Panasonic is now offering PAN-MaX, a multi-tier Matter Certificate Service designed for device manufacturers selling in the smart home market, to simplify Matter enablement for smart home devices.
The Matter standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is a major industry-led effort to address the highly fragmented market of connected smart homes. It aims to solve the challenge of interoperability, which is considered the biggest impediment for device manufacturers selling to a multi-vendor smart home customer. Matter establishes interoperability on top of familiar standard wireless communication technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Thread, allowing devices from different vendors to interact and understand each other using a common language. Additionally, the notion of IoT device security comes pre-baked into the standard itself, fundamentally addressing the problem of unauthentic fake product copies that currently plagues the industry. This is why big and small players alike in the smart home industry see the Matter technology as the bedrock for the consolidation of the smart home market.
In the above context, Panasonic Industry offers Matter enablement through its portfolio of wireless modules to provide the necessary wireless interfaces (BLE, Thread, and Wi-Fi) mandated by the Matter standard on PCB, as well as PAN-MaX, a digital trust solution for Matter products aimed at simplifying the production-related challenges faced by smart home device manufacturers.
PAN-MaX closes the loop for device manufacturers by providing all the necessary capabilities required for making a Matter product. Device manufacturers can achieve hassle-free Matter deployment with manufacturer-specific versions of Panasonic wireless modules. In doing so, Panasonic takes charge of implementing the digital trust solution, injecting Device Attestation Certificates (DACs) issued from a Panasonic managed PKI infrastructure into compatible Panasonic wireless modules, which are signed against a root certificate issued to a CSA-approved Product Attestation Authority. Device manufacturers can further leverage Panasonic’s European production facilities by pre-programming business logic and other customer/product-specific information during wireless module production in Panasonic’s factory.
Acknowledging that one size doesn’t fit all, the PAN-MaX service can be tailored to suit individual customer and project requirements. Available with different service level tiers: Silver, Gold, or Diamond, device manufacturers can choose from multiple price points, underlining Panasonic’s effort to promote Matter and make it accessible to customers of all project types and volumes. Panasonic simplifies an otherwise complicated multi-vendor setup, such that device manufacturers or their EMS partners don’t have to plan for additional production-related investments for a Matter project, and avoid all risks of escalating hidden costs.
Components & Connectors
Omnivision launches newest generation of the World’s smallest shutter image sensor
Omnivision has announced the new OG0TC BSI global shutter (GS) image sensor for eye and face tracking in AR/VR/MR consumer headsets and glasses. For the first time ever, Omnivision is bringing its patented DCG high dynamic range (HDR) technology to the AR/VR/MR market in the 2.2-micron (µm) pixel OG0TC GS image sensor.
With a package size of just 1.64mm x 1.64mm, the OG0TC is an ultra-small and low-power image sensor for optimizing primarily inward-facing tracking cameras. This small form factor is key to industrial designs as multiple cameras are required for tracking all aspects of the face (eyes, brows, lips, etc.). The OG0TC is pin-to-pin compatible with Omnivision’s previous-generation BSI GS image sensor for easy upgrades.
“Ultra-low power consumption is critical for AR/VR battery-powered devices, and our OG0TC BSI GS image sensor reduces power by more than 40% over our previous-generation OG0TB sensor, which is already an extremely low-power device,” says Devang Patel, marketing director – IoT/Emerging, Omnivision. “Pin-to-pin compatibility makes the upgrade to the OG0TC easy for our customers, so they do not need to make any change to their design to save power and enjoy new features like DCG™ technology.”
Key features of the OG0TC image sensor include:
● The sensor is built on Omnivision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked-die technology.
● It features Omnivision’s patented DCG HDR technology and offers 400×400 resolution with a 2.2µm pixel in a 1/14.46-inch optical format.
● Nyxel technology enables the best quantum efficiency at the 940nm near-infrared (NIR) wavelength for sharp, accurate images of moving objects.
● It consumes less than 40% of the power at 30 frames per second (fps) compared with the previous-generation sensor.
● The sensor’s high modulation transfer function enables sharper images with greater contrast and more detail.
● It supports a flexible interface, including MIPI with multi-drop, CPHY, etc.
Patel adds, “We are excited to introduce our single-exposure DCG HDR technology for ghost-free image capture to the AR/VR market. It already has proven to be extremely successful in the security, mobile and automotive industries.”
Polarised power relay from Panasonic for smart lighting and IoT applications
The DW-YL is Panasonic Industry’s latest addition to the DW range of Polarised Power Relays. Providing an up-to-20A of latching relay functionality, the DW-YL series is specifically designed for demanding applications with high inrush currents. They can handle up to 320A for 1.2ms, making them ideal for capacitive loads and other scenarios where robust inrush current handling is required.
Its compact PCB footprint of just 10mm wide ensures minimal space usage, allowing for more efficient design layouts The one or two coil latching design minimises power consumption nearly to zero, making these relays energy-efficient for applications and devices that are designed to fulfil modern sustainability requirements.
With a TV8 rating, the DW-YL relays offer high performance and durability, capable of handling up to 320A inrush current. Additionally, their low profile of just 15.8mm makes them suitable for applications where space is at a premium. These relays are also UL/C-UL and VDE certified, ensuring compliance with international standards.
The DW-YL series is particularly suitable for a variety of applications in lighting, IoT devices, and power distribution units (PDUs). In lighting, these relays can be used in electrical ballasts, smart lighting systems, and LED drivers where high inrush currents are common. For IoT applications, DW-YL relays are ideal for smart plugs and smart switches, providing reliable performance in compact devices. In PDUs, these relays can be used in multi-outlet power strips to ensure safe and efficient power distribution.
Farnell now stocks Murata’s UWB and LoRa modules
Farnell is now offering Murata’s latest UWB and LoRa connectivity modules for convenient wireless integration. These modules are designed to simplify wireless development and certification, making it easier to incorporate wireless capabilities into a wide range of applications.
Murata’s UWB modules provide high-accuracy location functionality with UWB tag and anchor functions in compact packages. These modules feature integrated RF front ends, simplifying the implementation process and reducing the need for extensive RF expertise. This allows developers to seamlessly incorporate advanced location capabilities into their applications..
Additionally, Murata’s LoRa modules offer a compact, integrated solution with an embedded MCU. Developers have the flexibility to utilise the MCU as the Host for an End Node, providing customisation possibilities for various projects.
The technology enables location accuracy in the order of 0.1m for indoor or outdoor applications. The UWB Modules available at Farnell include:
• FiRa certified UWB module, Type 2BP is the ultra small UWB module which includes NXP’s SR150 UWB chipset, clock, filters and peripheral components. Ideally suited for general IoT devices including battery operated devices.
• UWB module with integrated BLE wireless MCU, Type 2AB is designed as ultra-small, high quality and lower power consumption module. It can be operated on the wireless MCU making this a suitable part for wearables and applications where size is critical
• UWB tag module with integrated BLE wireless MCU. Type 2DK is an all-in-one UWB + Bluetooth LE combo module which integrates NXP Trimension SR040 UWB Chipset, NXP QN9090 Bluetooth LE + MCU chipset, on board antenna and peripheral components. Ideally suited for UWB Tag/Tracker which operates by coin-cell battery, and general IoT devices.
The Murata Type 1SJ LoRa Modules are some of the smallest LoRa Modules in the line-up and include the Semtech SX1262 LoRa Connect Transceiver IC and ST Microelectronics STM32L0 MCU to provide customers with a Regulatory Certified Module that can be used as the core of a LoRa End Node product design. The LoRa modules available at Farnell include:
• LoRa OpenMCU Module, Type 1SJ-295 supplied as an OpenMCU configuration to allow custom Application to be flashed to integrated MCU, together with LoRa Stack.
• LoRaWAN Modem Module, Type 1SJ-6868 pre-flashed with modem Firmware and EUI to support LoRaWAN operation by AT Commands.
• LoRa Module Evaluation Kit to support development and verification for both OpenMCU and Modem configurations of Module.
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