14 awards were presented during the 2020 North America Business Partner Convention which took place on July 22, 2020. “We are honored to receive the two awards from DENSO, which are a testament to our global culture of premium service,” said Thomas Kaufmann, Vice President Automotive Operations and Member of the Automotive Board at Infineon.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Altran has recently shared that it is delivering enhancements to its ENSCONCE edge computing platform. The platform now integrates Open Network Edge Services Software (OpenNESS), an open-source toolkit developed by Intel, along with other Intel technologies.

The platform combines multiple capabilities, accelerators and frameworks for rapid development of multi-access edge computing (MEC) solutions. As a result of the integration, infrastructure resources will be able to increase computing and I/O performance and reduce network latency.

Altran’s ENSCONCE platform can reside on micro data centers close to the access network, aggregation points, regional data centers and central offices, reducing the barrier for application developers to host their edge applications. The platform offers several features for developers, including low-latency edge application development through software development kits (SDKs). The SDK provides edge applications on demand, discovers edge deployments, orchestrates applications across operator networks, and monitors and manages applications throughout the lifecycle.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Altran Integrates OpenNESS with Intel

Altair has collaborated the Avicenna Alliance to enable faster and more efficient development of new medicine and healthcare solutions.

Traditionally, development of new medicines and medical devices has involved extensive testing on people, and often included major investments in products that ultimately fail. Even when successful, the process is lengthy and expensive. In contrast, computerbased simulation facilitates intelligent use of historical data and early identification of the efficacy of proposed treatments. In addition, as a result of the work done by Altair and other members of the Avicenna Alliance, the ethical and logistical challenges of testing experimental drugs on large numbers of people are minimized or eliminated.

Altair will bring its expertise and experience in advanced simulation and data analytics to the pioneering work of the Avicenna Alliance.

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•Vol - 02 / 09

Flutura Making Oil & Gas, Heavy Mfg. Intelligent

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TECHNOVATORS

SEPTEMBER 2020

Flutura is an AI Solutions company focused on improving two core business objectives of Asset Uptime and Operational Efficiency We do this with Cerebra, our AI Platform tuned for IIOT in Oil & Gas, Process Chemicals, and Heavy machinery manufacturing industries, powering connected asset and connected operations use cases. Taking the exclusive space in this episode of Technovators segment, Flutura is a snowballing company which is certainly stealing eye balls. Niloy gets alongside with Krishnan Raman | CEO, Derick Jose | Chief Product Officer, Srikanth Muralidhara | Chief Customer Officer, Fluture Decision Sciences And Analytics to demystify their essence of success in the emerging Artificial Intelligence market.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Q

: How unique are you w.r.t. your competition?

Below are the major factors that differentiates Cerebra from other solutions available in the market.

Cerebra outperforms on accuracy, time to value and ROI having achieved >95% accuracy of models in data rich environments. Even in limited data environments the platform detects anomaly in a robust fashion and provides insights that is not seen before. Cerebra provides a seamless integration with an 5x-7x faster implementation time compared to any other platform in the market.

The product brings data science to engineers by comprising multi domain physics features power Cerebra’s machine learning algorithms that aids in accelerated data driven root cause analysis of operations and engineering. It self-learns and surfaces patterns & exceptions which is worthy of investigation.

The digital twin option available in Cerebra holistically supports technology, operations & engineering nuances with high performance & scalable bleeding edge technology for realtime large-scale deployments. It is the most comprehensive in the industry with 400+ Industrial IoT specific features.

Q

: How has your growth been in the last 2-3 yrs?

Flutura has been delivering maximum value from the IIOT solution that can be unlocked at the intersect of Engineering Operations, Business Processes and Economics. This has helped the company’s growth in a commendable way be it in terms of acquiring new clients or the scale of deployment of the product for our existing clients.

New clients grew from 10 to 30+ in the past 3 years, while for the existing clients there has been tremendous scale in Operation. Seamless integration of Cerebra helped in scaling solutions to a fleet of 700 high-pressure fracking pumps in upstream and 60+miles of pipeline in midstream. The solution has been deployed across 120+ manufacturing lines, 20+ manufacturing plants across 15 countries in downstream and process manufacturing industry.

Q

: What are your current offering and R&D strength?

Flutura’s flagship Cerebra has vertical-specific digital assistants for across the value chain of Oil & Gas, manufacturing, and other industries we are present in. Our research is of twofold. Firstly, it is deepening the capabilities and features of the existing products. Secondly, developing new product that cater to the industry needs and also complements the existing products.

Video Analytics module is a framework capable of integrating asset monitoring and diagnostics data with video insights, to create a holistic picture for the supervisors that will help in diagnosing asset downtime and plant safety. It is revolutionizing the areas of risk mitigation & management, monitoring & security and operational efficiency.

Engineer’s WorkBench is to enable engineers to apply AI without being experts in data science. Engineers can now experience the power of data science, without them putting any extra effort (of coding).

Q

: What is your revenue mix as of now?

Our Business model is pay-as you-go model. Usually pilots are charged on a flat fee basis and during the scale up – we have a subscription model based on the scale of the operations or assets.

Q

: What motivates & keeps you going?

Flutura has a different take on risks since we view every business challenge as new learnings. A lot of learning in our journey has happened in the market front - expanding our customer base into our current focus verticals, new verticals, new geographies, and building a strong partner ecosystem.

Tackling the trickiest issues in the fragmented Industrial IoT market of deciphering buyer’s mental model, tapping into underserved challenges in this space stimulates us.

Discovering next moon-shot ideas or product features, easing on top friction points for our business, and expanding to uncharted territories has been the motivating factor to all of us. Achieving every business plan made and learning from challenges has kept us going.

Krishnan, a pragmatic thought leader in Industry 4.0, has been honored as one of the “Bulls of Technology” in Houston, Germany, Japan, and regularly speaks in International forums and was the keynote speaker of PTC event Tokyo.

TECHNOVATORS

: What exactly do you do?

Flutura is an AI Solutions company focused on improving two core business objectives of Asset Uptime and Operational Efficiency. We do this with Cerebra, our AI Platform tuned for IIOT in Oil & Gas, Process Chemicals, and Heavy machinery manufacturing industries, powering connected asset and connected operations use cases. Cerebra has the advanced capabilities to integrate physics, heuristics and machine learning based models to generate actionable business insights.

Derick has been in the area of Business Intelligence for close to 2 decades. He is a thought leader and has an immense grasp of Business Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Analytics space. His strong foundations in techno-business principles lead this individual to deliver the most complex solutions in the simplest forms.

Srikanth has been in the area of Analytics for more than to 2 decades. He has incubated business analytics initiatives for large Fortune companies and has been part of building more than 400 transformational analytics solutions in his career.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Q

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Avnet Indoor Air Quality Sensor HAT

•Vol - 02 / 09

Kart

Arrow Focuses on the Latest Trends of Vehicle Electrification

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Arrow Electronics has introduced the Automotive High Voltage Evaluation Platform (AHVEP), offering developers an extensive range of tools with which to explore the latest trends in electrification of vehicles. It provides a universal platform for applications and design challenges associated with a high voltage (48V/400V) power distribution network in cars.

The Automotive High Voltage Evaluation Platform addresses a number of new challenges. As the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) accelerates, designers face a large number of newly emerging requirements including: battery disconnect switches, cell balancing modules, battery junction boxes, battery management controllers, DC-DC conversion, on-board charging, superchargers, traction inverters, HVAC and supercapacitors. On top of these can be added challenges such as the isolation of communications, power management, motor control, load switches and current sensing; and ensuring safety and security in the new, electrically controlled environment.

Avnet has recently shared that specialized sensor HAT* for Raspberry Pi is now available.

The Avnet-designed evaluation, development and quickprototyping tool is intended for engineering professionals who need quick development of commercial, industrial, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning products requiring advanced indoor air quality measurement capabilities.

The HAT features an on-board calibrated Renesas ZMOD4410 sensor that measures the concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from parts-perbillion to parts-per-million and can estimate carbon dioxide (eCO2) levels. These are important indicators for monitoring indoor air quality. All sensors are electrically and chemically (gas) tested with lab calibration data stored in each ZMOD4410 sensor’s built-in nonvolatile memory.

Digi-Key Partners with EAO Corporation Digi-Key Electronics has expanded its tool offerings by signing a global partnership with EAO to provide Digi-Key customers with a new Digital Product Selector (DPS) tool for emergency stop switches.

EAO's Digital Product Selector is an interactive and intuitive virtual configuration tool, enabling engineers and designers to easily configure products online to their specific needs.

The new DPS tool offers an engaging user experience for customers to select emergency stop switches and configure them to their needs based on 3D photo realistic selections, as well as parametric input. Customers can view 360-degree images, mounting depths, dimensional representations, illumination previews, and panel mounted views. Users can also download files such as data sheets designed for specific configuration, CAD drawings, launch installation videos and certifications.

The new tool gives customers access to over 130 parts, which can be configured in more than 2,000 different combinations.

element14 Signs Partnership Agreement with KOA

element14 has recently signed a partnership agreement KOA Europe GmbH, a leading manufacturer of passive components. KOA is renowned for manufacturing high specification products for a wide range of industrial, commercial and automotive markets. element14’s customers will have access to KOA’s full portfolio with around 1500 lines of in-stock products available. In addition to thick film resistors, the broad product range includes shunt/current sense resistors, wide terminal resistors, high voltage resistors, thin film chip resistors and surge protection resistors.

The addition of KOA products enhances element14’s comprehensive range of passive components with customers benefiting from no minimum order quantity, contract pricing, and flexible pricing options as well as scheduled and consolidated orders.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Future Electronics Recognised

by Taoglas

New Yorker Electronics has announced the release of VOMA618A, a new Vishay Semiconductors. It is an Automotive Grade Phototransistor Optocoupler with 1 mA Drive Offers a Low Input Current Solution for High Reliability Automotive and Industrial Applications.

This low current device is ideal for high efficiency power management applications.

It is designed for signal transmission between two electrically separated circuits fo r au to m o t i ve a nd hig h reliability industrial applications.

Used in galvanic and noise isolation, signal transmission, hybrid/electric vehicle and other applications, Vishay’s VOMA618A Optocoupler provides high reliability for highefficiency power management applications. It features a high-current transfer ratio at low input current, low coupling capacitance and high isolation voltage.

The Vishay VOMA618A has a GaAlAs infrared emitting diode, which is optically coupled to a silicon planar phototransistor detector and is incorporated in a 4-pin mini-flat package.

It delivers high CTR with low input current and low power consumption.

Mouser Stocked IWR6x mmWave Sensors New IWR6x mmWave sensors from Texas Instruments (TI) is now piled up by Mouser Electronics for Industrial radar system. It provides unprecedented levels of integration and on-chip processing capabilities.

Pete Malpas Joins RS Components as a President EMEA

The 60 GHz – 64 GHz sensors allow engineers to integrate mmWave technology into a broad range of factory automation, radar, robotics, and building automation designs.

The TI IWR6x mmWave sensors, available from Mouser Electronics, are integrated single-chip frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar sensors built on TI’s 45 nm RFCMOS process. The sensors offer ultra-highresolution sensing and can detect objects, humans, and subtle motions, including breathing and typing. The sensors offer up to 4 GHz of ultra-wide bandwidth, detecting objects up to 16 times more accurately than 24 GHz narrowband solutions. The IWR6843 sensor incorporates a C674x DSP for advanced signal processing.

RS Components has announced the promotion of Pete Malpas from President of Northern Europe to the role of President EMEA, reporting to Mike England, COO of Electrocomponents.

Pete will be responsible for accelerating performance across EMEA. He will lead the commercial operation and business transformation of the region, driving a more aligned and consistent go-tomarket approach and value proposition.

He will work closely with the Presidents of Asia Pacific and the Americas, sharing best practice and bringing consistency in the ways of working across the global business. Pete will continue to lead Northern Europe until his successor has been appointed.

Mike England said: “Under Pete’s leadership, I’m confident that we will continue to drive a high-performance culture whilst accelerating our EMEA growth and market share through the execution of a digitally powered and integrated go-to-market strategy.

•Vol - 02 / 09

Vishay VOMA618A Launched by New Yorker Electronics

Future Electronics has been awarded 2019 North America Distributor of the Year by Taoglas, a leading enabler of digital transformation using IoT solutions. The award, which acknowledges and recognizes Future Electronics and Taoglas’ strong supplier and distributor partnership, is determined based on evaluation of distributor performance in quality, delivery, cost, and other input from Tagloas’ leadership team.

The 2019 North America Distributor of the Year Award recognizes Future Electronics for the hard work and efforts towards the great partnership established between the two companies.

Taoglas provides a comprehensive range of IoT designs, solutions and services for some of the most complex IoT applications such as telematics, automotive, smart grid, metering, telemetry, home automation, remote monitoring and medical applications.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Analog Devices High Dynamic Range RF Transceiver

Analog Devices has announced the first product in a new series of RF transceivers offering the highest dynamic range on the market and suitable for myriad commercial and military applications.

Features: • Offers best-in-class dynamic range and capable of deciphering wideband and challenging narrow band operations within a single device • Operates from 30MHz to 6GHz

Applications: Myriad commercial and military applications.

Availability: Available Now

Electrolube’s Key Products for Battery Thermal Management

New Launch

Electrolube introduced key thermal management and encapsulation resin products for battery protection including the thermal gap filler - GF400, non-silicone heat transfer compound HTCPX, - thermally conductive epoxy potting compound - ER2221, and soft polyurethane resin - UR5044.

Features: • Highly effective heat transfer solution.

• Providing excellent thermal performance at 4.0 W/m.K .

• Easily be applied around different shaped housings with low stress on components.

Applications: Battery Thermal Management

Availability: Available Now

Maxim Integrated Introduces MAX77958 and MAX77962

Maxim Integrated Products has recently introduced the MAX77958 USB-C PD controller and the MAX77962 28W buck-boost charger.

Features: • Designers can now cut development time by three months with an out-of-the-box USB-C PD compliant solution • Reduces the solution size in half with the MAX77962 buck-boost charger.

Applications: Game players, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) devices, cameras, wireless speakers, portable printers and handheld computers, as well as industrial equipment and medical devices.

Availability: Available Now

MediaTek New Addition to its Dimensity Series

•Vol - 02 / 08

MediaTek has recently unveiled its newest 5G SoC, the Dimensity 800U, as the latest addition in MediaTek’s Dimensity series family. The 7nm Dimensity 800U chipset is designed for multicore high performance and leading 5G+5G Dual Sim Dual Standby (DSDS) technology.

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Features: Supports sub-6Ghz SA and NSA networks, but also supports cutting-edge technologies such as 5G+5G dual SIM dual standby (DSDS), Dual Voice over New Radio (VoNR),

Applications: Mid-tier 5G smartphones

Availability: Available Now

SEPTEMBER 2020

Microchip Newest Member of the Flashtec Family Microchip Technology has announced its newest member of the Flashtec family, the FlashtecNVMe 3108 PCIe Gen 4 enterprise NVMe SSD controller. The 8-channel Flashtec NVMe 3108 complements the 16-channel Flashtec NVMe 3016 and provides a full suite of PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD solutions to support a comprehensive set of data center storage requirements.

Features: Variety of compact SSD form factors with efficient power and very compelling performance and reliability metrics Delivers industry leading security features. The Flashtec NVMe 3108 boasts greater than one million IOs per second (IOPS) for random workloads

Applications: Data Center Storage

Availability: Available Now

OMRON’s HD-1500 Mobile Robot with 1500kg Payload Capacity OMRON Asia Pacific has offered its new mobile robot HD-1500. The robot boasts a heavy payload capacity of up to 1500kg and is the strongest and newest addition to the company's portfolio of mobile robots.

Applications: Industrial automation

Availability: Available Now

New Launch

Features: Automatically calculate the best route for material transportation while navigating safely around people and obstacles without the use of magnetic floor tapes nor other guides.

TDK Ultra-high AOP Analog MEMS Microphone TDK Corporation has introduced the InvenSense ICS-40638 MEMS analog microphone. The ICS-40638 microphone offers an ultra-high Acoustic Overload Point (AOP) of 138 dB Sound Pressure Level (SPL), exceptionally efficient 170 µA low power operation and high Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 63 dB in a small 3.5 mm x 2.65 mm x 0.98 mm bottom port surface‐mount package.

Features: • High dynamic range, operates up to 105°C. • The ICS-40638 includes a MEMS microphone element, an impedance converter, and a differential output amplifier.

Applications: Designed for IoT and consumer devices

Availability: Available Now

u-blox GNSS Platforms Provide out-of-the-box Support

Features: Technological innovation and deeply involved in the Chinese market for many years.

Applications of GNSS technology continue to diversify GNSS technology has become an indispensable and "smart" winning factor

Applications: Navigation satellite system

Availability: Available Now

•Vol - 02 / 08

u-blox has recently shared that current GNSS platforms, from u-blox M8 and beyond, support the recently completed BeiDou navigation satellite system modernizations, improving the availability of GNSS positioning services.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Chooses Renesas

Updates

Infineon and Fingerprint Cards Partner for Distribution Infineon Technologies and Fingerprint Cards AB have announced partnership to enable mass deployment of this emerging solution. The world leaders for security controller in contactless payment and for fingerprint sensors includes their related software aim to provide card makers with biometric semiconductor solutions which make integration particularly cost-efficient and scalable.

The fingerprint information is stored on the card’s embedded secure element and not shared with any third party, thus protecting the user’s credentials.

“Authorizing payments without handing over the card is a huge step forward in terms of user experience, data security and hygiene. We selected Fingerprints as they are the leading biometric silicon and technology provider with market proven performance.

More than 20 of Renesas Electronics’ radiation-hardened (rad-hard) integrated circuits (ICs) were onboard the July 30 lift off of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, with the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity Mars Helicopter onboard, launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

While on the Red Planet, the Perseverance rover will flight test the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, search for signs of ancient life, and collect rock and sediment samples to send back to Earth. Its astrobiology mission is to seek out signs of past microscopic life on Mars, explore the diverse geology of its landing site, Jezero Crater, and demonstrate key instruments and technologies that will help NASA prepare for future robotic and human exploration.

ST Adds New Features in STM32Cube® STMicroelectronics has enhanced STM32Cube® software-development ecosystem, which allow to use more easily filter and choose software examples, gather and apply development tools, and customize, use, and share STM32Cube Expansion Packages.

The updates introduce new features in the MCU configuration and project setup tool (STM32CubeMX version 6.0) and the STM32CubeIDE v1.4 multi-OS C/C++ development platform. Both tools now allow direct access to the latest STM32Cube MCU and Expansion Packages that contain software useful to run STM32® devices and peripherals, as well as external components such as sensors or connectivity.

Suntsu Electronics Collaborates with Artec Lantec

•Vol - 02 / 09

Suntsu Electronics has announced partnership with Artec Lantec.

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Anke Allen, Director of European Sales, commented, "Artec Lantec became over the past 25 years a very well know and highly experienced company within Israel as well as several other countries. Their focus in offering design, engineering, and development support to their customers together with our wide product range of electronic components will offer an ideal solution to excising and potential new customers.

Tamil Nadu Will be the Next Manufacturing Hub Indian Government is totally focused about Indian products and all states are supporting it and taking news initiatives for make in India campaign.

Tamil Nadu’s Principal Secretary-Industries N Muruganandam while explaining the importance of its strength said Tamil Nadu can become an important manufacturing hub for automotive electronics. It can become an attractive manufacturing centre for automotive electronics, defence and aerospace.

With the right ecosystem in place, the Tamil Nadu government is all set to attract investments in the emerging areas of automotive and allied sectors.

He felt that it would be a logical extension for automotive and component companies in the State to look at opportunities in the defence and aerospace sectors. While the State has come out with a policy to attract investments in defence and aerospace, Tamil Nadu is also housing one of the two defence corridors planned by the Union government. “Overall, the future of the auto sector is bright and Tamil Nadu will continue to grow in this space,” he added.