ICs & Semiconductors Archives - Page 46 of 227

Alchip unveils “first automotive ASIC design platform” for a global industry

Fri, Nov 24, 2023

At the Design Solutions Forum 2023 in Kawasaki, Japan, Alchip Technologies rolled out what is claimed to be the semiconductor industry’s first automotive ASIC platform. It targets the specialised needs of the global automotive industry and streamlines the ASIC design needs of global automotive IC module and component manufacturers, as well as automotive companies, said Alchip.

The platform consists of six modules: Design for Autonomous Driving (AD)/ Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), Design for Safety, Design for Test, Design for Reliability, Automotive Chip Sign-off, and Automotive Chip Manufacturing (MFG) Service.
Design for AD/ADAS integrates a CPU and neural processing unit (NPU) into the smallest possible die size, while meeting aggressive higher performance and lower power consumption required by automotive applications, said Alchip.

The Design for Safety module follows the ISO26262 pre-scribed flow that includes required isolated TMR / lock-step design methodology. This module also features an experienced safety manager and includes the mandated Development Interface Agreement (DIA) that defines the relationship between the manufacturer and the supplier throughout the entire automotive safety lifecycle and activities.

Design for Reliability includes enhanced electromigration (EM) as part of silicon lifecycle management. It also covers AEC-Q grade IP sourcing and implementation.

The Automotive Chip Manufacturing Service works with IATF16949 -approved manufacturing suppliers. Services include tri-temp testing by target AEC-Q grade, automotive wafer, automotive substrate, assembly and burn-in.

Design for Test capabilities support in system test (IST) and MBIST / LBIST design, critical and redundancy logic for yield harvest, automotive-level ATPG coverage, and physical-aware ATPG.

The final sign-off module covers an ageing library based on a customer mission profile, OD / UD / AVS / DVFS library support, and the final design for manufacturing sign-off.

The platform will “speed up the development and time-to-market of essential safety-critical ADAS applications, while significantly advancing the innovation with increasing complex autonomous driving implementation and features,” Alchip CEO, Johnny Shen.

Access to the new automotive platform is available now through Alchip offices in Taipei, Silicon Valley, Yokohama, Shanghai, Penang, and its affiliate office in Israel.

Alchip Technologies was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The company provides silicon and design and production services for system companies developing complex and high volume ASICs and SoCs. Alchip offers advanced 2.5D / 3DIC design, CoWoS / chiplet design and manufacturing management.

Customers include global leaders in AI, HPC/supercomputer, mobile phones, entertainment device, networking equipment and other electronic product categories.

http://www.alchip.com

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32-bit RX microcontroller accelerates data rates for industrial sensor systems

Thu, Nov 23, 2023

Renesas Electronics has expanded its 32-bit microcontroller portfolio with a new RX device for industrial sensor systems. The RX23E-B, is a 32-bit device from the RX family and features a high-precision analogue front end (AFE), specifically designed for systems that demand fast and accurate analogue signal measurements.

The new microcontroller integrates a 24-bit delta-sigma ADC capable of achieving a conversion speed of up to 125ksamples per second which is eight times faster than the existing RX23E-A. It can process accurate ADC while reducing RMS noise to 1/3 (0.18µVrms at 1ksample per second compared to the RX23E-A.

The RX23E-B facilitates faster and more precise measurements of critical parameters such as strain, temperature, pressure, flow rate, current and voltage, making it suitable for high-end sensor devices, measuring instruments, and test equipment. It also has sufficient performance to drive force sensors used in industrial robots, which often demand measurements as fast as 10 microseconds (100,000 samples per second). The microcontroller also reduces overall system size and the component count by incorporating the analogue front end and the microcontroller on a single chip.

Similar to the RX23E-A, the RX23E-B incorporates a 32MHz RXv2-based CPU with DSP instructions and a floating point unit. It also combines the analogue front end into a single chip using the same fabrication process. There are new peripheral functions such as a 16-bit DAC, which enables measurement adjustments, self-diagnosis, and analogue signal output. The device’s +/-10V analogue input enables +/-10V measurement with a 5V power supply without requiring external components or additional power supply. An LCD controller with a maximum of 40 SEG x 4 COM and a real-time clock (RTC) function are also included.

The RX23E-B is available in two versions, one that supports an ADC data rate of up to 125ksamples per second and one that supports up to 31.25ksamples per second. Both offer flexible data rate settings ranging from 3.8 SPS to the maximum value, allowing users to choose the best balance between data rate and noise for their specific system requirements.

The microcontroller is available in a 5.5mm square, 100-pin BGA package and a 6.0mm square 40-pin QFN package. There are also wide pin packages ranging from 48- to 100-pin options.

The RX23E-B is available now, along with a Renesas Solution Starter Kit for RX23E-B.

http://www.renesas.com

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Digital cockpit Antora 1000 computing platform powers Lynk SUV

Thu, Nov 23, 2023

A digital cockpit experience is enabled in the EM-P SUV by Lynk, courtesy of the Ecarx Antora 1000 computing platform.

The 08 EM-P SUV was the first vehicle to use Ecarx’s Antora 1000 Pro cockpit computing platform and now the 06 model is released with a 14.6-inch floating central control screen and a 10.2-inch TFT instrument cluster to support a diverse range of interactive functions and immersive experiences, from online navigation and voice command features to karaoke and e-sports.

The Antora 1000 features the SE1000 7nm automotive-grade SoC which provides 100k DMIPS (Dhrystone million instructions per second) of computing power and 900G FLOPS (floating point operations per second) of graphic rendering capability through a multi-core, heterogeneous computing engine and hardware architecture without virtualisation. This earned an AnTuTu benchmarking performance test score of over 500,000 which is approximately 20 per cent better than comparable processors currently available, said Ecarx.

There is also a programmable NPU (neural processing unit) and multiple acceleration engines capable of 8 Tera operations per second.

Memory is configurable to 16gByte and there is 128Gbyte of storage. It also has automotive-grade functional safety and information security solutions and certifications.

Ecarx is an automotive technology provider with the capabilities to deliver turnkey solutions for next-generation smart vehicles, from the SoC to central computing platforms and software. As automakers develop new electric vehicle architectures from the ground up, Ecarx is developing full-stack solutions to enhance the user experience, while reducing complexity and cost.

Founded in 2017 Ecarx has 11 major locations in China, UK, USA, Sweden, Germany and Malaysia. The co-founders are two automotive entrepreneurs, chairman and CEO, Ziyu Shen, and Eric Li (Li Shufu), who is also the founder and chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group with ownership interests in brands including Lotus, Lynk, Polestar, Smart and Volvo Cars. Ecarx also works with other well-known automakers, including FAW and Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën.

http://www.ecarxgroup.com

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Long range microcontrollers simplify wireless design for smart buildings

Tue, Nov 21, 2023

Wireless device design expertise gained by STMicroelectronics is combined with its STM32 architecture in the new STM32 SoC which has low power operation and multi-protocol support.

The microcontroller simplifies wireless system design for diverse use cases including metering and monitoring devices in smart buildings, factories and cities, said the company. It is characterised with power-saving features which enable the extension of battery life in the new wireless microcontroller of more than 15 years.

The STM32WL3 wireless microcontroller is designed to be used in remotely deployed applications including metering and monitoring devices and data from alarm systems, actuators, and sensors in smart buildings, smart factories and smart cities. It can help limit power consumption and prioritise activities to improve user experience, service delivery and to reduce the environmental footprint, explained ST.

This is the latest in ST’s lineup of integrated wireless chips. The STM32WL3 contains an advanced, power-efficient multi-protocol radio suitable for long range communication and using license-free frequency bands reserved globally for industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications.

The long-range radio on the STM32WL3 microcontrollers operate in the internationally designated license-free frequency bands, 413MHz to 479MHz and 826MHz to 958MHz, with the support for 169MHz coming in 2024.

In addition to the main radio, ST has integrated a low power radio and the system can power down to save energy while listening continuously for a wake-up signal.

The radio is multi-protocol and multi-modulation capable, supporting 4-(G)FSK up to 600kbit per second, 2-(G)FSK, (G)MSK, DBPSK, DSSS, OOK, ASK modulation schemes.

The STM32WL3 microcontrollers can add value to smart connected devices, for example to reduce power and add long range wireless connectivity to existing networking products, as is the case with Lierda which uses the microcontroller’s wake-up radio to minimise power consumption, while the Lierda module monitors and maintains network equipment across a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint wireless connection.

Another customer, Silent Smart Technology, has created a family of modules based on STM32WL3 wireless mictrocontrollers that operate in various sub-1GHz frequency bands. The modules support multiple transmission modes, channel monitoring, wireless relay and other functions. The wakeup feature allows the modules to operate in deep-sleep mode, consuming only about 1microA overall current while remaining ready to return to full operation.

Benoit Rodriguez, wireless business line general manager, STMicroelectronics, said: “Special features such as the wake-up radio and our flow-metering LC sensor controller enable energy-saving designs in smart metering, smart agriculture, and asset tracking that run for up to 15 years from a small battery.”

The radio is multi-protocol and multi-modulation capable, supporting 4-(G)FSK up to 600kbit/s, 2-(G)FSK, (G)MSK, DBPSK, DSSS, OOK, ASK modulation schemes to maximize versatility and ease deployment.

On-board peripherals include an LCD driver, a 12-bit 1Msample per second ADC, analogue comparator, DAC and multiple timers. Together with an integrated balun, RF power amplifier and switch mode power supply, they minimise external bill of materials (BoM) for a cost-optimised solution with short time-to-market, said ST.

Tailored to the specific needs of smart-metering applications, the STM32WL3 embeds an LCD controller and a specific peripheral – LC sensor controller – for fluid flow measurement. The multi-protocol support enables cost-efficient deployment of one single platform over different long-range wireless technologies, including Sigfox, KNX, mioty, M-Bus said ST.

The complete lineup in the STM32WL3 series contains devices with Flash density from 64kbyte to 256kbyte and 16kbyte or 32kbyte RAM, in a 32-pin or 48-pin VFQFPN package. There is also an extended temperature range option, from -40 to +105 degrees C.

All variants are covered with ST’s 10-year longevity guarantee for industrial products. Sample quantities are available now.

https://www.st.com.

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Alchip unveils “first automotive ASIC design platform” for a global industry

32-bit RX microcontroller accelerates data rates for industrial sensor systems

Digital cockpit Antora 1000 computing platform powers Lynk SUV

Long range microcontrollers simplify wireless design for smart buildings

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