EP&Dee no 5 by Electronica Azi

MAY, 2014 足 ISSUE NO. 5, VOL. 12

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

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MAY 2014 Table of Contents

Win a CAN Developer’s Kit from Microchip!

DESIGN FEATURES 8 The fundamental components of the Internet of Things The focus of the internet is set to change over the next five years as systems become smarter. According to networking specialist Cisco, 50 billion devices are likely to be connected to the internet by 2020, helping to sustain a $14tr market. The systems that dominate the internet today, such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones, will be dwarfed by the tens of billions of machines with network connections that will relay data to each other with the aim of making life more efficient.

12 Aurocon COMPEC - new products 14 Interfacing accessories on Android™ Accessory interfaces simplify the development of embedded Android apps, explains David Flowers of Microchip Technology Inc.

Microchip is offering readers of EP&Dee the chance to win one of their CAN Developer’s Kits which is ideally suited for system developers in automotive, industrial control, instrumentation and automation applications.

20 Analogue techniques for longer battery life Getting the maximum lifetime out of a battery requires an understanding of three key factors: battery technologies, digital power management and low-power analogue techniques. Whilst most designers are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of different battery chemistries and with digital power control, they may be less familiar with the role that low-power analogue can play in pushing extending life.

22 Microcontroller-Based PROFINET Implementations PROFINET is becoming more and more widespread in the industrial automation field. With 5.8 million devices installed by the end of 2012, PROFINET holds the top spot among Industrial Ethernet bus systems. One of the reasons for this growth is the use of PROFINET in embedded systems, which were previously integrated using proprietary bus systems or field buses.

26 Closed Loop Current Transducer Characteristics Current measurement is an integral part of power electronics. Current transducers supply this measurement with different technologies available. The most common technology used is the Closed Loop Hall Effect or Closed Loop Flux Gate. The Closed Loop technology offers many specific benefits needed by power electronics designers. However, there are some details not often known that can make an application exceptional or may result in failure. Below are some of the characteristics that should be considered.

30 ASIC Based Current Transducers 34 Leuze CML700i - measuring light curtains – best in class! PRODUCT NEWS 19 Embedded Systems (p 4 - 7) (p 10, 19, 29) Lighting Solutins / Display (p 37)

4 37

For your chance to win a Microchip CAN Developer’s Kit, please visit: http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-candevkit and enter your details in the entry form.

Active Components (p 38 - 41)

EP&Dee | May, 2014

To Speed up software development and to enable introduction of CAN to those who are unfamiliar with the protocol, Microchip offers a unique development tool that is a combination of a software development tool and a CAN message / communication tool called the MCP2510/2515 CAN Developer’s Kit. This kit helps to simplify applications that require interfacing with a CAN bus.

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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 Tel: +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 11 times per year in 2014 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 2014 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.

INDUSTRY NEWS Achieve High EnergyMeasurement Accuracy with Highly Integrated Single-Phase Metering SoC Maxim Integrated’s ZON M3 singlephase energy meter SoC enables ±0.1% accuracy over 5000:1 dynamic range.

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Freescale Programmable Solenoid Controller Helps to Reduce Emissions and Improve Efficiency for Direct Fuel Injection Engines Governments worldwide have issued regulations requiring automakers to improve fuel efficiency and meet new emissions standards over the next five to ten years.

Using the ZON™ M3 (MAX71315) singlephase electricity meter SoC from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., engineers now have a highly accurate, low-cost design system for emeters and solid-state meters. Automotive Superior metering metrology is essential for accurate monitoring and billing. Additionally, meter manufacturers must consider cost in their designs, as millions of meters are being deployed throughout the globe.

The ZON M3 energy-meter solution integrates four 24-bit ADCs for 4-channel data collection and ±0.1% measurement accuracy over 5000:1 dynamic range. A 32-bit metrology compute engine (CE) ensures high-accuracy processing of all collected data. Its two touch-switch inputs eliminate mechanical switches and improve user experience, and its infrared (IR) communications interface eliminates the typical extra IR receiver module. All the high integration reduces cost and improves user experience. Key Advantages • Superior metering accuracy: over ±0.1% over 5000:1 dynamic range • High integration: integrated touch-switch inputs and IR communications improve user experience and reduce system cost; multiple interfaces (SPI, I2C, and 4 USART) for design versatility; real-time clock (RTC) with temperature compensation and digital temperature sensor for highly accurate temperature compensation; ample Flash and RAM memory for long-term service • High performance: a 32-bit metrology CE ensures high-accuracy processing of all collected data Availability and Pricing • The ZON M3 electricity meter is available in a 100-pin LQFP package. • Pricing starts at $2.81 (1000-up, FOB USA). MAXIM INTEGRATED

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automotive OEMs and their suppliers meet efficiency and emissions goals, while providing a reliable, high-performance system solution that supports advanced diagnostic functionality, faster response times, and optimal programmability.” The intelligent MC33816 controller additionally provides embedded encryption and microcode protection to inhibit reverse engineering and help safeguard system IP and software. Additional features include: • 9-32 V continuous supply, 5.5-58 V transient • Up to 72 V pre-driver operating range • Precision peak and hold drive capability • Integrated DC-DC boost converter control circuitry • Choice of four programmable slew rates 12.5 V/uS – 300 V/uS • 10 × 10 mm 64-pin LQFP-EP package

To help automakers and their suppliers comply with these requirements, Freescale Semiconductor today announced the MC33816 programmable solenoid controller, designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency for both gasoline and diesel direct fuel injection engines. The flexible architecture is also applicable for driving dual clutch transmissions, as well as precision solenoids in factory automation applications. The MC33816 programmable solenoid controller embeds intelligence with four integrated μCores, enabling four parallel tasks to run independently of the main system microcontroller. The result is a response time up to 16x faster than traditional architectures, thereby improving engine efficiency with precise fuel delivery that reduces unnecessary fuel use. The device’s functional integration enables substantial bill-of-materials reductions, and provides the flexibility and scalability necessary to be easily integrated into virtually any engine system, including gasoline, diesel, flex-fuel and even LNG engines, regardless of the number of cylinders.

controller’s functions and is available now at www.freescale.com/KITMC33816 for a price of $216 (USD). To demonstrate the embedded functions of the MC33816 programmable solenoid controller, software with SPI generator (SPIGen) can be downloaded at www.freescale.com/analogtools.

“Increasingly stringent fuel efficiency standards require highly advanced analog technologies like the intelligent MC33816 device,” said James Bates, senior vice president and general manager for Freescale’s Analog and Sensors business. “This new programmable solenoid controller can help

Availability and pricing The MC33816 programmable solenoid controller is available now for a suggested resale price starting at $3.06 (USD) in 100K quantities (www.freescale.com/psc). FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

Development support Freescale provides hardware and software to support the MC33816 programmable solenoid controller. The KIT33816AEEVM evaluation board allows utilization of the

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

IPETRONIK celebrates its 25th anniversary and inaugurates a new production and administration building IPETRONIK, an industry leader in the design, development and manufacturing of mobile measurement technologies, DAQ software, engineering services, and test bench technology for the global automotive market, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and on May 16, inaugurates a new company building across from the headquarter in Baden-Baden, Germany. IPETRONIK has reached another milestone after completing the building within less than eight months (Start of construction works September 09, 2013; topping-out ceremony December 18, 2013). Across from the Technical Center and the company headquarter building (in use since 2010 and 2011 resp.), on the 2,228 m² property a modern two-

storey production and administration building was constructed. It has a useful area of about 2,200 m² and was made for 15 - 20 employees. Since its foundation in 1989, IPETRONIK has had a significant impact on mobile measurement technology for the automotive industry. Today, it is a leader in this industry with 180 employees. IPETRONIK is owned by INDUS Holding AG, a medium-sized financial holding with 40 companies. In 2013, the 7,000 employees of the group gained a turnover of 1.2 billion Euro.

IPETRONIK's success story started 25 years ago, when Robert Heck, Horst Ihle and Bernd Pregger founded the company 'Industrie Präzision Elektronik GmbH'. Due to

the pioneering spirit that is still present today, and thanks to the commitment of all employees, the company grew to become a sound medium-sized company. INDUS Holding AG took over IPETRONIK in 2001 and now backs the company and supports further growth. The managers of IPETRONIK, Erich Rudolf and Andreas Wocke, do the same by making foresighted decisions considering market requirements. Branches were established in Duesseldorf and Hamburg, as well as a subcompany in Eichstaett near Ingolstadt. IPETRONIK now concentrates its actions and competences in BadenBaden as the IPEtec business division moves from Hamburg to the new building across from the headquarters where test benches for vehicle air conditioning systems and aggregates will be developed, designed and operated. Special focus will be put on the new ecofriendly R744 refrigerant known as CO2. Persistent improvement in efficiency and testing of air conditioning systems in current combustion vehicles as well as in electric and hybrid vehicles remain important key services. IPEMOTION www.ipetronik.com/en/software IPETRONIK www.ipetronik.com

Freescale and Broadcom extend ADAS surround-view automotive cameras beyond luxury models and into the mainstream Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are quickly growing in popularity among consumers, driven in large part by a strong affinity for the functionality enabled by surround view cameras such as park assist and blind spot detection. According to ABI Research, Inc, the global ADAS market is forecast to reach US$261 billion by 2020, establishing ADAS as one of the fastest growing segments in the automotive sector. In response to this growing market trend, Freescale Semiconductor and Broadcom Corporation have partnered to create Freescale’s Qorivva MPC5606E – the industry’s first fullyintegrated, packaged microcontroller (MCU) and physical layer transceiver (PHY) solution for use in 360 degree camera systems. Camera size is increasingly important to automotive OEMS, as manufacturers prefer peripheral cameras to be miniaturized and unobtrusive to maintain vehicle aesthetics. Smaller cameras can be more easily hidden within design features of the car, such as a front grill, bumper or wing mirror. Featuring a compact 8×8mm package, the Qorivva MPC5606E device is designed to reduce the size of automotive camera modules by up to 50 percent, while helping speed time to market and reduce the overall bill - of-material. Fundamental to the size and performance advantages of the Qorivva MPC5606E is the incorporation of Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach® automotive Ethernet PHY. The integrated Ethernet solution enables compact vision compression and rapid transmission of video data throughout the vehicle. Ethernet has emerged as a mainstream automotive network technology, allowing multiple in-vehicle systems to simultaneously access information over a single unshielded twisted pair cable at speeds of up to 100 Mbps. By eliminating cumbersome, shielded cabling, automotive manufacturers can reduce connectivity costs up to 80 percent and cabling weight up to 30 percent (source: Broadcom). These cost and weight reductions pave the way for the incorporation of surround view camera systems beyond the luxury class into higher volume, mid-range and economy vehicles. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR

www.freescale.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS Freescale Intelligent Battery Sensor Combines MCU and CAN with Flexible ThreeChannel Analog Front End Freescale Semiconductor announced the availability of the industry’s first general market AECQ100 qualified intelligent battery sensor to combine three measurement channels, a 16/32-bit MCU, and a CAN protocol module in a single package. Designed to support both conventional and emerging battery chemistries for automotive and industrial applications, the MM9Z1J638

battery sensor measures key battery parameters for monitoring state of health (SOH), state of charge (SOC) and state of function (SOF) for early failure prediction. A flexible four-cell front end architecture supports conventional 12V lead acid batteries as well as emerging battery applications, such as 14V stacked cell Li-Ion, high voltage junction boxes, and 24V truck batteries. Battery failure is one of the leading causes of vehicle breakdowns due to electrical system errors. Rising levels of electrical load in vehicles are placing increased strain on batteries as new, mission-critical requirements such as engine start-stop functionality become increasingly common. According to analyst firm Strategy Analytics, more than 52 million vehicles worldwide will support start-stop functionality by 2020. Start-stop requirements, together with others such as regenerative braking and intelligent alternator control, are driving demand for more precise sensing of the battery’s state to provide early failure warnings. Integrating a 16/32 bit S12Z microcontroller with 128K Flash, 8K RAM and 4K EEPROM together with a CAN protocol module, LIN interface and a three-channel analog measurement front end, the MM9Z1J638 battery sensor combines analog, processor and communication functions in a single package to help lower total bill of materials and accommodate advanced battery monitoring algorithms. The analog front end includes a two-channel, 16-bit sigma delta (ΣΔ) analogto-digital converter (ADC) for simultaneous measurement of battery voltage and current, as well as a third 16-bit ΣΔ ADC for temperature monitoring using the integrated sensor and redundant measurement plausibility checks to support functional safety. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS CMX983 - Analogue Front End (AFE) For Digital Radio he CMX983 is an Analogue Front End (AFE) IC that bridges the gap between a digital radio’s RF section and the DSP/FGPA. Specifically designed to meet the needs of a Software Designed Radio (SDR), the CMX983 performs critical DSP-intensive functions, provides dual channel analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion, includes two RF fractional-N synthesisers and embeds a host of auxiliary ADCs and DACs for use within the radio system. The CMX983 is suitable for radio systems employing modulation bandwidths up to 25.8kHz, and it is especially suited to satellite communication, high performance wireless data and professional twoway radio systems. The CMX983 is highly configurable, supporting numerous sample rates and filtering characteristics. This configurability enables a high level of functionality, integration and connectivity with RF building block ICs. The CMX983 connects seamlessly with CML’s CMX994 Direct Conversion Receiver

and the CMX998 Cartesian Feedback Loop Transmitter, to provide a complete, small form factor, RF-to-digitised baseband solution operating at up to 1GHz. The CMX983 meets the low operating power requirements of new SDR based ter-

minals and is powered from separate 3.3V and 1.8V power supplies. A facility is provided to allow the PLL charge pumps to be operated at up to 4.75V, providing low noise operation. The CMX983 is available in a small 64-lead VQFN package. CML MICROCIRCUITS www.cmlmicro.com

Aeroflex LTE Base Station RF Measurement Option Available for PXI 3000 Modular Platform Aeroflex Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aeroflex Holding Corp., has announced the separate availability of the LTE Downlink Measurement Suite, a suite of software tools that works with the Aeroflex PXI 3000 platform to characterize the transmitter and receiver parameters of LTE base stations (eNodeB) and small cells in production test. The LTE Downlink (FDD and TDD) Measurement Suite can be used either with the recently-announced Aeroflex One-Box Base Station RF Tester, which is based on the Aeroflex PXI 3000 platform, or as an expanded application on the Aeroflex PXI 3000 Series VSA and VSG modules. With industry-leading measurement speed and accuracy already validated by end users, the software enables RF parametric test to be performed on macro base stations and small cells. The low level Application Programming Interface (API) of the analysis library allows users easy integration into the

automated test system. The LTE Downlink Measurement Suite is incorporated with the user-friendly graphic interface and supports RF parametric measurements during the

base station R&D design stage. It is a good choice for performing the 7X24 regression test as well as advanced radio signal simulation and analysis. LTE-A features such as carrier aggregation and higher order MIMO signal generation are included. AEROFLEX www.aeroflex.co

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Freescale introduces the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest performance MCUs designed for automotive instrument clusters, enabling a new generation of premium graphics High-end automotive instrument clusters typically incorporate multiple external components, including a main processor, graphics unit, external SRAM, and dedicated circuitry to manage heads-up display warping and other sophisticated functionality. The cost and complexity of integrating these multiple parts previously restricted this functionality to the premium car segment.

cluster MCU. This high performance solution helps eliminate the need for costly additional processors and memory chips. In addition, the triple-core MAC57D5xx helps enhance safety by separating key instrument cluster hardware and software via concurrent operation of separate operating systems on each of the devicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; three cores. Independent operation of an AutoSAR OS on the ARM Cortex-

To drive heads-up display and other advanced graphics capabilities beyond the high-end and into the mid- and economy tier automotive segments, Freescale Semiconductor has introduced a triple-core, single-chip solution featuring more than 1.7x higher performance than any currently available automotive instrument

M4 core, and a graphics OS on the ARM Cortex-A5 core allows for enhanced safety in next-generation instrument cluster designs. MAC57D5xx DIS MCUs are expected to begin sampling in June 2014. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: All technologies for embedded systems The distributor Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH bundles its portfolio of embedded boards, storage, displays, wireless modules and auto ID components as well as specific peripheral components under RUTRONIK EMBEDDED. 'Best-fit' kit solutions of board, memory and display offer optimally tailored solutions and a very short time-to-market. The comprehensive range of components is complemented by support from the component selection and production through to RMA / PCN / EOL services.

The distributor has summarised all specific components for embedded systems from its horizontal embedded boards, storage & displays, active, passive, electromechanical and wireless product areas under RUTRONIK EMBEDDED. Rutronik combines the respective components together to produce complete embedded solutions in accordance with customer requirements. The result is perfectly matched components for the customer's target application. The core components for Embedded Boards and Storage & Display are found in a joint Rutronik product area. They are also combined in various kit solutions as 'best fit' to facilitate a very short development time for customers. Application-specific wireless modules and auto ID components, sensors and actuators, processors, DC/DC and AC/DC converters, switches, wired connectivity, special connectors and sockets, thermal management solutions, openframe power supplies and backup batteries are also available. Various products for different levels of integration, low end and high quality components as well as at least two manufacturers per product or product group provide customers with maximum flexibility for the implementation of demand-driven production and control systems. The Rutronik product managers, special field application engineers and business development managers assist customers in selecting their components and during the design-in. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com

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DESIGN

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

The fundamental components of the Internet of Things The focus of the internet is set to change over the next five years as systems become smarter. According to networking specialist Cisco, 50 billion devices are likely to be connected to the internet by 2020, helping to sustain a $14tr market. The systems that dominate the internet today, such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones, will be dwarfed by the tens of billions of machines with network connections that will relay data to each other with the aim of making life more efficient. The idea of the internet of things (IoT) dates back to the late 1990s when researchers proposed ideas such as ambient intelligence, in which a forest of smart sensors would monitor environmental conditions, alerting control systems to changes. By enacting changes in response, these control systems can improve efficiency in a wide range of systems, from industrial control through home automation to healthcare. For example, a set of smart sensors dotted around the body, can pick up on health problems that alert the user to a problem through their phone.

Author: Mark Zack, VP Global Semiconductors, Digi-Key

In industrial control, a series of sensors mounted along a production line can detect conditions that may lead to problems such as sudden changes in temperature or excess vibration that may signal a problem in a machine tool or a process going outside its bounds. There are three fundamental components that combine to form an IoT node: intelligence, sensing, and wireless communications. Wireless connectivity is vital because it will allow sensor nodes to be deployed quickly and easily without the requirement to route network cables to each location. In order to survive for long periods of time on a single battery charge, an IoT node needs to exhibit low power consumption. Typically, the node will be dormant for long periods of time, waking up for short periods to take a reading and then make a decision on whether to send out an alert based on 8

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the change or go back to sleep. A large number of microcontrollers are designed around this core requirement, sporting ultralow-energy sleep modes combined with high-performance instruction pipelines to streamline processing while awake. A key decision is the type of architecture. A growing number of low-cost microcontrollers from vendors such as Atmel, Freescale, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments use 32-bit cores based on architectures such as ARM to deliver high performance at low power and access to a growing range of open-source software that allows applications to be built quickly. However, architectures such as Atmelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AVR demonstrate that the 8-bit platform still provides a great deal of power, using advanced smart peripherals to collect data from sensor interfaces, and delivering high costeffectiveness.

There are a number of possible approaches for introducing low-power communications to an IoT node, ranging from purposedesigned protocols such as Zigbee to lowpower variants of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Some of these protocols offer direct compatibility with the internet protocol (IP). Others rely on a gateway to map between IP packets and the leaner protocols used by the IoT sensor nodes. Zigbee is a low-power wireless network specification based on the IEEE 802.15.4 (2003) standard that was developed by a group of 16 companies involved in industrial and building automation. A novel aspect of Zigbee compared to many other networking protocols lies in its use of mesh networking. This allows IoT nodes far away from a central controller to use nodes in between to carry their communications.

DESIGN

This not only extends the range of a central gateway, it also increases robustness as a transmission can use a number of different routes through the mesh. Originally launched by Nokia as Wibree in 2006, Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth Smart provides a similar range to classic Bluetooth but with reduced power consumption. In place of the 1MHz channels used by the original Bluetooth protocol, BLE uses a smaller set of wider-bandwidth channels of 2MHz but with a lower peak data rate.

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

readings at regular intervals to a central controller, which may be a mobile phone or a dedicated medical instrument. Having been in use in various forms for more than 15 years, Wi-Fi has the benefit of being the most mature wireless-networking radio technology suitable for IoT applications. Through protocols such as WPS, Wi-Fi can offer easy integration into an existing network for devices that have little to no physical user interface. Of the wireless technologies suitable for IoT applications, Wi-Fi has the best power-per-

In general, Wi-Fi tends to suit applications where compliance with the IP stack is an advantage, there is a requirement to deliver large amounts of data, such as audio or video, or the remote devices can be powered by external energy sources. An example of Wi-Fi in use is by Mernok Elektronik of South Africa, which used modules from connectBlue to incorporate wireless networking into the locomotive control and safety management systems of railway systems used in mining.

Figure 1: Comparing data rates of RF systems. The channel bandwidth is similar to that of Zigbee but with narrower spacing. A key advantage of BLE is its lower latency, just 3ms versus the 100ms of classic Bluetooth, as well as lower complexity so that its software stack can easily be incorporated into lower-cost microcontrollers. BLE retains support for frequency hopping from the original Bluetooth protocol, which makes it more robust than Zigbee in the presence of strong interfering signals. One of the main application areas for BLE is medical instrumentation, where a number of on-body sensors to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and posture relay their

bit transmission efficiency. Conventional WiFi designs tend to use more energy to maintain a connection while quiescent than protocols such as BLE, which can decrease energy efficiency if the application does not need high bandwidth. However, vendors such as GainSpan have worked on power efficiency in designs such as the GS2000, which combines support for both ZigBee and Wi-Fi on the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz band. These designs put the radio into an energysaving standby mode if the sensor node does not need to transmit any data. It wakes up only to send data or keep-alive connection packets used to assure central controllers that the node has not failed.

The modules are used to collect real-time operation data on each vehicle and provide a robust wireless connection across both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands with support for over-the-air firmware updates and parameter changes. BLE and Wi-Fi can be used together efficiently as they both support coexistence protocols designed to reduce interference between the two on their common frequency band of 2.4GHz. This coexistence ability lends itself to implementation in gateway designs where BLE is used for connections to sensor nodes and Wi-Fi for relaying aggregated data to a backbone network. www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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DESIGN

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Figure 2: Channel arrangements for Zigbee, BluetoothLE and Wi-Fi. The APx4 from Bluegiga provides an off-theshelf solution for this, providing support for both Wi-Fi and the full Bluetooth 4.0 software stack that includes BLE, based around a powerful 450MHz ARM9 processor. A number of integrated microcontrollers and support chipsets from vendors such as Atmel, CSR, Freescale, STMicroelectronics

and Texas Instruments provide support for protocols such as BLE, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. For implementations that need flexibility, the configurable radio transceivers made by Lime Microsystems make it easier to deploy nodes that can be programmed with a specific RF interface personality at the point of manufacture to suit different networking

needs in the target system. As the IoT scales up, we can expect more integrated solutions to arrive on the market. But, even at this early stage of development, there are many choices available to the engineer with which to incorporate the three key components of IoT support. n www.digikey.com

Digi-Key collaborates with Freescale and ARM to Kick-Off “Design with Freedom” Product Design Contest Digi-Key Corporation, the industry leader in electronic component selection, availability and delivery, has collaborated with Freescale® Semiconductor and ARM to offer the European engineering community a chance to submit their hardware product innovations. Prototype entries need to be built with one of Freescale’s Freedom line of cost-effective development platforms, using Digi-Key’s complimentary Scheme-it online design software and submitted online at www.eeweb.com/freedomcontest by June 30, 2014. The industry leaders have come together to foster creativity in online board-level product design, rewarding engineers for creativity, innovation and practicality. Contestants can choose among any of the fourteen Freescale Freedom Development Platforms including the newly created Kinetis® E versions and the Xtrinsic® portfolio of sensors as well as the company’s newly released FRDMK64F board that was also announced earlier 10

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this month at the Freescale Technology Forum in Dallas, Texas. Participants can easily access Digi-Key’s complimentary online design software – Scheme-it – to choose their block-level circuit design. Once approved, contestants can move to the next level where they are required to submit their design prototype overview along with an image or video. Participants must use the Freescale Freedom board for their product design although they may choose to use their own board or they can purchase one from digikey.com. Although only one board is required, bonus points will be awarded for use of multiple Freescale devices in the design. Convergence Promotions, the leader in ARM core-based programs, Aspen Labs, the designer of Scheme-it, and EEWeb, a leading online electrical engineering community are collaborating to produce the Freedom Design Contest. The contest is limited to entries submitted from EMEA-based engineers. The initial block designs must be

submitted via Digi-Key’s Scheme-It online design tool by June 30. Then, the next-level prototypes are due September 15. Prizes will be awarded at every stage of the contest, giving the engineers the ability to participate as time permits. A team of engineering and product design experts from all three companies will judge the submissions, announcing the final prizewinners at Electronica in Munich, Germany on November 11, 2014. For more information about the contest, visit the Freedom Design Contest page on EEWeb. DIGI-KEY

www.digikey.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Aurocon COMPEC New Products EBM-PAPST PLUG 'N' PLAY COMPACT FANS Every fan needs to be mounted and connected to a power supply. To save you time, ebm-papst’s plug 'n' play fan assembly range is supplied complete with threaded inserts in each corner to take an M3 threaded bolt and a Molex 22-01-2025 connector. • • • • •

DC fans Plastic housing Molex connector fitted Threaded inserts for easy mounting Protection IP20

RS stock no: 782-4689

HARTING SMT D SUB CONNECTORS Designed and packaged for automatic pick and place equipment the range covers both the right angle and straight versions in sizes of 9 through to 37 way. The series is compatible with other surface mount components. • Industry standard contact count • Straight and right angle variants • Optional fitted female screw locks/threaded inserts • Single production process • High level of mechanical retention to the PCB

RS stock no: 787-0821

RS stock no: 777-7381

REPRAPRO ORMEROD 3D PRINTER Introducing the new RepRap Ormerod complete 3D printer kit from RepRapPro. 3D printing is fast becoming an essential part of the design process for both electronics and mechanics, with the ability to create quick turn-around prototypes saving months in the 12

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RS stock no: 795-2333

• Full open-source self-replicating RepRap • New 32-bit Arduinocompatible Duet electronics enable control via a web-browser • Wiring loom for simple plug-in connection – no soldering • IR probing for self-aligned printing – no bed adjustment required • Supplied as a kit of parts for self-assembly ECOFlEX UNSHIELDED CABLE Control cable with greater performance and minimum impact on the environment, Eco cable uses its mPPE insulation and jacketing to provide all of the advantages in a smaller, lighter control cable. • • • • •

DIALIGHT DUROSITE SERIES LED HIGH BAY LIGHTING Dialight’s DuroSite LED High Bay fixture was designed specifically to replace conventional lighting in a wide variety of industrial applications; both indoor and outdoor. Its low profile lightweight design and versatile mounting options make it ideal for many applications such as warehouse, garage, aisle, cold storage, bridge, tunnel and general area lighting. • L70 rated for >100,000 hours @ 25°C ambient • Significant energy savings • Instant on / off

design cycle. Thanks to the RepRap Project, 3D printing is now low-cost and can be used for small production runs.

Up to 8x Flexing Bend Radius Up to 32% smaller than PVC Up to 55% lighter than PVC Up to 91% lower outgassing 100% recyclable

RS stock no: 787-1903

OMRON E5AC TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER Including a large white PV display that’s easier to read, the temperature controller is easy tu use, from model selection to setup and operation. It offers a complete range of I/O capacities, functions, and performance. Compact and space saving allows for easy installation even in confined spaces. • High contrast LED display which provides great visibility even in low light • Easy accessible communication port for PC programming • A2-PID algorithm providing high control and accuracy • Small 60 mm panel depth • High speed sampling at 50ms RS stock no: 780-5439

Aurocon Compec www.compec.ro www.designspark.com

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EMBEDDED ANDROID

Interfacing accessories on Android™ Accessory interfaces simplify the development of embedded Android apps, explains David Flowers of Microchip Technology Inc. Whilst mobile phones and tablet computers began life as embedded platforms, they now run on operating systems which are similar to that of a standard PC. They have become multi-threaded and even multi-core devices capable of simultaneously running multiple applications, maintaining multiple types of connectivity, and providing the user interface. For the consumer, this delivers higher expectations, whilst for the application developer it delivers both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities include enabling mobile devices to interface to other electronic devices such as personal fitness equipment and medical health devices: The challenges lie in the fact that, developing new mobile apps can demand a very different set of design skills, especially for developers more familiar with creating applications on smaller processors. Understanding threading A sound knowledge of threading is important for all developers of mobile apps because it is central to the mobile devices’ ability to run multiple operations simultaneously. Threading is the division of a programme execution, within a process, which creates two sets of code which can run simultaneously. Whilst one set of code waits for an event to occur before it can continue, the other threads must be able to carry on running. Without proper threading, the app’s user interface would lock up and become non-responsive as tasks such as connecting to the Web, or via Bluetooth® or USB, would block the thread for an unspecified amount of time. Threading also introduces the problem of concurrency into programme development. When two or more threads are running simultaneously, it is possible to have very complex data access issues when data needs to pass between two threads, or when the same data needs to be read or modified by two threads. Since each thread’s execution time is unknown, it is possible to be modifying the 14

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variable in one thread at the same time as a second thread is trying to read it. Java provides the answer to this with the use of a synchronised keyword: this allows developers to create sections that lock onto a shared object so that, if a thread is inside the synchronised section, no other thread can enter that section until the first thread has left it. In Figure 1, the synchronised functions are used to ensure that variables ‘a’ and ‘b’ are both modified together, resulting in the

private Integer a = 0, b = 0; public synchronized void updateVariables() { a += 1; b -= 1; }

same sum. Without synchronisation, it would be possible for one thread to call the updateVariables() function ‘b’ in the code, just after ‘a’ has been incremented but before ‘b’ has been decremented, when a second thread calls the getSum() routine,

private Integer a = 0, b = 0; public void updateVariables() { synchronized(a) { a += 1; b -= 1; } }

public synchronized Integer getSum() { return a + b; }

public Integer getSum() { synchronized(a) { return a + b; } }

Figure 1: Synchronised functions.

Figure 2: Synchronised keywords.

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resulting in a sum that is different for that brief moment of time. Figure 2 shows how a synchronised section can be used instead of a synchronised function to achieve the same effect. Using a synchronised section allows other variables and functions within the parent object to continue to be used, since the lock is only placed on variable ‘a’ instead of the entire parent object. As synchronisation statements are slightly more complex and susceptible to errors, care must be taken to use the appropriate method for each function. Java also enables data or events to be passed safely between threads using handlers and messages. A handler is similar to a mailbox: Messages can be placed in a handler which then presents the first message to the thread, as soon as the associated thread is no longer busy. This method can be used to pass information about events or data between threads.

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Overriding lifecycle changes Android activities or apps go through lifecycle transitions which occur when changes on the phone or tablet could affect the application. When developing applications targeted for the Android OS, it is important to understand the activity lifecycle because even simple user interactions, such as rotating the screen, sliding out a keyboard or receiving a call, can cause lifecycle changes in an application. Many of the system resources that an activity can request also specify that they must be freed on certain lifecycles states. For example, broadcast receivers are used to detect certain events that happen on the USB bus, such as when the device is detached. The broadcast receiver, however, needs to be unregistered when the application pauses, and re-registered when the application resumes. (See the diagram “Android activity lifecycle from the next page”)

The Android OS provides a way to override the default behaviour of each of these events, so that developers can add any functionality required at these lifecycle transitions. To override a lifecycle function, simply use the state name as a function with the @Override keyword before it.

@Override public void onResume() { super.onResume(); //your stuff here } Figure 6: Override the onResume() function. When overriding a lifecycle function, always use the super keyword to call the parent functionality that is being overridden.

public class PushbuttonMessage { private boolean pressed = false; public PushbuttonMessage (boolean state) { pressed = state; } public boolean isPressed() { return pressed; } }

private final static int BUTTON_EVENT = 1;

Figure 3: Create a class to be used as a message.

Figure 4: Create a message and send it to a handler.

PushbuttonMessage pbMsg = new PushbuttonMessage(false); /* Get a new message with the “what” of BUTTON_EVENT, and the button message that was just created */ Message msg = handler.obtainMessage(BUTTON_EVENT, pbMsg); msg.sendToTarget();

private final static int BUTTON_EVENT = 1; private Handler handler = new Handler() { @Override public void handleMessage(Message msg) { switch(msg.what) { case BUTTON_EVENT: /* Now that we know we have a button message, we know that the object associated with the message is a PushbuttonMessage. Create a PushbuttonMessage and cast the object to it so that we can access its members */ PushbuttonMessage pbMessage = (PushbuttonMessage) msg.obj; if(pbMessage.isPressed() == true) { //do something here } } } }; Figure 5: Implement a handler to receive and decode a message.

This ensures that the other steps normally occurring in that lifecycle change will still occur. Failure to do this can result in the application crashing or failing to build. It is also important to realise that, sometimes, it matters where the parent functionality is called within the function. For lifecycle changes on the creation side of the cycle, onCreate(), onStart(), onResume(), the super function is typically called at the start of the function. For the lifecycle changes on the destruction side of the cycle, onPause(), onStop(), OnDestroy(), it is usually important to have the super call near or at the end of the function. One method of working around the issue of having to handle various lifecycle changes is to move some of the handling of objects that need to survive these transitions to a service. Using a service for the data-connectivity objects can also allow multiple activities to share the same data connection. www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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Diagram 1: Android activity lifecycle.

Wireless communication The three main connectivity interfaces are: USB, Bluetooth and Wi-FiÂŽ. However, these methods are dependent on the version of the OS as well as the hardware features that are available on the device. Wi-Fi is probably one of the easiest and best-documented interfaces available for app development. If the target accessory includes an HTTP server, the browser on the phone or tablet can be used to eliminate the need for a custom application. There are also different telnet/ftp applications available which can also eliminate custom development. If a custom application is required, Java offers network APIs and there is ample reference material on how to use them. 16

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There is, however, one Android OS-specific item that needs to be added to the application before the app is able to use the networking API. In the AndroidManafest.xml file, the activity that is accessing the network API needs to be given permission to do so by adding the following line:

This may be realistic for some applications, such as a thermostat in a house that will always have Wi-Fi connectivity to the home router, but unrealistic for nearly all mobile accessories. Different Android OS versions offer support for different Bluetooth devices. The

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> Figure 7: Add permission for an app to use the Internet. One major limitation when using an Android deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wi-Fi for accessory interfacing is that Android does not currently support ad-hoc networking so a network infrastructure is required before the Wi-Fi accessory can operate.

Android v2.x versions support the Serial Port Profile (SPP), although not all devices with these OS versions are capable of using the feature. The SPP profile is useful for creating custom applications that do not have a predefined data format.

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For more specialised accessories, v3.x introduced support for the headset and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), whilst Android OS version 4.x introduced support for the Health Device Profile (HDP). USB connectivity One of the most recent methods for downloading data from an Android device is USB. Before version 2.3.4 of the Android OS, the USB port was used exclusively by the device manufacturer so that it was not available to application developers. This changed with the v2.3.4 and v3.1 Android OS updates, allowing developers of Android accessories to use the USB port. Android version 3.1 then introduced a USB Host API, allowing developers to use standard USB peripherals plugged into a suitable Android device. The OS also has builtin support for some USB device classes, such as Human Interface Device (HID) and Mass Storage Devices (MSD). These built-in drivers allow these USB peripherals to be used seamlessly, just as they are used on a standard computer. For peripherals without built-in support, the USB Host API allows app developers to connect and communicate directly to the USB endpoints through a simple, low-level API set.

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AndroidManafest.xml file, an intent filter must be created and associated with the USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED event, and that must be associated to a filter file such as “xml/device_filter.xml”. The device_filter.xml file contains information about the devices that should cause the app to launch. This can be either by the Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) pair, or by the class, subclass, and protocol set.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <resources> <usb-device vendor-id="1240" product-id="516"/> <usb-device class=“256” subclass=“256” protocol=“5”/> </resources> It is also possible for application developers to be less specific by not including every attribute in the tag. In the absence of a product-id attribute, for example, any matching vendor-id device can cause the app to launch. OpenAccessory USB To enable USB capability in Android devices without hardware support for the USB Host, Google added the OpenAccessory framework onto the standard USB drivers in the Android devices. This enables accessory

UsbManager = (UsbManager)getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE); UsbInterface intf = device.getInterface(0); UsbDeviceConnection connection = manager.openDevice(device); connection.claimInterface(intf, true); UsbEndpoint endpointOUT = intf.getEndpoint(0); connection.bulkTransfer(endpointOUT, buffer, buffer.length, timeout_ms); Figure 8: Connect via the USB Host API and despatch a packet. In order to gain permission for the USB Host API, the app needs to declare use of the library in the AndroidManafest.xml file:

developers to use standard USB port functionality for custom USB traffic. The OpenAccessory protocol achieves this by

<uses-library android:name=“android.hardware.usb.host" /> Figure 9: Enable an app by permitting access to the USB Host API. Setting up a device filter enables an application to auto-launch when a specific peripheral is plugged into the USB port. In the

device. These commands switch the USB drivers into an accessory mode and cause the USB peripheral to detach from the bus and reattach in accessory mode, with Google’s vendor ID and one of two specific product IDs. In this mode, there is a vendor-class interface that can be accessed by an application. The interface which OpenAccessory presents to the application is like the FileStream format. Data is written and read from the

first exchanging a few custom, vendor-class device-level control transfers to the USB port, as developed by the manufacturer of the

<intent-filter> <action android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED" /> </intent-filter> <meta-data android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED" android:resource="@xml/device_filter" /> Figure 10: Auto-launch an app when a device is attached in USB Host mode.

Figure 11: Set-up a filter for a device to launch an app in USB Host mode.

stream, similar to the way in which a file is read and written. This differs from most firmware implementations for USB peripherals, in which the interface is based on the USB packet size. The issues which result from this difference need to be understood by the app developer and the accessory firmware developer. The Android device’s USB driver receives a file stream and therefore, it does not recognise or understand the potential logical breaks in the data for specific commands. The data from two separate calls to the write function of the app can bring packets together into the same USB packet. The firmware needs to be aware that a received USB packet could contain information from two separate calls to the write function from the app. A single call from the app to the write function could also be fragmented across multiple USB packets. The USB driver on the Android device will break the data into packets and send them to the accessory and the accessory must be able to reassemble data into the appropriate format. Packing and fragmentation can also occur together. For example, the OpenAccessory framework currently uses 64-byte packets. If the app calls the write function twice, back to back, the first call sends 20 bytes of data; and the second call sends 64 bytes of data. It is possible, therefore, for the two sections of data to be packed together into an 84-byte block of data, depending on when the USB driver takes the data from the stream and sends it over the bus. The USB driver then needs to break this stream of data into USB-sized packets, by sending the first 64 bytes of data, followed by a packet of 20 bytes. www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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The first packet, however, contains the 20 bytes of data from the first write and 44 bytes from the second write. The second packet of 20 is the remaining data from the second write.

complete when: 1) the exact amount of expected data is sent 2) and a packet smaller than the endpoint size, or a zero-length packet, is sent

follow this with a zero-length packet. Failure to send zero-length packets, when required, can result in the data remaining in the Android USB driver without being transferred to the OpenAccessory FileStream, and therefore never being transferred to the app. The OpenAccessory framework also requires permission in the AndroidManifest.xml file:

<uses-library android:name ="com.android.usb.accessory" /> Figure 12: Enable an app to access the OpenAccessory framework. The device can auto-launch an app based on string information passed during the steps required to enter accessory mode. This is done through xml files that are similar to the USB Host API:

<intent-filter> <action android:name ="android.hardware.usb.action. USB_ACCESSORY_ATTACHED" /> </intent-filter> <meta-data android:name ="android.hardware.usb.action. USB_ACCESSORY_ATTACHED" android:resource="@xml/accessory_filter" /> Figure 13: Launch an application in OpenAccessory mode.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <resources> <usb-accessory manufacturer="Microchip Technology Inc." model="Basic Accessory Demo" version="1.0" /> </resources> Figure 14: Use a filter to determine which devices will launch the app.

Diagram 2: Data packing and fragmentation. The final challenge is to understand how USB bulk transfers are formed. According to the USB specification, USB bulk transfers are 18

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To complete a transfer of a block of data that is an exact multiple of the endpoint size, currently 64 bytes, accessory developers must

The OpenAccessory frameworkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most significant drawback is that it is an optional add-on library in the Android OS.

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Some manufacturers, therefore, have chosen not to include it, so it is not possible to assume that every device with a suitable OS version will support this functionality. Support may also be included in one version of the product, but withdrawn on subsequent versions. The release of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean introduced version 2 of the Android Open Accessory (AOA) protocol which gives accessory developers two new features: The addition of support for digital audio output and Human Interface Device (HID) controls from accessory mode. Digital audio Support for digital audio output allows easy creation of audio docks with Android devices. Whilst an audio dock was possible with AOA version 1, it required the designer to create a custom protocol and use a custom application. Any standard application would still output audio via the headset or speakers. With AOA version 2 all core audio on the Android device is routed to the USB port, allowing the audio to work with any app or feature on the device. AOA version 2 also allows the audio interface to be accessed with or without launching the app when docked. Not sending the manufacturer or model string to the Android device, before it enters accessory mode, is sufficient to allow the accessory to be docked without being launched. Interface controls Human Interface Device (HID) controls, from accessory mode, were previously only available in USB Host mode. With AOA version 2, accessories can send HID reports to the associated Android device and to the OS to control the user input. This is useful for audio dock controls as well as for the creation of control devices such as mice, keyboards and joysticks. Conclusion Understanding the capabilities and limitations of accessory interfaces is crucial for transforming a hardware design into an effective Android accessory. Skills such as threading, wireless communication, using Android as a USB host and digital audio will probably all have to be mastered. Development resources for each of these challenges, including free firmware and example Android accessories, can be found on the Microchip websites for www.microchip.com/USB, / wifi and / bluetooth. n www.microchip.com

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Microchip introduces 64-Mbit parallel Flash memory device on Advanced Process Technology Microchip announces a new parallel Flash memory device - the SST38VF6401B. The SST38VF6401B is a 4M ×16 CMOS Advanced Multi-Purpose Flash Plus (Advanced MPF+) device manufactured with Microchip’s, high-performance CMOS SuperFlash® technology, a split-gate cell design and thick-oxide tunnelling injector for better reliability and manufacturability. This device conforms to JEDEC standard pin assignments for ×16 memories. With an operating voltage range from 2.7 to 3.6V, fast read and programme times, and advanced protection features this parallel Flash memory excels in a variety of applications. The memory is partitioned into uniform 32KWord and nonuniform 8 KWord blocks, offering flexible erase capabilities and seamless partitioning for programme code and data. The SST38VF6401B parallel Flash memory offers high performance with flexible read and write options, including random read access time of 70ns; page read access time of 25ns; erasing sectors and blocks as fast as 18ms; erasing the entire Flash memory chip in 40ms; a word-programming time of 7μs; and a write-buffer programming time of 1.75μs, typical. The device offers 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 25mA, typical, at 5MHz, and standby current is only 5μA, typical. The SST38VF6401B also provides various levels of protection and security features such as Security-ID, hardware boot-block protection, individual block protection, password protection, and irreversible block locking. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/B720

Microchip expands portfolio of digitally-enhanced power analogue controllers with integrated MCU Microchip announces an expansion of its Digitally Enhanced Power Analogue controller product line. With the introduction of the MCP19114 and MCP19115 devices, Microchip’s diverse range of intelligent DC/DC power-conversion solutions grows to include controllers supporting flyback, boost and SEPIC topologies. These latest devices introduce a step-up PWM-controller and low-side MOSFET driver architecture, with a mid-voltage LDO and fully-functional microcontroller all integrated into a small, high-density power package. This solution continues to offer the power conversion performance typical of an analoguebased controller, with the flexibility approaching that of a fully-digital power conversion solution. These new analogue power-management devices, in combination with the fully-functional microcontroller (MCU), support configurable, high-efficiency power-conversion designs across a broad array of consumer and automotive applications and power conversion topologies. The MCP19114 and MCP19115 hybrid digital-analogue control solutions offer the speed and responsiveness expected of a high-performance analogue control loop; the flexibility expected of a digital MCU; operate across wide operating voltage ranges; support conventional 5, 12, and 24V rails; and meet automotive load-dump requirements. The MCP19114/19115 analogue-based controllers with digital interface, offer cost-efficient adjustability in a high-performance power conversion solution. These devices support operation up to 42V, and have integrated MOSFET drivers configured for step-up applications. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/TB5H www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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ANALOGUE TECHNIQUES

Analogue techniques for longer battery life Getting the maximum lifetime out of a battery requires an understanding of three key factors: battery technologies, digital power management and lowpower analogue techniques. Whilst most designers are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of different battery chemistries and with digital power control, they may be less familiar with the role that low-power analogue can play in pushing extending life. Author: Kevin Tretter, Microchip Technology Inc.

Battery chemistries One of the key decisions for designers of portable electronics is the choice of battery technology. The four main battery chemistries are Alkaline, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) and each has its own advantages and drawbacks. Typically, a fully-charged Alkaline cell will produce a voltage of around 1.5V. This voltage will decrease as the batteryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy is used, so that at 90% usage the voltage will have fallen to around 0.9V. The combination of a relatively high capacity and a high internal resistance, makes Alkaline batteries inefficient for high current-drain applications such as remote-control cars, camera flash units and power tools. For these high-current applications, NiCd battery cells provide a very durable and low-cost option, offering a nominal voltage of 1.2V which drops to around 0.9V at the end of the battery life. The drawbacks are their relatively low energy density and the presence of toxic metals, In addition, a periodic full discharge is necessary to prevent large crystals forming on the cell plates and affecting both battery life and performance. In contrast, NiMH cells are more environmentally-friendly and deliver around 40% more energy density than NiCd battery 20

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cells. Their nominal voltage of around 1.25V will drop to below 1.0V at the end of battery life. The disadvantages of NiMH batteries are a considerably higher rate of self-discharge and a lack of durability, compared to NiCd, caused by cycling under heavy loads and extremes of temperature. For most portable consumer electronics, LiIon is now the dominant battery chemistry. A fully-charged single Li-Ion cell has an open-circuit voltage of around 3.6V, decreasing to around 2.7V when fully depleted. The advantages of using Li-Ion cells include a lighter weight, higher cell voltages and, with Li-Polymer versions, the ability to be shaped. Additional advantages are that the energy density of Li-Ion and LiPolymer batteries continues to increase and is currently about twice the cell energy of a standard NiCd, whilst their costs decrease. The main disadvantage of this chemistry is the risk that they may explode if overcharged. This valid safety concern means that some manufacturers are opting for NiMH chemistries, particularly where size and weight are not critical factors. DC-to-DC converters An understanding of DC-to-DC converter architectures is essential for optimising the overall performance of a design and, typical-

ly, the choice will be between linear regulators, switching regulators and charge pumps. Although there are several types of linear regulator, the most common used in batterypowered applications is the low dropout regulator (LDO). These use a P-channel pass transistor as a variable resistor with feedback to regulate a given output voltage. In comparison, a switching regulator uses a diode, an inductor and a switch to transfer energy from the input and provide a given output which is configured in either a buck, boost or buck/boost topology. A buck regulator provides a regulated output voltage that is lower than the input voltage, which is similar to the function of an LDO; a boost switching regulator provides an output voltage which is higher than the input; whilst a buck/boost regulator delivers a regulated output across a range of input voltages that are above and/or below that of the output. The third type of regulator, a charge pump, uses a capacitor as an energy-storage device and has switches to connect the plates of the capacitor to the input voltage. Depending on the circuit topology, a charge pump can double, triple, invert, halve or even create an arbitrary regulated output voltage. The use of charge and discharge capacitors to transfer energy means that a charge pump provides a relatively low output current of no

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more than a couple of hundred milliAmps. Table 1 outlines the advantages and disadvantages of each of these DC-to-DC converter topologies and the choice of optimum topology will depend on the parameters of each application. For applications in which a long battery life is the priority, a highly efficient switching regulator may be the best choice; whereas, in applications with a high level of electrical noise, the choice would typically be a linear regulator. However, every application will need to focus on power-management circuitry if system performance targets are to be achieved. Parameter

Linear Regulator

time because, depending on the battery chemistry, the internal resistance may become significant and pulsing current from the battery can cause an appreciable voltage drop across the battery cell. A larger input capacitor, placed between the battery and the switcher, will reduce the instantaneous current draw and resulting voltage drop across the battery. By minimising these voltage drops, the run time of the battery can be extended before the minimum battery cell voltage is reached. In low-power applications which spend a significant time in standby or sleep mode it Switching Regulator

Charge Pump

Efficiency

Low

High

Medium

Noise

Low

High

Medium

Output Current

Low to Medium

Step-Up Voltage

Low to High Yes

Step-Down Voltage

Yes

Size

Small

Large

Low Yes Yes Medium

Table 1: Analysis of different DC-to-DC converter topologies DC-to-DC conversion offers a number of techniques for extending battery run time. Figure 1, for example, shows the placement of an input and output capacitor, in relation to the DC-to-DC converter. In this configuration, the switching regulator used to open and close an input switch can cause current surges on the input pin which can be minimised by using a large input capacitor as a charge buffer. This can affect battery run

When operated at a lower voltage a digital load, such as a microcontroller, requires less current and therefore consumes less power. The drawback, however, is that operating a microcontroller at a low voltage can limit its processing speed and output capabilities. Dynamic voltage scaling enables the microcontroller to combine lower voltage and lower power consumption, when in standby or sleep mode, with a boost to a higher voltage level for processing or transferring information. This technique is used extensively in computing and many other batterypowered applications in which the microcontroller operates in different modes. The amount of run-time versus standby or sleep for each application will also influence battery run-time. Whilst applications such as carbon dioxide detectors typically need to use continuous operation, others can remain in standby or sleep mode until required. Examples of applications with intermittent operation include smart water meters, remote controls and photo-based smoke detectors.

may not be necessary for the regulator to be running at all times. Here, the use of a larger output capacitor to supply the low current required by the load can be more energyefficient. Cycling the regulator, on and off, boosts the capacitor charge as it is required. Digital power management Dynamic voltage scaling is another common technique for maximising battery run time.

Figure 1: Placement of input and output capacitors for a Switching Regulator.

Analogue power management There are vast online resources dedicated to helping designers to understand and manage digital power by using the different modes of operation offered by microcontrollers and also by turning its on-board peripherals on and off as required. The impact of running the microcontroller in a continuously active state, or putting it into sleep mode and then waking it for active operation, is also well documented. When managing the power budget for analogue components, the choices may not be as clear. Whilst it is still critical to use analogue ICs with the lowest active current for systems that use continuously active operation, applications which are duty cycled, will also need to consider the settling time in relation to the current consumption. It may be that a highercurrent, faster device may provide greater long-term efficiency than a lower current alternative with a slower response time. Choosing the right battery technology and digital power management techniques are familiar considerations for designers looking to extend battery run time. The implementation of low-power analogue techniques is often less familiar but can play a significant role in extending battery life and ensuring optimum system performance. n www.microchip.com www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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Microcontroller-Based PROFINET Implementations PROFINET is becoming more and more widespread in the industrial automation field. With 5.8 million devices installed by the end of 2012, PROFINET holds the top spot among Industrial Ethernet bus systems. One of the reasons for this growth is the use of PROFINET in embedded systems, which were previously integrated using proprietary bus systems or field buses. Authors:

Christian Bornschein

Bernd Westhoff

Embedded PROFINET on a 32-bit RX Controller With its ERTEC200/ERTEC400 and TPS-1 components, Renesas provides PROFINET implementations that are recognised as the industry standard in the highest PROFINET performance category (V.2.3 IRT, CC-C). CC-A: Simple device with support for Profinet-IO basic communication (alarms, diagnostics, cyclical RT communication, name resolution etc.) and simple neighbourhood detection. CC-B: Like CC-A, but with the addition of support for SNMP and device replacement functions. The optional media redundancy can be implemented using an MRP client. CC-C: Additional support for RT_Class_3 as well as comprehensive redundancy support. Figure 1: The PROFINET Conformance Classes. 22

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Real-time Classes: Profinet enables application data communication either directly via standard Ethernet frames or via UDP/IP, depending on the necessary real-time requirements. The Profibus User Organisation has defined four different real-time classes in order to categorise these requirements: RT_Class_1: Unsynchronised RT communication within a subnet and based on Ethernet frames. This communication type must be implemented in a device. The data are sent within a timeframe defined by the IO controller. RT_Class_2: Devices that support RT_Class_2 enable synchronised or unsynchronised communication via Ethernet frames. With synchronised communication, the IO controller specifies the start of the bus cycle for the IO devices. This leads to a predictable worst-case scenario for wait times in transmitting the frames from the IO device to the IO controller. The Precision Clock Transport Protocol (PTCP) synchronises the cycles. RT_Class_3: This class broadens synchronous data transmission in that it schedules send times for all network participants. Each network participant has a defined send time assigned to it by the IO controller. In addition, all the switches in the network ensure that the transmission paths are free at the time of the transmission. By avoiding the Ethernet CDMA procedure, there are practically no wait times for the transmission of IO data in the network. This class has special hardware requirements and cannot be handled by standard Ethernet controllers. Figure 2: Conformance and real-time classes.

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However, not all applications require this level of PROFINET performance – and an implementation on a microcontroller is very suitable for less demanding applications. Many users and system integrators still perceive PROFINET as a resource-intensive protocol that demands powerful CPUs und and plenty of RAM. The on-chip MCU resources provided by an embedded system were barely able to cover this requirement. From a historical perspective, the users’ perception was entirely justified – after all, it was only a few years ago that a decent PROFINET integration was thought to require ERTEC and the accompanying protocol stack. Over time, the ERTEC stack was ported to other platforms, although this took some work. Some of these ports were carried out with a view to limiting the ERTEC stack to fewer functions. As ERTEC is the standard for the fastest PROFINET – CC-C and RT-3, commonly known as PROFINET

MCUs

IRT – removing functionality from it always involved some deep-rooted surgery. Following one of these surgical operations, the unwieldy IRT was slimmed down from what we could call a size XXL to a size L. But sizes M, S or even XS were still a long way off, despite engineers spending a lot of time on it. Then again, it is rather unfair to expect a reduction from size XXL to S – after all, the entire structure was designed to fulfil all conformance classes (CC) and real-time (RT) classes by default. PROFINET on the MCU – no longer just an end in itself Today’s microcontrollers can deliver sufficient MCU performance and RAM and still provide the user with a wide range of powerful peripherals. These systems are more than capable of achieving cycle times of 1ms. Modern MCUs, like the Renesas RX, feature a 32-bit CPU core in their common configura-

tions and provide as much as 128kB to 256kB on-chip RAM as standard. For an intelligently written PROFINET protocol stack, that is sufficient – or even generous – if the project is limited to CC-A/B and RT-1. The RX microcontroller’s wide range of onchip peripherals can be used together with the extensive functionality of PROFINET – with no compromises on either side. To enable this, the MCU maker Renesas and its technology partner port GmbH offer solutions based on the 32-bit RX63N that provide PROFINET together with on-chip resources. Unlike the flagship with CC-C und RT-3 (PROFINET IRT), the CC-A with RT-1 is positioned more at the embedded end of the PROFINET performance scale and is generally known as PROFINET I/O. An MCUbased standard device with one or two (CC-B) Ethernet port(s) can easily participate in cyclical PROFINET communication.

Figure 3: RAM requirement for 32-bit MCU.

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• Other TCP/IP stacks with raw socket support are available • Little Endian / Big Endian support • Direct Flash support • Can be integrated in the main loop • Static RAM allocation and zero-copy mode • Advanced logging capability with log messages shown directly in Wireshark • Designed for embedded PROFINET: CC-A/B, RT-1, very lean, only needs 96Kb RAM These features optimise the protocol stack that was already designed for embedded PROFINET in any case. The solid protocol stack combines the RX microcontroller with the PROFINET SPS and assumes the actual function of the microcontroller – in other words, provision of the peripheral components. The result is still embedded The embedded system developed in this way is still a typical embedded system that offers: • Low power consumption • Adaptability to different applications • Real-time capability • Compatibility and certification by the PROFIBUS User Organisation • Compatibility with Siemens

Figure 4: PROFINET layer model based on RX63N. A complete system comprising several different 1-port CC-A and RT-1 devices can be wired cost-effectively using PnP Ethernet switches. PROFINET IRT enabled switches make it easy to integrate or mix the PROFINET I/O systems within a complex system that includes higher CCs and/or RTs (such as IRT). Providers selling this type of PROFINET device offer their customers a cost-effective device with cost-effective wiring. It just goes to show that PROFINET can be inexpensive! “Embedded”? What are the features that make a protocol stack capable of being embedded? The PROFINET protocol stack developed by the embedded specialist port GmbH fulfils a range of requirements that are prerequisites for embedded applications: • Operation with or without an OS (with and without threads) • Interface between the protocol and the 24

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hardware • Quick to adapt to new platforms • Only needs timer and MAC interrupt • Delivered in ANSI-C  unconditional transparency and integration capability • Integrated TCP/IP protocol stack

How do you get started? The above description may sound a little complicated to novice users. However, it comprises details that may not be necessary when using the system solution. For the first few steps, it is advisable to use the RX63N Renesas Starter Kit (RSK). In combination with the PROFINET Stack from port GmbH, it forms a ready-to-use solution that produces immediate results and fast prototype development. The Renesas E1 JTAG debugger and the e2Studio development environment are

Figure 5: Abstraction layer of the PROFINET implementation.

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They also provide Controller Area Network (CAN) 2.0B compliant interfaces with up to three channels (a CANopen solution for this is also available from port GmbH) and two Universal Serial Bus (USB) full-speed hosts, USB OTG and device functions. The RX products are designed to provide integration density and an attractive cost structure in combination with extremely fast embedded Flash technology. That makes them the right choice for any application that needs to run large communication stacks, as for PROFINET, in a single-chip solution that does not use external memory. Detailed documentation about them is available on the internet and is naturally also included in the starter kit. A great pairing The combination of Renesas’ RX63N 32-bit MCU and port’s PROFINET protocol stack offers users an attractive way to start working on PROFINET applications within Renesas’ RXMAX programme. The Renesas RX63N MCUs can be used with port’s PROFINET with no constraints, enabling users to develop powerful yet cost-effective PROFINET I/O (CC-A, RT-1) devices. The cost advantage goes even further with the simplified network structure that extends to the system integrator and its customers. In principle, solutions like CANopen, EtherNet/IP, POWERLINK and EtherCAT can also be provided on the same platform. n Free Demo, Documentation and Quick Start Guide could be downloaded at: www.port.de/en/products/driver/driverfor-renesas-rx-series.html#tab4

Figure 6: RX63N block diagram. also available as development tools. The e2Studio development integrates all the tools users need to develop and debug the software. The demo application is supplied with all the necessary project files, facilitating the setup and use of the starter kit. The RSK includes the RX63N MCU with 2MB on-chip Flash and 128kB on-chip RAM memory. This product group achieves high computing performance with 165 DMIPS at 100 MHz CPU and Flash operation. It is also very

scalable and can be used in a wide variety of products with different requirement profiles. RX63N variants are also available with integrated Flash memory from 768kB to 2MB and RAM of 128kB to 256kB. The choice of packages includes LQFP, LGA and BGA. These RX products include the Ethernet MAC IEEE 802.3 compatible interface with the Media Independent Interface (MII) and Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII) to facilitate PHY connections.

About the authors: Christian Bornschein, who heads up Marketing and Sales at the Renesas Gold Alliance Partner port GmbH, also promotes the company’s protocol stacks and development services. He has many years of experience with Industrial Ethernet, having worked as a hardware developer and subsequently as a product manager. As a result, he has good knowledge of the needs and requirements in the automation field. Bernd Westhoff manages RX600 Product Marketing within the Industrial & Communication Business Group at Renesas Electronics Europe. www.renesas.com www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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Closed Loop Current Transducer Characteristics by Erik Lange, Marketing & Applications Engineer, LEM USA, Inc.

Current measurement is an integral part of power electronics. Current transducers supply this measurement with different technologies available. The most common technology used is the Closed Loop Hall Effect or Closed Loop Flux Gate. The Closed Loop technology offers many specific benefits needed by power electronics designers. However, there are some details not often known that can make an application exceptional or may result in failure. Below are some of the characteristics that should be considered. Current transducers are passive devices in the concept that they do not actively influence the current being measured. They do require power to operate. Typical supply requirements are in the sub 30mA range regardless of supply voltage. Most transducers require a bipolar supply (±15V being typical). Unipolar supply transducers are becoming more available. Closed loop devices have additional current draw requirement for their secondary currents. Two Main Transducer Characteristics Current transducers (not to be confused with a current transformer) can measure DC and AC currents. DC measurement requires current transducers. This is one of the two characteristics that set transducers apart from other forms of current measurement. A pure AC current could be measured by a common current transformer. But if the current being measured has periods of time without di/dt, a current transducer is needed. Galvanic Isolation is the second characteristic that drives a current transducer selection as the solution to a current measurement application. The current transducers primary circuit and secondary circuit are electrically isolated from each other. This allows for a high primary potential (480V) while the secondary is a lower control voltage (+/15V or +5V). The Galvanic isolation is achieved through magnetics. The primary current generates a magnetic field which is concentrated by a magnetic circuit. A mag26

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netic measuring device measures the B field and outputs the intensity in some form (voltage or threshold current). The intensity information is converted into a voltage or current output that is proportional to the primary current. The original current transducer developed is the Open Loop Hall Effect. This transducer consists of three parts: a magnetic circuit, a Hall Cell and an amplifier. The output is a voltage proportional to the primary current. Closed Loop Hall Effect The next advance in transducer technology is the Closed Loop Hall Effect. The closed loop takes the open loop concept and adds a secondary winding to the output. This secondary winding is wrapped around the magnetic circuit in a way that the secondary current creates a magnetic field in opposition to that created by the primary current. This creates a relatively flux-less core. The benefits of the closed loop are a virtual lack of eddy currents

and higher bandwidth. The output can be modeled as a current source with a current proportional to the primary current in a ratio determined by the secondary winding count. The fact that the gain is determined by the secondary windings count makes it virtually immune to gain change over temperature. A closed loop transducer data sheet will not indicate a temperature effect on gain characteristic. There is no effect on gain from temperature in a closed loop device. The current output is a benefit as it is less susceptible to noise sources within the application. The output current of a closed loop is typically driven through a ‘burden’ resistor. The current passing thorough the resistor creates a voltage drop that can be measured by an analog to digital IC or comparator IC. Closed Loop Flux Gate The Closed Loop Flux Gate replaces the Hall Cell with a Flux Gate detector. The Flux Gate is a piece of magnetic material inserted into a

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Figure 1: Closed Loop. gap in the magnetic circuit. The Flux Gate core has a winding around it that is stimulated by a square wave voltage. The current induced is measured and when it reaches a certain threshold, the square wave cycle changes. The duty cycle of the square wave is proportional to the primary current. The Flux Gate technology is digital in nature and has an internal clock that can show up as noise at the clock frequency. However the noise is well above the bandwidth of the transducer. Thus the complete system consists of: magnetic circuit, Flux Gate and winding, an ASIC and a secondary winding. The burden resistor may be internal to the device which will then yield a voltage output. Otherwise, a current output would be generated. There are other Flux Gate technologies that use different excitation and detection schemes, but the overall results are similar. Closed Loop transducers are designed to measure a continuous current equal to or less than the nominal current stated on the datasheet. The current being measured is typically referred to as the primary current. The output current from the secondary connection of the transducer is referred to as the secondary current. Closed Loop transducers can measure higher currents than the

nominal (the measuring range), but these higher currents can only be measured for a short period of time (seconds, ms or μs). The benefits of a Closed Loop current transducers similarity to a current source include higher noise immunity and higher accuracy. The purpose of the current transducer is to measure current. But to what degree of uncertainty? These are not ideal devices and have an accuracy value associated with them. Oddly enough, the gain is defined by a mechanical characteristic; how accurate the secondary coil is wound by the winding machine. Linearity is defined by the material characteristics of the magnetic circuit. Offset is a function of the residual magnetism of the magnetic circuit. The gain is not impacted by temperature as previously stated. Offset, however, is impacted by temperature. The offset drift over temperature will have an impact on the application (torque ripple for instance). This is the advantage of the Flux Gate. Flux Gate transducers have lower initial offset and lower offset drift over temperature than the Hall Effect based devices. Order of Magnitude panels One significant challenge in all measuring devices is how many orders of magnitude can

be measured. This is a function of accuracy. Confidence in a measurement requires a level of accuracy at the point being measured in order to be confident of the number. A ratio of 4:1 at a point should be a minimum (10:1 is better). A 100A device that is 1% accurate might measure 1A accurately, but how to know? This is where ‘reading’ and ‘rating’ come into play. Gain is always a percentage of reading, the primary currents actual value. The linearity is a percentage of rating, with respect to the nominal rated current of the transducer. Offset is also a percentage of rating. These three errors are not typically added. This would produce a potential error budget that would be unrealistic. The errors are generally squared individually, added and the square root taken. A transducer that is 1% gain error, 0.5% linearity error and 0.2% offset error is 1.14% accurate. The actual uncertainty in amps varies with the magnitude of the primary current due to the gain being interpreted in relationship to the actual amps read. A 100A transducer with the accuracy just stated above, reading 10A, would have an uncertainty of 0.55A, better than 10:1. A 100A transducer reading of 1A with the accuracies shown above would have an uncertainty of 0.54A. www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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The 0.54A is worse than 2:1 with the 1A being measured and would not be a reliable measurement. This is the order of magnitude challenge. Most transducers will handle measurement below their nominal rating to one order of magnitude. Two orders of magnitude is a serious challenge. Some of the better closed loop transducers come close to 4:1 at two orders of magnitude. More so if the initial offset is zeroed out on power up and the offset drift over temperature is minimized (Flux Gate). Please remember that the measured accuracy does not end with the transducer. The accuracy and drift of the burden resistor comes into play (1% vs 0.1%) and the accuracy of the A-to-D converter also. Checking the system using a 2% accurate split-core open loop oscilloscope probe will not give valid comparisons to a 0.5% accurate current transducer. Derating Transducers will have current, temperature and bandwidth ratings on their respective data sheet. All three cannot be simultaneously exercised to the limit. The internal amplifiers of the transducer have limits. Voltage drops and therefore power is shared between the amplifier, secondary winding and the burden resistor. A smaller burden resistor pushes more power to the amplifier,

Figure 2: Flux Gate. 28

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resulting in higher amplifier temperatures. Too large a burden results in clipping. High ambient temperatures combined with high measured currents and a smaller burden result in higher power dissipated in the transducer amplifier. These factors must be taken into account during design. Derating charts are typically available to quantify the interaction between these three variables. Closed Loop transducers do not perfectly compensate the flux in the core. As amplitude and frequency increase there is more uncompensated flux in the core. This will lead to eddy currents and core heating. Therefore the need for derating. Aperture and Primary Conductor Placement of the primary conductor within the aperture of the transducer will have an impact on accuracy. Centering of the conductor and sizing the transducer or conductor to fill as much of the aperture as possible improves accuracy. Please keep in mind that placing the primary conductor up against the edge of the aperture can produce localized saturation at higher currents depending on the transducer manufacturer. Not all magnetic cores are created equal. Some manufacturers over engineer their cores and some design to the exact current with no room for error.

Datasheet All manufacturers provide data sheets for their current transducer products. However, there is no data sheet ‘standard’. There are similarities and many differences. Some data sheets have the measuring range given, but no nominal value. Running continuously at the maximum limit defined as the measuring range may have negative consequences. Accuracy may be a combination of gain, linearity and offset errors for one manufacturer and only gain for another. Some have tighter winding accuracies during manufacture; ±3 windings, versus others, ±10. The resulting gain errors will be different. Bandwidth can be given at the ±1dB or ±3dB point. Summary A properly selected current transducer for an application can easily give 25+ years of service. By acknowledging the details behind the data sheet, better performing applications and more robust designs are possible. Characteristics such as accuracy, temperature effects, derating and burden resistor selection all have performance impact. This leads to the need for a knowledgeable partner as a transducer supplier. n www.lem.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: First Dual Protocol ANT SoC Module from Dynastream Distributor Rutronik offers Dynastream's first dual protocol ANT® SoC (System on Chip) Module N548. Based on Nordic Semiconductor's nRF51422 SoC, this 2.4GHz solution supports both ANT® and Bluetooth® low energy, and enables both protocols to run

concurrently. The very small N548 is sized for wearable, home and industrial trends in a 14.0mm × 9.8mm × 2.00mm LGA (Land Grid Array) package. The N548 highlights the distinct advantages of the established ANT protocol while enabling a bridge connection between available ANT+ devices and the iOS platform. Designed for manufacturing ease, this turnkey hardware solution is fully integrated with PCB antenna, 32kHz crystal time base, DC/DC converter, and

24 GPIOs with six analog inputs. The module is pre-certified with FCC/IC/CE/JP/AU/NZ designations and Bluetooth qualification. Its reduced cost and overhead make it the ideal platform for broad usage, simple sensors as well as costfocused applications.

The N548 is available in three different packages: N548M8CB 14.0mm × 9.8mm × 2.00mm LGA, N548M5CB with a Molex connector and N548M4CB 20.0mm × 20.00mm package which is pin compatible with legacy modules from Dynastream. The N548 Starter Kit, also available at distributor Rutronik, includes the N548M5CB and is ideal for out-of-the box evaluation and development. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/880b101e.l

The Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained Eval Kit available from Mouser explains Linux Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking and shipping the Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained Evaluation Kit, a low cost prototyping board for the Atmel SAMA5D3 family of processors based on the ARM Cortex A5 processor core. The board supports an external LCD interface, Gigabit Ethernet, and Arduino R3 expansion headers. The Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained Evaluation Kit available from Mouser Electronics is Atmel's latest in a series of SAMA5D3 evaluation boards. This SAMA5D3 Xplained kit allows developers to easily evaluate the high level features of the SAMA5D3 processor. The board comes with 256Mbytes DDR2 DRAM, 256Mbytes NAND Flash, and has an SD card connector and a microSD™ slot. An LCD interface connector is supported by an LCD TFT controller with

touchscreen capabilities. Two Ethernet connectors are available, one for 10/100 and the other for Gigabit Ethernet. There are two USB host ports as well as one micro AB USB connector. The board also has a set of Arduino R3 compatible expansion connectors

that can connect to compatible Arduino™ shields. The board is powered by USB or can use an external 5VDC power supply. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com

Monitor and Gather Smart Electricity Distribution Data Faster and More Accurately with Real-Time Measurements Maxim Integrated’s Petaluma reference design enables more intelligent grid data management with 3-phase, high-speed analog data collection. Utilities and infrastructure providers can now simultaneously and accurately measure distributed power grid data with Petaluma, a subsystem reference design from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Utility organizations worldwide are deploying more robust applications that require highly accurate distributed grid status data to leverage distributed generation technologies such as solar and wind power. Voltage and current measurements must be gathered simultaneously for all lines, so the utility can understand the timing among phases and ensure maximum uptime across the grid.

Petaluma is a high-speed, simultaneous-sampling, 8-channel analog input front-end (AFE) that monitors grid data simultaneously from all phases, so grid managers can optimize their distribution automation signal chain. Petaluma is tuned to the 50Hz to 60Hz signal to match power grids around the world. The simultaneous sampling of three phases is done with low power consumption in the 1W range. Its high-speed sample rate (250ksps per channel) comes with 16-bit accuracy, allowing for quick responses to grid fault conditions. Petaluma performs well in any application that requires multiple simultaneous sampling of analog inputs, such as multiphase motor control and industrial vibration sensing, to accurately calculate instantaneous power consumption. Key Advantages • High accuracy: a 16-bit ADC and external voltage reference provide the highest possible accuracy of 0.02% and a 3ppm/°C maximum temperature coefficient. • Simultaneous sampling: the subsystem includes eight high-speed 250ksps simultaneous-sampling analog input channels that accept ±10V input signals. • Low power: Petaluma has low power consumption in the 1W range. MAXIM INTEGRATED

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ASIC Based Current Transducers by Erik Lange, Marketing & Applications Engineer, LEM USA, Inc.

Introduction Current measurement is a standard requirement in power electronics applications. Many of these applications have a DC component to the current and/or require Galvanic isolation. This drives the measurement device to a current transducer as opposed to a current transformer. A current transducer will measure AC or DC current. Depending on the accuracy and bandwidth requirements the current transducer selection will be an Open Loop type or Closed Loop type. Higher accuracy and higher bandwidth traditionally

would require a Closed Loop. Accuracy being a relative term in this case. An Open Loop basic accuracy is typically 1% @ 25°C. A Closed Loop accuracy is more likely 0.5%0.7% @ 25°C. These accuracies are a combination of gain and linearity uncertainty. Offset error is typically zeroed out on power up and is not considered here. Over temperature range the Open Loop and Closed Loop begin to significantly diverge with respect to the uncertainty of the measurement. At an elevated temperature of 60°C the Closed Loop will only see offset drift of

maybe 1% full scale. At the same elevated temperature of 60°C, an Open Loop may see offset and gain drift of up to 3% or more. These temperature errors are in addition to the errors defined at 25°C. Applications that get hot and/or where current measurement plays a greater role in control may require a Closed Loop solution. The Great Leap Forward The Hall Cell is a semi-conductor device. The amplifier used in both Closed Loop and Open Loop devices is also fabricated on silicon. Figure 1 ASIC based Open Loop transducer.

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Figure 2 Internal concept for an ASIC based current transducer. Until approximately 10 years ago these two parts of a current transducer were manufactured separately. Current transducers were manufactured from discrete components soldered to a printed circuit board. This changed with the development of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for current measurement. The Hall Cell and

By placing the Hall Cell on an ASIC an array of hall cells can be implemented and averaged. This combined with spinning of the Hall Cells results in a much more accurate current measurement. The spinning refers to the rotation of the current source and measurement points on the individual hall cell being rotated through four positions.

The polarity indicates direction of current flow. In the ASIC based transducer the power supply can be a unipolar 5V or even 3.3V. A unipolar transducer preserves the current direction information through the use of a reference voltage, typically 2.5V in a 5V transducer. This reference voltage indicates no current (0A).

The multiple Hall Cells, combined with spinning results in lower offset and gain errors. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages to the ASIC based transducer is in power supply selection. Traditional current transducers typically require a bipolar power supply (Âą15V for example). This gives an output that has a magnitude and polarity.

The Reference Voltage The reference voltage is generated internally by the ASIC. The output voltage proportionally representing the current measured adds or subtracts from the reference depending on direction of the current. Due to the ASIC output amplifier not being a rail-to-rail type the output limits are 0.5V and 4.5V.

Figure 3 Hall Cell spinning. amplifier were placed on the same die and encapsulated together. This allows for the ASIC based current transducer. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ASIC based current transducer was the LEM LTS series Hall Cell Closed Loop transducer for printed circuit board operations. A technique difficult to realize in discrete components is the spinning of the Hall Cells.

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Depending on the sensitivity programmed into the ASIC, the range of output voltage from 2.5V to a respective limit might represent three times the nominal rated current of the transducer. This allows for measurement of the current for control and a 300% measurement for protection schemes if needed. There is an uncertainty associated with the reference voltage (Vref). In most ASIC based transducers the Vref is externalized on a pin for reference. The Vref is both an input and an output. The output function can be incorporated as an input into a differential amplifier along with the output voltage of the transducer (Vout). Subtracting the Vref from the Vout removes the Vref error from the measurement. Or the Vref and Vout can be input into two separate Analog-to-Digital inputs and subtracted in software. The vref can also be an input with an external voltage applied to the Vref pin. This is useful in two ways, either as a more accurate source for the Vref than the one generated internally by the ASIC, or as a way to shift the Vref to another value. The Vref can be pulled higher or lower by applying the desired voltage to the Vref pin. This can open the range up in one direction of current flow. This is useful in unidirectional current flow applications where a broader range with a higher voltsper-amp output is desired.

the automotive market. Almost every car manufactured today has, as a minimum, battery current monitoring. Hybrid and electric cars will have more than a dozen current transducers in each vehicle. Automotive quality requirements have driven transducer development to ASIC based solutions. Unipolar power supplies, ratiometric capability, light weight (no potting) and rough environment reliability are some of the characteristics of automotive type transducers. The automotive families of transducers have found uses in other fields such as off-road vehicles and industrial equipment. ASIC based transducers allow for additional features to be added. Programmability comes into play. Self-test features are possible. Dedicated output pins such as for Over Current Detection (OCD) are possible. Offset and gain errors can be tested over a range of temperatures during manufacture and compensation programmed in. Filtering can be programmed with impact on bandwidth and response time. Programmability Of the programmable features perhaps the largest impact will be had from the OCD. Implemented as a pin from an internal open collector configuration, the OCD will change states during an overcurrent episode.

Figure 4 Removal of Vref error. Improved Reliability The ASIC is a more reliable device than a transducer constructed with discrete components. An ASIC based transducer will operate over a broader temperature range than a discrete components device. This increased reliability and broader operating temperature range has led to the development of ASIC based current transducers for 32

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The OCD threshold is programmable and may be outside the measuring range of the transducer. Thus the measuring range can be focused on the operating current range and the overload function will operate separately. The transducer measuring range might have a programmable filter set to 3.5μs response time for control purposes. The OCD will still respond in 2μs.

Control is filtered with a higher sensitivity than would be otherwise possible if the protection function was included in the measured range. An OCD pin eliminates the need for a crowbar/comparator circuit. The overcurrent threshold could be 5 times the nominal current rating of the transducer. Approaching Closed Loop ASIC based current measurement is over ten years old. Much has been learned in those 10+ years. The newer LEM HG2 Hall Generation 2 ASIC offers significant performance improvements. The performance of an HG2 based Open Loop transducer approaches that of a Closed Loop transducer. For lower fundamental frequency applications (< = 400Hz) a LEM HG2 Open Loop transducer will provide bandwidth and response time close to that of a Closed Loop transducer. Uncertainty over temperature will fall closer to a Closed Loop’s performance than to the performance of a generation one ASIC device. This allows existing applications to perform better and applications previously requiring performance that an ASIC device could not provide can now be met with an ASIC solution. In addition to the performance improvements the inclusion of an OCD output allows the measuring range to be more focused on the applications dynamic control range, further improving performance. Conclusion The implementation of ASIC based current transducers opens up functionality that the traditional discrete component transducers could never achieve. The availability of high reliability ASIC based transducers with expanded temperature operating range has opened up the automotive field to current measurement. Unipolar supply ASIC’s have simplified power supply schemes. Programmable Over Current Detection allows for more effective measuring ranges while still providing for overload thresholds. The development of the generation 2 ASIC devices further improves performance. With better performance and additional functionality the Gen 2 Open Loop devices are approaching standard Closed Loop performance. This allows existing Open Loop applications to implement the generation 2 devices and improve performance immediately. For new designs the generation 2 devices allow for more sophisticated implementations and possible outright replacement of a Closed Loop transducer. n www.lem.com

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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

New JENCOLOR® solutions to control and manage LEDs in “lighting/back-light” applications MAZeT highlights at Lightfair and SENSOR+TEST MAZeT GmbH shows their latest products and innovative sensor solutions for the applications of LED light control and management both at this year's international trade fair SENSOR + TEST in Nuremberg from June 3rd to 5th 2014 in hall 12, booth 131 as well as at the Lightfair International 2014, this year in Las Vegas from 1st to 5th at the Avnet Electronics Marketing booth.

RGBW color regulation concept MAZeT - development and manufacturing service provider for embedded systems and optoelectronics - focuses its activities on medical electronics, industrial electronics and intelligent control systems for LED lighting with high demands on light quality, color and long-term stability.

tion-specific development utilizing the JENCOLOR(r) color and spectral sensor expertise. MAZeT takes over the supply and servicing of customers' products for the entire product life cycle. MTCSiCF and MCDC04EQ: the key components of the MTCS-INT-AB4 With the sensor board MTCS-INT-AB4 MAZeT offers the newest generation of OEM True Color sensor boards based on the JENCOLOR(r) filter technology. The sensor board can be directly attached to the light source via simple optical connectors. The board sends the measured color values to the attached electronic input via I²C interface (XYZ values based on CIE1931). The recorded input data can be used for any color management task.

True Color Sensor IC MTCSiCF with CIE1931 filter function in a QFN16 for color measurement and feedback control based on CIE 1931 (human eye perception)

The board includes the True Color sensor MTCSiCF as well as the analog-to-digital signal converter MCDC04EQ. Therefore, it is possible to utilize a real color feedback loop for LED solutions to eliminate color drifts caused by temperature fluctuations, aging or binning. The task of the MTCS-INT-AB4 OEM sensor board is to assist companies without own hardware development to integrate a cost-efficient solution or to provide initial testing options. Applications: • Color control via feedback loop of multi-colored LEDs • Color measurement for display calibration • Sensor unit for colorimeters or photometers Development Kit: MTCS-INT-AB4 For system and application testing, the MTCS-INT-AB4 sensor board is also available in form of a Development Kit. The sensor board is mounted in an ESD-protected casing and controlled via an I²C-to-USB interface. The sensor system can be easily configured and calibrated with the included PC test software. The specification of the sensor and the sensor electronics is utilized via flexible control files at PC level.

Development Kit DK MTCS-INT-AB4 The OEM sensor board MTCS-INT-AB4 with CIE1931 based True Color sensor In addition to mixed signal ASIC design and custom base boards for COM modules from different vendors, accompany the applica-

4 channel digital current-charge converter MCDC04EQ for multi-channel signal conversion at high dynamic range 1:1 million and resolution of 16 bit

Therefore easy to learn and to integrate into an existing system. After successful validation of an application using the Development Kit, the programming of the sensor electronics can easily be mapped to a μC and the sensor board can be integrated directly via I²C. MAZET

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SENSORS

Leuze CML700i - measuring light curtains – best in class! Flexibility inside! In the CML 700i, both the control unit and the interfaces are integrated in the receiver unit—this makes additional devices completely unnecessary. Parameterization is performed directly via the control unit which stores the parameters and allows units to be swapped out without parameterization needing to be carried out again. A large number of interfaces—and now also PROFIBUS and RS485 - are already integrated. An alignment mode and a bar graph display showing the receiving level in the display are integrated to permit fast and reliable alignment. A very short response time of 10 and 30 microseconds per beam means that extremely fast processes can be detected and measured reliably. Thanks to the optional plug outlet, the CML 700i can be installed very flexibly. The extremely small blind area of 23 mm allows additional CML 700i units to be cascaded for measurement lengths of more than 3 m. Benefits Moving products, palettes and boxes can be measured accurately and fast with the CML 720i/730i (30/10μs per beam). Benefit: Installation yields higher performance thanks to the fast, safety and reproducible measurements. The integrated interfaces, such as PROFIBUS, CANopen, RS485 (ModBus) and I/0 Link, enable the parameterization to be done directly over the PLC (e.g. over the GSD-file). No additional box is needed! Benefit: Cost saving in the setup, easy setup, fast replacement The display allows a direct configuration and a fast alignment between transmitter and receiver. Benefit: Safer and quicker alignment Thanks to the flexible connection concept the mounting of the CML 720i / 730i fulfils special customer requirements. Benefit: Time saving during the mounting process

Main features – best in class! Extended temperature range: -30 °C up to +60 °C Excellent resolution: Detection of minimal dimension (5 mm) Long measuring field up to 3000 mm: Measurement of large objects Detection of transparent media (CML 730i): Safe detection of foils (packaging) Minimal blind area: Continuous object detection on conveyor section High Protection Class: IP 65 Operating range up to 6 m / 8 m (CML720i /730i): Solutions for several industry applications Analogue output: Current or voltage, range configurable Up to 4 configurable inputs/outputs: Trigger, warn out, area outputs….. Axial or rear side connector: Suitable for different mounting applications

EP&Dee | May, 2014

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DESIGN

SENSORS

Main Functions Beam stream: Serial output of every single beam without any limitation.

Parallel beam / Diagonal beam / Cross-beam: Higher resolution.

Blanking: Suppression of beams.

Web function: Controlling of the left and right edges of a web and signaling via I/Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Grouping: Assignment of beam groups. Holding: Integration of beam data during a specified time.

Smoothing: Signal preprocessing, so that objects and small particles can be ignored up to a defined size.

Hole detection: Hole detection over the complete detection area with auto tracking, the hole can move in the area.

Programmed Functions FIB: First interrupted beam LIB: Last interrupted beam FNIB: First not interrupted beam

LNIB: Last not interrupted beam TIB: Total interrupted beam TNIB: Total not interrupted beam

APLICATIONS

Contour detection from the top

Buffer area controlling Height control

Contour detection from the top and from the side www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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DESIGN

SENSORS APLICATIONS

Height measurement

Transparent packaging detection

Leuze n n n

ASM

Optical sensors Sensors for logistic applications Safety at work

Contrinex n n

n n n

Linear Sensors Angle Sensors Tilt Sensors

Selec

Optical Sensors Inductive Sensors

n n n

PLCs Temperature Controller Timer

Harting n n

Sensor Instruments n n

Color Sensors True Color Sensors, Spectrometers Gloss Sensors

Kobold n n n

Flowmeters Level Indicators and Switches Pressure Sensors and Switches

Heavy Duty Industrial Connectors Power and Data Transmission Connectors

HTP n n n n

• Tel. +40 256-201346 • office@oboyle.ro • www.oboyle.ro

Circular connectors M8; M12; M23 Cable and Connectors for Sensors Valve Connectors Distribution Blocks

Visit our online shop www.oboyle.ro

Intertec n n

Linear Solenoids Permanent Electromagnets

AUTOMATION 36

EP&Dee | May, 2014

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PRODUCT NEWS

Lighting Solutions / Display

Fast LCD graphics module in widescreen format The LCD graphics module EA DIP180B-5LWTP from Electronic Assembly is being offered in an interesting format. With external dimensions of only 102 × 27 × 11 mm (window 88 × 19 mm), it is ideal for use in 19-inch racks, where it can be accommodated in a single RU. Even so, 180 × 32 pixels can still display a lot. The very bright LCD Supertwist display is configured with LED backlighting and offers a high contrast in blue-white. It delivers brilliant images and optimum readability even under difficult lighting conditions. Three type PT6520 controllers (compatible with SED1520) are used to control the left, center and right sections of the display. All characters are designed as graphics and various character sets are available on an USB stick. The use of Supertwist technology allows a fast response time even when temperatures are very low. In fact at extremely low operating temperatures of -20°C, the display has a sufficient response time of approximately 2.5s. The operating tem-

perature range extends from 20°C through +70°C. The display comes with automatic temperature compensation. This removes the usual need to adjust the contrast during operation. The module can be soldered directly to the printed circuit board, avoiding complex assembly with addi-

tional mechanical components. A robust analog 4-wire panel is optionally available as a touch panel. Other key features of this highquality LCD graphics module include: • Connection by 8-bit data bus • Power supply +3.3V…+5V/ approx. -3.3V max. 800 μA LED lighting max. 45 mA • Long LED lighting service life of 100,000 hours • Many years of availability ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY www.lcd-module.com

EVERLIGHT introduces an ultra-thin 940nm IR LED in a small MIDLED package for higher output intensity in space-constrained end products EVERLIGHT Electronics Co., Ltd., introduces the ultra-thin 940nm top-view infrared LED IR9201C/L491/2R in a miniature MIDLED package. This small SMD device has been developed for applications where high power output, narrow beam angle or available space is of concern. The new 940nm IR topled comes in a small 2mm × 1.4mm MIDLED package with a thickness of ultra-low 0.7mm. This makes the IR92-01C/L491/2R a perfect match for all kinds of space-constrained end products like tablets, smart phones and the like. Along with a low forward voltage of 1.3 V at 20mA, a high output power of 25mW/sr at 70mA and a narrow viewing angle of 45°for even higher output intensity without lens,

EVERLIGHT’s IR92-01C Series is perfectly suited for IR data transmission applications of any kind.

These are remote controls, proximity and optical touch sensors, night-vision cameras or high-tech touch panels. Other applications include light curtains or barriers, turbidity sensors and coin counters. EVERLIGHT’s IR92-01C Series in a MIDLED package is Pbfree, halogen-free and RoHS compliant. EVERLIGHT ELECTRONICS www.everlight.com

MSC Technologies introduces GE Star projected capacitive touch with Dito Sensor MSC Technologies, a business group of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, a business region of Avnet, Inc., announces and releases the new DITO sensors of GE Star. DITO (Double sided ITO) is a 0.55 mm thick glass substrate, with ITO layer on both top and bottom side. The advantages compared to foil/foil ITO are not only technical – there is as well quite a price difference, to the advantage of DITO. Using DITO together with S type controllers offers a very performing touch at a competitive price structure. For implementation of controllers as chipset on mainboards, we offer kits of maxTouch controllers with USB-RS232 bridge. GE-Star Projected Capacitive touch sensors allow the use of a customized front glass, which may contain up to 1

cm thickness and thus fits for any application from a mobile data logger to a cash point. Dito sensors are additionally distinguished by an extremely strong adhesion of the FPC to the

sensor, an extended temperature range and a very linear behavior. Since the sensor has only one layer ensures a high transmission. The compliant touch controller work with a burst voltage of up to +10.4 V, allowing extreme immunity to EMC critical conditions together with sophisticated algorithms. MSC TECHNOLOGIES www.msc-technologies.eu

NLT Technologies Announces Development of a New Wide Format LCD Module with High Bright, Long-Life LED Backlight NLT Technologies (NLT), together with its sales and marketing channels in the Americas, Tianma NLT America, and in Europe, Renesas Electronics Europe GmbH, announced development of a new 15.6 inch wide WXGA amorphous-silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) modules. This module is ideal for use in outdoor applications such as boating equipment or construction devices. The new wide format TFT LCD module is well suited for use in industrial display applications. They are equipped with long-life white LED backlight units that achieve high luminance and also contribute to lower maintenance costs for equipment and reduced environmental impact.

Samples of this product are scheduled to be available in September 2014. The main characteristics of the new module are as follows: Ultra high luminance Long-life LED backlight Wide operating temperature range

Typically displays used in outdoor environments are equipped with high power backlights in order to achieve sufficient viewability when exposed to strong light such as direct sunlight. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu/display

www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Industrial-grade gigabit Ethernet switches with ultra-robust performance

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: Reference Design for Bluetooth Smart Beacons from Nordic Semiconductor

Amplicon has introduced the new EDS-G500E series to its ever expanding portfolio of Industrial Ethernet switches. The EDSG500E series is designed for use in large-scale networks to con-

Distributor Rutronik offers the nRF51822 Bluetooth Smart Beacon Kit from Nordic Semiconductor. The reference design is based on Nordic’s class-leading nRF51822 multiprotocol Bluetooth Smart and proprietary 2.4GHz-SoC. It allows demonstration and development of iBeacon and proprietary beacon hardware for iOS and Android smartphones to be developed quickly and easily. Bluetooth Smart beacons are low-cost, low-power Bluetooth low energy wireless transmitters that can advertise their location to Bluetooth Smart Ready smartphones in close proximity. The nRF51822 Beacon Kit features an ultra small form factor of 20mm diameter and is powered by a CR1632 coin cell battery. It allows developers and engineers to evolve their own beacon applications using Apple’s iBeacon(TM) standards, or create

verge field applications in extreme industrial environments. In addition to Level 4 EMS protection, severe shock/vibration resistance, and a new thermal fin design that can reduce switch temperatures (5°C or more), the EDS E series has many user-centric features to significantly

improve network manageability. The EDS-G500E series offers various copper and fibre slot combinations with up to 16 gigabit Ethernet ports to quickly build a full-gigabit network backbone or

add gigabit speed to existing networks. Other key benefits of the EDS-G500E series include an USB interface for fast and easy autoconfiguration/backup/restore and reduced energy consumption of up to 30% with IEEE 802.3az. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com

Charge Wirelessly with the Freescale MWCT1000CFM and MWCT1101CLH ICs from Mouser Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now shipping the Freescale® MWCT 1000CFM and MWCT1101CLH wireless charging ICs. These devices are Freescale's cutting edge solutions for single coil wireless charging transmitter applications. The new MWCT1000CFM and MWCT1101CLH wireless charging ICs available from Mouser Electronics integrate all the necessary functions for a WPC Qi compliant wireless charger design. They work with any low power single-coil transmitter that is used to wirelessly communicate with the mobile device to be charged. Once a mobile device is detected, the wireless charging IC communicates with the device to determine its charging parameters. It then adjusts the wireless charging rate by using the proper operating frequency for that mobile device. These wireless charging

EP&Dee | May, 2014

ICs support the latest foreign object detection (FOD) safety feature to ensure that power transfer is not applied to foreign objects. This prevents overheating of misplaced foreign objects placed near the charging coil.

Other safety features include over voltage, over current, and temperature protection. Pins are available for an external LED and buzzer for system status indication. These devices boast a low Run current of 30mA and low standby current. MOUSER www.mouser.com

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their own beacons based on their own specifications using Bluetooth Smart. The kit works straight out of the

box with companion smartphone apps for iOS and Android (4.1/4.3) smartphones. The firmware is available as source code from Nordic and allows example beacon scenarios to be set up quickly and easily to test out product ideas. It leverages the ability of the nRF51822 SoC to support full Over-The-AirDevice Firmware Upgrade (OTADFU) enabling all beacon firmware to be updated in-situ in a transparent manner. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/c99010dc.l

Panasonic Debuts New Memory Technology for MCUs Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now shipping the MN101L 8-bit Microcontrollers from Panasonic, the first microcontrollers with internal Resistive RAM (ReRAM). Resistive RAM is a new nonvolatile embedded memory that offers five times the write performance of Flash or EEPROM memory without the need for an erase cycle. This has the benefit of offering high-speed non volatile writing and longer operational times in battery powered devices. The Panasonic MN101L 8-bit microcontrollers, available from Mouser Electronics, have a total of 64 KBytes of ReRAM. 62 KBytes is used in the program memory area and is used similar to conventional Flash memory. 2 KBytes of ReRAM is used in the data memory area and is used similar to EEPROM. ReRAM requires a write voltage of only 1.8V. Program Memory ReRAM has an endurance of 1K

write cycles while ReRAM used as data memory is rated at up to 100K write cycles. Data retention is 10 years. Panasonic's Resistive RAM is based on a cell structure where a binary “1” and “0” is read based on the resistance of a thin film metal oxide (tantalum oxide) sandwiched between two elec-

trodes on the top and bottom of the metal oxide. The state of the memory cell is changed to a “1” by applying a pulsed negative voltage to the top electrode. MOUSER www.mouser.com

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Hyundai Motor Implements MOST150 in the All-New Genesis

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: New 24nm 8Gb BENAND™ SLC NAND Flash Memory from Toshiba

The MOST® Cooperation - standardization organization for the leading automotive multimedia network technology Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) - is delighted to announce that Hyundai Motor Company will use MOST150 in its all-new Genesis model. MOST150, which is featured in a handful of other premium brand vehicles, will provide a high level of connectivity and comfort to the driver and passengers. This system is enabled by the high-speed MOST150 fiber optic network. MOST150 enables the use of a higher bandwidth of 150 Mbit/s and an embedded Ethernet channel for efficient transport of IPbased packet data. MOST uses parallel transport for many different types of data such as audio, video, and control information, as well as Ethernet and IP frames. Multimedia entertainment in the

Toshiba presents the new 8Gb 24nm BENAND™ SLC (single level cell) NAND flash memory with embedded 8bit error correction (ECC). It enables manufacturers to utilize the latest 24nm technology in devices designed to use 4xnm NAND, extending the product life of consumer electronics, multimedia devices, smart meters, intelligent lighting systems and industrial technology. The new NAND flash memory is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. BENAND removes the burden of ECC from the host processor and enables designers to utilize leading edge process NAND flash technology. To ensure easy migration, BENAND's features such as Page/Block size, spare area size, Commands, Interface and Package are kept the same as legacy 4xnm SLC NAND. The smaller cells of the new NAND flash memory are more vulnerable to program/erase stresses, which

all-new Genesis has been improved from its predecessor with a high definition LCD display in a vehicle -- bringing home-style image quality into the car. Resolution has been improved for the all-new Genesis from 800x480

in the original model to 1280x720, and from 96 to 153 pixels per inch. The AVN 4.5 system, fronted by an 8.0-inch touch screen, also incorporates internet access and Siri Apple integration. The AVN 4.5 is packed with integrated technology, from Bluetooth and WiFi to GPS navigation and traditional frequency, satellite and HD radio, hands-free and app-supporting software. MOST COOPERATION www.mostcooperation.com

Measure Four Analog Outputs with 33% Fewer Components Using a High-Efficiency Reference Design Designers may now add a highaccuracy, 4-channel analog output to their industrial automation designs with 33% fewer components than competitive designs.

ciency, low-noise power supply controller on a single board. Alameda offers extreme flexibility - its outputs are configurable to ±10V, ±20mA, 0 to 10V, or

Simply use the Alameda subsystem reference design, now available for sale, from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs) need multiple, flexible, high accuracy analog outputs. The Alameda subsystem combines four high-accuracy (< ±0.1%) outputs with a high-effi-

4–20mA for current and voltage applications. Automatic error reporting for detecting open and short circuits, brown-outs, and overtemperature conditions make this subsystem ideal for demanding, precision industrial control and automation applications. MAXIM INTEGRATED maximintegrated.com

requires more complex ECC to maintain the desired levels of reliability. For example, small density 4xnm SLC NAND requires 1bit ECC, 3xnm SLC NAND requires 4bit ECC and 2xnm SLC NAND

requires 8bit ECC. ECC is usually built into the host controllers, often making switching to newer NAND difficult as the host processor must be changed to enable required level of error correction. BENAND makes this change needless by moving the ECC onto the NAND chip and enabling legacy controllers to be used with the latest NAND technology. This reduces BOM and system design costs while maintaining the high reliability of SLC NAND. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/83d10f87.l

Amplicon introduces powerful fanless embedded PC with multiple PCIe expansion The Amplicon Impact-E 300 builds upon the strong foundations of the Impact-E 200, offering reliability, monitored life cycle and road mapped components. Packaged in a light-weight chassis designed for optimal heat dissipation, the ImpactE 300 is a powerful embedded system with full OEM branding options available for the chassis and operating system; resulting in a professional branded unit. The Impact-E 300 is the latest addition to the Amplicon Impact-E series to deliver the power of the Ivy bridge mobile iCore processor and amazing feature set of the Intel QM77, all packaged in a fanless compact chassis with options for expansion.

The Impact-E 300 allows for easy access card expansion in an embedded fanless system. Capable of housing cards up to 220mm, this new addition gives increased flexibility in its design

and functionality. Building on these strong features, the Impact-E 300 delivers expansion using PCI express revision 3.0 giving faster BUS speeds. The Impact-E 300 can house 3 cards, one PCIe x16 and two PCIe x1. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

New ultra miniature OCXO from IQD delivers ±5ppb stability in a 14 × 9mm package In an industry standard package measuring just 14 × 9.0mm and with a height of only 6.5mm, IQD’s new IQOV-162 series OCXO provides a frequency stability down to ±5ppb (parts per billion) over the full industrial temperature range from –40 to 85°C. In addition to this exceptional size/performance ratio the new model is available in a very wide frequency range from 10 to 100MHz. Operating from a 3.3V supply voltage, the IQOV-162 consumes 600mA of current during warm up and takes less than 5 minutes to be within <100ppb of the final specification and 300mA max at steady state @25°C. The output can be specified as either HCMOS, 15pF load or Sinewave, into a 50 Ohms load. As well as offering phase noise performance better than 150dBc/Hz @ 1kHz offset, ageing performance is also extremely good at less than ±500ppb per year.

Variants can be specified to include voltage control to enable the frequency to be adjusted for correction over time and remotely with a pullability range of ±3ppm to ±8ppm. The IQOV-162 series is primarily designed to be used in applications such as CDMA base stations, femtocells,

optical networking, 3G & 4G LTE, Ethernet, SoNET/SDH, ATM backplanes, SATA and satellite communications, or whenever a very low profile OCXO is required. IQD www.iqdfrequencyproducts.com

Compact 1U convection cooled power supply achieves 400 Watts without fans XP Power announced the SDH400 series of single and dual output 400 Watt highly efficient convection cooled power supplies. These compact 1U profile chassis mount supplies, measuring 203.0 × 127.0 × 40.64 mm (8.0 × 5.0 × 1.6 inches) can deliver the full 400 Watt output without the need for any cooling fans or forced air flow. The single output models also have a peak power capability that allows them to deliver 700 Watts for up to 0.5 seconds. This feature is ideal for accommodating applications that have momentary high start-up currents such as that of a motor, but removes the need for a higher rated, larger and more costly power supply being specified. Efficiency is typically 88% for single output models and 85% for duals.

The SDH400 single output range comprises nine models providing all the popular nominal output voltages from +3 to +60 VDC. Three dual output models are also available that offer output combinations of +5/+12 VDC, +5/+24 VDC or +12/+24 VDC. A trim function allows the user adjustment of output voltage in the range ±5% of stated nominal to make up for load losses or to cater for non-standard voltage requirements. Power OK signal, remote on/off control, short circuit and overvoltage protection features are included as standard. The full convection rating is available from 90-264 VAC input and the series operates over a wide temperature range of 0 to + 70°C with no derating until +50°C, meaning the SDH400 series will suit most global industrial power requirements without the need for de-rating. The series meets safety approvals standard UL/EN 60950-1 and also conforms with EN55022 class B standard for conducted and radiated emissions. Optional Molex input and output connectors are available in place of the standard screw terminal blocks. The SDH400 series is available from Farnell, element14, Digi-Key, approved regional distributors, or direct from XP Power and come with a 3 year warranty. XP POWER

EP&Dee | May, 2014

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www.xppower.com

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Murata develops world’s smallest combined proximity and illuminance sensor

Exar Offers Wide Frequency Universal Clocks with Ultra-Low Jitter

Murata today announced what it believes to be the world’s smallest combined proximity and illuminance sensor. The surface mounted LT-1PA01 device measures just 3.05 × 2.10 × 1.10 mm and integrates both an optical proximity sensor and an illuminance sensor. The proximity sensor uses a photoreceptor to measure the distance to an object based on the amount of returned light. Another photoreceptor is used to detect the amount of ambient brightness. Such sensors are widely used in smartphones to darken the screen when the phone is near the user’s face during a call or to increase the brightness of the screen’s backlight when used outdoor.

Exar Corporation announced an addition to its range of telecommunications timing products with a new family of Universal Clocks. The XR811xx series offers a wide range of output frequencies from 10MHz to 1.5GHz, with ultra-low phase noise jitter of less than 200fs. Designed for communications, audio/video and industrial applications, the QFN-10 and TSSOP8 packaged devices are footprint compatible with industry standard synthesizers, providing a superior performance second source option. The design of Exar’s XR811xx synthesizers utilizes a highly flexible deltasigma modulator and a very wideranging VCO in a PLL block that has been optimized to be extremely power efficient. With a core current consumption of just 20mA, these parts dissipate 60% less power than equivalent competitive devices, providing a very

The device has an extremely low power profile, consuming only 80 uA during proximity sensing. Illuminance sensing angle is ±45 degrees at 50% and sensing distance is up to 70 mm with gray card. Operating voltage is +3.3 VDC. Communication with the host processor is via I2C serial communications.

Mass production is scheduled to begin in May 2014. MURATA www.murata.eu

Two Watt DC-DC converter suits “high/low” side IGBT drive applications Murata announced the MGJ2 series of 2 Watt high isolation dual output DC/DC converters from Murata Power Solutions. These compact encapsulated devices are suitable for powering “high side” and “low side” gate drives in bridge circuits using insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and M O S F E Ts . Offering basic and supplementary insulation, with an isolation test voltage of 5.2 kVDC and conforming to the internationally recognized safety standard UL60950 (pending), the MGJ2 series can provide a key element of the endproduct’s safety insulation system. Packaged in an industry-standard SIP format, they occupy a 1.96 cm squared footprint and achieve a

power density of 0.81 Watts per cm cubed. The series comprises 12 models offering nominal input voltages of 5, 12, 15 or 24 VDC. For each input voltage there are three output voltage combina-

tions available: +15/-5 VDC, +15/8.7 VDC or +20/-5 VDC. The converters have characterized dv/dt immunity, suiting reliable operation in fast switching applications. Partial discharge performance is also optimized to give a long service life. MURATA www.murata.eu

compelling power efficiency benefit to system designers. The PLL can operate from either an input system clock or a crystal and incorporates both an integer divider and a high-resolution (<1Hz) fractional divider for increased flexibility to generate any clock frequency. Additionally up to four different frequency multiplier set-

tings can be stored allowing for different application configurations providing BOM savings compared to multiple synthesizers. The XR811xx family also offers a choice of LVCMOS, LVDS or LVPECL output drivers. EXAR www.exar.com

Rutronik introduces new Miniature IR Receivers from Vishay As of now, distributor Rutronik offers Vishay's upgraded TSOP36... series of miniature surface-mount IR receivers for infrared remote control applications in consumer products. With a minimum irradiance of 0.12mW/m², the TSOP36... series now offers a 20% improvement in sensitivity over previous generation devices, and incorporates an improved optical filter against IR 3D TV signals and other noise. The devices feature a new-generation integrated circuit and are offered in five automatic gain control (AGC) versions for short and long burst codes. Legacy compatibility with all common IR remote control data formats is provided by the TSOP361.. (short burst codes) and

TSOP362.. (long burst codes). The TSOP363.. (short) and TSOP364.. (long) are ideal for all remote control applications and suppress spurious pulses from energy-saving lamps and dimmed LCD backlighting, while the TSOP365.. (short) is capable of suppressing even

extreme levels of optical noise. To simplify designs, the devices offer a photo detector and preamplifier circuit mounted within a 4-pin epoxy package. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/d0ff1177.l

www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014

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