OCTOBER, 2013 足 ISSUE NO. 9, VOL. 11
DESIGN & MANUFACTURING
EP&Dee ELECTRONICS
PRODUCTS
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DESIGN
足
EASTERN
EUROPE
THE EAST EUROPEAN RESOURCE FOR EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS
OCTOBER 2013 Table of Contents
Win a Microchip MCP19111 Evaluation Board
DESIGN FEATURES 4 Solar-Powered LED Lighting - Power-Conversion Techniques Performance improvements in Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic solar cells due to developments in technology improve the performance of the end-application. In applications that employ both of these core technologies in combination, such as solar-powered lighting, there is the potential to deliver substantial end-application performance improvement.
8 Rutronik Celebrates 40th Anniversary This year, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH celebrates 40 years in business. During this time, what began as a five-man operation has developed into the third-largest distributor in Europe with offices worldwide. The broadline distributor is thus ideally positioned for further growth.
EP&Dee are offering you the chance to win an MCP19111 Evaluation Board (ADM00397). The MCP19111 is a digitally-enhanced PWM controller. It combines a pure-analog PWM controller with a supervisory microcontroller making it a fast, costeffective, and configurable power conversion solution.
12 Effective measurements. The AX-2040 gauge tested. The AXIOMET brand has existed since about 7 years and its offer includes a wide range o measuring instruments: universal multimeters, clamp meters, pyrometers or oscilloscopes and generators. I would like to present you the possibilities of the AXIOMET AX-2040 clamp multimeter, which is particularly worth describing thanks to exceptional easiness of operation.
13 Major update to High Integrity C++ Coding Standard (HIC++) 14 Aurocon COMPEC presents Design Spark 15 Q&A for prepared for use with the press for the High Integrity C++ launch 20 Outstanding graphics performance With the R-Series, the second generation of the so-called “Fusion” products, AMD has brought to the market an optimal platform for applications that place the highest demands on graphics and video visualization, video coding and 3D computations.
23 MSC C6B-8S - Intel® Core™ - 4th Generation Type 6 Pin-out The MSC C6B-8S module is based on Intel's 4th generation of Core™ processors supporting triple independent displays, DirectX 11.1, fast low-power DDR3L-1600 memory and USB 3.0 on a COM Express module.
28 Total Tracking - High and low frequency soluti 30 Color sensors SPECTRO-3 solving difficult applications PRODUCT NEWS 26
Embedded Systems (p 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22) (p 24, 26, 27) LEDs (p 32) Display (p 33)
The evaluation board contains headers for ICSP™ (In-Circuit Serial Programming™) as well as I2C communication, pull-up and pull-down resistor pads and test point pads on each GPIO pin, and two push buttons for system development.
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For the chance to win an MCP19111 Evaluation Board, please visit: http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-mcp19111 and enter your details in the entry form.
Active Components (p 35 - 40) 37 Group Publisher Director Gabriel Neagu Managing Director Ionela Ganea Accounting Ioana Paraschiv Advertisement Irina Ganea WEB Eugen Vărzaru © 2013 by Eurostandard Press 2000
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The MCP19111 is ideal for standard power conversion, LED drivers, and battery charging applications. It demonstrates how the MCP19111 device operates in a synchronous buck topology over a wide input voltage and load range. Nearly all operational and control system parameters are programmable by utilizing the integrated PIC microcontroller core. MPLAB X IDE can be used in conjunction with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) plug-in to easily configure the MCP19111. Alternatively, the user can program the MCP19111 using their own firmware, tailoring it to their application.
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Contributing editors Radu Andrei Ross Bannatyne Consulting Marian Blejan Bogdan Grămescu Mihai Savu Asian Reprezentative Taiwan Charles Yang Tel: +88643223633 charles@medianet.com.tw
EP&Dee Web page: www.epdee.eu EP&Dee Subscriptions: office@epdee.eu
EUROSTANDARD PRESS 2000 Tel.: +40 31 805 9955 Fax: +40 31 805 9887 office@esp2000.ro www.esp2000.ro VAT Registration: RO3998003 Company number: J03/1371/1993
EP&Dee (Electronics Products & Design Eastern Europe) is published 11 times per year in 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Starting on 2010, this magazine is published only in digital format. Copyright 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.
DESIGN
POWER-CONVERSION TECHNIQUES
Solar-Powered LED Lighting Power-Conversion Techniques Performance improvements in Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and photovoltaic solar cells due to developments in technology improve the performance of the end-application. In applications that employ both of these core technologies in combination, such as solar-powered lighting, there is the potential to deliver substantial end-application performance improvement. For example, it’s possible to reduce the solar-cell area as higher-efficiency solar cells convert more of the Sun’s energy into electricity and the high-efficiency LEDs run longer and brighter into the night. Solar-lighting solution manufacturers seek to leverage these advances quickly and cost effectively; one way to achieve this is using a powerconversion strategy which enables rapid development and deployment of solutions that utilise the latest technologies. This article will review the components needed to develop such a system, and analyse the impact of this approach. by
Stephen Stella, Product Marketer, Analog & Interface Products Division, Microchip Technology Inc.
Background Solar powered lighting ranges from solarpowered lanterns used as a night-time reading lamp in areas with an unreliable power grid to the deployment of full-scale, community-grade street lighting. The diverse applications for solar/LED lighting systems are broad-based and global; they only differ in the scale of the end application. The core components for each of these systems are: • • •
Solar cells – energy collectors Battery – energy storage LEDs – energy emitters
As demonstrated in the system configuration diagram Figure 1a. For this implementation to work, the behaviours of each element must be compatible, which means the output voltage/current behavior of the solar cell must align with the battery-charging profile, and the batterydischarge profile must match the LED drive requirements. 4
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Figure 1: Two System Configurations
DESIGN
POWER-CONVERSION TECHNIQUES
Component Overview Figure 2 provides an overview of the performance characteristics of each component. While each component can be made to behave close to each other within a limited configuration set, it is almost impossible to guarantee performance. The maximum solar-cell voltage (per cell) is around 1V, while the NiMH battery operates in a range of .9V to 1.4V, and the LEDs require a constant current source, although their forward voltage is typically above 3V. Further, the NiMH battery has some specific charging requirements to extend its useful life.
overall system performance to be optimised. The microcontroller is not essential; a standalone battery-charger integrated circuit (IC) can address the needs of the NiMH charging profile, and LED driver ICs can convert the battery voltage into a constant current source. However, the flexibility of a configuration without a microcontroller is limited; the devices are likely to have a fairly narrow operating range, which limits their ability to respond to changes. If the solar-cell configuration is changed, the battery-charging IC
Flexibility in the system comes from the fact that most changes can be incorporated inside of the microcontroller, instead of requiring significant hardware changes which require intensive redesign and requalification. A discrete-based solution would have difficulty keeping up with the pace of innovation without a system optimisation component. A generic battery charging IC would not maximise the output of the solar cell in the same way as a solution within a microcontroller which also had a Maximum Peak Power Tracking (MPPT) algorithm included.
Figure 2: Component V-I Characteristics and Drive Requirements A system that interfaces all of these components directly has significant limitations, as well as ramifications for the overall system efficiency and its robustness. Figure 1b presents an alternate system diagram which addresses these limitations. The power electronics interface between each of the three core elements allows a much higher degree of flexibility, and permits the
will need to be replaced. Both the batterycharging IC and the LED-driver IC will need to be replaced in the event that the energystorage technology or configuration is changed. Finally, if the LED type or configuration is changed, then the LED-driver IC will need to be reconfigured. Given the pace of innovation, standard flexibility allows faster responses to changing requirements and new opportunities.
Proposed Implementation A microcontroller can enable a designer to take advantage of the increasing performance of each of the core components while allowing the fundamental architecture to be reused. Figure 3 presents a proposed implementation. There are three advantages to this approach. www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN
POWER-CONVERSION TECHNIQUES
1. Quick and easy system optimisation
2. Scalable and functional across a broad power range
which allows a device to predict and communicate when it will require maintenance.
There are four primary systems within this solution: LED, battery, solar-cell and power electronics. The battery-charging profile should be controlled to enhance both the charging efficiency as well as its lifetime, but the overall charging efficiency is also dependent on the efficiency of the solar cell. Incorporating an MPPT profile into the power-conversion algorithm should increase the overall efficiency of the Solarà Electricity power conversion.
A single solar cell, off-the-shelf rechargeable NiMH batteries and a few LEDs using 20-75 mA of drive current can power a compact, portable lantern for reading. Replacing the powertrain components, including readily available power MOSFETs and transformers ensures that this design can quickly scale the power rating to fulfill the needs of commercial and community-based security lighting.
Conclusion A microcontroller-based power-converter solution offers extensive flexibility when coupling two emergent technologies such as PV solar and LEDs. The solution allows for fast implementation of improvements which satisfy customer needs and dovetail with the advances of this emerging technology.
The result is a reduction in the size of the solar array while still achieving the charge objectives. The reduction in size impacts the product’s form factor, and provides options to the designer to enhance visual appeal. Light quality may be a critical characteristic in the target application, as would be the case if used for reading. Light quality can be attributed to the current waveform, driving a tight tolerance for the LED drive current or including dimming capability. The implementation with a microcontroller allows design engineers to optimise everything from the component efficiency to the system’s overall robustness and lifetime.
www.microchip.com The number of solar cells can be increased, off-the-shelf NiMH batteries can be replaced by custom battery packs, and highintensity, high-current LEDs requiring over 350mA of drive current can be used. 3. Platform flexibility to adapt to rapid technology change Evolving solar cells or a new LED with specific drive requirements may be quickly adopted and new products introduced. As these products are used, customer application feedback may drive additional, non-core requirements. The flexibility therefore moves beyond performance and into diagnostic functionality
Figure 3: Proposed MCU-Based Architecture 6
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Note: The Microchip name and logo, and PIC are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
INDUSTRY NEWS
COMPANY PROFILE
Rutronik Celebrates th 40 Anniversary This year, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH celebrates 40 years in business. During this time, what began as a five-man operation has developed into the third-largest distributor in Europe with offices worldwide. The broadline distributor is thus ideally positioned for further growth.
In 1973, Helmut Rudel founded the company as Rutronik Passive Bauelemente and Silec Aktive Bauelemente. Since then, the distributor has grown organically in all areas: geographically, from a local supplier to a global distributor with 69 offices in 27 countries. In terms of product portfolio, it has grown from a representative for active and passive components into a broadline distributor with a comprehensive suite of products ranging from electro-mechanical components to storage, displays & boards and wireless components. The subsidiary Rusol supplies high-quality photovoltaic and LED lighting solutions. Consequently, Rutronik is now one of the few genuine broadline distributors to represent components equally across all product areas. Our conventional sales channels have been supplemented with the on-line platforms webg@te and rutronik24.com. In the early days, the company's service offering was confined to commercial support. Today, it includes comprehensive consulting services for products, applications, vertical 8
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
markets and logistics. These are backed up by continuously expanding support in the form of data sheets, application notes and other information sources, numerous seminars, workshops and TechDays as well as online services. Rutronik has also developed in-depth expertise in the area of logistics. When it started out, the company operated a relatively straightforward, step-by-step delivery system. Today, Rutronik offers
numerous logistics modules that can be combined to create bespoke and flexible solutions for optimised supply chain management. This has transformed what was a sales company for electronic components into a solution provider and partner that provides its customers worldwide with comprehensive technical, commercial and logistical support throughout the development and produc-
INDUSTRY NEWS
tion cycle. This makes Rutronik an important link between manufacturers and customers. Above-average growth Over the past 40 years, revenue growth at Rutronik has consistently outperformed the market and exceeded one billion US dollars in 2012. In parallel to this extraordinary growth, the company workforce has also expanded from five employees when it was founded to around 1300 today. Founder Helmut Rudel remained at the helm of the company until 2008, when he was replaced by his son Thomas Rudel, who took over as CEO and Sales Director. Since then, Helmut Rudel has continued to be involved in the executive management in his role of President of the company. The two are supported by four directors in the areas of marketing, commercial, logistics and IT/organisation. Although Rutronik remains a privatelyowned company, it operates on the basis of managements instruments used in listed companies, such as quarterly accounts and comprehensive risk management policies. Conventional values Despite strong growth and numerous changes, some things have remained the same. Rutronik is one of the very few distributors to remain an owner-operated, independent company. The company headquarters are located in Ispringen near Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg. The motto “Committed to Excellence” coined by company founder Helmut Rudel remains the guiding principle for the employees. Their performance contributes to the satisfaction of customers – always the top priority. The company also maintains close customer contacts through its strong presence in Europe. The focus of the company is on building long-term partnerships with manufacturers, customers and employees. “In a sector characterised by such a high degree of consolidation, it is not easy to successfully remain in business for 40 years,” explains Thomas Rudel. “We are therefore extremely proud to have established ourselves in the long term as the clear number three player in Europe. To ensure our continued growth into the future, we will open up additional markets and expand our presence worldwide.” www.rutronik.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH
Dates and Facts Rutronik at a Glance Type of company:
Franchise distributor
Founded:
1973
Head office:
Ispringen, near Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg
Warehouse locations:
Ispringen, near Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg; Hong Kong
Global presence:
represented in 27 countries: Europe: Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Romania, Hungary Asia: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan America: Mexico
Executive management:
Helmut Rudel (President) Thomas Rudel (CEO, Sales Director) Alexander Schröer (Chief Financial Officer) Markus Krieg (Managing Director Marketing) Joachim Kaiser (Managing Director Logistics & Material Management) Marco Nabinger (Managing Director IT & Organisation)
Employees:
More than 1,200 worldwide
Revenue 2012:
In excess of one billion US dollars across the group
Company Founded in 1973 by Helmut Rudel in Ispringen (Baden-Württemberg), the company has developed with unprecedented success from a “one-man operation” into one of the leading broadline distributors and now employs more than 1,200 people worldwide. Its product portfolio includes semiconductors, passive and elecHelmut Rudel tro-mechanical components as well as storage, displays & boards and wireless products. The key target markets are automotive, medical, industrial, home appliance, energy and lighting. Through its subsidiary Rusol, Rutronik also supplies photovoltaic solutions and services as well as lighting solutions. Rutronik is currently ranked (as of July 2013) in 10th position worldwide and as the third largest European distributor of electronic components. The company operates from its German headquarters as an independent, owner-operated enterprise. Guided by its Thomas Rudel corporate philosophy “Committed to Excellence”, Rutronik can look back on a successful 40-year company history built on growth that has remained consistently above the market average. With an extensive network of sales offices, Rutronik is represented throughout Europe and maintains close links with its customers. Five branches in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan serve customers in Asia while its office in Mexico represents Rutronik in America. Customers around the world benefit from the same high standard of technical, commercial and logistical consulting, service and technical support across all countries. www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Product and service portfolio The Rutronik service portfolio is divided into the four modules RUTRONIKcomponents, RUTRONIKconsult, RUTRONIKlogistics and RUTRONIKsupport. n
RUTRONIKcomponents – innovative quality products from leading manufacturers Rutronik supplies semiconductors, passive and electro-mechanical components as well as storage, displays & boards and wireless products. Franchise partners include leading manufacturers with a portfolio of innovative quality products. The unique product mix corresponds precisely with the standard arrangement on the circuit board: It is comprised of around 60 per cent semiconductors, 27 per cent passive and 13 per cent electro-mechanical components. This not only enables the broadline distributor to meet all requirements, but also to offer coherent all-in-one solutions. In line with the second-source principle, the Rutronik line card lists two to three manufacturers per product or product group. This ensures that customers have a wide range of products to choose from and are well covered with regard to allocation times. n
RUTRONIKconsult – professional technical support The sales, product marketing and strategic marketing departments along with line management work hand in hand with application engineers, business development managers and sales engineers to provide customers with comprehensive and sound technical and commercial support. This covers the entire development cycle from the generation of ideas and design stage through to prototype development and series production all the way to the phase-out stage at the end of the product lifecycle. To help customers develop finelytuned complete solutions in line with market requirements, the distributor assembles experts from all Rutronik units into six Vertical Market Teams for the medical, lighting, renewable
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EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
COMPANY PROFILE
INDUSTRY NEWS
energy, industrial, automotive and home appliance areas. Line management acts as a technical and strategic interface with the manufacturer. n
RUTRONIKlogistics efficient logistics concepts Rutronik's modular logistics concept can be configured to create needs-based solutions. The three basic systems delivery schedule, kanban and consignment can be combined to create a customized system using various parameters, combinations and additional services, such as expanded label information, sector-specific (e.g. VDA-compliant) processes, customer-specific packaging solutions, forecast, safety stock, bar codes, traceability solutions and many more. As a result, customers can reduce their procurement costs, streamline and accelerate their processes and enjoy security of supply.
n
RUTRONIKsupport – information and know-how The Rutronik webg@te is the most efficient and convenient way of purchasing components. It provides access to over one million articles from which customers can easily find the required components with the aid of intelligent functions that can search by technical parameter, part number or full text. The selected product is displayed along with customerspecific and current pricing and availability information in real time. In the procurement area, customers can view their orders, contracts, articles and inventories along with details such as order number and status, the requested and actual delivery dates as well as real-time order tracking. Added to this are PCNs that may be issued for the product, data sheets, product links, application notes and recommendations from the product consultant. For customers with small to medium component orders, the Rutronik e-commerce platform www.rutronik24.com also provides access to the entire product portfolio and to search functions for submitting regular orders with prompt shipping, requests for quotes or orders for samples. To allow customers to profit from the know-how of Rutronik experts and manufacturers, the distributor and its partners jointly organise specialised seminars, workshops and tech-days focusing on current technical and market-specific topics. This is supplemented by a comprehensive information service that includes data sheets, PCNs, application notes as well as up-to-date information distributed by newsletter and at www.rutronik.com.
COMPANY PROFILE
Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH Milestones 1973 Company founded as “Rutronik Passive Bauelemente” and “Silec Aktive Bauelemente“ in Ispringen Company secures industrial agencies for electrical engineering and electronic components 1980 Takeover of the joint venture company Silec/RSC-Halbleiter GmbH 1991 Sales offices opened in France and the Czech Republic 1994 Takeover of BIT-Electronic AG, entry into the “displays and systems” market Sales offices opened in Great Britain and Spain 1996 Takeover of Discomp GmbH 1997 Takeover of Dimacel Composants in France Swiss and Austrian companies founded and offices opened in Poland and Belgium 1999 Takeover of CED Ditronic in Germany and IEC Distribution S. A. in France 2000 Office opened in the Netherlands and companies founded in Hungary and Poland 2001 Takeover of TTS in Ireland 2002 Sales offices opened in Denmark, Bulgaria and Romania 2004 Rutronik Italia S.r.l. founded Offices opened in Russia and Lithuania 2005 Rutronik Nordic AB founded in Sweden Rutronik Ltd. founded in Great Britain Sales offices opened in Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Portugal Expansion of the sales organisations in Denmark, Belgium and The Netherlands 2007 Sales offices opened in Estonia and Serbia 2008 Sales office opened in Mexico and sales cooperation established in Turkey Subsidiary Rusol GmbH & Co. KG founded as a distributor of high-quality photovoltaic system solutions as well as LED lights and LED lighting concepts Thomas Rudel becomes CEO Helmut Rudel becomes President 2011 Rutronik Asia HK Ltd. and Rutronik Electronics SZ Ltd. founded Sales offices opened in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
11
DESIGN
TEST
Effective measurements.
The AX-2040 gauge tested. The AXIOMET brand has existed since about 7 years and its offer includes a wide range of measuring instruments: universal multimeters, clamp meters, pyrometers or oscilloscopes and generators. I would like to present you the possibilities of the AXIOMET AX-2040 clamp multimeter, which is particularly worth describing thanks to exceptional easiness of operation. 1. General information Having purchased the AX-2040 gauge, we receive a universal clamp meter that is capable of measuring alternating voltage, direct and alternating sinusoidal current as well as resistance, it performs non-contact current detection, and what is more, there are only seven buttons on the control panel. Why only seven? Well, AX-2040 is fully automatic equipment that is activated with only one button. Multimeter detects, by itself, what physical value we want to meas-
ure, it also independently adjust the current measuring scope. In a package, we receive, apart from a zipper flipcase with a loop for firm grip, a gauge, measuring cables together with tip covers and user’s manual. Note! the kit does not include batteries necessary to initiate the gauge (two LR6 – popular AA batteries – are needed). Enclosure is two-colored: yellow part is made of plastic, whereas grey elements are like hard rubber to the touch. This assures firm grip. 2. Operation and functionality The gauge is turned on by means of a big, round button that needs to be held for approximately a second to eliminate the possibility of an accidental start up. After initiation, the device emits a test sound and all symbols on the LCD display become dimmed. After completion of the self-test, the display shows the “Auto” message. It means that the gauge is in the default mode of automatic measurements. If a gauge detects magnetic field in the clamps, it will display the value of the measured current. If it detects the current on measuring cables terminals, it will indicate its value too. If the current is not detected, it will measure electric resistance and will display the value of measured resistance.
Figure 1: General view AX-2040 12
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Figure 2: AX-2040 buttons layout
And what if our gauge detects current flow and, at the same time, we will apply voltage to the terminals? The experience shows that the battle for a place on the display is won by the current measurement. The second in the queue is, of course, voltage measurement and the last is resistance measurement. If we want to hold on the display, currently displayed value, we have to press the “HOLD” button. The same button is used when we want to release the display so that it continues to display a result of currently performed measurement. If we want to save currently measured value in the gauge’s memory, we use the SAVE button. The device can save up to ten measurements. In order to read the saved data, press the READ button. In order to leave the mode of reading saved measurements, press the RESET button. The RESET button is also useful when we want to put the device in the default mode. After pressing the RESET button, the device runs the autotest. So, it corresponds to manual activation and deactivation of the device. Pressing the NCV button makes the gauge enter the mode of touchless voltage detection. This is the only mode that, after device’s initiation, must be activated by means of an extra button. In order to return to the automatic mode, press the same button. The mode of voltage detection itself, works almost like clockwork. It is sensitive enough to detect a cable in the wall, but it also signals the presence of metal elements by means of single beeps. While detecting the voltage in the cable wiring that is not “hidden” in the wall, it works perfectly
DESIGN
TEST
informing about the voltage presence by means of loud and repetitive beeps. The function of the last button that is distinguished with a blue color is turning on the display’s backlight which is performed by means of two white LED. The display is clear and its backlight satisfactorily even. 3. Accuracy The below table presents accuracy rates of respective multimeter’s functions based on the data provided by the manufacturer. It is also worth mentioning about display’s scale. In case of the presented device, it is 3,75 digits, whereas, the majority of this class devices offers the display with the width of 3,5 digits. Function
Scope
Accuracy
ACV
4V – 600V
±(1,2% + 4 digits)
DCV
4V – 400V
±(0,7% + 4 digits)
400V – 600V
±(0,8% + 5 digits)
400Ω – 4MΩ
±(0,8% + 2 digits)
4MΩ – 40MΩ
±(2,0% + 5 digits)
40A – 400A
±(1,8% + 5 digits)
Ω
ACA (50 – 60) Hz
4. Safety Multimetre meets the IEC 1010-1 1000V CAT II requirements, holds category III of overvoltage as per IEC 61010-1 and may operate in the second pollution degree environment. 5. Disadvantages Just like in every device, also in the AX-2040 series multimeter, some disadvantages can be found. The first deficiency that I found, is lack of possibility to measure direct currents. Such option is often very useful, if, for example, in the industrial environment we want to check the output current of automation devices power supplies, and at the same time, we do not want to, or we cannot disconnect the circuit to establish serial connection between the circuit and ammeter. The possibility of measuring direct current is offered by e.g. the AXIOMET AX-203 series. Quite important is lack of RMS measurements option. Basically, the AX-2040 multimeter can be used in measurements of sinusoidal and constant waveform. The third disadvantage of AXIOMET device is lack of short circuit detection mode. A buzzer that signals the presence of galvanic bonding is very useful in all kinds of maintenance tasks, and its lack is of great importance. Making a decision to buy AX-2040, we will have to get used to the fact that there is no zero display. The measurement of zero value is displayed as Auto, since the gauge, failing to register any electrical value, does not know what unit to display. To sum up, the AX-2040 multimeter is a fairly good device worth its price. For approximately 150 PLN, we get a reliable gauge that can be used for basic electrical measurements with acceptable accuracy. www.tme.eu
Major update to High Integrity C++ Coding Standard (HIC++) HIC++, one of the most respected and longest established coding standards for C++, marks its 10th anniversary with a major update, and extends its scope to cover C++11 and beyond PRQA | Programming Research, a global leader in static analysis, announces the publication of Version 4.0 of the High Integrity C++ Coding Standard (HIC++), which provides coding rules and best practices to help development teams to produce high quality C++ code.
HIC++ was first published exactly ten years ago (3rd October 2003), and pooled the best practice guidelines available at the time, along with language advice from PRQA’s own C++ experts. The longevity and ongoing popularity of HIC++ is evidenced by Chris Rommel, Vice President, M2M Embedded Technology at VDC, who stated, “The growing importance of coding standards has been one of the most significant trends impacting the test tool space over the past several years. And HIC++ is one of the most widely adopted.” “We are very proud of the fact that the development community has embraced HIC++ and recognize this as a source of coding best practices for C++ applications” stated PRQA’s CTO, Fergus Bolger, “It is humbling to know that this coding standard has been so widely adopted, with more than 24,000 copies having been downloaded over the past decade.” The new HIC++ Version 4.0 consolidates or retires a number of original rules and adds many more related to C++11 features, demonstrating its ongoing relevance to modern C++ coding best practice. Key enhancements include: • Overall consolidation of rules to a more manageable size – down from 202 to 155, which are categorised using relevant clauses and sub-clauses from the text of the language standard (ISO C++ 2011) for easy navigation and cross reference, • 61 new rules added, mostly related to C++11 updates, (lambdas, rvalue references, concurrency enhancements), but also covering other best practices, • 80 rules have been retired and 44 have been merged down to 16, • All rules receive improved explanations including compliant and non-compliant code examples. The new HIC++ coding standard is now available at the web page www.codingstandard.com, in addition to a whitepaper by the authors, summarizing the rationale behind V4.0, the changes from the previous version and how HIC++ fits with other key C++ coding standards. PRQA | PROGRAMMING RESEARCH programmingresearch.com
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
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www.compec.ro
INDUSTRY NEWS Get to Market Faster with an Accurate Integrated Isolated Energy Measurement Chipset for Embedded Applications Designers can now measure AC or DC power usage from any phase without the need for bulky sensors, optocouplers, or an extra power supply for the measurement subsystem. Just use the compact MAX78700/MAX78615+LMU isolated energy measurement chipset with preloaded firmware from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
Engineers face unique challenges when embedding highvoltage AC (or DC) measurement into their design. As in electricity utility meters, isolation must be maintained between different phases, which historically has been accomplished using bulky current sensors. For most other systems, however, the need for full galvanic isolation from the rest of the system is often required to meet safety standards. This demands additional isolation components that penalize both size and cost of the system. The MAX78700/MAX78615 chipset addresses these challenges by integrating a unique isolated interface between the analog (MAX78700) and digital (MAX78615) domains and requiring only a single pulse transformer. This innovative approach significantly reduces size, complexity, and cost. This complete solution includes nonvolatile memory and preloaded application-specific firmware, providing an autonomous measurement subsystem ready for integration into any system. The chipset is ideal for sola r inverters, data centers, outdoor lighting, renewable energy systems, and smart grid applications. Key Advantages • High integration: integrates nonvolatile memory, upgradeable measurement firmware, isolated power delivery to up to three MAX78700s (from a single MAX78615), and an isolated data path between ICs using a single pulse transformer. • Flexibility: scales to thousands of volts of isolation and contains application-specific firmware for a wide range of energy-measurement requirements. • Reduced size: eliminates the requirement for an isolated power supply and bulky sense transformers. • Faster time to market: includes preloaded, field-upgradeable firmware that performs all the necessary signal processing, compensation, and data formatting for accurate realtime measurement. MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com
Q&A for prepared for use with the press for the High Integrity C++ launch How many people use HIC++? High Integrity C++ (HIC++) has become the ‘de facto’ coding standard for C++ applications with over 24,000 copies downloaded since first being published on 3rd October 2003.
Fergus Bolger CTO-PRQA
What are the benefits of using HIC++? HIC++ defines an approach for using this increasingly popular programming language in a way that eliminates potential issues created by complier diversity, different programming styles, or dangerous/confusing aspects of ISO C++. The key to its success has been that it is written by C++ programmers, for C++ programmers. The original High Integrity C++ coding standard, published on 3rd October 2003, pooled best practice advice available at the time [Stroustrup] [Effective C++] [More Effective C++] [Effective STL] [Industrial Strength C++] [Exceptional C++], as well as internal know-how at PRQA. The result was a set of 202 rules and guidelines for the use of the C++ language. Since stylistic issues were largely ignored, and left for the individual organizations to define, this collection of rules and guidelines established a subset of the original programming language [ISO C++ 2003], applicable to any development, including high integrity. Why do the update now? The original version of HIC++ was launched exactly 10 years ago – on 3rd October 2003. In the intervening decade other publicly available language subsets emerged [JSF AV C++] [MISRA C++], which specifically focus on use of C++ for safety critical applications. In 2011 major changes to the C++ language have been ratified [ISO C++ 2011], which invalidate some of the existing advice, as well as expose gaps relating to the use of new constructs, such as lambdas, rvalue references and new facilities of the standard library. In order to prevent HIC++ from losing its relevance, a major revision has emerged to address these changes. The new version of C++ standard [ISO C++ 2011] has revised the language definition substantially, and in particular has added several new features, e.g. lambdas and rvalue references. Mainstream C++ compilers have already implemented these features, so it is paramount to address dangerous aspects of their use. C++ gurus have started disseminating guidance on the use of these features [GOTW] [Effective C++ ’11], and we have based 7 new rules on this material. In addition, we have added 17 rules originating from unpublished sources, as described in our new white paper, and our independent analysis of the text of the language standard [ISO C++ 2011]. Can you describe what have been the main changes in version 4.0 of HIC++? The relationship between version 3.3 and Version 4.0 of HIC++ is summarized in Figure 1, and further explained in subsequent sections. Who’s been involved in the development of HIC++? HIC++ has been developed by Programming Research (PRQA). HIC++ references a number of rules extracted from popular and authoritative sources, including Scott Meyers’ various books. The Industrial Strength C++ rules, although a little dated at this stage, are also referenced in HIC++, and therefore were also substantially included as source material to MISRA-C++. PRQA | PROGRAMMING RESEARCH programmingresearch.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Various I/O extension modules for the panel-PC family DSM Computer supplies three different extension I/Os for its robust ultra-slim panel-PC family. This allows requirements from industry for increased flexibility also for the interface selection of a panel system to be satisfied in order to optimize the systems for the associated application. The ultra-slim panel PCs from DSM Computer are offered as standard with an extension module with two USB 2.0 ports and two COM connections that can be set to RS232/RS422/RS485. An extension I/O with three COM connections (1 × RS232 and 2 × RS232/RS422/RS485) is available as option. Another variant is an extension module with two USB 2.0, one COM (RS232/RS422/RS485) and a Line-Out socket. In addition to the interfaces of the extension modules, the standard version of the panel PCs provides two USB ports, DVI-I and two LAN interfaces that support the EtherCAT protocol. The robust ultra-slim panel-PC family currently includes the multitouch panel PN18-A2 and two display systems with resistive single touch.
The robust PN18-A2 is equipped with a 47 cm (18.5 inch) TFT display with LED backlight and PCT multitouch. The PCT technology offers the familiar ease-of-use known with smartphones, also for industrial display systems, while also satisfying the high requirements placed on robustness and longevity. The PN17-A2 panel PC has a 43 cm (17 inch) TFT display with resistive 5wire single touchscreen; the PN15-A2 model is supplied with a 38 cm (15 inch) display. Because the ultra-slim panel-PC family is modular, the rear parts of all ultra-slim models are identical. Their overall depth is approx. 50 mm. Thanks to the energy efficiency of the integrated Intel® Dual-Core Atom™ D2550 processor with two computing cores and the Intel® NM10 chipset, the panel PCs operate in the specified operating temperature range of 0° – 45°C without fans. The industrial computers are installed in a highquality, solid aluminum industrial housing with an aluminum front panel that conforms to the IP65 degree of protection. The integrated 2.5 inch SATA II Solid State Disk (SSD) and the Compact Flash slot are accessible externally and can be replaced easily. DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com
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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
XJTAG and Embedded Systems Solutions announce distribution partnership in India XJTAG has announced a distribution agreement with ESS, a leading one-stop provider of hardware and software solutions for the real-time embedded systems market. ESS is headquartered in Bangalore, India. “XJTAG is delighted to announce the appointment of Embedded Systems Solutions, a leading supplier of embedded solutions, as our distribution partner in India”, commented Simon Payne, CEO, XJTAG. “The strategic relationship between our businesses will enable us to provide both local and global support for the growth of boundary scan solutions in the Indian market”. ESS and XJTAG share the goals of reducing the operational costs of their customers and accelerating development and time to market. ESS provide a range of embedded development tool suites, holistically supporting design, development and debugging processes across industries as diverse as aerospace, automotive, defence, education, energy, industrial automation, instrumentation, medical and telecom/datacom. The market experience, technical capability and trusted status of ESS in India
all mean they are an ideal partner for XJTAG. “This is a wonderful opportunity for both companies”, commented Gurunatham Gopalam, CEO ESS. “With the addition of XJTAG’s world leading boundary scan products, ESS is able to provide a one-stop source for companies looking to develop
embedded systems. We look forward to working with XJTAG and increasing the awareness and presence of boundary scan debug and test in India”. XJTAG www.xjtag.com
Rutronik distributes new industrial mainboard from Fujitsu supporting 3rd Gen Intel CoreTM processor and Windows 8 Fujitsu presents a new version of their industrial ATX mainboard D3128-B, the D3128B2x. It now also supports 3rd Gen Intel Core processors and Windows 8 as well as the memory technologies DDR3-1866 UDIMM up to 64GB and DDR3-1600/1866-RDIMM up to 128GB. The new Fujitsu industrial mainboard is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. The D3128-B2x has an extended lifecycle of up to four years. A strict lifecycle management guarantees users early information about possible changes of the product. The new mainboard is equipped with an Intel C602 chipset. It is designed for 24/7 continuous operation and is mainly used in professional applications requiring high CPU computing power for image processing, CAD applications, and analysis of 3D data. As the D3128-B2x supports Intel vPro technology, systems based on the mainboard allow remote maintenance using an Intel GbE LAN Controller with Intel Advanced Management Technology 8.1/DASH 1.1, regardless of the state of the operating system. This so-called out-of-band-manageability makes it easier to
diagnose and fix problems, especially those that occur in systems that are operating in places difficult to access. In order to support this functionality, the board is shipped with a demo version of the remote management
solution AMI Megarac XMS by American Megatrends. A number of additional features ensure safety: The onboard trusted platform module V1.2 enables secure computing while the optional EraseDisk function guarantees reliable erasure of sensitive data from the hard disk through the use of various algorithms. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
AMD Extends Ambidextrous Strategy to Embedded Customers Becoming the First to Offer Choice of ARM or x86 SoC, APU or CPU Options Coupled With Industry-Leading AMD Radeon Graphics
AMD disclosed its roadmap for the fast-growing embedded computing market, as it becomes the first company to offer both ARM and x86 processor solutions for lowpower and high-performance embedded compute designs. The new lineup includes two best-inclass x86 accelerated processing units (APUs) and central processing units (CPUs), a first look at a highperformance ARM system-on-chip (SoC) and a new family of discrete AMD Embedded Radeon graphics processing units (GPUs) expected to launch in 2014. These additions provide the embedded industry's engineering community with more choices to match their exact design needs, and are designed to offer improvements in performanceper-watt and performance-perdollar. Together with the recent launch of the award-winning AMD Embedded G-Series SoC family that set a superior bar for performance-per-watt low-power multicore APUs, these latest additions to the embedded product roadmap further signify a strategic push by AMD to focus on the high-growth embedded market. The embedded systems market is vast and forms the underpinning for the Surround Computing era. This market is comprised of different segments of which intelligent embedded devices - those enabled with high-performance micro-
processors, IP connectivity, and high-level operating systems -- are quickly becoming the most significant. A recent VDC Research report indicates the market for CPUs in traditional and intelligent embedded systems will grow 36 percent from roughly 330 million units in 2013 to more than 450 million units by 2016 with x86 and ARM architectures accounting for 82% of the total addressable market (TAM). In 2014, AMD plans to bring to market two new high-performance AMD Embedded RSeries processor families: the "Hierofalcon" CPU SoC family based on the ARM Cortex-A57 architecture and the “Bald Eagle” APU and CPU offering based on the x86 microprocessor architecture codenamed “Steamroller.” The upcoming “Steppe Eagle” APU SoC is designed to provide improved performance while extending the low-power characteristics of the current AMD Embedded G-Series SoC family. In addition, “Adelaar” will bring to market the first discrete GPU based on AMD Graphics Core Next architecture for embedded systems. “Hierofalcon” is the first 64-bit ARM-based platform from AMD targeting embedded data center applications, communications infrastructure and industrial solutions. AMD www.amd.com
Lattice announces MachXO3 FPGA Family; most advanced, lowest cost per I/O programmable bridging and I/O expansion solution MachXO3 FPGA Family Brings 640 to 22K Logic Cells, Lowest Power, 1 Cent Per I/O, and Hard IP Blocks to Ease Implementation of Emerging Connectivity Interfaces Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced its ultra-low density MachXO3™ Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) family, the world’s smallest, lowest-cost-per I/O programmable platform aimed at expanding system capabilities and bridging emerging connectivity interfaces using both parallel and serial I/O. By matching advanced, small-footprint packaging with on-chip resources, the MachXO3 family puts affordable innovation into the hands of system architects by simplifying the implementation of emerging connectivity interfaces such as MIPI, PCIe, GbE, and much more.
pose I/O, bridge interfaces and minimize total system power. Leveraging a low power architecture built on 40nm process technology to deliver lower cost with increased performance for power sensitive applications, the new MachXO3 family delivers a new set of capabilities that enable system engineers to do even more in a smaller footprint. The new 640-to-22K logic-cell family makes use of the latest in package technology to not only deliver tiny 2.5×2.5mm wafer-level chip-scale packaging, but also 540 I/O count devices, as well as devices with 3.125Gbps SERDES capabilities to cover the full spectrum of bridging and interface requirements in consumer, industrial, communications, automotive, and compute markets. Supported by Lattice Diamond®
The ultra-low density MachXO3 FPGA family gives customers a single programmable bridge that lets them build differentiated systems using the latest components and interface standards. With advanced package technology solutions that eliminate bond wires to enable lowest-cost and increased I/O density in a small footprint, the MachXO3 family can be used across market segments, including consumer, communications, compute, storage, industrial and automotive. Breakthrough Technology to Do More with Less Lattice’s MachXO™ and MachXO2™ families of instant-on, non-volatile programmable devices have set the standard for providing system architects complete, low-cost options to expand general pur-
software, as well as IP and application expertise both in-house and by third parties, the MachXO3 FPGA family is a complete solution that delivers: • Industry’s lowest static and dynamic power consumption. • Advanced programmable fabric. • Multi-time programmable (MTP) technology. • The industry’s most complete MIPI. • Integrated hard PCIe, and GbE IP. Lattice Announces MachXO3 FPGA Family 2-2-2 • Hot-swap I/O • Simplified single supply solution • Automotive and Industrial temperature range support. LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR www.latticesemi.com/MachXO3
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INDUSTRY NEWS Achieve Unmatched Power Efficiency and Higher Reliability for Industrial Control and Automation with 60V, 2.5A Voltage Regulator System designers can now achieve more efficiency across a wide industrial voltage range with the MAX17503 synchronously-rectified DC-DC step-down converter from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. By integrating two MOSFET switches and eliminating an external Schottky diode, the MAX17503 delivers higher power efficiency, operating 50% cooler than any other industrial high-voltage DC-DC converter. It operates from 4.5V to 60V and delivers up to 2.5A output current. The MAX17503 saves up to 50% space and reduces component count by 75%. Industrial equipment has been shrinking with no heatsinks or fans. System designers also struggle to secure enough design margins against input voltage transients to meet fail-safe standards. The MAX17503 provides the widest input operating voltage range, significantly reduces heat dissipation, and improves reliability. Designers with widely varying loads can use
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Kontron Pico-ITX motherboard with Ti Sitara 3874 boosts efficiency when developing rugged SFF appliances With its new low-power embedded motherboard for the extended temperature range, Kontron is accelerating the development of especially robust and energy-saving ARM-based SFF designs. The Kontron motherboard KTAM33874/pITX is equipped with the Ti Sitara 3874 processor and provides tablet PC class performance and a comprehensive range of standard and embedded computing interfaces. With its Pico-ITX compliance it offers OEMs the possibility to realize cost-efficient SFF embedded appliances based on a standardized form factor. OEMs can now exploit the whole ecosystem which to date has been used for x86 technology. This helps to significantly reduce hardware development costs in comparison to full custom designs and increase long-term availability. If no individual hardware adjustments are required, then the board, which supports Linux, Android and Windows WEC7 is application-ready and can be immediately deployed. Furthermore, Kontron offers in-house hardware-related software services, so that individual driver implementations and configuration-specific images can be provided at great speed.
The Kontron Pico-ITX board based on the ARM Cortex A8 single-core processor boasts a low TDP (Thermal Design Power) which makes it extremely suitable for compact, fanless applications. It is also the first Kontron motherboard designed from scratch for the extended temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. It is therefore fit to cope with even the most adverse environmental conditions. Examples of application areas for the new Kontron Pico-ITX motherboard are autonomous battery- or solar-powered outdoor systems or mobile or stationary dual-display applications like Box PCs, HMIs and thin clients. The target markets include building and home automation, industrial automation, digital signage and transportation as well as medical and military. With the Kontron Pico-ITX Motherboard KTAM33874/pITX OEMs can now realize even the most demanding types of appliances, which in the past needed a full custom design, in a fast, simple and reliable manner by using a commercially available standard component. For the KTAM3874/pITX with energy-efficient ARM processor technology Kontron has announced a minimum of 7 years longterm availability. On its 100 × 72 mm sized
Mouser Offers Latest Quartus II Software from Altera pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) for enhanced efficiency at light load currents. Specifically designed for industrial control and automation applications, the MAX17503 is ideal for programmable logic controllers (PLCs), process variable transmitters (PVTs), computerized numerical control (CNC), and distributed I/O modules in industrial process control, motor control, power grid, and building automation applications. Key Advantages • High efficiency: 50% cooler vs. prevalent asynchronous solutions. • Robust design: 60V operation extends design margin for harsh industrial systems, eliminating external protection circuitry. • Ease of design: Internal compensation across the output voltage and 200kHz to 2.2MHz switching frequency range. • Lower solution cost and smaller size: Up to 75% fewer external components lower costs; integrated MOSFETs and fewer external components reduce solution size by up to 50%. MAXIM INTEGRATED
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www.maximintegrated.com
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Mouser Electronics, Inc. is offering the newest version of Quartus® II software from Altera Corporation. Quartus II Version 13.0 is now available for digital delivery through mouser.com. Altera Quartus II software is the industry's number one software in performance and productivity for CPLD, FPGA, SoC and ASIC designs. Quartus II development software is a complete software package offering design-entry, simulation, synthesis, place-and-route and design verification. Quartus II software supports the development of complex systems through a suite of full-featured, high-level design environments that include C-based, system- or IP-based and model based design entry tools. Mouser is offering the latest release of the Quartus II software subscription edition. Version 13.0 allows for an average of 25 percent faster compilation compared with Quartus II software v12.1 and up to three times improvement for some designs. In addition, Quartus II software v13.0 provides an advantage over the nearest competitor in high-end space and superior logic packing capability. Quartus II software v13.0 includes a new notification center that provides remote real-time compiler status. To learn
more about Altera Quartus II software, visit www.mouser.com/new/altera/altera-quartus With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering What’s Next in advanced technologies. Mouser offers customers 20 global support locations and stocks the world’s widest
selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics’ website is updated daily and searches more than 10 million products to locate over 4 million orderable part numbers available for easy online purchase. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
standard small form factor this highly integrated motherboard offers everything that developers need to realize complete systems: an extensive range of interfaces and on-board Flash memory mean that there is no need for OEMs to source any additional components. That further helps
to speed up both the time needed for development and in turn the time-to-market. A SIM card slot and the low average power consumption of less than 5 watts even facilitate the development of appliances in self-sufficient continuous operation in environments without
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
power supply or network lines. The new Kontron embedded motherboard KTAM3874/pITX is available with the single-core Texas Instruments Sitara 3874 microprocessor (MPU) for the extended temperature range with 800MHz Cortex A8 technology. In terms of graphics, it offers 3D
graphic acceleration and supports up to two independent displays both with resolutions of 1080p (full HD) connected via HDMI 1.3a and 24-bit dual channel LVDS. Sound is provided by analog audio in- and output. KONTRON www.kontron.com
EnSilica and Kili Technology collaboration delivers FIPS-compliant secure processor IC EnSilica, a leading independent provider of IC design services, system solutions and IP, has announced that it has successfully collaborated with Kili Technology Corporation of Canada on the development of the Kili 3.1 FIPS 140-2 Level 3 (Federal Information Processing Standard) compliant secure processor IC. The Kili 3.1 secure processor IC is designed to meet the stringent requirements of payment, authentication and identity applications and production devices are available now. The Kili 3.1 secure processor IC utilizes EnSilica’s high-performance, lowpower 32-bit eSi-3250 soft processor core with cryptographic acceleration instructions in Kili Corporation’s patented, dual processor architecture that splits
secure functionality between the processors. In addition to supplying the eSi-3250 processors complete with 1MB of embedded Flash, standard interconnect and key peripherals required for the application such as USB, I2C, UART,
SPI, Smart Card reader, SWP and TRNG, EnSilica incorporated an additional APB peripheral bus to enable the easy connection of Kili’s own silicon-proven, easily portable security IP including NFC radio and controller. EnSILICA www.ensilica.com
Kontron receives FAA PMA on its next-generation ACE Flight 600 airborne server Kontron announced that it has received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) on the company's next-generation ACE Flight 600 general purpose airborne server. This milestone signifies that the airborne server meets the high safety and regulatory standards required for commercial aviation, and is suitable for aircraft installations worldwide. In addition to the ACE Flight 600, Kontron has already received FAA PMA approval for a range of avionics standard products, including the Kontron Cab-NConnect wireless access point. Kontron is showcasing its ACE Flight 600 airborne server, and its complete line of system solutions for the wireless IFE and connectivity market in its booth at the APEX/IFSA Expo in Anaheim, California. Qualified to DO-160F,
the Kontron ACE Flight 600 Server is based on modular building blocks, which support the insertion of new technologies soon after they become available. Since Kontron is a worldwide leader in embedded computer board-level products, the compa-
ny is uniquely positioned to design and manufacture the CPU processor and Ethernet switch modules used in the server. This vertical integration capability gives the Kontron ACE Flight 600 a distinct advantage over competing airborne server products. KONTRON www.kontron.com
Kontron's Cab-n-Connect Wireless Access Point Selected by Row 44 for its high-speed Wi-Fi installations Kontron announced that its Cab-n -Connect Wireless Access Point (CWAP) has been selected by Row 44 for its high-speed Wi-Fi installations. Row 44, a subsidiary of Global Eagle Entertainment (Nasdaq: ENT), is a leading provider of in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity and devicebased entertainment content for airlines around the world. Kontron is showcasing the Cab-n-Connect CWAP and its complete line of hardware solutions for commercial aviation connectivity and entertainment in its booth at the APEX/IFSA Expo in Anaheim, California. Kontron is already the exclusive provider of Server Management Units (SMUs) and the Modem Data Units (MDUs) to Row 44 for its In-Flight Broadband System deployments with its customers, including Southwest Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Mango Airlines, said Andy Mason, Commercial Avionics
Business Line Manager at Kontron. Cab-n-Connect is specifically designed to satisfy the increased connectivity expectations of today's passengers while also meeting strict size, weight and cost restrictions of commercial air-
lines and we are happy to be providing this exciting technology to Row 44's customers as well. With a proven history of engineering critical systems that operate in difficult environments, Kontron is uniquely qualified to fulfill the full breadth of connectivity and entertainment content delivery challenges in commercial aviation. KONTRON www.kontron.com
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN
COM EXPRESS TYPE 6
Outstanding graphics performance COM Express Type 6 compact module with AMD R-Series processors With the R-Series, the second generation of the so-called “Fusion” products, AMD has brought to the market an optimal platform for applications that place the highest demands on graphics and video visualization, video coding and 3D computations. This compact and efficient two-chip solution is also a technological leader in the field of direct drive of up to four high-resolution displays with independent image content. MSC Vertriebs GmbH’s high-performance MSC C6C-A7 COM Express module family in compact form factor is based on AMD’s Embedded R-Series platform and features the new Type 6 pin-out. Among other things, this enables optimal support of a large range of display interfaces and offers the freedom to choose between dual-core and quad-core processors. Ingenious solution for graphics- and video-intensive applications AMD’s Embedded R-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) feature a very powerful integrated graphics controller and high parallel computing performance with low power dissipation. In the implementation described here, only processors in FP2 BGA package are used. In contrast to the socket-mounted PGA versions, the FP2 BGA versions feature an especially compact form factor and lower power consumption. Hence, the thermal management of smaller system designs is also significantly simplified. Four processors in different performance ratings - from AMD R-252F with 1.7GHz and two cores up to AMD R-460L with 2.0GHz and four cores - are currently available. The clock frequency can be up to 2.8GHz in turbo mode. Thermal Design Power (TDP) of the APUs ranges from 17 to 25 Watts. Average power is expected to be significantly lower than this for normal applications. Thanks to the Radeon HD 7000G Series graphics engine integrated into the AMD R-
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Series APU, in addition to excellent graphics performance, the platform offers support for DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.2 and OpenCL 1.1. Up to four independent displays are supported. By means of MPEG4-, MPEG2- or H.264decoding, two Full HD video streams can be decoded simultaneously. A video compression engine (VCE) accelerates the encoding and decoding of HD video streams and enables transcoding in real-time. The design of the COM Express module supports three Digital Display Interfaces (DDIs), which can be operated as DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI or DVI. In addition, VGA, 24-bit dualchannel LVDS and embedded DisplayPort (eDP) are available. Through the DisplayPort 1.2 standard, it is possible to transmit four display data streams to display on four HD monitors via the three existing interfaces and by means of a multi stream transport (MST) hub or display daisychaining. These four different display contents can also be combined together to a 2×2 video wall in order to display a video across four monitors. If four displays are not enough, the AMD solution offers the possibility to combine an additional AMD Radeon Embedded 6000 Series graphics controller - either in the form of a graphics card (PEG slot or MXM form factor) or integrated on the baseboard - with the integrated graphics controller in order to drive a further six displays. Thus, up to ten monitors with different contents or a video
wall with up to ten monitors can be driven from a single processor module. With applications that are extremely compute performance-hungry, by means of OpenCL 1.1 or Microsoft DirectCompute, in addition to the CPU cores, the high performance computing ressources of the graphics controllers can be used for floating point, vector and image processing tasks, in addition to the CPU cores. A further increase in performance is achieved through the AMD Turbo CORE 3 technology. Depending on the application, CPU cores or GPU are overclocked for a short period and automatically in order to make additional performance available when required. In doing so, the admissible power dissipation budget is not exceeded, because a return back to normal operation is made in a timely manner. A special secure asset management unit accelerates the data processing and data encryption and decryption without excessively loading the CPU. This is an interesting feature when dealing with safety-critical applications. Why Type 6 pin-out? With Type 6 pin-out, there are two significant changes as compared to the widely adopted Type 2 pin-out. USB 3.0 is also now supported as well as up to three Digital Display Interfaces (DDI) that can be used as Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or DisplayPort (DP). The increasing shift in recent years towards these new interfaces
DESIGN was the key motivation for definition of new COM Express pin-outs by PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group). It was previously relatively complex to connect digital monitors to Type 2 modules. Either additional converter chips on the baseboard were necessary for this, which mostly generated HDMI or DVI from the Serial Digital Video Output (SDVO) signals, or the Digital Display Interfaces (DDI) of the core logic (CPU/chipset) were multiplexed on the PCI Express Graphics (PEG) lines, which however did not exactly comply with the COM.0 standard and also required special support on the baseboard or via adapter cards. With Type 6, dedicated DDI lines have now been provided, which only require suitable monitor connectors on the COM Express carrier board. Additionally, an embedded DisplayPort (eDP), which can optionally also carry Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) signals, is provid-
ed for system-internal displays. USB 3.0 with up to 5 Gbit/s, which is up to ten times faster than USB 2.0, has rapidly established itself and is directly offered by current chipsets. External hard drives and Flash-based solid-state drives (SSD) with USB 3.0 are already standard. In addition, an increasing number of other devices with high data rates, for example cameras, use the new USB 3.0. With Type 6, pins were freed up for the necessary additional lines so that up to four USB 3.0 connections can be implemented. Four additional USB 2.0 interfaces are also possible.
COM EXPRESS TYPE 6 A number of further changes were proposed by members of the COM.0 standardization group within the PICMG. The number of possible PCI Express lanes was increased from six to eight. SDVO, although in future increasingly less supported, is now multiplexed with one of the Digital Display Interfaces (DDI) and no longer with the PEG signals. In addition, two traditional serial ports (only receive lines/transmit lines), which can be optionally supported, were added. Furthermore, control of a fan, which is connected via the baseboard, and an optional CAN bus interface are now offered. The support of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) device was improved for increased security and a lid switch signal was added for mobile systems. Because the total number of available 440 COM Express pins did not change, the legacy PCI and IDE interfaces had to be sacrificed. These parallel interfaces freed up sufficient pins for the new requirements.
Benchmarks In order to verify processor manufacturer’s data on its own hardware designs, MSC regularly carries out extensive benchmark tests with various popular benchmark programs such as PCMark, 3DMark and Cinebench. The use of this selection of programs also enables making comparisons to benchmark results already published in the print media and on the internet. With the AMD R-Series APUs, the exceptional graphics performance, which till now could only be achieved with discrete graphics controllers, stands out in particular. With the
Cinebench OpenGL values, even Intel’s Core i5 processors were beaten by the significantly more cost effective AMD solutions. Suitable baseboards Users of COM Express modules changing over to the new Type 6 pin-out are faced with the problem that they would like to test and evaluate the new standard; however, their own operational baseboard is often still a long way off. The module manufacturers offer evaluation boards and starter kits for such cases and, of course, as a platform for timely, simultaneous software development. MSC C6-MB-EVA universal evaluation carrier board With the MSC C6-MB-EVA, MSC provides a board that fulfills almost every wish. The carrier board, in ATX form factor of 12 inches × 9.6 inches (305 mm × 244 mm), offers numerous interfaces and bus connectors in order to quickly implement experimental set-ups and prototype configurations. The board fits into a conventional ATX case and offers, in addition to a plug-in position for COM Express modules in the basic or compact form factor, all connection options for displays and monitors, which are supported by the Type 6 pin-out. These include several DisplayPort (DP), DVI/HDMI and embedded DisplayPort (eDP) connections, in part on connectors on the I/O shield fed to the outside and in part internally available. HD audio signals are available via HDMI, jacks or SPDIFF. Besides one slot each for Mini PCI Express and mSATA cards, a SD card socket, connectors for networks, Ethernet, SATA, USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and a number of different PCI Express slots, the board also offers a POST code display for troubleshooting. MSC C6-AD-T6T2 compact and versatile platform As an alternative, there is a complete starter kit comprising of a freely selectable COM Express module with AMD APU and a compact baseboard, which offers the most important connectors, above all the newly available Type 6 interfaces (DDI, USB 3.0, etc.). The small board with dimensions of 140 mm × 184 mm comes with surprisingly many interfaces including, of course, three each DisplayPort and HDMI connectors. However, USB 3.0, Ethernet, VGA, HD audio, SATA and even a PCI Express x4 slot also found a place. In most cases, this means that a quick implementation of an initial test configuration should be easily feasible. Wide range of possible applications Thanks to its high computing and graphics performance, the MSC C6C-A7 module family is especially suited for demanding applications with 3D graphics, high definition videos and for driving large-format displays in very diverse solutions. www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN Medical devices: Complex image processing and visualization - for example, with computeraided diagnostics and in surgery - is becoming more and more important in health care. In addition to excellent graphics performance, this is where use of the GPU through OpenGL can be very useful for complex calculations. Digital signage: Driving up to four independent HD displays, which can also be connected together as a video wall, or driving a 4K monitor - and this with a single cost-effective and energy-efficient computer platform offers new possibilities here. All of this is further supported by hardware-accelerated video decoding and up to two independent HD video streams. Casino gaming: With up to four independent displays on a low-power platform and comprehensive security functions, there is enormous savings potential for gaming machine manufacturers compared to earlier systems with several processors and additional graphics cards. Furthermore, the versatile MSC C6C-A7 module family is also suited for other embedded applications in a wide range of fields, including industrial automation, Point of Sale (POS), Point of Interest (POI) and kiosk systems as well as infotainment in any form of transportation. The COM Express™ Type 6 module MSC C6CA7 from MSC Vertriebs GmbH in the Compact form factor are characterized by very powerful
COM EXPRESS TYPE 6 graphics and high parallel computing performance with low power dissipation. Today, there are four processor variants available. For power demanding applications, the MSC C6C-A7 computer-on-modules integrate AMD R-460L 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo) or AMD R-452L 1.6GHz (2.4GHz Turbo) quad-core processors. The thermal design power (TDP) levels are 25W and 19W, respectively. The two dual-core versions are populated with the AMD R-260H 2.1GHz (2.6GHz Turbo) processor or the AMD R-252F 1.7GHz (2.3GHz Turbo) processor – each featuring 17 W TDP. The processors support the AMD64 technology and the AMD-V™ virtualization technology. The AMD Fusion Controller Hub (FCH) A75 chipset was also selected. The main memory can be expanded to 16GB DDR3- dual-channel SDRAM via two SO DIMM sockets. The Radeon HD7000G-Series graphics engine integrated into the AMD R-Series APU, with its excellent graphics capabilities, offers support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.2. The additional graphics controller computing power for arithmetic tasks is possible via OpenCL 1.1 or DirectCompute. The modules support up to four independent displays and support hardware video decoding for two parallel video streams. The video compression engine (VCE) accelerates the HD video stream coding and real-time transcoding.
With Type 6 pinouts, the COM Express module family offers six PCI Express™ × 1 channels and a PCI Express graphics (PEG) × 8 interface. In addition, all modules feature four USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, LPC, Gbit Ethernet, HD audio and four SATA interfaces at up to 6 GB/s are available. With three digital display interfaces as DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4 or DVI with resolutions of up to 4096 × 2160, along with LVDS, Embedded DisplayPort and VGA interfaces, the MSC C6C-A7 modules offer comprehensive display support. The high-performance MSC C6C-A7 platform uses the UEFI firmware from AMI, which has beed adapted to the special hardware. For direct access to special module functions, the EAPI programming interface according to the COM.0 specification has been implemented. With this Qseven™ and COM Express™ modules have an identical open software interface used by several COM manufacturers to e.g. ensure the access to watchdog, GPIOs, display features and I²C bus. Driver support and BSPs for different Microsoft Windows and Linux variants are available. In addition to the embedded modules, MSC offers a corresponding Starter Kit and carrier boards, as well as cooling solutions and memory modules. Author: Konrad Löckler www.mscembedded.com
PLS’ Universal Debug Engine now also available with its own debug perspective for the new Eclipse 4.x platforms PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme provides developers with the Universal Debug Engine (UDE) version 4.0.8 an own debug perspective for the current Eclipse 4.x platforms (4.2 Juno, 4.3 Kepler) at no extra cost. The completely new developed plug-in uncompromisingly relies on the new application programmer interface (API) of Eclipse 4.x and thus enables an even better integration in the development environment. Unlike other standard market solutions, the easy to install tool — that is offered as an installation packet and with Eclipse’s own mechanisms for plug-ins — has the additional advantage that the complete functionality of the UDE as crossdebugger under Eclipse is fully retained. In order to ensure the range of functions, the numerous configuration settings of a crossdebugger are automatically and fully integrated in the Eclipse workspace during installation of the tool. Subsequently, a debug session is defined via the standard mechanism of a launch configuration and
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started from the C/C++ editor. Display of the instruction pointer and from breakpoints is thereby carried out synchronously in all open perspectives. Breakpoints can be set both in the C/C++ editor and by debuggerspecific functions. Furthermore, the C/C++ editors are also fully available in the UDE Eclipse perspective. The paths of the source files are read by the debugger plug-in direct from the Eclipse workspace. This ensures a maximum consistency during the development phase. The new Eclipse plug-in — as with the previous version that is likewise included in all current UDE installations — is available for all microcontroller architectures and families (including TriCore, PowerArchitecture, XC2000 / XE166, ARM, Cortex, SH-2A, XScale and C166 / ST10) supported by the UDE 4.0. For multi-core debugging,
the management of several debugger instances is fully supported. The new tool can be used in both preconfigured installations based on the Eclipse platforms (4.2 Juno, 4.3 Kepler) and Eclipse C/C++ Development Tools (CDT) 8.x such as the STMicroelectronics SPC5 Studio, and on self-configured Eclipse CDT platforms. PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme www.pls mc.com
DESIGN
TYPE 6 PIN-OUT
MSC C6B-8S Intel® Core™ - 4 th Generation Type 6 Pin-out The MSC C6B-8S module is based on Intel's 4th generation of Core™ processors supporting triple independent displays, DirectX 11.1, fast low-power DDR3L1600 memory and USB 3.0 on a COM Express module. This product family brings a significant gain in computing and graphics performance compared to its predecessor. Various Core i3, i5, i7 and Celeron processors are supported by this design. Besides an extensive set of interfaces and features, the MSC C6B-8S offers turbo boost capabilities for CPU and graphics controller, accelerated video encoding / decoding and hardware based security compliant to the requirements of TCG (Trusted Computing Group). The Type 6 pin-out allows direct access to the latest digital display interfaces like DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI. USB 3.0 interfaces support the fastesd peripheral devices currently available. www.msc-ge.com
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Intel® Core™ i7-4700EQ (quad-core, 2.4/3.4GHz), Intel® Core™ i5-4400E (dual-core, 2.7/3.3GHz), Intel® Core™ i5-4402E (dual-core, 1.6/2.7GHz), Intel® Core™ i3-4100E (dual-core, 2.4GHz), Intel® Core™ i3-4102E (dual-core, 1.6GHz)
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Two Embedded DisplayPort interfaces
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LVDS (24 Bit, dual channel) and CRT interface
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Triple independent display support
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Intel® HD Graphics 4600 (GT2)
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DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 3.2, OpenCL 1.2
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Intel® 8-Series PCH QM87
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Resolution up to 3800 x 2400
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Up to 16GB DDR3L-1600 SDRAM, dual channel
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Seven PCI Express™ x1 lanes
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Four SATA mass storage interfaces, up to 6Gb/s
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Four USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 interfaces
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Renesas Electronics Announces R-Car M2 with Increased Performance for Mid-Range Automotive HMI, Infotainment, and Integrated Dashboard Solutions Renesas Electronics announced the availability of the R-Car M2 automotive Systems-on-Chip (SoC), designed to address growing integrated dashboard and information device market demands. Capable of delivering more than 12,000 DMIPS and twice the graphics performance of previous generation high-end devices, the R-Car M2 supports high-definition navigation, real-time voice control and other advanced features to provide enhanced connected user experiences within the car.
An R-Car M2 software development board is also now under development and will be available in December 2013 to further simplify and speed the development cycle for designers working with the R-Car M2 SoC. With the newest member of its R-Car series, Renesas aims to expand and reinforce the ecosystem led by the R-Car Consortium, the partner program of operating system (OS) and software providers. The new R-Car M2 SoC exceeds the previous high-end R-Car H1, with more than three times the enhanced CPU and approximately 6 times the graphics capacity and three times the memory bus function compared to the previous RCar M1. In addition, the software package utilizes the software developed on R-Car H2. Automotive information devices today integrate IT such as cloud computing with smartphones, and functions for safety such as around-view monitoring with onboard camera to offer drivers higher security, safety, and conformity. As integrated dashboard systems improve and become more and complex, auto makers require higher performance, function, and product quality. This results in higher difficulty in hardware/software development, rising development cost, longer development period, and difficulty in maintaining product quality. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE
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EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Rutronik introduces new Stamped CPU Heat Sink from ASSMANN WSW ASSMANN WSW presents the newly developed “Stamped CPU Heat Sinks” series, a combination of “CROSS-CUT” and “FingerShaped heat sinks”. The series is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. An advantage of the new CPU heat sinks is an improved air convection of up to 5%, because of non-simultaneous heating from one cooling fin to the other. The result is a better heat exchange between the various “hot and cold” air layers. Designated holes in the T=3mm base plate will optimize this exchange as well. The stamped CPU heat sinks are manufactured from AL5052 aluminum alloy. They are ideal for cooling devices such as PGA, BGA or other high power components, because replacing an overheated component can be cost intensive and complicated or nearly impossible. Other advantages are the additional mounting options and numerous modification possibilities. The stamped holes in the base plate can optimally be used to mount the heat sink on the PCB via "Push Pins". It is also possible to use solder pins to attach the heat sink on the PCB. Single- or
Mouser Stocks Freescale’s Kinetis KL02, the World’s Smallest ARM Powered MCU Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the Freescale Kinetis KL02 microcontroller that combines the world’s smallest ARM® Cortex™-M0+ processor running at 48MHz with improved energy efficiency and feature integration. Freescale's Kinetis KL02 microcontroller, available from Mouser Electronics in a Chip Scale Package (CSP), is the world's smallest ARM® Cortex™-M0+ based microcontroller. The Freescale Kinetis KL02 uses 25% less PC board area than the nearest competing microcontroller and adds 60% more General Purpose I/O (GPIO). The energy-saving architecture is optimized for low power, benefiting from 90nm TFS technology as well as clock and power gating techniques. This microcontroller also boasts a low power boot option, an efficient bit manipulation engine, a peripheral bridge crossbar for more efficient peripheral intercommunications and zero wait state flash memory. A variety of built-in low power modes provide flexible software options for maximizing battery life. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
double-sided thermal adhesive tape is included and custom notches in the heat sink can be attained through modifications of the tool. This offers further possibilities: the cooler can be mounted next to other electronic compo-
nents, without stressing each other because of space problems and without compromising the overall size of the heat sink. Other special requirements are e.g. alternative material thickness, modifications of all dimensions and perforations, special surface treatments and alternative custom made heat sink attachment methods. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
Microchip’s SuperSpeed USB3 Controller available at Mouser Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking Microchip’s new SuperSpeed Certified USB3 Controller Hub which is the world’s first with on-chip programmable memory and certified four-port USB3 Hub with 3 additional USB2 lanes. Microchip’s fourmember USB553XB-5000 family is the industry’s most flexible, as it includes a seven-port hybrid version with a certified four-port USB3 hub and three additional USB2 lanes. The remaining three family members feature two-, three- and four-port USB3 hubs, respectively, providing a broad migration path for the designers of PCs, peripherals, computing platforms, storage solutions, networking and consumer devices, set-top boxes, docking stations and monitors. The designers of computing and peripheral platforms are rapidly adopting the USB3 standard for its increased bandwidth of 5Gbps and higher-power charging ports. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
PRODUCT NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Optimising PROFIBUS/PROFINET automation networks with the new Moxa MGate 5102
Silicon Labs Launches the World’s Most EnergyFriendly MCUs Based on the ARM Cortex-M0+ Core
Amplicon has announced the introduction of the new the MGate 5102, an IT-friendly Ethernet gateway for optimizing PROFIBUS/PROFINET automation networks. One of the biggest advances in industrial manufacturing in recent years is the trend of connecting all management processes, as well as control and field level devices to one network. As well as this, operators are looking for economical ways of connecting legacy devices to a network, especially solutions that leverage existing IT management technologies. In answer to this need, Amplicon is pleased to announce the release of the MGate 5102-PBM-PN PROFIBUS-to-PROFINET gateways, which feature IT management tools to provide a second level of protection for automation networks. The MGate 5102-PBM-PN has a rugged design with optional built-in optical isolation, -40 to 75°C wide-temperature operation, and microSD card for config-
Silicon Labs introduced the industry’s most energy-friendly 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) based on the ARM® Cortex®-M0+ processor. The EFM32™ Zero Gecko MCU family is designed to achieve the lowest system energy consumption for a wide range of battery-powered applications such as mobile health and fitness products, smart watches, activity trackers, smart meters, security systems and wireless sensor nodes, as well as battery-less systems powered by harvested energy. The new Zero Gecko family is the latest addition to the EFM32 Gecko portfolio pioneered by Energy Micro. The family includes 16 cost-effective MCU products designed from the ground up to enable the lowest possible energy consumption for connected devices enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). The EFM32 Zero Gecko MCUs feature the industry’s most sophisticated energy management system with five energy modes that enable applications to remain in an energy-optimal state, spending as little time as possible in the energy-hungry active mode. In
uration backup, ensuring reliable performance for use in industrial applications such as oil & gas, power, process automation, and factory automation.
Michael Whitehead, Amplicon’s Data Communication Product Specialist commented: “The MGate 5102-PBM-PN gateways not only provide innovative technology that can bridge PROFIBUS devices (PROFIBUS drives or meters) to PROFINET masters (SCADA or Siemens PLCs) with ease, but also leverage IT management tools for effortless management”. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com
Amplicon announce a new distribution partnership with INSYS icom Amplicon has agreed a strategic distribution partnership with INSYS icom becoming the official technical distributor of INSYS icom’s industrial data communication product portfolio. The new partnership strengthens their position as a leading provider of data communications, industrial computing, measurement and control equipment, as well as boosting the competency and cost-effectiveness of the Amplicon engineering services and solutions. INSYS icom is expert in the design and manufacture of high performance data communications products. Their expertise is in cutting edge telecommunications technology. INSYS icom have an extensive product range which includes modems, routers and gateways that provide
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wide area network and internet access. Their portfolio contains cellular mobile technologies such as GSM, GPRS, EDGE and HSPA, as well as fixed line communications including ADSL2+ for broadband connectivity and legacy 56K analogue modems. The products have a design focus to suit demanding industrial requirements and can be used for various M2M (machine to machine) applications, such as internet remote access, monitoring, diagnosis and
alarming of serial and Ethernet equipment. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
deep-sleep mode, Zero Gecko MCUs have an industry-leading 0.9μA standby current consumption with a 32.768kHz RTC, RAM/CPU state retention, brownout detector and power-on-reset circuitry active. Active-mode power consumption scales down to 110 μA/MHz at 24MHz with real-world code (prime number search algorithm) executed from flash. Current consumption is less than 20nA in shut-off mode. The EFM32 MCUs further reduce power consumption with a 2-
microsecond wakeup time from standby mode. Like all EFM32 Gecko products, the Zero Gecko MCUs include a best-in-class energy-saving feature called the Peripheral Reflex System (PRS) that significantly enhances system-level energy efficiency. SILICON LABS www.silabs.com
Renesas Electronics Europe Launches Unique Microcontrol Renesas Electronics Europe announced the availability of the new RX111 Promotion Board (RPB), a cost-effective evaluation platform designed to facilitate the evaluation of Renesas’ RX111 microcontrollers (MCUs) in a wide variety of applications. The RX111 RPB comes with an integrated power measurement tool, enabling the user to easily measure the power consumption of the microcontroller running on the RPB. The RX111 RPB comes with all the software and hardware required to easily develop and evaluate applications on the RX111 MCUs. Designed to support a broad range of markets, the new RX111 group delivers a
combination of ultra-low-power consumption, on-chip connectivity and superior performance at attractive price points. Developers can use the RX111 RPB to test microcontroller per-
PRODUCT NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Save Space and Improve Image Quality in Ultrasound Equipment with Industry’s Only Highly Integrated Octal Ultrasound Transceiver Ultrasound designers can now reduce form factor and improve image quality and reliability with the MAX2082 octal ultrasound transceiver from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. This highly integrated transceiver replaces thousands of discrete components in any ultrasound system. It saves 40% board space and consumes 30% less power than the conventional architecture. Ultrasound equipment is quickly moving from the typical hospital room to smaller clinics, doctor’s offices, and patient’s homes as a low cost, noninvasive diagnostic tool. Meanwhile, customers are demanding higher levels of performance and more affordable solutions. Ultrasound systems must now shrink in size and provide more clarity in images, so testing and diagnoses become more convenient, more immediate, and more accurate. The solution is the MAX2082, a complete, low-power ultrasound transceiver solution. It integrates 8 channels of 3-level 200V pulsers and T/R switches, an octal ADC, octal LNA, and octal VGA, CW mixers, anti-aliasing filters, and coupling capacitors into a small package requiring less than 10 square inches. This is 40% of the space required for conventional solutions and is especially beneficial for portable systems. Traditional
designs include over nine components in the T/R switch alone for each of up to 128 channels, so the MAX2082 displaces thous ands of discrete parts. Power-supply noise and switching noise are all minimized in the MAX2082 for superior image quality. Key Advantages • Higher image quality and performance: improved system sensitivity and image quality through an ultra-low noise figure (2.8dB at RIN = RS = 200Ω) and a high-
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced its iCEstick Evaluation Kit, an easy-to-use USB thumb drive form factor development board that allows engineers and system architects to rapidly evaluate and develop mobile solutions based on the company’s iCE40™ mobileFPGA™ family, the world’s first and only FPGAs built to address the mobile devices market. The kit speeds solution development by including, along with the FPGA, hardware features and reference designs targeting infrared and sensor functions for smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and a host of other applications that have demanding requirements for low-cost, low-power and fast-timeto-market.
dynamic-range receiver (76 dBFS SNR at fIN = 5MHz and 2MHz bandwidth) • Space savings: high integration saves 40% more area than a conventional architecture • Higher integration and reliability: combines five separate blocks into one IC, replacing thousands of discrete components in a standard system • Lower power: consumes 30% less power than conventional architecture MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com
ler Evaluation Tool with Integrated Power Measurement Function formance in their low-end 32-bit embedded applications, including mobile health care, smart meters, sensors/detectors, and industrial and building automation. The new RPB includes a Segger J-Link onchip debug function with a target RX111 microcontroller. It offers both host and peripheral USB connectors, as well as a supercap to allow continued operation when the power is removed. The RX111 RPB comes with a number of sample
Lattice Slashes Cost, Speeds Development of Mobile Devices with New Plug-In-&-Go USB iCEstick FPGA Evaluation Kit
applications, including a low-power demo with a PC graphical interface to allow developers to measurement of the power consumption of the target RX111 in each of its low power modes. The RX111 RPB includes the following elements: • RX111 target board with integrated power measurement • Renesas C compiler and e2 studio Integrated Development Environment ( limited to 128k code & data after 60 days) • Graphical Code Generator • Graphical user interface for the power measurement system • Free of charge host and peripheral USB sample code • Low-power demo application • USB demo application RENESAS ELECTRONICS www.renesas.eu
Using the iCEstick Evaluation Kit, designers can implement a solution that replaces virtually any high-end remote control to interface to TVs, LED lighting systems or other infrared-controlled devices. Additionally, the iCEstick Evaluation Kit provides a simple starting point to design infrared data transfer between mobile devices such as PCs, tablets, gaming devices, and more. The iCEstick Evaluation Kit enables this by using the iCE40 FPGA to implement a fully programmable Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) function and bridge to an infrared LED. To streamline and accelerate development, the kit includes reference designs that enable wireless transmission of data or control signals. This is done via an interface to an IrDA transceiver or a Digilent Pmod™ Compatible peripheral connector, all while using a minimal number of I/O from the iCE40 FPGA. This is just one example of what the iCEstick enables; more reference designs are included as detailed below. LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR www.latticesemi.com/icestick www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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Tel. +40 256-201346 • Mail office@oboyle.ro • Web www.oboyle.ro
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Heavy Duty Industrial Connectors Power and Data Transmission Connectors Aluminium Junction Boxes
Circular connectors M8; M12; M23 Cable and Connectors for Sensors Valve Connectors Distribution Blocks
Visit our online shop www.oboyle.ro
Intertec
Flowmeters Level Indicators and Switches Pressure Sensors and Switches
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Linear Solenoids Permanent Electromagnets
AUTOMATION Compact highly accurate Omron D6F-PH MEMS digital differential pressure sensor range from TTI Inc Omron D6F-PH digital differential pressure sensors are now available from TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. Featuring superior accuracy and repeatability over standard differential pressure sensors currently on the market, Omron D6F-PH differential pressure sensors particularly suit low-flow conditions due to their wide pressure range and sensitivity. Highly accurate to within ±3% R.D and compact in size, Omron D6F-PH MEMS differ-
ential pressure sensors suit medical devices, such as respirators and ventilators, oxygen concentrators and anaesthetic gas flow instruments. Other application areas include building automation systems (HVAC), variable air valve controls and heat recovery unit systems, while industrial products such as pressure controls and air compressors will also benefit from the Omron D6F-PH’s environmental resistance. Additional features include bidirectional sensing, high flow impedance to reduce the influence of bypass configuration
and stable measurement over a wide temperature range of 20°C to +80°C, with temperature compensation. The Omron D6F-PH delivers output digitally (I2C) using an ASIC algorithm. There are three models available for different measurement
ranges: D6F-PH0025AD1 for 0 to 250 Pa (0 to 1 in. H2O), D6FPH505AD3 for ±50Pa (±0.2 in. H2O) and D6F-PH5050AD3 for ±500Pa (±0.2 in. H2O). The devices are RoHS compliant. TTI
www.ttieurope.com
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN
SENSORS
Color sensors SPECTRO-3
solving difficult applications Series SPECTRO-3 is a family of color sensors specially designed for color detection similar to that of the human eye and high frequency switching. Bellow we present you with a few difficult applications that can be solved with the help of these sensors: 1. Quality control during the airbag manufacturing in the automotive industry • Surface control of the airbag textile coated / uncoated - One side of the airbag textile is coated, whereas the other side is uncoated. The task is to check, whether the top side is coated (image 1). • Check of the presence of the plastic foil interlining in the airbag textile - The presence of a plastic foil interlining should be checked through a cut-out of the airbag textile (image 2 and 3).
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
2. Detection of the correct direction of a laminated band (front side/ back side detection) • The direction of a laminated band (Gore laminated band) must be controlled. The color of the band can be white, black or red.
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EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Tel. +40 256-201346 Mail office@oboyle.ro Web www.oboyle.ro
DESIGN
SENSORS
3. Color control of two different seams on two different leather imitations • The task is to detect whether the seam is present on the leather imitation or not. There are two different colored leather imitations, beige and gray, respectively a beige thread as well as a gray thread.
4. Detection of two different colored threads on interior parts in automotive industry • The task is to distinguish properly between the two different colored threads (beige and gray).
5. Color differentiation of car door handles • During the assembling of the car doors amongst others the car door handles must be color controlled to avoid that a wrong colored part will be mounted.
AUTOMATION
Tel. +40 256-201346 Mail office@oboyle.ro Web www.oboyle.ro www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
LEDs
Flat-panel graphics display for medical applications Many LCD and backlighting combinations available
Toshiba’s first cost-competitive 1W LED manufactured on 200mm silicon wafer now available through TTI
Suppliers of displays used in medical electronics must ensure that the devices meet the stringent requirements in this market segment. The most important consideration is reliability followed by the duration of innovation cycles which is considerably different compared with markets such as consumer electronics. Long-term availability is critical for components which are used in medical equipment. Electronic Assembly has filled this need for many years and has now introduced a new EA DOG series display for medical applications. The 128 × 64 pixel EA DOGL128 graphics display is a new addition to the product line. Seven different LED background lighting options are available. The combination of backlighting variations and 5 different display technologies (STN transmissive and reflective, STN blue, FSTN positive and negative) gives users up to 20 possible designs to choose from. All feature high
TTI, Inc. now stocks the first 1W LED in the market, which is manufactured on 200mm silicon wafer. Toshiba’s new TL1F1 white LED series offers makers of general purpose and industrial LED lighting solutions a cost-competitive alternative to current LED packages. LED-chips are typically produced on 2- to 4-inch wafers with an expensive sapphire substrate. Toshiba and Bridgelux, Inc. have developed a process for manufacturing gallium nitride LEDs on 200mm silicon wafers, which Toshiba has brought to a new production line at Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation, a discrete products manufacturing facility in northern Japan. The new gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) technology has enabled Toshiba to replace sapphire substrates and to produce the LED-chips on a much more cost-competitive silicon sub-
brightness and contrast. The backlighting color can be selected. 7 different backlighting options are available: white, yellow/green, green, blue, red, amber and a full-color version. All are extremely bright for excellent
readability and have low power consumption. The EA DOGL1286 modules will also operate with the EA TOUCH128-2. The 4-wire resistive touch panel has a selfadhesive backing and can be mounted directly onto the display. Electronic Assembly recommends a display with backlighting to ensure good readability when the touch panel is used. ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY www.lcd-module.com
OMC invests in backlight capability OMC, the pioneer in optoelectronics - LED lighting, backlighting and industrial fibre optic transmission components – has announced that it has invested in new equipment at its Cornwall manufacturing centre to support an increased demand for its Profiled LED backlighting technology. Profiled backlights make it financially viable for designers requiring displays for mid and low volume applications to be able to specify a full-custom display – both in colour and shape – as set up charges are minimal and MOQs are very low. Profiled backlight technology is often the only economic option for production volumes under 10,000 pieces. The technology ensures that very consistent illumination is provided across the entire display. Uniquely, they can feature single or dual chip LEDs depending on power output availability and
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requirements, and they are available in a range of single colours including blue and white as well as full RGB. Complementing a standard product range which numbers over 250 different sizes,
OMC can turn around bespokeshaped backlight samples in as little as five working days with set up costs starting as low as £50. OMC supports its customers during the design process to simplify module design and assembly costs by integrating assembly features into the backlights. OMC www.omc-uk.com
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
strate. TL1F1 series LEDs benefit from a small size of only 6.4 × 5.0 × 1.35 mm (L×W×H), a high luminous flux ranging from 85lm to 112lm (typ.) at IF = 350mA and a high colour rendering index of Ra= 80 (min.). The colour temperature of the white LEDs ranges
from 3000 to 5000K (typ.). Reflow soldering is also available. Designed for an operating temperature range from -40 up to +100°C, the new 1W LEDs are ideally suited for general lighting applications, bulbs, ceiling lighting, street lights and floodlights TTI www.ttieurope.com
High-power from a tiny LED: Soleriq S 13 from Osram now at Rutronik Osram Opto Semiconductors extends its high-power LED-family Soleriq by the new Soleriq S 13. The Soleriq S 13 boasts high brightness of 1,500lm from a light-emitting surface measuring just 13.5mm in diameter and is available in all color temperatures. It is designed for use in luminaires subject to high performance requirements. In hotel and restaurant, as well as shop and luxury residential lighting, the Soleriq S 13 installed in LED luminaires or lamps (retrofit) - replaces high-wattage halogen spotlights. The LED is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. The Zhaga compatible Soleriq S 13 in a 18×18mm housing covers all color temperatures from 2,700 up to 6,500K, the color rendering index for all colors is over 80. The typical efficiency is approx. 100lm/W at 3,000K. Thanks to its excellent brightness, only one component needs to be installed in a luminaire instead of several, which simplifies luminaire design. The
individual chips are very closely arranged in a circle and all located under a conversion layer (chip-on-board), giving the impression of a homogeneous light emitting surface and ensuring a uniform color and light appearance. Even the coupling of the LEDs into external, light-guiding optics is simplified: The light generated can be used with much lower optical losses,
which in turn makes LED lamps and luminaires more efficient. Unlike other commercially available high-power LEDs, no SMT soldering is necessary to mount the Soleriq S 13 - glue, screws or solderless connectors do the job. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
PRODUCT NEWS
DISPLAY
High quality 15.6-inch WXGA and 19.0-inch SXGA industrial TFT-LCDs with white LED backlights Gleichmann Electronics will offer the new 15.6-inch (39.6cm) WXGA model NL13676AC2501D and 19.0-inch (48.3cm) SXGA model NL128102AC29-17 displays from NLT Technologies. These two high quality widescreen displays are suitable for use in demanding industrial and medical equipment applications. With its 16:9 aspect ratio, high luminance of 400cd/m2, a resolution of 1366 × 768 pixels and a response time of 18 ms, the new 15.6-inch model NL13676AC25-01D is ideally suited for applications that need to present a large amount of information simultaneously and clearly, for example, news ticker with scroll function. The display has a wide operating temperature range from -20°C to +70°C and is equipped with an integrated driver for the white LED backlight. The high quality workmanship and the exchangeable white LED backlight ensure a long service life. The 19.0-inch model NL128102AC29-17, based
on NLT’s proprietary Super Fine TFT (SFT) technology, offers significantly better imaging options than displays in the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. The 19.0-inch model has a 5:4 aspect ratio and is equipped with an innovative LED backlight system. With a high con-
trast ratio of 1000:1, high luminance of 800cd/m2 and a resolution of 1280 × 1024 pixels, the NL128102AC29-17 is ideal for use in medical applications that require the precise reproduction of shadow and off angle color representation, or for industrial applications used in bright environments.
NLT Technologies Announces Development of Four New Wide Format LCD Modules with High Bright, Long-Life LED Backlights NLT Technologies (NLT), together with its sales and marketing channels in the Americas and Europe, Renesas Electronics America, Inc. and Renesas Electronics Europe GmbH, announced development of four new amorphous-silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) modules. These modules are ideal for outdoor applications used boating equipment or construction devices. The new wide format TFT LCD modules are 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 these products are scheduled to be available in October 2013.
white LED backlight results in lower environmental impact since the backlights consume limited power and are mercury free. The 12.1-inch, NL12880BC2007F, utilizes NLT’s proprietary color reproduction technology, ColorXcell, which enables vivid color reproduction of images without increasing power consumption. Use of an LED backlight in combination with NLT’s ColorXcell technology achieves further reduction of power consumption. 3) Wide operating temperature range All four of the new modules feature wide operating temperature ranges. The 7.0-inch WVGA and 8.0-inch WVGA modules have an operating temperature range of 30 to +80°C, and the 12.1-inch NL12880BC20-07F -20 to +70°C.
The main characteristics of the new modules are as follows: 1) Ultra high luminance The 7.0 inch NL8048AC19-14F and 8.0 inch NL8048AC21-01F have a luminance of 1000cd/m2, and the 12.1 inch NL12880BC2007F has a luminance of 1500 cd/m2 resulting in excellent viewability even in high ambient light environments. The displays are ideal for display applications in outdoor environments. 2) Long-life LED backlight The long-life LED backlights used in the new 7-inch and 8-inch WVGA modules have an estimated life span of 100,000 hours – equivalent to almost 12 years of continual usage. This results in easy, low cost maintenance for these displays. Adoption of the
The wide operating ranges of these displays guarantees stable operation even in very low and very high temperature environments. 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. Under these conditions LED backlights tend to require greater power consumption in order to achieve sufficient luminance to be seen in outdoor settings, this in turn shortens a backlight’s lifespan. Achieving longer backlight lifespan and reducing maintenance costs of outdoor display equipment has, therefore, been a challenge. RENESAS www.renesas.eu/display
GLEICHMANN & CO. ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com
Cost-effective 5.7-inch (14.5 cm) QVGA display with 800 cd/m2 luminous density and 800:1 contrast ratio Gleichmann Electronics now offers the 5,7-inch (14.5cm) QVGA display TX14D26VM 1BAA QVGA from KOE Europe. With 800cd/m² of brightness and a contrast ratio of 800:1, the display is ideally suited to use outdoors in POS terminals, ticket machines etc. The youngest member of the Lite+-TFT-LCD family developed for cost-sensitive applications with high optical demands is equipped with white LED background illumination, which has a life expectancy of at least 40000 hours up to when it reaches 50 percent of the specified luminous density. The use of a standardized 6-Bit RGB CMOS interface with 40 pins simplifies the design-in of
the 131.0 mm × 102.2 mm × 7.1 mm display and supports the display of up to 262,000 colors. Detailed information and samples for the TX14D26VM1BAA,
which is specified for an extended working temperature range of -30 to +80°C, can be obtained from display-koe@msc-ge.com. GLEICHMANN & CO. ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Speed and Secure Smart Meter Designs with the Industry’s Highest Performance Smart Grid Reference Platform Designers of smart meters can now reduce time to market, raise the bar for higher accuracy, and secure their designs with Capistrano, a smart grid reference platform from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Powered by the company’s Zeus metering SoC, Capistrano protects designs with advanced cryptography, physical attack detection, and lifecycle security schemes. Protecting more than just the smart meter, the security technology is capable of securing any distributed node in the smart grid. Additionally, the high integration in Capistrano makes it versatile - it simplifies smart grid designs by integrating four complex processors: an applications processor, metering microcontroller, metering front-end/DSP, and security coprocessor. It also offers the best accuracy in the industry - 0.1% over a wide current range of 8000:1. The combination of advanced measurement, powerful security tools, and efficient pro-
cessing allows Capistrano to support evolving application design requirements. Thus it is ideal for a wide variety of applications, including smart meters, smart lighting, solar inverters, building automation, submetering, and other smart applications.
Microchip announces its latest 2.4GHz RF high-power amplifier, the SST12CP12, which adds support for the 256-QAM ultra-high data rate modulation. With its high linear output power of up to 23dBm at a dynamic EVM as low as 1.8% and MCS8 40MHz bandwidth modulation, as well as 25dBm linear power at 3% EVM, this amplifier significantly extends the range of IEEE 802.11b/g/n WLAN systems while providing excellent power at the maximum 256-QAM data rate. It is also spectrum mask compliant up to 28.5dBm for 802.11b/g communication, and uses Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) to correct severe channel conditions without the need for complex equalisation filters. Additionally, the SST12CP12 reduces board space with its small 3×3×0.55 mm, 16pin QFN package.
Key Advantages • High integration • Advanced security • Excellent performance • Flexibility • Simplifies and speeds designs. MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com
Renesas Electronics Bridges the Gap with New RX110 Microcontrollers Bringing Ultra Low Power and 32-Bit Performance to the Internet of Things Renesas Electronics has expanded its popular 32-bit RX100 Series of microcontrollers (MCUs) with the RX110 Group. Designed to support a broad range of markets, the new MCUs deliver a combination of ultra low-power consumption and high performance at attractive price points for entry-level 32-bit embedded Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including mobile healthcare, environmental sensors/detectors, smart appliances, and industrial and building automation. A complement to the RX111 Group announced in April 2013, the new RX110 MCUs combine RX core performance along with market leading low power features, providing greater device scalability for these cost-sensitive applications. Based on Renesas’ RX CPU core, the RX100 Series of MCUs delivers high performance, ultra low power, connectivity and digital signal processing (DSP) functionality in a general-purpose MCU. The new RX110 devices offer the industry’s best active power/power-down mode capabilities, system performance and
Microchip’s new 2.4 GHz RF highpower amplifier supports 256-QAM modulation; extends range of ultra-high data rate WLAN systems
DSP implementation levels for entry-level 32-bit MCUs. With best-in-class runmode power consumption – as low as 100μA/MHz, 4.8μs wake-up time, and three low-power modes, including the lowest power-down mode with Real Time Clock (RTC), the RX110 MCUs enable extended life cycles for battery-
Achieving the maximum data rate and longest range, while saving board space, is essential to Wi-Fi® accesspoint, router and set-top-box designers. However, they also need to reduce power consumption, integrate input-matching functionality and maintain temperature stability whilst ensuring transmission power control. The SST12CP12 power amplifier has a low operating current of 380mA at 23dBm, which enables more transmission channels and a higher data rate for each system. This amplifier also features 50ohm onchip input match and simple output match, which is easy to use and speeds time to market. Additionally, the integrated linear power detector provides temperature stability and immunity to VSWR radio-wave reflection, for accurate output power control that ensures all of the power reaches its destination. Key Facts: • SST12CP12 combines high linear output power with low EVM in small package for longer range at maximum data rate
powered applications such as blood glucose meters, remote control systems or POS terminals. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu
• Supports MCS8, HT40, spectrum mask and OFDM • Low operating current enables more transmission channels and a higher data rate MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/NCPD www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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91 new 16-bit ultra-low-power MCUs as modular platform solution for automotive control systems MSC now offers a total of 91 new products in the RL78/F13 Group and RL78/F14 Group of 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) from Renesas Electronics. The MCUs feature an extremely low standby mode current consumption of only 500 nA, improved safety functions, additional multiply-and-accumulate instructions, and a new extremely space-saving quad flat noleads (QFN) package. The RL78/F13 MCUs have internal flash memory sizes from 16 to 128 kilobytes and are available in different versions with packages from 20- to 80-pins. The RL78/F14 MCUs have internal flash memory with capacities from 48 to 256 kilobytes, packages from 30- to 100pins, and RAM with capacities up to 20 kilobytes. Furthermore, the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 MCUs adopt the respective high-functionality MCU peripheral functions of the existing Renesas’ 78K0R and R8C CPU cores. The new MCUs all integrate the same CPU core, peripheral functions such as Controller Area Network (CAN) and Local Interconnect Network (LIN), and pin layout. This enables the construction of a
flexible development platform with reusable design elements. The RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 MCUs incorporate improved hardware features that support systems’ functional safety. For example, a test function that verifies that the A/D converter is oper-
ating correctly by converting a reference voltage or the power supply voltage and comparing the result to a standard value, a function that prevents software runaway by detecting stack overflow with an interrupt, and a function that detects if an external clock oscillator has stopped by comparing it to an internal oscillator. Compared to Renesas’ existing quad flat no-leads (QFN) packages, the new QFN package of the RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 MCUs has indentations on the pin side surface to improve solder wettability during mounting. MSC VERTRIEBS www.msc-ge.com
Renesas Electronics Introduces New Advanced LowPower SRAM Products Contributing to Improved Reliability for Manufacturers’ Systems Renesas Electronics introduced 12 new product versions in the RMLV0416E, RMLV0414E, and RMLV0408E series of Advanced Low-Power SRAM (Advanced LP SRAM), the company’s flagship SRAM (static random access memory) devices. The new memory devices have a density of 4 megabits (Mb) and utilize a fine fabrication process technology with a circuit linewidth of 110 nanometers (nm). The forthcoming SRAMs are the new series of Advanced LPSRAM and provide high reliability equivalent to that of Renesas’ existing SRAM products adopting a 150nm process, including soft error free and latch-up free. They also achieve low-power operation with a standby current of maximum of 2 microamperes (μA) at 25°C, making them suitable for data storage in batterybackup devices. Renesas’ low-power SRAMs have achieved widespread adoption in many different fields, including industrial, office, communication, automotive, and consumer products and the company held the
No. 1 market share worldwide in such products in 2012. Recently, as manufacturers systems have attained higher performance and more advanced functionality, SRAM has become an important factor in improving overall system
reliability. In particular, SRAM used to store important information such as system programs and billing data must provide a high level of reliability, and particular attention has come to be focused on measures to reduce soft error caused by alpha radiation and cosmic neutron radiation. Renesas’ Advanced LP SRAM has structure in which each memory node within the memory cells hast an added physical capacitor, resulting in extremely high endurance against soft error. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu
Murata shrinks 1 W DC-DC converter size by 26% Murata announced the MEU1 series of ultra miniature single isolated output 1 Watt DC-DC converters from Murata Power Solutions. Measuring just 8.30 x 6.10 × 7.55 mm, this new series achieves a 26% footprint reduction when compared to previously released products. Available as through-hole mounting with staggered style pinouts, the MEU1 achieves a 25% increase in power density and can deliver its output power over the whole temperature range of – 40°C to +85°C. The reduction in converter volume and footprint allows engineers to reduce the overall dimensions of their application, which is critical for space-constrained designs. Conversion efficiency has also been improved by typically 6% across the full load
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range compared to previous models. Efficiency improvements contribute to lowering the overall system power consumption in addition to increasing system reliability. The MEU1 series also has load
regulation that is typically 3% better than the industry norm when compared to similar miniature through-hole converters. This reduces the need for any additional external regulation components and further conserves precious board space. MURATA www.murata.eu
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Murata medically-approved MVAC power supplies now Up to 94% efficient, open frame 1U AC-DC power supplies Murata’s MVAC AC-DC power supplies are now available from TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. Up to 94% efficient, the series comprises two single output models, the 250W MVAC250 and the 400W MVAC 400 in an open frame 1U format. Both models feature a 12VDC fan supply and an auxiliary 5VDC 2A output. These low profile power converters offer better convectioncooling performance than similar designs on the market and enable OEMs to eliminate the
fan and fan controllers required in traditional power designs, saving cost and reducing power packaging space requirements. The MVAC250 can deliver up to 170W output and the MVAC400 up to 250W without requiring any forced air flow. Eliminating the need for cooling fans also reduces system noise and increases MTBF. Both models take universal AC input voltage from 90 to 264VAC with active power factor correction (PFC) and inrush control. Nominal output voltage is 12, 24 or 50VDC. Further features include remote on/off,
PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Protect Electronic Devices with Secure Authenticator’s Strong Symmetric-Key Cryptography Designers can better protect their IP using the DeepCover Secure Authenticator (DS28C22) from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. The DS28C22 is a highly secure cryptographic solution for a host controller to authenticate peripherals or embedded designs, and it offers encrypted communication as an added benefit. DeepCover embedded security solutions protect sensitive data with multiple layers of advanced physical security and provide highly secure storage of the authentication secret keys. Using the FIPS 180 based SHA-256 authentication algorithm, the DS28C22 combines crypto-strong, bidirectional, secure challenge-and-response authentication with small message encryption. Through bidirectional authentication, the host and the peripheral authenticate one another, protecting the IP in the peripheral from a non-authentic host trying to modify operation of the peripheral. The DS28C22 enables unprecedented security for many applications, including peripherals/disposables, sensors, network equipment, IP licensing, and industrial applications like programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Key Advantages • Robust security protects IP from being compromised by counterfeiters or hackers: A bidirectional security model
Rutronik: Latest photocouplers with increased voltage isolation in a smaller package from Toshiba
enables two-way authentication and encryption between a host system and slave-embedded DS28C22. Strong dielevel protection securely stores the authentication key. • Simple and total programmability: Includes 3K bits of user memory with four user-programmable modes of protection; SHA-256 option enables customers to securely control end-product features through data settings.
• Added security with factory preprogramming: Maxim’s optional DS28C22 preprogramming service prevents supply chain vendors from compromising a solution; ensures no exposure of cryptographic keys. • Fast and secure crypto processing: DS28C22 includes a dedicated hardware-accelerated engine for SHA computations. MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com
Toshiba Electronics Europe presents two new Triacoutput photocouplers (optocoupler) that provide reinforced voltage and electrical noise insulation in ultraminiature SO6 double-mould package. The photocouplers are available at distributor Rutronik as of now. Toshiba's photocouplers have a minimum rated isolation voltage of 3750Vrms, a peak-off stage voltage of min. 600V and an on-state current of up to 70mA. They are rated for an operating temperature range of -40° to +100°C. Also, they are approved for worldwide use as they have UL, cUL, and VDE approvals for creepage distance and clearance distance of min. 5mm. Both devices are compatible with an AC mains voltage of 240V. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
300mA LDO Regulators from Advanced Power Electronics Corp. have Low Quiescent Current
available from TTI Inc suit industrial, medical communications equipment remote sensing and current sharing option. They are suitable for use in a
broad range of different temperature environments, operating on full power from -10degC to +50degC, with a start up temperature as low as -20degC and derated operation up to +70degC. The MVAC250 and the MVAC400 comply with UL60601-1 3rd edition medical safety standard making them suitable for use in medical applications. The units also meet the IEC60950/UL60950 safety specifications and EN55022 standard for conducted emissions. MURATA www.murata.eu
Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA) has announced a new series of low drop-out linear regulators that include current and thermal shutdown protection features. APE8800A-HF-3 positive linear regulators have a very low quiescent current of about 30μA, an output voltage accuracy of ±2%, and can supply a guaranteed 300mA of output current with a drop-out voltage of only 250mV. APE8800A-HF-3 regulators are able to operate with low ESR ceramic output capacitors as small as 1μF for stability. As well as current limit protection, the APE8800A-HF-3 also offers an on-chip thermal shutdown feature providing protection against overload or conditions where the junction temperature may exceed the specified thermal shutdown temperature. ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS www.a-powerusa.com www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Newly designed OCXO from IQD delivers class leading ultra low phase noise performance IQD’s new IQOV-200F OCXO delivers exceptional phase noise performance with a close-in measurement of -130dBc @100Hz and a noise floor better than 180dBc across a high frequency range of 80 to 130MHz. Phase noise is the term used to quantify signal noise in the frequency domain and such phase noise measurements and specification limits are common to most RF engineers in their work. In the time domain, signal purity is described in terms of jitter so measurements and specification limits on jitter are common to digital signal engineers. The root causes of phase noise and jitter are essentially the same and so the design and production techniques used to optimise both are the same. The IQOV-200F uses a specially designed circuit to allow optimisation of these parameters during production. There is a complex relationship between the crystal, the oscillator circuit, the inter-
nal voltage regulation circuit and the output buffer which all contribute to noise in the system. Designing a circuit which isolates these elements and allows specific tuning to optimise each has been a key part of IQD’s research and development work for this new product range and a critical success is the ability to apply this
to our automated production line. We are now able to offer this low phase noise product range with the same level of consistent production control which has been a hallmark of IQD’s success. IQD www.iqdfrequencyproducts.com
Intersil’s Four-Phase Buck Controller for VR12.5 CPUs Delivers Industry’s Best Dynamic Transient Response, Reduces System Cost Intersil Corporation, a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, today introduced the ISL95816, a new core controller that provides a cost-efficient, space-saving solution for powering Intel VR12.5 central processors. Featuring a wide input voltage range and excellent fast load transient response, the ISL95816 controller is ideal for mobile computing applications.
The latest ultrabook and tablet products have increasingly complex power requirements. The core controller must be able to deliver specific voltages and regulate the CPE core voltages from wide input power supplies. These advanced systems also require improved power density and efficiency to enable a much smaller footprint. Intersil’s ISL95816 four-phase buck controller is based on an innovative design that not only supports the requirements of Intel VR12.5 processors, but also offers the industry’s best dynamic transient response. Its wide input voltage range of 4.6V to 19V lets designers use either narrow VDC (Volts Direct Current) or traditional adapters. The new device also provides PWM outputs that can be used with either external drivers or compatible DrMOS solutions, offering added flexibility for designers. Using Intersil’s proprietary R3 modulator, the ISL95816 buck controller offers fast load transient response with minimal ringing on the output voltage. The R3 modulator performance enables support for the VR12.5 specifications at lower switching frequencies and less output capacitance. This translates to higher efficiency and a smaller footprint solution, reducing the bill of materials (BOM). INTERSIL www.intersil.com/products/ISL95816
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EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Murata’s high efficiency DC-DC converter targets medium power multi-channel microcell transceivers Murata announced the Murata Power Solutions PAE series of high efficiency 100 Watt DC-DC converters. The series has been designed specifically for use with multi-channel power amplifiers such as those found in the latest generation of microcell wireless transceivers. With a typical efficiency of 92.5%, the fully isolated PAE series keeps power dissipation on the module to a minimum, therefore reducing system temperatures and helping network operators save energy costs. The PAE series delivers 100W in an industry standard open frame eighth-brick package; the through-hole mounted converter is available with an optional baseplate for conduction cooled / cold wall applications typically found in base-station applications and remote radio heads. The converter operates over the
industry standard TNV input voltage range of + 36 to +75 VDC around a nominal +48 VDC. The single +29.8 Vout can be adjusted over a wide range, from +23.84 to 32.78 VDC, to maximize flexibility for power amplifi-
er system designers. Controls include remote On/Off control of either negative or positive logic. In addition, the converter has a number of protection features including over current, over temperature, input under voltage and output short circuit. MURATA www.murata.eu
Renesas Introduces RX600 Series 32-Bit Microcontrollers that Implement CMOS Camera Functionality at Low Cost for Commercial and Building Automation Renesas Electronics announced the expansion of its RX631 Group in the RX600 Series of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) with the introduction of 15 new devices for commercial and building automation applications. The 15 new MCUs feature a built-in PDC (parallel data capture unit) that also allows the direct connection of a CMOS camera module, making it easy and cost effective to build application with image capture. Additionally, the new MCUs can access internal Flash with no wait states even at 100 megahertz (MHz) operation and thus achieve the high performance of 165 DMIPS (Dhrystone MIPS). The new MCUs also include a rich set of built-in peripheral functions, including USB 2.0 full-speed (host, function, and on-the-go), CAN, I²C bus, and multifunction 8/16bit timer modules, allowing system manufacturers to easily implement, at low cost, CMOS camera
functionality in home appliances, vending machines, and simplified security cameras for home use. This rich set of peripheral func-
tions also enables these devices to be used in a wide range of applications in addition to those that require camera functionality. Due to the lower cost of CMOS image sensors, camera functionality is now being included more frequently in industrial and consumer applications, such as bar code and 2D scanners, access control and alarm systems , that previously did not include a camera. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu
Murata to start mass production of 200 Watt non-isolated DC-DC converter for Terra Motor’s new A4000i electric scooter
Panasonic ALDP slim power relay for switching loads up to 277VAC/5A saves energy – now from TTI Inc
Murata announced that they will shortly commence mass production of a dual output non-isolated DC-DC converter designed specifically for electric scooter applications. The high efficiency 200 Watt MPD7K046 converter accepts an input voltage in the range of +36 to + 60VDC around a nominal +48VDC. The primary output provides +12VDC at a continuous rating of 10A, and up to 18A peak current. The secondary output delivers a +5VDC/1A supply that suits logic rails and as a USB supply. Energy efficiency is typically 95%. Murata customer, Terra Motors, has recently selected the MPD7K046 for its new A4000i electric scooter. The converter will enable power from the scooter’s battery to be used for auxiliary equipment such as headlights by stepping it down from +48 to +12VDC.
Now available from TTI, Inc., Panasonic’s ALDP relay is extra slim at only 7.0mm wide by 15mm high by 20.3mm long and is optimised to provide flexibility for designers working on products such as refrigerators, domestic boilers and hot water systems, air conditioning units, fan heaters, microwaves and similar applications used in buildings. Panasonic’s ALDP provides an inexpensive solution for switching loads up to 277VAC/5A and also saves energy, as its coil power is low at only 200mW. Available in all commonly-used coil voltages between 5VDC and 24VDC, the ALDP relay can be used in products destined for almost all national and international markets, as it is approved to UL, C-UL and VDE standards. Reliability and quality is assured as devices are 100% tested by Panasonic
Yasuyuki Morishima, Director of Power Device Products Division, Murata comments, “We are very pleased to have our converter adopted by Terra Motores based on its reliability, small size, and high efficiency. In coming years, we will
continue to develop power modules for automobiles as well as two- and three-wheeled vehicles, as we further expand beyond our core markets into emerging markets in order to meet the needs of a wider range of customers.” Mass production of the converter will commence in February 2014. MURATA www.murata.eu
immediately after manufacture. ALDP switching relay technical specifications include high insulation resistance - creepage distance and clearances between contact and coil are a minimum of 6mm in compliance with IEC65. Surge withstand voltage between con-
tact and coil is more than 10,000V. The ALDP also offers excellent heat resistance and tracking perfomance to EN60695 (GWT2-11, GWFI2-12, and GWIT2-13). Ambient temperature operating range is -40°C to +85°C. TTI www.ttieurope.com
www.epd-ee.eu | October, 2013 | EP&Dee
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AVX introduces SpiTanIII V2.0 tantalum and niobium oxide capacitor simulation software
iC-MHL200 12 bit universal magnetic position encoder
AVX Corporation has released an updated version of its SpiTanIII tantalum and niobium oxide (Oxicap®) capacitor simulation software, which helps electronic design engineers model and build stable, robust, and reliable designs. Featuring an expanded library of more than 3,000 part numbers and a new two-capacitor comparison function, SpiTanIII V2.0 allows engineers to access the all of the basic characteristics and parameters for AVX’s standard, polymer, wet, and conformally coated tantalum capacitors – including the new TCM Series tantalum polymer multianode chip capacitors and the F-Series capacitors procured as a result of AVX’s recent acquisition of Nichicon’s tantalum division – in addition to niobium oxide (Oxicap®) capacitors. Accessible characteristics in the latest version of the SpiTanIII software include: capacitance, impedance, equivalent series resistance
The iC-MHL200 is an integrated system solution for linear and angular magnetic encoder applications. Combined with a target like a magnetic tape or pole wheel an universal and rugged linear or angular incremental encoder can be realized. The chip housed in a TSSOP20 package includes a linear Hall sensor array which is adapted to the targets’ magnetic pole pitch of 2 mm. The internal signal amplification control compensates for deviations of the sensor signals due to temperature and working gap variations. Incremental (AB quadrature and Z index, 12 bit) and commutating signals (UVW) are provided at the RS422 compatible line driver outputs. An external reference
(ESR), dissipation factor (DF), ripple current, ripple voltage, and leakage current (DCL). Utilizing user input values for ambient temperature and, when evaluating DCL, derating levels, the program
can accurately calculate, model, and compare capacitor performance simulations that reflect each designers’ unique application parameters, allowing design engineers to evaluate how changes in temperature affect frequency characteristics. AVX www.avx.com
New Agilent B2900A SMUs offer wide voltage/current ranges and superior performance at low cost The Agilent B2900A series are compact precision source/measure units (SMUs) featuring up to two-channels with 10 fA/100 nV or 100 fA/100 nV measurement resolution and 210V, 3A DC/10.5A pulse source capabilities. This level of performance is typical found in high end semiconductor device analysers. The B2900 also features intuitive GUI to set-up and view I/V curve on the front panel which makes them ideal for semiconductors, components and materials testing. The B2900A series consists of four models, the one-channel B2901A and B2911A and the two-channel B2902A and B2912A. These SMUs are further distinguished by capabilities such as the number of displayed digits, measurement resolution, minimum timing interval and supported view modes; making it easy for customers to select a combination of price and performance that fits their testing
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needs. In automated testing, the B2900A series complements excellent accuracy and repeatability with best-in-class measurement speed. These units also have 12,500 readings per second (maximum
sweep-operation reading rate, source/measure to GPIB), which is double the rate of competitive SMUs on the market. Under programmatic control, these new SMUs support the SCPI command set, enabling basic compatibility with and easy migration from conventional SMUs. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com
EP&Dee | October, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
signal can be used to gate the internal index Z signal to provide an absolute zero pulse. The linear resolution is configurable up to 4096 steps per each magnetic signal period of 4 mm, which corresponds to an incremental linear
displacement of less than 1 micron. At the fastest incremental output frequency of 8 MHz, linear movements of up to 8 m/s can be tracked with full 12 bit resolution. iC-HAUS www.ichaus.com
Atego named in Software Magazine’s ‘Software500 2013’ Atego, the leading independent supplier of industrial-grade, collaborative development tools for engineering complex, missionand safety-critical architectures, systems, software and hardware, has been ranked #407 by Software Magazine in its 2013 Software500. Now in its 31st year, the 2013 Software500 is an annual, revenuebased ranking of the world’s largest software and services companies targeting medium to large enterprises, their IT professionals, software developers and business managers involved in software and services purchasing. The ranking is based on total worldwide software and services revenue for 2012. This includes revenues from software licenses, maintenance and support, training and software-related services and consult-
ing. Suppliers are not ranked on their total corporate revenue, since many have other lines of business, such as hardware. The Financial information is gathered by a survey prepared by Rockport Custom Publishing, LLC. using public documents and company input. The 2013 Software500 results show that revenue growth in the software and services industry was healthy, with total Software500
revenue of $643.6 billion worldwide for 2012, representing approximately 17 percent growth from the previous year’s list. ATEGO www.Atego.com