Electronica Azi International no. 2 - 2021 by Electronica Azi

2/2021

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

https://international.electronica-azi.ro

PRODUCT NEWS

Microchip Simplifies Deployment of Wi-Fi 6 Access Points and Small Cell Nodes with First Multiport, Multigigabit PoE Injector Wi-Fi 6 and small cell devices can now be installed more easily and cost-effectively, wherever they are needed Organizations can only deploy today’s WiFi® 6 access points (APs) and 5G small cell access nodes where AC power is available or if their switch can deliver both power and data to them as required. Microchip Technology Inc. has created a more flexible and cost-effective alternative with the first multiport Power over Ethernet (PoE) power sourcing equipment (PSE) injector, also known as a midspan, that enables any multigigabit switch to support these devices’ high powering needs and data rates, with no network configuration or downtime necessary. “Our new family of multiport, multigigabit PoE PSE injectors offers the easiest and most cost-effective way to install Wi-Fi 6 devices and small cell equipment,” said Iris Shuker, director of Microchip's PoE business unit. “Patented technology from Microchip solves the challenge of powering these devices while also supporting their 10 gigabit-persecond data rates. This greatly simplifies https://international.electronica-azi.ro

deployment of Wi-Fi 6 APs while enabling service providers, for the first time, to quickly and inexpensively install 5G picocells and femtocells wherever they are needed, which is rarely near an AC outlet.” Multigigabit PoE-enabled switches with sufficient power for Wi-Fi 6 devices and small cell equipment are expensive and not widely adopted. A more cost-effective way to inject power into the network for these high-speed devices is to install one of Microchip’s new multiport, multigigabit midspans between them and any standard multigigabit switch. Available in 6-, 12- and 24-port configurations, each midspan supports Wi-Fi 6 devices’ high IEEE 802.11ax data rates and delivers up to 60 watts (W) of output power per port in compliance with the IEEE’s 802.3bt PoE and 10GBASE-T specifications. The midspans can be securely monitored and controlled remotely using Microchip’s web-based PowerView Pro platform.

Availability Microchip’s PD-9506-10GC, PD-951210GC and PD-9524-10GC midspans are available now. For additional information, contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip’s website or purchasing portal. About Microchip’s PoE Offering Microchip’s multiport, multigigabit midspans join a growing portfolio of indoor and outdoor PoE solutions including both multiport 1Gigabit products and single-port multigigabit options. The company is the only supplier of PoE Powered Device (PD) ICs, PoE PSE ICs, PoE systems (injectors/midspans and switches) and test equipment. Its portfolio of PoE systems enables delivery of up to 90W of flexible and reliable power over the Ethernet network to WLAN access points, network cameras, IP telephones, IP cameras and other IP-based devices. Microchip Technology https://www.microchip.com 3

Electronica Azi International » TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 | Microchip Simplifies Deployment of Wi-Fi 6 Access Points and Small Cell Nodes with First Multiport, Multigigabit PoE Injector 6 | Cellular IoT Module Simplifies Global Development and Deployment 7

7 | Microchip further protects FPGA-based designs with first tool that combats major industry threat to System Security in the Field 8 | Trinamic’s Open-Source Reference Design Shrinks and Speeds Development of End-of-Arm Tooling 9 | Fast track to NPU accelerated smart vision

42 | With smallest package to more design flexibility: 1200V power modules of the Infineon CIPOS™ Maxi SiC IPM IM828 series at Rutronik 43 | Eggtronic E2WATT® Wireless Power Supply Technology Offers a Route to Wireless Charging in Higher Power Applications Including Home Appliances and Electric Vehicles 44 | MicroSys Electronics introduces world’s first System-on-Module with the NXP S32G274A processor 46

10 | How Advances in Sensor and Digital Technology Yield Better Patient Care 12 | Centimeter-level GPS technology with sensor fusion simplifies precise positioning for robotic lawnmowers and e-scooters 14 | Maxim Integrated Announces Industry’s First Glitch-Free Supervisor in Essential Analog Family to Deliver Robust Protection for Low-Voltage IoT Applications 16 | New SiBRAIN MCU development standard from MIKROE is ‘game-changer’ for embedded systems design

46 | Renesas Expands Portfolio of World’s Smallest Photocouplers for Industrial Automation and Solar Inverter Applications 52 | CONTRINEX: Inductive sensors with weld spatter-resistant ceramic coating 54 | Leuze: Sensor solutions for AGV 56 | MSI 400 – compact construction and easy to program

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Electronica Azi International is published 4 times per year in 2021 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Copyright 2021 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Cellular IoT Module Simplifies Global Development and Deployment

Pre-Tested and Certified Cat-M1 Cellular Modules Optimized and Ready to Deploy for Wireless IoT Networks Without the Need for Gateways; One-Stop Shop Portal Provides Device Management and Global Operation on a Single eSim Renesas Electronics Corporation, introduced the RYZ014A, Renesas’ first cellular IoT module supporting the LTE Cat-M1 specification. This technology allows devices to directly connect to the internet without the need for a gateway by relying on the existing communication infrastructure owned by mobile network operators. This makes it economical to connect each device, which is especially beneficial when installing larger networks that require a low cost per unit. The pre-tested, pre-certified RYZ014A enables customers to quickly and cost-effectively implement wireless IoT applications across the globe. The RYZ014A module solves customers’ design and certification issues compared to building a wireless IoT solution from scratch. This includes RF regulatory certification, PTCRB/GCF certification and carrier certification for the customer’s network operator of choice. The module is built on proven technology both from a hardware and software perspective and is delivered fully tested and calibrated. It has been certified with all major radio frequency regulations in the world as well as with leading network operators in North America, APAC and Europe. Cellular IoT is one of the pillars of Renesas’ connectivity strategy that also includes Bluetooth® Low Energy, Ultra-wide band (UWB) and Wi-SUN among others. 6

“Building wireless IoT networks around the world can be costly and time consuming,” said Roger Wendelken, Senior Vice President in Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “The Renesas RYZ014A module delivers a proven solution from the IoT leader that saves time and money for customers no matter where they are. We have received enthusiastic responses on this solution from customers in metering, smart home, infrastructure and industrial markets, where they can seamlessly interface Renesas MCUbased applications to the Internet through their cellular network of choice.” Renesas is teaming up with Sequans Communications, a leading developer and provider of 5G and 4G chips and modules for IoT, on the RYZ014A modules. Sequans offers the Monarch LTE CAT-M1 hardware and software technology used in the module, and has extensive experience implementing wireless IoT worldwide. “This product is a great example of the benefits customers enjoy from the combination of our two technologies,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. ”Sequans’ Monarch technology is an outstanding complement to the unmatched MCU expertise that Renesas provides.” Renesas offers customers a web-based portal, managed by ONE Tech, that provides easy access to read sensor values and manage SIM card plans remotely, reducing operating cost.

“ONE Tech is excited to bring our embedded AI and cloud technology to market in conjunction with the Renesas CAT-M1 module to power a global intelligent device to cloud architecture,” said Yasser Khan, CEO of ONE Tech. “By offering embedded intelligence within the device, along with our enterprise-grade platform, customers of the CAT-M1 module will be able to easily build, manage and scale to hundreds and thousands of next generation smart machines in a cost-effective end-to-end ecosystem.” Renesas has combined the RYZ014A modules with numerous components from its extensive portfolio, including power ICs, Li-ion battery charger, light-to-digital sensor, and multiple RA family MCUs to create certified “Winning Combinations” that enable customers to quickly implement complete Remote Industrial Process Monitoring and Automatic Plant Watering Systems with an LTE Connection. Renesas offers over 200 Winning Combos that include compatible devices that work together seamlessly for a wide range of applications and end products. They can be found at renesas.com/win. The RYZ014A module is available today, along with the RYZ014A-EVK evaluation kits. For more information, please visit: renesas.com/RYZ014A. Renesas Electronics Corporation https://www.renesas.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

PRODUCT NEWS

Microchip further protects FPGA-based designs with first tool that combats major industry threat to System Security in the Field Builds on its FPGA family’s best-in-class security to block the theft of data, intellectual property and other private information from deployed systems Mission-critical and other high-assurance systems deployed worldwide are under rapidly evolving threats from cybercriminals who attempt to extract Critical Program Information (CPI) via the FPGAs that power them. Microchip Technology Inc. announced it has extended its FPGA family’s security with the DesignShield development tool that further helps prevent this information from being extracted for malicious purposes. “As a leader in the security space, Microchip offers a portfolio featuring the latest countermeasures for reducing the risk of cloning, intellectual property theft, reverse engineering, or the insertion of malicious Trojan Horses,” said Bruce Weyer, vice president of Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “Protecting CPI in deployed systems with our DesignShield tool is essential for national security and economic vibrancy. The tool advances the state of bitstream protection mechanisms and provides another defensive layer in ensuring that https://international.electronica-azi.ro

deployed systems behave as intended and are safe from counterfeiters and their threat to a developer’s design investments and brand reputation.” The DesignShield tool was created to protect developers of aerospace, defense and other high-assurance systems from cybercriminals trying to acquire an FPGA’s bitstream from the fielded system. It deters reverse-engineering of the bitstream, which can often include CPI, by obscuring its logical equivalent using a combination of logic and routing-based encryption techniques. This improves design security and integrity while reducing system corruption risks, and reduces the possibility that custom code, intellectual property, or information critical to national security is used by non-authorized agents. Availability The DesignShield tool is available under license as part of Microchip’s Early Access Program, which enables cus-

tomers to begin designing with FPGA devices and design tools ahead of broader commercial availability. The DesignShield tool is part of Microchip’s Libero Development Tool Suite. Microchip’s FPGA Security Based on non-volatile flash memory, Microchip’s FPGAs offer inherently better security than SRAM-based alternatives that expose sensitive bitstream data on every power cycle. Microchip FPGAs also include unique integrated security features that prevent overbuilding and cloning, protect design IP, and provide a root of trust, secure data communications and anti-tamper capabilities. The company’s layered approach to security includes licensed, patented differential power analysis (DPA) protection, built-in certified security functions, built-in tamper detectors, and supply chain assurance that the FPGA is authentic. Security requires layers and not having a single wall to break through. DesignShield adds another layer that protects the authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality of a design. Microchip Technology https://www.microchip.com 7

Trinamic’s Open-Source Reference Design Shrinks and Speeds Development of End-of-Arm Tooling Integrated hardware-based field-oriented control and IO-Link communication reduce electronic robotic gripper design size by three times, while cutting development time in half TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG, now part of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., introduces an open-source, fully integrated reference design that simplifies the development of industrial robotic end-of-arm tooling (EoAT). The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design integrates hardware-based field-oriented control (FOC) and three communication ports to shrink the design size of electronic robotic grippers by three times, while reducing development time by half. The reference design features Maxim Integrated’s industrial-grade MAX22000 high-precision configurable analog input/output and MAX14906 quad-channel digital input/output to adjust the multiple modes of the Trinamic TMCM-1617 single axis servo driver. Designed to fit within the standard formfactor used for EoAT grippers, the TMCM1617-GRIP-REF reference design supports industrial EtherCAT, IO-Link or RS485 communication, provides softwareprogrammable analog and digital input/outputs, and can be configured 8

using the Trinamic Motion Control Language Integrated Development Environment (TMCL-IDE). This combination of reference design and software platform provides a simple way for design engineers to rapidly deliver a complete EoAT solution. Key Advantages • Speed Time to Market: The open-source EoAT gripper reference design is a fully integrated, intelligent hardware platform that provides motor control algorithms as well as protocol stacks to reduce end of arm tooling development time in half. • Reduce Size: The reference design integrates hardware-based FOC, software configurable input/outputs, and three communication protocol stacks into a compact solution size that measures 4,197 mm2. • Increase Productivity: Real-time adjustment of the various TMCM-1617 servo drive modes, including gripper position and gripping force, boost flexibility for higher factory throughput.

Commentaries “There’s a need for industrial automation engineers to rely on a toolkit that simplifies the development and commissioning of robotic EoAT solutions,” explains Jeff DeAngelis, Vice President of Industrial Communications at Maxim. “The TMCM1617-GRIP-REF reference design simplifies the tooling development process, allowing automation engineers to focus their time on developing advanced, real-time EoAT solutions that embody the true meaning of delivering intelligence at the edge.” “The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design eliminates the burden of implementing motor control algorithms, as well as protocol stacks for end-of-arm tooling,” said Jonas Proeger, Director of Business Management at Trinamic. “With state-of-the-art bus options, control algorithms, and diagnostics provided in a single solution, the reference design boosts productivity on the factory floor and drives intelligence to the edge.” Maxim Integrated https://www.maximintegrated.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Fast track to NPU accelerated smart vision congatec i.MX 8M Plus starter set for AI accelerated embedded vision applications congatec a leading vendor of embedded and edge computing technology – extends its i.MX 8 ecosystem with a new starter set for AI accelerated intelligent embedded vision applications. Based on a SMARC Computer-on-Module with i.MX 8M Plus processor, the starter set’s sweet spot is the utilization of the new processor integrated NXP Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Delivering up to 2.3 TOPS of performance for deep learning based artificial intelligence, it can run inference engines and libraries such as Arm Neural Network (NN) and TensorFlow Lite. It also integrates seamlessly with Basler embedded vision software to give OEMs an application ready solution platform for the development of next-generation AI accelerated embedded vision systems. Typical applications are wide ranging, from price sensitive automated checkout terminals in retail to building safety, and from in-vehicle vision for navigation to surveillance systems in busses. Industrial use cases include HMIs with vision based user identification and gesture based machine operation as well as vision supported robotics and industrial quality inspection systems. “A dedicated processing unit for neural algorithms that is supported by open source AI software solutions such as TensorFlow is an efficiency accelerator for many vision based systems. And when all this is integrathttps://international.electronica-azi.ro

ed as an application ready, hardware and software validated platform including Basler pylon Camera Software Suite, it puts developers on a fast track to designing NPU accelerated smart vision applications,” explains Martin Danzer, Director Product Management at congatec. The Basler pylon Camera Software Suite delivers a unified SDK for BCON for MIPI, USB3 vision and GigE vision cameras, and enables camera access from source code, GUI or 3rd party software. The high-performance pylon viewer is perfect for camera evaluation. Thanks to integration in the congatec i.MX 8M Plus starter set for AI accelerated vision applications, engineers get instant access to important AI supported machine vision features such as triggering, individual image capture, and highly differentiated camera configuration options plus easy access to customized inference algorithms on the basis of the Arm NN and TensorFlow Lite ecosystem. The feature set in detail The new starter set for AI accelerated vision applications contains the entire ecosystem developers need to instantly start designing applications on the basis of this next-generation platform, which offers highly efficient vision and AI integration. At the heart of the set is the new SMARC 2.1 Computer-on-Module conga-

SMX8-Plus. It features 4 powerful Arm Cortex-A53 cores, 1x Arm Cortex-M72 controller and the NXP NPU to accelerate deep learning algorithms and comes with passive cooling. The 3.5 inch carrier board conga-SMC1/SMARC-ARM directly connects the 13 MP Basler dart daA420030mci BCON for MIPI camera with an F1.8 f4mm lens via MIPI CSI-2.0 without any additional converter modules. Next to MIPI CSI-2.0, USB and GigE vision cameras are also supported. On the software side, congatec provides a bootable SD card with preconfigured boot loader, Yocto OS image, matching BSPs, and processor-optimized Basler embedded vision software enabling immediate AI inference training on the basis of captured images and video sequences. Further information on congatec’s ecosystem for i.MX 8 based designs can be found at: https://www.congatec.com/imx8 congatec will be presenting its comprehensive ecosystem for the i.MX 8 processor range at the virtual NXP Technology Days from June 8 to June 30: https://www.nxp.com/design/training/n xp-technology-days/nxp-technologydays-connectivity:NXP-TECHNOLOGYDAYS-CONNECTIVITY congatec https://www.congatec.com 9

How Advances in Sensor and Digital Technology Yield Better Patient Care Autor: Giuseppe Olivadoti Marketing and Applications Director (Digital Healthcare) giuseppe.olivadoti@analog.com

A new approach using portable or wearable monitoring devices and point-of-care medical equipment promises to improve patient outcomes and reduce pressure on public healthcare facilities. Large-scale transformation in the way healthcare is delivered was already under way before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, put new impetus into medical innovation. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, aging populations in developed nations, the near-universal availability of mobile broadband connectivity, and the development of sophisticated sensing technologies were propelling the adoption of more personalized, digital or remote methods of monitoring and diagnosing patients. As the coronavirus pandemic increases pressure on limited hospital facilities, medical service providers are accelerating the implementation of new technologies for testing and monitoring outside the hospital. Innovations in sensors now enable vital signs to be measured with clinical-grade accuracy at home and specimens tested at the point of care, eliminating the need to send samples for processing at a remote laboratory and producing quicker results for faster diagnosis. This marks a break with decades-old standard medical operating procedure. In the conventional model of medical treatment, a patient visited the hospital when symptoms became apparent, or for a routine annual checkup, and was subjected to a one-time set of tests that would often be sent away for laboratory analysis before diagnosis or a health assessment was made. In many cases, this diagnosis would come long after the original con10

sultation, and based on this single snapshot of the patient’s condition. This approach to treatment made sense when the sophisticated equipment required to monitor vital signs and symptoms was scarce and only available in hospitals or other dedicated medical facilities. The development of new medical sensing technology has created the conditions for a radically different conception of medical treatment. Instead of the large, fixed medical monitoring equipment used in hospitals, the new approach to patient monitoring uses devices that:

The VSM study watch development platform created by Analog Devices.

• Are small or even wearable • Consume little power, so they can operate from a battery • Provide accurate, clinical-grade measurements This enables medical monitoring and testing to be taken out of the hospital and performed in local facilities such as GP practices or in a patient’s home. For even greater convenience for the patient, wearable devices such as patches can operate continuously and discreetly to enable 24/7 monitoring anywhere. © ADI

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Sensor and Digital Technology

Better diagnosis by monitoring in real life The motivation to implement new remote monitoring technologies is partly due to resource scarcity. The pressure on hospitals when COVID-19 infections peaked in 2020 proved that healthcare systems can quickly be overwhelmed by a rise in demand for acute care services. So, it is a sensible long-term strategy to relocate patients who require monitoring of vital signs from a hospital bed to a clinic, or to their own home. But just as importantly, monitoring with a portable or wearable device can provide more useful data and produce better patient outcomes. New medical monitoring technology allows for extended tracking of vital signs such as heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and temperature. Through continuous monitoring, trends and patterns can be uncovered that cannot be detected in the single snapshot that a practitioner can capture in one appointment with a patient. The development in parallel of artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic technology means that monitoring the stream of data can be automated. Instead of swamping the patient’s physician with data, this AI-based approach uses technology to monitor the patterns in vital signs in the background, and only raise a flag when personal intervention by a doctor is required. By detecting precursor signals that indicate future morbidity, the patient and medical practitioner can work together on changes to medication, lifestyle, or diet to prevent the onset of conditions that previously would have ended up in a visit to a hospital’s acute care ward. In addition, monitoring at home or at a point-of-care facility reveals information about the state of the patient’s health in real life, not in the artificial, and often stressful, setting of a hospital ward. The latest multiparameter wearable sensors can combine vital signs with measurement of other indicators such as motion and sleep to put the medical data in the context of the patient’s lifestyle. New Breakthroughs in the Application of Semiconductor Technology The introduction of this new mode of patient monitoring is the result of a series of developments in semiconductor technology and computer science in the 21st century. https://international.electronica-azi.ro

In the field of optoelectronics, optical sensor solutions have been developed that can perform photoplethysmography (PPG), which leverage noninvasive optical methods to calculate the heart rate, respiration rate, and SpO2. Miniature MEMS motion sensors likewise can measure patient activity, such as exercise sessions and sleep quality, to put vital signs in context. In hospitals, much of the equipment used for monitoring vital signs is bulky and power hungry. By implementing this measurement capability at chip scale, semiconductor manufacturers such as Analog Devices make it possible to create products such as medical patches applied to the skin that can operate on battery power for days or weeks while transmitting measurements wirelessly to a host device such as a smartphone. Via this host, the measurements can be uploaded securely to a cloud diagnostics service that can turn a stream of raw electrical signals into medically actionable data. Technology Expertise Meets Application Know-How It’s one thing to be able to describe the functional requirements of the semiconductor and computing systems that enable patients to wear a smart watch or a patch for monitoring their vital signs. It is quite another to implement solutions using these technologies in an actual product. At Analog Devices, we recognize that our service to healthcare technology innovators might start with semiconductor technology, but it cannot end there. That’s why we support customers with a combination of technical experts and domain specialists in the medical market. It is the job of the medical domain experts to understand intimately the application requirements, and key attributes, such as regulation and data privacy, that characterize the market. Customers developing complex medical products can innovate faster, with more freedom and greater confidence of a successful outcome when they are supported by experts who understand not only their technology but also their application. In the field of vital signs monitoring, this application expertise is backed by development platforms. The vital signs monitoring (VSM) study watch, for instance, is a multiparameter open development platform. Featuring a suite of sensors in a con-

venient wearable form factor, it provides a continuous set of vital signs measurements for use in the development of biomedical algorithms. The VSM study watch implements PPG and ECG to measure heart rate and heart rate variability. Its MEMS accelerometer performs step counting and is used to improve and inform algorithms sensitive to motion artifacts. Sensors on the watch measure temperature and impedance, values used in algorithms to monitor stress and body composition. These capabilities support research carried out by medical and academic institutions to evaluate new use cases for remote patient monitoring. The rewards of moving patient monitoring out of the hospital are clear. Drawing on precise, low power, miniature components such as sensors, analog-to-digital converters, and digital signal processors, the robust VSM watch from Analog Devices and other such development platforms lay the groundwork on which innovative medical device manufacturers can build the monitoring devices of tomorrow. Despre autor Giuseppe Olivadoti joined Analog Devices in 2000. During his time at ADI he has held a number of positions across engineering, sales, and business leadership. Giuseppe is currently the director of marketing and applications for the Digital Healthcare Business Unit at Analog Devices. Prior to this role, he has held sales leadership positions in Europe and the Americas. Giuseppe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix. Giuseppe currently resides in the Boston area. He can be reached at giuseppe.olivadoti@analog.com

Analog Devices www.analog.com Engage with the ADI technology experts in our online support community. Ask your tough design questions, browse FAQs, or join a conversation.

Visit https://ez.analog.com Contact Romania: Email: inforomania@arroweurope.com Mobil: +40 731 016 104 Arrow Electronics | https://www.arrow.com

Centimeter-level GPS technology with sensor fusion simplifies precise positioning for robotic lawnmowers and e-scooters Low-speed calibration brings highly accurate and reliable positioning to new markets u-blox has released a firmware update for its ZED-F9R positioning module, bringing robust centimeter-level positioning to slow moving use cases such as robotic lawnmowers, e-scooters, and shared bicycles. Based on the ZED-F9R high-precision sensor-fusion module, the u-blox ZED-F9R02B was designed for use in autonomous and industrial applications that require simple and efficient implementation and where rapid access to highly accurate positioning data is key, even in challenging signal environments such as dense cities. The ZED-F9R uses the u-blox F9 multiband global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver platform to concurrently track up to four GNSS constellations. Applying real-time kinematic (RTK) techniques, the module can derive positioning data with centimeter-level accuracy. The high-precision GNSS measurements are fused with data from the module’s inertial measurement unit (IMU), GNSS correction data, odometry information, and a vehicle dynamics model to provide high-quality positioning accuracy in situ12

ations where GNSS alone would fail. The receiver includes dynamic models for robotic lawnmowers, e-scooters, and automobiles. The ZED-F9R-02B integrates the u-blox GNSS correction data service, broadcast in the highly scalable state-space representation (SSR) format, making it easier to deliver fast time-to-market precise positioning solutions. Enabling new business models Robotic lawnmowers achieve further improvements in terms of their positioning accuracy thanks to the module’s ability to calibrate its dead reckoning system even at low speeds. The module’s highly accurate position output lets end users precisely delimit the mowing area using software rather than with boundary wires and deploy robotic lawnmowers on complex lawn shapes while excluding trees and shrubs. Aligning each pass of the mower with the next more accurately than previously possible, delivering a professional-looking striped lawn.

Combining these features allows product designers to use the module to create mowing equipment that enables “robotic mowing as a service” capable of operating in complex environments without the upfront cost and commitment of installing boundary wires.

The ZED-F9R-02B offers support for a range of correction services, including the SPARTN format, which will make it straightforward to distribute GNSS correction data over large geographical areas. u-blox https://www.u-blox.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Maxim Integrated Announces Industry’s First Glitch-Free Supervisor in Essential Analog Family to Deliver Robust Protection for Low-Voltage IoT Applications Eliminate power-up errors with MAX16162, the industry’s smallest, lowest power glitch-free supervisor Designers can now enhance system reliability in low-voltage IoT applications with the Essential Analog MAX16162 nanoPower supervisor with glitch-free power-up from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. This supervisor IC is the industry’s first to fully assert a system reset through the entire system power supply ramp; thereby eliminating lowvoltage glitches during power-up and delivering higher system reliability. More IoT system designers are switching to microcontrollers with core voltages of 1V and below, and traditional supervisory ICs show unreliable outputs at these lower input voltages. This leaves systems vulnerable to faulty power-up, causing the MCU to wake up in an undefined state with incorrect I/O outputs, wrong data reads or other errors. The MAX16162, part of Maxim Integrated’s Essential Analog family of robust protection ICs, eliminates glitches until the input voltage achieves the appropriate voltage threshold. Eliminating glitches improves reliability 14

not only for IoT systems, but also portable medical monitoring devices, wearables, base stations, programmable logic controllers and automation controls. The MAX16162 draws only 825nA, so that it provides robust protection without exacting a toll on limited power budgets. With a package size of 1.06mm × 0.73mm, this Essential Analog supervisory IC is 23 percent smaller than the closest competitive solution and helps developers save board space. Essential Analog ICs deliver Maxim Integrated’s advances in low-power, high-performance, single-function products to enable next-generation innovation in multiple applications and markets. Key Advantages • Glitch Free at Low Voltages: Eliminates system errors by asserting a consistent, glitch-free reset during power-up, even for inputs below 0.6V • nanoPower: Draws only 825nA • Smallest Size: 23 percent smaller than closest competition

Commentaries “ICs operating under 1V offer tremendous advantages for power savings and IoT proliferation but come with unacceptable reliability risks when not designed properly,” said Elnaz Shayesteh, business manager for the Core Products Group at Maxim Integrated. “We developed the industry’s first low-voltage glitch-free supervisory IC so system developers may eliminate the errors observed during power-up. No other company offers glitch-free capability at these voltages, further solidifying Maxim Integrated’s innovation leadership in robust protection technology.” Further Information • To order MAX16162 or learn more, visit https://maxim.click/MAX16162_Product • For details about Maxim Integrated’s portfolio of Essential Analog solutions, visit https://maxim.click/Essential_Analog Maxim Integrated https://www.maximintegrated.com Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

New SiBRAIN MCU development standard from MIKROE is ‘game-changer’ for embedded systems design Easily swap-out MCUs during development with no hardware penalty Supports leading MCUs from Microchip, TI, NXP, STMicro and more MikroElektronika (MIKROE), the embedded solutions company that dramatically cuts development time by providing innovative hardware and software products based on proven standards, today launched SiBRAIN, a standard for add-on development boards that facilitates the simple installation and exchanging of a microcontroller (MCU) on a development board equipped with the SiBRAIN socket. SiBRAIN enables embedded designers to try out different MCUs in a prototype system without having to invest in expensive hardware or learn new tools.

Currently, the SiBRAIN cards are available to support MCUs from major manufacturers including Microchip, STMicroelectronics, NXP and Texas Instruments, with others to follow shortly. Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE commented: “Because there is no universal standardization, for every different microcontroller there is a specific set of operating instructions, new tools to learn, new boards and licenses to buy and new processes to adopt. The SiBRAIN card and socket standard is a game-changer, saving months of wasted

development time and money and providing enormous design flexibility.” SiBRAIN uses the same ‘plug & play’ concept which underpins MIKROE’s Click board product range. Depending on the MCU type, its pin count, and the number of required external components, there are different SiBRAIN add-on boards. Each board is a self-contained unit, allowing the development system to operate on a logic level, without having to facilitate the specific requirements of many different MCUs. This gives designers a free hand in the choice of MCU, regardless of the pin count or pin compatibility. Most importantly, this approach enables designers to swap SiBRAIN MCU cards easily during the development phase, without any additional hardware. Each SiBRAIN card is equipped with two high-speed 168-pin mezzanine connectors (one male and one female) with the standard SiBRAIN socket pin-out. Cards can be easily installed on any development board with the SiBRAIN socket, and the smart design eliminates the possibility of incorrect orientation and placement. Already, MIKROE offers more than 100 SiBRAIN boards covering popular MCUs such as STM32, PIC32, TIVA, MSP432, Kinetis and many more with new cards added on a weekly basis. Please visit https://www.mikroe.com/ mcu-cards/8th-generation for more information. MikroElektronika https://www.mikroe.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Ultra-Low Power Platform for Personalized Outdoor Air Quality Monitoring

Enhanced Platform Delivers Selective Ozone Detection, Miniature Sensor, and a IP67 Waterproof Package for Wearables, Smartphones, and Industrial Monitoring Devices Renesas Electronics Corporation expanded its popular ZMOD4510 Outdoor Air Quality (OAQ) gas sensor platform with an IP67-qualifed waterproof package and a new AI-based algorithm that enables ultra-low power selective ozone measurements. The enhanced ZMOD4510 is the industry’s first fully calibrated, miniature digital OAQ sensor solution with selective ozone measurement capabilities, offering visibility into the air quality in users’ immediate environments for a personalized experience. Ozone gas is a significant cause of poor outdoor air quality that poses health risks. Based on Renesas’ new ultra-low power firmware, the enhanced ZMOD4510 can detect specific ozone levels – without reporting on other pollutants – while maintaining power consumption under 200 uW. This selective measurement capability allows devices such as smart watches, phones, and smoke detectors to monitor for harmful ozone gasses typically found outdoors but which can drift indoors through open windows and doors. Optimizing the ZMOD4510 for very low power is key to enabling the longer life cycles required for these types of battery-powered devices. “Measuring outdoor air quality really is about location, location, location, as levels can vary dramatically from street to street and even on opposite sides of the same https://international.electronica-azi.ro

street,” said Uwe Guenther, Senior Director, Sensing Solutions, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas. “The enhanced ZMOD4510 gives manufacturers the selective high-precision sensing, ultra-small size, and long battery life they need for batterypowered devices like smart watches and phones that offer customers a convenient and customized view of their immediate air quality environment.” Renesas’ unique software-configurable ZMOD platform provides design flexibility for smart sensing systems, which allows firmware updates in the field to enable new, application-specific capabilities such as selective ozone detection. The ZMOD4510’s ability to quantify selective Ozone levels in concentrations as low as 20 parts per billion (ppb) coupled with its low power, small size and outstanding flexibility makes it an ideal solution for mobile and wearable devices, as well as industrial applications such as wireless security cameras and parking meters. The new waterproof packaging allows the sensor to operate in harsh and submersible environments. The IP67-rated sensor maintains superior accuracy and high performance while eliminating the need for expensive waterproofing systems – all in a tiny 3mm × 3mm × 0.9mm LGA package. The sensor is shipped fully calibrated in the hydrophobic and oleophobic package, and customers can

apply a conformal coating on their circuitry rather than adding an external membrane to the module. Renesas has identified and created Winning Combination system architectures for a variety of applications where the ZMOD4510 family of products adds differentiative value in the system. For example, a new winning combination for smart lighting, “Building Automation Lighting with Air Quality Sensors Solution,” demonstrates a use case in building automation. The ZMOD4510 sensors also add another dimension to wearables such as watches. Made from mutually compatible devices that work together seamlessly, Renesas’ Winning Combinations are vetted solutions engineered to help customers accelerate designs and get to market faster. Renesas offers over 200 Winning Combinations that can be found at https://www.renesas.com/win The ZMOD4510 is calibrated to the U.S. Environmental Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index for measuring ozone, and is highly resistant to siloxanes, enabling exceptional reliability for use in harsh environments. Availability The enhanced ZMOD4510 platform is available now in both a standard and IP67rated sensor package. More information at https://www.renesas.com/zmod4510. Renesas Electronics Corporation https://www.renesas.com 17

PRODUCT NEWS

Murata Pycom collaboration to slash IoT projects time-to-market Time-to-market for Internet of Things (IoT) projects will be reduced by around 70 per cent due to a new collaboration between Murata and Pycom. The strategic collaboration brings together Murata’s strong heritage in innovative hardware, including IoT radio module technology, and Pycom’s design and integration expertise in rapid IoT development and scaling. From September 2021, customers implementing IoT projects can take advantage of a new Murata-based Pycom evaluation kit (EVK) that delivers full-stack IoT. Ideal for companies looking to develop and scale IoT solutions with low-power devices, long battery life and high levels of device reliability, the F01 H7 EVK makes it possible to save time and money by moving rapidly and seamlessly through all IoT project stages from conception to completion. Developers can go from EVK to building final products without losing time redesigning or recoding. The kit is complemented by Pycom’s cloud-based device management platform and a new software development kit (SDK) enabling the user to easily manage their devices, LPWAN networks and data feed from commissioning through to deployment stages. Fred de Haro, CEO of Pycom said: “Many IoT projects struggle to develop and deliver reliably connected devices that perform sustainably in the field. This means project implementation is slowed down considerably. Our collaboration with Murata offers a new hardware and cloud platform that’s quick to develop and flexible through all project phases, including development, manufacture, integration, testing and all the way to large scale deployment. It’s part of our deploy and forget pledge.” Samir Hennaoui, Product Manager, Connectivity Modules, Murata Europe commented: “Our EVK represents the ideal endto-end solution for customers tasked with designing low-power and small form factor cellular IoT devices with full LPWAN network redundancy. This collaboration will deliver flawless customer engagement and ensure their ideas get to market in record time, bringing cellular IoT technology to a much broader market.” Based around Murata’s 1SC and 1SJ cellular Cat-NB1/M1 and LoRa(WAN) modules, the EVK gives every device the best possible chance to connect and stay connected by featuring four LPWAN networks in one small OEM module, flexibly mounted on different boards. These include M.2, feather, reference designs or custom designed PCBs. Other features include an ARM Cortex H7 microcontroller and an NXP security chip. ►Murata | https://www.murata.com 18

Microchip Boosts Gallium Nitride (GaN) Radio Frequency (RF) Portfolio with Ka-band Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) with High Linearity for SatCom Terminals The GMICP2731-10 helps maintain signal fidelity by allowing Earth stations to transmit at high RF levels without sacrificing the quality of the signal Satellite communication systems use complex modulation schemes to achieve the blazingly fast data rates required to deliver video and broadband data. To attain this, they must deliver high RF output power while simultaneously ensuring the signals retain their desired characteristics. The new GMICP273110 GaN MMIC power amplifier announced today by Microchip Technology Inc. helps meet both of these requirements. The new device, Microchip’s first GaN MMIC, is designed for use in commercial and defense satellite communications, 5G networks and other aerospace and defense systems. The GMICP2731-10 is fabricated using GaN-on-Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

It delivers up to 10W of saturated RF output power across the 3.5 GHz of bandwidth between 27.5 to 31 GHz. Its power-added efficiency is 20%, with 22 dB of small-signal gain and 15 dB of return loss. A balanced architecture allows the GMICP2731-10 to be well matched to 50-ohms and includes integrated DC blocking capacitors at the output to simplify design integration. “As communication systems employ complex modulation schemes such as 128-QAM and as the power of solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) trends ever upwards, RF power amplifier designers have the difficult challenge of finding higher power solutions while at the same time reducing weight and power consumption,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s Discrete Products Group business unit. “GaN MMICs used in high power SSPAs can achieve greater than 30% lower power and weight as compared to their GaAs counterparts, which is a huge gain for satellite OEMS. This product delivers on the promise of GaN and enables the size, weight, power and cost OEMs are searching for.” Microchip’s GMICP2731-10 complements the company’s existing portfolio of GaAs MMIC RF power amplifiers, switches, low-noise amplifiers, and Wi-Fi front-end modules, as well as a GaN-on-SiC High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) driver and final amplifier transistors for radar systems. Development Tools Microchip provides board design support to help with design-ins, as does the company’s distribution partners. The company also provides compact models for the GMICP2731-10, which allow customers to model the performance and expedite the design of the power amplifier in their systems more easily. ►Microchip Technology | https://www.microchip.com https://international.electronica-azi.ro

Digi-Key Electronics announces new distribution partnership with Mini-Circuits Digi-Key Electronics, which offers the world’s largest selection of electronic components in stock for immediate shipment, announced that it has secured a global distribution partnership with Mini-Circuits to offer their industry-leading MMIC product line up of 50 GHz, LTCC filters, baluns and couplers, and patented reflectionless filters. Mini-Circuits is a leader in radio frequency (RF), microwave and millimeter-wave components and systems, offering a huge portfolio of RF components. Mini-Circuits products are used widely in commercial, industrial, and military applications including: cellular wireless, aerospace, satellite, Mil-Spec, CATV/Broadband, RFID, test instrumentation, diagnostic imaging and many more. “Digi-Key is thrilled to be an authorized distributor for Mini-Circuits and offer their products in stock and available for immediate shipping,” said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management for Digi-Key. “Mini-Circuits has been a leader in the RF and microwave space for more than 50 years, their vast offering includes the critical building blocks in RF design. We feel this will be a hugely beneficial partnership that only further enables design engineers to choose exactly what they need, when they need it.” “Many of our customers already use Digi-Key as a preferred point of sale for a variety of parts in their designs,” said Mini-Circuits’ vice president of technical marketing, Steve Scheinkopf. “We believe Digi-Key’s reputation for easy online ordering, in-stock availability and fast delivery align with our commitment to outstanding service, and we’re confident that this new partnership will give Mini-Circuits’ customers even greater flexibility and convenience.” For more information about Mini-Circuits and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website. ►Mini-Circuits | https://www.minicircuits.com ►Digi-Key Electronics | https://www.digikey.com 19

PRODUCT NEWS

Retrofit ATX Mainboard Perform computationally intensive applications and compatibility for older PCI form factor plug-in cards. These are two of the features that make up the IMBA-H310 motherboard from ICP Germany. The mainboard in standard ATX form factor is equipped with the Intel® H310 chipset and supports the 8th and 9th generation Core-I processors. By using the Intel Core-I9 or I7 processors, sufficient performance is available for computationally intensive applications. The IMBA-H310 can be equipped with up to 64 GB DDR4 memory with a maximum clock frequency of 2666 MHz. Furthermore, the IMBA-H310 offers four PCI slots for the assembly of older plug-in cards, one PCIe x16 slot and one PCIe x4 slot. In addition, four USB 3.2 Gen 1, four USB 2.0, five RS-232, one RS-232/422/485 interface, one LPT port, two PS/2 and eight digital I/O are available. Three independent display outputs provide the ability to connect displays with older connectors. These include a VGA with 1920×1200 resolution, a DVI-D with 2560×1600 and an internal DisplayPort with 4096×2304 resolution. Four SATA 6Gb/s ports are available for storage media. In addition, the IMBA-H310 offers a pin header for the use of an optional TPM module. Upon customer request, ICP Germany assembles the IMBA-H310 with matching RAM and CPU. ATX motherboard with PCI slots for 9th generation Specifications • ATX Motherboard for Intel® 8th/9th Gen. CoreTM i9/i7/i5/i3 Celeron® and Pentium® processors • Chipset: Intel® H310 • Max. 64GB DDR4 SDRAM • Three independent display outputs: DVI, VGA internal DisplayPort (DP) • Dual LAN, USB, COM and LPT and SATA 6Gb/s • Extensions: PCIe x16 and x4, four PCI slots • Operating temperature: -20°C~+60°C Applications • Industrial Automation • Industrial PC Systems • Retrofit PC system for PCI cards ►ICP Deutschland GmbH | https://www.icp-deutschland.de 20

Kontron KWS 3000-CML: New high-performance workstation in a compact and rugged midi-tower format Industrial design and high computing power for demanding and graphics-hungry applications in industry and medical technology Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), is expanding its portfolio with high-performance workstations for industrial and medical applications. The extremely compact KWS 3000-CML workstation combines the advantages of an industrial PC in terms of robustness and long-term availability with those of an office PC in terms of design and user-friendliness. Applications such as Machine Learning or AI workflows with demanding performance and large data volumes can be handled effortlessly thanks to 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i processors with up to 10 cores as well as powerful GPUs and graphics cards, which can be freely selected as add-on cards. The flexible, modular design allows easy adaptation to customer-specific requirements. The heart of the new KWS 3000-CML workstation, a powerful Micro-ATX motherboard, relies on Intel® 10th Gen processors and four DIMM DDR4-3200 modules with up to 128 GB of memory. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

SEGGER’s emRun Runtime Library Licensed by SiFive for Superior Code Size and Performance Improvements The efficient thermal concept with two low-noise fans ensures smooth operation at temperatures up to 45° Celsius and thus secures permanent, high-availability use around the clock. The workstation in a compact midi-tower format (H × W × D: 380 × 190 × 380 mm) is shock- and vibrationresistant in accordance with EN 60068-2-27 and EN 600682-6, respectively, and is therefore ideally suited for use in harsh environments. The KWS 3000-CML workstation can be individually configured; several front versions are available, up to four 3.5-inch drive bays can be equipped with either removable drives (hot swappable) or internal drives, and a Slim DVD can also be operated. In addition to the two USB 3.0 interfaces on the front, there are four more USB 3.2 and two USB 2.0 ports on the rear, 1x 1 GB or 2.5 GB LAN port, 1x HDMI 2.0a, 1x DP1.2, 1x VGA and 2x COM RS232/422/485 interfaces. Another three COM interfaces and two additional LAN ports can be installed at the rear. In addition, the KWS 3000-CML workstation provides two M.2 PCIe drives for e.g. wireless or 4G/5G functionalities. Four PCIe expansion slots provide space for powerful graphics cards, additional LAN cards or RAID controllers. All drives and add-on cards are screwed into the robust housing and optionally secured with card holders. The use of PS/2 power supplies allows flexible use in various applications in automation, medical technology or even in the energy sector – redundant power supplies, for example, ensure maximum reliability and fail-safe operation. Long-term availability of at least 7 years and profound lifecycle management guarantee maximum investment security and ROI. ►Kontron – An S&T Company | https://www.kontron.com https://international.electronica-azi.ro

The SEGGER emRun runtime library is available as part of the recently announced SiFive 21G1 release. SiFive’s focus on toolchain and library support enables key market requirements, including reduced code size and lower memory footprints. To support this goal, SiFive has licensed emRun as part of the SiFive Freedom Tools and Freedom-E-SDK packages. This integration enables chip designers to easily achieve optimum performance, while reducing code size by up to 25% [1][2]. The SEGGER emRun runtime library enables SiFive customers to use the substantial new capabilities of the faster, more efficient, more capable than ever SiFive Core IP portfolio. emRun is a complete C runtime library for use with any toolchain. It is used in SEGGER’s Embedded Studio IDE and has proven its value for years. emRun has been designed and written from the ground up for embedded devices to deliver high performance with a small footprint. Time-critical routines are written in assembly language. In many cases, reduced code size makes it possible to use a smaller microcontroller with less on-chip memory. This can result in significant cost savings, especially for devices built in large quantities for the mass market. In some cases, this code-size saving may make the difference between being able to fit the microcontroller’s on-chip memory or not. A key component of emRun is emFloat, a highly optimized, IEEE 754 compliant floating-point library, designed from the ground up for embedded systems. Very fast and very small, it delivers FPU-like performance in pure software. Even where an FPU is available emFloat boosts the FPU’s performance for complex mathematical functions. emFloat is configurable for small code size or increased execution speed or a combination, with calculated results identical in all modes. For more information about emRun, please visit: https://www.segger.com/products/development-tools/runtime-library/ [1]

SiFive internal code size comparison of SiFive 21G1 release vs. previous SiFive 20G1 release. See Linley Group Microprocessor Report, “SiFive 21G1 Update Boosts Hash Rates”, 5/10/21 (subscription required): https://www.linleygroup.com/newsletters/newsletter_detail.php?num=6307. [2]

►SEGGER | https://www.segger.com 21

Using High-Speed, Ruggedized Ethernet Connectors FOR INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

Author: Rolf Horn Contributed by Digi-Key's North American Editors

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), or Industry 4.0, is driving demand for communications networks that are able to operate in challenging environments. Often, the weak link in these networks are the connectors as industrial environments are hot, dirty and typically incorporate vibrating machinery, all of which puts continual stress on mechanical connections and undermines reliability. 22

This article examines the requirements for industrial communications systems and the appropriate IP levels. It then describes how the features of industrial Ethernet connectors meet these demands before introducing real-world solutions from Amphenol as examples to show engineers how to use the connectors for new projects. Exacerbating the situation are the consequences of a connection failure in a modern factory. While it can be financially catastrophic with lost production quickly adding up to a large dollar loss, a failed safety connection can cause serious injury. As such, an alternative to the standard RJ45 connector is required. Designers require Ethernet connectors rugged enough to meet current indus-

trial standards and Ingress Protection (IP) codes, regardless of where they are to be placed initially. They must be able to perform reliably at Cat 6A Ethernet speeds up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), support Powerover-Ethernet (PoE), and be as “future proof” as possible, all while meeting often tight design budgets. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Industrial Communications Networks

The infrastructure for domestic and commercial Ethernet networks is generally based on inexpensive cables and standard RJ45 connectors, but those components are not designed for factory applications. The factory environment is more challenging, and the selection of cables and connectors must take into consideration the following stress factors: • Mechanical: shock, vibration, crushing, bending, twisting • Chemical: water, oils, solvents, corrosive gases • Environmental: temperature extremes, humidity, solar radiation • Electrical: electrostatic discharge (ESD), electromagnetic interference (EMI), high voltage transients. Industrial cabling and connectors must be specified to stand up to the most severe conditions anticipated across the network’s entire life. For example, it’s not much use if a cable is specified for normal ambient temperatures if later the factory is rearranged such that the cable now runs near process ovens where the temperature is much higher. Industrial cables are available with highgrade polyurethane insulation, which is resistant to abrasion, chemicals (including oil) and fire. While insulators such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are cheaper, the plastic can be attacked by oils and chemicals, and becomes brittle and cracks at low temperatures. BUILDING AN INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET NETWORK In low electrical noise environments, unshielded twisted pair cables might be acceptable. However, industrial devices like arc welders or factory electrical equipment such as switching relays, AC https://international.electronica-azi.ro

drives or solenoids may cause interference and data disruption in unshielded cables. When in doubt, the engineer should err on the side of caution and use shielded cable to prevent potential costly system errors later. As factories grow, it is common for control and power cables to use ducts that were previously dedicated to Ethernet communications. This could generate data corruption if unshielded Ethernet cables were originally specified. A double-shielding design, using both foil and a copper braid, is the most effective solution for preventing data corruption. To ensure the shielding works properly, the engineer must also use shielded connectors and terminate the shield to ground. If a shield is left unterminated, it can actually exacerbate interference problems by acting as an antenna. Even with shielded cables, signals degrade as they travel along long lengths. Cables with solid conductors perform better and can provide a maximum run of up to 100 meters (m), but they are more prone to damage from bending or twisting. Stranded cables handle twisting and bending better but shouldn’t be used for runs greater than 85 m (Figure 1). Figure 1

INDUSTRIAL NETWORK REQUIREMENTS Modern industry has widely embraced wired networking to power “Industry 4.0” (described as the “digitizing of manufacturing”) and build on the computerization of the sector that occurred back in the late 70s and through the 80s. For managers, Industry 4.0 promises increased productivity, higher quality product, lower prices, and improved safety. For engineers, the task is to build the robust networks that support modern manufacturing.

Solid conductor Ethernet cables should be limited to 100 m in length, while stranded cable versions should be limited to 85 m. When constructing the network, the minimum static bend radius is four times the cable outside diameter (OD). Category Cat 5 Cat 5e Cat 6 Cat 6a Cat 7

Pairs 2-4 2-4 4 4 4

This applies to stranded or solid, shielded or unshielded cables. Where flexing is required, solid conductor cables should not be used. The data sheets for stranded cables typically specify the maximum flex cycles, which is typically between one million and 10 million, depending on the bend radius. The cables should be secured with cable ties that are left loose enough for the cables to move freely under the tie. Overtightening will create stress points that can cause conductor failure. The cables should also be kept loose within the cable ties when several cables are bundled together. Because the vast majority of commissioning errors occur due to field wiring (because maintaining the twisted pairs and correctly terminating the shield is a difficult and time-consuming job), the use of factory-fitted molded connectors is advised. DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE While wired networks bring key advantages (such as speed, signal integrity and security), they are expensive to install and maintain. The designer tasked with specifying the network should therefore have one eye on the future to ensure the infrastructure will last as long as possible and require minimal repairs. The history of Ethernet has seen network speeds rise inexorably. In the future, industrial networks are likely to be dominated by optical infrastructure offering rates of 400 Gbps or even terabits per second (Tbps). For today’s copper wire installations, careful selection of highgrade twisted-pair cable and connectors should see the network cope not only with current 1 Gbps rates, but upcoming 10 Gbps connections (Table 1).

Frequency (MHz) 100 100 250 500 600

* CAT 5e is available as either a 2-pair or 4-pair cable. 2-pair cable has a maximum speed of 100 Mbps while 4-pair cable can achieve 1 Gbps

Speed 100 Mbps 1 Gbps* 1 Gbps 10 Gbps 10 Gbps © Digi-Key Electronics

Table 1: Ethernet cable speeds and the associated Ethernet operating frequency, which is generally proportional to throughput. 23

ETHERNET CONNECTORS

An enhanced form of PoE, called PoE+, can supply up to 25.5 watts DC to the connected device and allows connection of high power draw equipment such as security cameras. (See Digi-Key’s technical article, “Power-over-Ethernet Adapts to Meet Higher Demand” ). Just as cables and connectors should be matched for equal resistance against mechanical, chemical, environmental and electrical stress, so too should they be matched for functional performance. Maximum operational characteristics will be dictated by the least capable component in the network; for example, if Cat 6a cables are matched with Cat 6 connectors, the system will have a maximum throughput of 1 Gbps rather than the cables’ nominal maximum throughput of 10 Gbps. CONNECTORS FOR INDUSTRIAL NETWORKS While it is important that the designer carefully considers cable choice, routing, and Ethernet frequency when building industrial networks, the connectors are the greatest design challenge within an Ethernet network. This is because they represent the weakest link; not only do connectors offer potential ingress to water and dirt but they also include short runs where Ethernet pairs are untwisted and are therefore more susceptible to electrical noise. The designer needs to consider where the connectors will be used as factory environments vary considerably. For example, the IP code – determined by IEC standard 60529 – classifies the degree of protection provided by the mechanical casings and electrical enclosures forming the connector. The first digit of the code indicates the degree of solid particle protection (ranging from 0 (no protection) to 6 (dust tight)), while the second indicates the degree of 24

protection against liquid ingress (ranging from 0 (no protection) to 9K (powerful, high-temperature water jets)). A rating of IP20 (protection against fingers and similar objects, no protection against moisture) for connectors used in clean, dry factory environments is common for many industrial connectors. For example, Amphenol’s ix Industrial IP20 connectors are high-speed, ruggedized, 10-position components that come in a package 70 percent smaller than a typical RJ45. Connector makers typically provide options for higher protection for use in progressively dirtier and wetter environments, and Amphenol is no exception. The ix Industrial IP20 line extends from IP20 for the standard product up to IP67 (dust tight, immersion up to 1 m depth) for non-standard products. The network designer should aim to minimize the number of connections, particularly cord sets with male connectors on both ends. These are too easy for nonengineering personnel to extend – with detrimental consequences for the performance of the rest of the network. Moreover, it is standard practice for all fixed connectors to be of the female type. In common with other manufacturers, the Amphenol connectors are available

in male form factors for cables, and three types of female form factors for fixed installations: vertical receptacles for bulkheads, right-angle vertical (ND9AS1200), and horizontal (ND9BS3200) receptacles for pc board mounting (Figure 2). The pc board mount versions come in surface mount technology (SMT) or throughhole form factors for easy soldering to the substrate. The male version can be supplied individually (ND9AP5200) or as part of a cable set (ND9ACB250A) measuring in length from 500 to 2000 millimeters (mm). A useful guide as to the quality of a connector is to check if it meets the requirements of standards such as IEC 60512 and IEC 61076. IEC 60512 details the mechanical and electrical tests, as well as the thresholds a connector should meet when used with electrical and electronic equipment. The standard covers mechanical factors such as insertion and withdrawal force, vibration resistance, and the maximum number of mating cycles, as well as electrical factors such as resistance due to contact, shielding, and insulation. The Amphenol ix Industrial connectors are designed to provide a robust, miniaturized Ethernet interface (compliant

Figure 2 © Amphenol

Factory networks are also starting to take advantage of PoE, a technology that uses Ethernet cabling to deliver power to connected equipment. PoE uses a single standard Ethernet infrastructure while handling power in the tens of watts. The centralized and flexible nature of the technology eliminates the need for a local power supply for each powered device on the network, allowing powered devices to be placed anywhere and be easily relocated later if required.

Amphenol’s ix Industrial connectors are available in a variety of plugs and receptacles for cable, bulkhead and pc board applications. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Industrial Communications Networks

with the relevant IEC standards) with up to 75% space savings compared to standard RJ45 connectors. With 10 mm connector pitch and robust two-point metal latching, the connectors offer Cat 6a performance for up to 10 Gbps Ethernet communication, PoE/PoE+ capability, and 360° shielding for EMI immunity. The pc board connectors feature heavy-

duty solder tabs to secure them and are robust enough to endure shock and vibration while maintaining a reliable connection. They can withstand up to 5000 mating cycles. Tables 2 and 3 detail how the ix Industrial series perform against key aspects of the IEC 60512 standard.

IEC 61076 is more focused, covering 10way, shielded, free and fixed rectangular connectors for data transmission with frequencies up to 500 megahertz (MHz). The document specifies the common dimensions, the mechanical, electrical and transmission characteristics, as well as the environmental requirements for industrial networks.

Electrical characteristic Value IEC standard Test Current rating 1.5A (all pins) 60512-5-2 5b Voltage rating 50 VAC max., 60 VDC max. n/a n/a Contact resistance 80 mΩ max. 60512-2-1 2a Shielding resistance 100 mΩ max. 60512-2-1 2a Insulation resistance 500 MΩ min. @ 500 V DC test 60512-3-1 3a Dielectric withstanding 500 V DC 60512-4-1 4a, voltage Method A © Digi-Key Electronics

Table 2: From an electrical standpoint, the ix Industrial Ethernet connectors can handle currents up to 1.5 A and meet IEC 60512 requirements. Mechanical characteristics Value IEC standard Test Insertion/withdrawal force 25N max 60512-13-2 13b Latch retention force 80N min. 60512-13-2 15f Thermal shock 10 cycles between -55 and +85° 60512-11-4 11d Humidity 10 cycles, 24hrs/cycle @ 93% 60068-2-38 Z/AD humidity, low temperature +25°, high temperature +65°, cold sub-cycle -10° Mechanical shock 300ms-1 half-sine shock pulses, 11ms 60512-6-3 6c Vibration, sinusoidal 10 to 500 Hz, 0.35mm, 50ms-1 60512-6-4 6d Mating cycles1 5000 cycles 60512-9-1 9a Operating temperature2 -55 to +85° n/a n/a 1) 2)

The number of mating cycles is influenced by the plating option The operationg temperature can vary for cable assemblies

Table 3: The ix Industrial connector’s mechanical performance allows them to meet IEC 60512 and 60068 requirements.

Figure 3

(a)

(b)

IEC 61076 specifies the polarization and keyway for connectors for data transmission. Type A (a) uses a 45° corner located on the lower right of the receptor (viewed into mating face). For Type B (b) the 45° cut corner is located on the upper left corner of the receptor. https://international.electronica-azi.ro

In particular, IEC 61076 identifies the codings that determine the position of the connectors’ polarization key and keyway. Type A connectors are intended for 100 megabit per second (Mbps) to 10 Gbps Ethernet communication. Type B connectors are intended for all other non-Ethernet applications such as signaling, serial or other industrial bus communication systems (Figures 3(a) and (b)). CONCLUSION Modern factories are being built with communications networks to digitize manufacturing for greater productivity and lower costs. The connectors and cables making up these networks not only need to be robust enough to stand up to harsh industrial environments, but also cope with future high-speed communication and PoE demands. There are solutions from companies such as Amphenol that offer industrial grade cables and connectors designed to precisely meet these challenges and factory budgets. They adhere to exacting industrial connector standards and include features that support high network performance, extended life, and require minimal maintenance. However, as shown, designers need to understand the applicable standards and both the electrical and mechanical limitations of the connectors in order to apply them appropriately toward a successful IIoT or Industry 4.0 network design. ►Digi-Key Electronics https://www.digikey.com

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8 cores for heterogeneous edge computing Tasks at the embedded edge are getting more and more complex. Supporting up to 8 cores and 16 threads, the recently launched AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors are paving the way for x86-based embedded designs with unprecedented compute density and performance per watt. congatec is offering the new Zen 2 based processor generation, which complements V1000 processor technology with 6- and 8-core versions, on COM Express Compact modules.

Author: Zeljko Loncaric, Marketing Engineer at congatec AG As the trend towards more IIoT connectivity and digitization continues, embedded systems must handle a growing number of tasks. Additional tasks include the collection of application data that needs to be transcoded, and sometimes analyzed locally using artificial intelligence (AI). In parallel, data must be exchanged with customers’ enterprise clouds and other 26

OEM apps, and this communication must be highly secure, because new pay-per-use models turn the devices, machines, and systems into an OEM revenue source that needs to be safeguarded. Ideally, embedded systems are therefore constantly monitored to preempt malicious attacks. All this requires many processes to run in parallel, which is why every additional core in an

embedded system is very welcome, since it can then also be assigned dedicated tasks using real-time capable hypervisor technology. As an add-on to V1000 processor technology, the new AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors set completely new standards, making it possible to deliver COM Express Type 6 modules with 8-core processors and 16 threads for the very first time. What is more, the TDP scales up to 54 watts, and down to as little as 10 watts. This is crucial for many fanless embedded systems and subsequently creates both an immense performance leap and significantly increased multi-tasking capacities. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series on COM Express Compact

With the new AMD Embedded Ryzen V2000 series, users benefit from double the processing power per watt, approximately 15% more instructions per clock (IPC), and twice as many cores compared to the previous generation.

IPC rate. Combined with the smaller manufacturing technology, which has shrunk from 14 to 7 nm, these modifications have resulted in twice as much multi-thread performance per watt and up to 30% higher single-thread performance.

TDP of 15 watts, 8 cores and a base clock rate of 1.7 GHz was compared with the 6core Intel Core i7 10710U processor with a base clock rate of 1.6 GHz and the quad-core Intel Core i7 10510U processor with a nominal clock rate of 1.8 GHz. Both are 10th generation Intel Core processors and have a TDP of 15 watts. While the 6- and 4-core Intel Core processors are on par with the AMD Ryzen V2000 in single-thread performance, the picture shifts significantly when it comes to multi-core performance. Here, the AMD Embedded Ryzen V2000 processor is more than twice as fast as the quad-core i7 processor, and it also has a clear lead of around 33% over the hexacore i7. The pendulum swings in favor of the AMD Ryzen V2000 processor in terms of graphics performance, too. Compared to both Intel Core i7 processors, it scores more than twice as high in the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. Even when pitched against a processor with a much higher TDP, like the 6-core Intel Core i7 9750H processor with a TDP of 45 watts and 2.6 GHz base clock rate, the Intel Ryzen V2000 impresses with outstanding performance. It offers an almost identical single-thread performance, but about 45% more multi-thread and almost 40% more graphics performance.

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Current benchmarks AMD has used renowned benchmarks to prove the performance of its AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors. The AMD Ryzen V2718 processor with a nominal

The new 7 nm Zen 2 microarchitecture These significant performance gains over the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 processors are made possible by the new Zen 2 processor architecture, which is now manufactured in 7 nm technology. AMD has retained many innovations of the first Zen microarchitecture: for instance, the CPU Core Complex (CCX) combining up to 4 cores. Within a CCX, each core can access the shared L2 and L3 cache with the same low latency. However, compared to the previous V1000 series, AMD has doubled the memory from 2 MB to 4 MB L2 cache and 8 MB per CCX for the L3 cache. While the L1 cache has not increased in size, bandwidth was doubled from 16 to 32 Kbytes throughput per clock cycle. Floating-point bandwidth, too, was doubled from 128 to 256 bits, which significantly speeds up the processing of AVX2 instructions, for instance. One effect of this is a 15% increase in the

40% more graphics performance Next to the pure computing power, the graphics performance is truly impressive. The AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics integrated in the powerful AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 SoC provides up to 7 GPU processing units.

Benchmarks show some significant performance increases, with Cinebench R15 nT recording an extraordinary 140% performance boost 27

EMBEDDED COMPUTING

The AMD Ryzen V2000 processors support 20 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. That’s 8 more than the V1000 series, which even with the 4 additional PCIe lanes only offers a total of 16 lanes. What is more, the V2000 processors enable full USB-C implementation out of the box. That’s because 2 of the in total 4 USB 3.1 Gen 2 capable USB ports © AMD

The GPU performance of the integrated Radeon graphics, which is based on the 5th generation GCN architecture and traditionally high at AMD, has increased by 40% compared to the predecessor. It, too, benefits from the more energy efficient 7 nm technology and at 1.6 GHz, its operating clock rate is also 300 MHz faster.

Enhanced security Next to improved performance and efficiency, AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series processors also provide advanced security features for greater protection against unauthorized access to stored data or critical software. As in the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 and R1000 series, AMD Memory Guard supports several security features in AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors, among them: • Secure Memory Encryption for encrypting the main memory. It prevents physical attackers from accessing confidential data and helps defend against cold start attacks. • Secure Boot protects the boot process so that no unauthorized software or malware can take over important system functions.

AMD Ryzen V2000 processors compared to 9 and 10 generation Intel Core i7 processors 4x 4k UHD support The AMD Embedded Ryzen V2000 family can therefore control four independent 4k displays in parallel – with a seamless 60 Hz refresh rate and lifelike high dynamic range (HDR) reproduction featuring 10-bit color depth per channel. Next to immersive digital signage and gaming applications, this specifically benefits high-quality medical diagnostic systems, where 10-bit color depth is required for the display of digital X-ray images. DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.4 provide support for 3D graphics, and the integrated video engine enables hardware-accelerated streaming of 4k HEVC (H.265 and VP9) video at 60 Hz in both directions without straining the CPU.

with 10 Gbit/s also support the USB modes Power Delivery and Alt-DP with Display Port 1.4 signals. In addition, the new SoCs support 4x USB 2.0. As before, up to 2x SATA ports are available for data storage. However, storage media are best connected via the fast NVMe interface, which with 4x PCIe offers significantly more bandwidth. The AMD Ryzen V2000 SoCs further supports a range of interfaces that are specifically adapted for the embedded market, such as legacy UART, I2C, SMBus, SPI and GPIOs.

• UEFI Secure Boot prevents malicious code or unauthorized software from being loaded at system startup. To ensure that performance is not impacted by the encrypted data encoding and decoding, AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors support AES-NI for hardwareaccelerated encryption and decryption of AES-encoded data. Zen 2 also provides AMD processors with hardware-based protection against the well-known Spectre and Spectre v4 exploits. Consequently, OEMs and users no longer have to rely on firmware or OS-based security mechanisms.

To ensure that graphics signals arrive at the display in full bandwidth, the Vega graphics supports the latest interface technologies with up to 4x DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1 as well as eDP 1.4. Thanks to HSA and OpenCL 2.0 support, deep learning workloads can also be assigned to the GPU. Optimized interfaces AMD has optimized its interface offering quite significantly and expanded the I/Os to meet the requirements of high-performance edge systems and IPCs, which are in particularly high demand today. 28

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series on COM Express Compact

COM Express Compact modules AMD has launched the new AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series in four processor variants, which are all supported by congatec’s new conga-TCV2 COM Express Type 6 Compact modules. They feature 4 MB L2 cache, 8 MB L3 cache, and up to 64 GB for fast and energy-efficient 64-bit Dual Channel DDR4 memory with up to 3200 MT/s and ECC support for maximum data security.

Further performance-oriented interfaces include 1x PEG 3.0 x8 and 8x PCIe Gen 3 lanes, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 8x USB 2.0, up to 2x SATA Gen 3, 1x Gbit Ethernet, 8 GPIOs, SPI, LPC, and 2x legacy UART provided by the board controller. The RTS hypervisor as well as the Microsoft Windows 10, Linux/Yocto, Android Q, and Wind River VxWorks operating systems are further supported.

count and performance density for COM Express Type 6 modules, predestine the new Computer-on-Modules for digitization and parallel edge analytics – including workload balancing and consolidation enabled by virtual machines based on congatec’s RTS real-time hypervisor implementations. With up to 16 threads, the AMD Ryzen V2000 series based conga-TCV2 modules enable high-performance embedded system designs that can execute twice as many tasks within a given TDP range. This really is great news for edge computing as it helps address the rising number of parallel tasks. The integrated graphics, which continues to provide excellent 3D graphics quality on up to four independent 4k60 displays, is also impressive – as is the fact that all this is scalable from 54 watts TDP to ultra low power configurations consuming as little as 10 watts.

However, this doesn’t mean that the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 processor series has become obsolete with the launch of the new processors; for lower performance ranges with fewer cores, the V1000 series is still the best choice. Further use cases for the new modules include all standard embedded applications – from industrial box PCs and thin clients to embedded systems with impressive computing and graphics performance.

Based on the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 Series, congatec makes the first COM Express module with Octacore processor available. The integrated AMD Radeon graphics with up to 7 processing units supports applications and use cases that require high-performance GPU data processing. The conga-TCV2 Computer-on-Modules therefore support up to four independent displays with a resolution of up to 4k60 UHD via 3x DisplayPort 1.4/HDMI 2.1 and 1x LVDS/eDP. Processor

AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2748 AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2718 AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2546 AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2516

Applications with high security demands benefit from the integrated AMD Secure processor, which helps with hardwareaccelerated encryption and decryption of RSA, SHA, and AES. Onboard TPM support is also provided. Ideal for all types of edge devices Together, these impressive features, led by the currently highest compute core

Cores/ Clock [GHz] L2/L3 GPU TDP [W] Threads (base/boost) Cache Compute (MB) Units 8 / 16 2.9 / 4.25 4/8 7 35 – 54 8 / 16 1.7 / 4.15 4/8 7 10 – 25 6 / 12 3.0 / 3.95 3/6 6 35 – 54 6 / 12 2.1 / 3.95 3/6 6 10 – 25

Key performance metrics of the new AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processor based COM Express Compact modules from congatec https://international.electronica-azi.ro

The new modules also find an important market in smart robotics, e mobility and autonomous vehicle applications that use deep learning to optimize situational awareness. Further information on the new highperformance conga-TCV2 COM Express Type 6 Compact module is available at https://www.congatec.com/en/products/com-express-type-6/conga-tcv2/ ►congatec https://www.congatec.com

IEEE 802.11ah alias Wi-Fi HaLow High data rates and a simple network structure have made Wi-Fi one of the most common wireless standards. But Wi-Fi has a flaw – its low range. This is why the Wi-Fi Alliance developed IEEE 802.11ah for longer-distance wireless. The first module to meet this standard is now appearing on the market. Author: Kerstin Naser Product Sales Manager Wireless

Unlike the usual standards, which operate at 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands, the IEEE 802.11ah standard – also known as Wi-Fi HaLow – uses the unlicensed 900MHz frequency band for transmission. This makes it part of the LPWAN group of technologies (Low-Power Wide-Area Networking) along with LoRa and Sigfox. The use of the lower frequency band means that HaLow achieves a range of up to 1.5 kilometers, almost twice the distance of Wi-Fi standards based on 2.4GHz or 5GHz. 30

This is a compelling prospect for not only smart home applications but also various IoT scenarios such as industrial enterprises with large premises, in agriculture, in healthcare, and in smart cities. Passes Through Walls More Easily Wi-Fi HaLow also establishes a very stable connection – because there is at least 10dB more available in the link budget *) compared to 2.4GHz WiFi, a wireless signal can pass through walls or other obstacles

more effectively. A theoretical maximum of up to 8,191 devices per access point are supported; the first 802.11ah Wi-Fi module for IoT devices from Silex (see more below) supports 1,024 nodes per access point. In a practical test, Silex successfully had data transmitted over 100 connections and 30 fixed devices essentially simultaneously. This new version of Wi-Fi is also attractive for mobile applications such as wearables and sensor applications – a data rate of at least 150 Kbit/s is available when using a 1MHz channel. If the sensors are only active when new data needs to be transmitted, this can be achieved with low power usage in combination with a lowpower data modem, making Wi-Fi HaLow ideal for connecting many smaller devices. By combining multiple channels, it becomes possible to increase the data rate a little. Interoperability between 802.11ah devices from different suppliers is ensured, with the WLAN encryption standards WPA2-PSK, WPA3SAE and WPA3-OWE guaranteeing secure data transmission. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Wi-Fi HaLow

IEEE 802.11ah or Wi-Fi HaLow therefore combines the benefits of Wi-Fi and of LPWAN technologies, offering not only greater range but also a higher data rate. However, the technology is still in its infancy, the infrastructure is still under development, and there are gradually more and more devices, that support the standard appearing for sale.

With 10dB more than conventional Wi-Fi, a HaLow wireless signal penetrates walls and is therefore ideal for smart home applications. © Shutterstock

FIRST HaLow COMPONENTS One of the pioneers was Japanese manufacturer Newracom, which developed the first Wi-Fi HaLow chip back in October 2015 for IoT applications. This chip was presented along the standard at the Mobile World Congress 2016. Newracom won the “Best Wi-Fi IoT Product 2019” award in 2019 for the NRC7292, the first IEEE 802.11ah-compatible Wi-Fi HaLow SoC. Another pioneer of this new standard is Silex. The SX-NEWAH, the first 802.11ah Wi-Fi module for IoT devices, will soon be available through Rutronik. The US version is already available with Rutronik offering samples. This module is also based on the NRC7292 SoC from Newracom and is the first industrial Wi-Fi module to operate in the sub-GHz band. This means that it offers all of the benefits of the new Wi-Fi technology:

• Greater range and stable connections, including through walls or in adverse environment conditions, with at least 10dB more than with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi • Low power usage for a battery life of several years • Data rates of up to 15 Mbit/s with TCP/IP support • A large number of devices per access point (repeaters and gateways are not needed) • IP connectivity: The module can be integrated into existing IP networks. • High security: Enterprise Wi-Fi Security, WPA3 • Interoperability with 802.11ah devices from different suppliers ►Rutronik | https://www.rutronik.com

*) A link budget is an accounting of all of the power gains and losses that a communication signal experiences in a telecommunication system; from a transmitter, through a communication medium such as radio waves, cable, waveguide, or optical fiber, to the receiver. A simple link budget equation looks like this: Received power (dB) = transmitted power (dB) + gains (dB) - losses (dB)

The new 802.11ah Wi-Fi standard offers a much greater range than the other Wi-Fi standards. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

POWER SUPPLIES

Diving into immersed power electronics! In the quest to increase power utilization efficiency and to achieve the computation of more data in smaller spaces, the computing industry investigated alternative solutions to forced air-cooling. Cold wall and baseplate cooling methods, helped by liquid or gas exchangers have been used for decades and from a laptop, datacenters and on to radio base stations, a well-established technology to extract calories from dissipating components has been achieved. The technology worked well, but to jump from 40kW per rack to 250kW and more, even that technology reached its limits. How to get more computing power from a datacenter with safety and efficiency has been the concern of many engineers, and the idea to get the full benefit of liquid cooling by immersing heavy computing systems into fluid became an interesting option. After more than 10 years of experimentation, business cases and trials, where does that industry stand in 2021 and how will power supplies adapt and develop to accommodate that technology?

FROM FISH-TANK TO SUPER HIGH-DENSITY DATACENTER If you are a fan of online gaming requiring huge levels of computing power, you may remember PC conventions where geeks presented oil immersed computers in a fish-tank (figure 1). Anecdotal as it may seem, beginning in 2005, the idea to benefit from deep liquid cooling technology has been explored by the gaming community but the biggest interest for that technology emerged from Bitcoin mining requiring massive computing power. At the origin of Bitcoin mining, many companies took advantage of the cold Nordic environment and the locally produced renewable hydroelectric energy to setup datacenters. Nordic countries began many projects to support those initiatives. One example is the Swedish project, ‘The Node Pole’ promoting an abundance of stable and competitively priced electricity from renewable energy, inviting datacenter operators to benefit from this specific environment. Many leading companies launched datacenters in Nordic countries e.g. in Boden, Sweden. 32

Author: Patrick Le Fèvre, PRBX, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer

Mineral oil cooled PC

Figure 1

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Immersion cooling

We could mention the Bitcoin company KnC Miner, who in 2014 opened a 10megawatt data center filled with highpowered computers mining for cryptocurrency, capitalizing on the benefits of hydroelectric power and natural cooling. Although the source of energy powering a Bitcoin farm was renewable, nonetheless the energy dissipated was lost and concern was emerging regarding ‘Energy Utilization’. Many Bitcoin mining datacenters all over the world were operating in huge halls, with thousands of computing

high demand levels on datacenters to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and to optimize and re-use calories produced during the computing process, for example to heat water for public usage. Besides Bitcoin mining, the growing demand for mass computing architecture for simulations and future networks of autonomous vehicles motivated datacenter operators to consider alternative methods to deliver extremely high computing power in smaller spaces with a PUE close to ONE. The idea to immerse

its 240kW flat racks launched by the HongKong based company Allied Control (now LiquidStack) and rewarded with the ‘Best Green ICT Award’ in 2014 (figure 3). From the first generation launched in 2012 to the third generation launched in 2015, cooperating with 3M under a project named 2PIC (2-phase Immersion Cooling), Allied Control increased the Total Watts Per Square Foot from 0.25kW to 3.23kW while maintaining a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.02.

Figure 2

KnC Miner 10 megawatt data center filled with high-powered computers mining for cryptocurrency in Boden (Sweden) units cooled by forced air, without any heat recycling (figure 2). If Bitcoin mining centers operating in Nordic conditions could ‘get by’ using forced air cooling, the methodology was definitely not a long-term solution, and where massive computing units operating in the rest of the world - and not benefiting from natural cold air - it was not a solution at all. In any case, considering the environmental aspect and impact, wasting energy became a major concern and even in Nordic countries local communities placed https://international.electronica-azi.ro

the heavily computing parts of datacenters in fluid grew within the engineering community, with functional systems being tested in 2010. The road for immersion cooling was opened! WHEN BITCOIN MEETS BIG DATA We could name many experiments performed all over the world to design immersed, high computing power machines in fluids, but it’s worth mentioning the 1.4MW container data center and

This has been made possible by optimizing the immersion cooling technology with the 3M coolant Novec 7100. Presented at many conferences, e.g. Open Compute Project Summit (OCP Summit), immersion cooling offers unprecedented benefits in terms of performance. As shown in figure 4, the power density per rack can increase from 40kW to 250kW (and more), the computing power from 10kW to 100kW per square meter, and the energy used for cooling to reduce from 2.0 pPUE (partial Power Usage Effectiveness) to below 1.02 pPUE. 33

Figure 3

POWER SUPPLIES

In addition to improving performance, immersion cooling is also considered by datacenter managers as a possible solution to reduce the risk of fire. We are all able to recall the fire at the French OVH datacenter in Strasbourg and the collateral damage that impacted their customers. Despite all caution and measures in place to prevent a fire, the increased power density of existing datacenters cooled by conventional methods remains a high concern for datacenter managers. The dielectric coolants used in immersed datacenters have a dielectric strength that's thousands of times higher than air, so even if there's a short circuit in the coolant, there's no spark or ignition, which clearly greatly reduces the risk of fire. As well, immersed data centers are using a very limited number of fans, mainly used outside the computing environment in the heat exchanger. All considered, immersed datacenters have lots of benefits and following on from Google, Alibaba and many others, the recent announcement from Microsoft to use two-phase immersion cooling in its Quincy, Washington Azure datacenter confirms the demand for Big Data computation taking over from the original Bitcoin experimentation phase. Making datacenters more powerful and better in Power Usage Effectiveness is great but is cooling working and what will that mean for power supplies manufacturers?

Allied Control 2-phase Immersion Cooling

Figure 4

Comparison of air cooling vs. fluid cooling performances 34

SLIC and TLIC! Two technologies are commonly used for immersion cooling: Single-phase Liquid Immersion Cooling (SLIC) and Two-phase Liquid Immersion Cooling (TLIC). Both technologies make it possible to achieve more than 200kW per rack with impressive PUE. The decision to use one or another technology depends on operational conditions and best practices as applied to specific industries. A lot of literature has been published on both, but in simple terms this is how it works: SINGLE-PHASE LIQUID IMMERSION COOLING (SLIC) Single-phase immersion cooling (figure 5a) servers are usually installed vertically in the container and cooled by a hydrocarbon-based dielectric fluid that’s similar to mineral oil, as was used by the gaming geek in the early days. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Figure 5a

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Immersion cooling

Figure 5b

SLIC DUG immersion-cooled data hall in Houston hosting more than 40,000 servers https://international.electronica-azi.ro

Single-phase Liquid Immersion Cooling (SLIC) basic principle

The heat is transferred from the dissipating components to the coolant, which is then cooled via a heat exchanger in a cooling distribution unit (CDU). Single phase is very simple to operate and maintain. Beside hyperscale datacenters (figure 5b), SLIC is the preferred solution for industrial computing systems operating in harsh environments requiring a very high level of safety TWO-PHASE LIQUID IMMERSION COOLING (TLIC) In a two-phase immersion cooled system (figure 6a), servers are immersed inside a bath of specially engineered fluorocarbon-based liquid. Because the fluid has a low boiling point (often below 50 degrees C vs. 100 degrees C for water), heat from the servers easily boils the surrounding fluid. The boiling of the liquid causes a change of state from liquid to gas, thus giving two-phase immersion cooling its name. The vapor is then condensed back to the liquid form via watercooled condenser coils that are integrated into the top of the sealed racks. The condensed liquid drips back into the bath of fluid to be recycled through the system (illustration 06b). POWER TO IMMERSION The vast majority of datacenter equipments are powered by a front-end rectifier converting the AC voltage to 48V DC. Some are using a High Voltage DC (HVDC) distribution (e.g. 400 VDC). In the case of immersed equipment, the power supplies are often outside the tank and power supplies are off the shelf, however a number of highly integrated, high-density computing units are integrating the complete power solution. Originally used in harsh environments where safety is important and cooling is complicated, immersed electronics has been in practice for many years. With the high demand for small networks with high computing capacity, the development of a new generation of highly integrated, immersed servers began, including the AC/DC power supply (figure 7). Although most of the power supply components are compatible with the different coolants used in SLIC and TLIC, power designers must carefully select electrolytic capacitors. Electrolytic capacitors are designed to sustain humidity, however their sealing capsule properties can be affected when permanently immersed. 35

Figure 6a

POWER SUPPLIES

Figure 6b

Two-phase Liquid Immersion Cooling (TLIC) basic principle

Because operating such a capacitor in an immersed conditions may be outside its normal specifications, it is important to simulate, test and verify capacitors’ life time when immersed for deployment as such. Another important parameter to take into consideration is thermal conditions, which in the case of a liquid coolant is very much different to that when operating in air conditions. In both cases, by circulation in the case of SLIC, and evaporation in the case of TLIC, the calories are evacuated from dissipating components much faster than in air. In some components such positive temperature coefficients (PTC) are temperature-dependent and in the case of immersed applications the gradient between low and high temperatures is much lower. Power designers must take this into consideration. Coolants have high dielectric properties and there is no problem in operating high voltage switching topologies in immersed power supplies, although it is important to maintain a high physical isolation e.g. the use of a conformal coating to prevent corrosion from electrolyte effect that might happen when immersed in fluid. Most of the layout principles used in aircooling apply in immersed applications but it is important to make sure the fluid circulation is optimized within the power supply. Last but not least, when operated in immersed conditions temperature measurement can be a challenge. Although conventional temperature sensors are often used with specific coupling to the dissipating components, other types of monitoring by digital measurement are often used instead. Also, techniques such as ripple and noise envelope analysis help to monitor the overall performance and to apply preventative maintenance when parameters are outside critical limits.

TLIC servers at Microsoft Quincy, Washington datacenter 36

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP? What was started by gaming geeks immersing their computers in fish-tanks, and now to hyperscale massive computing datacenters, the immersed computing world is aimed to grow fast. The outbreak of COVID-19 is boosting Datacenter service demand and also new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, and 5G in its early stages. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » Immersion cooling

SLIC and TLIC will continue to improve performance levels, as will power supplies manufacturers working on highly efficient topologies using Wide Band Gap semiconductors (SiC and GaN). After 10 years of experimentation and local initiatives, the world of immersed computing is opening up nicely. Power designers love a challenge and developing multi kilowatts immersed power supplies is a challenge they cannot resist.

About the author: Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Powerbox, Patrick Le Fèvre is an experienced, senior marketer and degree-qualified engineer with a 35-year track record of success in power electronics. He has pioneered the marketing of new technologies such as digital power and technical initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Le Fèvre has written and presented numerous white papers and articles at the world’s leading international power electronics conferences. These have been published over 350 times in media throughout the world. He is also involved in several environmental forums, sharing his expertise and knowledge of clean energy.

Powerbox (PRBX)

Figure 7

PRBX AC/DC power supply OFI600A-12 designed for immersion cooling applications References: The Node Pole: https://www.nodepole.com LiquidStack (Allied Control): https://liquidstack.com 3M Novec: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/novec-us DUG Technology: https://dug.com/dug-cool Microsoft: https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/datacenter-liquid-cooling Powerbox (PRBX): https://www.prbx.com/2019/11/powerboxannounces-industrys-first-power-supply-forimmerged-computing-applications https://international.electronica-azi.ro

About Powerbox: Founded in 1974, with headquarters in Sweden and operations in 15 countries across four continents, Powerbox serves customers all around the globe. The company focuses on four major markets - industrial, medical, transportation/railway and defense - for which it designs and markets premium quality power conversion systems for demanding applications. Powerbox’s mission is to use its expertise to increase customers’ competitiveness by meeting all of their power needs. Every aspect of the company’s business is focused on that goal, from the design of advanced components that go into products, through to high levels of customer service. Powerbox is recognized for technical innovations that reduce energy consumption and its ability to manage full product lifecycles while minimizing environmental impact. Powerbox a Cosel Group Company. ►Powerbox a Cosel Group Company https://www.prbx.com 37

Xilinx® Zynq® UltraScale+™ MPSoC SOM The Andromeda XZU90 system-on-chip (SoC) module (SOM) from Enclustra combines high-end Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+™ MPSoC-series devices with fast DDR4 ECC SDRAM, eMMC flash, dual parallel quad SPI flash, dual Gigabit Ethernet PHY, USB 3.0 and thus forms a complete and powerful embedded processing system. This module is suitable for high-speed applications due to the high number of transceivers and the superior module connector performance. Thanks to its built-in Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC ZU17EG or ZU19EG device, the Andromeda XZU90 is the optimal solution for the most demanding applications. The SOM integrates up to 8 GByte of fast DDR4 SDRAM with Error Correction Code (ECC), a 16 GByte eMMC flash and a dual 64 MByte quad SPI flash. For communication, it offers up to 5 x PCIe Gen3 x16, Gigabit Ethernet PHY and USB 3.0 thanks to the 76 MGTs with up to 25 Gbit/sec – all on a tiny footprint of just 80 × 64 mm. The Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC is manufactured in a 16 nm FinFET+ process and has 6 ARM® cores: four 64 bit ARM Cortex™-A53 with a clock frequency of up to 1333 MHz, and a 533 MHz 32 bit ARM® dual-core Cortex™-R5. The processors are supported by a Mali™-400MP2 GPU. Reference design and Linux at the push of a button Enclustra offers broad design-in support for their products and a comprehensive ecosystem for the Andromeda XZU90, offering all required hardware, software, and support materials. Detailed documentation and reference designs make it easy to get started. A user manual, user schematics, a 3D-model, PCB footprints and differential I/O length tables are all provided. To build a Board Support Package (BSP) based on PetaLinux, Enclustra offers extensive guidance. Also, the necessary adjustments for the different boot modes (QSPI, eMMC, SD Card) are explained in detail. ►Enclustra | https://www.enclustra.com 38

Digi-Key Electronics Announces Dedicated Solutions for Startups Digi-Key Electronics, which offers the world’s largest selection of electronic components in stock for immediate shipment, furthered their dedication to enabling the world’s innovation by launching a microsite and help manual dedicated to making startups’ dreams become realities. The startup site leverages resources, tools and knowledge Digi-Key has amassed in working with thousands of startups every year. The manual, called the Startups Survival Guide, is the second edition leveraging Digi-Key’s partnership with Startups Magazine. Both resources follow the 10-step journey, from ideation and prototyping through production and support, and provide expertly curated success factors to help mitigate the complexities and navigate towards success. “Being the engineer’s choice for early-stage prototyping through design and production, Digi-Key is uniquely positioned to share knowledge back to the startup community helping them navigate the particular challenges they face on their journey to success,” said David Sandys, director of technical marketing at Digi-Key. “Our engagement with tens of thousands of startups has enabled Digi-Key to learn ways around both common and more obscure pitfalls that hamper startups’ desires and aspirations. The new microsite and guide are two of the best resources to steer through those obstacles.” On the startup site, startups will find all of the tools and resources in one location. It is centered around the Startup Roadmap, which is 10 steps of startup success that provide descriptions, tools and resources for each stage. The Roadmap also features a video from Limor Freid, Ladyada from Adafruit on how she approaches each of the stages. Based in New York City, Adafruit is one of the best examples of an electronicsbased startup success story. The site also includes a Roadmap Dashboard, which is an interactive tool with steps, sub-steps and resources for each of the 10 stages as well as an innovative tracking system to help startups complete all the steps necessary along the journey. The site also includes over a dozen other startup success tools for everything from Scheme-it, our back-of-the-napkin ideation tool to bill of materials (BOM) management, reference platforms, bare PCB ordering with PCB Builder and DKRed through our Marketplace offerings enabling visibility and sales through the Digi-Key website. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

The Startups Survival Guide 2nd edition, developed in partnership with Startups Magazine, has been updated to provide the latest proven solutions to common startup challenges. The guide is also divided into sections mirroring the 10 steps of startup success and is comprised of articles and know-how curated from successful startups and subject matter experts. There is no better way for innovators to learn their way through startup pitfalls than by learning from startups who have already gone through the journey. “Together with Digi-Key, this guide can really help you navigate through your entrepreneurial journey as we go into great detail to explain what you will need, every step of the way,” said Anna Flockett, editor at Startups Magazine. “Speaking to industry experts and telling some insightful startup success stories, the guide is an integral tool to help you achieve your startup goals.”

PRODUCT NEWS

Raspberry Pi-designed RP2040 chip now available from Farnell Raspberry Pi designed silicon chip found at the core of popular Raspberry Pi Pico development board now available as standalone chip Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has announced the availability of the 2040 chip built on Raspberry Pi-designed silicon. This new chip, which is at the core of the $4 Raspberry Pi Pico delivers a combination of high performance, low cost, and ease of use. The Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller offers high performance for integer workloads, a large on-chip memory, and a wide range of I/O options, making it a flexible solution for a wide range of microcontroller applications. Professional design engineers who are already comfortable working with Raspberry Pi will easily adopt the Raspberry Pi Pico and appreciate its ease of use and affordability.

Digi-Key has launched a microsite and manual, Startups Survival Guide 2nd edition in partnership with Startups Magazine, dedicated to supporting startups as they navigate their journey to success.

Key features include: • Two ARM Cortex-M0+ cores clocked at 133 MHz • 264 kB of on-chip SRAM • 30 multifunction GPIO pins • Dedicated hardware for commonly used peripherals alongside a programmable I/O subsystem for extended peripheral support • Four-channel ADC with internal temperature sensor • Built-in USB 1.1 with host and device support.

Both the startups microsite and the Startup Survival Guide continue to solidify Digi-Key’s commitment and dedication to enabling the successful realization of startups’ dreams, as they are the lifeblood of innovation.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Farnell, said: “We are delighted that Raspberry Pi has chosen to make this chip available as a standalone component. The Raspberry Pi Pico, which has the RP2040 at its core, has been hugely popular with customers and is showing potential to transform the microcontroller market in the same way that the original Raspberry Pi board did for single board computing. Customers can now use the Raspberry Pi Pico within their design phase and shift to the RP2040 in production, giving ultimate flexibility and opportunity for design engineers.”

Adafruit was founded in 2005 by MIT engineer, Limor “Ladyada” Fried. Her goal was to create the best place online for learning electronics and making the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels. In the last 10 years, Adafruit has grown to over 100+ employees in the heart of NYC with a 50,000+ sq ft. factory. Adafruit has expanded offerings to include tools, equipment, and electronics that Limor personally selects, tests, and approves before going in to the Adafruit store. Adafruit is a 100% woman owned manufacturing company, a certified Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), and WOSB. During the COVID-19 outbreak Adafruit Industries is operating as an essential service and manufacturing business: NYC – Executive Order 202.6 making PPE and medical device components. In 2020 Adafruit was appointed to the Small Business Sector Advisory Council by the City of New York to help restart the NYC economy post COVID-19 pandemic.

Farnell is the longest standing Raspberry Pi partner and has sold more than 15 million units to date. Farnell stocks the complete range of Raspberry Pi single board computers including the recently launched Raspberry Pi Pico, enabling customers to build a wide range of devices for home, professional, education or commercial use. Customers can also benefit from 24/5 technical support alongside free access to valuable online resources on the Farnell website, and engineering and maker community, element14.

►Digi-Key Electronics | https://www.digikey.com

►Farnell | https://uk.farnell.com

While the printed version will be distributed to Startups Magazine subscribers and at select events, PDF versions can be downloaded by visiting Digi-Key’s startups website.

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COMPANIES

Navigating the Semiconductor Shortage Author: David Stein, Vice President, Global Supplier Management, Digi-Key Electronics

The market demand for semiconductors has exploded over the past four to six months, as many industries have increased demand for these components, which are used in increasingly large volumes and applications. This huge demand has reached a height that has snarled supply chains and created a shortage of semiconductors -- a result of the convergence of several different factors. Unprecedented Demand This situation truly began about 18-24 months ago, when a large amount of design activity began taking place across many different industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, computers, industrial automation, and 5G devices. Unfortunately, this activity was derailed by the growth of the coronavirus from a localized outbreak to a global pandemic, shifting design and support focus in the first half of 2020 to supporting the medical industry. Now, the original design activity that started in 2019 has resumed, and in fact grown, creating an even higher demand for semiconductors. This uptick in demand, combined with lower inventory levels with suppliers and distributors, has caused various shortages and lengthening of supplier product lead times to all-time highs. At the same time, a lack of shipping containers in Asia, along with logistical challenges and social distancing and quarantine measures continue to disrupt activities in the region. 40

Additionally, the supply chains of raw materials such as manganese, antimony, tungsten and ferrovanadium have been affected by supply problems and increased freight costs since November. Lastly, in Europe and the U.S., ports can no longer keep up with unloading containers. With increased COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, ports are operating with reduced staff, meaning many container ships are anchored for several days and cannot dock in the ports. The recent blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given has further exacerbated these backups, creating a ripple effect in global trade activities. Ripple Effects This shortage has broad implications for the industries that consume not only semiconductors, but other electronic components as well. Some of the products that end customers such as OEMs and contract manufacturers are challenged with obtaining are discretes (diodes, rectifiers, mosfets, IGBTs), linear analogue, microcontrollers and microprocessors, sensors, commodity and high-end logic. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

DESIGN SOLUTIONS » The Semiconductor Shortage

For example, in the automotive world, vehicle and truck manufacturers are struggling to find the components they need to build increasingly sophisticated and connected cars and trucks to haul freight. Furthermore, power supplier manufacturers, who are attempting to increase capacity, are not able to source the semiconductors they need to build machines to manufacture

their products, meaning that other product portfolios such as interconnect, passive and electromechanical are also beginning to be squeezed. This shortage and capacity squeeze in the supply chain is likely to continue throughout 2021, and into 2022, with many suppliers announcing that they are fully booked. Even those that have started increasing production capacity have had to shift their production lines to optimally meet demand as best they can. Distributors Step Up The good news is that some distributors, like Digi-Key, were able to forecast this shortage well in advance. We keep a close eye on global design activities in the engineering community, and made note of an uptick in activities throughout the second half of 2019. This, in addition to the high volume of new product introduction and design starts Digi-Key was supporting, triggered our team to ramp up purchasing inventory in early 2020 and scheduled orders through the end of 2021, to give suppliers as much visibility as possible into future needs.

Additionally, Digi-Key is in constant contact with its suppliers and customers, has long-term relationships with key manufacturers, and has invested in significant inventory to help customers weather the current capacity crunch now and into the future. In the meantime, customers who are able to give better and more accurate visibility into and forecasts of their individual product needs can help their downstream supply chain partners obtain the necessary product volumes to support their manufacturing needs. This allows their partners to work more closely with supplier partners to plan accordingly. https://international.electronica-azi.ro

From an engineering perspective, the ODM/OEM should look to approve multiple suppliers on commodity type products where they can. Over the different shortage cycles that the electronic component industry has endured in the past, the commodity type products have been generally hit hardest, so having multiple sources on your bill of materials (BOM) helps from a sourcing perspective. Finally, customers should make sure to partner with companies like Digi-Key, that invest in inventory and view the product they keep on-hand as an asset, not a liability. Partnering with a distributor that can manage spikes in their forecasts is essential. Digi-Key has also developed a suite of digital solutions to help customers integrate technology and a digital strategy for faster communication and better use of data for planning and procurement. Digi-Key provides three robust digital solutions including API (Application Programming Interface), EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and punchout, which all help customers to maximize efficiency and speed, and improve operations through automation.

For more information, Digi-Key has published a free Demystifying Digital Transformation for Procurement eBook. David Stein is vice president of global supplier management at Digi-Key Electronics. Digi-Key is one of the world’s largest, fullservice distributors of electronics components, offering more than 11.8 million products with over 2.6 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from more than 1,700 quality, name-brand manufacturers. ►Digi-Key Electronics https://www.digikey.com

PRODUCT NEWS

With smallest package to more design flexibility: 1200V power modules of the Infineon CIPOS™ Maxi SiC IPM IM828 series at Rutronik. CIPOS™ Maxi SiC IPM is a 55 mΩ threephase CoolSiC™ MOSFET-based open emitter intelligent power module in a 36x23D DIP package. It offers a full-featured compact inverter solution with excellent thermal conductivity and a high range of switching speeds (up to 80 Hz). This makes the series suitable for appli cations such as three-phase and permanent magnet motors in variable speed drives, as those used in active HVAC filters and industrial motor and pump drives. The CIPOS Maxi

SiC IPM IM828 series is available at https://www.rutronik24.com. The CIPOS Maxi SiC IPM features an improved 6-channel 1200 V gate driver based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology and six CoolSiC™ MOSFETs, increasing system reliability. Excellent performance with the smallest size The DIP 36x23D is the smallest package for 1200 V IPMs. At the same time, the IPM has a particularly high power density in this voltage class. This combination allows the CIPOS Maxi SiC IPM to meet EMI requirements, provide overload protection for even the most

demanding designs, be extremely flexible in use, and help reduce system costs. Comprehensive protection The SiC power module’s resilient 6-channel SOI gate driver thanks to an integrated dead time avoids damage from transients. Additional undervoltage protection (UVLO) on all channels as well as protection functions against overcurrent shutdown round off the safety measures. These are supplemented by an independent UL-certified thermistor for tempe rature monitoring. Particularly user-friendly thanks to simple design, evaluation and controller boards The IPM also impresses with its simple control system, in which the pins of the lowside emitters are accessible for phase current monitoring. In addition, there is a programmable fault clearing time and an enable input. Thanks to the precisely matched evaluation and controller boards, handling and development time can also be noticeably optimized. For more information about Infineon´s CIPOS™ Maxi SiC IPM IM828 series and a direct ordering option, please visit our e-commerce platform at https://www.rutronik24.com. Rutronik https://www.rutronik.com

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Eggtronic E2WATT® Wireless Power Supply Technology Offers a Route to Wireless Charging in Higher Power Applications Including Home Appliances and Electric Vehicles Patented AC wireless power hybrid technology merges a conventional power adapter and Qi wireless transmitter, ensuring enhanced efficiency, range and speed while reducing cost Eggtronic, the innovative leader in power electronics, has announced E2WATT®, a new AC power technology that will boost the power, efficiency, charging distance and data transmission capabilities of wireless charging applications. Offering efficiency comparable with the best conventional wired AC adapters, E2WATT provides the foundation for taking future mobile charging designs into new segments including laptops, AV equipment, and even home appliances and electric vehicles. Traditional Qi wireless power is limited by distance (usually 5mm), and maximum power (usually up to 30W). E2WATT technology reaches up eight times further (to 40mm) and delivers up to 300W – a real breakthrough for inductive standards. E2WATT wireless technology is powered directly from AC mains, without the need for an external power supply. The singlestage hybrid design minimizes losses

compared with conventional doublestage wireless technologies to deliver significantly increased peak efficiencies of up to 95%. “We developed the entire E2WATT wireless platform, from the concept to proprietary architecture and firmware, in order to overcome the limitations of standard AC power adapters and Qi wireless chargers, multiplying the number of applications and the usability of products based on Qi technology,” said Igor Spinella, CEO and founder of Eggtronic. “The industry-changing performance of E2WATT is enabled by the high-speed gallium nitride – or GaN – semiconductor technology used in GaNFast power ICs,” added Stephen Oliver, VP Corporate Marketing at Navitas Semiconductor. “The Eggtronic team realized the limitations of legacy silicon chips and early discrete GaN with complex circuits and many discrete components. GaNFast

power ICs are easy-to-use, ‘digital-in, powerout’ circuit building blocks which meant the expert team in Modena could focus on their proprietary, high-speed E2WATT topology and achieve a very fast time to market.” “We invented a hybrid AC wireless power solution which is both a power supply and a wireless charger, able to increase efficiency, power, distance, and reduce both size and complexity,” said Matteo Ovi, Head of B2B Sales at Eggtronic. “With today’s announcement, we can expand into new segments and products that were not possible before. Wireless laptops, TVs, sound systems, home appliances, and every other powerful electric and electronic device can be supplied wirelessly with the same efficiency of the best conventional wired AC adapters.” “Microchip Technology’s flexible dsPIC33 microcontroller with a powerful DSP core, high speed ADCs and high resolution PWMs enable the unique system architecture resulting in increased z-distance charging,” said Joe Thomsen, vice president of Microchip’s 16-bit microcontroller business unit. “Our collaboration with Eggtronic has resulted in the development of a unique and differentiated Qi transmitter design for customers.” These extremely useful features ensure a reduction of the global cost of the solution, an increase of performance and usability and a smaller carbon footprint. Additionally, thanks to the proprietary receiving technology, the platform allows for a significant drop in receiver temperatures. The charging performance of modern smartphones and laptops are therefore improved, resulting in a better user experience. Eggtronic https://eggtronic.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

M100PFS SoM with Microchip’s PolarFire SoC FPGA Goes into Series Production ARIES Embedded, a specialist in embedded services and products, has started volume production of the powerful and efficient M100PFS System-on-Module (SoM). The platform is based on Microchip’s PolarFire® system-on-chip (SoC) FPGA family, the high-performance 64-bit RISC-V quad-core processor subsystem with low-power FPGA technology. “The M100PFS is now fully available and we have already supplied the first customer projects with it,” explained Andreas Widder, Managing Director of ARIES Embedded. “In addition to general availability, we have added significantly to the range of functions. The module features its IP reference design, a customized zero-stage bootloader, U-Boot as a generic bootloader, Linux with Yocto support, and Hart Software Services (HSS).” The embedded board impresses with its low power consumption, very good efficiency and high system security in a variety of different use cases. It is ideal for applications such as safety-related systems and artificial intelligence, where a high-performance, secure and energy-efficient computer architecture is to be combined with an FPGA. Its wide range includes applications such as smart embedded vision, industrial automation with robotics, telecommunications and industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). The Polarfire RISC-V quad-core SoC has an additional core for control and monitoring tasks. A range of special services run on this E51 monitor core with Hart Software Services, offering many options for configuration and ensuring reliability in operation. For example, the RISC-V cores can be used with different operating systems or bare-metal. This makes it possible to implement advanced real-time or security requirements for an embedded system. In addition to the SoM, ARIES Embedded offers the M100PFSEVP evaluation board for an easy and fast project start into FPGA SoC design. The baseboard can be flexibly extended via Pmod connectors or an HSMC port and can thus be used for the fast realization of prototyping. ►ARIES Embedded | https://www.aries-embedded.com 44

MicroSys Electronics introduces world’s first System-on-Module with the NXP S32G274A processor Application-ready S32G2 automotive gateway platform for commercial vehicles, mobile machinery, and many other functional safety uses MicroSys Electronics announces the world’s first System-onModule (SoM) with NXP Semiconductors S32G274A processor. The miriac MPX-S32G274A SoM comes with quad Arm Cortex-A53 cores plus triple Arm Cortex-M7 dual-cores and combines ASIL D safety and hardware security with more than 10 times the real-time performance and networking throughput of NXP’s previous automotive gateway devices[1]. The SoM offers multiple native CAN interfaces as well as comprehensive FlexRay, LIN and Ethernet support. Target markets are real-time connected vehicles, mobile machinery and automotive test and measurement equipment. Further applications include data loggers, edge gateways and fail-safe programmable logic controllers (PLCs). With native support for a total of 18 CAN interfaces, the new MicroSys SoM is ideal for developing comprehensive vehicle networks. Alternative designs that use generic expansion buses to connect CAN controllers generate high interrupt loads on the main processor. FPGAs are not an inexpensive alternative either; they also require additional development resources for FPGA programming. Beside application-ready hardware and function-validated hardware-related software, MicroSys Electronics also offers customer-specific carrier boards and system level design services. These extend to SIL certification for any markets where functional safety standards analog to IEC 61508 are required, including railway technology (EN 50155), aviation (DO-160), stationary and mobile machinery (ISO 13849), as well as manufacturing robots (ISO 10218), control systems (IEC 62061), and drive systems (IEC 61800‑5‑2). Approvals in the aviation context (DO-254/DO-160) are also greatly simplified by the existing manufacturer documentation. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Kontron’s new COMe-bEP7: Industrial-grade server-class Computer-on-Module In all these application areas, the new MicroSys SoM provides value with its AEC-Q100 Grade 2 (-40°C to 105°C) qualified processor. The Low Latency Communication Engine (LLCE) for automotive networks, which is optimized for data transfers, as well as its Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) for Ethernet networks, greatly reduce the CPU workload. A Hardware Security Engine (HSE) for secure boot and encrypted data transfer provides the required comprehensive root of trust for connected IoT edge devices. The feature set in detail The miriac MPX-S32G274A SoM from MicroSys Electronics features 1 GHz quad Arm Cortex-A53 cores with Arm Neon technology organized in two clusters for applications and services. For real-time tasks, there are also triple dual-core lockstep Arm Cortex-M7 cores for which MicroSys offers support for dedicated FreeRTOS implementations beside NXP’s standard automotive support. Clustered and operated in lockstep mode, this set of heterogenous cores can support ASIL-D applications or any other functional safety standard comparable to IEC 61508. In terms of memory, the new SoM integrates 4GB of soldered LPDDR4 RAM at 3200 MT/s, 16GByte eMMC non-volatile memory, and 64MB QuadSPI flash. External SD card storage can be multiplexed with the on-board eMMC. In regard to connectivity, the new SoM offers an extensive range of generic and communication interfaces including 4x SerDes interfaces configurable as PCIe Gen3 2×1 or 2×2, 4x Gigabit Ethernet, 18x CAN FD bus, 2x FlexRay, and 4x LIN. 14x GPIOs, 12x analog inputs (ADC), 3x SPI, 2x UART, 1x USB and 3x I2C complete the interface range. For trace and debug tasks, the SoM supports Aurora and JTAG interfaces. A comprehensive board support package including bootloader configuration and all required Linux drivers rounds off the feature set. The new MPX-S32G274A SoM from MicroSys Electronics is available as an application-ready off-the-shelf component as well as a development kit with carrier board, cable set and cooling solution. For more information, please visit: https://microsys.de/products/system-on-modules/armr-automotive/miriactm-mpx-s32g274a.html?L=0 ►MicroSys Electronics | https://microsys.de https://international.electronica-azi.ro

AMD EPYC™ Embedded 3000 SoC processors, high memory and comprehensive networking and connectivity to support a wide range of high-performance headless server applications Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), announces a brand new COM Express® Basic Type 7 Computer-on-Module based on AMD EPYC™ Embedded 3000 SoC processors, delivering cost-efficient, highly scalable server-class performance on a small form factor. Featuring 4 -16 cores, Kontron’s new COMe-bEP7 Type 7 module offers exceptional memory with up to 4 x SODIMM sockets delivering 128GB DDR4 RAM. Excellent networking capabilities and connectivity are provided with 4x 10GbE interfaces and up to 32 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Furthermore, an optional onboard NVMe can be integrated in addition to the 2x SATA ports. Measuring only 125 x 95 mm and designed for use with a carrier board, the highly robust Kontron COMe-bEP7 is ideal for a wide range of headless (no display) high-performance server applications. These include embedded edge and micro servers, medical imaging, 5G, AI, machine learning/camera inspection and test&measurement. “For a broad spectrum of high-performance server applications, our new COMe-bEP7 server-class module offers a versatile and scalable solution which will meet the requirements of many OEMs and developers when it comes to robust design, comprehensive high-speed connectivity, maximum memory and overall cost-effectiveness,” says Maria Wilde, Product Portfolio Manager at Kontron. The industrial-grade COMe-bEP7 module is capable of operating in harsh envionments from -40 °C to 85 °C and includes 4x USB 3.1, 4x USB 2.0 as well as LPC, SPI Flash, SMB, Dual Staged Watchdog and RTC. Additional special features include a Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) for maximum security. A COM Express® eval carrier Type 7 is also available. ►Kontron – An S&T Company | https://www.kontron.com 45

PRODUCT NEWS

Analog Devices’ Precision, High-Speed, DAQ mModule® Enables Smaller Solution Footprint and Reduced Time to Market Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) introduced a 16-bit, 15 MSPS data acquisition mModule® solution for digitizing fast transient signals in power analysis applications, and enabling low latency digital control loop in Hardware in the Loop (HiL) applications or source measurement unit applications. The new ADAQ23875 incorporates the critical signal conditioning circuity associated with scaling the signal from the sensor and enables a 4x footprint reduction versus a discrete equivalent solution. • Download data sheet, order samples and evaluation boards: https://www.analog.com/en/products/adaq23875.html# product-overview • Watch a video about the ADAQ23875: www.analog.com/en/ education/education-library/videos/6248044934001.html • Find ADAQ23875 simulation and design tools: https://www.analog.com/media/en/simulation-models/ ibis-models/adaq23875.ibs • Connect with engineers and ADI product experts on EngineerZone™, an online technical support community: http://ez.analog.com The ADAQ23875 reduces the development cycle of precision, high-speed measurement systems by transferring the component selection, optimization, and layout from the designer to the device. Incorporating more of the signal chain in a package, the ADAQ23875 enables high repeatability of system level performance over the lifetime of the system in manufacturing thus reducing the OEM’s total cost of ownership. The ADAQ2387x family is available in 16-bit and 18-bit resolution with different input range. ADAQ23875 Key Features: • 16-Bit, 15MSPS DAQ Solution • Integrated Precision Signal Scaling Circuity • Wide Common Mode Input Range (-1V to +4V) with high CMRR 96dB • 4x footprint reduction ►Analog Devices | https://www.analog.com 46

Renesas Expands Portfolio of World’s Smallest Photocouplers for Industrial Automation and Solar Inverter Applications New 8.2mm Creepage IGBT Drivers and IPM Driver Reduce PCB Mounting Area by 35 Percent to Maximize Board Space Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, expanded its family of 8.2mm creepage photocouplers with three new devices designed for operation in harsh industrial automation equipment, solar inverter, and EV charger operating environments. Measuring a mere 2.5mm × 2.1mm in an LSSO5 package, the world’s smallest optical isolated IGBT drivers and intelligent power module (IPM) driver reduce PCB mounting areas by up to 35 percent compared with other devices on the market. “Industrial equipment and green energy system manufacturers are currently facing two core challenges: Equipment needs to get smaller, requiring downsizing for factory floor efficiency and higher functionality equipment within the same board size, while at the same time, safety standards are getting stricter,” said Philip Chesley, Vice President, Industrial and Communications Business Division at Renesas. “Our expanded portfolio of small isolation devices offers customers greater layout flexibility with more options to enable longer secured creepage distance for high-voltage inverter control applications.” Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Maxim Integrated Continua Regulator Delivers Smallest Size and Tightest Accuracy for Supercapacitor Backup MAX38889 offers 9 percentage points higher efficiency and one-third the size of competing solutions transforming industrial, asset tracking, automotive and healthcare applications

The new RV1S9231A 2.5A output and RV1S9207A 0.6A output IGBT drivers and RV1S9209A active high output IPM driver come in low-profile LSSO5 packages with a 0.65mm pin pitch, deliver 5,000 Vrms isolation voltage, and support high temperature operation up to 125°C to withstand the harsh operating environments. The photocoupler trio also supports 200V and 400V systems with reinforced insulation to meet stringent industrial safety standards, adhering to the strict UL61800-5-1 standards for motor drive equipment. Renesas has identified and created a system architecture for various applications where the RV1S92xxA family of products adds tangible value in the system. For instance, a new AC Drives / GP Inverters “Winning Combination” featuring the RV1S92xxA family of products enables customers to downsize their industrial equipment and inverter systems that meet UL61800-5-1 standard. Renesas’ Winning Combinations are vetted system architectures made from mutually compatible devices that work together seamlessly. Renesas offers over 200 Winning Combinations for a wide range of applications and end products which can be found at renesas.com/win. Availability The RV1S9209A, RV1S9231A, and RV1S9207A photocouplers are available now from Renesas’ worldwide distributors. For more information on the broad optoelectronic portfolio, please visit: renesas.com/photocouplers. ►Renesas Electronics Corporation https://www.renesas.com https://international.electronica-azi.ro

System architects seeking backup power using supercapacitor or other energy sources can now deliver the best combination of highest efficiency and smallest size with the Continua™ MAX38889 2.5V-to-5.5V, 3A reversible buck/boost regulator from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. The latest addition to Maxim’s Continua™ family of backup regulators delivers the industry’s tightest output regulation of 2.5 percent to support critical applications that demand high accuracy. The MAX38889 features 94 percent peak efficiency, 9 percent higher than the closest competitive solution, allowing it to support longer backup time. Additionally, at one-third the size, it enables easier integration into space-constrained designs. In applications such as smart utility meters or automotive dashboard cameras, the MAX38889 Continua regulator operates in buck mode to charge a backup power source, such as a supercapacitor. When main power goes away, the regulator reverses direction automatically, boosting the supercapacitor voltage to power the system, until main power is restored. For convenient adoption, the entire MAX38889 solution is 64 percent smaller than the closest competitor (218mm2 vs. 606mm2), allowing designers to reduce component count, cut board space and save BOM cost. Smaller size also makes it easier to integrate into new and existing designs with tight space constraints. The MAX38889 regulates backup power for a wide range of both portable and non-portable applications, such as retail price scanners and surveillance cameras, and others used in home, building, automotive, industrial automation and healthcare IoT. Key Advantages • Highest Efficiency: 94 percent peak efficiency is 9 percent higher than closest competitor • Smallest Size: One-third the size of the closest competitive solution • Tightest Regulation: Delivers 2.5 percent voltage regulation demanded by 5V applications ►Maxim Integrated | https://www.maximintegrated.com 47

PRODUCT NEWS

WE-HCFT high current inductors Image source: Würth Elektronik

Flat cable coil in flat design with high current carrying capacity Würth Elektronik expands WE-HCFT high current inductors with design 2504 With WE-HCFT 2504, Würth Elektronik has added a model with an unusually low overall height to its tried and tested family of THT high-current inductors. The flat wire coil with MnZn core is only 4 mm high. With no standard competitors in the market. Current-carrying capability extends to 33 A. Achieving one of the highest power density and efficiency within HCFT family. The inductor also features very low DC and AC losses through its optimized wire and core design. In addition WE-HCFT 2504 exhibits excellent temperature performance over the entire operating temperature range of -40C to +125 °C. WE-HCFT 2504 is available in inductance values of 1 μH, 2.2 μH, 4.7 μH, 6.8 μH and 10 μH. The device is suitable for use in POL regulators for FPGA/ASIC/GPU, high-efficiency DC/DC converters, high-current switching power supplies, forward converters, half-bridge and full-bridge converters, as well as battery chargers and solar inverters. The product complies with the AEC-Q200 standard.

Successful example application of the WE-HCFT 2504: the EPC9148 development board, a 48 V three-stage synchronous buck converter with GaN technology. WE-HCFT 2504 is available immediately from stock with no minimum order quantity. Upon request, Würth Elektronik will provide free samples to developers. ►Würth Elektronik eiSos | https://www.we-online.com 48

COSEL adds 1500W unit to its PCA power supplies with extended communications bus for demanding medical and industrial applications COSEL Co, Ltd (6905: Tokyo) announced the addition of a 1500W power supply to its PCA series with extended communications I/O for demanding medical and industrial applications. The addition of the PCA1500F complements and expands the family of power supplies to cover a much larger range of applications from 300W up to 1500W in four series. The PCA series have a built-in extended-UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver – Transmitter) interface supporting more than 80 commands to monitor and control the whole range of power supply parameters, a PMBus option is also available. Complying with stringent medical standards EN/IEC 60601-1, the PCA1500F features a reinforced input to output isolation of 4,000VAC and a grade of 2X Means of Patient Protection (2xMOPP). The PCA series offers a universal input voltage of 85 to 264VAC. Exhibiting flexibility, the output can be operated in constant voltage (CV) or constant current (CC) mode with either analog or digital control. All PCA series power supplies are built in 1U height housings and utilize COSEL’s highdensity, integrated packaging with optimized cooling Available in six different output voltages, the PCA series covers the whole range of applications from 5V to 48V and embraces 5, 12, 15, 24, 32 and 48V. All output voltages can be adjusted to near zero volts and operated in constant voltage or constant current mode. Worthy of highlighting, the 5V model trims down to 3V and so covers 3.3V for computing applications, and the 48V model trims up to 57.6V covering some of the growing Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Maxim Integrated Announces Smallest and Most Accurate Isolated System-Monitoring Solution Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. expands the MAXSafe™ Technology line with the MAX22530, an isolated, field-side self-powered 12-bit system monitor. Featuring 4 channels, the MAX22530 provides isolated system monitoring to improve accuracy 50x and to reduce solution size by 40 percent by integrating five components into a single IC.

In addition to the main output, an independent isolated auxiliary voltage of 12V is provided which is adjustable in the range of 4.7 -12.6V DC using digital control. Designed for demanding applications, and in line with its predecessors, the PCA1500F combines the benefits of constant voltage and constant current, simplifying the designer’s task when developing power systems requiring both modes without adding external circuitry e.g. for lead acid battery charging requiring constant current charging up to 90%, and constant voltage above that. For flexibility, the PCA1500F includes analog and digital interfaces – the analog interface includes current adjustment (ITRM), voltage adjustment (VTRM), remote control ON/OFF, voltage sensing, LED alarms and current monitoring. For extended flexibility, the extended-UART digital interface supports more than 80 commands for monitoring and control. Operating data can be stored and locked inside the internal memory, and recorded error codes can be used for analysis and the recording of operational hours for preventive maintenance. All parameters can be programmed and monitored via COSEL’s extended UART control panel GUI, which is able to control up to seven units. Extended UART is built-in as standard, and a PMBus option is available. The PCA series can easily be connected in series or parallel for extra power, and in parallel redundant mode (N+1) for improved system reliability and availability. PCA1500F power supplies have a five-year warranty and conform to the European RoHS Directive, REACH Directive, CB-Report and CE Marking. ►Cosel Group |

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Automation system designers continually seek ways to save board space, increase channel density and improve the accuracy of monitoring voltage and current inputs, so operators can monitor the system with finer precision and reduce system downtimes. The MAX22530 delivers a 50x improvement in monitoring measurement accuracy (from ±50 percent to just ±1 percent) compared to the standard linear optocoupler isolation solutions made from discretes. It uses Maxim’s unique integrated isolation technology that combines a 12-bit ADC, a DC-DC converter, user-settable threshold detection levels and chip-level diagnostic capabilities. This combination enables 50x greater stability in current transfer ratio performance to achieve an ultra-stable sense resistor voltage. By achieving better measurement accuracy across four voltage and current inputs, the MAX22530 allows end users make better real-time decisions to improve system performance and enhance productivity. The integration also allows a 250mm2 solution size, which is 40% smaller that the 420mm2 size for the closest competitive discrete solution. The MAX22530 is the latest addition to Maxim’s portfolio of MAXSafe products. MAXSafe products combine integrated and isolated micropower DC-DC converters and communications lines. They are used to power up field circuits that are isolated from the control-side power source while simplifying diagnostics in signal monitoring applications. Key Advantages • Design Simplicity: Integrates five ICs into one 12-bit ADC to ease system design • Reduced Size: Compact design reduces solution size 40 percent and provides 43 percent higher channel density • Higher Accuracy: 50 times greater accuracy ►Maxim Integrated | https://www.maximintegrated.com 49

PRODUCT NEWS

Analog Devices Expands BMS Portfolio to Enable Continuous Battery Monitoring Analog Devices, Inc. announced its expanded portfolio of battery management system (BMS) products including ASIL-D functional safety and innovative new low-power features to enable continuous battery monitoring. These new devices further differentiate ADI’s BMS platform that today delivers the industry’s best proven accuracy, and supports all key battery chemistries - including zero-Cobalt LFP (lithium iron phosphate) - for mass market electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) used for reuse and recycling of battery packs. Sales of full EVs continue to accelerate as consumers increasingly move to greener transportation and governments act to create a more sustainable future. Automakers are challenged to scale their EV fleets economically, while also staying ahead of evolving safety requirements across the world. Furthermore, to ensure maximum range per charge, the vehicle power consumption must be managed not only during driving, but also when the vehicle is parked. ADI’s newest BMS products support multiple battery cell configurations and deliver innovative low-power features that enable the battery to be monitored continuously even when the vehicle is turned off to ensure safety under all conditions while maximizing vehicle range. As EVs become mainstream in the market, requirements for BMS are growing. Receiving the ASIL-D rating signifies the new BMS solutions meet the highest possible standards for road vehicle functional safety required by regulatory agencies across the world. Key Features and Benefits ADI’s BMS products are optimized for 6-18 cell modules and offer a range of features including low-power continuous battery monitoring, state-of-the-art functional safety, and the world’s best accuracy guaranteed across the entire vehicle lifetime and device temperature range. Visit the product pages to learn more about the new BMS solutions: analog.com/adbms6815; www.analog.com/adbms6817 To learn more about Analog Devices’ BMS solutions for electric vehicles please visit: analog.com/electrification ►Analog Devices | https://www.analog.com 50

ON Semiconductor® (Nasdaq: ON), driving energy efficient innovations, announces a pair of 1200 V full silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET 2-PACK modules further enhancing their range of products suitable for the challenging electric vehicle (EV) market. As sales of EV continue to grow, infrastructure must be rolledout to meet the needs of drivers, providing a network of rapid charging stations that will allow them to complete their journeys quickly and without ‘range anxiety’. Requirements in this sector are rapidly evolving, requiring power levels in excess of 350 kW and efficiencies of 95% becoming the ‘norm’. Given the diverse environments and locations in which these chargers are deployed, compactness, robustness and enhanced reliability are all challenges that designers face. The new 1200 V M1 full SiC MOSFET 2 pack modules, based upon planar technology and suited to a drive voltage in the range of 18-20 V, are simple to drive with negative gate voltages. The larger die reduces thermal resistance compared to trench MOSFETs, thereby reducing die temperature at the same operating temperature. Configured as a 2-PACK half bridge, the NXH010P120MNF is a 10 mohm device housed in an F1 package while the NXH006P120MNF2 is a 6 mohm device in an F2 package. The packages feature press-fit pins making them ideal for industrial applications and an embedded negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor facilitates temperature monitoring. As part of the ON Semiconductor EV charging ecosystem, the new SiC MOSFET modules have been designed to work alongside driver solutions such as the NCD5700x devices. The recently introduced NCD57252 dual channel isolated IGBT/MOSFET gate driver offers 5 kV of galvanic isolation and can be configured for dual low-side, dual high-side or halfbridge operation. Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Comprehensive portfolio of wide bandgap devices for high-performance charging solutions

Low RDS(on) 40 V MOSFETs from Nexperia deliver highest power density for Automotive and Industrial applications

The NCD57252 is housed in a small SOIC-16 wide body package and accepts logic level inputs (3.3 V, 5 V & 15 V). The high current device (source 4.0 A / sink 6.0 A at Miller plateau voltage) is suitable for high-speed operation as typical propagation delays are 60ns.

Nexperia, the expert in essential semiconductors, announced new 0.55 mΩ RDS(on) 40V power MOSFETs in the high-reliability LFPAK88 package for automotive (BUK7S0R5-40H) and industrial (PSMNR55-40SSH) applications. These devices are the lowest RDS(on) 40V parts that Nexperia has ever produced and more importantly, they deliver power densities more than 50X greater than traditional D2PAK devices. More, the new devices also offer improved performance in both Avalanche and Linear mode, leading to increased ruggedness and reliability.

Complementing the new modules and gate driver are the ON Semiconductor SiC MOSFETs that provide superior switching performance and enhanced thermals when compared to similar silicon devices. This results in improved efficiency, greater power density, improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) and reduced system size and weight. The recently-announced 650 V SiC MOSFETs employ a novel active cell design combined with advanced thin wafer technology enabling a best-in-class figure of merit (FoM) for (RDS(on)*area). Devices in the series such as the NVBG015N065SC1, NTBG015N065SC1, NVH4L015N065SC1 and NTH4L015N065SC offer the lowest RDS(on) in the market for D2PAK7L / TO247 packaged MOSFETs. The 1200 V and 900 V N-channel SiC MOSFETs feature a small chip size that reduces device capacitance and gate charge (Qg – as low as 220 nC), reducing switching losses when operating at the high frequencies demanded by EV chargers. During APEC 2021, ON Semiconductor will showcase SiC solution for industrial applications as well as presenting exhibitor seminars about the company’s solutions for offboard EV-charging. To register as a visitor to APEC 2021, please visit http://apecconf.org/conference/registration/t ►ON Semiconductor https://www.onsemi.com https://international.electronica-azi.ro

Neil Massey, Nexperia’s Product Marketing Manager comments: “The new 8 x 8 mm LFPAK88 MOSFETs combine the latest high performance superjunction silicon technology with our proven LFPAK copper clip technology, which is renowned for delivering significant electrical and thermal performance benefits. The resulting low RDS(on) enables us to pack more silicon in the package, improving power density and shrinking device footprint.” Measuring just 8 × 8 × 1.7 mm, the new power MOSFETs also feature class-leading linear mode / safe operating area (SOA) characteristics for safe and reliable switching at high current conditions. SOA at 1 ms, 20 VDS operating conditions is 35 A due to a combination of silicon and package, while at 10 ms, 20 VDS where the package dominates, SOA is 17 A. These figures are 1.5 – 2x better than the competition. The devices also offer the best single pulse avalanche rating (EAS) at 2.3 J and very strong ID current rating of 500 A, which – unlike some competing devices – is a measured rather than theoretical limit. The size and performance benefits afforded by the Nexperia 8 × 8 mm LFPAK88 MOSFETs enable designers to replace two paralleled old-style components with one new LFPAK88, simplifying manufacturing and increasing reliability. The AECQ101-qualified BUK7S0R5-40H parts – which deliver more than twice the reliability performance demanded by the automotive standard – suit braking, power steering, reverse battery protection, e-fuse, DC-DC converter and motor control applications. The industrial PSMNR55-40SSH MOSFETs suit battery isolation, current limitation, e-fuse, motor control, synchronous rectification and load switch applications in power tools, appliances, fans, and e-bikes, scooters and wheelchairs. ►Nexperia | https://www.nexperia.com 51

CONTRINEX: Inductive sensors with weld spatter-resistant ceramic coating The Weld-Immune range of inductive sensors now includes ceramic-coated types. In addition to mechanical shock resistance and immunity to the magnetic fields of welding equipment, the new sensors are characterized by a robust, weld spatter-resistant coating. This coating increases the service life of sensors, facilitates cleaning and helps to reduce machine downtime.

Inductive sensors from Contrinex’s Weld-Immune range with ACTIVSTONE™ coating now offer the highest level of weld spatter resistance. A high-performance ceramic material forms a durable, non-stick coating on all external surfaces of the sensor, including the fixing nuts. The coating material has been specially formulated for robustness and resists impacts and abrasion without cracking or peeling. By preventing weld spatter accumulation, it makes slag removal much easier and reduces maintenance costs. As a sensor coating, it provides excellent, long-term protection in spot, MIG and MAG applications. Inductive sensors in welding applications also need protection from magnetic fields, which are generated by welding equipment and can cause false triggering. Weld-Immune sensors from the Full Inox and Classics technology families meet this challenge with special interference suppression technology. These sensors offer optimum detection sensitivity combined with immunity to magnetic interference, in particular from medium-frequency fields (current up to 15 kA). This makes them ideal for automated welding cells in the automotive industry and for all applications with similar magnetic fields. Sensors from the Full Inox family are recommended for long service life in the most demanding welding environments. A sealed, one-piece housing in V2A/AISI 303 stainless steel provides excellent chemical and mechanical resistance to shocks, vibration and abrasion. If impacts occur, Condet® technology ensures reliable switching, even when damage to the ferrite is severe. In addition, sensors are unaffected by weld spatter, metal dust or chips and offer long operating distances with factor 1 on steel and aluminum. ACTIVSTONE™ coated sensors will be available in diameters M8 to M30 from early 2020. The portfolio also includes coated mounting brackets. https://www.oboyle.ro 52

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

Leuze: Sensor solutions for AGV Typical application solutions for automatic high-lift trucks, platform vehicles and tractor vehicles Automated guided vehicles (AGV) must transport material or goods from A to B quickly, safely and autonomously. Depending on the application and type of material to be transported, an automatic high-lift truck, a platform vehicle or a tractor vehicle may be best suited. An AGV is controlled via optical guidance, grid navigation or so-called natural navigation. Our sensor solutions also guarantee the precise storage and retrieval of pallets, safe transport even with speed changes as well as vibrationfree transfer of the transport material. The portfolio ranges from cost-optimized sensors for detection to high-resolution navigation and safety solutions.

Safeguarding the transportation path with natural navigation An AGV always travels a predefined path in both directions. To orient itself in the surroundings during navigation without the use of reflectors and to safeguard the transportation path, the surroundings must be scanned with millimeter accuracy. Solution: The RSL 400 safety laser scanner is an area scanner that scans its surroundings with a resolution of 0.1°. A very accurate map of the surroundings is thereby generated for the navigation. With up to 100 switchable protective fields, the safety area of the AGV can be adapted to the respective requirements at any time.

Automatic high-lift truck The automatic high-lift truck is frequently used in highbay warehouses, where it serves as a free-moving highbay storage device.

Position detection of transport material For safe transport, it is essential to check whether the pallet or the transport material was correctly picked up by the vehicle. Solution: With the HRT 25B sensor, up to two switching points can be taught in. The time-offlight technology used here helps to set the switching points for the required distances nearly independently of material and color.

Vertical positioning of the load receptacle It is important that the load receptacle always be positioned at the correct height. Only in this way is it guaranteed that the pallet is safely stored and retrieved. Solution: The AMS 300i sensor delivers measurement data every 2 ms with an absolute accuracy of ±2 mm. This measurement data can be transferred to the control via a wide range of interfaces. Pallet and rack detection From moving in to picking up the pallet with the load receptacle to placement of the pallet in the warehouse: the vehicle must always detect whether the path is free. The detection of the pallet itself as well as the edge of the shelf rack is also essential. Solution: With the sensors of the 3 series, very precise switching points can be defined independent of material by means of which the pallet and shelf rack can be reliably detected. With up to two digital switching outputs, solutions to these different applications can be found with just one sensor. 54

Integration of safety sensors All safety functions used on the vehicle must be logically linked to one another. One example is the changeover of the protective fields of a safety laser scanner depending on the safely monitored travel speed. Solution: With the configurable safety controls of the MSI 400 series, safety sensors and functions can be efficiently integrated. Though just 45 mm wide, there are 24 inputs/outputs available in the base module. These support the connection of incremental sensors for safe speed monitoring according to EN 61800-5-2 (available soon). End positioning of load receptacle The position of the load receptacle must always be ensured. It should, for example, be in a defined position when changing from slow to fast speed. Solution: Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

The IS 212 inductive switch with M12 external thread detects the position of the load receptacle. Large operating ranges – and a small size – save space and reduce costs here. Pass-under and platform vehicles In semi-automatic production areas such as semiconductor or display production, this type of AGV is used as a more flexible alternative to permanently installed conveyor systems. Grid navigation To find a predefined path, an AGV must always know exactly where it is, regardless of whether it is moving slowly or at high speed. Solution: A simple and reliable solution is grid navigation. The DCR 200i code reader detects 2D-codes that are affixed to the floor in a defined grid even during fast movements. In doing so, the DCR 200i determines the code information and the angle of rotation. Fine positioning To ensure error-free transfer of the transport material, the vehicle must be positioned at the transfer station with millimeter accuracy. Solution: The camera-based IPS 200i sensor determines its position relative to a marker – such as a through hole in the material – with millimeter accuracy. The sensor transfers its absolute measurement values to the control via the interface in millisecond intervals. Presence control of transport material There must be no errors when loading the transport material. It is therefore important to accurately determine its position after every loading and unloading operation. Solution: The compact retro-reflective photoelectric sensors of the 5 series precisely determine the position of the transport material. In addition, technologies such as A2LS make the sensors insensihttps://international.electronica-azi.ro

tive to ambient light. And the highly visible light spot makes the products very easy to adjust. Conveyor control The loading and unloading operation should be activated as easily and efficiently as possible. Often, just one signal suffices here. Solution: The command for activating or deactivating the conveyor is transferred easily, contact-free and economically between vehicle and conveyor system with a 3 series throughbeam photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensors can be aligned quickly thanks to their clearly visible indicator LEDs with all-round visibility. Insensitive to ambient light, they function reliably stable. Tractor vehicle Tractor vehicles are often used if material needs to be delivered on belts. For example, in the automotive industry or in the production of white goods. Optical guidance An AGV must move safely and efficiently through its surroundings. Often, however, expansive production and storage areas pose a challenge. Moreover, many sensors are unsuitable for integration in flat vehicles due to their dimensions. Solution: One simple possibility is optical guidance. The vehicle follows a highcontrast track on the floor that helps the sensor in the vehicle determine its position. The OGS 600 compact sensor is available in models with different detection widths and interfaces. Its minimum distance from the floor is just 10 mm. Safeguarding the transportation path To safeguard the transportation path of an AGV, a defined area in front of the vehicle must be checked and the vehicle safely stopped in the event of danger. Solution: The RSL 400 safety laser scanner reliably monitors an area of 8.25 m in a scanning angle of 270°. Due to the possibility of switching the protective fields, the protective field size can be dynamically adapted to the speed. https://www.oboyle.ro 55

MSI 400 – compact construction and easy to program Robust and Cost Efficient Tilt Monitoring The new generation of safety control MSI 400 offers efficient solutions for versatile application in machine and system construction. Even the basic module offers 24 I/Os, Ethernet gateway functions and special function blocks, e.g., for use on presses. All MSI 400s can be flexibly extended and, with the license-free MSI.designer configuration software, can be programmed very easily and conveniently. Together with the Leuze electronic safety sensors, the perfectly matched safety components make complete safetyrelated automation solutions possible for every machine type. Safe movement monitoring in mobile and stationary applications With the MSI 400 safety control, the inputs for safe movement monitoring in accordance with EN 61800-5-2 are already integrated in the base module. The safety controls process pulses from sensors at up to 70 kHz and convert these to speed, angle, position and directional information. These are monitored for the limits required for safe operation: SSR – Safe Speed Range SDI – Safe Direction SLS – Safe Limited Speed SSM – Safe Speed Monitor SLP – Safe Limited Position Safe standstill monitoring Safe movement monitoring on vehicles

Safe movement monitoring on machines

– Monitoring of travel speeds for adherence to the application-specific limit values – Standstill monitoring at transfer stations – Changeover of the protective fields of safety laser scanners for adapting the fields to the driving situation

– Monitoring of a reduced speed for setup and maintenance mode – Monitoring of a defined speed range for adherence to the process limits – Safe standstill detection, e.g., for tool changes

Program efficiently The corresponding programming tool, MSI.designer, offers an intuitive working environment: Simple configuration is possible at the click of a mouse. Quickly reach your goal: with simple configuration, integrated simulation and professional report function. Test our MSI.designer programming tool. www.oboyle.ro 56

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

PRIGNITZ: New product family CHT expands product portfolio! Single and combination transmitters for dew point, moisture and temperature form the basis for several possible combinations of the new electronic series of measuring instruments. Dew point temperature: - 60 ... + 80°C Precision: ± 1.5 K in the range of ≤ 40°C and > 20% rH: up to ± 2 K in the range of > 40° C and > 20% rH Moisture: 0 … 100 % rH Precision: in the range of 0 ... 10% and 90 ... 100% rH: up to ± 3% rH; in the range of 10 ... 90% rH: ± 1.8% rH Temperature: - 40 ... 80°C Precision: ± 0.2 K in the range of +5 ... +60°C; ±0,5 K in the range of - 40 ... + 5°C and 60 ... 80°C Output signals: 0 ... 10V or 4 ... 20mA

Two basic versions are available as screw-in sensors or directly for wall assembly. The new transmitters in the connection housing are used for ensuring a defined indoor climate in living and common rooms, greenhouses, storage rooms, clean rooms or museums. The screw-in variant monitors e.g. compressed air tanks or pipelines in the field of pneumatics, plant components in drying processes or humidification and dehumidification systems. https://www.oboyle.ro

Sensor Instruments: Detection of Transparent Edges Conventional detectors particularly reach their limits when they have to detect and count stacked transparent objects such as plastic drinking cups of plastic caps. Especially in the process of packaging, however, it is of great importance to place the exact number of objects in a packaging unit. Such problems now can be solved with the RED series (a RED-110-L was used for this application). The sensors of the RED series are so-called edge detectors which, by means of two optical detectors that are integrated in the sensor housing, under two different viewing angles detect the laser light that is focused onto the object surface by the transmitter optics and a corresponding laser diode. From the angle of the receiver that is opposite to the transmitter optics, the laser spot so to speak hides behind an existing edge, whereas the receiver that is positioned directly beside the transmitter has an unhindered view of the laser spot and due to the object edge that acts as an additional reflector even receives more laser light. It is true that the objects are transparent, but the curvature of the object edges results https://international.electronica-azi.ro

in a deflection of the light with a similar light-reducing effect on the detector opposite from the transmitter optics as there would be in case of a light-absorbing edge. Due to the high scan frequency of maximally 100 kHz even fast moving products are reliably detected and counted. The RED-Scope Windows® software for sensor parameterisation makes it much easier to find optimal settings for the respec-

tive product, because the Windows® user interface also provides a real-time display of the signal characteristics and of the digital outputs. When the settings are finished the parameter set is saved in the EEPROM of the sensor's integrated controller, and a copy of the parameter set can be saved as a file on the PC or PLC. An interface adapter (Profinet, EtherCAT, EthernetIP, PowerLink) of Sensor Instruments allows easy connection to a PLC. https://www.oboyle.ro 57

FUJIFILM PRESCALE: Pressure measurement film This is the only film in the world that can measure pressure. Pressure and pressure distribution, which could not be visually observed in the past, can now be easily confirmed.

Prescale allows you to easily measure pressure balance, distribution, and size. Created using Fujifilm's advanced thin film coating technologies, the pressure inspection sensor on the entirety of the film allows you to confirm pressure distribution of the entire surface at a glance. The color appears red where pressure is applied, and the color density varies according to the amount of pressure. To cover a wide pressure range (0.006 to 300 MPa), we supply eight types and nine variations of Prescale. Prescale Sheets make pressure measurement more readily accessible. Prescale Sheets are a version of Prescale that are pre-cut into easy-to-use sizes. It is recommended for first-time users and for small-scale applications. To cover a wide pressure range (0.2 to 300 MPa), we supply six types of Prescale Sheets.

pressure range. Each product is made for a certain pressure range (MPa). Customers must confirm the pressure value of their application environment. Structure of Prescale There are two types of Prescale: the two-sheet type and the mono-sheet type. The two-sheet type is composed of two films of which Two-sheet type are respectively Ultra Extreme Low Pressure (5LW) ~ coated with color- Medium Pressure (MW) forming material and color-developing material. This type is used by placing the sides Mono-sheet type coated with the Medium Pressure (MS), High Pressure chemical agents (HS), Super High Pressure (HHS) over each other. The mono-sheet type is a film with a single base film with a coating of color-forming material and developer. Continuous pressure Pressure range: Medium pressure (10~50MPa) Pressure Measured pressure application reaching time: 2m conditions: Measured pressure holding time: 2m Standard color sample

Measure tire pressure

Measure the pres- Measure the pressure distribution of sure between cleaning polish cylinder heads and against LCD panels cylinder blocks

We supply eight types and nine variations of Prescale and six types of Prescale Sheets for use depending on the

Momentary pressure Pressure range: Medium pressure (10~50MPa) Pressure Measured pressure application reaching time: 5s conditions: Measured pressure holding time: 5s Standard color sample

Pressure chart (for medium-pressure [MW]) By checking the standard chart, the pressure value can be confirmed visually. * The parts represented by the dotted lines may exceed the allowable error range, so it should only be used as a reference. * Prescale is used by selecting curves A, B, or C depending on the temperature and humidity conditions. * The measured pressure reaching time for continuous pressure of Ultra extreme low pressure (5LW), extreme low pressure (4LW), and ultra-extreme low pressure (LLLW) is 5 seconds, and the measurement maintenance time is 2 minutes. * Super high pressure (HHS) is only for continuous pressure.

Electronica Azi International | 2/2021

How Prescale works The microcapsules in the color-forming layer are broken by pressure, and the colorless dye is absorbed into the developer, causing a chemical reaction to produce a red color. The microcapsules containing the color-forming material are adjusted to varying sizes and strengths, and is coated uniformly, producing a color density that corresponds to the amount of pressure. How to use Prescale 1. Cut the Prescale or Prescale Sheets into the shapes needed for measurement. 2. Insert the Prescale between the surfaces to be measured. Apply normal operating pressure.

3. Remove the Prescale.

4. You can now see the pressure and its distribution. 5. Use the special scanner to scan the colorized Prescale sheet.

Overall measurement

Partial measurement

6. Use the included Pressure Distribution Mapping System FPD-8010E to perform analysis. By selecting measurement conditions, you can take Wire frame measurements of the pressure values of entire objects, partial sections, and precise points. The data export function can be used to export data in Excel format, and three-dimensional image analysis can be performed by using 3D analysis software. https://www.oboyle.ro

Cube Encoders from POSITAL: Updating an Old Industry Favorite Dynamic Response in a Rugged Package Cube encoders – incremental rotary encoders with a cubeshaped housing – have been popular with machine builders since the 1960’s, largely because these devices are easy to install without special mounts or brackets. Now POSITAL has updated this old favourite with new features and capabilities that will keep this design relevant for years to come. ■ Simple Installation – No Special Mounts or Brackets Needed ■ Robust Housing Tolerant of Shock and Vibration Loading ■ Programmability of Incremental Interfaces and Resolution via UBIFAST Configuration Tool ■ Cost Effective Solution for Accurate Positioning ■ Easy Drop-In Replacement POSITAL cube encoders are built around the company’s versatile magnetic measurement platform. The measurement module inside the cube provides high levels of accuracy and dynamic response in a rugged package that is tolerant of shock and vibration loading, dust and moisture. Best of all, these measurement modules are programmable. Resolution (number of pulses per revolution) can be set anywhere from one to 16,384 pulses per revolution (PPR) by simply updating the devices’ software, with no changes to mechanical components. Similarly, pulse direction and the output driver – either Push-Pull (HTL), RS422 (TTL) or Open Collector (NPN) – are defined through software. Device programmability is especially significant for distributors, system https://international.electronica-azi.ro

integrators or machine builders since it helps them control inventories. With programmable devices, they can hold a relatively small stock of ‘standard’ models and set them up for specific applications on an as-needed basis. When restock is necessary, POSITAL’s international production system can deliver product anywhere in the world in a matter of days at highly competitive prices.

NEW

Simple and Cost Effective Replacements POSITAL’s cube encoders are designed to be used as dropin replacements for traditional cube designs, with identical mechanical dimensions and interfaces. This makes them a cost-effective replacement for older units that have failed or become unreliable. They are also a versatile choice for new machines, retaining the easy-to-install characteristics of the original design, while introducing up-to-date levels of performance and durability. https://www.oboyle.ro 59