CompuRAM technology enables AI at the edge capacity

Embedded memory specialist, sureCore has developed CompuRAM in-memory computing technology for power efficient IoT computing. Sensor data often has to be sent from an IoT device to a server for processing, which creates a connectivity requirement and an unavoidable latency, explained sureCore. This is not acceptable for time critical applications and any extra AI-related computation must be done in a power-efficient way, said CompuRAM. 

sureCore’s existing low-power memories provide a way to add the significant extra memory needed by AI applications without dramatically increasing power requirements, said the company. In-memory computing provides further power savings, it continued, by reducing the need to move large amounts of data around within a chip, as the initial processing of data is carried out very close to the memory array itself.

Chief technology officer, Tony Stansfield, explained: “sureCore’s in-memory compute technology achieves this integration by embedding arithmetic capability deep within the memory array in a way that is compatible with its existing silicon-proven, low-power memory design”

sureCore is a low power, embedded memory specialist, which empowers the IC design community to meet aggressive power budgets through a portfolio of low power memory design services and standard IP products. sureCore says its low-power engineering methodologies and design flows meet the most exacting memory requirements with a comprehensive product and design services that create clear market differentiation for customers. The company’s low-power product line encompasses a range of close to near-threshold, silicon proven, process-independent SRAM IP.

http://www.sure-core.com

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Low power photo relays suit smart meter and security systems 

Two normal open 1-Form-A photo relays from Toshiba Electronics combine a MOSFET optically coupled to an infra red LED, making them suitable for a wide range of applications including use in smart meters, passive infrared (PIR) sensors in security systems and building automation applications. The TLP223GA and TLP223J are also intended for use in industrial applications such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), I/O interfaces and many types of sensors. They can also be used to replace a mechanical relay with a solid-state device.

Both photo relays feature an LED developed by Toshiba with high luminous efficiency, ensuring that the trigger LED current does not exceed 2mA. This reduces energy consumption by approximately 33 per cent, compared to Toshiba’s TLP240x series. Typical on-state resistance is 17Ohm for the TLP223GA and 30Ohm for the TLP223J.

Both the TLP223GA and TLP223J feature an off-state output terminal voltage rating of 400V and 600V respectively. Continuous on-state current (ION) is 120mA and 90mA and pulsed on-state current (IONP) is three times these values.

The two photo relays have improved switching characteristics compared with Toshiba’s previous devices. For example, approximately 50 per cent improvement in turn-on time to 1ms (max) for the TLP223GA, and 75 per cent, 0.5ms (max) for the TLP223J, compared with the TLP240GA and TLP240J.

Operating temperature range is -40 to +110 degrees C, which makes them suitable for use in equipment installed outdoors. The isolation voltage of 5,000V rms and creepage / clearance distances up to 8.0mm allow the photo relays to be used in equipment which requires reinforced isolation, advised Toshiba.

Both devices are housed in a four-pin DIP with leaded and surface mount options available.

The devices are shipping now.

Toshiba Electronics Europe is the European electronic components business of Toshiba Electronic Devices and Storage. It offers European consumers and businesses a variety of hard disk drive (HDD) products as well as semiconductors for automotive, industrial, IoT, motion control, telecomms, networking, consumer and white goods applications. The company’s portfolio encompasses power semiconductors and other discrete devices ranging from diodes to logic ICs, optical semiconductors as well as microcontrollers and application specific standard products (ASSPs).

Toshiba Electronics Europe has headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, and branch offices in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom providing marketing, sales and logistics services. 

http://www.toshiba.semicon-storage.com

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Axiomtek’s RSC100 edge AI computer is available from Impulse Embedded

Axiomtek’s RSC100, ARM-based Edge embedded PC featuring the Hailo-8 AI accelerator is now available from industrial computing systems specialist, Impulse Embedded. The streamlined processing unit for AI applications can offer up to 26 T operations per second and is housed in a cost-effective, power-efficient unit, said the company. 

The edge system combined with Hailo’s Hailo-8 processor, can be used in a range of applications, including public safety, smart factory, agriculture and intelligent transportation.

The system chassis is made up of aluminium and heavy duty steel with an IP40 rating and supports a wide operating temperature of -20 to +70 degrees C, making it suitable for use in harsh, industrial environments where the temperatures can vary throughout operation. The RSC100 has dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, an M.2 3052 B-key slot which can be used to install a 5G module and two full-size miniPCIe slots. The RSC100 also has seven SMA antenna breakout holes for wireless comms requirements of a variety of applications.  

The eight-core ARM processor is backed up with 4Gbyte of LPDDR4 system memory and has 16Gbyte of eMMC storage onboard as standard as well as an M.2 2280 M-key SSD slot with PCIe x4 NVMe support and a MicroSD card slot for additional storage.  

Further I/O includes a built-in HDMI 2.0 port with 4K resolution support, two serial ports supporting RS-232/422/485, two CANbus ports, two USB2.0 ports and eight channels of digital I/O, (four, direct input, four direct output). For embedded operating system support, Yocto Linux 3.0 is supplied. 

The I/O, software and connectivity, combined with an AI-focused microprocessor that uses just 2.5W whilst achieving 26TOPs of INT-8 performance, means the RSC100 can process complex deep learning neural networks at the edge in smart embedded applications, explained Impulse Embedded. 

As with all of its embedded computing range, Impulse can configure the RSC100 to customer’s exact specifications in its UK-based engineering facility. It offers a choice of storage, peripheral cards, operating system, and neural network.   

The company has embedded systems capabilities and a team of in-house engineers and specialists to create revision-controlled systems which can reduce project costs and development time.  

http://www.impulse-embedded.co.uk 

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800G multi-mode test portfolio now supports 400G and 800G validation 

High speed 800G test options from Keysight Technologies have been expanded to include 400G and 800G validation to improve power efficiency in data centres.

The initial 800G test products enable users to verify the performance of a range of optical transceiver modules and components, including vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), photodiodes, modulator drivers, transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) and physical layer (PHY) chips.

The extended portfolio supports 400G and 800G design validation, in accordance with standards defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), across the entire product lifecycle, from early research and development to manufacturing.

As hyperscale data centres adopt 800G as a connectivity technology, there has been an accompanying rise in the use of cloud-native, 5G, AI and IoT applications as well as an increased in data-hungry applications such as video conferencing, streaming and digital entertainment. The latest addition to Keysight’s portfolio of 800G test equipment offer design and validation to support multi-mode interfaces, which are critical for an energy-efficient data centre infrastructure, explained the company. The 800G multi-mode test equipment supports data interconnect speeds of up to 100Gigabits per second.

Test capabilities include multi-mode component characterisation using the N4373E lightwave component analyser, conformance and interoperability validation using N1077B 64Gbaud multi-mode optical and electrical clock recovery options and transceiver module performance evaluation using Keysight’s A400GE-QDD and G800GE layer 1 multi-port test.

Keysight Technologies delivers advanced design and validation products to help accelerate innovation, with software-driven insights and analytics to help bring products to market faster across the development lifecycle, in design simulation, prototype validation, automated software testing, manufacturing analysis, and network performance optimisation and visibility in enterprise, service provider and cloud environments. Customers operate in communications and industrial ecosystems, aerospace and defence, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics markets. 

http://www.keysight.com

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