Renesas adds IP to include 7nm process and Ethernet TSN

Additional IP now available from Renesas Electronics includes a 7nm process ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) and standard Ethernet time sensitive networking (TSN) IP.

Customers will have access to IPs such as advanced 7nm (nanometer) SRAM and TCAM, and leading-edge standard Ethernet time-sensitive networking (TSN) IP, says the company, which is also working on providing a system IP which includes processing in memory (PIM) for use as an artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator. Customers can use these IPs to jump start semiconductor device development projects, such as the development of next-generation AI chips or ASICs for 5G networks.

Customers developing custom chips can leverage the IP in the subsystem, or those using FPGA devices can use it to speed up software development while they focus resources on specialty areas to reduce development time. Customers who prefer to use existing software assets can take advantage of Renesas IP assets to achieve more efficient system development by reducing the resources required to develop, verify and evaluate software and boards.

“Model-based design enables a development process in which IP models can be easily shared across the supply chain, giving customers the ability to identify system issues before implementation,” said Paul Barnard, director, Product Marketing at MathWorks. “To do this, Renesas provides customers with models of their IP in Simulink, as well as tools that extend Simulink to support the deployment of algorithms from models to Renesas microprocessors with verification support using processor-in-the-loop (PIL) technology.” He believes the partnership with Renesas will benefit mutual customers working on sectors as varied as automotive, robotics and industrial technologies.

To support customers’ semiconductor development efforts, Renesas has also established a network of partner companies to support users. This network includes design houses that perform contract semiconductor design and technology partners who will provide software and middleware tools. The network will accelerate users’ technology innovations and product development efforts by lowering the barriers to entry for semiconductor device and FPGA development. Renesas can also introduce experienced users to model-based design development environments.

The Renesas IP license portfolio has been available since September 2018, offering access to more than 40 licenses, including CPU cores, timer IP for motor applications, USB cores, and SRAM.

Renesas aims to exceed IP sales annual market growth rate of 10 per cent, and will expand the provision of IP and support system while creating new, and expanding old, IP markets.

http://www.renesas.com

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Monolithic thin-film image sensor boosts SWIR range

Holding out the promise for high-resolution applications in surveillance, biometric identification, virtual reality, research, and industrial automation, a thin-film monolithic image sensor developed by Imec captures light in the near-infrared (NIR) and short-wavelength infrared (SWIR).

Based on a monolithic approach, the process promises an order of magnitude gain in fabrication throughput and cost compared to processing today’s conventional infrared imagers, while enabling multi-megapixel resolution, claims Imec. It means that the use of infrared imagers can be extended to surveillance, biometric identification, virtual reality, machine vision and industrial automation.

Conventionally, infrared image sensors are produced through a hybrid technology of the crystalline semiconductor detector and the electronic readout fabricated separately and then interconnected at pixel or chip periphery level. This is an expensive and time-consuming process with low throughput. Sensors have a restricted resolution that often requires cooling to reduce the signal noise under dark conditions.

Imec’s infrared imagers consist of a novel thin-film photodetector pixel stack based on quantum dots deposited directly on top of an electronic readout. They are manufactured in a monolithic process compatible with wafer-based mass production, confirms Imec. The pixels embed newly developed high-performance, low bandgap, quantum dot materials that match or surpass the performance of inorganic light absorbers. The stacks can be tuned to target a spectrum from visible light up to two-micron wavelength. Test photodiodes on silicon substrate achieve an external quantum efficiency above 60 per cent at 940nm wavelength and above 20 per cent at 1450nm, allowing for uncooled operation with dark current comparable to commercial InGaAs photodetectors.

The prototype imager has a resolution of 758 x 512 pixels and five-micron pixel pitch.

“This result opens up many new applications for thin-film imagers,” commented Pawel Malinowski, imec’s thin-film imagers program manager. “Our imagers could be integrated in next-generation world-facing smartphone cameras coupled with eye-safe light sources, enabling compact sensing modules for augmented reality. In inspection, they could be used for food or plastics sorting, and in surveillance for low-light cameras with better contrast. Additionally, by enabling feature distinction in bad weather or smoke conditions, one can envision firefighting applications and, in the future, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS),” he added.

http://www.imec-int.com

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Battery monitor IC is ASIL-D-compliant

Believed to be the only single chip, ASIL-D-compliant IC for mid-to-large cell count configurations, the MAX17853 battery monitor IC is by Maxim Integrated.

Designers can now achieve ASIL-D compliance for automotive applications using just a single chip, says the company, for a safer, more cost-effective battery management system.

It is intended for mid-to-large cell count configurations for automotive applications, such as battery packs for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). It is based on the Flexpack architecture which allows customers to rapidly make changes to module configurations in response to market demands.

Achieving safety compliance in automotive applications can require adding redundant components to the system, explains Maxim. The MAX17853 enables customers to create a system that meets the highest level of safety for voltage, temperature and communication and contribute to higher safety via its battery cell balancing system, which automatically balances each cell by time and voltage to minimise the risk of over-charging. Customers can achieve all this without adding extra components, such as redundant comparators, confirms Maxim. The MAX17853 reduces system bill of materials cost by up to 35 per cent compared to competitive solutions, claims Maxim.

Typically, engineers must design and qualify separate boards and bills of materials for each different module configuration, but the MAX17853 is the industry’s only IC to support multiple channel configurations (eight to 14 cells) with one board, says Maxim. This enables customers to reduce design time by up to 50 per cent through reduced validation and qualification time. 

A MAX17853EVKIT# evaluation kit is also available.

Maxim Integrated develops analogue and mixed-signal products and technologies to make systems smaller and smarter, with enhanced security and increased energy efficiency. It has automotive, industrial, healthcare, mobile consumer, and cloud data centre customers.

http://www.maximintegrated.com

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Stereo vision system likely to drive 3D adoption

Manufacturers of consumer, computing and industrial products will be able to implement face recognition and other 3D sensing applications more easily and at lower cost, says ams, using the Active Stereo Vision system.

The Active Stereo Vision system combines new projectors, cameras and
software. It has been developed to boost the adoption of 3D in smart phones, home and building automation (HABA) and the IoT.

According to ams, the Active Stereo Vision (ASV) technology products address 3D sensing applications in the mobile segment, from smartphones to computing, smart homes and smart buildings.

3D depth maps are generated using the ASV technique, using twin infra red cameras that sense the target using the illumination from miniature laser projectors. The system includes the ams Belago, a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) illuminator which projects a semi-random, high-density dot-pattern on the target. There is also the ams PMSILPlus (VCSEL) flood projector, which features an enhanced wafer-level optical diffuser for uniform irradiance over the target plane, together with dual infra red cameras and ams software for generating a depth map image from the reflections captured by the cameras. There is also ams system calibration software and ams face-recognition software.

The components are used to produce a depth map of an object, such as a face, with high accuracy and precision, says ams. Compared to structured light solutions, it is more cost effective without compromising on depth map quality and resolution and supports easier assembly processes, continues the company.

The depth maps generated enables face recognition to meet payment-grade quality standards. This is an industry first, says ams. The maps can also be used in other 3D sensing applications such as augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) using simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), driver monitoring in automotive systems, 3D scanning in smart factory production systems and eLock and point-of-sales systems.

The launch version of the ams ASV reference design is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform, optimised for mobile phones. Improvements to the Belago illumination module enable it to produce a randomised high-contrast dot pattern with full focus over the entire range that can be reliably captured by the infra red cameras. By integrating optical components at wafer level, ams has miniaturised the design while maintaining high optical quality. The Belago device, supplied in a 4.2mm x 3.6mm x 3.3mm package, can be integrated into space-constrained designs.

Both the Belago and PMSILPlus emitters incorporate an eye-safety interlock to shut down the device in the event of lens crack or lens detachment.

http://www.ams.com

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