SEPTEMBER, 2013 足 ISSUE NO. 8, VOL. 11
DESIGN & MANUFACTURING
EP&Dee ELECTRONICS
PRODUCTS
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DESIGN
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EASTERN
EUROPE
THE EAST EUROPEAN RESOURCE FOR EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2013 Table of Contents
Win an MPLAB Starter Kit for Digital Power from Microchip
DESIGN FEATURES 4 Why choose when you can have both? The latest mixed-signal controllers combine the best of both the analogue and digital power-conversion worlds, explains Stephen Stella, of Microchip Technology Inc.
6 Analog and Digital Integration The Moore’s Law scaling phenomenon observes ever-increasing integration in the digital landscape. Constantly shrinking transistor geometries (node sizes) means more functionality can be integrated into the same die area. Die size reductions are accompanied by less power dissipation, making further integration feasible from an energy and thermal perspective.
8 Development Kits – The Evolution of Electronic Circuits As part of the design process when developing a new product, engineers must build prototypes to test out their concepts and develop a final product. One of the main development tools an engineer uses to speed up the process is a development kit.
10 MikroElektronika development kits dedicated to PIC 32 MCUs In order to help a future user acquaint with the properties of a given microcontroller’s family, their manufacturers offer demonstrative and development kits. They should be made in such a manner as to give designers a tool whose universality will allow quick and effective command of at least basic designing principles with the use of possibilities offered by a given circuit.
EP&Dee is offering you the chance to win an MPLAB Starter Kit for Digital Power (#DM330017). This starter kit allows the user to easily explore the capabilities and features of the dsPIC33F GS Digital Power Conversion family. It is a digitally controlled power supply board that consists of one independent DC/DC synchronous Buck converter and one independent DC/DC Boost converter. Each power stage includes a MOSFET controlled 5W resistive load. The kit features an On-Board In-Circuit Debugger /Programmer via USB, LCD display for voltage, current, temperature and fault conditions and an on-board temperature sensor.
12 Capacitive Touch-Sensing an implementation with minimal external components In this article we will describe how a CVD (Capacitance Voltage Divider) technique and a microcontroller peripheral called a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) can be used to implement low-cost capacitive touch sensing with minimal external components.
16 Hybrid Distribution from Rebound Electronics leads to higher quality in the electronic component industry supply chain Rebound Electronics is the pioneer of ‘Hybrid Distribution’ of electronic components, offering global market purchasing, shortage and obsolescence management, excess stock and asset disposal and value engineering services.
34 Built-in Sensor PRODUCT NEWS 26
Embedded Systems (p 7, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22) (p 24 - 28) LEDs (p 32, 33)
The Digital Power Starter Kit provides closed-loop Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control in the software to maintain the desired output voltage level. The dsPIC® DSC device provides the necessary memory and peripherals for A/D conversion, PWM generation, analog comparison and general purpose I/O, preventing the need to perform these functions in external circuitry.
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Sensors (p 29)
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For the chance to win an MPLAB Starter Kit for Digital Power, please visit: http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-digpow and enter your details in the entry form.
Active Components (p 35 - 40) 37 Group Publisher Director Gabriel Neagu Managing Director Ionela Ganea Accounting Ioana Paraschiv Advertisement Irina Ganea WEB Eugen Vărzaru © 2013 by Eurostandard Press 2000
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Contributing editors Radu Andrei Ross Bannatyne Consulting Marian Blejan Bogdan Grămescu Mihai Savu Asian Reprezentative Taiwan Charles Yang Tel: +88643223633 charles@medianet.com.tw
EP&Dee Web page: www.epdee.eu EP&Dee Subscriptions: office@epdee.eu
EUROSTANDARD PRESS 2000 Tel.: +40 31 805 9955 Fax: +40 31 805 9887 office@esp2000.ro www.esp2000.ro VAT Registration: RO3998003 Company number: J03/1371/1993
EP&Dee (Electronics Products & Design Eastern Europe) is published 11 times per year in 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. It is a free to qualified electronics engineers and managers involved in engineering decisions. Starting on 2010, this magazine is published only in digital format. Copyright 2013 by Euro Standard Press 2000 s.r.l. All rights reserved.
DESIGN
DIGITAL POWER CONVERSION
Why choose when you can have both?
The latest mixed-signal controllers combine the best of both the analogue and digital power-conversion worlds, explains Stephen Stella, of Microchip Technology Inc.
Since the introduction of digital power conversion designers have had a clear choice between using analogue or digital for their designs. Each approach has its own distinct benefits as well as drawbacks, but the development of mixed-signal or hybrid controllers is making it possible for designers to combine the best of both power-conversion worlds.
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Analogue for performance The advantage of analogue power conversion is that it offers very efficient control, whilst the down-side is that it gives designers very little flexibility. Once the performance tradeoffs have been evaluated for each design, the chosen optimisation path is applied across the whole load profile and across the full power-
conversion operating range. Using this single level of optimisation across a design’s full power-conversion spectrum has been the industry standard for many years because, whilst it is inherently inflexible, it does deliver efficient control. However, recent government regulations, and the increasing expectations of end-users, are driving designers to
DESIGN achieve greater efficiency. This is pushing analogue power conversion to the limit of its efficiency and persuading many designers to make the change to digital power conversion. Digital for flexibility The main benefit of digital power conversion is that it offers the flexibility that analogue conversion lacks. It replaces one level of powerconversion optimisation with multi-point optimisation. It also provides the ability to communicate with the system, enabling power conversion to become part of the overall optimisation of the system’s long-term performance. The disadvantage of digital power conversion is that this flexibility comes at the price. The digital approach increases system complexity because the analogue feedback from the system needs to be digitised before it can be used for power management. This means adding an analogue-to-digital converter, and also a high-speed microcontroller or digital signal processor to provide the processing power to achieve digital control. The speed of the A/D conversion and the computational speed of the MCU/DSP determines the bandwidth of the digital control loop. So, if a design needs more bandwidth, it
DIGITAL POWER CONVERSION needs faster and more costly ADCs and MCUs. Another factor is that digital-control techniques are very different to the techniques needed for analogue control. Making the switch from analogue to digital requires significant investment in the skills, resources, tools and processes required for digital design and software engineering. This investment can be a significant barrier to some companies. The combined strength of hybrid controllers Component manufacturers have addressed this dilemma by eliminating the choice between analogue and digital design with mixed-signal, or hybrid, controllers. Combining the strengths of both analogue and digital power conversion, hybrid controllers offset the weaknesses which are inherent in each approach. This enables designers to achieve the flexibility of a digital solution with the efficiency, load regulation and transient response of analogue power conversion. It also eliminates the need for designers to learn specialised skills or invest in new design resources and processes. Figure 1 shows the block diagram of Microchip’s MCP19111. This hybrid controller integrates a peak current-mode ana-
logue controller with a small, 8-bit microcontroller. By performing power regulation in the analogue domain, the MCP19111’s integrated 8-bit microcontroller provides enough processing power to monitor and adjust the performance of the analogue controller. Also on-board the MCP19111 are on-chip power MOSFET drivers and a mid-voltage LDO. This high level of integration enables the MCP19111 to significantly reduce the number of external components that are needed for power conversion whilst introducing a degree of flexibility that is not possible with analogueonly power conversion. A very wide operating voltage range of 4.5 to 32V operating range provides even more flexibility for the designer. The introduction of hybrid or mixed-signal power conversion controllers offers designers the combination of the performance of analogue conversion, with the flexibility of digital control, at a cost that makes it accessible to a very wide range of applications. Whilst some designers will continue to make the choice and accept the limitations of analogue-only or digital-only power conversion, others will combine the best of both worlds by choosing the performance and flexibility of hybrid controllers. www.microchip.com
Figure 1: Block diagram of the MCP19111 hybrid controller. www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN
ANALOG & DIGITAL
Analog and Digital Integration The Moore’s Law scaling phenomenon observes ever-increasing integration in the digital landscape. Constantly shrinking transistor geometries (node sizes) means more functionality can be integrated into the same die area. Die size reductions are accompanied by less power dissipation, making further integration feasible from an energy and thermal perspective. The results are faster and more powerful microprocessors, denser memory devices, and more capable system-on-a-chip (SoC) IC’s that integrate what was, not too long ago, one or more circuit card’s worth of IC’s onto a single IC today. More recently, this integration has included analog functions along-side digital on a common die, from basic comparators to ADCs, DACs, sensors, mixers, analog muxes and more. This perspective explores the benefits of integration to analog.
by Chris Sullivan Global Head of Solutions Marketing There are numerous benefits integration provides; the opportunity for footprint (board space) reduction, reduced power dissipation, higher performance, and potential cost sav-
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ings. These are the type of advantages that, thanks to Moore’s Law, digital designers have enjoyed and exploited. Analog integration into a typically all digital IC
can also help reduce the amount of uncertainty inherent in analog design. Silicon vendors provide well characterised and bounded building blocks that perform within specified
DESIGN
ANALOG & DIGITAL
parameters. Often the integrated building blocks allow for customisation and on-the-fly modifications - something difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in traditional discrete level analog circuits. The silicon manufacturer solves many of the typical analog design concerns, with worst-case scenarios typically already tested, characterised, and specified. Integration allows designers to work on a more granular level. The ease-of-use benefits and pre-verified aspects of integration result in less design time, less time selecting individual discrete components and less time calculating and checking component parameters. This all improves time-tomarket, which will likely result in monetary benefit. While analog integration has been around for many years in the form of mixed signal ASIC’s and standard cell IC’s, more recently this integration has been adopted and made available in more main-stream ASSP style devices. There are an increasing number of silicon vendors that offer various levels of analog functionality integrated into what were previously all digital IC’s. Nearly all microcontrollers and microprocessors include some level of analog integration. Additionally, there are devices that integrate various forms of programmable analog logic including FPGAs, and PSoCs. Premier Farnell carries a broad range analog enabled products from a number of leading manufacturers. However, it is important to understand the challenges inherent in combining analog and digital circuits: For the digital functions, there is a continuing drive to smaller geometries to support higher density and lower power. However, the smaller feature of a digital process may result in worse analog properties. Let’s think about a chip where a mix of high-speed analog functions and highdensity digital circuitry is required. Technology requirements are different for the two parts of this mix, with the best process for low-power, high-density digital circuits not necessarily suitable for high-speed analog circuits. With process nodes hitting 28nm and below, analog properties are not optimal anymore. This may slow down future levels of mixed signal integration, or even reverse the trend. Sometimes, even where it is technically feasible to implement an analog function on a digital optimized IC, it may not be convenient from an economic point of view. Analog functions may perform perfectly well on 130nm processes and above at a considerable lower cost with
respect to how they perform if pushed onto 45nm nodes and below simply for the sake of increased integration. For systems with a generic microcontroller with the analog functions in separate devices, the components are much easier to replace or second source. If the microcontroller does not incorporate the analog functions, it can be substituted by any microcontroller of equivalent capability that is able to communicate with and control the slave analog devices in the system. In the same way, if some or all of the analog devices are separate, they can be replaced with equivalent components if better ICs become available. Instead, if the microcontroller is specialpurpose with integrated analog components, it may not be possible to find another microcontroller from a different manufacturer that does exactly the same thing. Similarly, spreading the functions out, the designer is in control of exactly what the system is capable of and what it is not. Moving to an integrated “all-in-one” microcontroller means limiting the designer to the combinations of features available for that device. If three ADCs are needed and the microcontroller only allows two, the designer will have to add another external ADC to the design or change to a different microcontroller. And if the microcontroller supports capabilities or interfaces that the design does not actually use, then those capabilities (and the additional cost and complexity in the microcontroller that they represent) are wasted. Finally, there is the matter of sourcing flexibility: analog design has always been a specialized art. Often also highly dense digital ICs derive from specialized expertise. Companies that invest in specific competencies in one area often find it challenging to do it in the other area too. This is why it is rare to see companies that compete in both areas with the same strength. In summary, for an increasing range of circuitry and function, analog integration can and should be considered. The benefits are too great to ignore. However, combining analog circuits on a digital IC substrate can be very difficult. There will be performance trade-offs, and sometimes the analog side will not be as good as the application demands. At Premier Farnell it is easy to connect with the world-leaders in signal processing, and designers have at their disposal an incredible, best-in-class range of products and solutions for data conversion, amplifiers and power management. www.farnell.com
World’s first programmable USB port power controllers for active connectors and 12W charging Key Facts: • Microchip’s UCS100X family offers programmable charging emulation • Integrated current sensor supports wider charging compatibility at higher currents • Enables systems to be updated as new products are introduced • Ensures compatibility with a wider range of existing products Microchip announces the expansion of its programmable USB port power controller portfolio with the three-member UCS100X family. These new power controllers offer advanced USBbased charging capabilities for designing host devices, such as laptops, tablets, monitors, docking stations and printers; as well as dedicated AC-DC power-supply and charging products, such as wall adapters.
Microchip’s new USB port power controllers - the UCS1001-3, UCS1001-4 and UCS1002-2 - are an expansion of its popular UCS1001 and UCS1002 series. These new controllers offer higher current and priority charging for smartphones and tablets. The UCS100X have also added support for active cables, such as the Apple® Lightning™ connector, in addition to 12W charging. The UCS1002-2 features a built-in current sensor that can report on the amount of charging current. This allows a system to optimise its charging current and allocate power appropriately. Additionally, the UCS100X can support future USB product designs via a flexible method for detecting and creating charging emulation profiles. This allows designers to update their systems as new products are introduced to the market, while providing compatibility with a wider range of existing products. The UCS100X family is supported by Microchip’s new UCS1001-3/4 Evaluation Board (ADM00540) priced at $24.99, and UCS1002-2 Evaluation Board (ADM00497) priced at $90.00, both of which are available today. The UCS1001-3, UCS1001-4 and UCS1002-2 are available now for sampling in a 20-pin QFN package. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/TKTE
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Development Kits – The Evolution of Electronic Circuits As part of the design process when developing a new product, engineers must build prototypes to test out their concepts and develop a final product. One of the main development tools an engineer uses to speed up the process is a development kit.
by Chris Sullivan Global Head of Solutions Marketing In the old days, electronic components had long lead wires that lent themselves to being connected together with other components to make an electronic circuit. Nowadays, with the miniaturization of components, along with the complexity of electronic circuit functionality, most circuits are com-
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prised of a high number of leadless or surface mount components. Because of this, it is often necessary to mount a component along with its supporting components on a circuit board to test its functionality. The resulting circuit board is what is often called a development kit (dev kit), demo board, or evalu-
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
ation board. The fascinating trend that has been evolving is the types and usages of these dev kits outside of the professional engineer’s workspace. Manufacturers of electronic components have long used development kits to showcase their products’ functionality. There are tradi-
tionally two main types of kits – embedded and analog kits. Embedded kits are those that allow users to program and test microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable components. Analog kits, on the other hand, usually do not need programming, but instead need many
INDUSTRY NEWS additional components to highlight their functionality. These types of kits include a wide range of functions including sensing, power management, amplification and more. More recently, development kits have expanded in terms of their function and range of application, as well as their price point. Manufacturers have realized that many users simply want to try out a product, but do not want to invest a lot of money for a full-featured development kit. The LPCXpresso from NXP and the Discovery series from STMicroelectronics are examples of low cost kits that allow users to evaluate their microcontrollers for
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS little cost. Likewise, many manufacturers are now developing lower cost base boards and allowing users to choose which type of product or additional functionality they need by adding on accessory boards that are designed to “plug” into the baseboard. Examples include Freescale’s Tower platform, Texas Instruments’ LaunchPads and BoosterPacks, Atmel’s STK600 and Microchip’s PICtail add-on boards. Another type of development kit that has been gaining popularity is the Single Board Computer (SBC). An SBC features a processor that has the ability to run an operating system and has inputs and outputs that allow it to func-
tion as a stand-alone computer. The rise of a few SBCs in particular, the Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone, have driven dramatic interest in this type of dev kit. Both of these kits have the ability to work as a true stand-alone computer.
development time and cost, as well as add additional functionality to existing designs. Finding the right development kit to fit your needs, whether for professional design or personal development, has never been easier.
And while they may not be comparable to most desk or laptop computers on the market in terms of performance or processing power, they are far more reasonably priced and offer support from their manufacturers and online communities. These types of kits are used in a multitude of ways, an educational tool being one of them. The cost of these boards allow engineers, hobbyists, students and children alike to experiment with computer programming without the risk associated with a $400 home computer. Another popular usage is as a product in itself. Because these products come as fully tested and complete devices, entrepreneurs and businesses have begun incorporating them into their end products to reduce
Many companies like Newark.com in the US, Farnell.com in Europe, and element14 in Asia carry the latest selection of development kits for every type of application. Users can also learn about the latest advances, get development kit project examples and get help from other users or experts on online communities. The element14 Community (element14.com) is one such resource that focuses on professional, hobbyist and educational users. With development kits’ continually increasing performance-to-cost ratio, we can look forward to future kits that will bring us an ever expanding amount of technology for a broader base of users who can leverage these unique tools for years to come. www.farnell.com
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
MikroElektronika development kits dedicated to PIC 32 MCUs The 32-bit microcontrollers belonging to the PIC32MX family, manufactured by Microchip are the most developed circuits available in this manufacturer’s offer (presently, the offer comprises of 69 different types). Depending on the version, they provide their users with the Flash memory from 16 up to 512KB and from 8 to 128KB of RAM memory. Their maximum clock frequency is 80MHz, which means performing 80 million operations per second (MIPS). They are available in 28 to 100 pin enclosures, making accessible up to 85 I/O lines. Depending on the version, they offer a wide range of peripherals kit. The biggest difference, in comparison to ARM architecture-based microcontrollers available in the market, is the fact that PIC32 is made with the use of a different architecture, i.e. MIPS. It causes that designing engineers while making a decision which unit to use, have a choice. In many applications, PIC32 microcontrollers performance exceeds ARM performance. The fact that needs to be emphasized is hardware unification maintained both within the very PIC32 family, as well as among 8 and 16-bit Microchip controllers. When we add to this universal, free MPLAB X programming environment that supports all circuits of this manufacturer, designing engineer obtains easiness of migration to more and more developed units. In order to help a future user acquaint with the properties of a given microcontroller’s family, their manufacturers offer demonstrative and development kits. They should be made in such a manner as to give designers a tool whose universality will allow quick and effective command of at least basic designing principles with the use of possibilities offered by a given circuit. Of course, Microchip is not an exception here, since it makes considerable
number of such kits, whereas, the subject of this article is an overview of development kits for MikroElektronika PIC32 kits. This Serbian company has been present in the market for over 10 years. It is an official designing partner of Microchip (and additionally of several other, renown manufacturers).
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INDUSTRY NEWS MikroE development kits are characterized with considerable universality and incredibly well thought workmanship. The simplest one is “MINI-32” (MIKROE-763). It has been designed with the use of PIC32MX534F064H microcontroller (64KB Flash, 16KB RAM, USB OTG, CAN). On the PCB board dimensionally corresponding to the DIP40 (51×18mm) enclosure, apart from the processor, there are two quartz generators (for MCU clocking and RTCC circuit), the set of 3 LED’s, RESET button and USB port. thanks to the embedded USB HID bootloader, the kit can be connected directly to a PC. The board can also be supplied by means of the USB port or from the external source 3,3VDC. Of course, we have access to 40 lines of a microcontroller entered in the form of pads. The kit constitutes some kind of a PIM (Plug-In-Module) module allowing to extend user’s application with a PIC32MX family microcontroller. The other one is the “mikromedia kit for PIC32” (MIKROE-597) designed by means of the most extended PIC32MX460F512L microcontroller. On a single PCB board (with the dimensions of 81 × 60mm), we obtain a compact, multimedia development kit with a considerable number of peripherals. So, let’s start enlisting – well, we will find there, among others, a colourful LCD display (320 × 240) with resistive touch screen, stereo mp3 codec, 3axial acceleration sensor, USB Slave connector (connection to a PC / kit power supply, audio connector, MMC/SD memory card slot, additional retentive Flash memory 8Mbit to store the data and easy access to 52 microcontroller’s pins as lead pads. The board is directly connected by means of the USB port to a PC (thanks to the embedded, pre-programmable HID bootloader), but, there is still a possibility to program the PIC32 microcontroller by means of the external programmer (mikroProg or ICD2/3). Additionally, kit’s functionality, can be extended by means of using a considerable number of expansion boards offered by MikroElektronika (among others, Battery Boost shield, Proto shield or mikroBus shield). With all offered benefits, the PIC32MX460 microcontroller is not equipped with the Ethernet interface. Presently, a slogan “Internet of Things” moves from the concept phase to the execution phase that is why, the possibility of connecting application/hardware to the global network is becoming a desired feature. Embedded Ethernet interface can be found in the PIC32MX795F512L microcontroller. The MikroElektronika’s kit designed with its help, is multimedia for PIC32MX7 (MIKROE-596). This is also a compact, multimedia PCB board (dimensions: 125 × 89mm). Apart from the previously described peripherals (TFT display and others:-)) it offers additional integrated temperature sensor, additional EEPROM memory, a joystick, RS-232 connector, USB Host/Slave connectors and obviously, Ethernet slot.
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Thanks to the lead pads, we have access to the total of 60 pins of the microcontroller.. The best universal design (and biggest dimensions 266 × 220mm :-)) are offered by the “EasyPic Fusion v7” (MIKROE-1205) kit that has been nominated in the “Best Tool” category during the Embedded World 2013 trade fair in Nuremberg. Listing all its features would certainly exceed the volume of this article, it is just worth mentioning that thanks to the universal PIM pad, it supports 65 different Microchip microcontrollers from the PIC24, dsPIC33 (both 16-bit) and PIC32 families. The functionality of the kit can be extended by means of “Click” – type boards attached by means of the MikroBus connection (on the base board, there two connections of this type). The manufacturer, at the moment, offers over 50 different “clicks”. In many other Mikro Elektronika kits, apart from the boards, the customer receives a DVD with examples and documentation, user’s manual in a beautifully prepared and printed book, printed connections diagram and USB cable to connect with PC.
MikroElektronika also manufactures programmers and C language compilers, Pascal and Basic to a wide range of microcontrollers (including PIC32). To find out more details of the offer, please visit TME’s site (www.tme.eu), which is the official distributor in Poland. Paweł Sióda www.tme.eu
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN
CAPACITIVE TOUCH-SENSING
Capacitive Touch-Sensing An Implementation With Minimal External Components The addition of touch screen functionality is becoming increasing popular in electronic and mobile technology because it is easy-to-use and aesthetically appealing. For manufacturers, it has the added benefit that it does not involve mechanical movement since capacitive touch sensing can also be implemented using a copper pad as part of the standard PCB design. In this article we will describe how a CVD (Capacitance Voltage Divider) technique and a microcontroller peripheral called a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) can be used to implement low-cost capacitive touch sensing with minimal external components. Lastly a reference design will also show how to replace mechanical switches with capacitive touch-sense keys. by Nithin Kumar Mada, Senior Applications Engineer, Microchip Technology Inc. and Harsha Jagadish, Applications Engineer - Advanced Microcontroller Architecture Division, Microchip Technology Inc.
Capacitive Touch-Sensing - Technology The capacitive sensor scroll wheel is increasingly prevalent in electronic devices in comparison to other touch-sense technologies. Capacitive Touch Sensing - Principles If a finger – or any object with capacitive characteristics - comes close to a capacitive touch sensor, it acts as another capacitor. This is caused by the dielectric nature of the sensor which varies the effective capacitance of the system used to detect the touch. Figure 1 shows how the parallel plate is connected to the sensor input of the chip, while the finger acts as one of the parallel plates. Strings of capacitors aligned to the surface of the body are created from the iron content of blood. When these strings come in proximity with a conductor they create a capacitance coupled to ground, and this results in a change to the measured voltage determining touch. Three main functional blocks comprise a standard capacitive touch-sense system: • An analog block for capacitive sensing • A controller for processing the data
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•
An interface block for communicating with a host processor The capacitive touch-sense solutions based upon Voltage variation can be effectively implemented by making use of the following techniques:
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A microcontroller’s on-chip Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) peripheral. The Capacitive Voltage Divider (CVD) technique, using the Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) which does not require a dedicated capacitive-sensing peripheral.
Figure 1: Capacitive Touch Sensing Principles.
DESIGN * Effective Implementation of Capacitive Touch Sensing Using the CTMU Peripheral A CTMU peripheral works in conjunction with an ADC as a flexible analog module for precise measurement of capacitance. As figure 2 demonstrates, it contains a constant current source connected to the ADC channel. Capacitance changes and the time difference between events is calculated by the CTMU using a constant current source. A faster response will be delivered by the CTMU in comparison to the CVD because it has different ranges of current source. The response time of the capacitive touch sense system is therefore improved by the faster charging of the analog channels. The following equation sums up the use of a CTMU peripheral for capacitive touch sensing:
CAPACITIVE TOUCH-SENSING n As long as there is no change in the capacitance due to the touch on the sensor pad, this voltage remains relatively constant in the successive iterations of charge measurement.
The calibration to counter the external interference and transmission losses is facilitated by the trim bits associated with the current source.
I×T=C×V Where: • I is the constant current source of the CTMU • T is the fixed period that the CTMU charges the capacitive-touch sensor • C is the capacitance of the capacitivetouch sensor • V is the capacitive touch-sensor voltage, as read by the ADC A relative shift in capacitance can be sensed by observing a change in voltage if this equation is rearranged: C = (I × T) / V This equation highlights the different steps involved in detecting the touch as follows: n The Capacitive touch sensor acts a capacitor and is connected to a channel multiplexed with the CTMU peripheral and ADC. n The touch sensor is initially charged from a constant current source for a fixed time period (T). Voltage (V) across the sensor is measured using the ADC (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Charging and Discharging Waveform of CTMU. Legend: 1. CTMU Current Source OFF 2. ADC Conversion takes place 3. Discharge the Capacitive Sense Circuit 4. CTMU Current Source ON In conjunction with a multi-channel ADC, the availability of a constant current source in the CTMU peripheral provides an effective platform for interfacing to the capacitive touch sensor. The CTMU peripheral is connected directly to the ADC’s input so that it can connect to any pin through the analog multiplexer. A single CTMU peripheral can measure a number of sensors equal to the number of ADC channels with this configuration.
Figure 2: CTMU Module.
*Note: For more information on the on-chip CTMU peripheral, refer to Microchip Application Note # AN1250, “CTMU for Capacitive-Touch Applications.” **The CVD for Capacitive Touch Sensing By comparing the known, fixed internal sample-and-hold capacitor with the unknown, variable capacitive sensor, the Capacitive Voltage Divider (CVD) method uses the ADC alone to take a voltage-based measurement. CVD is constructed in the same way as a typical sensor; an area of copper on a PCB or similar conductive pad for sensing, tied directly to an ADC channel. The rest of the process is completed in the precise configuration of the ADC and I/O in a specific manner. The basic principles for employing the CVD are: n One ADC channel charges the internal sample-and-hold cap for the ADC to VDD. n The sensor channel is then grounded, to bring it to a known state. (Figure 4). n After grounding, the sensor must be made an input again. n After it is made an input, the ADC channel is immediately switched to the sensor. A voltage divider is created as the sensor capacitor is in parallel with the sample and hold cap, CHOLD. As a result, the voltages on the sensor capacitor are the same on the sample and hold capacitor. The ADC should be sampled, and the reading represents a ratio between caps. When a finger touches the sensor, the capacitance of the sensor will increase; the voltage on the sensor will be lower and the ADC readings will increase. www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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DESIGN An absolute capacitance reading is not required for capacitive touch sensing because all decoding decisions are related to baseline readings. **Note: For more information on the CVD technique, refer to Microchip Application Note # AN1298, “Capacitive Touch Using Only ADC (CVD).”
CAPACITIVE TOUCH-SENSING tem’s capacitive touch-sensing capabilities. Firmware that can implement dynamic average detection, debouncing, and trip-level dynamic variation can be used to counter these factors and make the system more robust. To resist any residual noise on the sensor pad, software filtering concepts must be incorpo-
Figure 4: Block Diagram of CVD.
Developing the Firmware to Eliminate the External Interference Dynamic fluctuations in capacitance are caused by factors such as humidity, heat, extent of touch, contaminants on sensors, and EMI/EMC interferences which impact the sys-
rated; this enables the firmware to distinguish between a touched and an untouched condition. The algorithm can be designed to detect multiple touch conditions, in order to distinguish between intended and unintended touch. The software can then be calibrated to
sense a touch even when there is a thick overlay on the capacitive-touch pad. Reference Design for Capacitive Touch-Sense Applications Figure 5 will help the users to immediately kick start the implementation of a capacitive touch sense system. The approach offers extensive flexibility in interfacing the other peripherals like the USB and the LCD in their design. This can also help to reduce the turnaround time in making the touch sense system up and running. The microcontroller used in the reference design has 13 ADC channels to connect to a maximum of 13 touch sensors. Four capacitive touch sensors are connected to Ports A0 - A3. The CTMU module has a programmable current source that is used to charge the capacitive touch sensors. The USB receptacle is used for application power as a bus-powered device, which uses on-chip USB engine. The firmware can provide a feedback by displaying the appropriate status of the touch sensor in the LCD module driven by the pins in Port D when the sensor is pressed. A six-pin header is provided to connect the reference board to a hardware programmer.
Figure 5: Capacitive Touch-Sensing Application Reference Design.
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DESIGN Factors Contributing To Effective Capacitive Touch-Sensing Designs* Real-time applications present a range of challenges from capacitive touch sensing. Design can help to reduce parasitic capacitance and increase finger capacitance, ultimately ensuring better sensor design as follows: • Sensor pad size. The shape of the sensor pad is not important for a capacitive sensor, but the area of the pad determines sensitivity and therefore warrants consideration. The larger the pad, better the sensitivity; the area should be about the size of an average user’s finger press (15 × 15 mm) but if the size of the sensor pad is larger than the optimal, the parasitic capacitance can increase because of the proximity to the ground. • Separation between sensors. When a sensor is touched, the finger introduces additional capacitance not only to the current sensor, but also to the nearby sensors. Therefore, to insulate the finger’s capacitance, a space between adjacent sensors must be maintained. Ideally separation should be 2-3 times the thickness of the covering material of the capacitive touch-sense system. As an example, if the thickness of the covering material is 3 mm, the distance between the sensors should be 6 mm to 9 mm, for an effective capacitive touch-sense design. • Length of the trace. The trace length between the sensor and the microcontroller can create a higher susceptibility to parasitic capacitance if it is too long. This could change the trace resistance and will affect the sensitivity. Ideally, the length of the trace should not exceed 12” (300 mm). • Composition and thickness of the covering material. The capacitance of a finger transmitted to the capacitive touch sensor is determined by the covering material used and its thickness. The covering material must have a large dielectric constant to increase the sensitivity and be as thin as possible. If the thickness of the covering material increases, then the crosstalk effect between the sensors increases. • Grounding techniques. The sensing method is affected by the parasitic capacitance of a sensor to ground; it can be countered by placing ground very close to the sensor. This increases the parasitic capacitance and reduces its effect on the sensor. • Selecting an adhesive. The adhesive secures the covering material to the PCB and should be kept thin in order to keep the sensitivity high. There should be no air bubbles when applying the adhesive and all bonding instructions should be studied prior to application. * Note: For more information on the various factors that affect the hardware and software designs, refer to Microchip Application Note # AN1334, “Techniques for Robust Touch-Sensing Design.” Summary With the cost of touch-sensing technology lowering, it is now an ideal choice for consumer and industrial products. The main advantage over the traditional mechanical switches is that the capacitive touch sensors do not wear out over a long period of time. By using a microcontroller’s onchip CTMU peripheral or the CVD technique, designers can implement capacitive touch-sensing user interfaces at a low cost and with minimal components. For more information, visit www.microchip.com/mtouch n References 1. PIC24F Family Reference Manual, Sect. 11 Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU), DS39724B, © 2010 Microchip Technology Inc. 2. Microchip application notes: • AN1101, “Introduction to Capacitive Sensing,” by Tom Perme. © 2007 Microchip Technology Inc.: • AN1334, “Techniques for Robust Touch Sensing Design,” by Burke Davison © 2010 Microchip Technology Inc. • AN1250, “Microchip CTMU for Capacitive-Touch Applications,” by Bruce Bohn. © 2009 Microchip Technology Inc. • AN1298, “Capacitive Touch Using Only an ADC (CVD),” by Tom Perme. © 2009 Microchip Technology Inc. www.microchip.com
PRODUCT NEWS Microchip Introduces First PIC® MCU integrating 16-bit ADC, 10 Msps ADC, DAC, USB and LCD Microchip announces a new family of microcontrollers (MCUs), the PIC24FJ128GC010. This family is an analog system on a chip that integrates a full analog signal chain, including Microchip’s first ever on-chip precision 16-bit ADC and 10 Msps 12-bit ADC, plus a DAC and dual operational amplifiers (Op Amps), along with eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology for extended battery life in portable medical and industrial applications. This combination of analog integration and low power consumption reduces system cost and noise, and improves the signal throughput in applications which include portable medical monitoring devices such as blood glucose meters and blood pressure monitors; as well as industrial applications and portable monitoring devices, such as voltage and cur-
rent monitors, gas sensors and high-speed sensor arrays, among others. The PIC24FJ128GC010 family includes an integrated LCD display driver that provides the ability to drive up to 472 segments with information-rich user displays that include scrolling alphanumeric banners. Integrated USB supports the
uploading of clinical data for medical equipment and can act as a service/data port for industrial equipment. Capacitive touch sensing is supported with an on-chip mTouch™ peripheral. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/6T4J
Microchip’s third-generation USB3 Controller Hub Family - SuperSpeed certified USB3 Microchip announces its thirdgeneration USB3 Controller Hubs (UCH3s): the four-member USB553XB-5000 family is SuperSpeed Logo Certified by the USB Implementers Forum and is the world’s first to integrate OTP Flash configuration memory. This UCH3 family is also the industry’s most flexible, as it includes a seven-port hybrid version with a certified fourport USB3 hub and three additional USB2 lanes. The remaining three family members feature two-, three- and four-port USB3 hubs, respectively, providing a broad migration path for the designers of PCs, peripherals, computing platforms, storage solutions, networking and consumer devices, set-top boxes, docking stations and monitors. The designers of computing and peripheral platforms are rapidly adopting the USB3 standard for its increased bandwidth of 5
Gbps and higher-power charging ports. To address market pricing, delivery and differentiation pressures, designers need USB3 controller hubs with a high degree of flexibility and integration. Microchip’s new UCH3 family lowers system costs and
speeds development by integrating programmable memory that allows OEMs to quickly customise their products and ensure operating-system compatibility, without the added cost, complexity and board space of off-chip memory. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/CQ0H
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DISTRIBUTION
COMPANY PROFILE
Hybrid Distribution from Rebound Electronics leads to higher quality in the electronic component industry supply chain
Rebound Electronics is the pioneer of ‘Hybrid Distribution’ of electronic components, offering global market purchasing, shortage and obsolescence management, excess stock and asset disposal and value engineering services. Its commitment to quality and developing processes and systems to support and enhance the supply chain has seen the company develop and grow into one of the industry’s leading independent distributors. Rebound Electronics is part of the Rebound Group, with offices in 15 countries, which provides global sourcing and supply capabilities for blue chip OEMs and EMS providers throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Rebound Electronics opened its first European office outside of the UK in Gdynia, Poland, in 2006, followed by a second in Cracow in 2007. These offices have proved very successful, growing rapidly to today when they support several hundred customers throughout Poland, as well as Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Additional local offices in Brno, Miskolc, Timisoara, Bistrita and Bucharest have helped to develop and support Rebound’s growing customer base throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Further expansion into the Baltic States, Ukraine and Russia is also in progress.
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These Central and Eastern European offices provide support for a wide range of customers, both local OEMs and major multi-nationals alike, predominantly in the following sectors: • Power industry & engineering • Telecommunications • Military • Automotive • Mining • Security • Medical • EMS providers • Railway • Lighting
In pioneering the Hybrid Distribution model, Rebound has utilised its experience to blend together the expertise of a professional broker with the key service and reliability standards expected from franchised distribution; the result is Hybrid Distribution. Currently there are four main methods of electronic component procurement used in the electronics industry: OEM direct; catalogue houses; franchised distribution; and brokers. While there are benefits to each of these methods, there are also distinct disadvantages meaning that the buyer has to compromise in some way.
DISTRIBUTION Rebound introduced Hybrid Distribution to the market as a fully integrated business model, taking all the advantages of the existing methods and combining these into one hybrid method of distribution that means the customer does not have to compromise in any way. Through its Hybrid Distribution model, Rebound is able to offer value-added services, a reliable supply of original manufacturers products, good local support, and is able to buy in the manufacturer’s base currency and from the most cost-effective area worldwide. Because of its local and regional offices and global procurement abilities, customers can benefit from working with Rebound wherever they are based in the world. Other distributors in the industry are adopting Hybrid Distribution as a model, and this is encouraging as it means that the customer and supply chain will benefit from a consistent approach. However, Rebound has set strict criteria for Hybrid Distribution in order to maintain this high standard: • • • • • • • • • • • •
Deliver quality product inside lead-time Reliable supply of obsolete product Total global view of pricing and availability Secure source of OEM product A global company with local values Disciplined approach to purchase orders Utilisation of approved test facilities Focus on long-term business relationships After-sales support Worldwide recognised quality standards Professional company and people to deal with Financially strong company
Since its inception in 2010, hundreds of customers around the world have adopted Hybrid Distribution, as they increasingly recognise the benefits it brings, such as the the cost-effective supply of an extensive range of components including microcontrollers, processors and memories as well as passive parts, such as military connectors, relays and
COMPANY PROFILE
switches, capacitors, inductors, potentiometers, and resistors plus PCBs. As part of the Hybrid Distribution philosophy, Rebound is totally focused on quality, and has strict procedures in place to ensure consistently high quality products and services.Rebound continually improves its working processes to understand, meet and ultimately exceed customer requirements. The company has received recognition for its commitment to quality by achieving several levels of accreditation including AS9120 (Rev. A), ISO 13485: 2003, SC21 Silver (2012 & 2013), and ISO9001:2008. Through working on these excellence and quality programmes, Rebound has seen significant improvements in its workplace and operations, which have lead to a raised performance in its supply chains. Rebound also has dedicated purchasing teams in Europe, Asia and USA, and this local support enables it to arrange supplier audits in most countries within 24 hours, which are essential and are carried out routinely to ensure consistency in the chain. As part of Rebound’s commitment to customers, it has a very straightforward approach to sourcing product. If available, Rebound only offer fully traceable parts to their customers unless specifically requested to do otherwise. We define fully traceable parts as from a component manufacturer, from our franchised lines or from another franchised distributor Rebound recognises that through obsolescence or extreme shortage there may be no viable option other than to offer untraceable parts. If the only options are to either stop a customer’s production line or utilise untraceable parts, Rebound always obtains the consent of customers and insists upon a mutually agreed independent test regiment. Rebound only utilises ‘best in class’ independent and certified test houses to avoid any potential for conflict of interest. In Asia this includes a Western owned and operated, ISO9001:2008 approved, test house which provides additional support and security. The Rebound team also works closely with manufacturers to
validate the authenticity of parts. Rebound continually strives to develop and strengthen its quality management system in order to remain responsive to customers'requirements and to the dynamics of the everchanging market. In addition to external supply chain activities, Rebound also has in place stringent warehouse inspection procedures. All products, without exception, are photographed and are fully traceable from PO receipt through to sales order dispatch.
With extensive experience across a plethora of vertical markets, including military, aerospace, automotive and medical, Rebound has established itself by offering a truly integrated approach across the world that is not tied to specific manufacturers or pricing structures. Hybrid distribution, coupled with Rebound’s quality accreditations, strict supplier approvals and internal management processes, plus the commitment of its staff to provide customers with a quality product, has been the key to Rebound’s success, and will continue to do so. For further information about Rebound Electronics and the Rebound Group visit: www.reboundeu.com www.freeway-lighting.com www.easby.com Rebound Electronics contact: Mihaela Butiu Business Development Manager T:+40 72 88 44 050 E: mihaela.butiu@reboundeu.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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INDUSTRY NEWS Microchip and element14 Announce Raspberry Pi® chipKIT™ Expansion Board; World’s First With PrototypingFriendly 32-bit MCU Package Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, announced the expansion of its Arduino™ compatible chipKIT™ platform ecosystem, including a new Raspberry Pi® tool that it co-developed with partner element14 the chipKIT Pi Expansion Board. On the software side, volunteers from the chipKIT and Arduino communities collaborated with Microchip’s engineers to expand the free chipKIT Multi-Platform IDE (MPIDE), to allow users to create, compile and program Arduino sketch-based chipKIT applications within the Raspberry Pi operating system. The chipKIT MPIDE is open source and compatible with the Arduino programming language and development environment. Both of these tools are based on Microchip’s 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers (MCUs) in prototyping-friendly, low pin count SPDIP packages, which was previously only available with 8-bit MCUs for the Arduino
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Acrosser introduces 2 Mini-ITX industrial mainboard for diverse ap ACROSSER Technology, a world-leading embedded system manufacturer, is proud to introduce its 2 Mini-ITX mainboards, AMBD255T1 and AMB-QM77T1. Both products feature low-power consumption and outstanding system stability, making them suitable for system integration for multiple industrial uses. ACROSSER Technology has seen many successful business stories within the embedded computing industry; such as working closely with clients, and from system integrators to solution suppliers. With a total board height less than 20mm, the slim fit feature of AMB-D255T1 makes it a perfect application almost everywhere. With single layer I/O ports and external +12V DC power input, AMB-D255T1 can easily be equipped even in limited spaces like digital signage, POS or thin client systems. Also, the supporting video source includes both VGA and HDMI outputs to cater to a variety of needs. Many digital signage partners have showed great interests toward AMB-D255T1 for their business sector. AMB-D255T1 has one DDR3 SO-DIMM which supports up to 4GB DDR3 memory, mSATA socket with USB signals and SIM slot, and a DC jack for easy power in. For customers that are taking their entire system to the next level, AMB-D255T1 provides one PCI slot and one Mini PCIe expansion slot
with a SIM card socket for further improvement. The mini PCIe expansion allows mSATA to function together with the system or multi module choices for USB signals module installation.( mSATA storage, Wi-Fi module, or 3G/4G telecommunication). AMB-QM77T1 is dedicated to multiple
The key features of the AMB-D255T1 include: • Intel Atom D2550 1.86GHz • 1 × DDR3 SO-DIMM up to 4GB • 1 × VGA • 1 × HDMI • 1 × 24-bit LVDS • 6 × USB2.0 • 4 × COM • 1 × GbE (Realtek RTL8105E) • 1 × PS/2 KB/MS • 1 × PCI slot • 1 × MiniPCIe slot for mSATA and USB device • 1 × SATA with power connector • 8-bit GPIO
Kontron is named preferred provider of Airborne Servers and CWAPs for Rockwell Collins' Wireless IFE systems community. This enables all users - including hobbyists, academics, makers and professionals - to benefit from the PIC32’s high performance, memory and integrated peripherals while using the basic hobbyist Watch a brief video: prototyping equipwww.microchip.com/get/598S ment that is found in most home workshops. The Raspberry Pi is widely viewed as one of the easiest and most affordable computers on which to program, and recently shipped more than one million units in less than a year on the market. element14’s chipKIT Pi Expansion Board is the world’s first to enable the development of 3.3V Arduino compatible applications for the Raspberry Pi using a 32-bit, high-performance MCU in a prototyping-friendly package. Because the Raspberry Pi’s processor is a 3.3V chip, its digital I/O and communications (I2C™, UART, SPI) pins require 3.3V. The chipKIT Pi can interface directly to the Raspberry Pi I/O Expansion header without any additional components, reducing both cost and design complexity. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/NHAC
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Expanding the two companies' successful relationship, Kontron today is named as the preferred provider of Airborne Servers and Cabin Wireless Access Points (CWAPs) for Rockwell Collins' new wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. Rockwell Collins is a premier innovator of integrated electronic solutions for commercial aircraft, and Kontron has been supplying computing, IFE and connectivity system solutions to Rockwell Collins for almost five years. The Kontron ACE Flight 600 general purpose airborne server and the company's Cab-nConnect™ CWAP are currently designed into the PAVES™ family of in-flight entertainment systems and the Skybox™ wireless cabin solutions from Rockwell Collins. Kontron's airborne servers and CWAPs are scheduled for multiple Rockwell Collins deployments in business jets, VIP and air transport installations. Kontron brings a unique understanding from its more than 20 years of experience in building mission-critical computing systems.
This knowledge aligns and complements the integrated technology requirements Rockwell Collins has set for its new wireless IFE systems, said Andy Mason, Business Unit Manager, Commercial Avionics Products
Group at Kontron. We are committed to helping innovators such as Rockwell Collins improve the passenger experience and further expand and enhance in-flight broadband services for the commercial airline and business jet market. KONTRON www.kontron.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS IAR Systems introduces line-up of Experiment! kits for creative, easy and low-cost evaluation
pplication
applications, such as industrial automations, kiosks, digital signages, and ATM machines. Supporting 3rd generation Intel core i processor, AMB-QM77T1 features an integrated GPU to support the following graphic libraries: DirectX11, OpenGL4.0 and OpenCL1.1. As for numbers of output, a maximum of 3 independent displays are supplied, which is a perfect solution for gaming/multimedia business.
In addition, 4 USB3.0 and 2 SATA III connectors result in high data transmission. ACROSSER Technology has provided outstanding embedded systems for over 26 years. We pride ourselves in offering not just products, but solutions. Please contact us for further consultations, volume quotes, or any other questions. ACROSSER TECHNOLOGY www.acrosser.com
The key features of the AMB-QM77T1 include: • Intel QM77 chipset • FCPGA988 socket supports 3rd Generation Intel® Core (TM) i7/i5/i3 processors and Celeron • 2* DDR3-1600/1333/1066 SO-DIMM up to 16GB • Supports VGA/DVI-D/HDMI/LVDS displays • Support 3 independent display • Dual Intel PCI-E Gigabit LAN • 8* USB 2.0, 4* USB 3.0, 3* COM, 3* SATA II, 2* SATA III • 1* PCI-E x16, 1* Mini PCI-E, 1* CFast socket • iAMT 8.0, TPM 1.2, Watchdog timer, 8-bit Digital I/O
New 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet switch from Kontron enhances data throughput in network-centric OpenVPX applications Kontron has presented a new 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet switch that is designed to significantly enhance and standardize data throughput in network-centric OpenVPX applications. The outstanding feature of the fully managed Layer 2/Layer 3 Switch Kontron VX3920 is its 24 high-throughput 10 Gbit/s ports to the data plane. These can be scaled through channel bundling even up to 40 Gbit/s bandwidth. By using this new rugged switch for inter- and intra-system communication, OEMs can achieve an enormous performance boost for their applications. Also, other highly individual data buses can now be
replaced. Rugged COTS systems profit from the application of Ethernet - the standard high bandwidth network protocol of the IT business - by reduced costs, comprehensive enterprise class switching functionalities and a stable technology roadmap, which can also increase long-term system availability. KONTRON www.kontron.com
IAR Systems® launches its new Experiment! starter kits. The kits are aimed at creative evaluation for a low price. Developers can use the Experiment! kits to evaluate the embedded development toolchain IAR Embedded Workbench® and the included microcontroller, as well as design, start develop, integrate and test their applications. First to be introduced are a game controller kit and a magnetometer kit. The game controller kit includes a game controller, a 1.8x1.6" color LCD and example projects such as a snake game. The kit is priced at 89 EUR/119 USD. The magnetometer kit can be used to identify magnetic fields using the included magnetometer module and to output information on a 1.53x1.38" LCD. This kit is available for 69 EUR/94 USD. The kits include a size-limited license of the powerful toolchain IAR Embedded Workbench and can be used with IAR Systems’ in-circuit debugging probe I-jet™ as well as other JTAG probes, and are also available in versions including an IAR J-Link Lite USBJTAG/SWD debug probe. Both kits are based on the ARM Cortex-M3 STM32L152VB microcontroller from STMicroelectronics and feature several connectors: JTAG 20 pin,
a small 19 pin trace connector, two UEXT/UXT connectors and a USB connector. Power is supplied through the JTAG, trace or USB connector. The board also has a prototyping area, user and reset buttons and power and user LEDs, as well as designated power/current measuring points that can be used with IAR Systems’ I-scope™ probe to enable detailed current and power measurements correlated with the source code in IAR Embedded Workbench. “We have developed a new type of kits for creative, easy and low-cost evaluation,” commented Sara Skrtic, Product Manager for Kits, IAR Systems. “We are developers ourselves, so when deciding what modules and project examples to include, we thought of what we like to work with, and we believe we came up with something that will be useful and fun at the same time. The two first kits will be followed by others, with different modules as well as a range of different microcontrollers.” More information about the Experiment! kits is available at www.iar.com/experiment, where users can also send in and share their applications with others. IAR SYSTEMS www.iar.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS Industry’s Simplify Isolated Digital Inputs to an Industrial PLC While Reducing Power, System Cost, and Size Designers now have a way to reduce power, system cost, and size for programmable logic controller (PLC) digital-input subsystems, with the Corona (MAXREFDES12#) reference design by Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. This design reduces isolated channels and leverages analog integration for industrial control and automation applications.
One method of reducing the size of I/O solutions in PLCs is to reduce the number of digital channels that need to be isolated. Integrating three Maxim products including a transformer driver, the Corona design reduces isolated channels and eliminates the need for power-hungry optocouplers and discrete parts. These savings reduce power by 16%, solution size by 38%, and cost by 23%. Maxim’s devices used in Corona are designed specifically for harsh industrial environments with operating temperature ranges from 40°C to +125°C, so they are ideal for use in PLCs and other automation applications. Key Advantages • Analog integration: reduces isolation channels to four while Maxim’s digital isolator eliminates the need for optoisolators; optimized for 16, 24, and 32 input channel designs, the digital input serializer’s SPI busses can be daisychained to further reduce isolation channel count, leading to increased savings • Lower power: best-in-class power consumption; uses 16% less power than the traditional design approach • Lower cost: uses 38 fewer parts than a traditional design to create a less expensive integrated solution • Smaller size: provides 51% fewer components than a traditional design MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com
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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Launch of SymTA/S 3.4 features new LIN bus analysis capability With the launch of SymTA/S 3.4, Symtavision has announced a comprehensive, new timing design and analysis capability for LIN (Local Interconnect Network), the low-cost, distributed networking protocol used primarily in automotive and industrial applications. SymTA/S 3.4 also features FlexRay dynamic segment analysis improvements, AUTOSAR XML 4.x import with Ethernet support, improved Gantt loading, individual license check out and scripting efficiency improvements. At the same time, Symtavision has announced version 3.4 of TraceAnalyzer, its powerful solution for visualizing and analyzing timing data from both measurements and simulations which seamlessly integrates with SymTA/S. The new LIN capability in SymTA/S 3.4 supports System Distribution and Worst Case analysis with multiple scheduling tables and multiple frame mapping as well as defining standard parameters such as individual bus speeds, time bases and jitter, enabling engineers to parameterize multiple LIN networks
Fanless Mini-ITX mainboard with Intel Atom Processor “Cedar Trial” D2550 Acrosser Technology Co. Ltd, a global professional industrial and embedded computer provider, announces the new Mini-ITX mainboard, AMB-D255T3, which carries the Intel dual- core 1.86GHz Atom Processor D2550. AMBD255T3 features onboard graphics via VGA and HDMI, DDR3 SO-DIMM support, PCI slot, mSATA socket with SATA & USB signals, and ATX connector for easy power in. AMB-D255T3 also provides complete I/O such as 6×COM ports, 6×USB2.0 ports, 2×GbE RJ-45 ports, and 2×SATA port. AMB-D255T3 can support dual displays via VGA, HDMI or 18-bit LVDS. AMB-D255T3 has one MiniPCIe type slot and one PCI for customer’s expansion. The MiniPCIe slot works with SATA and USB signals that can be equipped with mSATA storage module. ACROSSER TECHNOLOGY www.acrosser.com
and analyze respective frame response times. An LDF (LIN Description File) interface also facilitates the importation of LIN communication matrices. Seamless integration with the well-established SymTA/S analyses
for CAN, Ethernet, FlexRay and OSEK / AUTOSAR-based ECUs facilitates end-toend timing analysis for distributed functions via LIN, as well as the connection of LIN to CAN, Ethernet and FlexRay networks via gateways. SYMTAVISION www.symtavision.com
DSM Computer sponsors a Formula Student Team DSM Computer sponsored the Team Fast Forest e.V. from the Deggendorf Technology Institute that at the Formula Student 2013 competition achieved fourth place in the FSE (Formula Student Electric) group and eighth place in the overall placing.
As its contribution to the success of the Fast Forest Team, DSM Computer provided the NanoServer® N1-GM45 embedded system and the D1 industrial display with a 38 cm (15 inch) diagonal screen. The robust industrial computer used for the fast acquisition, evaluation and read-out of relevant vehicle data is installed in the support car that accompanies the “Jenny 5” racing car. A base cover allows direct access to the Mini PCI Express™ slot, the Compact Flash socket and the hard disk. DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
AMD Extends Embedded SoC Leadership by Lowering G-Series Energy Consumption
Newest Intel Dual-Core Processors on COM Express Modules
AMD announced a new lowpower Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) in the award-winning AMD G-Series SOC family with the GX-210JA, further reducing x86 power requirements for embedded designs. The new GX-210JA APU, a full System-onChip (SoC) design, uses onethird less energy than the previous low-power Embedded GSeries SOC product while providing industry-leading graphics capabilities. At only 6 watts maximum thermal design power
MSC Vertriebs GmbH, manufacturer of highly integrated standard board level products and customer-specific boards and systems, now offers its high-end MSC C6B-8S COM Express™ Type 6 module family with the just introduced dual-core variants of the fourth generation Intel® Core™ processors (code name “Haswell”). The powerful modules are characterized by highest computing and graphics performance with simultaneously low power dissipation. Besides the first module with Intel® Core™ i7-4700EQ (2.4GHz, 3.4GHz in turbo boost mode) quad-core processor, four more economical Intel® Core™ i3 and i5 variants with two processor cores are now available. The COM Express™ products are offered with Intel® Core™ i54400E (2.7/3.3GHz), i5-4402E (1.6/2.7GHz), i3-4100E (2.4GHz) or i3-4102E (1.6GHz) processor. The thermal design power (TDP) is 37W or 25W. Depending on the type, the processors support the Intel® AMT 9.0 Technology, Intel® 64, the Intel® Virtualization Technology, VT-d Virtualized
(TDP), and approximately 3 watts expected average power, this new member of the G-Series SOC family will enable additional fanless designs for a variety of applications ranging from industrial controls and automation, digital gaming, communications infrastructure and visual embed-
ded products including thin client, digital signage and medical imaging. The GX-210JA is part of the AMD Embedded G-Series SOC processor family that offers superior performance per watt in the low-power x86-compatible product category with 6W 25W TDP options. The family includes: • Enterprise-class ErrorCorrection Code (ECC) memory support; • Industrial temperature range of -40°C to +85°C and available with dual- or quadcore CPUs; • Discrete-class AMD Radeon™ GPU; • Integrated I/O controller. The AMD Embedded G-Series SOC platform, including the GX210JA, is currently shipping. AMD supports a comprehensive ecosystem of industry-leading embedded solution providers supporting and/or announcing market-ready products powered by the AMD Embedded GSeries SOC. AMD www.amd.com
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is stocking 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, formerly known as Haswell, featuring 22nm architecture and Tri-Gate technology for maximum performance per watt. Processors are available in Desktop, Mobile, or Embedded varieties for design flexibility. Idle state power consumption has been lowered, creating a 20x improvement from the previous generation; with a 3-second wakeup time, made possible using Intel® Rapid Start. Intel® Wireless Display is available to stream content from portable products to a compatible HDTV. Processors are available as low as 35W Thermal Design Power for embedded applications. Desktop performance processors are available with a clock speed up to 3.9GHz when utilizing Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. Sockets supported are LGA 2001 for desktop and rPGA947 & BGA1364 for mobile. 4th Generation Intel® Core™ processor’s new instructions
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Mouser Stocks 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors
To learn more, visit: www.mouser.com/new/Intel/intel-haswell-processors
I/O, Intel‘s Trusted Execution Technology, the Intel® Advanced Encryption Standard and the Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. The Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) 2.0 Technology allows for high-end imaging applications. The powerful 4600 (GT2) Intel® HD graphics integrated into the processor die
offers a significantly improved video and graphics performance over the third generation of Intel® Core™ processors. Accelerated coding and decoding functions for high resolution videos, DirectX 11.1 and OpenGL 3.2 are supported. OpenCL™ 1.2 allows for the additional use of the graphics engines for applications with extensive use of floating-point computations. MSC VERTRIEBS www.mscembedded.com
include Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions 2, gather, BMI1, BMI2, and FMA3 support. With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser caters to design engineers and buyers by delivering What’s Next in advanced technologies. Mouser offers customers 20 global support locations and stocks the world’s widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics’ website is updated daily and searches more than 10 million products to locate over 4 million orderable part numbers available for easy online purchase. Mouser.com also houses an industry-first interactive catalog, data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
PRODUCT NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Silicon Labs Launches Industry’s Lowest Jitter, Fully SyncE-Compliant Clock
Amplicon introduces powerful fanless embedded industrial PC, the Impact-E 200
Silicon Labs introduced the industry’s lowest jitter, lowest power and most frequency-flexible timing solution for high-speed networking equipment based on the Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) standard. Offering an unmatched combination of any-frequency synthesis and industry-leading jitter performance (as low as 263 femtoseconds RMS), the new Si5328 precision clock multiplier and jitter attenuator addresses the need for ultra-low jitter physical layer reference clocks in Carrier Ethernet switches and routers. Eighty percent smaller and also 80 percent more power efficient than competing SyncE clocks, the Si5328 provides a best-in-class SyncE-compliant timing solution for edge routers, multi-service switches, wireless backhaul systems, DSLAMs and GPON/GEPON optical line termination (OLT) equipment. The telecom infrastructure market is rapidly transitioning from legacy SONET/SDH networks to higher-
The Amplicon Impact-E 200 is a compact, yet powerful embedded industrial PC, housed in a lightweight chassis and designed to increase heat dissipation. The Impact-E 200 is an exciting new addition to the renowned embedded series by Amplicon. The Amplicon Impact-E 200 builds upon the strong foundations of the Amplicon Impact-E series to deliver the power of the Ivy bridge mobile iCore processor and the amazing feature set of the Intel QM77, all packaged in a fanless compact chassis. The QM77 chipset introduces high bandwidth SATA III allowing for data transfer speeds of up to 6Gb/s, this ensures that the data bus bottleneck, which previously hindered data transfer speeds is now a thing of the past. With high speed data transfer, RAID functionality and options for two mechanical/solid-state drives, you can be assured that your data is protected and secure in the Impact-E 200 embedded PC.
speed, more cost-effective Ethernet networks. A key enabling technology behind this network transition is Synchronous Ethernet, which is used to distribute accurate timing in Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 10 GbE, 40 GbE, and 100 GbE Carrier Ethernet switches and routers. Every Carrier Ethernet switch and router requires a high-
performance SyncE clock to provide wander filtering, distribute timing and provide a low-jitter Ethernet PHY reference clock. Silicon Labs has addressed this application need with the industry’s lowest jitter, most frequencyflexible SyncE timing solution optimized for Ethernet PHYs ranging from GbE to 100 GbE. SILICON LABS www.silabs.com/timing
Murata introduces world’s smallest Bluetooth Smart wireless module Murata today announced the LBCA series of ultra compact and ultra low power consumption Bluetooth Smart modules. Measuring only 5.4 x 4.4 mm (LBCA2BZZFZ without antenna), these surface mount devices are a quarter of the size of previous models and are aimed at the increasingly wide range of wearable devices, especially wristband-type applications, such as fitness monitoring, smart watches and remote controllers. Conforming to the Bluetooth 4.0 low energy protocol, the modules are available both with (LBCA2HNZYZ) or without a built-in antenna (LBCA2BZZFZ)). With a 0dBm output power, the modules typically have a range of 30 metres. Interfaces include UART, SPI, I2C and GPIO. Peak
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current consumption is up to 4.5 mA, dropping down to a deep sleep current of 0.6 uA or less. Average current consumption during communications is 6 uA when 20 bytes of data are transmitted once per second. It is
anticipated that with this use case up to 4 years operation is possible when using CR2032type coin cells. MURATA www.murata.eu
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
The new Impact-E 200 uses the Intel HD Graphics 4000, this allows for high-resolution on all three-display outputs and offers support for both DirectX and OpenGL graphics rendering options. The new Impact-E 200 also utilises “SuperSpeed” USB 3.0, this provides for USB transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s on four rear mounted ports these ports also
give backwards compatibility to USB 2.0 and 1.1 for legacy peripherals. The Impact-E 200 can house up to 16GB DDRIII memory from 1066MHz up to 1600MHz; this enables the unit to handle a range of memory intensive applications that some of the larger form factor PCs on the market may struggle with. AMPLICON www.amplicon.com
Silicon Labs Solidifies Market Lead with Industry’s Most Silicon Labs introduced a new family of silicon TV tuners offering the industry’s highest performance, integration and lowest system cost while supporting all worldwide terrestrial and cable TV standards. The new Si21x7 tuner family provides TV and set-
top box (STB) makers with an unsurpassed level of field-proven, global performance based on five generations of patented architectural enhancements and a production history of more than 200 million silicon tuner units shipped into TVs to date. The Si21x7 fami-
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Laird Announces New Class 1 Bluetooth® Series Laird, a global technology company, announced the release of the high performance Class 1 Bluetooth 700 Series modules, which includes both the BT730 and BT740 variant modules. Mass production quantities of modules and the associated development kits are available now from all Laird global distributors. Key application areas for the BT700 Series include medical devices, ePOS terminals, automotive diagnostic equipment, barcode scanners, and industrial cable replacement. Every BT700 Series module is designed to add robust, long-range Bluetooth data connectivity to any device. Based on the market-leading Cambridge Silicon (CSR) BC04 chipset, the modules provide exceptionally low power consumption with outstanding Class 1 range via 18 dBm of transmit power. All BT700 series modules support either on board antenna or u.FL for external antenna connection plus a broad range of Bluetooth profiles including Serial Port Profile (SPP) and a robust AT command interface ensures customers the fastest time to market. The BT730 variant modules are based on the Bluetooth v2.0 specification, providing OEMs with a time served firmware implementation, used across similar Laird Bluetooth modules. The range of the BT730 variant modules are proven in the Laird application note, Laird BT730 Range Testing. The application note describes the setup, procedure and results of reaching almost 1,000 meters with two Laird BT730 radios. The
BT740 variant modules support the Bluetooth v 2.1 specification, including Secure Simple Pairing, which enhances security and ease of use for end customers. The innovative embedded firmware provides programming support for multi-point applications that use up to seven simultaneous data connections to and from the BT740 modules. The BT700 Series modules are all fully qualified as Bluetooth End products, enabling designers to integrate the mod-
ules in devices without the need for further Bluetooth Qualification. A low-cost developer’s kit makes it easy for an OEM to integrate the module and guarantees the fastest route to prototype and then mass production. Embedded wireless solutions from Laird include Summit Wi-Fi radio modules, a full line of Bluetooth® radio modules and innovative RAMP radio modules. These unique product solutions are ideal for applications in the industrial, medical and M2M communications industries.
Modular 4-U 19-inch industrial PCs with industrial mainboard or slot CPU The 19-inch Infinity® I4 systems with 4-U height are available from DSM Computer in three different models with Industrial ATX Mainboard, PICMG 1.0 or PICMG 1.3, the latter two as slot CPU. For flexible applications, the high-performance computers can be equipped with various microprocessor types and chipsets of the latest generations. The robust IPCs have a housing depth of 408 mm or 508 mm, respectively. Thanks to the industrial-strength of the central system module, the 19-inch I4 system with ATX Mainboard offers high reliability and robustness, and so is also suitable for applications that run in harsh environments, e.g. in automation. A total of seven slots are available for accepting expansion cards: three PCI Express™ slots and four PCI slots. In comparison, the 19-inch slot CPU-based 4-U systems can be configured more flexibly and provide as many as fourteen slots. The I4 with PICMG 1.3 slot CPU includes three PCI Express™ slots and eight PCI slots. The PICMG 1.0 slot CPU-based sys-
LAIRD TECHNOLOGIES www.lairdtech.com
Advanced TV Tuners ly includes five products optimized for hybrid analog/digital iDTVs, analog-only TVs, portable TVs, DVD and Blu-ray recorders, and terrestrial and cable STBs. The Si21x7 TV tuner family offers the same best-in-class sensitivity and selectivity, reduced bill of materials (BOM) cost and low power consumption that TV and STB makers have come to expect from Silicon Labs, while enhancing performance in several key areas. The Si21x7 tuners improve noise figure (NF) across all bands, return loss for a given NF, channel selectivity in the presence of terrestrial blockers and in a fully loaded and/or tilted cable spectrum, and linearity over an extended RF input power range. Improvements in these key areas deliver enhanced reception of terrestrial or cable broadcasts across a broad variety
of real-world field conditions, and they extend Silicon Labs’ lead in TV tuner performance over competing solutions. The highly integrated Si21x7 tuners are designed to enable the lowest BOM cost of any silicon TV tuner solution in mass production. Unlike competing silicon TV tuners, the Si21x7 tuners require no external balanced-to-unbalanced transformer (balun) on the RF input, which significantly reduces system cost and complexity without performance degradation. In addition, the Si21x7 TV tuners integrate all tracking filter inductors, and they eliminate the need for inductive power supply filtering, thanks to built-in high supply ripple tolerance, a key consideration for on-board designs. SILICON LABS
www.silabs.com/pr/tv-tuner
tem has among other four PCI slots and provides space for the installation of as many as eight ISA cards. Other configuration variants can be implemented easily on customer request. Like all Infinity® computers, the industrial-strength 4-U I4 series models are installed in a functional gray housing with anthracite-colored front. For dusty environments, a metal flap protects the operating elements, the drives and the air filter that can be replaced from the front. The housing can be given a customer-specific company logo. The IPCs are designed for installation in 19-inch cabinets or can be provided as stand-alone unit for deployment in harsh environments. DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
40 W and 65 W convection cooled AC-DC power supplies comply with 3rd edition medical safety standard Murata announces the MVAD040 and MVAD065 open frame, convection cooled AC-DC power supplies. Packaged in the industry standard 2 x 4 inch format with a low profile, 1U compatible 1.3 inch height (50.8 x 101.6 x 33.02 mm), the low power MVAD series is suitable for use in a wide range of high volume applications including medical and healthcare appliances, data storage and networking, and industrial factory automation systems. Up to 90% efficient, the MVAD040 and MVAD065 do not require additional heatsinking or forced air cooling to operate at full output power. No load power consumption is less than 0.3 W, which meets ErP and Energy Star requirements. Accepting the universal input voltage range from 90 to 264 VAC, each model is available with a + 12, + 24, or +48 VDC output. Operating
temperature startup is as low as – 20 degrees C. MVAD065 features remote sense, which compensates for lead losses up to 0.4 VDC at the load point. The supplies comply with the stringent demands of the internationally recognized 3rd edi-
tion medical safety standard IEC/EN 60601-1: 2006. They also meet the IEC/EN60950-1 safety standard for IT equipment. The MVAD series has an MTBF of one million hours, this being at least 2x the MTBF of similar competing devices available on the market today. MURATA www.murata.eu
Compact 400 Watt power supply capable of 700 Watt peak XP Power announced the SDL400 series of 400 Watt single and dual output AC-DC power supplies. These compact units, suitable for 1U applications, are available in four mechanical formats: U channel, U channel with cover (-C option), top fan cover (-F option) and end fan cover (-E option). All of the formats apart from the top fan mounted version are less than 39.9 mm (1.6 inches) high. A variable speed fan is used to reduce audible noise at lower load conditions and extend fan life in the –E and –F models. For applications without a fan or forced air flow, the units can operate with convection cooling up to 220 W for the single output models. With a peak power output of up to 700 Watts for up 0.5 s, the SDL400 is ideal for applications that might have a higher power demand for short duration loads such as starting up a motor. This capability saves designers from having to specify
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a larger, more expensive power supply to satisfy this requirement. Single output models are available with the popular nominal outputs between +12 and +48 VDC, as well as both a +54 and +60VDC output variant. Dual output models have a +5 VDC output in combination with a +12, +24 or +48VDC or a +12 / +24VDC model.
XP POWER www.xppower.com
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
Renesas Electronics Introduces New 16-Bit Microcontrollers that Realize Reduced System Power Consumption, More Compact Size and Enhanced Development Efficiency for Automotive Control Systems Renesas Electronics announced the availability of the new RL78/F13 and RL78/F14 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) that contribute to enhanced development efficiency, reduced system costs, lower system power consumption and improved functional safety features for automotive control systems. The new MCUs consist of total of 91 products including 60 products in the RL78/F13 Group and 31 products in the FL78/F14 Group. The RL78/F13 MCUs are designed for use in an extensive range of automotive applications; from body control systems such as power window and side mirror control, to automotive motor control systems such as electric water pumps and cooling fans. The RL78/F14 MCUs support the body control system applications, such as BCM (body control module) and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) control that require especially large memory capacities. In recent
years, automobiles have seen an increasing use of electronics for functions such as real-time recognition and cloud connection IT to achieve automobiles that, in addition to the existing automotive functions of running, turning, and stopping, also provide a safe, secure, and pleasant driving experience. While there continues to be demand for diversifica-
tion of specifications by automakers and by model, there is, along with this trend, also a demand for an extensive MCU lineup that can cover all ECU (electronic control unit) systems as a common platform solution. Furthermore, as the use of electronics in cars increases, the number of ECUs in a single car is also increasing. RENESAS ELECTRONICS www.renesas.eu
Renesas Electronics Strengthens Its Lineup of USB 3.0 Hub Renesas Electronics, a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced a new Universal Serial Bus 3.0 (USB 3.0) hub controller (part number μPD720211) with dual downstream ports, extending more flexibility to implement USB 3.0 connections of digital devices such as PCs, tablets, and digital TVs to other USB 3.0-compatible peripheral devices. Adding a new two-port hub controller to the lineup alongside Renesas’ world’s-first certified USB 3.0 four-port hub controller (part number μPD720210) increases system designers’ options for USB 3.0
hub expansion with products such as PCs, tablets, display monitors, docking stations (function expansion units that connect to notebook PCs), and digital TVs. The addition of the two-port hub controller (uPD720211) supports designs with tighter space and cost budgets, while expanding the USB 3.0 connectivity to utilize the increasing number and performance of USB 3.0 peripherals devices available in the market. The two-port hub controller employs a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package, which is presently the industry-leading small package for USB 3.0 hub controller chips, and integrates a
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EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Rutronik presents mainboard family with latest 4th Gen Intel® Core chipsets from Fujitsu Fujitsu offers its new family D322x-B of μATX mainboards with LGQA1150 sockets. The mainboards support the 4th generation Intel® Core(TM) processor family. They are available at distributor Rutronik as of now. The new mainboards D3220-B with Intel B85 Chipset, D3221-B with Intel Q83 Chipset and D3222-B with Intel Q87 Chipset are now mass-produced using the latest versions of the respective chipsets. All boards of the D322x-B family share the same layout and drivers, which facilitates the design-in of the mainboards and offers flexibility with regard to customers' requirements and pricing. Their voltage supply is optimized for the lowest possible level of energy consumption. Additionally, the Fujistu SilentFan technology ensures very quiet, but safe operation thanks to temperature-based control of ventilation. All models use a high-quality Intel® Gigabit Ethernet Network Connection and require no more than two soldering processes. Fujitsu's μATX mainboards of the D322x-B family are ideal for remote management with various software solu-
tions. Fujitsu DeskView offers a comprehensive solution for in-band management, i.e. the remote access to the mainboard while the operating system is running. Out-of-band management, i.e. remote access on the BIOS level while the operating system is switched off or dysfunctional, is particularly important for unstaffed embedded applications. In cooperation with American Megatrends,
Silicon Labs introduced highly integrated, feature-rich 8-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) optimized for costsensitive motor control applications. The new C8051F85x/6x MCUs combine best-in-class analog and communications peripherals, flash sizes ranging from 2 kB to 8 kB, high performance, small-footprint packaging and cost-effective pricing, making them ideal for brushless dc motor control applications used in remote-control helicopters and cars, PC and electric fans, electric tools and small appliances. The F85/6x MCUs are a good fit for other consumer and industrial applications such as power supplies, battery chargers, set-top boxes, projectors, lighting equipment and optical transceiver modules. These AEC-Q100-qualified MCUs can also be used in automotive body electronics applications such as window lifts and power seats.
Fujitsu caters to out-of-band management needs with the remote management solution AMI Megarac XMS, based on iAMT or DASH. A free demo version hereof comes with every item from the new mainboard family. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
b Controllers to Meet Demand for More USB Ports on Electronic Devices voltage step-down regulator equivalent to that of existing hub controllers as well as peripheral components required for rapid charging of tablets, smartphones, etc. In addition, the two-port hub controller delivers industry-leading
Silicon Labs Delivers High-Performance, Cost-Effective 8-Bit MCUs Optimized for Motor Control
small power consumption at approximately 5 milliwatts (mW) in low-power mode and approximately 350 mW during USB 3.0 operation. The USB 3.0 standard, which delivers 10 times the previous maximum transfer rate of 480 megabits per second, was introduced in response to demand for higher data interface speeds to accommodate the large file sizes of video content and recording media with increased storage capacity. More recently, chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 host controller functionality have appeared, spurring adoption of USB 3.0 on devices other than PCs, such as tablets and digital home electronics products. RENESAS ELECTRONICS www.renesas.eu
Today’s embedded developers seek economical mixed-signal MCU solutions that provide high levels of integration and processing performance for analog-intensive and computationally demanding applications such as motor control. Designed to meet the performance requirements of motor control, the F85x/6x MCUs feature a high-speed 8051 core that is 50 percent faster than the closest in-class competitors. This high performance enables finer pulse-width modulation (PWM), enhanced motor control efficiency and the ability to execute more complex algorithms for a broad range of motor speeds. The F85x/6x MCUs also support three independent highresolution PWM channels with a built-in overcurrent protection/fault detection capability specifically targeting motor control and power supply applications. The F85x/6x MCUs take functional density to the next level by integrating advanced analog and digital peripherals into a small package. The MCUs include a 12-bit multi-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC), two analog comparators with programmable hysteresis and response time, and a precise internal voltage reference. SILICON LABS www.silabs.com/8bit-mcu www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Microchip introduces world’s first temperature sensor family with 1.8V SMBus and I2C™ interface for latest smartphone, tablet and PC chipsets Microchip announces a new sixmember family of temperature sensor ICs called the EMC118X. This is the world’s first family of temperature sensors with 1.8V SMBus and I2C™ communication, which is required for interfacing to the latest generation of smartphone, tablet and PC chipsets. Additionally, this integrated low-voltage I/O support reduces cost and board space because it is accomplished without an external voltage level shifter. These are also the first temperature sensors to use an advanced sample-frequencyhopping filter, which enables accurate readings using temperature-monitoring traces of up to 8 inches in noisy environments. The EMC118X family serves a broad range of applications in the mobile, commercial and embedded computing markets by combining the above features
with options for dual, triple and quad temperature monitoring, in addition to hardwired systemshutdown settings that cannot be overridden by software. The latest generation of smart-
phone, tablet and PC chipsets utilise advanced process geometries, which have a 1.8V upper voltage limit for I/O signals. There are few temperature sensors with 1.8V I2C/SMBus interfaces, and the EMC118X is the first family to provide this capability, in addition to a flexible set of integrated feature options. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/7TEL
WeatherPro with Sensor Support from Sensirion The new version of WeatherPro for Android 3.0 now also supports sensors integrated in the cell phone, such as the humidity and temperature sensor from Sensirion. The sensor data is displayed in the daily forecast. This enables users to compare the data from their current location with the forecast values, making them better prepared for any weather. The use of such a sensor is only possible thanks to innovative technology in both the hardware and software. The hardware is the smallest humidity and temperature sensor currently available. It was specially designed for mobile end-devices by the
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Swiss high-tech company Sensirion and optimized to fulfill the industry's unique requirements. The company not only provides the sensor, but also the corresponding software. Without it, the heat generated by the smartphone itself would make any measurement of the ambient temperature impossible. Sensirion is currently the only company to offer an all-in-one solution for ambient sensing of humidity and temperature for smartphones. From today, WeatherPro for Android 3.0 is available for download at: https://play.google.com/store/ap ps/details?id=com.mg.android SENSIRION www.smart.sensirion.com
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
New Technology Site from Mouser Electronics Focuses on RFID and NFC Technologies Mouser Electronics, Inc. announces the launch of its new RFID & NFC Technologies site. This Mouser technology site explores the rapidly expanding Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) market and includes featured products, technical articles, videos, white papers, testing resources, and more. RFID technology has wideranging uses but generally involves bi-directional communication between an RFID tag and RFID reader. NFC (Near Field Communications) is a sub-set of RFID technology that is used for transferring information securely between electronic devices within a short range. Inventory and point-ofsale activities make up the lion’s share of the RFID market, but its applications have expanded to retail loyalty-rewards programs, dynamic pricing, keyless entry, and much more. RFID is even
being combined with biometrics in ePassports and health records. A featured article on the RFID technology site by Mouser discusses the growing number of design opportunities that are
becoming available as RFID technology becomes more widely used. The site also offers technical articles from leading semiconductor manufacturers STMicroelectronics and Murata. MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
CANopen Conformance Test Tool CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the version 3.0 of its CANopen conformance test tool (CTT). The completely redesigned tool is improved in many aspects and complies with the CiA 310 CANopen conformance test plan. The CTT is avail-
on PCs with Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 to Windows 8 and requires a CAN hardware interface plus COTI low-level driver program. COTI software for different PC-to-CAN modules (esd, Ixxat, National Instruments, Port, and Vector) comes with the
able free-of-charge for CiA members. Non-members may purchase it from CiA Headquarters in Germany. CiA uses this tool for the conformance testing of CANopen devices (CANopen certified by CiA). The tool runs
CTT software. Recently, PeakSystem announced that they released COTI-DLLs for CiA’s test tool, which supports all of its CAN-PC interface modules. CiA www.can-cia.org
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AUTOMATION Honeywell Sensing and Control Launches New Value Added Sensor Assembly Solutions Honeywell announced that it has launched new customizable pressure and thermal sensor solutions – including modules with multiple sensors and technologies integrated inside. Heaters, magnetic, Magneto-resistive, infrared, optical, pressure, thermal, and humidity options are all available for customization. Additional value add options include custom interfaces, I/O, size and shape, environmental packaging, and total thermal management solutions to make it much easier, faster and more affordable for design engineers to find a Honeywell sensor solution that meets their design parameters. With Honeywell’s upfront and ongoing technical support, this customization process enhances the developer design process, ensuring that new and updated designs can be brought to the market quicker. The ability
to design in a customized version of an already approved sensor design often means that device developers do not have to re-certify their upgraded products, saving both time and money. “It is important to provide customers with exactly what they want, all from a single vendor,” said Valerie Rothermel-Nelson, Honeywell senior global product marketing manager. “This is part of Honeywell’s new systematic method of providing integrated and differentiated value added solutions. Our new approach means that we are now providing higher level assemblies, not just components. A higher level assembly is a package that provides differentiated and integrated solutions that ultimately give our customers a competitive advantage. It could be combining more than one sensor into higher level packaging, providing custom termination or even pro-
viding total thermal management solutions.” Honeywell’s value-added capabilities build on highly reliable, proven and accurate sensing platforms, while responsive quoting and rapid prototyping processes meet demanding deadlines. HONEYWELL www.honeywell.com
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Power Integrations Announces New Reference Design for Efficient PAR38 LED Spotlight
Rutronik: compact multi-chip LED for interior lighting from Osram
DER-350 achieves excellent dimming performance for all TRIAC dimmer types Power Integrations, the leader in high-efficiency, high-reliability LED driver ICs, announced a reference design for a dimmable PAR38 spotlight, developed in collaboration with Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a leading LED lighting company. The new reference design, described in DER-350, uses Power Integrations’ new LYT4317E, a member of the company’s LYTSwitchTM-4 family of singlestage drivers, along with Cree’s MT-G2 EasyWhite® LEDs. DER-350 includes an isolated, high-power-factor, TRIAC-dimmable LED driver optimized to deliver an LED current of 550 mA at 36 V (nominal) from an input voltage range of 90 VAC to 132 VAC. The combined PFC
Osram Opto Semiconductors extends its Duris "S" LED series by the Duris S 8. The new multichip, high-power LED offers lots of light from a small surface. It is primarily used in directional and omnidirectional retrofits, as well as in LED spots in indoor lighting. It is particularly suitable for directional lighting in office and business premises, as well as in the home. Rutronik distributes the new Duris S 8 in two versions as of now. The very good color consistency (color binning) in the directional retrofits is achieved through the close grouping of the LEDs, which corresponds to the coverage of a 5-step MacAdam ellipse. 3-step MacAdam grouping is additionally available for applications requiring very good color homogeneity. The Duris S 8 is grouped by color coordinates at
and CC single-stage, isolated topology of the LYTSwitchTM-4 IC delivers excellent efficiency, power factor of 0.98, and low component count. Over-voltage, overcurrent and over-temperature protection
features are built-in. DER-350 also showcases the LYTSwitchTM-4 IC’s excellent TRIAC dimming with very fast sub-200 ms start-up, reduced pop-on and no dead-travel, easily satisfying NEMA dimming curve requirements, for both leading-edge and trailing-edge dimmers. POWER INTEGRATIONS www.powerint.com
More options for automobile designers: Osram's new MultiLED at Rutronik Osram Opto Semiconductors presents the new multi-chipLEDs with a broad bright blue color range. This gives lighting designers a free choice of colors for the interior lighting in vehicles. Color design now covers cluster lighting to an increasing extent, notably in combined instruments such as speedometers and rev counters, in displays, as backlighting for switches and for ambient lighting. Rutronik distributes the MultiLED as of now. The main feature of the new MultiLED in the standard 3.3 x 3.0 x 1.8mm SMT package is a very broad blue color range with a wavelength of up to 447nm and high brightness, which allows the production of deep saturated blue tones. This is thanks to the use of three LED chips in red, green and blue (RGB). At 370mcd the
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blue is very bright. This brightness is a huge advantage as the human eye perceives the color blue darker than it really is and the new MultiLED
can offset this darker perception. Other properties of the MultiLED are an integrated ESD protective diode (electrostatic discharge), an improved corrosion resistance and a long market availability, which makes them ideal for use in automobiles. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
the junction temperature of 100°C instead of at room temperature. In terms of color rendering, it has a CRI of more than 80. The new Duris S 8 measures only 5.8 × 5.2mm and is available in two versions: with six or eight
chips. Version 1 (six chips) comes with a grouping current of 200mA, forward voltage of 18.6 up to 22.2V and a luminous flux of 390lm at typical 25°C and 3,000K. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
Rutronik: 15.000 hours of constant output with MicroSideled 3806 from Osram Osram Opto Semiconductors presents the new MicroSideled 3806 for stable light conditions on the display. The brightness of this LED remains constant throughout its lifetime of typically 15.000 hours and can withstand high temperatures as well as high currents. Thanks to an impressive efficiency, it is ideal for portable devices such as tablets and smart phones. The MicroSideled 3806 is available in white and blue at distributor Rutronik as of now. The white model is a classic LED with chip and converter, achieving a high efficiency of 150lm/W. It offers very fine binning for there is always a uniform color over the entire backlit surface. The efficiency of the blue MicroSideled is 55%, measured as the external quantum efficiency (EQE), in other words the ratio of the electrical power used to the emitted optical power. This LED is designed for special display technology that uses quantum dots (special nano particles) as conver-
sion material. That conversion technology features a thin sheet with quantum dots (the quantum dot sheet) in the backlighting, in which the sheet is illuminated by the blue LEDs. This in turn, leads to an extremely narrow-band emission spectrum which accurately hits the color filters of the backlighting unit. Thereby, light losses are kept to a minimum and the colors are more vibrant.
System efficiency is 10 to 15% greater than with white LED solutions, the coverage of the color space is also 33% better. Osram's MicroSideled 3806 have a beam angle of 120°, an operating current of 20mA and a forward voltage of < 3,0V. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com
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Everlight extends JU series of COB LEDs EVERLIGHT ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., a leading player in the global LED industry, has expanded its high performance JU series of chip-on-board (COB) LEDs to include 7, 10 and 15 W types in addition to the existing 4W version. COB LEDs are especially suited for directional applications that require a powerful single light source for effective illumination such as GU, MR and PAR retrofits, downlights and candelabras. The JU series now consists of four JU1215 (15×12×1.6mm) and one JU2024 (20×24×1.6mm) type/s with powers ranging from 4 watts to 15 watts. All types provide an efficacy of 110lm/W or more at 3000K CCT, a CRI of >80Ra and 25°C substrate temperature, and are available in versions ranging from ANSI bin 2,700 K to 6,500 K. The JU series also offers 3 step (McAdam) options for advanced utilization. JU COB LEDs are multi-chip solutions that are directly applied to the board without housing, for
efficient thermal dissipation. Their ceramic substrate base allows for thermal resistances of below 2°C/W, with the largest wattage COB measuring around 0.8C°/W. Low thermal resistance
and superior heat dissipation ensure high reliability and increase the LEDs’ service life. EVERLIGHT ELECTRONICS www.everlight.com
New, efficient LED driver from Advanced Power Electronics Corp. suits backlighting applications Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA), a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of MOS power semiconductors for DC-DC power conversion applications, has launched a new step-up converter capable of efficiently driving up to eight white LEDs in series for backlighting applications. The APE16123 uses current mode, 1.2MHz fixed frequency architecture to regulate the LED current, which is set using an external current sense resistor. The APE1612-3 features a low 300mV feedback voltage that reduces power loss and improves efficiency. The OV pin monitors the output voltage and turns off the converter if an over-voltage condition is present due to an open circuit condition. The APE1612-3 includes undervoltage lockout, current limiting
and thermal shutdown protection preventing damage from an output overload. Comments Ralph Waggitt, President/CEO, Advanced Power
Electronics Corp. (USA): “Small size and high efficiency make the APE1612-3 ideally suited for backlighting applications. A wide 200Hz to 200kHz range enables the device to be used in PWM dimming.” The APE1612TY-HF-3 is shipped in a small RoHS/REACH-compliant TSOT-26 package. ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS www.a-powerusa.com
Lattice Just Made it Easier for OEMs to Introduce the Latest in MIPI Camera and Display Capabilities MIPI DSI and CSI Tx/Rx Reference Designs Help Designers Overcome the Challenges of Integrating Camera and Display Capabilities to their Systems Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced three new complete reference designs that will make it easier for electronic OEMs to deliver mediarich experiences to their end users by taking advantage of
Marena, Director of Solutions Marketing at Lattice. “The fact is, until MIPI becomes the dominant interface for the broad market, customers are going to need a bridge between different interface technologies. Not only does Lattice provide the perfect FPGA technology to adapt to different interfaces, now we provide complete reference designs that make adding MIPI to any system an easy to achieve reality.”
low-cost, industry-standard MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) camera, application processor, and display technologies. These latest FPGA-based reference designs from Lattice enable OEMs to quickly build and roll out next-generation products that are low cost, highly reliable, and consume low power as they deliver the latest in display, image and motion features. Using these new reference designs, designers can use image sensors that are not designed for the mobile market. As an example, a high end smartphone could incorporate a DSLR type camera. In this case, the image sensor is bridged to a MIPIbased applications processor via a Lattice FPGA. The inverse is also true where MIPI-based components can be linked to nonMIPI based processors or SoCs. “Increasingly, for OEMs to be competitive they need to provide end-users with a media-rich experience across all their electronic devices. To deliver on this, manufacturers would like to leverage mobile display, applications processor, or camera components, but the interfaces for these low cost system components often present a challenge,” said Ted
Available Today Given that every customer’s system architecture is unique, each of the three new reference designs, as well as the previously announced CSI-2 receive bridge, includes a configuration form available on the Lattice web site that allows designers to specify the interfaces they need and receive an HDL netlist targeting a MachXO2™ or LatticeECP3™ FPGA. For more information, click on the links below: • MIPI DSI Transmit Bridge: Enables a Lattice FPGA to drive a DSI-receiving device such as a DSI display. • MIPI DSI Receive Bridge: Allows an application processor to interface to a screen that is not designed for mobile applications. • MIPI CSI-2 Transmit Bridge: Provides the conversion bridge logic required to enable an applications processor to interface to a non-CSI-2 image sensor. • MIPI CSI-2 Receive Bridge (previously announced): Allows a mobile CSI-2 image sensor to interface to an embedded image signal processor. LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR www.latticesemi.com
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Multi format 180 Watt 93% efficient power supply from XP Power
New voltage regulator from Ericsson delivers digital dynamic-loop-compensation
XP Power announced additions to its GCS series of single output high efficiency “green” AC-DC power supplies with both ITE and Medical safety approvals. Complementing the GCS150 150 Watt models, the GCS180 range extends the power output capability up to 180 Watts. All models in the range have a no load input power of less than 0.5W and a typical efficiency of 93%. The GCS180 series is available in multiple mechanical formats giving the designer several mounting configurations to choose from to suit the end application. Convection cooled formats, providing up to 150 Watt output, are in an industry standard 3 x 5 inch (127 x 76.2 mm) open frame package, an optional enclosed cover option is also available. The full 180 W output is available when a forced air flow of only 7 CFM is provided by the user or by using the optional top or end mounted fan formats. Across the range, 5 single output
Ericsson has introduced a new 3E* DC-DC regulator, the BMR461, that is the first 12 × 12 × 8mm 12A digital point-of-load (POL) module to combine Dynamic Loop Compensation (DLC), low-bias current technology, advanced energy-optimization algorithms to reduce energy consumption, and a landgrid-array (LGA) footprint that guarantees excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical performance. The new BMR461 Dynamic Loop Compensation is based on ‘state-space’ or ‘modelpredictive’ control, which guarantees stability while also achieving the optimum dynamic performance without requiring any external components. The new product performs an automatic compensation routine that is based on measured parameters, which enables the construction of an internal mathematical model of the power supply including exter-
models are available covering the popular nominal outputs of +12, +15, +24, +28 or +48 VDC. An additional 12 V / 0.6 A fan output is standard. Designers also have
the choice of using an input earth connection or not due to the Class I and Class II input construction used. A remote on/off feature is available across the range by specifying the –R option. XP POWER www.xppower.com
CUI’s Next Generation 10 W~30 W Dc-Dc Converters Boost Efficiency by 3 Points CUI Inc announced significant upgrades to its VYB and VYC product lines, with the release of the new high efficiency PYB dcdc converter family. Housed in board mount packages with six-sided shielding, the new family offers an output power range of 10 W~30 W across four series and features an ultra-wide, 4:1 input range. Efficiencies are also increased significantly over previous generations reaching 91%, up 3 percentage points. Input ranges of 9~36 Vdc or 18~75 Vdc make the units ideally suited to battery-driven applications, where charging and discharging conditions require a wide input range. The devices’ 40° to + 85°C operating temperature range also allows the series to work reliably in harsh environ-
ments. The 10 W, 15 W, and 20 W families are packaged in an industry standard 2” × 1” (50.8 mm × 25.4 mm) footprint while the 30 W model features a footprint of 2” ×
1.6” (50.8 mm × 40.6 mm). The PYB family is available in single output (3.3, 5, 12, 15, or 24 Vdc), dual output (±5, ±12, or ±15 Vdc) and triple output (3.3/±12, 3.3/±15, 5/±12, or 5/±15) models. CUI www.cui.com
nal components such as filtering and parasitic resistors. Based on the ‘state-space’ mathematical model rather than traditional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulation, the BMR461 uses
closed-loop pole placement and a model based on the resonant frequency of the output filter, thereby reducing the number of output capacitors required for filtering and stability. This technology is highly suitable for FPGA and processor applications where low-ESR decoupling capacitors are currently being used. ERICSSON POWER MODULES www.ericsson.com/powermodules
International Rectifier’s Automotive COOLiRFET™ Power MOSFETs are Now Available at Mouser Mouser Electronics, Inc. now stocks International Rectifier’s (IR) family of AEC-Q101 Automotive qualified 40V Nchannel MOSFETs, featuring IR’s proven Gen12.7 trench technology with ultra-low Rds(on). International Rectifier's Automotive COOLiRFET™ Power MOSFETs from Mouser Electronics target rugged automotive applications. These HEXFET® Power MOSFETs utilize leading-edge manufacturing techniques to achieve very low on-resistance, resulting in highly efficient switching of high current signals with very little power loss. Additional features include a high 175°C junction temperature, fast switching speeds for better power efficiency, and a high repetitive avalanche rating for harsh signal environments. These new devices offer low conduction losses and
robust avalanche performance to deliver higher efficiency, power density and reliability. Applications using these new IR COOLiRFET™ devices from Mouser Electronics can run significantly cooler than comparable MOSFETs. These features combine to make this an extremely
efficient and reliable MOSFET for use in automotive systems as well as a wide variety of other applications. To learn more, visit: www.mouser.com/new/internationalrectifier/ir-autocoolirfetmosfet/ MOUSER ELECTRONICS www.mouser.com
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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Laird Announces Release of Wireless Charging Coil Modules
SuVolta Announces Speed-Power Benefits of Transistor Technology Validated in ARM Processor
Laird, announced the release of the new RWC5353 Series Wireless Charging Coil Modules. The RWC5353 Series improves efficiency and performance while minimizing electromagnetic interference (EMI) in wireless charging devices. The new RWC5353 series are transmitter coil modules that meet the Wireless Power Consortium’s WPC) Qi standard, the global standard for wireless charging. With more than 20 million people using Qi-phones, the market for wireless charging devices is poised for explosive growth. “Laird is a leader in ferrite products and offers an extensive line of signal integrity and EMI filtering solutions,” said Jill Tsai, product specialist at Laird. “We have taken our expertise one step further and developed a solution for the emerging wireless charging market that reduces EMI and improves performance while still keeping costs down.” These RWC5353 Series use ferrite material 28, which is not only WPC recommended but also improves reliability. The power transmitter in the new modules is
SuVolta, Inc., a developer of scalable semiconductor technologies for low-power, high-performance IC chips, today announced that it has realized significant processor speed gains with associated power reduction in an ARM Cortex-M0 processor built using transistor technology from SuVolta. The ARM Cortex-M series processor was manufactured with SuVolta’s Deeply Depleted Channel™ (DDC) technology on a 65nm bulk planar CMOS DDC process. With SuVolta’s transistor technology, designers are able to significantly reduce power or dramatically improve performance, depending upon design requirements. When compared to an identical ARM Cortex-M0 processor manufactured in the conventional 65nm process, with a 1.2V supply voltage, the DDC transistor-based ARM implementation operating at 0.9V demonstrates the following benefits: • 50 percent lower total power consumption at matched 350MHz operating speed. • 35 percent increased operating speed (performance) at matched power.
A1 compliant and can support up to 5 Watts of ower transfer. This complete solution features a high Q factor for maximum wireless power charging efficiency and is designed for extended operating temperatures of -40° to 85°C.
Wireless charging technology requires two coils, a transmitter and a receiver. An alternating current is passed through the transmitter coil in the charging device, generating a magnetic field. This results in a voltage in the receiver coil which can be used to power a mobile device or charge a battery by simply placing it close enough to the charging device. There are over 200 Qi certified products available on the WPC’s website, ranging from smart phones and tablets to components. LAIRD TECHNOLOGIES www.lairdtech.com
Dual channel MOSFETs from Advanced Power Electronics Corp. simplify synchronous buck design Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA) has launched an asymmetric-dual N-channel enhancement mode power MOSFET targeting synchronous buck dc/dc converter power designs. Packaged in a small 3mm square PMPAK®3x3, the AP6950GYT comprises a “high-side” control MOSFET (CH-1) and a “low-side” synchronous MOSFET (CH-2), providing a compact solution optimised for synchronous buck applications. Drain-Source breakdown voltage (BVDSS) for both channels is 30V, while onresistance is low at 18mΩ (CH-1) and 10.5mΩ (CH-2) Comments Ralph Waggitt, President/CEO, Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (USA):
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“Our MOSFETs provide the designer with cost-effective performance whilst retaining the best combination of fast switching, ruggedized device design, and low on resistance.”
Devices are RoHS-compliant and halogen-free; more data is available at www.a-powerusa.com/ docs/AP6950GYT-3.pdf ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS www.a-powerusa.com
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
• 55 percent increased operating speed when operated at matched supply voltage. “ARM’s heritage is based on low power, so technologies that can further improve power consumption, such as DDC technology from SuVolta, will always be welcomed by ARM and our Partners,” said
Noel Hurley, vice president, Strategy and Marketing, Processor Division, ARM. “SuVolta has shown that the DDC technology, when incorporated into an ARM processor, can provide additional power reductions or a significant performance boost. As the Internet of Things continues to expand, innovative ultra-low power technology for sensors and other devices will be vital to ensure that ARM remains at the forefront of this opportunity.” SuVolta, INC. www.suvolta.com
Laird Announces Bluetooth Module for Apple iOS Device Laird announced the release of its BTM46x Series Bluetooth® modules. Mass production quantities of modules and the associated development kits are now available directly from Laird. Based on the market-leading Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) BC04 chipset, the innovative firmware on the BTM46x series allows OEMs to seamlessly support Bluetooth data connectivity for all PCs, smartphones and tablets including Apple iOS devices. The BTM46x firmware enables Apple licensees to leverage Bluetooth data connectivity, via the iAP protocol, into their MFI accessories, enabling rapid time to market for
their products. “With Laird’s BTM46x modules and associated development kit, OEMs can provide cross platform Bluetooth data support in a simple and easy to use module,” said Jonathan Kaye, Laird product manager. “Laird’s embedded firmware provides a seamless data connectivity engine regardless of whether connecting to, or from, Bluetooth enabled Android, Windows, Linux or iOS devices.” Key application areas for the BTM46x Series include medical devices, ePOS terminals, barcode scanners, industrial cable replacement, and smartphone/tablet ‘Appcessories’. Every BTM46x Series module is designed to add
PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Power Integrations Teams with Qualcomm on Rapid-Charging Technology for Mobile Devices
Microsemi Answers Data Storage Security Threats with World’s Only Self-encrypted, Half-terabyte 2.5” SATA SLC Solid State Drive
Power Integrations introduced CHY100, the first AC-DC wall-charger interface IC that enables designers of mobile devices to implement the Quick Charge 2.0 protocol from Qualcomm. Launched earlier this year, Quick Charge 2.0 enables users to charge mobile devices up to 75% faster than when using conventional technology. Used in combination with Power Integrations’ AC-DC switcher ICs, the CHY100 incorporates all the necessary elements required to add Quick Charge 2.0 functionality to AC-DC wall chargers. The CHY100 detects commands from a Quick Charge 2.0enabled device, such as a cellphone handset, and adjusts the output of the AC-DC wall charger to enable increased power delivery to the device’s battery. When plugged into a powered device without Quick Charge 2.0 capability, the CHY100 automatically disables the higher-voltage/higher-power capability to ensure safe operation. Tests confirm that smartphones with high-capacity batteries can be fully charged in as little as one hour using Quick Charge 2.0 – an impressive improvement from the four-hour charging cycles characteristic of conventional fixed-voltage chargers.
Comments Abid Hussain, director of product management at Qualcomm: “We chose Power Integrations as the lead strategic partner for our Quick Charge 2.0 program which was launched earlier this year. We are delighted that they were able to deliver a spec-compliant, production-ready IC for AC-DC wall adapters in less than six months, enabling OEMs and adapter makers to implement Quick
robust, short-range Bluetooth data connectivity to any device. With a compact footprint of 12.5 × 22 mm, the modules deliver maximum range with minimum size. The modules are designed to support a separate power supply for I/O, in addition to including a complete Bluetooth v2.1 protocol stack for increased ease of integration.
The BTM46x Series provides support for multi-point connections and includes the following Bluetooth profiles: Serial Port Profile (SPP), HID (Human Interface Device) and Apple’s iAP protocol. BTM46x modules are fully qualified as a Bluetooth End Product, whilst also holding FCC Modular, IC, CE and MIC ( Japan) regulatory approvals, enabling designers to quickly integrate the modules into devices without the need for additional qualification resources. The available low-cost developer’s kit makes it easy for an OEM to integrate the module and guarantees the fastest route to prototype and then mass production.
The half-terabyte TRRUST-Stor SSD provides military-grade ruggedization as well as unparalleled safeguards and processes for physical data storage with multiple layers of security features. The suite of industry-leading features prevents corruption and unauthorized access with hardware- and softwarebased barriers. The drive features a built-in compact in-line encryptor with hardware-implemented, NISTcertified AES 256 encryption using the XTS block cipher mode. Ruggedization features include superior error correction, 9 petabytes write endurance, power loss protection and more than 2 million hours mean time between failure (MTBF). Enhanced mechanical construction ensures operation in extreme temperatures, humidity, shock and vibration. The TRRUST-Stor Series 200 is powered by Microsemi’s second generation Armor™ processor, enabling robust performance. The Series 200 SSDs also offer the ability to load encryption keys. Customers can input their own AES-256 keys, purge them and reload as needed. Microsemi’s TRRUSTPurge™ technology destroys keys in less than 30 milliseconds when activated.
LAIRD TECHNOLOGIES www.lairdtech.com
MICROSEMI www.microsemi.com
Charge 2.0 immediately. Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 allows mobile devices to be charged up to 75% faster and it is rapidly becoming the industry-wide standard for cell phones and tablets." The CHY100 is suitable for battery chargers for smartphones, tablets, netbooks, digital cameras and Bluetooth® accessories as well as USB power output ports. Devices are available in SOIC-8 packaging and cost $0.22 each in 10K quantities. POWER INTEGRATIONS www.powerint.com
Microsemi Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, announced the world’s only secure, half-terabyte (TB) solid state drive (SSD) for mobile video surveillance operations, storage area networks (SANs) and other high capacity storage applications requiring superior real-time data protection. The ruggedized TRRUST-Stor™ Series 200 2.5” SATA SSD operates at sustained 200 megabytes per second (MB/s) and delivers the industry’s fastest full-hardware-based erase time of less than 10 seconds. The self-encrypting, half-terabyte SSD is available now and currently shipping to multiple customers to support applications requiring massive secure storage capacity.
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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AVX releases new low-profile 0603 MLO™ diplexer for multiband applications AVX Corporation announced its new low-profile 0603 diplexer today. Based on the company’s patented multilayer organic high density interconnect technology, the new 0603 MLO™ diplexer employs high dielectric constant and low loss materials to realize high Q passive printed elements, such as inductors and capacitors in a multilayer stack up. Capable of supporting multiple wireless standards, including: WCDMA, CDMA, WLAN, GSM, and BT, the 0603 diplexers are ideally suited for band switching in dual- and multiband applications, such as WiFi, WiMax, GPS, and cellular bands. Utilizing land grid array packaging technology, AVX’s new 0603 diplexers have an inherently low profile (<0.5mm) and exhibit excellent solderability, low parasitics, and high heat dissipation. Expansion matched to PCBs, the diplexers also provide improved reliability with regards to comparable ceramic or
silicon components. AVX’s new 0603 MLO™ diplexer features a maximum power capacity of 4.5W, measures 1.65mm × 0.88mm × 0.42mm (0.065” × 0.035” × 0.017”), is rated for use in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +85°C, and is available in Ni Au, Ni Sn, and OSP finishes, all of which are compatible with
New external microphone available from Avnet Abacus reduces noise for enhanced in-car voice communication Avnet Abacus, one of Europe’s leading interconnect, passive, electro-mechanical and power distributors and a business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, a business region of Avnet, Inc., has announced availability of a new high-performance external car microphone developed by Kingstate, a leading manufacturer of electro-acoustic components.
automatic soldering technologies. Finished parts are 100% tested for electrical parameters and visual characteristics and are packaged on tape and reel. AVX www.avx.com
This new unidirectional microphone is optimised to deliver the very highest quality acoustics and noise reduction capability essential for the safe use of in-car
multimedia, communications and satellite navigation systems. It features high (-37dBV) supercardioid sensitivity to enhance the definition of reception at the front of the vehicle while reducing sound pick-up from the side and rear, and a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 69dBA, to provide optimal communication performance for speech recognition, voice speed dial and GPS navigation. With overall dimensions of just 11.7mm (diameter) × 25.5mm, the compact microphone is encased in lightweight and durable aluminium alloy. High frequency noise is effectively filtered out, thanks to the deployment of a high-performance junction gate field-effect transistor ( JFET) at the core of the electret condenser microphone (ECM), plus a low pass filter (LPF) output circuit that detects and passes low frequency signals. Kingstate has more than 30 years’ experience in the development of advanced electro-acoustic products, including piezo buzzers, magnetic buzzers, micro speakers, dynamic receivers, electret condenser microphones and earphones. These products, including the new external car microphone, are fully supported across Europe by the applications and sales teams of Avnet Abacus. AVNET ABACUS www.avnet-abacus.eu
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PRODUCT NEWS
ACTIVE COMPONENTS
New series of low input current optocouplers from Vishay offering multiple CTR ranges now available from TTI, Inc A new series of low input current optocouplers with phototransistor output from Vishay can now be ordered from TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. The VOS627A and VOS628A series optocouplers broaden Vishay’s optoelectronics portfolio and feature the compact SSOP-4 mini-flat package and the flexibility to choose from variable transfer ratio (CTR) ranges. The new optocouplers offer extensive CTR (current transfer ratio) ranges from 40% to 600%, low power dissipation, and a low input drive current down to 1mA. Available in several package sizes including DIP-4, LSOP4, SOP-4 and SSOP-4, the components in the SOP-4, SSOP-4 and LSOP-4 package are only 2mm high, making them ideal for
applications with height constraints. Compared with the standard DIP-4 package, the devices in the smaller package sizes offer considerable board space sav-
ings, saving 60% board space in the SSOP-4 package and 30% in the SOP-4 package. Certified to UL, CSA, VDE, Fimko, and CQC safety standards and fully RoHS-compliant, as well as lead (Pb)-free, Vishay’s new optocouplers benefit from an eco-friendly “green” compound. TTI www.ttieurope.com
First DDC™ Transistor-Based Chip Enters Volume Production SuVolta, Inc. and Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited today announced volume production of the first Deeply Depleted Channel™ (DDC) transistor-based chip, MB86S22AA Milbeaut® image processor integrated circuit (IC). Manufactured on “CS250S” technology, which combines Fujitsu Semiconductor’s 55nm process with DDC technology, the IC has 30 percent lower power consumption and roughly twice the processing performance compared to the existing products, despite the new product having considerably more circuits with enhanced processing performance. MB86S22AA represents the culmination of a successful joint development program between the companies. Together, the companies are advancing the capabilities of ultra-low-power, high-performance products. Fujitsu Semiconductor is SuVolta’s first licensee of the DDC technol-
ogy. Since the collaboration was announced in June 2011, the companies have successfully brought up the DDC technology at the 65nm and 55nm nodes, meeting all production, yield and reliability requirements.
MB86S22AA is the latest of the Milbeaut line of image processors which has established a wideranging track record in a host of applications from digital SLR cameras to smartphones. FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR http://jp.fujitsu.com/fsl/en SuVolta www.suvolta.com
Alliance Memory Introduces New High-Speed CMOS Double Data Rate (DDR1) Synchronous DRAMs With 64-Mb, 128-Mb, 256-Mb, and 512-Mb Densities in 66-Pin TSOP II Packages Alliance Memory today introduced a new line of high-speed CMOS double data rate synchronous DRAMs (DDR1 SDRAM) with densities of 64 Mb (AS4C4M16D1), 128 Mb (AS4C8M16D1), 256 Mb (AS4C16M16D1), and 512 Mb (AS4C32M16D1). The devices released today provide reliable drop-in, pin-forpin-compatible replacements for a number of similar solutions in medical, communications, industrial, and consumer products requiring high memory bandwidth, and they are particularly well-suited to high-performance PC applications. Internally configured as four banks of 1M, 2M, 4M, or 8M word x 16 bits with a synchronous interface, the DDR1
SDRAMs operate from a single +2.5-V (± 0.2 V) power supply and are lead (Pb)- and halogenfree. The AS4C4M16D1,
AS4C8M16D1, AS4C16M16D1, and AS4C32M16D1 feature a fast clock rate of 200 MHz, a commercial temperature range of 0°C to 70°C, and are offered in the 66-pin TSOP II package with a 0.65-mm pin pitch. ALLIANCE MEMORY www.alliancememory.com
Littelfuse SD05 Series discrete unidirectional TVS diodes - now from TTI Inc A new series of unidirectional TVS diodes from Lilttelfuse is now available from TTI, Inc., the world’s leading specialist distributor of passive, connector, electromechanical and discrete components. The SD05 Series 450W of discrete unidirectional TVS diodes is designed to replace multilayer varistors (MLVs) in electronic equipment for low speed and DC applications and protects sensitive equipment from damage due to ESD and other transient events. Littelfuse SD05 Series TVS diodes safely cope with repetitive ESD events at ±30kV (contact discharge, IEC 61000-4-2) without performance degradation and dissipate 30A of 8/20μs induced surge current (IEC61000-4-5) with very low clamping voltages. Such robust surge and enhanced ESD protection guards against the effects of events such as lightning strikes, helping extend equipment life and system up time. Low dynamic resistance of 0.5Ω
(SD05) and 0.6Ω (SD05C) protects sensitive electronics by reducing clamping voltage by up to 50% compared to competitive technologies. Leakage current is a maximum of 1μA, a decrease of up to 97% compared to older technologies, which helps extend battery life. In SOD-323 packages, the Littelfuse SD05 Series fits the
same PCB footprint as exisiting 0805 MLVs without requiring a PCB or solder pad change, so can be used without any product design adjustments being necessary. TTI www.ttieurope.com
www.epd-ee.eu | September, 2013 | EP&Dee
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ACTIVE COMPONENTS
Pin-compatible with the popular 78XX linear regulators 08D Series - DC/DC converters from YDS The converters of the new noninsulating 08D series from YDS (Distributor: MSC) handle input voltages up to 72V and reached even at output voltages of 3.3, 5.0 and 6.5V an efficiency greater than 80% and more than 90%. The minimum input voltage at these output voltages is 9V. This results in the extremely wide input voltage range of 8:1. The 08D series also includes models with output voltages of 9, 12, 15 and 24V and even higher efficiency. Continuous short circuit protection with automatic recovery after the fault is removed and a MTBF rating of 1,242 × 103 hours (at 71°C using MIL-HDBK217F) make the 08D series DC/DC converters the perfect solution even for critical applications. All series 08D models feature an output voltage tolerance of ±2%, a load regulation of ±0.4% (from 10%
to 100% load), output ripple and noise of 60mVss maximum and a switching frequency of 500kHz. With dimensions of just 11.8 mm × 8.5 mm × 17.5 mm
the new 08D series is pin-compatible with the popular 78XX linear regulators. The 08D series DC/DC converters deliver an output current of 0.5A with natural convection cooling at ambient temperatures up to +71°C. MSC VERTRIEBS www.msc-ge.com
Miniature SIP Ac-Dc Power Supplies Maximize Board Space CUI Inc launched their smallest ac-dc power supplies yet with the release of the PBK ultra-compact SIP series. Available in 1 W, 3 W, and 5 W families, the modules measure as small as 1.38 × 0.43 × 0.94 in. (35 × 11 × 24 mm), occupying less pcb real-estate than other conventional ac-dc power supplies, thus allowing designers to fully maximize space where on-board ac-dc power conversion is required. The high density PBK series is offered in single output voltages of 3.3, 5, 9, 12, 15, and 24 Vdc and can operate at ac input voltages between 85~264 Vac. For high voltage dc-dc applications, the modules also provide a dc input range spanning 100~400 Vdc. All models are designed for 3,000 Vac/1 Min input to output isolation, have over current and continuous short circuit protection, and can function at a wide operating range from -40 to +85°C (1W and 3W) and -25 to
40
+85°C (5W) for use in challenging environments. The SIP packaged PBK series meets internationally recognized UL 609501/EN 60950-1 standards and complies with EN55022 Class B limits for conducted and radiated
EMC with few additional external components. They are ideally suited for a range of applications including automation systems, industrial systems, and telecommunication equipment. The PBK Series is available through distribution starting at $9.00 for 100 pieces. Please contact CUI for OEM pricing. CUI www.cui.com
EP&Dee | September, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu
True RMS self-powered AC voltmeter fits 30.5 mm / 1.20 inch panel cutout Murata announced the DMR201-ACV “nanometer” self-powered four-digit bright LED voltmeter. This line powered AC voltmeter can measure the true RMS value of its input from 85 to 264 VAC to within 0.1 V resolution. Designed to be completely self-contained, the low cost two-wire voltmeter requires no additional components or connections apart from the AC voltage it is measuring. It is capable of accurately measuring quasisine AC source such as modified, modified 2-step and modified 3-step sine wave in addition to conventional sine, triangle and square wave inputs. The voltmeter fits an industry standard “oiltight” 30 and 30.5
mm / 1.2 inch round panel cutout. The 7.6 mm / 0.3 inch four-digit LED display is housed in a rugged round polycarbonate case that provides protection against dust, moisture, vibration and shock. It is supplied with an
EPDM rubber gasket and plastic hex nut that aid protection to IP67 / NEMA6 specification for water ingress. MURATA www.murata.eu
12 Watt DC-DC converter offers 4:1 wide input range and tight line regulation Murata announced the NCS12 series of compact, encapsulated, metal-cased 12 Watt DC-DC converters developed by Murata Power Solutions. Accommodating a 4:1 wide input voltage range, these single and dual output isolated converters are available in 9 – 36 VDC or 18 – 75 VDC input voltage models. Single output models cater for the popular nominal output voltages from 3.3 to 15 VDC. Duals are available with either ±5, ±12 or ±15 VDC outputs. An undervoltage lockout feature ensures that the converter only operates with a valid input voltage. Load regulation is typically within the range of 0.05 to 1% and is model dependent. Line regulation is typically 0.1% and the converter has a fast start-up time of 9 ms. Other protection and safety features of the NCS12 include cur-
rent fold back in overload conditions and thermal shutdown should the case temperature exceed 120°C. The normal operating temperature range is from 40 to +85°C. The NCS12 converter measures just 20 × 32 × 10.75 mm and uses an industry standard pinout that is also compatible with earlier DC/DC converter devices
available from Murata Power Solutions. Certification to the industry safety standard IEC/UL60950 for commercial and IT equipment, is pending. MURATA www.murata.eu