LTE CAT-M1 module eliminates gateways in IoT networks

Pre-tested and certified RYZ014A Cat-M1 cellular modules by Renesas are the company’s first cellular IoT modules to support the specification. Devices can directly connect to the internet using an existing communication infrastructure owned by mobile network operators, without the need for a gateway, says Renesas. This makes it economical to connect each device, which is beneficial when installing larger networks that require a low cost per unit.

To build a wireless IoT project from scratch, the RYZ014A module includes RF regulatory certification, PTCRB/GCF (network operators) certification and carrier certification for the customer’s network operator of choice.

The module has been certified with all major radio frequency regulations in the world as well as with leading network operators in North America, APAC and European countries. 

The RYZ014A module is suitable for metering, smart home, infrastructure and industrial markets, where they can seamlessly interface Renesas microcontroller-based applications to the internet through their cellular network, for example Bluetooth Low Energy, Ultra-wide band (UWB) and Wi-SUN protocols.

Renesas has partnered with 4G and 5G chip and IoT module supplier, Sequans Communications, to provide the Monarch LTE CAT-M1 hardware and software technology used in the module.

Renesas offers customers a web-based portal, managed by ONE Tech, that provides easy access to read sensor values and manage SIM card plans remotely, reducing operating cost. ONE Tech’s embedded AI and cloud technology, with the Renesas CAT-M1 module offers embedded intelligence with an enterprise-grade platform, allowing customers to build, manage and scale smart machines in a cost-effective end-to-end ecosystem, says Renesas.

Support for world-wide frequency bands in a single design removes the need to create multiple customer platforms for different global regions, points out Renesas. There is also high output power supporting both power class options 20 and 23dBm and low current consumption in power saving mode of only 1.0 microA

The RYZ014A module and the RYZ014A-EVK evaluation kits are available now.

 The RYZ014A modules can be combined with components from Renesas, such as power ICs, Li-ion battery charger, light-to-digital sensor, and RA family microcontrolelrs to create systems, such as remote industrial process monitoring and automatic plant watering with an LTE Connection.

http://www.reneasas.com

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LTE CAT-M1 module eliminates gateways in IoT networks

Pre-tested and certified RYZ014A Cat-M1 cellular modules by Renesas are the company’s first cellular IoT modules to support the specification. Devices can directly connect to the internet using an existing communication infrastructure owned by mobile network operators, without the need for a gateway, says Renesas. This makes it economical to connect each device, which is beneficial when installing larger networks that require a low cost per unit.

To build a wireless IoT project from scratch, the RYZ014A module includes RF regulatory certification, PTCRB/GCF (network operators) certification and carrier certification for the customer’s network operator of choice.

The module has been certified with all major radio frequency regulations in the world as well as with leading network operators in North America, APAC and European countries. 

The RYZ014A module is suitable for metering, smart home, infrastructure and industrial markets, where they can seamlessly interface Renesas microcontroller-based applications to the internet through their cellular network, for example Bluetooth Low Energy, Ultra-wide band (UWB) and Wi-SUN protocols.

Renesas has partnered with 4G and 5G chip and IoT module supplier, Sequans Communications, to provide the Monarch LTE CAT-M1 hardware and software technology used in the module.

Renesas offers customers a web-based portal, managed by ONE Tech, that provides easy access to read sensor values and manage SIM card plans remotely, reducing operating cost. ONE Tech’s embedded AI and cloud technology, with the Renesas CAT-M1 module offers embedded intelligence with an enterprise-grade platform, allowing customers to build, manage and scale smart machines in a cost-effective end-to-end ecosystem, says Renesas.

Support for world-wide frequency bands in a single design removes the need to create multiple customer platforms for different global regions, points out Renesas. There is also high output power supporting both power class options 20 and 23dBm and low current consumption in power saving mode of only 1.0 microA

The RYZ014A module and the RYZ014A-EVK evaluation kits are available now.

 The RYZ014A modules can be combined with components from Renesas, such as power ICs, Li-ion battery charger, light-to-digital sensor, and RA family microcontrolelrs to create systems, such as remote industrial process monitoring and automatic plant watering with an LTE Connection.

http://www.reneasas.com

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Software and tools in Lattice’s latest FPGA stack accelerate automation

Development of factory automation and industrial robotics can be accelerated with the Automate stack, says Lattice Semiconductor. The stack includes software tools, industrial IP cores, modular hardware development boards, and software-programmable reference designs and demos. All help developers simplify and accelerate development of robotics and scalable multi-channel motor control with predictive maintenance and real-time industrial networking, says the company.

The latest addition to Lattice’s low power FPGA-based solution stacks offers scalable motor control, which accelerates the development of flexible motor control systems, including a GUI-based user interface for system monitoring and control. There is also predictive maintenance which minimises machine downtime by monitoring multiple motors in a system.

Another feature is embedded real-time networking which implements an extensible sense and control system for a large number of devices using a Lattice Nexus FPGA as the central controller.

For security there is the Cyber Resiliency feature which enables a hardware root-of-trust that can detect, protect, and recover from a firmware-based attack in real-time.

The stack has easy to use software design methodology, says Lattice, with support for Lattice Propel for simplifying development of industrial automation systems with software/hardware co-processing using an embedded RISC-V processor.

Lattice Semiconductor provides low power, programmable technology to solve customer problems across the network, from the edge to the cloud, in the growing communications, computing, industrial, automotive, and consumer markets.

http://www.latticesemi.com

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Microchip adds device configuration platform to Trust suite

Microchip has added enhancements to its Trust Platform Design Suite (TPDS) with dedicated software for device configuration and onboarding to Microchip secure provisioning services for embedded security.

TPDS 2.0 software extends the company’s Trust Platform for CryptoAuthentication which is believed to be the first pre-provisioned platform for hardware-based secure elements to implement secure authentication.

The software enables Microchip partners to add use cases to its security solutions onboarding ecosystem and includes support for additional security solutions such as the TA100, the first cryptographic companion device for the automotive market.

It can take an experienced firmware engineer months to specify an application’s threat model and develop a security use case that encompasses all necessary measures related to secure authentication, secure boot, IP protection, and more. The two main challenges are configuring the device’s security boundaries and provisioning secrets including private keys as well as symmetric secrets and other forms of secret data.

The TPDS software simplifies the process of specifying an application’s threat model and developing a secure use case which includes all measures to secure authentication, secure boot and IP protection. This is achieved by providing pre-defined use cases addressing the most common market requirements.

It is available with Trust&GO and TrustFLEX programs which enable new secure projects to be prototyped in a matter of minutes says Microchip. At the same time customers are presented with options based on the size of their deployment, use case requirements, and how much customisation they need.

Using Trust&GO, devices are pre-defined and pre-provisioned, off-the-shelf, for secure cloud authentication in both TLS-based and LoRaWAN-based networks. Minimum order quantity (MOQ) is just 10 units.

TrustFLEX allows customers to use the program’s pre-configured devices either with default generic certificates or their own credentials (Custom PKI). There is a broader range of pre-defined uses cases than with Trust&GO.

To address the most demanding use cases, Microchip’s TrustCUSTOM family gives customers the freedom to fully define the secure authentication configuration and fully customise secure key storage.

The TPDS v2 has an integrated onboarding flow which allows a customer to select a security solution, validate its use case, prototype it, and then start the process of secure provisioning.

TPDS v2 also enables third-party partners to add their own use cases to improve customer options for secure element onboarding and security features. Partners include EBV Elektronik (part of the Avnet Group). EBV Elektronik enables TPDS v2 users to connect to the Avnet IoTConnect Cloud quickly and securely through the ATECC608B TrustFlex configuration using the EBV-IoT Secure Shield evaluation kit.

Other features of TPDS v2 are training videos and interactive application notes spanning a variety of use cases for onboarding security, users can develop applications based on the selected use cases, finalise the security solution configuration, and perform the secret key exchange. There is also the facility to procure verification samples and start production.

The Trust Platform Design Suite is supported on Windows and macOS environments. The TA100 configurator is only available for the Windows platform.

Microchip’s open-source Trust Platform Design Suite is available for download on Microchip’s website at no cost for Trust&GO and TrustFLEX flows. The site also allows access to training videos, interactive application notes, C code and other project support. TrustCUSTOM software extensions for TPDS are available under NDA.

http://www.microchip.com

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