40 minute read
COVER STORY
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Data Center:
A Demand of Developing Country
- Nitisha Dubey
A data center plays major role for IT needs to manage and store the huge resources which are important for the continuous work of any organization. As the name sounds, it seems that data center is a singular product but it has a huge role in today’s industry. It has been made by the numerous technical elements. The main work of data center is computing, storing and networking. While millions of people working on data and network, these data centers make that work easier, comfortable and trustworthy. Reliability, efficiency, security and constant evolution are the major role of data centers. A report by JLL, says that India’s data centre industry is expected to double capacity and cross the 1GW mark by 2023. While focusing on the same, Nitisha from BISinfotech sits around for an extensive exchange with Jeremy Deutsch, President, Equinix Asia-Pacific; Abhinav Kotagiri, Chief Data Center Delivery Officer, Pi Data Centers; Shailendra Trivedi, Senior Director Sales – Public Network, R&M India; Ankit Saraiya, Director,
Techno Electric and Engineering Company Limited (TEECL); Nikhil
Rathi, Founder and CEO, Web
Werks Data Centers. Nikhil Rathi
Founder and CEO, Web Werks Data Centers
Ankit Saraiya
Director, Techno Electric and Engineering Company Limited (TEECL)
Jeremy Deutsch
President, Equinix Asia-Pacific
Abhinav Kotagiri
Chief Data Center Delivery Officer, Pi Data Centers
Shailendra Trivedi
Senior Director Sales – Public Network, R&M India
Data Center Vs Energy Efficiency
A report says that amount of energy consumed by data centers are set to continue to grow at a rate of 12 percent per year. So, how the energy efficiency will be maintained? While answering the same Jeremy says, as a leader in data center sustainability, we are taking steps to minimize our carbon footprint and reduce our energy consumption – all the while expanding our footprint globally. Equinix is the first in the industry to set a long-term goal of using 100% clean and renewable energy for our global platform. Of our electricity consumption, 91% was from renewable energy procured by Equinix in 2020. Amongst Equinix’s operations in Asia-Pacific, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore have achieved a 100% renewable energy goal in 2020, with the region as a whole achieving 75% renewable energy.
Abhinav feels that all datacenter networks today must adapt to and accommodate business-critical application workloads. Data centers will have to increasingly adapt to virtualized workloads and to the ongoing enterprise transition to private and hybrid clouds. Pressure will mount on data centers not only to provide increased bandwidth for 3rd Platform applications such as cloud and data analytics but also to deliver the agility and dynamism necessary to accommodate shifting traffic patterns (with more east-west traffic associated with server-toserver flows, as opposed to the traditional north-south traffic associated with client/server computing). While it is up to experienced storage consultants and IT architects to make the decisions around these considerations, data center designers need to understand the complexity of a data center's storage infrastructure, he adds.
The data center industry has been gaining more dependents, especially in the post-pandemic world where business transformation has become a necessity. All the data, access points from remote working stations, everything needs a center and that is where DCs come into picture. The amount of data generated now is more by leaps and bounds when compared to five years ago or a decade ago. And for this a 40-Gigabit Ethernet is sufficient. To future-proof data centers and see continued success, data center professionals must support higher server densities, deploy more fiber and accelerate their plans to migrate to higher speeds in their core and aggregation networks, suggests Shailendra.
Ankit feels that strategies need to be followed for energy efficiency and data center survival. He says, there is a growing need to curate strategies for energy efficiency to cut energy waste in the Data Centers like: Renewable and Alternative Source of Energy , Batter Energy Storage System (BESS), use water cooled systems instead of air-cooled systems for cooling the Data Center wherever possible, to reduce energy demand, Airflow Management, Reducing energy losses from PDUs (Power Distribution Units), Consolidating lightly Used Servers, Implementing Efficient Data Storage Measures - A variety of tools and technologies are available to help reduce the amount of data you store, and to store what you need more efficiently. Deduplication software, for example, can reduce the amount of data stored at many organizations by more than 95%.
Web Werks’ continuous focus on sustainability attracts more customers to colocating their IT infrastructure in our data centers. The company shares operational expertise for building data centers with clean energy for energy-efficient cooling systems. We are committing to using 100% renewable energy and efficient solutions. Web Werks data centers are carbon neutral contributing towards Global Go-Green concepts. We run efficient PUE, which is 1.66 using efficient technology and plan to have captive solar power as a renewable energy source to be Green, shares Nikhil.
AI Adoption
The adoption of artificial intelligence has improved lifestyle, undoubtedly. How AI adoption can reinforce toward offering customers the best-in-class infrastructure, end-to-end security, and data center solutions? While emphasizing a report by Gartner, which says that by 2020, more than 30% of data centers that don't implement AI or Machine Learning will cease to function, Jeremy says, by utilizing AI, patterns can be detected to learn from past data and distribute workloads across peak periods more efficiently. As well as optimizing disk utilization, server capacity, and network bandwidth, they also enhance efficiency. By analysing data from multiple sources and devising response measures, AI can integrate with current Security Incidents and Event Management (SIEM) systems. By using AI-based systems, data center administrators can be more aware of the malicious traffic from false positives, thus reducing cyber security risks.
Despite bringing digital revolution, data centers are not without problems. According to Gartner analyst Dave Cappuccio, 80% of enterprises will shut down their traditional data centers by 2025. The figures are competitive considering the host of problems faced by traditional data centers like lack of readiness to upgrade, infrastructure challenges, environmental issues and more. And the remedy for this is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance the data center functions and infrastructure, says Abhinav.
As per a Forbes Insights report, in early 2020, artificial intelligence is poised to have a tremendous impact on data center management, productivity, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, its technologies continue to offer data centers’ potential solutions to improve operations over the long term. In return data centers enabled by accelerated computing capabilities of AI, would be able to process AI workloads more efficiently, he adds.
Shailendra feels that organizations can deploy AI in the data center for data security. Data centers must identify and assess all mission critical assets and risks. Once they have been identified it will be far easier to formulate a business continuity plan with specific goals in mind. Server load balancing and link load balancing are two strategies that may be used to
help prevent the loss of data from an overload or outage in a data center.
The advents of AI, ML, IoT and Data Analytics have taken hold of all global businesses and industries. Business processes and operations have undergone a radical digital transformation with these technologies. The rise of AI has significantly impacted industries across such as BFSI, Power & Infrastructure, security solutions, real estate, manufacturing and data centers amongst others, shares Ankit. He also says that the rise of artificial intelligence is affecting global Data Centers in two ways: • AI applications need the global Data Centers to provide the necessary computational power. • AI applications are being developed to improve the Data Centers themselves.
AI assists organisations in efficiently automating and managing their workloads. In addition to analysing past data and goal setting, patterns arising from the use of AI also help enhance the distribution of workloads across peak periods. Organisations can also use them for better disk utilisation, server capacity, and network bandwidth. AI can complement current Security Incidents and Event Management (SIEM) systems by analysing incidents and inputs from multiple systems and devising an appropriate incident response system. AI-based technologies also aid energy efficiency through superior optimisations of heating and cooling systems, minimising electricity costs. It can also be used to detect power-hungry applications or servers, and recommend ways to move specific workloads to more efficient ones. AI systems can help organisations proactively manage the health of their IT infrastructures such as storage, servers, or networking equipment, says Nikhil.
Ethernet Generations
Ethernet is constantly evolving, adapting to the needs of the networking world and addressing the requirements of both operators and end-users, while making sure that the resulting technology is cost-efficient, reliable, and operates in a plug and play manner. The daunting growth of the number of permanent or nomadic end-stations connected to the network (e.g., computer terminals, mobile devices, automated devices generating machine-to-machine traffic) has led to explosive growth in the volume of information exchanged at all levels of the networking infrastructure, shares Abhinav. Ethernet is also venturing into brand-new application areas and adding support for synchronization protocols. Potentially, Ethernet could become the de facto standard for in-vehicle data networks, providing a common transport platform for control and multimedia applications, he adds.
Ankit says, as Data Centers virtualize more of their servers and storage, the need for speedy network connections increases. But the journey from 10 Gigabit Ethernet to 40 Gigabit Ethernet has been less than promising. Today, even fortune 500 IT companies are wary of going the 40 GbE way and are sticking with the status quo and are taking their time in upgrading their connections. He also says, lack of wiring infrastructure where the Ethernet switches are placed, slower adoption of the 10 GbE (mostly still on servers) and abundance of a copper-based gigabit network connections have fuelled the delay of the 40 - Gigabit Data Centers. Despite these challenges, the 40 GbE has found its way to make itself relevant especially today in the Data Center industry with high-density virtualized servers, hyper-scalability models requiring huge bandwidths and hardware capabilities to deliver the lowest latency and highest performance. In a country like India, where there is a huge potential for Data Center investment and development, with the likes of Google, Amazon, Cisco, Microsoft investing in Hyper-scalable models of Data Centers, the era of 40 GbE is rather closer than we thought, says Ankit.
Nikhil mentioned, to cost-effectively meet the exponential rise in demand as well as address requirements arising out of high-bandwidth applications of the future, data center cabling systems need a balance of both copper and fiber. With digital transformations and expeditiously developing applications and technologies, the speed and volume of traffic on data center networks have increased tremendously. It thus becomes critical to ensure that cabling solutions are designed to serve these ever-rising transmission rates particularly in the case of bandwidth-intensive applications. Maximising interoperability demands high-performance networks to support a migration path for 10/40/50/100 gigabit networks.
Trends in Data Center market in 2022
According to Synergy Research, the data center market in India is expected to exceed US$2 billion in 2025 and grow at 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2020-2025, the second highest rate in the world. The analyst firm also predicts that the country will become the eighth largest data center market in the world in 2021. India has immense opportunity for continued penetration of internet infrastructure and a focus on accelerating cloud adoption. In addition to government-led initiatives and incentives, India is benefitting from local influences as well as upcoming data sovereignty laws. The demand for data center infrastructure in India is growing exponentially, shares Jeremy. At Equinix, we assist digital leaders to connect and interconnect their digital infrastructure by making use of the best transformational technologies across all layers of our Platform Equinix® stack -- data centers, interconnection, and bare metal -- and to do so sustainably. We ensure that our customers have access to end-to-end orchestration of these capabilities at software speed by leveraging APIs, opensource tools, and cloud-native technologies to stay ahead of tomorrow, today, he also says.
Abhinav share the following trends that are all set to make its mark in the data center market India in 2022: ● Cloud Adoption taking precedence - According to research, almost two-thirds of enterprise-sized firms have a strategy or pilot program for hybrid cloud in place, and over 80 percent of enterprises deploy workloads using a mix of cloud types. We are seeing the trend where large enterprises are now
finding a distinct place for colocation in their digital strategy outside their own premises, where they are creating their own private cloud.
● Enterprise Connectivity- Connectivity is one of the most critical components of a hybrid strategy. To maintain the flow of business, data must move rapidly, cost-effectively, and securely. Data center providers are typically well equipped to offer clients a large choice of Internet Service Providers, distributed locations and uninterrupted power.
● IOT and Edge Computing- From sensors used in industrial manufacturing to driverless vehicles, to smart cities and smart building controls, IoT is creating significant new demands on IT infrastructure giving rise to the concept of edge computing. Edge computing is essentially a “mesh network of micro data centers that process or store critical data locally and push all received data to a central data center or cloud storage repository, in a footprint of less than 100 square feet.”
● Artificial Intelligence- According to industry analyst firm Forrester Research 70% of enterprises expect to implement AI this year and 20% said they would deploy AI to make decisions. AI and machine learning have been forecasted to be game changers for the next century.
● High Performance Computing- Connected devices now far exceed the number of humans on this planet, linking us to the world through billions of things that sense, think, and act across a global network. 19 High performance computing (HPC) is considered critical by world governments for national security, scientific leadership and economic prosperity .
Whereas Shailendra feels that a few big trends that will certainly create an impact in the India DC market are –
Robotics and Automation – Robotics and automation is gaining more traction as pandemic has accelerated the need to make systems less reliant on human intervention. Edge Computing –As more people adopt smart technologies in their homes and businesses, the demand for edge computing will grow and so will edge data centers. In fact, the IoT market is expected to grow by over $50 billion by 2022. With that kind of growth, and that kind of demand for reliability, speed, and connectivity, the edge market will need to grow. Sustainability and Green DCs - The massive energy footprint of cloud computing enables the data center industry to drive a global shift to renewably-powered business. Customers and stakeholders are demanding accountability on climate impact, creating a compelling business incentive to embrace sustainability.
From a technology standpoint, the future is going to be that of hyper-scalable and edge-technology. One of the outcomes of this pandemic was the acceleration of growth and digital transformation journey for several companies. This translates to a huge demand in the Data Center space, so much so that it is estimated that the Data Center IP traffic will reach 20.6 ZB at the end of 2021. A huge increase in the demand for colocation and hyper-scale vendors predominantly in Europe, Asia-Pacific, South-East Asia regions. Furthermore, a significant part of the Data Center growth will be attributed to the healthcare and pharma sectors. Many hospitals, research facilities, pharma companies during the pandemic have already initiated their digital journey and taking significant steps in requiring an overhaul in their IT infrastructure, elaborates Ankit.
India is thus experiencing a huge demand for cloud services in comparison to the other APAC countries. The government is encouraging investments in the Indian data center industry. In 2020, the data traffic in India grew by 36% year-over-year primarily due to a rise in 4G data consumption as 4G subscribers surpassed 700 million with 100 million new additions during 2020. According to reports by Crisil, growing at a CAGR of 21%, the market is expected to reach 1,100–1,200 MW from the current 360 MW by 2025. Furthermore, the Indian government aims to develop cable landing and submarine cables and low earth orbit satellites to improve connectivity and reduce latency across the country, particularly addressing the needs of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, feels Nikhil.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that data center is playing a huge role. During pandemic the role of data center has expanded its reach to serve the country. The increasing demand of digital usages has made it possible. Investors and global data center players increased their commitment during the last six months in the Indian market by announcing joint ventures to meet expected demand. So, the growth of data center is going to be huge in coming time.
On-Board Charger Solutions From Vishay
The trend towards electrification in the automotive sector is gathering pace. This is accelerated not only by the limits for exhaust emission values, but also by subsidy programs. A core element of these vehicles is the battery charging system, also known as the on-board charger (OBC). With these systems, the battery can be charged at a standard household connection or at a commercial wallbox. Depending on the vehicle class, charging systems with up to 22 kW loading power can be installed. This high charging power is required for an acceptable charging time. The use of chargers in the vehicle places very high quality requirements on suppliers of electronic components. Vishay can draw on a wealth of experience in this area and offer a broad portfolio of suitable components.
OBCs of up to 22 kW (400 VAC input, 500 VDC output) rely on semiconductor solutions in power modules due to their high power density. By using modules specifically designed for the charger, it is possible to achieve high system efficiency and at the same time high power density. The EMIPAK 2B package is proving to be a very robust and efficient solution in this field. This package has already established itself in a wide variety of applications and configurations. The internal structure of the power modules is specially adapted to the applications and the requirements of the automotive industry. As a result, the power modules can be adapted to each generation of charging systems, and the latest generation of semiconductors can be used in each case. The use of press-fit connections for the electrical contacts makes it very easy and quick to assemble the modules. The direct connection to the liquid cooling system in the vehicle enables a very high power density and optimizes the thermal management of the modules. In today's electric vehicles, a high power OBC is required to charge the large capacity battery pack in a short period of time. 22 kW OBCs work with a 3-phase input voltage in the range of 340 VAC to 480 VAC and provide an output voltage range of 250 V to 500 V, with a maximum current of approximately 50 A. The input stage uses a T-type Vienna rectifier that meets the requirements for harmonic and reactive power, yet allows the charger to operate over a wide input voltage range. The output voltage is controlled by an isolated resonant converter with asynchronous rectification.
Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of T-type Vienna rectifier
The topology example shown here works with a virtual zero potential, which allows the DC voltage to be divided into two symmetrical stages. With this approach, it is possible to use 650 V silicon MOSFETs for the main DC/DC stage, rather than the costly 1200 V SiC devices required by other topologies. The use of the T-type Vienna rectifier also implements the required power factor correction (PFC). However, the boost topology used here cannot limit the high inrush current occurring when the charger starts. The DC-Link of the device is stabilized by a relatively large capacitor bank to support both the switching operations of the PFC stage and the DC/DC converter. Depending on the requirements, voltage-resistant aluminum electrolytic or foil capacitors are usually used here. This inrush current must be limited by an active protection circuit to prevent overloading of both the semiconductors and the capacitors. A parallel connection of thyristors and PTC thermistors serves as the required protective circuit in this case. The special behavior of the thermistors (sharply increasing resistance at high temperature) limits the input current. This ensures that the charging system is switched on safely. When the DC-Link voltage is stable at the desired level, the two thyristors are triggered in order to route the required charging power past the PTC current limiters.
The active rectification of the three-phase current is achieved by the special Vienna topology of diodes and MOSFETs. This circuit corrects the power factor and prevents losses due to reactive power from the capacitive load. In addition, the regulated rectifier can reduce the noise radiating into the network, which simplifies the design of the input filters. At the center of the charging system is the isolated DC/DC converter, which is used to set the charging voltage of the high voltage battery. In our example, two resonant converters are used by the Vienna rectifier, respectively, in the positive and negative DC-Link and the virtual zero potential. These are connected in parallel on the output side to achieve the charging power for the battery. The two resonant transformers are driven by a MSOFET H-bridge with a switching frequency in the range of 150 kHz to 250 kHz. The challenge with this topology is to optimize the circuitry of the two resonant transformers for all operating points to minimize interference to the input and output voltages. Along with the transformers, the resonant capacitor is one of the core components of this circuit. In addition to high voltage and current stability, the capacitor must also have very good parameters for the di/ dt edge steepness. On the output side, the AC voltage of the transformer is rectified by a diode bridge and stabilized by capacitors. The DC voltage at the output then charges the vehicle battery via the on-board power supply and the battery management system for the next trip with the vehicle. The semiconductors used in the circuit detailed can be integrated very efficiently and in a space-saving manner into the Vishay power modules. The internal design of the modules places great emphasis on minimizing any disturbance variables such as capacitances or inductances. The integration of passive components in the power modules enables further optimization of the design. By using power modules, the efficiency and power density of the charging systems can be further increased to reduce the charging time for electric cars.
Author
Thomas Lohrmann, Manager FAE Automotive Europe, Vishay Intertechnology
Stefan Volkmann, Senior Field Application Engineer, Vishay Intertechnology
Figure 3: Circuit diagram of isolated resonant converter with asynchronous rectifier
CSPs Should Take the Lead With T&M Solutions that Expedite & Simplify Deployment and Activation
Monojit Samaddar
Country Director, VIAVI Solutions – India
With Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture being adopted by telecom operators and equipment manufacturers worldwide and Optical cabling becoming increasingly crucial for today's communication infrastructure, testing of equipment and networks for seamless network performance is pivotal. Niloy from BIS talks to industry veteran Monojit Samaddar, Country Director, VIAVI Solutions – India. Monojit wipes the slate clean around many aspects, including the current scenario of networks, CSPs facing connectivity and bandwidth challenges, End-to-end (E2E) network testing and the need to test and monitor OFC networks. Delightful insights in these edited excerpts are below:
QOpen Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture is being adopted by telecom operators and equipment manufacturers worldwide? VIAVI’s instrumental role in this space?
A new level of collaboration is widely expected to drive greater adoption of O-RAN architecture; however, disaggregating radio access network (RAN) infrastructure creates complexities that must be addressed for Open RAN networks to succeed. Operators and integrators need to validate that the technology works together before it goes into the live network, which requires more than testing the interoperability of various vendor components. Operators also need to validate how the technology interacts with legacy equipment in the network, as well as how it responds to different user equipment environments. Another challenge that operators face is how to solve network issues after the network has been deployed. Unlike a traditional single-vendor network, it’s more difficult to identify product-related network performance issues in a multi-vendor environment. VIAVI works closely with equipment manufacturers and network operators to help ensure interoperability, service verification, manageability, optimization and end-to-end performance of networks based on Open RAN architecture.
QNetwork performance demands precision testing of equipment, what are the challenges faced by network technicians in testing next-generation network components?
Telecom service providers, network equipment manufacturers (NEMs), data centers, and large enterprises are facing huge demand for more capacity and new services, driven largely by the massive consumption of video, mobile broadband, and cloud services. Performance requirements are more exacting, and the need for proper testing procedures is more important than ever before. Emerging network architectures require precise timing to synchronize distributed equipment for high quality network operation. This applies to mobile, cable and fiber networks. In all cases, the move to next-generation 5G, remote PHY and other distributed technologies means even
more stringent synchronization targets, which must be met to prevent service degradation. VIAVI offers a range of solutions optimized for fiber characterization, multiprotocol service activation, troubleshooting and maintenance to address the critical requirements of next-generation network architecture.
QThe need for Optical cabling for today’s communication infrastructure, defining precise Fiber monitoring systems in place?
New technology and network expansion continue to push the boundaries of fiber optic monitoring capabilities. Maintaining optimal fiber condition and performance requires advanced fiber monitoring practices to identify and react to problems quickly. A robust fiber optic monitoring system accurately finds fiber faults from the source all the way to the subscriber, leading to earlier detection and precise fault location in order to reduce reaction and repair times. An integrated fiber monitoring and management system is key to facilitating the detection of faults, fiber degradation and security intrusions, alerting the system administrator in real-time when threats to fiber optic network integrity are detected. Monitoring systems can also be used for demarcation and isolation of issues arising due to faults in network elements, and to proactively analyse depletion and other fiber optic performance metrics over time, enabling higher bandwidth and improved data integrity. As the leading test and measurement supplier for fiber networks, VIAVI offers a range of optimized solutions engineered specifically for all phases of the fiber network lifecycle.
QNeed for high-bandwidth broadband fixed line across residential areas has increased given the current pandemic situation. On the other hand 5G rollout is making headlines all across, in your view is India ready to enjoy the next network capabilities.
As service providers strive to deploy ultra-fast residential broadband, the pressure is on to deliver reliable speed and quality. We see demand related to broadband network installation, turn-up and maintenance, requiring stringent test methodology and validation. Not only that, but also rigor in operations and maintenance with network monitoring and optimization are becoming more prevalent.
India and most of the countries in South Asia are still 2-3 years away from 5G rollout. 5G technology will revolutionize connectivity throughout the world including India. The growth of 5G and the disaggregated RAN presents challenges with interoperability of various components and VIAVI is working with network operators throughout India to help them address these challenges. reducing time spent on customer premises and limiting return visits, as well as leveraging process automation and remote troubleshooting solutions to maintain service assurance while reducing time spent in the field. CSPs can leverage technologies such as virtual activation, fiber monitoring, test process automation and remote instrument access to help reduce or eliminate time on premises.
Supporting service providers and network equipment manufacturer customers, VIAVI is providing remote configuration and deployment support, as well as offering complimentary remote access through Smart Access Anywhere on supported instruments. Supported instrument families include VIAVI OTDR, OneExpert (CATV and DSL), and T-BERD®/MTS.
QThe challenges and way out for E2E network testing for service providers?
End-to-end (E2E) network testing is critical for service providers. With E2E testing services providers can replicate real end-user scenarios to ensure that their network is able to withstand high demand. As 5G deployment gathers momentum, service providers must ensure that networks can concurrently support the number and variety of use cases technology will enable. They’re not just testing to deliver superior services for subscribers – they’re bound by service level agreements and key performance indicators (KPIs) which must be met in order to realize return on investment (ROI) on their network. E2E network testing requires service providers to check hardware and software components and how they work within the wider network infrastructure. It involves validating network performance as experienced by end users, across multiple cells and different radio access technologies, from RAN to core, including emerging cloud-based architectures. The diversity of E2E testing can reduce costs in finding and troubleshooting issues and helps operators deploy and monetize new products and services.
QIndustry 4.0 and private 5G networks, trends shaping up beyond traditional consumers to enterprises and industries?
Excitement over the disruptive nature of 5G has spurred interest in private infrastructure. As 5G networks continue to roll out, the development of private networks over 5G—something that started in LTE—will create the infrastructure needed to expand the industrial IoT and machine-to-machine interaction, ushering in the next industrial revolution. These private networks generally will consist of a wireless local area network (LAN) that uses 5G technologies to deliver dedicated bandwidth, providing massive connectivity to support defined automation and IoT needs.
QKey know-how for operators helping manage their network effectively?
As enterprise network technology continues to evolve, the need for businesses to effectively manage and optimize the performance of their networks is increasingly critical to business success. In these challenging times, communications service providers (CSPs) should follow test and measurement processes that speed and simplify deployment and activation, The release of unlicensed spectrum for industry verticals is a key driver behind the surge of private 5G networks, enabling deployment of private 5G networks without going through a mobile operator. This development is expected to give rise to a new class of business-to-business service providers, changing the competitive landscape for today’s network operators.
Touchless and Cashless Parking Will be the Future TECHNOVATORS
Chirag Jain & Rasik Pansare
Co-founders, Get My Parking
Founded by Chirag Jain and Rasik Pansare, Get My Parking (GMP) with a strong foundation of the team, technology, and partnerships is creating a future-proof parking platform to connect the parking industry internally as well as with urban mobility players. The company has uncountable achievements. Recently, it has collaborated with Mercedez Benz to provide better parking experience to their car users. GMP is an awardwinning provider of an Interoperable Smart Parking Platform that connects all parking and mobility stakeholders operating in silos. With a clear mission to digitize the parking industry globally, its tech can retrofit legacy equipment and enable cloud native apps and a digital consumer experience. During an email interaction with Nitisha from BISinfotech; Chirag Jain, Co-founder & CEO, Get My Parking elaborates its special offerings and ahead growth plans.
QKindly explain Get My Parking and its special offerings.
The parking industry is a fragmented market with most of the technology being hardware-centric. We are a global leader providing an end-to-end Interoperable Smart Parking Platform that connects all parking and mobility stakeholders who were until now operating in silos. We digitize and upgrade the parking using IOT software to become intelligent mobility hubs. And we do that in a SaaS business model with easy customizations to accelerate the adoption. This helps parking operators, parking companies, and smart city governments to quickly and effectively modernize their parking services without the need for replacing what they have. And then they can offer value-added services like EV charging, car servicing, washing, insurance, etc for user convenience. And integrate with new models of mobility like shared mobility, last-mile mobility, deliveries, and logistics.
QHow Get My Parking does differentiate it from other smart parking solutions?
There are multiple things that make our concept stand out. Our platform makes any parking equipment interoperable through IoT and retrofitting, it upgrades old parking infrastructure to a new future-proof ecosystem, thus transforming dumb parking real estate into intelligent mobility hubs. Also, it's an easily customizable and scalable solution for any parking requirement on the planet. If I tell you in brief, our products have features like plug-n-play ready-to-deploy functionality, touchless parking solutions, and retrofits with the existing system, speedy customisations, white-label solutions, and low-cost offerings.
QHow does machine vision help in smart parking? Explain.
The world is gradually going completely cashless. Connected Smart Cars are now hitting the roads, and more and more people are waking up to the power of technology in making their lives easier, including parking. The smart parking system running on IoT-based technology and automation will meet all the new-normal – welcome zero-contact parking demands. Where robotic valet parking will cut the need for unnecessary human contact within a parking lot, so will ML-based dynamic pricing engine powering the app-based payments help drivers make hassle-free digital payments.
We have built an ML layer on top of ANPR products to correct or help disambiguate a license plate number from the incoming feed from the camera. We are also working on developing dynamic pricing functionalities that will help improve revenue during peak times and occupancy during lean times. Think of it like dynamic pricing widely used in the hotel and airline industry.
QHow Covid-19 has impacted the office parking management?
As people in India and around the world stay put in their homes, the parking industry has invariably taken a hit. We also had witnessed a temporary decline in transactions on our platform. During the peak of lockdown, there was a decrease between 50% to 70% in commuters who used monthly parking facilities. In contrast, the transient parking facilities are seeing a reduction of 95% compared to what it was last year. Educational and work establishments like universities, schools, and offices have shifted to virtual learning and working arrangement. Therefore, parking, transit, and other mobility services have been hit hard. But after the unlocking began and people started moving again, safety and hygiene became the number one priority in all public places. People started expecting touchless services including parking. Hence technology players like us saw a huge rise in demand to help upgrade traditional parking lots into touchless parking. In the last 3 months, our sales team has seen more interest and action globally than ever before.
QKindly share your future marketing strategy.
Our marketing strategy is very targeted and value-driven. We focus mostly on digital marketing campaigns and trade exhibitions to reach the relevant target audience of parking operators, smart city stakeholders, and mobility providers. The recent global pandemic has helped our marketing by making it very clear to stakeholders that a touchless and cashless parking experience is expected by people at public parking lots for safety and hygiene.
QKindly explain emerging trends that are shaping the future of parking.
We need to use smart parking systems that enable drivers to find the relevant parking slot and help operators run the parking operations efficiently. Smart parking is a parking technology ecosystem that automates the various operations involved in parking for all the stakeholders involved. There is a lot of modern technology combined like IoT, mobile apps, cloud software, and data analytics. Moreover, fair dynamic pricing regulated via apps and digital public displays will ensure that motorists are charged fair prices based on their usage time and peak hours, no matter the parking lot. Finally, automated parking systems or robotic valet parking will further preserve land by maximizing space usage – vehicles entering and leaving a robotic parking facility will be moved up and down the different levels of the facility via robotic arms. Besides being a completely secure method of parking, this technology further reduces the park search time. Smart parking helps drivers explore every possible parking option, which enhances their arrival experience. Besides improving parking experiences and curbing emissions, smart parking optimizes facility usage and introduces new revenue streams for lot owners.
QIs there any new project you are planning? Kindly explain.
We have performed extensive deployments in Europe and Asia for some of the largest parking operators that operate across thousands of locations. Now, we are expanding our footprints with a focus on the American market and Middle East Asia. We see promising leads in the Asia-Pacific region. Our key focus as always will remain on maintaining our pioneering innovation and cutting-edge tech advantage. We are launching multiple new products in 2021 (eg; GMP Permit) designed for pure SaaS usage by small and big parking operators globally. We are also actively working with Autonomous Vehicles (AV) divisions of multiple automobile OEMs to enable those AVs to enter exit parking lots through machine-to-machine interaction.
Infineon’s New MEMS Scanner
Infineon Technologies has introduced a new MEMS scanner solution, comprising a MEMS mirror and MEMS driver, allows completely new product designs.
Features:
• Innovative tilting mirror which lays the foundation for a new-gen of laser beam scanner (LBS) projectors. • Stands out in terms of performance, size, energy consumption and competitive system costs. • Enables the design of an AR micro-projector which is light in weight and can be aesthetically integrated into all-day-wear eyeglasses and sports glasses. • Low power consumption, small batteries can easily be integrated into the frame.
Features:
• Multi-purpose NFC transceiver supporting passive peer-to-peer functionality and NFC card-emulation mode as well as NFC reader operation. • Enables use cases such as accessory identification. • Its close relationship to the ST25R3916 simplifies hardware design and certification. • Can be used as an NFC-A/B (ISO 14443A/B) card reader up to high bit rates, and as an NFC-V (ISO 15693) reader up to 53 kbps, as well as ISO 18092 passive initiator and target.
Applications:
Making augmented reality (AR) solutions more widely available for consumer applications such as wearables and automotive head-up displays.
Availability:
Available Now
ST Presents New NFC Transceiver
STMicroelectronics has rolled out cost-efficient NFC transceiver ST25R3918, enabling new application areas and easing customer interaction.
Applications:
Power tools and personal healthcare devices where the ST25R3918 interacts seamlessly with ST25 tags.
Availability:
Available Now
IBM Rolls Out Telum AI Processor
IBM has released details of the upcoming new IBM Telum Processor, designed to bring deep learning inference to enterprise workloads to help address fraud in real-time at the annual Hot Chips conference.
Features:
• Contains on-chip acceleration for AI inferencing while a transaction is taking place. • Designed to help customers achieve business insights. • Enterprises can conduct high volume inferencing for real-time sensitive transactions without invoking off-platform AI solutions. • Innovative centralized design, which allows clients to leverage the full power of the AI processor for AI-specific workloads.
TDK Corporation has introduced a series of thin-film metal power inductors for automotive power circuits.
Applications:
Banking, finance, trading, insurance applications and customer interactions.
Availability:
Available Now
TDK’s Compact Thin-Film Power Inductors
Features:
• A compact size of 2.0 mm (L) x 1.25 mm (W) x 1.0 mm (H) facilitates space saving • Supporting an operation temperature range between –55 °C and +150 °C (including self-heating) • Increased robustness against mechanical stress due to the resin electrode structure and thermal shocks
Applications:
• Automotive camera module • Communication module for V2X
Availability:
Mass production started in August 2021. In addition to the new items, TFM series includes a lineup of products with a rated voltage of 40 V, allowing use on an automotive power circuit side directly connected with a 12 V battery.
Vishay’s Very Fast-Acting Thin Film Chip Fuse
Vishay Intertechnology has released a new very fast-acting thin film chip fuse. The Vishay Beyschlag MFU 0603 AT is AEC-Q200 qualified and features current ratings from 0.5 A to 5.0 A.
Features:
• Protect voltage sensing circuits in battery management systems • Circuit protection for small loads. • The fuse's highly controlled thin-film manufacturing process guarantees outstanding stability of fusing characteristics. • Consists of a homogeneous metal alloy film deposited on a high-grade ceramic substrate. • Advanced sulfur resistance under ASTM B 809, and it withstands 85 °C / 85 % R.H. for 1000 h biased humidity testing and testing for thermal shock.
Features:
• Highest Efficiency/Lowest Heat and Power Dissipation: Maxim Integrated’s patented coupled inductor technology reduces switching frequency by 50 percent, allowing for 1 percent higher efficiency • Smallest Total Solution Size: A decrease in solution size is achieved by reducing output capacitance by 40 percent and providing a solution with lower phase count compared to competitive solutions
Applications:
Electric (EV) and hybrid electric (HEV) vehicles
Availability:
Available Now
Microchip New Chip Scale Atomic Clock
Microchip Technology has released its new SA65 CSAC, providing precise timing accuracy and stability in extreme environments.
Features:
• Embedded timing solution with improved environmental ruggedness. • Double the frequency stability over a wider temperature range and faster warm-up at cold temperatures. • The SA65 has an operating temperature range of -40 to 80 degrees Celsius (oC) and a storage temperature range of -55 to 105 oC.
Applications:
Benefit designers of highly-portable solutions for military applications such as Assured Position, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR).
Availability:
Available Now
Maxim Presents MAX16602 AI
Maxim Integrated has introduced multi-phase AI Power chipset MAX16602 AI cores dual-output voltage regulator and the MAX20790 smart power-stage IC.
Applications:
Chipset enables AI computing at the edge as well as cloud computing at the data center.
Availability:
Available Now
MORNSUN 600W Compact AC/DC Power Supply
Mornsun has recently released the product line of AC/DC enclosed switching power supply, and launches 600W LMF600-20Bxx series with active PFC. The LMF600-20Bxx features a small size, a wide operating temperature range of -40 °C to +70 °C, and meets the standard of IEC/UL/EN62368, EN60335/EN61558, GB4943, IEC/ES/EN60601, etc.
Features:
•Input voltage range :80-277VAC/110-390VDC • Accepts AC or DC input (dual-use of the same terminal) • Operating temperature range: -40 °C to +70 °C • Low standby power consumption, high efficiency • High I/O isolation test voltage up to 4000VAC • Low ripple & noise • Output short circuit, over-current, over-voltage, over-temperature protection
Applications:
Intelligent manufacturing, medical, home appliances, etc.
Availability:
Available Now
Join Now – Live Event by ICAT ASPIRE and MathWorks on EVs
As an engineer working on the electrification of vehicles: • Have you ever wondered if it would be possible to simulate a whole electric vehicle and analyze design using vehicle architecture in a single
environment? • Wondered how you could estimate motor parameters and tune gains for the FOC algorithm in hardware? • How to test your battery management and motor control software without hardware? • How could you front load the verification and validation of your algorithm and design? If any of the above questions have puzzled you, you should consider participating in the complimentary virtual live event series brought to you by ICAT – ASPIRE and MathWorks starting Sept 7th. You can register for free.
Infineon Technologies’ ‘Infineon Solar Pump Motor Drive Design Challenge 2021′ initiative concluded today with the announcement of three top submissions for working designs in motor drive solution for solar pumps. Infineon-solarOrganized in collaboration with Invest India; and in partnership with Avnet India, the challenge sought a viable solution for solar pump motor drives to enable local manufacturers in India to reduce overall dependency on imports, and support domestic solar pump ecosystem. Moreover, this challenge aimed to support the Government of India’s countrywide ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Make In India’ & ‘PM-KUSUM’ initiatives, by making life easier and greener with microelectronics from Infineon. “Solar pump manufacturers rely on overseas suppliers for drives, hampering build-up of local competence and ecosystem. To reverse the effects, it is integral to build energy efficient and cost effective motor drive solutions for pumps locally,” said Vivek Mahajan, Vice President & Division Head for Industrial Power Control, Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific. “This initiative is aimed at bridging the gap between the real and the digital world, by bringing together techies and the business experts on the same platform and build a viable, marketable solution which will support the Indian Solar Pump industry.” Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India said “This challenge comes at an opportune time, as India is working at unprecedented speed to accomplish the SDGs, especially in renewable energy & sustainable development.
ST, Eyeris Innovates In-Cabin Sensor Solutions
STMicroelectronics has partnered with Eyeris, a world leader in vision-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) software and in-cabin sensor fusion technologies. The collaboration focuses on extending ST’s Global-Shutter sensor to in-cabin sensing applications with Eyeris’ advanced portfolio of Deep Neural Networks for a comprehensive visuospatial understanding of the entire vehicle interior. “ST is committed to making vehicles and e-mobility safer and working with Eyeris on their in-cabin sensing AI using our Global-Shutter imaging technology is a valuable example of what top innovators focused on an important challenge can do,” said Dominique Barbier, Head of U.S. Technical Marketing, Imaging Division, STMicroelectronics. “In combining Eyeris’ portfolio of Deep Neural Networks with ST’s Global-Shutter imaging technology, we’ve assembled a state-of-the-art solution for in-cabin sensing and a useful template for the industry towards advancing cockpit safety and comfort,” said Modar Alaoui, founder and CEO, Eyeris. This advanced perception supports the safety and convenience features including Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), Occupant Monitoring Systems (OMS), child presence detection, object recognition, gesture control, and activity prediction. ST’s 2.3 Megapixel VG5761 Global-Shutter sensor features a high linear dynamic range of up to 98 dB for sharp, crisp images. The sensor can capture images inside a vehicle under all lighting and environmental conditions. Combined with Eyeris’ in-cabin sensing technology, the sensor can be used for Eyeris’ DMS with accurate eye-gaze tracking, especially from non-frontal camera locations such as rearview mirror, an overhead console, and center stack areas. In parallel, the sensor also enables Eyeris’ OMS with accurate tracking of body key points, height, width, size, posture, movements, and orientation. Furthermore, the ST sensor enables Eyeris for accurate child presence detection, and recognition of common vehicle interior objects under the widest range of lighting conditions. The technological integration from ST and Eyeris delivers substantial in-cabin safety, comfort, and convenience benefits for all occupants. The VG5761 Global-Shutter image sensor offers two memory zones that allow double-image storage which, in addition to contributing to the high dynamic range, supports background removal without lag effects and additional processing by the host system. The sensor’s high-performance capability combined with Eyeris’ AI-based algorithms help automakers personalize restraint controls and passive vehicle safety systems.
