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Renesas introduces dual-beam active beamforming IC

Mon, Nov 22, 2021

ICs for phased array antennae in satellite comms (satcom), radar and point-to-point communications systems have been added to the portfolio of mmWave LNAs and Tx BFICs from Renesas Electronics. The company has added the F6121 and F6122 dual-beam active beamforming ICs for Ku-band satcom and the F6123 for Ku-band radar and line-of-sight communications.

They are claimed to have best-in-class power consumption, noise figure with a compact size to enable next-generation, low-latency electronically steered antennae for in-flight connectivity (IFC), maritime, satcom-on-the-move, and low earth orbit (LEO) ground terminals.

The F61xx Rx devices are believed to be the first commercial products to feature dual-beam capability for make-before-break or simultaneous multi-satellite, multi-orbit operation over the full Ku and Ka Satcom bands. The Ics offer OEMs the flexibility of LNA selection and placement for improved noise figure and system G/T performance.

“Our customers face three main challenges as they migrate from mechanical antennas to electronically steered antennas: thermal management, physical integration and affordability,” said Naveen Yanduru, vice president of RF Communications Product division at Renesas.

The second generation of F61xx dual-beam beamforming ICs address the thermal, integration, and cost challenges designers face as they transition from bulky mechanically steered antennae to the lower weight and leaner profile active electronically scanned array antennae (AESAs). The ICs deliver reduced power consumption, increased on-chip beam-state memory, and dual-beam operation (configurable for single beam with 40 per cent power savings), as well as improved RF performance, reports Renesas. They also complement the company’s sub-6GHz RFIC portfolio and the 5G mmWave product lines.

The ICs have the flexibility to support dual/single-beam, full/half-duplex, single/dual-polarisation and 1D and 2D array architectures. The compact footprint has less than four per cent panel area utilisation on Ku λ/2 grid and relaxed pitch FC-BGA package for reduced integration complexity and improved RF isolation.

The fast and flexible digital interface with on-chip beam-state memory allows for low latency antenna beam switching in under 100ns

The F6121 Rx BFIC, the F6921 LNA and F6521 Tx BFIC are in production and available now to support half-duplex and full-duplex antenna designs for Ku-band LEO and GEO ground terminals. The F6121, F6122, and F6123 ICs are available now and shipping to customers designing satcom and radar systems for 2022 deployments.

http://www.renesas.com

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RF pushbutton module makes smart homes energy efficient

Thu, Nov 18, 2021

One solution to address the issues of sustainability, energy efficiency, low cost systems, connectivity and convenience in lighting through flexibility is the wireless and battery-free RF pushbutton module, according to ZF.

Cables typically connect lighting components and pushbuttons in buildings, and while this is cheap and simple to install, the initial low maintenance can quickly turn into an expensive undertaking. When modifying buildings, updating cables between lights, actuators or sensors can be expensive and require planning, knocking down walls, laying new wires and returning the building to its previous state.

ZF offers a sustainable alternative based on RF and free of batteries and wires. This concept eliminates the disadvantages of wired and battery powered systems. A tiny and compact generator (20.1 x 7.3 x 14.3mm) produces enough energy by pressing the button by means of induction, so that it can reliably transmit RF commands to a paired receiver. The wireless solution guarantees flexibility and the possibility to retrofit easily according to individual requirements, says ZF. The battery-free module offers a lifetime of 1,000,000 switching cycles, and avoid maintenance and disposal requirements of battery replacements.

The RF light switch module from ZF is claimed to be the only one which is directly compatible with the RF standard KNX-RF and it also supports the RF standard EnOcean3.0. In co-operation with onsemi, ZF has published a reference design for an energy harvesting Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy switch and a first demo light switch module. It is compatible with standard frames and can also be combined with customer-specific control and design panels.

ZF supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF operates in four technology domains, namely vehicle motion control, integrated safety, automated driving, and electric mobility. ZF offers product and software for established vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers.

https://switches-sensors.zf.com

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Battery charger IC is designed for low voltage charging for wearables

Wed, Nov 17, 2021

A battery charger IC has been designed by Rohm for low-voltage charging. The BD71631QWZ is suitable for wearables like wireless ear buds and thin, compact IoT devices such as smart displays powered by rechargeable batteries.

The need for safer, higher density rechargeable batteries has led to the development of new battery types, including all- or semi-solid types and using novel materials for the electrode part and batteries that adopt different terminal compositions. Many of the latest rechargeable batteries are small and thin, requiring low voltage charging in the 2.0 to 3.0V range. There are currently no battery charger ICs that can handle a wide voltage range, says Rohm.

The BD71631QWZ battery charger IC supports low voltage charging of Li-ion but also new types of rechargeable batteries such as all-solid and semi-solid state models. The IC achieves low voltage charging over a wide range from 2.0 to 4.7V by improving the stability of the internal circuit

Unlike general battery charger ICs that provide a fixed voltage, the BD71631QWZ battery charger IC allows the charge voltage to be easily set by simply changing the external resistor, reducing design load when changing batteries. The original package technology results in a compact package just 0.4mm thick, which is 60 per cent lower than conventional products in this market to make devices smaller and thinner. Each charging characteristic like charge/termination current can be set for CCCV charging, providing an optimal charging environment for thin, compact IoT and wearable devices usng the latest rechargeable batteries.

In addition to devices using low voltage and single-cell Li-ion rechargeable batteries, the battery charger IC can be used in wearable devices, such as wireless ear buds, electronic pens, e-cigarettes, smart displays or tags and other compact IoT devices.

An evaluation board, BD71631QWZ-EVK-001, is also available.

Rohm Semiconductor develops and manufactures a large product range from SiC diodes and MOSFETs, analogue ICs such as gate drivers and power management ICs to power transistors and diodes to passive components.

http://www.rohm.com/eu

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Single chip sat-nav receiver boosts positioning accuracy

Wed, Nov 17, 2021

Believed to be the first automotive-qualified single-chip GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver to integrate triple-band positioning measurement engine, the STA8135GA has been developed by STMicroelectronics. It has a performance comparable to the highest-accuracy surveying / mapping instruments, says the company and delivers high-quality position data for advanced driving systems.

The IC is the latest member of the company’s Teseo V family. In addition to the integrated triple-band positioning measurement engine on-chip, it also has standard multi-band position-velocity-time (PVT) and dead-reckoning.

Triple band has historically been used in professional applications such as surveying, mapping, and precision agriculture that demand millimeter accuracy with minimal reliance on correction data. Until now, this was only available in chipsets or modules, which are typically larger and more expensive than this single-chip device, says ST. The triple-band enables the receiver to efficiently acquire and track the largest number of satellites in multiple constellations simultaneously for performance in difficult conditions such as in urban canyons and under tree cover.

The STA8135GA also integrates separate low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulators on-chip to supply the IC’s analogue circuitry, digital core, and I/O transceivers which simplifies the external power supply. The receiver can track satellites in GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and NAVIC / IRNSS constellations.

The STA8135GA helps driver-assistance systems to make decisions using the multi-constellation receiver to deliver raw information for the host system to run any precise-positioning algorithm, such as PPP / RTK (precise point positioning / real-time kinematic). The STA8135GA also enhances the performance of in-dash navigation systems, telematics equipment, smart antennas, and V2X communication systems, as well as marine navigation systems, drones, and other vehicles.

According to Luca Celant, general manager, ADAS, ASIC and Audio Division, Automotive and Discrete Group, STMicroelectronics: “The high precision and single-chip integration . . . . enables the creation of reliable and affordable navigation systems that enable vehicles to be safer and more context aware”. The in-house design resources and processes for high-yield manufacturing are credited with making this industry-first possible, he added.

The STA8135GA is housed in a 7.0 x 11 x 1.2mm QFN package. Samples are available now and full qualification AEC-Q100 and start of production is scheduled for Q1 2022.

http://www.st.com

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Renesas introduces dual-beam active beamforming IC

RF pushbutton module makes smart homes energy efficient

Battery charger IC is designed for low voltage charging for wearables

Single chip sat-nav receiver boosts positioning accuracy

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