ep&dee no 4 - april 2013

EP&DeeDESIGN & MANUFACTURING APRIL, 2013 ISSUE NO. 4, VOL. 11

E L E C T R O N I C S P R O D U C T S & D E S I G N E A S T E R N E U R O P E

Integrated conditionmonitoring functions

increase the availabilityof industrial PCs

Forward-looking:

Fixing faults before they occur

p14

THE EAST EUROPEAN RESOURCEFOR EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS

EP&Dee | April, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu2

Table of Contents

APRIL 2013

EUROSTANDARD PRESS 2000

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EP&Dee (Electronics Products & Design Eastern Europe) is published 10 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.

© 2013 by Eurostandard Press 2000

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Group Publisher DirectorGabriel Neagu

Managing DirectorIonela Ganea

AccountingIoana Paraschiv

AdvertisementIrina Ganea

WEBEugen Vărzaru

Contributing editorsRadu Andrei Ross Bannatyne

ConsultingMarian BlejanBogdan GrămescuMihai Savu

Asian Reprezentative Taiwan Charles YangTel: +88643223633

[email protected]

EP&Dee is offering its readers the chance to win aPIC32 USB Starter Kit ll from Microchip! The PIC32 USB Starter Kit II enables users to developUSB embedded host, device and OTG applications onthe high performance PIC32 microcontroller family.

The board contains an on-board programming/debugger, standard A USB and micro A/B connectors,and an expansion header compatible with the PIC32Starter Kit and expansion board such as I/O ExpansionBoard (DM320002) or for prototyping your own.Host PC requires Windows-based operating system.The USB Starter Kit II has the same form factor andexpansion connector as other PIC32 Starter Kits.

This kit includes:• PIC32 USB Starter Board II• Standard A to mini B cable for debugger• Standard A to micro B cable for USB application

development• Quick start card directing users to web based

instructions for software download and installation.

WIN A MicrochipPIC32 USB

Starter Board!!

For the chance to win a PIC32 USB Starter Kit ll, go to:http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-usb and enteryour details in the online entry form.

EDITORIAL

EMBEDDED WORLD 2013 - INTERVIEW

NFC is a short-distance wireless technology that’s been under development for years, and is anticipated to be a catalyst for mobile commerce. Some researchers are predicting that by 2014, one in five phones will be NFC-enabled.

DESIGN FEATURES

1 2 Robust storage media for industrial use SSD or HDD?Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are known first and foremost as storage media for PCs and other computer systems, for portable media players and navigation systems.

18 10 LED Driver Problems Solved by the PIC12HV752 MCU.In the best numerology-style, this article will list the 10 top reasons why embeddedcontrol engineers (are going to) love this little and inexpensive 8-pin MCU.

The article presents each point as a solution to a very specific problem that presents itself to the budget-conscious, savvy LED driver designer.

22 Tips, Tricks and Hardware Design Services for FPGA Developers

24 Auspicious switches in the TME’s offer

26 Magnetic resonance imaging shows greater detail thanks to high-performance current sensors

30 Grid-EYE - Infrared Array Sensor from Panasonic

32 MiniMini

34 COWIN helps Sensaris certify the ZAO biomedical sensor

PRODUCT NEWS

Embedded Systems(p 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 34, 35, 36, 37)LEDs (p 38)Display (p 39)Active Components(p 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)

COVER STORY

Forward-looking: Fixing faults before they occurExecuting condition monitoring on industrial PCs means that with proactive measures, OEMs and industrial users can increase the availability of their machines and equipment and keep downtimes to a minimum.

Embedded World 2013 in Nurnberg presented the opportunity for an exclusive interview with Stefan Dosch of Freescale Semiconductor. He is the EMEA sales director for distribution, industrial and multimarket. Stefan has provided valuable insights into the strategy and development direction of a major player in the semiconductor industry. Here comes that interview.

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4 NFC Technology Payments and beyond

Microchip announces a newaddition to its 16-bit PIC® micro-controller (MCU) portfolio withthe low-cost PIC24F “KM” family.This family offers up to 16KBFlash, 2KB RAM and 512B EEP-ROM, along with advanced ana-logue integration, in low pin-count options for cost-sensitiveautomotive, consumer, medicaland industrial applications.The PIC24F “KM” family pro-vides a new level of integratedanalogue functionality such as a12-bit ADC with thresholddetection, 8-bit DACs for ana-logue control loops and preci-sion comparator references, aswell as op amps to assist in sen-sor amplifications. The PIC24“KM” MCUs are the first to fea-ture the new Multiple-outputCapture Compare PWM Module(MCCP) and Single-outputCapture Compare PWM Module(SCCP) peripherals, whichinclude integrated timers andadvanced PWM control toenable motor-control, power-supply and lighting applications.The MCCP and SCCP modules

combine timers, input captures,output compare and PWM func-tions in a single time-base foroptimal flexibility. These mo -dules include 16/32-bit timersupport, and can operate from ahigh-speed clock for higher reso-lution due to their ability tooperate asynchronously. Theyalso allow for automatic opera-tions during sleep mode, to opti-mise power consumption. This is also the first PIC24 familyto offer a Configurable Logic Cell(CLC) for increased on-chipinterconnection of peripherals.The CLC module helps in creat-ing custom real-time logic func-tions on-chip and is supportedby the CLC configuration tool,which helps in coding the circuitgraphically instead of in assem-bly or C, thereby saving time forthe programmers.In addition to advanced periph-eral integration, the “KM” familyincludes support for both 3Vand 5V applications.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGYwww.microchip.com/get/B7SP

Microchip expands PIC24 Lite microcontrollerportfolio with advanced analogue integrationand 5V operation

EDITORIAL EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Mobile World Congress's Hottest Product LaunchesA look at some of the most intriguing smart phones and tabletslaunched at the mobile world's premiere event. More than72,000 people attended the 2013 Mobile World Congress,setting a new record, according to the GSMA, the organizationthat hosts the event annually in Barcelona, Spain. More thanhalf of the attendees hold C-level positions, including morethan 4,300 CEOs, according to the group. One highlight of the event outlined by GSMA was theConnected City portion of the exhibit, which featured a com-plete urban environment, including a town hall, departmentstore, apartment and other elements. More than 10,500 peo-ple also participated in a new interactive exhibit, NFC. Experience, which allowed NFC-enabled handsets to exchangeinformation and conduct transactions at locations throughoutthe venue. Of course, MWC was also the site of dozens of high-profile product launches, chiefly smart phones and tablets;hereafter those that captured the most attention.

1) Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 has received rave reviews. The 8-inch tablet, which features an intelligent pen, promises unri-valled multimedia performance and power for multi-tasking.2) The Nokia Lumia 720, one of several handsets that the Finishphone giant says will target consumers in developing markets,offers high-end camera performance and a mid-range pricepoint, according to the company. It features a large f/1.9 aper-ture and exclusive Carl Zeiss optics designed to deliver bright,clear HD-quality pictures day and night.3) Sony's Xperia Tablet Z, a 10.1-inch Android tablet that Sonyclaims is the world's thinnest. It features the same OmniBalancedesign as Sonys Xperia Z smart phone and measures just at 6.9mm thick. The tablet, which weighs just 495 grams, is also thefirst tablet to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro asyn-chronous quad core processor and can withstand beingimmersed in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.4) HP threw its hat back in the tablet ring with HP Slate, billedas an affordable Android Jelly Bean consumer tablet that pro-vides easy access to Google Mobile services. HP Slate featuresa stainless-steel frame and soft black paint in gray or red on theback and starts at just $169.5) Huawei's Ascend P2 is billed as the world's fastest smartphone with a 150-Mbps download speed. The handset fea-tures a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and LTE Cat 4 providingan ultrafast web experience with download speeds. n

(inspired and adapted from EE Times) Radu Andrei

Key Facts:

• New PIC24 Lite MCUs with on-chip op amps, 8-bit DACs, 12-bit ADC, flexible PWM modules and extreme low power technology

• First with Multiple-output Capture Compare PWM Module (MCCP) and Single-output Capture Compare PWM Module (SCCP) peripherals

• First PIC24 with a Configurable Logic Cell (CLC) for increased peripheral interconnection

• Low-cost Microsticks support development of 3V or 5V variants

www.epd-ee.eu | April, 2013 | EP&Dee 3


INDUSTRY NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

NFC (Near Field Communication (NFC)) is ashort-range contactless communication tech-nology which is a combination of RFID andintercommunication technologies. NFC devicesoperate at 13.56MHz with data transfer speedsranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s. The com-munication distance between two NFC devicesis effective within 10 cm in active communica-tion mode, which gives this technology aninherent security. For several years, it has beenheralded as a replacement for card based pay-ments and in the popular imagination this is thefirst application we are likely to think of.However, the potential for NFC standards toreach much further is huge. This article explainsthe underlying standards and technology ofNFC in the context of contactless paymentbefore looking at wider applications.

Standards and Major Applications of NFCCurrently, the standards for NFC includeISO/IEC 18092 and ECMA-340, which arecompatible with existing standards for con-tactless smart cards (MIFARER by Philips andFeliCa by Sony). ISO/IEC 18092 and ECMA-340 standards define two communication

modes: active and passive. In active communi-cation mode, initiator and target both gener-ate their own RF field, whereas in passive com-munication mode, only the initiator providesthe RF field. See figure 1 and figure 2. Thestandards include the modulation scheme,coding scheme, transfer speed and frames’format of the RF interfaces on NFC devices,define the initialization and describe therequirements on data collision control duringinitialization. See Table1.

According to the standards, NFC technologycan be used in three application modes:

• Read/Write ModeIn this mode, NFC devices read information from electronic tags. An exampleof this might be a “smart” newspaper stand orposter, where interactive or online contentwould add value to the static display.• Peer-to-Peer Mode.In this mode, two NFC devices can exchangedata, in a mobile phone this could range fromsynchronising address books to exchangingimages and complex multimedia.• Card Emulation Mode. In this mode, the NFC devices work as a tradi-tional contactless smart cards.

This enables them to act as a contactless pay-ing and ticketing device. This mode allows forcontactless payment and ticketing, the mostpopularly perceived uses for NFC technology.

Structure of NFC Mobile Payment DevicesBasically a NFC device used in mobile pay-ment has an Analogue Front End (AFE), NFCcontroller and secure element. The AFE con-sists of an antenna and transceiver which isused to detect RF signals, as well as modulateand demodulate signals. A number of commu-nication interfaces such as I2C, SPI and UARTused to communicate with a host controllercan be found on the transceiver.

NFC is a short-distance wireless technology that’s been under development foryears, and is anticipated to be a catalyst for mobile commerce. Some researchers arepredicting that by 2014, one in five phones will be NFC-enabled. Interestingly, weare seeing many new applications that present possibilities outside of pure mobilepayment situations. Wendy Du takes a look inside NFC devices and Steven Bell looksat the intersection of NFC and RFID devices.

NFC TechnologyPayments and beyond

Figure 1

Figure 2

Transfer Speed Modulation Coding106 Kbit/s 100% ASK Modified Miller212 Kbit/s 8-30%ASK Manchester424 Kbit/s 8-30% ASK Manchester

Different applications for NFC enabled mobile device

nection between the NFC secureelement and baseband processor isnecessary. This results in an extremecomplexity in hardware design andthe need to update the secure ele-ment’s application programs.The latter solution is the one thatmobile operators prefer. In thissolution, the key data and secureelements are all integrated in a SIMcard (as shown in figure 4). The NFCcontroller communicates with theSIM card by using SWP (Single WireProtocol), which has the capabilityof full-duplex communication basedon the principle of voltage and loadmodulation. The application pro-grams stored in the secure elementscan then be downloaded andupdated though over-the-air inter-faces. Of course, this method handscontrol of these updates to themobile network operators ratherthan the original software authors.Currently NXP and STMicro elec -tronics have specialised productsfor mobile payment. TI and Renesashave announced they will join in thismarket (See Table 2).

As further semiconductor manufac-turers and mobile phone operatorsthrow their weight behind imple-menting NFC technology, it is likelythat contactless payment will becomea common feature of our lives.However, analysts from Forresterpredict that the uptake may not gainmomentum for up to 5 years, even incountries with advanced infrastruc-ture. This year, hundreds of millionsof NFC-enabled mobile devices willship and it’s important to considerthat contactless payment is not theonly use of this technology.

As with optical pattern recogni-tion in technologies such as QRcodes, NFC is already popularamong early adopters and gain-ing ground as an “optional extra”or alternative to more estab-lished communication channels.

Advertising material and ticket-ing are two obvious exampleswhich are already establishing afoothold. NFC is also attractinginterest in the medical sector, inparticular turning smart phonesinto diagnostic tools. In 2011,the US-based X Prize Foundationannounced the “Tricorder XPrize”, inspired by the multi-function hand-held device usedfor sensor scanning, data analy-sis, and recording data dubbedTricorder in Star Trek. NFCmight well prove to be a 21st

century solution to this US$10million competition. n

www.element14.com


Generally a NFC controller is aSoC that integrates NFC trans-ceiver and microcontroller, aswell as Host Controller Interface(HCI) and interfaces for con-necting secure elements. Apartfrom ISO/IEC 18092 andECMA-340 NFC protocols, aNFC controller may integrateother short-range contactlesscommunication protocols inorder to provide compatibilityin different applications.The secure element is a smartcard chip capable of storingmultiple application programs.As for the application of mobilepayment, the related programsare stored in the chips. A smartcard chip usually consists of ablock for card management,security domain block (thesecurity domain includes cardissuer security domain andprovider application securitydomain), and application pro-gram management block.

Major Solutions of NFCMobile PaymentThe hardware architectures ofNFC-enabled products varydepending on different applica-tion requirements. The majordifferences lie in the placementof the secure element. In somecases, the secure elements of theNFC device are kept separatefrom the SIM card, whereasother NFC-enabled productsintegrate the secure paymentelements into the SIM card itself.Currently the former solution isthe mainstream in the market.There is no need to integratesecure elements in SIM cards inthis solution (See figure 3). In other words, the adoption ofNFC technology can be drivendirectly by the semiconductormanufacturers and mobilephone companies without theneed for cooperation from themobile phone operator.However, because the secureelements are not able to com-municate with SIM cards directly,the information collected duringNFC applications cannot be sentto remote devices such asservers in banks, limiting the use-fulness of the protocol to realtime financial tracking. If remotecommunication is required adedicated interface for the con-


TransceiverPart No. Supplier Farnell SKUPN512 NXP 1902844PN513 NXP

ControllerPart No. Supplier Farnell SKUPN531 NXPPN532 NXP 1902845PN533 NXP 1902846PN544 NXPST21NFCA ST

Figure 3: SIM Card with Separated Secure Element

Figure 4: SIM Card Integrated with Secure Element


EMBEDDED SYSTEMS INTERVIEW

Please summarize for us the Freescale strategic thrust since its privatization. What isthe strategic thrust in terms of products andmarkets? What role does R&D plays in theoverall Freescale strategy. When Gregg Lowe joined Freescale in June2012 he looked in detail at the strategic set-upof our different businesses and their futurepotential. As a result of this analysis, Freescale reorganized the business units to drive thehigh growth segments in a very consequentfashion. This included fewer hierarchies toensure more personal accountability. Target isa faster reaction to customer and marketneeds. Now Freescale has 5 business units:Industrial and Multimarket Microcontrollers,Automotive Microcontrollers, DigitalNetworking, Analog & Sensors as well as RF.The R&D expenditure will focus on the identified growth areas. Particularly in theindustrial microcontroller and digital networking segments we still see a lot ofgrowth potential. In order to support thisgrowth, Freescale is heavily investing in a wideand very scalable ARM portfolio. In the indus-trial and multimarket segment Freescale nowoffers solutions from a 0,49US$ Kinetis L withM0+ core which is optimized for very lowpower consumption to high end performanceIMX6 solutions with 1, 2 or 4 ARM A9 cores. Key for Freescale is to ensure a maximum of scalability and compatibility: both within afamily as well as across them.

How important is Eastern Europe forFreescale? We all know emerging marketsgrow faster than mature ones; however, they are less stable and less predictable.Therefore, what are your perceived advantages and disadvantages of EasternEuropean markets?Today a large percentage of the revenue inEastern Europe is the result of external manufacturing. This part of the business cannot be influenced by Freescale, it is thedecision of our customers where to produce,Freescale and our distribution partners willsupport with excellent logistic services . What Freescale is very interested in, is togrow the revenue with local customers andprojects which are developed in the region.Based on the increasing success of localEastern European companies in their homemarkets as well as in export, I see a hugegrowth potential here.The disadvantage is that the customers arespread over a large region and local projectsoften start with lower volumes. This generates a challenge to provide excellent technical support. Therefore Freescale cooperates with strong distribution partnersin the individual countries. Additionally wesupport forums, communities, local languagepublications and continuously invest into ourworld class TICS (Technical Information &Commercial Support). The TICS allows customers to ask questions per phone, live

chat or service request. Customer feedbackon the response times and the quality ofanswers is 95% satisfaction!

Which Eastern European markets are mostimportant for Freescale, both in terms of segments and countries?Freescale is present in all Eastern EuropeanCountries and has attractive customers in eachof them. From the pure size and potential ofthe economy Poland and Russia are very im -portant. We also see all segments represented:from industrial to networking, consumer andautomotive. Freescale serves them all.

Embedded World 2013 in Nurnberg presented the opportunity for an exclusive interview with Stefan Dosch of Freescale Semiconductor. He is the EMEA sales director for distribution, industrial and multimarket. Stefan has provided valuable insights into the strategy and developmentdirection of a major player in the semiconductorindustry. Here comes that interview.


What is your business roadmap for EasternEurope? What is your strategy to increasesales in Eastern Europe? What role do marketshare and sales margin play in your strategy?I triggered a number of initiatives to driveour growth in the region in the past and continue to do so. In Romania we started amulti city tour of technical workshop for IMXand Kinetis. This was a great success last yearwhich will be continued this year. We have assigned local Freescale sales to support business development and fundlocal language technical communities. Also in other countries we increase ourengagement with additional technicalresources, “Design with Freescale” events,community support, workshop series etc.Our target is to grow our market share in aprofitable fashion. The success of the lastyears proves that these initiatives address theneeds of our customers successfully.

Automotive has been and still is a strategicfocus. What role, if any, do Eastern Europeanmarkets play in your overall plans? Samequestion about networking. Same questionabout embedded applications. Automotive in the past has been the key toFreescale’s success in Eastern Europe.It is the segment Freescale traditionally isvery strong in and where Freescale enjoys anexcellent reputation. Therefore it is not sur-prising that automotive dominated Freescale’slocally generated revenue. The same appliesfor Networking where Freescale is a marketleader in many segments. In both segmentsFreescale will continue to invest to keep

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS INTERVIEW

But we continuously want to improve ourpresence and local perception. For example I decided to do a special investment in Romania. Since last year we runwith our distribution partners workshops andtechnical trainings in several cities. It enablesus to get in touch with many more customersthan in the past. This strategy starts to payoff: we see much more interest and demandfor Freescale solutions.

How much does the Freescale strategy overlapwith the Eastern European market needs?There is a large amount of overlap both interms of product portfolio as well as supportinfrastructure. Freescale’s decision to offer thebroadest ARM portfolio in the industry hasattracted many new customers. The applieswithout limitation aslo to all Eastern Europeancountries. Based on our Kinetis and I.MXproducts we now talk to customers which didnot consider Freescale in the past. In order to support these customers well wehave invested heavily to offer excellent develop - ment tools, documentation, reference designs,demonstrators as well as a strong and compe-tent partner network. Freescale makes it easyfor customers to quickly develop their projectin good quality. Also in this regard there is nodifference between the expectations from ourcustomers in Eastern or Central Europe.

these strong positions. Thanks to the initia-tives for the industrial space I describedbefore, the industrial segment will soon enjoythe same reputation and importance.

What keeps you awake at night?Honestly: from a business perspective nothing. With the current focus on a veryscalable and broad ARM portfolio in combination with a world class support andeco system, I sleep very comfortable.The only one waking me up at night is myover motivated, little dog. It starts barkinglike crazy when it hears noises outside. I am working on it…

Please give us your personal perspective onEastern Europe. Conventional wisdom saysthe emerging markets are the most attractivefor suppliers, particularly because of theirgrowth rates. Can you indicate how long doyou expect these markets to retain their“emerging” status?I see the economies and local design activities developing at very different pacesin the different countries. “One” EasternEurope does not exist in my mind. This willgenerate great growth opportunities for thenext years to come.

Anything else you wanted to tell us and wedid not ask?My target is to establish Freescale acrossEastern Europe is the preferred supplier for microcontroller and MPU applications. Our very scalable product portfolio fromvery low to very high end offers customers aunique “One Stop Shop” opportunity. Youwill not find this with any other supplier. n



Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.announced the MAX2173 RF toBits tuner for digital audio broad-cast (DAB) applications in auto-mobiles and other mobileDAB/FM products. The industry’sfirst RF to BitsDAB/FM tunerintegrates aradio tuner, ana-log-to-digitalconverter(ADC), and digi-tal filtering, anduses a digital I2Soutput to inter-face directly todigital signalprocessors(DSPs). RF to Bitsradios will enable system design-ers to implement baseband processing using off-the-shelf DSPs.This architectural partition willfacilitate faster developmenttimes and seamless softwarebased upgradability. This level of integration elimi-nates numerous external compo-nents associated with traditionalRF tuners to reduce cost, BOMcount, and space.By integrating ADCs with digital

filtering, the MAX2173 reducesthe output data rate and easesthe processing load on the back-end DSP. The clear separationbetween the radio’s front-endand the DSP simplifies system

design. The DSP’s processingcapacity is freed to support otherfunctions or future upgrades. The MAX2173’s high perform-ance and flexible RF front-endsupports DAB, FM, and TerrestrialDigital Multimedia Broadcast (T-DMB) applications in the FM,VHF band-III, and L-band fre-quency bands.

MAXIM INTEGRATEDwww.maximintegrated.com

Digital Audio Broadcast Receiver (DAB) fromMaxim Integrated Enables Software-DefinedRadio (SDR) Through Its RF to Bits® Architecture

Kontron has announced thelaunch of the Kontron 3U VPXgraphics board VX3324, offeringleading-edge desktop-class graph-ics capabilities. The graphicsboard comes in an embeddedform factor and tar-gets military andaerospace applica-tions. It has beendesigned for longlifecycle applicationsand is equipped withthe AMD RadeonE6460 graphics pro-cessing unit. The newVPX graphics board has beenoptimized for size, weight, powerand cooling (SWAP-C) con-strained applications and sup-ports the latest high-end graphicsperformance features such asDirectX 11 OpenGL 4.0 andShader model 5.0, providing animmersive 3D user experience.Moreover, it reduces the bill-of-material in multi-monitor environ-ments with its support of up tothree independent high-resolu-tion monitors. Despite its powerful graphicscapabilities, the Kontron VX3324requires only up to 22 watts,

enabling applications to bedesigned with a low-power foot-print and low-heat dissipation tomeet the needs of power andheat sensitive situational aware-ness, intelligence, surveillance, and

reconnaissance applications.Further target segments include,command and control worksta-tions, radar consoles and cockpitdisplays. Users can experience anincreased field of view by span-ning the video signal across threemonitors. The integrated unifiedvideo decoder effectively offloadsthe system host processor whendecoding HD H.264, VC-1,MPEG-2, or MPEG-4 part 2 videostreams, leaving maximum systemresources for mission-critical tasks.

KONTRON www.kontron.com

Laird Technologies, Inc., a leadingglobal technology company,announced today that it willdemonstrate its Thermobility™Wireless Power Generator seriesat Energy Harvesting & StorageEurope. The event will be held atthe International CongressCentrum ICC Berlin in Berlin,Germany, April 17-18, 2013. LairdTechnologies will exhibit atbooths P7 and P8. The Thermobility™ Series are self-contained thin-film thermoelectricpower generators that harvestwaste heat and convert it tousable DC power. Due to its com-pact size, ability to regulate volt-age and store power, these prod-ucts are ideal for powering wire-less sensors, low power LEDs ortrickle charge batteries where a

heat source is readily available.When combined with Laird’seTEG™ embedded thermoelectricpower generators, Thermobilityprovides turn-key solutions fordesign engineers as opposed todesigning a complex thermalenergy harvester. Laird’s Engineered ThermalSystems Group will also showcasea new generation of thermoelec-tric power generators andembedded wireless solutions.The eTEG PG8000 Series is anew series of thin-film thermo-electric power generators thatoffer higher power, more robustmechanical design and ease ofintegration with common sourcesof thermal energy. Laird’s widerange of embedded wirelesssolutions are designed to add

New Kontron 3U VPX graphics board providesdesktop-class AMD graphics in a rugged, long-term available form factor

true power and performance toany product including end-to-end solutions for M2M dataacquisition and control. Energy Harvesting & StorageEurope is the world’s largestevent covering energy harvestingand storage technologies andapplications. The tradeshowbrings together over 1,600 toplevel executives from more than35 countries for networkingopportunities along with the

conference portion which featurescase studies, Masterclasses andworld first announcements fromleading companies in the energyharvesting and storage industry.

LAIRD TECHNOLOGIESwww.lairdtech.com

Laird Technologies to Demonstrate Thermobility™ WirelessPower Generators at Energy Harvesting & Storage Europe



IAR Systems®, the world’s leading sup-plier of development tools forembedded systems, announced thatthe build chain of the tool suite IAREmbedded Workbench® for ARM®has been certified by TÜV SÜD as aqualified tool for development ofsafety-related applications. In con-junction, IAR Systems also announcedthe availability of a special supportagreement for customers workingwith safety-critical development. IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM has been tested andapproved according to the requirements on support tools put forth in InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508, the international umbrella standard for functionalsafety, as well as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262, which is used forautomotive safety-related systems. IEC 61508, and standards derived from it, is used within allkinds of industries with requirements on reliability and safety, for example process industries,the oil and gas industry, nuclear power plants, machinery, and railway control systems. The assessment has covered the relevant parts of IAR Systems’ development processes, aswell as the safety-related customer documentation and the customer support. The qualityassurance measures applied by IAR Systems and the included Safety Manual allow customersto use IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM in safety-related software development for eachSafety Integrity Level (SIL) according to IEC 61508 and each Automotive Safety IntegrityLevel (ASIL) of ISO 26262 without further tool qualification.IAR SYSTEMS www.iar.com

QA•Verify embracesContinuous Code Inspection,team-sharing collaborationand workflow integration forhigh-quality coding practicesPRQA | Programming Research announces asignificant upgrade to QA•Verify, its sophisti-cated software quality management solution.QA•Verify already leverages the broad indus-try adoption of QA•C and QA•C++, providingteam-sharing collaboration, sophisticated cod-ing standards compliance, metrics and report-ing facilities across multiple software projects.In this latest release, we extend this functional-ity to make the process of Continuous CodeInspection even more effective.The adoption of structured code inspectionsremains surprisingly low, despite the fact thatthe benefits are well documented and com-pelling. Inspections have historically been amanual and intensive effort, difficult to scale ascode volume and complexity increases, alongwith the inevitable schedule and resourcingpressures on a development team’s most expe-rienced resources.A key part of the solution is to automate thecode inspection. By replacing manual inspec-tions with the advanced facilities of QA•Verify,organizations will be able to conduct theircode inspections in an automated and collab-orative environment. Several key product fea-tures combine to deliver this:• Specific notes and subsequent commentthreads from each review are captured anddocumented. And the ongoing developeraction assignments are initiated.• Run-time issues and undefined language useare identified - among the most importantinputs to a code inspection.• Code structure and metrics with trendgraphs over each function’s lifetime, providean advanced timeline of code complexity.• A detailed picture of coding rule complianceis available, incorporating sophisticated mech-anisms to control deviations.• Continuous, incremental analysis is providedand this can also be triggered through thebuild-environment integration, including con-tinuous build environments such as Jenkins.

Code inspection need not be a subjective,tedious, confrontational and labour-intensiveactivity. With extensive automation, online col-laboration and the realization of continuous,incremental updates, the new ContinuousCode Inspection paradigm is now establishedthrough intelligent features of QA•Verify.

PRQA | PROGRAMMING RESEARCHwww.programmingresearch.com

IAR Embedded Workbench certified for functional safetydevelopment

The automotive industry is changing rapidly toaddress complex challenges, including higherbandwidth networks, improving data security,implementing functional safety and reducingoverall energy consumption. FreescaleSemiconductor is expanding its Qorivva andS12 MagniV vehicle body network microcon-troller (MCU) portfolios to address these chal-lenges and bring a new level of integration andfunction to automotive body applications. As the number of electronic control units in avehicle grows, the amount of connectivity need-ed also increases. The average vehicle includesseveral miles of copper wire – weighing up to150 lbs. or more – for in-vehicle networking. Integrating more functionality within the vehicle’smain ECUs and increasing the intelligence of its satellite nodes (i.e. modules in doors or electricmotors) can help reduce the number of ECUs and the amount of associated wiring required,eliminating weight in the vehicle wiring harness and helping improve vehicle fuel economy. Along with the demand for greener cars, there is a major push for compliance with the ISO26262 functional safety standard for automotive body modules, given the critical nature of thefunctions they enable such as exterior lighting and wind shield wipers. And as wireless commu-nication to and from the vehicle becomes more prevalent, there is a growing need for securitymeasures within automotive microcontrollers – to safeguard the intellectual property they con-tain and also prevent unauthorized and potentially dangerous access to the vehicle network.Freescale’s new Qorivva MPC5748G and S12 MagniV S12ZVL/S12ZVC MCUs are comple-mentary technologies with the Qorivva central controller acting as the networking gatekeep-er with centralized data security, intelligent power management and ASIL support for func-tional safety, and the S12 MagniV satellite nodes having integrated power supplies and com-munications transceivers embedded onto smart mixed-signal MCUs. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

New Freescale Microcontrollers Help Streamline AutomotiveBody Electronics Networks and Reduce Vehicle Weight



DSM Computer's robust 2-U 19-inch 96I2380-MBQ67 system hasan installation depth of only 380mm. Despite its compact con-struction, the flexible Infinity®industrial computer provides one5.25 inch slimline bay and two 3.5inch bays. This allows, for exam-ple, the installation of four 2.5inch hard disks intwo 3.5 inchremovable frames.A 500 GB 3.5 inchSATA II 300 harddisk (or larger) isintegrated as stan-dard. A DVD-RWdrive (slimline) ora 2.5 inch SSDdrive can beinstalled as an option. Two PCIExpress™ 2.0 ×16 slots, one ofwhich with four lanes, and twoPCI slots (32 bit, 33 MHz) areavailable for system extensions.Although the Infinity® I2 industri-al computer is envisaged forinstallation in 19-inch cabinets, itcan also be supplied as a stand-alone device. The operating ele-ments, such as the power-supplyswitch, the reset switch, the moni-toring LEDs, the two USB slots,the drives and the air filter arelocated on the front side protect-

ed behind a metal flap. The hous-ing can be given a customer-spe-cific company logo. An air filterthat can be replaced from thefront is installed as dust protec-tion to permit operation in aharsh industrial environment. TheIPC can be supplied with or with-out 19-inch mounting brackets

and, on request, in any desiredcolor. As standard, the 96I2380 isdelivered with a 550W powerpack; a DC power pack (12, 24,48VDC) or a redundant ACpower pack can be ordered onrequest. Three 8-cm fans at thefront ensure the system cooling.The operating temperature rangelies between 0° and 45°C, butdepending on the configuration,a temperature as high as 50°Ccan also be tolerated.DSM COMPUTER www.dsm-computer.com

Modular 2U 19-inch industrial computer with intelligent design

The global proliferation ofportable medical devices is mak-ing medical technology moreaccessible to consumers andtransforming the healthcareindustry by providing previouslyunavailable technology to endusers, often in their own home.Medical device manufacturersare facing the challenges of theconsumer marketplace includingits price sensitivity and time-to-market pressure. To help simplify product devel-opment, reduce cost and speedtime to market, FreescaleSemiconductor is introducing aHealthcare Analog Front End(AFE) reference platform thatincludes hardware, schematicsand software for easy prototyp-ing. The global medical deviceindustry is growing rapidly andis expected to reach $228 bil-lion by 2015, up from $164 bil-lion in 2010, according to arecent industry research reportby Espicom. According toGartner, portable consumermedical devices, such as bloodglucose monitors, blood pres-sure monitors, insulin pumps andheart rate monitors, representthe fastest-growing segment inthat market.

Reducing developmentcostsThe Freescale Healthcare AFEreference platform is a highlyintegrated HW/SW develop-ment platform, that helps reducesystem cost, board size and complexity. The platform is builtaround the Kinetis K53 MCUwhich includes an integratedanalog front end (AFE) featuringeverything needed to capturebiometric sensor data.

The integrated AFE contains aprecise voltage reference, fourhigh performance amplifiers andtwo high-resolution ADC andDAC modules. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

Freescale Introduces Healthcare Analog Front EndReference Platform

MSC Vertriebs GmbH is announcing the avail-ability of a new Qseven Starter Kit based onMSC’s Qseven modules featuring the AMDEmbedded G-Series APU (AcceleratedProcessing Units). The MSC Q7-SK-A50M-EP4Starter Kit consists of MSC’s 3.5” Qseven base-board Q7-MB-EP4 with suitable heatspreaderand heatsink and an integrated power supplywith cable kit. The kit comes with a ready-to-run Linux installation in Flash Disk to enable anout-of-the-box functional experience.Optionally, a TFT kit can be ordered whichprovides for a 12.1” LCD panel with XGA reso-lution (1024 x 768), the appropriate cable kitfor operation off the Qseven baseboard andfull implementation in the Qseven module’sGraphics BIOS. Along with the Starter Kit, the user can decidefor the Qseven module with the most suitableprocessor and clock speed from the MSCrange of Q7-A50M modules:- AMD G-T40E Dual-Core APU at 1.0 GHz,optionally 7.2GB Flash Disk

- AMD G-T40R Single-Core APU at 1.0 GHz,optionally 7.2GB Flash Disk- AMD G-T16R Single-Core APU at 615 MHzThe AMD Embedded G-Series APUs combinea low-power CPU and a discrete-level GPU ina single processor chip. The MSC Q7-A50Mmodule family features three different low-power APU versions so that fanless systemdesigns and highly integrated solutions arepossible. All processors come with the built-inAMD Radeon™ HD6250 Graphics ProcessingUnit (GPU) which delivers very high graphicsperformance, enables dual independent high-resolution displays up to Full-HD and supportsOpenGL® 4.0, DirectX™-11 and OpenCL™ 1.1.The Computer-On-Module MSC Q7-A50Moffers up to 4GB DRAM, four PCI Express™ x1lanes, two high-speed SATA-II interfaces, eightUSB 2.0 host ports, LPC, High-DefinitionAudio (HDA) and a GBit Ethernet interface.Optionally, a Flash Disk up to 32GB solderedon the module may be used as system bootdevice.

MSC VERTRIEBS www.msc-ge.com

Qseven Starter Kit with AMD Embedded G-Series APU



GreenPeak Launches the NewGP501 ZigBee Radio ChipGreenPeak Technologies, a leading semicon-ductor company in low power RF communica-tion, with a rich offering of communicationsolutions for Smart Home applications, todayannounces the GP501, a new generation ofZigBee transceivers which contains a sophisti-cated coexistence scheme that allows Wi-Fi,Bluetooth and ZigBee chips to work side byside in the same device. The GP501 also con-tains Deep Packet Inspection allowing deepsleep modes of set-top boxes and other hostdevices by means of Wake-on-LAN messages.ZigBee shares the 2.4 GHz frequency band withother Wi-Fi equipment. The GP501 has a coex-istence interface to allow optimized and co-located ZigBee/Wi-Fi radios to work in the samedevice, successfully avoiding RF interferencewhen operating simultaneously. This coexis-tence interface enables arbitration over theshared radio frequency medium to preventcontention, signal degradation and data loss.Another advantage of the GP501 is its small size:its 32-pin 5×5mm2 footprint allows integrationinto even the smallest product form-factors.A new key feature of the GP501 ZigBee trans-ceiver chip is the Deep Packet Inspection forZigBee applications. Deep Packet Inspection(DPI) enables advanced packet management,allowing the host processor to go into a deep-sleep mode to conserve power. While mostother ZigBee transceiver chips only include asuperficial inspection of the MAC and PHYheaders, the GP501 looks beyond these layersand executes a Deep Packet Inspection andbased on the outcome, the chip can decide ifthe packet has to be passed on to the higherlayer application or can be ignored. The DPIengine is also security aware, blocking unautho-rized packets without involving the hostprocessor and ensuring the system does notwaste energy analyzing non-compliant packets. The DPI feature can be used for Wake-on-LANfunctionality, where ultra-low power ZigBee isused to wake up the main processor from itssleep mode to enable Wi-Fi networking.

“The Wi-Fi Coexistence Interface and DeepPacket Inspection enabling Wake-on-LAN arenew and exciting features of the GP501”, saysCees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies“These features make the GP501 the optimalchoice for the set-top box/gateway market. Withits small 32-pin footprint, the GP501 is a greatsuccessor to the already very successful GP500.Once again GreenPeak is leading the industry inadding smart functionality and superior per-formance to its ZigBee devices.”

GREENPEAK TECHNOLOGIESwww.greenpeak.com

Ericsson has announced an extension of its3E digital power module family with twonew digital-communication-bus-enabled540-648W low-profile quarter-brick PowerInterface Modules (PIMs). Compliant withthe 300W de facto industry-standard foot-print and offering both I2C- and PMBus-based serial bus communications, thePIM4328PD and PIM4328PDA modulessimplify board powermonitoring and opera-tional functionalitywithout the need foradditional externalcomponents, therebyshortening time-to-market and reducingdevelopment costs.Based on the compa-ny’s high-efficiencyPIM4328P analog plat-form, the addition ofbus communication tothe modules increasesthe level of flexibilityoffered by digitalmonitoring, including voltage/current inputparameters, making it possible for systemsarchitects to evaluate the power consump-tion at board level – an important parame-ter to accurately monitor efficiency and alsoaid system compliance with energy efficien-

cy legislation, where necessary.Originally designed for Advanced TelecomComputing Architecture (ATCA) applica-tions – because of the huge benefits deliv-ered by a standalone module in terms ofboard space and time-to-market – theInformation and CommunicationsTechnology industry is rapidly adoptingPIM technology, which is becoming an

increasingly important component for system designers in the migration to newplatforms.

ERICSSON POWER MODULES www.ericsson.com/powermodules

New Ericsson power interface modules integrate digital communication abilities to simplify energy monitoring

Silicon Labs announced that its EmberZigBee solutions – silicon devices, softwareand development tools – have achievedGolden Unit certification from the ZigBeeAlliance for the newly released ZigBee IPspecification. ZigBee IP is the first open standard for IPv6-based wireless mesh networking solutions,providing seamless, end-to-end Internetconnectivity and a scalable architecture tocontrol low-power devices. The new ZigBeeIP specification adds network and securitylayers and an application frameworkto the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Itsupports cost-effective, energy-effi-cient wireless mesh networks basedon standard Internet protocols suchas IPv6, 6LoWPAN, PANA, RPL, TCP,TLS and UDP. Ultimately, ZigBee IPwill provide a standards-basedfoundation for Internet of Things(IoT) applications ranging fromsmart meters for the smart grid toin-home energy management sys-tems to wireless sensor networks. As one of the first to be certified by the

ZigBee Alliance, Silicon Labs’ Ember ZigBeesolutions, including EM35x wireless system-on-chip (SoC) devices, Ember ZigBee IPnetworking software and developmenttools, will serve as a preferred developmentplatform for building and testing futureconnected products based on the ZigBee IPspecification. The Golden Unit certificationprocess instills confidence among develop-ers and end users that all connected deviceproducts for the IoT from different vendorswill interoperate seamlessly.

SILICON LABS www.silabs.com

Silicon Labs Achieves ZigBee® IP Golden Unit Certification


A hard disk stores data by writing it to a rotat-ing disk. The data is read by probing the sur-face of the disk. The performance of a harddisk is therefore dependent on its mechanicalproperties. They require constant correctionto maintain the position and movement speed.The faster a mechanical component mustreact, the higher the force or energy neededto generate this movement. SSDs, on the otherhand, are an electronic storage medium and

do not contain any moving mechanical parts.This eliminates the search time and rotationdelay of HDDs. This speed, combined with ahigher data transfer rate and more inputs/out-puts per second (IOPS) are among the mostimportant sales arguments of SSD technology.Another advantage of SSDs is their quietnessin operation due to the lack of moving parts.This may be of benefit in applications wherelow noise levels are critical.

However, every read or write shortens the lifeof the memory cells of an SSD. Particularly inindustrial use, this is often an important coun-terargument, as the workloads are frequentlyextremely high and encompass large quantitiesof transaction data, where more write opera-tions are needed than read operations. HDDshave the upper hand over SSDs when it comesto capacity too, even if SSD capacity will con-tinue to grow considerably in the course of

Hard disk drives (HDDs)and solid state drives(SSDs) are known firstand foremost as storagemedia for PCs and othercomputer systems, forportable media playersand navigation systems.But they are also findingincreased use in industri-al applications, becausethese technologies allowfor unheard-of flexibility and new opportunities for service and productionmanagement. Which one to choose though – HDD or SSD?

Robust storage media for industrial useSSD or HDD?

by Batke WaldemarRutronik

DESIGN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS


further development. HDDs are also superiorto SSD in terms of having lower costs per GB –and are therefore also currently the more suc-cessful technology. SSDs continue to berestricted to devices that are not sensitive toacceleration or vibration, are small in size andlightweight, or for which high speeds arerequired. This is why both storage media tech-nologies will continue to co-exist for the nextfew years. But whether SSD or HDD, industrialapplications impose special requirementsupon both that are not met by all products.

HDDsIndustrial hard disks are designed to provideoutstanding performance in a wide variety ofchallenging situations. Even if the nature ofindustrial environments varies, a number ofcores, characteristic requirements are alwaysthe same. The digital contact must always besupplied reliably and stored under extremeconditions. An example of another require-ments in industrial use is 24/7 operation.Unlike people, hard disk drives do not get totake breaks during high-performance storageapplications. They must operate without anyfaults or interruptions, even though they oper-ate with physically moving parts. This is why Toshiba has developed HDDsdesigned to operate 24/7. They can run 24hours a day, seven days a week (depending onthe hard disk model, level of usage and theenvironment in which it is used). They onlyshut down or switch to energy-saving mode ifthe workload permits. For industrial systems with intensive write andread loads, Toshiba offers special high-durabili-ty hard disks that allow for more read/writecycles than conventional hard disks. They arealso fitted with special anti-vibration technology.This provides them with an industry-leading

tolerance to vibration, which in turn provides apreviously unheard-of level of uptime and per-formance in systems with multiple drives.The core features of an industrial hard diskinclude the possibility of their use underextreme environmental conditions. The Toshiba MK1060GSCX, for example, canbe used at altitudes from -300 m to 5,650 m. In24/7 operation (low-duty cycle), this hard diskworks reliably under a temperature rangeunique to this design, namely -15 to +70°C(measured on the housing surface).

Many industrial systems are exposed tostronger vibrations than consumer or mobileapplications. To enable the drives even underthese conditions to operate smoothly and reli-ably, models are available that have a higherresistance to vibration. Reduced energy con-sumption and low noise levels are also fre-quent deal makers or breakers.

SSDsIf a decision is made in favour of an SSD due tospeed or size requirements, there are also SSDmodels available that are specifically devel-oped for the industrial sector. Toshiba, forexample, introduced the world's first SSD with19 nm NAND process technology onto themarket in the form of the THNSNFxxxGzzSseries. This series of SSDs offers an extraordi-nary combination of capacity and performance,

combining the capacity of up to 512 GB with aread speed of 524 MB/sec and a write speedof 461 MB/sec. To prevent the increase in datatransfer rates from comprising the data integri-ty, Toshiba has fitted the THNSNF SSDs withQSBC (Quadruple Swing-By Code).

This internally developed, highly efficienterror correction code procedure (ECC) pro-tects against read errors by adding units. Withthe additional “Data Corrupt Protection” fea-ture, the THNSNF series of SSDs also providea protective mechanism which protects dataduring an internal data transfer in the event ofan unexpected power failure or if write errorsoccur. The integrated "read-only mode"enables the user to access the data if even theability to write to the drive fails. This provides developers of industrialapplications in any fields where high-qualityspecifications and unique functionality arecritical with storage solutions that providehigh performance. nwww.rutronik.com

DESIGN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS


Executing condition monitoring on industrial PCs means that with proactivemeasures, OEMs and industrial users can increase the availability of theirmachines and equipment and keep downtimes to a minimum. The basic prerequisite for monitoring, however, is profound knowledge aboutaccessing the sensors of the individual hardware and peripherals. OEMs cansave time and money if they opt for industry servers which already have application-ready monitoring and signaling functions integrated.

by Günther DumskyGlobal Product Line Manager Rackmount IPC, PICMG 1.x, BoxPCsKontron

COVER STORY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Integrated condition monitoring functions increase the availability of industrial PCs

Forward-looking:Fixing faults before they occur


Currently a great deal is being written about'Industry 4.0', the future project which the fed-eral government is pushing ahead as an inte-gral part of its action plan for the Germanhigh-tech strategy. According to Industry 4.0,the economy is on the brink of a fourth indus-trial revolution in which so-called Cyber-Physical-Systems (CPS) take on an increasinglyimportant role. It refers to all systems integrat-ed in industrial processes where the aim is tohave them networked both locally as well asfactory-wide in the internet of things. This net-work would then give access to all the relevantdata necessary for the development of intelli-gent monitoring functions and autonomousdecision processes. It would make it possibleto control, monitor and optimize all the valueadded networks in real time. Not only toincrease the production output thanks tomore efficient operations, but by continuousmonitoring of key vital parameters of systemsand peripherals, faults can be predicted andanticipatory maintenance carried out to avoidcostly downtimes.

Similar to traditional IT servers, in terms ofmoney the consequences of an industrial PCfailure can be extremely drastic. While ITservers are, however, in the majority of casesrunning in air-conditioned rooms and arebeing monitored by IT administrators, indus-try PCs more often than not have to operate inharsh environments. To date, centralized mon-itoring by IT specialists is rare. So, unexpectedfailures with all their unpleasant consequencesare inevitable because even the best hardwarecan fail at some point. For example, if the envi-ronmental temperature exceeds the permittedrange, the fan becomes dirty in this raw indus-

trial environment or a hard disk can no longerstand up to the vibrations in a machine hall. Continuous monitoring of vital operatingparameters, such as processor temperature,fan rotation speed, state of hard disk and sys-tem voltages means that possible failures canbe detected at an early stage - also in an indus-trial environment - and suitable measures canbe put into action in advance. Hard disk fail-ures, which predominantly have mechanicalcauses, usually make themselves known inadvance by, for example, the slow deteriora-tion of the vital parameters. This deteriorationincludes an increasing number of read/writeerrors or defect sectors which can be readfrom the hard drives with help of the standard-ized Self-Monitoring, Analysis and ReportingTechnology (S.M.A.R.T.). Even imminent fail-ures of system and processor cooling fansannounce themselves in advance with chang-ing fan speeds or higher processor tempera-tures. Monitoring these parameters makes itpossible to predict such failures occurring andcomponents can be purchased accordingly -

plus exchanging them can be carried out dur-ing routine maintenance, so that expensiveproduction downtimes can be avoided.Maintenance costs can easily be reduced byfactor 10 to 100, provided that maintenance iscarried out in advance. Taking on a forward-looking approach, which includes the continu-ous monitoring of all vital parameters wouldsave the operator both time and money aswell nerves. If OEMs are in a position to offermaintenance solutions like this then this closercooperation with the customer results in a sig-nificant improvement in the after-sales rela-tionship.

Appropriate solutions are to date scarceSolutions which have been available in themarket to date for permanent monitoring ofindustry servers are often connected to thesensors with dedicated hardware buildingblocks, which are an additional cost factor. Notevery OEM is prepared to pay this additionalcost and neither is the end-user. On the otherhand, there is a large number of professionalsoftware-based remote management solutionsfor IT servers, which however are not tailoredto the industrial server market, and are oftenoversized. Until now, searching for affordablesolutions more or less always ended at soft-ware tools, which require profound knowl-edge of the hardware and of all the monitoredhardware components as well as of all the sen-sors and the access to sensor data. OEMs andend-users, however, want simple tools, whichpresent the required information as easily andconveniently as possible. And they want this, ifpossible, available on all communicationschannels, which can be easily integrated intoexisting infrastructures and work processes.What's required are individually configurablenotification methods such as e-mail or SMSdirectly to the service technician. Particularly indemand from OEMs are network protocolssuch as SNMP or the web service interfaceSOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol). Thisallows vital parameters to be passed to a cen-tralized monitoring server, which can take onthe monitoring of multiple systems. Therefore,a simple, inexpensive and efficient monitoringsystem is required which provides significantbenefits with a minimum of effort.

Remote management for industrial applicationsA solution which fits this bill of OEM require-ments is available from Kontron. The PCCondition Monitoring PCCM is a softwaresolution which takes care of permanent condi-tion monitoring of industry servers. ThePCCM is available for Kontron's KISS serverfamily but other product families can also beequipped with this. The permanent condition monitoring systemhas been designed for ease of use and inex-pensive application per installation. It directlyaccesses the corresponding condition parame-ters of the server components. Service technicians and administrators canreceive individually parametrizable conditionmonitoring alerts by a method of their choicei.e. SMS, e-mail, SNMP, Windows News Serviceor on-site as acoustic and/or optical signals. Ifrequired, the data can be stored in an archivethat can be viewed both locally and remotely,as remote access of the system is also possible. A SOAP web service is also implemented toenable the connection of customer-specificmaintenance systems. Additionally via the parallel interface, hard-wired signaling can be carried out.

Unexpected failures can cause incalculable downtimes which mean high consequential costs.

Permanent monitoring allows for pre-scheduled maintenance, which reduces maintenance time and can reduce the costs by factor 10 to 100.



Secure implementationIn contrast to a wide range of condition moni-toring tools, which are based on the industrystandard ACPI (Advanced Configuration andPower Interface), the PCCM accesses the dataof the sensors and hardware directly via itsown API. This means that the PCCM worksespecially reliably without any influence fromthe software or driver. The OEM's customer,or the OEM himself, experiences a significantincrease in terms of maintenance conveniencewithout having to be in possession of any in-depth knowledge about the hardware andwithout having any additional effort. Themeasurable condition parameters include sys-tem voltages, temperatures of the processors,chip set or hard disk as well as rotation speedof processor, chassis and power supply fans.Hard disk status is read via the S.M.A.R.T.-interface. Alternatively, monitoring entireRAID subsystems is possible. Even supply volt-ages and the availability of redundant powersupplies can be measured with the PCCM.

What the user seesIn addition to alerting via SMS or e-mail, thecondition data can be displayed using a stan-dard web browser at the system technician'sworkplace. Condition diagnosis is an intuitiveprocess with its green-amber-red traffic lightsystem. Also the parameters for triggering andresetting threshold values as well as timedelays for noisy or peak-prone parameters canbe individually set via the web interface.Condition statistics for long-term diagnosesover the complete lifecycle are also stored.The minimum, maximum or average values ofany statistics can be stored for any period ofcollection time. Different storage intervalswithin and outside of the normal operatingrange can help to reduce the variety of datawithout any loss of precision. For externalanalysis, the data can be exported to the openCSV format which makes importing it into var-ious data bases an easy task.

Flexible expandabilityOwing to the modular application structure,apart from the condition parameters, whichare supplied via the various embedded hard-ware components, vendor-specific measuringdata can be integrated. As an example, theprompting of external shock and humiditysensors or other peripherals can be carriedout. And even when it comes to configuringthreshold values for alerting, customers arenot out on a limb. Kontron not only can reapfrom and share its vast experience in this fieldbut can, if necessary, carry out the configura-tion before the product is shipped. n

Author: Günther Dumsky is Global ProductLine Manager Rackmount IPC, PICMG 1.x,BoxPCs at Kontron in Eching.


Thanks to PCCM, Kontron's second generation whisper-quiet KISS industry servers not only allow the continuous monitoring of the key parameters, but also reduce

the maintenance effort in case of an emergency: The hot-swappable chassis-fans can be simplyexchanged at the front and during operation so that no downtimes occur.

Via its own API, Kontron's PC Condition Monitoring PCCM directly accesses the sensor data of the hardware components. Thanks to its green-amber-red traffic light system, condition

diagnosis is completely intuitive.


IntroductionThe PIC12HV752 is a small and inexpensive mixed signal microcon-troller designed specifically to please the LED lighting designers. To be more specific, this class of engineers is looking for new andinnovative Solid State Lighting (SSL) solutions to obtain higher energy efficiency. They also want to help their companies differentiate by “adding intelligence to lighting.” Regardless of howthey plan to achieve it, by providing communication capabilities, ad vanced sensing, touch inputs or just more flexi bility, the key newrequirement is the presence of a “brain” in the form of a little Flashbased microcontroller. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?), since these applications havethe potential of running in really high volumes, there is always anextreme attention to the total cost of the solution; and more oftenthen not its size. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all of theeatures in the following 10 quick points eventually translate into asignificant cost AND size reduction of the overall circuit. For simplicity, most of the considerations in this article will refer to a buck or fly-back converter topology. However, the experts amongyou will be able to quickly relate to their (more advanced) topology of choice. Let’s get started!

In the best numerology-style,this article will list the 10 top

reasons why embedded controlengineers (are going to) love

this little and inexpensive 8-pin microcontroller.

The article presents each pointas a solution to a very specificproblem that presents itself to

the budget-conscious, savvy LEDdriver designer.

LED DriverProblemsSolved by the

LED Buck Converter

Offline Flyback

PIC12HV752 MCU

DESIGN MCUs


#1 Direct High Voltage SupplyThe first thing that comes to mind when think-ing of adding a microcontroller to what other-wise could be a simple (analog) dc/dc convert-er circuit is that you know how finicky theseMCUs can be about their own power supplies.You will be glad to hear that with thePIC12HV752 you won’t need to worry aboutproviding a nicely regulated 5V rail. The “HV”piece of the part number was the giveaway, asthis device incorporates an on-chip shuntregu lator. You can simply place a single resistorin series and hook it straight up to a high-volt-age input source. The shunt (operating similar-ly to a Zener diode) will adjust the amount ofcurrent absorbed, as necessary, to allow a volt-age drop on the resistor sufficient to guaran-tee that no more than 5V (±10%) will ever bepresent on its (Vdd-GND) terminals. There is a minimum amount of current that isrequired to produce a nicely regulated supply:1mA will do, over the entire temperaturerange from -40 to +85°C. Other than that, youwill be free to use Ohm’s law to determine thesmallest resistor necessary, as well as its power.

To ensure that no other external componentswill be required, the PIC12HV752 includes apower-on reset circuit for proper power upsequencing and a brownout detect circuit toguarantee safe operation when power is cycled.

#2 Monitoring Supply VoltageBeside the power-on and power cycling con-ditions, there is a number of reasons why youwill need an absolute voltage reference.

That’s why the PIC12HV752 does include aFixed Voltage Reference (FVR) with a 1.2Vnominal output that can feed directly, withoutneed for external connections, into a 10-bitAnalog to Digital Converter (ADC) input chan-nel, and/or an analog-comparator input. Thismakes it possible for the microcontroller tocompare its Vdd to an absolute voltage, whichis useful either when a battery power supply isapplied, to detect a low battery condition, or ina flyback application to help regulate the volt-age output of a secondary supply designed torelieve the shunt regulator (see #1) after a briefinitial bootstrap. The latter provides anincrease in the overall efficiency of the circuitfor a very modest computational cost.

#3 High(er) Frequency OperationThe analog-comparator module providedinside the PIC12HV752 is not the typicaldevice you would expect in your everydaymicrocontroller. This one is capable of betterthan 30 ns response time, which is definitelywhat you want when you need it to control thepeak current through your buck converter,operating at speeds up to 500KHz. Most low-cost DC/DC converters will actually stop farshort of that limit, and will happily operatebetween 150-250kHz for the best cost/sizecompromise.

Some of you will certainly find interesting theoption to switch the comparator to a low(er)power mode, where power consumption istraded for speed. In fact, bringing theresponse time in the 200ns range, the low-power mode provides a significant reductionin the power consumption of the module.This is a valuable option when using the com-parator only as a voltage threshold detector inalternative applications; possibly batteryoperated.

#4 Reducing Sensing LossesDesigned to work in conjunction with the com-parators, in a typical buck or flyback convertertopology, the PIC12HV752 offers a 5-bit“Limited range” DAC module, with all the prop-er internal connections to operate as a peakcurrent detector in the feedback circuit.

Now, if you think that 5 bits might not be ade-quate for all but the most rudimentary regula-tion applications, let me explain how this mo -dule really operates. For efficiency reasons, theway you detect the current (peak) is by apply-ing the smallest possible series resistor to yourload (the LED string). To be realistic, you arelooking at a resistive value that provides a fewhundred (300) mV feedback. More would be awaste of energy; less would get you in troublewith a poor signal-to-noise ratio. If this signal isapplied to one side of a (fast) comparator whilethe DAC is connected to the other side to setthe trip point, the DAC module should providethe maximum resolution specifically in therange between 0 and 300mV. This is exactlywhat the PIC12HV752 “Limited range” modeoperates, providing you with the effective res-olution that a 9-bit DAC would (10 mV@5V),but without the cost.

#5 Reducing Switching LossesSynchronous switching topologies are used inDC/DC converter designs to increase the effi-ciency (and reduce the so-called switchinglosses) when the output voltage is relativelylow (short strings or single LED).Essentially, the forward-voltage drop on the“flyback” diode, present in all buck and boosttopologies, can be seen as a source of losses.By replacing it with a second active element, wecan reduce such losses at the cost of an addi-tional MOSFET and a minimum of circuitry todrive it with the proper (complementary) tim-ing. In fact the PIC12HV752 can make thisoption really simple to adopt, as the output ofthe comparator (or the PWM module) can befed into a small module, known as theComplementary Output Generator (COG),which will provide two complementary outputsignals ready to drive the MOSFET pair.

The COG module offers additional controlover the two output signals, to provide the socalled dead-band; a measure that prevents thecapacitance of the two MOSFET gates to pro-duce a dangerous cross-bar effect (shootthrough).

Figure 1

Figure 2a: Monitoring SupplyVoltage

Figure 2b: Monitoring Battery Voltage

Figure 3:High(er) Frequency Operation

Figure 4:Reducing

Sensing Losses

DESIGN MCUs

20

In reality, there is much more the COG can doto ensure safe control of the synchronous out-puts, including: • Input blanking, to avoid noise on the current

feedback and produce multiple commutations• Phase delay, to stabilize the system without

requiring external compensation networks• Selectable rising-and falling-edge source

inputs (PWM, comparator, pin)• Independent rising-and falling-edge

dead-band control• Selectable shutdown sources• Auto-restart enable• Auto-shutdown pin override control

All of these features provide flexibility to helpyou achieve the ideal compromise betweencomponent count, cost and efficiency.

#6 Driving MOSFETsAmong the few components required toassemble a complete DC/DC converter, thereis always at least one (power) MOSFET device.

PIC® microcontrollers are notorious for theirstrong output sink and source performance(25mA), but ensuring that a MOSFET is keptout of the linear region requires more.MOSFET drivers are ubiquitous and not par-

ticularly expensive, but this is always a relativeconsideration. The PIC12HV752 does its bestto help you reduce cost by providing 50mAstrength (sink and source) on two selected I/Opins (corresponding to the two outputs of theCOG, of course). While these values are a farcry from the Amperes provided by some ofthe discrete MOSFET-driver ICs, this is a trade-off that needs to be evaluated very carefully.On one side, there is the additional cost andspace requirement of a MOSFET driver (possi-bly dual). On the other side there are losses,that cause reduced efficiency of the converter,along with heat that needs to be dissipated.

The choice will depend on the designspecifics. For example, lower power designsare affected less by the loss in efficiency, whilebeing more susceptible to cost considerations.Advanced (logic) MOSFET devices are slowlybut surely becoming more affordable, and willhelp more often than not to swing the decisionin favour of a simpler solution.

#7 Power ConsumptionYou’ve probably realized that the PIC12HV752is designed to provide you with a hybrid solu-tion, where the DC/DC conversion at the coreof the LED driver design is performed in analog,

almost completely autonomously, after theMCU has performed a simple initial set up. TheMIPS requirements of such applications areminuscule; I like to call this a zero-MIPSsolution.In fact, all the “computational power” of theMCU is available to the designer to provide the“intelligence,” while the hard work is done in thebackground by a clever combination of thecomparator (or PWM), DAC and COG module. Interestingly, a number of applications involv-ing a smarter (more intelligent) kinds of light-ing solutions revolve around what the lumi-nary does when it is NOT active. In such cases,the MCU must be alert and operating mean-while, its power consumption becomes thedominant component of the entire applicationpower budget. You will be pleased to learnthat the PIC12HV752 has one of the lowestactive power consumption numbers (if not theabsolute lowest) among all embedded micro-controllers available on the market, as of thiswriting. This has been characterized to bebelow 45uA/MHz (@2V).

When the device is inactive (Sleep), i.e., not exe-cuting code and all peripherals are disabled,the core consumption drops to 10nA, a value sosmall it challenges the resolution of any instru-mentation you might have on your desk.

#8 VolatilityThe PIC12HV752 is a Flash microcontroller,which means that its program memory contentscan be rewritten hundreds of thousands oftimes. This provides the product with a longerlife span as new code can be injected evenwhen deployed in the field. But, wait there ismore. The microcontroller can use a portion ofits Flash program memory to store parametersat run time. The PIC12HV752 flash memory isguaranteed for 100,000 erase/write cycles and40 years of data retention. Granted, this is notthe exact equivalent to the functionality of aproper data EEPROM, yet the PIC12HV752’sFlash memory can prove more than adequatefor many lighting applications, in order to:• Store a unique serial number (re-assignable)• Permanently record a few set points (current,

voltage, temperature…)• Permanently record calibration values • Perform logging • Maintain a usage count

EP&Dee | April, 2013 | www.epd-ee.eu

Figure 5: Reducing Switching Losses

Figure 7a: Power Consumption

Figure 6: Driving MOSFETs

DESIGN MCUs

Figure 7b: Power Consumption

Microchip announces the release ofGraphics Display Designer X (GDD X),Microchip’s enhanced visual design toolthat provides a quick and easy way of cre-ating Graphical User Interface (GUI)screens for applications using Microchip’s16- or 32-bit PIC® MCUs. With GDD X,developers have the freedom to work inthe environment of their choice,including Windows®, Linux or MacOS® operating systems.Graphical user interfaces are foundin a wide range of products today;from coffeemakers to automotivedashboards. While the requirementis becoming commonplace, there isa lack of cost-effective tools avail-able to the developer. Placing dia-logue boxes, guidance text, buttons, slid-ers, dials and other elements of your GUI,while determining colours and calculatingx/y coordinates, can be very time consum-ing. GDD X enables the development ofGUIs in a “What You See Is What You Get”(WYSIWYG) environment, and saves valu-able design time by automatically generat-ing the C code needed for the user inter-face. With GDD X, a highly effective GUI

can be created to improve the customerexperience for applications such as auto-motive numeric, gauge or infotainmentdisplays; industrial interfaces such as oper-ator touch-screens; home-appliancesincluding coffee-makers, refrigerators,cooker tops and microwave ovens; con-sumer electronics such as home automa-

tion, alarms and learning toys; and medicalbedside monitoring or lab analysis equip-ment. GDD X enables development usingMicrochip’s Graphics Library, and can beused as a stand-alone tool or as a plug-into Microchip’s free MPLAB® X IntegratedDevelopment Environment (IDE).

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGYwww.microchip.com/get/85U9

Microchip’s Graphics Display Designer X supports PIC® MCU-basedGUI creation on Windows®, Linux or Mac® computers

Microchip announces a new addition to itsPIC12/16F15XX 8-bit microcontroller(MCU) family. The low-cost, low pin-countPIC12LF1552 is Microchip’s smallest (2×3mm UDFN package) and lowest-cost PIC®MCU with hardware I2C™ support, andincludes a four channel 10-bitAnalogue-to-Digital Converter(ADC) with hardware CapacitiveVoltage Divider (CVD) support forcapacitive touch sensing. In addi-tion, this new MCU features 3.5 KBFlash programme memory, 256Bytes RAM, a 32 MHz internaloscillator, low-voltage operationfrom 1.8V to 3.6V, and low powerconsumption for active and sleepcurrents of 50 μA/MHz and 20 nA,respectively. The hardware CVDenables a more efficient implementationof capacitive sensing for touch applica-tions. This “Core-Independent Peripheral”includes additional control logic thatenables automated sampling, whichreduces software size and minimises CPUusage. It also provides automatic controlof guard-ring drive and a programmablesample-and-hold capacitance, to bettermatch larger touch or proximity sensors.These capabilities, combined with the low

cost and small footprint of thePIC12LF1552, make it well suited forapplications which include temperature-monitoring devices; small remote controlsfor garage doors, window blind and otherproducts; cell-phone buttons such as input

interfaces for Android™ and Windows® 8utilising the hardware CVD; room lightcontrol for switching and dimming, bothtaking advantage of hardware CVD; and incoffeemakers for the input interfaces andwater-level monitoring, which both couldutilise the hardware CVD and the integrat-ed communication capabilities.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGYwww.microchip.com/get/LFWT

Microchip adds smallest and lowest-cost PIC® microcontrollerwith I2C™ to its portfolio


#9 SpaceThe PIC12HV752 is offered in 8-pin packages,a feat made possible by itshigh integration andthe flexible internal connections offered. Thisincludes some relatively (physically) largepackages, such as DIP8 and SOIC8, which arevery handy for quick prototyping and labexperimentation. Also available are minusculepackages such as the 3×3mm DFN option,which combines small dimensions with rela-tively large pitch (0.6mm), which means easeof use and low cost of assembly.

#10 CostNot only will the PIC12HV 752 be your lowestcost item on the BOM, with prices starting at0.56 USD for a quantity of 10,000, but youshould appreciate how few other componentswill be required to provide the complete solu-tion. Beyond all the other elements alreadymentioned in the previous points, considerthe fact that, on-chip, you will find alreadyintegrated:

• Precision Oscillator (1% factory tuned) with selectable 8MHz, 4MHz, 1MHz and 31KHz output options

• Power-on and brownout-detect reset circuits• Watchdog timer • 4 Timers (3×8-bit, 1×16-bit)• 1 Capture, Compare PWM module• Pull up/down resistors on each I/O pin• In-Circuit Programming and Debugging

interface

ConclusionsI hope these ten short points have helped youappreciate the advantages of choosing thePIC12HV752 microcontroller to design small,cost-effective, and efficient LED drivers.Similarly, any other DC/DC conversion appli-cation (e.g., small power supplies, batterychargers…) that needs the intelligence andflexibility of a microcontroller with the ease ofuse of an analog switcher will benefit from thesame combination of analog integration andsimplicity. n

References• PIC12HV752 Datasheet:(www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/Devices.aspx?dDocName=en552818)• High Power LED Flashlight Demonstration(http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41625A%20.pdf)• Next-Generation Peripherals Brochure(http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41565c.pdf)

PIC is a registered trademark of MicrochipTechnology Incorporated in the U.S.A., andother countries.www.microchip.com

DESIGN MCUs


Review peripheral interfaces that willbe connected to the FPGAFirst we review the customer’s high-level designto determine the peripheral interfaces connect-ed to the FPGA. Then we analyze each of theseinterconnects and determine their speed, inter-face, voltage level, I/O standards and how manypins are required.

Second, we review the customer intended FPGAapplication, with the goal of estimating thedesign metrics. This leads to an indication of thelogic density and speed grade needed from theFPGA. By analyzing the FPGA design itself, wecan answer some critical questions. What are theinternal clock rates? How many logic resourcesare required? Is any special hard IP required,such as DSP slices, Ethernet MACs or PCIe end-points? Answering these questions early in the

design phase will ensure that your initial FPGAselection will meet the needs of the design outof the gate.

Power, Create a power budget, Review SequencingFrom the early stages of the design, we createa power budget that defines the currentrequired per FPGA voltage rail. This budget isbased on resource estimates including logicusage, block memory usage, internal clockrates, I/O quantity, I/O data rates and I/O volt-age levels. It’s important to be aware of anyvoltage rail sequencing requirements for theFPGA and the sequencing requirements forthe surrounding peripherals that might conflictwith the FPGA. In addition, we need to beaware of any sequencing requirements for thedesign –are there certain ICs that need to be

powered up before the FPGA or vice-versa orif there is no method to disable or idle a spe-cific IC, is it necessary to delay its power-upuntil the FPGA is configured and ready? Wealso need to determine how this will fit withon-board power supplies that might be pres-ent, which will also help define what addition-al supplies or power monitoring circuitry willbe required on the PCB design.Additionally, it’s important to know whetherthere are voltage rails that need to be espe-cially quiet. For example, perhaps the FPGAcore voltage is 1.2V and the SERDES supply isalso 1.2V; it might be necessary to isolate anddrive the SERDES supply separate from thenoisy core voltage. And we always want toconsider the possibility of future FPGA capac-ity upgrades, and whether the extra powerrequirement has been factored in.

DESIGN FPGAs

Tips, Tricks andHardware Design Servicesfor FPGA Developersby Michele Kasza

Vice President Sales, Connect Tech Inc.

With the large-scale integration of today’s systems-on-chips (SoCs), FPGAscan help embedded designers reduce cost, weight, area and power; theyalso offer flexibility so that designers can respond to new standards, evolvingcustomer needs and other requirement changes and still meet their time-to-market window. But the complex architectures of these devices can alsopresent new challenges to board-level designers.Whether you’ve implemented your custom design in a development boardand need assistance, lack resources to create the board-level design or areconsidering designing your own solution, our years of experience in FPGAboard-level design are here to assist you. Through development of numerousCOTS and custom FPGA board designs we’ve identified a number of stepsand considerations that are essential to a successful design cycle; steps thatwill help you to avoid a costly re-spin and delay your time to market.


Configuration ConsiderationsConfiguring a FPGA can be a trivial task, or itcan be very complicated, depending on theapplication. Every design should have at a min-imum a JTAG connection for debugging,development and production testing, as wellas persistent storage for the application.The persistent storage is usually in the form ofserial or parallel flash or a hybrid device pro-duced by the FPGA vendor. In more complexdesigns, the FPGA could be configured bymicrocontroller, CPU, CPLD or other FPGA.But focusing on the flash design, there arequite a few things to consider. Are the flashconfiguration pins on the FPGA dual-purpose?Are these pins already tasked and connectedto another device? If so, we need to make surethe I/O standards are compatible – flash is typ-ically 3.3V CMOS. If the signals are shared, weneed to know if the peripheral interface ishigh-speed; if so, it may not tolerate havinganother device in the signal path.Sequencing requirements, such as the flashneeding to be powered up a certain amountof time before it can be accessed by the FPGAalso needs to be considered, as well as timingrequirements, such as whether the FPGA canread data from the flash and configure itself intime. A perfect example is PCI and PCI Express,which specify that a device must be readyapproximately 100ms after power-on.

Programming on the Fly:Many products need to be field-upgradeableover Ethernet, PCIe or USB, in order to addnew features or fix bugs. In any of those cases,the designer has to consider whether the flashis writeable over the general I/O. Some FPGAvendor-specific flash is read only, and can onlybe written to via JTAG. Plus, there are a num-ber of other possible issues, including whetherthe FPGA can restart the configuration cycleon the fly (a soft boot) without doing a powercycle (complete on/off ), and whether theother circuitry can handle a temporary inter-ruption in the state of the FPGA as it goes fromconfigured to an un-configured state. We alsothink about what happens if the flash program-ming operation is interrupted; for example, ifthe Ethernet cable is disconnected. What if theflash is corrupt? In this case, consider design-ing a failsafe configuration scheme where thefirst half of the flash contains a known goodgolden image and the second half contains theactual application image.

Recommended Pre-Production steps:After all the FPGA pins have been allocatedand the board schematic design is nearingcompletion, it is very good practice to run theFPGA design through the vendor synthesisand placement tool suite before beginning thePCB layout. Usually the FPGA RTL design isnowhere near completion; however, it is goodto generate at least a useable framework of the

RTL design, which at minimum allocates theproper I/O resources. Developers typicallymake every effort to properly map each I/Operipheral to a specific bank and assign anyclocking signals to the appropriate pins, butthere are often device limitations that are onlyapparent if you’ve had the time to read all 300pages of all ten user guides.Simply running this FPGA framework throughthe FPGA tool suite can help uncover these lim-itations with the DRC. Most of the limitationscan be seen in lower-cost devices; for example,some pins are setup for inputs only, or in thespecific case of the Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA, onlybanks 0 and 2 can accommodate LVDS outputs,while every bank can handle LVDS inputs. Oncethe board goes to the layout stage, hardwareengineering might decide that the routing willbe much easier if DDR3 data pin 1 is swappedwith data pin 15, for instance. It’s always goodpractice to run this change through the toolsuite to see if it passes all checks.

Choosing your FPGAOften our customers are predisposed to oneFPGA vendor or another, typically based onpast experience or reputation. Whatever thecase, there are many factors to analyze withrespect to cost. Those include the number ofI/O, size of logic resources, maximum internalclock rate, maximum general I/O clock rate,availability and quantity of SERDES pins, size ofthe package and configuration options. Theanalysis of the I/O peripheral and logic designthat we perform up front, which weredescribed previously, should help narrow thechoice. However, there are several other, less-obvious factors to consider before selectingthe device. For instance, the data rates andclock rates quoted in the marketing materialare often based on the highest speed gradeavailable and these devices often come at apremium. Another thing to look at is how I/Oresources are grouped and mapped onto theFPGA pins. For example, a device might have240 I/O that might be in three banks of 80 pinsor six banks of 40 pins. If your design has mul-tiple I/O standards – such as 1.5V for DDR3,1.8V HSTL for Ethernet, 2.5V LVDS forADC/DAC and 3.3V for CMOS – the numberof banks will be important.We typically make the FPGA vendor decisionbased on a few main factors. The technologiesthey offer are important of course, but we alsoconsider the support given by that vendor’sFAEs and online resources. Design software isanother big component – each vendor will usea different set of tools, so use what you aremost comfortable with or what has the bestfeatures for your needs.

Future Proof your FPGA selectionIt’s very important to consider your upgradepath – this is often overlooked in the earlystages of the design but can turn out to be a

real advantage if leveraged properly for yourproduct. Some FPGA devices will have a pincompatible upgrade path to a larger capacityparts within the same FPGA family. This meansthat you can select a smaller device for yourbasic product that provides the end-customera low cost, reduced feature set option; whilekeeping the same board design for the highcost, full featured product. Or if the RTLdesign simply outgrows the selected part interms of logic capacity, you want to make surethere’s a high density part available in thesame footprint.

Looking for a design partner?Although a manufacturer of many COTS prod-ucts, custom design is part of our day-to-dayoperation. Our design process has beenrefined over many years resulting in successful-ly completed, on time and on-budget projectstime and time again.

Improved time to market:Our COTS product lines act as an IP pool fromwhich we draw from with every custom design.With expertise over a wide variety of busarchitectures and I/O interfaces, the learningcurve for custom designs is always minimal.This signature method equals improved timeto market and ensures a very high potential fora successful Revision A build. On average, ourtime to market on functional prototypes fromtime of engagement to time of delivery isapproximately an 8 week window dependingon project complexity.

Manufacturing Expertise:Beyond board-level design we create proto-type qualification plans for each unique prod-uct, ensuring all custom product is fully verifiedusing appropriate compliance tools, such asPCI_SIG software and test equipment. Powersupplies and batteries are fully stressed andwide range temperature testing is part of thedeliverables offered by Connect Tech designservices. Beyond the prototype phase we canquickly ramp up to production quantitiesunder strict ISO 9001:2008 procedures, han-dle lifecycle management at the componentlevel and finish with packaging and delivery of100% verified hardware. nwww.connecttech.com

DESIGN FPGAs

This article was originally published in the 2013 Engineers’ Guide to FPGA and PLD. To view additional FPGA technical articles,news, opinions, product information, markettrends and industry research visit www.eecatalog.com/fpga.

Subscribe to the FPGA and PLD QuarterlyReport at www.eecatalog.com/subscribe


DESIGN INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

The way the equipment or amodule interacts with its user isoften undervalued element dur-ing the design process. Manydesigners as well as engineersthink that what is most importantis internal electronics which, in away, sets the standard of theequipment. It is difficult to dis-agree with this statement, yet,there is the other side of thisproblem which focuses on theusefulness. One can with confi-dence say that even the bestdevice might turn out a fiascowhen communication between ahuman being – device is inappro-priate. In professional and indus-trial applications which require

high safety, this problem gets anew meaning. The consequencesof a bad choice need not to beexplained to anyone, since almosteveryone encountered with abadly designed appliances wherepres-buttons were too small ortoo densely located. After shorttime, nobody wants to use suchequipment, which makes it use-less. The contemporary offer ofavailable switches, press-buttons,keyboards or touch screen mod-ules might give a headache evento a specialist. So, how to choosefrom a tangle of elements some-thing for yourself and avoid mak-ing mistakes? In this article, arange of Auspicious switches will

be presented, from which design-ers might choose a product mostsuitable for their application. TME’s offer contains products ofthis Taiwanese manufacturer.These products stand out thanksto their exceptional electricparameters. Over 50 types ofswitches are available in the offer.They differ in type, standard, con-tact configuration, connectiontype, the number of stable posi-tions and other parameters. Thebasic division of switches can bemade based on the switch type –safety switches, rotary switches,double and press-button switches(Figure 1.).Machines and industrial appliances

should be designed in a way toensure the maximum safety. Eachappliance should be equippedwith the system allowing quickswitching off and stopping bymeans of the safety press buttonswitch. TME’s offer contains 9Auspicious products. All are madeof plastic, in red and green colorsand meet IP65 requirements pur-suant to the BS EN60529 standard.Panel switches offer three terminalconfigurations NC, NC+NO andNO with mushroom button or highswitches in the 22 mm and 30 mmstandards. The EBL22-1-O/C-Rand EBL22-1-O/C-G work in themonostable mode and inside, theyare equipped with a lamp, which

Switches of this Taiwanese Auspicious manufacturer are presented in theonline catalogue at our Website www.tme.eu. This article presents only basicinformation, whereas detailed information can be found at manufacturer’s catalogue. TME’s offer design allows to quickly selecting a group of productssuitable for individual needs, which makes the designer’s choice even easier.

Auspicious switchesin the TME’s offer

SAFETY ROTARY DOUBLE PRESS BUTTONFigure 1: Basic types of switches


DESIGN INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

makes them even more visible indust-laden rooms or in places withlow level of lighting (Figure 2.a).

Another group of Auspiciousproducts are electric rotaryswitches. The main applications ofsuch solutions are breaker switch-es and main switches. They arealso used as terminals to changethe equipment operation mode,e.g. revolutions, temperature, etc.Transfer Multisort Elektronik offercomprises of 11 products, similar-ly as in 22mm and 30mm stan-dards. The main functionalparameters are, among others: thenumber of stable positions and

terminals configuration. The offercontains also 2-position, 3-posi-tion, bistable and monostable

switches, in the NC+NO or NOx2terminals configuration. Offeredproducts ensure the following

switchover manners (ON)-OFF-(ON), where the stable state is azero state, whereas 1 and 2 statesare switched off by means of thereturn spring. Other means ofswitching over include ON-OFF –two bistabile working products,one working in the NC-NO, ON-OFF-ON and ON-ON modes.Additional functionality offered inrotary switches is integrated keyincreasing the security levelprotec ting against unauthorizedaccess.

The next to last group of availablesolutions comprises of DPB(Double Push Button) series

monostable switches. This seriesconsists of two protected pressbuttons among which there is asignalling lamp. Switches areequipped with BA9 bayonet cou-pling and they are designed for22mm and 30mm standard diame-ter hole mounting. There is anadditional option of applying aspecial waterproof protectionwhich is applied on element’s face.

The last group of products com-prises of press button industrialswitches. This is one of the mostfundamental groups of productsas to their complexity. It is thewidest group of Auspicious prod-ucts in TME’s offer. Press buttonswitches work only in the NC+NOmode, they are available in the22mm, 30mm standards and theAuspicious company standard, i.e.30mm. By choosing this type ofelement, we have monostable orbistabile products. Apart frommentioned parameters, an impor-tant factor might be the shape ofthe press button, covered – mush-room, covered, flat and high,additional distinguishing elementis also enclosure dimensions of 50× 30 × 38mm, 50 × 36 × 38mm, 56× 34.5 × 38mm. Press buttonswitches available in TME’s offer

are available in red, green and yel-low colours. Solutions presented in this articleallow efficient designing of con-trol panel boards and industrialmachines ensuring high securitylevel. The used materials areresistant to external conditionsand are characterized with goodmechanic properties. Compliancewith IP65 ensures complete pro-tection against dust and water jetsfrom all directions. It should beremembered that during controlpanel board planning, press but-tons are located in appropriatedistance, whereas the safetyswitch is located in easily accessi-ble and distinguishing place.The manufacturer ensures relia-bility of switches at the level of600 000 cycles, whereas at thelevel of 1 000 000 operations forcontact blocks and press buttons.The permissible temperaturecope is within the range of -20 to60°C, thanks to which, describedelements can be used in a greaternumber of industrial applications.The resistance of terminalsoscillates at the level below50mΩ. All switches are characterized withvoltage insulation of 600V andresist short circuit current of up to1000A. Operating parameters,depending on the marking, arecharacterized as AC-15 (120V/6A,240V/3A), AC-12 (480V/1.5A,600V/1.2A), DC-12 (120V/2.2A,240V/0.6A, 480V/0.4A). Additionally, attributes of the pre-sented elements given by themanufacturer, include: thermalcurrent (1th) at the level of 10A(50/60HZ) and normal open ther-mal current (1the) 10A. nwww.tme.eu

a b c d

Figure 5: Press button switches: a) mushroom type b) covered c) flat d) high

a b

Figure 2: Press-button safety switches a) illuminated b) simple, high press button

Figure 4: Double monostable switch with a lamp

a) KS30-2-O b) LSR30-2-O-R

Figure 3: Electric rotary switches a) with a key b) without a key


As is well-known, MRI is particularly well-suit-ed to picturing the soft-tissue structures, with-in the human body. It is able to do this becausewhat MRI in fact maps is the distribution ofwater molecules. Every different part of eachorgan will have a characteristic density ofwater contained within it – it is well-known thata high proportion of the chemical make-up ofevery human being is water – and by buildingup a picture of the different water densities,you also assemble an image of the organs thatcontain the water.

Water is not, conventionally, thought of as a“magnetic” material, and the parameters thatare measured in MRI depend on a subtleeffect at the atomic and molecular level; aweak signal that is only revealed under power-ful, but extremely precise, stimulus. When firstdevised, MRI scanners typically employed,within their control systems, current sensorsthat exploited the Hall Effect. This, in time,became a limitation on the precision and qual-ity of results. Now, a new generation of sensorshas contributed to greatly improving the detailavailable in MRI images.

MRI fundamentalsThe large toroid that surrounds the patient inan MRI scanner houses both excitation anddetection mechanisms.

It contains coils to generate magnetic and elec-tromagnetic fields – driven by powerful andprecise amplifiers – and sensors organised tocollect a specific, tiny signal. Signal processingmaps the energy contained in that signal forevery volume element (a “voxel”, analogous toa 2-D pixel) scanned.

The detected signal is the resonant note fromthe protons comprising the nuclei of hydrogenatoms in the body’s water molecules. Atomicnuclei act like magnetic dipoles or magnetswhen excited by a magnetic field (Figure 1).Nuclei of atoms have a spin (or magneticmoment) which we conventionally representby a vector along the rotation axis.Under the influence of a constant and homo-geneous static magnetic field (referred to as

Magnetic resonance imaging has become an indispensable tool in modernhospitals, quickly and accurately providing doctors with information on what ishappening within their patient’s bodies. Accident victims are quickly assessedfor damage to internal organs, and the presence and progress of disease ismonitored without the need for investigatory surgery. As the sensing mechanism involved depends on magnetic fields, patients donot need to be exposed to X-rays in order to determine what is happeningdeep within the body.

DESIGN SENSORS

by Claude Gudel, LEM Research & Development Senior Engineer

Magnetic resonance imaging showsgreater detail thanks to high-performance current sensors

Figure 1:Atomic nuclei of atoms have a magnetic moment,represented a vector quantitiy with its directionalong the rotation axis.

Figure 2: With a DC magnetic field H0 between 0.2 and 3 [T], the spins are in line with the field.


Ho) the dipole aligns with Ho in two direc-tions: parallel and anti-parallel to the field. Thenuclear magnetic moment is tiny and requiresan intense applied field to achieve the align-

ment; the related magnetic induction Bo iscommonly between 0.2 and 3 Tesla (Figure 2).MRI scanners use superconducting coils tosupport the very large electrical currents

needed to generate fields of this intensity overa large enough area to image a human body.Nuclei do not simply align themselves exactlyalong the axis of the applied field. Their spin axis precesses or rotates around theapplied-field axis along a cone at angularspeed ωo: it does so at a characteristic fre-quency, the Larmour frequency. There is a sim-ple relationship between the Larmour fre-quency and the strength of the static field;

ωo=γBo

For example, a field of Bo = 1Tesla gives a fre-quency fo = 42.5MHz. (Figure 3)Generating a detectable signal depends onexciting this resonant effect into a higher-ener-gy state, and that is achieved by applying a fur-ther, high-frequency external field (H1) atexactly the Larmour frequency (Figure 4).

During the application of H1, the spin axes ofthe nuclei are no longer aligned with Ho (zaxis) but move into the x-y plane. After the H1excitation is turned off, the spin axes onceagain align with Ho, and the extra energy thenuclei gained from the H1 excitation radiatesaway in the form of a damped electromagnet-ic wave (also known as relaxation). An antennadetects this damped wave, yielding aninduced voltage called Free Induction Decay(FID): the MRI’s computer processes the FIDsignal into a 3D or section image. (Figure 5)

Magnetic field generation Most of today’s MRIs generate the static fieldwith a magnet using coils of niobium-titanium(NbTi) wires immersed in liquid Helium at atemperature of 4K. Gradient coils superim-pose a magnetic gradient to the static field Hoin order to provide spatial information fromwhich the geometry of the image is construct-ed. Imaging takes place in just one plane orslice at a time. To ensure that signals are received only fromnuclei in that plane, only those exact nucleimust be stimulated into resonance.

The appearance of the resonance is stronglydependent on the value of the magnetic fieldHo – in other words, the resonant peak is verysharp – and the gradient coils superimpose amagnetic field to ensure that the final magnet-ic field is exactly equal to Ho, only and exactlyin the plane of interest. To set up the gradient,a pair of coils carrying opposing currents is ori-entated to augment the static field at one endof the region of interest, and oppose it at theother. (Figure 6)

Three pairs of gradient coils are locatedaround the cylinder of the MRI apparatus tocreate three orthogonal magnetic fields. So, itis possible to adjust the magnetic field at anypoint in the volume of the cylinder.

DESIGN SENSORS

Figure 3: At any instant, the spin axis is not aligned with the applied field but due to its precession the average x and y components cancel out.

Figure 4: An excitation antenna excites the nuclei with a frequency matched to the Larmour frequency.

Figure 5: Atomic nuclei radiate energy as they re-align with the static magnetic field, allowing their distribution to be mapped.

Figure 6: Gradient coils add to the static field at one end and diminish it at the other, controlling the plane in which the total field has exactly the correct value.


DESIGN SENSORS

Gradient amplifiers operating in a closedservo-type loop drive the currents in the gra-dient coils (Figure 7). Each MRI thereforeneeds three such current control loops, and itis in these control loops that new sensor tech-nology is making a significant contribution.Image clarity and resolution is directly linked

to applied magnetic field, and therefore to thecontrol of the current injected into the gradi-ent coils. One of the key elements in the cur-rent control loop is the global accuracy of thecurrent transducer, which needs (among otherparameters) to exhibit extremely low non-lin-earity error, of under 3 ppm of measuring

range; very low random noise with low fre-quency noise from 0.1Hz to 1kHz; very lowoffset and sensitivity drifts over temperaturerange of under 0.3 ppm/K; very high stabilityof offset versus time, to handle scans lastingtens of minutes; measuring range of 1000Apeak; and wide bandwidth, with a –3dB pointof 200 kHz.

With superficial similarities to a Hall Effectdevice, but with significant advantages, thedouble fluxgate closed loop transducer (ITL900) achieves all of these requirements, andfor many other high-accuracy current meas-urement functions in addition to MRI gradi-ent amplifiers. In its present form, the tech-nology is limited to a relatively narrow oper-ating temperature range (typically +10°C to+50°C) but further development of the tech-nology is on-going, with the objective ofextending high-current measurement preci-sion even further. The ITL 900 transducercould prove to be as significant for the futureof MRI scanning as the Hall Effect transducerswere for its introduction. n

www.lem.com

Figure 7: Feedback from output current transducers is fundamental to obtaining the required degree of precision from the gradient current amplifier.

As a specialist in sensor compo-nents, modules and signal pro-cessing, Rutronik ElektronischeBauelemente GmbH will beexhibiting at the Sensor + Testmeasurement technology tradefair (14-16 May 2013 inNuremberg), hall 12, stand 388.

The unique portfolio of thebroadline distributor comprisesall sensor types, technologies andmanufacturers. Sensor expertsfrom Rutronik and the manufac-turers will be on hand to providevisitors with expert and compre-hensive advice.

Key product areas in the sensorfield include magnetic sensorswith Hall switch, Hall linear andMR (magneto resistive) sensors,MEMS sensors (acceleration, gyro,pressure and microphone as wellas xDOF modules) as well as opti-cal sensors (transmission, reflec-

tion, light and proximity). In terms of analogue signal pro-cessing, the focus is on: Sensorsignal conditioning ICs fromZMDI, reference designs fromIntersil and Renesas as well asthermocouples and strain gauges,amplifiers, other analogue

ICs/ASSP and data converters(ADC, DAC). Products spotlighted on theRutronik stand: The high-precision TLI4970 cur-rent sensor from Infineon is basedon Infineon’s proven Hall effecttechnology with electrically isolat-ed primary and secondary sides. Itrequires only one quarter of thearea of comparable chips anddoes not experience any hystere-sis effects. The differential meas-urement process allows for excel-lent suppression of leakage fields.The portfolio of BYD current sen-sor modules comprises 24 serieswith an input range of 3A to2000A. Thanks to manufacturingprocesses at automotive level,they offer robustness, quality and

long-term availability.The Micronas gas sensors arebased on the mySENS technologydeveloped in-house whichdetects gases by means of physicaleffects. Independent sensorsmeasure two gases, temperatureas well as relative humidity.Temperature and humidity infor-mation are used to compensatefor the corresponding gases. Dueto the high integration densityincluding the digital interface, thesensors save a great deal of spaceand are good value.The complete Rutronik portfoliocan be found at the web page:www.rutronik.com/sensors.

RUTRONIKwww.rutronik.com

Rutronik: Specialist in sensor components, modules and signal processing


DESIGN SENSORS

Tel. +40 256-201346Mail [email protected] www.oboyle.ro

Grid-EYE - Infrared Array Sensor from Panasonic• Senses Thermal Gradients to Detect

Motion/Motionless Presence• 5m Detection• 8 × 8 (64) Pixel Range• Digital Output (I2C)• SMD Package (Reflow Compatible)• 11.6 (L) × 8.0 (W) × 4.3 (H) mm

Grid-EYE is a thermal array sensor capable ofsimultaneously detecting the direction of movingobjects and the presence of motionless objects.

With an array of detection elements, Grid-EYEcan use passive infrared detection to determinetemperature differentiation, allowing it todetect multiple objects simultaneously. Forexample, a moving person and a coffee makerwould be detected as unique items.

The infrared array sensor is able to measureactual temperature and temperature gradients,providing thermal images and identifying direc-tion of movement.

Typical applications include people counting,security, lighting control, simple gesture recog-nition, and presence detection for energy savingdevices.

Grid-EYE has an I2C digital output for direct con-nection to a microcomputer, covers a wide detec-tion area with a 60° field of view, has a selectableframe rate with a maximum 10 FPS and threeoperating modes, normal, sleep and stand-by.

Options include an amplification setting, highgain for wider temperature range detection andlow gain for higher temperature accuracy.

Basic OperationGrid-EYE operates by sensing temperaturediffe rence between the ambient environmentand a detected object within the field of view.Individual elements are highlighted in a colorrange for illustrative purposes, with red signify-ing the highest temperature difference.

Medical Imaging Simple Gesture Control Clean Rooms• Patient Detection • Non-Contact Operation • Device Control• Movement Detection • Horizontal, Vertical, • Entryway Control• Positioning Forward & Backward • Security• Lighting

Kiosk / ATM Security Lighting Control• Energy Saving Display • People Counting • Energy Savings• Advertisement Timing • Detect Movement Direction • Detection Without Movement• Control • Multiple Person Detection • Targeted Lighting

Applications

SpecificationsPower Voltage: 3.3±10%, 5.0V±10%Current Consumption: 4.5 mAViewing Angle: 60°Absolute Temperature Accuracy: ± 2.5°CFrame Rates (Selectable): 1 or 10 FPSAmbient Temperature Range: -20 ~ +80°CDetection Temperature Range: -20 ~ +100°CExternal interface: I2COperating Modes (Selectable): Normal,Sleep, Stand-by

60° Viewing Angle


DESIGN SENSORS

n Optical sensorsn Sensors for logistic applicationsn Safety at work

n Optical Sensorsn Inductive Sensors

n Color Sensorsn True Color Sensors, Spectrometersn Gloss Sensors

Leuze

Contrinex

Sensor Instruments

n Linear Sensorsn Angle Sensorsn Tilt Sensors

n PLCsn Temperature Controllern Timer

n Flowmetersn Level Indicators and Switchesn Pressure Sensors and Switches

ASM

Selec

Koboldn Linear Solenoidsn Permanent Electromagnets

Westec

HTP

Intertec

Visit our online shopwww.oboyle.ro

n Circular connectors M8; M12; M23n Cable and Connectors for Sensorsn Valve Connectorsn Distribution Blocks

n Heavy Duty Industrial Connectorsn Power and Data Transmission Connectorsn Aluminium Junction Boxes

AUTOMATION

Honeywell announced it has expand-ed its Limitless™ Wireless Solutionsportfolio with the introduction of itsnew Limitless™ Non-Contact SwitchWLS Series. The new WLS Seriesswitch uses non-contact technology,enabling the device to actuate basedon the presence or absence of mag-nets installed on a customer’s device –making it suitable for harsh operatingenvironments. The battery-operatedLimitless™ Wireless Non-ContactSwitch allows customers to chooseeither top sensing or side sensing.This flexibility, combined with provenharsh-duty packaging, can increaseefficiency and reduce installation and

maintenance costs compared to a tra-ditional wired switch.Wireless offers advantages over tradi-tional wired switches by reducingtotal installed costs as there are nowires or conduit to install, no cablewear-and-tear to mend, and no cordsor connectors that can be damaged inthe application. Wireless also increases flexibility byoffering easy reconfiguration in remoteor temporary installations.Instead of a lever, button, or wobblestick, the Limitless™ Wireless Non-Contact Switch can be actuated with amagnet, simplifying use in tight areasoften found in machine tools, packag-

ing machinery, lifts, ag/constructionequipment, and industrial machines,or in applications where mechanicalactuators are not feasible. The switch’szinc head and body are phosphatetreated and epoxy finished to deliversealing to IP67 and NEMA 1, 4, 12, 13,and all-stainless steel hardware. The entire Limitless™ portfolio utilizesthe global, license-free RF wireless802.15.4 WPAN protocol that pro-vides up to a 305 m [1000 ft] line-of-sight communication range, and pro-longs battery life with advancedpower management technology. HONEYWELLwww.honeywell.com

Honeywell Introduces Limitless™ Wireless Non-Contact Switch


MiniMini

MINIMINI: THE SMALLEST INDUCTIVE SENSOR ON THE MARKETMeasuring just 12 mm in length and 3mmin diameter, the MiniMini is the smallestinductive sensor in the world today.This subminiature construction, whicheven includes IO-Link, has been made pos-sible by using the latest mixed-signal ASICtechnology. This technology reduces component count by combining analog signal processing withdigital computing power on a single chip. Another advantage is that it eliminates the need to useseparate analog components.The MiniMini impresses with its high switching frequency of 8kHz and excellent temperature sta-bility. Alongside the standard version with a plastic cap Contrinex also offers a pressure-resistantversion with a ceramic sensing face. With a plastic cap the switching distance is 1mm; with a ceram-ic cover it is 0.8mm.Sensor calibration takes place after the production process by means of the integrated ASIC. Due tothe extraordinary accuracy, there are only slight measurable production variations in operating dis-tance or other key values across any single series.

Key benefits− Subminiature construction 3 × 12 mm− Reduced component count− Increased reliability− Excellent temperature stability in range -25°C to +70°C (-13°F to +158°F)− Pressure-resistant version up to 200 bar (2902 psi), IP 68 + IP 69K protection

TYPICAL APPLICATIONSThe MiniMini’s mixed-signal ASIC technologymakes it particularly suitable for all applicationswhere signals are recorded in analog form, butmust be digitized for transmission. Typical application areas are mainly foundwherever very limited available space demandsever more compact construction with increasingintegration density and sensor performance.

− Robotics− Pharmaceutical sector− Automated handling− Production of electronic components

Smaller and shorter thanever – MiniMini makesthe impossible possibleHOUSING SIZE Ø 3

OPERATING DISTANCE mm 0.8 1

TECHNICAL DATAHousing material Stainless steel V2A Stainless steel V2ADegree of protection IP 68 + IP 69K IP 67Connection type PUR cable PUR cableMax. switching frequency 8000Hz 8000HzSupply voltage range 10 … 30 VDC 10 … 30 VDCAmbient temperature range -25 ... +70°C (-13 ... +158°F) -25 ... +70°C (-13 ... +158°F)Mounting Embeddable EmbeddableOutput current ≤ 100ma ≤ 100mA

PART REFERENCESPNP N.O. DW-AD-623-03E-961 DW-AD-623-03-960

DESIGN SENSORS

SMALLEST INDUCTIVE SENSOR IN THE WORLDmaximum sensor performance in minimum space

Tel. +40 256-201346Mail [email protected] www.oboyle.ro


Sensaris has announced that it has developeda novel, multi-sensor device for monitoringvital signs. Called the ZAO™, it is currentlygoing through the certification process andwill be available mid 2013. Roughly the samesize as a thick paperback book, it is designedto provide professional level diagnostic dataso that it can be used by medical profession-als and yet its low target volume price pointof around €550 means that it can also beused by the home health market. This com-pact, battery-powered device measures glu-cose level, body temperature, oximetry (satu-ration level of a patient’s hemoglobin) andblood pressure and uses WiFi to deliver theinformation to Android or iOS devices suchas smartphone, tablets and computers. Datacan also be sent to a remote server for cen-tralized processing and monitoring.

The ZAO weighs 310 g and measures 129 ×44 × 135 mm with a built in, rechargeable 3.7Vlithium battery and a Microchip processor.Sensaris was founded in 2001 as a wirelesssensor consultancy. In 2010, it started lookingat the mobile health (m-health) market thathad been predicted to be big since 2005 butthere were barriers preventing this.Biomedical manufacturers tend to be veryspecialized (either for blood pressure moni-tor, pulse oxymeters or glucometers) and cannot keep up with the quickly changing mobilelandscape. For hospital monitoring, chronicdisease management or homecare, users typi-cally have to not only purchase variousdevices, read several manuals, juggle differentchargers, but also need to ensure that the var-ious software packages are compatible withtheir mobile devices. This is far from an easy task. By combining itsexisting sensor technologies into a single, all-in-one design, and mastering the latest webbased software technologies, Sensaris hasbeen able to create a low cost, professionalgrade solution that is very simple to deployand use, is compatible with 90% of themobile devices sold today and addressesinteroperability and security issues using thelatest web and mobile technologies. Moreover, it provides a single easy to use andfuture proof platform.

“As a small company, it is very challenging tofind your way through all certificationprocesses to bring a medical device to mar-ket,” explained Michael Setton, the CEO ofSensaris. “In late 2012, we came acrossCOWIN, which is a European initiative to helpfacilitate the take-up of advanced technolo-gies. Part of their remit is to provide advice,coaching and consultancy to European com-panies especially start-ups. As this is fundedby the EU, it does not cost us anything and it

also means that we can be confident that theadvice is impartial from people who reallyunderstandour industryand are notdriven byhaving tomeet salestargets. “I have foundthat peoplewho areexperts in thebiomedical field rarely have the breadth ofexperience that encompasses designing andbringing a product to market. I am veryimpressed with the mentor that COWIN hasprovided us with as he has actual experienceof all this and going through the approvalsand certification processes which will reallycut down the time to market. He also gives uspep talks when the going gets tough whichhappens frequently in a small company!”

Emmanuel Cohen-Laroque (COWIN Biotech /MedTech expert and Senior Partner at YOLEFinance in charge of M&A and fundraisingoperations), who is the COWIN mentor help-ing Sensaris, added, “My brief is not only tohelp Sensaris bring its product to market butalso to help the company with all the otherchallenges that a small start-up faces such asraising finance. For example, we helped themreview and negotiate the term sheets for therecent angel round that will fund the certifica-tion process and bring the product to market.We also monitor the global market for rivalproduct offerings and for new technologiesthat could be used in the ZAO.”

COWIN will also help Sensaris to explore thevarious business models for bringing the prod-uct to market such as direct sales, distributors,

Compact portable vital signs monitor usesWiFi to display data on smartphones, tabletsand computers.

DESIGN SENSORS

COWIN helps Sensaris certify theZAO biomedical sensor

Sensaris ZAO multi-use biomedical monitor

Michael Setton, CEO Sensaris

medical equipment specialists and also viamobile phone operators. “We have alreadydeveloped and validated an app that runs onAndroid and iOS devices to display vital signdata in real time,” added Michael Setton.

“It was very important from a patient point ofview to use familiar devices that they alreadyuse in every day life. In general, we think thatthe whole design of the solution is the key forproduct acceptance. From the user experi-ence to the end-product design.” Sensaris has also found from discussions withpossible users that patients are really keen toembrace new technology especially if it canhelp them get better faster. ZAO’s real timemonitoring of their health status provides reas-surance that they are making a speedy recov-ery rather than having to wait for checkups.Patients and caregivers also like the reassurancethat real time monitoring immediately flags upan issue so that it can be quickly addressed. “There are strong expectations both frompatients and caregivers to help patientsaddress their health with serenity and thedevelopment of plug-and-play devices formonitoring health from home is now a reality,"explained Michael Setton.

Geraldine Andrieux-Gustin, the COWIN coor-dinator, added, “There is a perception thatthe EU only helps teams of big companies. Inreality, the COWIN initiative is designed tohelp start-ups through to medium sized com-panies use new technologies to provide inno-vative solutions to the market. Importantly, COWIN also provides them withindependent business advice to commercial-ize technologies and products from a team ofpeople who have first-hand, practical experi-ence of running companies and bringingproducts to market. Technology is the key tocreating new jobs, new companies and wealthwithin the EU and COWIN is the key driverenabling this to happen.” n

Further information on Sensaris can be foundat www.sensaris.comFurther information on COWIN can be foundat www.cowin4u.euFurther information on YOLE Finance can befound at www.yolefinance.com

www.cowin4u.eu

DESIGN SENSORS

Real time monitoring

Peratech, the innovator in touch technolo-gy, has announced that it is working withThe Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) todevelop new formulations for its award-winning QTC™ materials; the work is sup-ported by government funding as a R&DTechnology Strategy Board (TSB) project.At present, QTC ink formulations are silk-screen printed and they are beingused successfully to create pressuresensitive sensors and to printPeratech’s innovative QTC Cleartouchscreens. The project will esta -blish if existing commercial printingmachinery can be used to print anew generation of printable elec-tronics, including QTC sensors, whichis a rapidly expanding area of printtechnology with a clear potential toreduce the weight, component andassembly cost of a vast range of futureproducts. Until now, the missing piece ofthe Printed Electronics jigsaw has been theswitches and similar Human MachineInterfaces (HMI) such as touchpads as theytypically need structures that cannot bescreen printed and are vulnerable to wateror dirt ingress getting between contacts.By contrast, QTC switches are solid state

with no moving parts giving them a longoperational life and robustness againstcontamination. The QTC switches can besimple on/off or provide a variableresponse as their resistance changesaccording to the pressure applied. QTCtouchscreens are similarly a solid state filmof QTC providing x and y co-ordinate

input along with z from the amount ofpressure applied. The development ofQTC inks that can be printed with stan-dard printing techniques at the same timeas the other components will enable thewhole field of Printed Electronics to takeoff by providing this control interface. PERATECHwww.peratech.com

Peratech working on new ink formulations with CPI to enableQTC sensors and switches to be printed using industry standardprocesses for printed electronics

Peratech, the innovators in touch technolo-gy, is working with the London College ofFashion, University of the Arts London todevelop wearable electronics that usePeratech’s award-winning QTC sensors.This is a three and a half year PhD researchproject funded by an EPSRC ICASEaward to explore the needs baseand applications for wearabletechnology bringing together theexpertise of industry and academein a highly creative way.The core of QTC technology isthat QTC materials change theirresistance when a force is appliedsuch as pressure. Printing QTC inkson to textiles enables simple on/offswitches to be created but, moreinterestingly, because the resistancechanges proportionally to the amount offorce applied, areas of the cloth canbecome touch sensitive or can be made torecognise pressure inputs. Apart from being touch sensitive, QTCmaterials can also detect the presence ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs). Itsprintable QTC™ E-nose sensors work by

the QTC material expanding in the pres-ence of VOCs which changes the resist-ance of the QTC material giving veryrapid response and recover times alongwith a high level of sensitivity. Differentformulations can be made according to

the specific VOC to be detected so thatlow cost warning sensors and the associ-ated electronics can be printed onto tex-tiles to provide clothing that monitors thewearer for signs of illness, fatigue orexposure to dangerous chemicals.

PERATECHwww.peratech.com

Peratech working on “Nose in clothes” and touch technology forwearable electronics



IAR Systems® releases a suite oftools for developing embeddedapplications based on RenesasElectronics’ new RH850 core.IAR Embedded Workbench® forRH850 includes user-friendlyfeatures and powerful optimiza-tions that enable developers tofully benefit from the high per-formance offered by the newRH850 core.The RH850 microcontrollers aretargeted for automotive applica-tions and are the industry’s firstwith embedded 40nm flashtechnology. The series address-es functional safety and securityrequirements, while combininghigh performance and lowpower consumption. It offers

features such as ultra-low power,high temperature tolerance,multi-core technology and com-pliance with the standardizedautomotive software architec-ture AUTOSAR (AUTomotiveOpen System ARchitecture). IAR Embedded Workbench forRH850 provides a complete setof development tools, withbuild tools and the comprehen-sive C-SPY® Debugger incorpo-rated in a user-friendly integrat-ed development environmentwith a feature-rich text editorand source browser. Tappinginto the success of IAR Systems’well-proven tools for RenesasV850, IAR EmbeddedWorkbench for RH850 brings

With today's introduction ofKontron's new ready-to-useSMARC Starterkit, the companyenables developers to gain fastentry into the world of embed-ded ARM processors, which isnow highly scalable thanks toSMARC Computer-on-Modules.The SMARC kit comes in a stur-dy transport case, has all thecables already connected and isequipped with all the necessarycomponents, including a displayand power supply.All Kontron SMARCComputer-on-Modules can beselected individuallyand - as an option -the SMARCStarterkit can bedelivered with pre-installed module,operating system,Board Support Package andcooling solution. This allowsdevelopers to immediatelylaunch into evaluation of theirdesired ARM platform. Kontron currently offers a selec-tion of SMARC specificationconform module families basedon ARM Cortex A9 and A8processors from Freescale, TexasInstruments and Nvidia. Whilethe Freescale i.MX6-basedKontron SMARC-sAMX6 and the

Texas Instruments AM3874-based Kontron SMARC-sA3874imodules are designed for indus-trial temperature ranges of -40°C to +85 °C - a commonrequirement for transportation,mobile, military and otherrugged environmental applica-tions, the Nvidia Tegra 3-basedComputer-on-Module KontronSMARC-sAT30 is ideal forgraphic-hungry applications as,for example, the POS/POI and

medical markets require. All theSMARC designs fulfill this marketdemand for a compactComputer-on-Module with astandardized feature set andlow-power consumption of onlya few watts. Application areasrange from mobile devices toon-board equipment and solaror conventional powered sta-tionary devices.KONTRONwww.kontron.com

Kontron SMARC Starterkit offers fast entry into theworld of embedded ARM processors

IAR Systems launches tools for developing powerful auto

Kontron launched its next-gener-ation of the ACE Flight 600 gen-eral purpose airborne serversproduct line, helping avionicssystems developers fast-track thedesign to deployment process ofbest-in-class flight communica-tion and wirelessserver applications. The Kontron ACEFlight 600 is a com-plete, highly integrat-ed application-readyplatform that isspecifically designedto meet advancedcommunicationapplication require-ments for Ethernet-based network installations onboth linefit and retrofit aircraft.Qualified to D0-160F and opti-mized for a full range of flightinformation systems, theenhanced Kontron ACE Flight600 line is an ideal platform tobuild applications that include:crew and passenger web servers,flight maintenance or manifestservers, connectivity server,

wireless content server and In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)servers. The Kontron ACE Flight600 integrates the latest dualcore 1.5 GHz Intel Core i7processor, 16GB of DDR3 mem-ory and up to 1.8 terabytes (TB)

of combined SATA SSD storageto address increased demands inperformance, software and dataaccess. It supports extensive con-nectivity and bandwidth withfeatures including an L2/L3 man-aged Gigabit Ethernet Switchwith 11 externally available10/100/1000BT ports. KONTRONwww.kontron.com

Renesas Electronics Europe, apremier provider of advancedsemiconductor solutions,announced a new innovative sup-port programme for Europeancustomers that select its Renesas’RX microcontroller family. Thesecustomers are invitedto submit their designsto Renesas to qualifyfree-of-charge com-mercial software up tothe value of 20,000euros. Renesas hasteamed up with select-ed Alliance partners to providewide range of Software tools andlibraries tailored to RX microcon-troller family to help acceleratetime-to-market for RX customerswhile driving innovation in theirdesign. Renesas’ 32-bit RX micro-controller platform offers cus-tomers a broad product spec-trum, with 32K-2MB on-chipFlash memory and 8-256KB on-

chip SRAM in 48-177 pin pack-ages. Maximum compatibilityacross the range is guaranteed bya common core, common IP andcommon development tools. Thisinnovation support programmeadds maximum value to RX MCU

range, providing qualifying cus-tomers with free developmentboards and free, market-leadingsoftware. Customers also benefitfrom the huge RX ecosystembacked by an online communityof developers and the industry’slargest Alliance Partner and localsupport networks.RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu

Renesas Electronics Europe and Partners introduce an Innovative Support programme

Kontron's ACE Flight 600 server platform fast-tracksdeployment of best-in-class flight communicationand wireless IFE server systems

PRODUCT NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS


Intelligent EnumeratingBattery Charger fromMaxim IntegratedProvides the Safest andFastest Possible Chargefor Mobile EquipmentMaxim Integrated Products, Inc. announced that it isnow sampling the MAX77301 Li+ battery charger. Itintegrates the intelligence to enumerate with the hostdevice, automatically identify the adapter type, andthen determine the fastest rate to charge a battery.

With advanced temperature monitoring, theMAX77301 modulates the charge current and batteryregulation voltage automatically to maximize safety inany temperature environment. It performs all of thesefunctions without an external CPU or system hardware.The MAX77301 is ideal for mobile equipment, such ascameras, Bluetooth® headsets, MP3 players, andportable medical devices. To enhance battery safety, battery makers often rec-ommend charging “gently” in cold or hot ambient tem-peratures. This often necessitates use of a microcon-troller to monitor and control the charger. TheMAX77301 solves this charging problem by automati-cally setting charge parameters at a safe level. Thedevice also provides full programmability via the I2Cinterface, increasing flexibility. Furthermore, it inte-grates an enumeration and adapter detection engineto maximize charge current. This safety feature and theadapter detection ensure the fastest and safest possi-ble charging.

Key Advantages• Maximizes charge current: automatically detects

charge source and sets the highest allowable charge current.

• Optimizes user convenience: Smart Power Selector™ technology allows a portable device to operate with a discharged battery or no battery.

• Highly flexible: fully programmable I2C interface; charges from a USB port.

• Easy implementation: no extra software required for charger detection or USB enumeration.

MAXIM INTEGRATEDwww.maximintegrated.com

Kontron has expanded its industry-lead-ing line of Cab-n-Connect cabin wirelessaccess points (CWAPs) with a new28VDC version. Designed for use inbusiness jets and regional aircraft thatutilize 28VDC power instead of ACpower, enterprise class wireless accesspoint takes advantage of the IEEE802.11n specification, which increasesmaximum throughput to 300megabits per second (mbps) forwireless clients. It is also back-wards compatible to 802.11a/b/g standards, and is based onMotorola's advanced accesspoint technology. The KontronCab-n-Connect product familyprovides secure wireless connec-tivity for commercial airlines,general aviation and now withthe release of a 28VDC powerinput option, supports the DCrequirements of smaller businessand regional jets. The unit alsosupports simultaneous dual radio opera-tion (2.4GHz and 5GHz), is compliant tothe I/O requirements of ARINC 763, andcan operate in both cabin wireless LANand terminal wireless LAN modes. With the growing demand for bandwidthwithin the aircraft cabin and the trend toprovide video streaming to passengers,existing wireless access points using802.11a/b/g wireless standards are notable to support large numbers of highthroughput users on a plane, said AndyMason, Business Line Manager of

Commercial Avionics at Kontron. TheKontron Cab-n-Connect utilizes a uniqueadaptive architecture that provides intel-ligent and automatic features to enhancethe overall performance and experiencefor passengers. It does all this at areduced total cost of ownership to air-lines and aircraft owners, and we believeit gives a significant performance advan-

tage over competing airborne accesspoints. The entire Kontron Cab-n-Connect product family has been rigor-ously tested to DO-160, and the ACpower input version has been successfullydeployed in numerous narrow-body andwide-body commercial aircraft. The Kontron Cab-n-Connect line offers ahighly cost-effective CWAP solution com-pared to other solutions on the market.

KONTRONwww.kontron.com

Kontron expands Cab-n-Connect line of wireless access points with new 28VDC power input version

architecture-specific adaptations andoptimizations for the RH850 architec-ture. One of the focal points duringdevelopment has been to maximize thecode performance and the IAR C/C++

Compiler™ for RH850 generates verycompact, extremely fast-performingcode by applying several levels ofgeneric and processor-specific opti-mizations. The tools are well tested and

comply with industrystandards. They use thestandard ELF/DWARFobject format, and arecompliant with RenesasABI (Application BinaryInterface), which givesusers the possibility toincorporate librariescreated with otherRenesas ABI-compliantsoftware tools.

IAR SYSTEMSwww.iar.com/ewrh850

omotive applications based on Renesas’ RH850 core

PRODUCT NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

OMC, the pioneer in optoelec-tronics - LED lighting, backlight-ing and industrial fibre optictransmission components – hasannounced that its Profiled LEDbacklighting technology perfect-ly complements custom LCDglass modules,for the first timeenabling design-ers requiring dis-plays for rela-tively low vol-ume applicationsto be able tochoose a full-custom option.OMC’s Profiledbacklight tech-nology ensuresthat very consistent illuminationis provided across the entire dis-play. Uniquely, they can featuresingle or dual chip LEDs depend-ing on power output availabilityand requirements, and they areavailable in full RGB andblue/white colours.

Complementing a standardproduct range which numbersover 250 different sizes, OMCcan turn around bespoke-shapedbacklights is as little as five work-ing days with set up costs startingas low as £50. OMC supports its

customers during the designprocess to simplify moduledesign and assembly costs byintegrating assembly features intothe backlights.

OMCwww.omc-uk.com

Plessey announced that samplesof its Gallium Nitride (GaN) onsilicon LED products (p/nPLW111010) are today available.These entry level products arethe first LEDs manufactured on 6-inch GaN on silicon substrates tobe commercially available any-where in the world. Plessey isusing its proprietarylarge diameter GaN onsilicon process technolo-gy to manufacture theLEDs on its 6-inch MAG-ICTM (Manufactured onGaN I/C) line at itsPlymouth, England facili-ty. The use of Plessey’sMAGIC GaN line usingstandard semiconductormanufacturing processing pro-vides yield entitlements ofgreater than 95% and fast pro-cessing times providing a signifi-cant cost advantage over sap-phire and silicon carbide basedsolutions for LEDs of similar quality. The release of the availability ofPlessey’s GaN on silicon LEDs wascoincident with a visit to the

Plessey Plymouth facility by theRt. Hon. Dr. Vince Cable, MP,Secretary of State for BusinessInnovation and Skills andPresident of the Board of Trade.Business Secretary Vince Cablecommented, “The government issupporting innovative companieslike Plessey who are growing, cre-

ating jobs and exporting theirproducts all over the world.That’s why we selected Plessey’s£3.25 million Regional GrowthFund bid for Government sup-port, which will create 100 new,high tech and highly skilled jobsin the region.”PLESSEYwww.plesseysemi.com

Plessey is first to release GaN on silicon LEDs

OMC offers wide colour range of custom LCDs & back-lights targeting low and mid volume applications

Samsung Electronics has devel-oped a new lineup of middlepower LED packages with theindustry’s highest efficacy level. Itis ideal for use in a wide varietyof LED lighting applicationsincluding LED tubes, LED ambi-ent lighting, downlighting andretrofit lamps. The LM561B series isavailable at distributorRutronik as of now.The new LM561B fea-tures 160lm/W lightefficacy, which is thehighest availableamong mid-powerLED packages world-wide, with electric cur-rent rated at 65mA, 5000K CCT(Correlated Color Temperature)and a rating of over 80 CRI(Color Rendering Index).Compared to Samsung’s previ-ous mid-power LED package, thenew LM561B achieves a 30%

increase in efficiency. This resultsin reduced energy consumptionand improved heat management,which allows the use of smallerheat sinks, saving on materialcosts and providing customerswith the ability to create morecompact and flexibly innovative

products. The Samsung LM561Bproduct line offers a wide rangeof color temperatures. It alsocomes in three brightness levelsand provides quarter binning.RUTRONIKwww.rutronik.com

Mouser Electronics, Inc.announced it is stocking theworld’s first round LED, the CBT-140 Big Chip Round LEDs fromLuminus Devices. This new roundemitting aperture provides themost efficient match for circularoptical systems and narrow beamprojectors. Luminus Devices CBT-140 Big Chip Round LEDs &Modules are the perfect solutionfor applications defined by a cir-cular aperture. Such optical archi-tectures, previously mismatchedwith a traditional square LED, cannow be updated with round LEDswhich better match the applica-tion. These Big Chip Round LEDs& Modules increase system-levelefficiency by as much as 30%,enabling customers to use a singleLED to replace a 250W HID lamp.They will accelerate the adoptionof solid-state technology by dis-placing conventional light sourcesin high brightness lighting applica-tions. Markets and applicationsthat will benefit from Luminus'round LED technology includemedical, machine vision, portable,and retail spot lighting. For exam-

ple, in fiber coupled lighting sys-tems the fiber is round, the opticis round, but the LED has alwaysbeen square. This has now beenresolved with the round LEDbreakthrough that will enableusers to replace the 300W Xenonlamp in an application likeendoscopy. To learn more, visitwww.mouser.com/luminus-CBT140

With its broad product line andunsurpassed customer service,Mouser caters to design engi-neers and buyers by deliveringWhat’s Next in advanced tech-nologies. MOUSER ELECTRONICSwww.mouser.com

Mouser Leads with World’s First Round LED fromLuminus Devices

Rutronik presents the new mid-power LED packagefrom Samsung with highest light efficacy


PRODUCT NEWS LEDs

Captec has introduced threenew highly responsive TouchPanel Computer models. Theseare ideal for SCADA, processcontrol systems and machineautomation applications, provid-ing users with fast and cleargraphics displaysand control inter-faces. The powerful newTouch PanelComputers haveIP65 sealed frontpanels and areshock and vibrationprotected. Able to operateover a wide tem-perature range, they are ideal for factory, process or on-machine installations.Configuration versatility is pro-vided by five configurable func-tion buttons and expansioncapabilities, enabling a range ofI/O cards to be incorporated.This is further enhanced by two

USB ports on the front panel,and multiple communicationsports including Dual GB LAN,RS232 Port and multiple USBports. These fast Touch PanelComputers are available in 12”,15” and 17” models with a

choice of Intel 3rd generationCore i3/ i5 / i7, or Celeronprocessors, giving outstandingprocessing and graphics per-formance. These new Touch PanelComputers are available now. CAPTECwww.captec-group.com

Gleichmann Electronics nowoffers the new Lite+ TFT-LCDsfrom KOE Europe. These newhigh-quality displays are especial-ly suitable for cost-effectiveapplications having highdemands on optical perform-ance. The 5-inch (12.7cm)TX13D06VM2BAA in one of thefirst Lite+ display mod-ules to be introducedby KOE. The TX13D06VM2BAA withWVGA (800 x 480 px)resolution has mechani-cal outline dimensionsof 120.0 × 80.7 × 8.0mmand features a bright-ness of 1000cd/m² and a500:1 contrast ratio. The industrystandard 40-pin, 6-bit RGBCMOS interface simplifies designin and supports a color palette ofup to 262,000 colors. The 10.4-inch (26.4 cm) TX26D19VM2BAA display module has a 20-pin single channel LVDS interfacethat supports 8-bit RGB andenables a color palette of up to16.7 million colors. Bright, clear

and concise display images areachieved with a contrast ratio of500:1 and a brightness of550cd/m². If necessary, brightnesscan be increased to 800cd/m² bydriving the LED backlight with anincreased current of 20mA, how-ever, this will shorten the whiteLED backlight lifetime. Both the 5-

inch TX13D06VM2BAA and10.4-inch TX26D19VM2BAA(mechanical dimensions of 243.0× 185.1 × 9.4 mm ) support anoperating temperature range of -20°C to +70°C. The white LED backlight providesa guaranteed 50,000 hours halfbrightness lifetime. GLEICHMANN & CO. ELECTRONICS www.msc-ge.com

Cost-effective displays for high optical demands

New Touch Panel Computers with Serious Horse Power

Kyocera Display America hasannounced four new TFT-LCDsthat are being added to itsextensive product line. The new10.4” SVGA and 12.1” SVGATFT-LCD displays featureKyocera’s Advanced WideViewing (AWV) tech-nology. AdvancedWide Viewing tech-nology delivers truecolor and the bestoptical performanceand enables people toview images with vividcolor (no grey inver-sion) from any angle.And, one version ofeach size also features super highbrightness for readability in sun-lit or high-glare environments.Designed with the latest high-efficiency, long-lifetime LEDbacklights, the new LCD panelsachieve brightness levels as highas 1200 nits (cd/m2), and providean ideal solution for a range of

applications including medical,gaming, POS, ATM and any out-door applications requiring wideviewing angles with sunlightreadability. The LED driver cir-cuit is integrated into the LCDmodule, with full dimming func-

tion, so no additional compo-nents are required to drive thebacklight. The backlight itself isspecially designed to providelower power consumption byusing the latest technology forLED chips and light guides. KYOCERAwww.kyocera-display.com

There are hardly any devices leftthat do not feature a display foroperating, control, or program-ming purposes. The EAeDIPTFT57-A intelligent displayfrom Electronic Assembly is theideal candidate for implementingan interactive control in mechani-cal engineering orindustrial electronicsapplications, as well asin all other conceivablescenarios, due to itsperformance character-istics and elegant,straightforward devel-opment support. Thehigh-contrast screen,which measures 5.7" inthe diagonal and has LED back-ground illumination, offers acrisp, colorful resolution of 640 x480 pixels. Its most importantfeature, however, is the built-inintelligence that greatly facilitatesdevelopers who want to inte-grate the display modules in theirapplication.Special evaluation kits make it

even easier to start working withthe EA eDIPTFT57-A display andthe other eight models of the EAeDIP series. These kits comprise adisplay with touch panel as wellas an evaluation board, a USBcable, and a mini-DVD containingsoftware, documentation, and

sample macros. The evaluationboard features a USB connectionfor communicating with the PC.Interface daughter boards forRS-232, I²C, and SPI do comewith the shipment to communi-cate with the host computer ofthe target application. ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLYwww.lcd-module.com

Displays Continue to Reign Supreme Evaluation KitPromotes Familiarization with Display Trend

New Advanced Wide View TFT LCDs from KyoceraDisplay America deliver true color and optimumoptical performance in larger size panels


PRODUCT NEWS DISPLAY


Renesas Electronics, a premierprovider of advanced semicon-ductor solutions, and RenesasMobile Corporation, a leadingsupplier of advanced cellularsemiconductor solutions andplatforms announced the avail-ability of a new member of theR-Car Series of automotiveSystems-on-Chip (SoCs).Capable of delivering more than25,000 DMIPS, the R-Car H2provides high performance andstate-of-the-art 3D graphicscapabilities for high-end multi-media and navigation automo-tive systems. The R-Car H2 ispowered by the ARM®Cortex™A-15 quad-core config-uration running an additional

ARM® Cortex™A-7 quad-core –the industry’s first implementa-tion of a Quad ARM® CortexA15 and the big.LITTLE pro-cessing technique in an automo-tive SoC.Powerful media hardware accel-erators enable features like 4 xHD 1080p video en/decodingincluding Blu-Ray support at 60frames per second, image/voicerecognition and high-resolution3D graphics with almost no CPUload. These implemented hard-ware modules also execute thedisplay content improvementsneeded for human-machineinterface (HMI) / navigation datain parallel to Movie/DVD handling.

XP Power announced the RDC30series of highly efficient metalcased and isolated 30 W DC-DCconverters designed specificallyfor railway applications.Accommodating a wide inputrange based around the popularrailway input voltages of either72 (36-140) VDC or 110 (55-176) VDC, the converters areavailable with single, dual ortriple outputs and conform to therailway industry transient stan-dards EN50155, NF F 01-510 andRIA12. The single output modelsprovide the standard regulatedoutput voltage of 3.3, 5, 12 or 15VDC, and duals provide ± 5, ± 12or ± 15 VDC. Triple output mod-els provide a 3.3 VDC outputwith either ± 12 or ± 15 VDCoutputs, or a 5 VDC output witheither ±12 or ± 15 VDC outputs.These convection-cooled con-verters have an efficiency ratingof up to 91%, and deliver apower density of 37.5 Watts percubic inch from their compactpackage that measures 25.4 ×50.8 × 10.16 mm (1 × 2 × 0.4inches). When convection cooledthe operating temperature rangeis from – 40°C to + 75°C. Anoptional heatsink extends this upto + 80°C. Maximum case tem-perature is + 105°C. 1500 VACBasic isolation between input and

output, and 1600 VDC betweeninput/output and the metal caseis provided across the range. TheRDC30 series complies with theinternationally recognized EMCstandard EN50121-3-2 asrequired for railway applicationsand rolling stock apparatus.

A remote On/Off function givesexternal control of the outputwhile a trim input provides thecapability to adjust the outputvoltage ±10% of the nominal output voltage. The RDC30 isavailable from Farnell, element14,approved regional distributors,or direct from XP Power andcome with a 3 year warranty.XP POWER www.xppower.com

30 W DC-DC converter complies with railwaytransient and EMC standards

Renesas announces R-Car H2, offering highest CPU and gr

CUI Inc has introduced its sec-ond generation of low power,board mount dc-dc converterswith improved efficiency, isola-tion, and thermal performancecompared to existing products.The unregulated dc-dc modulesare available in 1 W and 2 Wconfigurations, featuring 1.5kVdc isolation and anti-staticprotection up to 8 kVdc. ThePDS and PES series are designed

with an ultra-wide operatingtemperature range of -40~105°C, offering a rugged andreliable solution for convertingand/or isolating dc rails within arange of industrial, telecom,security, and machine controlapplications.The PDS and PES families arehoused in compact, industrystandard SIP, DIP, and SMT pack-ages. Providing nominal inputs

of 3.3, 5, 12, 15, and 24 Vdc anda range of single and dual outputvoltage configurations, the dc-dcconverters are highly efficient,offering efficiencies as high as89% in the 2 W models. To fur-ther enhance the series’ per-formance across the entire loadcurve, the modules have beendesigned to greatly reducepower draw under light and noload conditions. The new family

of dc-dc converters also comesstandard with continuous shortcircuit protection, providing anadditional layer of protection forsensitive loads.The PDS and PES series are avail-able immediately with pricesstarting at $3.81 per unit for 500pieces. Please contact CUI forOEM pricing.CUIwww.cui.com

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is nowstocking the industry's smallesttrue bipolar +/-5V, 18-bit analog-to-digital converter from MaximIntegrated. MAX11156 SAR ADCoffers excellent AC and DC per-formance with true bipolar inputrange. This reduced-form factorMaxim device features internalreference and measures a ±5V(10VP-P) input range while ope -rating from a single 5V supply. Apatented charge-pump architec-ture allows direct sampling ofhigh-impedance sources.MAX11156 guarantees 18-bit res-olution with no missing codes andcommunicates using an SPI-com-patible serial interface at 2.5V, 3V,3.3V, or 5V logic. This MaximADC is ideal for use in data acqui-sition systems, industrial control

systems/process control, medicalinstrumentation, and automatictest equipment. With its broadproduct line and unsurpassedcustomer service, Mouser catersto design engineers and buyersby delivering What’s Next inadvanced technologies. Mouser

offers customers 19 global sup-port locations and stocks theworld’s widest selection of the lat-est semiconductors and electroniccomponents for the newestdesign projects.MOUSER ELECTRONICSwww.mouser.com

Mouser Stocks Industry’s Smallest TrueBipolar 18-Bit ADC from Maxim

CUI Introduces Next-Generation Low PowerIsolated Dc-Dc Converters

PRODUCT NEWS ACTIVE COMPONENTS


Innovasic Announces ProductionAvailability of Pin CompatibleAm186™ER and Am188™EREmbedded ProcessorsProduction units are now available for the IA18×ERembedded processor. These devices are form, fit,and function compatible with the Am186™ER andAm188™ER devices. The IA18xER is capable of oper-ating as a 186 or 188 processor (16-bit or 8-bit) andis available in 100-lead PQFP and 100-lead LQFPRoHS-compliant packages.Innovasic's version of the Am186™ER and Am188™ERhas the same instruction set as the original and pro-vides full software compatibility - no special softwaretools or re-compile steps are required. The same 1Mbyte memory address space and 64 Kbyte I/Ospace are supported along with the same 32 Kbytesof internal RAM. The PLL operates the same andallows the processor to operate at up to four timesthe input clock.All of the integrated peripherals in the original deviceare contained in the Innovasic device including:• Thirty-two Programmable I/O (PIO) pins• A synchronous serial interface allowing

half-duplex, bidirectional data transfers• An asynchronous serial port allowing full-duplex,

7-bit or 8-bit data transfers• A PSRAM controller including auto refresh

capability• Two independent DMA channels with DMA to

and from the asynchronous serial port• A reset configuration register• A programmable interrupt controller with six

external interrupts• Three programmable 16-bit timers• A hardware watchdog timer to generate an NMI

or system reset• Programmable memory and peripheral chip select

logic• A programmable wait state generator and

power-save clock mode.

The IA18×ER operates at 3.3V with 5V tolerant I/Oover the -40°C to +85°C industrial temperature range.

INNOVASICwww.innovasic.com

XP Power announced availability of theECP225 series of highly efficient lowprofile AC-DC power supplies.Delivering up to 150 W by convectioncooling alone, the units deliver a maxi-mum of 225 W when a forced air flow ofonly 10 CFM is applied. With a typicalefficiency of 94% and a no-load powerconsumption of less than 0.5 Watt, theseries helps engineers ensure their endproduct comply with the latest energyefficiency standards.With a very low profile of just 25.4mm(1.0 inch) and a footprint measuring just63.5 × 127 mm (2.5 × 5.0 inches), theseultra compact power supplies occupysignificantly less volume than similarrated power units on the market.5 single-output models are availablewithin the series, providing all the popu-lar nominal output voltages from + 12 to+ 48 VDC. A trim function permits a±5% adjustment from stated output inorder to compensate for load losses orspecial application requirements. Inaddition a + 12 VDC/0.5 A fan output isprovided across the range.Meeting the IT equipment safety speci-fications of UL/IEC/EN 60950-1 and thelatest stringent 3rd edition medical safety standards ANSI/AAMI IS 60601-1and IEC/EN60601-1, the ECP225 seriesis suitable for use in a wide range ofinformation technology, industrial andmedical equipment. The units also com-ply with the internationally recognisedEMC standards EN55011 and EN55022

Class B specifications for conductednoise and Class A limits for radiatedemissions.The ECP225 accommodates most operat-ing temperature environments from -20to + 70°C, with no derating until +50°C.The ECP225 series is available fromFarnell, element14, approved regionaldistributors, or direct from XP Powerand come with a 3 year warranty.

XP POWER www.xppower.com

Compact low profile “green” 225 W power supply targets IT,industrial and medical applications

The R-Car H2 also features theImagination Technologies PowerVRSeries6 G6400 Graphics Processing Unit(GPU). This is the first worldwide imple-mentation of the GPU into an automo-tive SoC, which demonstrates the state-of-the-art 3D graphics capability of the

R-Car series. The R-Car H2 offers one ofthe best graphic performance solutionsin the automotive embedded market.This GPU is ready to not only supportopen technologies like OpenGL ES 2.0,but also the OpenGL ES 3.0 andOpenCL standards. Support of theOpen graphics standards combinedwith the R-Car H2’s cutting-edge IP andother features makes it the perfect plat-form to develop next-generation info-tainment systems.Renesas’ IMP-X4 core, implemented inR-Car H2 as an optional feature, pro-vides real-time image processing thatenables developers to support theemerging trend of augmented reality.

RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPEwww.renesas.eu

raphics performance for the Automotive Infotainment Market



Lattice SemiconductorCorporation announced theiCE40 LP384 FPGA, the smallestmember of its expanding iCE40family of ultra-low densityFPGAs. Enabling designers torapidly add new features anddifferentiate cost-sensitive,space-constrained, low-powerproducts, the new small foot-print FPGA is ideal for applica-tions such as portable medicalmonitors, smartphones, digitalcameras, eReaders, and compactembedded systems. The tiny,low- power, low cost iCE40LP384 FPGA has a capacity of384 LUTs; consumes 25-Microwatts static core power;comes in packages as small as 2.5

mm × 2.5 mm with a migrationpath to 2.0 mm × 2.0 mm; andcosts less than 50 cents per unitin multi- million unit quantities.

New Applications DriveHardware Innovation The exponential growth ofhandheld applications is creat-ing new challenges for hardwaredesigners. Many new applica-tions today connect end userswith data collected from a grow-ing number of sensors thatmeasure natural phenomenasuch as temperature, moisture,light, and positioning. At thesame time the growing use ofvideo is driving the deploymentof new low power, display tech-

MSC now offers the new SiT15xxfamily of 32.768 kHz MEMSoscillators from SiTime. Thesenew oscillators feature up to85% space saving comparedwith the current smallest conven-tional quartz crystal and an ultra-low current consumption of only75μA typical. The new MEMS oscilla-tors are currently avail-able in three differentmodels: theSiT1532/42 in a 1.5mm × 0.8 mm chipscale package (CSP),the SiT1533/43 in a2.0 mm × 1.2 mmpackage that is pin-compatible with quartzresonators and theSiT1534/44 that sup-port frequencies from1Hz to 32.768kHz andare available in boththe 1.5 mm × 0.8 mmCSP and the 2.0 mm ×1.2 mm packages. Thanks toNanoDrive™, factory-program-mable output stage, all of the32.768 kHz MEMS oscillators caneasily and with minimal expendi-ture of energy be adapted tothe requirements of the particu-lar application. A high frequencystability of up to ±20ppm

ensures accurate timekeeping. Unlike crystal resonators, thenew 32.768kHz MEMS oscilla-tors, which are suitable for manydifferent applications, eliminatethe need for external loadcapacitors. Thus, this togetherwith an extremely low height of

only 0.55mm saves board space. The SiT153x MEMS oscillatorsoperate from a 1.2V to 3.63Vpower supply. The SiT154xMEMS oscillators operate from a2.7V to 4.5V power source. MSCwww.msc-ge.com

32.768 kHz MEMS oscillators offer up to 85% spacesaving and 50% less power

Lattice Announces World’s Smallest FPGA for Miniature Sy

ChipStart LLC, a leadingprovider of semiconductor intel-lectual property (SIP), andDELTA Microelectronics, a leaderin ASIC services for the semicon-ductor industry, are partneringto bring the power ofinnovation to the mar-ket through a jointrelationship. The rela-tionship will involvethe sale, marketingand global represen-tation of DELTA’sdesign services,including its produc-tion and test capabili-ties, throughChipStart’s extensivesales channel.

“We are extremely pleased to bein a position to take advantage ofDELTA’s in-depth knowledge ofthe mobile payment, RFID andsensor markets and to offer itsextensive portfolio of solutions,”said Howard Pakosh, Presidentand Chief Executive Officer,ChipStart. “By officially recogniz-ing this partnership, we continueto grow our capabilities and serv-ices and give our customers thetools necessary to develop nextgeneration technologies.”

“DELTA Microelectronics is happyto team with ChipStart. Its portfo-lio is complementary to DELTA’s,and we expect our customers willgain significant synergies from thiscooperation,” comments DELTA’s

Vice-President of Sales andMarketing, Gert Jørgensen.ChipStart will promote DELTAMicroelectronics’ ASIC DesignServices to system houses andsemiconductor communitiesworldwide, with a specific focuson chips used in mobile pay-ment systems, RFID, optical sys-tems and sensor systems.

CHIPSTARTwww.chip-start.comDELTA MICROELECTRONICSasic.madebydelta.com

Advanced Power ElectronicsCorp. (USA), a leading Taiwanesemanufacturer of MOS powersemiconductors for DC-DCpower conversion applications,has introduced the APE8968MP-HF3, a new series of 3A, ultra-lowdropout linear regulatorsdesigned to provide simplePOL DC-DC conversion inboard-level applications,including motherboard andnotebook applications.Requiring two supply voltages– one for the control circuitryand the other for the main supply– the IC reduces power consump-tion and provides a dropout ofjust 0.23V (typ) at 3A.APE8968MP-HF3 integrates manyfunctions, and has a Power-On-Reset (POR) circuit to monitor

both supply voltages to preventincorrect operation. Thermalshutdown and current limit pro-tection features are included, anda POK indicates output statuswith a time delay which is setinternally. The APE8968MP-HF3can control another converter for

power sequencing, and can alsobe controlled by another powersystem. Pulling and holding theEN pin below 0.4V shuts off theoutput.ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS CORP.www.a-powerusa.com

New 3A Ultra-Low Dropout Linear Regulator fromAdvanced Power Electronics Corp.

DELTA Microelectronics to expand global activitiesthrough new joint alliance with ChipStart



Silicon Labs Launches MostIntegrated Multiband ReceiverSolution for Wheel-Tuned RadioDesignsSilicon Labs introduced the latest generation of thecompany’s widely used analog-tuned, analog/digital-display (ATxD) multiband radio IC family. The newSi4825/27/36 AM/FM/SW receivers provide superiorradio band coverage and a 16-pin SOIC packageoption that eases the design and manufacturing ofATxD radio products. The new Si48xx radio ICs pro-vide an “all-in-one” single-chip receiver solution fortabletop and portable radios, stereos, mini/micro sys-tems, boomboxes, clock radios, iPod docking stations,toy radios and many other consumer products con-taining wheel-tuned radios.

The wheel-tuned or “analog-tuned” multiband radioproduct market exceeds 115 million units per year,according to Silicon Labs estimates. More than 90percent of all ATxD radios including products for theglobal export market are manufactured in China. Apioneer in RF-in-CMOS multiband receivers for thewheel-tuned radio market, Silicon Labs has now deliv-ered three generations of single-chip receiver solu-tions that reduce the cost and complexity and simpli-fy the manufacturing of radio products used by manymillions of consumers worldwide.Silicon Labs’ new Si4825/27/36 receivers offer thesame exceptional RF performance, unmatched inte-gration in CMOS, bill of materials (BOM) and laborcost reduction, and ease of design and manufacturingas previous generations of Si48xx radio ICs. In addi-tion, the new receivers use a single band to cover awider frequency range for FM and SW bands, andthey also support TV audio carrier reception in theChina market. Additionally, the devices provideadvanced audio conditioning for all signal environ-ments, removing pops, clicks and loud static in chal-lenging signal conditions.The Si4825 mono-output, consumer-grade productand the Si4836 stereo-output, commercial-gradeproduct are designed for the ATAD radio market. TheSi4827 mono-output, consumer-grade product targetsthe ATDD radio market. Each receiver supports world-wide broadcast frequencies from 64-109 MHz in FM,504-1750 kHz in AM and 2.3-28.5 MHz in shortwave(SW), enabling a single radio design based on thereceivers to support all worldwide markets.

SILICON LABS www.silabs.com

Power Integrations, the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, announcedthat the latest version of its popularpower supply design software, PI ExpertSuite 9.0, now includes support for itsLinkSwitch™-PL and LinkSwitch-PH LED-driver ICs and its recently introducedTinySwitch™-4 off-line switcher IC family.Version 9.0 includes an enhancedschematics-manipulation tool. It alsoenables designers to upload the result-ing BOM from the auto-generatedschematic layout to selected, leadingdesign-fulfillment dis-tributors. PI Expert Suite 9.0improves the productivi-ty of power supplydesign teams by greatlyreducing the time to firstprototype and by slash-ing the number of pro-totype iterationsrequired to reach a fin-ished product. The soft-ware now includes sup-port for solid-state-light-ing products, enabling LED designs tobe optimized for CC, dimming and har-monic emissions. As with previous-gen-erations, PI Expert Suite 9.0 generates acomplete schematic of the power supplyand offers power transformer optimiza-tion techniques, even specifying thetransformer design and offering links towound component manufacturers. A

heatsink calculation tool provides thedesigner with an estimation of the ther-mal design requirements for a newpower supply which may be used toguide layout and mechanical prototyp-ing decisions - avoiding iterations andwasted time. Enhanced PCB layout rec-ommendations based on the IC deviceand package chosen allow the designerto minimize trace-induced EMI andboard area, and also maximize electricalnoise immunity and surge tolerance.PI Expert Suite 9.0 can be downloadedat www.powerint.com/pi-expert

Transformer prototypes resulting fromthe use of this software may be orderedthrough Power Integrations' RapidTransformer Sample Service (RTSS); aquick-start guide describing how to cre-ate a compatible design file is availableat www.powerint.com/rtssPOWER INTEGRATIONS www.powerint.com

Power Integrations’ New PI Expert Suite 9.0 Power SupplyDesign Software Supports LED Lighting

nology that not only enhances the visualexperience, but does so without break-ing stringent power budgets. Moreover, small automated controlunits are now being used to maximizeenergy efficiency and security in build-ings and homes by responding to light,infrared, noise, and by adjusting fans,

blinds, and temperature controls.Designers of these types of equipmentmust find ways to shrink the size of theirsystems while differentiating their prod-ucts from competitive market offerings.

The iCE40 LP384 SolutionThe iCE40 LP384 FPGA includes theprogrammable logic, flexible IO, and on-chip memory necessary to process dataat speeds greater than ASSPs or com-panion microprocessors while simultane-ously reducing power consumption foran equivalent cost. Lattice also providesreference designs and application notesto accelerate development and reducetime-to-market by several months.

LATTICE SEMICONDUCTORwww.latticesemi.com

ystems


Murata and their RFID partnerBeta LAYOUT announced thelaunch of a prototype trial serv-ice for their MAGICSTRAP-based PCB RFID devices. UsingMurata’s MAGICSTRAP devices,Beta LAYOUT will embed theUHF RFID compo-nent for a regularprototype order ofup to 50 PCBs with-out extra charge.This allows electron-ics equipment man-ufacturers to investi-gate the ease withwhich this PCB iden-tification approachcan be implement-ed. The use of UHF RFID hasimmense advantages comparedto traditional optical identifica-tion methods. UHF RFID uses abatteryless approach. It will workwhen the device is unpoweredand does not need line of sight.Identification can occur whenthe finished PCB is fully assem-

bled and when it is packaged inthe shipping carton. Apart fromboard traceability, the identifica-tion is available across the wholesupply chain and greatly aidsanti-counterfeit brand protec-tion initiatives.

Starting from April 2013 this freeRFID-prototyping service is avail-able for 6 months.More information on the trialoffer, MAGICSTRAP and BetaLAYOUT can be found here:www.magic-pcb.comMURATAwww.murata.eu

The two new FRAM productsMB85RS1MT and MB85RS2MTfeature 1 Mbit and 2 Mbit mem-ory densities and are immediate-ly available from MSC. The newproducts will be made availablein sample quantities from theend of March 2013.Guaranteeing 10 trillion (10¹³)read-write cycles – the two newFRAM products are ideal forapplications such as smartmeters, industrial machineryand medical devices. Comparedto identical-density EEPROM,MB85RS1MT and MB85RS2MTreduce power consumption by92 percent for writing opera-tions. The new FRAM productscan also make substantial reduc-tions to component costs,mounting footprint and powerconsumption by replacing all ofthe technologies required forthe system – typically consistingof EEPROM, SRAM and a bat-tery – by single chip. As a result,FRAM strongly promotes thedevelopment of smaller systemsthat are more power-efficient

and maintenance-friendly. In applications such as measure-ment devices, industrial machin-ery and medical devices (e.g.hearing aids), the new 1 Mbitand 2 Mbit SPI FRAM productsoffer an alternative that is bothconsiderably faster and lesspower-hungry than EEPROM athigh density levels – resulting in

systems with improved perform-ance, better data security and alonger battery life. For industrialmachinery applications – whereSRAM and EEPROM are used inparallel for storing data andparameters respectively – thenew FRAM products can unifythe two memory technologies. MSCwww.msc-ge.com

New 1 Mbit and 2 Mbit SPI FRAM Products by Fujitsu

Murata and Beta LAYOUT offer PCB service withfree embedded UHF RFID

Advanced Power ElectronicsCorp. (USA) announced theAPE2902, a high-efficiency VFMStep-up DC/DC converter forsmall, low input voltage or bat-tery powered systems with ultra-low quiescent supply current.Devices can operate from a posi-tive input voltagebetween the start-upvoltage and VOUTand convert it to ahigher output voltage,adjustable in 0.1Vsteps from 2.5 to 5Vrange with an accuracyof ±5%.APE2902 converterscombine ultra-low22μA (typ.) quiescentsupply current and high efficien-cy (typ 87% at VOUT = 5V) togive maximum battery life. Thehigh switching frequency and theinternally limited peak inductorcurrent permits the use of small,low cost inductors. Only three

external components are need-ed: an inductor a diode and anoutput capacitor. The APE2902is suitable to be used in batterypowered equipment where lownoise, low ripple and ultra-lowsupply current are required.Maximum shutdown current is

lower than 1μA and output cur-rent is up to 100mA. Devicesfeature a very low start-up voltage and internal soft-start.

ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS CORP.www.a-powerusa.com

Especially for cost effectivepower supply in various digitalapplications MSC is now offering13 new series of Aimtec DC/DCpower supply modules with RCCtopology (ringing choke convert-er). The new series feature out-put voltages in the range of 3 Wand 6 W. The input voltage range of theDC/DC converters is program-mable between 4.5 to 72 VDCwith a ratioof either2:1 or 4:1.Single ordual outputvoltagechoicesrange from3.3 to 24VDC withinput/out-put isola-tion ofeither 1.5kV DC or 3.5 kV DC. Additionalfeatures of these DC/DC powersupply modules include an effec-tive operating temperature of –40°C to 85°C with derating, con-

tinuous short circuit, and effi-ciency rates up to 82%. With a choice of over 525 mod-els, this new line of constant volt-age power supplies is designedto meet IEC 60950-1 standardfor IT equipment and will meetthe needs of multitude of digitalapplications including bladeservers, high-end consumer elec-tronics, major home appliances,industrial motor and process

control, solar inverters, telecom /datacom systems, UPS units, andsmart lighting systems. MSCwww.msc-ge.com

DC/DC power supplies with RCC topology

Very Low Power VFM Step-Up DC/DC Converter from Advanced Power Electronics Corp.



ep&dee no 4 - april 2013

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