Here are my collection of trends and predictions for electronics industry for 2015:
The computer market, once the IC growth driver per se, apparently is approaching saturation status. Communications industry is still growing (6.8%.). Automotive V2X, LED lighting and smart domestic objects are set to drive semiconductor market growth through the year 2020, according to market analysis firm Gartner.
Car electronics will be hot in 2015. New cars will have more security features, smart infotainment and connectivity in them. It is an are where smart phone companies are pushing to. Automotive Industry Drives Chip Demand article says that until 2018, the IC demand from automotive customers is expected to exhibit the strongest average annual growth — 10.8% on average. This is significantly higher than the communications industry, at second place with 6.8%. Demand drivers include safety features that increasingly are becoming mandatory, such as backup cameras or eCall. But driver-assistance systems are also becoming ubiquitous. Future drivers will include connectivity, such as vehicle-to-vehicle communications, as well as sensors and controllers necessary for various degrees of autonomous driving.
Power electronics is a $90 billion-per-year market. The market for discrete power electronics is predicted to grow to $23 billion by 2024 from $13 billion today. Silicon rules power electronics industry, but new materials are pushing to headlines quickly. In the power electronics community, compound semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN) are drawing more attention as they try to displace silicon based power devices, which have been doing the heavy lifting for the past 30 years or so. While silicon-based devices are predicted to remain predominant with an 87% share of the market, it is expected that SiC- and GaN-based components to grow at annual rates of 30% and 32%, respectively. There’s no denying the cost advantages that silicon possesses.
Chip designs that enable everything from a 6 Gbit/s smartphone interface to the world’s smallest SRAM cell will be described at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in February 2015. Intel will describe a Xeon processor packing 5.56 billion transistors, and AMD will disclose an integrated processor sporting a new x86 core, according to a just-released preview of the event. The annual ISSCC covers the waterfront of chip designs that enable faster speeds, longer battery life, more performance, more memory, and interesting new capabilities. There will be many presentations on first designs made in 16 and 14 nm FinFET processes at IBM, Samsung, and TSMC.
There is push to go to even smaller processes, and it seems that next generation of lithography equipment are started to being used. Earlier expectation was for chipmakers to use traditional immersion lithography for production of 10 nm chip, but it seems that extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanners that allows allow scaling to 10 nm or even smaller is being used. TSMC to Use EUV for 7nm, Says ASML. Intel and TSMC have been injecting money in ASML to push process technology.
2015 promises to see initial FPGA product releases and (no doubt) a deluge of marketing claims and counter-claims. One thing is certain: 2015 will not be boring. There will be FPGA products that use processes beyond 20nm, for example Altera and Xilinx have committed to use the TSMC 16nm FinFET technology. There is publicized (and rumored) race to get to production at 14nm has seen time frames for initial samples move into 2015. However, with both FPGA companies reporting gross margins of close to 70 percent, it would be possible for either company to take an initial hit on margin to gain key socket wins.
It seems that the hardware becomes hot again as Wearables make hardware the new software. Apple invest its time when it released the Apple Watch last quarter, going up against the likes of Google’s Android Wear and others in the burgeoning wearables area of design. Once Apple’s bitten into a market, it’s somewhat a given that there’s good growth ahead and that the market is, indeed, stable enough. As we turn to 2015 and beyond wearables becomes an explosive hardware design opportunity — one that is closely tied to both consumer and healthcare markets. It could pick up steam in the way software did during the smartphone app explosion.
There will be more start-up activity within hardware sector. For recent years, the software has been on the main focus on the start-ups, and the hardware sector activity has been lower. Hardware sector has seem some start-up activity with many easy to use open hardware platforms became available (make development of complex devices easier and reachable for smaller companies). The group financing (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.) have made it possible to test of new hardware ideas are market-worthy and get finance to get them to production.
EEs embrace hackathons aand accelerators. Design 2.0 is bubbling up in the engineering community, injecting new energy into the profession. In many ways, it’s the new Moore’s Law. Easy to use open hardware development platforms have made it possible to design working hardware device prototypes within hackathons.
Silicon Startups Get Incubator article tells that there will be new IC start-up activity as semiconductor veterans announced plans for an incubator dedicated to helping chip startups design their first prototypes. Keysight, Synopsys, and TSMC have signed exclusive deals to provide tools and services to the incubator. Silicon Catalyst aims to select its first batch of about 10 chip startups before April.
MEMS mics are taking over. Almost every mobile device has ditched its old-fashioned electret microphone invented way back in 1962 at Bell Labs. Expect new piezoelectric MEMS microphones, which promise unheard of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of up to 80 dB (versus 65 dB in the best current capacitive microphones) in 2015. MEMS microphones are growing like gangbusters.Also engineers have found a whole bunch of applications that can use MEMS microphone as a substitute for more specialized sensors starting in 2015.
There will be advancements in eco-design. There will be activity within Europe’s Ecodesign directive. The EC’s Ecodesign Working Plan for 2015-2017 is currently in its final study stages – the plan is expected to be completed by January 2015. The chargers will be designed for lower zero load power consumption in 2015, as on February 2016, after the 5-watt chargers are no longer at no load connected consume more than 0.1 watts of power. Socket for power supplies values are defined in the new Energy Star standard VI.
LED light market growing in 2015. Strategies Unlimited estimates that in 2014 the LED lamps were sold $ 7 billion, or about 5.7 billion euros. In 2019 the LED lamps will already sold just over 12 billion euros. LED technology will replace other lighting technologies quickly. For those who do not go to the LED Strategies Unlimited permission difficult times – all other lamp technologies, the market will shrink 14 percent per year. The current lighting market growth is based on LED proliferation of all the different application areas.
IoT market is growing fast in 2015. Gartner is predicting a 30 percent compound annual growth rate for the IoT chip market for the period 2013 to 2020. The move to create billions of smart, autonomously communicating objects known as the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving the need for low-power sensors, processors and communications chips. Gartner expects chips for IoT market to grow 36% in 2015 (IoT IC marker value in 2014 was from $3.9 billion to $9 billion depending how you calculate it). The sales generated by the connectivity and sensor subsystems to enabled this IoT will amount $48.3 billion in 2014 and grow 19 percent in 2015 to $57.7 billion. IC Insights forecasts that web-connected things will account for 85 percent of 29.5 billion Internet connections worldwide by 2020.
With the increased use of IoT, the security is becoming more and more important to embedded systems and chip designers. Embedded systems face ongoing threats of penetration by persistent individuals and organizations armed with increasingly sophisticated tools. There is push for IC makers to add on-chip security features to serve as fundamental enablers for secure systems, but it is just one part of the IoT security puzzle. The trend toward enterprise-level security lifecycle management emerges as the most promising solution for hardened security in embedded systems underlying the explosive growth of interconnected applications. The trend continues in 2015 for inclusion of even more comprehensive hardware support for security: More and more MCUs and specialized processors now include on-chip hardware accelerators for crypto operations.
Electronics is getting smaller and smaller. Component manufacturers are continually developing new and smaller packages for components that are mere fractions of a millimeter and have board to component clearances of less than a mil. Components are placed extremely close together. No-lead solder is a relatively recent legislated fact of life that necessitated new solder, new fluxes, higher temperatures, and new solder processing equipment. Tin whisker problems also increased dramatically. You should Improve device reliability via PCB cleanliness, especially if you are designing something that should last more then few years.
Photonics will get to the circuit board levels. Progress in computer technology (and the continuation of Moore’s Law) is becoming increasingly dependent on faster data transfer between and within microchips. We keep hearing that copper has reached its speed limit, and that optics will replace copper for high-speed signals. Photonics now can run through cables, ICs, backplanes, and circuit boards. Silicon chips can now have some optical components in them using silicon photonics technologies. For more than 10 years, “silicon photonics” has attracted significant research efforts due to the potential benefits of optoelectronics integration. Using silicon as an optical medium and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor fabrication processing technology, silicon photonics allows tighter monolithic integration of many optical functions within a single device.
Enter electro-optical printed circuits, which combine copper and optical paths on the same board. Electro-optical PCBs use copper for distributing power and low-speed data, and optical paths for high-speed signals. Optical backplane connectors have been developed, as well as a technique to align the small waveguides to transceivers on the board. The next challenge is to develop waveguides on to boards where the tight bends don’t degrade performance to unacceptable levels.
3D printing will bring structural electronics. With 3D printing hot in the news, and conformable, flexible, or even printed electronics fitting any shape, it is only a matter of time before electronic circuits can be laid-out as part of the 3D-printing process, the electronic framework becoming an integral supporting part of any object’s mechanical structure. For example “structural batteries” have already been implemented in electric cars, in racing-car aerofoils, and in the Tesla pure electric car.
Superconductors are heating up again. Superconductivity will be talked again in 2015 as there were some advancements in the end of 2014. A group of international scientists working with the National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, Calif., have discovered lasers that can create conditions for superconductivity at temperatures as high at 140°F. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has discovered a law governing thin-film superconductors, eliminating much of the trial and error for companies that manufacture superconducting photodetector. With MIT’s new mathematical law, new superconducting chips can be designed with the correct parameters determined ahead of time.
Frost and Sullivan forecast that “PXI to disrupt automated test” between 2015 and 2018. They predict PXI to achieve $1.75B in annual sales by 2020, up from $563M in 2013. That’s an aggregate growth rate of over 17%. Not bad for an industry that has an overall secular growth rate of 3 percent.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Microchip to Acquire Micrel
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326561&
Microcontroller and analog semiconductor company Microchip Technology Incorporated (Chandler, Ariz) announced Thursday (May 7) that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the analog semiconductor company Micrel (San Jose, Calif.) for $14.00 per share, equaling an acquisition price of $839 million.
“Micrel’s portfolio of linear and power management products, LAN solutions and timing and communications products, as well as their strong position in the industrial, automotive and communications markets, complement many of Microchip’s initiatives in these areas,” said Steve Sanghi, president and CEO of Microchip Technology, in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dialog, Foxconn, Lite-On to Form Sensor Joint Venture
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326555&
Dialog Semiconductor and Foxconn are set to transform Dyna Image, a Lite-On subsidiary making optical, inertial and environmental sensors for sale in the Chinese market, into a joint venture.
Dialog Semiconductor will work closely with Dyna Image on the development of sensors and sensor solutions for smartphones and IoT applications, including those for wearable devices. These technologies will initially include sensors for ambient light and proximity as well as colour and gesture analysis.
“This investment represents Dialogs first foray into the sensor market.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
See-through solar concentrator harvests energy from sunlight
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/tech-edge/4439375/See-through-solar-concentrator-harvests-energy-from-sunlight?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_funfriday_20150508&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_funfriday_20150508&elq=e96066c1db9b40a6858015d76abdb1c8&elqCampaignId=22919&elqaid=25798&elqat=1&elqTrackId=068493d042b04e14a99f0d2f9674839f
A team of Michigan State University (MSU) researchers has created a transparent solar concentrator able to turn any window (or other sheet of glass, such as the screen for a smartphone) into a photovoltaic solar cell. What makes this development different? The panel is truly transparent.
Earlier attempts at building transparent solar cells resulted in panels with tinted glass and/or compromised visibility. Lead researcher Richard Lunt, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science at MSU, says, “No one wants to sit behind colored glass. It makes for a very colorful environment, like working in a disco.”
MSU researchers used a transparent luminescent solar concentrator (TLSC) that employs organic salts to absorb invisible wavelengths of light, such as ultraviolet and infrared light.
The device “opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a nonintrusive way,” Lunt says. “It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality, like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately, we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hardware
Russian Company Unveils Homegrown PC Chips
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/05/10/232238/russian-company-unveils-homegrown-pc-chips
Reader WheatGrass shares the news from Russia Insider that MCST, Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies, has begun taking orders for Russian-made computer chips,
Besides the chips, MCST unveiled a new PC, the Elbrus ARM-401 which is powered by the Elbrus-4C chip and runs its own Linux-based Elbrus operating system. MCST said that other operating systems, including Microsoft’s Windows and other Linux distributions, can be installed on the Elbrus ARM-401.
Russia Unveils Homegrown PC Microprocessor Chips
http://russia-insider.com/en/business/russias-mcst-unveils-homegrown-pc-microprocessor-chips/ri6603
Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies begins taking orders for Russian-made computer chips, but one expert warns the technology lags five years behind that of western companies
Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies (MCST) has announced it’s now taking orders for its Russian-made microprocessors from domestic computer and server manufacturers. The chip, called Elbrus-4C, was fully designed and developed in MCST’s Moscow labs. It’s claimed to be the most high-tech processor ever built in Russia, and is comparable with Intel Corp’s Core i3 and Intel Core i5 processors.
Besides the chips, MCST unveiled a new PC, the Elbrus ARM-401 which is powered by the Elbrus-4C chip and runs its own Linux-based Elbrus operating system.
“This chip has been designed for everything connected with the extremely critical applications, such as military, information security, governance,” said Basil Moczar, an analyst with the Russian research company ITResearch, to Kommersant. “It’s priced cheaper and offers protection of information, so I do not see any problems.”
However not everyone was convinced Elbrus-4C was up to scratch with its U.S. made competitors. Sergei Viljanen, editor in chief of the Russian-language PCWorld website, told Kommersant the design was inferior to foreign chips.
“Russian processor technology is still about five years behind the west,” Viljanen said. “Intel’s chips come with a 14 nanometer design, whereas the Elbrus is 65 nanometers, which means they have a much higher energy consumption.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart High Power Density Motor Driver
http://www.eeweb.com/news/smart-high-power-density-motor-driver
STMicroelectronics will showcase its powerSTEP driver at the PCIM Europe 2015.
The fully integrated stepper-motor driver system-in-package offers an unprecedented power density of up to 500W/cm2
As a complete 14mm x 11mm System-in-Package that requires only minimal external components, powerSTEP integrates both the control circuitry and a complete power stage for driving the motor. It is the first such highly integrated device suited to high-power applications up to 85V and 10A,
As a complete 14mm x 11mm System-in-Package that requires only minimal external components, powerSTEP integrates both the control circuitry and a complete power stage for driving the motor.
The power stage consists of eight MOSFETs with low internal resistance (RDS) of just 16mΩ typical, which maximizes energy efficiency and minimizes heat dissipation to simplify thermal management.
An industry-standard SPI connection to the host allows convenient programming, and current-sense management and sensorless stall detection.
The POWERSTEP01 is in full production now, in the 14mm x 11mm VFQFN package priced from $4.50 for orders of 1000 pieces. The associated EVLPOWERSTEP01 evaluation board is also available to assist advanced application design.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Octal High Speed Industrial Switch
http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/maxim/octal-high-speed-industrial-switch/
Maxim Integrated’s MAX14900E is an octal low propagation delay 850 mA high-side switch that offers higher throughput, smaller footprint, and lower power in industrial automation. The device increases throughput by up to 70x for PLCs, HVAC, and industrial equipment. It is configured either individually by a serial SPI interface and/or globally by a parallel interface.
Maxim offers both a complete reference design (MAXREFDES63#) as well as an evaluation (EV) kit with special prototyping features.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dual-channel IC performs accurate power monitoring
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4439340/Dual-channel-IC-performs-accurate-power-monitoring?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150511&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150511&elq=178c50c2829e41dca34fe85e3c6625c6&elqCampaignId=22948&elqaid=25831&elqat=1&elqTrackId=65d120a3fa0242ca95010120db577316
Outfitted with two 24-bit delta-sigma ADCs and a 16-bit calculation engine, the MCP39F511 single-phase power-monitor IC from Microchip performs real-time measurement of AC power for use in commercial and industrial products, such as lighting and heating systems, smart plugs, power meters, and AC/DC power supplies. The device achieves SINAD performance of 94.5 dB on each measurement channel, allowing for better than 0.1% accuracy across a 4000:1 dynamic range.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ADI’s mixed-signal basic learning kit, in distribution
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/adi-s-mixed-signal-basic-learning-kit-in-distribution.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10006366&vID=209
Distributor element14 has the ADALM1000, a complete low cost learning ecosystem for mixed-signal circuit designs from Analog Devices.
Priced at £24.69 (UK Pounds or equivalent), the ADALM1000 is suitable for teachers, students, electronic design engineers, hobbyists and makers who can benefit from a portable, low cost source-measure unit that works by streaming to a desktop computer or laptop.
Based around from an open source hardware platform, the included software operates on Windows, Linux, OS X, Android, and BSD platforms and provides interactive data visualisation and analysis software that helps users test and measure many types of electronic circuits.
With the ADALM1000, users can build and test a wide range of components and circuits as well as download pre-defined projects and video lectures. C, C++, MATLAB and Python support is also included.
The Active Learning Module uses the USB connection from the user’s computer to provide integrated dual voltage and current supplies and can also act as a basic signal generator. The module also includes probes that allow users to do basic circuit measurements as well as more complex performance visualisation and analysis through the use of 16-bit, 100 ksample/sec signal conversion which is displayed on the user’s computer display.
ANALOG DEVICES ADALM1000 DEV MOD, EDUCATION, MEASUREMENT/ANALYSIS
http://uk.farnell.com/analog-devices/adalm1000/dev-mod-education-measurement/dp/2451847?ost=2451847
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel’s 10nm secrets predicted
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/intel-s-10nm-secrets-predicted.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10006241&vID=1326#.VVL8MpNLZ4A
A semiconductor analyst is making a bold and detailed prediction about the process technology Intel Corp. will use for its next two generations. If he is right, the world’s largest chip maker is set to leapfrog the industry once again.
Intel will use quantum well FETs starting with its 10nm process, said David Kanter in an analysis posted on his Real World Technologies Web site. The new transistor structures will use two new materials – indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) for n-type transistors and strained germanium for p-type devices, he said.
If correct, Intel could gain a capability as early as 2016 to produce 10nm transistors operating as much as 200 mV lower, for lower power consumption, than the rest of the industry. Kanter expects other chip makers will not be able to catch up with the techniques until their 7nm node, at least two years later.
It could take more than a year before Intel discloses its 10nm plans, Kanter said, giving his own predictions an 80-90%confidence level.
“Everything I saw pointed in this direction,” Kanter told EE Times. “The question is not, ‘will Intel do quantum well FETs?’, the question is, ‘will it be at 10 or 7nm?” he said.
“Using compound semiconductors in the channel is not unique to Intel’s research, but it’s clear no one is quite so far along as Intel publishing on them,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Imagination lets universities see source RTL for a “real” MIPS core
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/imagination-lets-universities-see-source-rtl-for-a-real-mips-core.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10006284&vID=1326#.VVL715NLZ4A
Imagination Technologies says it is revolutionising education in CPU architectures by introducing a university programme that gives “free and open” access to a modern MIPS CPU; the MIPSfpga programme lets universities study MIPS RTL code and explore a real MIPS CPU
The offering is part the company’s Imagination University Programme (IUP) – MIPSfpga – as part of which participating university departments can get free and open access to a fully-validated, current generation MIPS CPU in a complete teaching package.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multi-function integrated FET switch replaces automotive relays
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/multi-function-integrated-fet-switch-replaces-automotive-relays.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10006259&vID=1325#.VVL75JNLZ4A
Infineon’s HITFET+ switch family features adjustable slew rate and outstanding protection features; the first family member BTF3050TE is now in high-volume production for replacement of electromechanical relays.
The HITFET+ family are protected low-side switches;they comprise highly integrated temperature protected MOSFETs with a feature set including diagnosis function, digital status feedback and short-circuit robustness, and – not available until today – controlled slew rate adjustment for easily balancing switching losses and EMC compliance. The HITFET+ family will comprise at least 16 members varying in RDS(on) (10 to 800 mOhm), feature set (i.e. with and without status feedback), and package size (D-PAK with 5 or 3 pins, DSO with 8 pins). HITFET+ products of one package size are completely scalable: There is no need for system designers to change either software or PCB layout to drive various loads. The first family member, the BTF3050TE, is already available in high-volume.
HITFET+ is aimed at a wide range of automotive and industrial applications whenever there is need for MOSFETs with protection functionality
In automotive applications, the HITFET+ products can drive solenoids for valve control with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) up to 20 kHz. They suit automotive light dimming applications where they prevent flickering and support typical power levels of 10W to 60W. The HITFET+ family is suitable for a range of other automotive applications such as mid-size and small-size electric motor drives for door lock or parking brake; for injection valves for alternative fuel (LPG, CNG); flap driving in HVAC (heating ventilation and air-conditioning); rear wheel steering applications as well as safety relay replacement in active suspension systems.
HITFET+ products are also suitable as protected drivers in a wide area of industrial applications such as printers; vacuum cleaners; solar power modules; and vending machines.
“Infineon invented the HITFET protected low-side switches more than two decades ago and established an industry standard. Our most recent HITFET+ family will provide the right low-side switch wherever over-temperature or over-current protection are needed in automotive and industrial applications,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bare Die Products Available At Digi-Key
http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/digikey/bare-die-products-available-at-digi-key/
Digi-Key announces the distribution of a few select devices from Central Semiconductor that are available in bare die form. Central Semiconductors designs and manufactures high quality innovative discrete semiconductors for today’s latest electronic products, serving the consumer, industrial, alternative energy, communications, computer, avionics and automotive markets. Bare die solutions are new options introduced by Digi-Key to its customer base earlier this year.
“Bare die product requests are steadily growing in popularity,” said David Stein, Vice President for Global Semiconductor Product at Digi-Key.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Configurable Load Switch and Reset Timer
http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/fairchild_semiconductor/configurable-load-switch-and-reset-timer/
The FTL75939 is an advanced load management device and a reset IC for applications such as smartphones and other portable devices. As an advanced load management switch, it disconnects loads powered from the DC power rail with stringent off-state current targets and high load capacitances of up to 200 uF. As a rest timer, it has one input and one fixed delay output of 7.5 s ±20%
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low Cost Speed Controllers
http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/ixys/low-cost-speed-controllers/
This application note presents Z8 Encore! XP® as low-cost speed controller for single phase, permanent split capacitor motors. It describes the theory of operation of the motor speed, as well as the motor description, hardware architecture, AC/DC converter, testing set-up, and the results of the motor speed using AC phase control.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The PCB Amplifier: Delivering Superior Performance
http://www.eeweb.com/blog/san_francisco_circuits/the-pcb-amplifier-delivering-superior-performance1
Power Amps & the Superior PCB Amp
Traditionally, tube power amps were all point-to-point (PTP) wired or of stripboard construction. Components were wired to a long tag board, which was then mounted under a metal chassis.
From the tag board, hook-up wire was used to connected components to tube sockets, speaker binding posts, etc. This method helped enable mass production of amplifiers, radios, and televisions. In fact, some of the most expensive power amps still use this method.
In recent years, the PCB amps in production have actually been worse than tube amps quality-wise; however, the PCB technology is not at fault. PCB amps were produced with low costs in mind, using other low-level components or poor assembly practices. After all, PCBs are used in many high-level industries including defense, aerospace, and medical, where they must perform flawlessly. PCBs perform equally as well in amplifiers as long as the quality of the amplifier is constructed at a high level along with a high-level circuit board.
In comparison, it is very difficult to build a cheap PTP amp on turret, eyelet, and flying leads. High-quality PCB amps are ones that use PCBs for design reasons, using top-shelf components, and not cost-saving reasons.
“Most PCB amps that have been produced have been poorer than tube amps, for reasons having nothing to do with the PCBs. Like plastic bobbins in transformers, this does nothing to change the tone. The other poor practices that go with a cost-cutting attitude that were introduced at the same time may, but PCBs are unfairly indicted.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dissolvable Electronic Stent Can Monitor Blocked Arteries
http://science.slashdot.org/story/15/05/12/2329242/dissolvable-electronic-stent-can-monitor-blocked-arteries
To restore blood flow in a narrowed or blocked artery, doctors can implant a metal stent to hold open the vessel. But over time, stents can cause inflammation and turbulent blood flow that lead to new blockages. Now, researchers have designed a stent carrying a suite of onboard electronic blood-flow and temperature sensors, drug delivery particles, data storage, and communication capabilities to detect and overcome these problems. The entire device is designed to dissolve as the artery heals.
http://cenm.ag/mat88
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build an electronic battery simulator
http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4439423/Build-an-electronic-battery-simulator?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150512&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150512&elq=0d82b53701b944f6aede6d9171b3c6bc&elqCampaignId=22964&elqaid=25849&elqat=1&elqTrackId=0da9328f850249c0830a7f8ce658e0f3
Many new products are incorporating Lithium-based batteries for the high performance and light weight characteristics they offer.
Since Lithium cells are prone to ill effects if allowed to over charge or over discharge, these series packs incorporate monitoring systems that keep tabs on each cell potential to avoid such problems. The process of developing these multicell battery monitoring systems (BMS) requires a convenient means of stimulating the circuitry to test the effectiveness of the control and protection algorithms. Ideally, the stimulus would be actual cells, but then to vary the state-of-charge (SOC) to trigger different functional actions in the BMS becomes a slow and cumbersome matter.
Multiple lab power supplies are frequently used but this is a very expensive solution. So for simple functional tests, resistor strings are often just biased to provide a rudimentary cell simulation. The resistor strings have significant limitations since they present a fairly high source-resistance, and thus introduce system artifacts that are not representative of actual cells.
The bottom line is that it is desirable to have a means of having a multiplicity of compact cell simulators to provide easy lab testing of the BMS functionality.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESC Boston in photos
http://www.edn.com/design/test-and-measurement/4439396/ESC-Boston-in-photos?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150512&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150512&elq=0d82b53701b944f6aede6d9171b3c6bc&elqCampaignId=22964&elqaid=25849&elqat=1&elqTrackId=7a4a49577d294d8f893116d61e19cf82
Tomi Engdahl says:
QR code attached to the frequency converter helps the diagnosis of it
cneider Electric has expanded its industrial AC drives in its product offering. New devices are Altivar 900 drives Process and Process Altivar Drive Systems
In order for users to continue to facilitate maintenance and troubleshooting, as well as reduced downtime and lower costs arising from his office, they can access with their own mobile devices access technical documentation and support, as well as diagnostic information. Device error codes created a dynamic QR code can immediately access the extensive support material that helps solve the problem situations effectively on the ground.
In addition, the user can Marked drives QR-codes may contact directly the Schneider Electric customer service. QR code provides the user with the network found on the support material.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2807:qr-koodilla-kiinni-taajuusmuuttajan-diagnostiikkaan&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Essential Guide to Power Supplies
http://info.xppower.com/pr-essential-guide-to-power-supplies-eu?portalId=408772&hsFormKey=836c7ca207159d954b920012384a4893&submissionGuid=47d33148-79f4-407d-a2fd-98ce85ac698a#widget_971160910
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 supply chain hurdles for wearables
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/now-hear-this/4439284/5-supply-chain-hurdles-for-wearables-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150428&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150428&elq=cab0f68f8f4a491bbf795b545628083b&elqCampaignId=22739&elqaid=25578&elqat=1&elqTrackId=ff529b66b7b647ad8dce6292a271ba42
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rich COM Express Options and SMARC Alternatives Add Complexity to Design Strategies
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/107933
It takes an understanding of connected embedded application needs in order to choose the right PICMG COM Express Computer-on-Module (COM), with choices defined by form factor and pin-out types. Long established and proven globally, the COM Express standard has evolved with new size and connector options, as well as some healthy competition from the world of SMARC, defined by SGET.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mentor Graphics Debuts Comprehensive Embedded Suite for Industrial Automation
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/107929
Factory automation has made stunning advances since the introduction of the conveyor belt. Now with the ability to put multiple control applications on a single multicore processor and tie these into an Industrial Internet of Things, the power of cyber-physical systems in manufacturing are making huge strides, speeding production and transforming data into information for the enterprise.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Effects of Industrial Temperature on Embedded Storage
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/108055
For many applications, it imperative that embedded systems developers understand what effects extended high temperatures have on SSDs. To assisting the decision process and provide reference points, OEMs can use several helpful calculations to determine SSD endurance and data retention characteristics of different types of NAND flash media.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HPEC Expansion Appliances Save Time, Cost and Space in Embedded Medical Applications
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/107934
High-end medical equipment, such as MRI and ultrasound imaging devices, has enormous compute demands to produce images that help physicians in diagnosis and treatment. Today’s high-power GPUs can be used in add-on appliances to boost the power of such equipment.
Medical applications like computed tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) require quick, accurate results from processing complex algorithms. So reducing the compute time required is a primary challenge to manufacturers of CT and MRI equipment. Other significant challenges include the cost of the computers required to achieve the necessary performance and the space those computers occupy. Three recent technical advances have significantly helped to overcome these issues: the adoption of PCI Express (PCIe) over cable, the emergence of compute acceleration cards (GPUs) and PCIe Flash storage cards.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open Standard Computer On Module Choices in 2015 Optimize Intelligent Systems & the Internet of Things
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/107932
COMs continue their evolution, enabling a wider-than-ever range of small form factor performance options. For intelligent applications like connected healthcare and the Internet of Things, developers need to understand advantages and best fit in order to make ideal COM-based design choices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Buck converter affords longer run times in cell phones
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4439412/Buck-converter-affords-longer-run-times-in-cell-phones?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20150513&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20150513&elq=96c5efec559f4eaa94fa28ec0ca8aa40&elqCampaignId=22954&elqaid=25837&elqat=1&elqTrackId=323ccd273b404794b540baa2f442bf5c
Aimed at designs that are powered by a single-cell lithium-ion battery, the AS1382 synchronous step-down converter from ams offers efficiency as high as 96% and no-load current of just 95 µA to reduce losses in the power circuit and to extend run-time between charges when used in cell phones and wearable devices. In shutdown mode, the converter draws only 0.04 µA.
It operates at an internally fixed frequency of 2 MHz, 3 MHz, or 4 MHz, enabling the use of a small inductor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nano memory cell can mimic the brain’s long-term memory
http://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/media-releases/2015/may/nano-memory-cell-can-mimic-long-term-memory/
Researchers at the MicroNano Research Facility (MNRF) have built the one of the world’s first electronic multi-state memory cell which mirrors the brain’s ability to simultaneously process and store multiple strands of information.
“This is the closest we have come to creating a brain-like system with memory that learns and stores analog information and is quick at retrieving this stored information,” Dr Sharath said.
“The human brain is an extremely complex analog computer… its evolution is based on its previous experiences, and up until now this functionality has not been able to be adequately reproduced with digital technology.”
This new discovery is significant as it allows the multi-state cell to store and process information in the very same way that the brain does.”
“We have now introduced controlled faults or defects in the oxide material along with the addition of metallic atoms, which unleashes the full potential of the ‘memristive’ effect – where the memory element’s behaviour is dependent on its past experiences,” Dr Nili said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nubia Phone Dual Antenna Tuning Debuts
Cavendish Kinetics MEMS tuning-in LTE
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326595&
A dual-antenna tuning system in ZTE Corp.’s latest nubia Z9 bezel-less smartphone is being made possible by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitive tuning array chip from San Jose, Calif.-based company Cavendish Kinetics Inc.
ZTE is using Cavendish Kinetics’s SmarTune RF MEMS Antenna Tuners, a switched capacitive tuning array incorporated into an integrated circuit, for its dual antennas. Dual antennas could be used with two tuners for the dual-band, single-feed antenna to capture any LTE or 3G band, greatly reducing the size, bill-of-materials (BOM) and insertion loss of smartphone RF, Tony Massimini, chief of technology at Semico Research Corp. (Phoenix, Arizona) told EE Times.
“The currently market penetration rate is only about five percentage of all smartphones, but at Semico we are predicting it will go up to between 12 and 15 percent penetration in 2015,” Massimini told us. “What it is coming down to is being able to handle that whole frequency band for LTE worldwide, which is important for users going to different locations. Cavendish will likely be shipping more than 10 million units in 2015.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hermetic Optocouplers in Military and Space Electronics
http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/avago_technologies/hermetic-optocouplers-in-military-and-space-electronics/
Sensitive and high reliability electronic applications in areas such as space, aeronautics, military, and naval environments will continue to rely on high reliability hermetic components. The risks associated with using plastic electronic components in harsh and rugged environments, where components may be subjected to extremes of temperature, humidity, radiation, and shock/ acceleration are just too great.
Hermetic optocouplers are now available for high speed digital data transmission applications, analog optocouplers for sensing voltages and current, Intelligent Power Module (IPM) drivers for motor control applications, and AC/DC threshold voltage detectors for various high power detection purposes. Also available are hermetic power MOSFET optocouplers (Avago Technologies’ HSSR-7111) for switching applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Proposed U.S. exports regulations would affect optics and photonics industry
http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2015/05/proposed-u-s-exports-regulations-would-affect-optics-and-photonics-industry.html?cmpid=EnlVSDMay112015
A proposed rule published in the U.S. Federal Register on May 5, 2015 contains changes to U.S. Munitions List (USML) Category XII of the International Traffic in Arums Regulations (ITAR) that would have a direct impact on the U.S. optics and photonics industry both now, and into the future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Quest for the Brain Chip
A revolution is needed
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326549&
Alan Turing insisted human brains and modern computers share the computational model that bears his name, whereas von Neumann believed brains are fundamentally different from the architecture that bears his. What if they are both right?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analog circuits market differs from many other semiconductor area. No manufacturer has not risen dominating position.
TI grew large analog to start gambling purchasing Burr-Brown in 2000.
TI analog chips sold last year to 8.1 billion dollars. The second-largest manufacturer of STMicroelectronics, whose turnover reached 2.8 billion US dollars.
ST with the same six percent share of the market managed to capture Infineon, Analog Devices and Skyworks. Four per cent and reached Maxim NXP, as well as three Linear Technology and ON Semi. These nine companies are analog circuits, only companies belonging to the billion-dollar club.
Last year, the analog circuitry was sold about 45 billion dollars.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2832:ti-yha-selkeampi-ykkonen-analogiapiireissa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nano coating protects Huawei’s flagship
Huawei rely on the new P8 flagship model on nano-technology coating. It protects the unit from liquids and corrosion.
Nano Coating has developed an English P2i. The company produces nano-coating, pulse plasma process, which forms a water-repellent surface of the electronic equipment. The technique has been used for over a hundred million different device.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2813:nanopinnoite-suojaa-huawein-lippulaivaa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Membrane Potentiometer
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4439446/The-Membrane-Potentiometer?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20150514&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20150514&elq=08b9f369e31a46f59222b43f21ccb04c&elqCampaignId=23001&elqaid=25901&elqat=1&elqTrackId=4914f465de3643599aa2c086ae2b8970
This new whitepaper, by Hoffman + Krippner Inc, introduces the advantages and disadvantages of the membrane potentiometer’s special design, and also outlines its possible applications including industrial controls, robotic systems, forklifts, doors and gates, and even gaming. This essential guide for design engineers also covers the important technical parameters of membrane potentiometers including the various types such as PET, Kapton, magnetic and hybrid.
Because of its ultra-flat design and flexible usage, combined with cost advantages, the membrane potentiometer has opened up a wide range of sensing possibilities which were previously not possible.
Fundamentally, a membrane potentiometer consists of a resistive path that is printed onto a membrane base, and a collector with a printed short-circuit path that is applied on top of this base. Both paths are separated by a circumferential spacer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use the Pass/Fail function of a Rigol Oscilloscope to analyze a signal
http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/rigol_technologies/using-the-passfail-function-of-an-oscilloscope/
New product development and production require a deeper understanding of signal quality both for input and output signals. The Pass/Fail test function of a Rigol oscilloscope can be used to easily automate this test. This video shows how to use the Pass/Fail function to ease signal testing using the Rigol Oscilloscopes.
How to use the Pass/Fail function of a Rigol Oscilloscope to analyze a signal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd6WAXNuSY4&index=40&list=UULzhNnl9a0-RZz7VyTrkcHw%3Futm_source%3DEEWeb&utm_medium=TechCommunity&utm_term=2014&utm_content=Content&utm_campaign=RIGOL
Tomi Engdahl says:
Parallel Computing in Verilog
https://hackaday.io/project/252-parallel-computing-in-verilog
CPU is a small stack machine. Parallel computation is via shared memory which also connects VGA. I wrote a compiler for the CPU.
The cpu is a stack machine extended from a design by Nakano, K., et.al. (see link). The registers are arranged in a stack with the usual range of arithmetic operators and stack manipulation instructions. There are no named registers except top-of-stack (named top) and next-to-top-of-stack (named next).
Nakano, K., et.al.(refs below) describe two versions of a small stack machine suitable for implementation on an FPGA and they give the Verilog source code on their web site. The design was ported to the DE2 board and extended to have a richer set of opcodes and i/o ports.
VerilogHDL & FPGA
http://www.cs.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/%7Enakano/wiki/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lithium ion and sodium ion
Lithium-ion battery is a fine invention, but the problem is the instability of the material, particularly at higher temperatures. English Faradion to develop a sodium base to open the battery technology that would significantly safer.
Na-ion materials has been compared to lithium ions studied super-low. Faradion is one of the pioneers in the field and has, for example, a dozen pending patents related to the Na-ion technologies.
Sodium is in many ways an excellent platform for batteries. It is clearly cheaper lithium, sodium carbonate as the price will be approximately one tenth compared to the lithium salt. Also, the cost of cathodes and electrolytes are only a fraction compared to Li-Ion batteries.
Natriumakkuja can be prepared along the same lines and the same processes as lithium batteries. The energy density of batteries has the same power features to the tests, be at the same level. But most importantly, sodium clearly better stability.
The first Na-Ion prototype is a 418 amp-hour battery, which will boost e-bikes.
The first prototype battery is, of course, far too large, but the size of the batteries according to Faradionin provide product development, squeezed at the level that is competitive with existing lithium-ion batteries
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2837:natriumioni-haastaa-litiumionin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Keysight Technologies has introduced a new feature of the PNA and PNA-X Series VNA network analyzers. For the first time VNA analyzer is involved in spectrum analyzer.
The integration of spectrum analyzer VNA-tester simplifies device connections and speed up the discovery of high-speed signals, for example, unwanted. This is important in the analysis, such as s-parameters, the testing of satellite disturbances, the development of technology defense equipment and of course the wireless devices in the investigation.
Keysight points out that the analysis of high-speed interfering signals is often time consuming. Spectrum Analyzer with VNA-testers can measure signals over a wide frequency range, which improves the measurement efficiency
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2838:pna-analysaattori-nakee-nyt-myos-spektrin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hot-swap controller packs MOSFET, current sensing
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4439444/Hot-swap-controller-packs-MOSFET–current-sensing?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150518&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150518&elq=f4e24d2353304366ada7002a820608a8&elqCampaignId=23037&elqaid=25940&elqat=1&elqTrackId=ef89bcb1d5fb4860a37b8f4ad3ecadae
By integrating two of the most critical and largest hot-swap components, namely a power MOSFET and sense resistor, into a 5×9-mm QFN package, the LTC4234 20-A controller from Linear Technology not only reduces design time, but also saves valuable board area. The hot-swap controller ensures safe board insertion and removal from live 2.9-V to 15-V backplanes by controlling its internal N-channel MOSFET to gently power up bulk capacitors, avoiding sparks, connector damage, and system glitches. Further, the 4-mΩ MOSFET’s safe operating area is production tested and guaranteed for the stresses of hot-swap applications.
The LTC4234 provides separate inrush-current control and current limiting, accurate to 11% at 22.5 A, with output-dependent foldback. The current limit can be reduced from its 22.5-A default with a single resistor, allowing quick adjustment for dynamic load changes. Undervoltage and overvoltage thresholds protect downstream loads against voltages outside a valid window, preventing circuit malfunction and damage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
USB MCU simply sips power
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4439442/USB-MCU-simply-sips-power?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150518&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150518&elq=f4e24d2353304366ada7002a820608a8&elqCampaignId=23037&elqaid=25940&elqat=1&elqTrackId=48e2e2493b15417c934d61c8651f39c8
The latest smart interface chip from Silicon labs is an ultra-low power USB-enabled MCU in the EMF32 microcontroller series – the Happy Gecko. Based on the ARM Cortex M0+ core, this MCU uses an advanced energy management system in combination with autonomous peripherals to keep total energy usage in most applications in a range allowing years-long battery or energy-harvesting power sourcing. A starter kit and an energy-aware IDE are available to support development.
The Happy Gecko employs a number of techniques to keep its energy consumption to minimal levels. In addition to a circuit design that requires only 130 µA/MHz when active, the MCU provides five energy modes that give developers the ability to trade power for functionality in choosing the lowest mode of operation they need at any given time. The MCU also offers intelligent peripherals and a six-channel peripheral reflex system that allows many routine functions to operate without CPU involvement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sigma-delta ADC provides precision measurements
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4439457/Sigma-delta-ADC-provides-precision-measurements?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&elq=54132f51f1d24b30a9e4872ed6c4031b&elqCampaignId=23031&elqaid=25931&elqat=1&elqTrackId=79377ee8252642e09aab51cd6b077e1a
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data path optimization: The newest answer to dynamic power reduction
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eda-power-up/4439458/Data-path-optimization–The-newest-answer-to-dynamic-power-reduction?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&elq=54132f51f1d24b30a9e4872ed6c4031b&elqCampaignId=23031&elqaid=25931&elqat=1&elqTrackId=49fbf5dd8c8f40c6bde99c1b4ba996ff
My friends, please believe this: the day has come for real dynamic power reduction!
Over the past 15 years, EDA vendors have had some fairly old functionality for dynamic power reduction. Granted, some design teams and EDA task forces have been addressing the “PPA challenge” (Performance-Power-Area) with a lot of care, for instance in the high-performance microcontroller cores domain. There was also the novel take on clock tree power reduction in the past few years. However, most chip design companies still use a power-reduction strategy that is based on area reduction and leakage optimization during synthesis, place, and route, coupled with design techniques such as switching off power domains, using multiple supply voltages, and heavy clock-gating insertion.
But suddenly, the landscape is changing and dynamic power reduction is propelled to the front lines. You may think of it as highly unexpected, especially in the context of massive speedup of physical design synthesis and place and route tools initiated by tools such as Mentor/Oasys Realtime Designer in the synthesis field. What happened? What explains why design teams all over the world are now looking at total power and dynamic power reduction techniques with a new eye?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Reprogrammable power: a powerful but risky partner?
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/power-points/4439456/Reprogrammable-power–a-powerful-but-risky-partner-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150518&elq=54132f51f1d24b30a9e4872ed6c4031b&elqCampaignId=23031&elqaid=25931&elqat=1&elqTrackId=b356061be0a2462f9caeda30ea26cf10
Digitally managed and reprogrammable power supplies are coming on strong, and it makes sense. No longer is the supply hard-wired to implement a fixed regulator strategy (there are so many, you can make your own list); instead, not only can the parameters of the control loop be changed on the fly, but the underlying control algorithm can be changed, as well. Other major pluses are reduced footprint and need for fewer external (mostly passive) components in many cases.
That capability gives supply designers and users much-needed freedom and flexibility, as they can shift to different control modes depending on load, transient situations, input-rail conditions, and many other factors which affect the optimum control at any given time. In fact, they can re-define optimum as needed: sometimes it is highest efficiency, sometimes it is tighter regulation, and sometimes it is better operation with a temporary low or high input-rail situation.
In short, they can adapt in real time to changing circumstances and requirements. Further, the supply’s algorithms can be updated and improved via download, if needed. Sounds like a good thing all around, and proponents of digital power have strong case
So what’s not to like? What’s the concern?
Before we rush in bliss mode to this new way of dealing with power regulation and control, it may be good to step back for a moment and consider the unavoidable “law of unintended consequences.” My concern is not so much with the concept of digital, reprogrammable power as it is for the implications for designers in test/debug phase, as well as in-field problems, all aggravated by time-to-market pressures.
That second point is the easier one to understand: if things can be “improved” and corrected in the field, there’s less need for adequate test and evaluation in prototype and pilot phase. It’s very easy to get into the mode of “don’t worry about it, we’ll fix/upgrade it in the field, after it’s shipped.”
Long story short: a reprogrammable supply has the potential to bring major operating advantages, but also has a possible “dark side” when it comes to prototype evaluation, product release timing, and in-field issues. Hopefully, product designers and project managers will be honest with themselves as to both aspects, and act cautiously and with careful consideration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Machine vision system on a single chip
CSEM in Neuchâtel researchers have joined for the first time in the same housing optics, processor, and a wireless transmitter. The result is a 16.5 x compact machine vision circuit 16.5 millimeters, which is three millimeters thick.
The secret VIP circuit (Vision-In-Package) has been re-thought-optics. Circuit camera is three times smaller than any previous optical sensors and cameras used in existing vehicles eight times lower. The camera is suitable for children under cubic inch of space.
CSEM’s innovation is not only extremely compact also inexpensive to manufacture. When such a machine vision circuit is in a single housing, these intelligent machine vision sensors can easily be placed to new destinations.
CSEM will tell you that the VIP circuit will be commercialized by the end of this year.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2840:konenaon-jarjestelma-yhdella-sirulla&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Chips Could Bring Deep Learning Algorithms To Your Smartphone
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/05/17/1224229/new-chips-could-bring-deep-learning-algorithms-to-your-smartphone
At the Embedded Vision Summit, a company called Synopsys, showed off a new image-processor core tailored for deep learning. It is expected to be added to chips that power smartphones, cameras, and cars. Synopsys showed a demo in which the new design recognized speed-limit signs in footage from a car. The company also presented results from using the chip to run a deep-learning network trained to recognize faces.
Silicon Chips That See Are Going to Make Your Smartphone Brilliant
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/537446/silicon-chips-that-see-are-going-to-make-your-smartphone-brilliant/
Many gadgets will be able to understand images and video thanks to chips designed to run powerful artificial-intelligence algorithms.
Many of the devices around us may soon acquire powerful new abilities to understand images and video, thanks to hardware designed for the machine-learning technique called deep learning.
Companies like Google have made breakthroughs in image and face recognition through deep learning, using giant data sets and powerful computers (see “10 Breakthrough Technologies 2013: Deep Learning”). Now two leading chip companies and the Chinese search giant Baidu say hardware is coming that will bring the technique to phones, cars, and more.
Chip manufacturers don’t typically disclose their new features in advance. But at a conference on computer vision Tuesday, Synopsys, a company that licenses software and intellectual property to the biggest names in chip making, showed off a new image-processor core tailored for deep learning. It is expected to be added to chips that power smartphones, cameras, and cars. The core would occupy about one square millimeter of space on a chip made with one of the most commonly used manufacturing technologies.
Pierre Paulin, a director of R&D at Synopsys, told MIT Technology Review that the new processor design will be made available to his company’s customers this summer. Many have expressed strong interest in getting hold of hardware to help deploy deep learning, he said.
Synopsys showed a demo in which the new design recognized speed-limit signs in footage from a car.
The new core could add a degree of visual intelligence to many kinds of devices, from phones to cheap security cameras. It wouldn’t allow devices to recognize tens of thousands of objects on their own, but Paulin said they might be able to recognize dozens.
That might lead to novel kinds of camera or photo apps. Paulin said the technology could also enhance car, traffic, and surveillance cameras. For example, a home security camera could start sending data over the Internet only when a human entered the frame. “You can do fancier things like detecting if someone has fallen on the subway,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearables Get Low-Power Clock
SiTimes claims, smaller, lighter, lowest power
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326616&
Wearable devices challenge their designers to make them low power enough to run on batteries for days, weeks, even months — if possible. The power hog is usually the application processor and the RF section, but even the oscillators can make a different if they can be reduced to the microAmp rather than the more typical milliAmp range.
Here SiTime claims it has reduced the power consumed by its SiT8021 oscillator by 90 percent compared to traditional crystal oscillators, not to mention being 70 percent lighter and 40 percent smaller.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Xiaomi Picks Leadcore to Go Vertical
In search of its own custom processor
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326617&
Perhaps, it’s about time, maybe it’s inevitable. When Apple, Huawei and Samsung, three out of the five largest smartphone vendors in China are already designing handsets using their own processors, Xiaomi figures it’s time to go vertical.
Xiaomi wants its own custom-designed processors to differentiate its products and control its destiny, an executive of Leadcore Technology told EE Times.
Rather than putting together an in-house chip design team, Xiaomi chose Leadcore, a fabless chip company wholly-owned by China’s Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group, as its partner to source the technology
Leadcore is working with China’s fastest growing smartphone company on “all three different levels — product, technology and patent,” Marshal Cheng, vice president of Leadcore explained during a one-on-one meeting at China’s industry gathering here this week.
“The modem technology that’s ready in silicon and patent portfolio created by CATT including LTE and LTE-A make us very attractive to Xiaomi,” explained Cheng.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FRAM’s Slow, Unending Journey to Dominance
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1326610&
Ferroelectric memory (FRAM) was supposed to dominate by the mid-90s — at least according to an old Dataquest research forecast — but instead FRAM, also known as FeRAM, remains one of those many memory technologies that haven’t quite taken off as hoped.
FRAM works internally like DRAM, has the high speed of SRAM and the non-volatility of flash memory. When the first successful circuits were built in the 1980s, it was thought their universal function would allow them to replace DRAM, SRAM and EEPROM in many applications.
“It just never happened,” semiconductor analyst Jim Handy (Objective Analysis) told EE Times in the wake of Cypress acquiring Ramtron. “It ended up that it was always a more expensive technology to build than conventional memory technologies.”
As with all memory technologies, cost is a barrier to adoption. FRAM relies on a layer of Perovskite crystals being deposited on top of a standard silicon substrate. Perovskite crystals contain elements that can interfere with silicon transistors, so a barrier layer is generally used to isolate this layer from the silicon below. Handy said this adds to the device’s cost by increasing the cost of processing the wafer.
But there is some demand: A report released by Research and Markets just over a year ago predicted the global FRAM market would grow 16.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2013 and 2018, with low power consumption being one of key contributors to market growth. Vendors, including the now Cypress-owned Ramtron, as well as Texas Instruments and Fujitsu, were also increasing research and development in both hardware and software. This increased spending had improved the performance and efficiency of FRAMs, the report said, while increasing the application areas for FRAM.
“Chicken and egg” challenge
Fujitsu Semiconductor’s most recent FRAM product was announced at the end of 2014 with the release of MB85RDP16LX, an ultra-low-power device with an integrated binary counter function, which contributes to energy savings. The company is targeting MB85RDP16LX at industrial automation applications involving energy harvesting for rotary encoders, motor control and sensors. To meet the temperature ranges required by the industrial automation market, it can operating at a temperature range of -40 to 105 °C without risk of data loss in a 10-year timeframe.
Cypress, which bought FRAM pioneer Ramtron, has committed to the technology just as it has to SRAM. Last month, it introduced a family of 4Mb serial FRAMs.
Handy said FRAM is similar to many memories as it faces the quintessential “chicken and egg” challenge. Demand for more volume is required make wafers for cost-efficiently, and the only to obtain that demand is a lower cost for the FRAM.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Integrated Optics: Engineered lattice steers light around extremely tight corners
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-51/issue-05/world-news/integrated-optics-engineered-lattice-steers-light-around-extremely-tight-corners.html?cmpid=EnlLFWMay192015
Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF; Orlando, FL) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have shown that spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) can be used to steer light beams efficiently around extremely tight corners, with potential applications in chip-to-chip optical interconnects.1 Other approaches—based on waveguides, metamaterials, surface plasmons, or other bulk-optic devices—require much larger bend radii or incur higher losses, and all require complex fabrication or alignment processes due to the subwavelength feature sizes and high-refractive-index or metallic materials involved.
While most chip-based optical devices steer light using refraction or waveguides, SVPCs steer light using diffraction and self-collimation.
The SVPC architecture is based on an algorithm developed by a UTEP team led by Raymond Rumpf that can be used to bend and twist lattices very abruptly without deforming the unit cells; such deformation would detune or destroy the self-collimation effect