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Microchip releases 20 Wi-Fi products for industrial and commercial applications

Tue, Oct 15, 2024

With Industry 4.0, the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digitised manufacturing and the age of IoT everything, the demand for wireless connectivity in commercial and industrial applications is growing at an exceptional pace. These applications typically require reliable connectivity that can withstand extreme environments that are exposed to high temperatures, background noise and obstructions. To help meet this need, Microchip Technology has added 20 products to its Wi-Fi® portfolio.

The company’s Wi-Fi solutions are designed to support various application needs and developer skill levels. The selection ranges from modules that are regulatory certified in several countries that require no Radio Frequency (RF) expertise and little programming to robust Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) with industrial-level features.

Microchip’s Wi-Fi portfolio includes:
• Wi-Fi MCUs: all-in-one solution designed to combine the functionality of an MCU with reliable wireless connectivity
• Link Controllers: an SDIO interface enables the addition of Wi-Fi to Linux MPUs
• Network Controllers: an SPI interface allows the addition of wireless connectivity to an MCU
• Plug-and-Play Modules: simplify wireless-to-cloud connectivity by sending simple text commands from an MCU over a UART interface

The latest PIC32MZ-W1 Wi-Fi MCUs build on Microchip’s trusted 32-bit MCU line and feature advanced analog peripherals—including CAN, Ethernet, capacitive touch and ADC—to offer exceptional versatility. Additionally, the new devices feature some of the highest General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) capabilities on the market.

Also included in the lineup are next-generation WINCS02 network controllers and WILCS02 link controllers. Updates to the popular WINC and WILC solutions include improved radio performance and enhanced security features. The new wireless modules are pin-to-pin compatible with previous generations to ease migration from legacy devices.

To simplify Wi-Fi to cloud connectivity, Microchip has also expanded its plug-and-play product line with new RNWF02 modules. These modules connect MCUs to a cloud platform using simple ASCII commands sent over a UART interface.

Secure connections, which are critical for Wi-Fi applications that send or receive data from the cloud, can be challenging to implement depending on the developer’s skill level. To ease this process, Microchip has integrated its Trust Platform into many of its Wi-Fi products. Trust&GO module variants are pre-provisioned for secure authentication with popular cloud services, including AWS® and Azure®, to streamline the process of network authentication.

Millions of Microchip Wi-Fi products are already powering industrial applications around the world, offering seamless integration, enhanced security, robust connectivity and long-term performance and reliability throughout their lifecycle.

Microchip’s Wi-Fi portfolio is supported by a comprehensive suite of development tools, application demos, evaluation boards and services. Additional services include free design checks to give developers the support they need to create high-quality products efficiently.

https://www.microchip.com

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u-blox extends reach of PointPerfect GNSS correction service via RTCM RTK data format

Tue, Oct 08, 2024

u-blox extends the reach of its PointPerfect GNSS correction service by adding the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) data format standard, opening the service to use with all GNSS and real- time kinematics (RTK) receiver hardware.

PointPerfect has until now exclusively delivered the correction data using the SPARTN data format. Designed for increased flexibility, the addition of RTCM now lowers barriers to adoption and expands the addressable market of scaled-up high-precision positioning solutions. The high-precision service works seamlessly with any GNSS RTK receiver module, u-blox or non u-blox, and even with mixed device fleets without a need for integration expertise.

This expansion introduces RTCM users to PointPerfect’s uniquely flexible usage-based pricing plans as an affordable alternative to the rigid high annual service fees of conventional RTK suppliers. The pay-as-you-go plans allow users to pay only for the hours that they use. Pooled plans make it simple to optimise costs by sharing service hours across the whole device fleet.

This expansion of the PointPerfect GNSS correction service will address a broader range of devices in segments that utilise the RTCM data standard, such as robotic lawnmowers, service delivery robots, UAVs and precision agriculture.

The PointPerfect RTCM service expansion provides centimetre-level accuracy in seconds, is simple to use, cost effective, offers seamless coverage over entire continents, countries, and regions, and with 99.9% uptime availability for reliable performance.

https://www.u-blox.com

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Kontron announces its new 2.5” single board computer

Mon, Oct 07, 2024

Kontron has announced its new 2.5” Single Board Computer (Pico-ITX SBC) product line with the new 2.5”-SBC-AML/ADN. This board offers a compact and portable computing solution with enhanced processing and graphics performance, faster AI inference capabilities, low power consumption, and low latency. The new SBCs are ideal for critical real-time computing in industrial automation, smart cities, energy, retail, and healthcare applications. Samples will be available to customers in November 2024.

The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML support standard or project-based all variants of low-power Intel Atom x7000E Series, Intel Core i3 N-Series, Intel N-Series (codenamed Alder Lake N) and Intel Atom x7000RE Series (code name Amston Lake) processors. These boards feature integrated Intel UHD Graphics (Gen12), AI acceleration, and real-time computing capabilities. The new Pico-ITX Single Board Computers provide multiple embedded controller features and advanced technology components, delivering nearly double (compared to the previous generations) graphics performance with up to 32 execution units in the iGPU for concurrent AI inference workloads. Combined with the Intel® Deep Learning Boost, the new SBC offer faster AI inference performance.

Despite its compact size of just 100 mm x 72 mm – slightly larger than a credit card – 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML deliver impressive graphics and media processing power. They support three 4K displays at 60 fps through an internal eDP interface and two external connectors: DisplayPort and DisplayPort over USB-C.

The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML feature advanced components, including in-band ECC-enabled LPDDR5 soldered SDRAM (4, 8, or 16 GB) with speeds up to 4800 MHz, two 2.5 GbE LAN Intel I226 controllers, and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (Type A and Type C) at up to 10 Gbps. These components enable ultra-low latency within the system and with peripheral devices. Additionally, some variants support Intel Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), providing real-time responsiveness with up to 1 microsecond accuracy over Ethernet.

The soldered eMMC storage (32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB), together with mounted LPDDR5, make 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML resistant to shock and vibration. 2.5”-SBC-AML is specifically designed for continuous 24/7 operation in harsh environments and high system loads. Both Single Board Computers are available in commercial (0 °C to 60 °C) and industrial (-40 °C to 85 °C) temperature variants to suit different applications.

The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML support a wide input voltage range (DC 9 V to 20 V) for unstable power supplies. Additionally, a discrete TPM 2.0 security chip enhances user authentication, network access, and data protection compared to firmware TPM.

Despite its small footprint, the 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML offer robust connectivity and expansion options, including two internal COM ports (two RS232 or two RS232/422/485) and eight digital I/O channels for industrial applications. The boards feature two M.2 expansion slots (Key B and Key E) for Wi-Fi, WWAN (3G, 4G, or 5G), and additional SSD storage, enhancing system reliability and versatility. All these features operate within a low power budget of 6 W to 15 W TDP.

2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML ensure an extended long-term availability of up to 10 years from the release date, due to embedded key components and is CE, FCC, ICES, UKCA & UR (UL Recognised)

https://www.kontron.com

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ST reveals Page EEPROM two-in-one memory to boost smart-edge performance and efficiency

Wed, Oct 02, 2024

ST’ Page EEPROM combines the power efficiency and durability of an EEPROM with the capacity and speed of a Flash memory, creating a hybrid memory for applications that face extreme size and power constraints.

The new memories address growing demand for storage in embedded applications, needed to support increasingly sophisticated features and run data-hungry edge-AI algorithms. One example is behind-the-ear hearing aids, where Page EEPROM can reduce the bill of materials and help create products that are slimmer and more comfortable to wear.

In addition to wearables, Page EEPROM is ideal for applications such as healthcare devices, asset trackers, e-bikes, as well as other industrial and consumer products. “The intelligent edge has evolved quickly and is profoundly changing demands on embedded memory storage density, performance, and power consumption,” said Philippe Ganivet, STMicroelectronics EEPROM product line manager. “Our new Page EEPROM is the perfect ultra-low-power memory to complement a microcontroller for remote IoT modules that operate on battery power.”

“ST’s Page EEPROM is the perfect non-volatile memory, a true best-of-both worlds solution that enabled us to achieve the ambitious targets we set when creating the latest generation of our flagship product family of GPS trackers, IoT devices, and all other designs where high performance, high reliability, small size, and low power are required,” said Patrick Kusbel, owner of BitFlip Engineering, one of the first customers to use the new memory ICs. “The M95P is up to 50 times faster yet consumes as little as one-tenth the power and delivers five times the reliability — at 500k writes compared to 100k writes — typical of other parts we used before. It’s a game changer.”

ST’s Page EEPROM family offers densities of 8Mbit, 16Mbit, and 32Mbit, greatly increasing storage over standard EEPROM devices. Embedded smart page-management allows byte-level write operations for processes like data logging, while also supporting page/sector/block erase and page-program up to 512 bytes for efficiently handling firmware over the air (OTA) updates. The devices also allow buffer loading, which can program several pages simultaneously to cut the time for loading software in production. The data-read speed of 320 Mbit/s is about 16 times faster than standard EEPROM, while write-cycle endurance of 500,000 cycles is several times higher than conventional serial Flash.

Also featuring a novel peak-current control, Page EEPROM minimizes power supply noise and prolongs the runtime of battery-operated equipment. The write current is below that of many conventional EEPROMs and there is also a deep power-down mode with fast wakeup that reduces the current to below 1µA.

Longevity is assured, with 100-year data retention. The devices are included in ST’s 10-years product longevity program that guarantees long-term product availability.

The X-NUCLEO-PGEEZ1 expansion board and X-CUBE-EEPRMA1 software package are available now, for users to learn how to interact with Page EEPROM and adopt the new devices in application designs. The software includes a demonstration application that shows how to test the memory’s hybrid architecture and quickly build a proof of concept.

The M95P08, M95P16, and M95P32 Page EEPROMs are in production now and available from $0.50 for the 8Mbit M95P08. The X-NUCLEO-PGEEZ1 is ready to order from the eSTore at the budgetary price of $40.00.

https://www.st.com/page-eeprom

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Microchip releases 20 Wi-Fi products for industrial and commercial applications

u-blox extends reach of PointPerfect GNSS correction service via RTCM RTK data format

Kontron announces its new 2.5” single board computer

ST reveals Page EEPROM two-in-one memory to boost smart-edge performance and efficiency

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