Electronics News August 2012 by Prime Creative Media

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news Australia’s Premier Electronics Magazine

www.electronicsnews.com.au INSIDE

AUGUST 12

News 4

Spintronics in Sydney International scientists bring cutting-edge research to conference Technology 8

Atomic shadow Quantum computing implications as researchers photograph the shadow of an atom Feature 10

Smart grids, smart meters How a little grey box can empower consumers and utilities to optimise energy use, and counter the rising cost of electricity Feature 14

What interference? The complex history and technology behind the prevention of interference in wireless communication Feature 16

Post Print Approved PP255003/00319

Talking cars From seatbelts to smart safety systems: what’s next for automotive safety and management? Page 18

Transition to cloud Taiwan’s plans to move from hardware to cloud services thought leader and provider Electronex Preview 24

Show sneak peek Who will be there, and what to expect at the 2012 Electronex exhibition and SMCBA conference

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NEWS

news

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Developments that shape our future

Published five times a year Reed Business Information Pty Ltd Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue Chatswood NSW 2067 Tel: (02) 9422 2999 Fax: (02) 9422 2977 www.electronicsnews.com.au ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@reedbusiness.com.au EDITOR Kevin Gomez Tel: (02) 9422 2976 kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Isaac Leung Tel: (02) 9422 2956 isaac.leung@reedbusiness.com.au

Kevin Gomez Editor

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Next Issue • Future Awards winners and roundtable

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AC MAINS FILTERS

• Medical electronics • Test & Measurement • System Design • EDA/Software Modelling

THIS issue of Electronics News features a new section where we throw five probing questions at key industries personalities and present their rather responses. Quite aptly, this section is titled “5 minutes with ...”. It seems our first guest to be featured has applied the title of the section to describe the longevity of Australia’s electronics industry (see page 31). Perhaps unfairly so. There are many who believe that Australia’s electronics industry will evolve in the years ahead as we adapt to new technologies. It’s also just a matter of time before our politicians and administrators wake up to that fact that the country is falling behind. As has just happened in Brazil. Faced with an inadequate network, Brazil’s telecommunications commission barred the country’s service providers from adding any new subscribers until they demonstrated concrete plans to boost their infrastructure spending. The threat worked like a charm; that country will now see an annual spend of US$12 billion on telecommunications. This will mean heaps more switches, exchanges, relays, links. And engineering work. The automotive sector is another area that could use our expertise. The electronics inside cars is done by the majors but there are exciting developments with electric vehicles especially in the area of charging stations. Around half the cars manufactured in 12 to 15 years are forecast to be electric

and emerging wireless charging technologies could open up new avenues for our best and brightest. In fact, the innovative wireless charging technology was originally developed in New Zealand, at the University of Auckland. The sub 300 kHz system is based on inductive charging across the air gap between a transmitting pad in the road surface and a receiving pad on the underside of a vehicle. As we manoeuvre to find our niche, the world is beginning to see a shift in the balance of power with China no longer content to be a mere mass manufacturer of electronics products. For example, power supplies of the future will unlikely sport the familiar Underwriters Laboratories UL logo but instead, the new standard (GB 4943.12011) developed by China. Well, since they make most of the world’s power supplies, why not make them to their own, different standard. If this logic flows through to other electronics products, it will have a wide ranging impact on the industry. Closer home we have our own champions making their mark. This year’s Future Awards has attracted an exciting field of entries and the judges will have a challenging time picking winners in the seven categories. We look forward to meeting the winners at the awards presentation and round table on 12 September during Electronex. kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

Available from Hi-Q Electronics Limited

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

ASI’S SHORT AND SWEET CHALLENGE THE AUSTRALIAN Solar Institute’s 3-minute Solar Thesis Challenge has been won by a presentation about melting glass to make low-cost silicon solar cells. The challenge was for early-career researchers to use three slides and three minutes only to convince a panel of solar researchers and the audience of their project’s significance. The presentation by Jonathan Dore from the University of NSW was named PhD winner and overall People’s Choice. Kean Yap from Charles Darwin University was named Postdoctoral Fellow winner for his presentation on ways to optimise hybrid solar-diesel systems in remote areas using smart grids. At the same event, Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson announced $1.3 million in new funding for two ASI PhD scholars and five ASI Postdoctoral fellows. The Australian Solar Institute is a $150 million commitment by the Australian Government to support the development of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies in Australia. In 1 January 2013, ASI will join the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

MICRON BUYS ELPIDA MICRON Technology will become the world’s second largest supplier of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) following a decision to purchase Elpida and Rexchip. The DRAM rankings of Q1 2012 were topped by Samsung Electronics, then Hynix Semiconductor and Elpida, with Micron coming fourth, with $759 million in revenue and 12.2 percent market share. By purchasing the bankrupt Elpida for US $2.5 billion, Micron boosts its revenue and market share to $1.5 million and 24.8 percent (Q1 2012 figures), taking out the second position. It also nearly doubles its DRAM manufacturing base, and will give it access to Elpida’s mobile DRAM technology. The global DRAM industry revenue in 2012 is forecast to reach $30.5 billion, up 3.3% from $29.6 billion in 2011. This growth is in marked contrast with the market’s 25 percent contraction last year. DRAM revenue will exceed $30 billion each year for the next five years and reaching $39 billion in 2016.

4 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

AUTOMOTIVE

Electric car partnership HOLDEN’s upcoming Volt electric car will utilise Better Place infrastructure for renewable energy and fast charging. The Volt, besides being an electric vehicle, also carries new safetyboosting telematics features. It will be the first in the Holden range of vehicles to have Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning. The car is powered by GM’s electric propulsion system, with a 16.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack (complete with liquid thermal management system and active control) and electric drive unit capable of driving 87km on electric power alone. Output is 111kW at 5000 rpm, and the electric drive provides 370Nm motoring torque. The range is extended via a 1.4L petrol-powered generator which maintains enough charge in the batteries to power the wheels until the car can be recharged. The total range is over 600km. Better Place will develop a number of membership packages for Volt customers including the installation of a ‘Charge Spot’ unit at home or work, and zero emissions charging provided through the purchase of renewable energy or

The Volt uses a battery pack backed up by a petrol-powered generator. 100 percent Government certified renewable energy certificates. Holden says the Volt can charge from a regular household outlet, taking less than 6 hours to completely charge on a 240V 10A supply, but customers who choose a Better Place Charge Spot will be at full charge in under four hours. Because the Volt has a petrolbased backup system, it is not restricted in range compared to other standard electric vehicles. However, drivers are expected to

MEDICAL

INDUSTRIAL

Samsung: world’s largest display manufacturer THE newly-minted Samsung Display is now the world’s largest display manufacturer, after it was created during the beginning of July by merging the Samsung Mobile Display and S-LCD corporations. According to the business, it now has 39,000 employees and 7 production facilities globally. The merger will lead to “synergistic benefits”. Samsung Displays says the merger will make it more efficient to manage, while optimising its LCD and OLED business initiatives It will also combine OLED production technology with precision large panel operations and estab-

prefer to drive on battery only wherever possible. Better Place says it will provide a turnkey solution, including the installation of personal charging spots at home or work, and ongoing management, maintenance, and 24-hour customer care. Better Place will also install a Volt Charge Spot at participating Holden Volt dealers so they can charge their demonstration vehicles when they arrive in the final quarter of this year. Q

lished supply chain management. The firm is targeting consumer, mobile, IT and industrial displays. It is also developing next-generation technologies featuring ultrathin, energy-efficient, flexible, foldable and transparent displays. In 2011, Sony left the S-LCD joint venture, with Samsung taking over Sony’s stake for US$939 million, opening the way for it to merge the two businesses. Overall, the LCD panel industry is suffering as players struggle to make a profit due to high supply inventory and reduced margins, but consolidation is seen as a good move. Q

GE invests in Nanosonics SYDNEY-based medical device startup Nanosonics says GE has invested $7.5 million to further develop and distribute its Trophon EPR ultrasound transducer disinfecting system. The investment is being made through the GE healthymagination Fund, which makes investments in healthcare technology companies. The core technology of Nanosonics is a fast, and safe ultrasound probe disinfection system called Trophon EPR. The technology is researched, developed and manufactured in Australia by Nanosonics. Nanosonics has agreed to grant GE a first right of refusal, for exclusive distribution of the Trophon EPR in Japan. Q www.nanosonics.com.au

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NEWS

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RESEARCH

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Spintronics exploits the spin of electrons for more powerful computing.

Sydney in a spin THE University of Sydney has hosted a three-day spintronics conference organised by the Worldwide Universities Network. The WUN Spintronics Conference event, which ran from 23 to 25 July 2012, brought together global experts on spintronics, which is expected to replace the current generation of electronics with faster, smaller and more complex devices. More than 120 scientists from 20 countries were in attendance. Spintronics exploits the spin of electrons, providing a new way of processing information that is infinitely more powerful than binary. According to Professor Simon Ringer, Director of the Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis and part of the WUN Spintronics Consortium, the potential benefits for industry and society are huge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are big implications around energy and communications. The outlooks are very exciting because they involve a steep change in our capacity to generate and store energy, and in communications. The possibilities are spectacular both in terms of designing new processors and information storage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spintronics is a multidisciplinary

field involving materials science and engineering, and to eventually harness both charge and spin in real devices, we have a lot of fundamental materials science to work through,â&#x20AC;? said Professor Ringer. This is what the conference aimed to facilitate. It is a follow-up to a spintronics symposium at the World Expo in Shanghai two years ago. The event featured two plenary speakers: Professor Hideo Ohno, a specialist in spin-related phenomena in semiconductor and metal-based nanostructures from Tohoku University, Japan; and Dr Stuart Parkin, an IBM Fellow and a consulting professor at the Department of Applied Physics at Stanford University. The program explored the use of semiconductor, metallic, organic/ molecular/carbon materials for spintronics, and emerging materials. Spintronics applications covered included magnetic tunnel junctions and devices, nanowire devices, spin torque, memory and logic, and quantum computation. Attendees also heard presentations about spin transport, magnetiresistance, spin dynamics, injection and manipulation, quantum spin Hall effect, and spin modelling. Q

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

ENVIRONMENTAL

SOLAR-POWERED ZOO PERTH Zoo’s solar panel array with 755 solar panels will generate a third of its annual energy needs. The system is the largest solar panel array in WA. It will save the zoo more than $100,000 a year in electricity costs. The system was jointly funded by the federal and state governments as part of the $94 million Solar Cities program.

FIRST SALE FOR BLUECHIIP BLUECHIIP has received its first sales order for its products, after a successful pilot trial of its medical tracking solution by US-based biological materials management and processes firm, ATCC. Bluechiip is a Melbourne-based start-up founded in 2003. Its key technology is an advanced passive RFID memory and temperature sensing device which uses a novel method of programming and data storage, and is made with MEMS manufacturing techniques.

Fabs to cut power use THE International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI) says semiconductor fabs have dramatically reduced their energy consumption from 1997 to 2011, but can do more work to ensure they continue to reduce power use. The ISMI Worldwide Fab energy Study looked at 300mm and 200mm semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Asia, North America and Europe in order to identify areas to reduce energy use and improve efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing operations. According to the report, process equipment is responsible for more than 50 percent of the energy consumption in a fab, followed by central chiller plants and bulk gas production. This is one area of progress, with process equipment energy consumption having halved between 1997 and 2011.

Fabs need to continue reducing their power use and improving efficiency. Non-process-equipment energy use, meanwhile, has dropped to just a quarter of what they were in 1997. On the gas production side of the equation, ISMI members participated in a workshop, in which they benchmarked best-of-class metrics and looked at best-in-class design

practices for nitrogen plants. They found that an increased focus on the nitrogen system, controlled dry air (CDA) system, process cooling water system, and process vacuum system, will yield further reductions in energy use. Q ismi.sematech.org

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AUSTRALIAN company Electro Optic Systems Holdings (EOS) will jointly develop, market, produce and support remote weapon systems with Hyundai-WIA. Under the agreement between the companies, they will establish remote weapon systems production in an existing Hyundai-WIA plant in South Korea. New and upgraded systems will emerge from joint development programs. The companies have agreed to pool their technologies in product development, quality improvement and production engineering. The partners have invested in scalable production capacity to will help counter volatile global demand and unpredictable government budgets. EOS develops remote weapon systems for the global market, while Hyundai-WIA, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, is focused on defence products. In 2010, EOS entered into a similar agreement with Northrop Grumman for the USA.

EOS now has partners in the US and north Asia to produce and enhance its weapon systems.

With this latest agreement, EOS has partners in both the US and north Asia to produce, support and enhance its weapon systems. According to EOS, the Australian manufacturing industry has been put under pressure by currency appreciation and labour market constraints. Its only Australian plant, in Queanbeyan, now retains just 65 percent of its historical scope of work. By transferring some production activities offshore to its partners, EOS hopes to improve its competitiveness. Q www.eos-aus.com

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RESEARCH

An atom’s shadow captured

ESEARCHERS from Griffith University have photographed the shadow of an atom for the first time. Griffith lecturer Erik Streed said the team photographed the shadow of a single Ytterbium atom suspended in empty space by removing one of its electrons and using high-voltage electricity to fix its position. This is considered the extreme limit of microscopy: it is impossible to see anything smaller than an atom using visible light. Advances in Fresnel lens technology made by the researchers meant they could focus a laser beam tightly, and when this beam passed

The atom left a dark shadow in its wake when a tightly-focused laser beam passed by it.

8 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

by a single atom, it left a dark shadow in its wake. The size of the shadow of the atom is set by the wavelength of light, which can be a thousand times larger than the actual atom. “Our work has implications for research ranging from quantum computing to microbiology,” Streed wrote about the discovery. In quantum computing, light and atoms are both used, with light being the most effective method for communication, while atoms are better for performing calculations. “In observing the shadow from a single atom we have shown how to improve the input efficiency in a quantum computer,” Streed wrote. “Single atoms have well-understood light absorption properties. We used this knowledge to predict how dark the shadow should be for a given amount of light.” Q

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FEATURE

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They chip takes full advantage of available ambient energy.

MIT researchers at the lab of professor Anantha Chandrakasan have developed a chip which can harvest energy from natural light, heat and vibrations at the same time. This combination energy harvesting chip is a significant step toward battery-free monitoring systems, with potential applications in the biomedical devices, environmental sensing and remote operations sectors. It is expected that the new multipower chip will be used along with low-power chips that can collect data and relay it to a central facility. By efficiently using multiple power sources in a single device, the new power supply chip mitigates the problem of intermittency and unpredictability which plagues energy from ambient sources. Individual devices which harness single ambient sources, such as the difference between body temperature and outside air, or the motions and vibrations of anything from a person walking to a bridge vibrating as traffic passes over it, have already been developed. But combining the power from these variable sources requires a sophisticated control system. Each energy source usually requires its own control circuit to meet its own requirements, since different voltages can be harvested from different sources.

For example, circuits to harvest thermal differences typically produce only 0.02 to 0.15V, while low-power photovoltaic cells can generate 0.2 to 0.7Vand vibrationharvesting systems can produce up to 5V. The challenge for the combination circuit is coordinating these disparate sources of energy in real time to produce a constant output. The researchers took a realtime, simultaneous approach, as opposed to earlier attempts, which simply switched between circuits for the multiple energy sources. This allowed power to be extracted from all the sources, increasing efficiency. The researchers also had to minimise the power consumed by the control circuit itself, so as to leave as much as possible for the actual devices being powered, optimising the amount of energy extracted from each source. The system uses a dual-path architecture. This allows the end device to be efficiently powered from a storage device or directly from the source, as opposed to being reliant on just the storage device, which in turn has to be charged up from the power sources. The chip uses a single timeshared inductor, a crucial component to support the multiple converters needed in this design, rather than separate ones for each source. Q

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FEATURE

HOME

Switch on the smarts Smart meters and smart grids are not just a high-tech dream: they are real solutions for a pro

Landis+Gyr assembles the majority of its modules in its warehouse, based in Alexandria, Sydney.

SHORTCUTS: Q Infrastructure upgrade costs are responsible for a

HROUGH one door, a research and development office packed with engineers, verification and test equipment, instruments wired up in arrays. Through another, an extended assembly line where PCBs are put into plastic cases, to be passed on to a calibration lab. But this is not Shenzhen, rather Landis+Gyr’s facility in Alexandria, NSW. “The most exciting electronics project today,” is how Dr Keith Torpy, chief technology officer of Landis+Gyr Asia Pacific, describes the smart grid devices which his company develops, manufactures and assembles. “For us, this is really a boom time,” Dr Torpy told Electronics News. “We are planning to expand R&D from the current 35 engineers to 55 and 65 next year. We are one of the few companies advertising for embedded engineers, hardware engineers, application engineers, project engineers and project managers.” While smart meters may not look 10 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

very impressive, the development effort is consistent with the vital role they have in solving some of the biggest headaches for Australia’s utility companies.

Grid anxiety Price increases for electricity are regular news. In June 2012, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) approved an average power price increase of 18 percent for NSW, sparking outrage and calls for policy overhauls. But things are due to get even worse. In September 2011, during a presentation to the Power Australia Conference, Port Jackson Partners analyst Edwin O’Young noted that Australian retail electricity prices have risen by over 35 percent in the past four years, and would almost double in the next six years. Carbon pricing and rising costs for coal and gas not help, but the bulk of these price increases have to do with the costs of dealing with rising peak demand, and infrastructure replacement and upgrades.

According to Dr Torpy, the current problems dealing with peak demands is the result of consistent under-investment in power distribution infrastructure. While the load is constant for much of the day, there are big peaks in electrical consumption in the hours between 6 and 9am, and 4 and 8pm approximately. “The poles and wires were put in 20 years ago. They have a peak current-carrying capacity. But since then consumption has gone up by around 30 to 50 percent – how can the infrastructure cope with that?” Dr Torpy asked. The ageing infrastructure is also not dealing well with newer energy sources and their variable loads, according to Robin Eckerman, president of Smart Grid Australia. “By deploying intermittent energy sources, like photovoltaics, we’re fundamentally changing the grid’s character,” said Eckerman. “Both the supply and demand side are getting more unpredictable.” For many energy providers, the

large part of retail electricity price increases. Q Better grid visibility and management, and changing consumer usage patterns will mitigate the effects of peak demand. Q Smart meters will provide better connectivity between individual homes and businesses, and retailers. Q Smart meters will also enable home/business energy management systems and new power use agreements.

solution is to improve their infrastructure, to the tune of billions of dollars. But smarter management of the grid may well turn out to be the most cost-effective way forward.

Changing behaviour However many new towers and poles the utilities put in, the only real long-term solution to smooth out peaks in demand is for consumers to change their pattern of use. The utilities have introduced time of day tariffs, monitored by electronic meters, so that they can

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FEATURE

a problem which is rapidly coming to a head. Isaac Leung writes.

charge more at peak times to create an incentive for people to reduce consumption during peak hours. But this has had only limited success. “Most of the early work on smart meters was based around the assumptions that their introduction would cause people to change their consumption habits,” Eckerman said. “But there is already data coming in that long-term sustained behavioural change doesn’t occur very easily … for the most people, the price differences have to be very great to induce a significant behavioural change.” But the the next generation of smart meters may provide both the power and motivation for consumers to change their own behaviour. As a two-way interface between home energy management systems (HEMS) and energy retailers, they will give users better insight into and control over their energy use. Some utilities have already extended the concept, by starting to build internet portals which leverage the data from smart meters, so customers can access and control their energy usage and rates, not just from HEMS panels at home, but via any Internet-capable device.

The hope is that smart meters will lead to new energy usage models. For instance, a customer who is alerted to the potential for excessive use may voluntarily drop loads. They may also agree with the utility to be subject to a higher rate in exchange for being able to use the amount of electricity they desire to use, or have a pre-agreed contract which allows the utility to send a signal to the smart meter (some of Landis+Gyr’s meters have a disconnect relay and two auxiliary circuits outside of the main circuit which can be controlled by the utility or the users) and drop supply to the auxiliary circuits as a hard measure to prevent over-usage. On the HEMS side, smart meters open the way for appliance makers to integrate energy management into their devices. “The grid could keep the meter informed on its state, and the appliances could talk to the meter, or they could talk through the meter to various intelligent devices in the grid,” said Eckerman.

hardware and software idiosyncrasies, are not seen as suitable candidates. “The NBN [will] provide a physical channel (PHY) common to every house, so it makes it simpler for us, from a protocol perspective, to support,” said Dr Torpy. A core concept for the smart grid is the emergence of an Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI), as opposed to the Automatic Meter Read (AMR) model currently enabled by electronic meters. While AMR was focused on preprogramming the meters to push metering and load profile data back to the network once every 24 hours, AMI allows continuous synchro-

A current-generation Landis+Gyr smart meter, with an open top compartment for the communications module.

nous information flow, allowing utilities to, for example, broadcast commands, create dynamic load controls, and disconnect or connect loads as needed. A benefit of such features is that

Key communication Communications will be the key enabler for delivering all the promises of smart meters and smart grids. Especially important is the link between the meter and the utility. Landis+Gyr is working on pointto-point technology based on 3G, WiMAX and LTE (4G), and is also looking at using the National Broadband Network’s (NBN) Fibreto-the-Home (FTTH). “If NBN has very high penetration, then we will have a product that can connect to the optical network terminal (ONT),” Dr Torpy told Electronics News. “The ONT can have multiple branches, supporting up to four ports. So one port could be used for the smart meter.” While smart meters do use bandwidth, a more important aspect for Dr Torpy is the commonality of the communications channel. This is why ADSL and cable, with their various www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 11

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they give utilities much-needed insight deeper into their networks, specifically into the area of the grid between the zone substation and the individual meter.

Talking hardware Given the variety of communication options possible, Landis+Gyr engineers its smart meters so they are modular, with a sealed but removable cover at the top providing access to a secure communications module inside. This allows utilities to change the communications module and medium to suit their needs. “It’s intrinsically safe, fully isolated, and you don’t have to open

up or power down the meter,” said Dr Torpy. “You just break two seals, change out the module, and it will self-register on the new network and be up and running.” The smart meter’s body and the communications module is connected by a standard serial port which provides both data and a 12V DC power supply from the body. The meter has one board which takes care of the human-machine interface (HMI), holding the optical port, buttons and LCD. An isolated power supply is also held within the body, powering the module and providing up to 8W to the communications module. At the core of the meter is the

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microcontroller, which provides the smart meter with its processing power. Current-generation Landis+Gyr electronic meters (which Dr Torpy does not regard is being truly “smart”) also have 8-bit MCUs from Texas Instruments, but the smart meter is a leap forward. “The smart meter is no longer just an electricity meter…[it] is becoming what we call an ‘intelligent endpoint’,” Dr Torpy said. “Current-generation smart meters use the Renesas M16 16-bit controllers, but we are now starting to see 32-bit ARM9 controllers.” “The microcontroller is powerful enough to run Linux allowing for resident applications on the intelligent endpoint.” \

Australian design

While Landis+Gyr is a global company, it has a localisation policy, meaning that while platforms are shared across the group, meters are engineered in Australia to fit Australian standards, which differ from British or ANSI standards. “Australian standards are probably the toughest standards for isolation. The meter must be able to withstand 12kV, 9 joules,” Dr Torpy said. “Many specifications around the world are happy with 0.5 joules, but the National Measurement Institute’s (NMI) requirement for 9 joules means we have to do the R&D in Australia.” Dr Torpy explains that everything, the firmware, the hardware, right from concept to schematic and through to the PCB, is developed locally. Prototyping is also done in Australia using local PCB and assembly facilities. Testing is done at the UL laboratory in New Zealand, where the smart meters are tested to both the NMI and Australian/IEC standards. Volume board and enclosure production is outsourced to Chinese manufacturers, and Landis+Gyr is also looking to work with Foxconn,

via its new facility in Vietnam. However, the company brings the PCBs and enclosures back to Australia, assembling 95 percent of its meters in the country. With solid smart meter R&D experience, the local team is taking on a leading role within the Asia Pacific region, even helping the Indian and Japanese businesses with their smart meter development. Since Landis+Gyr is part of Toshiba, it can further develop its smart meters by leveraging its parent company’s semiconductor capabilities for systems-on-chip, Flash memory, and other parts.

A clear roadmap While Dr Torpy is not at liberty to disclose the specific plans of the company, he says Landis+Gyr has developed a roadmap for the next seven to eight years. “We are very clear on where we think the trend is going in smart metering and what we require. We have some extremely advanced concepts that we are going to bring to the market,” he said. These include connecting various utilities such as water and gas to the smart meter, and meters that can calculate carbon footprint and dynamic load control while dealing with distributed generation. In under a decade, companies like Landis+Gyr have advanced metering technology from “spinning disc” units to electronic meters, and on to intelligent end-points. Utilities now need to establish their networks and intelligent grid devices, along with data management and analysis systems in order to truly derive real benefits from a smart grid. Smart meters may only be a small part of the smart grid, but that small grey box represents a true convergence of the latest in semiconductor, communications and IT technologies to solve a large-scale problem which touches every Australian. Q

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DESIGN

Interference free wireless comm The home and office is awash with conflicting radio signals. And yet we take seamless wirele

ALF a century ago, a poorly suppressed spark plug from a passing car was enough to make the TVs of the era snap, crackle and pop. As the spark plug fired it generated a radio frequency output that swamped the broadcast signal the tuner was attempting to pick up. Today our homes are flooded with RF traffic. Much of it is broadcast in a single narrow frequency band, centred on 2.4 GHz. Cordless phones, remote controls, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ZigBee all compete to communicate on that small slice of the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet the consumer rarely notices even a moment’s disruption in any of these communications. This seamless connectivity is a testament to some clever technology coupled to the amazing foresight of a group of U.S. engineers and scientists. What’s even more amazing is that foundation of that technology dates back over a century.

SHORTCUTS: Q Short-range radio, transmitting on the 2.4 GHz band, swamps the home Q Nikola Tesla came up with the idea of frequency hopping to avoid interference in 1903 Q Many modern patents for frequency hopping refer to Hedy Lamarr’s patent as the basis of the field Q Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee use a variety of spread spectrum technologies

Why 2.4GHz?

Modern wireless communications – like this between a portable computer and a projector – happen seamlessly thanks to clever technology

Frequency hopping: The early days An RF transmitter and receiver can communicate provided they are operating on the same frequency. Problems occur when another transmitter comes into range and broadcasts on an identical frequency. Engineers describe this additional signal as interference; the radio waves overlap and the receiver can’t distinguish between each signal. Nikola Tesla first thought up the solution, with a patent early in the 20th Century titled “Method of Signaling,” describing a system that would enable radio communication “without any danger of the signals or messages begin disturbed, intercepted, interfered with in any way”. Tesla’s patent covers a system whereby transmitter and receiver are synchronised and hop between two channels (although the patent notes any number of channels could 14 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

Figure 1: Wi-Fi units operating on channels 1, 6 and 11. Note overlap of signals onto other channels. (Courtesy: Texas Instruments)

be used) by altering the carrier frequency in a predetermined sequence to avoid interference. Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, better known as Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress, built on Tesla’s idea. Lamarr filed a patent describing a system for radio control of torpedoes. The idea itself was not new, but Lamarr’s concept of “frequency hopping” to

prevent the intended target from jamming the controller’s transmissions was. In part, the technology relied on synchronisation of the frequency hopping between transmitter (in a plane flying above the torpedo) and the weapon itself. Many modern patents for frequency hopping refer to the Lamarr patent as their basis.

While frequency hopping helped to solve the problem of RF interference, radio communication remained the preserve of governments, the military and large media organisations that “owned” the segment of the electromagnetic spectrum suitable for its operation. 9 May 1985 is the day that all changed. On that Thursday, the U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted the rules which permitted the operation of “unlicensed spread spectrum systems” in the 902-to-928 MHz, 2.4-to-2.48 GHz, and 5.725-to-5.85 GHz bands. The FCC’s decision wasn’t an attempt to bring specific products to market, but rather aimed to remove outdated technical regulations and to stimulate innovation in the wireless sector, subject only to manufacturers obeying responsible interference limits. The FCC’s decision paved the way for similar moves that effectively made these bands ‘global’ unlicensed regions of the spectrum. The opening up of the three so-called Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) RF bands was part of a swathe of deregulation. Against this backdrop, the Chairman of the FCC at the time, Charles Ferris, identified technologies that were being blocked by old-fashioned rules and searched for ways to encourage their development. Among these technologies was “spread spectrum

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mmunication ireless connectivity between our consumer devices for granted. Electronics News staff write.

A decision made in Washington D.C. in May 1985 spawned an entire new industry technology”, a generic term used to describe frequency hopping techniques for avoiding RF interference. The FCC’s Report & Order noted: “The authorisation of spread spectrum systems under Part 15 of the [FCC] Rules and Regulations would be unrestrictive and unregulatory in nature, since devices operating under Part 15 do not have to be licensed and users do not face eligibility requirements, content regulation, or coordination requirements.” That dry summary led to the piece of legislation that has spawned today’s buoyant low power wireless sector.

Technology choices The chance to use a licencefree portion of the RF spectrum (providing strict rules on transmitter power are obeyed) has opened up a huge market for short-range wireless. It has benefited Australia’s CSIRO – the inventor of Wi-Fi - to the tune of more than $430 million from the licensing of the technology to consumer electronics companies. There are three basic techniques for minimising the impact of inter-

ference for devices operating in the 2.4GHz band. These are Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA), Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). TDMA works by subdividing a 1 MHz allocation (or similarly-sized slice) within the band into a number of timeslots allowing several users to share the same single frequency. Each transceiver waits for its own timeslot before transmitting. The limiting factor is bandwidth, so the technique is primarily used for low duty cycle communications such as industrial and domestic sensors. DSSS and FHSS both rely on modulation of the carrier signal. FHSS allocates a number of channels within the band, the exact width of which depends on the technology. DSSS transmissions multiply the data being transmitted by a “noise” component. This noise signal is a pseudorandom sequence at a frequency much higher than that of the original 2.4 GHz signal, thereby spreading the energy of the original signal across a much wider band. The noise is filtered out at the receiving end to recover the original data, by multiplying the same pseudorandom sequence by the received signal. For the “de-spreading” to work correctly, transmit and receive sequences must be synchronised. This requires the receiver to lock its sequence with the transmitter’s sequence via some sort of timing search process. DSSS’s downside is that it has to transmit excessive data packets, which consumes bandwidth that could otherwise be used for carrying useful information. In its 2.4GHz variant, ZigBee uses 16 channels at 5 MHz spacing; each channel occupies 3 MHz, giving a 2 MHz gap between pairs of channels. ZigBee then uses a simple DSSS scheme for data transmission within the chosen band. Wi-Fi is smilarly rigid. The Wi-Fi standard outlines the use of eleven

channels with central frequencies spaced by 5 MHz within the 83.5 MHz width of the 2.4 GHz band. But as it’s possible for a particular channel to actually spread out by as much as 16 MHz, manufacturers usually allocate either bands 1, 6 or 11 for the operation to ensure plenty of headroom between units (Fig.1.). But once allocated to a band, Wi-Fi doesn’t hop, instead relying completely on DSSS to endow the system with some interference immunity. Until recently this has not been a problem as consumers typically only have one Wi-Fi router in the house and other 2.4 GHz technologies avoid that channel, but Wi-Fi units are now being built into other appliances, increasing the chance of clashes. A suitably tech-minded consumer can manually reconfigure one unit to an alternative channel. Bluetooth employs FHSS. The transmitter sends signals on a clear channel until it experiences interference, whereby it automatically relocates to an alternative clear channel. Alternatively, the transmitter can periodically, pseudo-randomly retune to a different channel before any interference is experienced to minimise the chance of a clash. Bluetooth’s frequency hopping scheme splits the 2.4 GHz ISM band into 79 x 1 MHz channels

(with a 1 MHz guard channel at the lower end of the band and a 2 MHz guard channel at the higher end). Transmitting and receiving Bluetooth wireless technology devices then hop between the 79 channels 1600 times per second in a pseudo-random pattern. From Bluetooth Version 1.2 on, the technology uses a revised form of frequency hopping dubbed adaptive frequency hopping (AFH). This algorithm allows Bluetooth wireless technology devices to mark channels as good, bad, or unknown. Bad channels in the frequencyhopping pattern are replaced with good channels via a look-up table. Bluetooth low energy (part of Bluetooth Version 4.0) uses a similar scheme to conventional Bluetooth, but uses only 37 channels. Clever ideas from the early part of the 20th Century and the stimulus of a competitive market created by some spirited deregulation have combined to allow manufacturers to open up a huge new sector. Wireless technology is a key enabler in our daily lives and is set to become even more pervasive. Squeezing all those transmissions to just a tiny slice of the electromagnetic spectrum is just about possible today, but tomorrow, we could well need new innovation akin to that dreamed up by Tesla and Lamarr all those years ago. Q

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COMMUNICATION

Taiwan aiming for the cloud A changing market is transforming the role of electronics firms in Taiwan, away from hardware design and manufacturing towards turnkey software- and service-integrated solutions. Isaac Leung writes.

aiwan has long been a hub for electronics components and device assembly. In 2011, for example, electronics counted for around 14 percent of the country’s total export. While it is known for the semiconductor giants TSMC and UMC, hardware behemoth Foxconn, and has its own home-grown smart phone maker HTC, Taiwan is also home to a complex and interconnected network of smaller component and device makers. 95 percent of its business community can be classed as small-to-medium enterprises.

The ITRI Cloud Computing Centre is hoping to provide businesses with a fast way to start offering cloud services.

Transition or trend? Manufacturing operations have, in the past few years, moved to the low-cost labour markets of neighbouring China and Vietnam, though a number companies have retained operations in Taiwan. Of course, Taiwan’s hardwarefocused approach may allow it to ride the wave of smart phones and tablets for a while yet. But there is an increasing recognition within the industry that while it’s all very well to continue with the current situation and create hardware for others to put their software and services on, the margins and opportunities associated with hardware are rapidly diminishing. Thus the drive to adopt an “Apple-like” approach, and deliver a complete platform, including hardware, software and an online ecosystem and taking a slice of the online services cake. Cloud seems like a logical extension of Taiwan’s drive to increase its communications capabilities. In recent years, it has implemented nation-wide broadband, and government related bodies like the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the R&D-centric Industrial Technology Research Institute 16 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

(ITRI) have engaged in various projects to maximise utilisation of communications technologies. These include internet-enabled smart bridge monitoring systems, portable communications platforms for disaster rescue, smart grids based on IEC-62056046, and LED-based visible light communications systems. And it looks like Taiwan as a whole is serious about this cloud initiative. The government has thus far committed around US$750 million to develop the cloud computing industry in Taiwan. The Cloud Computing Association in Taiwan (CCAT), consisting of telecommunications firms, hardware/software vendors, etc, was launched in 2010, and now has over 100 members, including big international names like Fujitsu, IBM and CISCO.

Event reflects trends The 2012 TAITRONICS (38th Taipei International Electronics Show), organised by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (TEEMA), is being held from 9 to 12 October 2012, at the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. It will boast 800 exhibitors and 1500 booths, and is expected to have 50,000 visitors. Buyers certified by international governments will be invited to procurement meetings. While the event is expected to show off the usual categories of passive/active components, power supplies, LEDs, test instruments, and manufacturing equipment, its latest focus is on cloud computing. Not only is it being co-located with the Taiwan International Cloud

Technology & Internet of Things Show, but there will be industrial seminars and forums about cloud computing. Besides the cloud event, TAITRONICS will be co-located with three other shows: Broadband Taiwan, the Green Industry Show and the Smart Green City Expo. Shyue-Ching Lu, chairman of the CCAT, said cloud computing which combines software and hardware will be a very important trend. “PCs, servers and services will be integrated. With infrastructure, platform and software as a service (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS) layers, we will build a comprehensive service structure,” Lu said. “We will add cloud computing and virtualisation to our [electronics] supply chain and provide all the software required for a solid cloud solution.” “This is a very important oppor-

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tunity. Many members of our association…realise they need to provide services to capitalise on this opportunity, not just hardware.”

Making the jump The question is whether these Taiwanese companies can make the leap from hardware design and manufacturing into the online services sector – or, in some instances, from OEM to consumer, with all its attending complexities. According to Jerry Ko, director of the Cloud Application Division at the Cloud Computing Centre for Mobile Applications of ITRI, the institute aims to be the enabler which will allow interested SMEs to start offering cloud services. An estimated 80 to 90 percent of the servers in the world are currently manufactured by Taiwanbased ODMs and OEMs, and with its existing supply chain and diversity of manufacturers, Ko said Taiwan should be considered a one-stop shop, and it made sense for Taiwan to jump into the field as something more than a hardware provider. “We want to remain relevant to the ICT industry in the cloud computing space,” said Ko. “Given it is so new, we see an opportunity to not just be important part of the supply chain but also become one of the global thought leaders.” Ko identified four main segments of cloud computing: hardware (data centres), management and system (the cloud operating system), services, and operations.(managing data centres and dealing with downtime). While new players in the cloud sector find themselves facing a barrier to entry by having to buy different components from various vendors and integrate them into a solution themselves, Ko says the role of the Cloud Computing Centre at ITRI is to do that integration, and provide a unified turnkey solution, which companies can then drop into their operations.

“We are not a hardware centre: we don’t have electrical engineers designing new chips and switches,” Ko said. “But we know what chips and switches can do, and how to put them together in a system scale.” The centre currently runs 1000 nodes in container data centres, in a partnership with hardware maker

Inventec. These data centres are used to develop and trial solutions, but Ko expects the first full deployment later in 2012. Q Electronics News attended the 2012 TAITRONICS pre-show media tour courtesy of TAITRA. Other companies visited include Chroma (test instru-

ments), Eris Technology (diodes), UMEC (components, products and manufacturing), and Avertronics (green lighting and LEDs). An extended version of this article covering these companies can be found online at http://goo.gl/nmfm0 www.taitronics.tw www.taitra.com.tw

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FEATURE

AUTOMOTIVE

Race to safety A new wave of automotive technology could both drastically cut the road toll, and allow bette

CCIDENT-free roads which flow quickly, even during peak hour, may not be a dream for much longer. The convergence of sensor technology, communications, management algorithms and automation within the automotive sector could yield real results in cutting the road toll, and improving the efficiency of the road system. In 2011, a total of 1,291 people died on the roads in Australia. Police, laws and public awareness continue whittling away at the death toll, but it’s a far way from zero. Meanwhile, automotive manufacturers have moved beyond mechanical safety features like seat belts and air bags, into complex technological and electronic systems. They herald a coming wave of telematic systems, which will leverage communication and information provided by sensors and GPS systems.

Technology today GM Holden is one automotive manufacturer already integrating advanced safety technologies into its vehicles. The newly-announced Volt, an electric car, will have a Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning system. According to Paul Gibson, director of electrical engineering at GM Golden, both features are based on a single camera mounted at the top of the windshield, just behind the rear vision mirror. The camera integrates a circuit board and algorithm which identifies the lane in front of the vehicle, and both moving and stationary objects. If the system detects the vehicle moving towards a stationary object, or moving without signalling out of a marked lane, it will trigger a series of collision alert warnings. Information from the camera and its circuits is passed through a CANBUS system called GM-LAN to a display located in the instru18 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

GM’s current active safety system is based on a camera, detection algorithms and alerts. ment cluster in front of the driver to provide visual warnings. GM Holden does much of the engineering of its Active Safety System in-house, in order to be firstto-market on innovative features. The engineers at GM Holden specify the electronics to the vendors, who then design the hardware and ship a “gray box” back to the carmaker, where the software is loaded and configured. With all this technology being squeezed into vehicles, manufacturers have to be careful in developing human vehicle interfaces (HVI) to ensure drivers are aided, and not distracted by the systems. “We spend a lot of time making sure that these new features and technologies coming towards a consumer are tested, validated and don’t intrude on the driver of the vehicle,” said Gibson.

While reluctant to elaborate on the future direction of GM Holden’s automotive technology, Gibson acknowledged the potential of telematics, particularly systems where vehicles communicate with each other. “If every vehicle can communicate with every other vehicle, then the chances of having a collision should be zero,” Gibson explained.

Safety outcomes The dedicated short range communications (DSRC) at the core of next-generation telematics will allow vehicles to quickly find and talk to each other and to infrastructure. These systems, also known as Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (Cooperative-ITS) allow the amalgamation and analysis of information like vehicle direction, speed, and position, drastically improving

real-time visibility on the roads. With sufficiently sophisticated algorithms and enough hardware grunt, such systems would be able to preempt crashes and accidents. While telematics are currently used in trucks used in the freight and transport industry, substantial benefits are expected as it becomes more widespread in its application. According to Gavin Hill, general manager for implementation at Transport Certification Australia (TCA), the technologies which will drive wide-scale telematics are now real and affordable. Hill compares telematics with GPS technology in terms of its adoption curve. He points to the big automotive players’ integration of such systems into their vehicles as the catalyst for getting the ball rolling. “It’s the next frontier of road use management,” Hill said, “You’ll be

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better traffic management. Isaac Leung reports where there may not be clear line of sight between approaching vehicles. Around 60 percent of automotive DSRC systems currently being trialled globally are Cohda units. But the real crunch is transitioning from trials to production. “We are in the process of...developing products suited for going into the mass market,” Gray said. “We are expecting, in 2015, for cars to start rolling off the production line, so we need production-ready units ready before that.”

able to drive real safety outcomes with this kind of interconnected technology…it’s the next seat belt.” But safety is not the only benefit telematics are expected to yield: productivity and efficiency can also be boosted by such systems. “The roads are the last bastion of socialist style management. You get congestion because there’s no other effective way to manage things except build more supply,” said Hill. “You can’t just keep building roads, [but] if you can make roads run more efficiently, by having communications between vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure, you get into very sophisticated road network management systems.” While such systems are currently being trialled in Europe and the US, Australia is likely to take on a more passive role, adopting standards when they are developed.

Are we ready?

Australian work But that doesn’t mean Australians aren’t involved with telematics. Start-up Cohda Wireless, spun out from the University of South Australia’s Institute for Telecommunications Research in 2004, is currently a leader in the development of DSRC. It is not just developing its core wireless technology, but also the software which runs on top of the hardware, and driver-alert applications. Cohda Wireless CEO Paul Gray says the company’s technology is an enhanced receive side for the standard IEEE 802.11p radio. While Cohda is not the only one building equipment around the standard, Gray says its system has been developed from the ground up for automotive environments. “It’s a more challenging radio environment than the home and office wireless networks,” Gray explained. “We’re out on the open road, all the vehicles are moving, and that can create challenges for the radio, which is where Cohda outper-

GM’s current active safety system is based on a camera, detection algorithms and alerts. Inset: A Cohda Wireless unit being trialled in a vehicle. forms competing solutions.” Compared to the competition, Cohda’s standards-compliant technology allows 10 to 15 times more data to be exchanged, has a range of around 200m as opposed to 20m, and maintains more reliable connections

over a longer period of time. But perhaps the greatest differentiation is the ability to bounce signals around corners and still enable reception of data. This poses real advantages when it comes to situations such as intersections

Given the interconnectivity of telematics systems, standards will be critical, as will national regulation. Automotive manufacturers, technology developers and national governments need to work together. A failure to standardise will result in multiple vehicles operating different devices utilising different communications protocols, or different states using different systems on their infrastructure. If Australia fails to take the proper steps to ready itself, automotive manufacturers will simply disable telematics features for vehicles imported into Australia. Practical tasks include securing the 5.9GHz spectrum in the airwaves for DSRC use, passing legislation to manage privacy and commercialisation of the information from vehicles, and getting pilots on the ground to inform drivers of the new technology and its benefits. There is also the task of keeping up to speed with developments on the infrastructure side of telematics, and ensuring those systems are in place at the right time. “Governments are just starting to realise that there is a wave on the horizon,” said Hill. “The wave is coming, and we either catch the wave or miss the boat.” Q www.holden.com.au www.cohdawireless.com www.tca.gov.au www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 19

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FUTURE AWARDS

INNOVATION

Introducing our 2012 Future Awards sponsors The Future Awards recognise technical excellence and innovation in electronics across 7 categories, and is held together with an industry roundtable. Electronics News thanks the sponsors for their support.

Kontron is a global leader in embedded computing technology. With more than 40% of its employees in Research and Development, Kontron creates many of the standards that drive the world’s embedded computing platforms. Kontron’s product longevity, local engineering and support, and value-added services, helps create a sustainable and viable embedded solution for OEMs and system integrators. Kontron works closely with its customers on their embedded application-ready platforms and custom solutions, enabling them to focus on their core competencies. The result is an accelerated time-to-market, reduced total-cost-of-ownership and an improved overall application with leading-edge, highly-reliable embedded technology. Kontron Australia has its headquarters in the Sydney area, with an engineering facility located in Melbourne. This allows customers to deal directly with us instead routing sales and service through a distributor. With more than 900 highly qualified engineers globally, and you can rest easy knowing that your queries are handled efficiently and by experts in the field. Kontron offers a wide range of embedded computer technologies, from 2.5” single board computers through to fully integrated systems. Kontron has a massive range of scalable COTS products, but also offers partial and fully customised design services for those customers looking for a specific solution.

The Rohde & Schwarz group of companies, headquartered in Munich develops, produces and markets communications and T&M instruments and systems with the emphasis on mobile radio, broadcasting, EMC measurements, general-purpose and RF test equipment, radiomonitoring and radiolocation, radiocommunications as well as communication security. With its innovative know-how and presence in over 70 countries, Rohde & Schwarz is among the technological leaders in all of its business fields. Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) was established in 1981. The company is 100% owned subsidiary of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH. Our team consists of 46 employees, whose focus is to provide a high level of technical competence in pre and post sales support and outstanding quality in service repair and calibration to our customers. Within Australia our NATA certified calibration centre uses a sub-set of these calibration techniques to ensure that our high standards are maintained. Our products are widely used within many industry sectors, including broadcast where there are a number of products >20 years old that are still supported. Our policy and philosophy is to support industry and our products for the whole of their working life.

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element14 (formerly Farnell) is a high-service distributor of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair. Bringing together the latest products, services, and development software, all connected to an innovative online engineering community where purchasers and engineers can access peers and experts, a wide range of independent technical information and helpful tools. “element14’s unique fusion of e-commerce and Community has been the ideal platform for like-minded electronics experts, enthusiasts and engineers to research products, share ideas and showcase their designs,” says Peter Davis, Regional Director, element14 Australia and New Zealand. Whether researching, designing a product, or looking to repair an existing system, element14 is the trusted global source to find the answers and parts you need to keep your project on the fast track, right from the start. element14 allows you to transact in your local currency online, via phone, in person, or through our proprietary buying tools. There is 24/5 technical support via phone and live online chat, and a global community of experts. element14 is an authorised distributor of the brands you trust, with over 20 years of electronics distribution expertise in Australia and New Zealand.

The future of the Australian electronics industry is critically reliant on innovation, excellence in design and integration of the latest technology. Electronex is proud to be a sponsor and host of the Electronics News Future Awards, which recognises and rewards excellence in electronic design & product development. Australasian Exhibitions & Events Pty Ltd joined forces with the SMCBA, The Surface Mount and Circuit Board Association who are the peak body for industry developments in electronics design & assembly to develop and present Electronex to the market for the first time in 2010. Electronex has grown steadily since the successful 2010 introduction to become the pre-eminent combined electronics trade show and international industry conference. The technical sessions deliver the latest information for improving design, system development and manufacturing assembly from some of the world leading minds in electronics. Electronex is the forum where thousands of scientific, research & development, industrial, commercial, and engineering professionals from throughout the country and from all industry sectors and disciplines converge to keep up with the latest technologies, obtain expert advice, and network.

element14 1300 361 005 au.element14.com

Electronex 03 9676 2133 www.electronex.com.au

20 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

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DESIGN CORNER

DESIGN

FRAM microcontrollers FRAM’s non-volatile nature and low current consumption make it suitable for embedded applications on a tight power budget. Volker Rzehak explains how it works

erroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) has a number of characteristics that make it behave similarly to Dynamic RAM (DRAM). For example, it is possible to have random access to every individual bit for both read and write operations. However, unlike Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) or Flash, FRAM does not require a special sequence to write data nor does it require a higher voltage for programming. Nonetheless, FRAM is non-volatile; that is, data isn’t lost when the power is switched off. FRAM gains its non-volatility by making use of the so-called ferroelectric effect. It’s important to note that the term “ferroelectric” doesn’t mean the memory contains iron (Fe) nor does it imply that the memory can be influenced or corrupted by magnetic fields. In fact, FRAM is immune to magnetic fields. The term ferroelectric is used because FRAM’s hysteresis loop (see Fig. 1.) is similar to the magnetic hysteresis loop of iron (Fe). However, in this case the hysteresis results from the electrical dipole formed by zirconium (Zr) and oxygen (O) atoms in the ceramic material lead-zirkonate-titanate crystal (PZT) used to construct FRAM (see Fig. 2.). Applying an electrical field (E) polarises the material by shifting the Zr atom in the structure. But to move the Zr atom from one side (upper in the diagram) to the other side (lower) of the O atoms, it must cross an energy barrier. Increasing the field strength causes the Zr atom to gradually move down until, at a certain field strength, it suddenly “flips” to the other side. Applying a field in the opposite direction drives the Zr atom back up with the flip occurring at the same field strength. After manufacture, the dipoles 22 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

Figure 1: FRAM polarisation hysteresis loop

Figure 2. Lead-zirkonate-titanate structure showing mobility of Zr atom

Figure 3: Unified memory concept - data and program code share the same memory space formed by the Zr and O atoms are randomly polarised resulting in a net zero polarisation. Applying an electric field aligns the dipoles resulting in polarisation. Because the position of the zirconium atoms within the crystal structure is stable, the polarisation remains even after removing the electric field. The polarisation of individual bits can be used to store either “ones” or “zeroes” used for binary code.

The advantages of unified memory Consider an application such as a data logger used in a weather station to store information such as temperature, wind speed and humidity. Assume the application is controlled by a microcontroller and external memory is not an option due to space, cost and power constraints. To retain the meteorological data

it has to be stored in the embedded RAM of a conventional Flash-based microcontroller. The program code size required to measure and collect the data is small compared to the amount of memory required to store the meteorological information. However, in order to ensure the microcontroller has sufficient RAM for the data, it would be necessary to buy a chip that has an excessive amount of program memory (ROM) compared to what the application needs, a waste of resources. A FRAM-based microcontroller overcomes this problem, because the FRAM memory can be partitioned to meet both the needs of the application and data storage requirements. The memory can be partitioned with the larger portion made available for data and a smaller allocation for the application program requirements.

This so-called “unified memory” is only possible because of the characteristics of FRAM. The flexible partitioning means that the same type of memory can be used for both data and program storage (see Fig. 3.). In a conventional microcontroller, data and program code are typically kept in separate memories: RAM for data and Flash or ROM for program storage. FRAM-based microcontrollers from Texas Instruments incorporate a Memory Protection Unit (MPU) that protects the parts of the memory used for program storage from being accidentally overwritten with data. Q This article is an extract of a white paper entitled “Low-Power FRAM Microcontrollers and Their Applications” by Volker Rzehak of Texas Instruments. www.ti.com

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EVENT

Electronex 2012 preview With Australia’s only dedicated electronics expo coming up in September, we take a look at what exhibitors have in store for the show

HE 2012 Electronex Electronics Design & Assembly Expo will be held at Sydney’s Australian Technology Park from 12 to 13 September, promising 80 stands with the latest updates in products and services. Australasian Exhibitions & Events says keeping up to date is important in a fast-moving industry like electronics, where new products can yield real improvements in design, system development and manufacturing assembly. Electronex is the only specialised event in Australia for electronics and electrical engineers, OEM, scientific, IT and communications professionals, and it is now in its third year. Attendance is free. Attendees may also choose to take the opportunity to go to the co-hosted 3-day SMCBA international conference to gain an additional competitive edge. The Electronics Future Awards will also be held during Electronex, with a roundtable featuring speakers from Commercialisation Australia, NICTA and SMCBA. Major show feature categories include test and measurement, design and development tools, and green technology. According to Noel Gray, Managing Director of AEE, the 2012 exhibition will be 50 percent larger than the first Sydney show. “[This] indicates the growing support and enthusiasm for a specialised electronics industry platform showcasing local Australian and New Zealand based suppliers and distributors of the latest electronics technology for our market”, said Gray.

National Instruments NI will be exhibiting its new PXIe5665 modular, three-stage superheterodyne analyser which may be used both as a spectrum and vector signal analyser to perform signal meas24 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

The 2012 Electronex exhibition will help industry professionals keep up-to-date. urements over a frequency range from 20 Hz to 3.6 GHz/14 GHz with options for 25 MHz and 50 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. The instrument has low phase noise of -129 dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset at 800 MHz, an average noise level of -165 dBm/Hz, a third-order intercept point of +24 dBm, and absolute amplitude accuracy of ±0.10 dB. It is comprised of a new NI PXIe5603 or PXIe-5605 downconverter, the NI PXIe-5653 local oscillator (LO) synthesiser, and the NI PXIe5622 IF digitiser. FlexRIO modules, LabVIEW, TestStand, Diadem and CompactDAQ systems will also be on exhibit.

Rohde & Schwarz Rohde & Schwarz will show off its

new FSW, an advanced signal and spectrum analyser for wireless. The instrument offers the highest analysis bandwidth, detailed analysis of multistandard scenarios, easy operation and a convenient new tools, as well as a large touch screen. It can analyse LTE FDD/TDD, WCDMA, GSM/EDGE/EDGE Evolution, TD-SCDMA, CDMA2000, 1xEV-DO in uplink and downlink, and WLAN 802.11ac signals with 160 MHz bandwidth. It will also feature its RTO oscilloscopes which can find signal faults quickly, and the RTM mid-range scopes with 500MHz bandwidth.

Hawker Richardson Hawker Richardson will launch the TWS Automation range of pick and place machines, printers and ovens to the Australian and New Zealand

market at Electronex. The machines are designed and manufactured in Italy, and are said to be one of the most economical and cost-effective surface mount assembly solutions available on the market today.

Hammond Electronics Hammond will feature the latest addition to its die-cast enclosures, the 1550Z family, with thick walls (3 to 4mm), and IP66 sealing. The enclosures are suited for applications which require impact protection and environmental sealing. The range consists of 18 industry-standard sizes, from 50 x 45 x 30mm to 223 x 147 x 83mm. The boxes are supplied in either natural with a smooth vibra-finish or in a tough black polyester powder coated finish.

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EVENTS

Upton Australia Upton will provide attendees of Electronex with an exclusive sneak preview of the new Metcal Scorpion Rework System. It will also display hand soldering and rework equipment, convection rework, fume extraction, and fluid dispensing. Other features include the next-generation MFR-1300 series desoldering and rework systems, and the new and improved MRS1100A modular rework system, an integrated convection rework system for the removal and reflow of BGA/CSP and SMT components. Also at the standard will be the EZReball reballing perform which can accurately place arrays of solder balls, and the DDM Novastar LS60V-LED automated SMT pick and place machine for LED placements, capable of of placing 0201s, SOICs, 15-mil pitch QFPs and CSPs, BGAs, and microBGAs.

which now offer the option to add a three-digit voltmeter (DVM) and five-digit counter that operate through the same probes as the oscilloscope channels. These measurements are decoupled from the oscilloscope triggering system, allowing engineers to make DVM and triggered oscilloscope measurements with the same connection.

Knowledge boost at SMCBA conference THE SURFACE Mount & Circuit Board Association (SMCBA)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual electronics design and manufacture conference will once again be held at Electronex, running from 11 to 13 September 2012. The 2012 conference will feature three international speakers from the USA, Dave Hillman (metallurgical engineer at Rockwell Collins), Gary Ferrari and Craig Hillman (CEO of DfR Solutions). The SMCBA conference will These speakers will be joined by veteran feature a variety of topics board designer Andy Kowalewski, and Master and international speakers. IPC Trainers Ken Galvin and Terry Clitheroe. A variety of topics await attendees, including coverage of high density interconnect structures, package on package technology, electronics reliability, PCB design, rework and repair, etc. According to Andrew Pollock, executive and public officer of the SMCBA, some of the conference activities have been scheduled for Tuesday, 11 September, which is the day before Electronex opens. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This gives delegates a greater opportunity to attend more sessions at the conferencem,â&#x20AC;? Pollock explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since we and AEE launched Electronex in 2010 the exhibition has continued to grow at around 20% and our conference attendance also grew from about 120 in 2009 to 160-170 in 2010 and 2011.â&#x20AC;? Attendees may also opt to take the opportunity to complete an IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies training and certification program, which will span all three days.

Emona Instruments Emona will show off its newly released Oscium iOS test instruments, modules that interface with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch via the Apple 30-pin dock connector. Three instruments are currently available: the WiPry-Combo spectrum analyser and peak power meter, the iMSO mixed signal oscilloscope and the LogicScope logic analyser. Combined with the appropriate apps, the Oscium range turns iOS devices into test instruments.

Agilent Technologies

Aldec

Agilentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stand will feature its new 1GHz models of the InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series oscilloscopes. The new models double the available bandwidth, and includes new features like WaveGen, which integrates fixed-function and arbitrary waveform stimulus with oscilloscope response measurements. Another new product is the 1000B series oscilloscopes, which are four new two-channel models, with bandwidths from 50 MHz to 150 MHz, that offer powerful capabilities at an attractive price for engineers, technicians and educators. It will also show off new functionality in the 2000 and 3000 X-Series,

Aldec will feature its Active-HDL FPGA design creation and simulation solution at its stand. Active-HDL includes a full HDL graphical design tool suite and RTL/ gate-level mixed-language simulator. The design flow manager evokes 90 plus EDA and FPGA tools, during design entry, simulation, synthesis and implementation flows, making it a seamless and flexible design creation and simulation platform.

HK Wentworth HK Wentworthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stand will be split between Hakko and Electrolube. Electrolube will launch the new PE7500 clear polyester encapsula-

www.smcba.asn.au

tion resin at the show. The PE7500 is safe for use, with no health warnings. It is also a lowhardness material for easy removal of the cured material during rework processes. It has high flexibility at temperature from -70 to +100Â°C. Hakko will display its complete soldering range for Australia and New Zealand, including the new FX600 variable temperature stick iron with adjustable temperature control from 200 to 500Â°C. The FM-206 will also be on show, 3-port multi purpose rework station,

capable of performing any task using Leaded or Lead-free solder, through hole and SMT components.

Active Components Active Components will be co-exhibiting with Italian manufacturer Elettronica Rossoni at Electronex, which produces high volumes of power transformers. Staff will be available to meet customers and field any questions on transformers and wound components in general. Q www.electronex.com.au

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www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 25

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PRODUCT FEATURE

INDUSTRIAL

Expanding wireless networks wi Solar power can realise the true potential of wireless systems, unencumbered by power or da Simon Webb, product support engineer at Micromax Sensors & Automation.

nnovations in power management technology have led to physically smaller and more efficient solar systems to power wireless sensor networks which employ a variety of off-the-shelf sensors and radios. A small modern solar panel, with power optimised radios and dutycycled sensors can deliver the same outcomes as a traditional 80-watt solar panel and large batteries. Such compact solar-powered systems with wireless sensors allow remote collection of information, even in locations not wired for power and data, and with a minimum amount of sunlight. Solar energy is thus a natural extension of wireless sensor technology, permitting system integrators to install a wireless sensor network without the need for wired power accessibility.

Using solar power Solar panels can also be appended to low-power installations which typically run off batteries, with the solar power recharging the batteries to prolong the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life-span. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smaller solar systems paired with optimised electronics can reliably power a sensor network and most commercially offered sensors even in settings with only one hour of sunlight per day. A 10- to 15-watt solar system can provide 25 to 40 mA at 12 V or 50 to 80 mA at 5 V per hour of sunlight a day. This is enough for an optimised radio and multiple 4-20 mA looppowered sensors. By adjusting the duty cycle, most commercially available 4-20 mA loop-powered sensors can be optimised for low power operation. The radio is powered continuously, but it cycles power to the sensor only when the sensor is programmed to obtain a reading and only long enough to ensure a steady measurement. This reduces the overall 26 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

Small, highly portable solar-powered, wireless sensor network systems achieve the real freedom afforded by wireless technologies. power requirements while ensuring reliable network communication. Rechargeable battery packs power wireless radios and sensors independently when sunlight cannot be utilised, then recharge when sunlight reappears. The batteryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity should be determined depending on the amount of sunlight expected to be available in the area. Freed of power and data cables, these systems can be easily moved and reinstalled as needed. Smaller solar systems are also more environmentally sustainable, since they use nickel- and lithium-based battery chemistries instead of lead acid.

Applications for solar Employing solar energy to power wireless network devices and sensors is exceptionally beneficial in outdoor applications arranged over

large geographical areas. These may necessitate multihop networks to meet range demands. Wireless Instrumentation For large-scale applications like tank and ground well level monitoring, pump control or pump cycle counting, the sensors generally have high power requirements, making operation from a single-use battery pack challenging. However, the sensors can be duty-cycled, so the total power demand is low enough to allow solar powered rechargeable batteries to be a viable option. Solar-powered wireless networks can also be retrofitted on existing installations, automating real-time data collection from individual points.

Wireless Sensor Network Infrastructure Large-scale applications covering kilometres of open land usually employ repeater radios to extend the wireless sensor network. Individual repeater radios using frequency-hopping spread spectrum are smart enough to form selfhealing, auto-routing networks. As these repeaters have been optimised for efficient functioning, they are easily powered by small solar panels and limited sunlight. New Wireless Opportunities Other solar power applications employing wireless networks use multihop radios to transmit sensor data around large obstacles. Installing multihop radios powered

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PRODUCT FEATURE

with solar power or data cables, writes by solar panels and rechargeable battery packs is a simple way to send sensor data around large obstacles that impede radio signals. The combination of poweroptimised radios, sensors and solar panels also enables a new class of wireless sensor network applications. For example, a wireless perimeter guard could have its range extended and its reliability boosted by using solar panels and rechargeable battery packs to power the radios and photoelectric sensors. As the location of the perimeter guard system is no longer reliant on available power lines, the operator can move or resize the perimeter guard system as needed.

Future of wireless sensor networks Wireless sensor technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full potential can only be realised when wireless devices are no longer

limited by power constraints. New power-optimised industrial radios need less power to send data and activate or read sensors. Efficient power management technology delivers the ability to use solar panels as a cost-effective power source for every device in a wireless sensor network. Integrating solar power with wireless sensors can allow the establishment of larger networks that can function without power constraints, or the high costs of running conduit and wiring. As the individual components are small, the installation can be expanded or moved as application requirements change. As energy technology advances, wireless sensor networks will become more and more efficient, utilising less energy, producing less waste and having a reduced impact on the environment. Q

DC/DC step-up power module TEXAS Instruments has introduced the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest integrated step-up (boost) DC/DC power module for portable electronics. The TPS81256 MicroSiP 4MHz, 600mA converter supports a 5V output with power density of 400mW/mm3. It integrates the inductor and input/output capacitors to achieve a solution less than 9-mm2 and sub-1 mm height. This allows a simplified design, and board space savings. The device reduces the supply current to 43uA during light loads. The TPS81256 achieves power efficiency of greater than 90 percent

from an input of 2.5V to 5.5V, efficiently managing 3W over a full Li-Ion battery voltage range. Texas Instruments 03 8540 5200 www.ti.com

www.micromaxsa.com.au

Versatile wireless gateways and nodes MICROMAX Sensors & Automation says Banner Engineeringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SureCross Performance wireless I/O gateways and nodes are ideal for applications requiring alternative power supplies. The gateways and nodes feature high-power radio frequency (RF) architecture with 1-Watt transmit power in the 900 MHz ISM band. While reducing power use, the architecture increases the range between devices (up to 9.6km), providing reliable industrial-grade wireless in remote and difficult-toaccess applications. The SureCross Performance family delivers the same power management, deterministic network and integrated Site Survey features originally designed for the SureCross product line. Newer models include universal analogue inputs, providing users with increased input selection options in a single device.

Operators have the ability to select either 4 to 20 mA or 0 to 10V inputs in the field. The FlexPower technology allows the SureCross Performance radio and external third-party sensors to be powered by solar panels, battery modules or 10-30 V DC, breaking the limitations of wired power. Micromax Sensors & Automation 1300 36 26 26 www.bannerengineering.com www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 27

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NEW PRODUCTS

SPOTLIGHT

Raspberry Pi connectivity

Ready-to-go rugged systems GE Intelligent Platform’s CRS-C2I-3VB1 COTS Rugged Systems (CRS) is now available from Metromatics. The systems are said to reduce program risk, cost and time-to-market, with a two-board 3U VPX chassis which is pre-configured, pre-validated, and ready-to-run. They are suited for civilian and military use, over- and underwater research vessels, locomotives and oil and gas applications. The application-ready CRS-C2I-3VB1 includes a single board computer featuring a 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor housed in a rugged, base-plate cooled 2-slot 3U VPX chassis featuring MIL-DTL-38999 connectors. Solid state storage is optionally available. I/O capabilities include Ethernet, serial, USB, MIL-STD-153, CANbus and VGA. The system can be used for both application development and application deployment. Metromatics 07 3868 4255 www.metromatics.com.au

802.11ac signal and spectrum analyser ROHDE & Schwarz has released the FSW signal and spectrum analyser with options for analysing IEEE 802.11ac WLAN signals with bandwidths up to 160MHz. The FSW instrument is for developers who want to design chipsets and modules in line with IEEE 802.11ac, providing fast measurement speeds of less than 100ms per 28 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

measurement, and high accuracy. The R&S FSW-K91ac option provides an integrated demodulation bandwidth of 160 MHz, enabling the R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyser to record and demodulate the full bandwidth of a WLAN signal in line with IEEE 802.11ac. The error vector magnitude (EVM) is an important measure of the modulation quality. The IEEE 802.11ac standard requires an EVM of –32 dB for 256QAM modulation. To accurately measure this parameter, the T&M equipment itself must have a very low EVM, and the FSW achieves this with an EVM of less than –45 dB. Rohde & Schwarz also offers the equipment needed to generate standard compliant WLAN signals in the lab. Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) 02 8845 4100 www.rohde-schwarz.com.au

FUTURE Technology Devices International, available in Australia from Glyn High-Tech Distribution, has announced the two connectivity solutions for the Raspberry Pi. The TTL-232R-RPi is a USB-to-TTL Serial UART debug cabling solution that incorporates the company’s FT232RQ interface IC, while the RPi USB Hub Module is designed to connect to an Raspberry Pi unit and expand the number of interfaces that can be accessed downstream from a host. The debug cable allows PCs to interface with the Raspberry Pi board and perform in-depth analysis on the software being developed. Glyn High-Tech Distribution 02 8850 0320 www.glyn.com.au

Industrial 3G/ HSPA+ Ethernet router ETM Pacific has released the ETM450C, a dual SIM 3G/HSPA+ Industrial Ethernet router. With HSDP+ 14.4Mbits DL and 5.7Mbits UL and an operating temperature range of -20°C to +60°C, the unit is suited for remote industrial applications. In addition to robust housing, the dual SIMs support automatic changeover for demanding applications which require continued availability. The router uses the Telstra/ NextG-approved Cinterion PH8-P wireless module, which features Five Band UMTS (WCDMA/FDD) plus quad-band GSM. ETM Pacific 02 9956 7377 www.etmpacific.com.au

Inlet filters WESTEK Electronics has introduced the Schaffner FN9280 and FN9290 IEC inlet filters with C14 type IEC appliance inlets. According to the company, tight RF jointing comprising of flange frames with the deep-drawn steel housings provide a very high degree of shielding and against strong magnetic fields. The new flange mount system offers either horizontal or vertical mounting holes to enable front or back mounting. The Schaffner FN9280 filters have a single stage topology, and the FN9290 is a twostage device offering a typical insertion loss of 80 dB. The filters are compact, and have dual fuse holders. The dual pole power switch completely isolates the filters from the mains and can be removed for maintenance. Westek Electronics 1300 937 835 www.westek.com.au

Multi-channel cards DEWETRON, distributed by Metromatics, has released the DEWE-ORION-1616-100X multichannel cards, with 1MS/s sample rate and gap free storage. The series features 16 simultaneous sampled channels with a sample rate of 1MS/s per channel, 16 Bit Resolution, 4 input ranges (from ±1.25V to ±10V), synchronous digital inputs, 8 digital I/O’s, 32 bit synchronous counter/encoder and 2 synchronous interfaces. With 16 analogue inputs and an AD converter, the card costs less than of two 8 channel cards, resulting in a faster and cheaper high density multi channel system. Metromatics 07 3868 4255 www.metromatics.com.au

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NEW PRODUCTS

Email your product news to editor@electronicsnews.com.au SPOTLIGHT

lution waveform analysis. The instruments include 8-inch LCDs, combined with advanced digital signal processing technology. Visual Persistence Oscilloscope (VPO) which allows acquisition of less-frequently-occurring signals. TekMark Australia 02 9911 3888 www.tekmark.net.au

3D CAD models Digital storage oscilloscopes

iOS-based test instruments EMONA Instruments is now the Australian distributor of the Oscium range of iOS-based test instruments. The modules take advantage of the features and touchscreen technology of the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, interfacing with these devices via Apple’s 30-pin dock connector. The range currently covers three instruments, the WiPry-Combo, the iMSO mixed signal oscilloscope and the LogicScope logic analyser. The WiPry-Combo is a 2.4GHz ISM band spectrum analyser and peak power meter. It visualises Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth and remote sensor networks using spectral mode and measures rise and fall time, duty cycle and peak power with the power meter. LogiScope is a 100MHz, 16 channel logic analyser. The touchscreenbased iOS platform provides simple and intuitive display.

GOOD Will Instrument has introduced the GDS-3502 and 3504 digital storage oscilloscopes with 500MHz bandwidth and 4GS/s sampling (2GSa/s per channel). The GW Instek GDS-3502 has 2 channel inputs while the 3504 has 4 channel inputs. The bandwidth of 500MHz and sampling rate to 2GSa/s per channels allows the DSOs to better fit applications that require higher speeds and higher time reso-

RS COMPONENTS has added over 2000 new automation and control 3D CAD models to its online library, covering brands like Siemens, Omron, SMC, Parker Legris, Ace Products and Nuvotem. The are useful for engineers and machine and panel builders looking to cut design times. The free models are available in up to 23 3D CAD formats, used by the most popular CAD suites. RS Components 1300 656 636 www.rsaustralia.com.au

Emona Instruments 1800 632 953 www.emona.com.au

RTD measurement input modules NATIONAL Instruments has released the NI PXIe-4357 input module which provides integrated data acquisition and signal conditioning for resistance temperature detector (RTD) measurements. The 20-channel module is the latest addition to the SC Express sensor measurement family for PXI Express, featuring five 24-bit deltasigma analogue-to-digital converters

with anti-aliasing and lowpass filters for superior accuracy. The module offers sampling rates up to 100S/s per channel in high-speed mode or 1S/s with typical measurement accuracies of 0.09°C. A front-mount terminal block provides screw terminal connectivity for 2-, 3-, or 4-wire RTDs. The NI-DAQmx device driver software included with the module gives the flexibility of per channel softwareprogrammable configurations and automatically scales measured data into engineering units. The signal conditioning circuitry on the NI PXIe-4357 is optimised for PT100 RTDs but can also measure resistors between 0 Ω and 400 Ω. Engineers can integrate additional modules to add complementary sensor inputs. National Instruments 1800 300 800 www.ni.com/oceania www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 29

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NEW PRODUCTS

Email your product news to editor@electronicsnews.com.au SPOTLIGHT

Standards-compliant digital signage solution

that enable custom motion recognition inside the module. Programmable state machines enable the identification of specific motions or gestures and initiate associated actions or applications. Integrated processing capability in MEMS sensors reduces power use. The module can detect acceleration up to 16g and angular rate up to 2,000 dps along the pitch, roll and yaw axes. The unit also includes powerdown and sleep modes and an embedded FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block for smarter power management. It can operate with any supply voltage over the range of 2.4 to 3.6V. STMicroelectronics 02 8338 1172 www.st.com

KONTRON has introduced the KOPS800 system, an open pluggable specification (OPS) compliant modular solution for connected digital signage. The modular digital signage solution features remote management capabilities that enable easier upgrades and scheduling of repairs. The KOPS800 is based on the OPS specification created by Intel and can therefore be docked into any OPS-compliant display, simplifying development, reducing costs and speeding time-to-market. At the core of the system is the Kontron COMe-bSC6 Computer-onModule (COM), providing high-end graphics and display. This COM integrates dual second generation Intel Core processors (up to 2.7GHz). Kontron Australia 02 9457 0047 www.kontron.com.au

Multi-sensor motion module STMICROELECTRONICS has announced a miniature 6-axis sensor device with custom motion-recognition capabilities.

The iNEMO LSM330 inertial module, with a volume of around 10mm3, houses a 3-axis digital gyroscope and a 3-axis digital accelerometer with two embedded finite state machines – programmable blocks

Serial-integrated I/O terminal PHOENIX Contact has expanded its modular Inline I/O system to include a new communication terminal, the IB IL RS UNI-PAC Inline terminal. Interfaces like RS232, RS485, or RS422 serial communication are still

widely used in industrial automation. The Inline terminal integrates the three serial interfaces in just one terminal, reducing programming costs. It also features a complete expansion of all RS232 handshake signals and data transfer rates of up to 250,000 baud. Phoenix Contact 02 9524 4455 www.phoenixcontact.com.a

Low-power development platform ICP Electronics has released the TI OMAP Sitara AM3715 Cortex-A8, a power saving platform. TI’s Sitara family of ARM9 and ARM Cortex-A8 microprocessors offers various combinations of highperformance and low power levels, providing the ability to create products using a common hardware and software platform. The Sitara range offers up to 450MHz ARM9 to 1.5GHz Cortex A8 devices and is the industry’s first widely available Cortex-A8 devices with 2DMIPS per MHz. The platform reduces system risks and accelerates time-to-market using standard ARM-based software development tools. Connectivity includes 10/100/1000 Ethernet, CAN 2.0, USB interface, multiple serial port options per device, SATA interface, with a flexible LCD controller for up to 720p displays and moving to 1080p in future devices. ICP Electronics Australia 02 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au

Wireless Solution BREAKTHROUGH! E Durable and Stable under severe circumstance E Environmentally Friendly E Fast Development Contact us at: Ginsei Sangyo Co., Ltd.

TEL: +81 3 3356 5715 Email: sales@ginsei-jp.com www.ginsei-jp.com

30 AUGUST 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

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(03) 9729 5000

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Up close

5minutes with... Grant Petty, founder and CEO of Blackmagic Design Why did you choose this industry? It’s a complex industry and keeps changing, so there is always something new to learn. It will never get boring. What excites you the most about the local electronics industry? That I survived it? The electronics industry in Australia is a horror and it’s a wonder that anyone is left here at all. Blackmagic Design is a strong, global company and we have been able to grow and keep innovating by building offices and manufacturing overseas outside of Australia. But for companies only working in Australia, there are multiple problems we previously had to deal with. Firstly, the supply chains are suffering, and parts suppliers are poorly staffed and cannot give us the support we need. Our universities and TAFE colleges have been turned into profit-making businesses to sell education to overseas students instead of educating Australians.

Every package that enters the country has a customs charge attached to it. This adds cost into everything we build here. Our free trade agreement is poorlynegotiated. No electronic product made today uses parts made exclusively in a single country. It’s impossible to meet the Australian-made local content quota, and we pay additional export duties. What is the future of the electronics industry in Australia? I expect it to disappear. Most engineeringminded people will move into software companies running on generic hardware such as computers and smart phones. What can the government do to ensure a healthy electronics industry? Restore some tax breaks for technologybased companies, and provide customs clearance without a per shipment charge. Continue building the NBN. Educate our kids, and give them better assistance

when they study things that are useful for building things, such as engineering, sciences and design. What opportunities are the Australian electronics industry missing out on? To dominate the world in the excitement of building things. There are lots of ideas here, but people need to see companies that push the edge. You can make anything you can imagine in this industry and only electronics is like that because the products are active and somewhat intelligent. It’s hard work, but when you get to launch a new product and people love it, it is amazing. Building products that clash with other competing products so you get to see how your ideas stack up against the world’s best is also thrilling.. That’s what Australians miss out on. They have no idea what this is like and how cool it is. Q

WEB DIRECTORY

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http://nz.element14.com element14 is a high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair, supported by a global online engineering community to collaborate, research and keep projects on the fast track, right from the start.

LEMO www.lemo.com High quality circular connectors with the LEMO designed push pull mating. Harsh environment connectors rated to IP68. Plastic connectors for the medical industry. Coaxial, triaxial, quadrax, multi contact and fibre optic connectors. LEMO is accredited with ISO9001:2000 and all connectors are RoHS compliant.

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www.electronicsnews.com.au AUGUST 2012 31

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