EP&Dee no 8 by Electronica Azi

SEPTEMBER, 2014 足 ISSUE NO. 8, VOL. 12

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

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SEPTEMBER 2014 Table of Contents

Win a Microchip MGC3130 Hillstar 3D Gesture Development Kit

DESIGN FEATURES 10 Processor options for FPGAs Processors and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) often go hand-in-hand in system design. This provides the engineer with flexibility in both software and hardware. In 2002, Xilinx brought the two closer together with the launch of the Virtex II Pro family.

14 Advanced digital control increases energy efficiency in mid- to high-power applications A reference design is proposed by Alex Dumais of Microchip Technology Inc.

18 Freescale offers easy way to make real development for high voltage drives The 3-phase motor has become more and more popular and has started to push out the old-fashioned 1-phase AC or DC drives. These 3-phase drives are targeted at refrigerators, washers, dishwashers, industrial drives, and almost all the moving things around us.

EP&Dee and Microchip are offering readers the chance to win a MGC3130 Hillstar Development Kit (DM160218), for 3D gesturing systems. The kit provides designers with an easy step-by-step approach to develop 3D gesturing systems with Microchip’s MGC3130 and electrodes that meet their specific space requirements. The MGC3130 is the world’s first single-chip 3D gesture/free space position tracking solution. The MGC3130 Hillstar Development Kit is a complete reference system consisting of an MGC3130 module and one example 4-Layer reference electrode with 95 × 60mm sensitive area.

22 Improved COT Controller with Emulated ESR and DC Correction This article looks at an improved COT controller design that addresses the concern of Vo accuracy, removes the dependence on circuit parasitics, and delivers a fast transient response.

26 Understanding Power Factor and the Need for Power Factor Correction Thanks to international legislation governing power factor and harmonic distortion, this subject is high on the list of concerns for many engineers designing systems for global use. Here CUI’s Arun Ananthampalayam examines the issues surrounding power factor and its implications for engineers.

32 Aurocon COMPEC always offers new products 36 New M8 size: Full Inox Weld-Immune sensors 38 Highly Cost-Effective IR Array Offers Expansive FoV and High Speed, Low Noise Operation 39 Control LEDs with smartphones and tablets With several additional reference electrode designs, the Aurea Graphical User Interface Software, and an I2C-toUSB Bridge Module, the kit enables easy design-in of the MGC3130 into several different form factors. The GestIC® Technology enabled with the MGC3130 serves a wide range of applications in computing, such as laptops, keyboards, input devices; lighting applications including lighting switches and controls; consumer electronics such as audio docks, printers and copiers; and automotive markets for automotive interior controls, among others. The MGC3130 Hillstar Development Kit enables customers to integrate an advanced 3D hand position and gesturing user interface into virtually any electronic product using a modular approach with complete documentation, reference layouts, hardware and a software GUI.

MAZeT provides smooth playback of color, color temperature and brightness of even spectrally varied LEDs

PRODUCT NEWS Embedded Systems (p 4 - 9), (p 20, 21, 25, 29,) (p 30, 34, 35) Sensors (p 36, 37) Lighting Solutions/Display (p 40, 41) Active Components (p 42 - 45) Connectors (p 46, 47) Passive Components (p 48, 49)

For the chance to win a MGC3130 Hillstar 3D Gesture Development Kit, please visit: http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-hillstar

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | 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

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EP&Dee (Electronics Products & Design Eastern Europe) is published 11 times per year in 2014 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Starting on 2010, this magazine is published only in digital format. Copyright 2014 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.

INDUSTRY NEWS Maxim Integrated Chosen as Lead Supplier for Powering Next-Generation Xilinx® UltraScale™ FPGAs Maxim sponsors X-Fest 2014 and will showcase demos of highly integrated FPGA reference design solutions. Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. announced that the company is the lead supplier for Xilinx UltraScale FPGAs. Maxim supplies the power management for three Xilinx FPGA reference designs. The first of these, the Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA KCU105 Evaluation Kit, will allow system designers to evaluate the Maxim solution at X-Fest 2014 starting today.

The collaboration leverages Maxim’s ultraflexible InTune™ digital power products, and for the first time lets Maxim leverage its highdensity, high-efficiency Volterra technology for FPGA development boards. This flexibility and density of Maxim’s power products, coupled with the inherent flexibility and logic density of Xilinx’s 20nm UltraScale FPGAs, give system designers an unprecedented advantage in performance, energy efficiency, and time-to-market. As a result, Maxim’s products are up to 30% smaller compared to previous generations on the market. Complex communications systems can have dozens of power rails, many with stringent requirements for a reliable supply of highcurrent with limited space and heat dissipation. Power system designers benefit from the InTune built-in automatic compensation that minimizes design-in time by enabling a single design and layout for multiple power rails. Maxim’s demos at X-fest will showcase the ease of configuring Maxim’s high-density, multiphase and InTune digital power solutions using Maxim’s PowerTool™ software. Other demos will highlight programmable analog for FPGAs, the EE-Sim® System Power online tool, analog reference designs, and more. Maxim engineers will be available to discuss solutions for next-generation design challenges. X-FEST 2014 XILINX MAXIM INTEGRATED 4

www.weboom.com/avnetxfest www.xilinx.com www.maximintegrated.com

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS FTDI Chip Adds Further Strength & Depth to its EVE Portfolio with New Software Tools & Arduino Libraries To provide further assistance to engineers using its Embedded Video Engine (EVE) technology, FTDI Chip can now supply a comprehensive suite of additional support facilities. These are designed to be utilised with both the established FT800 graphic controller IC and the newly announced FT801, with capacitive touch enabled interface and multi-touch capabilities,

pendent from the hardware platform. Sample applications can be adapted on the EVE emulator with the need to alter the application logic. In addition, FTDI Chip has introduced the release of the VM800BU, which is a development module for the FT800 with a USB interface provided by a FT232H bridging IC. This means when looking to

which has now been ramped up to full production levels and is available in volume quantities forthwith. The EVE Emulator Library, is the first of the new support resources. This is a behaviour modelling software tool through which engineers can emulate the display and touch functions of the FT800 (and in the near future for the FT801 in single touch rather than multi-touch mode) without the need for any hardware. It also allows engineers to quickly create demos to show to their project managers or prospective customers. Working on the Windows operating system, it is capable of delivering high level emulation. This tool benefits from an exact SPI/I2C interface configuration and consistent memory map of FT800/FT801 silicon. EVE sample applications employ a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) to make the application logic fully inde-

work with EVE-based development modules, it is no longer necessary to source a separate USB converter cable, as the necessary functionality is already present within the board itself. The EVE Screen Editor is a Windowsbased software tool which enables engineers to study display commands and experiment with generating their own display lists by which to control EVE ICs. It can also be utilised to access a number of the various EVE development platforms available (such as the VM800B, VM800C and recently unveiled VM800BU) via FTDI Chip’s MPSSE cable without the need for any supplementary code to be written. Finally, the expansive set of Arduino libraries offered by FTDI Chip to accompany its EVE offering has been further updated in order to serve both the FT800 and FT801 controller devices. FTDI CHIP www.ftdichip.com/EVE

These FT800 Arduino library can be downloaded at: www.ftdichip.com/Support/SoftwareExamples/Eve/FTDI_V1.2.0_09072014(FT800).zip While the FT801 library can be downloaded at: www.ftdichip.com/Support/SoftwareExamples/Eve/FTDI_V1.2.0_09072014(FT801).zip

INDUSTRY NEWS Microsemi Strengthens its Timing Products Leadership with New Any-to-Any Frequency Clock Multiplier and Jitter Attenuator Clock Management Products Delivering Industry-leading 250fs Jitter in an Ultra-small 5×5 mm Footprint, Devices are Ideal for a Variety of Communications Applications Microsemi Corporation announced its new ZL30252 and ZL30253 any-to-any frequency clock multiplier and jitter attenuator integrated circuits (ICs). With best-in- class jitter performance as a clock multiplier (160fs in the 12kHz20MHz band) and as a jitter attenuator (250fs in the 12kHz-20MHz band) all in an ultra-small 5 × 5 mm package, these devices target new

that are designed for the growing communications market,” said Roger Holliday, senior vice president and general manager, Microsemi’s communications group.

applications with tough jitter budgets and tight board real estate restrictions.

The ZL30252 and ZL30253 devices also reduce the overall bill of materials (BOM) cost and simplify design with precise frequency conversion from any input frequency 1kHz to 1.25GHz to any output frequency 1Hz to 1.035GHz and jitter attenuation bandwidths from 14Hz to 500Hz. When combined with

The new devices provide communication equipment customers with a timing solution that meets industry-leading jitter performance imposed by new 100Gbps PHY devices. According to market research firm Databeans, the clock generation IC market will grow to approximately $1 billion in 2017 from $700 million in 2013. “Microsemi’s new any-to-any frequency clock multiplier and jitter attenuator products complement our comprehensive timing and synchronization solutions, as well as many of our other leading-edge products MICROSEMI CORPORATION

“We are expanding our overall timing product portfolio and system solutions to address many new and leading-edge applications in the growing clock generation IC market.”

Microsemi’s ZL402xx series fan-out buffers, the new ZL30252 and ZL30253 provide complete timing solutions for complex systems such as wireless base stations, wireless backhaul, wired infrastructure, SONET/ SDH, GE, 10G/40G/100G Ethernet, optical, storage and broadcast video applications. www.microsemi.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

INDUSTRY NEWS Leverage Proven Analog I/O Designs for FPGAs and Get to Market Faster with High Precision and High-Speed Data Acquisition System Maxim Integrated’s powerful and easy-touse GUI simplifies designs for precision signal chain applications. FPGA engineers can quickly evaluate and validate their FPGA-based control systems and get to market faster, using the highspeed MAXREFDES74# 18-bit data acquisition system (DAS) reference design from Maxim Integrated Products.

Achieving high-precision, high-speed digital control loops is a challenge for designers. But now the MAXREFDES74# DAS provides an 18-bit acquisition analog input and output front end for applications demanding high precision and high-speed data conversion based on FPGA digital processing. The MAXREFDES74# plugs directly into a standard FPGA I/O expansion (FMC) and is fully equipped with complete hardware, firmware for Zynq FPGAs, Maxim’s easy-touse PC-GUI, and Gerber files. The MAXREFDES74# is a ready-made solution for analog inputs and outputs built for FPGA-based systems. It is flexible and applicable for a wide range of industrial and medical applications, including test and measurement, instrumentation, industrial automation and process control markets. Key Advantages • Ease of design and faster time-to-market: high performance proven design and GUI simplifies system validation, calibration, and data analysis, offering a complete solution to optimize performance. • Flexibility: pin compatible 16- or 18-bit signal path ICs provide the ability to tune designs for a variety of FPGA systems in different applications. • High precision and high speed: 16- and 18bit solutions provide excellent precision and accuracy; an integrated fast SAR data converter enables high speed data conversion. MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com 6

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Microchip’s new 2.4 GHz RF high-power amplifier offers low EVM and current for 256-QAM and 802.11b/g/n; extends range of ultra-high data rate WLANs Key Facts: • SST12CP21 combines high linear output power with low current in small package • Enables longest range for Wi-Fi® MIMO and higher data-rate WLANs • Combines extremely low current consumption with the maximum 256-QAM data rate • Accurate output power control over temperature and 2-to-1 output mismatch • Small 16-pin package features popular pin-out Microchip announces its latest 2.4 GHz 256-QAM RF high-power amplifier - the SST12CP21 - which offers ultra-low EVM and current consumption for 256-QAM and IEEE 802.11n systems. The SST12CP21 delivers high linear output power of up to 23dBm at 1.75% dynamic EVM, with MCS9 HT 40 MHz bandwidth modulation at 5V and 320 mA current consumption. Additionally, the SST12CP21 delivers 25dBm linear power

longest range, whilst minimising current consumption, is essential to Wi-Fi® MIMO access-point, router and set-top-box system designers. The SST12CP21 power amplifier has a low operating current of 320mA at 23dBm, and 350mA at 25dBm, which enables multi-channel and higher data rate WLAN systems. This amplifier also features 50 ohm on-chip input match and simple output match, which is easy to use and reduces board size.

at 3% EVM with only 350mA current consumption for 802.11g/n applications. This performance significantly extends the range of 802.11b/g/n WLAN and MIMO systems, while consuming extremely low current at the maximum 256-QAM data rate. The SST12CP21 is also spectrum mask compliant up to 28 dBm for 802.11b/g communication. Board space is reduced by the small 3×3×0.55mm, 16-pin QFN package that matches a popular pin-out. Achieving the maximum data rate and

Additionally, the integrated linear power detector provides accurate output power control over temperature and 2to-1 output mismatch. The SST12CP21 is available today for sampling and volume production, in the popular 3×3×0.55mm, 16-pin QFN package. Evaluation boards for the new SST12CP21 power amplifiers are also available. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/L3PX

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Renesas Electronics Introduces RX631, RX63N Safety Package Solution that Accelerates Implementation of Functional Safety Systems for Industrial Equipment Renesas Electronics announced that it has obtained IEC61508 (Functional Safety) certification for the RX631, RX63N Safety Package, featuring a robust selfdiagnostic software and a safety manual for microcontrollers necessary to implement functional safety in industrial equipment. An RX631, RX63N Safety Solution Evaluation Kit will be available in September 2014, providing a hardware evaluation board with the RX63N MCU, the evaluation version of the self-diagnostic software library, and a Users Guide.

safety analysis, such as failure analysis of safety-related hardware and study of failure diagnostic methods and their diagnostic yields, but also to meet defined regulations aimed at reducing specification and design errors in the development process of safety-related systems that can result in malfunctions. In particular, maintaining conformance at all stages of the software development process is a key issue. Of the tasks that need to be performed by system developers, such as safety analysis

Functional safety has become a growing reality for factories, equipment manufacturers, and automation OEMs to reduce economic losses due to equipment failures, production losses, and more importantly, threats to personnel safety. The European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC mandates support for functional safety, and efforts to bring relevant industrial equipment into compliance with functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 have been moving forward. Functional safety is now implemented on multiple industrial equipment such as industrial motor drives, control equipment, industrial networking equipment as well as sensors. Compliance with the IEC 61508 functional safety standard not only requires system designers to perform tasks referred to as

and study of failure diagnostic methods and diagnostic yields, Renesas has already carried out the aspects related to the MCU. For the testing process, Renesas leveraged the IAR Embedded Workbench for RX certified for Functional Safety, which fulfilled the requirement for proof of tools safety certification. The tools from IAR Systems offer a complete and high-performance C/C++compiler and debugger toolchain and comprehensive documentation, including certificate, safety guide and report from TÜV SÜD. In addition, the Safety Manual includes the vital information such as FIT rates and diagnostic measures that can be passed on to a certifying body to reduce complexity in conformance. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu

Melexis Launches Automotive Ready Wireless Charging & NFC Reference Design with Freescale Wireless charging promises consumers a new level of convenience for maintaining readiness of mission critical and lifestyle enhancing communication tools. Low battery warnings are never welcome but seem ever present with the increasing reliance on portable electronics in our personal and professional lives. Combining the automotive grade NFC (Near Field Communication) transceiver of Melexis with Freescale Semiconductor’s wireless charging technology enables a ready to use reference design solution that could free us from the dreaded low battery warning.

In the recent times the NFC standard for secure, short range communication for point of purchase and access control has gained a strong and growing position in mobile handsets. Melexis has pioneered this technology for Entry-and-Go and PKE (Passive Keyless Entry) solutions in cars with introduction of its MLX90132 NFC transceiver IC. The uptake of wireless charging is accelerating rapidly. The WCT-5WTXAUTO reference design developed jointly by Melexis and Freescale brings together the best attributes in both technologies. Melexis works with automotive Tier suppliers for the integration and deployment of NFC solutions in cars for applications such as, automatic pairing of mobile devices to the media center (e.g. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technologies) and automatic identification of the User and download of personal settings. NFC technology can also be used for access control and start, to allow NFC enabled handsets to be the “key” to enter and drive away an automobile. With this reliance on a wireless lifestyle it is more critical than ever that the enabling device, a smartphone or tablet, be kept in a state of maximum charge. Wireless charging deployed in homes, cars, businesses and public spaces is the clear solution. Bringing both wireless charging and NFC together enable new capabilities and conveniences. MELEXIS www.melexis.com/mlx90132 www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

INDUSTRY NEWS Green Hills Software Announces Renesas Electronics’ R-Car Automotive Platform Targeting Digital Clusters, Infotainment Systems for the Modern Digital Cockpit and Advanced Driver Assist (ADAS) Vision and Sensor Fusion Systems Green Hills Software, the largest independent software supplier for the Internet of Things, has announced a comprehensive family of solutions for the Renesas ARM® Cortex®-A15 and Cortex-A7 based R-Car platform based around the Green Hills INTEGRITY® real time operating system (RTOS) and INTEGRITY Multivisor™ secure hypervisor, including support for the revolutionary new R-Car V2H ADAS platform announced by Renesas Electronics Corporation.

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Silicon Labs Sensor Development Kits Accelerate Internet of Things System Design Silicon Labs introduced two economical, easy-to-use development kits to accelerate the design of environmental and biometric sensing applications for a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) products. Target applications for the kits include home security systems, smart thermostats, smoke detectors, weather stations, smart watches, fitness bands, heart-rate earphones and other wearable products. Silicon Labs is demonstrating the new environmental and biometric sensing development kits at its booth in the IoT/Wearable Zone in Hall 4 at IICChina in Shenzhen this week. Silicon Labs’ SLSTK3201A environmental sensing development kit streamlines the process of developing IoT products that sense relative humidity (RH), temperature, ultraviolet (UV) light, ambient light, proximity and human gestures. The development kit combines an EFM32™ Zero Gecko microcontroller (MCU) starter kit with a sensor expansion board.

sion card featuring Silicon Labs’ Si114x optical sensors and Si701x/2x humidity and temperature sensors. The sensor card plugs directly into Silicon Labs’ EFM32 Wonder Gecko MCU starter kit. Silicon Labs also offers an optional wearableform-factor HRM-GGG-PS board that supports wrist-based heart rate monitoring and connects to the biometric sensor card through an I2C mini-flex cable. The biometric demonstration firmware for the EFM32 Wonder Gecko starter kit is available at no charge at www.silabs.com/biometric-exp-evb. The library module includes a heart rate algorithm with source configuration files, eliminating the need to develop biometric sensor drivers from scratch. The environmental and biometric sensing kits operate on coin-cell batteries, demonstrating the industry-leading ultra-low power consumption of Silicon Labs’ MCU and sensor IC products for battery-powered IoT and wearable applications. Each

The kit also features a gesture-controlled weather station application that tracks RH, temperature and UV index. Complete source code is available from Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio™ development platform, substantially reducing application development time. Silicon Labs’ new biometric sensing development platform makes it easier to measure heart rate and blood oxygen level (Sp02), as well as UV index, relative humidity and temperature. The platform includes the BIOMETRIC-EXP-EVB expan-

sensor expansion card features Silicon Labs’ TS3310 boost dc/dc converter to help minimize energy consumption. “Highly accurate, ultra-low-power environmental and biometric sensing capabilities are as critical to today’s IoT and wearable applications as energy-friendly MCUs and standards-based wireless connectivity,” said Ross Sabolcik, vice president and general manager of Silicon Labs’ Analog, Power and Sensor products. SILICON LABS www.silabs.com/sensors

Green Hills has worked with Renesas, the world’s number one microcontroller supplier, to create an ‘INTEGRITY for R-Car’ support package that includes support for all of the major features of the R-Car processors. The supported high-performance OpenGL ES 3D graphics processor enables digital cluster and infotainment solutions with unparalleled graphics quality. The INTEGRITY Multivisor utilises the ARM virtualisation extensions available on the Renesas R-Car devices to enable one of the world’s highest performing multi-domain infotainment and safety-critical execution environments for next-generation automotive designs. Shipping since 2003, INTEGRITY Multivisor is the only virtualisation solution built upon safety-certified separation kernel technology that provides highly assured isolation between the instrument cluster, ADAS, rear-view camera, and other safety-critical automotive subsystems functions while simultaneously and safely hosting popular infotainment operating systems such as Linux and Android, on a same single multicore Renesas R-Car device. GREEN HILLS SOFTWARE www.ghs.com 8

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

INDUSTRY NEWS Trim Design Space and Upgrade Industrial Efficiency with Two IO-Link Reference Designs for Proximity Sensing and Enhanced Distributed Control Two new subsystem reference designs from Maxim Integrated Products, provide very accurate, low-power optical proximity sensing (MAXREFDES27#) and enhance distributed control with a compact digital-input hub (MAXREFDES36#). Modern ’smart‘ manufacturing relies heavily on high-speed automation and superior sensing. With that comes an increased need for versatile and accurate proximity sensing—never an easy task—and more system sensor inputs. Both of these new space-saving subsystems integrate the IO-Link® standard for industrial applications. The MAXREFDES27# proximity sensor employs the IO-Link protocol to provide efficient two-way communication between a controller and a remote optical sensor. The MAXREFDES36# digital hub utilizes the IO-Link protocol to enhance distributed control, enabling 16 digital inputs to reside near binary sensors, thereby reducing expensive and bulky cabling at the PLC side and enabling higher DI density. MAXREFDES27# Proximity Sensor: The MAXREFDES27# IO-Link subsystem reference design lets operators tune and calibrate an optical proximity sensor with excellent accuracy, up to 14 bit resolution. Integrated DC-DC low-power conversion increases system efficiency. The design is tunable and can be calibrated for different surfaces and light levels. • Highly integrated: board integrates the DC-DC converter, an IO-Link transceiver, the proximity sensor, and a Renesas RL78 microcontroller for improved efficiency, reliability, and system configurability. • Ultra-low power: consumes only 150mW (typ); the lower power reduces heat dissipation, resulting in higher reliability and increased uptime. • Robust IO-Link performance: provides self-configuration, efficient two-way communication between sensor and control module, and several protection mechanisms. • Tiny form factor: entire design fits on an 8.2mm × 31.5mm printed circuit board (PCB). “Proximity sensing and distributed control are two critical elements of the industrial transformation. Utilizing IO-Link with an optical sensor makes for a low-power, versatile sensor. By reducing the number of wires running across the factory floor, the digital-input module lowers cable cost and simplifies maintenance,” said Reference Design Manager David Andeen. MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Low Pin Count N-FET Pre-Driver Targets Automotive High Current DC Motor Applications To complement its successful brushless direct current (BLDC) pre-driver portfolio and address conventional DC motor applications, Melexis introduces the MLX83100 NFET pre-driver IC. Offered in a compact 28-pin package, with four digital inputs, this pre-driver IC provides a very flexible, inexpensive and space-saving solution for high current N-FET DC motors. Though BLDC motors are now becoming increasingly commonplace, DC motors are still more cost effective in a broad spectrum of application areas, especially where the motor is not continuously running. In the automotive sphere this includes window lift and sunroof opening/closing mechanisms, as well as seat adjustment systems and HVAC blowers. In nonautomotive applications DC motors are commonly found in automatic sliding doors, mobility scooters/wheel chairs, garage door openers, fork lifts, dental chairs and hospital beds.

Ericsson / Studio Phos

The MLX83100 has the capability to simultaneously drive four 500nC-rated N-FETs at up to 28V operating voltage with minimal self-heating. The device supports 45V automotive load dump conditions. An integrated bootstrap function and charge pump allow for support of supply voltages down to 4.5V, ensuring continuous operation under automotive crank conditions. The device thereby supports 100% pulse width modulated (PWM) operation. Its built-in EEPROM memory provides end-of-line (EoL) configurability, so that the customer can configure the device to their specific system design requirements. The MLX83100 also comprises a current shunt amplifier, with a high gain bandwidth, delivering a fast settling time with high accuracy. This makes these pre-drivers highly suitable for precise torque control applications, like electrical power steering. MELEXIS www.melexis.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

FPGAs

Processor options for FPGAs Processors and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) often go hand-in-hand in system design. This provides the engineer with flexibility in both software and hardware. In 2002, Xilinx brought the two closer together with the launch of the Virtex II Pro family.

Author: Tony Storey, Application Engineer, Digi-Key

Each Virtex II Pro FPGA contained not one, but two, PowerPC 400-series microprocessors implemented in hardwired logic rather than programmable gates. It was a visionary move that increased the flexibility of the FPGA by providing an efficient way to bring software into the programmable fabric. The PowerPC processor could provide the basis for building complex state machines or hosting real-time operating systems. This per-

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

mitted an independent subsystem to exist within a larger design. Today, FPGA densities are so high that a single device can be the heart of a complete embedded system. These devices easily support both the space and performance for a processor, memory and customised logic. Although a hardwired processor sitting alongside the FPGA fabric will take up less die space, many designs now put one or

more processor cores into the programmable logic fabric to take advantage of its massive flexibility. In recent years, FPGA makers have largely settled on the ARM architecture as the one to adopt for hardwired embedded processors. Microsemi was the first to bring support for the ARM architecture to the FPGA successfully. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SmartFusion architecture combined the ARM Cortex-M3

DESIGN

with a non-volatile FPGA fabric based on flash technology. This allows the hardwarebased parts of the system to be active as soon as power is restored, rather than having to wait for the FPGA configuration from external ROM. The higher-performance Cortex-A9 forms the heart of two major families of FPGAs launched recently by Altera and Xilinx. In both the Altera Cyclone SoC and Xilinx Zynq devices there are two ARM processors, allowing the devices to be used as high-performance compute engines. As well as bringing the Cortex-M3 to the FPGA market, Microsemi was instrumental in introducing an ARM M-series MCU version for use in standard programmable logic. Optimised for implementation within an FPGA’s programmable fabric, the CortexM1 is a streamlined version of the CortexM3. The Cortex M1 is designed to not require much more die space than an 8051 core, despite being based on a 32-bit pipeline rather than 8-bit. Like the M3, the M1 runs the Thumb2 instruction set, but with some instructions and features removed. The M1 interrupt structure was simplified to save space; it supports 32 interrupt sources versus the M3’s 256. The availability of open-source development tools has helped bring other architecture cores into FPGAs. Altera, Lattice and Xilinx each have their own RISC-like processor architectures. Each has been optimised for use within the programmable logic fabric. By bringing their compilation and linking tools into free environments such as Eclipse, the FPGA vendors make it easier for developers to switch from a standard architecture to their own. Licensing considerations may influence which core and FPGA a designer may wish to use when the design goal is to go to a standard cell ASIC. Some soft MCUs are only licensed for use with a given FPGA supplier’s devices. This limits the ability of the designer to migrate a design to an ASIC. The advantage of these MCU cores is that they have a fully supported design and implementation flow; this makes inserting IP and subsequent development remarkably easy. The LatticeMico32 has a more flexible licensing arrangement, which has helped to foster the architecture’s use with advocates of open-source hardware. Lattice allows the processor to be used in designs that may be migrated to ASICs supplied through independent foundries or even other FPGA architectures.

FPGAs

Designers need not be limited to vendorsupplied soft-processor cores. Based on the Sparc architecture originally developed by

As well as off-the-shelf cores, the programmable nature of the FPGA provides the designer with an excellent opportunity to

Sun Microsystems, now part of Oracle, the Leon family of cores and the OpenRISC 1200 are open-source IP blocks from independent sources. The cores typically take up more die space than LatticeMico32, Microblaze or Nios – typically 1.5 to 2 times larger in terms of logic elements used in an architecture that uses conventional fourinput lookup tables – but provide flexible alternatives to the vendor-supplied cores.

build custom processors. The Cyclone SoC and Zynq architectures were developed specifically with this use in mind – devices in both families have wide I/O buses to transfer bulk data between the programmable-logic sections and the processor. Over the years, FPGA suppliers have added support for high-speed computation, particularly for signal-processing applications. www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

FPGAs

Multipliers can consume a lot of area in a standard architecture based on lookup-table elements. The most efficient way to implement multiplication in programmable cells is to use bit-serial arithmetic. The multipliers are slow because they work by adding and shifting one bit at a time. Bit-serial multipliers excel when used in massively parallel arrays, they can support high aggregate data-rates. The simplicity and compact nature of the bit-serial multiplier makes it possible to use

vide a variety of DSP cores to suit target applications. These cores contain multiple narrower 9-bit units favoured for image and video processing and wider cores used for audio and communications signals. Thanks to the programmable nature of the FPGA fabric, it is possible to build coprocessors that adapt to the needs of the system. Partial reconfiguration can allow different coprocessor blocks to be loaded into the fabric, executed and then replaced with

FPGA fabric makes it possible to insert those temporary values into a complex pipeline structure that ensures DSP elements are fed with relevant data at all times. The FPGA fabric provides advantages for operations that do not fit easily into standard ALUs. For example, cryptographic functions and many algorithms used in digital communications, such as Viterbi and Turbo decoders, often make use of modulo and other non-standard arithmetic.

many of them in a single FPGA. If latency is not important, they still make a good choice. To speed up processing, FPGA vendors added carry-chain logic to let designers implement faster carry-lookahead and carry-save adders in programmable logic. Many FPGA architectures, including costoptimised products such as the Altera Cyclone and Xilinx Spartan-6, now include hardware multiplier blocks for use in highspeed DSP applications. These blocks can be quite narrow to reduce their die consumption but they can easily be tied together to form more sophisticated 32-bit and 64-bit multipliers, using programmable logic cells to add support for more sophisticated features such as floatingpoint arithmetic. Some architectures pro-

another algorithm. For example, in an audio processing algorithm, the FPGA fabric may perform spectral processing using fast Fourier transforms (FFT) followed by filtering using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter loaded into the same section once the spectral analysis has completed. The programmability of the fabric also helps to streamline data flow through a coprocessor element. In the case of an FFT, implementations of the algorithm in a generalpurpose processor are often relatively slow because the ‘butterfly’ data-access pattern the algorithm requires involve repeated fetching and writing of temporary values in cache or main memory – the latency of those accesses may mean the internal arithmetic-logic units are starved of data. The

With full control over the logic elements, an FGPA-based custom ALU will almost always outperform a software emulation running on a standard processor core. The arrival of languages such as OpenCL is likely to ease the construction of coprocessor elements that can be laid out and torn up as required. Although OpenCL was developed originally to make the compute power of graphics processing units (GPUs) available to programmers more accustomed to working with general-purpose architectures such as ARM or the x86, companies such as Altera have embraced OpenCL as a way of making it easier to build custom compute engines. OpenCL functions take the form of compute kernels – tight vector-fashioned loops

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

DESIGN

that can be used to process multiple data elements in parallel. OpenCL comprises a runtime environment that loads kernels and

FPGAs

respective data into target processors, starting execution and then fetching results once completed. Compilation tools take care of

converting the algorithm expressed in the OpenCL language into an implementation suitable for configuration within an FPGA. Another way to offload software overhead from the processor inside an FPGA is to reduce the frequency of interrupts. Each interrupt demands the processor stop whatever it is doing in order to capture or send a fragment of data through an I/O port, each interrupt involves pushing and register contents onto the stack occupying processor cycles. The analogue compute engine (ACE) in Microsemiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SmartFusion is a small independent parallel processor that controls the various analogue I/O ports supported by the device. The ACE combines a sample sequencing engine (SSE) with a post-processing engine (PPE). The SSE captures data from the analogue inputs, passing it to the PPE which can perform functions such as low-pass filtering, to remove noise, and transform the data into a format convenient for the processor. Devolving these functions into hardware ensures they can be used to greatly reduce the interrupt burden on the processor. Similar techniques can, naturally, be implemented in FPGAs that lack these features to reduce the interrupt load for other processor cores. With an FPGA, there are always many ways to bring software processing and parallelised hardware speed together. n www.digikey.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

DIGITAL CONTROL

Advanced digital control

increases energy efficiency in mid- to high-power applications A reference design is proposed by Alex Dumais of Microchip Technology Inc.

The combination of the flexibility of digital power control, with the improved efficiency of Inductor, Inductor, Capacitor (LLC) resonant converters, can help telecoms and other medium to high power applications to minimise energy consumption and cooling equipment operating costs. Digital control offers significant design advantages such as a high level of flexibility coupled with high performance and high reliability, whilst LLC resonant converters increase efficiency by significantly reducing the power dissipated by the MOSFETs within a DC-DC converter. Together, these technologies can help companies to meet the new efficiency targets set by initiatives such as the ENERGY STAR Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiative and the 80 PLUS速 Initiative. The ENERGY STAR Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiative targets information technology (IT) equipment and infrastructure, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and other equipment which are responsible for high levels of energy consumption. The 80 PLUS速 Initiative addresses the fact that many power supplies time operate spend considerable time operating at loads which are far below the level at which that 14

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

achieve the greatest efficiency. This initiative stipulates that 80% efficiency should be the minimum for a 115V power supply operating at 20%, 50% and 100% of its rated load. Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze ratings can be awarded when a supply exceeds these efficiency targets. In order to achieve the Bronze rating, for example, a 230V supply should achieve 81% efficiency at 20% and

Figure 1: Resonant tank circuit options

100% of its rated load and 85% efficiency at 50% of rated load. Further impetus for increasing power efficiency is coming from end-users who are including the requirement for power supplied to be certified by these initiatives within their purchasing contracts. For the designer, energy-saving power-supplies can be realised by combining the effi-

DESIGN

ciency of an LLC resonant converter, with the advanced digital control offered by digital signal controllers (DSCs) such as Microchip Technology’s dsPIC® family. These low pin-count DSCs offer powerful digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities in addition to intelligent power peripherals optimised digital power control. The basics of resonant converters Operating a converter in resonant mode, at the point where the impedance between the input and output of the circuit is at its minimum, provides improved efficiency. For example, the power dissipated by the MOSFETs in an LLC resonant converter can be significantly reduced by supplying the MOSFETs with either a sinusoidal voltage or a sinusoidal current, and switching in close proximity to the zero crossing of the sinusoidal voltage or current. Switching the MOSFET when the drain-tosource voltage is near zero, Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS), and transitioning from one MOSFET state to another while the current through the switch is zero, Zero Current Switching (ZCS), minimises MOSFET switching losses. This soft-switching approach also reduces noise in the system and provides improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance. For high-voltage, high-power systems, ZVS would be the preferred topology. In a resonant-switch converter, the sinusoidal voltage or current is generated by reactive elements such as capacitors and inductors. The three main classes of resonant converters are: series resonant converter (SRC), parallel resonant converter (PRC) and a combination of the two, the series-parallel resonant converter (SPRC). Figure 1 shows the high-level resonant converter block diagram and the three types of resonant-tank circuits. In the series resonant converter, the load is connected in series with the tank’s inductor and capacitor. The gain from the resonant tank is ≤ 1. While the SRC can operate at no load, its output voltage cannot be regulated. For ZVS, the circuit needs to operate above resonance in the inductive region. At low line voltage, the SRC operates closer to resonant frequency. In the PRC, the load is connected in parallel with the resonant capacitor. The PRC can operate at no load output and, unlike the SRC, its output voltage can be regulated at no load. For ZVS, the PRC also needs to operate above resonance in the inductive region. Similar to the SRC, at low line voltage, the PRC operates closer to resonant fre-

DIGITAL CONTROL

quency, however, the PRC differs by having high circulating currents. The series inductor and parallel capacitor provide protection against short-circuits. In an SPRC, the tank circuit is a combination of the series and parallel converters and can be either a LCC or LLC configuration. Similar to the SRC and PRC, a SPRC LCC design cannot be optimised at high input voltage. As a result, the preferred alternative for many applications is an LLC, shown in Figure 1.

amount of dampening in the circuit. It is defined as the ratio between the power stored and the power dissipated in the circuit. A higher Q indicates a narrower bandwidth for the resonant tank. Quality is a key parameter in the tank circuit’s gain, which is also called the voltage conversion ratio or M. By considering the families of M curves that are generated when varying either λ, the normalised frequency, or Q, it is possible to obtain an indication of a resonant

Figure 2: The quality factor (Q) affects gains from the tank circuit (M) shown on the Y axis All Q-curves intersect at the resonant frequency (fn = 1) The LLC converter can operate at resonance, at nominal input voltage, and is able to operate at no load. In addition, it can be designed to operate over a wide input voltage. Both zero-voltage and zero-current switching are achievable over the full operating range. The performance of a resonant converter is measured by several parameters. The quality factor (Q) of a resonant circuit is a dimensionless parameter that describes the

converter’s performance before all the parameters have been computed. M is defined as: M(fsw) = f ( fn, λ, Q) Where: fn = normalised frequency, f/fr λ = the inductance ratio, Lr/Lm Q = quality, a function of the output impedance

Figure 3: Digitally-controlled feedback loop for an LLC resonant converter www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

As shown in Figure 2, the LLC circuit for Q as a parameter has two resonant frequencies: one due to the presence of Lr and Cr, the series inductor and capacitor at 0.5; and the second one due to the parallel inductor, Lm. Lr and Cr have a resonant frequency at fn = 1

DIGITAL CONTROL

(fr) and Lm + Lr and Cr have a resonant frequency at fn ~ 0.5. Different operating modes of the LLC include: at resonance; below resonance; or above resonance. At resonance, the MOSFETs are switched at the resonant fre-

Figure 4: ZVS of the primary MOSFETs

quency within a very narrow timing window, as determined by the selected components, to produce very low losses. Below resonance, the circuit behaviour is similar to that at resonance, but the tank current is limited by the magnetising current for a portion of the cycle. If MOSFETs are used for synchronous rectification in the secondary instead of diodes, the gates must be turned off at the correct time. This usually requires a current-sensing technique, such as measuring the voltage drop across the MOSFETs. Above resonance, instead of being limited by the magnetising current, the tank current is higher than the magnetising current. In this region, the synchronous switches can be turned on and off at the same time as the primary switches to simplify control. Since zero-voltage switching is used, LLC resonant supplies have inherently low electromagnetic and radio interference. Digital control topology for increased efficiency Full digital control of the power-conversion and system-management functions of the LLC resonant converter can easily be implemented using the latest generations of DSCs. In addition to the components and sections shown in Figure 1, an LLC circuit includes a DC input, switch network, LLC resonant tank, transformer, rectifier, filter and load. A digitally-controlled feedback loop for an LLC resonant converter, used in a telecoms application, is shown in Figure 3. In telecoms, the LLC converter is widely used as the DC/DC converter following a Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuit in an AC-DC system. The typical PFC output voltage of around 400V can be directly fed into the LLC converter. The wide input range allows the use of smaller bulk capacitors. The design specifications are summarised in Table 1.

Figure 5: Switching waveform for the synchronous rectifier 16

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Table 1: Specification for the telecom power supply reference design

DESIGN

With 40 MIPS performance and intelligent power peripherals a dsPIC33FJ GS provides the digital computing power in the resonant converter. The peripherals include highspeed 16-bit PWM with features which include 1 ns period resolution and phaseshiftable outputs. The reference design’s switching circuit uses a half-bridge topology so the half-bridge voltage swings between 0V and Vd of 400 Vdc nominal. The resonant tank circuit comprises a capacitor, inductor, and the magnetising inductance of the isolating transformer to reduce system cost by eliminating the need for an external inductor. This design can also use the transformer’s leakage inductance as the second inductor and eliminate another external inductor for additional cost savings. If correctly tuned to the switching frequency, the resonant tank presents finite impedance to the fundamental frequency and very high impedance to all other harmonics. The impedance of the tank causes a phase shift between the voltage and current, which allows ZVS to occur. Figure 4 shows the ZVS of the primary MOSFETs. The secondary side has been designed using a synchronous rectifier, instead of diodes, to reduce conduction losses at the secondary. This reduces both the forward resistance (Rf) and the losses due to the diode forward voltage. Figure 5 shows the switching waveform for the synchronous rectifier. For synchronous rectification, the digital control initiates the switching of the FETs without requiring current-sensing circuitry on the secondary.

DIGITAL CONTROL

This results in improved efficiency and reduced cost over a full-wave rectifier design. Figure 6 shows the efficiency over the load current range:

Since the power-conversion control is implemented with easily reprogrammable software, it provides designers with ability to easily modify or adapt their design, or

Figure 6: Efficiency over the load current range The efficiency of the LLC at two different input operating voltages shows its insensitivity to input voltage. Over 80% efficiency is achieved with an output load current below 2A, whilst, at higher loads, the maximum efficiency is 95% and extremely flat from 7 to 17A. Additional benefits include enhanced flexibility for the compensator design, by using the DSC to implement soft-start for duty-cycle control.

add new, cost-effective and value-creating features. The precision of the digital control also improves the power supply’s reliability. Summary The combined advantages of LLC resonant converters and digital control via DSCs enable designers to increase energy efficiency for DC-DC converters for telecoms and other medium to high-power applications. Whilst LLC resonant converters can reduce power losses, digital control increases the inherent flexibility efficiency and reliability of the converter. The proposed reference provides a basis from which designers can to achieve higher efficiency converters and a faster time to market. n www.microchip.com Further reading: A more detail description of the reference design using the dsPIC DSC is available in Microchip Technology’s AN1336 application note: DC/DC LLC RESONANT CONVERTER Reference Design Note: The Microchip name and logo, and dsPIC, are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the U.S.A., and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies.

DC/DC LLC RESONANT CONVERTER Reference Design www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

Freescale offers easy way to make real development for high voltage drives

MOTOR CONTROL

Freescale HVP-MC3PH board

The 3-phase motor has become more and more popular and has started to push out the old-fashioned 1-phase AC or DC drives. These 3-phase drives are targeted at refrigerators, washers, dishwashers, industrial drives, and almost all the moving things around us. However, the hardware in these electronic devices gets complicated and the software offers endless possibilities of functionality. Development of these devices consumes more time and requires ever more effort from the engineers. To speed up the development time and decrease the costs, Freescale has designed a cost effective high-voltage motor control development platform supporting the new ARM®-based motor control and digital power conversion Kinetis®-V family and also the Digital Signal Controller - 56F8000EX family. Authors: Ivan Lovas and Pavel Sustek, System Application Engineers, Freescale Semiconductor Dobrucky Branislav and Peter Cubon, University consultants, University of Zilina Acknowledgement: I would like to offer my special thanks to Centre of Excellence of Power Electronic Systems and Materials for their Components II, No. ITMS 26220120046.

Design concept Freescale’s high-voltage motor control platform is a new 1000 W, 3-phase power stage that will operate off DC input voltages from 110-390V, and with AC line voltages from 90-240V. In combination with one of the controller cards, it provides a softwaredevelopment platform that allows algorithms to be written and tested without the designing and building of their own hardware. It supports a variety of sensorless and sensored algorithms for AC induction, PMSM and brushless DC (BLDC) motors, which can be found on the Freescale web pages freescale.com/motorcontrol. The power stage consists of the main board and interchangeable controller cards accommodating the target microcontroller. 18

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

DESIGN

Main board specifications: The main board contains an input filter, input rectifier, brake switch, IPM with IGBTgate-drive circuits, analog-signal conditioning, low-voltage power supplies and many features for easy debugging. In addition, the HV AC power stage includes an active interleaved (CCM or CRM) power factor correction (PFC) circuit that facilitates development of PFC algorithms. The main board also contains hardware over-current and overvoltage protection, temperature monitoring and galvanic isolation.

MOTOR CONTROL

Controller cards specifications Controller cards are an integral part of a high-voltage development platform. A wide portfolio of supported controllers helps ensures that the specific requirements for each application are met. Various controllers are supported, starting with ARM CortexM0+ cores, the DSCs, and up to ARM Cortex-M4 cores, with wide connectivity possibilities. Controller cards are connected via the 64-pin PCI Express connector and they are divided into two families, Cortexbased and DSC-based.

• •

• • • • •

SWD/JTAG isolation up to 5kV Cortex-based versions accommodate the integrated Open SDA, supporting Mass storage boot loader Debugger Virtual serial link Compatible with CW 10.x, IAR, Keil, KDS Design optimized for low noise On board isolated power supply, allowing safe debugging Daughter card allowing a stand-alone operation Test points

Board layout Key Features: • Input voltage AC: 90-240V / DC: 110-390VDC • Output power up to 1kW • On-board Interleaved Power Factor Correction supporting DCM, CCM, CRM • Inrush limitation using an NTC resistor + Relay • Optical isolation 5KV for communication and debugging • Support communication with external devices ( for example, a Bluetooth wireless module) • Hardware over-current, overvoltage faults • Motor speed/position sensors interface (Encoder, Hall, Tacho generator) • Analog sensing ( input voltage, DCB voltage, DCB current, phase currents, back-EMF voltage, PFC currents, IGBT module temperature monitoring ) • Supports multiple MCU cards using the PCI Express 64 • EMI filter

Key features: • Accommodates a Target Freescale MCU (KV10, KV3x, KV4x, 56F827xx, 56F84xxx)

Fast prototyping and fast development are essential requirements for success.

Controller cards families - Cortex-based www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

MOTOR CONTROL

Developing and debugging a high-voltage application with this tool becomes really fast, easy and safe. Moreover, easy porting from one controller to another, with motor control library support, the FreeMASTER and MCAT development tools, significantly contributes towards finalization of the development far earlier than ever before. This motor control kit is also suitable for those who want to easily learn and develop their motor control application soon, verify existing motor control techniques, or to implement a new one. The development platform is planned for availability in Q4 2014. More information can be found at www.freescale.com/hvp

Renesas Electronics Europe Unveils Revolutionary New RX111 Inverter Solution Kits for Motor Control Renesas Electronics Europe announced its new RX111 motor control kits. These inverter reference solution kits are designed to drive any 3-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), also called brushless AC motors. The RX111 inverter kits enable engineers to save time by eliminating the need to tune their motor parameters and evaluate the best tuning algorithm coefficients. As a result, they can rotate a permanent magnet AC motor in less than one minute and accelerate their time to market. The new RX111 inverter kits revolutionise the integration of 3phase motors in equipment. Based on Renesas’ 32-bit RX family of MCUs running at 3V, they deliver 50DMIPS at 32MHz. The RX111 reference kits are designed for equipment requiring medium and high dynamics and a low-cost bill of materials. The kits provide up to 7Amax at 24VDC and have been tested with more than 30 different motors. Additionally, an external power stage is available on demand that is fully-compatible with the existing RX220 and 20

RX62T inverter kits. The new RX111 solution kits provide the dynamics required to drive motors with a high level of accuracy. The availability of the new RX111 kits completes the latest step in Renesas Electronics’ business strategy of providing a wide range of innovative solutions comprising both hardware and software. The company’s existing kits have seen considerable suc-

cess and broad adoption by designers and engineers, for whom they provide cost savings and faster time to market. Renesas will be launching additional kits over the coming months to continue the implementation of this strategy. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu/motor

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Controller cards families - DCS-based

Murata launches new easier to navigate global website Murata announced the launch of their new global website at murata.com. Using the recently released new corporate visual identity, the site has a fresh modern and tablet-friendly design. Aimed to increase customer satisfaction and ease navigation and access to relevant technical application content the site now incorporates the complete line-up of Murata products, and a lot more application related content. New features also include the ability for customers to check part availability from distributor stock.

Glenn Palmer, President Murata Europe says, “Our goal with this new website is to provide visitors with an improved user experience by the integration of all products on one site, faster access to new product information, and improved search capabilities. We hope that our customers find that the new website has a fresh look, is easy to use, and quickly provides the information they are looking for.” MURATA

www.murata.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Green Hills Adds Development Support for Microchip Technology’s 32-bit PIC Microcontrollers Green Hills MULTI Integrated Development Environment, Compilers and Probe Now Available for Microchip’s PIC32MZ MCU Family Green Hills Software, the largest independent software supplier for the Internet of Things, has announced the availability of its software development product suite with added support for the latest 32-bit microcontroller family from Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analogue and Flash-IP solutions. The Green Hills offering includes the MULTI® integrated development environ-

grated set of tools that is now optimised to Microchip’s latest 32-bit MCUs, leveraging CPUspecific features for high performance and minimal code size. For applications requiring embedded connectivity, the family includes Hi-Speed USB, Ethernet and CAN, along with a broad set of wired and wireless protocol stacks. Many embedded applications are adding better graphics displays, and the

ment, Green Hills compilers, and Green Hills Probe, which are now available for Microchip’s PIC®32MZ family of microcontrollers (MCUs). Microchip’s PIC32MZ product line is based on the MIPS® microAptiv™ core, runs at 200 MHz/330 DMIPS, achieves a score of 654 CoreMarks™, has high integration and memory density, and provides up to 35% code compression.

PIC32MZ can support up to a WQVGA display without any external graphics chips. Streaming/digital audio applications can take advantage of this family’s 159 DSP instructions, large memory, peripherals such as I2S, and available software.

Expanded Range of Microchip MCUs The Green Hills Software development environment is an inteGREEN HILLS SOFTWARE

New support from Green Hills Green Hills now supports Microchip’s PIC32MZ MCUs with its industry-leading development tools, including the complete Green Hills tools environment, consisting of compilers, debugger, IDE and probes.

PRQA releases QA•C++ V3.2, boosting C++’11 coverage, simplifying the adoption of secure coding best practices and more PRQA | Programming Research, a global leader in static analysis, announces a major upgrade to QA•C++. Version 3.2 is a new release of this leading static analysis tool for C++ environments and incorporates extensive new functionality. QA•C++ is an indispensable tool for the growing number of development teams that have transitioned to C++’11. The tool already provides coverage of key C++’11 constructs such as rvalue references and variadic templates. Version 3.2 further extends this coverage, adding user defined literals, the noexcept operator, alias templates, the constexpr keyword, aliginof and alignas, inheriting and delegating constructors. To support the increasing requirement for the detection of security issues, QA•C++ now includes a pre-configured grouping which comprises security related rules, providing an easier mechanism to assess a source code’s adherence to security related guidelines and best practices. A full mapping of PRQA’s CERT C++ (and CERT C) coverage is also now provided on the CERT website at: www.securecoding.cert.org The number of metrics produced by QA•C++ has effectively doubled from 26 to 53, and Version 3.2 provides 29 function-, 16 file- and 8 class-related metrics. Many of these are specified by Hersteller Initiative Software (HIS), used by the automotive industry as a basis for measuring software quality. These enhancements extend the capabilities of QA•C++ to deliver metrics-based code quality measurement, as well as coding standard enforcement. QA•C++’s integration with auto-code generators, including Rhapsody, has been further improved, making it easier to differentiate between issues detected in machine-generated code and messages related to hand-written code, helping developers to focus on inspecting and fixing the latter. Version 3.2 also includes a number of other significant refinements, such as data initialization in constructors, implicit signed/unsigned conversions and overloaded stream operators, which further reduce noise and improve the overall accuracy of the tool. A series of short videos is available, providing more information on the new QA•C++ functionality: www.programmingresearch.com/resources/video-demos/

PRQA | PROGRAMMING RESEARCH www.programmingresearch.com

www.ghs.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

COT CONTROLLER

Improved COT Controller with Emulated ESR and DC Correction The principle of “Constant On-Time” has been used as a control method for buck, or step-down, regulators for many years. As a technique it has a number of advantages over standard, fixed-frequency, pulse-width modulation (PWM) schemes, offering a fast response time and a solution that is simple and inexpensive to use because it doesn’t require complex external frequency compensation. However, Constant On-Time (COT) does have some disadvantages with respect to output voltage (Vo) accuracy and its dependence of circuit parasitics. The method is also prone to jitter and can exhibit frequency variation during transients. This article looks at an improved COT controller design that addresses the concern of Vo accuracy, removes the dependence on circuit parasitics, and delivers a fast transient response.

Authors: Ron Berthiaume, and Shahin Maloyan, Exar Corporation

Understanding Standard Fixed-Frequency PWM Control Conventional fixed-frequency PWM control relies on the duty cycle of the switching frequency to control the on time of the switching device, which is typically a MOSFET. This is achieved using a linear error amplifier, which compare the output voltage (VO) with a reference voltage (VREF) to control the pulse width. The resulting pulse width is continuously variable and, to ensure stability, the error amplifier requires good frequency compensation. There are two main types of fixed-frequency PWM; trailing edge control and leading edge control, of which trailing edge is the most common implementation. 22

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Figure 1: Trailing Edge Fixed Frequency PWM Regulation

DESIGN

Trailing Edge Fixed Frequency PWM Regulation The circuit schematic and associated images are shown in figure 1. As can be seen, the output from the error amplifier (EAO) is compared to a sawtooth waveform (Vramp), which ramps from low to high and then immediately drops back low. Hence the on time for the switch commences on the trailing edge of Vramp, with a duration that lasts until the ramp voltage equals the error voltage. Note that the frequency of Vramp is fixed and determined by the switch clock. One advantage of trailing edge fixed frequency PWM is that it is well understood because it has been so widely employed in current and voltage mode regulators. It also provides good accuracy. Its disadvantages lie in the complex frequency compensation required and the delay experienced in responding to a step increase in load current (Io), i.e. the delay from when the current increases during the switch off-time until the switch is turned on at the beginning of the next cycle. Leading Edge Fixed Frequency PWM Regulation Here, as illustrated by figure 2, the leading edge of the switch control signal occurs when the output from the error amplifier equals the falling ramp waveform and is turned off when that waveform returns high. Although less commonly used, leading edge fixed frequency PWM regulation shares the same advantages and disadvantages as the trailing edge implementation, except that the delay incurred is when the load current (Io) drops.

COT CONTROLLER

The Adoption of Constant On Time Regulation Constant On-Time (COT) regulation first became popular around 2003/4 in the notebook market due to its high light-load efficiency and simple implementation. Since then it has proliferated into many other markets, such as networking, communications, and industrial. COT regulation uses a fixed on time and controls the duty cycle of the switching waveform (Sw) by varying the off time. In this respect the switching frequency is not fixed although it will remain fairly constant under constant load and input voltage conditions. As shown in figure 3, Vo is directly compared with VREF rather than comparing

during the fixed on time and then decreasing during the off period as the load capacitor discharges until Vo drops below VREF, at which point the comparator will turn the switch back on again, starting the next cycle. COT regulators like this do not require the external frequency compensation of fixed frequency PWM designs but do require the effective series resistance (ESR) of the output capacitor to be higher than that offered by most modern day ceramics. Usually polymer aluminum electrolytic capacitors with 20 to 30 milliohms (mΩ) of resistance work well with a standard COT control loop. Consequently, a COT circuit is almost more concerned with regulating the ‘valley’ of the output voltage, not so much

Figure 3: A Standard COT Regulator an error signal with a ramp waveform. In this way the output voltage is maintained close to the reference voltage, increasing slightly

Figure 2: Leading Edge Fixed Frequency PWM Regulation

the average voltage. In summary, a COT regulator provides a very fast transient response and is simple and inexpensive, and doesn’t require complex external frequency compensation. It is however jitter prone and sensitive to the ESR of the output capacitors. Standard COT designs also suffer from DC offset errors in the output voltage and frequency changes during load steps. An Improved COT Controller with Emulated ESR and DC Correction Figure 4 illustrates a simple modification to the design of a COT controller, which overcomes its sensitivity to ESR value and eliminates any DC offset error in the output voltage. Like established COT regulators, this circuit remains very simple and inexpensive and still delivers a very fast transient response although frequency changes during load steps are unavoidable.

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

Like the fixed frequency PWM regulators described earlier, this improved COT Controller amplifies the error between Vo

COT CONTROLLER

nal, by adding the ramp to the reference there are no delays introduced into the response.

itors and output DC offset errors. The improved COT controller design outlined here uses ESR emulation and DC correction to overcome these problems. Exar has implemented this improved COT architecture in all its recent COT Controller devices including its latest XR75100 40V COT Controller, which achieves 0.008%/V line regulation making it ideally suited to point of load (POL) applications. n www.exar.com Author biographies: Shahin Maloyan is a Power Applications Engineer who has been with Exar for nine years. Previously he spent 15 years as an applications engineer with International Rectifier. He also has a number of patents in power semiconductor design to his credit. Shahin has a Master of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from California State University.

Figure 4: Improved COT Controller and VREF but that is where the similarity ends. The output voltage from this amplifier is split to provide Hi and Lo limits for a ramp waveform, generated by the on time pulse (TON). It is this signal that, when finally compared with the output voltage Vo, counteracts the ESR and DC offset effects associated with a standard COT controller. It should also be noted that, unlike other schemes which sum a ramp into the Vo sig-

Summary Constant On-Time regulators offer considerable benefits over the previously established fixed frequency PWM regulators, which require complex external frequency compensation and suffer from response delay following step load changes. Until now COT regulators, while offering excellent transient response, suffer from sensitivity to the effective series resistance of load capac-

Ron Berthiaume is the Principal Applications Engineer supporting the power management products for Exar. Berthiaume brings over 25 years of analog and power design expertise to Exar. Prior to joining Exar Berthiaume worked for Cisco as Lead Technical Engineer for Board Mount Power (BMP). Berthiaume has authored a number of technical articles as well as chaired the IEEE Power Electronics (PELS) chapter, Santa Clara Valley.

XR75100: 40V Synchronous Step Down COT Controller Features l

l l l l l

20A Capable Step Down Controller - Wide 5.5V to 40V Input Voltage Range - Integrated high Current 2A/3A Drivers - 0.6V Adjustable Output Voltage Proprietary Constant On-Time Control - No Loop Compensation Required - < 0.01%/V Line Regulation - Ceramic Output Cap. Stable operation - Programmable 200ns-2Îźs on-time - Constant 100kHz-800kHz Freq. - Selectable CCM or CCM/DCM Operation Programmable current limit - 110ms Hiccup mode Precision Enable and Power-Good Flag Programmable Soft-start Integrated Bootstrap diode 16-pin QFN Packages EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Applications Networking and Communications

l l

Fast Transient Point-of-Loads

Industrial and Medical Equipment

Embedded High Power FPGA

Automotive

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Intersil’s Highly Efficient Buck Controller Supports New Levels of Flexibility for High Current Designs Intersil Corporation announced the ISL78268 55V synchronous buck controller with 3A integrated high side and low side drivers. The most versatile high voltage buck solution available, the ISL78268 buck controller provides very high step-down efficiency for a wide variety of load currents from under 5 to over 25A, enabling it to support virtually every 12, 24, or 48 volt high current buck requirement for automotive and industrial applications.

switching frequency, and output ripple and often requires the power stage to be tailored to the load in question. The ISL78268 buck solution was designed specifically to be flexible so that it can be used regardless of the optimization balance. The ISL78268 buck controller enables easy conversion from high primary rails (typically 12, 24 or 48V) to lower secondary rails (typically 3.3, 5.0 or 12V). It fully integrates both a peak current mode synchronous PWM con-

For heavy load applications, designers often have to balance power conversion efficiency against size and noise constraints. This requires making trade-offs among component selection,

troller and a dedicated constant current control loop as well as high-side and low-side FET drivers that have adaptive dead time control.

Features and Specifications: • Supports 5-25A loads and can be used in a two-phase, current sharing configuration to support loads up to 50A • 55V input tolerance (60V abs max) • Integrated 3A FET drivers and PWM controller for cycle-by-cycle peak current limiting • Provides average current limiting to extend battery life in battery charging applications and avoid inductor current runaway in supercap charging applications • Adaptive dead-time control to prevent overlap current and minimize body diode conduction losses with varying sized power FETs • Selectable diode emulation and burst mode for light loads • Adjustable switching frequency from 50kHz to 1.1MHz • Low shutdown current of 3uA • AEC-Q100 qualified INTERSIL

www.intersil.com/isl78268-buck-controller

IR Introduces Robust Automotive – Qualified AUIRB24427S Dual Low-side Driver IC for Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Applications International Rectifier has introduced the automotive-qualified AUIRB24427S high current dual low-side driver IC for Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) applications used in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV), Electric Vehicles (EV), and high power industrial converters. The AUIRB24427S features very high output current in excess of 6A per channel across the full temperature range and is designed to drive large IGBT and MOSFET gates in modules or discrete packages. Due to the device’s extremely low output impedance in turn-on and turn-off mode, power losses are also very low, allowing operation in harsh and high temperature environments such as HEV power supply stages as a primary or secondary side driver.

Housed in a simple PSOIC-8N package and featuring ultralow power dissipation, the AUIRB24427S solves the problem of effectively driving large size IGBTs and MOSFETs used in high power SMPS applications and provides a smaller, simpler and more robust solution than existing discrete solutions currently available in the market. The AUIRB24427S is available in a thermally enhanced PSOIC8N package that delivers much higher thermal dissipation compared to standard DIL SMD packages enabling operation at a significantly higher ambient temperature. Additionally, the rail-to-rail output stage, using P-Channel MOSFETs in the highside allows low internal dropout voltage to reduce power dissipation. The AUIRB24427S also features maximum output resistance of 650 mOhm sink and source at 125°C. Datasheets and qualification standards are available on the International Rectifier website at www.irf.com. The automotive-qualified device is lead-free and RoHS compliant. INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER www.irf.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

POWER FACTOR

Understanding Power Factor and the Need for Power Factor Correction Until the era of switching power supplies, Power Factor – and power factor correction – wasn’t a big concern for all but a handful of electrical engineers working with large electric motors, and other, generally high-power and industrial, electric loads. Now, thanks to international legislation governing power factor and harmonic distortion, this subject is high on the list of concerns for many engineers designing systems for global use. Here CUI’s Arun Ananthampalayam examines the issues surrounding power factor and its implications for engineers. Arun Ananthampalayam is Product Marketing Engineer at CUI Inc and an expert in power supply design.

A Quick Introduction to Power Factor Power factor (pf) is the ratio between real power (P) flowing to the load, and the apparent power in the circuit (S): pf = P/S. It is a sinusoidal waveform and therefore expressed as a dimensionless number between -1 and 1. Real power is measured in watts (W) and apparent power in volt-amps (VA). For a purely resistive load, the two figures are identical; for a reactive load the arithmetic for the apparent power produces the same figure, that is, the product of the RMS values of voltage and current. However, to find the actual (real) power delivered to the load, the instantaneous product of voltage and current must be integrated over the complete sine-wave cycle. When current is leading or lagging voltage, the value of that integral will always be less than the value for the in-phase case over the same interval. This reflects the attribute of an inductor or a capacitor to act as an energy store; at various points through the AC cycle 26

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Figure 1: An ideal waveform with a power factor of 0

DESIGN

POWER FACTOR

the reactive component is either storing energy, or returning it to the system. The apparent power is the vector sum of the true power and the reactive power (Q), measured in reactive volt amperes (var); conventionally, this relationship is expressed as: P = S cosƟ

P2 + Q2 = S2

The relationship is conventionally visualized in a right-angled triangle vector diagram:

Figure 2: Traditional triangle vector diagram

power-factor load highly preferable. Rotating plant generating power is more difficult to manage and to keep stable when supplying a low power factor, and there can be heating or overload hazards for transformers and transmission equipment in the supply grid; grid stability is also more difficult to maintain with low-power-factor loads attached to the system. Low power factor also tends to be associated with other negative attributes for a well-behaved electrical load. Highly-distorted current waveforms drawn from the mains can inject high-order harmonics back into the supply grid.

from flickering, but one of the key regulations came in 1978, with IEC 555-2 requiring power factor correction be incorporated into consumer products. More stringent legislation is being enacted around the world. For example, the EU currently legislates EN61000-3-2 for equipment that implements a power supply with a rating between 75 and 600 W. This sets limits to the 39th harmonic for equipment with input currents less than or equal to 16 A per phase. Split into four classes, A, B, C (for appliances, power tools,

Figure 3: Poor quality wave form with a lagging power factor of 0.71

This is a basic definition and works for pure sinusoids; non-sinusoidal waveforms are more complex, but can be represented by a series of harmonic sinusoids and therefore the same basic principles apply. The Implications Power supply utilities and generating bodies require their customers to present a load to the power grid that is as near to unity power factor as possible. The main, but not the only reason, is fiscal. The customer expects to pay for the “real” work done on his premises – in other words, the value of W, above. Electric utilities must provision to deliver the peak voltage and current values in the waveform at any time. A power factor of less than one is effectively an increase in their costs, and one that they pass back to customers by imposing an increased tariff for customers with low power factor loads. Achieving maximum power factor is therefore a “win-win” for all concerned. There are further effects that power generators must contend with that make a unity-

Transmission equipment has higher losses at higher frequencies leading to heating problems; if the higher frequencies are present in the load placed directly on the generating plant, they can manifest themselves as destructive vibrations leading to excessive wear on components such as bearings. Current distortion can lead to out-of-balance currents in the neutral lines of 3-phase distribution networks, which in turn can take the neutral away from ground (voltage) and give rise to a multiplicity of problems. The first attempt to legislate for mains power interference came over 100 years ago, in 1899, to prevent incandescent lamps

and lighting) and the most stringent class, D (for computer monitors and TVs). Similar regulations have been implemented in China, Japan, and Australia. Although the US does not have the same level of legislation as the European Union, the Energy Star program operated by the US Department of Energy, as well as schemes such as 80 PLUS for computer and data-center power systems, are placing increasing emphasis on maintaining a high power factor; calling for a power factor of 0.9 or higher at 100 percent of rated output in the system's power supply.

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

Power Supplies for Electronic Systems Even when most electronic equipment was supplied by power supplies that used linear regulation, power factor (and waveform distortion) was often less than ideal, but was rarely addressed for anything other than the largest supplies. The typical, conventional off-line arrangement was that of a transformer followed by a bridge rectifier, feeding a reservoir capacitor. Conduction through the rectifier would take place when the DC voltage on the output line had sagged below the instantaneous value of the transformed AC supply, which could be for the complete cycle at full load, or only at the peak of the AC waveform under light load. Switching power supplies can significantly worsen the situation. The off-line part of the design may not change, still comprising a transformer/rectifier and capacitor, but now feeding one or more switching regulators. The input rectifier continues to generate poorly-shaped current waveforms, but now with the added burden that some of the higher-frequency switching noise from the regulation stage can find its way back into current drawn from the wall socket. Not only does this shift the effective current peak away from that of the voltage waveform in time, it also introduces high-harmonic-content switching waveforms that potentially worsen the distortion of the current waveform. The arrival of this class of supply broadly coincided with the widespread deployment of PCs and other IT products in great numbers. Such trends led directly to today's legislative environment. Power Factor Correction The solution to excess harmonics is to use power factor correction (PFC). This shapes the input current of the power supply to maximize the real power level from the mains and minimize harmonic distortion. Ideally, the electrical appliance should present a load that resembles a linear load, such as a simple resistor, rather than the reactive load of an uncorrected switching power supply. This corrected waveform minimizes losses as well as interference with other devices being powered from the same source. Compensation for low power factor can be by passive or active devices. The simplest case is highlighted in electric motor applications. Naturally, as wound machines, they are a highly inductive load, and adding capacitors to the supply network has long been standard practice. However, even this case may not be entirely simple. For example, the designer of such a network has to take care 28

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

POWER FACTOR

not to create unwanted resonant effects. Variable power factor in the load may be accommodated by an adaptive scheme to connect reactive elements as required and in high-power contexts (MW scale) rotatingmachinery solutions can be applied. Passive power factor correction in the form of filtering can be effective, within limits, and has the effect of reducing the higher-order current harmonics that, as noted above, contribute to degraded power factor. Such techniques involve putting a low-pass filter in the input side of the power supply to suppress higher-order harmonic components, and then compensating lead/lag characteristics as with conventional power factor. The downside to a passive PFC design is that large (both by value, and physically) inductors and/or capacitors may be required. Additionally, there are limitations to the input range and power rating when

draw current from the input in-phase with the incoming AC voltage waveform. And while adding a switching stage does impose some extra losses, and some extra cost, there are compensating savings in the form of smaller passive filtering components, and in the supply's main converter.

Figure 5: Examples of passive and active power factor correction circuits

Figure 4: Triangle vector diagram showing the effect of power factor correction implementing this scheme. Passive PFC circuits are generally able to achieve a power factor in the range of 0.70-0.75. The existence of, and rapid progress in, highspeed, high-current capacity semiconductor switches now make available the option to achieve a power factor up to 0.99. Active power factor correction is the scheme that is most widely applied in present-day designs. A switching pre-regulator stage is placed in the input current path of the supply. That regulator is designed not only to maintain a constant DC voltage to feed the main converter stage of the power supply, but also to

Summary Power factor is on the list of concerns for designers of virtually every device that draws significant power from a mains socket, as well as for engineers in heavy-electrical sectors. The power factor target, based on legislation, plus efficiency, component cost, and volume/board space, needs to be considered. For this reason CUI has designed active power factor correction into the vast majority of its ac-dc power supplies from 100 W and above to help ease implementation and ensure compliance for OEMs. n www.cui.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

IDT RapidIO Interconnect Enables Orange’s Successful Social Media Analytics Project Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT®) announced that Orange Silicon Valley used IDT’s scalable x86 compute cluster and 20 Gbps RapidIO interconnect switches and bridges as the processing platform to execute highperformance analytics on realworld social media traffic during the FIFA World Cup finals.

the base station. To check the viability of the plan, engineers tested their analytics on ultra-low latency, energy-efficient, computationally dense systems using real social media traffic. Delivering 300 Gbps of aggregate interconnect bandwidth in each DCCN board and the ability to cluster up to four Intel® I7

Toshiba Announces Bluetooth 4.0 Module2 Concept Solution Ready-to-use proof of concept embedded Bluetooth system solution for control systems Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has announced the availability of a development module-on-module (or “Module2”) that combines a Bluetooth 4.0 module with a microcontroller in order to shorten the development time of ideas into products. The Module2 enables simple integration into sensor control systems, lighting and heating systems, PC peripheral systems and legacy host control systems. The Module2 measures just 25mm by 17mm and contains lower components suited for battery driven applications. It comprises a Toshiba TMPM395FWAXBG ARM® Cortex® M3 core microcontroller along with a Panasonic PAN1026 Bluetooth 4.0 dual mode module with antenna that incorporates a Toshiba TC35661-501 Bluetooth LSI with embedded Bluetooth stack and SPP and BLE Gatt profiles.

For its test project, Orange Silicon Valley, a subsidiary of telecommunications company Orange, developed the platform to test the viability of real-time analysis of consumer interests and sentiments during the highly viewed World Cup matches. The analytics were deployed on IDT’s RapidIO-connected x86 cluster running on the data center compute and networking (DCCN) motherboards developed by Prodrive Technologies. IDT's RapidIO switches offer 20 Gbps of bandwidth per link, 100 ns cut-through latency, robust fault tolerance and hot-swap support, built-in reliable transmission, and non-blocking switch performance - all of which are essential to running mission-critical analytics in a wireless network with co-located servers. The project with Orange sought to conduct deep analysis of network traffic in real time, co-located at the edge of the network at

processors, the platform is ideal for achieving low latency coupled with high compute density and low-power targets of the application. With more than 50 million switch ports shipped to date, IDT’s RapidIO products are a proven solution that address the multi-processor, peer-to-peer processing needs required of high-performance analytics in wireless networks, supercomputing and data center applications. Energy-efficient system designs can take advantage of RapidIO's 300 mW per 10 Gbps of data the lowest power-to-performance ratio compared to other interconnects. In addition, IDT's RapidIO-toPCIe® bridge provides connectivity to the PCIe-based network interface controller's functionality, while consuming only 2 Watts at 20 Gbps. This allows for highdensity solutions within the DCCN platform using x86-based daughtercards.

INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Ericsson / Studio Phos

The Bluetooth module is easily programmable using highlevel Bluetooth APIs and includes 128KB NAND flash memory to store the Bluetooth host control and system application software. The device supports a range of hardware interfaces including UART, I2C, SPI and JTAG debugger I/F. Featuring pre-certified Bluetooth hardware and firmware, the module enables easy Bluetooth SIG EPL listing. The TMPM395FWAXBG microcontroller hosts an ARM® Cortex® M3 CPU core with an operating frequency of 20MHz, 128MB of internal ROM and 8KB of internal RAM. It features independent RTC and IO capable of separating or shutting off power supplies and realises low power operation at 1.8V. Toshiba will supply samples, full BoM and circuit diagrams to qualifying volume customers, as well as allowing them to utilise the design. *ARM and Cortex are registered trademarks of ARM Limited (or its subsidiaries) in the EU and/or elsewhere. TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS EUROPE

www.toshiba-components.com

www.idt.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

INDUSTRY NEWS Toshiba to Introduce Close Proximity, High Speed Wireless Transfer Technology for Consumers in Europe TransferJet USB Kits to Go on Sale During Q4 2014 Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has announced that it will soon be introducing technology that enables consumers to transfer a music track or high-resolution image wirelessly between devices in the blink of an eye. TEE will launch its family of TransferJetTM USB adaptors for tablets, mobile phones and PCs in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2014.

TransferJet is a close proximity, wireless transfer technology that features simple operation, safe connection and very high data throughput. Touching two devices together automatically initiates data transfer; users can specify and restrict which devices can connect. With a maximum effective data transfer speed of 375Mbps (Megabits per second), TransferJet makes it possible to move a 20 second full HD video from one device to another in one second. The first TransferJet adaptors will be supplied in microUSB format for mobile phones and tablets based on Android OS, and USB format for PCs running Microsoft Windows. They will initially be available through retail channels in Central Europe. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of a set of two USB dongles will be 59 Euro (approximately £47). To enhance the promotion and commercial availability of TransferJet adaptor products in Europe, Toshiba will expand its partnerships within the market. Further announcements relating to partners launching devices utilizing Toshiba TransferJet technology are expected within the fourth quarter of 2014 and first quarter of 2015. TOSHIBA www.toshiba-components.com 30

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS PLS’ Universal Debug Engine supports all functions of Freescale’s latest Qorivva automotive SoCs In parallel to Freescale’s presentation of its latest Qorivva derivates, PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme now provides system developers with its Universal Debug Engine (UDE) for the multicore System-on-Chips (SoCs) MPC5746M, MPC5777M, MPC5748G, MPC5746C, MPC77xK and MPC574xP. PLS is one of the first tool suppliers to offer development tools specifically optimized for the features and functions of these multicore SoCs. Several already prepared configurations of the UDE ensure an uncomplicated first connection as well as a fast and reliable programming of the flash memory which is integrated in various sizes on the Qorivva devices. With help of the UDE’s multicore/multiprogram loader, the relevant program codes and the corresponding debug information can be assigned to individual cores in a flexible way. In addition, the heterogeneous structure of the SoCs

— that, besides the main cores, depending on the type, can contain further programmable units such as a Generic Timer Module (GTM) or a Hardware Security Module (HSM) — is optimally supported. By core-specific grouping of debugger windows (optionally with automatic fade in and fade out depending on the active core as well as different coloring) UDE-users are

provided with an optimal overview of their complete multicore system in just one single consistent user interface. PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme GmbH www.pls

Adding Tickless Support to its embOS Real Time Operating System SEGGER Reduces Microcontroller Power Consumption Increasing efficiency and reducing power consumption is key for modern embedded systems. To support these demanding needs SEGGER added tickless low power support to its popular embOS

real time operating system. The embOS tickless low power feature reduces the power consumption for e.g. battery powered devices. It stops the periodic system tick interrupt during idle periods. Instead of having a timer interrupt for each sys-

tem tick the timer is reprogrammed to be able to spend as much time as possible in low power mode. One of the most common ways to reduce power consumption is to keep the processor in sleep (idle) mode for as long as possible. Typically an RTOS will wake the processor on a regular system tick - even if there is nothing to do. The embOS tickless low power support reduces power consumption by creating a variable length system tick which allows the processor to continue sleeping when there are no application tasks to execute. Tickless support can be added to any embOS project and is available with the latest version of SEGGER embOS real time operating system. SEGGER provides application notes for tickless support for different CPUs. EMBOS http://segger.com/embos.html SEGGER www.segger.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Aurocon COMPEC always offers new products F77 SERIES ULTRASONIC SENSORS

LOW PROFILE XENON BEACONS

• • • • •

Over 250 easy-to-find, pre-programmed industry terms and symbols 1 MB of memory to store 1000+ labels for on-demand printing at job-sites. One-touch powered cutter and cassette ejection system, Automatic cassette recognition Uses thermal transfer print technology – no ink cartridges RS COD: 764-4193

The F77 series of ultrasonic sensors detect objects precisely and can detect a range of materials including those that are transparent and reflective. • Miniature design • Very short blind zone • Easy installation and setup • High interference resistance against compressed air and machine noise

• • • • • •

POWER CLAMP METER

Reduced height Xenon beacons Reverse polarity protection Base Diameter 81mm Height 54mm Maximum Temperature +40°C Minimum Temperature -20°C Supply Voltage 12Vdc, 24Vdc RS COD: 309-5972

OLFEX® CLASSIC 100 SY CABLES

RS COD: 773-7330

PANEL PILOT SERIES MULTIFUNCTION GRAPHICS METERS

• •

Connection and control cable with colored cores and steel wire braid Suitable for control devices, machine tools, conveyor belts and production lines in dry, damp and wet interiors Twisted cores in layers, color coded in accordance with VDE 0293 Compliant with Directive 73/23/EWG (Low Voltage Directive) RS COD: 444-0373

• • • • •

LED indication 320×240 pixel resolution TFT display with touch screen technology Simple USB interface for set up for configuring and programming the meter User customizable colors, labels, scaling and power up 'splashscreen' Simple panel mounting with screw terminal connections RS COD: 704-8138

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

• • • • • •

Volt Sense (Non-contact Voltage measurement) True RMS reading on AC and AC+DC mode Auto torch-light for viewing easily while clamping conductors Continuity beeper Frequency counter Phase rotation indication RS COD: 754-1249

RHINO 6000 PROFESSIONAL LABEL PRINTER

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

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Mouser to Release New MultiSIM BLUE Powered by National Instruments Mouser Electronics announced the upcoming release of MultiSIM BLUE, the NI Multisim Component Evaluator – Mouser Edition. In collaboration with NI, the new Mouser version of the free tool will add features and functionality to provide engineers with an industry-standard SPICE simulation environment of electronic circuits using Mouser Electronics’ distributed components. Check out the new tool by visiting the web page: http://www.mouser.com/MultiSimBlue

This upcoming release of MultiSIM BLUE will include more than 100,000 electronic components with intuitive simulation features and SPICE analyses. Engineers can now visualize and evaluate linear performance, making this critical step of circuit design easier, faster and far more productive. With MultiSIM BLUE, engineers can easily create schematics, simulate circuits and build printed circuit board layouts, all with one powerful integrated tool. MultiSIM BLUE gives the ability to scheme and simulate, plus it handles PCB layout, Bill of Materials (BOM) and purchasing. The advanced circuit design tool is included with a library of more than 100,000 authorized Mouser electronic components from the industry’s leading manufacturers. Simulation is driven by the same advanced parser technology as NI Multisim software with support from BSIM and other advanced parameters. Circuit diagrams can be defined with up to 50 components. Unlike other tools, MultiSIM BLUE provides a fully interactive schematic interface with a full-right-click menu. Part selection is just a click away along with a fully integrated wiring and reviewing platform. MultiSIM BLUE supports a wide range of component types including passives, discretes, analog ICs, discrete signal ICs, mixed signal ICs, sensors, power ICs and protection devices. To learn more about the capabilities of the new tool, visit http://www.mouser.com/MultiSimBlue. MOUSER ELECTRONICS 34

ww.mouser.com

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Silicon Labs Rocks Car Radio Market with Highest Performance Global Receiver IC Silicon Labs introduced the industry’s most advanced automotive tuner IC family designed to deliver best-in-class AM/FM and HD Radio/DAB/DMB digital radio performance for demanding car radio systems. Silicon Labs’ next-generation Si4790x tuner IC family delivers a new benchmark for car radio reception performance while delivering the lowest system cost. The Si4790x family also provides exceptional flexibility and scalability for Tier 1 automotive infotainment suppliers and aftermarket car radio makers worldwide. The Si4790x family leverages Silicon Labs’ patented digital lowIF architecture and RF in CMOS technology pioneered more than 12 years ago. Silicon Labs introduced its first single-chip broadcast audio IC products nearly 10 years ago, redefining how AM/FM tuner ICs were designed into analog-intensive consumer electronics products by providing a highly integrated solution that reduced component count by more than 90 percent and board space by more than 60 percent. To date, Silicon Labs has shipped more than 1.2 billion “radio-on-a-chip” ICs, culminating with the introduction of the Si4790x family, the industry’s most advanced automotive tuner IC. The superior linearity of the Si4790x tuner’s integrated RF front-end, combined with a comprehensive AM/FM firmware running on a high-performance on-chip radio DSP, sets a new bar for key

automotive radio metrics such as sensitivity in weak signal environments, selectivity in the presence of blockers, and immunity to multipath fading and distortion. According to IHS Automotive, global automotive sales reached nearly 83 million vehicles in 2013 and will climb to 85 million vehicles in 2014. Many of these vehicles feature sophisticated infotainment systems with multiple tuner ICs and antennas to deliver FM phase diversity recep-

tion, receive Radio Data System (RDS) data for info-navigation systems, and support digital radio standards such as HD Radio prevalent in the U.S. market and Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB), the leading European standard. To address today’s global market, the Si4790x tuner family supports all worldwide broadcast radio bands including AM/FM, longwave (LW), shortwave (SW), NOAA weather band, FM RDS decoding, and AM/FM HD Radio and DAB reception (Band-III and L-band). SILICON LABS www.silabs.com/pr/automotive-tuner

Murata joins EEBus smart home connectivity initiativ Murata announced it has recently become a member of the EEBus smart home connectivity initiative. Other members include many well-known international consumer, industrial and technology organizations such as Schneider Electric, Bosch and SMA, The initiative has the goal of bringing partners together to facilitate the link between networking standards and energy management capabilities of the smart

grid to the increasing range of connected and controlling devices that are now becoming pres-

ent in the smart home. A key part of any smart home will be a gateway system that will allow the

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

RUTRONIK SMART: Coordinated portfolio for devices on the Internet of Things With RUTRONIK SMART, and following on from RUTRONIK EMBEDDED, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente now launches a new range of bundled hardware, software and services. RUTRONIK SMART brings together entire solutions, consisting of selected sensors, wireless components, microcontrollers, power management and safety solutions for devices on the Internet of Things (IoT). While RUTRONIK EMBEDDED supplies industrial customers with embedded boards, storage, displays, wireless modules, auto-ID components and specific peripheral components, with RUTRONIK SMART Rutronik is providing specific support to manufacturers of devices on the Internet of Things. The focus here is on smaller, often portable, devices in four different market areas. • Lifestyle: examples are wearable electronics and other sport, fitness and game applications, beacon and indoor navigation solutions. • Home comfort: including solutions for home automation, lighting and heating control and white goods. • Health care: for example patient monitoring, hearing aids,

diagnostic weighing scales. • Safety: including surveillance and alarm systems, track and trace solutions, and smoke detectors. “The Internet of Things is already here. With RUTRONIK SMART we intend, together with our customers, to extend it even further and exploit all its possibilities,” explained Andreas Mangler, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at Rutronik. “It is no easy matter to implement low power applications or a perfect safety concept. We are able to provide comprehensive assisAndreas Mangler tance to our customers, because for every component and for every application we have not only the right components, but also the relevant experts on hand. So, despite being a broadliner, we often have more specialized knowledge than many specialist distributors.”

access from a smartphone or tablet to the myriad of appliances and devices within the home. This access is possible from the local network or from the Cloud, enabling users to enjoy the comfort brought by IoT as well as the reduction of power consumption by monitoring each connected appliance and smartly use it. Wireless connectivity will be a fundamental component of such a gateway and Murata has already developed a small gateway solution that uses its wireless connectivity solutions and will

support the EEBUS standards Rui Ramalho, product manager, connectivity modules, Murata Europe comments, “Making the smart home a reality heavily depends on integrating all connected devices and applications to the smart grid. This needs not only agreed standards but also collaboration by appliance and equipment manufacturers. Our joining of the EEBus initiative gives recognition that Murata values the progress they have made and our wish to actively participate in the future.” MURATA www.murata.eu

RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com

High Performance 8-Port RS232/422/485 PCIe/104 Serial Port Module With Opto-isolation, Software Configuration, and Auxiliary Digital and Analog I/O EMM-8EL-XT Family Diamond Systems introduced Emerald-MM-8EL-XT (EMM8EL-XT), a family of high performance PCIe/104 OneBankTM serial I/O modules offering 4 or 8 serial ports with softwarecontrolled configuration and optional opto-isolation.

The serial ports are based on a high speed PCIe octal UART with 256-byte TX/RX FIFOs and auto RS-485 transmit control. Each serial port can be independently configured for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 protocols, along with programmable 120-ohm line termination. Each port is independently isolated with an isolated power + signal chip, plus additional isolators for control signals. The board features intelligent power management that limits inrush current on power-up and also enables power-down of unused serial ports for power savings. Opto-isolated models feature independent 2500V isolation circuits for enhanced reliability in vehicle or long cable applications. All ports also feature +/-15KV ESD protection. Each serial port is available on an independent latching connector for increased isolation and ruggedness. With its wide operating temperature range and high resistance to shock and vibration, the EMM-8EL-XT fits a wide variety of rugged and on-vehicle embedded serial I/O application needs. EMM-8EL-XT also offers 8 digital/analog I/O lines which are programmable from the on-board microcontroller. Each I/O line can be configured for digital input or output. Seven of the I/O lines can also be configured for 12-bit A/D input with selectable 0-2.048V or 0-3.3V input ranges. DIAMOND SYSTEMS

www.diamondsystems.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

DESIGN

SENSORS

New M8 size: Full Inox Weld-Immune sensors Small, robust and durable: Contrinex's full-metal, weld-immune sensors are now available in a space-saving M8 size. They offer outstanding mechanical stability and are virtually indestructible. Since they are also easy to clean and allow long operating distances, they represent the ideal solution for welding systems, for example in the automotive industry. Contrinex is systematically expanding its Weld-Immune range of Full Inox sensors: these are now available in the most

popular sizes of M18, M12 and the new M8 for use where space is limited. A common feature of all sizes is a onepiece stainless steel housing. The electronics are unaffected by metal dust or chips and withstand magnetic fields up to 40 millitesla. Any false switching due to external influences can therefore be avoided from the outset. The devices have factor 1 on steel and aluminum and can be cleaned easily, even using harsh methods. The long operating range of the sensors allows for a greater and safer distance from any moving target, further reducing the risk of mechanical damage. Weld-immune, Full Inox sensors are

equipped with a high-quality Contrinex ASIC. This offers the advantages of guaranteed switching distances, excellent temperature compensation and a long life, particularly in areas with temperature changes and vibrations. Installation is fast and occurs with low tolerance values - simple operation with or without IO-Link is guaranteed. Due to their exceptionally robust, weldimmune construction, these Full Inox sensors are particularly suitable for automated welding robot cells. They are used most frequently in the automotive industry, where they significantly reduce downtime in production.

M12 size, Full Inox sensors with extremely long operating distance No fewer than four new, full-metal versions (PNP, NPN, NO, NC) in size M12 offer the unique benefit of a 15 mm operating distance. In this way, Contrinex adds an innovative technology to its Full Inox Extreme range as a solution for customers who need robust sensors with maximum operating distances. Equipped for the most extreme conditions thanks to their one-piece stainless steel housing (V2A/AISI 304) and hermetically sealed cable exit, the new Contrinex Extreme sensors with a particularly long operating distance of 15 mm resist aggressive chemicals and are waterproof up to 80 bar. The operating temperature range is between -25°C and +70°C (-13°F and +158°F). The devices feature factor 1 on both ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic materials 36

and are suitable for the most demanding applications. Sensors from the Extreme range are equipped with a

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

high-quality Contrinex ASIC. This offers guaranteed switching distances, highest repeatability and optimum temperature compensation. Even when used in extreme environments, it will ensure prolonged sensor life expectancy. An IO-Link interface, integrated at no extra charge, offers possibilities that include advanced diagnostic information for easy error localization, to help minimize downtime. Inductive full-metal sensors from the Contrinex Full Inox

Extreme range (series 700) with increased operating distance have proved highly effective worldwide wherever harsh environments exclude the use of sensors with a plastic sensing face - whether in the automotive and machine building industries, or in mobile equipment and packaging machines.

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AUTOMATION

Guarding with Stainless Steel S420 is the name of the new stainless-steel safety hinge switch with which Leuze electronic optimally solves mechanically and hygienically challenging problems. When a high safety level (SIL 3, PL e) is required and cleanliness and hygiene play an important role, for example, in the food industry, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, the S420 stainless steel switches show their full strengths. They offer optimum cleaning options – even with high pressure cleaning – thanks to a wall-side cable outlet, a high-grade surface with a roughness of less than 0.8 micrometers and degree of

protection of IP 67, IP 69K. Covered, tamper-proof screws considerably reduce the risk of manipulation. This safety hinge switch is also recommended in the wood products industry in situations where high availability is important under dust and particle loads. Through the six-point bolting of the joint, even heavy doors can be reliably guarded with opening angles of up to 180 degrees and long service

life. Four multi-color LEDs facilitate precise, on-site diagnosis; an additional signal output is used to transfer the signal of the door status to indicators or controls. The user can select from device versions with contact blocks or safety-related switching outputs (OSSDs). The latter allow a series connection of 32 devices without reducing the safety level. O’BOYLE www.oboyle.ro www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

INFRARED

Highly Cost-Effective IR Array Offers Expansive FoV and High Speed, Low Noise Operation Low cost infra-red (IR) arrays are revolutionizing applications across a broad spectrum of industry sectors - including security, automotive, building automation and consumer electronics. Through such devices precise imaging data and detailed heat signatures for both static and dynamic objects can be derived. With a 16 × 4 pixel configuration, the MLX90621 from Melexis can offer a field of view (FoV) of 100° × 25° - significantly greater than the company’s previous generation of IR array products. It also has 4 times faster measurement speeds, equating to a dramatic reduction in the inherent noise levels present. Factory calibrated to operate over a temperature range spanning -40°C to 85°C, this array can accurately measure object temperatures

from -20°C to 300°C. Interface and control is managed via the device’s I2C digital interface. The speed is programmable, with a frame rate covering 0.5Hz to 64Hz supported. Each device delivers noise vs. speed performance that competing devices will struggle to match, with 0.25K noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) at a frequency of 16Hz. The improved FoV enables a single MLX90621, when applied inside a vehicle cabin, to simultaneously measure temperature profiles of both the passenger and driver, if suitably positioned on the center-stack of the dashboard. This means that more effective automotive climate control can be achieved. For building air conditioning systems in most cases it was previously necessary

to mount an IR sensor on a stepper driven mechanical scanner to complete sweeps of the target cooling area. Thanks to the greater FoV exhibited by the MLX90621, the need for mechanical scanning is eliminated and a single fixed device is thus capable of imaging the whole area directly. The resulting reduction in cost, measurement time and system complexity afforded by this IR array opens up new opportunities and markets for cooling appliance designers. The MLX90621 is available in a compact TO39 metal can package. The device is available in three FoV different options; 60° × 15°, 40° × 10° and 100° × 25°. MELEXIS MICROELECTRONIC INTEGRATED SYSTEMS www.melexis.com

For more information go to: www.melexis.com/Infrared-Thermometer-Sensors/Infrared-Thermometer-Sensors/MLX90621-823.aspx 38

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

PRODUCT NEWS

Lighting Solutions / Display

Control LEDs with smartphones and tablets MAZeT provides smooth playback of color, color temperature and brightness of even spectrally varied LEDs MAZeT GmbH, developer and manufacturing services provider for embedded systems and optoelectronics, introduces the wireless control of LEDs from a smartphone or tablet. “A LED-based RGBx light box demonstrates vividly how the smartphone or tablet accurately controls the color, color temperature and brightness,” explained Frank Krumbein, Product Manager for Color- and Spectral Sensor Technology at MAZeT. “Depending on the wireless connection, several light boxes can thus be managed simultaneously. This means they can all display a specific color mix from the RGBW palette or also conjure up a scenario of different colors.” No color differences in the same color on all light boxes are discernible to the human eye. There are also no differences when the operating condi-

tions change or LEDs of different types or bins are used. A True Color sensor from the JENCOLOR® series ensures a constant color scheme. Current wireless transmission technology and Android-based operating software complement this. MAZeT offers the electronics and control systems for luminaire manufacturers and system integrators as series-manufactured OEM modules. Permanent color consistency over all light sources For the sensor-based color control for multichannel LEDs, each lighting unit receives its target value from your smartphone via Bluetooth. The sensor measures the current LED-light and transmits the color value to the microcontroller of the box. The microcontroller compares the current value with the value of the target and calculates the new LED driver signals. This process is so quick that visually it is imperceptible. The color adjustment appears to be completely

flicker-free. So with just a tap on the color triangle on your tablet or smartphone, all the light units display exactly the same under the same light or run synchronously in the scenario. Color uniformity is thus guaranteed across all units and within a unit for its lifetime. The system consists of simple standard components that are not especially focused on stability. Only the sensor in the system controller possesses the stability to endure without drift for the lifetime of the unit. The “closed-loop” with the sensor perceives all disruptions in the lighting system that affect the color or brightness as quasi-independent factors. Drifts of the LEDs and of the driver, mechanical tolerances of the optics and of the mechanics are perceived as spectral shifts of the light and are adjusted according to the target color. The electronics work so quickly that the adjustment is flicker-free, i.e. with no visible effect. MAZET www.mazet.de/en/mazet

MAZeT regulates various lighting moods and colors via smartphones and tablets permanently Copyright: MAZeT GmbH

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

Lighting Solutions / Display

Unmatched Lumen Density with the Cree XLamp CXA HD LED Arrays Available from Mouser

Toshiba Launches High-Performance Ultra-Compact White LEDs in 3535 lens type package

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the XLamp CXA HighDensity (HD) LED Arrays from Cree. Targeted for high-intensity, LED lighting applications, the Cree XLamp® CXA2590, CXA1850 and CXA1310 HighDensity LED Arrays double the light output of existing standarddensity CXA LED arrays without increasing size. The greater light intensity of these devices offer new levels of lumen density and is rated one of the highest in the industry, allowing complete replacement of ceramic metal halide (CMH) light sources. The Cree XLamp CXA HighDensity (HD) LED Arrays, available from Mouser Electronics, deliver up to 15,500 lumens, and are characterized and binned at 85°C. The CXA HD LED Arrays are available in ANSI White and EasyWhite® 4-step and 2-step color temperatures ranging from 2,700K up to 6,500K, and offer a minimum

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has extended its LETERAS™ family of white LEDs with a new series of ultra-compact devices that combine cost-effective gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-onSi) chips with an industrial standard 3535 lens type package. Devices in the TL1L3 series of 1.0W LEDs are supplied in a package with a footprint of 3.5mm ×3.5mm and a height, including lens, of just 2.42mm. Despite their small size the LEDs deliver typical luminous flux ratings of between 112 and 145 lumens, depending on the correlated color temperature (CCT). Toshiba’s latest LEDs with integrated lens are suitable for implementation in tube lights, light bulbs, down lights and ceiling lights, as well as street light and floodlight designs. The new TL1L3 LED series comprises seven devices offering colour temperatures from 2700K to

Color Rendering Index or CRI of 70, 80 and 93. With multiple size and lumen-output options, these CXA HD LED Arrays enable manufacturers to address a wide range of lighting applica-

tions. Manufacturers can also take advantage of how these high density LEDs allow users to improve lighting output without taking up more space. The CXA1850 LED Array delivers more than 9,000 lumens from a 12-mm light source, enabling the same lighting quality as a 70-watt CMH light source while using half the power. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com

Everlight’s Natural Light Technology campaign addresses market requirements for higher quality of Lighting LEDs Everlight Electronics supplements its LED Lighting product portfolio, currently featuring a market-standard CRI of >80Ra, with higher color quality versions. The new Natural Light LED variants will provide a CRI > 95Ra, averaging 98Ra. Everlight is pursuing this goal a step at a time. The first LED series to implement the Natural Light Technology is Everlight’s 3-50W Ceramic COBs ( JU Series) and Metal PCB COBs (XUAN Series). All other LEDs will offer Natural Light versions in Q4 of 2014. Color rendering, a quality characteristic of light, is the effect of an illuminant on the color appearance of an object by conscious or subconscious comparison with their color appearance under a reference illuminant. One major objective of LED lighting manufacturers is to 40

achieve a light quality that can replace or emulate the ultimate reference of the sun. In other words: a CRI of 100Ra. To reach this goal would bring sunlight indoors, sustain sunlight during the night, replace traditional

incandescent and halogen lamps which usually feature high color quality, and change the way we perceive and appreciate our surroundings. EVERLIGHT www.EVERLIGHT.com

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

6500K. Minimum colour rendering index (Ra) ratings of up to 80 contribute to natural looking lighting across all target applications. A low typical forward voltage (VF) of just 2.85V (at a forward current of 350mA) helps to

keep power consumption to a minimum. High-performance white LEDs have typically been fabricated on expensive sapphire substrates using relatively small 100mm or 150mm wafers. Toshiba LETERAS LEDs, however, use a highly cost-effective GaN-on-Si process technology that allows GaN LEDs to be produced on 200mm silicon wafers. TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.toshiba-components.com

New super-bright versions of popular throughhole and SMD-LEDs from Kingbright now available through TTI, Inc. Super-bright reddish-orange, green and yellow versions of Kingbright’s most popular through-hole and SMD-LEDs can now be sourced from TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. The superbright reddish-orange has a dominant wavelength of 625nm, the super-bright green a dominant wavelength of 525nm and the super-bright yellow a dominant wavelength of 590nm. Amongst the LED series now available in these new superbright versions are the SMD-LED series KP-1608 (0603 package), KP-2012 (0805 package), KP-

3216 (1206 package), KPTD3216 series (1206 dome lens package) and KA-3528 series (PLCC-2 package). Also available

are the right-angle SMD-LED series KPA-1606, KPA-2106 and KPA-3010, plus the throughhole LEDs in 3mm (L-7104 series) and 5mm (7113 series). TTI, INC. www.ttieurope.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Lighting Solutions / Display

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: 7” Fanless Touch Panel PC from DFI With the KS230-CD, DFI extends its product line of light industrial touch panel PCs. The IP65 rated Panel PC adopts the Intel® Atom™ N2800/N2600 processor with speed up to 1.86GHz. Based on the low-power x86 architecture, it can be used in a variety of industries. The Panel PC is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. The KS230-CD is available in 4-wire resistive and projected capacitive 7“ LCD touch screen panel that has 400nits brightness and can support WVGA resolution of 800×480. It can withstand operating temperature from 20° up to +50°C. With IP65-certified front panel protection, the panel is shielded from ingress of dust and water. This allows easy

cleansing of the panel especially in industries that place hygiene a top priority and makes the Panel PC ideal for applications such as the chemical industry, food and beverage industry, marine and

Global Presence Electronic Assembly products now offered by Digi-Key Products from Electronic Assembly are featured in the product range of global distributor Digi-Key (www.digikey.com) with immediate effect.

medical applications. Moreover it is an ideal solution for various applications like self-service kiosks, POS systems, 24/7 operating ATMs on the streets, factory automation and HMI solutions in factories.

The relating contract has been signed by managing director Stefan Eber. About 300 articles, ranging from character displays with SPI bus interface for an operating voltage of 3.3V to

tronic components, modules and evaluation boards. Digi-Key boasts a stock of more than 3.5 million electronic parts from more than 700 suppliers, giving it the widest selection in the world. Digi-Key supplies both companies as well as private individuals. 99% of all orders are shipped on the same day.

RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/86bc0fb7.l

MSC Technologies announces four TFT LC Displays from NLT - ideal for HMIs of Construction- and Agriculture Machines MSC Technologies, presents NL8048AC19-14F (17.8 cm/7.0“), NL8048AC19-13 (17.8 cm/7.0“), NL8048AC21-01F (22 cm/8.0“) and NL12880BC20-07F (33.3 cm/12,1“) from NLT Technologies with a luminance of 1000cd/m², and 1500 cd/m² resulting in excellent viewability even in high ambient light environments. These very robust displays are ideal suited for display applications in outdoor environments like for HMIs of Construction and Agriculture Machines as well as for Marine. Main characteristics of the new modules are their ‘Wide Format’, the Strength against Vibration, a wide Temperature Range and an extremely long LED life time. The

long-life LED backlights used in the new 17.8 cm/7,0“ and 22 cm/8.0“ 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 white LED backlight results in lower environmental impact since the backlights consume limited power and are mercury free. MSC TECHNOLOGIES www.msc-technologies.eu

Mr. Eber and Mr. Larson: Stefan Eber is excited about the new partnership with Digi-Key president Mark Larson.

TFT graphic displays with intelligence and touch panel, are now available with the fast, excellent service for which the company is well known. Founded in 1972, the US-based Digi-Key is a distributor of elec-

Please visit us at the electronica 2014 in Munich! You will find us at booth 201 in hall A3. ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY www.lcd-module.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Alliance Memory at electronica 2014 At electronica 2014, Alliance Memory will be highlighting its latest offering of legacy IC solutions, including high-speed CMOS synchronous DRAMs (SDRAM) and mobile low-power double data rate (DDR), DDR2, and DDR3 SDRAMs featuring a wide range of densities, configurations, package options, and temperature ratings. The devices provide reliable dropin, pin-for-pin-compatible replacements for a number of similar solutions in industrial, medical, communications, and telecom products requiring high memory bandwidth, and they are particularly well-suited to high performance in PC applications. New Alliance Memory Products on Display at electronica 2014

Mobile Low-Power DDRs Alliance Memory's new mobile low-power DDRs are designed to increase efficiency and extend battery life in compact portable devices. Featuring low power consumption from 1.7V to 1.95V and a number of power-saving features, the 256-Mb, 512-Mb, 1-Gb,

and 2-Gb devices are offered in 8mm by 9-mm 60-ball and 8-mm by 13-mm 90-ball FPBGA packages.

High-Speed CMOS DDR3 Synchronous DRAMs (SDRAM) Alliance Memory is introducing new high-speed CMOS double data rate 3 synchronous DRAMs (DDR3 SDRAMs) with high densities of 1Gb, 2Gb, and 4Gb in 78ball and 96-ball FBGA packages. Offering a wide variety of configurations - including 128M×8, 256M×8, and 512M×8 and 64M×16, 128M×16, and 256M×16 - with a synchronous interface, the devices are available in commercial (0°C to +85°C), industrial (-40°C to +95°C), and automotive (-40°C to +105°C) temperature ranges. Operating from a single +1.5-V power supply, the DDR3 SDRAMs feature a very fast clock rate of 1600MHz.

an industrial temperature range of 40°C to +85°C. Internally configured as four banks of 1M, 2M, 4M, or 8M words × 16 bits with a synchronous interface, the devices operate from a single +2.5-V (±

0.2V) power supply, feature a fast clock rate of 200MHz, and are offered in the 66-pin TSOP II package with a 0.65-mm pin pitch. High-Speed CMOS Double Data Rate 2 Synchronous DRAMs (DDR2 SDRAM) DDR2 SDRAMs from Alliance Memory include devices with densities of 512Mb and 1Gb, internally configured as four banks of 8M words×16 bits, and eight banks of 8M×16 bits and 16M×8 bits. Offered in 60-ball 8-mm by 10-mm by 1.2-mm and 84-ball 8-mm by 12.5-mm by 1.2-mm FBGA packages, the DDR2 SDRAMs feature a

High-Speed CMOS Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAMs (DDR SDRAM) The latest high-speed CMOS double data rate synchronous DRAMs (DDR SDRAM) from Alliance Memory offer densities of 64 Mb, 128 Mb, 256 Mb, and 512 Mb and

synchronous interface, operate from a single +1.8-V (± 0.1V) power supply, and feature a fast clock rate of 400MHz and data rate of 800Mbps/pin. The devices are available in commercial (0°C to +85°C), industrial (-40°C to +95°C), and automotive (-40°C to +105°C) temperature ranges.

High-Speed CMOS Synchronous DRAMs (SDRAM) Alliance Memory has extended its offering of 64M, 128M, and 256M high-speed CMOS synchronous DRAMs (SDRAM) with x32 devices in the 90-ball 8-mm by 13-mm by 1.2-mm TFBGA and 86-pin 400-mil plastic TSOP II packages. The 2M×32, 4M×32, and 8M×32 devices feature fast access time from clock down to 5.4ns and operate from a single +3.3-V (± 0.3V) power supply. 256M SDRAMs offer a commercial temperature range of 0°C to +70°C and clock rate of 133MHz, while the 64M and 128M devices feature an industrial temperature range from -40°C to +85°C with a higher clock rate of 166MHz. ALLIANCE MEMORY INC. www.alliancememory.com

Future Electronics signs global franchise agreement with power supply manufacturer Stadium Power Future Electronics announced that it has signed a global distribution franchise agreement with UK power supply manufacturer Stadium Power. The Stadium Power portfolio of AC-DC power supplies, DC-DC converters, LED drivers and intelligent battery chargers will be available through Future Electronics’ specialist Future Power Solutions (FPS) division, adding to an already strong line card of suppliers which includes Vicor, Power One, Recom, CUI, SL Power, Murata Power Solutions and Myrra. 42

Stadium Power is particularly highly regarded for its custom power supplies, which are

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

found in end products in market sectors such as fire, security, LED lighting, vending machines,

instrumentation, medical equipment and transportation. The new franchise agreement with Stadium Power enables FPS’s regional power electronics experts, as well as specialist local field applications engineers of Future Electronics, to offer a customised power supply to fit a customer’s unique specifications when no standard product adequately meets their requirements. FUTURE ELECTRONICS www.FutureElectronics.com STADIUM POWER www.stadiumpower.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

New at Rutronik: Energy-Saving Synchronous Step-Down DC-DC Converters from ST Distributor Rutronik presents the new step-down monolithic synchronous DC-DC converter L6986 from ST. It offers high flexibility due to several adjustable parameters, including switching frequency. High reliability is guaranteed by overvoltage, overcurrent and thermal protection circuits. The L6986, housed in a HTSSOP16 package, is the first member of the stepdown monolithic synchronous DC-DC converters family. It features an output current of up to 2A and input voltage range from 4 to 38V, an operating IQ of 30μA and a switching frequency of up to 2MHz. It allows synchro-

nous rectification; a current and voltage protection is embedded. With these features, the DC-DC converter provides high efficiency and compactness, reduced BOM costs, high design flexibility, robustness and reliability. This makes it ideal for industrial applications requiring

high efficiency, as well as factory and building automation applications and PLCs. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/cca31112.l

CUI Expands Next Generation Open Frame Power Supply Family up to 150 Watts Second Generation Ac-Dc Family Delivers Higher Efficiencies, Improved No-Load Performance and Boost in Power CUI Inc announced that it has expanded its VOF series of compact, open frame ac-dc power supplies to include 100, 120, and 150 W versions. The single-output supplies are higher-power additions to their recently released series of second generation open frame power supplies, designed to provide a number of improvements over the company’s previous offering, including higher efficiencies, improved no-load performance, and a boost in power. The power supplies can accommodate a wide universal input voltage of 90~277 Vac at 47-63 Hz input, offering global compatibility for OEM manufacturers. They have been created to provide an industry leading combination of efficiency and competitive pricing, making the series ideally suited for use in a wide range of ITE, industrial, and consumer electronics applications. The 100, 120 and 150 W versions offer output voltage options of 5, 12, 15, 24, 36 and 48 Vdc depending on the series. All models include output voltage adjustability of +/-5% via an onboard potentiometer.

Full Compliance with Military Temperature Specification Planned for Altera 20 nm FPGA and SoC Devices Altera Corporation announced military temperature (Mil Temp) qualification plans for its newest 20 nm Arria® 10 FPGAs and SoCs, which will be qualified for extreme temperature environments (-55C to 125C ambient). In addition to the ratings, Altera can provide guidelines on speed grades, protocols, and external memory interfaces best suited to specific applications. All devices will be characterized, qualified and tested by Altera, providing reduced and reliable lead times. Customers can receive notifications, access ratings, and the Military Temperature brochure by setting up an account through the myAltera Military Portal. Arria 10 Features Hard Floating Point DSP Blocks Altera’s Arria 10 FPGA and SoC devices are the only FPGAs in the industry to fea-

ture integrated, hardened IEEE 754-compliant, floating-point operators, which deliver the industry’s highest GFLOPS per Watt performance compared to other hard floating point solutions on the market. The hard floating

point DSP blocks featured in Arria 10 devices facilitate native floating point support, thereby reducing development time by 6 to 12 months. ALTERA www.Altera.com

The VOF-100 is rated for operation at 100% load with 6.7 CFM of forced air cooling from -20°C to 50°C, derating to 50% load at 60°C. VOF-120 and VOF-150 models operate under convection cooling conditions at 100% load from -20°C to 40°C, also derating to 50% load at 60°C. All models are packaged in industry standard footprints. The 100 W VOF series measures just 101.6 × 50.75 × 33.6 mm (4.00 × 2.00 × 1.32 in), while the 120 W and 150 W VOF models measure 127 × 76.2 × 33.1 mm (5.00 × 3.00 × 1.32 in.) Reaching efficiencies of up to 90% and no-load power consumption as low as 0.25 W, the VOF Series also carries UL/cUL and TUV 60950-1 safety certifications and are qualified for the CE mark, EN 55022 Class B, and FCC Class B EMI standards. Protections for over voltage, over current and short circuit are included as well as primary to secondary isolation voltage of 3 K Vac. The VOF-150 series is also designed with active power factor correction. The new VOF series is available through distribution with prices starting at $36.28 per unit at 100 pieces. Please contact CUI for OEM pricing. CUI INC.

www.cui.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Rutronik includes new Family of Microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics in its program

Exar’s USB to Ethernet & UART Bridge Offers Unprecedented Integration and Ease of Use

STMicroelectronics presents its new STM32L0 ultra-low-power series, featuring a 32MHz ARM® Cortex™ M0+ processor core, a 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and a USB FS

Exar Corporation announced the introduction of its XR2280x family of USB to Ethernet Bridge ICs. These devices offer an unprecedented level of integra-

integrated USB 2.0 PHY and device controller that is compliant with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (480Mbps) and Full-Speed (12Mbps) transfer rates.

tion, combining a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hub with controllers for 10/100 Ethernet, I2C, EDGE GPIO, and up to four UARTs in a single chip. This bridge solution, providing multiple communication standards from a single USB port, will allow many legacy product designs to be readily adapted for connection to the Internet of Things (IoT). The devices also serve the markets for industrial equipment, factory automation, networking, test and POS terminals, and many other embedded applications. The XR22801 provides an upstream USB interface with an

Downstream there is an Ethernet controller with integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC and PHY compliant to IEEE 802.3, an enhanced UART with a fractional baud rate generator (supporting 300 bps to 15 Mbps), a multimaster capable I2C controller, and an Enhanced Dedicated GPIO Entity (EDGE) controller. The EDGE controller supports up to 16 GPIOs and both the EDGE pins or I2C interface can be used for controlling and monitoring other peripherals. Up to 2 EDGE pins can also be configured as a PWM generator. EXAR www.exar.com

2.0 crystal-less solution. The series with lower system cost and greater convenience for end-users is available at distributor Rutronik as of now. With the ADC consuming just 40μA at a conversion speed of 100ksps, rising to just 200μA at 1.14Msps, in combination with very good power efficiency of both the processor core and the ultra-low-power peripherals, applications such as fitness trackers and domestic smoke

detectors powered by nonrechargeable batteries require less frequent replacements, saving costs and the environmental burden of spent batteries. They allow designs with smaller batteries, thus reducing the size and costs of products such as portable health and fitness products. The devices are fabricated in proprietary CMOS technology that offers both embedded EEPROM, as well as the industry’s smallest variation in power consumption over a temperature range of 25° up to 125°C. The STM32L0 series is available in three lines: Access line, USB line, and USB/LCD line. Common features of all of them include greater power consumption in several modes including 139μA/ MHz at 32MHz, 87μA/MHz using an optimized mode, and 400nA in stop mode with full RAM retention and a 3.5μs wake-up time. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/c6c610b3.l

Toshiba Launches Low-Profile Photocouplers for Driving IGBTs and Power MOSFETs Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a series of low-profile, rail-to-rail output gate-drive photocouplers for directly driving low- to medium-power IGBTs and power MOSFETs. The TLP5751 offers a peak output current of ±1.0A and can drive power MOSFETs and low-power IGBTs up to 20A. The ±2.5A TLP5752 and ±4.0A TLP5754 will drive power MOSFETs and IGBTs with current ratings to 80A and 100A respectively. Operating temperature is from -40°C to 110°C and target applications include home appliances, factory automation equipment and inverter designs where high levels of isolation and stable operation across an extended 44

temperature range are required. All of the new photocouplers are supplied in a low-profile SO6L

package. This package is 54% the height of Toshiba products that use a DIP8 package and requires just 43% the board mounting area. Despite their low height, the devices have a guaranteed creepage distance of 8mm and an isolation voltage of 5kV. TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.toshiba-components.com

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

Exar Introduces Ultra-Low Jitter Programmable Clock Exar Corporation announced an addition to its family of universal clock products. The XR81112 series offers output frequencies from 10MHz to 1.5GHz with ultra-low phase noise jitter of less than 200fs that makes them ideal for demanding communications, audio / video, and industrial applications. The tiny 3×3mm QFN12 packaged devices are the smallest on the market with this broad feature set. The XR81112 clock synthesizer utilizes a flexible delta-sigma modulator and a very wide-ranging VCO in a PLL block that has been optimized to be extremely power efficient. With a core current consumption

of just 20mA, these parts dissipate 60% less power than equivalent competitive devices, providing a compelling power efficiency benefit to system designers. The PLL can operate from either an input system clock or a crystal, and incorporates both an

integer divider and a high-resolution (<1Hz) fractional divider for increased flexibility to generate any clock frequency. EXAR www.exar.com

PRODUCT NEWS

ACTIVE COMPONENTS

IR Introduces IR66xx Series of High Performance 600V Ultra-fast Trench IGBTs Optimized for Welding Applications International Rectifier has introduced the IR66xx series of high performance 600V ultra-fast Trench-gate Field Stop insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The new rugged, reliable family of devices features extremely low conduction and switching losses optimized for welding applications. Utilizing Trench thin wafer technology to offer lowest conduction and switching losses, the new devices are co-packaged with a soft recovery low Qrr diode and feature ultrafast switching (8KHz-30KHz) with 5μs short circuit rating. The 600V IGBTs also feature low VCE(ON) and positive temperature coefficient for easy paralleling. The IR66xx series of IGBTs also features high switching frequency,

maximum junction temperature of 175°C and low EMI for improved reliability, higher system efficiency and rugged transient performance. Production orders are available immediately and the devices are RoHS compliant. Datasheets and an IGBT online selection tool are

available. The selection tool can also be accessed directly at mypower.irf.com/IGBT. For information about die products, please contact diesales@irf.com. INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER www.irf.com

Murata showcases applications that shape the world through innovation at Electronica 2014 Murata invites visitors to Electronica to come to their stand, B5 – 107, and view the latest innovations in component technology. With the theme of “Shaping the world through innovation”, all the demonstrations and new products will be based on a variety of concepts suitable for use in automotive, consumer, healthcare, industrial, security and energy applications. The demonstrations will include components for power conditioning, RFID capabilities for supply chain logistics, modules for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and MEMS sensors for automotive and medical applications. In addition to the demonstrations, Murata’s exhibits include the latest prod-

uct line up and a number of new power and MEMS sensing products that will be launched at the show. Also on display will be metal alloy power inductor products from the recently acquired TOKO Company, and short-range radio components and RF modules from the acquisition of RF Monolithics. Technical staff from all Murata product divisions will be on hand to answer any product related questions.

MURATA www.murata.eu

Intersil Announces Single-Chip Display Power and LED Driver for Smartphones Intersil Corporation announced the ISL98611 display power and LED driver for smartphones. The ISL98611 is the first power management IC that integrates the display power and backlight LED driver functions in a single chip. It significantly improves efficiency of both functions to increase smartphone battery life by an hour or more. In addition to extending battery life, the ISL98611 also improves display brightness uniformity and color consistency. The highly integrated ISL98611 has a boost regulator, LDO and inverting charge pump for generating two output rails at +5V and -5V in a single device. It also includes a boost regulator with 3-channel current sinks for the LED backlight driver. Features and Specifications: • Powers two or three strings of backlight LEDs with up to 93

percent efficiency • Generates ± 5V display power supplies with 88 percent efficiency at 15mA load using a 2.5×2mm2 size inductor • Analog, PWM and hybrid dimming • ± 2.2 percent current matching down to 1mA and ± 2.8 percent at 50μA • 2.5V to 5V input voltage range

• VP and VN output adjustable from ± 4.5V up to ± 6V with 50mV steps • I2C, adjustable output voltage settings • 1uA shutdown supply current INTERSIL www.intersil.com

Toshiba Dual-Core Microcontroller Enables Secure Energy Calculation, Sensing And Communications Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has introduced a new addition to its TX04 series of ARM® Cortex®-M4F core-based microcontrollers (MCUs). The TMPM411F20XBG MCU facilitates electric power calculation and communication in smart meters, as well as sensing and communications in other measurement devices. A typical smart meter comprises separate controllers for electric power calculation, data communication, and output display. By integrating multiple functionalities, the TMPM411F20XBG achieves independent control of the electric power calculation and communication control in a

single chip, reducing the circuit board area within the smart meter. According to market research firm IBISWorld, smart meter manufacturing industry rev-

enue has swelled over the past five years. In 2014 alone, the US smart meter industry is expected to grow 17.7 percent, reaching $1.5 billion overall. TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.toshiba-components.com

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

CONNECTORS

Molex’s USB 3.0 Type A connectors offering high durability now available through TTI, Inc. Molex’s USB 3.0 (also known as SuperSpeed) Type A connectors meet high- durability class requirements of 5,000 mating cycles and can now be ordered from TTI, Inc., the world’s lead-

+255°C while maintaining solder mount compatibility. The connectors come in on-board style, top- or reverse-mount, upright and vertical orientations. Dual-stacked versions are

ing specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. The devices are ideal for use in computer, consumer and car product applications. The USB 3.0 connectors are halogen-free for environmental sustainability and support high, IR reflow temperatures of up to

available for additional mating requirements. Molex also offers reverse, midmount style (or sink-type) receptacles with contact heights that range from 0.36mm up to 2.04mm for space-saving and low-profile height applications. TTI, INC. www.ttieurope.com

Mouser Signs Global Agreement to Distribute JST Automotive Connectors Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking JST Automotive Connectors for global distribution to design engineers and buyers across the world. A leading connector manufacturer, JST Automotive is one of the world’s Top 10 connector manufacturers and is known for providing reliable, technologically advanced and cost-efficient products. JST’s Automotive product line, now available from Mouser Electronics, includes a wide variety of quality connectors for use in demanding automotive applications including both sealed and unsealed connection systems. To see the full line of JST Automotive Connectors available at Mouser, visit: www.mouser.com/jst-connectors With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engi46

neers 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.com also houses an industry-first interactive catalog, data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools.

MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

New from TTI Inc - Molex Perfect Fit low, mid and high range power connectors are a complete power solution for multiple applications Now available at TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components, the Molex Perfect Fit range comprises three series of robust, reliable power interconnects. Mega-Fit®, Mini-Fit Jr™ and Micro-Fit 3.0™ connectors provide a power solution for a wide range of applications across a broad range of markets, from defence to consumer. Mega-Fit 3.0 series interconnects offer up to 23.0A current-carrying capability, the highest on the market compared to existing mid-range power connectors. This power-dense design with high current terminals, tight pitch and row spacing provides more power per linear and square millimetre than most mid-range power products. Featuring a patented split-box terminal

design, they have six independent points of contact to provide long-term reliability through secondary current path redundancy. These sacrificial contacts allow the system to be “hot plugged” at 48V/23.0A up to 30 cycles. Fully isolated header pins

and receptacle terminals protect the device from damage during handling and mating. Housings are polarised and feature positive locking for secure retention, while an audible click confirms proper mating. TTI, INC. www.ttieurope.com

EZ-BoardWare PCB contact from Harwin is secure and cost-effective Harwin, the leading SMT board hardware and hi-rel connector manufacturer has expanded its popular EZ-BoardWare PCB socket portfolio with a new contact which can accommodate mating pins ranging from 0.8mm to 1.5mm in diameter. These new products complement an existing range, enabling Harwin to offers parts with pin diameters from 0.8mm to 1.8mm. A cost-effective alternative to turned PCB sockets, EZ-Board sockets are designed for SMT assembly and are ideally-suited for high volume applications. The components come in industry-standard tape & reel

packaging, allowing them to be automatically placed which minimises installed cost. The new contacts are stackable on 2.54mm pitch spacing.

The design features a two point contact system which ensures secure retention, whilst facilitating easy removal and replacement of the socketed component. HARWIN www.harwin.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWS

CONNECTORS

Harwin presents Mouser Electronics with Global Sales Achievement Award 2014 Harwin, the leading hi-rel connector and SMT board hardware manufacturer, has named Mouser Electronics as winner of its Global Sales Achievement Award in recognition of outstanding sales growth over the past year. Mouser increased its sales of Harwin’s popular connector ranges, including the award-winning Gecko hi-rel

series, Datamate, Mix-Tek, and EZ-BoardWare products by over 30% during 2013-2014. A leading global distributor of electronic components, Mouser specialises in being first to offer design engineers around the world the latest products from leading manufacturers to incorporate into their newest designs. HARWIN www.harwin.co.uk

Left to right: Les Balamut – Director Supplier Management, Mouser Electronics, Keith Privett, Mouser’s Vice President of Supplier Management, Doug Steele – VP Global Distribution Harwin, Christina Winston – Mouser Supplier Specialist

FCI Introduces Economical and Lead-free Un-shrouded EconoStik™ 2.54mm Headers FCI, a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect systems, is proud to introduce the new and economical EconoStik™ 2.54mm range of un-shrouded headers which is capable of supporting a wide variety of boardto-board applications. EconoStik™ 2.54mm is available in single-row and double-row with vertical through-hole, right-angle through-hole and vertical SMT versions, with pin counts up to 72 positions. Standard mating and tail as well as customizable lengths are available to support specific applications. The un-shrouded header has four equal quality surfaces which ensure good mating performance with different types of receptacles. It features a current rating of 3A and a retention force between pin and housing of 9N per pin. The high

temperature resin supports wave soldering and reflow soldering. It is able to withstand voltages as high as 1500V AC. The resin of housing is UL94V-0 flammability rated, and meets industry standards UL E66906

and CSA LR46923. EconoStik™ 2.54mm headers can be used in various board-to-board applications such as industrial control; test equipment; metering; POS machines; set-top box; surveillance equipments and vending machines. FCI ELECTRONICS www.fci.com

Compact but powerful ODU presents new, highly robust miniature connector series for the first time at electronica in Hall B3, Booth 143 ODU, the specialist for electrical connection technology, will again be showing its convincing implementation skills at this year's electronica (Munich, 11 to 14 November). In addition to its established connector solutions for medical technology, industrial electronics, measurement and testing technology, military and security technology, energy technology and auto¬motive technology, the independent, medium-sized company will also be presenting a new product family in the area of miniaturization (HD = High Density). With diameters from 9.9 to 18.5 millimetres and contact densities of up to 40 contacts, the miniature connectors are now already showing that functionality and premium quality can fit into a compact space. At the same time, these featherweights guarantee a highly robust connection, convenient handling and a long service life. The ODU experts are natu¬rally also developing customized versions of the miniature connectors to meet specific customer requirements, and the company additionally offers assembly and cable extrusion as a system solution.

Interested visitors to the trade fair can see the capability of the ODU connector solutions for themselves in Hall B3, Booth 143. The new AMC HD products were initially ODU's response to the demand from the military and security technology sector in Europe and the USA. In the second step, the company from Mühldorf am Inn, Germany will be offering high density connection solutions in other markets, such as medical technology, sensor systems and communication technology, and consequently ensuring “A perfect alliance” around the world. ODU www.odu.de

www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2014 | EP&Dee

PRODUCT NEWS

PASSIVE COMPONENTS

IQD’s new specialist high shock oscillator also delivers high temperature performance The new SQXO-2ATHG range of very high shock survivability oscillators launched by IQD are housed in a TO39 package and can withstand shock levels of up to 8,000g for 0.5ms, ½ sine. They are designed primarily for applications such as underground boring tools, down hole instrumentation and avionics applications including flight recorder equipment and on board computers. Frequencies are available from 32.768kHz up to 50MHz and can be specified to operate from either a 3.3V or 5V supply providing an CMOS output and a start up time of under 5ms. High temperature is catered for with variants being available which operate up to 200°C. Current consumption is down to 3.0mA which again lends itself to applications in remote locations

where easy access is not always possible. Standard packaging is in a tray and the devices are fully RoHS compliant. Further information is available from all IQD's worldwide sales offices with full applications support.

Microoptics Opens Door for New Applications SCANLAB AG underscores its innovation leadership in laser positioning and deflection systems by setting new standards for galvanometer scanners. It is wellestablished that digital encoder systems offer the highest precision for laser processing. A digital encoding innovation by SCANLAB can now remove existing limitations to dynamic performance. This new approach to digital position detection substantially lowers the moments of inertia of the drives in high-precision semiconductor processing or microstructuring. The new encoder technology is already featured in SCANLAB's dynAXISse galvanometer scanner units, as well as in the ultra-high-performance intelliSCANse 2D scan systems.

IQD www.iqdfrequencyproducts.com

Laser processing systems use galvanometer scanners as highly dynamic drives to precisely position the laser onto a workpiece. Mirrors mounted on the galvos allow the laser beam to be precisely positioned for the particular application. Core components are a galvo motor (based on moving magnets) and a position detector. Until now, digital position detectors sensed a scale coded on a disc which is bonded to the scanner rotor. But this “classic” encoder technology limits dynamic performance, because measurement requires moving a (relatively) large inertial mass. With its patented digital se-encoder (SCANLAB encoder), SCANLAB succeeds in removing the existing limitations to dynamic performance - while simultaneously achieving highest precision. In a minute space, the se-encoder uses a zero-mass laser beam to sense a stationary scale, much as the hands of a clock. Here, additional inertia-increasing components are no longer necessary. Furthermore, this micro-optical sensing is as reliable and refined as a Swiss watch. SCANLAB AG 48

EP&Dee | September, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu

www.scanlab.de/link/en/21015

PRODUCT NEWS

PASSIVE COMPONENTS

Riedon goes green in renewable energy applications with low cost DC Current Shunts rated up to 1200A Riedon, a specialist manufacturer of cutting-edge resistive solutions, is introducing a range of UL listed, RoHS-compliant, precision current shunts designed for DC ammeters and similar instruments. The RS Series of offthe-shelf, basemounted shunts offers current ratings from 5A to 1200A and combine low cost with the industry’s shortest leadtimes while Riedon’s custom design capability caters for more unique requirements. These devices are targeted at applications in the renewables energy market, such as solar arrays, wind turbines, and battery chargers for energy storage e.g. in electric vehicles, as well as other uses in heavy industry, electroplating and mining. The principle of current meas-

urement using a shunt resistor depends on measuring the small voltage dropped across a precision resistor placed in series with the load. Riedon

offers standard parts that provide 50mV and 100mV outputs but can also provide custom output voltages. The very low resistance values required for shunt resistors, 10mΩ at 5A and just 0.05mΩ at 1000A, are provided by Manganin® resistive elements. These are precision etched to a standard tolerance of ±0.25%, with ±0.1% devices also available. RIEDON, INC. www.riedon.com

Omron launches efficient high power DC relay To address the growing market for high voltage DC battery powered systems and renewable energy applications, Omron Electronic Components Europe (OCB-EU) has added an efficient new DC power relay suitable for bicycle and scooter charging stations, UPSs, battery management systems, elevators, industrial robots, solar / wind generation systems and other applications. The new Omron G9EJ-1-E is capable of interrupting 15A at 400VDC yet draws only 1.2W while switching. In order to allow the relay to interrupt high currents without the contacts deteriorating, the device features a proprietary high efficiency magnetic circuit that suppresses arcing. The G9EJ-1-E also benefits from Omron’s proprietary contact driving system, which improves inrush current withstand performance and enhances component life. Sized at just 31mm × 27mm ×

44mm, the new relay weighs just 50g and offers a compact, efficient solution for switching in high voltage DC powered systems. Features include a high

insulation of 1000 MegaOhms between contacts and a sealed housing. A wide contact gap gives a high dielectric strength of 2500 VAC. The mounting brackets allow the application designer to secure the relay in any position. The relay is supplied with spade terminals allowing quick connection with industry standard connectors. The relay carries UL/CSA and VDE approval to support international applications. OMRON http://components.omron.eu

ALPS Develops and Commences Mass Production of “SKST Series” Quiet Middle-Stroke TACT Switch ALPS Electric Europe GmbH has developed the “SKST Series” TACT Switch™ (Quiet MiddleStroke Type) for automotive use, ideal for controls inside vehicle cabins. Mass production is already underway. Automobiles contain all kinds of switches that contribute to vehicle comfort and safety. Typical examples are controls for HVAC and audio systems located in the center console and controls for side mirrors and hands-free calls located in the steering wheel. Besides compatibility with the tough conditions of the vehicle cabin environment, for example in terms of temperature and vibrations, these switches need to produce a premium operating sound and feel consistent with the image each automaker is trying to convey. In electric vehicles, where there is no engine noise, there is also a need to preserve the quietness of the cabin. Quiet operation and excellent operation feeling are therefore important factors in the development of comfortable cabin environments. Responding to these market needs, ALPS has now developed and commenced mass production of the SKST Series TACT Switch™ (Quiet MiddleStroke Type) realizing both quiet operation and an excellent operation feeling. As a TACT Switch™ with a 4N operating force and a long operating life of 500,000 cycles, the SKST Series achieves both quietness and excellent feel, enabling comfortable environments for operation of in-vehicle systems. ALPS created the switch’s excel-

lent operating feel by applying mechanical engineering technology which the company has built up over the years, optimizing the shape and material of metal contacts using proprietary know-how and innovating with the internal structure to achieve a 0.9mm middle stroke. The newly developed metal contacts are used in combina-

tion with a rubber stem, enabling additional enhancements in quiet operation. Furthermore, extending the pre-stroke1 compared to earlier products improves flexibility in vertical attachment of switch knobs, facilitating integration into customers’ products. 1 . Pre-stroke: The stroke distance from the point of switch operation to contact with the metal contacts Features TACT Switch™ achieving both quiet operation and excellent operation feeling • Both quiet operation and excellent feel achieved through development of original metal contacts • 0.9mm middle stroke produces an excellent operation feeling • Pre-stroke structure facilitates integration by the customer Principal Applications • Control switches for automotive applications, including steering wheels and audio systems • Industrial equipment, metrology equipment, etc. ALPS ELECTRIC www.alps.com