EP&Dee no 2 - February 2013

FEBRUARY, 2013 足 ISSUE NO. 2, VOL. 11

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

EP&Dee ELECTRONICS

PRODUCTS

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DESIGN

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EASTERN

THE EAST EUROPEAN RESOURCE FOR EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS

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Savour the music p16

FEBRUARY 2013 Table of Contents

Win a Microchip enhanced mTouch™ Capacitive Touch Evaluation Kit!

EDITORIAL 5 Electronics losers & winners in 2012 INDUSTRY NEWS 6 New wave of connected 32-bit MCUs Farnell element 14 Technical Marketing Manager Bee Thakore examines the latest industry developments.

8 Sleep lab for your iPhone COVER STORY Savour the music in perfected form Music enthusiasts with high expectations place considerable value in the perfect sound and top audiophile technology. This desired sound experience is something that AVM creates with its high-end hi-fi components. To achieve this, the company makes use of the expertise and products of the European broadline distributor Rutronik.

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EP&Dee is offering its readers the chance to win a Microchip enhanced mTouch™ Capacitive Touch Evaluation Kit. The enhanced mTouch Capacitive Evaluation Kit (P/N DM183026-2) provides a simple platform for developing a variety of capacitive touch sense applications using PIC16F, PIC18F, PIC24F, PIC24H and PIC32 microcontrollers. The Diagnostic Tool provided allows the user to analyze application-critical information in real-time as it relates to touch sensor behavior.

DESIGN FEATURES 10 SMARC – New Computer-on-Module standard for ARM/SoC processors Smart Modules for Smart Mobility With Smart Mobility ARChitecture, or SMARC™, SGET has ratified the first manufacturer-independent Computer-on-Module standard for purebred ARM/SoC designs.

14 DSCs Enable New Control and Flexibility in Inverter Design A world leader in power-conversion technology required an inverter design that was flexible and easily adjustable.

20 Who’s Managing Your Power Management?

22 MOSFET vs IGBT - conscious choice 24 Going off-grid with solar power The cost of solar power is falling to the point where it is no longer the barrier to entry that it used to be for many off-grid applications.

28 Bluetooth Smart the unknown feature To most users, Bluetooth is well known as a wireless transmission technology used to transfer information to nearby devices. Smartphones, notebooks, MP3 players have it, as do headphones, watches, clocks and cars.

30 Electromobility: the power behind transportation today The ever more stringent requirements for energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions are leading car manufacturers to increasingly depend on on-board electrical components.

32 Tale of the tape PRODUCT NEWS Embedded Systems (p 5, 7, 9, 34, 35, 36) Active Components (p 18. 38, 39, 40) Lighting (p 42) Display (p 43) Passive Components (p 44) 7

Managing Director Ionela Ganea Accounting Ioana Paraschiv Advertisement Irina Ganea WEB Eugen Vărzaru © 2013 by Eurostandard Press 2000

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For your chance to win a Microchip enhanced mTouch™ Capacitive Touch Evaluation Kit, visit: http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-encap and enter your details in the online entry form.

34 Group Publisher Director Gabriel Neagu

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

These evaluation boards are intended to be used to develop a capacitive touch sense application using Microchip’s mTouch Sensing Solution technologies.

A board is used by first connecting a sensor daughter board, and then supplying power to the board via USB, a PICkit™ 3 In-Circuit Programmer/Debugger, or the PICkit Serial Analyzer.

The enhanced kit now contains 4 motherboards featuring PIC16F1937, PIC18F46J50, PIC24FJ64GB106 and PIC32MX795F512H microcontrollers. It also contains four sensor daughter boards consisting of a Direct 8-Key Board, 12-Key Matrix Sensor Board, 4-channel Slider Sensor Board and 2-Channel Slider Sensor Board.

Also included in the kit is a PICkit Serial Analyzer and USB cable.

Contributing editors Radu Andrei Ross Bannatyne Consulting Marian Blejan Bogdan Grămescu Mihai Savu Asian Reprezentative Taiwan Charles Yang Tel: +886­4­3223633 charles@medianet.com.tw

EP&Dee Web page: www.epd­ee.eu EP&Dee Subscriptions: office@epd­ee.eu

EUROSTANDARD PRESS 2000 Tel.: +40 31 805 9955 Fax: +40 31 805 9887 office@esp2000.ro www.esp2000.ro VAT Registration: RO3998003 Company number: J03/1371/1993

EP&Dee (Electronics Products & Design ­ Eastern Europe) is published 10 times per year in 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l.

It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Starting on 2010, this magazine is published only in digital format.

Copyright 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Microchip Adds Bluetooth® Module for Streaming Audio; Complete Certified Wireless Solution Key Facts: • •

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Electronics losers & winners in 2012 A look back and a look ahead at the top trends in the global electronics industry.

1. Japan’s Decline The Semiconductor Industry Association was formed 30 years ago in response to the competitive threat posed at the time by Japan’s semiconductor industry. Recall that Intel had recently exited the memory business (in hindsight, a brilliant move) and other chip makers like Siemens and Texas Instruments were wishing they had got out at the same time.

Fast forward 30 years and the Japanese semiconductor industry finds itself in dire straits. We see that many iconic Japanese electronics that are consolidating to survive. Sharp is perhaps the weakest and but Fujitsu and Renesas also are struggling.

What happened? My analysis is that making huge bets on commodity businesses is inherently risky, and there are no more risky businesses than memory and displays. Hence, “Japan Inc.” put itself in harm’s way and underestimated the market power of Samsung and Micron.

Thirty years ago, Japanese companies were respected for their innovation and consumer marketing prowess (think Sony, Canon and Panasonic) but something happened in the 1990’s that stifled innovation and slowly asphyxiated Japan Inc. Was it simply due to the Innovators Dilemma working on a national scale? Or was the advantage provided by manufacturing excellence simply not sustainable?

2. The Chinese are (still) coming The parallel to the fall of the Japan over the last 30 years has been the rise of China.

One need only look at Shenzhen, which hardly existed 30 years ago and today has 11 million people and is the electronics manufacturing center of the world. It is no secret that there are many more semiconductor startups in China today than anywhere else in world, including Silicon Valley. However, they largely serve the domestic industry by trying to displace foreign-made parts in high volume designs.

How long will it take these companies to move up the value curve (Innovators Dilemma in action again) and come to the U.S. design market to compete with the big guys?

My take is that the trend is just beginning: We have seen mainland Chinese semi companies starting to appear on the Silicon 60 list and reaching out to tell their story.

Are these Chinese companies emerging as a real force in the global industry? There is little evidence of this in 2012, but it’s a trend to watch in 2013. n (inspired and adapted from EE Times)

Radu Andrei

Simple to use on-board stack and profiles Expands wireless portfolio with support for streaming music and voice Exceedingly low power and compact surface-mount module

Microchip announces the expansion of its wireless product portfolio with a certified Bluetooth® Audio Module that supports audio for voice and music.

audio accessories. Microchip’s RN52 module, which is based on technology acquired from Roving Networks, has the Bluetooth stack on board.

Integrating the stack on the module provides a simple-touse and robust design model that works with any microprocessor or microcontroller, helping designers to get their accessories to market faster.

The RN52’s embedded Bluetooth stack includes the popular SPP, A2DP, HFP/HSP

Bluetooth® Audio Evaluation Kit (Part # RN52-EK) The RN52 module provides and AVRCP profiles, as well as extremely low power consumpthe iAP for use with iPhone® and tion in a small, surface-mount iPod®. In addition, the RN52 supform factor and ports a variety includes standard of audio codecs, Bluetooth audio such as SBC, and data profiles aptX®, AAC for all smartand MP3. phone platforms.

To make designThese features ing RN52-based makes it easy for Bluetooth designers to add accessories even high-quality wirefaster, Microchip less audio, comis also introbined with data ducing the capabilities, into Bluetooth Audio a broad range of Evaluation Kit – applications, such part number as wireless stereo RN-52-EK. Bluetooth® Audio speakers, headThis new kit is Evaluation Kit phones, automoavailable today (Part # RN52-I/RM) tive hands-free, for $169.95. medical devices The RN52 and computer accessories.

Bluetooth Audio Module - part The advantages of wireless tech- number RN-52-I/RM is available nology, together with the rapidly today in a compact, surfaceexpanding smartphone and mount form factor. tablet markets, are driving the MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY demand for Bluetooth wireless www.microchip.com/get/B4WL www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

New wave of connected

32-bit MCUs

by Bee Thakore European Technical Marketing Manager Farnell element14

A new breed of 32-bit devices are targeting the healthy market share that traditionally 16-bit devices supported, bringing new possibilities for the Internet of Things and making smarter systems possible whilst being more energy efficient. Farnell element 14 Technical Marketing Manager Bee Thakore examines the latest industry developments.

To see what’s influencing MCU manufacturers we should look at regional and application specific drivers. According to the latest iSuppli IHS study on the Chinese MCU Market, the top growth areas are Data Processing (growing at a CAGR of 12%) and MCU Application (CAGR of 7%) with the industrial and automotive electronics markets driving this growth as international and domestic automotive manufacturers expand production capacity in China. Developers have seen a broader offering added to proprietary 32-bit cores with MCUs based on ARM Cortex processors, so they are no longer locked into only a few providers of proporietary architectures. A large and growing ecosystem has developed around ARM processor-based MCUs including third-party tools for compilers, real-time operating systems, software stacks, LCD graphics and more. Given the above demand drivers and driven by the success of the ARM Cortex licensable core, the 32-bit segment is the fastest growing area of the MCU market.

New families of MCUs based on the Cortex-M3 and –M0 cores are tempting engineers to migrate their 8-bit and 16-bit designs.

Powering the internet of things ARM announced its ‘Flycatcher’ architecture in March 2012, suggesting that fridges and other white goods, medical equipment, energy meters and home and office lighting will all benefit from being able to connect to each other to form distributed smart systems.

Flycatcher, whose official name is the CortexM0+, is specifically designed for devices which cannot be attached to an electricity supply

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and must run off batteries. The Cortex–M0+ architecture is designed to provide chip-makers with the means to build microcontrollers that require “ultra low power” but are capable of 32-bit processing.

The Cortex-M0+ core CPUs are as small as 1x1 sq mm and the MCUs should draw around a third less energy than their predecessors, which only offered 8 and 16-bit capabilities. Design has been created to be a low leakage part to offer long sleep or standby battery life – almost running into years rather than months. Devices incorporating such connectivity and long life Freescale Freedom development platform

performance could form an integral part of smarter energy systems, forming a ‘design response’ where they can come on or go into standby thus helping to smooth out peaks and troughs of electricity demand. Today, there is an estimated 12.5bn internet connected devices, an average of two per person, and many of these are phones or computers. In 2025, according to IT firm Cisco, there will be 1 trillion such devices. ARM expected microcontrollers will sell for around 13-20 pence per device and it will charge its clients about a 1-2% royalty fee from that price on top of a licence charge.

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Quick off the mark: The Kinetis-L range NXP Semiconductors and Freescale have already licensed the Cortex-M0+ architecture.

Freescale was the lead customer for the M0+, launching the Kinetis-L range. Geoff Lees, VP of Freescale's industrial and multimarket MCU business, said the M0+ core is 'strategically important'. "We're looking at giving our 8 and 16bit customers a worthwhile step into the 32bit market. And cost is a 'must have' to convince them to start evaluation."

The M0+ core is rated at 1.77CoreMark/MHz, with an energy efficiency of 42.14Core Mark/nA – both values significantly better than the nearest 8 and 16 bit competitors. In distributed smart systems, as there are so many interconnections, energy efficiency in one device repeated across many offers significant savings.

Enhancements to the Cortex-M0+ processors The Kinetis-L family is manufactured using Freescale’s low-leakage, 90 nm thin film storage (TFS) process technology and is offered with a broad selection of on-chip flash memory densities and extensive analogue, connectivity and HMI peripheral options including:

• 2-stage pipeline enabling faster branch instruction execution with fewer clock cycles and minimu power consumption • 2× to 10× more performance than legacy 8- and 16-bit architectures • World leading energy efficiency, maximizing battery life and enabling smaller, lighter applications • Single-cycle I/O and peripheral access improving reaction time to external events • Linear 4 GB address space removing complex paging schemes and simplifying software architecture • A micro trace buffer provides a simple, low-cost debugging solution that allows faster bug identification and correction without the need for additional I/O resources Furthermore, the Kinetis-L series benefits from a comprehensive enablement package standard for Kinetis devices, consisting of the Freescale CodeWarrior IDE, MQX RTOS and associated middleware, as well as support from the extensive ARM ecosystem.

Freescale Freedom development platform The first of Freescale’s ultra low power evaluation system for rapid prototyping and demonstrating the Cortex-M0+ capability was the Freedom KL25Z launched in July 2012 and has been flying the flag high for Cortex-M0+.

It combines an industry standard form factor with a rich set of third party expansion board options. An integrated USB debug interface offers an easy-to-use mass storage device mode flash programmer, a virtual serial port, classic programming and run control applications.

In late 2012, Freescale followed the Freedom KL25Z with a new cheaper Freedom KL05Z platform based on the Kinetis-KL0 MCUs. The Kinetis KL0 family is the entry point into the Kinetis L Series MCUs based on the ARM® Cortex™-M0+ processor. Pin compatible with our 8-bit S08P family, the Kinetis KL0 family provides a bridge for 8-bit customers migrating into the Kinetis portfolio and is software and tool compatible with all other Kinetis L families.

The FRDM-KL05Z is a useful alternative because of the different clock configurations for ultra-low power applications for engineers wanting to speed up development or build for applications such as small appliances, gaming accessories, portable medical systems, audio systems, smart meters, lighting and power control. The world of 32bit is opening up to all.

Developers can order both devices from Farnell element14 and can find tutorials and detailed technical resources on element14 alongside enablement software instantly. n Full product specifications are available at http://bit.ly/FRDM-KL05Z

PLS’s Universal Debug Engine (UDE) 4.0.2: Optimized debugging solution for the new ARM® Cortex™-M0 core-based XMC1000 microcontroller family of Infineon PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme presents an optimized test and debugging solution, the Universal Debug Engine (UDE) version 4.0.2, for the new ARM® Cortex™-M0 core-based 32-bit microcontroller family XMC1000 of Infineon Technologies that delivers 32-bit performance at 8-bit prices.

Both the UDE 4.0.2 and PLS's Universal Access Device family seamlessly support the internal debugging resources and peripheral units of the highly integrated XMC1000 components developed for use in intelligent sensor and actuator applications, LED controls, digital power conversion, and controllers for low-end electric motors, for example. The integrated FLASH/OTP programming functionality of the UDE guarantees maximum speeds in the whole Delete-DownloadProgramming-Verify cycle.

In order to be able to offer

developers as many internal debugging options as possible despite the compact design – the new MCUs are accommodated in TSSOP packages with 16, 28 and 38 pins maximum – Infineon has implemented a series of different boot modes in the microcontrollers. These contain access via a serial bootstrap loader for simple FLASH pro-

gramming, Serial Wire Debug (SWD) as the standard ARM® Cortex™ processor debugging interface and a single pin debug mode designed by Infineon to yield more I/O pins for the application. The various boot modes are configured automatically by using the UDE 4.0.2 and a universal access device. The devices supplied ex works in

serial bootstrap loader mode are thus, for example, reconfigured to SWD mode transparently for the user when connected to the debugger.

The various possibilities for graphically displaying variables and their links to physical values within the Universal Debug Engine benefit above all from the real-time properties of the XMC1000 family. For example, it is possible for the debugger to read and write the entire main memory whilst a program is running without impairing real-time behavior. This permits the animation of variables, registers and memory content at runtime.

In addition, the periodic recording of the instruction counter permits a profiling function with portrayal of the percentage share of functions in the application’s runtime.

PLS PROGRAMIERBARE LOGIK & SYSTEME www.pls-mc.com

www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Sleep lab for your iPhone Is your snoring keeping your mate up at night? An Israeli app monitors and records your nocturnal noises for medical analysis.

by Rivka Borochov Snoring can rattle the house and wake up your spouse. When it’s really bad, it can even break up marriages. Now it’s possible to download an app from Israel for your iPhone or Android to help you solve your marital woes.

At $5, Snoring U is a little sleep lab rolled up inside your iPhone, tablet or Android device.

It was built by three Israeli entrepreneurs who believe that knowing you have a snoring problem is the first step to getting it treated.

Sleeping U gets turned on at your bedside before you go to sleep and it will record and monitor all the noises made during a regular night’s sleep. It can identify snoring, wheezing and coughing, and actually record the sounds of snoring patterns as they progress through the night. You can program the application to send you a “nudge” by way of a battery vibration or sound alarm chosen by you.

According to Avshalom Ben-Zoor, CEO of Personal Technologies-Health Monitoring, the developers of Snoring U, about 80 percent of all people who snore are completely in denial.

“Snorers don’t hear themselves. And yes, I am a snorer and denied it as well –– until I heard myself,” admits Ben-Zoor.

This straightforward tool in effect functions like a small, but powerful sleep lab, which can provide data readouts for sleep diagnosticians, he says.

“I believe all sleep disorders are treatable,” says Ben-Zoor. “We are that first step.”

Sometimes snoring may be cured by changing sleep positions, buying a new pillow or, in some cases, surgery.

Although Snoring U is not a medical device, it was built in consultation with a leading Israel sleep and internal pulmonary medicine specialist, Dr. Naveh Tov. The others on the creative team were Ben-Zoor and Ilan Aisic. At least two of them are admitted snorers and together they aim to help people worldwide sleep better.

Snoring in Chinese or Japanese?

In fact, the initial idea came to Aisic one night, when -- like many nights before -- his wife woke up several times asking him to shift positions to stop his snoring. The computer engineer took his idea to his partners and the com-

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pany was founded by the beginning of 2012.

The company counts 100,000 downloads to

date, and some users have reported getting better sleep because of the app, says Ben-

Snoring U is a simple download seeking to change your nighttime habits for the better.

A Snoring U analysis

INDUSTRY NEWS Zoor. All these downloads have come without any dedicated money in advertising, but the founders are hoping for a $2 million investment to help market their solution.

The program is available with support in multiple languages in addition to English, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, Russian and French.

Sleeping U is a second application that is available for download for free.

It has the same basic functions as Snoring U, including the ability to record and play back your snores, but the Sleeping U version won’t “nudge” you awake at night when your snoring gets out of control.

Health benefits accompany early treatment Besides the irritation factor, snoring can be a symptom of more serious medical problems, such as sleep apnea, which can have severe health consequences including a higher risk for heart disease and accidents.

Physician colleagues of Dr. Tov who have seen the app are therefore excited about it.

“The feedback has been great,” Ben-Zoor says.

“The response has been extremely positive.”

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS GizmoSphere Launches an AMD APU-Based Gizmo Board for Embedded Systems Inventors and Hobbyists AMD announced that the newly launched Gizmo board, a low-cost board geared toward x86-based embedded system development available from GizmoSphere, is powered by an AMD Embedded G-Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). Gizmo is a 4inch by 4-inch x86 development board that can run a variety of operating systems including Android, Linux®, RTOSes and Windows®. AMD is a founding member of GizmoSphere, a not-for-profit organization whose collective goal is to drive and enable technology projects of interest to independent developers, with a focus on stimulating and encouraging innovation around multicore heterogeneous computing using APUs. The Gizmo board includes the GT40E dual-core processor running at 1.0 GHz, combined on a single die with AMD Radeon™ HD 6250 discrete-class graphics. The board provides a performance capacity of 52 gigaFLOPS (GFLOPS) at less than 10 watts. Custom high- and lowspeed edge connectors enable a full

range of functions. This unprecedented level of integration between serial and parallel processing offers a power-efficient foundation for high-performance multimedia content delivery across a

broad range of embedded designs such as digital signage, x86 set-top box (xSTB), IP-TV, thin client, information kiosk, point-of-sale, casino gaming, media servers and industrial control systems.

AMD www.amd.com

IAR Systems further improves ease of use for developers of Atmel AVR 8-bit applications If Avshalom Ben-Zoor looks like he’s had a good night’s sleep, it may be due to his Snoring U app.

Going the extra mile and getting US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is a milestone the company would like to achieve if they had the right investment, but meanwhile it’s not the highest priority.

“We want to bring it through the FDA but this requires dramatic investment and expenses and it will make our product more expensive.

Now it is very cheap and affordable while at the same time is simple and accurate,” says Ben-Zoor.

The readouts that can be given to doctors and sleep labs have some powerful predictive possibilities, and what’s even better is that Snoring U can non-invasively monitor you from your own home over a week, month or even a year.

It’s still debatable how effective diagnoses are in sleep labs since many problematic sleepers don’t sleep well in settings that aren’t home.

Snoring U may very well help you roll over to sleep better, and forego that visit to the sleep lab. n

IAR Systems® launches a new version of its high-performance development tools for Atmel AVR 8-bit microcontrollers. IAR Embedded Workbench® for AVR, version 6.20, adds a new user-friendly text editor and source browser, new debugger functionality, and support for additional devices. The text editor introduced in this version facilitates coding through time-saving functionality such as code completion, parameter hints, code folding, block select and indent, bracket matching, zooming and word/paragraph navigation.

The new and improved source browser simplifies project navigation by introducing functionality that, for example, lets users go directly to a selected declaration, or find all references to a selected symbol. New in the comprehensive C-SPY® Debugger is support for the possibility to attach to a running target.

This functionality simplifies and speeds up debugging by letting users attach the debugger to a running target board without resetting it. This version of IAR

Embedded Workbench for AVR uses IAR Systems’ new license management system (LMS), which introduces features like commuter licenses, automatic license activation, and support for virtual servers. The new LMS makes it easier to administrate

and manage licenses and a single installer concept enables easy transfer between different variants of IAR Embedded Workbench. The new version also includes support for additional AVR devices from several of the 8-bit AVR product families.

IAR SYSTEMS www.iar.com/ewarm www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

SMARC – New Computer-on-Module standard for ARM/SoC processors

Smart Modules for Smart Mobility

by Gerhard Szczuka Product Manager for Computer-on-Modules Kontron

With Smart Mobility ARChitecture, or SMARC™, SGET has ratified the first manufacturer-independent Computer-on-Module standard for purebred ARM/SoC designs. The specification was developed especially for Smart Mobility, with many stationary applications also profiting from these highly efficient SFF modules. While the standard has only just been published, already Kontron already has three different SMARC™ modules on offer: the Kontron SMARC-sAT30 with graphics-heavy NVIDIA Tegra 3, the especially widely several modules and scalable SMARC-siMX6 with Freescales i.MX6 single, dual and quad-core processors and the ultra low-power SMAR- sA3874 with Ti Sitara AM3874. evaluation platforms, as well as starter kits, are available on the market. This means that OEMs can start right away on their application development.

The new high-capacity ARM processors, as developed for modern smartphones and tablets, for example, impress developers with their high performance and low energy requirements. Thanks to these characteristics, manufacturers of long-term available, rugged industrial devices, machines and systems can implement solutions with these processors that they were not able to offer either with less complex ARM designs or with more capable x86 designs. Consequently, a very attractive gap in the market has been bridged by making

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a comparatively large graphics and computing performance available in the lower single-digit watt range.

Thanks to the low energy consumption, fanless, rugged and extremely compact system designs are now possible. Heat removal is often just a question of connection to the enclosure But as a rule an optimized SFF design like this requires a highly integrated individual design. An approach is needed that allows manufacturers and mechanical engineers to integrate this new class of processors

in their applications with the least possible design outlay.

Small form factor designs – ideally served with Computer-on-Modules For this, OEMs require finished building blocks that allow them a high level of design freedom and the compactness of a full custom design while still effectively minimizing development expenditures and risks. Computer-onModules (COMs) take exactly this approach.

They integrate the core components of a com-

DESIGN puter system such as the processor, relevant controllers, NAND memory and main memory on a highly integrated and and consequently compact COTS component.

The individual solution is designed via carrier boards to be developed in an applicationspecific fashion. They implement the signal lines from the module to the system interfaces and integrate additional application-specific components such as sensors or controllers.

Carrier boards offer developers a particularly high degree of design freedom for their size and shape: only the minimum footprint is defined via the module size. Due to the very sophisticated design and layout of Computeron-Modules, a carrier board is also noticeably easier and quicker to develop than a completely customized board.

Highly dynamic environment With this modular approach, the module manufacturer alone shoulders the integration outlay for the processor. That makes Computeron-Modules an ideal choice for efficient development of individual designs. Studies by IMS and VDC, from which you can derive an average annual growth rate of 25 percent for ARM-based COMs by 2016, show how big the need for such ARM building blocks is. This enormous growth will catapult the portion of ARM-COMs traded to just under 60 percent of the total COM market.

Following manufacturer-independent standards In anenvironment as dynamic as this, it is important for developers to bet on the right horse. They should therefore give preference to COM solutions with manufacturer-independent standardization. Ultimately, they clearly offer more design reliability than manufacturer-specific modules. For long-term success, these standards should have especially broad support among the manufacturers. And it’s not just the small and medium-sized ones, but more than anything the big manufacturers.

All for one, but not one for all One standard for all technologies however, is on the other hand not recommendable.

Manufacturer-independent standards have to be designed in a consistent and focused fashion. However, too many options that are not compatible with one another dilute the enforcement of a standard. Special forms, interim solutions and hybrid functions should be avoided, wherever possible. But is there such a Computer-on-Module standard that focuses on ARM/SoC designs?

Recognized COM standards previously available only for x86 architectures In the past, developers of ARM-based solutions had no support in the past under these conditions. Until recently, there was no

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Computer-on-Module standard adopted by an independent body that took the specific requirements of ARM/SoC processors into account. The existing module standards such as ETX® and COM Express®, which are the most significant COM standards worldwide, were developed for x86 architectures and are less suitable for ARM or SoC processor modules.

The reason is that, due to the very different requirements for the power supply of the components and the sometimes very different requirements in terms of interfaces, it makes little sense diluting these standards.

New interfaces = new module standard required Last but not least, ARM-SoCs also provide other interfaces than x86 platforms for similar tasks. MIPI interfaces are a good example for an energy-efficient display connection, and also the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) which is used for general peripheral connection, in contrast to Intel x86 where the SPI interface is only used for connection of a boot device.

ARM-based processors also provide other specific interfaces such as I²S or – very important – various camera ports. So far they are not available in the x86 standard feature set. If you take all this into account, it becomes apparent that all known COM concepts that were originally developed for x86 processors and I/Os are not ideally suitable for ARM designs.

extremely flat Computer-on-Modules and was almost immediately adopted by SGET. That underlines both the great need for a new manufacturer-independent form factor standard and also the impact of the new group.

This new standard means that customers profit from a reliable roadmap with a high level of long-term availability which also ensures the reusability of their investments. This high reuse factor makes it possible for OEMs to lower their costs and ensure quick market launch times. And they are also manufacturer-independent. Basically, users get exactly what made COM Express® in the x86 world the most-used module specification: a standard exactly tailored to the specific requirements. It provides them with an extensive eco system of scalable products and services with which they can implement new SFF applications quickly and reliably and obtain a reliable migration path.

Slight depth and compact footprint The SMARC™ specification describes extremely flat ARM/SoC-based, ultra low-power computer-on-modules. They define two module sizes: 'short' with 82 mm × 50 mm for extremely compact low-power designs and a larger one with 82 mm × 80 mm for possible future highercapacity SoCs with an increased space and cooling requirement.

The proven and inexpensive MXM 3.0 plug connector was chosen as connector.

With their interfaces optimized to low-power designs, ARM-SoC-based modules also require a specification optimized especially for ARM/SoC True module form factor Subsequently, a purebred ARM/SoC-centered module form factor is required for ARM-SoCbased building blocks. The feature set should correspond exactly to these new processor generations and in addition should have an especially small footprint suitable for SFF applications. This means that developers do not have to compromise or take x86 conventions into account that are not relevant on ARM/SoC designs . Kontron has taken on this task and submitted a suitable module draft to the Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies (SGET). This draft has now been officially ratified.

SMARC™ – the new SGET standard With ratification of the SMARC™ form factor specification, a dedicated standard for ARMbased building blocks now exists. SMARC stands for Smart Mobility ARChitecture. This architecture for ARM/SoC is characterized by

With its installation height of only 4.3 millimeters, especially flat designs such as tablets or wearable computers can be developed with an overall installation height that is less that one centimeter. On the electrical side, SMARC modules have a total of 314 pins. SMARC™ effectively provides 281 I/O signal lines. That is already 50 more than the old MXM 2.0 connector has altogether, for example. Consequently, clearly more dedicated interfaces can be specified as interoperable here. SMARC™ can thus support an extremely broad range of dedicated ARM and SoC processors, which also accommodates the heterogeneity of ARM processors.

Broad range of products from the very beginning And since this concept impressed not only the initiator from the very beginning, the first product lines already became available at the same time as the ratification of the new SMARC™ standard. www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

OEMs can directly resort to a broad range of Computer-on-Modules and evaluation boards.

Currently there is a choice of SMARC™ module families with ARM Cortex™ A8 or ARM Cortex™ A9 designs. The range extends from modules with the graphics-heavy NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 processor and Freescale's especially broadly scalable i.MX6 family with single-, dual- and quad-core processors, all the way to the ultra low-power Texas Instruments Sitara™ AM3874. By taking a closer look at the feature set of these new modules, the bandwidth which it can cover becomes apparent.

NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 modules for graphics-heavy applications SMARC™ modules on the basis of NVIDIA's Tegra® 3 quad-core processor with 1.2 GHz and ARM® Cortex™ A9 architecture are oriented to image-centric applications for markets such as POS/POI, infotainment, digital signage,

security and monitoring as well as medical and military technology. The integrated NVIDIAGeForce® GPU makes these processor modules especially interesting. In conjunction with ARM it currently delivers the highest graphics performance for up to two independent displays.

Among its outstanding performance features are HD video decoding, including MPEG2 and HD video encoding. In addition, they provide camera support via two dual-lane CSI-2 camera ports. Although they are based on the same processor technology as the highest-performance tablets and smartphones which are currently available in the consumer segment, they have the typical embedded long-term availability of seven years.

Freescale i.MX6 modules for highly scalable ultra low-power applications Attractive graphics are also possible with the Freescale i.MX6 modules. But the versatility is -

thanks to the high level of scalability - even more impressive. Their 800MHz ARM® Cortex® A9 performance ranges from single and dual to quad-core. This scalability offers the option of developing entire product lines that facilitate a differentiation from the entry model to the high-end solution just by means of the module used. They are oriented to intelligent devices that require balanced processor and graphics performance. Depending on the SoC design, they integrate one or two independent graphics engines with up to four 3-D shaders for lifelike visualizations. A video decoder and encoder that can process videos up to full HD (1080 p) with 60Hz is also integrated.

Among the other advantages there is the above-average long-term availability of at least 10 years. In addition, the SMARC COMs equipped with this processor are developed

by Kontron to work in the extended temperature range of -40°C to +85°C.

Kontron SMARC-sAT30

Kontron SMARC-sAMX6i

Kontron SMARC-sA3874i

Form factor

82 mm × 50 mm (SMARC short)

82 mm × 50 mm (SMARC short)

82 mm × 50 mm (SMARC short)

Processor

NVIDIA Tegra 3

Freescale i.MX6

Ti Sitara™ 3874

ARM core

ARM Cortex A9

ARM Cortex A9

ARM Cortex A8

Core number

4+1

1 to 4

1

Tact rate

1.2 GHz

800 MHz

800 MHz

Graphics

ULP GeForce, 12 core, dual display support, HD video decode, HD video encode

1 or 2 engines, with up to 4 3-D shaders, dual display support, HD video decode, HD video encode

3-D acceleration, dual display support, HD video decode, HD video encode

Random access memory

1 or 2 GBytes DDR3

up to 2 GBytes DDR3

1 GByte DDR3

Flash memory

up to 64 GB NAND on module

up to 64 GB NAND on module

up to 32 GB NAND on module

Video outputs

Parallel LCD, 18/24-bit single-channel LVDS, HDMI

Parallel LCD, 18/24-bit single-channel LVDS, HDMI

Parallel LCD, 18/24-bit single-channel LVDS, HDMI

Camera inputs

2 × CSI-2, dual-lane

1 × PCAM, 1 × CSI

10-bit parallel interface

Ethernet

10/100/1000 Mbit/sec

10/100/1000 Mbit/sect

10/100/1000 Mbit/sec

Other I/Os

1 × PCIe, 3 × USB 2.0, SD card, eMMC, 2 × SPI, 5 × I²C, 3 × I²S, 4 × UART, 12 × GPIO, SPDIF, WDT, battery and system management, SATA

up to 3 × PCIe ×1, 3 × USB 2.0, MLB150, 12 × GPIOs, SDIO, SATA eMMC, 2 × SPI, 5 × I²C, 2 × I²S, SPDIF, WDT, 2 × CAN, battery and system management

1 × PCIe, 2 × USB 2.0, GPIO, 4 × I²C, 4 × I²S, 4x UART, 2 × CAN, battery and system management, SATA

Temperature range

0°C to 60°C

-40°C to +85°C

-40°C to +85°C

Average power consumption

est. 5 watts

tbd

est. 2 watts

Kontron OS support

Linux, Android ICS Linux, Android, Windows WEC7

Linux, Android, Windows WEC7

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DESIGN Ti Sitara™ AM3874 modules for energyand cost-sensitive applications The new modules based on the Texas Instruments Sitara™ AM3874 processor especially target cost-sensitive applications with the slimmer ARM® Cortex® A8 single-core design.

Their extremely low power consumption makes them attractive and, thanks to the extended temperature range of -40°C to +85°C, they effortlessly brave the effects of wind and weather and are thus ideally suited for outdoor installations. Ti-Sitara™ modules support 3-D graphics acceleration and HD video processing.

Two independent displays can be connected via 18/24-bit parallel LCD or 18/24-bit singlechannel LVDS and HDMI. In addition, a parallel camera interface is integrated. At other interfaces, for example, 2 × SPI, 4 × I²S, 4 x multifunctional I²C and a dual CAN bus are supported.

Standard carriers and custom designs Carrier boards for evaluation are also available for all these new SMARC™ modules. In accordance with the requirements of different ARM-based solutions for dedicated interfaces, they support various interfaces and various solid-state memories. But such a standard evaluation board could hardly meet the requirements of the individual SFF applications.

As a rule, an individual carrier board is required for the specific application. OEMs themselves can develop a fitting board design.

But alternatively, most suppliers also offer the development of application-specific carrier boards; for example, selected sales partners of Kontron are in a position to offer this service.

In addition, when larger quantities are required it makes sense to merge the module with the carrier into a full custom design. Most module manufacturers or their value-added resellers offer this too. However, the precondition for this is a suitable development team which also has the potential to implement the individual interfaces both on the hardware side as well as on the software side.

The second important building block – the software A standard-based hardware offer is only one building block within the complex structure of a low-power SFF application. The second important question is: What about the software support? Due to the dedicated design of the ARM processors and the accompanying closer linkage of hardware and software, application developers likewise require dedicated software support. This is especially the case due to the fact that the new processors also represent a completely new processor architecture for some of the new applications. So what are the main considerations?

The operating system support first counts for software-side application development: which OSs can be used and is the specific hardware configuration supported?

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Higher integration in the OS – BSP more and more important Each manufacturer can only answer individually for its modules. Nonetheless, general requirement profiles can be established. In accordance with the purpose of the new SFF applications, primarily slim operating systems that can be compiled as needed with a small storage footprint are in demand. Above all Linux, the Linux-based Android and Windows Embedded Compact 7 are interesting.

VxWorks including Hypervisor, QNX and Greenhills are suitable for hard real-time applications. According to all expectations, subsequent Windows versions are also becoming interesting.

In contrast to x86 platforms however, an approach such as was taken with x86 operating systems is not possible on ARM-SoCs: first run the operating system and identify missing drivers so as to then successively integrate them.

If dedicated components are added to the carrier board, they likewise have to be integrated in the boot loader. And just as application-specific BIOS configurations are required, they also have to be created for the boot loader. Here, too, the question is open as to who can help if boot loader expertise is needed. Ideally, this range of tasks should also be covered by the hardware module manufacturer, since this is wherethe most in-depth knowledge of the system is.

More software services from the hardware manufacturer Software services from hardware manufacturers are clearly gaining in significance. Customers should therefore make sure that the software department of the embedded hardware manufacturer is effective enough to also be able to implement these services. Many embedded manufacturers outsource these services.

Software services on the part of the hardware manufacturers clearly are gaining in significance so as to make entry into the ARM world as easy as possible for customers.

With ARM technology, the precondition has to be created already in the boot loader through integration and adaptation of the drivers to support the dedicated processor platform and the required peripherals. This results in a noticeably greater significance and implementation outlay for board support packages than is the case with x86 designs. If OEMs integrate additional components via the carrier board that are not part of the standard equipment for these processors, then of course their drivers also have to be integrated in the boot loader.

Therefore, a comprehensive board support package is an absolute must for ARM-based modules. If the service of the hardware manufacturer would actually include driver porting of the individual components used on the carrier board, that would be a bonus. A software department has to be available for this. Then it can also offer direct support when adapting the boot loader.

New terrain: boot loader instead of BIOS Where x86 technology relies on the BIOS, with ARM processors loading the firmware of the individual components is done via a boot loader. That indeed speeds up the booting process, but may be unfamiliar terrain for many OEMs.

But from the customer’s perspective it is clearly more efficient if the customer receives this service from a single source, directly from the module manufacturer. Companies such as Kontron offer software support in-house for the most part. The company has more than 1,000 development engineers worldwide. More than two thirds of them work in software development. n www.kontron.com Peter Müller says: “With the publication of the SMARC™ standard for ARM/SoC-based computer-on-modules, the embedded market has all manufacturerindependent standards for all footprints and performance ranges that are required.

The leading form factors worldwide by far, ETX®, COM Express® and in the future SMARC™, are strongly differentiated but have clearly sharpened profiles and don’t cannibalize one another. Those are the most important success criteria for designs that are viable in the long term. Some solutions do appear to be generally well-crafted. But they run the risk of being crushed between the more clearly oriented standards. For this reason, we recommend that our customers pay heed to this straightforwardness and focus. Customers can in any case get every solution they need with ETX®, COM Express® and SMARC™. What more could you want?” www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

POWER CONVERSION

in Inverter Design

by Victor Alcazar Market Development Manager - High Performance Microcontroller Division Microchip Technology Inc.

A world leader in power-conversion technology required an inverter design that was flexible and easily adjustable. Standalone inverters use DC power produced from solar modules or other sources in a battery, and make it available as AC power when required. Designers must be able to connect additional inverters per phase in parallel, or for three-phase operation in applications where the user’s power requirements vary from time to time. The power must be delivered efficiently and practically and inverters must be small and portable to enable use where there is no mains power available and where emergency back-up power is essential. These types of inverters must also be easy-to-use and maintainable onsite.

The customer’s inverter accepts a nominal battery voltage of 24V or 48V, weighs just 8kg and supplies a nominal output of 2200 VA at a maximum efficiency of 93%. Combining the charging technology and the inverter in a single unit achieves the goals of small size and portability.

The customer used an inverter architecture based upon a high-frequency transformer, comprising an input high-frequency power stage, a high-frequency transformer, an intermediate DC link and an output-power stage.

The standalone inverter relies on a small, high-

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frequency transformer that is unlike the bulky, heavy-duty and low-frequency transformers often deployed as an alternative.

The high-frequency concept means that the loads connected to the inverter are almost directly connected to the output stage without the attenuation often found in designs based upon low-frequency transformers. Therefore, all fluctuations on the load side can be regulated by the output-power stage. Implementing this architecture with efficiency and a highquality sine-wave output that conformed to

frequency, voltage and harmonic-distortion specifications was a major design challenge.

Connecting and switching the standalone inverters on the AC side, in parallel, together presented a subsequent challenge because a standalone inverter works as a voltage source.

This means it builds up its own stable output voltage and regulates the current, depending upon the connected loads. Therefore, when two or more voltage sources are connected but are not synchronised, the loads are asymmetrical and the current flows between the

DESIGN sources, resulting in power losses and no active power. This current flow can also damage the power sources.

A small phase shift between two voltage sources can also cause this asymmetrical scenario, resulting in a voltage difference between them and leading to a direct connection of voltage sources on the AC side.

This occurs because of very low resistance, resulting in a very high current flow between the inverters. The customer implemented a very fast, precise, control-and-communication algorithm to address this issue.

A modular design concept addressed the operational requirements of multiple standalone inverters operating in parallel. The back-up inverter works as a standard inverter (DC-toAC) and charges batteries out of an AC source (AC-to-DC), using the same power-electronics circuitry as a generator. As there are currently no inverters available on the market that support this functionality and rely on a high-frequency transformer architecture, a brand new interface and control strategy had to be developed. Figure 1 demonstrates how the customer conceived of an inverter system comprising four different function blocks, which are served by three different signal controllers: DC-to-DC, DC-to-AC and Display and User Interface.

POWER CONVERSION The customer researched available Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) and selected dsPIC DSCs which have power supply-friendly peripherals, such as counter-based Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) modules, analog comparator-based feedback and coordinated Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) sampling, coupled with fast multiplication in a single clock cycle. These dsPIC30F DSCs can deliver the high execution rates needed for the control-loop algorithms that the customer’s inverters needed.

External components, such as a reset controller, memory chips, an ADC and a Controller Area Network (CAN) controller were not needed due to the DSCs being highly integrated. The dsPIC30F DSCs offer execution rates of up to 30 MIPS and guarantee an increase in the efficiency and reliability of the inverter system. Smooth future upgrades became another selling point as the DSCs offer support for a wide range of operating voltages from 2.5V to 5.5V. The inverter design was flexible and modular; the DSCs offered varying densities of Flash and RAM, coupled with a variety of connectivity options. On the DC-to-DC power-stage function block, the dsPIC30F5015 DSC controls the high-frequency stage between the battery input and the high-frequency transformer.

This device was also used to precisely measure

the battery voltage and current. On the DCto-AC power stage, the dsPIC30F6010A was deployed to take the power-electronics circuitry through a patent-pending Proportional Integral (PI) control loop.

For the inverter’s front panel and display controls, the dsPIC30F6010A interfaces with the dsPIC30F5011 over the CAN bus. It also adjusts the inverter’s function modes based upon the user’s commands. The dsPIC30F5011 features 66 Kbytes of Flash memory and a CAN interface and the on-chip Flash memory helps to store all graphical icons for the inverter’s multilingual user interface. Users can step through the operating modes and menus with navigation keys on the front panel.

These highly-stable inverters, with fast response times based upon high-frequency transformer technology and a modular design, have the ability to connect in parallel. Up to five additional inverters per phase can be connected in parallel in a three-phase operation, for a total of 15 inverters in a system.

The customer was able to design a compact, multi-functional inverter that enables an autonomous supply of power without the need to connect to the public electricity grid thanks to Microchip’s dsPIC30F DSCs. n www.microchip.com

Figure 1: Standalone Inverter Functional Block Diagram. www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

15

COVER STORY

Hi-Fi

Savour the music in perfected form

Music enthusiasts with high expectations place considerable value in the perfect sound and top audiophile technology. This desired sound experience is something that AVM creates with its high-end hi-fi components. To achieve this, the company makes use of the expertise and products of the European broadline distributor Rutronik.

Hi-fi systems are becoming increasingly complex. Highly sensitive components provide a broad sound spectrum, and depending on the price range, can provide a good or even extraordinary music experience. However, this rising complexity also has a downside, namely that the perception of sound can be tarnished by undesired interference in all relevant audio frequency ranges.

This can be caused by any additionally connected AV equipment, computers or digital devices. Even network cables or NF connections can generate many of types of interference. Connoisseurs therefore ensure that components are refined are precise, those that

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are of higher quality and avoid these undesirable side effects.

If you're striving for absolutely first-class performance, you'll be well served by AVM. Perfect production, technologically state-ofthe-art, combined with timeless, clear design – this is how music aficionados know the products of AVM GmbH, the company founded as Audio Video Manufaktur in 1986 in the Baden-Wuerttemberg town of Malsch by Günther Mania. The goal of the manufacturer is to enable the customer to enjoy every piece of equipment using several senses – with sight, with touch, and in listening to the music.

At the core of this challenge of integrating

computer technology in the best way possible into high-quality hi-fi components is the renowned high standard of German engineering. The company's own research and development department has already received countless awards and titles around the world for its achievements. “In order to make this kind of quality possible, with high output and a perfect sound, we require suitable, highquality components,” explains Udo Besser, Managing Director and owner of AVM. “And we get these from Rutronik – together with consulting and design-in support wherever expertise on products, technology and the market come together.”

COVER STORY An award-winning monster of an amplifier This was the case with the modular preamplifier, the Ovation PA8. This device, which has received awards from specialist music magazines around the world, has been designed as a control unit for high-quality music playback and is therefore fitted with gold-plated conductors and connectors, among other things.

It is supplied in a solid aluminium housing with a blue illuminated, dimmable visual display and extensive menu functions. The numerous expansion opportunities enable the user to continually expand the preamplifier and adapt it to their specific needs. With eight connectors for input modules and three slots for output modules, the device is future-proof, is very easy to customise and can grow to meet requirements in the longer term.

With the PA8, AVM had set out from the start to develop a modular high-end preamplifier that would complete the Ovation line of products, which represented the highest quality segment. “We have extensively revised and consistently refined the technology in our products to provide more power, the perfect sound and reduce energy consumption. We include new technology that enhances music and the emotional experience. And only this technology”, said Günther Mania, Head of Development at AVM. Preamplifiers pass the signals from source equipment such as tuners, CD players and record players to the end device.

Characteristics that quantify the quality of this type of device are voltage gain, linearity, insensitivity to foreign signals and an extremely broad usable frequency range.

They also include low noise and a broad overload margin, in other words the ratio between the nominal and maximum input voltage, and these are keys during optimisation.

Preamplifiers generally have control elements that can change the output voltage or volume.

In analogue terms, these control elements are

Hi-Fi potentiometers or variable resistors. In digital technology, multipliers are used for example. “If you want to offer the music aficionado the best possible quality, you need to install the highest quality components. But the mass of components on the market with shorter and shorter lifecycles is making it increasingly difficult to keep track,” says Uwe Rahn, FAE Regional Manager at Rutronik. “As a specialist for electronic components with close relationships to the manufacturers, we can help our clients to select the appropriate parts from this mass.”

Quality takes precedence The engineers at AVM selected a high-quality component that exhibited superb audio quality specifically for the volume control of the Ovation PA8. Cutting costs in the quality of the audio and volume control ICs can cause the control voltage for the audio and volume inputs to drop and cause power surges, overheating or circuit faults. Moreover, discharges, voltage gains or cable reflection can also cause significant discharges within an amplifier. All of this can in turn considerably impair the quality of the sound and thus the perception of a music aficionado. This shows how the volume control is more than just something to reduce the signal and how it therefore had to meet AVM's high requirements.

Rutronik's expertise in the technical support and development of innovative products has served the Baden-Wurttemberg company well. The component distributor found what it was looking for with the Japanese specialist New Japan Radio (NJRC).

After acquiring samples and serial parts and presenting the products in question at AVM, it quickly became apparent which part would be integrated into the Ovation PA8 preamplifier.

The Muses 72320 volume control IC was selected. Of critical importance AVM was that the components should operate more dynamically with lower sound levels than other modules, but also handle surges of up to 18 volts.

Then came the 'lead frame'.

This lead frame is a measure of quality in the high-end sector and consists of oxygen-free and highly pure copper. This provides an extremely low level of crosstalk between the left and right channels, which influences the sound quality greatly. “The MUSES module continued to impress us with its broad volume range and low level of distortion and noise.

With a dynamic range of up to 111.5 dB, there is no noise to be heard here.

www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

17

COVER STORY Of the components that came into question, we believe that it has the best possible range of properties and is thus consistent with the state-of-the-art technology expected at AVM. This makes listening to music a truly emotional experience for music aficionados with the highest expectations,” said Rahn.

Hi-Fi Precision affects audio properties The MUSES 72320 chip controls the volume electronically via two channels.

A resistor, low distortion and an optimum signal/noise ratio for a low error rate during digital transmissions are responsible for the very good performance. All functions are controlled using a triple-channel serial bus.

The operating voltage is between 8.5 and 18V. In order to further influence the sound properties of the Ovation PA8, AVM required a number of other peripheral parts for the MUSES-IC. These too had to be carefully selected and tested for their suitability in terms of audio quality. After all, alongside the precision of a component, the sound is also of critical importance in AVM products. “Here we benefited from the broad range of products that Rutronik has to offer,” said Mania. “This not only enabled the specialists at Rutronik to help us with the selection, but also allowed us to be sure that the components worked ideally in combination with each other,

because this is the only way that we can create the end product that we expect.” In addition to the MUSES-IC from NJRC, other components were used in AVM's preamplifiers, including microcontrollers from Microchip and highquality capacitors and resistors from Vishay.

Uwe Rahn explains: “To achieve high-quality music playback via the PA8, AVM developed extremely complex circuit designs. To exploit the full audio potential of these designs, we only recommended the very best components, which were subjected to an additional selection process because they entered production at AVM's manufacturing facility.”

The result shows that the searching and fiddling was worth the effort – the product has been positioned in the high-end market for some months now with great success, has been received very well by customers across the globe, and has been deemed to be the working reference by specialist magazines. The audio performance of the Ovation PA8 has also impressed AVM so much that future products from the audio specialist will also be fitted with the MUSES-IC. All this with a single goal: To make listening to music a truly emotional experience for music aficionados with somewhat higher expectations. n www.rutronik.com

Microchip launches world’s first analogue-based power management controller with integrated MCU, for flexible, efficient power conversion Microchip announces the MCP19111, the world’s first digitally enhanced power analogue controller, which expands Microchip’s diverse range of intelligent DC/DC powerconversion solutions. Microchip also announces the expansion of its high-speed MOSFET family, with the new MCP87018, MCP87030, MCP87090 and MCP87130. Rated at 25V, these 1.8mΩ, 3mΩ, 9mΩ and 13mΩ logiclevel MOSFETs are optimised for SwitchedMode-Power-Supply (SMPS) applications.

The combination of the MCP19111 digitally enhanced power analogue controller, a new hybrid, digital and analogue power-management device, and the expanded MCP87XXX

The MCP19111 digitally enhanced power analogue family operates across a wide voltage range of 4.5 to 32V and offers a significant increase in flexibility over conventional analogue-based solutions. It offers the world’s first hybrid, mixed-signal power-management controller, integrating an analogue-based PWM controller with a fully functional Flashbased microcontroller. This integration offers the flexibility of a digital solution, with the speed, performance and resolution of an analogue-based controller. The MCP19111 devices support operation up to 32V, and have integrated MOSFET drivers configured for synchronous, step-down applications.

family of low-Figure-of-Merit (FOM) MOSFETs, supports configurable, high-efficiency DC/DC power-conversion designs for a broad array of consumer and industrial applications.

When combined with Microchip’s expanded family of high-speed MOSFETs, the MCP19111 drives customisable, high-efficiency power conversion.

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Watch a short video on the MCP19111:

www.microchip.com/get/C0TN The MCP19111 Evaluation Board (ADM00397), priced at $49.99, also includes Microchip’s high-speed MOSFETs and is available now.

This evaluation board is offered with standard firmware, which is user-configurable through an MPLAB® X IDE Graphical User Interface (GUI) plug-in. The combined evaluation board, GUI and firmware allow powersupply designers to configure and evaluate the performance of the MCP19111 for their target applications.

The MCP87030/090/130/018 Power MOSFETs are available now for sampling and volume production, with the exception of the MCP87018 which has expected availability in February. The MCP19111 controller is offered in a 5×5 mm, 28-pin QFN package. The MCP87030 and MCP87018 MOSFETs are offered in a 5×6 mm, 8-pin PDFN package.

The MCP87090 and MCP87130 MOSFETs are offered in both a 5×6 mm, 8-pin PDFN package, as well as a 3.3×3.3 mm, 8-pin PDFN package.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/MCP19111

DESIGN

POWER

Who’s Managing Your

Power Management?

by Bob Frostholm Director of Sales and Marketing at Analog ASIC JVD

Today’s complex systems employ a wide variety of semiconductor technologies. From the deepest sub nanometer processors to the Analog I/O, it’s easy to see the need for power management devices for 1.0V, 1.2V, 1.5V, 1.8V, 2.2V, 2.5V, 2.8V, 3.0V, 3.3V and more, all in the same box.

Dozens of companies offer thousands of chips to address these needs. Data sheets, PDKs and application notes make implementation easier than ever. If your volume is high enough, chip company application engineers are more than willing to do the design work for you.

Sit back, watch You Tube, follow friends on Facebook and wait for the circuit to arrive by email. It’s not quite that simple, but let’s be honest, there are a lot of free resources out there to assist.

A few dozen years ago, engineers fresh out of school were assigned to the power supply team; the most boring and least challenging aspect of the system and the one most forgiving of inexperience.

Could it come to that again?

Not likely. But you really should ask yourself, who is really managing your power management. Is it

you or your suppliers?

Who really understands your power management needs and more importantly, the solution you’ve implemented? Is your 7Amp 1.2V solution overkill for your 2.9Amp requirement?

Could a lower cost LDO be used instead of that switcher?

Power Management is more than developing solutions that run cool and conserve power. It’s also about managing cost. With today’s plethora of fifteen and twenty cent chips, it’s easy to assume your design is financially viable. But is it?

Financial management is inextricably intertwined with power management. Often power management solutions transcend multiple product generations. It’s the most logical place to drive cost out of a system for greater long term savings. Yet, for some reason, it’s also the most overlooked.

“Gee, thanks Mr. Semiconductor Company Applications Engineer for designing most of my system with all your high margin chips.

It sure plays nice in my application.”

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The following figure represents the power board for a typical consumer application:

However, integrating these seven chips into what is called and iASIC, or integrated ASIC, would

Depending on total volume, the Bill of Materials may range from $1.00-$1.50 at the low end, to perhaps as high as $2.00.

yield a much lower cost single chip solution while retaining all the desired power saving functionality of the original designs.

DESIGN

POWER

An iASIC (a chip integrating existing functions without the need to create new IP) is easy to accomplish and has a short Development time. The cost of the iASIC for the above set of

requirements would be in the neighborhood of $0.60 each.

Another example can be described using an industrial power supply application. The original design uses five con-

trollers and ten Power MOSFETs. The BOM cost is high, even in high volume. By selectively choosing to integrate six MOSFETs into the iASIC design along with the five controllers (see area outlined in

red, below), the part count can be reduced from 15 to 5 and the cost

The maniacal focus on conservation of energy and power needs to be coordinated with the conservation of cash. The graph below clearly shows the financial economic benefits of integration using an iASIC. These numbers are typical and include amortization of all NRE and tooling costs to develop and put the iASIC into production. The vertical scale is the total estimated lifetime volume of the iASIC and the horizontal axis is the approximate cost of the components being integrated. Where does your application fit on this graph?

Thanks to the iASIC , custom analog solutions needn’t require mega-dollars or mega-units for justification. Stop wasting money today with off the shelf solutions.

iASIC Integration: Is it Right For you?

of the iASIC would be approximately $1.50.

Power Management is as much about Power as it is about Finance.

Your unique power management needs should reflect a uniquely low cost solution. n www.jvdinc.com

About the author:

Bob Frostholm is Director of Sales and Marketing at Analog ASIC company, JVD Inc. (San Jose, CA.) www.jvdinc.com Bob has held Sales, Marketing and CEO roles at established and startup Analog Semiconductor Companies for more than 40 years. Bob was one of the original marketers behind the ubiquitous 555 timer chip. After 12 years with Signetics-Phillips, Fairchild and National Semiconductor, he co-founded his first startup in 1984, Scottish based Integrated Power, which was sold to Seagate in 1987. He subsequently joined Sprague’s semiconductor operations in Massachusetts and helped spin off its semiconductor group, creating what is now known as Allegro Microsystems.

Bob has also just completed a screenplay, Tags, a technology-mystery centered in Silicon valley.

Bob is the author of several technical articles and white papers. Email: bob.frostholm@jvdinc.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

POWER

MOSFET vs IGBT

conscious choice

by Jerzy Gołaszewski

Until 1970s, in high power applications, bipolar junction transistors (BJT) undisputedly reigned supreme. In spite of numerous drawbacks, such as current control (significant constant base current needed for their switching-on) or long switching-off times, they have been used until now (mainly due to low price). However, in more advanced circuits, with operation frequencies higher than a dozen kHz or so, MOSFETs (metal oxide conductor field-effect transistors) or IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) are increasingly used.

Application of these components is credited to rapid technological development since the 1980s. MOSFETs and IGBTs are voltage controlled, which means that they require current

flow in gate circuit only at switching (input capacity overload). Most frequently, they may control currents of few dozen, or even several hundred Amperes, block voltages exceeding 1kV and be switched with frequency of hundreds of kHz. Despite these similarities, MOSFETs and IGBTs differ substantially.

Awareness of these differences significantly facilitates correct choice of component type at design works.

The most characteristic features of discussed components have been described below.

How would you choose the most optimal element?

Most frequently, operation frequency and voltage are used as primary selection criteria.

The graph can be applied suggested, with slight variations, by many producers.

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MOSFETs • To a certain extent they have positive temperature coefficient, which means that more strongly loaded (heated) transistor in some measure limits current by itself. It is particularly significant at parallel connection of many components.

• Channel resistance (of “open” transistor), thanks to the application of suitable production technology, in theory, may be freely reduced. It allows reduction of power losses during conduction.

• Due to their structure, MOSFETs have internal diode connected in parallel to transistor. In many cases the existence of this parasite element is beneficial, as it may collaborate with additional antiparallel diode reducing load on it, which allows reduction of external component.

• In MOSFET there is no “current trail” phenomenon, which means in practice that they can be switched off very quickly, which translates into reduction of power losses at switching.

• Transistor channel has resistance nature, meaning that the voltage drop on it is proportional to flowing current (which is unfavourable in majority of cases).

DESIGN IGBTs They are a combination of field effect transistor (input) and bipolar transistor (output), which brings a series of consequences: • Some of their types have negative temperature coefficient, which makes their parallel connection difficult, • When switching off ‘current tail’ phenomenon occurs (current of the collector slowly fades).

• They don’t have internal antiparallel diode (unless in cases when manufacturer deliberately implemented it as an extra), • They may connect significant currents, • Are able to work at high voltages, • They may be brought to saturation state, which means that the value of collector current only slightly impacts voltage drop on a conducting element.

As you see on the above graph, IGBTs work best at voltages exceeding 1000V and at frequencies between 20 and 30kHz. Additionally, these elements can be recommended for application in circuits that: • work with low duty cycle, • are high-powered (estimated power over 5kW).

IGBT components are frequently met in: • engine controllers, • welding devices, • uninterruptible power sources (UPS).

MOSFET transistors prove better at frequencies exceeding 200kHz and at voltages not exceeding 200-250V. The following may also speak in their favour: • operation with signals with high duty cycle, • operation in lower power circuits (e.g. up to 600W).

MOSFET transistors are frequently applied to: • accumulator chargers, • switched-mode power supplies (SMPS), • class D audio amplifiers.

In the area marked as “???” it is difficult to indicate straightforwardly, which element will be better. Differences in power losses in these cases may amount to mere single percentage figures. Detailed data concerning transistors, included by the manufacturers in technical documentation, must be referred to in this case, and respective calculations must be made, taking into account the parameters of target circuit. It should be noted that IGBT technology is rapidly perfected and transistors of this type, able to operate at frequencies exceeding 100kHz (up to 300kHz in resonance circuits), are already available.

Transfer Multisort Elektronik company offers very wide choice of IGBT and MOSFET transistors and modules. TME assortment covers elements with allowable voltages within the range of 12V to 1700V and capable of connecting currents exceeding 500A. The suppliers of the components are known and valued companies such as: International Rectifier, IXYS, Fairchild Semiconductor, ST, Semikron, Toshiba, ON Semiconductor and many more. n www.tme.eu

POWER VI BRICK® AC Front End module delivers an isolated, PFC regulated, 330W 48V output in a business card size footprint Vicor™ Corporation announced the VI BRICK® AC Front End module for high, density, high efficiency AC to DC power conversion. This new module is a complete AC–DC converter which operates over the universal AC input range of 85-264V to deliver a fully isolated and PFC regulated 48V output. In a low profile package measuring 3.75 ×1.91 inches (95.3mm × 48.6mm) and only 0.38 inches (9.55 mm) in height, the AC Front End module provides a power conversion density of 121 W/in3 (7.5W/cm3) or 54 W/in3 for a complete supply that includes all necessary components including holdup capacitance. Every electronic product or system that operates off of an AC utility line must incorporate an AC-DC front-end to convert the AC utility voltage into the smooth DC voltage required by electronic circuitry. As the “firewall” between the utility and the customer’s electronics, a contemporary front-end must perform complex tasks – such as power factor correction and noise reduction – to meet the stringent

requirements of international regulatory agencies. The Vicor AC Front End module, with its integrated rectification, filtering and transient protection, enables customers to configure a complete front end

system that meets IEC 61000-3-2 harmonic noise and Class B EMI conducted emission limits supplying 330W to external output storage capacitance. Its comprehensive performance features give customers the ability to simplify their regulatory certification processes and streamline their power system designs.

VICOR www.vicorpower.com

Vicor’s VI Chip® 48V PRM® Regulators deliver 1,700 Watts per cubic inch Vicor™ Corporation announced an expansion of its Factorized Power Architecture® product line with the introduction of new, higher power versions of its VI Chip® PRM® non-isolated voltage regulators. Delivering up to 500 Watts of power at twice the power density of previous generation modules, these new PRM products further extend Vicor’s leadership in providing superior power solutions for demanding industrial, datacenter, and telecom applications. Vicor’s Factorized Power Architecture (FPA®) separates, or ‘factorizes’, regulation and voltage transformation functions into flexible, high performance building blocks.

PRM modules accept an unregulated input voltage and produce a regulated output; VI Chip VTM® Current Multipliers provide isolation and voltage and current transformation. Used together, they offer the industry’s highest density and efficiency in converting an unregulated 48V bus to the low voltages – as low as 0.5 VDC – required by contemporary electronics. The architectural flexibility and performance advantages of FPA enable the

creation of power distribution and conversion systems in less space, with minimal complexity and with significantly less power loss than conventional power conversion architectures. Incorporating an

advanced version of Vicor’s proprietary high frequency ZVS buck-boost technology, the new PRM modules can deliver up to 500 Watts at over 97% efficiency, at unprecedented power densities of up to 1,700 W/in3 (103 W/cm3).

VICOR www.vicorpower.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

POWER

Going off-grid with

solar power

by Stephen Stella Product Line Marketing Manager, Analog & Interface Products Division Microchip Technology Inc.

The cost of solar power is falling to the point where it is no longer the barrier to entry that it used to be for many off-grid applications.

These applications range from portable signage on motorways and hazard warning flashers on construction sites, to remote pumping stations and communication towers.

In fact, solar power is becoming a viable energy source for a whole new generation of offgrid applications.

There is always a reason why an application is not powered directly from the grid: perhaps the equipment needs to be portable, such as motorway signs or construction-site hazard flashers; or it could be that, like power stations and telecommunications towers, the location is simply too remote to have access to a grid connection.

Some of the most critical design decisions in powering off-grid applications with solar power lie in the inherent trade-offs within the energysupply system. These trade-offs will largely be determined by the type of load and demand patterns which are specific to each application.

Load analysis Figure 1 shows a high-level system block diagram which is the basis for all solar power designs. The load’s key characteristics and behaviour over time must be clearly understood at the start of the design process so that

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the balance between energy received, stored and used can be matched to each application.

Loads come in a wide range of shapes and sizes: they can be constant or variable; daytime-only or night-time; and they can be intermittent or have 24/7 operation.

Analysis of load type and behaviour of each application’s load will determine how the system should be implemented. For example, hazard flashers used on construction sites usually have a constant, pulsed, night-time only load.

This type of load can simply be charged during

Figure 1: Basic solar power design.

the day, and the size of the battery can be selected to ensure that the hazard flashers have the energy to run all night. In contrast, a motorway sign may have a pulsed load which would need to operate throughout the day and night.

In this case, the battery and system would need to be sized to support the constant load during the day, whilst simultaneously replenishing the battery pack so that the sign can continue to operate throughout the night.

A pump would also need to be operated both day and night, but its load would more likely to

DESIGN be intermittent than constant. Here, the outcome of a system failure would need to be considered and the system designed on a worst-case scenario basis, including a backup system for when there may be insufficient solar energy to power the system. A pumping station to remove rain water, for example, would need a back-up system as there would be very little sunlight to charge the batteries when the system would be most likely to be used: during or after rain.

Each off-grid application will have its own load type, but Figure 2 outlines the load patterns for a typical hazard flasher, motorway information sign and pump.

POWER operation and worst-case operation, which covers the >95 percentile. In the normal scenario, the energy storage element would be replenished throughout the day, and have sufficient storage capacity to drive the load throughout the night. However in the worst-case operating scenario the pump would start at dusk and run at full load throughout the night. The equation below captures the worst-case energy storage requirement, by consolidating the maximum hourly load power during the period of time spent when it is not charging.

Energy Storage Required = Maximum Hourly Load Power * (24 hours - TimeCharging)

Figure 2: Load types for different applications.

The key is to understand the average daily load, based on the magnitude and frequency, and the operating behaviour. Once the load and operating conditions are fully understood, specifying the energy-storage requirement is relatively straight-forward.

Storing the energy A base energy-storage requirement can be calculated using a simple energy-balance method over a 24-hour period. Figure 3 shows the operating conditions and the impact that these have on battery size. The energy storage capacity will be determined by the left-hand side of this table.

Figure 3: Determining operating states.

The load may be predictable, as in the motorway hazard flashers, or widely variable, as it is in the pumping application. Managing variable loads means considering two scenarios: normal operation which covers the 95 percentile of

The worst-case scenario assumes that there is some energy in the battery, or storage element, but the impact of not having a fully charged battery pack before operation begins should also be considered.

In all applications, a key consideration is the impact and cost of failure, such as the potential impact of the hazard warnings not flashing or the pump not operating. One clear mitigation technique is to increase the size of the energy storage element. There is always, however, an absolute worst-case condition. In situations where failure cannot be tolerated, or where the requirement for maximum power is rare, it may be possible to size the system for the normal operating scenario and add a backup system such as a diesel-generator.

While the left-hand side of Figure 3 captures the energy storage requirements, the right-side of Figure 3 can be used to size the solar array.

Sizing the solar array A full understanding of the load requirements enables accurate sizing of the solar array. Based on Figure 3, the solar array must be sized to replenish the energy-storage capacity within the specified charging time, whilst supporting the average load output during that same time period. This high-level relationship is identified in the following equation: Output PowerSolar Array = (Energy Storage Size) / TimeCharging + Load PowerAverage

Using a simplified energy-balance approach it is possible to estimate the size of the energystorage and solar-array components. There are, however, additional internal and external factors which need to be considered and understood in order to fine tune the sizing estimates.

One of the most critical external factors is the location, and more specifically the latitude, of the off-grid application. This alone will determine the peak amount of solar exposure that can be expected, as well as its variation over the course of a year. The minimum amount of solar exposure will be during the winter months and the maximum exposure during summer and this will be due to the location’s position relative to the sun.

Other external factors include cloud cover and ambient temperature which may also adversely affect the amount of sunlight that the system can expect to receive, as well as the efficiency of the energy conversion. These external factors will necessarily vary with each application and location.

Internal factors, such as the system architecture, and in particular its interfaces, will also impact on the size of the individual system elements. In the examples above, the size of the energy-storage and solar-array determined the energy and power that could be delivered. However, as 100% conversion efficiencies are simply not achievable, the inevitable losses must be managed. This means that considering the power electronics is essential when calculating the power that needs to be generated.

Power electronics While the system block diagram in Figure 1 provides an understanding of energy balance, to consider the internal factors that impact the component sizing requires more information.

Figure 4 provides a more detailed view of system implementation and also raises questions which impact the power-electronics strategy.

A power strategy which is based on a microcontroller delivers an inherently high level of flexibility. It allows a standard reference design to be used over a wide variety of applications, whilst still allowing application-specific needs to be addressed and advanced functions added. Not only does a microcontroller-based power design support the base power conversion, it also offers flexibility in the selection of core components; supports changes; and allows for optimisation over a wide variety of operating conditions. In addition, advanced features such as communication and diagnostics, which would not be feasible with a dedicated, stand-alone power converter, can be implemented easily within the microcontroller-based design.

In this implementation, the biggest questions come from the load: what is the nature of the load, and how will it be controlled? www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

POWER Figure 4: A microcontroller-based system.

Figure 5: Common-rail vs distributed power rail architectures.

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Will a voltage or a current be required and how accurate does the current or voltage set point need to be? The load control may be as simple as a relay or as complex as a 3-phase inverter, but both will require a charger function which uses the solar power to charge the energy-storage device and, if possible, provide Maximum Peak Power Tracking (MPPT).

Perhaps one of the first decisions is whether to use a common- or distributed-power rail architecture. The difference between these architectures is shown in Figure 5, although the load behaviour will be the main driver for this design decision. If the load requires a constant voltage, then the common rail shown in Figure 5a may be the best choice. In this case, the load controller becomes a simple relay or solid-state switch. The solar DC/DC keeps the common rail at the voltage set point, and the battery charger takes power off the bus to charge the energy-storage device. The advantages and disadvantages to this approach are the power-conversion steps: Assuming 85% average power-converter efficiency, means that there will be a 15% power loss per conversion. If the solar DC/DC is able to support the load, then this is a single power-conversion step. However, charging the battery requires two power-conversion steps to support the load: the first from the solar DC/DC to the common-rail and from the common-rail to the bi-directional DC/DC; and the second from the bi-directional DC/DC to the common-rail.

A common-rail may also be used if the load is only required at night, when the solar DC/DC is not operating. In this case, the solar DC/DC can be eliminated and the bi-directional DC/DC on the energy-storage device can be used to charge the battery from the solar array; or an alternative source can be used to supply the load.

Here, the energy needs to go through only two power-conversion steps: from the solar DC/DC to bi-directional DC/DC, and from the bi-directional DC/DC to the load.

The distributed architecture, shown in Figure 6, is more flexible and can support varying load requirements. The solar DC/DC can, for example, be used to support the energy storage rail for charging, and the DC/DC converter can support the load requirements. The downside of this approach is that there are always two power conversions although it is the best solution if the solar array and load can be expected to operate concurrently.

A proposed circuit design This high-level review of power architecture can be applied to a simple low-power example of a hazard flasher used on construction sites. From a high-level perspective, the flashers work only at night and the battery will recharge at all other times. This behaviour allows the use of a common-bus architecture

DESIGN

POWER Table 1: Assumptions and results.

and, since the hazard flashers are only either charging or flashing, the topology can be simplified by combining the solar DC/DC, bi-directional DC/DC and the load control into a single, bidirectional converter. The proposed circuit design is shown in Figure 6.

This circuit design uses a Microchip PIC16F690 microcontroller and two MCP1630 analogue PWM controllers to drive a bidirectional flyback converter. During the day, solar power is used as the input and charges the battery; as night is detected by ‘low to no power’ on the solar array, the converter starts to provide power to the LED light using the programmed ‘flashing’ pattern. The assumptions and calculations on which this design is based are outlined in Table 1.

Conclusions The falling cost of solar installations will enable more offgrid applications to access solar power.

The success of these new solar-power systems will depend on balancing the tradeoffs between performance, size and cost, and using an appropriate power topology for each end application.

Using a microcontroller as the basis for power conversion provides a high level of flexibility. This not only supports a wide range of end applications based on a standard reference design, it can help to future-proof the design against the next generation of developments in photovoltaic solar technology. n www.microchip.com

Figure 6: Proposed microcontroller-based circuit diagram. www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

27

DESIGN

BLUETOOTH

Bluetooth Smart the unknown feature To most users, Bluetooth is well known as a wireless transmission technology used to transfer information to nearby devices. Smartphones, notebooks, MP3 players have it, as do headphones, watches, clocks and cars. The most recent version, 4.0, offers "smarter" radio transmission in addition to the traditional Bluetooth features, especially for small amounts of data such as those that arise when using sensors. It also saves huge amounts of energy and stands out with its short response times and large range. This provides for entirely new opportunities.

Version 4.0 of the Bluetooth transmission standard addresses a new technical feature that has hardly been considered until now. This may be because it was 'only' about communicating with other devices, but it conceals much more than you would initially suppose. Part of the most recent Bluetooth update expands upon a core specification to include an energy-saving component. Bluetooth Low Energy technology expands the range of applications and now brings the established benefits of Bluetooth to the field of low-energy, batteryoperated sensor applications.

The new Bluetooth LE chips consume so little energy that simple button cells are sufficient to supply them with power. The peak current is + 4dBm below 8.5mA. On the whole, the average current from transmission, reception and standby is energy-efficient enough to remain in operation for years. Data can be transmitted over a distance of up to 100 metres.

The set-up time for this transmission is just five milliseconds. This significantly reduces the energy consumption. This licence-free technology offers developers and manufacturers of Bluetooth applications new, low-cost applications and opens up markets for devices with wireless, extremely low-energy connectivity.

AES 128-bit encryption is used to provide the

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required security. For the sake of completeness, however, it should be mentioned that Bluetooth transmissions are only deemed secure and protected against unauthorised interception if they have a multi-level dynamic key system. Specification 4.0 chips and others are currently available from Nordic Semiconductor, and other Bluetooth components are available from distributors like Rutronik. This technology was originally developed by Nokia with the name 'Wibree'.

The Finnish group then handed Wibree over to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) to encourage its spread. Devices such as the iPhone 4S from Apple, the Samsung Galaxy S III or the Asus Zenbook Prime are already Bluetooth Smart Ready, which means that they are fitted with a dual transceiver that supports not only traditional Bluetooth but also Bluetooth Low Energy.

The reason for this is that Bluetooth LE is not compatible with traditional Bluetooth. The channel bandwidth, for example, is twice as high and there is no permanent frequency hopping (current Bluetooth-Smart and Bluetooth-Smart-Ready devices under www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-SmartDevices.aspx).

Possible applications Low Energy technology provides an efficient platform for intelligent networked applications. It is particularly well-suited for use in the fields of mobile communications, wireless sensors, security and stocktaking. Control data, switching commands, sensor values and heart frequencies are transmitted.

The opportunities for use are enormous, because a chip can be installed in any electronic device, vehicle or other consumer product. Today, this includes home entertainment, security, health, leisure, fitness with devices such as pulse monitors and GPS trackers.

DESIGN "Bluetooth Smart can also be used in sensors for measuring the blood sugar of diabetics. In houses, sensors could monitor whether all of the windows are closed and what the temperatures are," explains Suke Jawanda, Head of Marketing of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

It also lends itself to use in the automotive sector, with a promising Bluetooth-based traffic recognition system currently being tested in Houston. Using Bluetooth-capable sensors fitted along the road in high-traffic areas of the city, the pilot project tracks the anonymous MAC addresses of the Bluetooth devices of cars passing through the urban traffic. This enables traffic conditions to be assessed in real time without needing to install large, costly and automatic vehicle recognition technology.

Bluetooth 4.0 is an important prerequisite for the system, because fast, battery-powered nodes positioned on the edge of the road collect data that is necessary to monitor the flow of traffic. This saves in terms of the cost of wiring each node along the street, which in turn reduces installation and infrastructure costs. Bluetooth can be used in industrial products in particular to enable wireless communication between components in machines.

Thanks to adaptive frequency hopping (AFH), Bluetooth is used to set up a very reliable and interference-resistant wireless connection.

BLUETOOTH whichever object enters or leaves the room.

The Bluetooth tag ID is determined wirelessly and then transmitted via a cable. This would enable stocktaking to be performed astonishingly easily. It's also beneficial to security. If a notebook were to leave the company premises without authorisation, for example, an alarm would be triggered immediately. This is where the second profile finalised by the SIG comes into play, the "proximity profile" with an "out of range" function, providing a signal when the user moves too far away from the device or if the device is removed from a certain environment. Whether an object in the office, your house cat or a person in the room needs to be detected makes no difference to the system.

The person might be a dementia patient, could also be a guard doing his rounds.

and in a cheque card, a paper-thin battery with 100,000 charge cycles. The board has fewer than 20 components in total. The smartphone or key chain can also be used to open a house or car door. The same device could also adjust the car seats and turn on your favourite music on the car radio, or activate the screensaver on your PC when you leave your desk.

Recharging would be performed inductively.

These two profiles are included in the Nordic nRF8002 IC and the new nRF51822.

The nRF51822 is a system-on-chip (SoC) with a Cortex ARM M0 32-bit microcontroller, Bluetooth LE transceiver, 16kB RAM and 256kB flash memory. Of the memory, around 120kB is used for the Bluetooth LE stack, leaving over 100kB for the customer application.

The transceiver is an up-to-date refinement of Nordic Semiconductor's transceiver, which was itself a leader in terms of energy efficiency.

The battery in a key chain will be a button cell,

On the whole, Bluetooth Low Energy technology with its versatility will rapidly conquer the global market, especially in light of current concerns, where saving energy takes utmost priority, regardless of whether it's in the home or at work.

This removes the need for a connector on the smart tag while also making the unit watertight.

Such a tag operates for several years with a single charge, although it transmits its ID cyclically every few seconds. And while similar technology already exists on the market, they have neither this kind of range, nor are they comparatively cost effective or energy saving.

Bluetooth Smart in everyday use Harald Naumann has his own thoughts on this topic. Rutronik's Wireless Field Application Engineer has been 'tinkering' on a professional level in the interest of future applications.

"Bluetooth Smart is in a way the Swiss Army Knife of wireless connections for a variety of devices. Everything we love and don't want to lose can be fitted with this technology and quickly be found again. A small child in a shopping centre or theme park, your house keys, your bike, or even your pet. As soon as something leaves the range of a smartphone or master device, an alarm signal is given." Different profiles for different tasks can be stored in the receiver unit or control device here. Two have already been finalised by the SIG – the "Find Me" profile, for example, locates a mobile phone, armband or key chain, on which a tag gives off a sound when activated.

For Naumann, the technology isn't just limited to the office. In this regard, the Rutronik expert can imagine applications such as tracking office equipment or objects such as notebooks or folders. This is made possible by smart tags and integration into an Ethernet or wireless LAN network. A Bluetooth IC from Nordic Semiconductor could be integrated into the network connector or Ethernet adapter.

Reporting units would be installed near the door and send signals to a database when

Given its many years of expertise, Rutronik is in a position to offer well-founded assistance in custom-developed solutions with components for the smart communication of tomorrow. n www.rutronik.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

AUTOMOTIVE

Electromobility: the power behind transportation today The ever more stringent requirements for energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions are leading car manufacturers to increasingly depend on on-board electrical components.

From electric power-steering and stop-start technologies to on-board navigation and infotainment systems, the additional loads on the electrical circuits and particularly the battery are making it essential for the car makers to control the energy generated and consumed by the various systems.

by Ramon Portas

Even more dependent on accurate electrical controls are the hybrid- and electric-vehicles entering the market. These vehicles require accurate control of not only the electric motors driving the wheels, but also of the electric energy available in the batteries to propel the vehicle, and their charging process, ensuring that the cars charge safely despite the high voltages and currents present during the process. These innovative applications call for the development of new sensor technologies capable of measuring the consumption of electricity on-board the vehicles while meeting the stringent quality and dependability demands that are mandatory in the automotive industry.

Electronically-controlled motors have been around for several decades. They propel train locomotives, robots, cranes, airport baggagehandling systems, and any system whose motion is electronically-controlled. Sensors are used to measure the electric currents going through these motors in order for the electronics to control the speed and torque with which the motors are to operate.

Hybrid- and electric-vehicles also use highpower motors to move the wheels and accelerate the car, and thus require sensors capable of accurately measuring motor currents, while at the same time meeting the automotive requirements of small size, low weight, low energy consumption, a large operating temperature range, and obviously low cost.

Thus, new current sensors have been developed specifically designed for automotive electric motors ranging from a few tens of amperes to several hundred or even thousands of amperes of current flow.

For example, LEM’s HC2 family of sensors measures up to 200A and the HC20F family up to 2000A as well as meeting automotive

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DESIGN

AUTOMOTIVE

specifications. Solutions integrating the measurement of the three phases of a motor in one package also exist.

The measurement of battery currents in automotive applications has existed for several years. These systems focus on the measurement of the 12V battery parameters, including current, voltage, and temperature to enable the analysis of the battery’s ability to deliver energy when needed. Start-stop systems, for example, make it fundamental that the battery is in optimal condition to avoid stranded vehicles at traffic lights! Current sensors are essential to these vehicles. The use of high-power lithium-ion batteries in hybrid- and electricvehicles compounds the need for accurate

sensors that use the more traditional Halleffect principle to measure currents without contact, and are thus galvanically isolated.

As customers demand shorter charging times for their electric vehicles, the power used to charge the batteries is increasing very significantly. This high power requires specialized charging stations that provide many times the existing household power to charge a vehicle battery in several minutes, instead of the several hours required when charging on the standard domestic grid. To make the charging phase safe for the user and the environment, electronics on-board have to ensure that the charging phase is immediately interrupted if an anomaly or current leak is detected.

reduce the cost of their electric vehicles.

To achieve the same performance as existing technology, these smaller systems operate at higher speeds and frequencies and therefore contain high-amplitude ripple currents that destroy most existing measurement sensors today. Thus, sensors and other components capable of operating in this increasingly hot and harsh environment without failure are required. LEM is testing new materials and measurement techniques and has prototypes running to address this future need of the automotive industry.

The quest for increased efficiency and reduced emissions has directed the automotive industry towards increased use of on-

measurement of the battery’s parameters.

LEM’s new CAB family of sensors has been specifically designed for these automotive battery packs, and provides extremely accurate battery-current information over the entire temperature range using a standard automotive CAN-bus for easy integration into the vehicle’s systems. This sensor uses fluxgate technology (the same principle used during the war to determine the location of nearby submarines) to achieve such high-accuracy measurement with neither offset nor temperature drift. It complements the DHAB family of

Since vehicles charge on AC and DC currents, domestic panel-board sensors are no longer sufficient and special high-accuracy sensors with fast response time have been developed for this new application. LEM, in collaboration with its partners is developing new solutions to tackle this need, making it possible within a small and cost-effective package to measure milliamperes of DC leakage current in fractions of a micro-second.

Smaller, more efficient, and more compact electronic solutions are the next step for automotive manufacturers seeking to optimize and

board electric systems. From start-stop systems to hybrid- and electric-vehicles, these systems need to accurately measure currents to ensure proper and efficient vehicle operation. In addition, the technological advances in electronics demand new sensors capable of withstanding the hot and harsh environment under which they need to operate. The automotive industry is evolving at a faster pace than ever in its past and driving new technologies that will help it develop the solutions for the future of individual transportation. n www.lem.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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DESIGN

SENSORS

Tale of the tape

by Klaus Manfred Steinich

Cable extension sensors are commonly used in mobile cranes and forklifts. But tape extension sensors offer a sturdier alternative that ably satisfies the high safety requirements.

Tel. +40 256-201346 Fax +40 0256-221036 32

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

Mail office@oboyle.ro Web www.oboyle.ro

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SENSORS

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AUTOMATION Honeywell Introduces High Pressure Premium Switches Honeywell introduced its Pressure Switches, High Pressure Premium, HPS Series, the only pressure switches available in the industry with a two million life cycle rating, IP67 environmental sealing, and multiple port and termination options that improve equipment uptime, simplify rapid design and assembly, and reduce total production costs for Honeywell’s OEM customers. The HPS Series are durable, reliable electromechanical gauge pressure on/off switches that are available with either single pole single throw (SPST) normally open or normally

closed circuitry, or single pole double throw (SPDT) circuitry.

They are designed for use in rugged transportation and industrial applications that require the making or breaking of an electrical connection in response to a pressure change of the system media., configurable pressure switch. Potential transportation applications include heavy duty construction machinery, agricultural machinery, and material handling machinery. Potential industrial applications include CNC machines, compressors, boilers, fracking equipment, mud pumps,

presses, punches, pressure washers, trash compactors, water jet cutting machines, and any machinery that use high pressure hydraulic fluids.

The HPS Series switches feature a switching point accuracy of up to ±2%, providing efficient operation of equipment. Their switching capability of 5mA to 5A allows for potential use in a wide range of applications, from heavy loads to those

connected to an electronic control unit. Additionally, Honeywell’s global presence offers customers immediate product and application support throughout the development cycle, from design to global manufacturing.

HONEYWELL www.honeywell.com

www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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PRODUCT NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Quad GigE, Intel Atom based Fanless Embedded Gigabit Ethernet System

Flat 1-U 19-inch industrial computer with one PCI Express™ slot

Cadia Networks, an innovative global supplier of application specific board level products and systems for a wide range of embedded computing applications, announced its latest fanless embedded system; the ECS5534. The ECS-5534 is a 4 Gigabit Ethernet port small form factor system.

Equipped with four Intel 82583V

DSM Computer's 1-U flat 96I1303-MBQM67 19-inch system offers high performance in a small space. Like all new models of the Infinity® family, the industrial computer is installed in a functional, light-gray industrial housing with an anthracite-colored flap at the front. In addition, an air filter that can be replaced from the front is installed as dust protection to permit operation in a harsh industrial environment. The Infinity® I1 industrial computer is available for installation in 19-inch cabinets or as a stand-alone device. The installation depth and height of the stable housing are only 303 mm and 44 mm, respectively. The operating elements, such as the power-supply switch, the two USB slots, the drives and the air filter are protected behind a metal door. The IPC can be supplied with or without 19-inch mounting brackets and, on request, in any desired color. The housing can be given a customerspecific company logo. As standard, the computer is delivered with a 180W power pack (100 240 VAC); a DC power pack (12,

Gigabit Ethernet ports and powered by an Intel Atom N2800 CPU, this fanless system is an excellent choice for a large number of networking and communication applications.

The ECS-5534 is easily configured as a security gateway to act as a firewall, virtual private network and perform the duties of

an Intrusion Detection/Prevention System. It can also handle network communications such as VOIP and IP PBX. The ECS-5534 is perfect for remote deployment to manage a networks or subnets.

Easy to install and easy to configure, additional onboard features of the ECS-5534 include GPIO programmable LEDs and programmable watchdog timer reset.

The system also provides four USB 2.0 ports and an RJ-45 console port. An optional DB9 serial port can be added with minimal effort. This embedded fanless design ensures reliability.

However, in the event of a system failure, the LAN bypass feature ensures that your network won't be unintentionally disabled. Whether you need a device for network communications or a complete Unified Threat Management system, the ECS-5534 is a great solution.

CADIA NETWORKS www.cadianetworks.com

Compact Bluetooth dual-mode SPP/LE module with integrated ceramic antenna At the embedded world 2013 in Hall 2 on Stand 2-219, MSC is presenting a dual-mode SPP/BLE module just 15.6 x 8.7 x 1.8 mm3 in size that combines the SPP functionality required for classical Bluetooth 2.1 applications with a variety of Bluetooth 4.0 low-energy functions. The Panasonic PAN 1026 module, based on Toshiba’s TC35661 Bluetooth single chip and fitted with an integrated ceramic antenna, features a power output of +4 dBm, which is unusually high for dual-mode Bluetooth modules and an equally very high reception sensitivity of -87 dBm. The power requirement is, however, extremely low, dropping to below 100 μA in sleep mode. In addition, the PAN1026 offers fast data transfer via Bluetooth

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V3.0 including wireless LAN coexistence. The module’s software was developed by Toshiba. The stack in the flash for the Toshiba IC supports both SPP (Serial Profile Port) embedded functions and embedded GATT or

other Bluetooth LE profiles on the module. Simple and quick integration into the target application is also guaranteed by the complete CE, FCC and Bluetooth qualification of the module.

MSC www.msc-ge.com

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

24, 48 VDC) is available on request. Three 4 cm fans on the front or rear side cool the system.

The operating temperature range lies between 0° and 45°C, but depending on the configuration, a temperature as high as 50° C can also be tolerated. For extensions,

the 19-inch system provides a PCI Express™ x16 slot and an internal Mini PCI Express™ x1 slot for short modules. In addition to an external 5.25 inch slimline and a 3.5 inch bay, an internal 2.5 inch bay is also present. This allows, for example, the installation of two 2.5 inch SATA HDDs in the 3.5 inch removable frame or one Compact Flash drive in the 3.5 inch frame. A 250 GB 2.5 inch SATA II 300 hard disk is integrated in the housing. A DVD-RW drive (slimline) or a 2.5 inch SSD drive can be installed as an option.

DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com

Phoenix Systems ports Phoenix-RTOS to EnSilica’s eSi-RIS EnSilica and Phoenix Systems have announced that they have successfully ported the PhoenixRTOS, designed specifically for both single and multicore embedded systems applications, to the eSi-RISC family of highly configurable soft processor cores.

The collaboration between EnSilica and Phoenix Systems further expands the eSi-RISC ecosystem with an embedded RTOS capable of fully utilising eSi-RISC’s hardware MMU with memory protection and security features such as data execution protection.

It also paves the way for embedded power line and wireless smart grid solutions with the combination of Phoenix Systems’ pro-

posed smart grid software protocol stacks and eSi-RISC’s support for custom instructions accelerating performance and improving PHY layer implementations.

Phoenix Systems’ Phoenix-RTOS is a state-of-the-art, fully proprietary, real-time operating system designed specifically for both single and multicore embedded applications. Its modularity and portability, coupled with a small footprint, virtual memory support and an advanced architecture that implements the latest operating system mechanisms and programming abstractions, ideally suit it to use with highly configurable soft processor cores like the eSi-RISC family.

PRODUCT NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Kontron introduces SYMKLOUD series, the new platform concept that brings cloud infrastructure to life Kontron announced the SYMKLOUD series of cloud platform solutions, designed from the ground up to transform and simplify how providers of network equipment and cloud services deploy web-based, machine-to-machine (M2M), and mobile applications in cloud infrastructure. This exciting new introduction fills the innovation gap among a fractured market of commodity and cloud servers that disregard energy consumption, are over-sized in depth, and are too complex to efficiently scale and manage.

As an agile new entrant into the cloud computing space, Kontron drew inspiration from its extensive carrier grade and network server platform design experience to conceive of an entirely new concept dedicated to the real-world requirements next-generation data centers.

The result is the Kontron SYMKLOUD series of cloud platforms, a symbiotic and modular integration of switching, load balancing and processing, all into a low power and compact 2U, 21-inch deep design that supports five-nines High Availability.

Simplifying 42U rack and cluster configu-

rations, the Kontron SYMKLOUD series requires 4 to 8 times fewer fiber and copper cables thanks to its integrated switching infrastructure. Its extensive power management adapts power consumption to the actual workload, as the platform dynamically powers up or down processors independently for significant energy savings. Its overall modular approach

makes the SYMKLOUD series processor agnostic and capable of running multiple applications across multiple independent low-power, high-performance processors.

Be the first to see the live demo of the Kontron SYMKLOUD MS2900 Web, and other new cloud platforms, at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Hall 5, Booth 5B45, February 25 - 28, 2013.

Availability of Kontron SYMKLOUD MS2900 Web: Eval Units Q1,13; Production Q2,13.

KONTRON www.kontron.com

SC processor family The fully re-entrant and pre-emptive kernel supports scheduling strategies that allow for the prioritization of critical task execution. Additional components, such as TCP/IP and USB stacks, common file systems and POSIX interface, further leverage its potential for machine-tomachine communication and smart grid applications. EnSilica’s eSi-RISC family provides a range of high quality, highly configurable embedded processors that are easy to integrate. The processor subsystem is delivered fully targeted to customers’ ASIC technology, thereby reducing integration effort. eSi-RISC processors provide the flexibility to define a range of hardware functions to optimize the silicon area.

ENSILICA www.ensilica.com

IAR Systems arranges free technical seminars during embedded world 2013 Technical seminars on C programming, low-power applications and compiler technology are arranged at the nearby Arvena Messe Hotel on Wednesday, February 27.

At embedded world 2013 at stand 4-212 in hall 4, IAR Systems is showcasing its latest embedded software development tools. For embedded software designers who would like to gain even more in-depth knowhow during the show, IAR Systems offers a halfday series of free technical seminars: On Wednesday morning, February 27, IAR Systems’ experts will hold three 45-minutes-presentations on C programming, power debugging and how to efficiently use IAR Embedded Workbench at the Arvena Messe Hotel just across the street of Messe Nuremberg.

Registration for IAR Systems’ free seminars is now open at http://www.iar.com/embeddedworld2013.

From 9 am until 11.45 am, IAR Systems’ technical seminar will introduce the attendees to the new compiler and debugger features, show them the benefits of power debugging and trace, tools for safety critical applications and answer questions about tools for ARM devices, Renesas MCUs, TI MSP430, 8051 and many more.

Session 1: (9:00 to 9:45 am) Niclas Lindblom, Senior Support Engineer, and Andreas Wallberg, Product Manager, get under the hood of a compiler in “Writing compiler-friendly code”.

Session 2: (10:00 to 10:45 am), Anders Lundgren and Lotta Frimanson, both Product Managers at IAR Systems, will talk about “Visualizing MCU power consumption in a debug environment” Session 3: (11:00 to 11.45 am), “Keeping safe at C” will be the topic of Anders Holmberg, Product Manager.

Early registration recommended All seminars are free of charge, but early registration is recommended as space is limited. The registration page is open at www.iar.com/embeddedworld2013.

IAR SYSTEMS www.iar.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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PRODUCT NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Maxim’s ModelGauge algorithm reduces design complexity and maximizes battery runtime Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. announced that it is sampling the MAX17048, the industry’s simplest low-power fuel gauge for Lithium-ion (Li+) batteries.

Operating at only 23μA, this battery fuel gauge uses 4x less power than competitive devices and even less in micropower hibernate mode, in which the fuel gauge continues to operate. It needs only one external capacitor, not the multiple external devices of competitive devices, so it simplifies design, shrinks solution size by 3x, and reduces costs. This fuel gauge is ideal for portable battery-powered applications where size, cost, and po wer are critical, such as smartphones, wireless handsets, and mobile accessories, including Bluetooth® headsets, portable speakers, fitness devices, and Wi-Fi® routers.

Traditional fuel gauge designs require multiple external components including current-sense

resistors, which increase both bill of materials (BOM) cost and design complexity. Those fuel gauges also use coulomb counting, which can drift and affect the accuracy of the gauge over time. The MAX17048 features

the proven ModelGauge™ algorithm and does not require coulomb counting to report accurate battery state-of-charge, thus extending runtime. The MAX17048 functionality is also integrated into the company’s TINI® Power System-on-Chip (SoC) to make it easier to upgrade designs to more complex systems.

MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

Benchmarks for Freescale’s Kinetis® K70 MCUs demonstrate unmatched scores for code speed using development tools from IAR Systems IAR Systems® announced that its development tool suite IAR Embedded Workbench® has helped partner Freescale Semiconductor achieve unmatched performance scores for its Kinetis K70 microcontroller (MCU) series. The scores were measured on the industrystandard CoreMark® benchmark, where the Kinetis K70 MCU together with IAR Embedded Workbench attained a score of 3.40 CoreMark/MHz. Freescale’s Kinetis K microcontroller series is based on the ARM® Cortex™-M4 core. The series is built from 90 nm thinfilm storage (TFS) flash technology and offers low power consumption combined with high performance and mixed signal analog integration. The Kinetis K70 MCU family features an integrated graphic LCD con-

troller and a single-precision floating-point unit.

The top-ranking benchmark scores were accomplished using the latest version of IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM, version 6.50. IAR Embedded Workbench is a complete C/C++ development tool suite with support for all ARM cores. It features the powerful IAR C/C++ Compiler™ with multiple levels of high performance optimizations, as well as the comprehensive C-SPY® Debugger.

• Read more about IAR Systems’ tools for Freescale Kinetis microcontrollers at www.iar.com/kinetis.

• Download evaluation versions of IAR Embedded Workbench from www.iar.com/ewarm.

COREMARK www.coremark.org IAR SYSTEMS www.iar.com

Amplicon launch new powerful Embedded PC – The Impact-E 150

Aeroflex Announces Industry's First TDD-FDD Handover Using an LTE Capacity Test System

The Impact-E 150 is a compact fanless embedded system powered by the Intel® Atom™ D2550 dual-core processor, making it ideal for multiple applications.

The small form factor industrial computer is one of the most popular choices in the marketplace today; to meet the growing need for this type of product Amplicon have introduced an exciting new addition to the industrial embedded Impact-E series, the Impact-E 150.

The new Impact-E 150 utilises the Cedarview ATOM™ D2550 processor which supports Intel® GMA3600 graphics, it is capable of delivering a rich multimedia and Internet experience, including support for dual display and full HD 1080p video playback.

Designed for applications where space is at a premium, the

Aeroflex Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aeroflex Holding Corp., announced that the Aeroflex E500 LTE Capacity Test System is the industry's first capacity tester to successfully hand over data services between TDD and FDD networks.

Network operators around the world are already commissioning dual standard networks as part of the rapid expansion in TD-LTE (LTE TDD) networks. The E500's handover capability is therefore crucial for both operators and network suppliers testing TDD/FDD networks.

The Aeroflex E500 LTE Capacity Test system enables operators to confirm the operation and performance of their network before releasing into the field.

The capacity test system achieves this by enabling the network to be loaded with hundreds to tens of thousands of UEs (user equipment), each capable of emulating different radio fading profiles with varying data service mixes in

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Impact-E 150 has a compact footprint making it ideally suited to multiple markets such as transportation, security, point of sales, and industrial automation.

The Impact-E 150 has the space for an additional 2.5” hard drive

or solid-state drive as well as optional Wi-Fi and cellular modules. Encased in a fanless aluminium chassis, the Impact-E 150 dissipates heat effectively, ensuring smooth operation in the most demanding environments.

AMPLICON www.amplicon.com

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

a multi-cell environment. The E500 exploits the Aeroflex TM500 Test Mobile platform, the de facto industry standard for LTE and LTE-A base station and network testing.

According to ARCchart there are already more than 50 mobile operators worldwide committed to TDD technology for LTE, and TD-LTE subscriptions are forecast to exceed 500 million by 2017.

AEROFLEX aeroflex.com

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Keep in Balance with Freescale Xtrinsic 3-Axis Digital Accelerometers Now Available at Mouser

Photocouplers with High-Speed Switching Operation and Integrated IGBT Protection Function

Mouser Electronics, Inc. announces the availability of all elements of Freescale’s Xtrinsic eCompass solution, which includes MMA865x 3-axis accelerometers and MAG3110 3-axis magnetometers. Both devices combine ultra-small form factor in 2 × 2mm package size with exceptional performance. At 1mm height, the MMA865x accelerometers have a 56 percent smaller volume than previous Freescale accelerometers, making them ideal for low-profile, spaceconscious applications. The MMA865X Xtrinsic 10 or 12-bit digital accelerometers offer lowpower, low-noise and optimized overall system power consumption to enable a best-in-class performance range. To learn more about the MMA865x, visit www.mouser.com/freescale-mma865x.

The MAG3110 is a small, lowpower digital 3-D magnetic sensor with a wide dynamic range to allow operation in PCBs with high extraneous magnetic fields.

It measures the three components of the local magnetic field, which will be the sum of the geomagnetic field and the magnetic

Renesas Electronics announced two new photocouplers PS9332L and PS9332L2, with an integrated insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) [Note 1] protection function, for applications such as industrial machinery and solar power systems.

The new PS9332L and PS9332L2 feature an integrated active Miller clamp circuit [Note 2] to prevent IGBT malfunction, world-topclass high-speed switching (20 percent faster than conventional products) among IGBT drive photocouplers with integrated IGBT protection function, compact 8-pin SDIP (shrink dual inline package), and guaranteed high-temperature operation.

The photocouplers can be used for gate drive of IGBT devices used in inverter circuits for motor control, etc.

It is common to protect a circuit such as an inverter with insulating devices such as couplers when dealing with comparably high voltages.

A photocoupler combines in a single package a light emitting diode (LED) on the input side, to convert an electrical signal into

field created by components on the circuit board.To learn more about the MAG3110, visit www.mouser.com/freescalemag3110/ The Xtrinsic eCompass software is a sensor fusion solution that

works with Freescale’s accelerometers and magnetometers to produce orientation-independent accurate compass heading information. Awarded the 2012 Product of the Year from Hearst Electronic Products, designers can use the eCompass software to quickly solve their design challenges and employ highly accurate sensing technologies for a variety of mobile applications such as eHealth, location-based services, and 3D gaming.

MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

High stability MEMS-based XOs for the automotive operating temperature range from -40°C to +125°C MSC is presenting the new SiT1618 MEMS XO family from SiTime on its Booth 2-219 in Hall 2 at embedded world 2013, February 26 28, 2013 in Nuremberg. These new oscillators, which are designed for the automotive operating temperature range from 40°C to +125°C, feature excellent frequency stability up to ±25 ppm inclusive of all conditions, G sensitivity of only 0.1 ppb and low power consumption of 3.6 mA. The MEMS XOs are fully compatible with existing quartzbased XO solutions and are available with 33 standard frequencies between 7.3728 MHz and 48 MHz. The required supply voltage is optionally 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 2.8 V, 3.0 V or 3.3 V. The SiT1618

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family devices are available in industry standard 4-pin 2016, 2520, 3225, 5032 and 7050 packages, and are also suited for the extended industrial temperature range from -40°C to +105°C.

These MEMS XOs are suitable for applications in the automotive, medical and industrial electronics sectors. AEC-Q100 compliance is available upon request.

MSC www.msc-ge.com

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

light, and a photo detector on the output side, to convert the light into an electrical signal. The input and output sides are electrically isolated from each other because the signal is conveyed between them in the form of light. Types of photocouplers

include general-purpose photocouplers (transistor output) for applications such as power supply, and IGBT drive photocouplers, which are used for gate drive of IGBT devices in applications such as solar power generators or general-purpose inverters. The new PS9332L and PS9332L2 are IGBT drive photocouplers consisting of a galliumaluminum-arsenide (GaAlAs) LED as the light emitting diode, photo detector IC, and an IGBT protection circuit.

RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu

Renesas Electronics: Low On-State Resistance Power MOSF Renesas Electronics announced three new low on-state resistance MOSFET products, including the μPA2766T1A, optimized for use as ORing FETs in power supply units for network servers and storage systems.

Featuring the industry’s lowest on-state resistance of 0.72mΩ (typical value) for 30V – about 50 percent lower resistance compared to Renesas’ earlier products – and a high-efficiency, small surface mount package (8pin HVSON), the new products enable high-current control in a smaller package contributing to power savings and miniaturization of the power units used for

comparably large scale server storage systems.

Key Features of the New Low On-State Resistance Power MOSFET Products 1) Industry’s lowest on-state resistance The new μPA2766T1A delivers the industry’s lowest on-state resistance of 0.72mΩ (typical value) for 30V applications in a small 5 mm × 6 mm package and is less than the on-state resistance of previous Renesas products by approximately half.

This contributes to improved power efficiency for the system overall by reducing the conduction loss of the ORing FETs for

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Maxim Integrated Offers a Highly Integrated 8-Bit RGB Laser Driver for Automotive Projectors Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. announced that it is now sampling the MAX3601, a highly integrated, 8-bit RGB laser driver for pico laser projectors in automobiles. It is a smaller size, brighter light, and lower cost solution than traditional technology, and it enables sharper, pixel-perfect heads-up displays (HUD) in automobiles.

This IC drives three RGB lasers to provide a brighter light without compromising the low power. The high intensity of the lasers project brighter, more vivid images onto the HUD to easily alert the driver while enhancing safety. In addition, its high integration means longer battery life, less heat build-up, and a smaller module size.

Key Advantages • Low cost: minimized PCB area with functional integration; three current-output laser drivers combined into one IC • Low power: with only 80 mW bias current, the device achieves maximum light output with excellent power efficiency • Small size and easier design/manufacturing: three integrated lasers eliminate the need for additional optics • High efficiency: less than 1W total module power provides long battery life, low heat dissipation, and minimal thermal sinking Industry Commentary “The MAX3601 laser driver keeps driv-

ers clean, conscious, and connected,” said Mike Roberts, Executive Business Manager at Maxim Integrated. “Clean as in green, conscious as in safe, and connected as in infotainment. Maxim’s new laser-based technology provides lower power and brighter, more visible alerts for safety and infotainment.”

“One of the key trends for automotive displays is higher resolution, “said Richard Robinson, Director of Automotive Analysis at Strategy Analytics. “Sharper imagery in head-up displays is critical for clarity, safety, and driver assistance applications.”

Availability and Pricing • Available in 3 mm × 3.5 mm, 42-bump WLP and 5 mm × 5 mm, 40-pin TQFN packages.

• TQFN package specified over the 40°C to +105°C temperature range.

• Pricing starts at $3.94 (1000-up, FOB USA, TQFN package).

MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

Microchip expands SPI Flash memory portfolio with three new low-power devices Microchip announces an expansion of its SPI Flash memory portfolio, with the introduction of the SST25PF020B, SST25PF040B and SST25PF080B devices. Offering 2-, 4- and 8-Mbit of memory, respectively, the SST25PF020B, SST25PF040B and SST25PF080B are manufactured with Microchip’s high-performance SuperFlash® technology, a splitgate, NOR Flash design with thick-oxide tunnelling injector for superior quality and reliability.

With their extended operating voltage range from 2.3 to 3.6V, extremely low power consumption, smallfootprint packaging, and fixed super-fast programme and erase times, these SPI Flash memory devices excel in a variety of applications. The memory is partitioned into uniform 4 Kbyte sectors, and 32 and 64 Kbyte blocks, offering flexible erase capabilities and seamless partitioning for programme and data code in the same memory block. All three devices enable designers to reduce their overall product design cycles and total system costs while improving product performance. The extended voltage range provides designers with a wider set of options on the powersupply voltage for their chipsets and board designs, and reduces overall power consumption, making these memory devices especially well suited for batteryoperated accessories, sensors and equipment.

FETs for more power efficient and compact server power supplies power supply units used in network servers and storage systems, which are the key applications to contribute to the smart society. In addition, this makes it possible to suppress large voltage drops with large currents. It is possible to attain highly precise power supply voltage even with power supply units having wide current fluctuations.

2) 8-pin HVSON package with small mounting area and support for largecurrent control The 8-pin HVSON package provides low package resistance because a metal plate is used to connect the FET die within the package to the pins. This, combined with the low on-state resistance of the FET die, allows for largecurrent control as much as rated 130A (ID (DC)) in spite of the compact 5 mm × 6 mm size of the package. It also helps to reduce equipment size by enabling the use of the minimum number of parallel connections when multiple ORing FETs are connected in parallel to each of the power supply units in order to supply a large current.

RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu

The SST25PF020B, SST25PF040B and SST25PF080B SPI Flash devices offer flexible erase and programme performance, including erasing sectors and blocks as fast as 18ms, erasing the entire Flash memory chip in 35ms, and a word-programming time of 7μs using Auto Address Increment (AAI). The devices also offer superior reliability of 100,000 endurance cycles, typical, and greater than 100 years of data retention.

The active read current of these devices is only 10mA, typical, at 80MHz, and standby current is only 10μA, typical.

All three devices excel in a broad range of applications, including those in the consumer-electronics and industrial markets. Examples of ideal end applications include smart meters, wireless products for sports/fitness/health monitoring, digital radios, low-power WiFi® products, GPS, and a wide array of battery-operated products.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/4GJ2 www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Compact dual mode Wi-Fi network controller module ideal for adding internet connectivity to home appliances

Compact ozonizer module removes germs and eliminates odors in consumer and automotive accessory applications

Murata announced the SN8200 series of compact low power certified Wi-Fi controller modules capable of providing 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n internet connectivity to a broad host of home appliances, industrial automation machines and healthcare equipment. The self-contained module utilizes Broadcom Corporation’s Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) architecture to provide comprehensive firmware and software features including a built-in Wi-Fi security supplicant supporting WPA PSK and WPA2 PSK, TCP/IP network stack and a simple network interface card (SNIC) protocol that supports socket connections.

Measuring just 30.5 x 19.4 x 2.9 mm, the SN8200 module is certified to FCC, IC and ETSI wireless standards and is equipped with a STM32 ARM Cortex-M3, an

Murata announced the ultra compact MHM500 ozonizer module constructed on a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) element.

Using a discharge electrode and a dielectric electrode within the LTCC board the ozonizer creates a stable supply of ozone, and because the electrodes are fabricated within the LTC element it offers a long life characteristic. Comprising both the LTCC element and a power supply module, the MHM500 can be used to generate ozone in a broad range of consumer, industrial and automotive accessory applications. Bacteria can proliferate in many appliances such as refrigerators and dish washers resulting in mildew, odors and creating potential health risks.

Previously, ozone-creating units have been too large and expensive to incorporate into consumer appliances, but now, the compact MHM500 module makes this possible. The ozone element meas-

on-board antenna and offers both UART or SPI connectivity to the host application.

The ability to support sensor applications is also possible by using the module’s ADC, DAC,

I2C and GPIO interfaces.

The SN8200 can operate in either access point (AP) or station (STA) mode. An integrated web server available in AP mode makes target device setup and control extremely easy. Output power is typically +18 dBm when operating in 802.11b mode at 11 Mbps.

MURATA www.murata.eu

The first MEMS oscillator able to achieve ±25 ppm frequency stability over the entire temperature range from -55°C to +125°C MSC is presenting the new SiT8920 high temperature oscillator from SiTime on its Booth 2219 in Hall 2 at embedded world 2013, February 26 28, 2013 in Nuremberg, Germany.

This new oscillator features a consistently high frequency stability of ±25 ppm over an extremely wide operating temperature range from 55°C to +125°C and low power consumption of less than 4 mA. With 50,000 g shock and 70 g vibration resistance, 0.1 ppb/g vibration sensitivity and 500 million hours MTBF (2 FIT), the SiT8920 sets new standards in reliability. In addition, a special rise/fall time control technology enables a significant reduction of EMI without any additional measures. The SiT8920 is a 100% pin-

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to-pin drop-in replacement for existing quartz oscillators and comes in five industry-standard package options of 2.0 mm × 1.6 mm, 2.5 mm × 2.0 mm, 3.2 mm × 2.5 mm, 5.0 mm × 3.2 mm and 7.0 mm × 5.0 mm.

Detailed information about the SiT8920 MEMS oscillator can be requested by sending an email to frequency-sitime@msc-ge.com MSC www.msc-ge.com

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

ures 14.2 × 31.5 × 17 mm, and the power supply module 36 × 50 × 24 mm. The module operates from a +12 VDC input voltage and has a low power consumption of approx 1 W. Ozone generation

performance is 2.5 mg/h maximum. A remote signal input controls the operation of the unit without the need to turn ON/OFF the input supply. The high voltage output of the power supply module incorporates an over-current and output protection circuit that can isolate the element supply in case of a fault condition.

MURATA www.murata.eu

Cree and Acal BFi sign GaN RF Franchise Agreement Cree, Inc., a market leader in GaN RF technology and Acal BFI, a division of Acal plc, a leading technology solutions provider in Europe, have signed a franchise agreement, to increase the sale of Cree RF components in Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Hungary and Luxemburg.

“GaN is increasingly recognised as a key technology in bringing about improved efficiency and reducing overall systems costs, Cree and Acal BFi have joined forces to accelerate bringing this advantage to a wider market” said Tom Dekker, World Sales and Marketing Director for RF Technology at Cree. “Acal BFi has an excellent reputation with a strong technical team able to support this specialized technology. This agreement further strengthens a sales network that has built a reputation for excellence in customer

support. We look forward to accelerating adoption of Cree GaN HEMT as the RF technology of choice throughout Europe.”

“A partnership with the leading innovator in the key area of GaN RF allows Acal BFi to increase its offer of advanced solutions at

the very forefront of technology.

Acal BFi’s experienced engineering team, across Europe, provides our customers the design support and product knowledge needed to take advantage of this innovative technology.“ said Lee Austin , Business Development Director Acal BFI communications division.

ACAL BFI www.acalbfi.de

PRODUCT NEWS

LIGHTING

GLT introduces new LED-based ring light for custom lighting applications Global Lighting Technologies (GLT), the world leader in edge-lit, LED-based light guides for general illumination, has introduced a new LED-based ring light that can be integrated into a wide variety of products from desk lamps to vanity mirrors to automotive interior lighting such as cup holders and clocks.

The optical portion of ring light is a two-piece design. An optical light guide incorporating two LEDs aligned on the

input edge of the product containing custom designed optical extraction features evenly distributes the light rays around the ring. An injection molded diffuser plate containing a custom array of optical features is used to create the extremely uniform visual light distribution and to even out the specular nature of the light extraction features within the molded light guide.

GLT works with customers to seamlessly integrate the ring light into their custom product, providing full engineering and prototyping services. With 4 manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and China, GLT can build customers’ products in even the highest volumes.

Pricing varies according to application, customer design requirements, size, and quantity needed. Please contact GLT for details.

GLOBAL LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES www.glthome.com

Extensive range of lighting components available from Avnet Abacus complements SILICA’s LED portfolio Avnet Abacus range further supports recent SILICA agreement with Philips Lumileds enabling complete lighting solutions Avnet Abacus, one of Europe’s leading interconnect, passive, electro-mechanical and power distributors and a business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, a business region of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), is stocking a comprehensive range of power, interconnect, thermal management, device control and protection components designed specifically for solid-state lighting applications.

These products complement and support the LED lighting portfolio of SILICA, another business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing, which recently announced a panEuropean franchise agreement with Philips Lumileds, a leading manufacturer of high-power LEDs. With the combined product portfolios of Avnet Abacus and SILICA, customers have access to a complete range of components for their solid-state lighting applications.

The Avnet Abacus lighting portfolio includes module-tomodule, board-to-board, wire-to-board and wire-to-wire connectors with current and voltage ratings compatible with LED applications to enable space-efficient assembly and installation. These units are suitable for scalable applications such as architectural cove lighting, signage or emergency lighting. For solid-state lighting power requirements, Avnet Abacus offers a broad range of constantcurrent and/or constant-voltage AC/DC modules from industry-leading manufacturers, suitable for both indoor and outdoor LED lighting applications such as street lighting, architectural lighting, signage and displays. Many products in the range offer high IP ratings and tolerances to both hot and extreme cold conditions. Available in a variety of formats including open-frame and sealed units, the product range provides high performances over a range of output voltages and currents. All of the modules come with stringent safety ratings and compliances. In addition, Avnet Abacus offers dedicated power management ICs and software to develop LED offline power supplies at universal input voltages from 85 to 265 VAC. AVNET ABACUS www.avnet-abacus.eu

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EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

PRODUCT NEWS

DISPLAY

Single-Phase Energy-Measurement Processors Accurately Monitor Power at a Fraction of the Cost Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. announced that it is now sampling the 78M6610+PSU1) /78M6610+LMU2) single-phase energymeasurement processors. These processors are an energy-measurement subsystem in a single chip. They provide simple utility-grade sensing and diagnostics for existing designs without the traditional cost of a utility meter system-on-chip. Both devices contain unique firmware to meet end application requirements. The 78M6610+PSU is specifically designed for real-time monitoring of data centers, servers, and telecom and data equipment, while the 78M6610+LMU is a more general-purpose solution for applications such as white-good appliances, smart plugs, EV chargers, and solar inverters.

The 78M6610 processors enable energymeasurement functionality while reducing

both manufacturing costs and time to market.

Energy-measurement solutions traditionally required the use of an additional microcontroller, which adds significant design cost and months of development time. The 78M6610 allow users to conveniently add a complete energy meter to an already existing design without significant cost or redesign.

MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

26.4 cm (10.4”) SVGA display with 50,000 hours backlight operational life and a minimum of five years availability The new 26.4 cm (10.4“) G104S1-L02 SVGA display from Chi Mei Innolux (CMI), presented for the first time by Gleichmann Electronics at the embedded world 2013 in Exhibition Hall 2 on Stand 2-219, features 400 cd/m² of brightness, a contrast ratio of 700:1 and an LED backlight operating life of

at least 50,000 hours. The enhanced twisted nematic (ETN) technology used by CMI permits a viewing angle of 160° horizontally and 140° vertically and a contrast ratio of >10:1 is still achieved even at the threshold range. In addition to an integrated driver for the white LED backlight, the G104S1-L02 is also equipped with an LVDS interface which permits rapid and simple implementation of the display.

The 10.4“ SVGA display, which is specified for a broad temperature range from -30°C to +80°C, will be available for at least five years like all CMI industrial line displays, and is therefore suitable for long-term industrial and medical uses.

GLEICHMANN & CO. ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com

ArchiLume Series of LED drivers provide super-slim form factor with extra wide range dimming for elegant illumination The ArchiLume Series of LED drivers from ERG Lighting has the slimmest 100W drivers on the market for illumination applications requiring an elegant look with smooth, flicker -free dimming and constant voltage output up to 100 watts with very low ripple.

They are ideal for applications such as architectural (office, hospitality, commercial, institutional), high-end retail (in-store displays, showrooms), home (kitchen, bathroom) and high-bay lighting. Available in two versions - E100W24V and E100W24V-D – both are made and supported in the USA and have safety approvals for the US & Canada with a 5-year warranty. They provide universal

input with minimum power factor correction of 0.90 and maximum total harmonic distortion of 20%. The E100W24V-D features onboard dimming with no flicker, no flashing, and ultra-smooth dimming all the way down to less than 1%.

ENDICOTT RESEARCH GROUP www.erglighting.com

The first 21.5-inch (54.6-cm) Open Frame Monitor with innovative nanosilver-based multitouch PCT technology With the 21.5-inch (54.6-cm) FPDS-215OFWF3SLC1 Open Frame Monitor, Gleichmann Electronics are presenting the first model in their new Open Frame product range equipped with the latest nanosilver-based projective/ capacitive touchscreen (PCT) technology at the embedded world on Stand 219 in Hall 2.

Unlike conventional indium-tin oxide (ITO)based PCTs, tiny particles of silver are used as a conductive material in the process used by Gleichmann Electronics. This makes it possible to manufacture extremely thin, elastic touch films. The capacitive resistance is so low that minimal reaction times are guaranteed even if the touch surface is touched through an 8 mm thick glass cover.

With a border of no more than 3.2mm and a much smaller bonding area between the touch sensor and the flat panel plug than with classical ITO PCTs the films, which are currently available for touch diagonals from 17-inch (43.2-cm) to 24-inch (60.1-cm), are ideal for use in Open Frame Monitors which are currently mainly still fitted with resistive touch screens.

The 90 percent light transmission supports optimum display readability.

Behind the FPDS-215OF-WF3SLC1 Open Frame Monitor‘s touch film there is a high-quality LM 215WF3-SLC1 TFT display from LG Display with a full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, 1,000:1 contrast, 250 cd/m² brightness and an LED backlight life of at least 50,000 hours. The enhanced in-plane switching (e-IPS) technology used in its manufacture allows for a short reaction time of just 8 ms in addition to wide vertical and horizontal viewing angles of 178 ° respectively. A GE Coconut AD graphics card with full HD resolution and VGA D-Sub15, DVI, S-VHS and CVBS interfaces is used.

GLEICHMANN & CO. ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com www.epd-ee.eu | February, 2013 | EP&Dee

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PRODUCT NEWS

PASSIVE COMPONENTS

AVX’s new AEC-Q200-qualified Skycap® capacitors are ideal for high-voltage automotive applications

Murata Unveils High Peak Current DMF Series at Consumer Electronics Show

AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer of advanced passive components and interconnect solutions, has developed a unique new series of high-voltage, conformally coated, radial leaded MLC capacitors for automotive applications. An extension of its successful Skycap® Series, AVX’s new X7R dielectric High Voltage AR Series capacitors feature a working voltage range of 1000V to 3000V, are AEC-Q200 qualified, and are readily available in two popular sizes, AR21 and AR30; additional sizes are available upon request. “Unique new products like the Skycap® High Voltage AR Series capacitors, for which AVX is the sole source, are the driving force behind AVX’s position as a leading manufacturer of MLC capacitors for more than 40 years,” said Dan Lane, marketing manager at AVX. AVX’s new Skycap® High Voltage AR Series capacitors possess the robust construction, excellent vibration characteristics, consid-

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is proud to be a selected distributor for Murata’s new DMF series of EDLCs (Electric Double Layer Capacitor), measuring an ultra-thin 2.5mm.

The DMF supercapacitor from Murata is one of four series under the electrical double layer capacitor family that offers high power in the form of higher allowable current than batteries or conventional EDLCs. The DMF supercapacitors have low ESR from 40-60mOhms, an operating temperature range from -30°C to 70°C and capacitance values of 330mF and 470mF. Combining these double cell capacitors with various power devices provides a life-cycle of 100,000 cycles or more and enables the DMF capacitor to be used as a maintenance-free power storage element. The DMF capacitor has the highest level of power density throughout the industry, making it ideal for use as an auxiliary power supply for LED flash units,

erable thermal resistance, and high quality for which the Skycap® Series is known.

Capacitance values for the AR Series range from 470pf to 68,000pf and its tolerance values are ±5%, ±10%, ±20% and

+80%-20%. Fully qualified to automotive specification AECQ200, the Skycap® AR Series is ideal for use in automotive electronics, power supply decoupling and filtering, and a variety of high voltage applications.

AVX www.avx.com

digital cameras and cell phones.

Additional applications include peak load assist for GSM PA’s, smart meters, compact motor starters and USB power bus. For more information about Murata’s

DMF supercapacitors, visit: www.mouser.com/new/murata/ muratadmf With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering What’s Next in advanced technologies.

MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com

Mouser Stocks Award-Winning TAIYO YUDEN MCOIL™ Metal Power Inductors

Murata extends power rating of 5.2 kV isolation miniature DC/DC converters

Mouser Electronics, Inc. announces immediate availability of award-winning TAIYO YUDEN MCOIL™ Metal Power Inductors, an innovative new series of coil components using magnetic metallic materials. A recipient of the Hearst Electronic Products’ 2012 Product of the Year Award, MCOIL™ inductors use a new type of magnetic core, permitting handling of higher current levels than other power inductors of their size.

TAIYO YUDEN’s MCOIL™ Metal Power Inductor series is a combination of industry leading performance and compact form factor making them optimal for use as choke coils for power supply circuits in compact mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs. The two product classes of the MCOIL™ series,

Murata announced the MEJ2 series of fully encapsulated compact through-hole 2 Watt DC/DC converters. Providing a pin-compatible upgrade path from Murata’s NMJ, MEV1 and NMV series, the MEJ2 2W devices are available with either single or dual outputs covering the nominal voltages of 3.3, 5, 9, 12 or 15VDC. Input voltage variants accommodate 3.3, 5, 12 or 15VDC. In a compact SIP format, the MEJ2 series has about twice the power density of its predecessor, the NMJ series, while offering safety agency recognition according to UL60950 for basic/supplementary insulation for voltages up to 200 Vrms.

Recognition to the medical standard IEC 60601 (3rd Ed) is pending and provides for one measure of operator protection (MOOP) to 200 Vrms. With

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wire-wound chip power inductor MAMK 2520T2R2M (inductance value 2.2μH, saturation current 2300mA), and metal core SMD power inductor MDMK2020T2R2M (inductance

value 2.2μH, saturation current 2000mA), combine with TAIYO YUDEN's advanced process technology to achieve the best-inclass DC bias characteristics in the industry, as well as size reduction. To learn more, visit www.mouser.com/Taiyo-MCOILInductors MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com

EP&Dee | February, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

guaranteed internal physical spacing’s, and a factory test voltage of 5.2kV, the MEJ2 series can be used with confidence in high noise environments where conventional high isolation parts with

3kV test ratings but only functional isolation and no guaranteed spacing’s may not be adequate. The series maintains high levels of efficiency down to typical and light loads saving power, reducing temperature rise and increasing product reliability.

MURATA www.murata.eu