RTC Magazine Second Quarter 2020

Real World Connected Systems Magazine

Second Quarter Summer 2020

Extension or no extension: what Class I manufacturers need to know about EU MDR How Smart IoT Nodes at the Extreme Edge are Bringing Ultra- low Power Options to Embedded Vision Systems

CONTENTS

Real World Connected Systems Magazine. Produced by Intelligent Systems Source

6

Industry Watch

16

12 Extension or no extension:

what Class I manufacturers need to know about EU MDR

How Smart IoT Nodes at the Extreme Edge are Bringing Ultra- low Power Options to Embedded Vision Systems

By Peter Rose, Managing Director Europe at Maetrics

19

Innovative Products

By Semir Haddad, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Eta Compute.

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RTC MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER John Reardon, johnr@rtc-media.com

EDITORIAL Editorial Director John Reardon, johnr@rtc-media.com Contributing Editors Rob Hoffman, rob.hoffman@highassurance.com Glenn ImObersteg, glenn@convergencepromotions.com

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4 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

Industry Watch Renesas Electronics and 3db Access to Collaborate and Bring Secure Ultra-Wideband Solutions to Market Renesas’ Mobile Computing Technology and 3db Access’ UWB Technology to Address Smart Home, IoT, Industry 4.0 and Automotive Applications Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and 3db Access AG, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in secure ultra-wideband (UWB) low power chips, jointly announced that Renesas will license 3db UWB technology and will collaborate to bring best-in-class secure access solutions to the connected smart home, Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, mobile computing, and connected vehicle applications. The collaboration combines each company’s technical leadership in performance, size reduction, ultra-low power consumption, and security to deliver breakthrough multi-receiver UWB solutions to the global market.

Renesas is augmenting its microcontrollers (MCUs) and RF connectivity capabilities with 3db Access’ field proven secure ranging UWB chips, which are designed for use in smartphones, smart watches, automobiles, and other IoT applications. This will accelerate a roadmap of ICs and modules that leverage both companies’ strengths and product portfolios to bring best-in-class UWB solutions to market. The collaboration also gives Renesas customers access to advanced UWB solutions that are IEEE 802.15.4z dual HRP/LRP compliant and utilize an RF architecture that achieves 10x lower power consumption through the support of LRP-mode. 3db devices also provide the smallest UWB silicon area compared to competitive ICs. “We are excited with the prospects of collaborating with 3db Access to provide our customers with the products and tools they need to quickly jumpstart their development for indoor positioning, mobile payments and asset tracking,” said Dr. Amit Bavisi, Vice President of Engineering, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas.

“We believe that our combined technical expertise, differentiated IP, and global operations will allow us to design the smallest and highest performance system solutions that provide secure distance ranging access to our customers’ next-generation products.”

“We are proud that this collaboration recognizes the 3db advances in UWB technology and will bring precise and secure location capabilities to the large ecosystem of batterypowered wireless devices. Furthermore, Renesas’ broad range of customers and partner ecosystem will benefit from our breakthrough UWB solutions,” said Dr. Boris Danev, CEO of 3db Access. “The combination of 3db Access’ UWB domain knowledge and positioning products Dr. Boris Danev, CEO of 3db fits perfectly with Renesas’ embedded system processing and global market expertise.”

Both companies are discussing terms of business engagement that will enable 3db Access to develop new UWB solutions for every market space, in addition to bringing existing UWB solutions to the Renesas portfolio.

6 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

Fitbit to Be Acquired by Google Fitbit, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google LLC for $7.35 per share in cash, valuing the company at a fully diluted equity value of approximately $2.1 billion.

“More than 12 years ago, we set an audacious company vision – to make everyone in the world healthier. Today, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved towards reaching that goal. We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit. “Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.”

“Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created terrific products, experiences and a vibrant community of users,” said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices & Services at Google. “We’re looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Fitbit, and bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world.”

Fitbit pioneered the wearables category by delivering innovative, affordable and engaging devices and services. Being “on Fitbit” is not just about the device – it is an immersive experience from the wrist to the app, designed to help users understand and change their behavior to improve their health. Because of this unique approach, Fitbit has sold more than 100 million devices and supports an engaged global community of millions of active users, utilizing data to deliver unique personalized guidance and coaching to its users. Fitbit will continue to remain platform-agnostic across both Android and iOS. Consumer trust is paramount to Fitbit. Strong privacy and security guidelines have been part of Fitbit’s DNA since day one, and this will not change. Fitbit will continue to put users in control of their data and will remain transparent about the data it collects and why. The company never sells personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.

The transaction is expected to close in 2020, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Fitbit’s stockholders and regulatory approvals.

Industry Watch Siemens and Deerfield Beach, Fla., Are Making a Smart City Vision Real Project for a smarter, more energy-efficient city supported

by Siemens smart infrastructure solutions Total Project Value of $9.2 million Project expected to achieve $15 million in energy and operational savings over project term “This is a unique project in that we will digitally connect, monitor, and manage essential building disciplines in more than 20 buildings through one digital central system – as opposed to each building having its own such system” The City of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Siemens today officially announced the start of a city-wide energy efficiency project to reduce the city’s environmental footprint. Last month, the Commission of Deerfield Beach approved a 17-year contract with Siemens for energy performance services. Valued at more than $9.2 million, the infrastructure improvement project will allow the city to reduce energy consumption in more than 20 of its facilities and to increase the use of alternative energy sources. Energy and operational savings are approximated to be $15 million by the end of the 17-year project.

“There is no better way to prepare our city for the future, and the City of Deerfield Beach is proud to partner with an innovation giant like Siemens to bring our city into the 21st century. Not only will we see cost savings for our tax payers, but we will also be one step closer to becoming the kind of sustainable city that others can point to as an example of excellence,” said Deerfield Beach Mayor Bill Ganz.

To help the city meet its energy-efficiency goals, Siemens is

providing smart infrastructure solutions in conjunction with cloud-based digital technologies.

Smart building solutions driven by digitalization In addition to replacing more than 40 aging HVAC systems and renewing lighting in over 20 facilities, Siemens will install its integrated building management system Desigo CC. “This is a unique project in that we will digitally connect, monitor, and manage essential building disciplines in more than 20 buildings through one digital central system – as opposed to each building having its own such system,” said Scott Brady, Zone Vice President at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. “We are proud to work side by side with Deerfield Beach to help shape its sustainable future by leveraging the potential of our digital portfolio.”

The Desigo CC system will use sensors and analytics to collect data from each facility to remotely monitor and operate building applications such as air conditioning, lighting systems, energy usage and other major building systems. By displaying all vital information of the facilities at a glance, the city will be able to optimize its power and energy usage. In conjunction with Siemens’ Navigator, a cloud-based building data analytics platform, the company is adding a layer of intelligence by evaluating the collected data for further optimization.

Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of energy consumption globally, and 10 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Smart building solutions are a key contributor to increase energy efficiency and sustainability in these critical pieces of infrastructure.

Increasing the use of alternative, renewable energy sources To increase the use of alternative energy sources, Siemens will also build a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station for the city’s solid waste collection vehicles which will reduce operating costs, lower carbon emissions, and boost the city’s fleet resiliency.

Another driver to meet the city’s energy-efficiency goals is the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on several buildings to generate energy from renewable sources and increase the city’s energy resiliency.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries.

SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-toend portfolio from a single source – with products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption.

With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. SI creates environments that care. With around 71,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and its U.S. corporate headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA.

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Industry Watch Provides engineering scale, broader range of solutions and strong market position in expanding mass transit opportunity Astronics Corporation announced that it has acquired the primary operating subsidiaries from mass transit and defense market test solution provider, Diagnosys Test Systems Limited (Diagnosys). Diagnosys is a developer and manufacturer of comprehensive automated test equipment (ATE) providing test, support, and repair of high value electronics, electro-mechanical,

The Industrial Internet Consortium Publishes Advice for Managing and Assessing Trustworthiness for IIoT in Practice Whitepaper provides practical guidance for trustworthiness including definitions, examples and best practices Full suite of the latest ARINC airport solutions from Collins Aerospace Improves operational efficiencies via state-of-the-art passenger processing systems Leverages use of reliable self-service technology to reduce wait times and improve the passenger experience.

Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

(NYSE: UTX), is helping to improve the passenger processing experience and safeguard the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia, from cyber threats with a full suite of ARINC airport solutions. Each solution is supported by ongoing system monitoring by the Collins Aerospace Cybersecurity Operations Center and an experienced cyber engineering team.

Under a new multi-year agreement, Collins Aerospace will provide the El Dorado International Airport and the Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional (OPAIN), which operates and manages the airport, with several industry-leading solutions: MUSE agent-facing check-in: Manages operations and provides data 8 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

pneumatic and printed circuit boards focused on the global mass transit and defense markets.

Astronics has acquired 100% of the equity of the three primary operating subsidiaries of Diagnosys, which are Diagnosys Holdings, Inc., Diagnosys Ferndown Limited and Diagnosys Electronics (I) Private Limited for $7 million in cash. The terms of the acquisition allow for a potential earn-out of up to an additional $13 million over the next three years based on achievement of new order levels of over $70 million during that period.

Peter J. Gundermann, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer commented, “Diagnosys is a leader in test solutions with a heavy focus on mass transit and defense markets, which is very much aligned with the strategy of our Test segment.

The acquisition gives us a strong position in the growing mass transit test market as well as providing component-level solutions to our aerospace & defense test business. We expect that the company’s advanced technologies and customer base will provide us opportunities for continued growth into missioncritical test markets by enabling us to offer a broader range of solutions to our customers. We are pleased to welcome the employees of Diagnosys to the Astronics family.”

analytics to improve airport efficiency.

Self-service check-in kiosks: Reduces wait times at check-in while freeing up airport space.

ARINC AviNet™ Airport connectivity: Provides passengers and airlines with security and data integrity within the airline’s virtual network space.

Local departure control system: Provides passenger check-in and boarding for airlines of all sizes.

ARINC Baglink™ baggage messaging: Enables baggage to be sorted and routed remotely to save time, cut costs and minimize errors.

ARINC Cybersecurity: Provides end-to-end cybersecurity coverage from alarm monitoring to on-site remediation and recovery.

24/7 on-site support and help desk: Delivers immediate expertise to maintain high-quality levels.

“El Dorado is able to handle 40 million passengers a year.

In 2018, 32.7 million were mobilized and we were prepared to guarantee an unforgettable positive experience for our users” said Alvaro Gonzalez, CEO of OPAIN. “By implementing these solutions we are able to dramatically improve the efficiency of the airport without having to physically expand our building space.”

Industry Watch Swift UAV Services Team Assists Bahamian Ministry Support Efforts Conducting 98 Day and Night Missions, Providing Real-Time Situational Maps to Key Officials Government of Bahamas recently engaged Swift Engineering’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Team to support the country’s post-hurricane relief efforts. Following the Category 5 Hurricane that caused damage along with parts of its archipelago, the government engaged Swift to conduct 98 day and night mapping missions over two weeks. The team utilized its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to gather fast, real-time intelligence, 3D terrain modeling, damage assessments, fire containment analysis, and situational mapping for the Bahamian Ministry of National Security. Swift is also providing government officials with extensive analysis and reporting to support those who are rebuilding parts of the Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands. Bahamian officials are committing resources and taking quick action to address areas that need it most while fortifying the country’s commitment to tourism.

• The Swift Engineering UAS Team captures images of the

LoRa Alliance® Announces First Authorized Test Houses in India and Global Availability of the LoRaWAN® Certification Test Tool Local device testing and the ability to pretest devices with the LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool make device certification faster and more cost-effective.

The LoRa Alliance®, the global association of companies backing the open LoRaWAN® standard for the Internet of Things (IoT) low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), announced that LoRa Alliance Authorized Test House TÜV Rheinland has opened a LoRaWAN Certification testing site in India, and that DEKRA will also offer local certification testing by the end of the year. Both company’s sites in India will provide local testing of LoRaWAN devices seeking to become LoRaWAN CertifiedCM. At the same time, the LoRa Alliance announced that the LoRaWAN Certification Test Tool (LCTT), introduced this past June, is now available to LoRa Alliance members globally. These two developments offer strong support to the India market making it easier and more cost-effective than ever before to certify LoRaWAN devices.

“Certification is critical to successful implementation and project outcomes,” said Donna Moore, CEO and Chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance. “This is why the LoRa Alliance only promotes LoRaWAN CertifiedCM devices –– those that have passed our comprehensive and rigorous test suite and deliver the quality and

rebuilding efforts in seaside communities.

• The Swift Engineering UAS Team captures images of the rebuilding efforts in seaside communities.

• The Swift Engineering UAS team preparing another launch to assess wildfire threats in the Bahamas.

• The Swift Engineering UAS team preparing another launch to assess wildfire threats in the Bahamas.

“Our team of UAV pilots and services specialists were ready on a moment’s notice to support the relief efforts in the Bahamas,” says Rick Heise, CEO of Swift Engineering. “We were able to assess the overall situation on the ground and provide status updates for areas that are difficult to access, enabling government officials to make faster and more informed real-time decisions,” adds Heise.

Headquartered in San Clemente, Swift Engineering has a 35-year history of design, engineering and build heritage in intelligent systems and advanced vehicles; including autonomous systems, helicopters, submarines, spacecraft, ground vehicles, robotics, and advanced composites. Industry leaders such as The Boeing Company, SpaceX, NASA, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopters, and Northrop Grumman collaborate with Swift to solve highly complex problems.

The Swift UAS team has also been working with the government of Japan to proactively address landslide management, coastal erosion, and fire safety issues. Following the 2011 tsunami that caused the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant collapse, the government invested $12 Billion to build 245 miles of a seawall to safeguard citizens from future disasters. Swift is playing a vital role in Japan’s efforts to fortify its investment and shore up any cracks in the seawall. performance expected by installers and end-users. LoRaWAN is an open global specification, so facilitating certification worldwide is a key priority for us. As we look to support the growing number of LoRaWAN deployments in India, this expansion of DEKRA and TÜV Rheinland’s services here, along with full global availability of the LCTT precertification tool, are critical developments for our members and significantly augment device manufacturers’ ability to certify their devices.”

DEKRA and TÜV Rheinland’s presence as local test houses in India means that companies seeking to certify their devices can do so with greater efficiency than ever before. The time and cost savings are achieved by not having to ship devices internationally.

Further, LoRa Alliance members can now utilize the LCTT before officially engaging in the certification process, further accelerating development roadmaps and timelines.

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Industry Watch OSS Receives $1.1 Million Customized Panel PC Order for the Medical Industry One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) has won a $1.1 million purchase order for 500 customized Panel PCs from an OEM customer in the medical industry. Half of the order is scheduled to ship in 2020, with the balance in 2021.

The Panel PCs will feature 15.6” multi-touch display for the customer’s existing laser surgery medical equipment. OSS engineers worked closely with the customer to customize the computer hardware and software to their precise specifications.

The product end customers will be in multiple countries around the world, including the U.S. “We have worked closely with the OEM over the years and this tech refresh represents state-of-the-art technology applied to a specific application need,” said Martin Stiborski, managing director of OSS’s European operations. “The customer has once again chosen us for our consistent product portfolio at all integration

ELDORADO Selects AdaCore’s QGen for Critical Medical Applications Model-based engineering toolsuite brings high reliability to medical device software AdaCore announced that The ELDORADO Research Institute of Brazil (ELDORADO) has selected the QGen model-based code generation and verification toolsuite to support research and development of safety-critical medical device software. These applications demand high reliability and currently include a cardiac pacemaker as well as perfusion systems for cardiac surgery and chemotherapy.

ELDORADO develops products for the medical industry, which, like most sectors of the globalized economy, is under great pressure to be innovative, competitive and profitable. Based on the underlying life science, medical device development uses finite and hybrid automata to define the behavior of systems that interact with living organisms.

This is an effective engineering solution, but by no means trivial when human lives are at stake. To ensure that the device design is correct, mathematical models and simulations are used for analysis and validation.

“Our model-based QGen toolsuite is an ideal solution for developing and verifying safety-critical control systems,” said J.C. Bernedo, QGen Business Lead at AdaCore. “Engineers can express their designs in a high-level application-oriented notation and have confidence that the safety properties of the models are preserved in the generated source code. QGen is an excellent fit for organizations fielding medical device software, and we are pleased that ELDORADO has recognized its benefits and chosen AdaCore as a technology provider for their medical R&D projects.”

When Eldorado first decided to develop medical equipment and devices, we were fully aware of the inherent risks and liabilities of this segment,” said Guilherme Fonseca, R&D Manager of ELDORADO. “We knew it was essential to choose a technology partner capable of providing software development tools and technologies for 10 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

levels, customization capability, superior product quality, efficient logistics and excellent support.”

Steve Cooper, OSS president and CEO, commented: “This design-in demonstrates our growing presence in the worldwide market for specialized high-performance computing. Such OEM design wins represent long-term engagements with ongoing revenues generated from recurring orders.”

critical systems with high reliability requirements. AdaCore’s expertise in this area was undeniable. They were fully committed to building a long-term partnership, and they offered us a support model that fits our needs.”

QGen -- AdaCore’s model-based engineering tool which generates SPARK or MISRA C code from a safe subset of Simulink® and Stateflow® models -- has allowed the ELDORADO team to focus on understanding design issues and simulating potential solutions. By using the know-how already acquired in MATLAB® and Simulink® software, and integrating the code generated by QGen in a robust and verifiable way, ELDORADO engineers can specify the system behavior at a high level of abstraction while achieving an optimized solution at the firmware level.

QGen has brought ELDORADO a number of tangible benefits, including: · Increased cohesion in engineering activities. By using QGen, engineering teams can address challenges from a systemic perspective, exploring the problem and solution domains, identifying the best solution, and then using QGen to generate correct code. This has brought higher productivity and satisfaction for the engineers involved in product design and implementation. · More transparent technical activity. Management is now more aware of the effort and risks related to understanding a design problem, which have been decoupled from the effort and risks associated with producing correct code. · Increased productivity. Now that engineers can rely on QGen for code generation, they can focus their efforts on design. As a result, clients are finding ELDORADO’s proposals more competitive and terms more attractive.

Industry Watch Green Hills Software and NXP Team Up on Safe and Secure Platform for Vehicle Networking The Green Hills Platform for Secure Gateway adds NXP’s S32G Vehicle Network Processor featuring ASIL D safety, Linux/Android isolation, hardware security and accelerated vehicle networking.

Green Hills Software, announced it has expanded its Green Hills Platform for Secure Gateway to include the new S32G Vehicle Network Processor from NXP® Semiconductors.

The platform combines the newly-announced and segmentdefining S32G Vehicle Network Processor with Green Hills Software products and services which include: ASIL-certified INTEGRITY® real-time operating system (RTOS), INTEGRITY Multivisor® secure virtualization and integrated MULTI® development suite. The platform enables global carmakers and their suppliers to add new levels of safe and secure performance while mixing applications with differing ASIL certification levels, including open source environments such as Linux, to power the next generation of central gateways and domain controllers in production vehicle programs.

Green Hills Software logo (PRNewsfoto/Green Hills Software) Vehicle manufacturers are seeking new ways to lower their electronics costs and reduce schedule risk in their shift to the software-defined car in the areas of vehicle networking, domain controllers and over-the-air services. This approach requires safe and secure consolidation of previously disparate hardware and software components – some requiring ASIL safety certifications and security keys and credentials ­– onto a single SoC platform.

At the same time, higher network communication performance, guaranteed real-time determinism and decreased development times remain crucially important.

“We’re pleased to be working with Green Hills on this solution to enable customers to simplify the shift to high performance domain-based vehicle architectures,” said Ray Cornyn, vicepresident and general manager, Vehicle Network Processors at NXP Semiconductors. “Today’s gateway and domain controller ECUs need high performance solutions such as the breakout S32G Vehicle Network Processor with a scalable, safe and secure software architecture from proven partners like Green Hills.”

The S32G Vehicle Network Processor is a market-defining high-performance vehicle network processor, combining traditional automotive CAN/LIN/FlexRay with high data rate Ethernet networking. Other standout features include lockstepcapable clusters of Cortex®-A53 and Cortex-M7 cores and a hardware security engine to accelerate encryption operations.

As a result, the S32G is ideally suited for central gateways and domain controllers connecting various networks and translating their protocols and over-the-air (OTA) software downloads and distribution to vehicle ECUs and secure key management.

By leveraging the hardware strengths of the S32G Vehicle Network Processor, the Green Hills Platform for Secure Gateway

offers the most comprehensive and flexible set of capabilities: The INTEGRITY RTOS microkernel architecture was designed from the beginning for critical embedded systems demanding separation, security, determinism and guaranteed system resources. Pre-certified for ASIL D, its impenetrable separation partitions help software teams to safely and securely partition software running at different levels of criticality on the S32G Vehicle Network Processor while guaranteeing applications the system resources required for their proper execution.

If Linux or Android environments are added, INTEGRITY Multivisor secure virtualization runs them in safe, secure partitions, assuring freedom-from-interference while achieving near native execution speeds, secure and flexible inter-process communications and the option to share GPU or other critical acceleration resources on the S32G Vehicle Network Processor.

INTEGRITY Board Support Packages (BSPs) can be tailored to support the S32G Vehicle Network Processor’s hardware acceleration units for automotive communication protocols, Ethernet, encryption and other hardware acceleration functions.

Maximum performance of the S32G’s Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 cores is achieved by the Green Hills ASIL D qualified Green Hills C/C++ Optimizing Compilers. The compilers leverage a 37-year old pedigree of optimizations that have set EEMBC® benchmark records for maximum performance and smallest code size, and include auto-vectorization and optimized support of NEON vector processing.

A Complete AUTOSAR-compliant application framework allows existing AUTOSAR software components to be seamlessly integrated, and provides maximum software reuse without the need for virtualization.

Advanced software development tools that reduce development costs while increasing code quality are the ASIL D qualified MULTI IDE, MISRA C/C++ Adherence Checker and the OS-agnostic multicore debugger for Linux, INTEGRITY and bareboard platforms.

Hardware encryption security services offered through INTEGRITY Security Services include secure boot, secure OTA, key generation and storage.

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How Smart IoT Nodes at the Extreme Edge are Bringing Ultra- low Power Options to Embedded Vision Systems A new way of developing SoCs for smart IoT nodes could offer a more flexible way of harnessing neural networks for ultra-low-power embedded vision.

By Semir Haddad, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Eta Compute

Introduction Historically, OEMs offering embedded vision have been obligated to rely mainly on cloud-based AI. Increasingly though, the cost-power-performance mix for these appli-cations can be balanced more favorably by using powerful application processors at the IoT endpoints.

Even better, solutions are now becoming available that can bring embedded vision to smarter IoT nodes that integrate micro-controllers (MCUs), enabling low-power vision applications like person detection, wake-on-approach, driver awareness and robotics.

This article will explain how it’s now possible to perform machine vision in IoT endpoints in the milliwatt range as a result of an approach to System on Chip (SoC) design that moves away from conventional MCU architecture while retaining the cost and flexibility benefits of MCUs. 12 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

Why Do We Need Smart IoT Nodes?

Let’s begin by considering a smart IoT node with a role in, for example, a person detec-tion solution where it would acquire data from a camera sensor, perform signal pro-cessing and feature extraction and run a machine learning algorithm.

A factor broadening the market for person detection has been the General Data Pro-tection Regulation, or GDPR, with its prohibition on capturing images of people without permission. For example, an image of goods on a shelf, needed for inventory manage-ment, cannot be part of inferencing if that image includes humans.

To compete successfully OEMs offering people detection and other machine learning solutions that use inferencing must meet customer demands to tamp down data stor-age and communication costs while assuring security and privacy.

Inferencing at the smart IoT node is advantageous for a number of reasons. Storage costs shrink because only actionable data is sent to the cloud. Also, the price paid to the network operator decreases corresponding to data being able to stay at the intel-ligent endpoint for inferencing rather than traveling to and from the cloud. In addition, data that need not travel to the cloud for inferencing does not risk security and priva-cy assaults or breaches during transfer. Latency is another bugaboo that would be avoided as would the negative impact on real-time capability caused by sending da-ta to the cloud unnecessarily.

A Power vs Performance Conundrum However, these boons to cost reduction, security, and privacy have to this point not been as available as they could be.

Smart IoT nodes are typically battery powered or rely on a limited power source, sometimes using energy harvesting. If the person detec-tion system

Figure 1: CNNs make use of MMAC, making tional microcontrollers ficient for em-bedded systems.

in our example tried to rely just on traditional MCUs, as performance de-mands rose, power consumption would rise beyond the power capacity of the node. This would not be a suitable solution.

For example, note the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) on Figure 1. Widely used in machine vision for object classification, CNNs comprise several layers. Convolutions and fully connected are the most cycle-intensive operations, with heavy matrix multiply-accumulate (MMAC) use that MCUs are ill equipped to perform.

Attempts to get around the power-rise-with-higher-performance dilemma while cling-ing to the traditional microcontroller idea have led to no shortage of various neural networks for microcontrollers. But until now bringing out production-grade solutions that overcome performance and power constraints to create a smarter IoT node has prov-en elusive.

The Steps to Machine Vision in the 1mW Range Taking on Workloads in Any Combination So, how to significantly improve upon the efficiency possible using direct implementa-tion of neural networks on a standard microcontroller? One step is recogniz-

heavy tradiinefvision

RTC Magazine Summer 2020 | 13

ing that smart IoT nodes face three workloads: a procedural one, another for digital signal pro-cessing, and a third for machine learning, making heavy use of MMAC operations.

To target each workload’s unique demands, in the solution described here an Arm Cortex-M CPU handles the procedural load, while a dual MAC 16-bit DSP serves signal processing and machine learning needs. With this approach that takes full advantage of DSP benefits, doubling or even tripling neural network calculation performance

Figure 2: Matrix multiply (NxN) benchmark. DSP architecture strengths, including dual memory banks, zero loop overhead, and complex address generation, allow for over three times more efficiency at neural network calculation compared to MCUs with Cor-tex-M4 or Cortex-M7 cores.

is feasible (Figure 2).

The Hybrid Multicore architecture used with this approach can tackle workloads in any combination, including network stacks, RTOS, digital filters, time-frequency conversions, RNN, CNN, and traditional artificial intelligence like searches, decision trees, and linear regression.

Equation 1

Equation 1, such that lowering the voltage is an option for reducing power. Alas, the undesirable side effect – maximum frequency lowers when voltage is lowered – make it challenging to implement variable voltage schemes.

Past attempts to keep power low while obtaining high performance include Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling (DVFS). However, DVFS works most effectively only within a voltage range of a few hundred mV and only for a handful of pre-defined discrete voltage levels. Another option, but one that is difficult to implement, is sub-threshold design.

Now there is a new technology and approach empowering OEMs to take on the power-performance dilemma while preserving the benefits – simple product design and low cost - microcontrollers bring to embedded vision system designs.

A patented technology, Continuous Voltage and Frequency Scaling (CVFS) employs a scheme whereby the logic is self-timed, allowing each device to adjust voltage and frequency automatically, on a continuous scale. With CVFS, the SoC always operates at the most efficient voltage.

Now consider that the lower frequency and more efficient cores that a hybrid multicore architecture, discussed above, brings to the equation. That architecture magnifies CVFS advantages.

Beyond that, published neural networks created with no prioritization for the specific needs of the extreme edge can be optimized, capitalizing on innovative design tech-niques such as those Eta Compute and its partners are developing.

For example, Eta Compute optimized a CNN for the CIFAR10 dataset. Table 1 shows the results.

Lowering Power Consumption to the mW Range Developing a hybrid multicore architecture that enables neural networks to run more efficiently by accounting for the differences in various workloads is one component needed for more power-efficient and higher performing embedded vision systems. An-other is applying a new patented design technology to decrease power.

Developing a new way to lower power consumption so that OEMs could benefit from MCU strengths demanded a fresh look at the power and voltage relationship. The two relate to Table 1: Note that while preserving similar accuracy, operations were divided by 10 and weights one another as expressed in size by 2.

14 | RTC Magazine Summer 2020

Results Customizing for the Extreme Edge Design techniques and optimization efforts that are deliberately tailored for the unique needs of the extreme

Figure 3: The Eta Compute ECM3532 neural sensor processor is a System on Chip (SoC) comprised of an Arm Cortex-M3 processor, an NXP CoolFlux DSP, 512KB of Flash, 352KB of SRAM, and supporting peripherals.

edge are yielding results. For example, Eta Compute now offers a production-grade neural sensor processor, the ECM3532 (Figure 3).

When the ECM3532 neural sensor processor powered a person detection model in a recent test (Figure 4), the test showed that the SoC could run the algorithm with an average power of 4.6mW, while the average system power was 5.6mW, including the camera – for an inference time of 0.7s (1.3 inference per second). We estimate that with further optimization, an average system power of 4mW can be reached with 2 infer-ences per second.

Just the Beginning The capabilities that accrue from ultra-low power operation at the extreme edge can benefit applications that include people detection, as we have seen above, but also gaze detection for safer semi-autonomous driving, agricultural applications requiring accurate animal detection, people counting ‌the list goes on.

Free from the inefficiencies and latency associated with solutions where the heavy lift-ing must happen primarily in the cloud, OEMs will be able to offer customers in industrial, automotive, and consumer markets the leaps forward AI promises.

Figure 4: The table shows results for a person detection system based on the Google Person Detection Model with 29 layers using an Eta Compute ECM3532 neural sensor processor and a Himax model HM01B0 low-power camera at 2.8V.

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Extension or no extension: what Class I manufacturers need to know about EU MDR

By Peter Rose, Managing Director Europe at Maetrics

On May 26th, 2020 the three-year transition period to the European Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) will end, making compliance with the regulation mandatory for all stakeholders in the medical device supply chain. Until November 2019, Class I medical device products had no room for manoeuvre; unlike other product classes which can be re-certified under the current Medical Device Directive (MDD) and therefore benefit from an extension until May 2024, Class I device manufacturers had no such options to extend their deadline. However, new developments mean that certain Class I products will have an additional four years to comply, providing welcome relief for eligible manufacturers: specifically, devices that are either reusable surgical instruments, Class I sterile products, or Class I devices with a measuring function have until May 26th, 2024 to comply following the second corrigendum published on 25th November and formally adopted on 17th December, 2019.

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To determine their eligibility for this extension, manufacturers must first refer to the classification changes listed in the EU MDR. Not only must manufacturers ensure that all their technical information and clinical evidence is up to date and meets new regulatory requirements, manufacturers also need to consider that their devices could fall into new classification categories.

This means that some manufacturers’ devices may shift into a sub-section of Class I, such as Class Ir (reusable surgical instruments), or to a new and higher level of classification altogether - Class IIa, IIb or even Class III - thus triggering changes to the required technical information and necessitating submission of new clinical evidence to a notified body to obtain certification. The truth is that many Class I manufacturers are unaware that their products are being up-classified, and as a result, they are not prepared for compliance with the new regulatory requirements for their product portfolio. On the other hand, manufacturers that have identified the

correct classification can get started, and in addition, they can quickly determine whether they fit the criteria for a deadline extension.

Class I manufacturers must be able to differentiate between Class I devices under the MDD that have not been up-classified and for which further self-certification is allowed, and those devices that have to be reclassified under EU MDR and now require notified body review, probably for the first time. The problem is that most Class I manufacturers simply do not have the relevant quality management system or clinical data to even attempt compliance with the MDR. Furthermore, the EU MDR also states that a formal Quality Management System (QMS) is now mandatory for all manufacturers; implementing ISO 13845:2016 is the easiest method to comply with this requirement.

In essence, Class 1 manufacturers need to be aware of four elements and take appropriate action in order to comply with the EU MDR: 1. They must understand the amended classification rules for devices listed in the EU MDR Annex VIII and

determine if new compliance procedures apply to their devices; 2. For Class I devices unaffected by Annex VIII, self-certification can continue (but this must all be under the new MDR requirements) provided all technical documentation is up to date before May 26th, 2020; 3. Regardless of the duration a Class I device has already been on the market, a new CE Mark will be required for every device under the MDR; 4. A formal Post Market Surveillance report has to be part of the implemented QMS as proof of continuous clinical evidence.

The corrigendum published on 25th November, 2019 alters Article 120(3) of the EU MDR. This enables a four-year delay in implementation specifically for devices that fall into the Class I category under MDD and will be re-categorised as Class Ir (re-useable surgical instruments) and/or Im (have a measuring function) and/or Is (in sterile conditions) under the EU MDR. This only applies if their existing declaration of conformity under MDD was made before May 26th, 2020. Manufacturers

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that choose to benefit from this extension period cannot however make any significant changes to the design and intended purpose of their devices until they are MDR-compliant.

Moreover, irrespective of any extension period, all devices of all classes must comply with the following requirements of the EU MDR from May 26th, 2020: post-market surveillance, market surveillance, vigilance, registration of economic operators and registration of devices. In relation to the latter two elements, the launch of the European database on medical devices (EUDAMED) has now been delayed until May 2022 though the requirements for recording data still apply.

This gives manufacturers much-needed time to effectively plan for implementation and data entry requirements, so that complete data records are ready in the useable file formats to upload when the system goes live.

Though the possibility of extending their transition period will provide welcome relief for many Class I manufacturers, it is imperative that they do not consider the extension as a reason to take their foot off the gas.

Apart from internal constraints, and even putting Brexit aside, other factors are conspiring against manufactur-

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ers. For instance, the serious capacity constraints of the notified body system is putting extra pressure on those still operating as they are being flooded with compliance demands. More to the point, there are only nine notified bodies that have been designated to date under the EU MDR so far. Some Class I manufacturers could well be overwhelmed by these new requirements and may want to seek guidance from experienced third-party compliance professionals in order to garner help to overcome compliance hurdles and help their business through this daunting period.

Peter Rose, Managing Director Europe at Maetrics

Innovative Product Dialog Semiconductor Launches TINY Bluetooth® Low Energy SoC and Module to Connect Next Billion IoT Devices SmartBond TINY™ and module enable lowest IoT BLE connectivity costs Dialog Semiconductor plc announced both the new DA14531, the world’s smallest and most power-efficient Bluetooth 5.1 SoC, and the DA14531 module, to simplify Bluetooth product development and enable wider adoption.

The chip, also known as SmartBond TINY™, is currently in production. It will further extend Dialog’s position as a leader in the Bluetooth device market with the broadest SoC portfolio, as the company converges on yearly shipments of up to 100 million units.

SmartBond TINY is specifically designed to lower the costs of adding BLE functionality to an application to as little as $0.50 in high volumes, fueling the next wave of the IoT, estimated to span over 1 billion devices.

As the list of devices requiring wireless connectivity continues to grow, the cost of enabling a complete IoT system is under pressure.

SmartBond TINY addresses the growing breadth and costs of IoT devices by enabling a complete system cost reduction through a smaller footprint and size, while maintaining performance quality at a level unmatched by its competitors. The DA14531 makes it possible to extend wireless connectivity to applications where it would have previously been prohibitive in terms of size, power or cost, especially those within the growing connected medical field. SmartBond TINY will help facilitate connectivity for inhalers, medicine dispensers, weight scales, thermometers, glucose meters and more.

At half the size of its predecessors, SmartBond TINY is available in packages as small as 2.0 x 1.7 mm. Moreover, the SoC’s high level of integration only requires six external passives, a single clock source and a power supply to make a complete Bluetooth low energy system.

For developers, this means SmartBond TINY can easily fit into any design, such as electronic styluses, shelf labels, beacons or active RFID tags for asset tracking. It will also be critical for applications that require provisioning such as cameras, printers and wireless routers.

Consumers will also reap the benefits of SmartBond TINY’s reduced system size and power, in remote controls as a replacement for infrared (IR) or for other applications such as toys, keyboards or smart credit and banking cards.

SmartBond TINY is based on a powerful 32-bit Arm Cortex M0+ with integrated memories and a complete set of analog and digital peripherals, delivering a record score of 18300 on the latest IoTMark™BLE, the EEMBC benchmark for IoT connectivity. Its architecture and resources allow it to be used as a standalone wireless microcontroller or as an RF data pipe extension for designs with existing microcontrollers.

The SmartBond TINY module, leveraging the capabilities of the main DA14531 chip, makes it easy for customers to leverage the new SoC as a part of their product development, instead of having to certify their platforms themselves, thereby saving time, development efforts and costs.

The module is also designed to balance running a high number of applications while keeping cost additions to the overall system as low as possible. Breaking through the $1 target for a BLE module lowers the threshold for adding SmartBond TINY to a system and driving a multitude of applications, helping fuel a new generation of IoT-enabled devices.

SmartBond TINY and the module use just half of the energy of their predecessors, the DA14580 and DA14580-based module, as well as all other offerings currently on the market. TINY’s record-low power consumption ensures a long operating and shelf life, even with the smallest of batteries. The DA14531’s integrated DC-DC converter enables a wide operating voltage (1.1 to 3.3V) and can derive power directly from environmentally-friendly, disposable silver oxide, zinc air or printable batteries required for high-volume applications, such as connected injectors, glucose monitors and smart patches.

“The addition of SmartBond TINY and the module builds upon Dialog’s leading presence in the Bluetooth market. With the ability to turn any device, even disposable ones, into a connected application, the TINY SoC and module are opening new markets and driving the adoption of BLE beyond what was previously thought possible in today’s landscape,” said Sean McGrath, SVP, Connectivity and Audio Business Group of Dialog Semiconductor. “TINY and its module’s small size and power footprint, combined with Bluetooth 5.1 compliance, pave the way for the next one billion IoT devices.”

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Innovative Product Laird Connectivity Announces New Bluetooth 5 Long Range Sensor Platform Laird Connectivity has announced the new Sentrius™ BT510 Bluetooth v5 Long Range sensor, which delivers robust, reliable sensor data in the harshest environments.

This new solution provides Bluetooth v5 connectivity in a small, low-cost footprint, making it an ideal solution for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The Sentrius™ BT510 is the next-generation of packaged sensor products developed

by Laird Connectivity. This rugged, coin cell-powered sensor platform delivers multifunction sensing, including environmental temperature, open/close (contact), motion/ impact detection, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beaconing capabilities. Powered with a CR2477 battery, the sensor can last for years in the field and the IP67-certified twist off casing simplifies maintenance. It is also supported with mobile applications from Android and iOS to easily configure all settings of the platform.

Building on the success of Laird Connectivity’s wireless modules, the BT510 is powered by Laird Connectivity’s BL654 BLE module that integrates Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 silicon. This provides excellent processing capability for feature rich application development in the Cortex M4F with 1MB Flash, enabling sensor data logging and storage.

“The BT510 is an expansion of our core competence in embedded wireless connectivity into a packaged product. We wanted a robust, reliable enclosure with a global wireless standard that could do long range,” said Jonathan Kaye, Product Director of Laird Connectivity. “The new Bluetooth 5 coded PHY gives extended range over traditional Bluetooth and it enables customers to cover many different sensing applications, delivering the range and flexibility that they need.”

The BT510 is the latest addition to Laird Connectivity’s Sentrius™ Series of IoT platform solutions, which includes the IG60 wireless IoT gateway. The BT510 is also designed to seamlessly operate with the upcoming Pinnacle™ 100 Cellular Modem Series. Customers will soon be able to create a full ecosystem of sensors all communicating over long-range BLE to the IG60 gateway or Pinnacle 100 Modem, which can then securely deliver the data to the cloud.

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Arasan Announces MIPI D-PHY IP compliant to the latest MIPI D-PHY v2.1 Specifications Arasan Chip Systems a leading provider of semiconductor IP for mobile and automobile SoCs today announced the immediate availability of its MIPI D-PHY IP supporting the D-PHY v2.1 specification for speeds upto 4500 Mbps Arasan today announced the immediate availability of its MIPI D-PHY IP compliant to the D-PHY specification Version 2.1 which can support speeds of upto 4.5ghz The D-PHY v2.1 IP is available as standard Tx / Rx pair or as Tx only or Rx only for maximum area and power savings in applications where only Tx or Rx are required. Arasan has unique built in testability features for the standalone Tx and Rx IP. Arasan C-PHY / D-PHY IP Demo The faster D-PHY supporting the MIPI D-PHY v2.1 Specification is targeted towards camera sensor applications in the high end mobile and automobile SoC’s. Arasan D-PHY IP is seamlessly integrated with our CSI Tx IP and CSI Rx IP, which also support the higher 4500 Mbps speed to provide a Total MIPI Camera IP Solution. Arasan’s D-PHY along with its MIPI DSI and CSI IP have been licensed by multiple customers since 2006.

OKW has launched SMART-CONTROL OKW has launched SMART-CONTROL – its first plastic electronic enclosure designed especially for room corners. It can be mounted on ceilings and walls using the suspension element, or on a table-top using the desktop stand.

Wedge-shaped SMART-CONTROL is perfect for a wide range of applications including security and monitoring, environmental technology, IoT/IIoT, gateways, measurement and control, sensors, control electronics, medical and laboratory technology.

Ideally, the enclosure should be mounted as close to the ceiling as possible; this high position is ideal for wide-area room monitoring, saves space and protects the equipment from damage or tampering.

Two versions are available, offering either a convex front or a recessed operating area for a membrane keypad. No fixing screws are visible from the front; all the stainless steel tamperproof Torx screws are at the rear. PCB mounting pillars are molded in both the top and bottom sections.

SMART-CONTROL is available in two sizes: S (5.59” x 3.19” x 1.81”) and M (6.81 x 3.98” x 2.32”). The enclosures are moulded from strong, UV stable ASA+PC-FR (UL 94 V-0). The standard color is off-white (RAL 9002). Prices start at $22.

Options and accessories for this new range include IP 55 seals, a wall suspension element (for 90° inside corners or flat surfaces), an ergonomic desktop stand (viewing angle 45°), Torx T8 self-tapping screws and a Torx T8 screwdriver.

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Innovative Product congatec presents new embedded edge server technologies for the energy sector A new rugged class of data processing engines for the digitization of the oil and gas industry congatec introduces a new rugged class of embedded edge server technologies designed for the digitization of the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry.

Both sectors are characterized by distributed assets and infrastructures in harsh environments and therefore require ultra-robust embedded platforms for the digital transformation challenge that offers a huge potential for cost savings.

“The International Energy Agency estimates that digitization can reduce production costs in the oil and gas sector by up to 20 percent. According to auditing and consulting firm PWC, there is great potential for savings through more efficient maintenance and better operation of assets. There is also further potential for savings in the supply chain, through the use of artificial intelligence and integrated platforms that connect organizations with external partners,” explains Diethard Fent, Manager Sales Partner EMEA at congatec.

“By digitizing these processes, companies in the upstream and midstream sector can potentially save up to $1 trillion in capital and operating costs i. Realizing this potential requires extremely robust embedded edge server technologies such as those offered by congatec. Our IoT and solution-ready system platforms for solution providers, system integrators and end users are based on these technologies,” said Martin Frederiksen, oil and gas computing expert and Managing Director of Diamond Point.

In order to meet the requirements of the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry, the new embedded edge computing platforms are designed for extended temperature ranges, with optional conformal coating to protect against the effects of salt water or condensation caused by large temperature fluctuations. In addition, they offer comprehensive server class RAS (reliability, availability, serviceability) features that enable OEMs to reliably manage thousands of devices remotely. As multicore designs with currently up to 6 cores and a particularly low 25W TDP, they are suitable for completely fanless and therefore maintenance-free 24/7 operation in hermetically sealed housings with the highest IP protection classes. Virtual machines based on RTS hypervisor technologies allow optimal utilization of existing computing resources by partitioning the various tasks – including local real-time control requirements as well as over Tactile Internet. Another benefit of this virtualization option is the fact that these new platforms are also perfectly tailored to build cost efficient universal Customer Premises Equipment (uCPE). Such open standard hardware equipment is characterized by hosting telecom network functions at the customers edge IT including Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).

Multi-Gigabit Communications Demand New Automotive Standard KDPOF Drives Efforts for a Scalable Network Technology to Enable High Data Rates of 25 Gbps and beyond As part of a team of automotive companies, Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF – leading supplier for gigabit transceivers over POF (Plastic Optical Fiber) – is driving a new standard for multi-gigabit in automotive. It will enhance the existing 10GBASE-SR, which is the current standard by IEEE, to establish a communications channel in optical fiber at 10 Gb/s. “Infotainment, ADAS and growing levels of autonomy are the key trends for the exponential growth of data rates: 100 Mbps to 1 Gb/s, 2.5 Gb/s, 5 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s, with some OEMs even targeting 25 and 50 Gb/s for the upcoming years,” explained Carlos Pardo. “An existing standard such as 10GBASE-SR would ideally work for automotive applications.

Unfortunately, it does not meet stringent automotive requirements.”

The team of individuals affiliated with more than 15 key carmakers, such as PSA, Toyota, and Volvo; Tier1s; and components suppliers, including KDPOF, is specifying the needs and technologies to support a new multi-gigabit standard. The group led a Call for Interest (CFI) with the approval of the IEEE to start the standardization of an IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard with strong support from the industry. The working group headed by Carlos Pardo (KDPOF) will kick off in the summer of 2019, with the first prototypes to be projected by the end of 2021. The study group will evaluate the creation of an IEEE Ethernet standard for the automotive industry, with speeds starting at 2.5 Gb/s and up to 50 Gb/s.

Targeting IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard The current IEEE standard 10GBASE-SR was originally created to meet the demands of data centers where temperature, operational life, price, reliability and mechanical robustness are very controlled and modest. With the harsh automotive environment, in addition to power consumption and especially cost being key in automotive applications, only a new communications scheme can provide enhanced robustness and adapt itself automatically to varying environmental conditions and manufacturing processes. Moreover, the technology should be scalable in order to enable even higher data rates such as 25, 50, and 100 Gbps in the future. By combining optimization in all areas of the new standard, the right balance of complexity and cost among all parts (CMOS IC, VCSEL, PD, ferrules, sleeves, cable, in-line connection technology, optics, and lenses, etc.) can be achieved in order to deliver the lowest cost, most reliable, and highly scalable solution to the automotive market.

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New OmniVision Image Sensor Captures Premium Video With HDR and Provides Excellent Ultra Wide Angle Photo Performance 12MP Sensor Offers Unprecedented Combination of Large Pixel Size, Selective Conversion Gain, 4-Cell HDR and High Speed Video OmniVision Technologies, Inc announced the OV12D, a 1.4 micron 12 MP image sensor with selective conversion gain (SCG) for the optimum balance between low-light image quality and high dynamic range (HDR). The OV12D features a large 1/2.4” optical format, on-chip 4-cell remosaic color filter, high speed phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) and extra pixels for 4K2K video electronic image stabilization (EIS). As a result, the OV12D provides designers with both professional quality video, especially for low light conditions, and ultra wide angle photos in smartphones with multicamera configurations. This unique combination of features also makes the sensor ideal for high-end front-facing selfie cameras.

According to TSR, the number of smartphones with two or three main cameras will grow from just 8% of the market in 2017, to over 20% by 2022, when the estimated total market size will be 5.5 billion phones. Additionally, Yole Développement predicts that, on average, there will be three cameras per smartphone by 2022.

“With multiple world-facing cameras becoming more common in premium smartphones, manufacturers are looking to not only increase the image quality of those cameras, but also to maximize their applications, in order to further differentiate their products,” said Arun Jayaseelan, senior marketing manager at OmniVision. “The OV12D sensor leverages OmniVision’s advanced pixel technologies and HDR expertise, enabling mobile phone makers to use their ultra wide cameras to capture premium quality video with on-chip, 3-exposure HDR, even in low light conditions.”

SCG allows the pixel conversion gain to be dynamically switched between low and high, depending on the scene being captured. When capturing images under low light conditions or with dark areas, high conversion gain can help lower noise and improve the signal-to-noise ratio, when compared with a traditional low conversion gain pixel. Likewise, when set to low conversion gain, the sensor has a higher full well capacity, which helps to provide more detail when capturing scenes under bright light. This improves the signal-tonoise ratio under bright light as well as the pixel’s overall dynamic range. In combination with the OV12D’s other features, including PureCel®Plus pixel technology for reduced cross talk and maximum quantum efficiency in low light, secondary smartphone cameras equipped with the OV12D are able to capture the industry’s highest quality video and ultra wide angle photos.

The OV12D is a native 16:9 aspect ratio image sensor that uses a 4-cell color filter pattern. It has on chip 4-cell to Bayer remosaic, in order to provide 4K video at 60fps with 20% additional pixels for EIS. In a 4-cell binned mode, it can output an impressive 3MP/1080p resolution with 20% additional pixels for EIS video and images at four times the sensitivity. Additionally, it supports 3-exposure HDR with on-chip combination and tone mapping, offering best in class HDR video. The user experience is enhanced with the ability to fast switch between the preview and capture modes, in combination with high speed PDAF. This sensor also supports both CPHY and DPHY interfaces, and can output 12MP 16:9 captures at 60fps, 4K video at 60fps and 1080p video at 240fps.

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