LoRa Edge goes further to enable satellite networks

Semtech has added multi-band capabilities to its LoRa Edge device-to-cloud geolocation platform. The LoRa Edge LR1120 allows for direct satellite-connected IoT applications in supply chain management and logistics.

“With the launch of multi-band LoRa support, coupled with LoRa Cloud™ services, it has never been easier to expand ubiquitous IoT connectivity and geolocation globally,” says Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products group.

Intercontinental logistics companies can leverage highly integrated, low power trackers with enhanced interoperability, via the LoRa Edge LR1120. It offers versatile connectivity for a simpler operation and global mobility across multiple regulatory regions, says Semtech. It presents the possibility to offer a low power and low cost sensor with satellite connectivity for capital intensive applications, such as infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and environmental monitoring that require deployment in remote areas.

The LoRa Edge LR1120 offers multi-band LoRa capability (sub-GHz, 2.4GHz and licensed S-band for satellite). It also offers multi-technology geolocation using GNSS for outdoor and Wi-Fi for indoor, as well as areas where satellite coverage is poor.

The LoRa Cloud geolocation solver transfers the location processing workload from the device to the Cloud, making ‘deploy once’ battery life possible. 

The platform is supported by GPS and BeiDou constellations and includes a hardware crypto engine for increased security. 

According to Christopher Taylor, Director, RF & Wireless with Strategy Analytics, “Adding satellite communication capabilities in the S-band to LoRa can help replace aging SCADA monitoring and opens up new applications and markets, especially in remote regions”.

Semtech’s LoRa device-to-Cloud platform is a long range, low power technology for IoT applications. The company says it enables the rapid development and deployment of  low power, cost efficient and long range IoT networks, gateways, sensors, module products and IoT services worldwide. 

The LoRa technology provides the communication layer for the LoRaWAN standard, which is maintained by the LoRa Alliance, an open IoT alliance for Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) applications that has been used to deploy IoT networks in over 170 countries. 

Semtech is a founding member of the LoRa Alliance. 

Semtech supplies analogue and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms for infrastructure, consumer and industrial equipment. 

http://www.semtech.com

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Modular LeddarEngine software accelerates ADAS and AD sensor development

LeddarTech has revised its LCA3 SoC and modular software to reduce development time for ADAS (advanced driving assistance system) and autonomous driving sensing technology.

The LeddarEngine software sets a new standard for developing highly integrated and flexible solid state lidar solutions optimised for high-volume production, says LeddarTech. It comprises the LeddarCore LCA3 SoC and LeddarSP signal processing.

It introduces several new integration tiers for the LeddarEngine software and compatibility with new hardware platforms. LeddarTech introduces a separation of the control, signal processing and point-cloud processing, which can be used independently or in combination, for customers to maintain greater control over the final sensing systems.

Lidar developers that have signal processing toolchains implemented for their current products will benefit from using only the control kernel for easier and faster integration of the LeddarCore into products. The software is suitable for Tier 1-2s, system integrators and new lidar makers leveraging LeddarTech’s proprietary signal processing and expertise.

This version of the LeddarEngine is compatible with Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, in and the Renesas R-Car SoC. The modular architecture improves the separation of hardware and software making it easier to port to other platforms and operating systems.

Founded in 2007, LeddarTech is a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company that enables customers to solve critical sensing, fusion and perception challenges across the entire value chain. LeddarTech provides cost-effective perception solutions scalable from Level 2+ ADAS to Level 5 full autonomy with LeddarVision, a raw-data sensor fusion and perception platform that generates a comprehensive 3D environmental model from a variety of sensor types and configurations. 

LeddarTech also supports lidar manufacturers and Tier 1-2 automotive suppliers with  technology building blocks such as LeddarSteer digital beam steering and the lidar XLRator, a development solution for automotive-grade solid-state lidars based on the LeddarEngine and core components from global semiconductor partners. 

The company is responsible for several innovations in automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 100 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

http://www.leddartech.com 

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Rohde & Schwarz enhances FSW analyser’s dynamic front end

Error vector magnitude (EVM) measurement for wideband modulated signals in the mmWave range distinguish the R&S FSW signal and spectrum analyser from Rohde & Schwarz. The company has enhanced the dynamic front end of the instrument which is suitable for testing communication components or systems, including 5G NR (new radio) FR2 or IEEE 802.11ay / ad chipsets, amplifiers, user equipment and base

stations.

The enhanced dynamic front end of the R&S FSW meet demands for EVM measurements for 5G base station and component development at FR2 frequencies as well as for high frequency satellite applications. Accuracy is achieved with the latest enhancements to the modified front end of the R&S FSW, as well as the microwave hardware optimised for frequencies above 26 GHz, says Rohde & Schwarz.

The signal and spectrum analyser has a wide internal analysis bandwidth which allows the characterisation of wideband components and communications systems. Its measurement applications simplify and speed up in-depth analysis of the physical layer, allowing testing at higher frequencies and wider measurement bandwidths to cover all the physical layer options specified in the standard, says Rohde & Schwarz.

Newly produced R&S FSW43, R&S FSW50 and R&S FSW67 models now ship with the enhancements as standard. The R&S FSW-B24U can also be ordered as an upgrade to many R&S FSW signal and spectrum analysers already in use.

The Rohde & Schwarz technology group specialises in test and measurement, technology systems and networks and cybersecurity.

Founded more than 85 years ago, the group is a partner for industry and government customers around the globe. 

Rohde & Schwarz is headquartered in Munich, Germany.

http://www.rohde-schwarz.com

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Virtual development environment for accelerates automotive development

A virtual development environment announced by Renesas Electronics enables  development and operational evaluation of automotive application software to support the latest requirements of electrical/electronic architecture (E/E architecture). 

The environment includes a virtual turnkey platform, which allows engineers to develop application software before devices or evaluation boards are available. There is also a multi-core debug and trace tool, which enables users to analyse and evaluate software as if running on an actual chip. 

“With the evolution of E/E architecture, there is an increasing demand for software design that can maximise performance at a system level,” explains Hiroshi Kawaguchi, vice president, Automotive Software Development division at Renesas. At the same time, the increasing time and cost associated with software development have become a big challenge. “Our integrated software development environment that can be used across gateway systems, ADAS, and xEV development, enables customers to benefit from the scalability of Renesas products such as R-Car and the RH850 family for both software and hardware development.”

 The virtual turnkey platform application software development environment consists of the R-Car Virtual Platform (R-Car VPF) development environment and a software development kit (R-Car SDK) that includes pre-tested software libraries and sample code. R-Car VPF is based on Virtualizer Development Kits (VDKs) from Synopsys, and integrates virtual models of IP specific to R-Car to customise for R-Car devices. By overlaying the R-Car SDK engineers can immediately start development of application software virtually. The platform accurately recreates the behaviour of the chip and eliminates the need to build up a development environment with a physical evaluation board. Multiple users can also develop software simultaneously on separate PCs or servers.

The next step is to integrate the software and verify that it runs on a single chip. Software components share resources such as the multiple CPUs and IPs on R-Car SoCs. If operational problems are detected after the software components are integrated, it requires a tremendous amount of work to analyse and solve them, explains Renesas. The Multicore Debug and Trace tool analyses and identifies the causes of errors occurring from the interaction of the multiple hardware resources in R-Car SoCs. This enables synchronous and simultaneous debugging of the entire heterogeneous architecture of R-Car without using the actual device.

The development environment is available for the R-Car S4 SoC for automotive gateways. Renesas has plans to support the R-Car V4H as well as future versions of R-Car products and RH850 automotive MCUs.

https://www.renesas.com

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