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RF module combines UWB and BLE with integrated antennas

Mon, Sep 25, 2023

Showcasing Insight SiP’s integration and miniaturisation expertise, the ISP3080 UWB-BLE module combines ultra wideband (UWB) technology with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
The module is a fully integrated device, requiring only power to create a fully functioning UWB and BLE node with both antennas integrated into the module. It uses Qorvo’s QM31100 UWB chip and Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52833 BLE device.
The company claimed that for UWB, it offers “massively improved” power consumption compared with previous generations, and interoperability via conformance to the FiRa standard. This allows UWB connections both to other vendors’ FiRa compatible chipsets and UWB equipped mobile phones, such as the latest generation Apple, Google and Samsung devices.
Ultra-low power can be achieved by using a combination of Bluetooth and the integrated accelerometer to switch on the UWB transceiver only when necessary, advised Insight SiP.
The module measures just 12 x 12 x 1.5mm. Applications include secure entry, real-time location systems, ticketing and barrier control and hands-free key solutions.

The device offers a wide range of peripherals for a selection of digital and analogue connections, including UWB, SPI, UART, I2C, programmable general purpose I/Os and on-board ADCs.
Nick Wood, sales and marketing director for Insight SiP commented: “With the FiRa standard gaining wide acceptance and the implementation of UWB on mobile phones, we believe ultra-wideband has truly “come of age” and will become an increasingly prevalent technology.”
Insight SiP has an R&D team based in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France. The company specialises in the miniaturisation of RF modules using system in package (SiP) technology. Its offers what is believed to be the smallest complete BLE module in the world, the world’s first antenna-in-package, the world’s first UWB/BLE and LoRa/BLE combo modules with integrated antennas, and the world’s smallest microcomputer in an SD card format.
Founded in 2005, Insight SiP has a subsidiary in the US, a sales office in Japan and a network of over 30 distributors across the globe.

http://www.insightsip.com

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SoM and starter kit accelerate development for motor control and DSP applications

Thu, Sep 21, 2023

Additions to the Kria portfolio of adaptive system on module (SoM) and developer kits have been announced by AMD. The Kria K24 SoM and KD240 Drives starter kit are available to order now.

The Kria K24 SoM offers power-efficient compute in a small form factor and targets cost-sensitive industrial and commercial edge applications, explained the company. InFO (integrated fan-out) packaging results in the K24 being half the size of a credit card while using half the power of the larger, connector-compatible Kria K26 SoM.

It provides high determinism and low latency for powering electric drives and motor controllers used in compute-intensive DSP applications at the edge, such as electric motor systems, robotics for factory automation, power generation, public transportation such as elevators/lifts and trains, surgical robotics and medical equipment such as MRI beds, and also EV charging stations.

The KD240 Drives starter kit is a motor control-based development platform. Coupled with the 24 SoM, users can quickly develop motor control and DSP applications at a reduced time to market and without requiring FPGA programming expertise.

The K24 SoM features a custom-built Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC device and the supporting KD240 starter kit is a sub-$400 FPGA-based motor control kit. Enabling developers to begin at a more evolved point in the design cycle, the KD240 provides easy access for entry-level developers compared to other processor-based control kits.

The K24 SOM is qualified for use in industrial environments with support for more design flows than any generation before it, said AMD. That includes familiar design tools like Matlab Simulink and languages like Python with its extensive ecosystem support for the PYNQ framework. Ubuntu and Docker are also supported. Software developers can also use the AMD Vitis motor control libraries while maintaining support for traditional development flows.

“The K24 SOM delivers high performance-per-watt in a small form factor and houses the core components of an embedded processing system on a single production-ready board for a fast time to market,” said Hanneke Krekels, corporate vice president, Core Vertical Markets, AMD.

It is estimated that around 70 per cent of the total global electrical use by the industrial sector is tied to electric motors and motor-driven systems. AMD said that even a one per cent improvement in the efficiency of a drive system can have a significant positive impact on operational expenses and the environment.

The KD240 is supported by an optional motor accessory pack (MACCP), with additional motor kits available in the future that can be purchased separately for an enhanced ramp-up experience for developers.

K24 SOMs are offered in both commercial and industrial versions and are built for 10-year industrial lifecycles. In addition to support for expanded temperature ranges, the industrial-grade SoM includes ECC-protected LPDDR4 memory for high-reliability systems.

The K24 commercial version is shipping today, and the industrial version is expected to ship in Q4.

https://www.amd.com

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Qualcomm promises ultimate connected home with 10G Fiber Gateway

Thu, Sep 21, 2023

Qualcomm has announced the start of the 10Gbit (10G) fibre broadband service era, with the introduction of 10G Fiber Gateway Platform, featuring Qualcomm Service Defined Wi-Fi technology.

The gateway is software-defined and can be continuously customisable. Fast 10G fibre delivers Service Defined Wi-Fi technology which can classify, prioritise, and schedule network traffic. Providers can use the broadband gateway as a vehicle for increased subscriber engagement and smart home innovation via value-added services and applications.

Although the majority of subscribers experience their broadband service through Wi-Fi, access network from the service provider to the home and Wi-Fi within the home are managed separately. The quality of service is nearly impossible to maintain across the entire network, given the diversity of devices, applications, connectivity technologies, and the near-constant change across all these elements, said Qualcomm.

Its Service Defined Wi-Fi technology addresses this management challenge by offering a unified data flow management architecture, from cloud to device. It delivers orchestration, classification, scheduling, and insights that help ensure subscriber performance expectations for 10G Fiber are met. It can adapt to user activity whether this is gaming, streaming, video conferencing or sharing content.

“Qualcomm’s latest advancements in home gateways will help accelerate the ongoing transformation of home Wi-Fi networks,” said Andrew Spivey, senior analyst at ABI Research. “Given the rapid deployment of fibre-optic cable, alongside the concurrent decline of legacy cable and DSL technologies, the new platform is timely, and combined with Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 7 technology will prove indispensable in delivering the advanced speeds modern homes require,” he added.

The Qualcomm 10G Fiber Gateway Platform enables 10Gbits per second to and through the home. Its software-defined architecture combines 10G passive optical network (PON) technology with multi-Gigabit Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to ensure high-speed connectivity and low-latency access is delivered seamlessly through the home to end devices, such as phones, PCs, smart TVs, home cameras or appliances.

The Qualcomm 10G Fiber Gateway Platform and Qualcomm Service Defined Wi-Fi technology are scheduled to be commercially available by summer 2024.

https://www.qualcomm.com/

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Data logger makes a splash in harsh transport conditions

Thu, Sep 21, 2023

A waterproof version of Aspion’s data logger has been added to the family. The G-Log 2 Waterproof is for use in shock and climate monitoring and is designed for harsh transport conditions but also monitors unpackaged goods.

It records shock events traceably on all three axes in milliseconds. It also logs climate data such as temperature and relative humidity. The robust design includes protection class IP 65/67 making it suitable for transporting unpackaged capital goods in harsh working environments, said Aspion. It can also be used to monitor machinery and equipment as well as energy technology.

Data loggers are indispensable in the event of an incident. To claim for damage to high-value goods in transit, load data must be provided in a comprehensible, transparent, and assignable manner to the insuance company. The G-Log 2 Waterproof can reduce costs for damage in transit for industrial companies, said Aspion, and significantly improve process quality checks. The data looger is claimed to be the only one available that offers shock/vibration testing in accordance with transport standard IEC 60721-3-2. For this, the shock sensor compares vibrations and shocks occurring during transport with the selected class and standard. This allows companies to reliably test transport conditions inexpensively and without expert knowledge.

Aspion’s software-based service G-Log Premium expands the scope of performance of the shock data loggers. Recorded data is transferred directly in real time during readout via a secure cloud storage hosted in Germany and made available across locations. All G-Log 2 data loggers can also be optionally commissioned via the app – regardless of location and worldwide. Users simultaneously access high transparency and maximum process reliability, said Aspion. The service extension is particularly suitable for companies with distributed structures, such as multiple sites or globally located business partners.

The G-Log 2 Waterproof is now available from the manufacturer as well as sales partners.

https://www.aspion.de/en/

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RF module combines UWB and BLE with integrated antennas

SoM and starter kit accelerate development for motor control and DSP applications

Qualcomm promises ultimate connected home with 10G Fiber Gateway

Data logger makes a splash in harsh transport conditions

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