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Infineon partners with AWS to accelerate IoT product development

Thu, Dec 02, 2021

Support for the AWS IoT ExpressLink standards and specifications has been announced for the AIROC IFW56810 cloud connectivity manager by Infineon Technologies.

The combination enables developers to connect products such as industrial sensors, home appliances, irrigation systems and medical devices to Amazon Web Services (AWS). Developers can also use it to implement IoT applications to offload the complex work required to securely connect devices to AWS. According to Infineon, this allows developers to focus on core competencies to build products, while reducing design efforts and accelerating time to market. The cloud connectivity manager is pre-certified with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“Traditionally, connecting devices to the cloud has been a difficult and time-consuming process that requires developers to possess a wide range of technical competencies in Wi-Fi, embedded systems, antenna design and cloud configuration along while creating complex code,” said Rob Conant, vice president of Software and Ecosystem at Infineon. “We are excited to continue our work with AWS to help engineers focus on building products that get to market faster and to create new revenue streams,” he said.

The AIROC allows developers to use simple configuration commands, such as “connect” and “send” to establish a connection and start streaming data to AWS. This can be done within hours, instead of weeks, says Infineon.

It also enables OEMs to transform products into IoT devices without merging large amounts of code, or without requiring a deep understanding of the implementation. There is also the ability to connect various devices to AWS, while preserving the original application software and avoiding costly redesign.

The system is software upgradable via over the air (OTA) upgrades and there is also support for host OTA upgrades for security and future proofing. Regardless of scale, data is securely transmitted to and from the cloud via Wi-Fi, confirms Infineon.

The system supports CIRRENT Cloud ID, which ensures that each device has a unique identity and assignment to a product company stored in a secure hardware element to ensure a fail-proof mechanism.

Infineon’s AIROC wireless products, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combinations. The family leverages a common software framework across Android, Linux, RTOS platforms and are pre-integrated with Infineon’s ModusToolbox software and tools.

http://www.infineon.com

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People counting keeps the workplace safe

Wed, Dec 01, 2021

For people detection and counting in indoor spaces, such as office space and municipal areas, Analog Devices has developed the EagleEye ADSW4000 which uses the PeopleCount algorithm.

It is the first in a series of application-level software algorithms forming part of the ADI EagleEye platform that includes a hardware subsystem based on ADI’s Blackfin embedded DSP and a set of application-level software building blocks enabling users to quickly develop their own people counting system. The ADSW4000 algorithm provides system edge node analytics to allow intelligent insight into use of space, and how people move safely within that space with distance monitoring. It is also useful to gather intelligence on the energy efficiency of spaces within ‘smart’ buildings.

The EagleEye counts people in indoor areas, based on the x and y co-ordinates of a person’s location. It uses zoned performance, enabling multiple areas for wider coverage and edge processing. The metadata is output over UART and no captured images are transmitted.

EagleEye can solve workspace needs and maximise worker wellbeing and productivity, says ADI. For maximum coverage area applications, accuracy of 80 per cent can be achieved in a 5m radius.

The Eval-ADSW4000KTZ evaluation kit with embedded ADSW4000 algorithm and cloud dashboard access is available now.

Analog Devices offers a suite of analogue and mixed signal, power management, radio frequency (RF), and digital and sensor technologies for customers in the industrial, communications, automotive, and consumer markets.

http://www.analog.com

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Versatile automotive touchscreen controller includes functional safety support

Wed, Dec 01, 2021

Multiple communication options, ISO 26262 functional safety support and flexible RF emission control are offered in the maXTouch touchscreen controller, says Microchip Technology.

According to the company, it allows automotive designers to satisfy various aspect ratios for touch displays in cars and, in response to requests by OEMs, includes additional functional safety support.

The MXT1296M1T can reconfigure its driving and receiving touch channels to match the exact screen format, from 1:1 to 5:1 aspect ratio, i.e., including the popular 8:3 automotive aspect ratio. This allows the customer to efficiently use the number of touch channels available, without needing a larger, more expensive touch controller. Customers can save additional development and validation time, as well as resources, by reusing a common PCB design to support different touch sensor aspect ratios. The MXT1296M1T is believed to be an industry first in that it enables the sensor channel reconfiguration by parameters. Settings do not require firmware modification, which reduced the design risk and also the time to market.

Clayton Pillion director of the human machine interface (HMI) business unit at Microchip Technology, observed: “Products with enhanced diagnostic features are a significant advantage to customers who are designing with unique features and increasing ISO 26262 functional safety requirements in mind”.

The MXT1296M1T maXTouch touchscreen controller offers two communication interfaces operating simultaneously, which allow a bridgeless connection to the back channel of the LVDS video link for touch information and a connection to a local microcontroller. The bridgeless topology reduces touch latency to improve the user experience. It also guarantees compatibility with the maXTouch software driver, available for all major automotive operating systems, including Linux, Android and QNX.

When connected to an appropriate local microcontroller, the second interface offers a number of benefits. Firstly, it offers a redundancy link to the head unit through a CAN bus or 10BASE-T1S automotive Ethernet link for increased functional safety at the system level. There is also local access and control of the maXTouch touchscreen controller’s features, for example, capacitive keys report, live touch sensor diagnostics and raw data for external and custom post-processing.

Finally, there is over the air (OTA) and secure firmware update capability using Microchip’s TrustAnchor100 companion chip

The MXT1296M1T embeds various functional safety features to constantly check the integrity of the touch controller operation, as well as that of the connected touch sensors. The failure modes effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) and functional safety manual support the customer in designing, building and certifying a system for Automotive Safety Integrity Level B (ASIL-B) applications to the ISO 26262 standard.

The MXT1296M1T allows for high resolution transmit waveform control to lower RF emissions and avoid interference with the car radio or RFID systems. As screen sizes increase in cars, RF emissions generated by the projected capacitive touch technology are growing. (Emission limits vary in amplitude, frequency and bandwidth for each major car manufacturer.) The MXT1296M1T uses a dedicated on-chip 64-level DAC to accurately shape the waveform of the transmitting lines. As a result, designers can precisely control the frequency response and optimise the harmonic emissions to meet specific OEM-defined limits.

The MXT1296M1T configuration and tuning is supported by the latest release of maXTouch Studio integrated development environment (IDE). Microchip also offers the

ATEVK-MXT1296M1T-A evaluation kit for order. This includes a development board with USB bridge, 12.3-inch / 8:3 format / 1.1mm OGS (one glass solution) touch panel, and touch key add-on boards for mutual and self-capacitance.

There is also the ATMXT1296M1T-I2C-PCB development board for connection to a customer’s touch sensor

The MXT1296M1T is now available in volume production. ISO 26262 FMEDA and Functional Safety Manual will be available for purchase Q1, 2022.

http://www.microchip.com

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Audio Precision releases APx 7.0 and Apx500 software subscriptions

Wed, Dec 01, 2021

Enhancements in the Apx500 audio measurement software, version 7.0, are suitable for analogue, digital or acoustic audio test applications.

The latest software version has been introduced by Audio Precision, part of Axiometrix Solutions. At the same time, the company has introduced APx500 software subscriptions, offering users an alternative way to license APx software, and access nearly any software version and option.

In the first collaborative effort by the GRAS and Audio Precision engineering teams, APx500 release version 7.0 enables an APx user, in conjunction with an APx517B, APx1701, or Gras 12Bx power module, to run SysCheck2 and receive a pass/fail indication for each connected SysCheck2-capable microphone, without the need of a calibrator or physical access to the microphone. SysCheck2 was developed by Gras Sound & Vibration, also part of Axiometrix Solutions. The SysCheck2 system is designed to actively verify whether the sensitivity of a microphone has drifted since its last calibration. This capability is being introduced with two new 0.5-inch microphone sets, the 246AE pre-polarised free field microphone, and the 246AO pre-polarised pressure field microphone. From a microphone in a production test fixture to an array of microphones in an anechoic chamber, the combination of SysCheck2 and APx allows the user to verify the accuracy of the entire signal chain without physical access or potential disruption of the test set up.

Earlier this year, Audio Precision introduced the fast sweep signal, which provides the ability to sweep from low-to-high or high-to-low frequencies, and in comparison to a logarithmically-swept sine (or chirp) signal. Release 7.0 now enables the use of fast sweep in open loop testing scenarios, such as the testing of smart speakers. Fast sweep is the primary stimulus signal used for high order harmonic distortion (HOHD) or rub and buzz loudness measurements.

Release v7.0 also brings several distinct improvements to the FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis capabilities, for example arbitrary lengths, windowless analysis and level triggering. By allowing arbitrary FFT / DFT (discrete Fourier transform) lengths, users can find a combination of transform buffer and sample rate to arrive at a convenient frequency resolution. With windowless analysis, engineers can perform synchronous, windowless FFT analysis on non-synchronous signals.

Power users who prefer bench mode, and those performing real-time adjustments on the devices under test (DUTs), will benefit from the enabling of transfer function in bench mode. V7.0 now provides access to transfer function measurement in bench mode as well as to the complex frequency response function for a device, including the magnitude and phase (or real and imaginary components), using any broadband signal (e.g., speech, music, or noise).

New APx audio analysers will begin shipping with v7.0 software in December. Each new analyser includes one year of software maintenance, effectively licensing that instrument for APx version 8.0 when it is released (as well as any minor 7.x releases that occur prior to v8.0). Release v7.0 is available now for download from the company’s website.

Release 7.0 is compatible with all analysers in the APx500 Series. An APx KeyBox is required to run v7.0 on legacy APx analysers. APx KeyBoxes already installed on legacy analysers are compatible with v7.0 and only require an updated license file once an upgrade is purchased (unless they are pre-licensed for v7.0 via an existing software maintenance contract, for example SW-MAINT-3).

The software subscriptions have been introduced as an alternative to perpetual software licenses. A perpetual software license grants a permanent, non-exclusive and non-expiring right to use the software. The license will still ship with each new analyser, but software subscriptions provide another path for existing users to access the latest software release and associated enhancements. The subscriptions grant a time-limited license – for periods of one, three or five years – and provide access to all versions and all options (excluding PESQ and POLQA). When the subscription expires, the analyser reverts to the software version and options for which it was previously licensed.

For users and organizations that prefer to retain perpetual licenses, software upgrades (SW-UPG), software maintenance (SW-MAINT), and extensions (SW-EXT, sold with new analysers only) remain available, but only include software options purchased for a given analyser.

New hardware-based analysers are always sold with a perpetual license, however APx500 Flex can be purchased with either a perpetual license or a subscription.

http://www.ap.com

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Infineon partners with AWS to accelerate IoT product development

People counting keeps the workplace safe

Versatile automotive touchscreen controller includes functional safety support

Audio Precision releases APx 7.0 and Apx500 software subscriptions

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