Electronica Azi International no. 6 - 2018

6/2018

A PAN EUROPEAN MAGAZINE

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

NEWS MOUSER ELECTRONICS’ NEW ALL THINGS IOT E-BOOK EXPLORES OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES OF INDUSTRIAL IOT Mouser Electronics Inc. released a new e-book centered on industrial automation as part of All Things IoT, the latest series in Mouser's award-winning Empowering Innovation Together™ program. In the second e-book in the series, Mouser experts examine the technologies, possibilities and challenges related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The book includes articles on enabling technologies that are shaping IIoT applications, collaborative robots on the factory floor, and new approaches to enterprise security. The All Things IoT series is sponsored by Mouser's valued suppliers Digi International, Maxim Integrated, Murata and TE Connectivity.

“IIoT entails much more than simply connecting sensors to a central system,” said Kevin Hess, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Mouser Electronics. “In this new All Things IoT e-book, our experts look at the many facets of IIoT and provide insight into the relationship between advances in technology and this fast-growing market.”

Mouser launched the All Things IoT series with a video that followed celebrity engineer Grant Imahara as he visited the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) IoT Innovation Lab to examine how IoT is impacting our workplaces and cities as a whole. Following the video, Mouser released the first All Things IoT e-book, which focused on home automation.

Since 2015, Mouser's Empowering Innovation Together program has been one of the most visible and recognized programs in the electronic component industry, featuring topics such as the future of humanmachine interaction in Generation Robot and the amazing benefits of technologies that are Shaping Smarter Cities.

To learn more about this and the rest of Mouser's Empowering Innovation Together series, visit www.mouser.com/empowering-innovation and follow Mouser on Facebook and Twitter.

To read the new Industrial Automation e-book, go to www.mouser.com/news/allthingsiot-ebook2/mobile/index.html.

Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

CONTEST

Win a Microchip dsPIC33CH Curiosity Development Board

Win a Microchip dsPIC33CH Curiosity Development Board (DM330028) from Electronica Azi International.

The dsPIC33CH Curiosity Development Board is a costeffective development and demonstration platform for the dsPIC33CH128MP508 family of dual core high performance digital signal controllers. The dsPIC33CH has one core that is designed to function as a master while the other is designed as a slave. The slave core is useful for executing dedicated, time-critical control code while the master core is busy running the user interface, system monitoring and communications functions, customised for the end application. The dsPIC33CH is designed specifically to facilitate independent code development for each core by separate design teams and allows seamless integration when they are brought together in one chip.

The board is designed to take full advantage of Microchip’s MPLAB® X IDE and includes an integrated programmer/debugger. The board requires no additional hardware, making it a perfect starting point to explore the dsPIC33CH dual core family.

Supported by Microchip’s MPLAB® development ecosystem, including Microchip’s MPLAB Integrated Development Environment and MPLAB Code Configurator; the dsPIC33CH Curiosity Development Board is a cost-effective and flexible platform enabling customers to rapidly create a feature-rich prototype.

The board supports the dsPIC33CH Plug-in Module for motor control platforms, available for Microchip’s MCLV-2 and MCHV 2/3 systems. The dsPIC33CH PIM for general-purpose platforms is now also available for the Explorer 16/32 development board.

For your chance to win a Microchip dsPIC33CH Curiosity Development Board, please visit: http://page.microchip.com/aziintern-dsPIC33CH.html and enter your details in the online entry form.

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 | CONTEST: Win a Microchip dsPIC33CH

22 | Solid State Lighting continues to lead

Curiosity Development Board

the way in Energy Savings

3 | Mouser Electronics’ New All Things IoT E-Book Explores Opportunities and Obstacles of Industrial IoT

22

24 | Smart solutions for smart cities from TE Connectivity 8

8 | Product obsolescence and end of life:

28 | Leuze RSL 400: Area and access guarding was never so simple and efficient!

30 | Contrinex: C23 Full Inox series

A time to panic?

12 | CODICO: The best things are worth waiting for!

32

14

14 | Tailor-made displays - Full custom solutions 16 | What should you know about RoHS 3?

32 | Greater safety and reliability for sensitive electronics 34 | A novel approach towards void reduction 38 | SEICA AUTOMATION - Handling systems for the electronic production

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

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

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

ISSN: 1582-3490 Printed by

EURO STANDARD PRESS 2000 srl VAT: RO3998003 | Tel.: +40 (0) 31 8059955 | Tel.: +40 (0) 722 707254 office@electronica-azi.ro | www.international.electronica-azi.ro

4

Electronica Azi International is published 6 times per year in 2018 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l.

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

Copyright 2018 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l.

All rights reserved.

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Quality is key: Infineon ships world’s first industrial-grade eSIM in miniaturized package

German based eCOUNT embedded wins DPI as a distribution partner for the UK

eCOUNT strengthens its presence in the UK eCOUNT embedded, a German manufacturer of cloud connected embedded computing building blocks, and Diamond Point International (DPI) have signed an official distribution partnership. Under the terms of the new agreement, DPI will sell eCOUNT embedded's cloud connected flat-panel controllers, ultra low power Computer-on-Modules and RFID

Machine-to-machine communication in the Internet of Things (IoT) requires reliable data collection and uninterrupted data transmission. For taking full advantage of the ubiquitous mobile networks, Infineon Technologies AG provides the world’s first industrialgrade embedded SIM (eSIM) in a miniature Waferlevel Chip-scale Package (WLCSP). Manufacturers of industrial machines and equipment ranging from vending machines to remote sensors to asset trackers can optimize the design of their IoT devices without compromising on security and quality.

Deploying eSIM brings a number of advantages for a smooth adoption of cellular connectivity into industrial environments. Device manufacturers can increase their design flexibility due to the eSIM’s small footprint, and simplify manufacturing processes as well as global distribution thanks to a single stock-keeping unit. Customers also have the possibility to change their mobile service provider at any time, for example, if the quality of the network deteriorates or in the event of a better contract from the mobile operator.

However, providing robust quality on a miniature footprint that works even under harshest conditions remains a challenge for silicon providers. Infineon now leaps a step ahead in addressing this challenge: Infineon’s SLM 97 security controller in a Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) measures only 2.5mm × 2.7mm in size, supports an extended temperature range of -40 to 105° Celsius. It provides a high-end feature set fully compliant with the latest GSMA specifications for eSIM. Robust quality and high endurance for industrial eSIM applications reflect Infineon’s strong focus on high quality and the mindset working towards “zero defect”.

The SLM 97 security chip in WLCSP is manufactured at Infineon’s production site in Dresden and Regensburg and now available in volume quantities.

Infineon Technologies AG | www.infineon.com 6

reader platforms in the United Kingdom.

The partnership enables DPI to strategically widen its extensive portfolio of embedded computer technologies to include cloud connected embedded computing building blocks, offering application-ready remote monitoring, management and maintenance of systems via clouds - functions that will become increasingly important for distributed IIoT and Industry 4.0 devices. Cloud connectivity of embedded computing building blocks such as cloud connected flat-panel controllers, ultra low power Computer-onModules and RFID reader platforms opens up new market segments and project-related synergy effects for both companies. Joint projects, designin activities and regular training sessions will also intensify cooperation on an ongoing basis.

Dirk Finstel, Managing Partner and CTO of eCOUNT embedded, is pleased with the new sales partnership: "We need the support of strong local distributors and value adding resellers to expand and strengthen the global sales of our new flat-panel controller and RFID reader solutions with cloud connectivity. We are happy to have found a strong distribution partner for the UK with Diamond Point International."

"Diamond Point has had a long association with eCOUNT embedded and we are proud to be able to take our relationship a step further by becoming their official distributor for the UK," explains DPI's Managing Director Martin Frederiksen. "Both companies have been prominent players in the embedded market for many years and with this new official partnership we can bring even greater collective knowledge to our UK customers, catering in particular for specialized embedded displays and industrial RFID based projects. I'm confident that our partnership will create long-term mutual benefits for our customers and both our companies." eCOUNT embedded | www.ecount-embedded.com Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

PRODUCT NEWS

Maxim Showcasing Wearable, Automotive and Mobile Audio Innovations at CES 2019 At the 2019 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8-11, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. will showcase its latest analog and mixed-signal technologies that are enabling an array of applications, such as smarter, safer cars, accurate wearable healthcare devices and mobile audio products with rich sound.

Automotive: Driving Redefined From highly efficient LED drivers to high-speed video links, a variety of technologies is enabling automotive manufacturers to design safer, smarter cars.

Wearable Healthcare: Wellness Reimagined Building a wearable healthcare product for the wrist that can provide real-time exchange of accurate health data, assessment of chronic conditions and evaluation of overall well-being can be challenging and time -consuming. Maxim’s Health Sensor Platform 2.0 (MAXREFDES101#) brings the ability to monitor electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate and body temperature to a wrist-worn wearable, saving up to six months in development time.

Mobile Audio – Unleash the Full Potential of Micro Speakers The desire for a high-quality listening experience is driving demand for better and smaller sound systems that can be used in the home or on-the-go.

High-Performance Building Blocks: Design Revolutionized A relentless desire to innovate across broad application areas is driving the need for ultra-low device power consumption, precise measurement, rugged protection and connectivity.

Maxim Integrated | www.maximintegrated.com

Latest Issue of Mouser’s Methods Technology E-zine Explores Smarter Edge Computing for IoT Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader empowering innovation, announces the newest issue of its Methods technology and solutions e-zine.

The third issue of volume two examines the evolution of traditional edge devices to smarter edge devices that are capable of processing and decision making - tasks that are currently done in the cloud. In the newest issue of Methods, Mouser’s experts thoroughly examine how and why industries are working toward a smarter edge, making the case for moving compute tasks directly onto devices and turning the Internet of Things (IoT) hierarchy into an end-to-end solutions platform. The issue also includes exclusive content on device security, as well as an exploration of the implications of edge computing on network design. To sign up to read all issues of Methods, including the newest issue on smarter edge computing, go to eng.info.mouser.com/methods-ezine.

Mouser Electronics | www.mouser.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Next-Generation Z-Wave 700 Launches on the Silicon Labs Wireless Gecko Platform

Silicon Labs launches the next-generation Z-Wave® 700 on the Wireless Gecko (www.silabs.com/products/wireless/wireless-gecko-iot-connectivity-portfolio) platform, the industry’s most comprehensive hardware and software connectivity solution for the Internet of Things (IoT). Z-Wave 700 delivers on Silicon Labs’ vision and platform integration roadmap following the company’s strategic acquisition of ZWave technology in April 2018. The new smart home platform builds on Z-Wave’s industry-leading S2 security and interoperability by improving energy efficiency and adding higher performance, longer range RF capabilities. By leveraging the Wireless Gecko platform, Z-Wave 700 enables developers to create new classes of smaller, more intelligent smart home products at a lower cost and faster time-to-market.

Z-Wave 700 combines a powerful ARM® processorbased platform with large on-chip memory to enable greater intelligence at the edge and secure inclusion in less than one second. The energy-efficient Z-Wave 700 platform delivers 10-year coin-cell battery life, enabling more wireless sensor applications. Enhanced RF performance seamlessly extends Z-Wave 700 device range beyond traditional limits to the edge of the yard and throughout a multi-story home.

Z-Wave 700 builds on core Z-Wave features to enable interoperability with thousands of devices and ensure best-in-class security with built-in Security 2 (S2). Z-Wave 700 also includes SmartStart, providing an easy way to automatically create and configure ZWave networks for instant device installation success.

With no requirements for regionalized SAW filters or external memory, Z-Wave 700 offers a single global software stock-keeping unit (SKU) for easier logistics and cost-effective global production. By reducing BOM cost, Z-Wave 700 speeds development of global smart home products.

Z-Wave 700 is shipping pre-orders now to 150 beta customers (https://z-wavealliance.org/z-wave_alliance _member_companies/) within the Z-Wave Alliance, and production quantities are planned to be available in late Q1 2019.

Silicon Labs | www.silabs.com 7

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Product obsolescence and end of life: A time to panic?

Generally the manufacturer of a device has considered the life cycle of their product during both its inception and early design.

This is highly relevant for consumer items where the next two designs are already drawn up or sketched out, as their business is fast-moving.

For high-end semiconductors the product life cycle can be similar, but for general-purpose products such as lower pin count microcontrollers / memories or analog products such as op-amps or regulators the product life cycle can be considerably longer moving towards years or even decades, like the 555 timer, versus months for consumer items. This is mainly due to the fact that demand for these products continues to be strong due to their uses in multiple end product categories based on their broad general functions.

By Martin Warmington, microchipDIRECT - Global Sales Manager

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) designers should consider the product life cycle of every part that goes in their design.

Even though most manufacturers cannot give definitive dates of life cycles they can give indications of current demand and may offer alternatives that the designer should use. However, End of Life (EOL) or obsolescence is as certain as death and taxes and therefore product life cycles should always be closely managed.

Purchasers should urge their designers to consider this important item when entering a new device into the procurement system.

8

Once the EOL notice has been published, OEMs have a number of choices to avoid their manufacturing processes going line down to ensure continued supply: 1. Redesign the product to replace the EOL device a. Find drop-in alternatives (commodity devices) from the same manufacturer or an alternative source b. Find similar parts from the same manufacturer or alternative source c. Buy a bulk supply of inventory before the published last-time buy date

2. Discover if the manufacturer can hold products in die bank for an extended period of time and then package and test parts when needed.

If the OEM customer’s design is in the latter stages of its life – maturity or decline, then these options may be applicable: 3. Use a third party, such as a distributor or contract Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) company, to buffer the EOL parts for future use Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

PRODUCT OBSOLESCENCE

4. Use referral sites like FindChips and Octopart to discover which distributors have stock 5. Find obsolete specialist suppliers In most cases, if the OEM’s end product is not in the mature phase of its own life cycle then customers would be advised to use the first option. All other options allow production to keep running but does not secure continued supply. I’ve personally gone through this when I had to source supply for an obsolete part that cost $0.50 per device during its manufacture. The obsolete vendor sold the part for $15 each, don’t let engineering put you in this situation.

OEM customers should ensure they get as close to the manufacturer as possible in order to get the most accurate information on the EOL, as the manufacturer will issue a last-time buy date with conditions. If the product is purchased from a distributor then there is a third party in the transaction that may not have the latest information and, in most cases, will not be able to issue the lasttime buy notice to their customer.

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

9

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

The best alternative here is to obtain information directly from the manufacturer.

Most semiconductor manufacturers have a good Product Change Notification (PCN) procedure in place to advise their customers when a part is going to be transitioned to end of life status. Microchip offers such a service which can be accessed at www.microchip.com/pcn. Microchip uses a single sign-on for most of its online client facing services including their direct e-commerce channel, microchipDIRECT where over 90% of the devices in Microchip’s portfolio can be purchased.

Microchip has one of the longest product life cycles for its products of any semiconductor manufacturer, helping customers reduce cost and risk in their designs. For example the PIC16F877, a small microcontroller, was released to production in 2003 and is still in production today due to strong demand. In some markets such as automotive, medical and certificated / approved designs the redesign cost can be considerable, running into tens of thousands of dollars also in addition to the cost for recertification and testing. Microchip

10

strives to keep obsolescence to a minimum with many general purpose devices ensuring widespread use across many applications and markets.

True direct replacements for EOL products are rare as most manufacturers do not generally want to bring out a 100% compatible part as that limits the new features they can add to the device that has value to their customers to return the design cost. A “similar” part may exist, but redesign is still the best solution if the product is in the introduction or growth phases of its life.

Manufacturers can help customers find the device that suits their needs from a similar family of parts. This alternative family of parts may not be any newer that the EOL product so the customer should request information from the manufacturer regarding longevity of manufacture. Find out why the part is being end of lifed and ask whether the replacement part is a good choice and still has “legs.” Parts go obsolete for many reasons and one of the main reasons is that the demand for the part over the years has declined to a volume that is no longer cost-effective to manufacture.

Other reasons are that the materials or machinery that manufacture the part are no longer available or serviceable. Also when manufacturers consolidate, as is common in this industry, similar devices may be made obsolete and generally the most profitable part wins.

One of the knock-on effects of declining product demand is excess stock. Although not an indicator that a product is going end of life, it is good for the customer as they may be able to get these parts for a lower cost from the manufacturer. microchipDIRECT has a discount page that allows customers to find excess stock or older products at lower prices. Visit the discount page at https://www.microchipdirect.com/DiscountPartList.aspx?mid=1 So, no need to panic. Stay close to the manufacturer and do not procrastinate on that redesign. The manufacturers and distributors have resources and are “here to help!”

Microchip Technology www.microchip.com

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

Single-chip maXTouch® touchscreen controllers enable 20-inch automotive touchscreens Microchip announces a new family of single-chip maXTouch® touchscreen controllers designed to address challenges in the design of modern automotive capacitive touch systems with screens up to 20 inches in size.

PRODUCT NEWS

Rugged Micropower Magnetic Sensor ICs maximise battery life, improve system efficiency Allegro MicroSystems Europe has announced the release of a family of Micropower Hall-effect switch ICs- the APS11700 and APS11760, designed specifically for battery powered applications in harsh industrial and automotive environments. Automatic power management enables average supply current as low as 6μA while operating directly from a vehicle battery or other unregulated supply. The power management happens in the background and is transparent to the host system, making them a drop-in upgrade for existing Hall-effect switches or a solid-state replacement for mechanical microswitches or reed switches.

The MXT2912TD-A, with nearly 3,000 touch-sensing nodes, and MXT2113TD-A, supporting more than 2,000 nodes, bring consumers the touchscreen user experience they expect in vehicles. These new devices build upon Microchip’s existing maXTouch touchscreen technology that is widely adopted by manufacturers worldwide. Microchip’s latest solutions offer superior signal-to-noise capability to address the requirements of thick lenses, even supporting multiple finger touches through thick gloves and in the presence of moisture.

The MXT2912TD-A and MXT2113TD-A devices incorporate self- and sensor-diagnostic functions, which constantly monitor the integrity of the touch system. These smart diagnostic features support the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) classification index as defined by the ISO 26262 Functional Safety Specification for Passenger Vehicles.

They also feature Microchip’s proprietary new signal-shaping technology that significantly lowers emissions to help large touchscreens using maXTouch controllers meet CISPR-25 Level 5 requirements for electromagnetic interference in automobiles. The new touch controllers also meet automotive temperature grade 3 (-40 to +85°C) and grade 2 (-40 to +105°C) operating ranges and are AEC-Q100 qualified.

With the addition of the new maXTouch touchscreen controllers, Microchip provides full scalability to customers, offering the industry’s only complete and growing portfolio of automotive-qualified touchscreen controllers for the use of various screen sizes. Developers can design multiple platforms from small touchpads to large displays in the same development environment with the same host software interface and quality user experience. This ultimately shortens design time while lowering system and development costs.

An evaluation kit is available for each of the parts in the new maXTouch touchscreen controller family. The kit includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with the maXTouch touchscreen controller, a touch sensor on a clear glass lens, the Flat Printed Circuit (FPC) to connect to the sensor display, a converter PCB to connect the kit to the host computer via USB, as well as cables, software and documentation. All parts are also compatible with maXTouch Studio, a full software development environment to support the evaluation of maXTouch touchscreen controllers.

The MXT2912TD-A and MXT2113TD-A devices are available now in sampling and volume quantities in LQFP176 and LQFP144 packages, respectively.

For more information, visit: www.microchip.com/atmxt2912td-a Microchip Technology | www.microchip.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

These monolithic devices include either a standard Hall plate or a vertical Hall plate, a small-signal amplifier, chopper stabilisation, a Schmitt trigger, automatic power management controller, and an NMOS output transistor. The APS11700 uses a standard planar Halleffect sensing element, while the APS11760 implements AVHT technology in the form of a silicon-based vertical Hall-effect sensing element. The APS11760 devices are therefore sensitive to magnetic flux parallel to the face of the IC package, mimicking the inplane sensitivity of common reed switches.

The APS11700/760 devices come preconfigured with the user’s choice of magnetic sensitivity, thresholds, and polarity; there is also a choice of active-high or active-low output for ease of integration into electronic subsystems. These ICs are qualified to AECQ100 Grade 0 and compliant with ISO 26262:2011 ASIL A when properly applied, making them suitable for automotive and other safety systems. They can tolerate up to 40V and junction temperature up to 165°C. In addition, they are internally protected against overvoltage, reverse-battery, load-dump, output short-circuits, human-body-model ESD up to ±11kV, and other EMC conditions.

Allegro MicroSystems | www.allegromicro.com 11

CODICO:

THE BEST THINGS ARE WORTH WAITING FOR! After a gap of 9 years, the IEEE are close to finalising and ratifying the latest POE standard, IEEE802.3bt for higher power for delivering up to 71W over 4-pairs.

SILVERTEL will offer 2 new modules for the new standard: Ag5800 and Ag6800.

A new IEEE 4-pair high power (71W) standard – IEEE802.3bt!

The history of IEEE POE standards started way back in 2003 with 802.3af for 12.95W devices, moving on slowly to 25.5W devices being catered for with 802.3at (often called POE+) back in 2009.

However, there has always been demand for more power for larger and more power hungry devices. SILVERTEL and other major POE industry players have been catering for the slowly growing market demand for higher power POE systems since 2010. So much market demand now in fact that SILVERTEL have an extensive range of higher power POE modules (with Ag5500, Ag5510, Ag5600, Ag6110 and Ag6600) already widely used globally in a wide range of products and applications, such as high power Pan/Tilt/ Zoom IP cameras, high end video conferencing systems and access control locking systems.

As many of SILVERTELs’ customers are aware, the IEEE has been in the process of drafting a new Power over Ethernet standard, called 802.3bt. This is a new higher 12

power standard for delivering up to 71W at the PD over the full 4 pairs of wires in a CAT5E cable to improve efficiency and minimise losses at the higher power levels.

This standard is now at Draft 3.2, to which release level SILVERTEL are preparing a new set of modules, the Ag6800 and Ag5800. Ag6800 will be a fully (draft) standards compliant, 90W nominal output PSE module and will be released first, followed shortly after by the draft compliant Ag5800 PD module, delivering up to 71W of usable power to the end device. Both modules will be cost and footprint size optimised, as you would expect from a world leader in POE module technology and design, to provide

state of the art solutions at market leading prices for our customers for the next generation of POE applications. The Ag5800 PD module has been designed into a footprint of just 35×70mm, while the Ag6800 is just 35×51mm in area.

The new standard, as you would expect, is fully backward compatible with the existing POE standards. In addition to much higher power levels, the new 802.3bt also introduces some new key important features for modern and trending technologies such as LED lighting. While the use of POE for powering such systems has been slowly growing, one major drawback for large scale implementation of POE as a power source

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

Silvertel Ag5800

for lighting is the relatively high standby power requirements of POE. In order to maintain the PSE power connection, legacy POE systems require a 10mA PD current draw, over the link, for a minimum duty cycle of 20%. Assuming 50V on the cable, this equates to a standby power loss of 100mW per PD. With any large scale projects with high numbers of connected

Silvertel Ag6800

devices, this can quickly add up to a lot of wasted power, strongly frowned upon in our Green and Eco friendly times. The new 802.3bt standard makes great progress with regards to this needless standby power loss by allowing a 2.2% duty cycle. The standby power loss per port is therefore reduced to less than 20mW, ten times smaller than previously. Of course, other features (already

familiar to high power POE users) introduced are power delivered over all four pairs. This helps to reduce power losses in the cables by effectively halving the current through each pair of wires. The changes are partly enabled by introducing two new PSE types, Type 3 for power up to 51W and Type 4 for Power up to 71W. The POE classification range is also extended up to Class 8 for 90W output on the PSE and 71W delivered at the PD. As ever, the modules have been designed and will be produced in the UK and backed up

by SILVERTELs first class application support for any customers choosing them for their next generation of POE products. The IEEE may have taken its’ time with the new higher power standard, but we think it will have been worth the wait! For more details, please get in touch with your CODICO contact.

Ivan Mitic, Regional Sales Manager +43186305-194 ivan.mitic@codico.com www.codico.com

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

13

Tailor-made

DISPLAYS Full custom solutions

Author: Vincenzo Santoro, Senior Marketing Manager Displays & Monitors

As the interface between humans and machines, the importance of the display has risen sharply due to the rapid and steady development of microelectronics.

Today, every scrap of data recorded in our daily lives is visualized: the display of personal performances, requests in the consumer, medical, and POS sector, along with measurements, check and optimization values in the industrial and automotive sector, as well as simple status displays for smart homes or metering. This has definitely extended the field of application for displays considerably.

And each application requires a different display. A thermostat display mounted on the wall of a room can be viewed from all angles, while the head-up display inside a car can only be seen by the driver and not the passenger. Some displays have stronger background lighting, others have none at all and operate in a purely reflective mode. The list of examples for the varying properties of individual displays could go on and on.

14

No display is the same as the next. The ideal display medium is available for each and every application and tailored precisely and thoughtfully to the needs of the customer.

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE DISPLAYS Large strides have been made in the area of image presentation technologies in recent decades. A special role in this respect is attributed to passive displays, since they have always been a model of individualism due to their simple control, reduced depth of installation, and technological diversity. Customized passive LCD displays were, and still are, a popular choice for numerous applications, from pocket calculators and simple measuring devices, such as gas and water meters, to smartwatches, temperature displays, home appliances, and industrial measuring instruments. In contrast to active TFT displays, the tooling costs and MOQs for a full custom solution are much lower for passive LCD displays and easier to implement for smaller projects and companies. The tooling for a fully customized TFT may cost roughly US$200,000, which often exceeds the allocated budget. On the other hand, a passive display can be tooled as a reflective

display module for about US$2,000 and, depending on its technology and complexity, as a passive display module for between US$2,000 and US$5,000.

Another argument in favor of a customerspecific LCD display is its long-term availability. While the availability of standard modules in the TFT sector is limited to between three and five years, a custom LCD can, theoretically, remain in production as long as the owner of the tooling tool wants to manufacture the display. Projects lasting five, ten or fifteen years are thus not out of the question.

CONTRAST AND TEMPERATURE APPLICATION RANGE The passive LCD is, however, not usually top of the list when planning the application’s visualization. This is basically down to the significance which society and marketing ascribe to a smartphone or tablet: The display must light up and show values in vivid colors, while it must be possible to Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

DISPLAY SOLUTIONS

switch and zoom in on different touch screen content. But a passive LCD also offers advantages and does not just consist of a simple 7-segment display, well established in pocket calculators and which flourished in the yellow/green STN cell of the Nintendo Game Boy back in the 1990s.

The world of monochrome displays draws on a wide breadth and depth of technological capabilities. Vertical alignment technolo-

gy, for instance, enables a super black background and an impressive 1000:1 contrast ratio, which offer crisp, clear images and space for individual design options. This technology is ideal for applications that demand wide temperature ranges and excellent clarity of viewing from every angle.

Using an ASTN-based cell, visualization technologies in the automotive or metering sector can be developed for temperature ranges from -30 to +80°C, something that would be very difficult to achieve with a TFT display. These technologies then enable both segment and graphic modules. If traditional TN, STN or FSTN technology is required for an application, the display can be tailored accordingly and the visualization used to create a unique selling proposition to make it stand out in the market.

DESIGNING A CUSTOMIZED DISPLAY Implementation of a customized passive display is quite simple and explained in just a few steps: The visualization is the first thing to consider – what should the display look like, what size does it have to be, and which temperature range needs covering?

In addition, is background lighting or a specific viewing angle desired, and should it contain graphical image points or even predefined segments? It is also important to define which technology is appropriate for the application.

To answer all these questions correctly, the Rutronik Embedded Display team offers pinpoint advice and helps pick the right supplier for the respective application.

The team supports customers from the first sketch and approved samples for the prepared specification through to mass production in cooperation with the suppliers.

Once every question has been answered and, if necessary, a layout or sketch has been completed for implementation, renowned

suppliers of passive LCDs, such as Yeebo Display, Tianma Micro or U.R.T., prepare a detailed drawing of the desired display within one working week. This usually occurs after agreeing the tooling costs with the supplier.

Production of the approved samples occurs as soon as the drawing has been released, between five and ten displays are included in the tooling costs. Depending on the level of complexity, these can take five to eight weeks to produce for reflective displays and ten to fourteen weeks for display modules. Based on the released displays, the supplier prepares a detailed specification which in turn is checked and approved along with the samples. Then it is time for serial production, and after approximately ten to fourteen weeks, full scale production can begin.

The Embedded Display department ensures Rutronik is set up perfectly for comprehensive project management. During the startup phase, communication with the supplier is carried out 100% by the Product Marketing team, which also coordinates all the relevant activities. Working hand in hand with the customer as part of the aftersales service offered, the distributor ensures a successful display tailored to the individual application.

Rutronik www.rutronik.com

RUTRONIK AT EMBEDDED WORLD 2019: HALL 3, BOOTH 157 Embedded, the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, security, wireless, and display technologies: Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH’s booth at embedded world 2019 (hall 3, booth 157) from Tuesday, February 26, to Thursday, February 28, in Nuremberg, Germany, will showcase solutions for these segments, and much more.

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED will show visitors system concepts from connected sensor nodes to gateways and customer-specific display adjustments. When it comes to displays, storage media, and embedded boards, robustness and long-term availability are the top priorities. Rutronik will be exhibiting products at embedded world for the metering, medical, and transportation markets, as well as solutions for www.international.electronica-azi.ro

rugged industrial applications.

“This year, we want to particularly highlight our embedded initiative,” says Vincenzo Santoro, Product Marketing Director of Displays and Monitors at Rutronik. As a result, the trade show booth will include a variety of different demos, like a sensor-tocloud concept with Rutronik’s partners Telit and Tianma, OLED displays from Raystar, an Intel server application demo, and antenna technologies from Rutronik’s Wireless division. Narrowband IoT and security for storage and display devices also play a major role.

folio. So at embedded world, we will also be exhibiting products from our new partners,” says Vincenzo Santoro.

Rutronik’s expert product managers and application engineers from every department will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.

Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

New Partners Also Participating “In 2018, Rutronik entered into agreements with additional manufacturers that perfectly complement the embedded initiative port15

POWER DESIGN

What should you know about RoHS 3?

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

As specified in the European Directive 2015/863 dated 22nd of July 2019, electronic equipment manufacturers will have to comply with the third revision of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), referenced as RoHS 3.

All categories of electrical and electronic equipment are affected except medical devices and monitoring and control instruments, for which restrictions will apply from the later date of 22 July 2021 to take into account their longer innovation cycles. The “Revision 3” adds four additional restricted substances, listed under phthalate, to the original list of six (see table 1).

In 2010 some phthalates were on the REACH candidate list or listed in REACH Annex XIV as subject to the authorization process. They were also included in the European Commission’s proposal for the recast of the EU Directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment as priority substances to be assessed for potential restriction, which eight years later is now

happening. Since the original listing in REACH, and in the candidate list of Substances of Very High Concern for authorization (SVHC), the risk and toxicity of the four substances: Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP); Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) have been researched by international laboratories.

The results of more than 10 years tests and

investigation exhibit a very high hypothesis that the effects of exposure to phthalates may affect human reproduction, development and risk of cancer. These results have motivated the European Commission to move the four phthalates from “Observation” to “Restriction and Interdiction".

Phthalates are a group of chemical substances used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl.

Structural chemical formula and molecular structure of Dibutyl phthalate(DBP) Source PRBX/Orange Deer studio 16

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

POWER APPLICATIONS

Table 1: From RoHS 1 to RoHS 3 They are commonly used in all industries from food packaging to cables, in insulation tapes and in some resins, in short they are almost everywhere (see table 2).

This is yet another new challenge for the electronics industry which after reducing the amount of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, is now further tasked with reducing the amount of the four listed Phthalates to below 1000 ppm in homogeneous material by weight.

READY TO COMPLY As was the case for the previous six restricted substance in RoHS 1st edition and RoHS 2nd edition, due to the high usage of phthalates in electronics equipment - including in power supplies - designers must work in close cooperation with their suppliers to substitute such materials with “phthalate free� elements and components.

Due to some industries (e.g. medical) being more sensitive to the risk of phthalates affecting people (patients), as long ago as 2010 they were informing and educating

their suppliers about the forthcoming regulations, thus anticipating the demand for parts with less than 1000 ppm of the identified substances listed in REACH and SVHC. Today, a number of companies are offering RoHS 3 compliant substitutes but there is a huge legacy lagging in the supply chain which will require some pretty intense work to ensure that all products delivered after 22nd July are compliant, which for newly made products might not be a major problem but it could be for products held in stock all over the world.

Table 2: The four banned phthalates are widely used across the whole industry www.international.electronica-azi.ro

17

POWER DESIGN

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PRODUCTS COMPLY? Since the European Directive 2015/863 was released the 31st March 2015, designers have worked with their suppliers to guarantee that all new products pre-comply with the forthcoming regulation, but in some case it has been difficult to replace certain parts (e.g. insulation tape for high voltage transformers), thus delaying the compliance of some products. In three years’ time suppliers will have implemented different processes and substances to replace banned phthalates, but there are few questions remaining on special components or parts.

However, if in new products the level of banned phthalates is reduced to below 1000 ppm, the doubt remains for items laying in stock. To be on the safe side a number of companies have taken the decision to run samples through an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, and if this is not deemed enough to use Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) testing methods and sometimes Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM).

The cost for such analysis could be sub-

stantial however, in the context of present day market conditions and the effects of component shortages, scraping products without knowing if the level of the four phthalates below or over the 1000 ppm threshold might cost even more money.

WHAT ABOUT REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE? As specified in the Directive, the restriction of DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP shall not apply to cables or spare parts for the repair, the reuse, the updating of functionalities or upgrading of capacity of electrical and electronics equipment placed on the market before 22 July 2019, and of medical devices, including in vitro medical devices, and monitoring and control instruments, including industrial monitoring and control instruments, placed on the market before 22 July 2021.

SO WHAT’S COMING NEXT?!

“REACH aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances.”

That means that research on toxicology and

its impact on health and the environment will continue in order to identify risks.

As well, the European Chemical Agency has worked on a “Roadmap for SVHC identification and implementation of REACH Risk Management measures from now to 2020” which gives an EU-wide commitment to ensure that all relevant, currently known substances of very high concern (SVHC) are included in the candidate list by 2020.

The objective of the SVHC Roadmap is to screen to identify new substances of concern, and to analyze the risk management options (RMO) appropriate to the particular substance of concern.

In today’s business environment, electronics engineers must permanently monitor the evolution of REACH and SVCH. With the growing concerns about health and the environment we can expect more substances to be added to the RoHS list, which in some cases may prove to be extremely challenging. As in many other situations, knowing your industry, being innovative and investing in new technologies is probably the only way to go.

Powerbox (PRBX) www.prbx.com

RENESAS ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY’S FIRST USB-C™ COMBO BUCK-BOOST BATTERY CHARGER FOR MOBILE COMPUTING SYSTEMS Renesas Electronics Corporation, introduced the industry’s first USB-C™ buckboost battery charger to support both Narrow Voltage Direct Charging (NVDC) and Hybrid Power Buck-Boost (HPBB) charging for notebooks, ultrabooks, tablets, and power banks using the reversible USB TypeC™ connector cable. Through firmware control, the ISL9241 can switch between NVDC and HPBB modes, providing a low-cost and small solution size capable of efficiently processing a full range of power levels. It leverages Renesas’ advanced R3™ modulation technology for superior light-load efficiency and ultra-fast transient response to extend battery run-time. The charger’s reconfigurable internal registers allow the use of a smaller inductor for HPBB mode to achieve higher efficiencies across multiple power levels.

The ISL9241 delivers charging, system bus regulation, and protection features using NFETs for highest efficiency and bill of material (BOM) cost optimization. The charger can operate with only a battery, only an adapter, or both connected. It takes DC 18

input power from conventional adapters, travel adapters, and USB Type-C power delivery (PD) ports, and safely charges battery packs with up to four-cell Li-ion series batteries. In NVDC mode, the ISL9241 automatically selects the adapter or battery as the source for system power. NVDC operation also supports turbo mode by turning on the BGATE FET to limit adapter current at the adapter’s current limit set point. NVDC is the ISL9241’s initial startup state before the system controller’s firmware changes the configuration to HPBB. In higher power HPBB mode, the ISL9241 supports bypass, bypass plus charging, reverse turbo-boost mode, and reverse turbo-boost mode plus charging.

The ISL9241 provides 5V to 20V reverse buck, boost, or buck-boost operation to the adapter port (OTG mode). This allows configurations to support USB-C PD output for fast charging Programmable Power Supply (PPS) ports. Direct charging the battery can also be enabled by bypassing the ISL9241 in PPS mode. The ISL9241’s reconfigurable

charging architecture also allows designers to use the charger for multiport configurations while remaining fully compliant with the USB PD3.0 standard. Several digital telemetry, fault monitoring and protection features are provided. In addition, the ISL9241 also features a supplemental power mode that allows the input bias capacitor to store energy and release it during high power demand.

Renesas Electronics Corporation www.renesas.com Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

On the move forward

ISELED Technology and ISELED Alliance At electronica 2016 Inova Semiconductors launched the innovative ISELED technology, a groundbreaking approach for interior automotive lighting. At the same time the ISELED Alliance was announced. At the heart of technology is a “digital” RGB-LED, with a tiny controller inside the LED package. The Alliance is committed to create a complete ecosystem around the ISELED concept including hard- but also corresponding software. This innovative approach reduces costs, simplifies control, and expands the functionality of LED lighting in the automobile significantly. Meanwhile, initial ISELED products, including a standalone controller and development kits, are available, while more and more key semiconductor vendors, LED manufacturers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers support this pioneering technology.

At electronica 2018 Inova Semiconductors along with the recently announced new alliance members – Magna/OLSA, Melexis, Osram Opto Semiconductors and Microchip Technology reported on the status of the technology and presented their new solutions to further enhance the ISELED ecosystem. These concepts and ideas today extend far beyond interior lighting ISELED was originally aiming for. It now also includes exterior lighting, an intelligent dome light, a potentially new fieldbus for lighting and sensors, and even a sophisticated dynamic backlight system for LCD panels.

ON THE MOVE FORWARD Two years after the presentation of the concept idea and the ISELED Alliance the digital LEDs originally produced by Dominant Opto are now also available from Osram Opto Semiconductors - both meeting all performance targets. A constantly growing ecosystem opens new applications far beyond interior lighting on the horizon.

So ISELED is on its way from a chip interface to a field bus. The ICN (ISELED Communications Network) will close the gap between LIN and CAN. New target applications include dome lights, intelligent sensors or actuators. First silicon will be available in 1st quarter 2019 - downward compatible with today's products.

Intelligent direct backlight is another new trend for automotive display. It offers advantages in efficiency and appearance (on contrast, real black, and seamless integration) compared to edge solutions.

The innovative ISELED technology combined with high performance display control will enable dynamic backlight applications. The display content can be sent over the APIX (Automotive Pixel Link) communication link to enable local real-time calculation of dynamic backlighting from the video stream. The control of adjacent (functional) LED strips can be handled over the same communication link.

At a result the fusion of display and lighting control can be implemented in one head unit and one communication link.

ISELED AS A NEW FIELD BUS The market increase for lighting applications is driven by dynamization and animation of light effects, electrification and autonomous driving. This will boost the number of LEDs per car. On the other hand, sub systems and clusters have to be connected. LIN is currently the major network for automotive ambient light but is limited. So, there is a need to make ISELED usable as field bus, enabling connection between several light nodes and providing increased robustness similar to LIN/CAN. Based on this background Melexis supports ISELED products with IVLN (In Vehicle Light Network) capabilities.

Furthermore, the company will provide multichannel LED drivers and solutions for the sensor/actuator connection based on ISELED to support the sensor and light fusion.

THE ISELED TECHNOLOGY The next generation of in-car lighting will feature hundreds of LEDs, typically in the form of flexible light strips each comprising many single RGB LEDs, which need to be individually controlled to produce dynamic effects. Each “digital LED” on the strip consists of a red, green and blue LED chip and the ISELED controller integrated in the same package. The digital LEDs can be daisy-chained. Up to 4,079 of them can be connected via a differential bus at a speed of 2 Mbps.

They will be controlled by a single external master controller. This will effectively make new applications and lighting controls possible for applications where the relatively slow LIN bus is not suitable.

With a data rate of 2 Mbit/s light effects at true video speed are possible with the ISELED system. With application software developed by an Alliance member, fascinating lighting effects may be created and simply controlled by an app on a smartphone.

20

EASE OF USE As developments continue toward autonomous driving light will become an integral part of the passenger cell, taking on functional and design-specific tasks. Previously static light, will be replaced Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

PRODUCT NEWS

by dynamic solutions with countless design options for car manufacturer. To address these needs Osram has integrated the ISELED controller chip from Inova Semiconductors together with 3 (RGB) LEDs in their new Osire E4633i product.

Another key trend are adjustable white lighting designs. First solutions for adjustable white in terms of adaption of the radiation characteristics (directable light) can be found in premium car models. Osram will bring its knowledge about general lighting into the car and is working at the forefront of intelligent and ease of use solutions like the ISELED approach.

SCALABLE SOLUTIONS AND FAST TIME TO MARKET In the past RGB lighting was complex in manufacturing and innovations together with the existing lighting concept have been a challenging domain. ISELED and Microchip are solving the issue bringing ease of manufacturing, scalability and innovation together.

Depending on the application an 8-, 16- or 32-bit microcontroller may offer the best and energy efficient solution. This is addressed by the broad portfolio of automotive MCUs Microchip is offering.

Another important aspect is the easy, low cost and low risk development path for a fast time-to-market. Development tools, demo boards and an MPLAB code configurator enable an easy, MCU core independent and fast implementation of ISELED. In addition, customers benefit from highly integrated functions both on microcontroller and system level.

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE “DEMOCRATIZATION” OF DIGITAL LIGHT The ISELED ecosystem meanwhile is very complete and continuously growing inclusive communication down to single LED. Combining smart LEDs and optics know-how allows to have resource-optimized system solutions. Magna/OLSA created the term “democratization of digital light” for high performance and cost-efficient solutions with reduced resources. ISELED support this approach, as it can be integrated into optical designs like building blocks and there is no need to care about LED calibration to design light scenarios. Magna/OLSA has built two prototypes to demonstrate adequate performance with reduced resources.

A realized sensor node based on eight LEDs with “democratization” optics provides gesture detection and manages three different light status (ambient, critical and not critical).

ISELED Alliance | https://iseled.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Farnell element14 launches new Keysight DAQ970A Data Acquisition System Farnell element14, the Development Distributor has announced the launch of the DAQ970A Data Acquisition System from Keysight, offering engineers a more efficient way to fully characterize their product and deploy test solutions in just a few days.

The product, designed for engineers in R&D design verification and manufacturing, provides a path to design reliability without second guessing the measurements, learning or using complex programming languages or hiring new software engineers. It also provides utility to those who work in the field of general electronics, aerospace, automotive and energy.

The DAQ970A data acquisition system has high quality switching and an advanced 6 ½ digit DMM built-in that allows you to measure accurately.

Key features include: • DAQ970A data acquisition/switch unit (3-slots, up to 60 2-wire channels, 120 1-wire channels) • Ability to measure very low current ranges (1 μA DC and 100 μA AC) and higher resistance range (1000 MΩ) • New auto-calibration that compensates for internal drifts caused by time and temperature changes • 3497XA compatible, program and configuration • NEW DAQM900A solid state multiplexer with scan rate speed of up to 450 channels/sec • Intuitive LCD screen and soft keys for easy configuration and measurement display in multiple formats (number, bar meter, trend chart, histogram) • USB datalogging and data mirroring using the front panel USB host port Premier Farnell | www.premierfarnell.com 21

Solid State Lighting continues to lead the way in Energy Savings

EnOcean's Dolphin solution with Bluetooth and Zigbee connectivity

By Mark Patrick Mouser Electronics The continued price erosion of LED lighting has helped it displace less efficient incumbent lighting solutions and as such it can be regarded as a disruptive technology. Partly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, research into solid state lighting has certainly not ceased. While some manufacturers have left the market due to the corresponding drop in average selling prices, those that are left have shown a dedication that should ensure their long-term success. Part of the research funding has also been directed at organic LEDs (OLEDs) for lighting. The question is; could this become a threat or an opportunity for LEDs? The industry is striving towards a target efficacy of 200 lumens/W by 2025, thereby corresponding with the figure predicted by Haltz’s Law (which observes that the cost per lumen generally falls by a factor of 10 as each decade passes). While LEDs are seemingly well on the way to achieving this, OLEDs still have some catching up to do.

The other benefits they possess could, however, result in their deployment becoming more commonplace.

High brightness LED luminaires, which are normally achieved through modules featuring multiple emitters focussed into a cone of light, are increasingly being used in place of fluorescent and incandescent light fittings architecturally, as well as in offices and 22

homes. The return on investment is generally seen after a predetermined number of hours in service and, as LED technology improves, that figure is steadily coming down. On the other hand, OLED lights have a much shorter lifespan, cost more than LEDs (which are themselves still more expensive to purchase than conventional lighting options) and have a lower light output. Despite all of these drawbacks their future nevertheless looks bright.

The reason for growing interest around OLED lighting can mainly be attributed to aesthetics and stems from the more even light distribution and thinner form factors that this technology is able to support.

OLED fittings are much slimmer than even those for LED lights. This is because they don’t require incorporation of diffusers or reflectors. Instead the light is emitted directly from the surface. It also means they can be manufactured in various sizes and shapes to fit specific installation requirements, thus providing a more natural light source across large areas rather than a single ‘point of light’. It is not hard to see why this would appeal to interior designers, as well as the more discerning consumer.

Admittedly the lighting efficacy of OLEDs is still far below that of LEDs; around 60 to 80 lumens/W for OLEDs, as opposed to typically nearer 200 lumens/W for LEDs.

However, the principal technology has improved in recent years and the continued adoption of active matrix OLED (AMOLED) technology for displays in TVs, smartphones and other portable devices means the investment in this area remains strong.

All this is expected to have a positive impact on the development of OLED technology in relation to lighting applications.

While there are much fewer OLED manufacturers than there are for LEDs, companies like LG Display (Korea) and OLEDworks (U.S.A.) are putting considerable engineering effort into driving this technology forwards - with commercial lighting products available in home improvement/DIY stores.

Even though the large scale availability of OLED panels is still hindered by their cost, the technology is now beginning to be used in hybrid luminaires - which employ both LEDs and OLEDs to provide a more natural light source.

LET’S GET SMART Solid state lighting, in the form of either LEDs or OLEDs, is fuelling the trend for ‘smarter’ lighting systems. The ability to dim light fittings has, of course, long been used as a means via which to save energy. By incorporating control mechanisms of this kind into a building management system (BMS) those savings can be derived automatically.

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

ENERGY SAVINGS

While most BMS implementations are bespoke, there is one recent development that could see all lighting systems become networked almost overnight. The latest release of the Bluetooth specification adds mesh networking capabilities which, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group claims, are ideal for adding intelligent networking to existing lighting installations.

Mesh networking uses each device as a node; with every node able to receive and retransmit messages from any other node in the network. This approach is highly suitable for deployment in electrically noisy environments, where the short ‘hop’ between nodes helps preserve the signal even when the RF element doesn’t contain much power. Such low power wireless networks are becoming more common in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the addition of mesh networking to the Bluetooth specification could help this technology make the leap from handheld devices to light fittings.

But, it must be noted that it has competition in this application space.

While Bluetooth may offer interoperability, disruptive developments like networked light fittings often require leaders in their industry to make the first move. For commercial reasons, these pioneers may

need to keep their solutions proprietary which, unfortunately, can have a negative effect on the adoption rate. Examples include the Lutron Vive platform which uses the company’s Clear Connect wireless protocol between sensors, load controllers and switches, and Wi-Fi in the main hub.

While the hub offers BACnet compatibility, the network is effectively closed.

To avoid the downside of a closed system, others have opted to support ZigBee as the wireless protocol for their networked lighting fittings, even in proprietary products.

One example is Daintree Networks’ control platform, ControlScope, which employs Zig Bee as the underlying protocol. Compliance to the ZigBee standard should guarantee some level of interoperability between systems. The list of manufacturers stating they intend to offer compatibility with the ControlScope platform includes EuControls, Iventronics, Magtech, MMB Networks and Samsung. Daintree has also worked with Osram Sylvania to help the latter develop a ControlScope compatible wireless interface module which can be fitted to luminaires. As long as the light fitting’s driver has a 12V output it can be retrofitted to add connectivity to any light fitting - allowing it to become part of a smart lighting network.

Also operating in the sub-GHz band, EnOcean is an ultra-low power wireless technology designed to be self-powered; the transceivers having no batteries, but instead utilise harvested energy to send and receive short messages wirelessly. The proprietary technology is now managed by an industry body and continues to gain momentum in the smart building sector. The EnOcean Alliance, which has a vast membership across the value chain, is also working with the ZigBee Alliance to develop solutions that would allow solid state lighting networks based on both technologies to coexist. This can only further strengthen the position of smart lighting networks.

CONCLUSION The energy savings offered by solid state lighting are clearly significant and as this is rolled out further the benefits will not only include lower energy bills for consumers and businesses, but also less impact on the environment. Advances in respect to both the core emitter technology and the supporting connectivity will be pivotal in its ongoing progression.

Mouser Electronics Authorised Distributor www.mouser.com

Daintree Networks’ ControlScope control platform

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

23

COMPANY NEWS

Smart solutions for smart cities from TE Connectivity Over the past 100 years, advancements in the wireless control and monitoring of utility systems and public services have transformed how cities perform. Today, we have reached a crucial turning point in reimagining our concept of the city.

The idea of the smart city is inspiring many new ideas for integrating the services people rely upon every day. Today, there are solutions delivering – with every iteration – convenience, safety and efficiency that only a few years ago was unimaginable. This unprecedented connectivity is enabled by – among other things – wireless communication and a vast array of sensors. This connectivity can improve urban lighting, infrastructure performance, and energy consumption.

SMART ENERGY Today, many municipalities are replacing standard street lights with LED luminaire lighting fixtures that are equipped with advanced sensors and connected to integrated networks. The result is a light system locally or remotely activated so that it responds only when the street is in use such as when a pedestrian is walking at night. This type of system enables cities to replace street lighting fixtures, which can help them reduce power demand in the short term 24

and realize cost savings over time.

People can save energy by installing smart meters and solar panels as well as purchasing electric cars.

SMART TRANSPORT SYSTEMS Connecting People to the Cloud – and Each Other. All around the world, people are migrating to cities. In response, municipalities, internet providers and hyperscale data centers are relying on advanced connectivity to efficiently manage the technology

required to operate the services crucial to competing globally. Driving this evolution are innovative connectivity solutions for collecting data, distributing power, transmitting signals and enabling higher level control in emerging applications. These solutions – from custom antennas and sealed connectors to lightweight cabling and multi-property sensors – are transforming traditional infrastructure into smart infrastructure: with intelligent street lighting and buildings, on-demand transit systems, Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

COMPANIES

and real-time smart meters – for public parking, home utilities, personal devices.

Around the world today, communities are developing plans to optimize traffic flows, build multi-modal transport systems and develop interactive systems with existing infrastructure.These types of improvements have often been linked to major benefits: reducing vehicle and factory emissions, lower municipal costs, and improve the quality of life with better delivery of services – including more choices for residents, increased ability to interact with infrastructure (report potholes, graffiti, weather, accidents). In theory, this all sounds great. But when we consider the practical implementation, it raises critical questions: what is the crucial problem to solve? How will possible solutions impact the social, economic, and environmental factors? How can cities maximize the impact of implementing their strategies?

Better bus routes, enabling residents to easily plan trips and motion-detection streetlights, using less power while increasing safety where and when needed. This could also expand to bike and vehicle sharing programs, by helping residents easily identify when and where vehicles are available for use. Another example is a system of autonomous corridors, where autonomous vehicles could flow easily – making roads safer, with less traffic for point-to-point transit. These corridors could also be paired with bike lanes or walking paths, further improving traffic flow and managed via smart stop lights and route management strategies.

Additionally, this could expand to integrate a local rail system or a subway network. The result is less vehicles crowding city streets and opportunities to reclaim unused routes for other uses, including urban green space and transportation centers. The particular challenges facing each city give rise to opportunities for creating unique solutions that enhance the cityscape.

Smart parking can help people reduce the time they spend while searching for a parking space in neighborhoods, and intelligent traffic lights can monitor real-time traffic, so the signals can adjust to traffic levels.

Public transport can also be prioritized with the help of these traffic lights to enable buses to follow the set schedule and to solve the problem of overcrowding at peak hours. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

As a leader in innovation, TE offers a wide range of high quality, easy-to-install, highquality connectivity systems.

SMART INFRASTRUCTURE The ability to analyze a large amount of data will enable cities to improve construction and maintenance plans for infrastructure. Constant information analysis can detect problems quickly and may even prevent public health crises, for example by testing real-time toxin content in water.

SMART MOBILITY Data must be transmitted without interruption between various private and municipal systems so that a smart city really works.

This can save energy and enhance security.

All of the data and control could be accomplished through the current 4G wireless networks or 5G networks of the future. Since we will have this high-speed connection to the internet and cloud, we could use WiFi access to provide information about parking availability and special offers at the stores and restaurants in the area. Advertising revenue can be used to offset the cost of rolling this technology out in places that want to place themselves at the leading edge of the technology adoption curve.

TE is a leading manufacturer of electronic components and solutions for current and future wireless data transmission infrastructures. Extensive expertise in the wireless infrastructure industry allows TE to provide solutions with basic access and transmission equipment including base stations and remote access systems via radio or wireless broadband.

SMART IoT OBJECTS Many have not yet realized that the market forces behind the Internet of Things have significantly, perhaps fundamentally, altered technology business relationships.

Those who fail to adapt risk missing out on what could be the greatest business opportunity of the 21st century.

Every day, the world is becoming more connected. Everything from the phones we carry in our pockets, to the cars we drive, to the buildings in which we work and live, are linked to massive networks of data.

Sensors and connectors designed and manufactured by TE Connectivity (TE) help keep those networks from going offline. Here are some of the ways TE is

helping to create a more connected world and keep The Internet of Things growing.

IoT has transformed business relationships – and market focus – in the networked technology value chain. Yesterday’s focus on equipment and integrator businesses was upended by IoT service creation and enablement. The result is a disruptive “vacuum” in the middle of the value chain. In the aftermath, networking-equipment suppliers found they need a way to gather data and deliver specialized local processing. The shift changed their product ecosystem from supporting generic networking to feeding an IoT platform powered by a demand for pre-processed data.

For companies lower on the value chain, this change created a need for new and different data processing capabilities to connect with the IoT ecosystem.

In the IoT value chain, partnership is imperative to success. Few companies have the capability to source data, enable analytics at key system connections, and supply the infrastructure to deliver it all to service providers. Networking equipment providers and data aggregators from the middle of the value chain have an opportunity (a need, really) to “partner-down” in the value chain with data enablers. Data enablers, those companies with the ability to generate valued data, have the opportunity to partner with these equipment providers: It enables them to move up the value chain to deliver the data to service providers. In the end, these types of partnerships create greater value for everyone across the value chain.

TE Connectivity (TE) manufactures sensors for IoT applications from personal devices and the connected home and connected cars to smart cities. With various analog and digital output signals as well as multisensor readings from a single device, TE sensors are enabling increases in personal efficiency and improvement. They have some variants: for low power and for hard environment applications.

Although this smart city may seem something of a future, there are already cities like London, Tokyo, Zurich, Paris and New York who have successfully implemented smart solutions to ease the lives of their inhabitants.

TE Connectivity products are distributed

by RS Components, represented in Romania by Aurocon COMPEC. For more information, visit https://ro.rsdelivers.com 25

COMPANY NEWS TE CONNECTIVITY X-CODE SERIES, 8 POLE CABLE MOUNT M12 CIRCULAR CONNECTOR PLUG, MALE CONTACTS, IP67 RS Stock No. Manufacturer Code 174-2016 1-2315714-2 Modern Railway networks are all about speed and reliability. If it were the data transmission speed, the assembly time, avoiding network interruptions or reducing cost of service, all are equally important. Our full metal shell IP67 sealed X-coded M12 connector offers all of the above and more in one product. The 360° cable shield termination ensures the best possible data transmission speed while the machined, gold plated crimp contacts and unique torsion free jacket crimping system guarantees uninterrupted service throughout the connector lifetime.

BENEFITS • Speed: up to 10Gb/second according to IEC 802.3an Cat 6a • Reliability: Unique cable jacket crimping system leads to fail safe connections • High data performance due to 360º EMI shielding • High system reliability due to Torsion free cable crimping leads to reduced cost of service • Field installable and compact dimensions • Full metal shell and IP67 sealed • Turned contacts for high vibration environments • All nonmetal components except for the booth NFF-16-101/102 and EN45545-2 HL3 compliant • The crimp flange and crimp barrel will be qualified to match the chosen cable contacts available for wire size AWG22-28 www.compec.ro

Author: Bogdan Grămescu www.rsromania.com 26

Cables and Connectors

Aurocon COMPEC authorised distributor for RS Components Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

MAXIM DONATES UNIQUE ROBOTIC LEARNING FACTORY TO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN Engineering students at University College Dublin (UCD) will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with Industry 4.0 principles using an automated football factory demo donated to the University by Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. The demo integrates several of the company’s adaptive manufacturing technologies, including the recently announced GoIO industrial internet of things (IIoT) reference design.

In a world of rapidly evolving production technologies, the donation to the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering will help current Engineering students at University College Dublin will students and future engineers have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with Industry 4.0 principles using an automated football factory learn the principles of a smart demo donated to the University by Maxim Integrated factory and how to design fully automated and intelligent production equipment with selfdiagnostic and adaptive capabilities. The football factory commences with regulation-size footballs and tests them for weight, air-pressure, bounce height and roundness. The footballs are handled by an From left to right: Professor Denis Dowling, UCD School of industrial robot, and the entire Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Director of I-Form, the SFI Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, with John Kirwan, assembly line is controlled wireVice President, Global Customer Operations, Maxim Integrated lessly by an iPad® app. The demo also showcases the principles of adaptive/flexible manufacturing, where the production system embodies a level of flexibility to react to different environmental conditions, product variations, specification changes or even product options.

Not only is this demo optimised Jeff DeAngelis, Managing Director, Industrial & Healthcare to test size five footballs; it can Business Unit, Maxim Integrated, in front of the smart factory which shall help educate a new generation of students and prepare also be configured on-the-fly to them for the technological challenges of the future test different-sized footballs, such as size four and size three. When such smaller footballs are inserted at random in the production line, the demo factory identifies the product variation and re-adjusts the different sensor calibrations as well as the robotic software to process the appropriate-sized balls.

The Go-IO IIoT reference design is the backbone for this digital football factory.

It consists of Maxim’s new third-generation industrial automation chipset made up of 12 highly integrated ICs, 17 IOs supporting multiple digital IO configurations, a 4-channel IO-Link master to provide a universal IO interface to both analog and digital sensors and a robust 25Mbps isolated RS-485 communications channel that provides a reliable, multi-drop data network for uploading timesensitive health and status information into the cloud. The football factory demo epitomises an Industry 4.0 factory that is locally controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) reference design driving a host of intelligent sensors that communicate the factory’s health and status information to enable realtime decision-making to optimise productivity. The advantage of having a small, distributed PLC working in conjunction with smart, IO-Link-enabled sensors is that changes in the assembly line can be affected at a local level and in real time.

Details about Go-IO: www.maximintegrated.com/go-io Maxim Integrated | www.maximintegrated.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

PRODUCT NEWS

New memory milestone for modules congatec announces that its Intel Atom C3000 processor based conga-B7AC Server-on-Modules now support up to 96 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM memory on 3 sockets. This is twice the previously supported capacity and sets a major new milestone for COM Express Type 7 based designs, as memory is one of the most important performance levers for embedded edge server technologies. This performance leap was possible because the Intel Atom C3000 family supports the newly available 32 GB SO-DIMMs. The new Serveron-Modules with a high-speed memory bandwidth of 2400 MT/s are available now and can be ordered with and without ECC support.

"Further development of Server-on-Module technology is essential for embedded edge computing. Continuous RAM expansion is required to be able to offer the best possible server performance and capacity on an extremely compact footprint of only 125 × 95 mm. We are therefore very pleased to be the first Server-onModule provider to offer such high storage capacity off the shelf. This performance leap underlines our passion for advancing the new Server-on-Modules standards, which incidentally has also made us the technology and market leader in this area," explains Martin Danzer, Director of Product Management at congatec.

High memory capacity is essential for server applications, because the fastest way to read and write values from a database is to fully load them into memory. The larger the databases, the more memory capacity is needed. There are many database applications in the field of embedded edge computing, such as network appliances for content delivery in video surveillance applications, IoT gateways or OPC UA servers in automation. A large RAM is also a good intermediate buffer for Big Data analytics on the fly so that only smaller results need to be stored. Servers that host many virtual machines also benefit immensely from the doubled memory capacity: With 96 GB RAM, 12 virtual machines now have 8 GB RAM available on each partition - an ideal value for standard Linux or Windows installations. congatec | www.congatec.com 27

Leuze RSL 400: Area and access guarding was never so simple and efficient!

It has never been easier to use a safety laser scanner than with the new RSL 400 from Leuze. In spite of exceptional performance characteristics, mounting, alignment and operation are unmatched in this segment.

■ Separate connection unit with integrated cable management for uncomplicated mounting ■ Large, plain-text display with electronic spirit level for simple alignment ■ Integrated Ethernet interface for full network connectivity

■ Sensors are demonstrably very robust against dust thanks to high resolution ■ "Sensor Studio" software for fast configuration with just five mouse clicks

Purchase one – get two - RSL 400 With the new RSL 400 safety laser scanner, we have set a new standard worldwide in the supreme discipline of safety sensor technology. With our decades of experience, we have succeeded in developing a device that uses clever detailed solutions to – in many cases – perform two tasks simultaneously.

FLEXIBLE Two autonomous protective functions.

The device offers two independent protective functions and thereby acts as two single laser scanners. You save yourself one device!

HIGH-PERFORMANCE 270° scanning angle / operating range of 8.25 m.

Its large scanning angle in combination with large operating range enables reliable safeguarding, even at corners and edges. As a result, a second laser scanner is not needed in many cases.

USER FRIENDLY Intelligent connection unit.

The simple mounting of the safety laser scanner is based on a separate unit with integrated cable management. This unit also makes possible faster device upgrades or sensor replacement without electronic and mechanical realignment. www.oboyle.ro

28

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

Contrinex: RFID read/write modules with IO-Link New library simplifies programming With RFID technology, no line of sight is required to read or write transponder data. For users, however, programming the read/write modules can be relatively time consuming. With the function block library from Contrinex, this engineering cost has now been significantly reduced.

RFID technology has proved itself in automation and logistics over recent years. Unlike classical identification systems, such as barcode or laser marking, RFID transponder data can be read or written with no line of sight required. In addition, data can be added, changed or replaced. However, the programming work with RFID read/write modules should not be underestimated. To help reduce such engineering costs, Contrinex provides a

solution in the form of a function block library for IO-Link.

The IO-Link library covers all necessary functions for communication with a Simatic S7-1200 / S7-1500 or equivalent PLC. The user can drag and drop the required IO-Link function block into the corresponding network and store it there. All IO-Link function blocks for high-frequency read/write modules can be downloaded free of charge from the website of this sensor specialist.

Connecting two standards within Industry 4.0 Contrinex offers a wide range of RFID read/write modules. For example, the 13.56 MHz high-frequency portfolio includes two cylindrical devices with an IO-Link interface: RLS-1181-320 (M18) and RLS-1301-320 (M30). These read/write modules combine two communication standards that are important for Industry 4.0: ISO 15693 at the air interface and IEC 61131-9 at the M12 connector. For signal transmission, they offer a standard IO (SIO) mode and an IO-Link mode. In SIO mode, conditional binary outputs are set at the device interface, such as tag detection or data-block comparison. In IO-Link mode, the commands "scan UID", "scan user data" and "scan read/write command" are available as process data. These smart sensors provide read/write distances of 42 mm (M18) and 60 mm (M30), work reliably even when dirty and operate across a wide temperature range from -25 to +80°C (-13 to +176°F).

Their metal housings are highly robust with an enclosure rating of IP67. www.oboyle.ro

Contrinex: RFID read/write modules with IO-Link ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Small Ø4 x 35 mm or M5 x 35 mm stainless steel housing Diffuse and through-beam operating principles Visible red light on all types Sensing range, diffuse: up to 100 mm Sensing range, through-beam: up to 400 mm

Competitive Advantages ■ First-class sensing ranges ■ Smallest self-contained solution on market with IO-Link ■ IO-Link, ready for Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things ■ Sensitivity adjustment (through IO-Link only) ■ Embeddable thanks to a focused beam www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Applications ■ Pharma ■ Semiconductor industry ■ Logistics and warehouse IO-Link functionalities Process data: Detection state & Stability alarm Parameters for through-beam: Output configuration, output timing, sensor mode, detection counter, event flags, maximum and actual sensor temperature sequence choice, sensitivity, sequence choice.

Parameters for diffuse: Output configuration, output timing, sensor mode, detection counter, event flags, maximum and actual sensor temperature, sensitivity, teach command. www.oboyle.ro 29

Contrinex: C23 Full Inox series Inductive sensors in flat, miniature size

The new, flat C23 is ideal for applications where space is scarce but long operating distances are still indispensable.

With this sensor’s allmetal housing, applications do not need to pull any punches. Shock and vibration can do no harm to this little problem solver, thanks to its Condet technology and stainless-steel housing.

Installation is very simple from the front of the HOUSING SIZE Operating distance mm Housing material Connection Enclosure rating Mounting Maximum switching frequency Supply voltage range Ambient temperature range Output current PNP NO NPN NO PNP NC NPN NC

device using the two drill holes.

Thanks to Contrinex ASIC technology, the new C23 is highly accurate and has an IO-Link interface.

This gives the customer various parameterization options, such as switching between NO and NC operation or programming an ON or OFF delay.

C23 7 Stainless steel V2A Cable IP 68 Embeddable 200 Hz 10 ... 30 VDC -25 ... +70°C / -13 ... +158°F ≤ 200 mA DW-AD-703-C23 DW-AD-701-C23 DW-AD-704-C23

C23 7 Stainless steel V2A Pigtail IP 68 Embeddable 200 Hz 10 ... 30 VDC -25 ... +70°C / -13 ... +158°F ≤ 200 mA DW-AV-703-C23-276 DW-AV-701-C23-276 DW-AV-704-C23-276 DW-AV-702-C23-276

Your advantages: ■ Indestructible sensor ■ Factor 1 on steel and aluminum ■ Long operating distances ■ IO-Link Typical applications: Using a C23 flat head on a part holder checking the presence of the product to be worked on. There is no space underneath the tool to insert a cylindrical sensor and let the cable run down.

A C23 Flat Head used in a water supply system to check the position of a valve. The sensor can be totally flushed with water and there is no problem. In this case it was not possible to mount any other type of sensor and a very robust type was necessary. www.oboyle.ro 30

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

SMT Greater safety and reliability for sensitive electronics Modern electronics are used nowadays in a range of industries, which expose them to a wide range of temperatures. Most notably, electronic assemblies in safety-related areas of application, such as medical technology, the automotive industry (autonomous driving) and aerospace technology, must function 100% reliably at all temperature conditions.

Safe testing and measuring methods are thus becoming increasingly more relevant and have become standard today, in order to analyse the resistance of electronic components and increase their durability.

Rehm offers two systems for such fields of application: The Securo Plus and the Securo Minus. By specifically heating up and/or cooling down the assembly, these systems ensure that they have the ideal temperature for the corresponding test and inspection procedures.

In designing and implementing the required test tasks, however, Rehm Securo systems offer more than just flexibility and safety with regard to the temperature. To be able to fit perfectly into the different production landscapes, Rehm offers various integration concepts. “The Securo systems can be integrated into any production environment as an inline variant and as a batch system. Great importance is also attached to making provision for sufficient reception capacity. In this way, the temper-

Securo Plus and Minus

“A functional test under realistic conditions offers the maximum possible safety for our customers,” says Peter Schiele, Product Sales Rehm Thermal Systems. The Securo systems cover a temperature range of 50°C with the Securo Minus and +120°C with the Securo Plus.

To effectively cool down or heat up electronic components, air or nitrogen in the process chamber plays a key role: In the Securo Minus, the air is drawn in through a ventilator and blown to a heat exchanger driven by a refrigeration unit. Cooled in the heat exchanger, the air is then guided back to the process chamber. To allow it to circulate there ideally, and also to ensure it reaches all the assemblies in the process chamber, it is blown by a ventilator. In the process, guide plates guide it so precisely through the process chamber that an even distribution of temperature is guaranteed.

In the Securo Plus, in place of the heat exchanger, heating coils warm the air.

Heating spirals in the process chamber also help to reach the desired heating gradient as quickly as possible.

32

standard feature, the Securo has 30 of these goods carriers and five loading and unloading flaps. A total of 150 components can thus be loaded. Other test systems on the market have a drum inside which the components are moved. That is much less effective,” Peter Schiele confirms. If retrofitting is to be done to other forms of assemblies and geometries, the Securo offers the solution for this.

A changeable carrier system makes this easily possible. Through this individually adjustable number of loading openings (bulkheads) of the Securo systems, the entire width of the system is utilised, which allows the throughput to be increased. Loading can be done both manually and automatically.

To prevent ingress of ambient air and, in the case of the Securo Minus, possible icing in the loading area, the opening times coordinated with the handling system are set as short as possible. “Furthermore, during the entire process there is a slight overpressure in the chamber, which also reduces ingress of ambient air,” Peter Schiele explains.

The Securo systems offer maximum capac-

Loading area Securo for automatic

ature of large parts is also reliably controlled in short cycles at the required testing temperature,” explains Peter Schiele.

The Securo is of interest thanks in part to the goods carrier circulation according to the ‘meander’ principle: The goods carriers are loaded with the assemblies to be tested and move through the process chamber in close succession in arch-shaped loops. “This helps us make ideal use of the space available, which ensures maximum throughput. As a

ity utilisation and flexibility in the integration in production environments, and for medium-sized series the loading and unloading can also be done manually or, for large-scale series, by robot. Rehm systems that have been developed and designed based on decades of experience in thermal systems can thus now also be used in testing and inspection tasks.

Rehm Thermal Systems www.rehm-group.com Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

SMT – INFO

New stronger SA axes of the FL series The smaller spindle pitch does it!

SA spindle booms have been a proven component in the Afag product range for many years. However, they reach their limits in joining operations or press-fitting processes with greater force requirements. Specifically for such cases, the handling specialist is now expanding its range to include the new “Force Line” (FL) series of SA spindle booms that are significantly stronger than the standard components with the same module geometry.

This is achieved by a smaller spindle pitch (between four and ten millimeters) that gives the FL booms more power.

Peak forces up to 600 Newtons and the handling of payloads weighing up to 16 kilograms are possible. This allows the user to have more options and flexibility in axis design, suitable for the respective application.

The FL booms are available for spindle diameters of eight, ten and twelve millimeters, with variable stroke lengths from 50 to 300 millimeters. The components of the FL series allow the user powerful and very precise feed movements with a repeat accuracy of ± 0.01 millimeters. They can also be combined with the new KE-200 and KE-1000 force measuring units. These can be attached to the spindle axes without an intermediate plate, and allow reliable force control and high accuracy, even with changing loads during the cycle.

Afag Holding AG | www.afag.com

Indium Corporation Features Gold Alloy Solder Preforms at SPIE Photonics West Indium Corporation will feature its precision gold alloy solder preforms at the SPIE Photonics West event, February 2-7, in San Francisco, Calif.

Indium Corporation’s AuSn preforms have the highest tensile strength of any solder, ensuring high-reliability joining and sealing.

AuSn preforms are designed for high-reliability applications, such as laser, photonics, microwave systems, medical, and aerospace.

Depending on the alloy, gold-based solders have a melting point ranging from 2801,064°C, making them compatible with subsequent reflow processes. In addition, goldbased solders are resistant to corrosion, provide superior thermal fatigue resistance, and exhibit excellent joint strength.

Semiconductor-grade AuSn preforms are designed specially to meet the challenges facing RF and power semiconductor devices as they continue to get smaller, with increasing power density and power ratings.

Indium Corporation’s Pb-free and RoHS-compliant AuSn solder preforms are available in a variety of standard and custom-engineered designs. The Gold Preform Quick Turn Program offers engineering support from design to production and a quick turnaround for new design, tool, or prototype quantities.

Indium Corporation | www.indium.com www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Indium Corporation’s Vareha-Walsh Presents at Global Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) Event in China

Indium Corporation’s Donna Vareha-Walsh, Director, Metals Business Unit, shared her industry knowledge and expertise at the 2018 Global Minor Metals Forum on Nov. 28 in Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Vareha-Walsh’s presentation, Indium Corporation Overview Global Indium Market, reviewed global indium supply and demand, how changes in trade between China and the United States are expected to impact the market for indium metal, as well as environmental regulation changes in China.

This year, the forum’s key topic was the minor metals industry inheritance and innovation, with a focus on metals such as indium, bismuth, and germanium.

Vareha-Walsh is responsible for the sourcing of critical raw materials such as indium, gallium, germanium, tin, silver, and other products and services that support Indium Corporation’s manufacturing operations, as well as the trading of metals and sales of reclaim services for Indium Corporation’s Korean operation. She has more than 15 years of metals market experience from numerous roles and responsibilities, including Director of Global Procurement for a global premium alloy company and Director of Metallurgical Operations and Procurement for a global tungsten-based business.

She also has experience in finance as a Business Unit Controller, sales expertise as Director of Sales and New Business Development Manager, and has participated in metals recycling and scrap/reclaim markets. VarehaWalsh earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Duquesne University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), holds certificates in leadership development and manufacturing excellence, and has a Lean Green Belt.

Indium Corporation | www.indium.com 33

SMT

A novel approach towards void reduction Void formation under components with large soldering planes and low stand-off heights, such as QFN components, is a well-known phenomenon. The use of this type of components is on the rise, giving many designers, SMD line operators and quality control staff ever growing headaches to meet IPC criteria. This article focuses on a novel approach toward void reduction.

By: InterfluxÂŽ Electronics NV & Comet Electronics INTRODUCTION The mechanism behind the formation of voids in a solder joint has been the subject of study for many years. A number of void types and forming mechanisms have been identified. Most notable are macro voids, where the main contributor to the void formation appears to be the soldering chemistry of the solder paste.

There is, however, another very important, parameter that defines void formation : the soldering alloy.

THE SOLDERING ALLOY: AN UNUSUAL SUSPECT The main contributor to void formation is and has always been thought to be the solder paste flux. Designing a solder paste flux

Image 1-2: Different levels of voiding Micro voids, shrinkage voids and Kirkendall voids are also well known and documented void types, but fall outside the scope of this article. Many techniques to reduce void formation have been established over the years.

Adjusting the solder paste chemistry, the reflow profile, the component, PCB and stencil design or finish, are some of the optimizing tools that are actively being used in the field today.

Even machine manufacturers are jumping on the wagon by offering solutions to reduce voids by ways of a frequency sweep or vacuum technology.

34

that actively works on reducing voids seems to be the right way to go, since about 50% of the flux paste will evaporate during the reflow process, actively generating voids.

Because of this focus on the solder paste flux however, investigations on void formation differences

between soldering alloys have always been flying under the radar. Until now.

VOID LEVEL DETERMINATION A baseline void formation percentage was established with standardly available soldering alloys, such as SnAg3Cu0,5(SAC305), SnAg0,3Cu0,7 (LowSAC0307) and Sn42Bi 57Ag1. The same solder paste chemistry was used for all tests described in this paper.

To level out differences between PCB finishes, tests were performed on 3 commonly used finishes in the field: OSPCu, ENIG (NiAu) and I-Sn. To have sufficient void generation, a stencil of 120Îźm was used without any pad reduction.

60 Sn-finished QFN components for each paste were reflowed using a standard ramp-up reflow profile, suitable for each specific soldering alloy.

Each component was x-rayed and the void level of the ground plane was used for determining the void percentage. Void percentage is calculated as the area of voids compared to the area of the ground plane surface.

Image 3: Test component example Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

SMT – INFO

Individual void size was not taken in consideration.

The test results show rather poor results for SAC305 and LowSAC0307. Better results were obtained with Sn42Bi57Ag1.

starting with the standard lead-free soldering alloys and adjusting them with e.g. Sn, Bi, Ag, Zn, Cu, ... As this quickly results in numerous candidate alloys TGA analysis was used as an initial selection tool.

Graph 3: Prototype alloys void levels

Graph 1: Reference void levels SAC305

performance with X-ray. The initial test results showed significant reduction of the void levels when compared to the standard SAC305, LowSAC0307 and even Sn42Bi57Ag1.

LOWSAC0307

SN42BI57AG1

Image 4-5-6: Sample pictures of reference test ALLOY OPTIMIZATION Based upon these test results, a research project was started to determine the optimal soldering alloy in perspective of voiding performance. TGA analysis and X-Ray analysis were used for this purpose.

Further parameters, such as reflow profile, yield strength, pasty range, elongation and usability in other processes were taken into consideration as well.

The strategy of development involves

With TGA analysis, the evaporation of the flux paste chemistry in combination with a certain alloy and reflow profile can be monitored. A smoother evaporation curve means lower void formation. From this research 8 Prototype soldering alloys were chosen for further investigation.

SUPER-8 The 8 prototype soldering alloys were subjected to the same test setup as the initial reference testing.

This means soldering QFNs with each solder paste on different PCB finishes and analyzing real voiding

Test alloy G resulted in lowest voiding values in combination with the narrowest spreading of the results.

This alloy was selected for further mechanical reliability testing.

Together with its low voiding properties it also showed good shock and vibration resistance in combination with better thermal cycling properties than SAC305.

Furthermore, beside reflow, the alloy proved also to be suitable for wave and selective soldering. Alloy G was chosen for commercialization under the name LMPA™-Q. CONCLUSION A serious decrease in void formation was obtained with the adjusted soldering alloys when compared to the market standards SAC305 and LowSAC0307.

Furthermore, the ultra-low voiding soldering alloy LMPA™-Q performs better in thermal cycling & vibration resistance when compared to most of the soldering alloys used on the market today.

All products and technical support are available through our distributor – Comet Electronics.

Want to know more? ▶▶▶ www.lmpa-q.com

For more information, please contact:

Graph 2: TGA analysis www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Eng. Ciprian Varga, Technical Director, Comet Electronics Tel.: +4 (0) 212 432 090 Fax: +4 (0) 212 434 090 office@comet.srl.ro www.comet.srl.ro 35

Rent Your SMT Line Not having to spend a lot of money upfront can help your business manage its cash flow more effectively. Whether you’re starting out or expanding, renting is the smart option for your business.

Staying Ahead of the Game We live in a time of constant changes where every day we have to adapt to our customers’ needs. Either because of the new technological challenges, a focus on ROI “return on investment” or better productivity against new competition. The reasons can be many, and we believe we can help in providing the right solution.

Keeping up with the pace and always being a step ahead of your competitors is what we are all striving to. Today you can rent almost everything starting from airplanes and properties to cars and machines.

So, why not rent your next SMT equipment?

Advantages of Renting 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

It’s the right to use the equipment, and not the ownership, that creates revenue and profit for the company.

Rentals can be customized from 18 months, and to customer's needs: monthly, quarterly or annually.

Renting allows your company to “protect” your normal bank relationship.

Renting allows you to minimize your risk on big asset depreciation.

Renting does not affect a take away from the balance sheet as debt-financed assets; it has a positive effect on a number of key figures.

Cash Flow; payments are allocated over the period during which the equipment is used and generates profit. (When you have bought the equipment your cash is locked away) Renting strengthens the company’s competitiveness; use your cash where your returns are the greatest. (Production companies often choose to use their cash on new development, salaries or purchase of raw materials which equals the highest return on investment) Flexibility – you are not “stuck” with your SMD-Line. Renting provides you the possibility to change your equipment depending on your customer's demands and market requirements!

What equipment fits your business best?

To give you a choice in our rental concept, we have created two different product production lines. The first one is called the “PREMIUM SMT CONCEPT” and the second one is called “ECONOMIC SMT CONCEPT”.

PREMIUM SMT CONCEPT It contains all the premium brands you know such as Assembléon, DEK, Vitronics-Soltec, and others. Everything to make you feel secure with the machines that will deliver your client's products. Scalable from 9,000 to 165,000+ CPH.

ECONOMIC SMT CONCEPT Here we have selected the equipment that is of high quality and proven reliability and that gives you a competent and powerful alternative, that maintains a lower price image without compromising on quality and reliability, and with access to good service and support. Scalable from 8,000 to 80,000+ CPH. LTHD Corporation S.R.L. Head Office: Timișoara - ROMÂNIA, 300153, 70 Ardealul Str., lthd@lthd.com, www.lthd.com Tel.: +40 256 201273, +40 356 401266, Fax: +40 256 490813

..............................................................................

36

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018

FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS FOR ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING Standard leasing solutions are restricted to any improvement / changes.

The financial solution of SMTHOUSE is tailored to the needs of electronic production environments and includes the following additional advantages. n n n n n n n

Choose your manufacturing equipment based on today’s and future need from market leading suppliers.

Total SMT line solutions or single machines Best competitive monthly rates based on contracts between 18-72 months Fixed rates including service, maintenance and spares SMTH Technology Guarantee allows you to swap your installed equipment during the contract period Additional options can be added into the running contract at any time Flexible options after the end of the contract based on your needs

Configure your SMT Lines upon your demands from world known manufacturers like KNS/Assembleon, Hanwa/Samsung, Mirae, DEK, Reprint, Vitronics Soltec, MEK, TRI and others.

Adapt it to your changing demands during the rental agreement and get your full flexibility regarding changing production demands.

PREMIUM LINE / 70 - 175.000 cph (IPC) Renting instead of buying from 13.995,- EUR per month Scalable output without the need to exchange machines COMPETITIVE LINE / 36.000 Bt/Std. (IPC) Highly flexible SMT Production line

Renting instead of buying from

4.995,-

EUR per month

ENTRY LINE / 15.000 Bt/Std. (IPC) Renting instead of buying from 2.495.- EUR per month Complete SMT Production Line for low volume and NPI

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

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

37

SEICA AUTOMATION was founded to fulfill customer needs of handling systems for the electronic production.

The company can supply every kind of automation systems to complete production lines, from the easiest to the most elaborate ones.

Thanks to its engineering department, which uses themost advances tools for development and 3D design, SEICA AUTOMATION can offer high quality standards, fast conceiving times and a wide customization of the modules.

The internal production department assures the possibility to put on trial every single machine in its entire working cycle; systems development and later upgrades can be also available.

People with more of 20 years of experience in board handling gives Seica Automation team the necessary know-how to find always the most efficient solution and to solve any production issue.

SEICA AUTOMATION manufactures loaders, unloaders, conveyors, buffers, shuttles, and has a wide range of standard handling systems as well as an infinite number of other customized solutions.

An experience of more than 20 years gives to SEICA AUTOMATION the necessary know-how to find the efficient solution for customer board handling,traceability and custom automated solution, we propose to our customer the complete realization of turnkey assembly system.

SEICA AUTOMATION product portfolio include Board Handling, Traceability product like label applicators and laser marking, soldering line, press fit cell and many other custom products. The whole production flow is “MADE IN ITALY”, under the control of SEICA AUTOMATION R&D and quality dept, all European rules and laws are fully respected.

BOARD HANDLING Create your PCB line flow process with our proven, flexible and reliable handling system. Seica Automation is organized to design and manufacture our product lines and accessories to ensure the rapid response times needed to meet the demands of SMT manufacturers, providing solutions that are high performance, flexible and that have an optimum price/quality ratio. Each unit is equipped with its own control PLC and is fully SMEMA compliant. Our two different product lines, Flo and Flex, have been designed to satisfy every customer requirement.

FLO SERIES® Has a great price/performance ratio, and is the ideal solution for standard lines handling small to medium size PCBs. FLEX SERIES® Guarantees maximum performance for every handling requirement, thanks to its high level of flexibility and customization. We provide standardized solutions designed for your specific applications, such as traceability, testing, curing, cutting, and dispensing. High performance robots are equipped with specific tools to fulfill each application.

TRACEABILITY The traceability system enables the user to locate boards requiring verification or modifications. It is therefore possible to track, for each assembled PCB, every component used, as well as the operator responsible. Seica Automation has a wide range of both laser marking machines and labeling machines.

SOLDERING LINES Soldering lines can solve every PCB manufacturing cycle requirement involving manual assembly, by optimizing carrier logistics as well as handling of single boards.

The information made available through barcode readers and pin codes, enables carriers to be sent to specific areas, as well as the automatic selection of soldering programs and the implementation of customized assembly cycles. This structure enables the operators to work either in-line (sequential assembly) or in work areas of varied complexity. We can implement your project, whether it be a simple or very complex soldering line.

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

..............................................................................

38

Electronica Azi International | 6/2018