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Anritsu introduces DC block and cables to scale networking

Fri, Jun 26, 2020

110GHz components have been added to Anrtisu’s W1 range. The bias tees, DC block and semi- rigid cables are intended to help create test environments to more accurately verify mmWave and optical designs, says the company.

The new components to the W1 (1.0mm) range provide broadband frequency scalability in high-frequency device characterisation and optical networking applications. The new W1 components provides Anritsu with the broadest millimeter wave (mmWave), coaxial component portfolio in the market, claims the company. The components can integrated in test systems for high-speed designs.  Anritsu claims that no other company has a more complete set of 110GHz components for frequency and time domain use.

With operable frequency of DC to 110 GHz, the new components generate metrology-grade quality results with high repeatability, often providing a component where conventional devices do not exist. For example, the W1 coaxial interface allows for a direct connection to the instrument test port, which saves time and simplifies system setup.

The new components can be used as part of a test system consisting of 110GHz vector network analysers (VNAs), oscilloscopes and bit error rate testers (BERTs), as well as for optical transceivers, laser diodes, photodiodes and optical modulators. Development of switches and routers using NRZ and PAM4 modulation schemes with 56Gbits per second and 112Gbits per second data rates and 800G technology are target applications.

Anritsu has been providing communications test and measurement solutions for 120 years, helping customers to develop wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital solutions for R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance applications, as well as multi-dimensional service assurance solutions for network monitoring and optimisation.

Anritsu also provides precision microwave/RF components, optical devices, and high-speed electrical devices for communication products and systems. The company develops products for 5G, M2M, IoT, as well as other emerging and legacy wireline and wireless communication markets. 

http://www.anritsu.com

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BlueSky GNSS firewall update protects infrastructure

Wed, Jun 24, 2020

Critical infrastructure systems (e.g. power utilities, financial services, mobile networks and transportation) rely on timing derived from global positioning system (GPS). An update by Microchip Technology to its BlueSky GNSS Firewall software raises the level of resiliency against GPS vulnerabilities for systems.

Microchip’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall software release 2.0 performs real-time analysis to detect jamming and spoofing for protecting reception of the GPS signal and hardening response and recovery to avoid signal disruption. Release 2.0 includes charting and advanced threshold settings of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) elements such as satellites-in-view, carrier-to-noise, position dispersion, phase time deviation and the RF power level to simplify system turn-up and deployment.

Microchip developed improvements as a result of participation in an industry live-sky testing event hosted by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. It identified new solutions to prevent signal disruption to develop the Blue Sky GNSS Firewall software release 2.0 to address operators’ evolving requirements.

Updates are essential to defend against rapidly-evolving GNSS disruptions and enable critical infrastructure operators to avoid interruptions of service.

Microchip’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall software release 2.0 is provided as part of a subscription service and is installed on the BlueSky GNSS Firewall device. When connected to Microchip’s TimePictra management software, critical infrastructure operators also can monitor and analyse GNSS signals in cities, across geographic regions, throughout a country and even globally.

Complementary devices and software in Microchip’s suite of GPS systems and services include the TimeProvider 4100 precise timing grandmaster with gateway clock, SyncServer 600/650 timing and frequency instrument, miniature atomic clock (MAC), Time Cesium and 5071A Cesium primary frequency standard.

https://www.microsemi.com

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Bluetooth LE mesh networking accelerates building automation

Wed, Jun 24, 2020

Based on ON Semiconductor’s low power RSL10 system in package (SiP), the RSL10 Mesh platform allows engineers to implement low power mesh networking, using Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) technology, and move quickly towards full deployment, the company claims. Target applications are smart homes, building automation, industrial IoT, remote environment monitoring, asset tracking and monitoring.

The platform consists of two RSL10 mesh nodes and a Strata Gateway for connectivity to the Strata Developer Studio.

Complementing the RSL10 SiP, an array of sensing and indicator devices has been incorporated into the node hardware, including an ambient light sensor (LV0104CS), temperature sensor (N34TS108), magnetic sensors, LED indicators and a triple-output NCP5623B LED driver (for colour mixing). There is also a built-in battery charger either li-ion or li-poly batteries.

The mesh nodes can be configured to take on different roles and functions. The Strata Gateway allows evaluation processes to be carried out using the intuitive Strata Developer Studio. The cloud-connected software enables provisioning of additional mesh and supports firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates.

Virtual workspaces for common mesh networking examples, including a smart office, can be used by developers to access sensor data and trigger settings. The energy- efficient RSL10 radio is supported by an Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE), a mobile application for provisioning, configuring and controlling a Bluetooth LE mesh network and a Mesh Networking software package which is compliant with the Bluetooth SIG.

“Operational constraints and ease of implementation still represent major challenges,” said Wiren Perera, head of IoT at ON Semiconductor. “Through this new platform we are helping to dramatically accelerate mesh networking development, so that nodes can be more rapidly deployed which push the performance envelope in terms of range, resiliency and power budget.”

ON Semiconductor offers a portfolio of energy efficient, power management, analogue, sensors, logic, timing, connectivity, discrete, SoC and custom devices for automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, medical, aerospace and defence applications.

The company has a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centres in key markets throughout North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions.

http://www.onsemi.com

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Microcontroller increases equipment uptimes, says Maxim

Tue, Jun 23, 2020

Industrial, healthcare and IoT applications can benefit from low power consumption and small form factors, using the MAX32670 microcontroller, says Maxim Integrated.

The Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller reduces the power consumption and size while increasing the reliability of industrial, healthcare and IoT applications and protects all embedded memory for both flash and SRAM with error-code correction (ECC).

In many industrial and IoT applications, high energy particles and other environmental challenges can threaten to bombard memory and create bit flips during the normal course of operations – especially as process nodes drop to 40nm and below, warns Maxim. This can disrupt microcontroller operation and produce incorrect results. The MAX32670 protects its entire 384kbyte flash memory and 128kbyte SRAM with ECC. With this protection, single-bit errors are detected and corrected by hardware.

Active power consumption is just 40 microW/MHz and the MAX32670 executes commands from flash at 40 per cent lower power than the closest competitive industrial microcontroller, claims Maxim. It is also claimed to be the lowest power device available for battery-operated sensor applications. It is supplied in a 1.8 x 2.6mm WLP and 5.0 x 5.0mm TQFN and claimed to be 50 per cent smaller than the closest competitor, offering reductions in overall size as well as material costs.

The MAX32670 is available now and there is also an evaluation kit, the MAX32670EVKIT#.

Maxim Integrated develops analogue and mixed-signal products and technologies to make systems smaller and smarter, with enhanced security and increased energy efficiency. Maxim’s customers operate in the automotive, industrial, healthcare, mobile consumer and cloud data centre sectors.

http://www.maximintegrated.com

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