ICs & Semiconductors Archives - Page 53 of 227

u-blox and Orbcomm create terrestrial and satellite IoT comms

Wed, Aug 16, 2023

IoT for industrial operations technology developer Orbcomm, has partnered with u-blox to develop solutions for the convergence of terrestrial and satellite IoT communications markets.

The cellular and satellite IoT communications markets have grown substantially. The Ericsson Mobility Report (2022) said the number of cellular IoT connections was approximately 0.5 billion in 2016 and projected to reach around 5.5 billion by 2028. At the same time, the satellite IoT comms market is expected to triple by 2025 (source: The Satellite IoT Communications Market report by Berg Insights). Combining satellite and cellular IoT comms can uncover new areas and be more attainable for IoT deployers, said u-blox.

As part of the collaboration, u-blox will directly integrate support for Orbcomm’s satellite communication protocols into its UBX-R52/S52 LPWA (low power wide area) modem SoC. The small chipset offers dual connectivity at a low cost, said the company. It will be at the core of future u-blox module products supporting terrestrial LPWA and satellite IoT protocols enabling connected solutions almost anywhere in the world, claimed u-blox.

The UBX-R52/S52 chipset is specifically designed for IoT applications with long lifecycle needs, it will further strengthen u-blox’s leadership in asset tracking, said Martin Leach, head of product centre cellular at u-blox. The partnership will integrate satellite protocol support alongside cellular protocols to expand the addressable market for IoT applications, including remote locations without reliable cellular coverage, added Leach.

“We are excited to see the convergence of cellular and satellite technologies into a powerful single device,” said David Roscoe, executive vice president of satellite communications and products at Orbcomm. He said that the combination of Orbcomm’s satellite technology with the UBX-R52/S52 chipset will “allow customers deploying IoT solutions in the supply chain, heavy equipment, and agriculture industries” for what he described as ubiquitous, reliable coverage “virtually anywhere on Earth, including remote locations, areas with poor cellular coverage, and isolated environments such as in the middle of the ocean”.

Industrial IoT applications that can benefit from these solutions include asset tracking in logistics, retail, and manufacturing, tracking and telematics equipment for agriculture, construction, and mining, livestock tracking and industrial sensors.

http://www.u-blox.com

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Radar sensor is smallest 60GHz with antennas in package, says Infineon

Mon, Jul 31, 2023

The BGT60UTR11AIP Xensiv 60GHz radar sensor is in a compact antenna in package (AIP) for a footprint of just 16mm², for use in consumer electronics, IoT applications and healthcare devices, said Infineon Technologies.

The company said it is the smallest 60GHz radar sensor with AIP available today and is suitable for small devices, for example vital sensing (heart and respiratory rate) and healthcare devices such as baby monitors and sleep trackers. It is also suitable for consumer electronics such as laptops, TVs and cameras, as well as smart home and building devices such as air conditioners, thermostats and smart doorbells. The radar sensor can also be used in industrial applications including robotics and tank level measurement.

The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) is based on Infineon’s B11 SiGe BiCMOS technology. It has a wide bandwidth of 5.6GHz and a ramp speed of 400MHz per microsecond to enable high resolution frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) operation with sensitive presence and motion detection at up to 15m (50 feet). The sensor also enables precise distance measurement, 1D gesture and vital sign detection, all with sub-mm motion detection capabilities.

The integrated antennas provide a ±60 degree field of view while an integrated state machine enables real time data acquisition without processor interaction. The MMIC also includes a 12-bit ADC with a sampling rate of up to 4Msamples per second).

The MMIC’s built-in broadcast mode allows multiple chips to be synchronised. It also includes on-chip sensors for measuring Tx output power and temperature. A deep sleep mode ensures the sensor’s low power operation, added Infineon.

The Xensiv 60GHz radar BGT60UTR11AIP sensor can be ordered now and will begin shipping in Q4 2023. The Demo BGT60UTR11AIP and the radar development kit (RDK) are both available for download from the Infineon Developer Center (IDC).

https://www.infineon.com

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Drive stack expands Lattice Semiconductor’s software portfolio

Mon, Jul 24, 2023

A software stack to accelerate automotive application development is available from Lattice Semiconductor. According to the company, it enables infotainment connectivity and processing, flexible ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), sensor bridging and processing and low power zonal bridging applications for driver, cabin, and vehicle monitoring.

“The automotive industry is rapidly evolving and cars are getting smarter than ever with new technological advancements, notably with zonal architectures requiring varied sensors and displays across vehicle models. Now more than ever, manufacturers need solutions that enable them to innovate while maintaining flexibility for future updates,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst, TECHnalysis Research.

“Combining comprehensive software solutions from the start in [an] application design process is critical for time-to-market acceleration,” said Esam Elashmawi, chief strategy and marketing officer at Lattice Semiconductor. This is the company’s sixth software application-specific solution stack to deliver advanced automotive application features based on its low power FPGAs.

The initial release of Lattice Drive offers advanced display connectivity and processing and enables multi-resolution scaling and supports display sizes up to 4K and supports DisplayPort up to HBR 3 at 8.1Gbits per second per lane. It also provides image/video enhancement with a scalable full array local dimming and multiple display connectivity. The stack allows for bridging multiple displays, providing up to 1.5X faster DisplayPort interface than competitive devices in similar class.

It also offers efficient data processing and enables the ability to process or co-process data to offload the CPU with up to 75 per cent lower power than competitive devices in a similar class

The Lattice Drive solution stack provides comprehensive application-specific solutions that combine reference platforms and designs, demos, IP building blocks, and FPGA design tools to accelerate customer application development and time-to-market.

This is the latest stack in the Lattice solution stacks portfolio which includes Lattice sensAI (for AI applications), Lattice mVision (for embedded vision) Lattice Automate (for factory automation) and Lattice Sentry with platform firmware resiliency root of trust and Lattice ORAN for 5G ORAN deployment.

Lattice Semiconductor specialises is low power programmable devices. It works with customers working in networks, from the edge to the cloud, as well as in communications, computing, industrial, automotive and consumer markets.

http://www.latticesemi.com

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8Mbit serial flash memory has small form factor for IoT devices

Fri, Jul 21, 2023

The first of a series of 3V RV flash memories has been announced by Winbond Electronics. The W25Q80RV is an 8Mbit flash device capable of high performance, low power, and available in a small form factor for connected IoT edge devices used in industrial and consumer segments.

It can support fast software updates for products deployed in industrial factory automation and smart home control applications combining processing, connectivity, and sensor technologies, explained Winbond.

The W25Q80RV is manufactured in Winbond’s 12-inch wafer foundry utilising the latest generation of its 58nm technology. The die area is reduced by 40 per cent compared to its predecessor which was built with 90nm technology. The flash memory is suitable for space-constrained applications where the flash KGD or WLCSP is combined with the SoC in a system in package.

Read speed has also improved from 104MHz to 133MHz, with page programming time reduced by 50 per cent and active read current reduced by up to 20 per cent. All combine to “significantly optimise” system functions. XIP (eXecute-In-Place) of code is accomplished at a high frequency, enabling greater system response while consuming less energy.

Faster programming accelerates factory throughput and lowers manufacturing costs. The short time it takes to conduct an over the air (OTA) firmware update means greater system availability and less downtime, added the company.

The W25Q80RV supports all common single/dual/quad/QPI commands and read modes for XIP and code shadowing to RAM. This device operates on a single 2.7V to 3.6V power supply with a power-down current down to 1microA. Active read current is optimised from 12mA down to 10mA at 104MHz.

The 8Mbit (1Mbyte) flash is sectioned into 64kbyte or 32kbyte blocks and is further subdivided into small 4kbyte sectors for flexibility and storage efficiency in applications that require code, data, and parameter storage in the same device, said Winbond. It is also capable of 66MHz DDR (double data rate) operation enabling the system to achieve the same high speed (133MHz single data rate) read throughput at a lower clock frequency. The read command bypass mode supports faster memory access for true XIP operation by eliminating the command input cycle.

W25Q80RV is available now. This 8Mbit flash memory device is the first in a series, Winbond said it will release other members and densities of the RV series in coming months, enabling migration from existing W25QxxCV and W25QxxDV series to the W25QxxRV counterparts.

http://www.winbond.com

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u-blox and Orbcomm create terrestrial and satellite IoT comms

Radar sensor is smallest 60GHz with antennas in package, says Infineon

Drive stack expands Lattice Semiconductor’s software portfolio

8Mbit serial flash memory has small form factor for IoT devices

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