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Four-channel automotive PMIC is compact

Tue, Mar 26, 2019

Claimed to be the most efficient power supply available today, the MAX20049 is a power management IC (PMIC) for vehicle camera modules that has been released by Maxim Integrated.

It has been introduced to meet the demands of automotive camera modules which are becoming increasingly smaller. The MAX20049 integrates four power supplies into a small footprint. The MAX20049 offers options to support various output voltages while also providing fault mitigation by flagging faults and shifts in output voltages.

The four-channel MAX20049 measures 38mm2 and is almost 30 per cent more compact than competitive solutions, claims Maxim Integrated and offer the highest efficiency among other quad-power power management ICs in its class. It has options to support modules that need various output voltages for different mixes of sensors and serialisers, enabling designers to make changes in layout or to fine-tune the IC to meet specific application requirements. Flexible sequencing and fixed output voltages support various image sensors. The MAX20049 provides fault mitigation to help flag faults and shifts in output voltages to ensure that the cameras are working as needed.

It has over-voltage protection, under-voltage lockout, external power good (PGOOD) signal and cycle-by-cycle current limit. And supports a wide voltage input range from 4.0 to 17V, enabling power-over-coax (POC), typically from 8.0 to 10V. There is also an option of using one of the buck converters as an intermediate supply for generating typical sensor and serialiser rails.

System efficiency at full load is 74 per cent, compared with 69 per cent efficiency for discrete ICs.

Spread spectrum and 2.2MHz switching frequency mitigates electromagnetic interference (EMI) to meet CISPR low-noise specifications.

The MAX20049 is available now and Maxim also offers the MAX20049EVKIT# evaluation kit and EE-Sim models.

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http://www.maximintegrated.com/products/MAX20049

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Quick Starter kit evaluates NXP i.MX 8 QuadMax processors

Fri, Mar 22, 2019

Industrial computing module manufacturer, congatec, has released its latest evaluation kit for NXP i.MX 8 processor. The SMARC 2.0 Quick Starter Kit for NXP i.MX 8 designs offers everything developers need for the immediate evaluation of the new NXP i.MX 8 processor generation. In particular, vision-based AI application developers can benefit from the natively supported integrated Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) and optional pre-configured software support for artificial intelligence (AI).

The SMARC 2.0 Quick Starter Kit for NXP i.MX 8 can be used by developers of integrated industry IoT (IIoT), industrial and embedded vision applications because they can immediately integrate a credit card sized off-the-shelf module into their applications with minimum space requirements, says congatec. The starter kit complements the comprehensive i.MX 8 ecosystem of products and services. “It enables the rapid evaluation of the i.MX 8 processor architecture, which will open up many new application fields for us in the real-time industrial area as well as in vision-based AI sectors,” explains Martin Danzer, director product management at congatec. “Thanks to the comprehensive design-in services of our Technical Solution Center that come with the starter kit, it really couldn’t be any easier to start developing SMARC 2.0 based i.MX 8 applications,” he adds.

Services offered by the Technical Solution Center for the new SMARC 2.0 and Qseven modules with NXP i.MX 8X processors include high assurance booting (HAB) implementation, bootloader and operating system (OS) image authentication through private and public key cryptography and customer-specific board support package (BSP) adaptation to long-term software maintenance for Linux and Android. The offering further includes a selection of suitable carrier board components and design reviews as well as high-speed signal compliance tests, thermal simulations, meantime between failure (MTBF) calculations, and debugging services for customer-specific solutions.

The congatec SMARC 2.0 Quick Starter Kit integrates conga-SMX8 computer modules with either the low-power NXP i.MX 8X or the high-end NXP i.MX 8 (QuadMax) series, as well as a conga-SEVAL evaluation carrier board, which offers access to all interfaces and functions for SMARC 2.0 based NXP i.MX 8 designs. The evaluation carrier supports a set of interfaces including four PCIe x1, one mini PCIe, two USB 3.0, and four USB 2.0 for generic extensions. Next to two RJ45 for Gigabit Ethernet, four COM, one CAN bus and 12 general purpose input/outpus (GPIOs) are also available.

Displays can be connected via dual channel LVDS, eDP, DP and two MIPI-DSI, and additional storage media via an SD/MMC socket and one SATA 6G. Digital and analogue audio I/Os for I2S and HDA interfaces are also available.

The Quick Starter Kit also includes an ATX power supply, the conga-ACA2 MIPI CSI-2 dual camera module, WLAN antenna, LVDS adapter, SATA, USB cable and a cooling solution for the module. For software, there is a qualified bootloader package and board support packages for Linux, Yocto and Android available through the congatec Git server.

http://www.congatec.com

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Archiving system incorporates AI and machine learning elements

Thu, Mar 21, 2019

Enhanced functions for radiologists, new collaboration tools and artificial intelligence (AI) integration are provided in the latest Telemis Multimedia Archiving and Communication System (MACS).

Version 4.90 of Telemis’ archiving and transmission platform is future-proofed for machine learning (ML) and adds advanced capabilities for diagnosis and collaboration.

Telemis-Medical Version 4.90 also simplifies the capture, storage, comparison and sharing of key diagnostic data through improved image registration functionalities, says Telemic, with the introduction of goniometry tools and enhanced collaboration options. The software also offers integration modules that will speed the incorporation of new and emerging AI and ML techniques.

The latest version of MACS was been developed with a focus on addressing the challenges facing today’s radiologists. Recognising that image comparison is a significant portion of a radiologist’s work, Telemis has developed registration capabilities that allow alignment and comparison between images whatever the modalities (CT/MR/PT), the table positions and the timespan between the series. There are optional report input tools that combine advanced image viewing, dictation management and voice recognition, to simplify and speed up the collection, recording and analysis of radiology measurements.

Medical images can be now captured by peripherals such as smartphones and tablets and then automatically linked with the patient ID and the user ID via scan barcodes and QR codes. These more flexible and faster features have been designed not only for medical facilities with multiple sites but also for emergency units, dermatologists and surgeons.

Telemis-Medical Version 4.90 includes a new feature, TM-Community, which facilitates exchanges between Telemis customers. It also includes TM-Publisher Web which supports the secure distribution of images to external professionals such as GPs and consultant physicians. The TM-Publisher Web tool includes a new uploader module that allows internal and external contacts to send DICOM or non-DICOM images for second opinions. For data exchange and GDPR compliance, the new audit system allows operators to centralise access control and management.

Telemis-Medical Version 4.90 offers modules that speed the integration of AI tools. The AI-Box is designed to harmonise the exchange processes between multimedia archiving and communications systems and AI algorithms, making it easier to use the best algorithm for a given pathology.

http://www.telemis.com

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Dual-output digital PoL regulator saves space in ICT applications

Thu, Mar 21, 2019

Designed for high current ICT applications, the BMR469 family of digital point of load (PoL) regulators has been introduced by Flex Power Modules. The BMR469 delivers high power density, up to 160A per square inch, to save valuable board space in space constrained designs.

There are two variants with different output currents. The 80A BMR4690000 measures 25.4 x 12.7 x 11.6mm (1.00 x 0.50 x 0.46-inch) and the 50A BMR4696001 has a low profile with a maximum height of 5.8mm (0.23-inch). This model can be used where designers need to find space for a large processor heatsink, or who want to place the PoL regulator on the underside of the PCB. The low height of the BMR4696001 also makes it possible to place it very close to the processor, thus improving transient response, says Flex Power Modules.

Both versions are configurable as either dual outputs or a single, higher-power output. Designers can use one part to cover different requirements, for example to drive different processors or FPGA rails, which helps simplify power system design, adds Flex.

The BMR4690000 variant provides two independent 40A outputs for dual configurations, or one 80A rail in single-output operation mode. The BMR4696001 provides two 25A outputs or one 50A rail in single-output operation mode. Up to four modules can be paralleled for current sharing, delivering a total of up to 320A for the BMR4690000 and 200A for the BMR4696001.

The BMR469 can be configured via pin-strap or PMBus, according to the application. The regulator is also supported by a simulation model in Flex’s Power Designer software, for design and debug. Using Flex Power Designer’s advanced simulation functions, designers can optimise configuration parameters to achieve a stable control loop with fast load transient responses.

The BMR469 is suitable for a range of applications in the ICT market and designs that require high power density and a digital architecture, such as test equipment or simulator manufacturers. The BMR469 is capable of providing sufficient power to drive components such as processors, FPGAs and ASICs.

Efficiency is typically 92.6 per cent at half load (12Vin, 5Vout). The input voltage range is 7.5 to 14V, and output range is 0.6 to 5.0V. The BMR469 meets safety requirements according to IEC/EN/UL 62368-1, and offers a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 18.49 million hours.

The BMR4690000 is available now, and the BMR4696001 will be available in April 2019.

http://www.flex.com

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