IMU is equipped with six DoF sensor to measure slow and fast motion

IMUs (inertial measurement units) from Epson now include the M-G370G, which has been added to the company’s portfolio. 

It allows users to select an accelerometer output range of either ±8G or ±16G and offers 0.05 per cent non-linearity of the full scale range of the gyroscopic sensor. In this way, the M-G370G IMU measure all types of motion, from slow to fast, said Epson.

The IMU is compact, with dimensions of 24 x 24 x 10mm3 and is backwards compatible with the M-G330 and M-G366, M-G370 and M-G370S IMUs which will sharply reduce development costs and evaluation time, noted Epson. 

It has a low current consumption of 16mA, making it suitable for vibration damping for cameras and antennas, unmanned vehicles (industrial drones, terrestrial vehicles, sea probes), vibration, angle, trajectory measurement of industrial equipment and for navigation systems (GNSS, INS4, high-precision locators).

Epson will exhibit the M-G370G at Maintenance and Resilience Tokyo 2023 26 to 28 July, at Tokyo Big Sight.

First launched in 2011, Epson’s IMUs have been used in an array of customer applications, from precision agriculture (GNSS2) and industrial drones to camera and antenna platform vibration control and stabilization, earning an excellent reputation for outstanding performance and quality. Epson has a full range of IMUs, from basic models to high-spec models. All are based on a platform that measures about one inch along the sides, the standard form factor for IMUs.

The M-G370G will enter volume production this month.

Epson Europe Electronics is the European headquarters for electronic devices of Seiko Epson, Japan. It is located in Munich, Germany and has several European sales representatives and a European-wide network of distributors. 

Epson Europe Electronics provides value added services for timing devices, semiconductors, sensors and sensing systems targeted to various markets like industrial, automotive, medical and communication. 

Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

http://www.global.epson.com

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Small and versatile geo-location tracker has temperature sensor

Netherlands based SkyNet IoT claims that the LoRaWAN NanoTag is the smallest, most affordable, and most versatile Geo-location tracker and temperature sensor with international LoRaWAN coverage.

Suitable for remote temperature monitoring, the LoRaWAN NanoTag provides geo-tracking and temperature monitoring in a miniature format of just 98 x 130 x 1.5mm.

The NanoTag sticker is a compact, thin, cost-effective temperature sensor with a resolution of 0.1 degrees C. Described as the smallest, most affordable, and most versatile geo-location tracker and temperature sensor in the world, the NanoTag can be used for temperature conditioned transport and logistics as well as for monitoring temperatures in heating and cooling installations.

It has adjustable measurement intervals to provide users with full control. The measurement intervals can be adjusted remotely, allowing users to receive the necessary data exactly when needed. With a measurement interval of, for example, 15 minutes, the NanoTag has a lifespan of several years. This makes it suitable for long term tracking and/or temperature monitoring projects.

The NanoTags are connected to the SkyNet IoT LoRaWAN network as standard. This network provides maximum international coverage and offers secondary network roaming across various connected networks. This is something individual LoRaWAN providers do not offer, said SkyNet IoT. With more than a million connected LoRaWAN gateways from various network providers worldwide, SkyNet IoT claims to offer the maximum coverage and redundancy in LoRaWAN connectivity on the market.

LoRaWAN is the fast-growing IoT standard for sensor connectivity, characterised by its long-distance communication performance with low energy consumption and deep indoor range. Unlike individual LoRaWAN providers, the SkyNet IoT network offers roaming across various connected networks, providing maximum international connectivity. 

Although the SkyNet IoT network offers maximum coverage, there may be areas where the (indoor) coverage is absent or limited or where accurate Geo-Location is desirable, said the company. In such cases, the SkyNet IoT network can be expanded to unlock a (larger) (indoor) area and/or to achieve accurate Geo-Location. Although SkyNet IoT offers maximum international coverage, the NanoTags are bound to the frequency bands of specific continents, said the company. For this reason, SkyLab can provide a multi-band solution if required.

The LoRaWAN NanoTag is a versatile tool for refrigerated transport, where temperature and location monitoring are crucial when transporting medicines, organs, chemicals, or fresh products like vegetables and fruit.

SkyLab B.V. offers the NanoTag in a complete package with a customer IoT Dashboard and the SkyNet IoT network, for a one-time fee of $60 each (the price is lower for large quantities). This all-in package contains no hidden costs and is valid for the full lifespan of the NanoTag. Demo NanoTags are available for evaluation.

https://www.skylab.nl/  

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Drive stack expands Lattice Semiconductor’s software portfolio 

A software stack to accelerate automotive application development is available from Lattice Semiconductor. According to the company, it enables infotainment connectivity and processing, flexible ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), sensor bridging and processing and low power zonal bridging applications for driver, cabin, and vehicle monitoring.

“The automotive industry is rapidly evolving and cars are getting smarter than ever with new technological advancements, notably with zonal architectures requiring varied sensors and displays across vehicle models. Now more than ever, manufacturers need solutions that enable them to innovate while maintaining flexibility for future updates,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst, TECHnalysis Research. 

“Combining comprehensive software solutions from the start in [an] application design process is critical for time-to-market acceleration,” said Esam Elashmawi, chief strategy and marketing officer at Lattice Semiconductor. This is the company’s sixth software application-specific solution stack to deliver advanced automotive application features based on its low power FPGAs.

The initial release of Lattice Drive offers advanced display connectivity and processing and enables multi-resolution scaling and supports display sizes up to 4K and supports DisplayPort up to HBR 3 at 8.1Gbits per second per lane. It also provides image/video enhancement with a scalable full array local dimming and multiple display connectivity. The stack allows for bridging multiple displays, providing up to 1.5X faster DisplayPort interface than competitive devices in similar class. 

It also offers efficient data processing and enables the ability to process or co-process data to offload the CPU with up to 75 per cent lower power than competitive devices in a similar class

The Lattice Drive solution stack provides comprehensive application-specific solutions that combine reference platforms and designs, demos, IP building blocks, and FPGA design tools to accelerate customer application development and time-to-market. 

This is the latest stack in the Lattice solution stacks portfolio which includes Lattice sensAI (for AI applications), Lattice mVision (for embedded vision) Lattice Automate (for factory automation) and Lattice Sentry with platform firmware resiliency root of trust and Lattice ORAN for 5G ORAN deployment.

Lattice Semiconductor specialises is low power programmable devices. It works with customers working in networks, from the edge to the cloud, as well as in communications, computing, industrial, automotive and consumer markets. 

http://www.latticesemi.com

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8Mbit serial flash memory has small form factor for IoT devices

The first of a series of 3V RV flash memories has been announced by Winbond Electronics. The W25Q80RV is an 8Mbit flash device capable of high performance, low power, and available in a small form factor for connected IoT edge devices used in industrial and consumer segments. 

It can support fast software updates for products deployed in industrial factory automation and smart home control applications combining processing, connectivity, and sensor technologies, explained Winbond.

The W25Q80RV is manufactured in Winbond’s 12-inch wafer foundry utilising the latest generation of its 58nm technology. The die area is reduced by 40 per cent compared to its predecessor which was built with 90nm technology.  The flash memory is suitable for space-constrained applications where the flash KGD or WLCSP is combined with the SoC in a system in package.

Read speed has also improved from 104MHz to 133MHz, with page programming time reduced by 50 per cent and active read current reduced by up to 20 per cent. All combine to “significantly optimise” system functions. XIP (eXecute-In-Place) of code is accomplished at a high frequency, enabling greater system response while consuming less energy. 

Faster programming accelerates factory throughput and lowers manufacturing costs.  The short time it takes to conduct an over the air (OTA) firmware update means greater system availability and less downtime, added the company.

The W25Q80RV supports all common single/dual/quad/QPI commands and read modes for XIP and code shadowing to RAM.  This device operates on a single 2.7V to 3.6V power supply with a power-down current down to 1microA.  Active read current is optimised from 12mA down to 10mA at 104MHz. 

The 8Mbit (1Mbyte) flash is sectioned into 64kbyte or 32kbyte blocks and is further subdivided into small 4kbyte sectors for flexibility and storage efficiency in applications that require code, data, and parameter storage in the same device, said Winbond. It is also capable of 66MHz DDR (double data rate) operation enabling the system to achieve the same high speed (133MHz single data rate) read throughput at a lower clock frequency. The read command bypass mode supports faster memory access for true XIP operation by eliminating the command input cycle.

W25Q80RV is available now. This 8Mbit flash memory device is the first in a series, Winbond said it will release other members and densities of the RV series in coming months, enabling migration from existing W25QxxCV and W25QxxDV series to the W25QxxRV counterparts.

http://www.winbond.com

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