Components & Connectors

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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RS485-networking transceiver simplifies design to save space

Tue, Dec 04, 2018

Providing an external pin to select 20Mb its per second or 250kbits per second communication, the STR485LV is a 3.3V transceiver for RS485[1] applications that interfaces directly with low-voltage logic down to 1.8V.

The user-selectable data rate allows designers to specify the same device, simplifying inventory management for RS485-networking applications, ranging from high-speed/short-range up to the maximum communication distance (4,000 feet) depending on cable performance. The transceiver is suitable for telecomms infrastructure, high-speed data links, or low-voltage microcontroller communications.

Low voltage logic devices from 1.8V to 3.3V can be connected directly, without needing level-shifting components, advises ST Microelectronics, leveraging the 1.65 to 3.6V supply voltage range for data and enable signals. By maintaining internal driver-output resistance above 96Ohms up to 105 degrees C, the STR485 allows up to 256 transceivers on the same bus in accordance with the RS485 specification.

Features include thermal shutdown to prevent bus contention or faults causing excessive power consumption, and a receiver failsafe mode that prevents errors if inputs are idle, shorted, or unconnected. The bus pins withstand over ±8kV contact discharge and ±16kV air discharge without latch-up, exceeding IEC 61000-4-2 specifications, and are resistant to IEC61000-4-4 fast transient burst class-B.

Packaged as a 3.0 x 3m.0m DFN10, the STR485 has flow-through logic-to-bus pinning that simplifies board design, adds ST Microelectronics.

http://www.st.com

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Microswitch saves space in building automation

Wed, Nov 28, 2018

With the launch of the D2F-5 subminiature switch, Omron Electronic Components Europe says it has introduced its smallest ever microswitch with 5A rating.

The D2F-5 microswitch will push designers to minimise the application size, says the company. The rating of 5A means that the subminiature switches are suitable for high current applications. They have a minimum durability of 10,000 actions.

The D2F-5 switch measures just 5.7 x 12.7mm and a height from 5.5mm, depending on the operating lever chosen. The switches incorporate a snapping mechanism with two highly precise split springs that ensure long service life, assures Omron, while flux penetration is prevented by using insertion moulded terminals. The D2F-5 switch is available in variety of terminal variations including self-clinching PCB, left angled, right angled terminals, solder terminals and compact solder terminals.

Applications include building automation, ventilation and temperature control, safety and security, smart meters, lifts and elevators.

Omron Electronic Components Europe supplies electromechanical PCB relays, as well as components such as micro switches, MOSFET relays, DIP switches, photomicrosensors and connectors. Its portfolio of technologies includes MEMS based pressure, flow and thermal measurement sensors, human face and gesture recognition modules, vibration and tilt sensors.

Omron Electronic Components Europe supports its customers in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS through eight regional offices, a network of local offices and partnerships with specialist, local, regional and global distributors.

http://components.omron.eu  

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Bosch claims to offer the first position tracking smart sensor

Thu, Nov 08, 2018

Believed to be the first position tracking smart sensor, the BHI160BP is designed for wearables and uses integrated inertial sensors to improve GPS location tracking.

When used with a GPS or GNSS module, the BHI160BP enables users to take full advantage of pedestrian position tracking with up to 80 per cent saving in system power consumption compared with a typical GNSS-only solution, without compromising on accuracy, says Bosch.

Users benefit from an extended battery life and longer charging intervals for wearable applications such as smartwatches and fitness trackers and other mobile devices such as smartphones. Bosch believes that position tracking is set to enable a new class of compact devices with even smaller batteries.

The BHI160BP tracks a person’s position by intelligently applying an inertial sensor based algorithm for pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR). To maintain accuracy, it calculates the user’s relative location based on data collected from the inertial sensors and then re-calibrates itself every few minutes to obtain the absolute position provided by the GNSS/GPS module. In this way, the GNSS/GPS module can be kept in sleep mode for most of the time, which both reduces a device’s power consumption and extends its operating time.

The position tracking capability provided by the BHI160BP also means that a device can maintain solid accuracy, says Bosch, even when the GNSS signal is blocked or weak, e.g. near tall buildings or indoors. This ensures accurate pedestrian navigation at all times, even in shielded indoor areas such as subways.

The BHI160BP joins Bosch Sensortec’s BHI160 family and adds application-specific functionality for position tracking. It can be quickly and easily integrated into a system design without requiring an update to a new GNSS module, thereby significantly cutting time to market.

While the current configuration is optimised for use with GNSS receivers (such as GPS), the BHI160BP can also support most of the common global localisation technologies. As well as improving localisation, the BHI160BP can also serve to handle gesture recognition and 3D orientation, with 3D calculations performed by the sensor rather than by an application processor.

The BHI160BP draws only 1.3mA in active operation mode and is the industry’s lowest-power solution that integrates the Fuser Core microcontroller and a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). Additionally, the position tracking smart sensor offers a variety of customised virtual sensors, such as a calibrated accelerometer, orientation and wake up gesture, within a single device. The BHI160BP can be extended by connecting additional physical sensors, such as a magnetometer, over a secondary interface.

The new BHI160BP comes in a compact 3.0 x 3.0 x 0.95mm3 LGA-package and is pin-to-pin compatible with the BHI160.

The BHI160BP will be available via distribution in December 2018.

https://www.bosch-sensortec.com

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