IoT

Compact industrial motherboard supports three displays

Thu, Apr 04, 2019

Measuring 116.8 x 111.8mm, the AIMB-U117 is a palm-sized industrial motherboard, equipped with Intel Atom E39XX  processors, three independent displays, onboard eMMC storage and extensive I/O capabilities.

Advantech has released the motherboard which supports a wide range of DC power inputs from 12 to 24V. Compliant with flexible thermal solutions designed by Advantech engineers, the AIMB-U117 supports extended operating temperatures from -20 to +70 degrees C for rigorous reliability and performance under intense conditions. Small in size, the AIMB-U117 targets multiple applications, digital signage, passenger information systems, automation, robot AGV, robotics, and vending.

The AIMB-U117 integrates an Intel Generation 9 graphics engine for improved throughput, media acceleration, and 4k2k display resolution. Display interfaces include DisplayPort1.2, HDMI1.4, and eDP (or LVDS). It supports three simultaneous, independent display outputs to deliver DirectX 12.0, OpenGL 4.4 and OpenCL 2.0 graphics and media performance. The 4096 x 2160 resolution output means the AIMB-U117 is suitable for digital signage applications requiring a slim-sized solution with high resolution graphics and up to three independent display outputs.

The AIMB-U117 offers dual GbE LAN ports, four USB 3.0, one SATAIII and two COM (RS-232, RS-422 or 485) ports. For expansion, the motherboard supports one M.2 (E key) and one full-sized MiniPCIe (colay mSATA) for modular add-on card installation. The AIMB-U117 also supports, optional, onboard eMMC storage. The optional standard protocol interfaces include one MDB and one ccTalk for vending applications. There is also one CANBus suitable for automation applications.

The AIMB-U117 is designed for wide-ranging DC power source input (12 to 24V) and features a lockable DC jack to ensure power cables remain securely connected in high vibration environments. The AIMB-U117 can be used in automation applications and/or semi-outdoor public environments where passenger information systems, signage walls, and vending machines are located such as airports or train stations.

http://www.advantech.eu

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PoE chipset exploits IEEE 802.3bt specificiation

Thu, Apr 04, 2019

Reliable and space-efficient powered devices (PDs) can be built to take advantage of the latest IEEE 802.3bt Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) specification, says STMicroelectonics, on the introduction of the PM8804 and PM8805.

The PM8804 and PM8805 provide the PoE-converter circuitry for PDs up to class-eight, which defines a usable power budget of 71W. According to STMicroelectronics, the chipset saves space, enhances reliability, and cuts time to market for 5G small cells, WLAN access points, switches, and routers. The PoE chipset also targets smart-building and smart office applications such as IP cameras, access-control systems, display panels, lighting, curtain or shutter controllers, video-call systems, IP phones, and tabletop consoles.

The PM8804 implements a PWM controller for a 48V isolated flyback or forward converter, including dual low-side gate drivers for high-efficiency forward active-clamp topologies. The operating frequency is selectable up to 1MHz, allowing the use of small external filter and decoupling components for high power density. The PM8804 is a high-voltage start-up regulator with 20mA output capability to help save on board space and bill of materials.

The PM8805 companion chip contains two active bridges, a charge pump for driving high-side MOSFETs, a hot-swap FET, and the IEEE 802.3bt compliant interface. Integrating the active bridges saves the real estate otherwise occupied by eight discrete MOSFETs and their driving circuitry, explains STMicroelectronics. The PM8805 generates a power-good signal for enabling the PM8804 and other circuitry such as an LED driver, and supports maintain power signature (MPS) current control that allows the PD to enter power-saving standby without being disconnected.

Both devices are in production now. The PM8804 is packaged as a 3.0 x 3.0mm, 0.5mm-pitch VFQFPN-16. The PM8805 in 8.0 x 8.0mm thermally enhanced VFQFPN-43 featuring exposed pads.

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http://www.st.com

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FPGA provides customised solutions for data0centric business

Wed, Apr 03, 2019

FPGAs that will provide customised solutions for data-centric challenges in embedded, network and data centre sectors have been released by Intel. The Agilex FPGAs deliver customised connectivity and acceleration and performance and power improvements for diverse workloads, says Dan McNamara, Intel senior vice president, Programmable Solutions Group.

The Agilex FPGA is believed to be the first FPGA to support Compute Express Link, a cache and memory coherent interconnect to future Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The FPGA’s second generation HyperFlex architecture provides up to 40 per cent higher performance, or up to 40 per cent lower total power compared with Intel Stratix 10 FPGAs, notes Intel.

It is also believed to be the only FPGA supporting hardened BFLOAT16 and up to 40TFLOPS of DSP performance (FP16) and it has Gen 5 PCIe for higher bandwidth that PCIe Gen 4.

The Agilex FPGA supports data transfer rates of up to 112Gbits per second and has advanced memory support with DDR5, HBM and Intel Optane DC persistent memory support.

The Agilex FPGA fabric is built on Intel’s 10nm process with heterogeneous 3D SiP technology. This provides the capability to integrate analogue, memory, custom computing, custom I/O, and Intel eASIC device tiles into a single package with the FPGA fabric. Intel delivers a custom logic continuum with reusable IPs through a migration path from FPGA to structured ASIC. One application program interface (API) provides a software-friendly heterogeneous programming environment, enabling software developers to access acceleration via the use of FPGAs, maintains Intel.

The FPGAs have been developed to support customers in aggregating and processing increasing amounts of data traffic for emerging, data driven industries like edge computing, networking and the cloud. Intel Agilex FPGAs can be used in edge analytics for low-latency processing, virtualised network functions to improve performance, or data centre acceleration for greater efficiency, says Intel. They are built to deliver customised solutions for applications from the edge to the cloud.

The Agilex FPGAs have the flexibility to meet the hardware system challenges presented by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) analytics at the edge, network and the cloud, explains Intel.

http://www.intel.com

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Keysight and Qualcomm validate 5G NR multi-mode device

Wed, Apr 03, 2019

Keysight Technologies and Qualcomm Technologies claim to have developed the mobile industry’s first 5G new radio (NR) data call in the frequency division duplexing (FDD) mode to accelerate deployments in all major 3GPP frequency bands including time division duplex (TDD) and FDD.

Keysight enables device makers to validate 5G NR multi-mode (FDD and TDD) designs in both non-standalone (NSA) and stand-alone (SA) modes. For this mode, the partners used Qualcomm Technologies’ second-generation Snapdragon X55 5G modem with integrated multi-mode support and Keysight’s 5G network emulation solutions.

Keysight’s end-to-end 5G solutions provide device makers the flexibility they need to rapidly validate multi-mode designs in nearly any form factor, to address global 5G connectivity requirements, says the company. Its 5G network emulation solutions, based on its UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform, enable device makers to validate 5G NR devices across protocol, radio frequency (RF) and radio resource management (RRM) in both sub-6GHz (FR1) and mmWave (FR2) spectrum for both 5G NR NSA and SA modes.

OEMs using the Snapdragon X55 5G modem to quickly validate 5G devices can apply the multi-mode device in smartphones with download speeds of up to 7Gbits per second, as well as industrial IoT, always-connected PCs and fixed wireless access applications.

Earlier this year, Keysight announced that a joint demonstration with Qualcomm Technologies at CES 2019 used the Snapdragon X50 5G modem and Keysight’s 5G network emulation solutions to showcase an IIoT application. In December 2018, the two companies demonstrated a 3GPP 5G NR SA mode IP data transfer, accelerating mobile operators’ ability to deploy 5G NR without using the LTE network as an anchor.

Keysight’s 5G end-to-end design and test solutions enable the mobile industry to accelerate 5G product design development from the physical layer to the application layer and across the entire workflow from simulation, design, and verification to manufacturing, deployment, and optimisation. Keysight offers common software and hardware platforms which comply to the latest 3GPP standards, enabling the ecosystem to quickly and accurately validate 5G chipsets, devices, basestations and networks, as well as emulate subscriber behaviour scenarios.

http://www.keysight.com

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