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u-blox releases versatile Wi-Fi 6 module for the mass market

Fri, Feb 23, 2024

u-blox has announced its new NORA-W4 module. With a range of wireless technologies (Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE 5.3, Thread, and Zigbee), compact form factor (10.4 x 14.3 x 1.9 mm), and affordability, NORA-W4 is ideal for IoT applications such as smart home, asset tracking, healthcare, and industrial automation.

NORA-W4 is a single-band tri-radio Wi-Fi 6 module built on the Espressif ESP32-C6 System-on-Chip. It enables battery-powered IoT nodes to operate directly over Wi-Fi. This simplifies implementation and reduces system-level costs by limiting the need for a Bluetooth gateway, making it a perfect match for applications like wireless battery-operated sensors.

NORA-W4 uses Wi-Fi 6 technology that is optimized for IoT and significantly reduces network congestion in environments such as factories, workplaces, or warehouses, thereby improving throughput and reducing latency. Fully backward compatible with Wi-Fi 4, the module can also be used in cases where the Wi-Fi infrastructure has not been upgraded.

The u-blox NORA-W4 module supports Matter protocol, Thread, and Zigbee technologies that are designed for new applications in the smart home environment. Consequently, it allows interoperability with other Matter smart home devices.

NORA-W4’s small form factor permits designers to adapt to device size constraints. Its compatibility with other u-blox NORA modules is key to effortless technology migration, such as transitioning from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6. In addition, the module is packed with enhanced security features, including secure boot, trusted execution environment, and flash encryption, to name a few.

NORA-W4 is available in 6 different variants: open CPU or u-connectXpress, antenna pin or PCB antenna, and with either 4MB or 8MB flash memory. Early samples are available now, with volume production scheduled for H2 2024.

https://www.u-blox.com

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ST expands into 3D depth sensing with latest time-of-flight sensors

Fri, Feb 23, 2024

ST has announced an all-in-one, direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) 3D LiDAR module with market-leading 2.3k resolution, and revealed an early design win for the world’s smallest 500k-pixel indirect Time-of-Flight (iToF) sensor.

The VL53L9 is a new direct ToF 3D LiDAR device with a resolution of up to 2.3k zones. Integrating a dual scan flood illumination, unique in the market, the LiDAR can detect small objects and edges and captures both 2D infrared (IR) images and 3D depth map information. It comes as a ready-to-use low power module with its on-chip dToF processing, requiring no extra external components or calibration. Additionally, the device delivers state-of-the-art ranging performance from 5cm to 10 meters.

VL53L9’s suite of features elevates camera-assist performance, supporting macro up to telephoto photography. It enables features such as laser autofocus, bokeh, and cinematic effects for still and video at 60fps (frame per second). Virtual reality (VR) systems can leverage accurate depth and 2D images to enhance spatial mapping for more immersive gaming and other VR experiences like virtual visits or 3D avatars. In addition, the sensor’s ability to detect the edges of small objects at short and ultra-long ranges makes it suitable for applications such as virtual reality or SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping).

ST is also announcing news of its VD55H1 ToF sensor, including the start of volume production and an early design win with Lanxin Technology, a China-based company focusing on mobile-robot deep-vision systems. MRDVS, a subsidiary company, has chosen the VD55H1 to add high-accuracy depth-sensing to its 3D cameras. The high-performance, ultra-compact cameras with ST’s sensor inside combine the power of 3D vision and edge AI, delivering intelligent obstacle avoidance and high-precision docking in mobile robots.

In addition to machine vision, the VD55H1 is ideal for 3D webcams and PC applications, 3D reconstruction for VR headsets, people counting and activity detection in smart homes and buildings. It packs 672 x 804 sensing pixels in a tiny chip size and can accurately map a three-dimensional surface by measuring distance to over half a million points. ST’s stacked-wafer manufacturing process with backside illumination enables unparalleled resolution with smaller die size and lower power consumption than alternative iToF sensors in the market. These characteristics give the sensors their excellent credentials in 3D content creation for webcams and VR applications including virtual avatars, hand modelling and gaming.

First samples of the VL53L9 are already available for lead customers and mass production is scheduled for early 2025. The VD55H1 is in full production now.

ST will showcase a range of ToF sensors including the VL53L9 and explain more about its technologies at Mobile World Congress 2024, in Barcelona, February 26-29, at booth 7A61.

https://www.st.com

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ST reveals cable-free connectivity for eUSB accessories, devices and industrial applications

Thu, Feb 22, 2024

New short-range wireless point-to-point transceiver ICs from STMicroelectronics remove the need for cables and connectors in consumer-friendly accessories and personal electronics like digital cameras, wearables, portable hard drives, and small gaming terminals. They also address data-transfer challenges in industrial applications such as rotating machinery.

As a cost-effective cable replacement, ST60A3H0 and ST60A3H1 transceivers let designers create products with slim, aperture-free cases that can be stylish, water-resistant, and allow convenient wireless docking. Self-discovery with instant mating saves pairing, while low power consumption preserves battery runtime. They operate in the 60GHz V-band and provide eUSB2, I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO tunnelling.

Consuming 130mW in eUSB rx/tx mode and just 90mW for UART, GPIO, and I2C modes, and with a 23µW shutdown mode, energy demand is minimal. As the devices can handle exchanges at up to 480Mbit/s, consistent with the USB 2.0 High Speed specification, wireless connections can deliver cable-like speed and low latency.

The ST60A3H1 has an integrated antenna that eases final system design. It comes in a compact 3mm x 4mm VFBGA package. The ST60A3H0 is designed for connecting an external antenna, giving flexibility to address diverse applications. It has a smaller, 2.2mm x 2.6mm footprint.

In industrial environments, wireless connections with these transceivers deliver benefits including safe galvanic isolation and immunity to environmental hazards such as dust and humidity. The devices are also ideal for rotating machinery and instruments such as radars and lidars, as well as mobile equipment like robotic arms. Being free from mechanical wear, their lifetime is not limited by the number of rotations. This ensures greater reliability than slip rings, particularly for high data rate signals, at a lower cost than fiber-optic rotating joints (FORJ).

The transceivers are easy to use without installing software drivers or protocol stack. In addition to enhancing end-user experiences, they enable fast, efficient contactless product testing and debugging, including loading firmware over the air (FOTA), during manufacture and after sales.

http://www.st.com/en/wireless-connectivity/60-ghz-contactless-products.html

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Infineon introduces the OPTIGA Trust M MTR, making it easy to add Matter and security to smart home devices

Thu, Feb 22, 2024

In a world of increasing connectivity and the growing popularity of the Internet of Things, it is important to simplify interoperability across connected devices and to enhance their security and reliability. The Matter standard was created precisely for this purpose. In order to facilitate integration of the Matter standard and security features into smart home and smart building devices, Infineon has introduced the OPTIGA Trust M MTR. The Matter-certified secure element is the latest configuration of Infineon’s OPTIGA Trust M, combined with a Matter provisioning service.

According to ABI Research forecasts, the number of smart home devices will double by 2030, reaching about 1.7 billion worldwide. All these devices have to be able to connect securely and reliably with each other and with different smart home ecosystems. That’s where the Matter standard comes into play, facilitating smooth interoperability across connected devices even from different companies. The Matter protocol defines a set of principles that support uniform security and privacy measures for the smart home, since smart homes rely on smart devices to increase not only comfort but also efficiency and security.

The tamper-resistant security controller can be easily integrated into a system to perform security-related functions and provide a high level of protection for sensitive data and cryptographic operations. As a discrete Secure Element, OPTIGA Trust M MTR can be integrated into any MCU-based design to enhance security and handle multiple product protocols simultaneously. This gives original equipment manufacturers greater flexibility and allows faster time to market.

According to the Matter protocol, every smart home device must have a Device Attestation Certificate (DAC), containing the Product ID (PID) and the Vendor ID (VID), to verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of each device commissioned in the Matter ecosystem. With OPTIGA Trust M MTR, the PID no longer needs to be defined in advance when the reel is ordered or manufactured. Instead, each device receives a personalised DAC injection at a later point right up until the start of device production. This gives device manufacturers more flexibility in creating multiple product variants of smart home devices.

OPTIGA Trust M MTR secure elements are pre-provisioned at a Common Criteria-certified Infineon facility. The batch of Secure Elements on a reel is shipped with an associated barcode. The customer claims ownership of these chips on the IoT portal of Infineon partner Kudelski IoT by scanning the barcode. Kudelski IoT is a trusted and established Product Attestation Authority (PAA) approved by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). Kudelski IoT will enable the download of production DACs corresponding to the vendor and the product. Finally, the personalised DAC is transferred to the OPTIGA Trust M MTR at the factory level (see graphic).

Samples of OPTIGA Trust M MTR are available now together with the OPTIGA Trust M MTR Shield for easy evaluation and design-in. Availability for the broad market will begin in March 2024. In addition, developers can rely on design-in application notes and extensive host-side integration support without having to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Moreover, Infineon offers training measures for the security products. More information is available at www.infineon.com/OPTIGA-Trust-M-MTR.

https://www.infineon.com

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