Electronica Azi International no. 1 - March 2017 by Electronica Azi

1/2017

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hall 3 - stand 621a

A PAN EUROPEAN MAGAZINE

The next big thing is smaller

One step at a time The fascinaTing world of The power supply indusTry

TABlE Of CONTENTS 3 | Editorial

9 | The next big thing is smaller

4 | CODICO presents the new hostless Wi-fi

10 | One step at a time Zhang Feng from Microchip Technology explains how to build a low-energy digital pedometer.

solutions for IoT applications

12 | Comet Electronics presents 8-bit PIC and AVR family Microchip Microcontrollers with CIP (Core Independent Peripherals) PIC Microcontrollers with Core Independent Peripherals take 8-bit MCU performance to a new level. With a number of on-board modules designed to increase capability in any control system, these MCUs represent the best value in embedded design.

16 | New products from Aurocon COMPEC The new QCA4010 from Qualcomm follows this approach and provides also special low power features and wake up scenarios .Wistron, as an ODM partner, has released a Wi-Fi module (DNSA-MP1) that is based on the QCA4010.

18 | The fascinating world of the power supply industry

6 | Wireless Technologies for IoT Networks

Be it razor holders reordering blades at the push of a button or refrigerated containers being monitored on their journey between continents – the IoT (Internet of Things) already connects many things; a trend that seems to be increasing by the day. Who knows how many it will eventually be? According to forecasts, between 200 million and 100 billion devices will be connected through the Internet of Things by 2020 alone.

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Electronica Azi International is published 6 times per year in 2017 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Copyright 2017 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAl

CONTEST

Win a Microchip

Curiosity PIC32MX470 Cornel Pazara contributing editor electronica azi was introduced over 17 years ago, focusing mainly on the romanian electronics market. But as we serviced this market with the latest technological breakthroughs in electronics, we recognize that our viewers are part of a connected world and we needed to address all of the engineers we met along the years by attending the major european Technology trade fairs. Today we announce that we are embarking on a new venture by offering an english based international version of our publication to our data base of over 70,000 engineers that we have met by attending shows such as embedded world. The new publication will be entitled electronica azi international. electronica azi international will concentrate on several categories. Power ic’s will be a major focus area, covering anything from portable to automotive and industrial focused devices. next, we feel wireless communications ic’s will be of great interest to our readers given the connectivity explosion that has taken place in the last few years. innovation in Microcontrollers and Embedded Systems have enabled smart machines to automate entire factories and buildings thus increasing productivity by leaps and bounds. last but not least, Industrial Controls will be another major area of focus and will include coverage of innovations in sensors, connectors and other active and passive components. The new publication will have 6 editions this year that will be offered in a digital format. Two of those will also be offered in printed copies and will coincided with major trade shows such as embedded world and electronica. we live in a world where technology has raised the iQ of the cars we drive, the buildings we live and work in and has enabled the printing of new organs. Through these new inventions, we can now harness the wind and sun energy in order to power those same machines and buildings. But as we peak into the future, the possibilities are endless and eai wants to be part of this connected world and to enable the community of engineers worldwide with the latest electronics news. we hope you come along on this exciting ride. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Development Board!

Win the Microchip Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board (DM320103) from Electronica Azi International! The board is design for developing 32-bit applications and features a wide range of peripherals as well as user interface and expansion options including two mikroBus™ click interface headers to support over 180 Mikroelectronika click Boards™. The board offers a rich feature set designed to be connected and used right out-of-the box. you can run example projects without writing any code and without the need to install the entire ecosystem. pic32MX470 development Board features a 120 Mhz Mcu and has been designed for audio, Bluetooth® and other related generic applications. in addition, it contains usB connectors that can be used to develop usB host or device applications. The Board is fully integrated with Microchip’s MplaB® X ide and into pic32’s powerful software framework, MplaB® harmony that a provides flexible and modular interface to application development, a rich set of inter-operable software stack (Tcp-ip, usB) and easy to use features. The curiosity development Board includes an integrated programmer/debugger, excellent user experience options with Multiple led’s, rgB led and a switch.

for your chance to win a Microchip curiosity pic32MX470 development Board, visit:

www.microchip-comps.com/eaziint-pic32mx470 and enter your details in the online entry form. 3

WIRElESS DESIGN

QCA4010 & DNSA-MP1

CODICO PRESENTS THE NEW HOSTLESS WI-FI SOLUTIONS FOR IOT APPLICATIONS With the recent hype and the successfull releases of IoT products in the last years, many companies are put under big pressure to follow this hype and to take the initiative of coming up with own IoT products or to extend the existing product portfolio respectively. With the increasing number of nodes connected to the Internet, also the demand for low cost solutions with reduced BOM cost has increased. One way to overcome this, is the integration of the application MCU, networkprocessor and Wi-Fi radio in one IC. The so-called SoC (System on Chip) allows the implementation of a complete IoT application on a single device without the need of an external MCU. As no external MCU is required, this kind of operation is named hostless mode. The new QCA4010 from Qualcomm follows this approach and provides also special low power features and wake up scenarios .Wistron, as an ODM partner, has released a WiFi module (DNSA-MP1) that is based on the QCA4010. 4

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The Qca4010 integrates an Xtensa cpu @ 130 Mhz from Tensilica that is responsible to provide all ip services and to manage all wi-fi links. The Qca4010 provides no internal flash, but sraM and roM. Therefore the network processor code, system configuration and persistent data sets are loaded from external serial flash memory into the internal sraM before execution. The application code is executed on the same cpu and memory ressources like the network processing code. Because the

of the Xtensa cpu together with the clock speed of 130 Mhz provide sufficient calculation power to overcome this demand. To fulfill the different application memory requirements in the ioT world, the Qca4010 is released in two sraM versions. The smaler version integrates 1 MB sraM, whereas ~400KB is reserved for application code. The bigger version provides 1.5MB, which allows the integration of ~800KB application code.

QCA4010 System Architecture sesnor measurement, actor control and data processing handled by the application is normally done before a wi-fi link is established for data snychonisation, there is no bottlneck from the processing point of view. so in the most ioT applications, network and application processing is done in a time division manner by the cpu. But even if there is a demand to process both at the same time, the performance-rich 32 bit architecture

in order to reduce power consumption to a minimum, the Qca4010 provides an integrated power Management unit (pMu) that controls different power modes based on the following techniques: â&#x20AC;˘ Gating Clock: not required function blocks are disconnected from the clock network in order to prevent charge-reversal currents of parasite capacities.

IoT APPlICATIONS

• Shut down High Speed Clock: when the high speed clock network is not needed, it can be entirely disconnected, including external pulse sources such as oscillators. • Reduction of the voltage level: The voltage levels of individual blocks can be reduced in order to keep the static leakage currents low. a minimum voltage guarantees a short wake-up time and maintains the data contents of all registers and of the volatile memory. The different low power modes are also supported by a low speed clock network (32.768 khz) and a wakeup manager unit. The low speed clock network is required to run the state machine and sleep timers. The wakeup manager resumes operation by detecting internal and external trigger signals. for example, in supend mode it detects a wake up signal at a pin or from the internal sleep timer, after a predefined time has passed. in this mode it manages also a small raM that stores state information. further modes like power down (~9µa), sleep and hosT_off extend the range of configurations and allows a fine power tuning of an ioT application. But even in network operation, when the cpu is running at high speed clock and a wi-fi link is operating, the user profits from the low power features like green Tx power saving mode and low power listen mode supported by the radio. The Qca4010 provides many different interfaces that are required in typical ioT applications. for the measurement of analog sensors, a 12 bit adc with 8 channels supports 400ksps for multiple channels and 1 Msps for single channel operation. 8 independent 18 bit resolution pwMs with 8 bitclock prescaler are also available for e.g. motor control and lighting. for serial communication the user can chose from hs uarT (3 Mbps), low speed uarT, spi, i2s or i2c as well. The following list gives an overview about the features: • • • • • • • • •

• 8 channels 12-bit accuracy adc, maximum sampling rate is 400 Ksps for multiple channels and 1 Msps for single channel. • 8 18-bit resolution pwM with 8-bit clock prescaler • 9×9mm drQfn-116pin • case temperature range: 0°c to 85°c (standard); -45°c to 115°c (extended) for dual band application (2.4ghz & 5ghz), Qualcomm offers the Qca4012, which has exact the same system architecture and features like the “small” brother Qca4010, but provides just an additional 5ghz radio path. Therefor both parts are available in the same 9mm × 9mm × 0.9mm dual-row Quad flat pack nolead (drQfn) package that includes a ground pad for improved grounding, mechanical strength, and thermal continuity. Moreover both parts are even pin compatible. But it should be mentioned that the concurrent mode is not supported by the Qca4012 as only one wifi link (2.4ghz or 5ghz) can be served at a time. anyhow, both devices (Qca4010 & Qca4012) support rx diversity in the case that two rx antennas are connected to the devices. Quaclomm is an ic but not a pcB module supplier. Therefore Qualcomm works very closely with odM partners like wistron, which manufacture and sells wi-fi modules based on the original reference designs/ modules from Qualcomm. in case of Qca 4010, wistron offers a module with the part number dnsa-Mp1. Mp1 is Qualcomm’s internal name for the Qca4010 reference module. wistron has extend this part number with the prefix dnsa- to create an internal one. documentation, sw and technical support is provided by Qualcomm,

whereas wistron provides the hw and the test reports based on the module name dnsa-Mp1.

DNSA-MP1: Wi-fi module based on QCA4010 DNSA-MP1 SPECIfICATION • Qca4010 based wi-fi module • 2.4ghz ieee 802.11b/g/n, single stream 1×1 • 11n support for hT20 and hT40 bandwidth • internal pa and lna, with external rf switch for antenna diversity • green Tx power saving Mode, low power listen Mode • up to 800KB of on-chip memory available for customer application • integrated ipv4/ipv6 networking stack • full security support: wps, wpa2, wep, ssl, etc. • Built in protocol stacks: hTTp, dhcp, dns, nTp, etc. • 30mm x 16mm size, 4-layer • printed antenna or u.fl connector • single power supply: 3.3V • operation temperature: -40°c to 85°c (industry class Version) • regulatory compliances: ce, fcc André Ehlert – Tel: +49 89 130143811 e-mail: andre.ehlert@codico.com CODICO www.codico.com

support for ieee 802.11b/g/n single stream 1 × 1 single-band 2.4 ghz integrated pa, lna, with support for external pa and external lna single or dual rx front end for antenna diversity green Tx power saving mode low power listen mode data rates up to 150 Mbps full security support: wps, wpa, wpa2, wapi, wep, TKip

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

WIRElESS DESIGN

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES FOR IoT NETWORKS

autor: Schaal Anja, rutronik

Long Range Wireless Solutions Be it razor holders reordering blades at the push of a button or refrigerated containers being monitored on their journey between continents – the IoT (Internet of Things) already connects many things; a trend that seems to be increasing by the day. Who knows how many it will eventually be? According to forecasts, between 200 million and 100 billion devices will be connected through the Internet of Things by 2020 alone. What is certain is that IPv6 has raised the number of supported IP addresses from roughly four billion to over 340 sextillion (a figure with 37 (!) zeros). The supporting pillars are therefore in place. Whoever seeks to build upon them must focus on wireless technology. An overview of current long range IoT solutions is obviously an extremely helpful resource. 6

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long range ioT wireless technologies form the basis for a lPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network). in these types of networks, end devices with low energy consumption – typically sensors – are connected to gateways which transmit data to other devices and network servers. The network devices assess the received data and control the end devices. accordingly, the protocols are specially designed for long-range capabilities, lowpower devices, and reduced operating costs. CEllUlAR WIRElESS / lTE for a long time, cellular wireless technologies had a monopoly position in long-range applications which can connect a device directly to the internet without a gateway. Thanks to the well-established infrastructure of base stations worldwide, end products only require a siM card to communicate with the cloud. after successful initialization and registration with the network provider, data can be sent and received. further development of cellular wireless technologies in the past generally focused on increasing data transmission rates. lTe advanced, for instance, now enables a transmission rate of up to 3.9gbps in the downlink and 1.5gbps in the uplink. however, most things in the ioT do not transmit such huge amounts of data, the majority of them require less than 100bpm. The focus of successful communication technology is therefore on long ranges, reliable communication, and low power consumption for extended battery life. low data rates obviously have a positive effective on power consumption.

lTE-M with this aim in mind, 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), whose scope is to further develop cellular wireless standards (gsM, uMTs, lTe), has created the lTe-M standard. it is also referred to as lTe-MTc (Machine Type Communications). lTe-M transmits in the licensed sub-ghz band at between 700Mhz and 900Mhz. The downlink and uplink data rates are roughly 1Mbps. The low-power consumption approach should help to extend the battery life of battery-powered end devices up to between 10 and 20 years. a further positive aspect of lTe-M is the excellent coverage it provides, as lTe-M uses the existing cellular wireless infrastructure. an added advantage for providers is that lTe-M operates on the well-known licensed spectrum. it is, therefore, extremely safe and robust and also ideal for services with high quality requirements. one disadvantage of lTe-M is the high costs for utilizing licensed cellular wireless networks. in this case, each end device requires its own siM card which results in additional installation and maintenance costs. in addition, there are running expenses which, on average, are significantly higher than those for comparable technologies. Moreover, the current siM card service for lTe-M is comparatively complicated. help may be provided in the future by the esiM card (embedded siM card). as the name suggests, it is embedded in the end device and can, when swapping provider, be easily reprogrammed without having to open the actual device.

IoT APPlICATIONS

The xe910 family from Telit, for example, is ideal when transitioning to newer cellular wireless generations. Modules for gsM, various uMTs versions, and lTe are currently available, and the manufacturer has already announced modules for lTe-M. devices can be upgraded efficiently and effectively with the modules thanks to the identical form factor. on top of this, Telit additionally offers added value services, e.g. specific siM cards and tariffs for industrial applications. Sigfox sigfox is a tailor-made solution for long ranges (30 - 50 km in rural areas, 3 - 10 km in urban areas), low data rates (12 bytes per message, max. 140 messages a day per end device), and preferably low power operation. sigfox uses the sub-ghz band (868 Mhz in europe) and employs BpsK modulation with ultra-narrowband technology. end devices equipped with sigfox technology transmit data to sigfox base stations which then forward the data to sigfox servers. This is where the data are processed before the results are sent back to the respective end devices for visualization. This means: data are managed by sigfox on in its own cloud servers. unlike lTe, the sigfox infrastructure is still under construction. The company works with large network operators around the globe, although it continues to deploy and operate its own networks in various regions, e.g. in france and the usa. sigfox currently offers service coverage in france, portugal, spain, the netherlands, and the uK. The ioT specialist is further ramping up its rollout plans for Belgium, denmark, germany, ireland, italy, luxembourg, and the usa: in the usa alone, the frenchbased company plans to expand from 10 to 50 cities in just six months. nevertheless, the technology is not yet recommendable for country-wide or international projects. a siM card is not required for sigfox. The price depends on how many messages are

sent per day and the volume of these messages. customers generally pay between one and ten euros a year to keep an individual end device active. Transmitter and transceiver solutions for sigfox are offered, e.g., by Microchip atmel's aTa8520 family. socs (system on chip) come with integrated dBpsK modulation and sigfox protocol stack. Their sigfox id, pac code, and encryption key are stored and secured inside the chip, safe from extraction. To enhance flexibility, the aTa8520 can be connected to every type of microcontroller. The le51-868s family from Telit comprises dip and sMd module solutions that can be plugged and soldered respectively. They operate in the 863 Mhz to 870 Mhz band with both the Telit proprietary protocol and the sigfox gateway. loRa lora is very similar to the sigfox technology: lora also uses the sub-ghz band (868 Mhz in europe), achieves similar ranges (up to approx.15 km), and is very economical due to low data rates ranging from 0.3 to 22 kbps. in contrast to sigfox, lora utilizes chip spread spectrum technology to flexibly set the ratio between bandwidth and bitrate. The lora alliance was established in 2015 to standardize and further develop lora. Besides the lora developer semtech, numerous chip and module manufacturers, software businesses and network operators are now members of the lora alliance, including, e.g. Microchip and sT Microelectronics. anyone wanting to equip their end products with lora has to pay an annual license fee of $3,000 to the lora alliance. There are no other fees payable on top of this, and lora, just like sigfox, does not require a siM card. in terms of infrastructure, the situation for both newcomers is about the same: The lora alliance members are working intensively on expanding coverage, particularly in europe and the usa, but also in large russian cities. Thanks to an interactive net-

work, each user can help to expand the lora infrastructure. and users who do not want to wait for improved coverage can also set up a private network using lora technology – if the application enables it. lora module solutions from Microchip are available for both the european (rn2483) and us market (rn2903). The highly integrated modules contain the microcontroller unit, crystal, eui-64 node identity serial eeproM, radio transceiver with analog front end, and matching circuitry. for development purposes, the manufacturer offers specific boards and a full gateway development kit. NECk-AND-NECk RACE compared to lTe-M, both lora and sigfox offer cost benefits: at present, the hardware for a module costs about €10. added to this is the $3,000 annual license fee for lora, while sigfox users can expect to pay between one and ten euros a year for each end device. The hardware costs alone for lTe-M are much higher than those for sigfox and lora, and added to this are the running expenses for the siM cards and the costs for replacement items. The lora and sigfox wireless modules for end devices ensure very low power operation and can transmit over large distances with strong in-building penetration characteristics. The biggest stumbling block for both technologies is, however, the infrastructure, which is still a work in progress. it has turned into a neck-and-neck race between lora and sigfox, and it will be interesting to see who wins – or maybe a new competitor will enter the fray. The ability to allow the creation of private networks is obviously particularly advantageous to lora. it might not be suitable for every application, but ensures lora a certain degree of independence no matter what the outcome of the race. But data communication using cellular wireless technology continues to offer plenty of opportunities. for instance, nordic semiconductor, a leading provider of ultra-low power wireless connectivity, announced the development of the nrf91 series with low power lTe technology in July of this year. The company's roadmap includes highly integrated solutions for the forthcoming 3gpp release 13 lTe-M and nB-ioT cellular technologies, a brand new type of narrowband communication with “things”. Rutronik www.rutronik.com

www.international.electronica-azi.ro

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

i.MX6UL Development-Kit

THE NEXT BIG THING IS SMALLER

i.MX6UL Starter-Kit

DIGI ConnectCore® for i.MX6UL DIGI is excited to announce the smallest and most secure i.MX6Ul system-on-module available on the market today. The digi connectcore® for i.MX6ul packs a lot into this stamp-sized module (29×29×3.5mm): • nXp i.MX6ul-2, cortex-a7 @ 528Mhz processor • up to 2gB nand flash • pre-certified for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac • Bluetooth 4.2 • integrated dual-ethernet 10/100 • dedicated security and authentication controller • unique low-power and wake-up state management system-on-modules, or soMs, are an aﬀordable way for oeMs to quickly enable their products to be smarter and connect to the internet of Things. soMs deliver the i/o, memory, and wireless connectivity necessary to connect a product to the ioT www.international.electronica-azi.ro

without having to become experts in electrical engineering. for many oeMs, building complex connected devices from the ground up is not a core competency. furthermore, fast changing market requirements, global competitive pressures, and ever-changing technology and regulatory requirements make partnering with proven soM manufacture like digi, a necessity. whether it’s a medical device or a missioncritical industrial controller, digi has the expertise to get you to market quickly. once you’ve connected a device to the internet – you have to make sure it secured. The digi connectcore for i.MX6ul was built with digi Trust-fence™, a security framework that removes the implementation barriers by providing you with a fully integrated, secure module platform with complete linux software support.

i.MX6UL SBC-board

digi connectcore for i.MX6ul delivers the smallest, smartest, most secure way to connect your product to the internet of Things. check out www.digi.com/cc6ul to learn more: Joachim Strohschenk Tel: +49 89 130143817 e-mail: joachim.strohschenk@codico.com CODICO www.codico.com 9

MCUs DESIGN

Zhang feng from Microchip Technology explains how to build a lowenergy digital pedometer.

ONE STEP AT A TIME wearable technology has never been in the news as much as it is today. The march of the wearables – a generic term for electronic devices worn on the body that monitor how the body is functioning – looks unstoppable. leading this trend are activity trackers, measuring the numbers of steps taken, encouraging the wearers to engage in proper daily exercise that can reduce blood pressure and body mass index. Bracelet-type activity trackers combining step counters and Bluetooth low energy are becoming popular as motivation tools for those wanting to improve their physical activity and health. a digital pedometer is a portable electronic device that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person’s

Figure 1 Block diagram of pedometer demo 10

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body with an accelerometer. such a device can be built using an 8bit microcontroller, a Bluetooth low energy module and a digital triaxial accelerometer. This demonstration device can be worn on the wrist as with a bracelet or watch. The on-board Bluetooth le module allows the pedometer to communicate with a smartphone or tablet on which the user’s exercise progress can be tracked. figure 1 shows the block diagram of such a pedometer using a Microchip pic16lf1718 microcontroller, Microchip rn4020 Bluetooth le 4.1 module, Bosch sensortec BMa250e digital triaxial accelerometer and cr2032 3V coin lithium battery. OPERATION The 10bit accelerometer detects the motion of the wearer. firmware in the microcontroller contains a step-detection algorithm developed by Bosch sensortec. a step-detection function in this library is called periodically by the user application. The microcontroller reads the acceleration data along the x, y and z axes from the accelerometer via an i2c interface when the stepdetection function is called. The step-detection function then analyses the accumulated acceleration data and uses pattern recognition to determine the number of steps taken. The accumulated number of steps can be shown on a three-digit seven-segment led display or, via Bluetooth le, on an application running on a smartphone or tablet. figure 2 is a flowchart that show the process flow of the pedometer demo. The Bluetooth le module with which it is paired complies with the Bluetooth 4.1 core specification and supports 13 public profiles and 17 public services

DIGITAl PEDOMETER based on the gaTT general attribute profile. among the supported public profiles, four are health based â&#x20AC;&#x201C; heart rate monitor, health thermometer, glucose meter and blood pressure monitor. The module also supports a user-defined private profile or service that can precisely fit the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application. in this case, the demo defined a private service for the pedometer application.

front and back of the pedometer demo board

Figure 3

Figure 2 firmware process flow of the pedometer demo all configurations are saved in the on-board non-volatile memory of the Bluetooth le module so that users need to set up the module only once. The microcontroller activates the module when the Bluetooth le communications are enabled by pressing the onboard button. The module then becomes pairable with a smartphone or tablet. The microcontroller periodically sends the step number to the module via a uarT interface after successful pairing. The module then transmits the step number to the paired mobile device, where a compatible Bluetooth le application can be used to display the step number. however, a companion application may not be needed if the device has apple healthKit installed, a feature for ios 8 and later that adheres to the Bluetooth le gaTT specifications. This means that medical devices such as heart rate and blood pressure monitors, thermometers, and glucose meters that are built with the rn4020 module will be supported natively by apple healthKit. so instead of developing a companion application, device manufacturers can allow apple healthKit to control the device or accessory automatically when it is paired with the Bluetooth le module. one button provides quick function control to the pedometer demo via the interrupt-on-change (ioc) interface. To turn the led display on or off, the user needs to press the button and quickly release it within one second. To enable or disable Bluetooth le communications, the user needs to press the button down and hold it for more than one second but less that four seconds. holding the button down for more than four seconds and then releasing it will zero the step number. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

POWER power for the pedometer demo comes from a single 3V lithium coin battery. The led displays are automatically turned off after ten seconds to save power. The baud rate of the uarT communications is set to 2400kbit/s so that the Bluetooth le module can remain in deep sleep mode when there are no uarT data communications. if there is no motion for 16s, the accelerometer will send a no-motion interrupt to the microcontroller via the ioc interface. when the no-motion interrupt occurs, the microcontroller reconfigures the accelerometer to high-g interrupt and puts it into a low power mode, after which the microcontroller itself goes into sleep mode so the overall system is consuming the lowest possible power. during the low power mode, the accelerometer is periodically switching between a sleep phase and a wake-up phase. while in the sleep phase, the whole analogue circuit of the accelerometer is powered down. in wake-up phase, the accelerometer works normally and the high-g interrupt function is running to determine when to wake up from the low power mode. The accelerometer generates a high-g interrupt to wake up the microcontroller when the wearerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion is over the pre-set threshold for a high acceleration event, such as walking, picking up the pedometer, or waving or rotating the pedometer in the air. The pedometer resumes normal operation after waking up. CONClUSION This article has shown how to build a pedometer than can communicate via Bluetooth le for evaluation and development purposes. it is not intended for medical, diagnostic or treatment use, but can be a useful device for people keen to monitor and increase the amount they exercise. Zhang Feng is an engineer at Microchip Technology. Microchip Technology www.microchip.com 11

MCUs DESIGN

COMET ELECTRONICS PRESENTS 8-BIT PIC AND AVR FAMILY MICROCHIP MICROCONTROLLERS WITH CIP (CORE INDEPENDENT PERIPHERALS) Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Comet Electronics is the biggest electronic components distributor in Southeast Europe, with over 25 year’s activity and also an oﬃcial Microchip distributor. The company operates in a highly competitive industry and market area, covering Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.

author: Ilko Radulov, field application engineer, Comet Electronics ilko.radulov@comet.bg Microchip is the approved leader in 8-bit microcontrollers by continually investing and expanding upon the pic® microcontroller lineup. emphasis is persistently focused on reducing costs while developing products with a strong mix of peripherals such as lcd drive, pwM, adc, comparators, timers and communication. Beyond standard peripherals, Microchip is constantly bringing additional value to pic and aVr microcontrollers by developing unique and exclusive peripherals. These unique peripherals allow embedded engineers to simplify their designs and create ever more creative applications and products. This innovation is demonstrated by some of the following microcontroller integrat-

ed peripherals. This innovation is best demonstrated by microcontrollers with core independent peripherals. cips allow the peripherals to operate independently of the core, including serial communication and analog peripherals. Together with the event system, that allows peripherals to communicate without using the cpu, applications can be optimized at a system level. This lowers power consumption and increases throughput and system reliability. pic Microcontrollers with core independent peripherals take 8-bit Mcu performance to a new level. with a number of on-board modules designed to increase capability in any control system, these Mcus represent the best value in embedded design.

CORE INDEPENDENT PERIPHERAlS kEY ATTRIBUTES Self-Sustaining once initialized in a system, core independent peripherals can provide steady-state closed loop embedded control with zero intervention from the Mcu's core. The cpu can then be idled or put into sleep mode to save system power.

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Significant Savings By taking the load off the cpu, core independent peripherals allow smaller, lower power pic Mcus to perform extremely complex tasks, such as high power lighting control and communication. in addition, significant BoM cost savings can be realized by replacing off-board discrete components with these integrated peripherals. | 1/2017

CPU free core independent peripherals are smartly interconnected to allow near zero latency sharing of data, logic inputs, or analog signals without additional code or interruption of the cpu. This frees the cpu to perform other system tasks and reduces flash memory consumption.

PIC & AVR MCUs

each peripheral has been crafted to work both individually and in tandem with other parts of a Mcu to enable commonly used tasks with minimal supervision from the core processor. This allows a pic and aVr Mcu to support as many system functions as possible, while minimizing the use of external components and the need for power-hungry resources. our function enablement approach helps reduce system cost and can increase an end product’s performance and robustness. core independent peripherals are available in both 8 bit microcontrollers from pic10, pic12, pic16, pic18 families, as well in aTmega aVr series.

Features • Automatically provides phase angle conversion for control of rotational and periodic events – Ex. Motor, AC Mains, TRIAC, etc. • Converts time based signals to degrees

• Generates interrupts based on angles • Detects missed events • Simplified code development – Program in terms of degrees – Automatically adjusts for frequency changes – Simplifies math required

Benefits • Increased accuracy • Improved performance

• Reduced code size • Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

CONfIGURABlE lOGIC CEll (ClC) The clc provides programmable combinational and sequential logic. it also enables on-chip interconnection of peripherals and i/o, thereby reducing external components, saving code space and adding functionality.

The presentation continued with a short presentation of each core independent peripheral, including key features, benefits and potential application areas. 16-BIT PUlSE WIDTH MODUlATION (16-BIT PWM) high resolution with independent Time Base high with no processing required by the Mcu core. Features • Period, Phase, Duty Cycle and Offset control • PWM Modes – Standard – Center Aligned – Configurable Set/toggle on timer match • Flexibility when using multiple PWM Outputs

– Use of offset registers to stagger outputs • Selectable internal or external clock source • Dedicated 16-bit Time Base – Four compare modes – Useable as a general purpose 16-bit timer/counter • Paired with the DSM to create LED dimming engine

Benefits • Reduced EMI using Center Aligned • Intelligent PWM Reconfiguration • Use interrupts to trigger events

• Precise duty cycle control – Smaller step size – Smoother transitions • Core independent operation

Features • Combinational Logic Functions – AND/OR/XOR/NOT/NAND/NOR/ XNOR • State Functions / Clock – D & JK Flip-flops, D & SR Latch’s • Customizable logic with run time control Benefits • Increases on chip interconnectivity • Reduces component count and PCB area

• Up to 32 external or internal input sources • Output to external pins or internal peripherals • Configuration via Microchip Code Configurator (MCC)

• Fast event response • Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

CYClIC REDUNDANCY CHECk (CRC/SCAN) The crc/scan peripheral provides automated crc polynomial generation and verification of program / daTa Memory to test for non Volatile Memory integrity. it can also be configured to provide 16-bit crc for use with memory and communications data. ANGUlAR TIMER (ANGTMR) automatically converts timed based events to degrees with no processing required by the Mcu core.

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MCUs DESIGN

Features • General purpose 2-bit to 16-bit CRC – For use with memory and communications data • Automated CRC checksum with background SCAN – Program memory – DataEE memory

• Calculates CRC checksum on communications data • Configurable polynomial (all standard CRC implementations) • Corruption is detected upon checksum mismatch • All memory scan operations are controlled via software

Benefits • Increased code and data integrity • Software configurable for easy updates and modifications

• Eases implementation of safety standards (ex. Class B, UL, etc.) • Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

COMPlEMENTARY WAVEfORM GENERATOR (CWG) COMPlEMENTARY OUTPUT GENERATOR (COG) The cwg provides a complementary waveform with rising and falling edge dead band control, enabling high efficiency synchronous switching, with no processor overhead. The cwg also incorporates auto shutdown, auto restart, and can interface directly with other peripherals / external inputs. The cog improves upon the functionality of the cwg with the addition of blanking and phase control. Features • Various input sources inclusive of: Comparators, PWM, CLC, NCO • Blanking control for transient filtering (COG only) • Polarity control

• Phase control for output delay (COG only) • Auto shutdown/restart • Independent rise and fall • Dead band control

HIGH ENDURANCE flASH (HEf) The high-endurance flash is a block of 128 memory locations, found at the top of the flash program memory that is ensured to provide a superior endurance, equal to that of a traditional data eeproM. Features • High Endurance Flash (HEF) • 128 B of non-volatile data memory

• Shared with flash program memory • 100 K E/W cycle high endurance flash

Benefits • Provides non-volatile data storage

• Low cost alternative to EEPROM • Robust data storage and durability

Example Uses • Data logging

• Look-up tables • Configuration and calibration settings

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MATH ACCElERATOR (MATHACC) The Math accelerator offers completely core independent calculations, with the capability to perform 16-bit math and pid operations. offloading these functions leaves the cpu free to perform other system tasks, consumes less program memory, and reduces the overall power consumption of the Mcu. Features • General purpose MATH & PID functions • MULTIPLY, ADD, ACCUMULATE functions • 8-bit/16-bit values with 35-bit result • Four Operation Modes • Multiply and Accumulate (MAC) Benefits • Speeds up math performance • Reduces code size

• • • • •

Add and Multiply Simple Multiplier Signed and un-signed multiplies Programmable PID Controller 16-bit PID function based on configurable Kp, Ki, Kd constants with a 34-bit result

• Accelerates PID control • Core independent operation

NUMERICAllY CONTROllED OSCIllATOR (NCO) precision linear frequency generator Features • 16-bit numeric frequency control – 500 kHz max output • 20-bit numeric frequency control – 32 MHz max output • 0.0001% step size of source clock input frequency • Multiple Clock Sources • Operation while in low power SLEEP

• Two output modes – Fixed 50% duty cycle – Pulse Frequency Modulation • Useable as a general purpose 20-bit timer/counter • True linear frequency control • Increased frequency resolution • Core independent operation

PERIPHERAl PIN SElECT (PPS) i/o pin remapping of digital peripherals for greater design flexibility and improved layout. Features • Configure any digital peripheral to any I/O pin • Flexible pin function assignment • Runtime configuration of pin out

• Provides increased freedom and optimized use of integrated digital resources • Route peripheral to multiple pins to increase current drive

Benefits • Eliminates “pin overlap” for total optimization of peripheral resources

• Simplified and optimized migration • Provides layout flexibility

PIC & AVR MCUs

PROGRAMMABlE SWITCH MODE CONTROllER (PSMC) The psMc is a high performance 16-bit pwM with 6 configurable outputs that can operate in multiple modes. with a dedicated 64Mhz clock and the flexibility to interface to external inputs as well as integrated peripherals / clock sources, the psMc offers the highest level of advanced pwM control and accuracy in an 8-bit Mcu. The psMc can simplify the implementation of a wide array of applications such as: motor control, lighting, and power supplies. Features • 16-bit PWM with up to 6 configurable outputs • Various clock sources: external, system clock, independent 64 MHz oscillator • Various input sources: comparators, external pins, other peripherals • Flexible PWM output modes

• Blanking control for transient filtering • Independent rising/falling edge control • Dead band with independent rise and fall control • Polarity control/auto shutdown and restart • Output Gating – externally control activate/deactivate

Output Modes/Target Applications • Single Phase PWM (+comp) – Stepper Motor Control – Brushed DC Motor Control – Power Supplies • ECCP Compatible Full Bridge PWM – Brushed DC Motor Control • Push-Pull PWM (+Comp Out) – Half and Full Bridge Power Supplies – Synchronous Drives • Pulse Skipping PWM (+Comp Out) – High Efficiency Converters

– Voltage mode Controllers • Push-Pull PWM w/4 Full Bridge Outputs (+Comp Out) – DC to AC Inverters – Class-D Output Drives – Induction Motor Drives • Variable Freq – Fixed Duty Cycle PWM (+Comp Out) – Resonant Converters – Fluorescent Dimming Ballasts • 3-Phase PWM – 3-Phase BLDC motors – AC Inverters

24-BIT SIGNAl MEASUREMENT TIMER (SMT) The signal Measurement Timer (sMT) is a 24-bit counter with advanced clocking and gating logic, which can be configured for measuring a variety of digital signal parameters such as pulse width, frequency and duty cycle, and the time difference between edges on two signals. Features • Accurate measurement of any digital signal – Period, pulse width, frequency, duration, duty cycle, time of flight, etc. • High resolution 24-bit signal measurement • Provides relative timing measurements

• Multiple interrupt sources – Period match, measure period, pulse width – (2) Data Capture interrupts • Flexible input source sources • Useable as a general purpose 24-bit timer • Useable as a custom digital protocol decode

Benefits • Code size reduction • Faster response to changing inputs

• Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

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TEMPERATURE INDICATOR (TEMPIND) low cost Temperature Measurements with no processing required by the Mcu core Features • Provides integrated temperature measurements • Absolute accuracy ±5°C

• Measure between –40°C and 85°C • Internally connected to ADC • ADC result changes with TEMP

Benefits • Low cost TEMP measurements • No external hardware

• Improved RTC accuracy over TEMP • Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

WINDOWED WATCH DOG TIMER (WWDT) The windowed watch dog Timer is a system supervisory circuit that generates a reset when software anomalies are detected within a configurable critical window. Features • Detects software timing anomalies within a configurable critical window • Supports standard watch dog timer functions

• Resets the CPU if... – the WWDT overflows (standard WDT function) – the WWDT underflows

Benefits • Monitors timing critical functions • Core independent operation

• Eases implementation of safety standards (ex. Class B, UL, etc.) • Operation while in low power SLEEP

HARDWARE lIMIT TIMER (HlT) The hardware limit Timer (hlT) provides a timed hardware limit to be used in conjunction with asynchronous analog feedback applications, or to detect missed periodic events. Features • Hardware monitoring for missed periodic events and fault detection (stalls, stops, etc.) • Period timer with external reset input • Resolution of ¼ instruction cycle

• Flexible design – Selectable start of event trigger – Multiple modes – Seven available clock sources • Useable as a general purpose 8-bit timer/ counter with external reset capabilities

Benefits • Core independent operation • Operation while in low power SLEEP

• Reduces code complexity – No code for detection set-up – No code to manage timer

for more detailed information, products selection and application notes regarding 8-bit Mcu with core independent peripherals, please visit: www.microchip.com/cip Free Your Creativity with Core Independent Peripherals! 15

PRODUCT NEWS

NEW PRODUCTS FROM AUROCON COMPEC aurocon compec has a portfolio of over 500.000 products from over 2,500 trusted global brands and in every month it adds over 5.000 new products for the whole range. choosing the right distributor is as important as choosing the right technical components for your business. we offer you continuous improved services that can help you with your production facilities. an important part of our services refers to delivery. now the lead time has become lower thus the delivery faster as in you can have now the products you need in 24 hours delivered directly to your door. no order is too small or less important for us! you can find in the following a selection of new available products. siMeX 6 digiT, led, counTer, 5KhZ, 10KhZ, 24Vdc RS Stock No: 125-0657

The sliK-n118 is a highly programmable, universal led counter. encased in a tight, ip67 wall-mounted housing, this counter is designed for use in hard environment conditions. The counter comes equipped with independent counting inputs that operate in various configurations (pulse or quadrate). extra programmable inputs can change basic functions of counting inputs or hold counting without clearing.

rs pro pid TeMperaTure conTroller, 48 × 48MM 11, 2 ouTpuT 2 relay, 110 → 240 Vac supply VolTage RS Stock No: 124-1065

The 1/16 din pid temperature controllers are designed to provide temperature control in an easy to install, fast to program device. The temperature is displayed on a large, highly improved led display and can be used in various applications, such as sealers.

Technical specifications:

Function: Counter Digit Height: 13 mm Count Mode: Pulse Minimum Measurement: -99999 Series: SLIK-N118 Display Type: LED Count Direction: Down, Up Meter Type: Electronic Approvals: CE Supply Voltage: 24Vdc Mounting Type: Panel Mount Maximum Count Frequency: 5 kHz, 10 kHz Input Type: Pulse, Voltage Depth: 67mm Number Of Digits: 6 Connection Type: Screw Reset Method: Automatic, Manual Measurement Range: -99999 → 999999 Output / Interface: Relay, RS485 Interface Minimum Operating Temperature: 0°C Maximum Operating Temperature: +50°C

Number of Outputs: 2 Output Type: 2 Relay Minimum Operating Temperature: 0°C Maximum Operating Temperature: +55°C Panel Depth: 67mm IP Rating: IP20, IP65 Number of Inputs: 11 Mounting Type: Panel Mount Size: 48 × 48mm Configurable Outputs: Relay Supply Voltage: 110 × 240 Vac Display Type: Dual 4 Digit LED Temperature Range: +100 → +1824°C (Type B Thermocouple); 0 → +1399°C (Type N Thermocouple); 0 → +1762°C (Type S Thermocouple); 0 → +1795°C (Type R Thermocouple); 0 → +2320°C (Type C Thermocouple); 0 → 762°C (Type L Thermocouple); -199 → +800°C (PT100); -200 → +1200°C (Type J Thermocouple); -240 → +1373°C (Type K Thermocouple); -240 → +400°C (Type T Thermocouple). Input Type: Analogue, B Type Thermocouple, C Type Thermocouple, J Type Thermocouple, K Type Thermocouple, L Type Thermocouple, N Type Thermocouple, PT100, R Type Thermocouple, S Type Thermocouple, T Type Thermocouple.

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COMPANIES

led led195 series Beacon, red, flashing, conduiT BoX, wall MounT, 40 → 380Vdc, 85 → 280Vac

geMs sensors gas, liQuid pressure swiTch 0.7 → 4.1Bar, spsT-nc, Bsp 1/4 process connecTion

RS Stock No: 122-6679

RS Stock No: 123-6132

professional range of Moflash industrial led beacons from the led195 series. The led beacons are designed for industrial or commercial applications where low maintenance, long life and cost effective solutions are required. The led beacons have two stages of alarm. flashing or continuous modes can be changed via a jumper link.

These compact pressure switches are designed for oeM applications. They are equipped with high proof pressure capabilities for demanding hydraulic applications such as forklifts, scissor lifts, and off road equipment.

Technical specifications: Standards Met: CE Certified Base Diameter: 104mm Lamp Included: Yes Current Type: AC, DC Bulb Type: LED Housing Colour: White Height: 73mm IP Rating: IP65 Maximum Temperature: +55°C Series: LED195 Lens Colour: Red Minimum Temperature: -25°C Light Effect: Flashing Mounting Style: Conduit Box, Wall Mount Supply Voltage: 40 → 380 V dc, 85 → 280 V ac Special Features: 120° Prime Light Output Above the Vertical Axis

faulhaBer dc MoTor conTroller, 3 phase, 5 → 30 V dc, panel MounT RS Stock No: 122-4620

The MclM 3002 series motion controllers from faulhaber are easy to use single axis positioning controllers. They have been designed for the control of faulhaber dc, brushless and linear motors. supplied with an rs232 interface, and are ideal for applications that do not use a higher-level controller.

Technical specifications: Width: 25mm Phase: 3 Supply Voltage: 5 → 30Vdc Voltage Rating: 30Vdc Length: 49.6mm Depth: 14mm Mounting Style: Panel Mount Dimensions: 49.6 × 25 × 14 mm Operating Temperature Range: -25 → +85°C www.international.electronica-azi.ro

Technical specifications: Minimum Pressure Reading: Maximum Pressure Reading: Output Type: Minimum Operating Temperature: Maximum Operating Temperature: Pressure Range: Mounting Type: Media Measured: Process Connection: Accuracy: Housing Material: Electrical Connection:

0.7bar 4.1bar SPST-NC -40°C +121°C 0.7 → 4.1bar Thread Mount Gas, Liquid BSP 1/4 ±0.1 bar Zinc Plated Steel 1/4 × 1/32 Spade Terminal

sMc, 1000 l/Min flow conTroller, caBle, 12 → 24 V dc, lcd RS Stock No: 124-3829

The pfMc series from sMc is designed to provide a digital flow switch with a high flow rate and fast response time all in a compact, space saving enclosure. The pfMc flow switches are suitable for flow rates of up to 2000 l/min and is easy to install and commission. service life has been improved by the use of a bypass structure that significantly reduces the time the sensor is exposed to moisture and contaminants.

Technical specifications: Display Screen: Current Rating: Series: Supply Voltage: Pipe Diameter Range: Electrical Connection: Minimum Operating Temperature: Maximum Operating Temperature: Maximum Flow Rate: For Use With:

LCD 80 mA PFMC 12 → 24Vdc 1/2 in Cable 0°C +50°C 1000 L/min Flow Control Equipments

Aurocon Compec | www.compec.ro 17

POWER DESIGN

THE FASCINATING WORLD OF THE POWER SUPPLY INDUSTRY author: Patrick le fĂ¨vre, chief Marketing and communications officer Powerbox

The overall market for AC/DC and DC/DC commercial switch mode power supplies (C-SMPS), which excludes consumers and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), is estimated to be in a range of 22 to 25 billion US Dollars. This level has been stable for more than five years and from an outsiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view, could be perceived as a very static industry with very moderate growth index. This perception is amplified by a general feeling that the power supply industry reached such level of maturity, nothing will really happen, which in fact is not the case. Despite the steady top number, the C-SMPS industry is extremely dynamic, adjusting to market changes, new regulations, emerging new technologies and in permanent transformation, developing products and power solutions for early stage new technologies (e.g. 5G, Industry 4.0) or even not existing.

SEGMENTS TRANSfORMATION it is not possible to go into details for every segment but there is one, which has had a major influence to all other, the Telecom/ datacom segment. for decades, the Telecommunication segment has been predominant and one of the main technology driver for innovations within the power industry. we all remember the evolution in power distribution, moving from centralized-power to de-centralized power, which has been then adopted by

Figure 1: Telecom-switch footprint for connecting 10 000 subscribers 1980 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2020 (Source: Powerbox) 18

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other industries, becoming the worldwide power-architecture in all segments from industrial to defense. as well for the introduction of digital power technology, which is now used in many products operated in non-telecom segment. all those technology evolutions have been driven by the need to make telecom equipment more energy efficient, to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint, but as well possible to integrate, what used to be the size of building in the eighties, down to a chipset nowadays. integrating, what used to be a central telecom office down to a chipset has had a big impact on the volume of power modules consumed by this industry but as well how the power distributed and optimized. at the peak days in year 2000, the worldwide production of 5 to 20w board mounted dc/dc converters for the telecom industry was close to the 35 million units, which, for similar category of products consumed in the telecom industry is estimated to be below 6 million in 2017. we all know that the telecom market has reached a certain

level of saturation but they are other reasons explaining this impressive decline in volume: higher level of integration and increase use of discrete solution. Higher level of integration Migrating from voice to data, the telecom industry rapidly reach a point of integration with the datacom industry to become the information, communication and Technology (icT). at that point of time, both industry boosted the development of new generation of signal processors and other complex data-management asics requiring higher power dc/dc (e.g. intermediate Bus converters) with localized step down conversion achieved by point-ofload (pol). in few years radio base stations became smaller and smaller, backbone access shrunk to box size and the data centers became the heart of the icT industry. This higher level of digitalization impacted on the low power dc/dc conversion market though contributed to the development of higher power density bricks, up to the 1Kw mythic quarter brick.

POWER SUPPlIES

Figure 2 Powerbox GB350 digitally controlled power supply for demanding applications operated under high electromagnetic field (Source: iStock.com/baranozdemir â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Powerbox) Increase of discrete solution considered by many as nessie, the loch ness Monster, the transition from low power dc/dc power modules to discrete solution is a reality and, with the miniaturization of telecom equipment and higher level of integration a building practice that is now well established.

quently published about the growing volume of pwM, it is not simple to quantify the transition volume from conventional board mounted dc/dc converters in the telecommunication segment though; a rough number of 65% of the low/mid power conversion function is now achieved by discrete solution, compared to only 15% 10 years ago.

This transition has been facilitated by the semiconductors manufacturers that developed-design support to a very advanced point, simplifying the implementation of low and mid power at board level and the development of highly integrated pol. despite number of market studies are fre-

combining lower market demand for conventional telecom equipment, higher integration and transition to discrete solution, the low and mid power dc/dc converters collapsed but at top level been compensated by the increase of higher power and other growing segments such as medical.

GROWING AREAS fUll Of INNOVATIONS Brut power it is obvious that radio base stations are getting smaller and, despite the expected number of 5g transmitters required by that new technology, the volume of low and medium power board mounted devices will never recover where they used to be during the peak days. That illustrates the impact of technology shift and challenges for power supplies manufacturers to always be ready for the next wave of innovations. with the booming of internet, data traffic amazingly increased, requiring data centers to process more and more, faster and faster, data than ever. More data/faster means more processors and more power supplies. Because of the extremely high level of integration, certain boards will soon require more than 3Kw per board, which is not only a challenge to power but as well, how to keep such boards cooled enough. powering, with energy efficient solutions servers and other ip mass traffic routers requires from power designers to innovate in advanced topologies, use of new components such as gallium nitride or inventing efficient solutions to convert from the 400Vdc distribution voltage to 1Vdc required by the microprocessor.

(Source: Rolls-Royce)

Figure 3 Rolls-Royce oX land-based control-center supervising unmanned ships www.international.electronica-azi.ro

POWER DESIGN

within the data center power community, the new motto is 400 to 1 @ 99, understanding 400Vdc input, 1Vdc output at 99% conversion ratio. for sure a bit challenging but as we say within the power community: “limits are made to be broken” and for the power pioneers, which i belong, we all remember the number of times we have been challenged to brake unbreakable limits! 1 and 0 are making the game There is another area where technology innovation contributed to boost power, efficiency and flexibility, which is the so called “digital power.” considered as anecdotic when presented first, the digital power technology originally developed for icT and high density data centers made its way through the others industries becoming the preferred platform by power designers when addressing new challenges. from a simple monitoring function to very advanced switching control, the number of power supplies using that technology grown exponentially and is even used in very advanced medical equipment such as Magnetic resonance imaging (Mri) where digital power combined with coreless technology make efficient power conversion possible in extreme condition (e.g. high magnetic field of 4 Tesla - figure 2). highly debated for almost a decade, the integration of a digital chain within power supplies opened a new range of applications, only few years ago, we couldn’t even though they will exist. from the internet of Things (whatever it falls under that category) to unmanned ships crossing ocean, the future power supplies will not be as it is today and power engineers already working on intelligent

Figure 4 Powerbox EXM2205 – Medical certified lenticular shape external power supply for home healthcare applications. (Source: Powerbox) 20

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power architectures able to self-control the way they operate. how far could that go? hard to say but with projects to bring men to Mars, unmanned vehicles, industry 4.0 and all other applications requiring extremely high reliability and full remote monitoring and control, it shouldn’t be too far and 2020 might be a good target. POWER TO MEDICAl AND HOME HEAlTHCARE from 1.2 billion usd in 2016, the global market for medical power supplies is expected to expand at a cagr of 4.5% from 2017 to 2022. This growth results from a global population that is both living longer and experiencing an increasing rate of chronic disease, combined with economic factors that are driving the increased of healthcare in the home. Beside conventional equipment for hospital and medicalized infrastructures, there is a growing demand for medical electrical equipment designed for use in home environment, requiring from power supplies manufacturers to not only consider standards and regulations but as well patient comfort and patient environment, for example by designing products for home environment such as the lenticular shape, eliminating hard shapes and avoiding wheelchair blocking. Because of the nature of the medical segment and risk of electrical shock or malfunctioning equipment resulting from a faulty power source, power supply has to comply with stringent regulatory and certification systems. The implementation of the so-called iec 60601 4th edition is one example of safety regulation enforced in that industry but beside any regulation, power supplies manufacturers are taking own initiatives to develop processes integrating risk assessment far above what is required by the iso 14971 and to push manufacturing facilities to comply with the iso 13485. designing a power supply for medical requires not only the best power technology but a very high level of knowledge in regulations and field of applications. for power designers, internal or external medical power supplies are full of challenges and designing a product, which has high efficiency, high isolation, ultra-low leakage current and able to guarantee critical systems to work flawlessly is not an easy task. That what makes this segment very interesting, especially when home healthcare increasing the interaction between the

patient and installed equipment, and considering many other aspects such as radio coexistence. for power supplies designers, the medical segment is probably one of the most demanding in terms of combined knowledge. Be a good power electronic designer is not enough anymore and it’s a real team work combining many disciplines that must work together, which makes the job very interesting with full of rich learning. In conclusion: it is difficult to cover all areas compositing the 22-25 Billion envelop and it is for sure that a lot of things are also happening in other segments such as industrial implementing industry 4.0, lighting growing exponentially and some considering to integrate built-in power on silicon inside the led, the Transportation to integrate communication to power supplies for monitoring and preventing maintenance but it is easy to understand that, despite an overall number that seems to have been stable for more than five years, a lot of changes happened in the business composition. i would like to conclude this article buy a quote from Kenneth hildebrand: “Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes” which reflects very well, what we all, power supplies aficionados are aiming for. we like to brake unbreakable limits and the power industry is full of amazing challenges, which make it so exiting. References: Cisco - The Zettabyte Era - Trends and Analysis www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/serviceprovider/visual-networking-index-vni/vni-hyperconnectivity-wp.html Ericsson - Mobility report www.ericsson.com/mobility-report IEC60601-1-11 www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_ics/catalogue_detail_ics.htm?csnumber=65529 FDA Design considerations for devices intended for Home Use www.fda.gov/downloads/MedicalDevices/Device RegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/UCM33 1681.pdf%20 Cisco - The Zettabyte Era - Trends and Analysis www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/serviceprovider/visual-networking-index-vni/vni-hyperconnectivity-wp.html Powerbox www.prbx.com

ACTIVE Components

AUTOMATING AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT DESIGN The semi-expert techniques for automating amplifier circuit designs calls for a combination of hard specification requirements and judgement margins. a design tool must support these techniques to zero in on the appropriate operational amplifier (op amp) and external components. figure 1 shows two fundamental circuit examples that implore this type of tool. yes, these are simple topologies – but the diﬃculty is in the detail when selecting amplifiers and external components to meet the performance criteria for the application. By Bonnie C. Baker weBench® senior applications engineer REQUIREMENTS: MAPPING fROM MANY TO ONE The ultimate task is to find the perfect op amp for an amplifier circuit. in the case of selecting amplifiers from Texas instruments, this challenge requires the designer to sort through approximately 1300+ op amps. These amplifiers come with many variations on their electrical perfor¬mance and specifications. The key specifications include power-supply ranges, bandwidth, input/output swing limits, and others. on top of these hard constraints, most amplifier choices use a series of overlapping issues, such as accuracy, noise, power, temperature drift, and/or ic cost. starting from ground zero, the first task is to sort amplifiers according to basic suitability

for the final design. as step one, the designer identifies the basic-circuit operational values. These values can be entered using a web-based amplifier design tool, such as the weBench® amplifier designer (figure 2).

appropriate op amp for the amplifier circuit. as a start, the provided power supply voltages can eliminate devices with supply voltages that are out-of-range. for example, the input values in figure 2 may be for a

Figure 2: Amplifier Designer Requirements page for user’s data-entry activities. on the amplifier designer requirements page (figure 2), fields that must be completed are:

Figure 1: WEBENCH® Amplifier Designer operational amplifier design circuits. 22

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• power supply voltages • circuit input and output signals • output load conditions • small-signal output bandwidth These design requirements allow the amplifier designer software to select an

dual-supply, ±5 V. from this infor¬mation, the software eliminates op amps with maximum power-supply ranges below 10 V, and minimum power-supply ranges greater than 10 V. additionally, the amplifier selection process removes amplifiers with excessively-high power-supply ranges. as for the amplifier’s input stage, the design tool ensures there is no violation to the op amp’s common-mode range. with

WEBENCH® DESIGN

the output stage, the software makes sure that signals remain within the rail limits of the power supply, while taking a further step to ensure that the output swing is within the candidate-amplifier’s linear region. To achieve this, the software uses the amplifier’s output load conditions. The tool offers four data entry styles for input voltages, output voltages, and gain. it also accommodates individual designer preferences as shown in figure 3.

These data inputs were used for the discussion on the following pages: Vcc = 12 V Vee = 0 V VinMin = 5.5 V VinMax = 6.5 V VouTMin = 0.5 V VouTMax = 11.5 V iouT source/sink current = 1 ma small signal bandwidth = 500 khz

during the transition from the view in figure 2 to figure 4, the software determines the resistor values in the target op amp circuit. it is easy to assign a generic feedback resistor (r2) value of 1 kΩ. however, a better general guide is to assign the values according to Table 1.

Gain bandwidth Gain bandwidth ≤ 0.01 MHz 0.01 MHz < Gain bandwidth ≤ 0.1 MHz 0.1 MHz < Gain bandwidth ≤ 10 MHz 10 MHz < Gain bandwidth ≤100 MHz 100 MHz < Gain bandwidth ≤ 1 GHz 1 GHz < Gain bandwidth ≤ 10 GHz

R2 1 MΩ 100 kΩ 10 kΩ 1 kΩ 500 Ω 200 Ω

Table 1. Appropriate voltage-feedback amplifier (VFB) R2 resistance values. The algorithms that produce the amplifier designer Visualizer screen shown in figure 4 create a reduced list of op amps. The order of the amplifiers listed depends on which optimizer parameters have been selected. on the top left of figure 4 is a list of input design criteria and to the right is the optimizer box. The optimizer box has three pull-down menus with the following options to set design priorities: • precision • noise • Temp drift • supply current • cost Figure 3: Voltage input and voltage output styles.

The question to ask is, of these five characteristics in the optimizer pull-down menus, which is the Very important, important, and less important? when the choice is completed, the solution Table in figures 4 shows updated results. additionally, further criteria refinements are possible with the menu in the upper right corner of figure 4. The choices available in this area are: • package group • number of channels • shutdown pin

Figure 4: Amplifier Designer Visualizer screen. for the last data entry, the design tool uses the small-signal bandwidth to identify suitable amplifiers. in an effort to take the amplifier’s process variations into account, the applied guard band for this specification is approximately 20 percent. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

SCREENING OP AMPS TO TARGET: VISUAlIzER SCREEN The next design screen was obtained by clicking the create amplifier design button.

The selections in this section are selfexplanatory, however, these selections further reduce the list of amplifiers. when the optimizer menu options are changed such that precision is selected as Very important, Temp drift as important, and supply current as less important, the opa140 should appear near the top of the list in the solution Table. 23

ACTIVE Components

DESIGNER SUMMARY SCREEN The next step is to proceed on to the amplifier design summary screen. for the following discussion, the open design button was selected for the opa140 in the solution Table of the Visualizer screen. at this point, the amplifier has been selected and the circuit fully defined. The amplifier designer summary screen (figure 5) allows exploring the theoretical feasibility of the design. The center bar in figure 5 shows selection tabs for viewing calculated performance analysis, calculated performance Values, and the Bill of Materials. The calculated performance analysis segment produces input/output graphs as shown in figure 5. There are menu selections to view ac, sine and square-wave graphical responses.

These curves are not a result of a simulation; rather the page shows calculated theoretical graphs. The intent is to provide a quick look at the circuit’s behavior before proceeding any further. The calculated performance Values tab allows viewing circuit characteristics in seven categories: 1. design criteria 2. operating frequency values 3. power requirements 4. Vos/ib error 5. VouT gain versus resistor tolerance 6. error over temperature 7. Total output noise within these seven categories, there are calculated performance values. for instance, the operating frequency values (#2 above) provides the amplifier bandwidth, amplifier

slew rate, closed-loop bandwidth, and fullpower bandwidth (fpBw). AMPlIfIER DESIGNER SIMUlATION To proceed to the Ti spice simulation screen, click on the sim button at the top of the screen (not shown in figure 5). Sim

The amplifier designer ports the complete circuit to the simulation screen. The amplifier simulation environment (figure 6) uses Texas instruments pspice® models while providing six simulation options: 1. sine wave 2. step response 3. closed loop response 4. dc sweep 5. Total noise 6. group delay with all of these simulation options, the amplifier designer provides the appropriate signal sources. There are options to modify the magnitudes, frequency, and timing of these sources. if this simulation environment is not suitable, it is possi¬ble to download the circuit into a Tina-Ti™ environment. weBench® amplifier designer offers this export option by clicking on the sim export button at the top of the simulation screen (not shown in figure 6). Sim Export

Figure 5: Amplifier Designer Summary screen.

CONClUSION The weBench amplifier designer tool automatically performs the basic analysis and product-selection activi-ties that designers would normally perform in their circuit design activities - but it takes the process a step further. it offers a comprehensive evaluation of the new circuit, making it easy to fit the amplifier design into the rest of the system design. Texas Instruments www.ti.com

Figure 6: Amplifier Designer Simulation screen. 24

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related web sites Design tools: weBench® amplifier designer Tina-Ti™ spice-Based analog simulation program Product information: opa140 Subscribe to the AAJ: www.ti.com/subscribe-aaj

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

congaTec's laTesT os iMpleMenTaTion furTher siMplifies deVelopMenT of ioT-connecTed deVices congatec - a leading technology company for embedded computer modules, single board computers and embedded design and manufacturing services - has announced its comprehensive support of the ioT editions of windows 10. These full versions of windows 10 are characterized by their extended security functions and lockdown options for ioT-connected appliances. congatec has integrated these innovative features on all its current boards with intel atom, celeron, pentium, core and Xeon processors as well as aMd embedded r and g series processors. customers benefit from an overall simplified development of ioT connected devices. Target markets include industrial automation and production, retail and outdoor advertising, the healthcare and transportation segments, plus a host of additional industries. “Our customers who are using Windows 10 platforms want to develop innovative IoT applications and generate comprehensive business intelligence. They need highly unified, consistent and completely trustworthy OS support to cover all the embedded devices, tablets, smartphones and IT systems that are to be deployed. Supporting Windows 10 IoT is a very crucial milestone for us as part of an array of measures on our IoT roadmap which aims to simplify the integration and use of IoT connected embedded computer technology,” Martin danzer, director product Management at congatec, explains.

The windows 10 ioT enterprise as well as ioT core editions, which congatec and Microsoft will support for at least 5 years for mainstream appliances and 5 additional years for customers with extended support, offer a range of security technologies such as secure Boot, Bitlocker, device guard and credential guard, to ensure that appliances are comprehensively protected for the entire operation time from power-on to power off. whether just a particular app has to be launched or access to non-authorized usB peripherals has to be locked down, windows 10 ioT provides the necessary functions for any specific device environment. congatec | www.congatec.com/press

laTTice seMiconducTor eXpands crosslinK prograMMaBle assp (passp) ip soluTions lattice semiconductor corporation, the leading provider of customizable smart connectivity solutions, today announced the expansion of its lattice crosslink™ programmable assp (passp) solutions to enable new video bridging capabilities with the release of three new crosslink intellectual property (ip) and two new crosslink demonstration platforms showcasing Mipi® dsi to lVds and cMos to Mipi csi-2. reinforcing lattice’s commitment to provide bridging solutions for consumer, industrial, and automotive applications, the company has optimized existing crosslink ip to save logic resources and lower power consumption. The crosslink product was designed to address the challenges of today’s rapidly changing i/o landscape by offering designers a new way to develop high performance, low power and compact bridging solutions. since the product introduction less than a year ago, lattice has seen strong interest from customers to expand beyond typical early applications of the crosslink product for simple interface conversion, merging and muxing of image sensors, application processors and displays. By optimizing existing ip, leveraging new ip and development platforms, along with additional resources, lattice can offer more solutions for a greater variety of bridging applications that captures the best of both worlds with the combined the flexibility and fast time to market of an fpga and the power and functional optimization of an assp. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

“The new CrossLink IP and solutions will enable our customers to adopt cameras and displays with the latest mobile interface technology to reduce overall system cost, power and size, while accelerating the design cycle of their next-generation products,” said c.h. chee, senior director of marketing, mobile & consumer division at lattice semiconductor. “As inventors of the first programmable bridging device, and the world’s fastest MIPI D-PHY bridging device, Lattice is committed to delivering a low cost bridging solution with the highest bandwidth, lowest power and smallest footprint.” lattice Semiconductor | www.latticesemi.com

NEWS l2TeK sells aMoip oeM plaTforM deliVering Video oVer eTherneT for Medical, indusTrial and surVeillance applicaTions l2Tek, a manufacturers’ representative and distributor of components and sub-assemblies for professional video and high-speed communications systems, is selling coreel’s all Media over ip (aMoip) board level solution. The aMoip is a versatile market ready oeM platform which transmits and receives video, audio and control over standard 1g ethernet infrastructure optimised with ultra-low latency for real-time interaction with the video content applicable within medical, industrial and surveillance use. The system also supports KVM, rs-232 and other custom signals over ip and can serve traditional video broadcast and professional audio/video (pro aV) applications. The aMoip solution features high quality ‘visually lossless’ video streaming (1080p59.94/50 resolution and frame rates) with up to 200 Mbps bit rates and end-to-end latency below 10ms (including a coTs ethernet switch). in case multiple lower bit rate streaming (1080p29.97/25) is preferred, the aMoip platform can also provide up to 15 Mbps with inter frame (long gop) encoding.

quality digital audio and video connectivity fpga card combined with a low bit rate digital signal processor. The poe powered solution has a small form factor for ease of installation and can be quickly customised to match oeM specific video over ip designs based on application and specific use. l2Tek | www.l2tek.co.uk

There is optional support for image capture (snapshot) of incoming video – the captured image being Jpeg encoded and transmitted over ip. image processing capabilities include upscaling and downscaling (while maintaining aspect ratio), overlay and alpha blending, configurable splash screen at reset or power-up or loss of input video. at the heart of the aMoip hardware kit is a high

corephoTonics collaBoraTes wiTh saMsung elecTroMechanics To Bring new era of iMaging To sMarTphones corephotonics has partnered with prominent camera module integrator samsung electro-Mechanics (seMco) to develop a complete reference design, based on its revolutionary dual camera technology. Through this reference design, which is now in volume production, smartphone manufacturers are able to benefit from dramatic enhancements in image quality without any impact on the slim designs that consumers now expect from their handsets. The new partnership combines seMco’s universally recognized expertise in camera module design and manufacturing, with corephotonics’ innovative camera-related technologies. it enables a far greater number of smartphone manufacturers to access ground-breaking imaging technology that will help them to elevate user experience. The dual camera concept made possible by corephotonics’ proprietary technology presents smartphone manufacturers with the means to distinguish their handsets from those of their rivals through greatly improved imaging capabilities - with better zoom, increased effective resolution and broader dynamic range all being derived. it comprises one camera producing a wide field of view (foV) image - much like the technology found in a conventional smartphone. in addition, however, there is a second camera that features a telephoto lens - which addresses the narrow foV image. The result is an imaging mechanism that can deliver up to 3x optical zoom and provides the user with highly detailed photo26

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graphs even in the most challenging of low light conditions. combining such imaging capabilities with proprietary lens design and actuator implementation allows a compact form factor (down to 5.5mm in Z-height) to be maintained, while eliminating delicate opto-mechanical arrangements that are prone to damage. SEMCO | www.samsungsem.com Corephotonics | www.corephotonics.com

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

MaXiMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defiBrillaTion and esd proTecTion deVice safeguards Medical applicaTions wiTh 100X less leaKage currenT Targeting medical equipment such as defibrillators as well as ecg diagnostics and monitoring systems, the MaX30034 defibrillation protection device from Maxim integrated products, inc. protects against defibrillation pulses and electrostatic discharge (esd). compared to existing approaches and components, it simplifies design, provides >75% space savings, and trims the bill of materials, all while significantly improving performance. designers of defibrillators and ecg monitors face a challenge, as their ecg input amplifiers must withstand high-voltage pulses for cardiac resuscitation. These pulses can easily damage the sensitive electronic circuitry which captures the millivolt level heart signals. preventing this damage has required a three-layer, multicomponent approach combining a per-channel gas-discharge tube (gdT) and/or transient-voltage suppression (TVs) device, as well as esd-protection diodes. further, leakage current (a critical parameter) is relatively high, at about 1-2na. Maxim's four-channel MaX30034 defibrillation protection device uses an innovative topology from an advanced semiconductor process to absorb and harmlessly redirect these highenergy pulses away from sensitive circuitry. This small and robust device needs only two external pairs of resistors for each channel to provide design simplicity, smaller overall size, and lower leakage current. The MaX30034 replaces the primary-level gdTs

and/or TVss, as well as secondary-level esd diodes which are the conventional solutions for mandated circuit protection. The device can withstand over 100,000 defibrillation pulses without failure and still maintain a leakage current under 10pa (100x less than gdT/TVs-based approaches). Maxim Integrated | www.maximintegrated.com

on seMiconducTor iMage sensor powers acadeMy award winning aleXa caMera froM arri arnold & richter cine Technik (arri), the largest manufacturer of motion picture equipment in the world, accepted a scientific and Technical award from the academy of Motion picture arts and sciences this weekend for the pioneering design and engineering of its super 35 format aleXa digital camera system. The aleXa camera is powered by the aleV iii image sensor, which was designed and manufactured by on semiconductor (nasdaq: on) specifically for arri. aleXa digital cameras are widely used in professional motion picture and television production around the world, having been chosen for features and productions such as rogue one, The revenant, gravity, life of pi, skyfall, game of Thrones, downton abbey, and more. since 2011, every motion picture to win the academy award for Best cinematography has been captured using an aleXa camera, and 4 of the 5 nominees for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best cinematography award (arrival, lion, Moonlight, and silence) were captured using this system as well. arri has won several awards for its digital cameras and systems, all of which are based on image sensors from on semiconductor. in 2009, arri received a scientific and Technical award from the academy for the design and development of the arriscan film scanner, which utilises an aleV ii image sensor from on semiconductor. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

and in receiving a 2012 Technology and engineering emmy award from the national academy of Television arts and sciences for improvements to large format cMos imagers for use in high definition broadcast Video cameras, arri specifically pointed to their partnership with on semiconductor on the design and manufacture of these imaging devices. ON Semiconductor | www.onsemi.com

NEWS u-BloX, pieTro fiorenTini and TerranoVa sofTware deMonsTraTe narrowBand ioT funcTionaliTy in The field u-blox, a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, pietro fiorentini s.p.a., a leading company producing components, systems and services for the regulation and metering of natural gas, and Terranova, software the italian market leader for Meter data Management sw and part of pietro fiorentini group, today announced the successful results of their narrowband ioT (nB-ioT) field trials. The trials were run on a full working nBioT cycle inside a gas meter, with focus on the results achieved in the field, in areas where reachability and battery consumption, as well as product robustness and reliability are crucial. The trials involved two spanish major gas distribution companies and a significant number of pietro fiorentini gas meters. nB-ioT technology fully supports a set of advanced functions: bi-directional communication, data encryption at 128 bit and remote commands for meter shut down. all these features are additional to the conventional

remote meter reading and gas consumption profiling. The trial covered the whole chain: gas meter – nB-ioT network – communication protocols and finally data acquisition system and meter data management on software provided by

Terranova making the data available to any erp system. The results demonstrated complete end–to–end system functionality, bi-directional communication, and perfect scalability from 2g to nB-ioT. These trials reflect the companies’ eagerness to meet growing demand for low power wide area (lpwa) connectivity, as delivered by nB-ioT technology, which was standardized by 3gpp in June 2016. as nBioT operates on networks within the licensed spectrum, it also offers greater security and freedom from interference and is therefore ideal for critical infrastructure devices, such as utility meters. additionally, nB-ioT is extremely power efficient and provides coverage in shielded areas, making it ideal for the long lifecycles and underground locations of many meters. embedded in the gas meter is the u-blox sara‑n2 module, which was announced in June 2016 as the world’s first cellular radio module compliant with 3gpp release 13. u-blox | www.u-blox.com

se sKipper uBT21-1 BlueTooTh 4.0 usB dongle enaBles daTa raTes of up To 720KBps and a range of 300M at this year’s embedded world (hall 3; booth 249), se spezialelectronic presents the se skipper uBT21-1 Bluetooth 4.0 usB dongle featuring an exceptional range of up to 300m in free space and a data rate of up to 720kbps. Thanks to this high data rate, the dongle is ideally suited for use as a transmitter and receiver adapter for wireless industrial and medical systems. its integrated Bluetooth stack supports concurrent operation of classical Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy. as a result, the se skipper uBT21-1 device can also be used as a local Bluetooth smart ready gateway for the internet of Things without using the Bluetooth stack of the operating system. using a unique multiplex protocol (edM), se skipper uBT21-1 can simultaneously manage up to seven individual Bluetooth links independent of the operating system and external radio drivers. as an additional significant advantage for device manufacturers and dongle users, protocol processing and configuration storage are entirely handled within the se skipper uBT21-1 device. for this purpose, se skipper uBT21-1 provides graphic, windows-based configuration software “spa Toolbox” and an application programming interface (api) which easily integrates into application-specific software programs. once programmed for the specific requirements of a customer, no further user configuration is required. The computer, which can be a desktop pc, a laptop or an embedded board, must only provide an uncommitted usB port. suitable virtual coM port drivers (Vcp) are available for all common operating systems. 28

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designed by se spezial-electronic, se skipper uBT21-1 is produced in germany using highquality components. it is specified for ambient temperatures from -30°c to +70°c and meets all eMc requirements per iec 60601-1-1-2 (2007). it is certified as an end product for europe (ce/r&TTe), canada (ic), the u.s. (fcc), and Japan (Telec). approvals for Brazil (anatel) and australia (rcM) are pending. SE Spezial-Electronic GmbH | www.spezial.com

WIRElESS

indusTry’s firsT ‘ZigBee pro wiTh green power cerTified plaTforM’ unVeiled By Microchip The industry’s first zigbee alliance certified zigbee® platform with zigbee pro and green power features, formerly known as zigbee 3.0, from a semiconductor company is now available from Microchip Technology inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and flash-ip solutions. with greater interoperability and lower latency than ever before, this software stack, and corresponding Bitcloud 4.0 software development kit, is ideal for the design of home automation, commercial lighting, smart energy and internet of Things (ioT) applications. for more information about the complete software development kit, visit: www.microchip.com/bitcloud. The zigbee certified solution enables cross-functional device support and will be backward-compatible with existing zigbee certified products for seamless interoperability. Together with the zigbee pro (2015) feature set, developers can expect to find features such as low-latency suitable for rf remote applications, mesh networking for large networks such as lighting applications, and the green power benefits of an energy harvesting switch. The zigbee pro green power feature, making its debut on the new certified software stack, enables battery-less devices to securely join a network while leveraging eco-friendly energy sources such as light, vibration or motion. additionally, zigbee light link and zigbee home automation device types are now fully supported.

To bring zigbee designs to market faster, Microchip offers the Bitcloud 4.0 software development Kit (sdK). The sdK enables application development on the saM r21 Xplained pro evaluation Kit, a cortex® M0+-based 32-bit microcontroller with an integrated 2.4ghz 802.15.4 compliant radio. Microchip Technology | www.microchip.com/bitcloud

ToshiBa launches ioT deVelopMenT KiT for design of BlueTooTh® enaBled wearaBles Toshiba electronics europe (Tee) has announced a comprehensive development kit that provides the hardware and software needed to create wearable devices that handle multiple sensor inputs. The eBTZ1041-sK-a1 ‘starter kit’ supports the prototyping of highly integrated ioT wearable applications featuring the Toshiba TZ1000 app lite™ family of ioT processors. Toshiba’s new kit incorporates the company’s TZ1041MBg ‘sensor hub’ application processor. This processor is based on a highperformance 32-bit arM® cortex®-M4f processor and acts as a hub to collect, process and store data from multiple sources. it then transfers the raw or processed data to external devices such as smartphones and tablets using an integrated Bluetooth® wireless communication function. The eBTZ1041-sK-a1 evaluation board combines the TZ1041MBg processor with an arduino uno r3-compatible header that allows developers to connect to commercially available arduino shields. in addition to the integrated Bluetooth®, a dedicated header to connect to Toshiba’s Tc32306 single-chip rf transceiver further supports sub-ghz wireless communications. an on-board cMsis-dap debug interface is provided as standard. alternative debuggers can be connected via the board’s 9-pin swd connector. Toshiba’s TZ1041MBg allows peripheral devices and sensors for example MeMs sensors such as atmospheric pressure sensors www.international.electronica-azi.ro

and moisture sensors – to be connected via various integrated usB, uarT, spi, i2c and 12-bit adc interfaces. other external sensors can be directly connected to the three input channels of the device’s integrated 24-bit high-resolution ΔΣadc - this allows for accurate measurement of biomedical signals including pulse rates and electrocardiograms. Toshiba Electronics Europe | www.toshiba.semicon-storage.com

NEWS prinTed elecTronics: rfid sensor plaTforM and fleXiBle funcTional filMs for auToMaTic processing schreiner prinTronics, schreiner group’s competence center for printed electronics, at the “innovation showcase” of lopec in Munich (hall B0) on March 29 and 30, will be presenting a world first: a printed rfid sensor platform featuring a complex label with electrical functions. using printed conductive traces, the label combines a temperature and a first-opening sensor with a nfc chip. Thanks to an imprinted nfc antenna, the chip can be read with a smartphone equipped for this purpose. developed for rollto-roll processes, the solution is perfectly suited for automated processing. when the printed rfid sensor platform is used to seal a product pack it performs two essential functions. By means of a sensor, it continuously measures and records temperatures across the entire supply chain throughout the label’s lifetime. a very thin, flexible battery embedded in the label enables such long-term data logging. an additionally integrated first-opening sensor indicates whether or not the label has been cut through to open the box and the contents may have been exposed to tampering. other flexible and multilayer film products for electrical conduction, switching, measurement and control purposes to be showcased at the lopec booth include printed conductive traces, antennas, heating elements, reflectors, multifunctional user interfaces and other sensors. These schreiner prinTronics solutions are multifunctional as well and deliver high added value. Based on in-

depth know-how in printing of silver and carbon, in insulation and through-hole interconnects, schreiner prinTronics has been developing high-precision roll-to-roll printing of electronics to consistently higher levels in recent years. Schreiner Group | www.schreiner-group.com

naVilocK’s new gnss receiVer series feaTures u-BloX’s unTeThered 3d dead recKoning (udr) Module The u-blox GNSS module NEO-M8U is at the core of the new GNSS receiver series u-blox, a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, today announced that its untethered 3d dead reckoning (udr) global navigation satellite system (gnss) module neoM8u is at the core of navilock’s new gnss receiver series. The new portfolio will enable retrofitting of dead reckoning (dr) and untethered dead reckoning (udr) technology in any vehicle. combining multi-gnss (gps, glonass, Beidou, galileo) with an onboard 3d gyro/accelerometer, the untethered dead reckoning (udr) technology improves position accuracy even where gnss signals are weak or even not available, such as in urban canyons, tunnels, or parking garages. receivers with a serial Md6 interface can work in an extended voltage range from 5-48 Volt dc. applications for navilock’s new gnss receiver series include service vehicles from the police, fire departments, emergency physicians, disaster rescue teams and technical aid organizations that require accurate positioning at all times. operational forces and their control centers must be constantly aware of their location to enable successful completion of any assignment. as a result, physical dangers and even life threats are clearly minimized. launched in 2016, the u-blox neo-M8u was the world’s first untethered 3d dead reckoning (udr) module. udr enables reli30

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able positioning even in case of gnss signal interruptions, jamming, reflected or weak signals, and is independent of any connection to the car, other than power. The eight new navilock gnss receivers will be available in Q1 2017. u-blox | www.u-blox.com

WIRElESS

on seMiconducTor saMpling indusTry’s lowesT power BlueTooTh® low energy soc for ioT & connecTed healTh on semiconductor, driving energy efficient innovations, has positioned itself at the forefront of ultra-low-power wireless connectivity with its latest product offering. The rsl10 highly flexible, ultra-miniature multi-protocol Bluetooth 5 certified radio system-on-chip (soc) is capable of supporting the advanced wireless functionalities emerging in the ioT and connected health & wellness sectors without compromising battery life or overall system size. Target applications for this device include wearables such as fitness trackers and smart watches, smart locks, and electronics like lighting or appliances. The sophisticated soc provides an incredibly power-efficient operation for a wide range of applications with its superior overall power profile, including some of the best numbers in the industry for peak rx in receive Mode and deep sleep Modes. unlike competing solutions, it is ideal for applications using 1.2 and 1.5V batteries, and provides a voltage supply range between 1.1 and 3.6V without an external dc/dc converter. The highly-integrated dual-core architecture is built around the user-programmable arM® cortex®-M3 processor, which provides clocking speeds up to 48 Mhz and the flexibility to support 2.4 gigahertz (ghz) proprietary protocol stacks. also featured is an ultra-low-power 32-bit dual-harvard digital signal processing (dsp) system, which enables signal processing intensive applications such as wireless audio codecs. ON Semiconductor | www.onsemi.com

inTerneT of Things: arTisTa-ioT MaKes displays sMarT distec - leading german specialist for TfT flat screens and system solutions for industrial and multimedia applications, adds a new member to the proven artista TfT controller family: the artistaioT for industry 4.0 and the internet of Things (ioT). This new TfT controller is a BaseBoard with a socket for the latest generation of the raspberry pi compute Module (cM3). “The Artista-IoT is only a simple TFT controller, but the perfect basis for cost-efficient IoT and Industry 4.0 applications,” explained Matthias Keller, head of sales and Marketing at distec gmbh. “Internet of Things is the keyword and a costly PC with a lot of peripherals is now superfluous: our solution enables us to network almost every device intelligently, without any license costs.” The artista-ioT allows the direct connection of almost all common TfT types without additional hardware. The powerful processor (BcM2837, Quadcore, 1.2ghz) opens up many new applications at a very attractive price. distec can provide individual solutions for: industrial hMi, medical, aviation, digital signage, and digital whiteboard. The new controller can be easily integrated into existing windows and linux environments and can be adapted to suit individual needs. distec offers a starter set consisting of BaseBoard, cM3, 10.1-inch super fine TfT display with pcap Multi-Touch and all necessary cables. This kit supports developers to start their own projects in a fast and uncomplicated way. The pre-installed raspbian ensures a quick setup and also gives access to a large community support network. www.international.electronica-azi.ro

The artista-ioT is based on a full-fledged scaler chip and controls almost every TfT display and modern pcap multi-touch screens directly. The controller board allows special functions such as dicoM pre-set, gamma correction and color calibration. it supports gigabit ethernet and provides a real-time clock. available interfaces include usB, gpios, i²c and uarT. long-term availability is at least six years. on the basis of the artista-ioT, distec already offers standard solutions for a wide range of applications. Distec | www.distec.de

NEWS laTesT pic® Mcu faMily Brings ease of design wiTh More core independenT peripherals (cips) Microchip announces The pic16f15386 family, the most powerful launching point into the 8-bit pic® microcontroller (Mcu) portfolio. in addition to Microchip’s current core independent peripherals (cips), this family includes a high-accuracy 32 Mhz internal oscillator and memory features such as Memory access partition (Map) with bootloader-friendly write-protection to prevent accidental over-write. device information area (dia) offers protected storage for unique device identification and calibration values. The pic16f15386 family also offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use development experience with Microchip’s MplaB® Xpress with MplaB code configurator, the quickest way to generate application code. The family is suitable for a broad range of general purpose and low-power applications. The scalable family offers up to 28KB flash and 2KB raM in 8- to 48-pin package options. it is the first 8-bit pic Mcu family to offer the 48-pin package, adding more analog-to-digital-converter (adc) channels and i/os. The family offers high levels of cip integration to perform system functions, such as signal generation, motor control, safety monitoring, system communications, and human interface, outside the core while minimising power consumption. The new Mcus offer idle and doZe modes as well as peripheral Module disable power-management features to enable engineers to optimise the balance between power consumption and performance.

The new family-specific Xpress series development board enables projects to start immediately. in only two minutes, engineers may start application code development with the Xpress series board and the cloud-based MplaB Xpress ide. The family is also supported by two curiosity boards (dM164136 and dM164137) and Microchip’s free software development platforms including MplaB code configurator (Mcc) and MplaB X ide. Microchip Technology | www.microchip.com/153XXLaunch

pls' new all-in-one access deVice uad2neXT MaKes fasT TrouBleshooTing and faulT analysis aT sysTeM leVel easier pls programmierbare logik & systeme is presenting its new universal access device 2next (uad2next) in hall 4, Booth 310 at embedded world 2017. The uad2next is a powerful and extremely versatile access device for fast on-chip debugging and trace of various multicore microcontrollers in deeply embedded systems. The uad2next acts as a bridge between the base model uad2pro and the high-end tool uad3+. Besides a large number of powerful debug and trace interfaces, such as dap, swd, JTag, cJTag and lpd, the uad2next also supports can and asc interfaces for access to the target. for debugging, pls uses the proven concept of its flexible target adapters, which are also optionally available with galvanic isolation. The adaptation covers an i/o voltage range from 1.5V to 5.5V. in addition to recording can messages or specific stimulation of the can network, the galvanic isolated separate can interface also enables communication via dap over can physical layer (dXcpl). usB 3.0 and gigabit ethernet ports ensure fast data exchange with the universal debug engine® (ude) installed on the pc. robust trace modules, which can be easily plugged in as needed, ensure a fast and efficient transfer of trace data from the target into the uad2next. above all, the modules for parallel trace with up to 12 bits width and for serial aurora protocol with up to two lanes and 1.25 gbps bandwidth ensure a high data throughput. The data are then recorded into the 512 MB trace memory of 32

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the uad2next. all common trace architectures such as, for example, arM coresight, neXus class 3 Trace and infineon's Mcds (Multi-core debug solution) are supported. The uad2next is enclosed in a robust aluminum housing with passive cooling, thus ensuring reliable use in a wide range of development and test environments. PlS Programmierbare logik & Systeme | www.pls mc.com

MCUs

ruTroniK presenTs deMo Based on Microchip saM l22 aT eMBedded world The Microchip sMarT saM l series of arM cortex-M0+ based microcontrollers is the highest scoring product family in the eeMBc ulpBench, the leading independent low-power benchmark. at embedded world, rutronik (booth 3a-438) presents a demonstrator for thermostat cloud applications based on a saM l22 microcontroller. The devices of the saM l series offer an ultra-low power capacitive touch with a segment lcd controller that can deliver up to 320 segments, making them ideal for lowpower applications including thermostats, electric/gas/water meters, home control, medical and access systems. The saM l22 series delivers advanced security and safety features with 256-bit aes, true random number generator, flash protection, tamper protection and cyclic redundancy check (crc) to ensure information is securely stored, delivered and accessible. To get the lowest possible power consumption, the devices use Microchip’s proprietary picopower® technologies and smart low-power peripherals that work independently of the cpu in sleep modes. in addition to segment lcd supporting up to eight communication lines, capacitive touch sensing and built-in security measures, the saM l22 series features up to 256kB of flash and 32KB of sraM, crystal less usB device, programmable serial communication modules (sercoM) and Microchip’s patented event system and sleepwalking™ technologies. To accelerate designs, the saM l22

Microchip Xplained pro is available – a professional evaluation board featuring an on-board debugger and standardized extension connectors. The demonstration uses saM l22 Xplained pro evaluation Kit, aTwinc1500 Xplained pro Kit, and the i/o1 Xplained pro Kit. The Touch slcd1 Xplained pro has five mutual capacitive QTouch® buttons integrated on the segment lcd. it is included in the saM l22 Xplained pro evaluation kit. Rutronik | www.rutronik.com

renesas deliVers neXT-generaTion eMulaTor ThaT conTriBuTes To reduced eMBedded sofTware deVelopMenT TiMe renesas electronics announced the e2 emulator, a new-generation on-chip debugging emulator. The e2 is intended as a development environment for the latest devices in the renesas rh850, rX, and rl78 families of microcontrollers (Mcus), and for a selection of automotive system(s)-on-chip (socs). The new emulator supports the extended debugging functionality of the rh850 family and contributes to shortening the time required for can communication debugging and the current consumption debugging. recently, use of electronics for automotive control is increasing to improve the fuel efficiency, safety, and comfort of vehicles, and the number and variety of built-in sensors is growing. This leads to an increased size of control programs of Mcus used in electronic control units (ecus). since each ecu performs communication control via automotive networks such as can, lin, and flexray®, and dozens of ecus are installed in a single vehicle, communication control has become more complicated. additionally, considering that many ecus are installed in a vehicle, it has become more important to precisely understand current consumption when each ecu operates and optimize the control programs to achieve low current consumption in automotive systems. one challenge with existing ecu software development is that it is necessary to download the program from the emulator to the Mcu. and each time debugging code needs to be added to the www.international.electronica-azi.ro

control program, it increases the program size and download time. in the case of can communication, a significant contributor to this repetitive debug cycle is the need to use a can analyzer along with the emulator – these devices have not traditionally operated synchronously. in the case of low power optimization, the emulator is typically used side-by-side with an ammeter or current probe, and it is difficult to link the current consumption peak specifically to the matching point of time in the running code. Renesas Electronics Europe | www.renesas.com

NEWS Vicor corporaTion inTroduces new cool-power ZVs BucK-BoosT regulaTor Vicor corporation announced a new addition to its growing pi37xx family of cool-power ZVs Buck-Boost regulators. delivering up to 140 watts of power, and up to 8 amps of output current, at up to 96% efficiency, the new pi3740 cool-power regulator features an input operating voltage range of 8 – 60Vdc and a regulated output voltage range of 10 – 50Vdc. incorporating Vicor’s proprietary high frequency zero-voltage switching (ZVs) technology, and featuring a best-in-class combination of conversion efficiency, power density and performance, the pi3740 is an ideal choice for demanding, automotive, industrial, test automation, led lighting, and battery charging. like all members of the pi37xx family, the pi3740 meets its performance specifications “out of the box” across the full breadth of its operating voltage ranges without the need for special circuit customizations. wide operating voltage ranges can enable a reduction in both the number of regulators and the number of power supply designs that must be designed, configured, manufactured, inventoried and maintained. The pi3740 converter, for example, can be used in a range of applications that would otherwise require the use of several different alternative regulators having narrower operating voltage ranges. for example, a power supply incorporating a pi3740 can be designed to operate from, or charge, both a 12V and a 24V battery source. and all Vicor pi37xx Buck-Boost converters feature seamless transitioning between Buck mode (input voltage is

greater than output voltage) and Boost mode (input voltage is less than output voltage) making them the best choice for applications in which the regulator input voltage varies above and below the output voltage. The pi3740 fully integrates its controller, power switches and support circuitry within a high density, thermally adept, 10mm × 14mm × 2.5mm sip (system-in-package). Vicor Corporation | www.vicorpower.com

achieVe True precision wiTh The indusTry’s firsT Zero-drifT, Zero-crossoVer operaTional aMplifier continuing to set the standard for precision amplifiers, Texas instruments (Ti) (nasdaQ:TXn) introduced the first operational amplifier (op amp) to offer both zero-drift and zero-crossover technology. The opa388 op amp maintains high precision across the entire input range for a variety of industrial applications, including test and measurement, medical and safety equipment,

and high-resolution data-acquisition systems. for more information, visit www.ti.com/opa388-pr-eu. The unique architecture of the opa388 produces an industryleading combination of ultra-high input linearity and precision. Ti’s zero-drift technology eliminates temperature drift and flicker noise to attain the highest dc precision and dynamic error correction, while its zero-crossover topology eliminates offset errors caused by common-mode limitations to achieve linear output and true rail-to-rail input operation. Ti offers a range of support tools for designers using the opa388, including a reference design that demonstrates how to use the precision op amp to eliminate crossover nonlinearity in digital-to-analog converters. The reference design uses the dac8830 precision data converter and ref5050 voltage reference, which combine to create an accurate dc calibration system for high-precision applications used in wireless infrastructure and test and measurement. key features and benefits of the OPA388 op amp • delivers true precision with ultra-high input linearity • provides high dc precision • supports wide-bandwidth operation • Maintains low distortion for high performance • reduces complexity and cost Texas Instruments | www.ti.com

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POWER MODUlES

inTersil announces single-chip rad hard 32-channel driVer wiTh inTegraTed decoder for saTelliTe applicaTions intersil corporation introduced a radiation hardened 32-channel driver with integrated decoder that reduces the size, weight and power (swap) of satellite command and telemetry systems. The isl72813seh is the industry’s first high current driver to integrate the decoder, level shifter and driver array in a single monolithic ic, allowing satellite manufacturers to significantly increase system capacity and reduce solution size by up to 50%. The device offers a 4x higher density channel count compared to the nearest competitor, and the integrated level shifter eliminates several peripheral components. The isl72813seh driver leverages intersil’s proprietary silicon on insulator process, which provides single-event latch-up (sel) robustness in heavy ion environments. The driver’s integrated decoder interfaces directly to the general purpose i/os of fpgas and cpus in the satellite’s flight computer, dramatically reducing pin count compared to competitive 1-input to 1-output driver arrays. each of the device’s 32-channels of common-emitter open-collector driver outputs can generate pulses of up to 42V and 600ma. The isl72813seh addresses latching relay and solenoid commanding for most satellite control functions, including redundancy management, mechanism drive enables, propulsion component relays and enables, battery management, and payload switch control. The isl72813seh’s low Vce saturation levels

eliminate a major customer concern by reducing the overhead voltage required to drive the load. The driver’s power efficiency and high integration reduces the amount of circuitry required on the bus, allowing customers to add more spacecraft functionality and processing power. Intersil | www.intersil.com

Microchip eXpands faMily of liVe-updaTeaBle conTrollers for digiTal power Microchip announces the new dspic33ep128gs808 family of high-performance, live-updateable dspic® digital signal controllers (dscs). The new devices offer up to 128 KB of dualpartition flash memory with live-update capability, advanced analogue features and enhanced core independent peripherals (cips) suitable for high-end digital power applications such as ac/dc power supplies, dc-dc converters, power inverters and advanced lighting applications. These devices offer high-resolution pulse width modulators optimised for digital power applications. in addition, the devices include advanced analogue features and peripherals. There are five separate high-speed 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter (adc) modules, each with 300 ns conversion latency. up to 22 input channels are shared across these five adc units. There are also four analogue comparators, each with their own dedicated 12bit reference digital-to-analogue converter (dac); and two programmable gain amplifiers to reduce external component count. new features include a peripheral trigger generator which is a user-programmable state machine that can respond to events faster than a firmware-driven implementation while off-loading the processor for other tasks. in addition, a four-channel direct Memory access (dMa) unit is included to further increase the controller’s overall system performance. These devices also have www.international.electronica-azi.ro

configurable logic cells that can be used to create combinatorial pulse width Modulation (pwM) signals for advanced applications or to minimise the need for external glue logic in the design. They also contain up to two can communication interfaces for automotive and industrial applications. The new additions to the family of dspic® dscs include variants which are offered in an 80pin package giving designers increased memory and more interface pins to fulfil the requirements of more sophisticated designs. Microchip Technology | www.microchip.com/dsPIC33EP128GS808

NEWS puls din rail power supplies aVailaBle To cusToMers gloBally Through digi-Key puls’ line of efficient din rail power supplies is now available for immediate shipment worldwide from digi-Key electronics, a global electronic components distributor, as a result of a new distribution agreement. puls is the world leader in din rail power supplies and focuses on offering customers a steady supply of reliable and technicallyadvanced products that are easy to install and operate. “We are excited to work with Digi-Key to offer PULS products worldwide to their broad customer base,” said Matt Biskner, l.p. president & general Manager at puls. “Digi-Key’s knowledgeable technical support, excellent customer service, and global presence combined with PULS’ extensive offering of the world’s most efficient DIN rail power supplies should enable more design engineers to select the best PULS power supply for their individual application requirements.” puls’ solutions are ideal for automotive, Building automation, railway, Material handling, renewable energy, and Machine Building applications.

“We are thrilled to partner with PULS, and to leverage their engineering knowledge, resources and energy to continue to offer our customers the highest quality and efficiency din rail power supplies available in the Industrial Power market,” said Tom Busher, Vp, global i p & e at digi-Key. “Engineers and Technicians now have access to a broad product offering that will allow them to select the best solution for their power applications and projects.” Digi-key Electronics | www.digikey.com

MuraTa adds 94% efficienT, 90a, pMBus™ coMplianT pol dc-dc conVerTers TargeTed for fpga & processor power applicaTions Murata further expands its oKd series of digital pol dc-dc converters by launching the 90 a/162 w oKdx-T/90 series from Murata power solutions. This is the highest current-rated product in the oKd series, which already provides solutions from 6 a to 60 a. The oKdx-T/90 series is ideally suited for fpga & processor applications. The module is specified to operate over a Vin range of 7.5V to 14V and provides a user-adjustable Vout in the range of 0.6V to 1.8Vdc with industry leading efficiency of 94%. The oKdx-T/90 is available in three different package configurations: 1. sip measuring just 2.0 × 0.37 × 0.75in (50.8 × 9.51 ×19.05mm), 2. horizontal mounting Th (Through-hole), and 3. sMT versions measuring 2.0 × 0.75 × 0.39in (50.8 × 19.05 × 10mm). The oKdx-T/90 is ideal for space-constrained embedded applications where performance is critical to the application. critical performance parameters are fully accessible through the pMBus™ via the Murata power designer gui software. The oKdx-T/90w12 series converters are delivered with a default firmware configuration suitable for a wide operating range in terms of input voltage, output voltage, and loading conditions. The oKdx-T/90 operates over a Vin range from 7.5V to 14V; Vout can be adjusted from 0.6V to 1.8V, with a typical efficiency of 94% with 12Vin, at 1.8V out and 50% load. The converter’s proprietary digital control power management functions include a range of advanced performance-enhancing features. its non-linear transient response greatly improves the dynamic response time, reducing Vout deviation due to large load changes; phase spreading reduces input capacitor requirements and efficiency losses. The synchronization feature eliminates beat frequency reflection, resulting in less eMi filtering, and digital 36

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current sharing ensures near 100% current sharing accuracy with up to four modules operating in parallel. The converters provide dynamic loop compensation, where the feedback loop parameters are automatically calculated and configured depending on the unique application-specific operating conditions. additional standard features include output short circuit, over current, over voltage, over temperature, and input under voltage protection. Voltage margining, tracking, power good, remote sense, and remote on/off are also features commonly used in advanced power architectures. all of the oKdx-T/90-w12’s standard and advanced features can be configured via the Murata power designer software (gui), which includes a high-precision simulation tool. Murata | www.murata.com

POWER SUPPlIES

powerBoX’s coTs/MoTs power supplies MaKe MeeTing highly deManding applicaTions a realiTy powerbox, one of europe’s largest power supply companies and a leading force for four decades in optimizing power solutions for demanding applications, has announced the release of its new defense line of ruggedized power solutions for highly demanding environments. The launch includes seven series of new power supplies, comprising three dc/dc (daa-daB-dac), four ac/dc (dBa-dBB-dBc-dBd) and embracing a power range from 50w up to 1,200w. in metal chassis format with a baseplate for conduction cooling, the dax and dBx series can be used with a baseplate operating temperature range of -40 up to +100°c. for extremely demanding applications they can be configured with a conformal coating and mechanically ruggedized as well as electrically ruggedizing to withstand harsh transients and demanding eMc performance requirements as required with most common defense, marine, avionics, rugged industrial and railway standards. designed for high availability, short time-to-market and to meet commercial and military off-the-shelf (coTs/MoTs) business models, the modular build style of the dax and dBx series allows up to six outputs which can be connected in serial, parallel or used as a standalone output – very versatile products. ready to use, defense line dc/dc daa/daB/dac power supplies include a very efficient input filter, reverse voltage protection internal diode, input transient protection and an internal

fuse to protect against damage in the event of failure. each output is protected against accidental and permanent short-circuit situations. an internal over-temperature circuit (oTp) protects the units in the case of over-heating, with automatic recovery. To cover the large range of applications in defense or ruggedized industrial areas, the daa/daB/dac series is available for use with five input bus voltages, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 110Vdc and with a large range of output voltages from 3.3Vdc up to 48Vdc. each output voltage is adjustable, and higher power outputs are compensated using the provided senses. Powerbox | www.prbx.com

powerBoX’s paTricK le fèVre To presenT “sMarT grid securiTy” aT apec 2017 powerbox, one of europe’s largest power supply companies and a leading force for four decades in optimizing power solutions for demanding applications, has announced that chief Marketing and communications officer patrick le fèvre will present a paper on the subject of ‘smart grid security’ at the applied power electronics conferences (apec). involved from the very early days with projects to add communication and intelligence to power supplies - which became known as “digital power” - patrick le fèvre has frequently been asked about software security and how prepared the power supplies industry is to address such issues. although there is very little risk of a hacker reaching a single digital-pol at board level, the security risk increases exponentially as we move upward in the value chain, and in doing so the smart grid is probably the highest and the most exposed to attacks. in february 2016, the us department of homeland security (dhs) issued an alert, reporting a case that had happened in december 2015 in ukraine, raising the information to a high level of attention by smart grid operators, motivating them to accelerate protection mechanisms and to develop preventative actions policies. in his presentation, patrick le fèvre will go through the history of the smart grid and talk about different cases that illustrate the growing threat, as well as explaining initiatives that will make the www.international.electronica-azi.ro

grid better protected against attacks. step by step, the worldwide smart grid is getting stronger and safer, although the potential for threats remains high. Join us at apec (26 – 30, 2017 in Tampa, florida) to meet our experts and to listen to le fèvre’s presentation on Thursday 30th of March, industry session 20 ‘energy Management – smart Micro-grid’. Powerbox | www.prbx.com

NEWS sengled eleMenT led BulBs connecT To The ioT wiTh silicon laBs ZigBee Technology silicon labs is providing best-in-class zigbee® technology for the award-winning element connected light bulb from sengled. silicon labs’ wireless socs and zigbee stack enable element bulbs to connect easily to multi-node mesh networks deployed in smart homes. sengled creates intelligent lighting products that integrate consumer electronics with energy-saving led bulbs. using ios and android apps or popular smart home ecosystems, consumers can control element bulbs individually or as groups, customize an array of smart lighting features, and schedule lights to turn on automatically in the evening or off during daylight hours to conserve energy. The element bulb’s sleek, modern design fits seamlessly into existing light sockets and complements contemporary home decor. The sengled element combines the unmatched energy efficiency of an led bulb with advanced features such as customizable scheduling, color temperature tuning (soft white 2700K to daylight 6500K) and energy tracking, all controlled through cloud-connected wireless technology. an element bulb uses 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, offers a 60 w output equivalent while using only 9.8 w and is rated to last approximately 22 years. The sengled element bulb was selected as a 2017 ces honoree in the eco-design and sustainable Technologies category. Zigbee is a leading wireless mesh networking protocol for connected lighting applications. Based on the widely adopted ieee 802.15.4 standard and operating in the 2.4ghz band, zigbee provides the

scalability, interoperability, reliability, energy efficiency and security features required for wireless smart lighting control. silicon labs is the industry’s leading supplier of zigbee mesh networking technology for internet of Things (ioT) applications including connected lighting. To date, silicon labs has shipped more than 100 million mesh networking socs and modules to customers worldwide. Sengled | www.sengled.com Silicon labs | www.silabs.com

Third european Mcu car rally coMpeTiTion showcases sTudenT creaTiViTy wiTh sTaTe-of-The-arT renesas soluTions aT eMBedded world 2017 renesas electronics europe announced that the third Mcu car rally competition will take place at the occasion of the embedded world student day on March 16, 2017 in nuremberg, germany. in order to participate, students must develop a functioning racing car based on electronic components and software from renesas. The competition attracts students from universities all over europe. The 2017 competition marks the first time that renesas will hand out an innovation award for the team that adds the most creative and advanced enhancements to the microcontroller (Mcu)-based model car in terms of design, construction, technology, ecology and performance. for example, students may swap the sensor that guides the car along the track for a camera. since the first rally held in 2015, the par38

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ticipation has grown from 16 teams and 96 students to 30 teams comprised of 150 students. They worked on their designs for a full semester in preparation for this year’s race. The competition gives final-year engineering students the opportunity to develop a real product using state-of the-art solutions from renesas, including the rX family of 32bit microcontrollers (Mcus) that combine excellent operation performance with superior power efficiency. The 30 teams include students from universities in austria, Bulgaria, germany, france, romania, serbia, Turkey and the uK. The Third european Mcu car rally competition for students at embedded world 2017 will start on 16th March 2017 at 10:00 in the foyer (at entrance Mitte) just in front of hall 1. Renesas Electronics Europe www.renesas.com