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Miniature wireless comms modules address low power edge devices

Wed, Mar 10, 2021

Miniature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy modules from InnoPhase combne wireless connectivity and an integrated microcontroller for edge of network IoT devices that require low power and a direct-to-cloud connection.

The fabless semiconductor company has introduced the Talaria Two INP1012 and INP1013 modules for a range of products including smart home, smart industrial and smart health applications. The miniature modules are 40 per cent smaller than the original INP1010 and INP1011 modules, which introduced digital radio architecture and which claimed to provide the lowest power Wi-Fi connectivity in the industry.

The INP1012 includes an RF pin for routing the antenna signal onto a main PCB. This allows for independent antenna or antenna connector selection and solder pads. The INP1013 includes a ceramic chip-antenna mounted on the module and solder pads.

Typical smart IoT applications use a significant percentage of the overall system power for Wi-Fi connectivity – up to 75 per cent, explained InnoPhase, even while idly connected to the network. The INP1012 and INP1013 Talaria Two modules can increase the battery lifetime by months or years and require less space, claimed InnoPhase. The INP1012 module also has the capability to allow the user to select the antenna connection and placement. This makes it particularly suitable for industrial applications.

The INP1012 and INP1013 modules can be used in smart door locks, remote security cameras, connected sensors or other space-constrained products within home, commercial, industrial and health markets.

The INP1012 and INP1013 modules use the Talaria Two multi-protocol SoC, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 for wireless data transfer, an embedded Arm Cortex-M3 for system control and user applications, there are also advanced security elements for device safeguards.

The modules can operate in standalone mode, in conjunction with an external microcontroller or in a hybrid mode where the system control and processing responsibilities are shared between the module and an external microcontroller.

The module can be connected to a single power supply and when general purpose I/Os are connected to the peripherals, the system is ready for use, said InnoPhase.

All modules will be certified with the Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth SIG and include government body certifications such as FCC, IC (Canada) and CE/RED approval.

http://www.innophaseinc.com

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Lidar camera uses “world’s smallest micro-mirror” for continuous field of view scanning

Tue, Mar 09, 2021

Continuous laser scanning across the entire field of view is achieved in the Intel RealSense Lidar camera L515, using a MEMS mirror developed by STMicroelectronics.

The lidar camera is 61mm diameter and 26mm high (2.4 inches and 1.02 inches respectively), or the size of an ice hockey puck. The micro-mirror enables continuous laser scanning across the entire field of view. In combination with a custom photodiode sensor, the RealSense Lidar Camera L515 renders a 3D depth map of the entire scene.

The camera provides high resolution scanning for industrial applications such as robotic arms for bin picking, volumetric measurements, logistics and 3D scanning.

The second-generation micro-mirror delivers 30 frames per second and a field of view of 70 degrees by 55 degrees, for 3D scanning and detection applications.

The L515 camera uses the scanning capabilities of ST’s MEMS to deliver high-resolution depth with no interpolated pixels, together with the ability to control the field of view, and provide close to zero pixel blur driven by the low 50nS exposure time, continued ST.

“Intel RealSense technology has been used to develop products and solutions for use in Robotics, Logistics, Scanning and other computer vision applications. The Intel RealSense LiDAR Camera L515 using ST’s micro-mirrors delivers unparalleled precision and is the world’s smallest high-resolution Lidar depth camera, making it suitable for a variety of use cases,” said Sagi BenMoshe, chief incubation officer, corporate vice president and general manager, Emerging Growth and Incubation Group at Intel.

Intel RealSense technologies are reshaping the future by equipping devices with the ability to see, understand, interact with and learn from their environment, says Intel. RealSense provides a wide variety of vision-based solutions, from the world’s smallest high-resolution lidar camera to low power, platform-agnostic stereo depth cameras, as well as customisable software. Intel RealSense has applications in robotics, 3D scanning, facial authentication, measurement and logistics.

ST Microelectronics is an independent device manufacturer, working with more than 100,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of the IoT and 5G technology.

http://www.st.com

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Image sensors add to Lattice Semiconductor’s mVision stack

Tue, Mar 09, 2021

Image sensor modules and image signal processing core have been added to the mVision 2.0 stack for low power embedded vision systems by Lattice Semiconductor. This latest version has multiple updates to accelerate the design of embedded vision applications for industrial, automotive, medical, and smart consumer systems. There is also support for popular new image sensors used in industrial and automotive systems and an image signal processing IP core and reference design to help developers design smart vision applications at the edge. The stack also includes support for the Lattice Propel design environment to simplify development of vision systems with an embedded RISC-V processor.

The updates broaden mVision support for popular image sensors used in industrial and automotive markets. They are also claimed to simplify hardware and software design with a drag-and-drop Propel design environment. Additional development boards and reference designs are powered by Lattice’s FPGA for embedded vision, CrossLink-NX.

Lattice CrossLink-NX devices with integrated hard MIPI support and low power consumption can be used in camera applications operating at the edge. “Using CrossLink-NX with an embedded RISC-V processor enables a more compact and efficient ISP implementation,” said Arndt Bussman, CTO at Helion, which has partnered with Lattice to provide optimised ISP solutions.

The stacks are designed to help customers adopt emerging technologies by providing a comprehensive collection of ready-to-use software, IP, hardware demos, and reference designs to help them quickly deploy applications like embedded vision in current and future product designs, explained Mark Hoopes, director of industrial segment marketing, Lattice Semiconductor.

Lattice has added new development boards supporting popular image sensors for industrial and medical applications to the mVision stack, expanding support for automotive, industrial, and medical embedded vision applications. Image sensors that are supported include the Sony IMX464 and IMX568 and the AR0344CS from ON Semiconductor.

The Propel design environment tool includes a complete set of graphical and command-line tools to create, analyse, compile, and debug both the hardware design of an FPGA-based processor system, and the software design for that processor system.

Lattice has also expanded the Lattice ISP reference design.

At the same time as the mVision announcement, Lattice also revealed extended capabilities for its Sentry stack. The latest version of its secure system control stack, Sentry 2.0 enables hardware root-of-trust (HRoT) solutions compliant with NIST Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) Guidelines (NIST SP-800-193) and supporting 384-bit encryption.

Lattice Sentry 2.0 supports firmware security for the communications, computing, industrial, automotive, and smart consumer markets, says the company. It provides developers an efficient and secure way to quickly implement enhanced system and cryptographic applications.

http://www.latticesemi.com

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Gateway uses Wireless M-Bus technology to gather meter readings

Mon, Mar 08, 2021

Data can be collected autonomously from Wireless M-Bus meters or sensors using the WebdynEasy W M-Bus data concentrator by Webdyn.

The W M-Bus point-to-point radio protocol uses the 868Mhz band, traditionally used in smart metering and smart buildings, because of its relatively moderate power consumption, said Webdyn.

The Wireless M-Bus standard protocol is based on a private, non-operated network. In order to operate, a Wireless Mbus network requires hubs (or gateways) that allow connection between all the sensors and a remote information system. In free field, the distances that can be potentially covered between a sensor and the hub are of the order of 1km.

The WebdynEasy W M-Bus data concentrator functions as a standalone collection point for data from meters or wireless M-Bus sensors. The gateway retrieves all the data collected at a single point so that it can be sent to the chosen information system.

The energy-efficient hub’s battery service life can exceed 10 years. Webdyn has also developed the WebdynEasy application, which is free to download from the PlayStore. The Bluetooth Low Energy function eases configuration and installation, added the company.

Once installed, the product is autonomous in energy and the deployment can start automatically or using a magnet.

Depending on the configuration, the hub uses regular listening windows to record the frames emitted by the meters and W M-Bus sensors. The hub regularly uploads data files to the FTP server using the cell phone or LTE-M network.

Webdyn’s strategy is to offer a complete range of dataloggers covering all smart grid, smart metering, smart building and smart cities markets.

Webdyn designs and industrialises hardware and software solutions for M2M communication for the energy, environment, smart grids and transport markets.

Webdyn supplies multi-protocols concentrators, covering all the applications of teleservice and the monitoring. It has expertise in endpoints RF and gateways PLC-G3.

http://www.webdyn.com

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Miniature wireless comms modules address low power edge devices

Lidar camera uses “world’s smallest micro-mirror” for continuous field of view scanning

Image sensors add to Lattice Semiconductor’s mVision stack

Gateway uses Wireless M-Bus technology to gather meter readings

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