ICs & Semiconductors Archives - Page 47 of 231

ST introduces AI-enabled automotive inertial measurement unit for always-aware applications up to 125°C

Tue, Dec 05, 2023

ST’s ASM330LHHXG1 inertial measurement unit (IMU) for automotive applications combines in-sensor AI with enhanced low-power operation and 125°C operating temperature range for reliability in harsh environments.

ST’s new automotive IMU contains a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope and draws less than 800µA with both sensors running, cutting the system power budget and encouraging use in always-aware applications. In-sensor AI leverages the built-in machine-learning core (MLC) and finite state machine (FSM), offloading the host processor and enabling low-latency, energy-efficient event detection and classification. The extended temperature range gives flexibility to deploy smart sensors containing the ASM330LHHXG1 in harsh locations including near engine components, in direct sunlight, or whenever on-board power dissipation might increase the temperature above standard operating levels.

With the integrated MLC and FSM, the ASM330LHHXG1 handles applications that need fast and deterministic response with minimal power demand. These include navigation assistance and telematics, theft prevention, impact detection, and motion-activated functions.

ST’s MEMS ecosystem helps accelerate evaluation, prototyping and development with the ASM330LHHXG1, leveraging Unico-GUI and AlgoBuilder tools and MEMS-sensor adapter boards (STEVAL-MKI243A). Also, engineers can find ready-to-use application examples at ST’s GitHub repository area. The MLC repository contains use cases such as tilt, towing, and vehicle-status detection. The FSM repository has further inspiration including motion/stationary detection and shake detection.

While the IMU has dual operating modes that let designers optimise the data-update rate and power consumption, the accelerometer and gyroscope maintain high stability over time and temperature. The accelerometer has a selectable full-scale range of ±2/±4/±8/±16g, while the gyroscope’s angular rate can be set to ±125, ±250, ±500, ±1000, ±2000, or ±4000 degrees per second.

The ASM330LHHXG1 is AEC-Q100 qualified and in production now. It is available in an over-molded 14-lead plastic land grid array (LGA) package.

For more information, please visit http://www.st.com/automotive-experience

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Rohm’s new high power 120w laser diode for LiDAR

Fri, Dec 01, 2023

Rohm has developed a high-power laser diode – the RLD90QZW8. It is ideal for industrial equipment and consumer applications requiring distance measurement and spatial recognition.

In recent years, LiDAR is being increasingly adopted in a wide range of applications that require automation – including AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), robot vacuums, and autonomous vehicles – where it is necessary to accurately measure distance and recognise space. In this context, there is a need to improve the performance and output of laser diodes when used as light sources to increase detection distance and accuracy.

To meet this demand, Rohm established original patented technology to achieve a narrower emission width that contributes to longer range and higher accuracy in LiDAR applications. In 2019, Rohm released the 25W laser diode RLD90QZW5 followed by the 75W laser diode RLD90QZW3 in 2021. In response to the growing market demand for even higher output, Rohm developed the new 120W laser diode.

The RLD90QZW8 is a 120W infrared high output laser diode developed for LiDAR used in distance measurement and spatial recognition in 3D ToF systems. Original device development technology allows Rohm to reduce the temperature dependence of the laser wavelength by 66% over general products, to just Δ11.6nm (Ave. 0.10nm/°C). This makes it possible to narrow the bandpass filter while extending the detection range of LiDAR. At the same time, a uniform light intensity of 97% is achieved over the industry’s smallest class* of emission width of 270µm, representing a range of 264µm that contributes to higher resolution. Additional features that include high power-to-light conversion efficiency (PCE) enables efficient optical output that contributes to lower power consumption in LiDAR applications.

A variety of design support materials necessary for integrating and evaluating the new product is available free of charge on Rohm’s website that facilitate market introduction. In order to drive laser diodes with high nano-second order speed required for LiDAR applications, ROHM developed a reference design available now that combines ROHM’s 150V EcoGaN™ HEMT and gate drivers.

Rohm has also acquired certification under the IATF 16949 automotive quality management standard for both front-end and back-end processes at its manufacturing facilities. As a result, product development of laser diodes for automotive applications (AEC-Q102 compliant) is underway, with commercialisation planned by the end of 2024.

https://www.rohm.com

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Renesas unveils the first generation of 32-bit RISC-V CPU core

Fri, Dec 01, 2023

Renesas has announced that it has designed and tested a 32-bit CPU core based on the open-standard RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA). Renesas is among the first in the industry to independently develop a CPU core for the 32-bit general-purpose RISC-V market, providing an open and flexible platform for IoT, consumer electronics, healthcare and industrial systems. The new RISC-V CPU core will complement Renesas’ existing IP portfolio of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), including the proprietary RX Family and the RA Family based on the Arm Cortex-M architecture.

RISC-V is an open ISA which is quickly gaining popularity in the semiconductor industry, due to its flexibility, scalability, power efficiency and open ecosystem. While many MCU providers have recently created joint investment alliances to accelerate their development of RISC-V products, Renesas has already developed a new RISC-V core on its own. This versatile CPU can serve as a main application controller, a complementary secondary core in SoCs, on-chip subsystems, or even in deeply embedded ASSPs. This positions Renesas as a leader in the emerging RISC-V market, following previous introductions of its 32-bit voice-control and motor-control ASSP devices, as well as the RZ/Five 64-bit general purpose microprocessors (MPUs), which were built on CPU cores developed by Andes Technology Corp.

“Renesas takes pride in offering embedded processing solutions for the broadest range of customers and applications,” said Daryl Khoo, Vice President of the IoT Platform Division at Renesas. “This new core extends our leadership in the RISC-V market and uniquely positions us to deliver more solutions that accommodate a diverse range of requirements.”

“We congratulate Renesas on achieving its recent milestone in 32-bit RISC-V MCU architecture development,” said Calista Redmond, CEO at RISC-V International. “This achievement exemplifies how RISC-V ecosystem partners, such as Renesas, are rapidly advancing RISC-V innovation. Our RISC-V community now spans 70 countries with more than 4,000 members, and we eagerly anticipate further innovations emerging from this dynamic, expanding market.”

The Renesas RISC-V CPU achieves an impressive 3.27 CoreMark/MHz performance, outperforming similar architectures on the market. It includes extensions to improve performance, while reducing code size.
Renesas is sampling devices based on the new core to select customers, with plans to launch its first RISC-V-based MCU and associated development tools in Q1 2024. Details of the new MCU will be published at that time. More information about RISC-V solutions is available at: renesas.com/risc-v.

https://www.renesas.com/

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Nexperia’s first SiC MOSFETs raise the bar for safe, robust and reliable power switching

Fri, Dec 01, 2023

Nexperia have announced its first silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs with the release of two 1200 V discrete devices in 3-pin TO-247 packaging with RDS(on) values of 40 mΩ and 80 mΩ. NSF040120L3A0 and NSF080120L3A0 are the first in a series of planned releases which will see Nexperia’s SiC MOSFET portfolio quickly expand to include devices with a variety of RDS(on) values in a choice of through-hole and surface mounted packages.

“With these inaugural products, Nexperia and Mitsubishi Electric wanted to bring true innovation to a market that has been crying out for more wide-bandgap device suppliers”, according to Katrin Feurle, Senior Director & Head of Product Group SiC at Nexperia. “Nexperia can now offer SiC MOSFET devices which offer best-in-class performance across several parameters, including high RDS(on) temperature stability, low body diode voltage drop, tight threshold voltage specification as well as a very well-balanced gate charge ratio making the device safe against parasitic turn on. This is the opening chapter in our commitment to producing the highest quality SiC MOSFETs in our partnership with Mitsubishi Electric. Together we will undoubtedly push the boundaries of SiC device performance over the coming years.”

“Together with Nexperia, we’re thrilled to introduce these new SiC MOSFETs as the first product of our partnership”, says Toru Iwagami, Senior General Manger, Power Device Works, Semiconductor & Device Group in Mitsubishi Electric. “Mitsubishi Electric has accumulated superior expertise of SiC power semiconductors, and our devices deliver a unique balance of characteristics.”

RDS(on) is a critical performance parameter for SiC MOSFETs as it impacts conduction power losses. Nexperia identified this as a limiting factor in the performance of many currently available SiC devices and used its innovative process technology to ensure its new SiC MOSFETs offer industry-leading temperature stability, with the nominal value of RDS(on) increasing by only 38% over an operating temperature range from 25°C to 175°C. Unlike other many currently available SiC devices in the market.

Nexperia’s SiC MOSFETs also exhibit the very low total gate charge (QG), which brings the advantage of lower gate drive losses. Furthermore, Nexperia balanced gate charge to have an exceptionally low ratio of QGD to QGS, a characteristic which increases device immunity against parasitic turn-on.

Together with the positive temperature coefficient of SiC MOSFETs, Nexperia’s SiC MOSFETs offers also ultra-low spread in device-to device threshold voltage, VGS(th), which allows very well-balanced current-carrying performance under static and dynamic conditions when devices are operated in parallel. Furthermore, low body diode forward voltage (VSD) is a parameter which increases device robustness and efficiency, while also relaxing the dead-time requirement for asynchronous rectification and free wheel operation.

Nexperia is also planning the future release of automotive grade MOSFETs. The NSF040120L3A0 and NSF080120L3A0 are available in production quantities now. Please contact Nexperia sales representatives for samples of the full SiC MOSFET offering.

To learn more about Nexperia’s MOSFETs, visit: https://www.nexperia.com/sic-mosfets

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ST introduces AI-enabled automotive inertial measurement unit for always-aware applications up to 125°C

Rohm’s new high power 120w laser diode for LiDAR

Renesas unveils the first generation of 32-bit RISC-V CPU core

Nexperia’s first SiC MOSFETs raise the bar for safe, robust and reliable power switching

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