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CUI includes digital and analogue MEMS microphones for portable devices

Wed, Jan 09, 2019

MEMS microphones from CUI are designed for portable devices. The CMM series has been added to CUI’s Audio Product group. They are compact, with a low profile and measure just 2.75 x 1.85 x 0.95mm.

The reflow solder compatible components can be used where surface mount assembly is required, such as audio recording and voice capture in smart phones, tablets, smart home devices and wearables.

The MEMS microphones are omni-directional and available in analogue or digital pulse density modulation (PDM) output types with top or bottom port locations. Offering round or rectangular form factors, the CMM series models carry sensitivity ratings from -44 up to -26dB and signal to noise ratios from 57 up to 65dBA. The MEMS microphones are also claimed to deliver reduced vibration sensitivity, low current draw down to 80 microA, and operating temperature ranges from -40 up to +105 degrees C. Sensitivity tolerances are as low as ±1.0dB, making the CMM series particularly suitable for performing functions such as beam forming and noise cancellation.

The inner chamber construction provides a stable performance, claims CUI, and protects the silicon-based microphones against moisture and dust.

The CMM series is available immediately.

https://www.cui.com

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Osram and GaN Systems develop fast laser driver for lidar

Tue, Jan 08, 2019

Optoelectronics specialist, Osram Opto Semiconductors, and GaN power semiconductor manufacturer, GaN Systems have collaborated on laser driver technology that enables longer range and higher resolution lidar architectures.

Osram’s laser portfolio for lidar includes the SPL DS90A_3 with a peak power of 120W at 40A. The company plans to release a four-channel SMT laser in 2019. The additional channels increase the field of view (FoV) and total peak power, with each channel being capable of generating 120W.

One of the issues with lidar technology has been its inability to transmit lasers at short pulses, while maintaining high peak power, which is necessary to ensure that the lidar with a long range and high resolution is safe to the human eye. To address this need, the two companies have developed a laser driver with a one nanosecond pulse rise time, while driving all four channels at 40A each to deliver 480W peak power. This peak power can be modulated at low-duty cycles to produce high resolution 3D cloud points at long range for new lidar designs.

Scanning lidar is used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Devices react instantly to potential collisions without wasting precious seconds of reaction time. Scanning lidar creates high-resolution 3D images of a car’s surroundings and registers obstacles early enough for ADAS, or self-driving cars, to initiate the appropriate driving manoeuvres, such as braking.

http://www.osram-os.com

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Developer toolbox supports STM32Cube microcontrollers at the edge

Mon, Jan 07, 2019

Driving artificial intelligence (AI) to edge and node embedded devices, STMicroelectronics has introduced the STM32 neural network developer toolbox.

AI uses trained artificial neural networks to classify data signals from motion and vibration sensors, environmental sensors, microphones and image sensors, more quickly and efficiently than conventional handcrafted signal processing.

The STM32Cube.AI extension (X-Cube-AI) software tool generates optimised code to run neural networks on STM32 microcontrollers. It can be downloaded inside ST’s STM32CubeMX MCU configuration and software code-generation ecosystem.

Today, the tool supports Caffe, Keras (with TensorFlow backend), Lasagne, ConvnetJS frameworks and integrated development environments (IDEs) including those from Keil, IAR, and System Workbench.

The FP-AI-Sensing1 software function pack provides examples of code to support end-to-end motion (human-activity recognition) and audio (audio-scene classification) applications based on neural networks. This function pack leverages ST’s SensorTile reference board to capture and label the sensor data before the training process. The board can then run inferences of the optimised neural network.

The ST Bluetooth low energy (BLE) Sensor mobile app acts as the SensorTile’s remote control and display.

The toolbox consists of the STM32Cube.AI mapping tool, application software examples running on small form factor, battery-powered SensorTile hardware, together with the partner program and dedicated community support offers a fast and easy path to neural network implementation on STM32 devices.

The extension is supplied with ready-to-use software function packs containing code examples for human activity recognition and audio scene classification that are immediately usable with ST‘s reference sensor board and mobile app.

Developer support is provided through qualified partners in the ST Partner Program and dedicated AI/machine learning (ML) STM32 community, assures the company.

ST explains that STM32Cube.AI can be used by developers to convert pre-trained neural networks into C-code that calls functions in optimised libraries that can run on STM32 microcontrollers.

Accompanying software function packs include example code for human activity recognition and audio scene classification. These code examples are immediately usable with the ST SensorTile reference board and the ST BLE Sensor mobile app.

ST will demonstrate applications developed using STM32Cube.AI running on STM32 microcontrollers in a private suite at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, (8 to 12 January).

http://www.st.com

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Solid-state lidar improves detection distance for vehicles

Mon, Jan 07, 2019

At this week’s CES 2019 (8 to 12 January) in Las Vegas, USA, RoboSense will demonstrate an upgraded version of its MEMS solid-state lidar, an automotive grade version designed for the mass production of autonomous vehicles. The RS-LiDAR-M1 has patented MEMS technology and offers vehicle intelligence awareness to a level that fully supports Level 5 driverless automated driving. The company also claims a breakthrough on the measurement range limit based on 905nm lidar with a detection distance to 200m. As a result, says the company, the upgraded optical system and signal processing technology can now clearly recognise even small objects, such as railings and fences.

The first generation MEMS solid-state lidar RS-LiDAR-M1Pre was launched at last year’s CES and was loaded on the Cainiao unmanned logistics vehicle in May 2018. This year the company will be showcasing the potential of its MEMS optomechanical system design, with improvements in detection distance, resolution, field of view (FoV) and reliability.

The RS-LiDAR-M1 MEMS optomechanical lidar provides an increased horizontal field of view compared to the previous generation, reaching 120 degrees FoV; only a few RS-LiDAR-M1s are needed to cover the 360 degrees field of view. It also means that with only five RS-LiDAR-M1s, there is no blind zone around the car with dual lidar sensing redundancy provided in front of the car for a Level 5, i.e. full driverless – driving.

The company believes that the battle between 1550 and 905nm lidar is about cost and performance. When aiming for a low-cost 905nm lidar, it is necessary to overcome the technical difficulties of achieving sufficient measurement range. The RS-LiDAR-M1 achieves what the Robosense describes as a breakthrough on the measurement range limit based on the 905nm lidar, with a detection distance to 200m.

The final output point cloud effect means that the RS-LiDAR-M1 has improved detection capability via the upgraded optical system and signal processing technology, which can now clearly recognise even small objects, such as railings and fences.

http://www.robosense.ai

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