Electronica Azi International no. 2 - 2020

2/2020

I N T E R N A T I O N A L A PAN EUROPEAN MAGAZINE

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

http://electronica-azi.ro

COMPANIES

Digi-Key Electronics Announces Global Distribution Partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB

Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announced that it has expanded its product portfolio by signing a global distribution partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB, providing Digi-Key customers with standalone, compact biometric fingerprint sensor solutions.

Compact Fingerprint Biometric Module Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) is a world-leading biometrics company with its roots in Sweden. Its solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch.

“We are excited about the new partnership with Fingerprint Cards,” said David Stein, vice president, global supplier management at Digi-Key. “Biometric authentication is growing as it continues to be implemented into new applications and devices. Digi-Key now offers customers an easy path to develop secure devices with integrated capacitive fingerprint sensor technology.”

“This is a step for us to be able to scale with FPC BM-Lite and to reach new verticals that require additional sales channels to drive business,” said Michel Roig, senior vice president, payments & access at Fingerprints. “Digi-Key will help us reach out and find new potential markets and application areas.”

For more information about Fingerprints and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website.

Digi-Key Electronics | www.digikey.com Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) – the world’s leading biometrics company, with its roots in Sweden. We believe in a secure and seamless universe, where you are the key to everything. Our solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications, and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch.

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 10.2 million components, with over 2.2 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,200 quality name-brand manufacturers.

In addition, Marketplace Product provides a singular shopping experience for all things related to technology innovation – IoT, industrial automation, test and measurement and more. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

3

Electronica Azi International » TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 | Digi-Key Electronics Announces Global

11 | PLS' Universal Debug Engine now also supports

Distribution Partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB 6 | DSA Joins eSync Alliance

SAFERTOS 12 | Smart Power for a Smart Industry

6 | New Vicor 270V-to-28V DCM5614 provides 1300W of power at 96% efficiency 7

12

16| Dual Core Solutions for Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications 7 | Ultra-tiny MOSFETs from Nexperia are 36% smaller with lowest RDS(on) 7 | Power Integrations’ GaN technology increases output power of high-efficiency display PSUs

22 | Process or control?

30 | Task force for medical technology manufacturers 31 | Thermographic Cameras for Fever Detection in the Corona Pandemic

to 75W

32

8 | Precisely Control LED Luminance Using a Current Output DAC and TIA 11

32 | Corona face masks created on a 3D printer 35 | High temperature soldering systems for enamelled copper wire processing 11 | Secured connectivity and blockchain technology for data-driven supply chains

36 | Time4Academy 37 | Martin offers an innovative solution to gently

® Management Managing Director - Ionela Ganea Editorial Director - Gabriel Neagu Accounting - Ioana Paraschiv Advertisement - Irina Ganea Web design - Eugen Vărzaru

“Electronica Azi” is a registered trademark at OSIM - Romania, Registered position: 124259

Contributing editors Cornel Pazara PhD. Paul Svasta PhD. Norocel Codreanu PhD. Marian Blejan PhD. Bogdan Grămescu

ISSN: 1582-3490 Printed by

EURO STANDARD PRESS 2000 srl VAT: RO3998003 | Tel.: +40 (0) 31 8059955 | Tel.: +40 (0) 744 488818 office@electronica-azi.ro | www.international.electronica-azi.ro

4

Electronica Azi International is published 6 times per year in 2020 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l.

It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions.

Copyright 2020 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l.

All rights reserved.

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

DSA Joins eSync Alliance The eSync Alliance announces that DSA, a global supplier of life-cycle management solutions for automotive electronics, has joined the Alliance. The eSync Alliance is spearheading the development of end-toend over-the-air (OTA) updating and data services, enabling bi-directional communications with all electronic devices in the vehicle.

DSA provides state of the art products and services to improve commissioning, quality assurance, diagnostics, flash programming and maintenance of all vehicle electronics, with remote diagnostics and FOTA-solutions for passenger vehicles, agricultural and construction machinery, trucks, buses and trailers. DSA serves customers from the automotive, commercial vehicles, offhighway and after sales sectors in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Mario Ortegón, Head of Strategy & Innovation Management at DSA, said, "We see a major impact on vehicle diagnostics and communication coming from the changes in automotive electronics architecture driven by autonomous driving, e-mobility, digitalization and the sharing economy.

We joined the eSync Alliance as we see the potential of the new technology and are enthusiastic to contribute to standardizing OTA in the automotive arena."

Rick Kreifeldt, Executive Director at the eSync Alliance, said, "DSA products improve efficiency in automotive manufac-

turing, test and field support. The company’s long-term expertise in working with diagnostic data brings a new skill set and perspective to the eSync Alliance. We look forward to their participation as we continue to expand the eSync ecosystem."

update software and firmware over-theair, while collecting real-time operational data from in-car devices.

With a global network of co-operating suppliers, the eSync data pipeline helps automakers avoid costly and inconvenient

The Alliance is based around eSync, a multi-vendor OTA platform of server and embedded software, which provides a secure bi-directional data pipeline between the cloud and electronic end devices in vehicles. eSync can deliver and

vehicle recalls, creating new opportunities to enhance vehicle software and features on vehicles in the field. eSync™ Alliance | www.esyncalliance.org DSA | www.dsa.de

New Vicor 270V-to-28V DCM5614 provides 1300W of power at 96% efficiency Vicor announces the DCM5614, an isolated, regulated 270V-28V DC-DC converter with an output power rating of 1300W in a 5.6 × 1.4 × 0.3in (142.2 × 35.6 × 9.4mm) VIA™ package. Providing unmatched power density of 451W/in3 at a weight of just 178g, the DCM5614 supports advanced airborne, shipboard and UAV systems where power density, weight and efficiency are critical.

With 96% efficiency, power dissipation is significantly reduced, and the innovative planar and thermally adept VIA package enables multiple cooling strategies for enhanced thermal performance. Modules can also be easily paralleled for increased power or stacked for increased output voltage.

Learn more about the Vicor DCM5614: 6

www.vicorpower.com/all-products/milcots/dc-dc/mil-cots-dcm/dcm5614-sample-

qualification.html Vicor Corporation | www.vicorpower.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

Ultra-tiny MOSFETs from Nexperia are 36% smaller with lowest RDS(on) Nexperia, the expert in essential semiconductors, has launched a range of MOSFETs in the ultra-small DFN0606 package for mobile and portable applications including wearables. The devices also offer the lowest RDS(on) for their size and employ the commonly used pitch of 0.35 mm to simplify PCB assembly processes.

With a footprint of just 0.62 × 0.62 mm, the PMH family of DFN0606-packaged MOSFETs delivers a space-saving of over 36% when compared to previous-generation DFN1006 parts. Due to advanced process technology, the new devices offer the lowest RDS(on) in market, with more than 60% reduction compared to competi-

tor devices, excellent ESD performance, and VGS low voltage threshold down to 0.7 V, a vital parameter for portable applications with low drive voltage.

Sandy Wang, Nexperia’s product manager commented: “The latest generation of wearables continues to push boundaries in consumer technology. The evolution of smartphones, smart-watches, fitness trackers and other innovations requires miniaturized MOSFETs that provide leading performance and efficiency for an ever-growing list of complex functions. Nexperia has a high-volume production capacity for these devices and the manufacturing footprint to upscale for the most demanding of markets."

Nine PMH devices in the new DFN0606 package are available now. More information including product specs and datasheets is available at https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/ dfn0606-mosfets-efficiency-in-the-smallestpackages.html Nexperia | www.nexperia.com

Power Integrations’ GaN technology increases output power of high-efficiency display PSUs to 75 W Power Integrations, the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced that its InnoSwitch™3-MX isolated switcher IC family has been expanded with the addition of three new PowiGaN™ devices. As part of a chipset with Power Integrations’ InnoMux™ controller IC, the new switcher ICs now support display and appliance power supply applications with a continuous output power of up to 75 W without a heatsink.

The InnoMux chipset employs a unique single-stage power architecture that reduces losses in display applications by 50% when compared to conventional designs, increasing overall efficiency to 91% in constant-voltage and constant-current LED backlight driver designs.

Additionally, by eliminating the need for post regulation (i.e. buck and boost) stages, TV and monitor designers can halve component count, improving reliability and reducing manufacturing cost. With a high breakdown voltage of 750 V, the PowiGaN InnoSwitch3-MX parts are also extremely robust and highly-resistant to the line surges and swells commonly-seen in regions with unstable mains voltages.

InnoSwitch3-MX flyback switcher ICs comwww.international.electronica-azi.ro

bine the primary switch, the primary-side controller, a secondary-side synchronous rectification controller, and PI’s innovative FluxLink™ high-speed communications link.

The InnoSwitch3-MX receives control instructions from its chipset partner InnoMux IC, which independently measures the load requirements of each output and directs the switcher IC to deliver the right amount of power to each output, maintaining accurate

regulation of current or voltage.

Samples of the INN3478C, INN3479C, INN3470C InnoSwitch3-MX ICs are available now with prices starting at $2.52, $3.14 and $3.71 respectively in 10,000-piece quantities. Technical support for the chipset is available from the Power Integrations website at: https://ac-dc.power.com/products/innomux-family Power Integrations | www.power.com

7

LEDs

Precisely Control LED Luminance Using a Current Output DAC and TIA The light emitting diode (LED) is popular because of its physical robustness, long lifetime, efficiency, fast switching capability, and small size.

LEDs emit more lumens per watt than incandescent light bulbs, and their efficiency is unaffected by their size and shape. Yet, despite their widespread use and technology support, it’s still a challenge to precisely control an LED’s luminance. The reasons are many and have to do with the physics of each LED wavelength, but precise luminance control can still be accomplished using the right components and design approach.

This article briefly discusses the issues associated with achieving consistent LED luminance. It then shows how a programmable, 14-bit current output digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an op amp, and a precision analog microcontroller can be used together for precision LED luminance control. Components from Analog Devices will be used by way of example.

Author: Rich Miron Contributed by Digi-Key's North American Editors

8

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Control LED Luminance

LED ARRAYS/APPLICATIONS An LED semiconductor is a light source that emits light with current flow from its anode to cathode. The semiconductor electrons recombine with electron holes and release energy in the form of photons. The required energy for electrons to cross the bandgap of the semiconductor determines the color of the LED light.

The LED’s electrical behavior operates similar to a standard diode. As with a standard diode, it is important not to overdrive the device in its forward bias mode. An overdriven diode overheats and in the worst case, will become an open circuit. When the LED is forward biased, a current flows through the device, creating light and a voltage drop from anode to cathode (Figure 1).

same forward voltage specifications, and therefore, the same color LED (see Figure 1 again). Even in this configuration, the LEDs will not share current evenly due to the manufacturing tolerance in their forward voltage. For this parallel configuration, one or more of the LEDs probably becomes a current hog. The brightness of the LEDs differs because of differing forward current/luminance intensity - a factor that can render inconsistent LED displays.

For instance, if there are ten red LEDs (forward voltage ~1.9 volts) in this series with 20mA through a 330Ω resistor, the system voltage supply (VLED) is ~25.6 volts. In this configuration a faulty or open LED causes the entire string to fail.

The LED combination of parallel and series (C) provides the best of both worlds. In this configuration, there are fewer LEDs in the series string. This reduces the value of VLED. Also, there are fewer LEDs in parallel which

Figure 2: The three LED driving configurations are parallel (A), series (B), and a combination of parallel and series (C).

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics) Figure 1: Using a forward current of 20 milliamps (mA), the various colors of LEDs are shown to have different forward voltages.

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics)

In Figure 1, an LED’s forward voltage varies with color (R = red; O = orange; G = green; Y = yellow; B = blue; W = white). Typically, the LED is excited with a 20 mA source to measure and specify its forward voltage value. It is tempting to drive LEDs with a voltage source, but it is hard to control a voltage source precisely, which can run the risk of overdriving the device, causing overheating and premature failure.

PARALLEL VERSUS SERIES LED CONFIGURATIONS The three most popular LED configurations are parallel, series, or a combination of each, but in most cases it’s recommended that LEDs be driven with a voltage source and resistor to control the current magnitude (Figure 2).

Parallel strings of LEDs (A) must all have the www.international.electronica-azi.ro

In the parallel configuration (A), the RLED value depends on a predetermined supply voltage (VLED), the nominal forward voltage of the LEDs, and the number of parallel LEDs, each consuming approximately 20 mA. For example, RLED equals 10 Ω, with ten parallel white LEDs (forward voltage ~3.0 volts @ 20 mA) and VLED of 5 volts. The value of 10 Ω for RLED is calculated using Equation 1:

Where VLED = supply voltage, per Figure 2 N = # of LEDs = 10 I1 = 20 mA (Note: ILED = I1*N) RLED = LED bias resistor VX = nominal LED 20 mA voltage drop In the series configuration (B), each LED receives the same amount of current with differing forward voltages. It is possible to have multiple colored LEDs in this series configuration. In this formation, the supply voltage is equal to the sum of each nominal LED voltage, plus the voltage drop across the resistor, RLED.

reduces the likelihood of current hogs. As an added benefit, this configuration means a programmable current output DAC can be used as an economical excitation source, in lieu of the traditional static voltage source.

PROGRAMMABLE LED CONTROL OPTIONS In Figure 2, the LED driving mechanism for the parallel (A), series (B), and combination series/parallel (C) configurations has a series resistor, RLED, and a voltage source, VLED. In these three configurations, the lowering of the forward current – meaning a reduction in VLED or an increase in RLED – will dim the LEDs. A voltage output DAC can provide the programmable voltages for VLED; however, the required high currents may present a problem. A voltage output DAC is often not able to supply the high current required for the LEDs, so it is often the case that a power amp (op amp) is required.

A manual potentiometer, or better yet, a digital potentiometer, can replace RLED with some power dissipation constraints, such as how to handle the high current as the potentiometer approaches zero ohms.

9

LEDs

To avoid the problems and complexity associated with voltage output DACs and potentiometers, the most elegant design approach is to instead use a current output DAC. A current output DAC offers programmable current to the LED. The critical specifications for this DAC are the capability to provide 20 mA per LED and a high degree of resolution of that current. The current programmability can be used to tune in the desired luminance with the assistance of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) (Figure 3).

The microcontroller: • Drives the 14-bit DAC output current values • Receives the output voltage of the TIA into an onboard 14-bit analog-to-digital (ADC) converter • Performs the necessary computations to control the luminance The programmable DAC provides accurate output currents for the LEDs, while the op amp, configured as a TIA, receives the analog LED luminance magnitude through

Figure 3: A programmable output current DAC renders direct forward LED current control, and a TIA provides the luminance level control.

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics) In Figure 3, the two LEDs seek their forward voltage level with their 20mA excitation current. To finish the LED system in Figure 3, a photodiode (PD) on the front end of a TIA senses the LED luminance. For this system, the amplifier requirements are low input bias currents to avoid competition with the photodiode current (IPD) and low input offset voltage to keep the drop across the PD to a minimum.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROGRAMMABLE LUMINANCE LED CONTROLLER The implementation of a programmable luminance LED controller system requires a precision analog microcontroller, such as the ADuCM320BBCZ from Analog Devices, as well as an AD5770RBCBZ-RL7 current output DAC, and an ADA4625-1ARDZ-R7 op amp, both also from Analog Devices.

the photodiode. The TIA then sends an output voltage (VOUT) to the microcontroller’s ADC input (Figure 4).

The magnitude of the current is under system control with a TIA in the feedback loop. The ADA4625-1 op-amp has a 15pA input bias current (per the datasheet) and a 15μV offset voltage, providing a wide TIA dynamic range. This dynamic range provides a high degree of luminance flexibility to change the LED from a maximum intensity down to a completely dark state.

The system designer determines the variation and range of the LED’s luminance. For instance, a 14-bit DAC provides 214 or 16,384 divisions. For this DAC with a fullscale output of 100 mA, the least significant bit (LSB) size is 6.1 microamps (μA), per the equation:

Figure 4: This precision system provides programmable currents to the LEDs to control luminance.

(Image source: Digi-Key Electronics, generated using Analog Devices’ Photodiode Circuit Design Wizard online software)

10

Where: IDACxLSB = the current LSB size of the × channel IDACMAX = the rated maximum channel current N = number of DAC bits With a supply voltage of 5.0 volts, the sixchannel AD5770R drives the two series LEDs with a nominal current of 20 mA. In this circuit, the LED voltages seek their own forward voltage level.

In the circuit shown in Figure 4, the maximum output current of each output port (IDAC0-IDAC5) can be adjusted down to 50% of the nominal value. This flexibility allows the designer to better match the LED excitation currents. This action also lessens the LSB current magnitude.

In Figure 4 again, the maximum IDAC2 current is 55mA, and the maximum IDAC5 current is 45mA (per the datasheet). If the LEDs in the IDAC2 string are red LEDs, the nominal voltage at the IDAC2 pin is 1.9 volts × 2, or 3.8 volts, and the DAC’s LSB size is 3.4 mA. To further improve the system accuracy, the designer can replace the DAC’s on-chip reference generator with an external reference or an added precision resistor. Finally, the AD5770R has a multiplexed on-chip diagnostic function that allows the designer to monitor output compliance voltages, output currents, and the internal die temperature, all with an external ADC. The AD5770R current output DAC drives the strings of two LEDs with a low-noise controlled, programmable current source with an IDAC2 and IDAC5 output noise spectral density of 19 nA/√Hz and 6 nA/√Hz, respectively.

CONCLUSION With their physical robustness, long lifetime, low energy consumption, fast switching, and small size, LEDs have many advantages over other lighting technologies.

However, despite the extensive use of LEDs, it is still challenging to precisely and effectively control their output luminance.

As shown, precision LED luminance control can be achieved using an ADuCM320BBCZ precision microcontroller, an AD5770 14bit, programmable, high-accuracy current output DAC, and an ADA4625-1 JFET op amp in a TIA configuration. This combination can help designers meet precision LED luminance requirements with full diagnostic capability to monitor all LED driver currents, as well as provide dimming control.

Digi-Key Electronics www.digikey.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

Secured connectivity and blockchain technology for data-driven supply chains Industrial supply chain solutions like digital twins, usage-based pricing models, product warranties or licensing solutions increasingly require reliable and auditable sensor and process data. Yet security is paramount, especially when data is transferred from one company or organization to another.

Tributech Solutions GmbH takes cross-company data sharing to a new level. To provide an advanced, tamper-resistant data security layer, the Austrian technology company relies on the OPTIGA™ Trust M security solution from Infineon Technologies AG. Tributech’s DataSpace Agent combines hardware-based security and blockchain technology to securely share and track sensor and process data. Different options for the integration and a very low footprint in terms of memory- and computationresources allow the integration of the DataSpace Agent at nearly every type of data source, from sensors with low level microcontrollers to powerful edge devices.

Inside Tributech’s DataSpace Agent, Infineon’s OPTIGA Trust M single-chip solution acts as a highly secured vault for sensitive authentication and cryptographic keys.

In addition, the OPTIGA Trust M also provides the cryptographic hashing and signing operations to enable the auditability of sen-

sor data by a hardware based root-of-trust.

So far, most companies have focused on data generation within their companies.

However, by sharing data across companies, they can unlock additional value and accelerate innovation. Such additional insights allow to increase process automation across the supply chain, to optimize quality and to create new business models and data services.

To provide an auditable quality level for verifying shared data whether used for decision-making, documentation, triggering payments or as an underlying basis for legal

agreements, Tributech uses blockchain technology. The blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that records the so-called hashes for verifying origin and integrity of data and related transactions efficiently. As each block is linked by cryptography to the previous block and contains a timestamp as well as transaction data, all required information for verifying shared data is stored in a verifiable and tamper-resistant way.

Further information: www.tributech.io Infineon Technologies AG www.infineon.com

PLS' Universal Debug Engine now also supports SAFERTOS PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme has expanded its Universal Debug Engine® UDE with a comprehensive add-on for the SAFERTOS® real-time operating system. UDE now offers additional and very helpful functions for software development of real-time and safety-critical applications using the SAFERTOS real-time operating system.

SAFERTOS is available pre-certified by TÜV SÜD to ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL 3. A key advantage for customers is the upgrade path from FreeRTOS to SAFERTOS; developers can prototype using FreeRTOS and convert to SAFERTOS at the start of formal development.

The SAFERTOS Add-On from PLS provides an additional window within the UDE framework that provides a comprehensive and detailed view of the SAFERTOS resources and objects. This gives developers access to all information relevant for their development. The information shown by the SAFERTOS Support Window is divided into functional groups which typically include task information, queues, semaphores and mutexes, and timers, as www.international.electronica-azi.ro

well as information about the current configuration. By using separate tab pages the user can easily navigate between these groups. The available information shown by the SAFERTOS Support Window depends on the particular SAFERTOS con-

figuration, which is determined at compile time and does not change during run-time.

UDE collects the data via the debug interface directly from the target system.

PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme www.pls-mc.com

11

POWER

Smart Power for a Smart Industry

(Image source: Shutterstock / PaO Studio / PRBX)

Author: Patrick Le Fèvre, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Powerbox

Smart factory automation is already well established in many industries, but with the progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote communication and the growing demand for shorter customer lead times, it is predicted to explode in coming years.

Because power supplies are a core component within any electronics application, the power industry often has to develop power solutions years before certain applications reach the market. This is a big challenge and to be able to achieve that and to support customers, power designers not only have to work closely with system and equipment manufacturers, but equally and ongoing, perform business trends analysis to define what power solutions will be required in the coming years in the industrial, medical and other industry sectors.

12

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

DESIGN SOLUTIONS Âť Smart power supplies

With a lot of uncertainty in the global economy, trade wars, BREXIT, a lack of qualified operators, 99.99% quality requirements and many others, the transformation of the industrial landscape from conventional to smart is accelerating. In a study published by the Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute, they estimate that within the next five years smart factories could add as much as 1.5 trillion USD to the overall industry. This is really significant and if only a portion of that amount is represented by power supplies it is not a negligible growth.

However, that will require a lot of technical innovation from power supplies manufacturers to meet customers’ expectations.

At a time when some are talking about Industry 5.0 that will focus on the co-operation between man and machine, Industry 4.0

geons in complex operations, some even being performed by remote control miles away from the surgery theater. The surgical robotic segment alone is expected to grow from USD 3.9 billion in 2018 to USD 6.5 billion by 2023, which is only a fraction of the 600,000 robotic units projected in 2023.

ing information data to the next work station to continue charging and testing without disruption. All power supplies are communicating via radio transmission, making it possible for car manufacturers to physically move charging equipment to accommodate ever changing production needs.

SMART POWER TO SMALL AND MEDIUM ROBOTS Powerbox (PRBX) and its parent company COSEL are developing power solutions for demanding industries and in both industrial and medical segments we see a strong demand from systems designers for a new generation of power supplies with lots of built-in functionalities, requests for higher flexibility levels in configuration, and more communication interfaces.

Another interesting area is the new generation of small and medium size robots deployed in various industries and the medical sector. The level of integration is impressive, requiring power supplies manufacturers to integrate more features such as IGBT gate drivers with high isolation in addition to normal power channels, without mentioning the flexibility required by designers in terms of output voltage combinations (figure 1).

Figure 1: This precision system provides programmable currents to the LEDs to control luminance. is still at an early stage, though the growing numbers of applications is truly impressive. A lot has been written about Industry 4.0 and intelligent power solutions but since 2015 we have seen other segments such as medical moving forwards to smarter levels of automation and a growing number of robotics requiring power supplies meeting both industrial and medical safety approvals.

Small and medium size robotic equipment is becoming more common place across all industries and if we are used to the impressive robots operating in the car or heavy industries, there is a myriad of smaller robots accomplishing complex tasks, assisting people to improve life (e.g. home healthcare robotics helping disabled people in daily tasks) and even helping surwww.international.electronica-azi.ro

The industrial and medical segments are influenced, at one point or another, by the Internet of Things (IoT), and for connected devices from a few watts to multi-kilowatts, communication is becoming very important.

We are used to CAN Bus or PMBus but in the smart industry, power supplies will become an active part of the machine-to-machine architecture embedding radio communication and using much faster Bus communication that what is currently in practice.

For many it might seem like science fiction but already today, power systems used within the car industry are able to control and test Lithium-ion battery charging during the car assembly process, operating as an autonomous equipment transferring charg-

ADDING CHALLENGES TO CHALLENGES Because small and medium size robots are used differently in various industries, robotics equipment manufacturers often require power supplies to comply/certify with industrial standards such as EN624771 (OVC III) making it possible to connect the equipment directly to the distribution panel, but also with the new EN62368-1 which was originally created for audio, video and ICT equipment, without forgetting medical standards such as IEC 60601-1 and collateral.

Additionally, power designers have to consider a large raft of safety and operational standards, adding yet another level of complexity to an already challenging environment.

13

POWER

Smart industry also means a smart way of organizing factories, with site developers optimizing factory and workshop layouts to increase flexibility and efficiency. Examples include minimizing the main power cabling to equipment, and exchanging Ethernet and other data transmission cabling for ruggedized and secure RF communications.

Industrial RF communications networks will develop to facilitate machine-to-machine communications and although power supplies might not need built-in RF transmission capability, they will need a higher level of interaction with their surroundings compared to now, and as it has been in the car industry, it could become a must for certain applications.

demand for shorter customer lead times, it is predicted to explode in coming years.

Similarly, the growth of automated parcelhubs is expected to rise spectacularly. The rapid development of e-commerce has contributed to the creation of highly automated hubs with conveyers, sorting switches and many other equipment requiring efficient and intelligent power solutions able to work in demanding environments.

Parcel hub-designers and hub-operators are facing multiple challenges in having to deal with a large variety and types of equipment. The new generation of parcel hubs are built on a very sophisticated architecture. Instead of having (say) a 100-meter long conveyer belt, the new lines are com-

Though to simplify installation, reduce unbalanced phase loading and for better optimization of energy from the grid, parcel hub designers now require that all power supplies for DC motors have a three-phase input, and for whatever the power level.

Also, considering energy saving and reducing peak-loads, hub designers require power supplies to include peak energy control and energy storage, thus able to store energy when motors are decelerating or stopping, but also to deliver high energy levels when DC motors are activated. This is usually achieved by capacitors or supercapacitor banks partly controlled by the microprocessor in charge of the power supply energy management (Figure 2).

Figure 2: PRBX ENI250A24 designed for high speed e-commerce hubs conveyers with microprocessor controller and energy recycling.

RF communication is an interesting research area for power designers to explore, and similarly, how power supplies will follow the machine-to-machine evolution.

SMART POWER TO SMART FACTORY AUTOMATION Smart factory automation is already well established in many industries, but with the progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote communication and the growing

posed of shorter individual segments five to ten meters long, and turned on and off on demand when a parcel is transported from point A to point B. Each segment is powered by a DC motor requiring the use of an advanced power supply able to not only deliver power but also to meet the complex requirements inherent to the modern parcel hub environment.

Traditionally, below 1000W, DC motors are powered by a single-phase AC/DC power supply.

THE SMART POWER REVOLUTION IS COMING Those two examples illustrate the changes in demand from systems designers, the levels of innovation required, and the challenges that power supplies manufacturers will face.

This is a really exciting time for power designers, not just to think out of the box, but to add more to the box.

Powerbox | www.prbx.com

References: POWERBOX (PRBX): https://www.prbx.com COSEL: https://en.cosel.co.jp Capgemini: How can manufacturers realize the potential of digital industrial revolution https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/resources/smart-factories-how-can-manufacturers-realise-the-potential-of-digital-industrial/ Editor note: Article reproduced with courtesy of Power Electronics News and Powerbox (PRBX) - URL: Power Electronics News https://www.powerelectronicsnews.com 14

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

Now at Mouser: Microchip Hello FPGA Kit Simplifies FPGA Development for AI and Image Processing Applications Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorised global distributor with the newest semiconductors and electronic components, is now stocking the Hello FPGA Kit from Microchip. The kit is an entry-level platform developed for end users with low to medium experience with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The Hello FPGA Kit supports artificial intelligence (AI) and digital signal processing prototypes and includes a power monitor GUI that allows developers to measure FPGA core power consumption while running designs.

The Microchip Hello FPGA Kit, available from Mouser Electronics, includes the FPGA mainboard, a camera sensor board, LCD board, and required USB cable. The FPGA mainboard is based on the SmartFusion®2 system-on-chip (SoC) FPGA. The lowpower SmartFusion2 device combines FPGA fabric with a 166-MHz Arm® Cortex®M3 microcontroller subsystem that includes 256 Kbytes of embedded flash, extensive peripherals, instruction cache, and Embedded Trace Macrocell.

The FPGA mainboard also includes a Microchip PIC32MX7 microcontroller – which controls the SmartFusion2 SoC, monitors power, and more – as well as Arduino

and Mikroe mikroBUS connectors to offer flexibility for prototyping and expansion.

The kit can work as a standalone unit as well as an extension to existing Microchip kits over the PICkit™ Header.

To learn more, visit https://eu.mouser.com/ new/microchip/microchip-m2s-hello-fpga-kit/.

To watch a video about the Microchip Hello FPGA Kit, go to https://eu.mouser.com/new/ microchip/microchip-m2s-hello-fpga-kit/.

As an authorised distributor, Mouser Electronics

is focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies, giving customers an edge and helping speed time to market. Over 800 semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers count on Mouser to help them introduce their products into the global marketplace. Mouser's customers can expect 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each manufacturer.

Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

Mouser Electronics Now Stocking Laird Connectivity Sentrius IG60-BL654 Starter Kit with Three Bluetooth 5 Sensors Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the Sentrius™ IG60-BL654 and BT510 Starter Kit from Laird Connectivity. Including the latest wireless IoT gateway offering in Laird Connectivity’s growing family of IoT devices, the kit securely and reliably connects Bluetooth®-enabled sensors to the cloud, providing everything needed to start a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) proof-of-concept – with temperature sensing, vibration sensing, proximity, and door open/close reporting – in minutes.

The Laird Connectivity Sentrius IG60-BL654 and BT510 Starter Kit, available from Mouser Electronics, includes the Sentrius IG60-BL654 gateway with Amazon Web Services (AWS), plus three BT510 Bluetooth 5 sensors. Engineers can gather data from the BT510 sensors and collect the data with the IG60-BL654 gateway before sending it to the cloud via AWS IoT Greengrass, while available iOS and Android mobile apps enable fast, in-field provisioning.

Based on Laird Connectivity’s 60 Series syswww.international.electronica-azi.ro

tem-on-module (SoM) and BL654 embedded Bluetooth module with Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 system-on-chip (SoC), the IG60-BL654 provides a powerful platform for Bluetooth 5 long-range sensorto-cloud applications. The combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi allows customers to capture data from Bluetooth 5 sensors, add edge intelligence, and send that data to the cloud over high-performance 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The Sentrius BT510 is a multi-sensor platform

that combines temperature, open/ closed, motion, and impact sensing with Bluetooth 5 capabilities such as long-range (Coded PHY), security, and Bluetooth Low Energy beaconing. The module integrates the field-proven long-range Laird Connectivity BL654 Series module with the Nordic nRF52840 SoC, which delivers advanced processing capability, enabling feature-rich application development with 1 Mbyte of flash memory.

Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

15

Dual Core Solutions for Advanced Digital Signal Controller Applications

By Markus Wimmer, Business Development Manager.

16-bit microcontroller business unit Microchip Technology

Embedded applications that need high digital signal processing (DSP) performance are not just demanding an increase in performance to accommodate increasingly complex mathematical algorithms but the addition of communications, functional safety and management features. This combination of factors is leading to changes in the way processing power is deployed in high-integration microcontrollers and digital signal controllers.

A representative example is advanced power-supply design. Today’s implementations do not only call for precise, efficient control of energy conversion through mathematical algorithms and real-time pulse width modulation (PWM) control.

They also require connectivity to relay real-time operational status and receive commands from a system-level management unit using protocols such as PMBus. Similarly, in an automotive fan or pump controller, communication through a protocol such as Controller Area Network Flexible Datarate (CAN-FD) is needed for commands, system monitoring and diag16

nostics reporting. An air conditioning unit may have even more complex requirements, with separate DSP-oriented tasks to support power-factor correction in its mains power supply as well as closed-loop motor control in fan and pump units.

In principle, a single high-speed CPU core can, through time-slicing, run many independent threads to handle both low-latency real-time control tasks along with networking and system management tasks.

However, a core that is designed to achieve such high performance in any given process technology may be suboptimal in terms of power consumption and complexity.

A further issue for any real-time application running on a single core is how easily threads and interrupt handlers will meet their respective deadlines. With any resource-sharing implementation, a concern is the length of time that a given thread will be blocked from running by an unrelated process or interrupt handler. To guarantee that a thread will meet its deadlines under all conditions where threads have no interdependencies, conservative algorithms used to calculate the amount of headroom required will call for leaving a relatively significant portion of processing cycles unallocated.

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

DESIGN SOLUTIONS Âť Digital Signal Controller

There is also the overhead of frequent task switching that needs to be considered and its impact on processing throughput. With a large number of interrupting events to a single core, the overhead of interrupt handling and the associated task switching can be significant.

One option is to build more headroom for performance through even higher clock speeds. In practice, it can make much more sense to divide the application across more than one processor core. For any multitasking application that is not primarily dependent on the throughput of a single thread, using parallelism often leads to greater energy efficiency, greater determinism and easier development.

In some applications the closely coupled nature of tasks that handle related data feeds still favour a single pipeline. But when different functions are being executed in a high-performance embedded application, using more than one core makes more sense as the various functions are relatively loosely coupled.

ensures that the motor’s commutation is precise and deterministic.

There is a further benefit to split processing in terms of project development time.

However, it is important that the two cores are homogeneous to take advantage of this. One traditional option for multiprocessing was to divide the workload according to processor type.

For example, in a power supply where the closed-loop control is implemented in firmware, the performance is predominately determined by the time it takes to convert an analog sample to digital, calculate a new duty cycle from that data, and then update the PWM. With a multi-core controller, it is possible to ensure this latency-critical function is not impeded by other system activi-

Signal-processing code would be dedicated to run on a pipeline optimised for multiply-accumulate options but with little ability to run control code efficiently while a general-purpose processor took care of branch-intensive routines. In practice, in many real-time applications, this is a difficult architecture to work with.

ties by running it on a core that has no other priority tasks to perform. In parallel with the time-critical control loop calculations, another CPU core can be tasked with other responsibilities such as PMBus communications and system monitoring functions.

Similarly, in a motor control application, splitting the control loop processing and the CAN interface stack across different cores

The signal-processing operations often depend on external conditions that may change rapidly. The interprocessor communications needed to synchronise states across the different cores can be complex to implement because they impose tighter timing synchronisation requirements than messages used to relay commands and status updates to a network interface.

Figure 1

A dual-core implementation can share the workload of a multitasking system more effectively. It can also result in being able to use lower core clock frequencies which can be a better match for flash memory, reducing or eliminating the number of stall cycles (wait states) during which the processor has to wait for instructions or data to return from a fetch request. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

17

EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS

Unified digital signal controller architectures such as Microchip’s dsPIC33 overcame the synchronisation problems by bringing the two types of execution behaviour together into a single architecture.

Such a pipeline can stream multiply-accumulate and matrix operations at high speeds but offers fast branching capability and high responsiveness to interrupts so that parameters and algorithms can adapt to changing conditions on the fly. This eases the software implementation of complex signal-processing algorithms.

uted across two processors, the engineers with the most knowledge about the relative priorities of the threads their part of the application uses are responsible for setting those priorities.

Split processing also allows for easier management and allocation of data memory and can be sure that make files and linker settings they have created and debugged during their project remain in place in the final software package. This reduces the overhead on the software-integration team and reduces time to market.

However, pressure on design times means customers face challenges of code integration no matter which architecture they choose.

The combination of communication and control functionality in many applications is often split between development teams, each of which is a specialist in their area.

Although split processing already helps optimise both development effort and processing throughput, Microchip continues to make architectural improvements to help increase performance as well. An example in the dual-core dsPIC33CH is the deployment of an increased number of context-selected registers to boost interrupt responsiveness. Also implemented in the new dsPIC33CH core are additional instructions to increase DSP performance.

A key issue with integrating the code from two or more teams is determining how scheduling and task prioritization will work

intelligent peripherals and a peripheral trigger generator help reduce the number of interrupts a core is subject to in a powersupply or motor control application. For example, the UARTs provide hardware support for LIN/J2602, IrDA®, DMX and smart card protocol extensions to reduce software overhead. Likewise, the CAN-FD peripheral includes a bit stream processor and programmable automatic retransmission to enable it to run more autonomously from the CPU core.

With a design focused on the development requirements of today’s engineering teams, Microchip’s dsPIC33CH is optimised for high-performance and time-critical, real-world embedded-control applications. The architecture provides the support customers require to “design separately, integrate seamlessly.”

The result is an architecture that increases performance while reducing time to market and system size and cost.

Figure 2 between them. Seemingly small decisions such as the priority of individual tasks can have a major impact on the overall realtime behaviour of the application.

A poor decision will mean vital tasks will be locked out of access to the processor for longer periods than is desirable for good performance. By having the task sets distrib18

As a Digital Signal Controller (DSC), the dsPIC33CH includes a number of advanced peripherals to reduce system costs and board size. They include highspeed ADCs, DACs with waveform generation, analogue comparators, analogue programmable gain amplifiers and high-resolution PWM generators with resolution down to 250ps. Advanced features such as more

Microchip Technology www.microchip.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

TE Connectivity adds to its thermal transfer printer range with T2212 entry-level model TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has just launched a new robust entry-level thermal transfer printer. The new T2212 printer is easy to operate and, with its small footprint, it can be installed in either an office or industrial environment. The printer produces a highquality print on a range of our printable tubing, tags and label products.

Continuous Tube product will require an external reel holder. Optimal printing results on TE identification products can be achieved by using the T2212 printer in conjunction with the recommended ribbon and WINTOTAL software.

The new T2212 model features an upgraded CPU and firmware, making it more powerful compared to the T200IDENT printer. It has a full-color touch screen that uses intuitive icon-based setting adjustments. Its memory is pre-loaded with “help” videos that can reduce the need to consult manuals or call technical support. The printer is equipped with USB and Ethernet ports as well as an RS-232 serial interface and slot for a flash card, enabling the printer to be connected to all sorts of sources for direct printing. WiFi

printing is also possible with the addition of a WiFi dongle, which is available as an accessory. Further printer accessory information, including external reel holders, can be found at TE.com within the Identification & Labelling section.

The T2212 printer is also available with WINTOTAL v7 software, which supports high quality printing applications. WINTOTAL is a label/marker design package that makes printing simple. Running in the familiar Windows environment, WINTOTAL has over 2,500 standard TE identification products pre-installed. This makes the creation and printing of identification products a quick and simple task.

TE Connectivity | www.te.com

Hirschmann Automation and Control Joins Single Pair Ethernet Industrial Partner Network Belden Inc. announces that its Hirschmann brand has joined the Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) Industrial Partner Network.

Hirschmann is the technology and market leader in industrial networking, and its research and engineering programs in support of SPE continue to further the field around the world. The SPE Industrial Partner Network’s members stand for a strong partnership of technology leaders who are committed to the T1 Industrial interface defined by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25/WG 3 and TIA TR-42 in 2018 according to IEC 63171-6 as a uniform media dependent interface (MDI). Single Pair Ethernet is a critical component to Industry 4.0 transformations. It will allow for sophisticated networks to span across networks of industrial machinery and to go down to the sensor and actuator level. This enables data transmission from sensors to the cloud, enabling operational and manufacturing analytics applications and value-add services.

Belden recognized very early on that the www.international.electronica-azi.ro

world’s industrial automation technology ecosystem had a unique opportunity to take the next step when a wide spectrum of standardization and specification bodies converged on SPE. PROFINET International (PI), ODVA, and the FieldComm Group had agreed upon an advanced physical layer (APL) specification, and these were worked on further in various IEEE and ISO/IEC working groups and task forces globally.

At the same time, the engineers working on these programs were able to leverage the prior work that their peers in Single Pair Ethernet for automotive in-car networks had accomplished before. This also included power-over-data line (PoDL) functionality, all still in scope of the single-copperwire-pair engineering envelope.

Belden | www.belden.com

19

PRODUCT NEWS

Rutronik Is a Member of the 5G Alliance 5G is the communication standard of the future. Rutronik has already been supplying its customers with the first 5G modules since 2019. In the future, the distributor will work with the companies that are members of the 5G Alliance, which will allow it to offer more complex system solutions.

Around 15 years ago, Rutronik founded

the Wireless Competence Center and has already been involved in the development of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, including narrowband IoT, M1, and in some cases competing technologies like LoRa and Sigfox. Through its collaboration with the 5G Alliance, the company will be able to significantly expand its services for customers in the future.

Bernd Hantsche, Director Product Marketing Embedded&Wireless at Rutronik, explains: “I am pleased that with the 5G Alliance, we now have a central point of contact for interested parties. This means that we can use the network of member companies to create more complex system solutions for our Bernd Hantsche

customers, which may even go beyond our existing range. Setting up a complete 5G campus network on large industrial sites is much more difficult than simply hanging wide-area Wi-Fi equipment in the corners of a building.”

A Powerful Partnership Markus Bau, Director Digital and Content Marketing at TEMA, founding company of the 5G Alliance, takes an equally positive view of the new partnership: “We are pleased to have Rutronik, a global distributor of electronic components, on board. The company’s range of 5G modules, antennas, SIM cards, the IoT device management platform, the new SmartData Analytics range, and its Embedded Computing portfolio allow interested companies to build 5G devices as well as components deployed on the infrastructure side.”

Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

u-blox IoT chipset certified by AT&T for LTE-M u-blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies, has completed AT&T’s chipset verification process for the UBX-R5 multi-band Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) chipset platform to operate on the carrier’s LTE-M network for the Internet of Things. The chipset features end-to-end device security, data security, and access control management.

The u-blox UBX-R5 is a cellular chipset platform supporting LPWA LTE-M and NB-IoT technologies, optimized for long life cycle IoT applications such as smart metering, telematics, tracking, security systems, build-

ing automation, as well as smart lighting solutions and connected health. It implements key features of 3GPP Release 14, answering the need for longevity in IoT solutions.

UBX-R5 also offers unmatched built-in end‑to‑end security thanks to a hardware‑based root of trust (RoT) integrated in a discrete secure element compliant with EAL5+ High common criteria certification, which makes it ideally suited to protect sensitive assets and communications. The platform also offers integrated eSIM capability, offering customers SIM activation and subscription management options.

u‑blox | www.u-blox.com/en

Rutronik: Antenna for 4G and 5G IoT Applications from PulseLarsen The Composite SMD Antenna W3415 from PulseLarsen with a frequency from 617 to 6.000MHz is perfectly suitable for 4G and innovative 5G IoT applications.

The antenna is available at www.rutronik24.com.

By combining all sub 6GHz bands (4G and 5G), the broad band antenna W3415 is ideal for devices that require a high performance compact internal 4G/5G antenna. It delivers a gain of 0 / 2,5dBi. When mounting two antennas onto the radio board, they are suitable for 2 x MiMo (multiple input / multiple output).

20

The antenna W3415 measures 40×7×3mm and is fully SMT compatible and in tape and reel packaging for automated assembly available at Rutronik. Once unpacked, it has to be assembled within 168 hours (MSL-3, Moisture Sensitivity Level 3).

For more information about PulseLarsen‘s new Antenna for 4G and 5G IoT Applications and a direct ordering option, please visit our e-commerce platform at www.rutronik24.com. www.rutronik24.com/search-result/qs: W3415 Rutronik | www.rutronik.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

Digi International introduces new routers and software to address Next-Generation IoT Connectivity and 5G applications Digi International®announced the launch of several new cellular routers and extenders, each designed to meet the present and future connectivity needs of organizations in the transportation and enterprise marketplaces: the Digi TX54 and Digi TX64 mark the launch of its TX line of transportation and intelligent traffic system routers, while the Digi EX12 cellular extender joins the Digi EX15 in supporting indoor, enterprise use cases, particularly in signage, retail and food service markets. Digi now has routers that include 5Ge / Gigabit LTE (Cat 18) radios, Band 71 and CBRS connectivity, 5G readiness, and are FirstNet Ready™.

Digi has created its new cellular connectivity offerings to match the shifting needs of the IoT marketplace and revamped their features to align with customer needs: whether TX for transportation, IX for industrial, or EX for enterprise, Digi has the right routers for the market’s needs. On supported Digi devices, additional flexibility is available with the Digi CORE® plug-in module: no need to replace the whole unit, just swap the Digi CORE to the LTE standard needed.

While designed for different applications, Digi’s new TX54, TX64 and EX12 are built on a strong foundation that is shared by the rest of Digi’s routers, including: • Digi Accelerated Linux (DAL), Digi’s secure

operating system for the most demanding business-critical and mission-critical applications. This release adds multicasting, expands routing protocols, and – critical for transportation applications – offers dual APN capabilities and supports dynamic DNS updates.

• Edge Compute, as each new router comes with Python built-in, allowing users to add intelligence on the device – from simple scripts to full-fledged IoT applications.

• Digi Remote Manager® for centralized device deployment, monitoring and control. With Digi Remote Manager, organizations can easily automate firmware, software and configuration updates of all units

in the field – for complete asset tracking and compliance, including security protection. Also available as an Android or iPhone mobile app.

• Digi TrustFence®, the built-in security framework, protects internal and external I/O ports to prevent unwanted local intrusion. Digi TrustFence also provides data authentication and device identity management options. Digi TrustFence utilizes the latest encryption protocols for data in motion and over-the-air (OTA) transmissions to ensure the integrity of data flowing across a network.

Digi International | www.digi.com

Pave the Way to 5G: LTE Cat. M1/NB2 Modules from Telit, available at Rutronik The LTE-M/NB2 modules ME310G1 and ME910G1 from Telit are compliant to 3GPP Release 14. Thus, they enable lowcost IoT device deployments at a scale and provide the basis for future 5G IoT applications and services.

With the introduction of 5G, many companies face the question whether it is still worth to invest in LTE IoT (eMTC/NB-IoT). As LTE will evolve seamlessly into 5G, the investment in current LTE IoT solutions is also an investment in 5G IoT (mMTC) solutions: eMTC (enhanced MTC; GPP Release 13) becomes FeMTC (Further enhanced MTC) with Release 14 and eFeMTC (even Further enhanced MTC) with Release 15.

The LTE Cat. M1 (1,4MHz) / NB2 (200kHz) combo modules ME310G1 and ME910G1 from Telit are already compliant to the 3GPP Release 14. Thus, they enable increased power saving for IoT applications using the Power Saving Mode (PSM) and extended www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Discontinous Reception (eDRX), allowing devices to wake up periodically, while delivering only the smallest amounts of data necessary before returning to sleep mode.

Maximum Coupling Loss (MCL) ensures an enhanced coverage of up to +15dB/+20dB and a superior in-building penetration compared to earlier LTE standards. The modules offer a data rate for LTE-M of up to 1 Mbps (Uplink, Downlink up to 365Kbps) and for NB-IoT of up to 160Kbps (Uplink, Downlink up to 120Kbps). With these features, the modules are ideal for a quick implementation of LTE technology where low cost and low power consumption are more important than high speed. The ME310G1 features a small size of 14.3 × 13.1 × 2.6mm (ME310G1W1), the ME910G1 module measures 28.2 × 28.2 × 2.2mm. Both modules support the OMA Lightweight M2M protocol and Overthe-Air (OTA) firmware updates. For applications with positioning or tracking func-

tions, the integrated GNSS Receiver (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo) can be used.

Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

21

Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and their Periphery

Process or control?

By Hao Wang, Product Manager Digital

OPERATING SYSTEM For extensive, computer-intensive industrial and consumer applications that are based on operating systems like Linux or Android and require numerous high-speed connections or user interfaces with a broad functional scope, a microprocessor is the best choice.

Because, instead of an operating system, most microcontrollers have only bare metal programming which runs programs almost without any human intervention thanks to 22

Every new application design requires a microcontroller or microprocessor. And when making a decision between the two, there are a few factors to consider. An overview of the microprocessor and the microcontroller, and heterogeneous architectures.

When deciding between a microprocessor (MPU) and a microcontroller (MCU), the type of application is often a critical factor.

The final selection, on the other hand, depends on criteria like the operating system and memory. However, sometimes a combination of the two makes sense, and this is referred to as a heterogeneous architecture. sequential processing loops and state machines. Many high-performing microcontrollers, however, can support a real-time operating system (RTOS) such as FreeRTOS in order to respond to processes in real time in a deterministic manner for applications that require a hard real-time behavior.

As a universal operating system with a lot of free software, extensive hardware support and a growing ecosystem, Embedded Linux has enjoyed great success. A further plus

point: There are no user or licensing fees due.

However, an application that runs with Embedded Linux requires at least 300 to 400 DMIPS (ARM-Dhrystone MIPS) which makes a microprocessor the better choice. In this application, a microcontroller does not generate enough computing power nor is it equipped with sufficient memory. If it is a complex or a time-critical control system, then an RTOS is useful, but requires a high-performance microcontroller that offers at least 50 DMIPS. Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Heterogeneous architectures

During the start, it is loaded into an external DRAM and executed here. Both the DRAM as well as the non-volatile memory can have several hundred megabytes or even gigabytes. This means microprocessors are almost never limited with regard to memory capacity. One potential disadvantage is that the design of the PCB layout can be more complex due to the external memory.

Current high-performing microcontrollers, such as the STM32H7 produced by STMicroelectronis, offer maximum 2 MB program memory which can be insufficient for many applications. Because the program lies on an On-Chip memory, its advantage is that it carries out start-up and reset processes considerably faster.

COMPUTING POWER Computing power is a classic selection criterion. However, the lines between microprocessors and microcontrollers have become fuzzy in this regard. This becomes obvious, for example, if you look at the ARM architecture as one of the most broadly distributed in the microcontroller and microprocessor market. ARM offers different processor architectures for various requirements:

This is much less than required for Embedded Linux; the traditional RTOS are designed to be lean so that they run on a microcontroller.

This makes sense when it concerns realtime computing hardware, such as an antiblocking system for vehicles where too much latency in the response can have deadly consequences. Even if a larger number of functions, interrupt sources, and standard communications interfaces have to be supported, a microcontroller with RTOS is recommended.

MEMORY Another main difference between microprocessors and microcontrollers consists normally in the fact that microprocessors rely on an external memory for saving and executing the program and not – as in the case of microcontrollers – on an embedded flash memory. In microprocessors, the program is normally stored on a non-volatile memory such as eMMC or Serial Flash, to name a few. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Cortex-A offers the highest performance of all of them and is already optimized for comprehensive operating systems. They are mainly deployed in powerful devices like smart phones or in servers.

Cortex-M are smaller with a more On-Chip periphery, however, with lower energy consumption – and thereby optimized for embedded applications.

Dhrystone is used as a benchmark to compare the performance of different processors. Based on this benchmark, the difference between a typical inexpensive microcontroller with 30 DMIPS and a microcontroller with the highest currently available performance, including an embedded program flash memory, is 1027 DMIPS. In contrast, microprocessors do not start until almost 1000 DMIPS. ENERGY CONSUMPTION Microcontrollers score high when it comes to energy consumption, which is quite a bit lower than that of microprocessors.

Although microprocessors have an energysavings mode, their consumption is nevertheless considerably higher than that of a typical microcontroller. Moreover, the external memory makes it harder to switch the microprocessor to an energy-saving mode.

For ultra-low power applications in which a long battery run-time is critical and which have only a little-used or no user interface, the microcontrollers are the better choice, particularly for consumer electronics or smart meters.

CONNECTIVITY The majority of the microcontrollers and microprocessors come equipped with all the conventional peripheral interfaces.

However, if ultra-fast peripheral devices are required, then users will not find the relevant interfaces, such as the Gigabit Ethernet, in microcontrollers. However, they have become practically a standard feature in microprocessors. This makes complete sense because microcontrollers can barely process the data volume incurred. One key question to ask is: Are there sufficient bandwidth and channels available to handle the emerging data traffic?

REAL-TIME PERFORMANCE If it is all about real-time performance, a microcontroller is definitely the component of choice. Thanks to its processor core, the embedded flash memory, and the software (RTOS or Bare Metal OS), the microcontroller does an outstanding job meeting its real-time tasks. Because the Cortex-A microprocessors are masters at pipelining, users can expect an increasing depth of the pipeline with higher latency times during jumps and interrupts. Hard real-time is difficult to realize due to the fact that the OS multitasks with microprocessors.

SYSTEM BASE ICs A power supply is already integrated in microcontrollers, they only require one single voltage rail. Microprocessors, on the other hand, require numerous rails to supply the core and the other components.

Power is supplied, for example, by special ICs, so-called system basis chips, that only have to be configured.

HETEROGENEOUS ARCHITECTURE Nevertheless, the line between microprocessor and microcontroller is becoming visibly fuzzier. With the introduction of the STM32MP1 with one or two Cortex-A7 cores typical for a microprocessor and a Cortex-M4 core as a representative of the microcontroller class, STMicroelectronics has added to its portfolio a powerful microcontroller for performance and resource-hungry applications based on open source software.

23

This opens up the option of combining the advantages of both worlds. For example, an OpenST Linux can be run on microprocessor cores while the M4 core runs a FreeRTOS in order to meet the real-time and safety requirements, as needed in process monitoring. Due to this separation,

latency time during system start or energy consumption because the more suitable processor can be used any time.

For example, with the help of its retention RAM, the M4 can wake up in milliseconds while the A7 takes up to one second in latency time to wake up. This makes it pos-

REFERENCE DESIGN FOR THE STM32MP1 The STM32MP1 is available with the Evaluation Board (STM32MP157C-EV1) and Discovery Kit (STM32MP157C-DK2) as a reference design. Developers benefit from the support with the system design. It is based on the combination of STM32MP1 and the technologies from proven partners like Nanya. It consists of a 4-Gbit DDR3L SDRAM, a 4GB e-MMC from Kioxia (previously Toshiba) and an optimized power management IC STMPIC1 as a support chip.

CONCLUSION It is hard to say when a microprocessor or a microcontroller is the better choice, but the rule of thumb is that you should always weigh the various pros and cons against one another. The following can be used as a rough guideline: • Microcontrollers are ideal for more inexpensive and mobile applications in which energy consumption is a main concern, as well as for applications with real-time requirements.

all of the operating system features, such as HMI with touch control and network communication, can be used without going into the safety requirements of the entire application. Heterogeneous architectures also have an advantage when it comes to the 24

sible, for example, to keep the microprocessor in Stop mode while the microcontroller component performs an A/D conversion, which, when compared to the run-run configuration, saves about threequarters of the energy.

• Microprocessors are perfectly suited for intense computing applications that run with an operating system and require the high-speed interfaces. Games and other graphic-intensive applications are networked using special microprocessors.

Rutronik www.rutronik.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

PRODUCT NEWS

Mouser Electronics Signs Global Distribution Deal with Kontron, Stocks Embedded COMs with Intel Processors Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader empowering innovation, announces a global distribution agreement with Kontron, a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT)/ Embedded Computing Technology (ECT) and a Premier Member of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance. Through the agreement, Mouser offers a range of Kontron computer-on-modules (COMs), including COM Express modules based on Intel Atom® E3900 series, Pentium® processor N4200, and Celeron® processor N3350.

The highly scalable COMe-cAL6 series comprises COM Express Type 6 modules that combine state-of-the-art image processing and graphics capabilities with extensive real-time computing. The modules are available in dual-core and quadcore versions for applications, such as POS/POI systems, digital signage, gaming and medical PCs, human-machine interfaces, and industrial machinery.

The COMe-mAL10 is a series of credit card-sized COMs with up to 8 GBytes of DDR3L memory. The IoT-ready modules maximise graphics and processing performance in a robust, energy-efficient, and

standardised Type 10 COM mini form factor. The integrated Intel Gen 9 HD lowpower graphics controller provides 4K encode/decode algorithms supporting HEVC, H.264 and VP8/VP9 formats.

The SMARC-sAMX7 modules capitalise on a low-power NXP Semiconductors i.MX 7 processor, available in both single-core and dual-core configurations, to enable development of smart devices in a fanless, compact SMARC 2.0 form factor. The highly scalable

modules balance processor and graphics performance while retaining a very low energy footprint, making them ideal for IoT and Industry 4.0 applications. The modules offer up to 2 GBytes of DDR3L and 8 GBytes of eMMC, with up to two Gigabit Ethernet, three PCIe, and four USB 4.0 ports.

To learn more about the Kontron product line available from Mouser, visit www.mouser.com/manufacturer/kontron.

Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com

Cross-platform freedom: SEGGER's J-Flash now available for macOS & Linux With the v6.70 release of SEGGER’s J-Link software, all the included tools are now available on the most popular operating systems (OS) options: Windows, macOS and Linux.

While the J-Link software and its accompanying command line tools have been cross-platform for years, the applications with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have only been available on Windows.

These have now been rewritten, one at a time to give the package much wider OS compatibility.

The concept and underlying platform has been proven for a long time in applications such as SEGGER Embedded Studio, SystemView and the Ozone debugger and performance analyzer.

With this release the popular J-Flash application, which provides an easy to use interwww.international.electronica-azi.ro

“It has been a common request, especially from our customers in production environments, for JFlash to support a non-Windows OS. Linux is often considered ideal in these applications, as it mitigates the risk of cyber threats and optimize production efficiency,” says Alex Grüner, CTO at SEGGER. “I am excited to say that J-Flash is now fully cross-platform enabled, and that the process of making J-Link software available on all major OS platforms is now complete.”

face for production flash programming and automation, is finally available not only for Windows, but also for Linux and macOS.

For more on J-Link, and for a full list of the J-Link tools (i.e. Ozone, JLink GDB Server, J-Link Remote Server, J-Flash, J-Flash SPI, J-Scope, RTT Viewer, SWO Viewer, etc.), please see: www.segger.com/products/debug-probes/j-link SEGGER | www.segger.com 25

COMPANIES

Renesas Introduces RX23E-A MCU Starter Kit to Jumpstart Accurate Analog Evaluation for Industrial Automation and Measurement Equipment Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced a new Renesas Solution Starter Kit (RSSK) for developers working with the 32-bit RX23E-A microcontroller (MCU), which features one of the most highly accurate analog front ends (AFE) in the industry. The RX23E-A RSSK brings together hardware, software, and tools optimized for evaluating the MCU’s high-precision 24-bit delta-sigma (ΔΣ) A/D converter with industry-leading accuracy.

The RSSK enables users without any AFE development expertise to accurately evaluate analog characteristics to the nanovolt (nV) level, thereby reducing development workload and time-to-market.

Evaluating analog characteristics with high precision requires strong analog design and development expertise, from evaluation board design to software development. In addition, identifying and analyzing problems when the desired characteristics cannot be obtained is time-consuming, making it difficult to bring products to market in a timely manner.

Designed to optimize evaluation of the RX23E-A AFE, the new RSSK evaluation board allows users to check characteristics of the 24-bit ΔΣ A/D converter with high accuracy, regardless of analog develop-

ment expertise levels. The evaluation board is equipped with a plug-in terminal block to connect a variety of sensors without soldering, a thermocouple (temperature sensor) connector, and the reference junction compensation circuit required for thermocouple measurement applications.

By referencing thermocouple and weight measurement application software (both available for download on the Renesas website), users can immediately start their evaluation, thereby shortening the time

needed to develop IoT sensor devices.

With the kit’s graphical user interface (GUI) tool, users can enter and change settings for a variety of AFE and A/D converter parameters, as well as display graphs and histograms of A/D conversion results. This simplifies the task of evaluating characteristics matched to the user’s system. With the GUI, users can check A/D conversion results in real-time in the same manner as using an oscilloscope.

Renesas Electronics | www.renesas.com

Toyota Hirose plant honors Infineon: First non-Japanese chip manufacturer with three Honor Quality Awards in a row Infineon Technologies AG has achieved an impeccable quality record in its deliveries to Toyota's Hirose plant for the sixth consecutive year. For this, the car manufacturer has now awarded Infineon the plant's highest quality award, the Honor Quality Award, for the third time in a row. Infineon is the first non-Japanese semiconductor company to achieve this.

At the Hirose plant, Toyota manufactures electronic components for automobiles.

Infineon supplies the site with transceivers for the Controller Area Network (CAN).

These devices enable different control units in the car to exchange data.

The plant awards quality prizes to its suppliers every year: the longer the zerodefect quality record of a supplier, the higher the award. The Honor Quality Award is presented to suppliers who have delivered zero-defect quality for at least four consecutive years. This year's award is 26

Infineon's fourth Honor Quality Award and its twelfth Zero Defect Award in total from the Hirose plant since the beginning of the

cooperation more than 18 years ago.

Infineon Technologies AG www.infineon.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

COMPANIES

Sectigo and Infineon Partner to Protect IoT Devices with Automated Factory Provisioning of Certificates Sectigo, a leading provider of automated digital identity management and web security solutions, today announced a partnership with Infineon Technologies AG to provide automated certificate provisioning for Infineon’s OPTIGA™ Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 using Sectigo IoT Identity Manager. The integration provides manufacturers with a complete certificate management solution, including issuance and renewal, starting right on the factory floor, with secure certificate creation and insertion using the OPTIGA™ TPM for private key storage.

The Sectigo-Infineon joint solution enables manufacturers to provide the enhanced levels of security required to protect their devices and to ensure compliance with ever-emerging and evolving IoT security standards and regulations across the globe. For example, manufacturers are able to provision certificates into devices before they leave the factory, so that their connected IoT and IIoT products comply with the authentication requirements of the California IoT Security Law, along with other similar legislation.

Device identity certificates enable strong authentication and the TPM - a specialized chip on an endpoint device - provides secure key storage to ensure keys are protected

against attacks. The joint solution enables the insertion of certificates into the device during the manufacturing of the device, when the device is first provisioned into a network, or into the TPM chip itself before the chip is shipped to the manufacturer.

the complexity associated with securing and authenticating connected devices so that businesses can protect their infrastructure in an easy, scalable, cost-effective, way. The platform enables enterprises and OEMs to ensure the integrity and identity of their

By installing certificates into the TPM chip prior to manufacturing, manufacturers are able to track the component throughout the supply chain to protect against device counterfeiting, ensuring that only authentic devices are manufactured.

The Sectigo IoT Identity Platform removes

devices and maintain that security by managing certificates throughout the lifecycle of the device. Organizations interested in a demo of the fully integrated, automated certificate provisioning solution, please visit https://sectigo.com/about/contact.

Sectigo | www.sectigo.com

Analog Devices takes action to support customers during COVID-19 Pandemic Analog Devices, Inc., a leading global highperformance analog technology company, announced a series of actions to support the global response to the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic by expediting production of its healthcare technologies that can help fight COVID-19. These include critical measurement and control technologies that are used in medical equipment essential for diagnostics and treatment for COVID-19 patients, such as ventilators, respirators, diagnostic test systems, infusion pumps, patient monitors as well as in imaging systems, such as CT scanners and digital x-ray.

To address the increased needs of our healthcare customers, ADI is taking the following actions: • Analyzing order backlog daily to identify and prioritize customers who are manufacturers of critical medical equipment as the supply environment becomes increasingly difficult for them.

• Dedicating manufacturing lines to increase production of healthcare compowww.international.electronica-azi.ro

nents to meet the higher demand for these products from healthcare customers.

• Providing manufacturing teams with protective equipment, social distancing guidelines and clean workplace practices to ensure their health and safety.

• Working with local governments worldwide to ensure ADI’s facilities or subcontractors’ facilities remain in operation so they can continue producing this essential healthcare technology.

Analog Devices | www.analog.com

27

COMPANIES

Maxim Integrated Accelerates Production of Essential Medical Solutions for Customers During COVID-19 Pandemic Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. has accelerated the production of its medical technologies to address increased customer need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s semiconductor devices are used in medical equipment such as virus detection devices, ultrasounds, analytical/laboratory equipment, ventilators, patient remote monitoring devices, intravenous blood monitors, temperature loggers for critical COVID drugs, pulse oximeters, remote patient/IR thermometers, blood glucose meters for diabetics, anesthesia machines and disposable patches for blood pressure.

“We are committed to helping alleviate the impact of this global pandemic. In order to support efforts in fighting this disease, we are adjusting manufacturing capacity to prioritize products used in medical equipment which assists in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients,” said Tunç Doluca, President and Chief Executive Officer at Maxim Integrated. “Our products help enable a variety of medical solutions, such as those used for wearable and remote vital-sign monitoring, drug delivery, surgical equipment, as well as lung and airway imaging.”

In addition to accelerating technology production, Maxim Integrated is helping to pro-

tect the wider community. For example, it has donated N95 masks to hospitals in Portland and Silicon Valley, and is continuing to conduct fundraising to support other impacted regions. The company has personal protective equipment for front-line workers in Cavite, Philippines, and is also providing weekly contributions towards food in the region. At the company’s head-

Food Bank in which Maxim Integrated will match employee donations up to $20,000.

The company has also taken the necessary precautions as part of a comprehensive business continuity plan to help safeguard the health and safety of its employees, applying measures such as frequent disinfecting of test equipment, social distancing and remote working for most employees.

quarters, employees are participating in a giving campaign supporting Second Harvest

Maxim Integrated www.maximintegrated.com

HARTING supplies cable assemblies for medical devices Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the HARTING Technology Group has taken numerous measures to protect its employees on the one hand, while ensuring that customers continue to benefit from a reliable supply of HARTING products and solutions on the other. HARTING supplies renowned manufacturers of medical and respiratory equipment with customer-specific cable assemblies.

Working under high pressure, several German manufacturers are currently producing the devices on which patients and doctors are urgently dependent in the coronavirus pandemic. HARTING has aligned its internal processes so as to supply these medical device manufacturers as quickly as possible. For years now, HARTING has been manufacturing complete connectivity system solutions for these devices.

The current high and short-term requirements and the maintenance of the associated supply chain present major challenges for all parts of the company. At HARTING, securing the supply of the required compo28

nents takes priority over all other activities.

All manufacturing, storage and delivery functions are secured by separation in space and time as well as a multitude of hygiene measures. Where expedient and sensible, many employees are already working from their home office. In addition, HARTING started to ramp up its stock

levels weeks ago in order to be able to respond in the best possible way to any supply chain disruptions. Specially formed back-up teams serve to safeguard key areas when necessary.

A corona task force and a pandemic team coordinate all necessary measures.

HARTING | www.HARTING.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

COMPANIES

Renesas Electronics Creates Open-Source Ventilator System Reference Design to Fight COVID-19 Pandemic Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced a new opensource ventilator system reference design that customers can use to swiftly design ready-to-assemble boards for medical ventilators. Many regions are experiencing a critical shortage of ventilators as COVID19 infections continue to rise and hospital demand exceeds supply.

“Renesas’ engineers have created a ventilator system reference design to address the challenges our global community faces as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris Allexandre, Senior Vice President, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas.

“Leveraging our broad product portfolio and system design expertise, we are enabling customers to accelerate their development of medical ventilator systems capable of operating in a home or hospital environment.”

Renesas’ engineers have followed several open-source ventilator designs, including the Medtronic PB560, to come up with an easy to assemble three board ventilator design. It controls the tidal volume and mixture of gas delivered to the patient while monitoring the patient’s status. The ventilator is portable and can be used with or without gas tanks. In

addition, a humidifier can be connected to the ventilator’s intake path to soothe the patient’s breathing, making it more comfortable to be connected for long durations.

device. Each board has a microcontroller (MCU) to control its specific task while monitoring the status of the connecting board.

The ventilator solution also provides a sys-

The reference design uses 20 Renesas ICs, consisting of microcontroller (MCU), power, and analog ICs that address many of the ventilator’s signal chain electrical functions. The system design implements a sensor board, a motor control board, and features Bluetooth® connectivity that allows medical professionals to monitor several patients simultaneously via a tablet or other mobile

tem of checks and balances to enable regulatory approval and provide patient safety.

Renesas is committed to developing innovative solutions that address the challenges our customers face. Learn more about the Renesas solutions used in equipment critical for fighting the life-threatening coronavirus: www.renesas.com/about/press-center/covid-19.

Renesas Electronics | www.renesas.com

CUI Devices prioritizes efforts to support COVID-19 and medical applications CUI Devices has announced new initiatives in its support of the medical industry’s response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These initiatives include prioritizing orders and expediting free product samples to OEMs, makers, volunteers, and organizations designing medical equipment key to fighting COVID-19, such as respirators, ventilators, blood analysis machines, test equipment, patient monitors, imaging systems, and home medical equipment.

“CUI Devices recognizes the urgent need to support the critical systems and applications used in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Jeff Schnabel, President at CUI Devices. “As an organization we are committed to OEMs, individuals, and companies designing medical equipment to combat COVID-19, by allocating the necessary resources to make their projects a priority.”

In addition to streamlining its existing product sample program, CUI Devices is working closely with its manufacturing facilities and distribution partners worldwide to ensure www.international.electronica-azi.ro

ready availability of its diverse product portfolio to meet the demand. The compa-

to protect the health and safety of all team members supporting these efforts.

ny is also following proper social distancing guidelines and clean workplace practices,

CUI Devices https://www.cuidevices.com 29

COMPANIES

Task force for medical technology manufacturers Würth Elektronik ensures prioritized delivery In addition to comprehensive measures for the protection of employees and to ensure the ability to deliver, the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group has set up a task force to guarantee preferential supply to manufacturers of medical devices. As one of the largest European suppliers of electronic components, the Waldenburg based company thus wants to ensure that the production of urgently needed medical technology can be further expanded worldwide.

Würth Elektronik now prefers to supply medical technology manufacturers.

Image source: Würth Elektronik

“Some of our electronic components are important elements in medical technology, and in some cases also in intensive care medicine. Our task force is the central point of contact for medical technology manufacturers and companies currently converting their production to urgently needed devices. The task force works closely together with them, determines their component requirements, which in many cases have grown considerably, and prioritizes the corresponding deliveries”, says Oliver Konz, CEO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. “As a component manufacturer we are an important part of many supply chains. With a preferred, reliable supply we can make our contribution to cover the additional demand for medical 30

technology triggered by the corona crisis”, adds Alexander Gerfer, CTO at the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group.

In addition, the company has taken comprehensive measures to protect its employees. Wherever possible, work is done from the home office. “Extensive hygiene measures have been implemented in production, warehouse and logistics. In addition, the employees are divided according to shift times and spatial areas so that in case of illness and corresponding quarantine measures in one team, the other teams remain able to work”, explains Thomas Wild, CFO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group. In addition, groups from administration and sales are instructed in logistics

processes in order to be able to maintain the ability to deliver in an emergency.

Another focus is the online support of customers by know-how transfer via webinars and online conferences. “Many companies use the forced shutdown to familiarize themselves with new technologies and invest in training. Our record last week: 950 participants in a single webinar. We have therefore expanded our range of technology webinars because we want to support the upcoming restart of our customers”, says Thomas Schrott, CEO of the Würth Elektronik eiSos Group.

Würth Elektronik eiSos www.we-online.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

COMPANIES

Thermographic Cameras for Fever Detection in the Corona Pandemic InfraTec supplies high-resolution thermographic cameras for detecting fever and elevated body temperature The pandemic triggered by the coronavirus currently poses enormous challenges to public life and health care systems worldwide. A significant contribution to containing the rapid spread of the virus is the interruption of infection chains. In addition to the precautionary measures known in this field, the detection of infected people can be a contributory factor. Especially when the currently highly restrictive measures to prevent contact in daily life are lifted step by step, appropriate screening measures should be used: Highly frequented areas with a great risk potential, such as medical first-aid wards, hospitals and nursing homes, but also

through consistent checks on individuals.

Certainly, thermographic cameras can neither detect the virus itself nor a person carrying the virus! However, these cameras enable the non-reactive, contactless and planar recording of surface temperatures.

Hence, they are highly suitable for the quick and easy detection of elevated body temperatures or fever, which can be an indication of a possible virus infection of the people subjected to screening. Such indications must, of course, always be followed by other examination methods that allow a reliable positive or negative statement about the disease and to initiate appropriate actions!

high geometric resolution, which is expressed in the number of so-called infrared (IR) pixels. This is necessary because the area that has been proven in several studies to be suitable for reliably detecting fever and elevated body temperature at the inner eyelid angle has only a small surface area, but must be sharply mapped for error-free temperature measurement. The measurement itself takes less than a second and is usually carried out in access areas, for example at the entry control at airports, where the people who are to be screened are already lined up.

Largely determined by the wide-ranging requirements of the users, the evaluation of the measured data can range from simple manual use to select people with elevated body temperature or fever for further examinations to automatic detection and storage.

INFRATEC THERMOGRAPHIC CAMERAS AS INSTRUMENTS FOR FEVER DETECTION The very stable and highly accurate digital VarioCAM® HD series thermographic cameras from InfraTec are based on thermally and geometrically high-resolution microbolometer FPA detectors with up to (1,024 × 768) IR pixels. They deliver brilliant 16-bit thermographic images in realtime and are therefore ideally suited as instruments for fever detection. Large external displays can easily be connected to the cameras via HDMI interface to visualise the high-resolution thermal images.

schools, shopping centres, large companies, sports stadiums and theatres as well as transport hubs such as airports, seaports, railway and intercity bus stations are just a few examples of where screening measures are applied.

They help to minimise the spread of dangerous infectious diseases, such as the coronavirus (2019-nCo, Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2) and, in the past, the “severe acute respiratory syndrome” (SARS), the Ebola virus (EVD) and the “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus” (MERS-CoV), www.international.electronica-azi.ro

The thermographic temperature measurement for fever detection puts high demands on suitable thermographic cameras: In addition to a high thermal resolution, which can make even the smallest temperature differences visible, there must be very good stability and measuring accuracy in order to be able to reliably distinguish a person with an elevated body temperature or fever from a person without these symptoms using critical temperature thresholds and alarm values. Another very important criterion is the required

The comprehensive range of accessories, interchangeable lenses for adaptation to local requirements, optional PC or laptop connection, the IRBIS® 3 software packages with various functionalities as well as expert advice from experienced InfraTec engineers complete the range of services.

This results in a thermography system that is optimally tailored to the requirements of fever detection for the individual user, and which is easy to operate and works with extreme reliability and repeat accuracy.

InfraTec | www.infratec.de 31

COMPANIES

Corona face masks created on a 3D printer Fast, direct help from Ziehl-Abegg for the Hohenlohe district The risk of infection to personnel in the health and care sector must be kept a minimum. So, the German fan manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg has created face masks on 3D printers and handed them over to the District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth.

“Our employees and their families work and live here – so naturally we provide them with as much support as we can, particularly during a crisis such as this” says CEO Peter Fenkl.

A Ziehl-Abegg employee had by chance been sent a set of build instructions via WhatsApp on the Wednesday evening – and on the Thursday morning Ziehl-Abegg sent a photo of the first face masks to the Crisis Team in the Local Administration Office. Once it gave the immediate goahead, both 3D printers went to work at the Künzelsau InVent Development Centre.

The District Administrator for the district of Hohenlohe, Dr. Mathias Neth (from the left), taking receipt of face masks created on 3D printers from CEO Peter Fenkl and Laboratory Director Achim Kärcher (both Ziehl-Abegg).

“We have been using 3D printing technology since 2010,” explains Achim Kärcher, Laboratory Director at Ziehl-Abegg. The Development Centre already had its second 3D printer by the following year. The cost of a unit is about 100,000 euros. The layers are printed at a thickness of 0.16 millimetres. “We normally use this to create prototypes for implementing new ideas from our engineers,” explains Kärcher. ZiehlAbegg is a technology leader in biomimetic-based fan design; “so we need to be able to trial new shapes quickly and easily,” adds the Laboratory Director.

The process of creating the protective masks was also quick and easy: the frame is printed, the lens is a foil for an overhead projector, a standard perforator punches the openings, with rubber bands used for fastening.

32

The frame construction is manufactured at Ziehl-Abegg on 3D printers.

Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

COMPANIES

70 basic face masks have been officially handed over at Ziehl-Abegg in Künzelsau – “and we’ll print more if they’re needed”, says CEO Peter Fenkl.

District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth says he is also pleased with the “simple but effective” design. He will be passing on the temporary face masks to the ancillary staff in the Hohenlohe district. “We will get through this crisis together and can depend upon on each other,” said Neth. “The District Authority is working in close cooperation with the local companies in the Hohenlohe district,” adds the District Administrator.

“We’re pleased about being able to help employees in the health and care sector in this way” says CEO Fenkl. The medical sector is also part of the company’s normal area of business: for years now, Ziehl-Abegg has been producing large fans for both operating theatres and quarantine stations. The company supplied special fans for Chinese hospitals that were built in the cities of Wuhan, Shandong and Shenzhen within just a few days. The German company also manufactured the core equipment for negative or positive pressure in clinics in Italy and other countries.

It is also currently still working at full speed www.international.electronica-azi.ro

District Administrator Dr. Matthias Neth tries out a face mask which consists of a 3D-printed frame, an overhead projector foil and rubber band. manufacturing these fans in Hohenlohe and worldwide.

Ziehl-Abegg www.ziehl-abegg.com/global/en 33

COMPANIES

MacDermid Alpha Announces the Appointment of Rick Fricke as Vice President and General Manager of Semiconductor Solutions Division MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a global leader in specialty materials for electronics, announces Rick Fricke will be joining MacDermid Alpha Electronic Solutions (MAES) as the Vice President and General Manager of their Semiconductor Solutions division.

“Rick brings to his new position extensive commercial experience in the semiconductor industry and will provide strategic, operational, and commercial leadership to our Semiconductor Solutions division. I know Rick will utilize his energy, skill and leadership capabilities to drive the performance of our business and the world leading solutions we provide our customers. I look forward to his integration and participation as a key member of the MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions leadership team,” said Joe D’Ambrisi, Senior VP of MacDermid Alpha.

Rick joins MacDermid Alpha with over 15 years of experience in the semiconductor industry most recently as VP/GM of Honeywell’s Electronic Materials business. Rick holds a BA in Biology from the University of Connecticut as well as an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He will be based at our Semiconductor Solutions headquarters in West Haven, Connecticut.

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions | www.macdermidalpha.com

ZESTRON Announces Jeff Kennedy as Strategy and Business Development Manager

ZESTRON is pleased to announce the hiring of Jeff Kennedy as the Strategy and Business Development Manager.

He is active in advanced technology roadmaps and development initiatives, working with the Applications Technology teams and customers as well as leading activity in key industry consortium initiatives. He has more than 30 years of engineering and management experience in system integration, process development, PWB fabrication, packaging in the microelectronics industry, and over 20 years in contract electronics assembly.

Mr. Kennedy is the past SMTA president, a past SMTA Board member, active on the SMTA Technical and Students and Young Professionals Committees, and participates in other committees when able. He is also an IEEE and IMAPS association member.

ZESTRON Europe | www.zestron.com 34

Altus Introduces Innovative Systems for Personnel Safety The safety of personnel is of the upmost importance in these challenging times. To help its customers find solutions to protect employees and visitors, Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment, has introduced a new and innovative access control system which automatically measures body temperature when staff pass through it.

The portal uses infrared technology to detect temperature.

As soon as a body temperature above an adjustable limit value is measured, an alarm is triggered. Joe Booth, Altus Director – Business Development and Marketing explains: “It is extremely important to implement preventative measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. We understand that temperature screening is an important tool in limiting the spread of the virus. This new system remotely and automatically checks for increased body temperature.”

“It is vital in these unprecedented times to take any steps we can to prevent the spread of the disease. We hope that adding this new access control system to our portfolio will give our customers the opportunity to implement an extra preventative step in the safety of their staff and visitors.”

The high-precision system detects body temperature measurement in less than 0.5 seconds to an accuracy of ±0.3°C. When temperature is above the inputted figure an audible and visual alarm is triggered.

The modular design makes it easy to install and operate and it can be further utilised by extending with security equipment including a metal detector, turnstile barrier, fingerprint sensor; camera surveillance and card reader.

Altus Group | www.altusgroup.co.uk Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

COMPANIES

High temperature soldering systems for enamelled copper wire processing The assembly and connection technology using enamelled copper wire technology is a core process, especially for future mobility requirements. More and more regenerative energy generation systems are being installed in electric drive of modern vehicles, for which electric generators must be integrated. In addition, today’s e-mobility concepts require a large number of switching and transformation components, coil bodies, magnetic heads, sensors, relays and other exotic electronic components, for which enamelled copper wire technology is also used in production.

For these many new requirements, enamelled wire manufacturers are constantly developing new products, which are equipped with a wide variety of insulation materials, some of which are also newly developed. This is intended to improve the insulation class and thermal resistance for future end products. “This development always presents us with challenges,” says Matthias Fehrenbach, Managing Director of Eutect GmbH. Because, by using the usual soldering techniques under normal atmosphere, it is impossible to process components coated with polyurethane or polyesterimide in such a way that no oxide formation occurs, or insulation residues considerably reduce the final soldering quality of the tinned wire.

In its module toolbox, Eutect has all selective soldering methods at its disposal that are capable of thermally stripping coated enamelled copper wires in one step without additional removal of the insulation. Lead-free processing with all its specific process finesses with regard to the specific solder alloy, the flux, the temperaturetime curve with flowing or standing solder melt is the comprehensive core know-how of a targetoriented process processing.

High-temperature soldering systems from Eutect have been developed for this purpose.

These systems work with the static or flowing solder melt.

It is important to achieve a high quality of copper alloying, leaching and soldering. By using the static or flowing solder melt as well as an exact temperature-time curve, the process-conserving and productspecific stripping is defined. In order to counteract various negawww.international.electronica-azi.ro

tive effects, newly developed or yet to be developed solders with doping properties are used. These reduce wire deposition, solder oxide formation and solder contamination and protect the soldering equipment.

The high-temperature process for tinning

from Eutect can be carried out with a static solder bath and a dynamic, freely programmable squeegee system. This reduces contamination and keeps the base alloy of the solder constant. Thus, the alloy remains in its original composition throughout the entire process. The controlled removal of the contaminated solder and the automatic solder replenishment of the base solder are thus kept constant over the entire production quantity. For a clean delineation of the lacquer between the tinned wire and the poly insulation, the wire ends can be kinematically moved during the immersion movement in the static or flowing solder wave or can be cleanly delineated with appropriate masking. This prevents burn-off residues of the poly insulation from sticking to the bare tinned and stripped wire or from visibly sticking to the wire as black dots, thus reducing quality. Although these impurities are harmless, they do not look nice.

Surfaces that come into contact with the hot solder are completely protected by special coatings, both in the static or flowing solder melt. In addition, an induction solder pump, which is free of moving parts, was developed for this area of application. The specially programmed algorithms with associated process control, redundant monitoring of the solder melting temperature as well as a nitrogen protective gas bell above the solder process surface and the height control of the solder waves round off the high-temperature soldering system. This includes an input HMI and process data acquisition for process tracking.

EUTECT® GmbH www.eutect.de 35

COMPANIES

Time4Academy Lots of interest in ASM’s Digital Learning platform On March 17, technology leader ASM launched its Time4Academy campaign that gives companies and users three months of free access to the contents of the ASM Academy Digital Learning platform. By the end of the month, more than 1,200 users had already used the offerings to deepen their knowledge of SMT production with ASM equipment.

ASM’s Time4Academy program offers proactive and wide-ranging support for customers and partners that enables them to use mandatory production stops or home office hours to acquire knowledge and

nity to try out courses and become acquainted with the advantages of online training. In addition, the general courses provided by Docebo that are not directly related to ASM equipment are also very interesting.”

and to-the-point convey the contents much more effectively than classic classroom training.

If something is not clear, you can simply repeat it until it sticks. That’s learning without pressure,” explains Jim Leather, Head of Service

expand their skills in the field of SMT production. In just a few days, more than 1,200 new users have registered on the program’s website, and by the end of March over 3,500 online sessions had been streamed. Among the most popular topics were seminars in the SIPLACE Pro programming environment and in creating component descriptions in the SIPLACE vision system. Many electronics manufacturers also used the time for maintenance work, as indicated by the strong demand for related video instructions and tutorials, many of the technical modules employ virtual-reality techniques.

MORE THAN 150 MODULES WITH CONCENTRATED SMT KNOW-HOW The ASM Academy offers more than presently 150 modules covering all areas around SMT production with ASM equipment, which are continually growing. To support the campaign, platform partner Docebo provides 70 additional features at no charge. The offerings in the ASM Academy range from operation, maintenance and technical modules as well as product introductions that bring together an excellent coverage of modules that will reach all areas of the production staff. The individual modules can be completed in any order and repeated as needed. Many modules conclude with questions about their contents, which makes it easy to check your level of knowledge.

“E-learning has many advantages for the user: It’s a fact that lessons that are short, high-quality

Product Management at ASM SMT Solutions. “The ASM Academy conveys practical knowledge around SMT-related manufacturing. It enables users to perform their duties more competently, more autonomously, and in a much more relaxed manner. With its use of 3D animations as well as virtual reality, the ASM Academy creates highly realistic learning situations, that bring the hands-on feeling into the learning experience, which makes the learning process even more effective.”

ASM customers and Time4Academy users are thrilled: “I really like ASM’s e-learning program and give it five stars. I have already invited several colleagues to give the program a try and watch the interactive video courses. The three months of free use are a great opportu36

APPLICATIONS STILL POSSIBLE Interested users can register without any further obligations at www.asemo.world/hot spots/asm-academy/time4academy. When the free period expires, users don’t need to do anything – the accounts will be closed automatically.

ASM | www.asm-smt.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2020

LTHD Corporation S.R.L. Head Office: Timișoara - ROMÂNIA, 300153, 70 Ardealul Str., lthd@lthd.com, www.lthd.com Tel.: +40 256 201273, +40 356 401266, Fax: +40 256 490813

.............................................................................. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

37