Sophisticated new adaptive driving beam headlight technology enables automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to enhance driver visibility and communication

DALLAS and LAS VEGAS (January 11, 2018) – Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today unveiled state-of-the-art DLP technology for high-resolution headlight systems at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The new DLP chipset is the only offering on the market that combines full programmability and the highest resolution –more than one million addressable pixels per headlight — exceeding the resolution of existing adaptive driving beam (ADB) technologies by more than 10,000 times. For more information about DLP Products for high-resolution headlight systems, see www.ti.com/DLPheadlight-pr.

Automakers and Tier-1 suppliers can use this new programmable ADB solution to design headlight systems that maximize brightness for drivers on the road while minimizing the glare to oncoming traffic or reflections from retroreflective traffic signs. This new DLP technology works with any light source, including LED and laser illumination, and gives engineers a way to more precisely control light distribution on the road with customizable beam patterns.

The flexibility of DLP technology enables automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to create headlight systems that pair with programmable software and smaller optics to increase performance without sacrificing style. System engineers also have the capability to partially or fully dim individual pixels using this solution, paving the way for the creation of headlight systems that allow drivers to keep their high beams on while operating their vehicle in all conditions without impacting other drivers.

DLP technology for high-resolution headlight systems also enables automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to transform headlight systems into a new communication channel by projecting relevant information on the road. On-road light projection can enhance communication between drivers, pedestrians and other vehicles and provide customers with a way to address future communication requirements needed for autonomous and self-driving vehicle systems.

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• First samples of chip-scale micro-speakers delivered to lead customers; first trade demonstrations scheduled
• USound’s innovative piezo-actuator design adds breakthrough audio performance to cost, scalability, size, reliability advantages of standard MEMS technology
• ST’s MEMS competencies and thin-film piezoelectric technology (PεTra) vital for delivery to market

January 12, 2018 – STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and USound, an innovative and fast-growing audio company, have delivered the first silicon micro-speakers resulting from their technology collaboration announced last year. Engineering samples are now with lead customers, and trade demonstrations will take place during CES® 2018, in Las Vegas.

These extremely small speakers, expected to be the thinnest in the world and less than half the weight of conventional speakers, enable wearable tech such as earphones, over-the-ear headphones, or Augmented-Reality/Virtual-Reality (AR/VR) headgear to become even more compact and comfortable. Their extremely low power consumption saves extra weight and size by allowing smaller batteries, and unlike conventional speakers they generate negligible heat.

As MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices, the speakers are leveraging technology that has already revolutionized the capabilities of smartphones and wearables. High-performing MEMS motion sensors, pressure sensors, and microphones built on silicon chips are the critical enablers for context sensing, navigation, tracking, and other features that mobile users now rely on every day. With MEMS advancements now coming to speakers, designers can further miniaturize the audio subsystem, reduce power consumption, and create innovative features like 3D sound. MEMS-industry analyst Yole Développement values the overall micro-speakers market at $8.7 billion currently, and expects MEMS manufacturers to capture share with silicon-based devices.

“This successful project combines USound’s design flair and ST’s extensive investment in MEMS expertise and processes, including our advanced thin-film piezo technology PεTra (Piezo-electric Transducer),” said Anton Hofmeister, Vice President and GM of MEMS Microactuators Division, STMicroelectronics. “Together, we are winning the race to commercialize MEMS micro-speakers by delivering a more highly miniaturized, efficient, and better-performing solution leveraging the advantages of piezo-actuation.”

“ST has provided the production expertise and manufacturing muscle to realize our original concept as a pace-setting, advanced product ready for consumer-market opportunities,” said Ferruccio Bottoni, CEO of USound. “These tiny speakers are now poised to change the design of audio and hearable products, and open up new opportunities to develop creative audio functionalities.”

In addition to applications in mobiles, audio accessories, and wearables, the new piezo-actuated silicon speakers support innovation in a wide variety of hearable electronics, including home digital assistants, media players, and IoT (Internet-of-Things) devices.

USound will demonstrate prototype AR/VR glasses containing multiple MEMS speakers per side, to invited guests at ST’s private suite during CES 2018. The demo will leverage the speakers’ ultra-thin form factor, low weight, and high sound quality to show how miniaturized audio systems can deliver outstanding experiences, and advanced features such as beam forming for private audio, within the extremely tight size, weight, and power constraints imposed by glasses and other wearables.

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January 10, 2018 – Argus Cyber Security, a global leader in automotive cyber security, and STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced today a joint effort to ensure the cyber security of connected automotive technologies. As telematics and infotainment units become increasingly complex to support high-value connected services, they become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Securing these units against such attacks requires sophisticated, multi-layered security, and ongoing monitoring throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.

Together, the companies have integrated Argus Connectivity Protection with ST’s Telemaco3P automotive microprocessor to detect and block attacks on vehicle telematics units in real-time and prevent them from proliferating to the in-vehicle network. In addition, the joint solution with Argus Lifespan Protection provides automakers with: situational awareness of the cyber health of their fleets on the road, insights into emerging threats through big data analytics, and the ability to mitigate new threats through security updates over-the-air and enhance the secure deployment of remote services (applications, SW updates). The integrated offering provides a critical piece in a multi-layered approach to cyber defense, helping automakers secure vehicles and ensuring the safety of drivers and the public.

“Telematics applications make cars potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks,” said Yoni Heilbronn, Chief Marketing Officer of Argus Cyber Security. “Consumer safety, along with impending government regulations and heightened demand for secure vehicle connectivity, make it more crucial than ever to protect vulnerable entry points into the vehicle. Our multi-layered approach, based on the technology of 39 granted and pending patents, does just that. Together with ST, we are helping to ensure that drivers enjoy the high-value services and rich connected driving experience made possible by the Telemaco3P processor while remaining safe and protected against cyber threats.”

“The Telemaco3P secure microprocessor is at the center of ST’s commitment to Safer, Greener, and More Connected vehicles with its state-of-the-art power-efficient design, fast connectivity interfaces, domain isolation, and embedded Hardware Security Module,” said Antonio Radaelli, Director Infotainment, Automotive Digital Division, STMicroelectronics. “With multiple layers of software security added by Argus on top of the cryptographic and key-generation accelerators designed into the Telemaco3P, this integration of hardware and software features delivers safety to passengers and data privacy of connected cars.”

The Telemaco3P solution with Argus Connectivity and Lifespan Protection and its cross-platform operating system capabilities (compatible with Linux, QNX, Android and more) will be on display during CES 2018 in a private suite hosted by STMicroelectronics, January 9-12.

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Scilab open source software for numerical computation is used by engineers and designers for modelling, simulation and scientific research. Its latest version, Scilab 6.0.0, includes many interesting features like new core, new utilities, XCOS block diagram and news feed.
In applications such as automation, robotics and stock exchange, which rely on extensive numerical computation, Scilab gives users precision results at no cost. It can perform various mathematical functions like usual engineering and mathematics, 2D and 3D visualisation, algorithms to solve the intricate data, data analysis and control systems study, signal processing and, above all, modelling of mechanical and hydraulic control systems. Apart from mathematical functionalities, Scilab can interconnect third-party technologies and applications.

What’s new in Scilab 6.0.0

Scilab’s version 6.0.0, launched in February 2017, is supported by most of the operating systems including 32-/64-bit Linux, 32-/64-bit Windows as well as Mac operating systems, while its syntax is supported by MATLAB.

Fig. 1: Console (Image courtesy: upload.wikimedia.org)

Compared to an older version we reviewed, new features in Scilab 6.0.0 include:

Rewrite of core

Rewriting of core is an added advantage for compatibility with MATLAB language. With this, the software is claimed to have refined grammar and language, which makes error handling easy, while simplified functions differentiate between characters such as single- and double-quote delimiters. Use of commas has also been defined and explained. Bigger data sets can be manipulated without wasting system resources. This is possible with an upgraded memory management system, wherein memory usage is limited only by the machine.

Command-line debugger

Designers can now write better scripts. To enhance script writing, the new version includes a debugger, which runs scripts step-by-step, lowering the chances of error and thus saving time. Coverage and profiling tool produces an HTML report for the time spent on each line.

Language changes

The upgraded language syntax renders transparency and clarity. Cells, structures and syntaxes have also been changed, making the new version far clearer than previous versions. This has improved the performance of Scilab, as clear syntaxes and commands leave little room for errors. Clear process speeds up command execution, saving time.

XCOS

XCOS is a graphical editor to design hybrid dynamical models of either mechanical or hydraulic functions. The designed models can be loaded, saved, compiled and simulated at the same time on the XCOS. Thus, all the functions for modelling job are carried out using a single editor, which helps the user to come up with an error-free end-product in less time. Also, data structure feature is well-written and easy to execute.

Fig. 2: XCOS (Image courtesy: www.freewarefiles.com)

Newsfeed

This section provides news, tips and general information from the community and Scilab enterprises. Thus, unlike other software, Scilab helps to bridge the gap between the software and users.

Besides, in Scilab version 6.0.0, addition and subtraction of an empty matrix (a matrix having at least one dimension equal to zero) to a matrix returns an empty matrix. The zoom rubber box can now start/finish from points lying outside the axes bounds. Bug fixing can be viewed in the root of the installation.

To sum up

Scilab 6.0 gives designers a complete solution to solve ordinary to complex differential equations using a set of commands. Derivative functions help them in computing the numerical derivative of a function.

Users find Scilab far better than MATLAB because it is an open source software that lets users modify and use the source code as per their requirements. Transparency in data calculation and limitless options to customise are the other highlights of this software.

Download latest version of the software

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Nowadays, most portable electronic gadgets are powered by USB adaptors. These adaptors have 5V, 1A to 5V, 2.1A output, which is enough to power low-power circuits of different voltages while testing a prototype. This is done either by using charge pumps or suitable converters. Presented here is the circuit to derive three voltages (3.3V, 5V and 12V) from a USB adaptor.

Circuit and working

As shown in Fig. 1, the circuit is built around low-dropout voltage regulator LP2985-3.3 (IC1), monolithic DC-DC converter MC34063A (IC2) a Schottky diode 1N5819 (D1), 22µH inductor (L1) and a few other components.

Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of triple power supply from USB

Here, MC34063A is configured in boost converter mode. IC2, inductor L1 and diode D1 form the boost converter to convert 5V into 12V. Any readily available inductor can be used in place of L1. Resistors R1 and R2, along with 1.25V reference voltage of IC2, are used to set the output voltage using the relationship given below:

V_out=1.25[1+(R2/R1)]

Resistor R4 turns off the switching cycle when the peak current of the internal switch goes beyond the limit.

Capacitor C6 smoothens the ripple produced during every switching cycle. IC1, a fixed-output and low-dropout regulator, converts 5V into 3.3V. Capacitor C2 bypasses ripples to ground. Capacitors C3 and C5 act as buffers. Thus, all three voltages (3.3V, 5V and 12V) are available at CON2. Jumper wires can be used at CON2 to power external circuits.

Construction and testing

An actual-size PCB layout of the triple power supply from USB is shown in Fig. 2 and its components layout in Fig. 3. After assembling the circuit on the PCB, enclose it in a suitable plastic box with CON1 fixed at the rear side and CON2 at the front side of the box.

Fig. 2: PCB layout of the triple power supply

Fig. 3: Components layout for the PCB

Download PCB and component layout PDFs: click here

IC1 should be placed on solder side of the board. Use USB-A type connector as CON1.
After assembling the PCB, connect the USB to a laptop. Now your power supply circuit is ready to use.

Note. 1. The maximum current for 3.3V and 12V depends on the current provided by USB port.
2. Since 5V is directly available from the USB, keep the overall current of this circuit below 20-25 per cent of the maximum current of the USB from which the circuit is powered.

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HYDERABAD, India, January 10, 2018 —

To bridge lab to land gap and assist in creating market prototypes through its Technology Transfer Office

IIIT-Hyderabad has launched Products Labs at IIIT-H. As a part of the institute’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), Products Labs will work on creating market prototypes of research work from its labs and research centres.

It will also connect relevant research with market needs and gaps as well as assist in building products out of this research.

The Product Labs will identify potential products based on market and strategy analysis, identify suitable research as available and then build the prototypes of these products along with associated businesses and market plans. The products will then be either licensed to larger enterprises or hover off as startups leveraging Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR)s.

Commenting on this initiative, Vasudeva Varma, Dean of R&D at IIIT-Hyderabad said, “Product Labs will be working on IIIT-Hyderabad’s commercially viable matured technologies. We hope this will help bridge the Lab-to-Land chasm and the adaptability of our research can make a significant contribution to society at large.”

About IIIT-Hyderabad:

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research with great social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

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Frost & Sullivan reveals participants with single complementing competencies will join forces to protect market share and boost customer value

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 12, 2018 — Coupled with rapidly advancing Internet of Things (IoT) techniques, IoT platforms are set to create new business models aimed at enhanced connectivity, control and convergence. Businesses are now racing to convert raw machine and process data into actionable and useful insights in real-time. IoT platforms are at the core of this revolution, providing users with the flexibility and tools needed to develop application-centric functions unique to each industry.

Frost & Sullivan’s recent research, Landscaping IIoT Platforms—Vendor Clusters and Growth Prospects, compares and benchmarks Industrial IoT platforms and vendor clusters. It highlights the prevalent innovation hubs, key technology and business trends that are influencing the evolution of industrial IoT platforms, and profiles existing industrial IoT platforms such as Condence, Axoom, Losant, Datonis, Jasper, Bosch, Azure IoT, Thingworx, Mindsphere, Devicewise, Lumada, Leonardo, and Predix (GE).

“The IIoT ecosystem is rapidly evolving, and will witness acquisitions and collaborations on a large scale to close capability gaps. While major industrial participants with IT-OT expertise are leading the revolution, participants with single complementing competencies will join forces to protect market share and boost their customer value propositions,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation and Process Control Senior Research Analyst Sharmila Annaswamy.

Four key industry trends in IIoT platforms:

• Industry inclination towards self-service models is expected to advance Application Programming Interface (APIs) modules to the center of industrial IoT strategies;
• Open cloud developer platforms such as Predix DOJO that allow collaboration between industry experts and in-house software developers is expected to accelerate proof-of-concept modeling for customers;
• Satellite-based LPWAN technologies are expected to overpower cellular-based network technologies such as LTE-M,NB-IoT, and strengthen IoT use-cases for global asset tracking in oil and gas, and transportation; and
• Artificial Intelligence engines and cognitive capabilities will soon become a hygiene factor in IIoT platforms primarily driven by the need to surpass the competition and boost solution performance.

“As factories and enterprises move toward a multi-cloud model, IoT platform providers will have to adopt automated load-balancing strategies to allow multi-cloud data transfers and elevate application performance across distinct cloud platforms, noted Annaswamy.

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The Cool-Power ZVS Buck, PI3325-00-LGIZ, represents the highest current output ZVS buck to date for 24V/28V applications, providing a regulated 5V output at up to 20A. Packaged within a 10 x 14 x 2.5mm LGA SiP package, the PI3325-00-LGIZ addresses the continued need for high power density across a growing spectrum of applications. It also offers pin-for-pin compatibility to a 48V input version ZVS buck, the PI3525-00-LGIZ, enabling designs to be quickly ported from 24VIN capability to 48 VIN.

The PI3325-00-LGIZ requires only an output inductor and minimal passives for a complete, cost-effective, compact design that consumes less than 740mm2 of PCB real estate. Higher current is also achievable by parallel operation of the regulator. The PI3325-00-LGIZ represents one regulator within a new portfolio of higher current 24V ZVS bucks already or soon to be released.

Cool-Power ZVS 20A Buck Regulator Portfolio

Vicor’s Cool-Power ZVS regulators deliver more power at higher temperatures than competitive devices, without sacrificing power density or efficiency. Key attributes to the Cool-Power ZVS regulators’ high performance include zero-voltage switching topology, high silicon integration, and high density LGA SiP packaging. These high performance regulators are also simple to use ensuring designs that achieve first pass design success.

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The launch of Bluetooth 4.0 was a revolution. All of a sudden we had wireless transfer technology that consumed drastically less power while performing better in terms of range and capacity. As for Wi-Fi, we have the ever-trustworthy 802.11x standards with constant increase in speed over the years—802.11ah is an improvement over the earlier 802.11ad, which itself is under development. It can also penetrate walls and other barriers considerably better than previous Wi-Fi standards.

For a holistic picture, we need to look at the improvements over the years. Increase in performance has been coming at the cost of exhaustive power consumption. So let us look at how power can be reduced in devices while increasing performance. Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) allow reduction in power without any compromise in performance.

Improving performance with lesser power

An area of signi cant improvement has been the usage of modules with power- saving features, especially when the system is idle. In such modules, standby power consumption typically ranges between 1.9mA and 5.7mA, which is ideal for battery-powered systems. Modules that go into sleep mode when wireless transmission is inactive provide the ability to power individual blocks on the board, like the transmitter or the DSP and, hence, help hugely in improving performance.

Power consumption protocols in BLE consume only a fraction of the power purged by earlier versions. This is not done by sacri cing on signal strength, but by al- tering the duty cycle. It is optimised for small bursts of data where continuous use actually makes the device consume more power. Transmitting via bursts does not cause loss in data but allows you to save power. This data is then transmitted via the antenna, which is another major player in wireless per- formance. A conventional nite ground coplanar waveguide, for example, can be modi ed to obtain wide-band response at desired frequencies.

The receiver plays a big role.

Wireless performance can be directly increased by increasing transmitting power, but that would not be productive. Increasing the transmitted power will get you longer range but could also lead to multichannel signal interference. Also, load on a mobile battery would cause it to be consumed in a matter of few hours.

Sensitivity of the wireless receiver can, however, be increased to make a change in this regard. Theoretically speaking, increasing the sensitivity by 6dB doubles the range for reception.

Improving the design.

Optimising the communication receiver design leads to compromise on certain other parameters. A super-heterodyne receiver, for example, may require ltering signals between the antenna and the front-end mixer to prevent interference from unwanted sources. Here lies the problem. Once you introduce a narrow-band filter, a signal loss corresponding to receiver noise gure is also introduced. Adding a preampli er could compensate for the lter, while lowering the noise gure.

This, on the other hand, brings along its own set of inter-modula- tion problems, resulting in possible degradation of mixer performance. There is still a possibility to optimise key parameters like sensitivity and dynamic range. Since adding the preampli er results in inter-modulation problems, it creates speci c design challenges.

Traditionally, high linearity and low noise in high-frequency applications was achieved by frequency applications that used gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium phosphide (InP) gain blocks. This could become a serious problem in battery-powered or low-voltage applications because of high power dissipation. A more practical method is to improve the characteristics of the antenna and its installation to improve transmission ef ciency of the overall system.

Characteristics to be considered for antenna design include frequency of transmission, input impedance, antenna gain, polarisation and radiation pattern. Provision of detachable antenna in a receiver allows you to use different types of antennae for optimal reception.

Considering the throughput.

Throughput is another area to consider with wireless transmission—the higher the better. SubhasKamble, portfolio manager communication and devices, product engineering services, Sasken, explains, “Higher throughput is addressed with newer technologies, and latency reduction increases performance.”

Throughput is essentially synonymous with digital bandwidth consumption. Factors affecting throughput include analogue physical medium, available processing power of system components and end-user behaviour. Transferred data rate is often significantly lower than the maximum achievable throughput, when various protocol over- heads are considered.

Kamble explains the signi cance of throughput as the need of low data but high coverage in Internet of Things (IoT) and M2M communications. “LoRa and SigFox technologies address longer battery life and large coverage areas for lesser throughput solutions,” says Kamble.

What is next in wireless

Today’s wireless systems use non-chaotic wireless signals, ranging over satellite communications, GPS navigation, mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices. These have a well-defined period and frequency, which causes physical impediments with wireless signals
in open spaces. A study done a couple of years ago proposed chaotic signals for overcoming some of the constraints faced by wireless devices to improve performance. An added advantage was that these allowed designing of low-power, low-cost and small-area electronic circuits.

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The next era of computing is the Internet of Things (IoT), also known as the Internet of Objects. IoT refers to the networked interconnection of everyday objects, which are equipped with ubiquitous intelligence. A recent report by McKinsey Global Institute reported that the number of connected machines has increased by 300 per cent over the last few years. By 2025, economic impact of the IoT is estimated to range from $2.7 trillion to $6.2 trillion. Wikibon predicts that the value created from the Internet will be about $1279 billion in 2020, growing annually at a rate of 14 per cent.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines the IoT as, “A global infrastructure for the information society, enabling advanced services by interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on existing and evolving interoperable information and communication technologies.”

The scope of the IoT is increasing in diverse ways, as IoT-based solutions are extending to virtually all areas of everyday life, from smart homes to smart industrial production. And the evolution of Industry 4.0 has begun.

Fig. 1: IoT layered architecture

The term ‘Internet of Things’ consists of two words: Internet and things. The latter refers to various IoT devices with unique identities, which are capable of remote sensing, actuating and live monitoring of certain kind of data. IoT devices are also enabled for live exchange of data with other connected devices and applications, either directly or indirectly, or collecting data from other devices, processing it and sending it to various servers. The other term‘Internet’ is defined as a global communication network connecting trillions of computers across the planet, enabling information sharing.

IoT architecture

As the IoT is capable of connecting billions of heterogeneous objects via the Internet, there is an emerging requirement for a dynamic layered architecture. Fig. 1 represents a standard IoT layered architecture.

Objects layer

The first layer (perception layer) represents physical sensors of the IoT, which sense, collect and process information.

Object abstraction layer

This layer transfers the data acquired by the object layer to the service management layer via secure channels. Data can be transferred using different technologies like 3G, 4G, GSM, UMTS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee.

Service management layer

This layer enables IoT application programmers to work with heterogeneous objects, irrespective of the hardware platform.

Application layer

This layer enables high-quality smart services to fetch what the customers need. It covers smart homes, smart production units, transportation, smart healthcare-based biosensor equipment, etc.

Business layer

This layer manages the overall IoT system’s activities and services. It is responsible for building the business model, graphs and flowcharts on the basis of data acquired at the application layer.

IoT protocols

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have defined some of the most important protocols for the IoT. These are listed below.

Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP)

Created by the IETF Constrained RESTful Environments (CoRE) working group, CoAP is an Internet application protocol for constrained devices. It is designed for use between devices on the same constrained network, between devices and general nodes on the Internet, and between devices on different constrained networks—both joined on the Internet. This protocol is especially designed for IoT systems based on HTTP protocols. CoAP makes use of the UDP protocol for lightweight implementation. It also makes use of RESTful architecture, which is very similar to the HTTP protocol. It is used within mobiles and social-network-based applications and eliminates ambiguity by using the HTTP get, post, put and delete methods. Apart from communicating IoT data, CoAP allows secure exchange of messages by using datagram transport layer security (DTLS) protocol.

Fig. 2: How CoAP works

MQTT protocol

Message queue telemetry transport (MQTT), a messaging protocol, was developed by Andy Stanford-Clark of IBM and Arlen Nipper of Arcom in 1999. It is mostly used for remote monitoring in the IoT. Its primary task is to acquire data from many devices and transport it to the IT infrastructure. MQTT connects devices and networks with applications and middleware. A hub-and-spoke architecture is natural for MQTT. All the devices connect to data concentrator servers like IBM’s new MessageSight appliance. MQTT protocols work on top of TCP to provide simple and reliable data streams.

MQTT protocol consists of three main components: subscriber, publisher and broker. The publisher generates the data and transmits the information to subscribers through the broker. The broker ensures security by cross-checking the authorisation of publishers and subscribers.

MQTT protocol is the preferred option for IoT-based devices, and is able to provide efficient information-routing functions to small, cheap, low-memory and power-consuming devices in vulnerable and low-bandwidth networks.

Fig. 3: MQTT protocol architecture

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ME910C1-AU module expedites migration of existing 2G/3G connections and shortens time-to-market for new Cat M1 devices for the Australian market

New Delhi, January 16, 2018 – Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that its quad-band, dual-mode ME910C1-AU, based on the Qualcomm® MDM9206 LTE IoT modem, is the first module to receive LTE Category M1 (Cat M1) certification for operation on Telstra’s mobile network. Certification means IoT integrators and providers looking to deploy in Australia can quickly start taking advantage of the reliability and around three million square kilometers of Telstra’s LTE Cat M1 coverage built specifically for the IoT.

“This certification is a first in many ways for Telit,” said Yosi Fait, Telit CEO. “The ME910 is the first to receive Telstra Cat M1 certification; it is the first regional market launch of the dual-mode Cat M1 and NB1 module series of the ME910C1, and it is the first IoT module form-factor in Australia available for all commercially available cellular standards in the region. With it, our existing customers integrating or selling products into Australia using 2G or 3G modules from the xE910 family, can now simply drop in the new ME910C1-AU and start testing Cat M1 in a matter of weeks. New projects can also get to market quickly with assistance from our network of customer support centres and distributors available in the same time zone with local presence in a number of metropolitan areas in Australia.”

The ME910C1-AU module is a member of Telit’s best-selling xE910 family and can easily be applied as a pin-to-pin replacement for existing devices based on the family’s modules for 2G, 3G, LTE Categories 1, 3 and 4. With the company’s design-once-use-anywhere philosophy, developers can cut costs and development time by simply designing for the xE910 LGA common form factor, giving them the freedom to deploy technologies best suited for the application’s environment. The ME910C1-AU also features optimized power consumption and optional quad-constellation GNSS support capabilities. The ME910C1-AU, based on the Qualcomm MDM9206 global multimode modem, is the first LTE IoT technology to receive Telstra Cat M1 certification.

Industries that demand lower costs, security and extended product lifecycles now have more options with the Telit ME910C1-AU. The longevity of the LTE Cat M1 standard and extensive feature set make it an ideal solution for new and existing applications in vertical segments like telematics, smart energy and metering, asset tracking, retail, point-of-sale, security and surveillance, industrial control and automation, smart home, and smart buildings.

Telit has the broadest portfolio of certified LTE IoT modules in the industry.

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DC/DC PMIC plus 4x Integrated High Side Gate Drivers

Worcester, MA – January, 16, 2018 – Allegro MicroSystems, LLC announces a new power management IC that integrates a buck or buck/boost pre-regulator, four LDOs, and four floating gate drivers. The pre-regulator uses a buck or buck/boost topology to efficiently convert automotive battery voltages into a tightly regulated intermediate voltage complete with control, diagnostics, and protections. Allegro’s ARG82800 device is targeted at the automotive market with end applications to include electronic power steering (EPS), transmission control units (TCU), and advanced braking systems (ABS).

The output of the pre-regulator supplies a 3.3 V or 5.0 V selectable 350 mA linear regulator, a 5 V / 100 mA linear regulator, and two 120 mA protected linear regulators which track VUC output. Designed to supply power for microprocessors, sensors, and CAN transceivers, the ARG82800 is ideal for under-hood applications.

The independent floating gate drivers have the capability of controlling N-channel MOSFETs through SPI. These MOSFETs can be configured as phase or battery isolation devices in high current motor applications. An integrated charge pump allows the driver outputs to maintain the power MOSFETs in the on state over the full supply range with high phase-voltage slew rates. Enable inputs to the ARG82800 include a logic level (ENB) and a high voltage key-switch enable (ENBAT). It also provides flexibility with a disable function of the individual outputs through a serial peripheral interface (SPI).

Diagnostic outputs from the device include a power-on reset output (NPOR) and a fault flag output (FFn) to alert the microprocessor that a fault has occurred. The microprocessor can read fault status through SPI. Dual bandgaps (one for regulation and one for fault checking), BIST, and a myriad of internal diagnostics enhance Functional Safety (FuSa) coverage for critical automotive applications.

The ARG82800 is supplied in a low-profile (1.2 mm maximum height) 38-lead eTSSOP package (suffix “LV”) with exposed power pad for enhanced thermal performance. It is priced at $4.49 in quantities of 1,000.

The post New ISO 26262 / ASIL-D Power Management IC for Automotive Control Units appeared first on Electronics For You.

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Jan. 17, 2018 — Alliance Memory today extended its offering of 256Mb high-speed CMOS SDRAMs with new x8 and x4 devices in the 54-pin 400-mil plastic TSOP II package.

“Alliance Memory is the market’s SDRAM leader, offering the broadest product lineup of any vendor, with densities from 16Mb to 512Mb in a wide range of configurations and packages,” said TJ Mueller, Vice President of Marketing at Alliance Memory. “We are excited to add these new 256Mb devices to our portfolio, which complement our existing x16 and x32 parts.”

Internally configured as four banks of 32M x 8 bits and 64M x 4 bits, respectively, the AS4C32M8SA and AS4C64M4SA provide reliable drop-in, pin-for-pin-compatible replacements for a number of similar solutions used for image storage and video buffering in consumer and industrial products, and wearables. The SDRAMs offer a synchronous interface, operate from a single +3.3V (± 0.3V) power supply, and are lead (Pb)- and halogen-free.

The devices released today feature fast access time from clock down to 5.4 ns and clock rates to 166 MHz, and they are available in commercial (0 °C to +70 °C) and industrial (-40 °C to +85 °C) operating temperature ranges. The SDRAMs offer programmable read or write burst lengths of 1, 2, 4, 8, or full page, with a burst termination option. An auto pre-charge function provides a self-timed row pre-charge initiated at the end of the burst sequence. Easy-to-use refresh functions include auto- or self-refresh, while a programmable mode register allows the system to choose the most suitable modes to maximize performance.

Device Specification Table:

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FMW, Ltd. announces design and sales support for a three-stage, LTE-U / LAA power amplifier from Qorvo. The QPA9501 serves wireless infrastructure from 5.1 to 5.9GHz via its internally matched, fully integrated PA with power detector. Boasting 32dB of gain, the QPA9501 provides good linear performance without the need for linearization (-47dBc ACLR at 23dBm). Applications include Wi-Fi access points and small cells, telematics and point-to-point backhaul. As a general purpose power amplifier, it offers 32dBm P1dB and draws 350mA from a 5V supply. Offered in a 5x5mm package.

About RFMW, Ltd.:

RFMW Ltd. is a specialty electronics Distribution Company focused exclusively on serving customers that require RF and microwave components and semiconductors, as well as component engineering support. The company continues to expand its list of products from selective suppliers with RF/microwave expertise. RFMW deploys a highly experienced, skilled and technically competent team to assist customers with component selection and fulfillment.

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In the DPDT (double pole double throw) based joystick or the RF transmitter module switch based joystick, you must press two buttons simultaneously for a robot to move forward, backward or in circle. In this one, you can press one button for one motion very similar to a normal joystick. You need not practice controlling the robot as you do when you use a DPDT based joystick. This joystick circuit is quite cheaper than the joysticks available in the market. You only have to connect it to a RF transmitter module and make the supply common.

Author’s Prototype

Components Required

Circuit Diagram

Setting up the Circuit

I noted down the logic needed for each move like forward, backward, left, right, clockwise and anticlockwise rotation and made a truth table based on that truth table I designed the circuit which is nothing but a circuit of 6*4 Encoder circuit, on pressing any of six button a BCD code is generated which is for certain move. You may think why I have not used 16*4 encoder IC or 3 input OR gate IC. It’s simply because it is difficult to find in the market.

Circuit operation

Whenever any input of OR gate goes HIGH its output will be HIGH and NOT gate output will be HIGH when input is LOW, and LOW when input is HIGH. Initially every gate used in circuit is pulled down to zero by pulldown resistor 1K. Suppose forward button is pressed as shown in circuit diagram it will make U1:A (OR gate) go HIGH which will make U1:B(OR gate) go HIGH also it will make U1:C (OR gate) go HIGH which will make U2:A(OR gate) go HIGH before passing not gate code generated is 1010 but after passing through not gates it become 0101 which is required logic to move forward as you can see in the truth table.
Similarly when we press backward button as in circuit diagram it will make U1:D and U2:B (OR gates) go HIGH, here before passing not gates code is 0101 after passing not gate it become 1010 which is required condition for moving backward, led will glow according to the code it will glow indicating HIGH else LOW. Match the each output with truth table and then connect the RF transmitter module with it. In RF transmitter module 4 switches are given connect the output of circuit A, B, C, D to that switch and make the supply common.

Tutorial Video

If you have any doubt you can watch a video at:

The post Make Your Own Joystick for RF Controlled Robot appeared first on Electronics For You.

Home security cameras are becoming smart with in-built Wi-Fi connectivity, motion sensors, real-time streaming and so on. Also, in the market, there are numerous options to choose from, varying in price and features. In this article we list the must-have features for your security camera.

Features to look for

For indoor use like in homes, the preferable mode of connectivity is Wi-Fi with dual-band support (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz). Dual-band compatibility ensures smooth and uninterrupted connection and streaming. While it is a must, the parameters mentioned below are equally important:

Video quality and live streaming

Video quality of a security camera directly impacts the streaming data usage. A large number of products in the market offer 720p resolution, which is HD quality. Many products also offer 1080p video capture. However, higher the video quality, larger the storage space required. Data consumed for streaming will also be significantly higher and streaming speed may be slower, depending on the Wi-Fi connection. The battery will also be proportionately consumed. However, higher-resolution cameras provide the option to change the resolution settings as required. Go for a security camera with image quality between 1.3 and 2.0 megapixels.

Sensorised security and image capture

Motion and audio sensors allow the camera to inform users about unanticipated movement in their premises. Make sure that you choose a camera that gives minimal false positives—false alarms due to the motion and sound of an animal. Sensor-based security feature allows mobile-based notifications, specific image capture and also video highlight. So you can be alerted to check the live feed.

Storage options

Higher storage is always an added benefit. Smart cameras usually come with a microSD slot. The higher the expansion supported, the better for you. MicroSD storage ranges from 16GB to 128GB. Smart cameras are also capable of storing images on a cloud server. The storage limit over cloud depends on the subscription ratings set by the vendor. Look for both microSD as well as cloud storage options. However, before purchase, check streaming and storage security standards with the vendor.

Field-of-view and zoom capacity

The lens’ field-of-view is the extent of area it can cover in a specific position. Larger field-of-view is always better and should be preferably 180 degrees. You can get decent options in lower field-of-view (within 120 degrees) as well, but these will have less coverage area. Make sure that zoom capacity is at least 21x.

Audio support and night vision

Check whether the camera is audio-compatible, i.e., able to store audio along with video. An audio-compatible device will allow two-way interactions as well, so you can answer your door and interact with the person on the other side directly through your camera system. Night vision is beneficial for surveillance of your premises during night time.

Mobile app control

Most smart cameras can be controlled remotely through a smartphone or tablet using mobile application. Check the interface for ease of use. Mobile applications also allow features like remote live streaming of videos, stored video access from anywhere via cloud and two-way interaction including audio. Some mobile applications even provide analytics.

Options in the market

While the cost of a smart security camera varies depending on the features offered and the quality of the product, it usually lies between ₹ 3000 and ₹ 7000 per unit. High-end devices can cost up to ₹ 18,000 a unit. Some of the smart security cameras available in the Indian market are mentioned below:

D3D Fisheye Vision offers a 360-degree surveillance with 128GB SD card support, 720p HD video quality (streamable as well as accessible through cloud), two-way audio and surveillance through five angles. The product is priced at ₹ 3850.

Sricam SP005 is a Wi-Fi-driven, HD camera with basic features like motion detection and alert, horizontal and vertical rotation, two way-audio and 128GB memory expansion. It is priced at ₹ 3000.

DIY Cam India’s E91i is an HD Wi-Fi camera with night vision, motion detection alert and 1MP image capture capability. It supports a 128GB SD card and cloud connectivity. The price is ₹ 4299.

YI home camera is an affordable option at a price of just ₹ 2500. The camera offers 720p HD video, 111-degree field-of-view, two-way audio, anti-noise filter and more. It also comes in full HD (1080p) option, which costs around ₹ 5000.

Samsung smartcam HD pro is a high-end, Wi-Fi-enabled, full HD (1080p) camera with all the important features including security notification, H.264 compression technology to reduce false alarms, 2MP image quality and 111-degree field-of-view with coverage up to 4.8 metres (16 feet). It costs as much as ₹ 18,000.

Last but not the least

There are lot many affordable options available in the market. Compare all in terms of warranty period and subscription offers to get the best deal.

The post Smart Cameras appeared first on Electronics For You.

Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers^[1].

Upon Completion of the slideshow, you will be able to understand the following:

• What is “Nanoscale”?
• Nanotechnology
• What makes the Nanoscale special?
• Need of Nanotechnology in Electronics
• Nanotechnology in Electronics
• Common Applications of Nanotechnology in Electronics
• Future Scope of Nanotechnology

For reading the other helpful material regarding Nanotechnology, you can refer to 15 free ebooks on Nanotechnology.

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Munich, Germany – 18 January 2018 – Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) releases BCR430U, a constant current linear LED driver IC. The BCR430U provides industry-leading drop performance for regulating LED current in standalone operation. No external power transistor is needed. Typical applications for the BCR430U include LED strips, architectural LED lighting, LED displays as well as retail, appliance and emergency lighting.

The voltage drop at the integrated driver IC can go down to 135 mV at 50 mA. This improves overall efficiency and provides the voltage headroom required to compensate for LED forward voltage tolerances and variances in the supply voltage. Thus, more flexibility in the lighting design is possible. With the BRCU430U, additional LEDs can be added to lighting designs without changing the supply voltage.

The LED driver current ranges between 5 mA and 100 mA, and can be easily adjusted via high ohmic resistor on a dedicated pin. The supply voltage ranges between 6 V and 42 V. For safe and reliable operation and to extend the LED lifetime, a smart over-temperature controlling circuit reduces the LED current when the junction temperature is very high.

The post BCR430U Improves Efficiency for LED Strips With an Ultra-Low Voltage Drop Linear LED Driver IC appeared first on Electronics For You.

TRACO POWER has announced the release of their TEQ 300WIR family of isolated, high performance DC/DC converter modules featuring ultra-wide 4:1 input ranges with Railway (EN 50155) and Industrial (IEC/EN/UL 60950-1 & UL 508) safety approvals.

The TEQ 300WIR family consists of 8 standard models offering input ranges of 18~75 / 43~160 VDC and output voltages of 12 / 24 / 28 / 48 VDC. These 300 watt chassis mount DC/DC converters are fully potted in a sealed metal case that has been qualified for resistance against shock and vibration in industrial and railway environments per EN 61373 and MIL-STD-810F. Their high efficiency and heatsink design allow for convection-cooled operation of -40°C to +80°C (up to +55°C without derating). Features include: high efficiency operation up to 92%; I/O isolation of 3,000 VDC; under voltage lockout; protection against over-voltage / over-temperature / short circuit; and an input filter to meet EN 55022 & EN 55011 class A conducted. Status and control features include remote on/off, remote sense and active current share. These converters measure a mere 6.00 x 4.00 x 1.52”. All models are safety approved to IEC/EN/UL 60950-1, EN 50155, UL 508, CB test report and bear the CE Mark with a warranty of 3 Years.

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With expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), we are looking at an ecosystem filled with sensors geographically distributed over large areas. This calls for a wide-area network (WAN) bridged by low-power communication technologies. Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You spoke to Gaurav Sareen, country director-India, Sigfox, to understand benefits of low-power wide-area network technologies and how the Indian ecosystem is adapting to these.

Q. How are low-power communication technologies benefitting wide-area networks?

A. Till date, cellular communication was the only WAN technology available. However, it was meant to use radio technology and support high bandwidth-making it extremely power-hungry. In machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, where the sensor-driven data payload is going to be very small and infrequent, cellular technologies become an overkill due to their power inefficiency.

That is where the tables turned with low-power wide-area network (LPWAN). LPWAN technologies were developed bottom-up to be highly power-efficient. You can have battery-powered sensors to work for an upward of ten years without having to replace their battery.

Q. How do LPWAN technologies achieve improved energy efficiency?

A. The main difference lies in the design of the transceiver. The transceiver in cellular devices is always ‘on,’ continuously sending and receiving data from the nearest station. In LPWAN, the edge device transmitting the data is sleeping most of the time. The transceiver wakes up only at predefined times or based on real-time information to transmit its data and goes back to sleep. That is how it conserves energy.

Q. Cost-wise, how do these compare to the existing technologies?

A. Communication is a function of two things-transceiver and connectivity itself. Let’s take the simple example of your mobile service: First, you pay for the cost of the cellphone that has the transceiver embedded in the device, and then you pay for the connectivity to the network provider. New technologies are trying to address these cost points and bring them down.

To give you a clear idea, our transceiver costs just about 1/15th of a cell phone transceiver’s price. Typically, a cell phone transceiver costs $10-$12. Our transceivers cost $1.89. The cost of cellular networks today for M2M application is typically about $60 a year per device (about Rs 300 a month) as against Sigfox network’s about $3-$4 a year per device.

Going forward, as the cost of transceivers goes down further to a few cents, these sensors can be embedded in a larger variety of applications, and applications like the IoT and M2M will start becoming the mainstream.

Q. Any example?

A. An example is embedding transceivers in envelopes or packages to trace when and where these are opened. This solves a lot of problems faced by e-commerce companies. Earlier, they tried to outsource their logistics but realised that it was extremely inefficient because a lot of products were getting lost, causing 30-40 per cent shipment loss. Now they have insourced the logistics for better control and some are starting to implement the envelope solution. They are receiving a message about the location and timestamp when the package is opened, so the team can verify whether the package was received by the intended recipient or opened somewhere else.

Q. How are LPWANs being secured?

A. Today, security is being designed in every aspect of the connected ecosystem, starting from the device or hardware level. For that, we are using Secure Elements (SE), which is an additional hardware component that actually encrypts the data flowing into the hardware and checks the authenticity of the device. This ensures that the hardware is not compromised. Following that, in the network layer, advanced encryption schemes (AES) ensure that data in motion is secure. Finally, we have the application layer where data is tested to ensure it is infection-free.

Q. Is the Indian ecosystem ready for these?

A. The biggest challenge today is the lack of hardware. This is inhibiting the IoT from becoming mainstream.

The second challenge is the lack of a well-defined policy. Policy-makers are trying to frame out a structure considering all use cases where data privacy regulation needs to be followed and where it can be relaxed. Again, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will start certifying IoT devices-but that will also require a certification framework. This is taking time because the technology is in a nascent stage.

Awareness and education in the market is another challenge in the ecosystem.

The post The Biggest Challenge Today is The “Lack of Hardware” appeared first on Electronics For You.