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February 2020

Breaking down barriers in medical device design…

How current sensing can meet the challenges of advanced embedded systems

10

Cleaning: the key to fully functioning medical electronic assemblies

28

Also inside • T&M: How performance testing can help protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews • Connecting Embedded Intelligence: embedded world show preview • Sensors: Accurate temperature monitoring for SoC-based systems

4

Contents

www.epdtonthenet.net | February 2020

Editorial comment: 2020 electronics industry predictions…

Editor, Mark radwell reviews some of the key takeaways from CES 2020 and considers what 2020 holds for the electronics industry…

19

Sensors: The importance of accurate temperature monitoring for SoC-based systems Electronics distributor, Farnell reviews how on-die temperature sensors can help ensure accurate temperature monitoring of SoC-based systems.

23

Medical: Transitioning from wearables to medical devices

Semiconductor specialist, Analog Devices reviews some of the sensor technologies used for vital signs monitoring in wearables.

26

Medical: Cleaning – the key to fully functioning medical electronic assemblies Medical device cleaning & lubricating specialist, MicroCare considers the importance of effective cleaning of PCBAs in producing fully functioning medical electronic assemblies.

31 34

MEMS-based sensing technology expert, ACEINNA explores how current sensing technologies can help design engineers meet the challenges of advanced embedded systems.

Events

T&M

7

31

Connecting Embedded Intelligence: embedded world 2020 show preview embedded world show organisers preview what visitors to the leading exhibition & conference for the global embedded community can expect at Nuremberg Messe from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th February 2020.

News & Products STEM Matters: Young Woman Engineers of the Year…

Our regular STEM column highlights three young female engineers recently recognised at the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards for their work in engineering…

39

Sensors: How current sensing technologies can help meet the challenges of advanced embedded system design…

Sensors: How rugged enclosure solutions are bringing advanced sensing technology to the world s ost challenging environments…

Rugged enclosure antenna solutions provider, TT Wireless discusses some of the key requirements for protecting remote condition monitoring sensing technologies to ensure continuous operation.

28

10

Guide to suppliers

We want a range of DC DC converters

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www.epdtonthenet.net

February 2020

Breaking down barriers in medical device design…

Inspection, veri cation, testing certi cation company, S S e plains how thorough performance testing can help reduce product recall risks, cut costs & protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews.

Cover story

17 Breaking down barriers in medical device design…

How current sensing can meet the challenges of advanced embedded systems

10

Cleaning: the key to fully functioning medical electronic assemblies

28

Also inside

How performance testing can help protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews

Multi-disciplinary product design & development consultancy, Wideblue explores the challenges of designing new MedTech devices to help professionals & patients in the medical sector.

• T&M: How performance testing can help protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews • Connecting Embedded Intelligence: embedded world show preview • Sensors: Accurate temperature monitoring for SoC-based systems

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Editorial

Comment

What does 2020 hold for the electronics industry?…

W

elcome to your February issue of EPDT. As I write this month’s comment, in the first few weeks of the new year, I’m following along with all the innovation being shown off at CES and thinking about what 2020 holds for our electronics industry. What will be the new technologies, products and killer apps that will influence our industry – and as embedded connectivity, intelligence and smart electronics become more and more pervasive, all the other industries and applications that it touches? Will innovation be incremental, building on trends we already see – or will some new, disruptive tech or application emerge?...

There is always an onslaught of cool tech launches at CES, the world’s biggest tech & consumer electronics show, held in Las Vegas at the beginning of each January – and 2020 did not disappoint. Once again, show organisers, the CTA (Consumer Technology Association) focused on key themes of AI, 5G & mobile connectivity – but also gave prominence to ‘non-traditional’ tech companies (like food and FMCG brands) and ‘tech for good’ (including digital health, smart cities, ‘resilient tech’ and diversity & inclusion). Examples of 8K and foldable & flexible displays may have been some of the eye-catching announcements, but Dave Evans at business magazine, Forbes succinctly captured some of the key takeaways from the show: 1. Ingredient technologies create a playground for innovators – today’s innovators are building transformative new products & solutions using a toolkit of maturing technology building blocks like voice recognition, AI, AR/VR, robotics, 5G connectivity and IoT. 2. Every company is a technology company – from automotive to aerospace to cosmetics, all kinds of corporations are now morphing into tech companies, intent on participating in the latest mega-trends, as they pivot their business models to meet the challenges of a disrupted future in which there are few industries that technology doesn’t touch or is not transforming in some way.

3. Innovation is a team sport – more and more companies are looking to partnerships to bring skills and technologies together to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, shorten development cycles and accelerate speed to market. One of The FT’s key takeaways from CES was “Big Tech inside”, meaning how some consumer electronics companies have, to their discomfort, been forced to align their strategies around those of the tech giants, as the likes of Amazon and Google have battled to plant their voice-activated assistants in as many gadgets as possible. The software and services of the biggest tech companies – including Apple – have become influential animating forces in consumer tech.

4. Industry lines are blurring, even disappearing – the ongoing blurring of industry lines is making it increasingly hard (and unnecessary) to pigeon hole companies into specific industry segments.

Companies are transforming their offerings by bringing technology from adjacent, and sometimes far flung, industries.

EDITOR Mark Gradwell mark.gradwell@imlgroup.co.uk

DESIGN Graham Rich Design www.grahamrichdesign.co.uk

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Richard Woodruff richard.woodruff@imlgroup.co.uk

HEAD OFFICE IML Group, Blair House, 184/186 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BQ Tel: 01732 359990 E-mail: epdt@imlgroup.co.uk

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Neil Whitaker neil.whitaker@imlgroup.co.uk

5. Mobility is becoming autonomous, shared and multimodal – according to some, smart cities will completely revolutionise mobility.

5G is seen as the connectivity game-changer that will enable V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication at a bandwidth, speed and latency to make autonomous vehicles viable.

In the future, mobility will likely become part of the shared economy, with consumer desire to own cars diminishing.

6. Security is top of mind – over recent years, data security has sometimes seemed a secondary topic at CES, with some concerned that big data has trumped privacy. However, this year, cybersecurity was clearly top of mind again, seen as a fundamental issue that could slow or stop the adoption of certain technologies. Hacking a smart city, autonomous vehicle or smart hospital could have disastrous consequences, so this continues to be a vital issue for industry to tackle.

PRODUCTION Holly Reed holly.reed@imlgroup.co.uk

4

February 2020

Mark radwell, Editor

Inside EPDT this month…

This month’s issue contains features on Sensor technologies & Medical applications, plus our embedded world show preview (p7).

Our cover story (p17) explores the challenges of designing new MedTech devices to help professionals & patients in the medical sector. For Sensors, we explore: how current sensing technologies can help design engineers meet the challenges of advanced embedded systems (p10); the importance of accurate temperature monitoring for SoC-based systems (p19); and how rugged enclosure solutions are bringing advanced sensing technology to the world’s most challenging environments (p26). For Medical, we review some of the sensor technologies used in wearables for vital signs monitoring (p23) and we consider the importance of effective cleaning in producing fully functioning medical electronic assemblies (p28). For T&M, we explain how thorough performance testing can help reduce product recall risks, cut costs and protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews (p31). And finally, our regular STEM column highlights three young female engineers recently recognised at the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards for their work in engineering (p34).

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Show preview

Events

Connecting Embedded Intelligence: embedded world – the leading trade fair for embedded system technologies Now in its 17th year, embedded world will take place again in Nuremberg from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th February 2020. With over 1,100 exhibitors from around the world presenting state-of-the-art embedded technologies in 2019, occupying 6 exhibition halls, and more than 30,000 visitors from around 80 countries (in excess of 40% of visitors were international), embedded world remains the leading exhibition & conference for the global embedded community. Each year, the show offers the embedded community the opportunity to learn about new products, technologies and innovations, and to network with peers, maintaining and developing valuable contacts. Bertold Brackemeier, Senior Manager, Public Relations for embedded world at Nürnberg Messe tells us what to expect at this year’s trade fair…

T

he exhibition covers the fields of embedded system technologies, distributed intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) – encompassing all facets of the embedded ecosystem from hardware components, modules and complete systems through to operating systems and software tools, right up to services across all aspects of embedded system design, build, deployment and support. The trade fair aims to provide a window for the entire embedded community into where IoT and our increasingly digitalised world is heading…

Extreme miniaturisation coupled with increasingly higher computing performance, efficient communication of networked, and often also mobile systems – the developers of embedded systems have to meet challenging requirements. The reliability of electronic systems, distributed intelligence, IoT and solutions for future themes such as e-mobility and energy efficiency are key topics for the embedded community and industry served by the show.

embedded world Conference 2020: Connecting Embedded Intelligence The exhibition space booked in 2019 has already been exceeded. But the latest developments are encompassed by more than just the exhibition halls: the embedded world Conference & the electronic displays Conference had almost 2,000 participants and speakers from 52 countries in 2019. The theme of this year’s embedded world conference – “Connecting Embedded Intelligence” – places the spotlight on one of the key issues for the sector.

conference will reflect the latest forwardlooking trends, including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to comprehensive networking, we now have access to huge volumes of data that can be evaluated and analysed to determine future strategies for action. The balancing act between processing data on site and sending it to the cloud is one of the key topics at the conference. But plenty of attention will also be devoted to other perennial and hot topics, including IoT and how hardware and software engineering try to strike a balance between cost pressure, innovation, quality and reliability.

As the global gathering place for the embedded sector, the embedded world

The 2020 programme is subdivided into ten conference clusters:

The reliability of electronic systems, distributed intelligence, IoT & solutions for future themes such as e mobility energy ef ciency are key topics for the embedded community & industry served by the show.

epdtonthenet.net

February 2020

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Events Show preview 1. Internet of Things: IoT platforms; trusted computing; databases for distributed applications; cloud vs. edge vs. fog computing.

2. Connected Systems: wireless & wired communication technologies; single-pair Ethernet; TSN; low-power-wide-area-networks (LPWAN); new location-based Bluetooth functions; cellular campus networks with 5G. 3. Embedded OS: principles of real-time operating systems in the multi-core era; Linux; container technology; virtualization; security of systems.

4. Functional Safety & Security: protection against attacks; architectural developments for systems with critical & non-critical functional components; the latest amendments to leading safety standards; neural networks; protecting microcontroller systems from both attacks and product piracy; quantum computing; how to protect open embedded systems with long service lives against hacker attacks.

5. Hardware: flash memory and its reliability; energy supply – with & without data transfer; the RISC-V architecture.

6. Software Engineering: quality, reliability & security of embedded systems; design of the development process, from recording & documentation of requirements to modelling of the system and detection of errors using highly efficient analyses & tests; the programming phase, with special consideration of coding standards such as MISRA. 7. Embedded Vision: image sensors & image processing software; machine learning; miniaturisation.

8. Intelligent Systems: AI & machine learning; AI on FPGAs; heterogeneous solutions with high-performance cloud connections; machine decision making.

9. Embedded HMI & GUI: sophisticated GUIs; UI, usability & UX. 10. System-on-Chip: hardware & design aspects for programmable FPGAs & hardwired ICs; draft & architectures; verification & supply chain.

Keynote for trade fair visitors & conference delegates: One highlight of the embedded world conference is always the keynote address on the first day, which is also open to all trade fair visitors free of charge. 2020’s keynote speaker is Hassane El-Khoury, CEO of Cypress and an acknowledged industry expert. On 25 February, he will talk about the interaction between humans and machines. The combination of IoT and smart technologies could change the interaction of human beings with the world to an even more decisive extent than the smartphone has already done. As AI learns the preferences and behaviours of humans and adapts itself to them, El-Khoury refers to the “extension of the human spirit”. The resulting effects will make themselves felt across automotive, healthcare, industrial, smart cities and smart homes.

Strong partners

To ensure the relevance and credibility of the conference programme, the embedded world steering board works with relevant trade and industry bodies from the embedded sector, including: • Bluetooth ISG, • MISRA (Motor Industry Software Reliability Association), • prpl Foundation, • RISC-V Foundation, • Trusted Computing Group (TCG), • VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) “The embedded world conference has evolved to become the biggest and most important application-driven event for embedded systems. This will be reinforced again in 2020 thanks to a programme unrivalled in breadth and depth, with no less than 267 presentations by international experts in 48 sessions and 14

classes,” says Professor Axel Sikora from the University of Offenburg, chair of the embedded world conference. “This year, a key role will be played by topics on ‘embedded intelligence’, relating to potential architectures and solutions, and the associated challenges. But technical tracks on ‘traditional topics’ will also continue to be developed intensively,” Sikora adds.

The programme, with abstracts and information on speakers, is available at: www.embeddedworld.eu

electronic displays Conference

Running alongside the embedded world Conference, on 26 and 27 February, the electronic displays Conference will explore the latest display technologies, such as OLEDs, LCD, micro-LEDs, touchscreens, optical bonding, display systems and automotive displays.

“The electronic displays conference is a byword for high-calibre industry knowledge by experts for experts – without doubt the most important European B2B platform for display technologies.

It guarantees participants insights into the future and tomorrow’s technologies. In addition, the focus will be on information-sharing and professional dialogue between delegates and speakers,” says Professor Karlheinz Blankenbach from the University of Pforzheim, chair of the conference advisory board. The conference in 2020 will once again demonstrate that displays are an innovative, key component of embedded systems. “This year too, the advisory board again reviewed a large number of outstanding submissions before making its selection for the first-class programme. The bridge from theory to practice will be brought to life in the Display Area in Halls 1 & 3,” Blankenbach continues.

2020 highlights include the keynotes on display trends, sessions on automotive displays and other presentations on display measuring technology, display optimisation, AR/VR and GUIs/HMIs. Displays are not just a key topic at the conference; they are also a prominent feature in the exhibition halls. The Electronic Displays Area in Halls 1 & 3 offer a platform for the latest technology for LCDs, OLEDs, ePaper, touchscreens, interfaces, display solutions and more.

One highlight of the embedded world conference is always the keynote address on the rst day, which is also open to all trade fair visitors free of charge

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For more information on the programme for the electronic displays conference 2020, visit: www.electronic-displays.de www.embedded-world.de/en

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Feature Sensors

How current sensing can help meet the challenges of advanced embedded system design‌ The embedded electronics development community is currently experiencing the biggest changes in its industry since the creation of the integrated circuit rom new software oriented technologies like AI (arti cial intelligence) to new hardware topologies or new semiconductor materials, we are in the middle of a disruptive period of demanding growth. Here, Khagendra Thapa, VP of Business Development at MEMS-based sensing technology experts, ACEINNA explains how its disruptive current sensing technologies can help design engineers meet these challenges‌

M

any of these advances are related to user functionality, like cloud-based internet of things (IoT) solutions that rely on next-generation RF technologies. Other rapidly emerging current sensing applications include electric vehicles (EV) and their advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving needs, to wide-bandgap power switches based on silicon carbide (SiC) and/or gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors. Some of the most important advances in these spaces have been in performance and efficiency, enabling the next generation of electronic solutions to address the challenges and demands of users and the marketplace.

The latest trends in personal electronics place a lot of pressure on the designers of embedded systems. When it comes to consumer and medical wearables, advanced personal

electronics, and the internet of things, the smaller, more functional and longer lasting, the better. Similarly, industrial and automotive applications are pushing boundaries to achieve smaller, more efficient, reliable and robust solutions. Significant improvement across all of these can involve reducing parts count, simplifying circuitry and increasing operational efficiency.

Current-sensing technologies are key to

The embedded electronics development community is currently experiencing the biggest changes in its industry since the creation of the integrated circuit.

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February 2020

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creating the small precision control and protection electronic circuits needed to make the devices of tomorrow serve applications in an efficient and cost-effective manner. There is no precision without feedback, and current sensing can provide the critical performance information an intelligent embedded system needs to manage itself. The size, accuracy and speed of your current-sensing solution will directly impact all of these aspects.

AMR current sensing

A single-chip solution, the ACEINNA Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) technologybased isolated current sensor does not require additional components, other than a decoupling capacitor. Compared to the other

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Feature Sensors methods of current sensing, an AMR sensor provides a compact and high-performance solution. For example, the problem with using a shunt resistor is that it is inherently not isolated. A current transformer is bulkier than an AMR-based current sensor, and only works with

AC. Compared to using a Hall-effect sensor, AMR technology offers a bandwidth of 1.5 megahertz, and has a lower offset and noise.

Delivering better performance than a shunt register or transformer, AMR technology can

respond to both DC and AC bi-directional current, with a bandwidth of 1.5 megahertz and a lower offset and less noise than Hall-effect-based solutions. Offering greater accuracy, higher bandwidth with lower phase shift, and a very fast output step response, an AMR-based current sensor is an accurate and compact solution for very critical measurements to protect and control power systems.

Within the sensor, the current flows through a U-bend in the lead frame, where it generates a forward or reverse field measured by two current sensors in the device. By measuring the field from both current directions, the device cancels out the external fields and magnetic anomalies which might be present.

This allows a horizontally-sensing AMR chip to ignore external fields generated from other nearby components on the board.

Electric vehicles

There is a tremendous amount of attention being paid to EVs right now. Much of the focus is on improving the efficiency of the powertrain, motors and on-board/off-board charging systems, as well as the performance of the battery pack, as they are all directly related to vehicle range and charging efficiency.

The proper application of current-sensing technology in these application areas can deliver significant advantages.

Figure 1. Modern current sensing technologies are available for a wide range of applications – from EVs & ADAS systems to home appliances, telecommunications & server farms

Since the motors are where the power is being spent, any improvement there will cascade benefits throughout the system, from increasing EV range to reducing thermal management needs. When it comes to driving motors, switching frequencies and control mechanisms are critical.

Effective motor control requires accurate performance measurement, and for that you need effective current sensors. For condition monitoring of motors for predictive maintenance, fast current sensors help to measure and monitor motor ripple currents to determine lifetime and performance parameters. On the protection side, the current sensor helps support safety by improving the control, accuracy and reliability of a motor drive.

Figure 2. Advantages of AMR-based current sensing versus other types of current sensing technologies

Delivering better performance than a shunt register or transformer, AMR technology can respond to DC or AC bi-directional current, with a bandwidth of 1.5 megahertz and a lower offset & less noise than Hall-effectbased solutions.

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February 2020

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Many EV power electronics and charging systems are migrating to advanced wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN), as the benefits provided include higher efficiency and the ability to increase the switching frequency.

A significant benefit of faster switching is the ability to shrink the size of the passives and magnetics in a circuit, with direct size and weight benefits.

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Feature Sensors However, when a circuit is switching faster, the ability to measure the performance parameters must be able to keep up, demanding real-time information from a fast and accurate current sensor. Monitoring the circuit in real-time enables advanced functionality like dynamic control of the power switching and motor drive frequency, as well as reliable and fast fault detection.

In the related areas of electric trains, industrial machines, traction and robotics, we are starting to see the use of reluctance motors, a winding-free design that generates torque through magnetic reluctance. Available in synchronous, variable, switched and variable-stepping configurations, reluctance motors can deliver high power density at low cost.

Problems with reluctance motors include high torque ripple at low speed, and the resulting noise. In addition, because of the extremely high temperatures involved, reluctance motors are usually deployed with a separate harness and control system. Advanced solutions using wide-bandgap SiC semiconductors and high bandwidth AMR sensors can take more heat, enabling size, weight and complexity reductions of the overall system, providing cascading benefits.

Constructed without copper coils in the rotor, reluctance motors can be lighter than comparable electric motors. However, the required control system is very complex, because if you don’t accurately control the current, which is related to torque, you’ll get a torque ripple and that generates noise issues.

Advanced fast current sensing improves control of the ripple current, which provides lower noise and a more reliable solution.

It’s important to consider the protection side again, because in high-power systems, you might want to switch the whole power stage off in 1.5 microseconds. If you look at that shutdown time budget, your step response needs to be less than 500 nanoseconds, and that’s going to become more stringent as we migrate into higher power and frequency levels.

Power factor correction

Used to reduce the lagging power factor in inductive loads, power factor correction (PFC) compensates for the phase difference

modulation (PWM) duty ratio, you need to have a high bandwidth for the ability to match the circuit’s switching frequency. Let’s say if your PFC switching frequency is being pushed to 65, 140, 200, 300 kilohertz, you ideally want 10 times the bandwidth of the switching frequency for the current sensor.

Smart manufacturing Figure 3. ACEINNA current sensors use a U-bend, with two AMR sensors to cancel out e ternal elds

There are various locations in an automated system where an AMR current sensor can be deployed to take advantage of its accuracy, bandwidth and step response. If you have a highly accurate sensor, then you can optimise your process and increase efficiency and productivity.

Figure 4. Variable switched reluctance motors can deliver high power density between voltage and current, since when the power factor drops, the system becomes less efficient.

To get 1 kW of real power at a 0.2 power factor, 5 kVA of apparent power needs to be transferred (1 kW ÷ 0.2 = 5 kVA). This can obviously severely impact performance in the case of inductive loads such as motors, refrigerators and HVAC systems, inverters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and similar applications.

Fast turn-on and -off time, fast reverse recovery and lower ON resistance of wide bandgap SiC and GaN based power switches are allowing effective use of totem pole architecture to improve efficiency of PFC and reduce the number of components used.

These benefits help power systems to achieve higher efficiency 80+ Gold and Titanium certifications.

For example, when it comes to ripple currents in the PFC in a totem pole, to measure current cycle-by-cycle to calculate the pulse-width

There is no precision without feedback: precise fast current feedback enables the highest levels of ef cient safe operation in advanced power electronics

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When it comes to smart manufacturing and smart factories, it’s really about automation and data exchange. In a system where powered devices are connected to intelligent infrastructure and the internet, you’ll also need power conversion. Power monitoring and management are critical to the optimal operation of smart assembly processes, with everything being measured in real-time.

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This performance advantage can be further leveraged by using AMR current sensing to determine how much the processor is being used, especially for applications involving AI, the cloud and data storage. AMR current sensors can also enable the use of power tracking for performance monitoring, optimisation of processor loading and thermal management.

Looking forward

Whether it’s for advanced EVs, entire smart factories, UPSs, inverters or motor drive, efficient and cost-effective power management is key to optimal performance. In applications from driving motors to powering 5G telecom, you want to be operating much faster and more effectively. Advanced current sensing enables a higher level of control, with higher efficiency, at higher frequencies and temperatures.

The next generation of embedded devices must be able to serve the latest application spaces in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Using AMR-based current sensing solutions to ensure that the electronics are performing at their best will pay off in cascading benefits throughout the entire system.

There is no precision without feedback.

Precise fast current feedback enables the highest levels of efficient and safe operation in an advanced powered circuit.

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Medical

Cover feature

Breaking down barriers in medical device designâ&#x20AC;Ś Designing new products for the medical device sector is extremely challenging and complex. The healthcare industry is quite rightly heavily regulated, with new products often used in life or death situations. Here, Russell Overend, Managing Director at multi-disciplinary product design & development consultancy, Wideblue explores the challenges of designing new MedTech products to help professionals and patients in the medical sector.

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ll manufacturers must comply with the EU Medical Device Directive in order to legally design and manufacture any medical device for use within the EU. A CE mark on the equipment certifies that the provisions of the Directive have been complied with. For companies wanting to sell into the USA, there are separate FDA laws to be complied with.

Regulatory changes

Changes currently underway are resulting in a large backlog in regulatory approvals. The Medical Device Directive is being replaced by new Medical Device Regulations. This will require new or additional certification for existing products. Some notified bodies (organisations designated to assess and certify conformity of products before they are placed on the market) have announced their intention to exit the CE marking review process.

Post-Brexit, UK companies selling medical devices in Europe fear their current notified body certification may no longer be valid.

Many companies are therefore now registering with EU notified bodies. All of these factors are driving up delays, worry and expense for regulatory compliance of medical devices. Companies seeking to bring new medical devices to market are well-advised to seek specialist help long in advance of any application.

Technology trends

Wideblue has worked with clients across a wide range of MedTech devices for more than a decade and has observed some common trends in the development of new medical devices that mirror technological advances across the board. In general, medical devices are becoming smaller and battery powered, meaning that ever more energy-efficient electronics have to be packed into smaller spaces, driving greater miniaturisation of electronic components.

Many new devices also have wireless capabilities built-in, with data being transmitted to a nearby device, server or remote site. Data

security, encryption and patient confidentiality are therefore key considerations, as patient data may be transmitted across multiple nodes. In terms of wireless network choice, there are trade-offs between speed, reliability and longevity; for instance, 5G may be fastest, but 2G, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi might be more reliable â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and more likely to be available in some scenarios.

Battery size also continue to reduce, but there are often trade-offs between size, cost and capacity. However, with battery technology advancing rapidly, in future, this may not be such an issue. If the device is to be worn by the patient (for instance, health monitoring

Designing new products for the medtech sector is extremely challenging & complex, since the healthcare industry is quite rightly heavily regulated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with new products often used in life or death situations.

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Cover feature Medical equipment), it must be small, comfortable and unobtrusive.

Case study: N-Tidal personal capnometer Wideblue has successfully developed a groundbreaking novel medtech device for its client, Cambridge Respiratory Innovations Limited (CRiL). The device, N-Tidal, is a small battery-powered personal capnometer, used to measure the amount of CO2 in exhaled breath.

Changes in CO2 concentration as a patient breathes in and out can be used to assess the health of a patient’s lungs. Currently, in normal hospital use, capnometers are large bedside machines connected to a patient’s face mask, or a sensor located in life support equipment.

N-Tidal is transformational and can be used as a personal, portable respiratory monitor.

In developing this new product innovation, Wideblue sought to miniaturise and simplify advanced technology to such a point that a handheld, battery-powered device could be developed for use by patients at home, as well as by GPs or respiratory specialists. Wideblue used an infrared LED, tuned to the peak CO2 absorption wavelength, developing some patented infrared optics to measure CO2 levels as the patient breathes through the device. Miniaturisation enabled the sensor to be located directly in front of the mouth – giving far better resolution of the CO2 concentration in each individual breath profile.

The device is used by the patient simply breathing in and out through a breath tube in a normal relaxed manner. A replaceable breath tube, with integrated infrared window, prevents

cross-contamination and means that the device can be used by multiple patients. Within seconds, a traffic light system (red, amber, green) on the device can tell the user the health status of their lungs, and will, if necessary, indicate whether a follow up message or call for further treatment is required. Electronics within the device capture data from the sensor, analyse the breath record and wirelessly transmit the data to a secure server.

Despite the high tech nature of the personal capnometer, the biggest challenges were miniaturisation, ergonomics and usability. There are other respiratory devices in use, such as peak flow meters and spirometers, but they are difficult for patients to use, requiring them to blow hard into a tube. As the first device of its kind, the personal capnometer had to be intuitive and simple to use. The device will be used by patients with respiratory-related diseases, such as asthma, COPD and CHF. Early clinical results show that data from the device can be used to predict attacks or exacerbations in advance, by measuring changes in CO2 profiles. Doctors can then decide if a change in medication is required to prevent an attack.

The device is currently undergoing clinical/user trials – and has already produced superb clinical results. Subject to successful completion of these trials – and regulatory approvals – we expect units to go into commercial production during 2020.

Wideblue has observed some common trends in the development of new medtech devices, mirroring technological advances across the board – including miniaturisation, battery advancements and sensing & wireless capabilities.

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Clients also increasingly demand that multiple functions run off single devices. Many low cost sensor and memory components can enhance medical device functionality or help with a new product’s postmarketing surveillance (PMS) requirements. Wideblue often add an ‘engineering function’ to new devices to log useful (non-confidential) data. Structured properly, this data can help demonstrate compliance with PMS responsibilities, such as logging usage frequency, battery voltage, ambient temperature/humidity, device performance and attempted misuse. This is considered a best practice approach to monitor how new devices are performing and being used. If a device is reliant on internet connectivity to operate, designers must consider denial-of-service, either though lack of signal or DDoS attacks, and this must be factored into the product’s ISO14971 risk assessment.

Conclusion

Award-winning product design & development consultancy, Wideblue was established in 2006 after a management buyout of the Polaroid Corporation’s European R&D division (working on its flagship instant camera range) – and became part of technology product design, development & manufacturing firm, Pivot International in April 2018. With deep expertise in imaging, optoelectronics and bio-medical engineering, and in-house skillsets spanning physics, optics, electronics and software, through to mechanical engineering, prototyping, medical devices, manufacturing and supply chain management, WideBlue has a track record of helping clients take innovative and novel product ideas from drawing board to prototyping, and on to full scale manufacture and commercialisation.

Sensors

Feature

The importance of accurate temperature monitoring for SoC-based systems The heat generated by advanced multicore system-on-chip (SoC) and programmable devices has become a major issue in electronics design. As Kim Majkowski, Global Product Manager for Power Management ICs at electronics distributor, Farnell tells us, although the voltages these integrated circuits require to run have fallen to below 1V, the devices still exhibit high peak current demands when the processors they contain need to run at full speed.

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ower dissipation across an individual SoC can vary significantly, as different cores are activated or as the compute demand changes over time. A SoC die can shift from relatively cool to hot within a matter of seconds as the software load increases. If operated at peak current for long periods, the local die temperature can rise to a value that could cause a thermal shutdown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or affect the performance and reliability of nearby components.

By monitoring the die temperatures of sensitive components, a system can avoid the problems caused by heat, by increasing the rotation speed of cooling fans, or reducing clock speeds to help reduce the temperature of an overheating component. As a result, accurate temperature monitoring is essential in systems that used advanced SoC and field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices.

On-die probes provide the most accurate way to determine the thermal conditions close to critical cores.

On-die temperature sensors

On-die temperature sensors take advantage of a property of semiconductor PN junctions. For

a PN junction of a given area, the voltage developed across the junction will have a characteristic value that is dependent on current flow and temperature. The temperature susceptibility is due to the presence of thermally generated carriers in the semiconductor. If current is maintained constant, any changes in voltage will be due to changes in temperature. Typically, in semiconductors, the voltage across a junction falls with temperature. However, if two different current levels are applied, one after the other, and the difference in voltage is measured each time, this will result in a small voltage delta between the two readings. A rise in absolute temperature leads to an increased delta in a near-linear relationship, providing a reliable basis for use in semiconductor temperature sensors.

The heat generated by advanced multicore SoC & programmable devices has become a major issue for electronics design engineers.

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Feature Sensors to the circuitry of interest that is then switched between two current sources of different magnitudes. The two voltage measurements that result from the current source are then provided to an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), and associated logic that computes the estimated temperature.

igure

Simpli ed block diagram of a remote diode temperature sensor

On the modern CMOS processes used to build complex SoCs, suitable PN junctions are easy to construct. Typically, the thermal probe is a bipolar transistor, with the base-emitter junction forming the required diode, and the collector tied to the device’s substrate.

The need for system-level thermal management

Although many components, particularly programmable devices, can monitor their own temperature, thermal problems frequently need to be solved at a system level. For example, controlling the speed of enclosure fans will change the cooling of all components in the system. To achieve system level control, the local die temperature for several devices must be monitored remotely.

Figure 2. 45nm CPU – BETA = 0.3 | MAX6692Y – (NON-BETA COMPENSATED In principle, it is simple to construct a full temperature sensor on the SoC for each area that requires thermal monitoring. The measurement involves forming the probe close

In practice, many system designers choose to employ remote temperature sensors, as they provide for greater levels of reliability and accuracy. If implemented entirely on the SoC die, the implementation of two current sources per thermal probe calls for the manufacturer to match the devices precisely, which is difficult in many commodity digital processes. By forming the current sources on a die made using a precision mixed-signal process, much greater measurement reliability is possible. Furthermore, fewer pins are needed on the SoC, as connections only need to be made to one transistor per monitored region, rather than two.

A secondary advantage of remote temperature sensors is that they allow you to monitor more than one hot spot with a single IC, and trigger alarms automatically. A basic single-remote sensor, such as the MAX6642, can monitor two temperatures: its own temperature, plus the temperature of a nearby SoC or FPGA. Other remote sensors monitor three or more external temperatures. The MAX31730, for example, can monitor its own internal temperature, and that of three external probes.

If the temperature of any of the inputs passes a programmable threshold, the device sets a status and records the temperature of the hottest channel in a dedicated register. The MAX31730 uses the SMbus to relay this information to a system controller.

To monitor more inputs, the designer can select a device such as the MAX6681, which has seven remote diode inputs. This could be used to monitor the temperatures of a pair of FPGAs with integrated thermal diodes, four board hotspots using discrete diode-connected transistors, and the temperature of the board at the MAX6681’s location. Another option is to deploy up to eight MAX31730 devices as slaves on the SMbus.

Ensuring accuracy when monitoring die temperature

Remote temperature sensors allow electronics system designers to monitor more than one hot spot with a single IC, and trigger alarms automatically.

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Although the remote temperature sensor approach has a number of advantages in system design, there are sources of error and inaccuracies that need to be taken into account by the engineering team.

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Feature Sensors If the series resistance is known, and can often be calculated using typical PCB trace resistances, then it is possible to correct for the temperature shift. Some sensors, such as the MAX31730 and others manufactured by Maxim, have automatic resistance cancellation, which avoids the need to compensate for this parasitic source of error.

Although the ideality factor is normally close to 1.01, its exact value will depend on the process and transistor design and is therefore a potential source of error. Most remote sensors will be optimised for a specific ideality factor. Maxim has several that are tuned for the value of around 1.008 typically found on advanced processes, such as those used in advanced FPGAs and SoCs. For a device with a different ideality factor, it is relatively straightforward to apply a correction in system-controller firmware.

Figure 3. Example of a remote temperature sensor from the MAX31730 data sheet Parasitic series resistance of some kind is inevitable in any circuit and will affect the temperature provided by the sensor device if compensation is not applied. Take a setup where the first bias current chosen is 100µA and the second 10µA. The voltage difference between the two will be proportional to the natural logarithm of the current of the first divided by the second. The absolute value

will be that log value multiplied by an ideality constant, which is normally close to 1, and kT/q, where k is the Boltzmann constant and q is the charge of the electron. If the series resistance is 1Ω, the voltage drop for the higher current source will be 100µV and 10µV for the second. The resultant measured temperature shift will be 0.45°C.

A further source of error can come from SoC-based thermal-probe transistors that suffer from a low current gain or beta value. If the transistor’s current gain is very low, the ratio of collector currents may not match the ratio of emitter currents and so cause an error in the calculated temperature. A 10% change in the collector current ratio can cause in reported temperature of approximately 12°C. This is not normally an issue for dedicated remote temperature sensor ICs, as they employ transistors with high current gain. But SoC transistors are fabricated on processes optimised for MOS rather than bipolar transistors, and so cannot guarantee high gain in these devices. When such transistors are employed, it may be best to use a remote sensor IC with beta compensation, although it is not always required.

If the beta is relatively uniform over the expected range of currents and temperatures, the effect may be small enough to ignore. For example, in tests of three samples of a microprocessor built on a 45nm process that exhibits a beta for bipolar transistors of around 0.3, the resulting error was less than ±1°C. However, where low beta is likely to lead to larger errors, remote sensors with beta compensation such as Maxim’s MAX31730, MAX6693 or MAX6581 can be applied.

Using remote temperature measurement, system designers can implement thermal controls to result in greater reliability, longer product lifetimes and less risk of disruptive thermal shutdowns.

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Thanks to devices in Maxim’s range that are tuned to different scenarios for remote temperature measurements, system designers can ensure they can implement thermal controls that are reacting to the true thermal situation inside their products. The result is greater reliability, longer product lifetimes and less risk of disruptive thermal shutdowns.

Medical

Feature

Transitioning from wearables to medical devices With population aging, ever more people need health support, resulting in sustained pressure on overall medical care spending. Due to this situation, authorities and health insurance companies are placing greater emphasis on prevention, health awareness and lifestyle. But as Jan-Hein Broeders, Healthcare Business Development Manager for Analog Devices’ Healthcare Business Unit explains, it’s not simply about exercising more or better nutrition intake – there is also more interest in monitoring certain vital body parameters. This is the reason why companies in the smart and health watch business have seen their revenue grow over the last few years.

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uying a health watch and measuring body parameters does not necessarily mean that you are living healthier. The trick to healthy living is that you’re monitoring certain body parameters over a long period of time to get more familiar with these numbers – and then using them to adapt your dayto-day life for better health.

This is a process that can help you to better understand how the body works, and how to reduce the cost of health over the long term.

This article references Analog Devices’ latest wearable VSM platform, as shown in Figure 1. ADI is not a manufacturer for final products. However, this platform has been designed as a reference to help electronics

igure

design engineers and system architects speed up the development process while designing newer, smarter and more accurate wearable devices for the professional and medical market.

A I’s EN II latest wearable SM (vital signs monitoring) platform

With population aging, ever more people need health support, resulting in sustained pressure on overall medical care spending. Consequently, authorities & health insurance companies are placing greater emphasis on prevention, health awareness & lifestyle.

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Feature Medical However, measuring biopotential signals at a single point like the wrist is nearly impossible.

You need to measure across the heart where these electric signals are being generated. For single spot measurement, optical technology is more appropriate. Light is sent into the tissue, and its reflection as a result of blood flow in the arteries is captured and measured.

From this optically received signal, beat-tobeat information can be retrieved. This technology sounds rather straightforward.

However, there are several challenges that can make the design really difficult, such as motion and ambient light. igure

Sensor board EN II watch platform

What, how & where we are measuring

A broad range of vital parameters can be measured with a wearable device. Depending on the overall objective, certain specifications are more important to measure than others.

The location of the wearable device on the body has a big impact on what can be measured and what cannot. The most obvious location is the wrist. We are accustomed to wearing a device on our wrist, which is the reason why so many products like smartwatches and wrist-worn devices are on the market.

Besides measuring on the wrist, the head is another good location for wearables. For example, headphones and earbuds are offered in different styles containing embedded sensors to measure parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation and temperature.

A third good location for wearables on the body is the chest. First generation heart rate monitors were designed around a chest strap and this biopotential measurement principle is still a very accurate technique. Today we tend to prefer a chest patch, as the strap is not very comfortable to wear. Several manufacturers are involved in the design of a smart patches to monitor vital parameters.

Depending on body location, we are not just faced with the choice of which parameters can be measured, but also to what technology should be used. For heart rate measurement, biopotential measurement is one of the oldest technologies. The signals are strong and easy to retrieve from the body by utilising two or more electrodes. For this approach, integration of the circuitry in a chest strap or headphones is perfect.

Analog Devicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GEN II wearable device reference platform has most of the previously described technologies on board. The device is designed to wear on the wrist, although, you can also remove the soft belt and attach the device to the body to use it as a smart patch. The device includes technology to support biopotential measurement, optical heart rate measurement, bioimpedance measurement, motion tracking and temperature measurement, all integrated in a tiny, battery-operated device.

The overall objective

Why did Analog Devices design a system like the GEN II watch? The goal for a system like this is to be able to measure, in an easy way, several vital parameters on the body. The device can simultaneously measure the parameters and store the results on an SD card, or send them over a BLE wireless connection to a smart device. Since the measurements are done simultaneously, it also can help to find correlation among the several measurements. Biomedical engineers, algorithm providers and entrepreneurs continuously are looking for new technologies, applications and use cases to detect diseases in an earlier stage, in order to minimise negative effects or damage to the body that might occur in the later stages.

A single measurement doesn t say anything

The new wearable system from Analog Devices is a unique device, due to its combination of embedded sensors, processing power and wireless communication.

Analog evicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; EN II wearable device reference platform includes technology to support biopotential measurement, optical heart rate measurement, bioimpedance measurement, motion tracking & temperature measurement, all integrated in a tiny, battery-operated device.

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The optical system is built around the ADPD107 optical analogue front end. It makes use of green LEDs to measure PPG and heart rate, while an infrared LED is integrated for proximity to detect when the device is attached to the human body. Biopotential ECG measurement is supported by two individual

Medical

Feature

AD8233 analogue front ends. One front end interfaces to the electrodes embedded in the device. One electrode at the backside of the device is touching one limb and a second electrode at the top of the device can be touched by the other limb (hand) to close the loop. A second analogue front end can be enabled to measure ECG with an external electrode. This allows the user to wear the device like a smart patch and connect the external electrodes directly to the chest.

The electrodes at the back side of the device have a double function. In addition to ECG measurement, these also can be used for electrodermal activity (EDA). EDA or galvanic skin response (GSR) is related to the conductivity of the skin, which can change due to emotion, coming from either an internal or external stimuli. The GEN II watch is able to detect this minute change in conductivity.

The circuit around this measurement principle, including the transmit- and receive-signal chain, is completely built with discrete components. It delivers a high level of accuracy at minimum power dissipation.

Last but not least, a temperature sensor for skin temperature measurement and a 3-axis ultralow power MEMS sensor (ADXL362) have been integrated. The MEMS sensor tracks motion. This can be used for motion profiling, but also artifacts due to motion can be compensated within the other measurements.

Motion is always an important aspect, because several vital parameters, including heart rate, SpO2 and respiration rate are very dependent on activity, and so motion of the body must be measured. A heart rate of 140 bpm is fine while you are jogging, but you might have to worry if it is 140 bpm while you are sitting on the couch. By combining various sensor signals, new applications can also be supported.

The ultra-low-power ADuCM3029 has been integrated to collect the sensor data and to run the algorithms. Figure 2 gives an overview of the integrated devices on the sensor board.

Stress & continuous blood pressure

For heart rate, either ECG or PPG measurement is needed, so this doesn’t require the combination of sensor outputs, unless we want to compensate for artifacts coming from motion. Use cases where multiple measurements are needed include stress management or continuous blood pressure monitoring.

The emotional state can be measured by monitoring changes in skin conductance.

This is just one parameter, but if we are going

igure

E

measurement combined with

to combine this with monitoring other parameters, such as heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), the value of the measurement increases a lot. Skin temperature also could be included as an additional input in measuring stress.

Blood pressure monitoring is another interesting use case. This is a very important parameter – but most of the systems are cuff-based, which is hard to integrate in a wearable and continuous system. However, there are certain techniques that can be used to measure blood pressure without the need for a cuff. One technology does this by making use of the pulse wave transmit time (PTT). The arterial PTT signal can be measured between the moment of contraction of the heart on the R-wave and the pulse arrival time in the finger. This transmit time has a direct correlation with blood pressure. Figure 3 shows a measurement of ECG in combination with PPG. The watch can be used for this measurement as it supports ECG and PPG measurement all in one device.

Proto to product

The GEN II watch has many high performance sensors and features embedded in a small wearable device. Besides the electronic design, many mechanical aspects have also been taken into consideration. This makes the platform very attractive to design companies and device manufacturers that are focusing on the semi-professional and professional sports markets, as well as on the medical market.

Several parameters can be measured simultaneously – however, algorithms need to complement the application and support the use cases. This device will give the developers and device manufacturers a quick start on the development process, cutting out the need to validate algorithms and build before testing.

The GEN II watch is available in limited quantities and ADI is interested in working with design companies and algorithm providers to develop a state-of-the-art system that can be sold to professional caregivers and health insurance companies. Some features already meet medical specifications, while others still need improvement – but ADI is definitely on the right track.

This device gives designers & device manufacturers a quick start on the development process, cutting out the need to validate algorithms & build before testing.

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Feature Sensors

How rugged solutions are bringing advanced sensing technology to the world’s most challenging environments…

Accurate sensing and regular monitoring are a necessity for maintaining safety, but for industries such as construction, transportation and mining, these highly precise and sensitive components must be able to withstand some of the world’s most challenging environments. Sensors need to be housed in industrial-grade enclosures to ensure reliability and continuous operation in extreme conditions. Here, Andy Bird, Managing Director at rugged enclosure & antenna solutions provider, GTT Wireless discusses some of the key requirements for protecting remote condition monitoring technology to ensure continuous operation.

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or industries that rely on operating equipment and infrastructure around the clock, sustained uptime is key to ensuring project efficiency and success. This is why increasingly, wireless remote condition monitoring is being employed in extreme rail, construction and engineering projects – but these assets themselves must be protected from the elements.

Take a rail network consisting of thousands of mission-critical assets, all spread across an extensive area. This is an industry where even a minor fault can lead to extensive delays and maintenance costs. The ability to remotely monitor and co-ordinate responses to issues as they develop is invaluable for maintaining uptime. In particular, the ability to monitor assets for potential failure contributes hugely to the smooth and effective operation of the network, which in turn builds brand reputation among partners and customers.

Accurate sensing & regular monitoring help ensure safety, but for industries such as construction, transportation & mining, these highly precise & sensitive components must be able to withstand some of the world’s most challenging environments.

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Remote asset visibility keeps operations moving

snow, dust and heat, as well as strong vibrations caused by passing trains.

By enabling technicians to remotely configure sensors and monitor infrastructure and asset conditions from any location – at any time – planning, maintenance scheduling and operational efficiency is greatly enhanced. The addition of wireless sensor connectivity also offers significant benefits above and beyond wired solutions by enabling faster, simpler deployment and configuration – but the environments can be tough.

Off-the-shelf technology suited to an air-conditioned office or sheltered indoor conditions brings with it a significant threat of failure – in a potentially remote location, at any time of day. Remote condition monitoring solutions therefore need to be IP67 rated as standard, as this guarantees consistent protection against moisture and other threats to electronics.

Hostile operating conditions

Day-to-day operations in the rail, construction and engineering sectors involve assets in use around the clock in highly challenging, constantly evolving conditions. For example, a sensor deployed to monitor the cant and twist of a rail track will have to contend with exposure to outdoor conditions such as rain,

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Hardware tailored to its environment

Of course, no two monitoring projects are the same. Each will require differing sensor types, connectivity and power sources depending on their deployment location and intended role.

Hardware protection is no different – there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, which is why a tailored modular IP67 (NEMA6) enclosure will ensure the highest possible level of resilience.

Sensors

Feature

The most effective enclosure solutions offer a high level of modularity, ranging from multiple sizes to an extensive range of add-on components – including customisable mounting brackets, antennas and M25 connectivity ports. If data relays require solar panels as a back-up power source or an alternative antenna to introduce 3G connectivity, these should be seamlessly integrated into the existing enclosure without comprising on protection.

Case in point: Senceive

Take our industry partner Senceive, a leading provider of robust wireless condition monitoring solutions, with a customer base that spans 40 countries worldwide. Its solutions support some of the world’s most complex and prestigious construction and transport projects – including HS2 and Crossrail.

The main sensor nodes are IP66/68 rated to resist the dangers of deployment deep underground, exposure to the elements or in highly remote locations. But beyond rugged sensors, it is vital that Senceive’s 3G Gateways – which relay critical data captured by the geotechnical sensors – are equally resilient to challenging deployment conditions to ensure continued operation of this mission-critical monitoring and reporting.

Protecting data transfer

Senceive’s 3G Gateways are housed in GTT Wireless mSmartBox® enclosures to protect the sensitive electronics and battery source that ensure constant connectivity for frequent reliable data transfer. This protection underpins the successful operation of the complete remote condition monitoring solution.

For Senceive’s end-customers, where project success and safety can be impacted by the smallest of unidentified structural displacement, it is important to ensure the geotechnical sensors can continuously transmit data back through the Senceive 3G Gateway for reporting and analysis. Rugged 3G antennas are key, with full IP67 rating and weatherproof N-type plugs to ensure antenna installation does not introduce vulnerability due to harsh conditions.

The industry applications are broadening

Wireless remote condition monitoring is becoming increasingly important in order to maintain the highest levels of safety and operational efficiency, whether this is on rail networks, underground construction projects or even high-rise buildings.

As sensing solutions further develop and become even more resilient, precise and connected, we will see them unlock further opportunities, such as predictive maintenance for infrastructure and remote assets. But for now, expect monitoring technology to continue being deployed to support the world’s most complex construction, engineering and transport projects.

As sensing solutions develop to become even more resilient, precise & connected, they will unlock further opportunities, such as predictive maintenance for infrastructure & remote assets.

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Feature Medical

Cleaning: the key to fully functioning medical electronic assemblies As the ageing global population rises, and interest from developing markets escalates, growth in innovative MedTech devices is rising at an astounding rate. The medical electronics market size was valued at $73.3billion in , and is e pected to see a A R growth of from to And as Jay Tourigny, Senior Vice President at medical device cleaning & lubricating specialists, MicroCare tells us, technology is also driving the pace of advancement in this sector, with design engineers focused on increasing capability and reducing the size of components. PCBAs (printed circuit board assemblies) are now smaller and more complex than ever before, making it more challenging for electronic device manufacturers to ensure production is completed ef ciently and without error Regulations imposed on the medical sector to ensure superior uality of medical devices is putting further pressure on manufacturers to produce fail-safe assemblies.

P

roducing anything less than 100% reliable electronic devices is simply non-negotiable within the medical sector. Consider a pacemaker, which helps to monitor and control a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartbeat. If the PCBA within this device were to fail, it would be catastrophic. Another example is the cochlear implant. The components inside such devices need to last for many years. They therefore have to contain components that will stand the test of time and function reliably and without fault. When you add to this the continued miniaturisation of medical devices, limiting the potential of malfunction can prove challenging.

PCBAs are now smaller & more complex than ever before, making it more challenging for electronic device manufacturers to ensure production is completed ef ciently without error

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Vapour degreasing reduces the risk of bioburden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; critical when it comes to medical devices

Contamination: a main cause of device failure

One of the main causes of electronic device failure is contamination on the PCBA. The smallest contaminant can form a barrier between electrical contacts. Dirty PCBAs are susceptible to a whole host of problems, ranging from electrochemical migration and delamination to parasitic leakage, dendrite growth and shorting. Cleaning is crucial to ensuring the reliability of a device.

Almost all medical devices require cleaning during manufacture to remove particulate, flux, oils or inorganic contamination resulting from the manufacturing process. The challenge is to identify a process that is suitable for the critical cleaning of complex assemblies, intricate shapes and delicate parts. It must also stand up to the strict

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regulations put in place by governing bodies.

An example of this is the benchmark standard IEC 60601-1. This has been provided by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and is specifically designed for medical electrical equipment and systems. It covers a wide variety of electronic devices, from diagnostic equipment to cardiac defibrillators and patient monitors. It necessitates that the basic safety and essential performance of the medical device be maintained. Cleaning is one of the central practices to help to meet this requirement.

The processes used in the development and manufacture of medical electronics must be precise and reliable. They must pass tough regulatory requirements, because patient safety is always the priority. Therefore, cleaning should always be one of the first considera-

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Feature Medical tions for manufacturers. Improved cleaning directly translates to more effective PCBAs, and, therefore, to better medical electronics.

Modern, non-flammable, environmentallyprogressive cleaning fluids, specifically designed for a vapour degreasing system, can make a substantial enhancement to performance, reliability and longevity.

It also has the benefit of reducing the risk of bioburden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; critical when it comes to medical devices.

Reliability calls for modern cleaning methods

We have established that cleaning is key to reliability, but how do you implement effective cleaning processes for electronic devices that contain small, multi-layered, complex PCBAs? There are several methods to clean PCBAs, from in-line aqueous cleaning, to benchtop cleaning, but the process that comes out on top for its effectiveness to deliver perfectly clean and dry PCBAs every time is vapour degreasing.

In the medical electronics industry, the process of cleaning compact PCBA configurations can be difficult. Consideration has to be given to the solder joints found within these devices. If defective, they can cause a large proportion of PCB failures, so removing any harmful contaminant and residue is key to their success. Advanced modern cleaning methods enable engineers to specify stronger, more active fluxes, which results in better solder joints, eliminating problems with cold joints, insufficient wetting, bridging and shorts. However, these more robust fluxes can be problematic to remove.

It is predominantly because of this challenge that vapour degreasing is a favoured choice when it comes to cleaning PCBAs. Vapour degreasing not only ensures the cleanliness of the device, but also satisfies the economic and regulatory requirements necessary within medical electronic manufacturing. Medical device companies value safety, quality and reliability in order to minimise liability and maximise performance and profits.

Many of the challenging production and performance issues encountered can be reduced with the correct cleaning of PCBAs and mechanical medical assemblies.

Vapour degreasers offer a simple process that is effective at removing contaminants. The low viscosity and surface tension ratings of modern cleaning fluids used within a vapour degreaser, combined with their volatility, allow them to clean very effectively, especially under bottom termination components, such as BGAs,

Improperly cleaned PCBAs are susceptible to electrochemical migration, delamination, parasitic leakage & dendrite growth CSPs, MLFs, QFNs and D-Paks. Removing contaminant under and around tightly-spaced components is a challenge. The reduction in pitch between conductors collects and traps contaminants like solder balls, making cleaning even more complicated. In some instances, active fluxes or flux residue may also stay on the PCBA after reflow in wave machines, or after hand-soldering.

Medical device electronics, such as this pacemaker, must function reliably & without fault Vapour degreasing ensures all surfaces of the PCBA will be effectively cleaned and free of contamination. For designers, this means they are not limited in product design, therefore medical electronic advancement can flourish in the knowledge that devices can be cleaned reliably, reducing the risk of malfunction.

odern cleaning uids are helping to advance design

What is really transforming vapour degreasing is the advancement in solvent technology. It is not just the medical industry seeking cleaning methods to ensure device reliability. The pursuing use of miniaturised electronics in all industries, from automotive through to consumer electronics, calls for better cleaning processes and fluids to deliver quality cleaning results.

Advances in solvent technology means vapour degreasing will not only be the most reliable cleaning process, without the risk of bioburden, but also the most cost-effective & sustainable solution.

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February 2020

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Bioburden is when bacteria remain on a surface that has not been sterilised. This can be challenging within the cleaning process, particularly if aqueous cleaning is used, because water is a primary growth medium for bacteria. Water and many detergents are a natural breeding ground for bacteria and mould, meaning bioburden control is an ongoing issue when cleaning devices with any water-based system.

Even a minuscule amount of moisture in hard-to-reach areas can encourage the growth of bacteria. If it is not properly addressed, it can result in increased complications during the validation of the product, and issues with the reliability of the device. For this reason, medical device manufacturers tend to stay away from aqueous cleaning, preferring to use solvent-based cleaning fluids, which are hostile to pyrogens, minimising bioburden risk. Vapour degreasing also reduces the possibility of bioburden contamination, because assemblies come out clean, dry, spot-free and cool enough for immediate coating or packaging.

Progressive cleaning is the answer

Device performance has to be the most fundamental concern for manufacturers.

As the trend in circuit board miniaturisation continues, the complexity and high density design of PCBAs causes a greater likelihood for cleaning challenges and consistency problems. Within the medical industry this could mean life or death, so reliability is of paramount importance.

Vapour degreasing and modern cleaning fluids offer a new answer. It enables a critical cleaning process that ensures contaminated PCBAs are not the cause of any failure. Advances in solvent technology means vapour degreasing will not only be the most reliable cleaning process, without the risk of bioburden, but also the most cost-effective and sustainable solution.

Progressive next-generation cleaning fluids allow for better PCBAs to be built and deployed, therefore creating new capabilities for the future of medical electronics.

Test & measurement

Feature

How performance testing can help protect EEE manufacturers from negative consumer reviews Manufacturers increasingly need to consider their products from the perspective of how happy consumers are with their purchase. Negative reviews by customers on online sites can have a catastrophic impact on sales. 88% of consumers now state website ratings and reviews as their primary source of information when considering buying a product. To retain competitive advantage, therefore, manufacturers need to ensure customers are happy. David Linder, Technical Manager at inspection, verification, testing & certification company, SGS explains how thorough performance testing can help reduce product recall risks, cut costs and protect EEE (electrical & electronic equipment) manufacturers from negative consumer reviews.

T

he key to having happy consumers is understanding their expectations – and then either matching or exceeding them.

Usability forms a large part of those expectations. Usage assessment has therefore become one of the most important tools available to a manufacturer when helping them define and anticipate user feedback.

Products must also be ‘fit-for-use’. A ‘fitness-for-use’ assessment identifies possible weaknesses and allows manufacturers to compare their products with their competitors’. This allows a manufacturer or supplier to position their product in the right competitive environment. It will also help mitigate some of the risk associated with negative feedback.

‘Fitness-for-use’ assessments match the prime areas of usage that are commented on by consumers. These include: • Instructions to user • Handling • Performance • Durability • Usage Negative reviews in any of these areas can result in a drop in future sales.

Which protocols need to be applied to the product will, of course, depend on the type of product. For electrical & electronic equipment (EEE) products, a range of testing protocols

have been developed by SGS to help manufacturers and suppliers monitor and rate their products. These include: • Power tools – drills, grinders, etc • Garden tools – lawnmowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, etc • Household appliances – steam irons, coffee makers, hair dryers, etc • Audio/video products – TVs, hi-fi, portable audio devices, headphones, etc

ing to consumers that the declared characteristics have been thoroughly and independently tested and validated.

The starting point for any testing protocol is the perspective of the user. It is therefore the ideal way to anticipate possible consumer feedback.

These tests can also be used to identify weaknesses, allowing timely rectification, in addition to mitigating against negative reviews. For example, user guides can be modified, or parts and components can be replaced, if the tests reveal a problem. SGS can also support manufacturers during the rectification work, helping them to understand the test results and provide suggestions for improvement.

Performance certification can also be used by manufacturers and suppliers to help differentiate their product in the marketplace.

Following testing, the certification can be displayed on packaging, thereby demonstrat-

SGS offers a comprehensive range of ‘fitness-for-use’ testing services at its high-tech lab facilities. They can conduct both performance and endurance tests, which can be replicated exactly to allow accurate comparisons between models.

Performance tests can be used to identify product weaknesses, allowing timely recti cation, in addition to mitigating against costly negative reviews

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February February 2020 2020

31

News & Products

The products pages are the only pages you need to catch up with the latest releases.

To contact us about getting your product on these pages, send an email to Richard.Woodruff@IMLGroup.co.uk

Rugged, modular MIL 83513 1.27mm pitch connector with captive fixings suits thick PCBs and AWG24 cable Nicomatic’s easy-touse EMM series suits harsh-environment defense applications

Pickering Interfaces presented with Queen’s Award for Outstanding Short Term Growth in Overseas Sales Exports running at 95% with three years of 25% average annual growth

September 04 2019 Bon-en-Chablais, France: Nicomatic SA, the leading manufacturer of high-performance interconnect systems, has announced new features for its rugged micro connector, the 1.27 mm pitch EMM series, which targets defense and other high-reliability applications. The MIL 83513-style connectors that require a significantly smaller footprint than the closest industry competitor now feature captive screw fixings and can be used with thicker PCBs and larger diameter cables.

Pickering Interfaces, the leading supplier of modular signal switching and simulation solutions for use in electronic test and verification, was recently presented with a Queen’s Award for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years.

Captive screw fixings provide the fastest locking solution available, since there is no need to tighten alternative sides repeatedly. They also ensure that screws are never lost.

Receiving the award from HM Lord Lieutenant, Mrs. Jennifer Tolhurst, Pickering CEO, Keith Moore commented: “Pickering is a family-run business and we are honoured to have won such a prestigious award. Our aim is to support customers in hi-tech industries by providing highly-reliable solutions for their specific problems, rather than selling them a ‘catalogue part’.

For further information please visit: www.nicomatic.com

For more information, visit www.pickeringtest.com.

Ultra-compact 200W desktop power supply from FiDUS features Gallium Nitride switching

OMC’s FDH1M SMA fibre optic housing wins Elektra Award 2019 for Excellence in Product Design, High Reliability Systems

2.5x smaller than comparable products FiDUS Power, the technical power supply distributor specializing in innovative solutions and new products that benefit system designers as they seek to differentiate their end products, sets a new bar for the size of external power supplies with the launch of the new model GDA200. The use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) rather than silicon semiconductor switches provides increased efficiency, reduced heat losses and operation a higher-frequencies, allowing the size of magnetics and other components to be reduced. The result is an amazingly-compact 200W external desktop power supply with market leading 12.5W/In³ power density.

Enables consistent, reliable, extended-lifetime datalinks in contaminated environments; secure and tamper-proof December, 2019…OMC, the pioneer in optoelectronics design & manufacture, has won the coveted Elektra Award 2019 for Excellence in Product Design, High Reliability Systems. The Cornwall, UK-based company has an enviable reputation for producing high-quality, innovative fibre-optic systems and providing solutions for challenging applications in industries ranging from aerospace through to medical. Its FDH1M SMA fibre optic housing was specifically designed for datalink applications in environments with airborne contaminants.

Datalinks are among the most challenging types of fibre optic system to specify, design and manufacture consistently.

To evaluate a free sample, please call +44 (0)1183 420730.

For further information please visit: www.omc-uk.com

BlaizeTM Emerges from Stealth to Transform AI Computing

New Lattice CrossLink-NX FPGAs Bring Power and Performance Leadership to Embedded Vision and Edge AI Applications

Blaize, formerly known as Thinci, unveils the first true Graph-Native silicon architecture and software platform built to process neural networks and enable AI applications with unprecedented efficiency

• First Product on New Lattice Nexus FPGA Platform • Up to 75% Lower Power Compared to Similar Class Competitive Devices

News Highlights • Blaize Graph Streaming ProcessorTM (GSP) architecture: the first to enable concurrent execution of multiple neural networks and entire workflows on a single system, while supporting a diverse range of heterogeneous compute intensive workloads • Fully programmable solution brings new levels of flexibility for evolving AI models, workflows, and applications that run efficiently where needed, a breakthrough for dynamic intelligence at the edge

HILLSBORO, OR – December 10, 2019 – Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC), the low power programmable leader, today announced the first FPGA developed on its new Lattice Nexus™ FPGA platform, CrossLinkNX™. This new FPGA provides the low power, small form factor, reliability, and performance that developers need to create innovative embedded vision and AI solutions for communications, compute, industrial, automotive, and consumer systems.

• Directly addresses technology and economic barriers to AI adoption via streamlined processing that yields 10-100x improvement in systems efficiency, lower latency, lower energy, and reduced size and cost

According to Patrick Moorhead, president and founder of Moor Insights & Strategy, “Technology trends like 5G connectivity, cloud-based analytics, factory automation and the smart home are driving demand for embedded vision solutions that support machine learning.

For Further information please visit: Blaize.com

For more information about Lattice, please visit www.latticesemi.com

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News & Products

The products pages are the only pages you need to catch up with the latest releases.

To contact us about getting your product on these pages, send an email to Richard.Woodruff@IMLGroup.co.uk

Measuring the oxygen content of blood with LEDs Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for determining haemoglobin (Hb) saturation through oxygen in the blood and heart frequency. It uses the fact that oxygenrich and oxygen-poor haemoglobin absorb red and infrared light differently.

The right components are essential to reliably determine the oxygen content of blood. LEDs with high performance, constant quality and low scattering are needed as light sources. With the WL-SMTW and WL-SITW series, Würth Elektronik has suitable red and infrared LEDs in its portfolio. In addition there is a matching light sensor available: The phototransistor WL-STTW can reliably detect both red and infrared light.

Mornsun 80-150W Salt Spray-resistance AC/DC Converter LI Series for Marine Industry

Mornsun 80-150W AC/DC converter LI series is a high-reliability converter for offshore equipment. The new LI series has been designed with reliable technology to meet the requirements of salt spray test and vibration test, and its wide input voltage range of 85-305VAC/100-430VDC meets the upper and lower limits of unstable fluctuations voltage equipment such as shipboard engines, which make this LI series ideal for electrical equipment requirements of the marine environment.

The perfect emitter-detector combination from Würth Elektronik for pulse oximetry and other IR applications is available from stock in any quantity.

In addition, the product features 3000VAC isolated voltage, EMC performance meets the equipment requirements of the bridge and deck area, and protection including input under-voltage, over voltage, output short circuit, over voltage, over current protection.

Further information at www.we-online.com/infrared

For further information please visit www.mornsun-power.com.

New, high contrast OLED displays with SPI and I²C

New Kikusui PWX DC Power Supplies - 750W or 1.5kW, LXI and rack-able

MMS Electronics Ltd now offers four models of the EA OLED displays. The EA OLEDM204 is an alphanumeric display that functions as a 4x20, 3x20 or 2x20 display. Three graphic displays: The small EA OLEDS102-6 (102x64 pixel / 36x25 VA), EA OLEDM128-6 (128x64 / 51x31 VA) and larger EA OLEDL128-6 (128x64 / 64x37 VA).

The displays are a slim design and plug into a 0.1” pitch socket or solder directly into the PCB. No ZIF sockets, fasteners or glue is required hence saving assembly cost. The displays offer excellent readability, high contrast, wide viewing angle and fast response time over the whole temperature range of -40°C to +80°C. SPI and I²C Interface.

For further information visit www.mmselectronics.co.uk or call 01943 877668

PWX is a new series of DC power supply in only 1U height, for rack or bench use. With outstanding power per volume, all models allow Constant Volts or Constant Current operation. A 19-inch wide geometry allows close stacking on top of each other is achieved by cooling design with air flowing from the front to the back. With USB, RS-232C, and LAN interfaces as standard, an essential for system upgrades.

Two output power specifications are available: 750 W and 1500. A wide range of voltage and current settings can be combined within its output power rating (3 times). Rated output voltage 30V, 80V ,230V and 650V. For more information please visit: www.telonic.co.uk

Increase of Power Supplies Suitable for Medical Applications Components Bureau extends its range of Medical power supplies from Cosel, the new PCA Series AC-DC Power Supplies are available. The PCA series comprises of 3 models offering power range from 300W - 1000W and meets 2MOPP, EN606011 certification.

Comes packaged in 89mm x 41mm x 152mm (without terminal block and screw).

Average efficiency up to 93% with an operating temperature of -20°C ~ 70°C. Input range 85-264V AC and output voltages 5V, 12V, 15V, 24V, 32V & 48V. The PCA series key features include -only 1U high full function power supply, remote on/ off, various alarms, constant current operation, parallel/redundancy operation, EN & UL approved and comes with 5 years warranty.

Other features include low leakage current (<0.5mA), Output voltage adjustable close to 0V, 1U High, Low Noise Fan and Communication Function.

For more information please visit: www.componentsbureau.com or call +44 (0) 1480 412233

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Increase of Power Supplies Suitable for Medical Applications

February 2020

33

Editorial

Column

STEM Matters:

IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards 2019 The IET’s prestigious and long-running Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards have been celebrating women working in engineering since 1978 – and aim to help change the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls. As well as highlighting female engineering talent, the E Awards seek to nd role models who can help address the science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women. Only 12% of those working in engineering and technical occupations are women (source Engineering )

Mark radwell, Editor

T

he winners of the 42nd annual YWE Awards were announced at IET London: Savoy Place on 5th December 2019. Three exceptional young female engineers were recognised in a ceremony hosted by broadcaster, comedian and co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party, Sandi Toksvig. Broadcaster and diversity advocate, June Sarpong, recently appointed as the BBC’s first Director of Creative Diversity, also spoke at the event.

IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year was awarded to Ying Wan Loh (28), a Manufacturing Engineer for Rolls-Royce. Ying completed an MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture & Management at the University of Cambridge.

During this time, she co-founded a technology start-up that developed rapidly and won the CSSA UK High-Tech Entrepreneurship Bronze Award. As a keen STEM ambassador, Ying aspires to combine her passion in arts and engineering to engage and inspire the next generation of engineers.

On winning, she said: “I am so honoured to receive this award. This award isn’t just about me, it’s about all the outstanding women changing the world through engineering. The IET gives female engineers a voice to be heard and I want to use this platform to raise the profile of women in STEM and capture the imagination of young girls everywhere, showing them that they too can be an engineer.”

IET Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices

Samantha Magowan (21) is an Applications Engineer for Dale Power Solutions. Samantha started out in a rotational apprenticeship, trying all business departments to find out exactly what she liked. In her current role, Samantha works out customers’ exact requirements and then figures out solutions.

After winning the award, she said: “It feels amazing to have my work recognised on a

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February 2020

national scale. Apprenticeships are a fantastic route to take and I want to thank my company for the amazing opportunities they have given me.”

ing industry. The award aims to showcase innovation and good practice, recognising the support and encouragement of women in STEM careers.

o en s ngineering Society (WES) Award

This was won by Wing Commander Glynis Dean. Glynis led the Royal Air Force Youth & Diversity Team from its inception in 2008 until she retired in December 2018. She was among the first to recognise that a growing gap in the availability of STEM skills nationally would impact the long-term future of the RAF, so she grew the RAF Youth & Diversity programme, with the driving aim of encouraging more girls to choose STEM subjects at GCSE and consider a career in engineering.

Dr Claire Lucas (33) is an Associate Professor of Systems & Information Engineering at the University of Warwick. Claire is a Director of Studies for Systems & Information Engineering, where she is responsible for teaching activity in Systems, Biomedical & General Engineering. She was recognised for her dedication to inspiring the future generation of female engineers.

She said on winning: “It feels amazing to have won this prize. It is my passion that no girl will ever be the only girl in a science or maths class, or have their voice ignored – it’s why I do what I do.”

Finalists Charlotte Buffey (Material Laboratories Degree Apprentice, Rolls-Royce), Amber O’Connor (Engineering Programme Manager/ Equipment Health Monitoring & Performance, Siemens) and Shrouk El-Attar (Electronic Design Engineer, Renishaw) were all highly commended. All winners and finalists will play an ambassadorial role for the engineering and technology professions in the forthcoming months, promoting engineering careers to girls and young people.

New to the awards this year, the IET created the Gender Diversity Ambassador Award, which recognises an individual’s hard work in achieving gender equality within the engineer-

Glynis was nominated by her RAF colleagues for being an inspiration and making a significant contribution to engineering gender diversity by attracting and retaining women in engineering.

On winning, she said: “I am honoured and delighted to be the first recipient of this award.

Improving the gender balance in engineering is a marathon rather than a sprint, requiring commitment, drive and staying power.”

Jo Foster, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the IET, said: “I’d like to congratulate our fantastic winners and highly commended recipients of this year’s Awards.

They are inspirational and a real credit to the engineering profession – and will play a huge part in altering the perception of what a career in engineering and technology can look like.

It’s vital we champion engineering careers to the next generation – it’s a diverse, creative and exciting career, which offers the opportunity to do something life – or even – world-changing.”

Guide to Suppliers ied about the skills gap in STEM, this data is terrifying. Such an rstanding and awareness about the work of engineers and scientists Automation & Consumables so finding that 65% of young people aged 11 to 19 don’t know much For Alland Your 68% SMT equipment and ience do, don’t know much about what those working consumable requirements y have serious and far-reaching implications for all of us...

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Long term stock agreements working for you Flexible delivery around your needs …

Whether you know when you require the stock or not, you can either pre-set the delivery on specific dates, or simply let us know as you need the stock by calling off throughout the period.

1. Quote and order

2. Agreement start

Sourcing, negotiating on your behalf, providing fixed ricing and confirming all costs and options up front including the expected start date.

We’ll inform you when the stock first arrives at our site in Colchester, at which point the agreement period will start*.

3. Pay for what you use, when you use it

4. We’ll keep track for you

We will invoice you when we deliver your goods, with a final invoice for the last delivery with any remaining stock.

We will send you a monthly update informing you of the balance of stock and the period left. We’ll also give you some advanced notice for when the agreement will end.

*Our long term stock agreements are non-cancellable but we will always endeavour to help you with any challenges you have regarding changes in customer demand. Agreements can be renewed.

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