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Upgraded sensor board from ST accelerates plug-and-play evaluation

Tue, Jan 28, 2025

ST’s latest-generation sensor evaluation board, the STEVAL-MKI109D. is now upgraded with an STM32H5 microcontroller, USB-C connector, and extra digital interfaces including I3C for flexible communication , the new board lets users quickly evaluate sensors and handle demanding projects.

Engineers unveiled the STEVAL-MKI109D during a live tech lab, showing how to simply plug in a sensor module, connect a PC, and start analysing data in ST MEMS Studio. Using this all-in-one graphical environment, developers can visualise the sensor output, quickly fine-tune settings, configure features, and exercise the AI capabilities of ST sensors with a machine-learning core (MLC) and intelligent sensor processing unit (ISPU) inside. The tool provides advanced functions including power monitoring and supply voltage management that help optimise energy consumption and debugging.

ST’s MEMS portfolio contains inertial sensors, pressure sensors, biosensors, and digital and analog microphones offering many choices of speed, accuracy, full-scale range, and package style in industrial, consumer, and automotive grades. Extremely compact and robust, they are suited to diverse applications including consumer products, smartphones, wearables, smart-home devices, industrial sensing, safety equipment, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and many more. Automotive-grade devices target applications including navigation support, advanced driver assistance, and automated driving.

An evaluation module is available for each sensor type, mounted on a convenient DIL24 card with headers, ready to connect to the STEVAL-MKI109D board. Additional plug-and-play accessories are available, including biosensor electrodes and remote-sensing extension cables to quickly evaluate sensors when building proof-of-concept models and developing prototypes.

The STM32H5 MCU at the heart of the new board has the latest high-performing and efficient Arm® Cortex®-M33 core with extensive peripherals that enable faster, more convenient development. Customers’ sensor projects can target any of the over 1400 microcontrollers and microprocessors in the STM32 family. The MLC, finite-state machine (FSM), and ISPU embedded in select MEMS devices help optimise application performance and power consumption for superior functionality, responsiveness, and battery runtime.

https://www.st.com/mems-studio

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Infineon launches the world’s smallest eSIM solution for mobile consumer devices

Mon, Jan 27, 2025

Wearables, smartphones, tablets: In the consumer sector in particular, the demand for ever greater functionality, simplicity, and battery lifetime is increasing. Infineon Technologies contributes to these requirements with the introduction of the OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230. It is the world’s smallest GSMA-compliant and first 28 nm eSIM solution. OPTIGA Connect Consumer allows up to 50 percent less energy consumption compared to eSIMs on the market, extending the lifetime of the device’s battery without compromising on performance. It also contributes largely to more convenience since eSIMs can be managed remotely, making haptic SIM changes abundant thus saving time and resources and allowing for greater flexibility. Smartphone users can switch between different providers more easily, manufacturers can be more flexible in their design since physical access is not required. This can be a large advantage in IoT devices. Above all, OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230 is ideal for consumer devices such as smartphones, tablets, and notebooks, and even for small devices such as smartwatches and other wearables as well as 5G routers and POS payment terminals.

The OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230’s security architecture is based on Arm v8 and Infineon’s Integrity Guard 32 technology for increased performance and reduced power consumption. It enables a gain of 25 percent power/performance ratio compared to existing eSIMs on the market, thus extending the lifetime of the device’s battery. Remote SIM provisioning (RSP) and multiple enabled profiles (MEP) compliant with GSMA SGP.22 v3 enhance the end user experience. Users can download and store several mobile network operator profiles and remotely activate multiple profiles simultaneously.
With only 1.8 x 1.6 x 0.4 mm, the ultra-small chip-scale packaging reduces printed circuit board (PCB) space requirements by a factor of 37 relative to Nano SIMs and by a factor of 130 compared to standard SIMs. The OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230 is also available in X2QFN20 (3.0 x 3.0 x 0.3 mm) package. The eSIM solution features a large memory of 1 MB to accommodate multiple network operator profiles along with additional applications and user data.

OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230 is security evaluated according to BSI-CC-PP-0100-2018, specified in GSMA SGP.25 and is based on post-quantum-cryptography-(PQC) ready hardware.

The OPTIGA Connect Consumer OC1230 is available now.

https://www.infineon.com

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New NFC reader IC and modular kit from ST jumpstarts contactless designs

Fri, Jan 24, 2025

ST is making it easier to explore creative applications for contactless near-field communication (NFC) technology with a novel development kit featuring the new ST25R200 reader/writer IC. ST’s latest-generation ST25R200 NFC transceiver combines an advanced design for strong and clear wireless connections with low power consumption and controls for signal quality and power management.

The STEVAL-25R200SA kit for reader evaluation contains an ultra-compact ST25R200 board, ready for power-up, and multiple antennas that let users try single, dual, and flexible designs. The evaluation kit is complete with a 50-Ohm antenna interface and programmable tags.

This modular kit helps quickly build proof-of-concept models to demonstrate convenient short-range wireless communications for device pairing, configuring settings, or product authentication to ensure brand protection. The main board and antennas are NFC-certified and suitable for diverse industrial, consumer, and health technologies, such as medical devices, power tools, household appliances, game consoles, and personal care devices.

The ST25R200 NFC reader features ST’s noise suppression receiver (NSR), which ensures high immunity to interference even when close to a noise source such as an LCD panel contained in the same device. The receive circuitry also features an advanced analog front end (AFE), standard NFC-A/B (ISO 14443A/B) and NFC-V (ISO 15693) data framing.

Enhanced low-power card detection (LPCD), also built-in, eases wake-up to ensure a smooth and seamless user experience. The 1.2W transmitter has dynamic power output (DPO) control to regulate the field strength and overshoot/undershoot protection to ensure consistent signalling throughout data exchanges.

This reader operates over a wide power supply and peripheral I/O voltage range from 2.7V to 5.5V and from -40°C to 85°C. In addition, there are multiple operating modes to assist power management, cutting the device current to as little as 1µA to extend the runtime of battery-powered applications. In reset mode the IC draws just 0.1µA.

 

https://www.st.com

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Advantech adopts Intel Core ultra processors to accelerate Edge AI and Edge computing innovations

Tue, Jan 21, 2025

Advantech has announced that 12 products, including industrial motherboards, PICMG 1.3 full-size single board computers (SBCs), computer-on-modules, server motherboards, compact IPCs, modular IPCs, and AMR & robot solutions will incorporate the Intel Core Ultra processor (Series 2) into their latest edge computing and IoT solutions. This integration will boost AI efficiency and computing performance, reduce development time, and address power and thermal challenges, focusing on high-performance computing with low power consumption.

These product offerings are well-suited for various applications, including machine automation, machine vision, medical imaging, in-vitro diagnostics, automated optical inspection, smart warehouses (DWS systems), self-service kiosks, and edge AI applications.

Advantech products featuring Intel® Core Ultra processors (Series 2) are scheduled to launch starting Q2 2025. The desktop range will feature up to 24 CPU cores, delivering up to 36 total platform TOPS, while the mobile range will offer up to 16 CPU cores, providing up to 99 total platform TOPS. Both product lines are equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). They are designed to support diverse inferencing workloads and elevate AI acceleration to a new level, thereby supercharging edge computing in the AI era.

https://www.advantech.com

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