ST’ off-line high-voltage converters boost space savings in consumer and lighting applications

STMicroelectronics’ new VIPer11B off-line high-voltage converters make tiny, efficient, and low-cost power supplies for applications up to 8W, including lighting, smart-home equipment, appliances, and smart meters.

ST’s VIPer11B converters cut the bill of materials through extensive feature integration to simplify circuit design and save external components. The 800V avalanche-rugged MOSFET requires only small snubbing components and a built-in senseFET provides almost lossless current sensing with no additional resistors. High-voltage startup circuitry is on-chip, requiring only an external capacitor for the Vcc supply, and the frequency-jittered oscillator minimises any external filtering needed to meet electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations.

Also, being housed in a compact SSOP10 package, the converters deliver power where space is tight. This can be especially valuable in applications that are subject to rigidly defined form factors, such as LED-lighting drivers and smart bulbs. The converters also help meet stringent ecodesign regulations, with low standby current that cuts no-load power consumption to less than 10mW and pulse-skipping operation to boost light-load efficiency.

Flexibility is another strength, with a wide Vcc range that permits supplying the converter from a transformer auxiliary winding or from the output in a non-isolated topology. The VIPer11B can be used in non-isolated flyback, buck, and buck/boost topologies and isolated flyback with primary-side or secondary-side regulation.

Featuring output overload and overvoltage protection with automatic restart, Vcc clamping, thermal shutdown, and soft-start, VIPer11B converters help designers build strong and reliable power supplies. Two variants are available, letting designers select the VIPer113B with drain-current protection threshold of 370mA or the VIPer114B that has a current limit of 480mA.

https://www.st.com

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Virtium launches industry’s first SOM to include on-board hardware AI accelerator chip

Virtium Embedded Artists has announced the launch of the iMX8M Mini DX-M1, a system-on-module (SOM) which integrates a quad-core application processor and a 25 TOPS AI hardware accelerator chip with associated memory on a board with a compact 82mm x 50mm footprint.

By integrating a DEEPX DX-M1 AI accelerator into the SOM, Virtium Embedded Artists eliminates the need for embedded device manufacturers that want to implement AI functions to plug a discrete AI processor module into their system. This provides multiple benefits to OEMs and designers, including board space savings, simplified systems design, streamlined bill-of-materials, and faster time-to-market.

The new Virtium Embedded Artists SOM is based on the i.MX 8M Mini from NXP Semiconductors, an application processor which features four 1.6GHz/1.8GHz Arm® Cortex®-A53 CPU cores backed by 2GB of LPDDR4 memory, as well as a 400MHz Cortex-M4 controller core. The i.MX 8M Mini provides strong support for video and imaging applications thanks to its video engine with 1080p codec, 2D/3D graphics engine, and 4-lane MIPI-DSI interface, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet interface.

Working in tandem with the DEEPX DX-M1 NPU, the i.MX 8M provides the image processing capability required to support AI-enabled vision systems used in popular and emerging vision applications. These include:
• Drones
• Security and surveillance
• Automated inspection and monitoring
• Transportation
• MedTech
• AgTech

The DX-M1, a high-performance AI accelerator, provides 25 TOPS of throughput at an average power consumption of 5W, making the SOM ideal for power-constrained edge computing applications. In this new Virtium Embedded Artists implementation, the SOM provides 4GB of LPDDR5 memory for the AI processor accessed via a 64-bit, 4-channel data bus. This enables the DX-M1 to run multiple AI models concurrently without performance degradation.

Virtium Embedded Artists supplies the iMX8M Mini DX-M1 SOM in two versions: one with the DEEPX AI accelerator and i.MX 8M Mini processor, and one with the i.MX 8M Mini alone. This allows OEMs to easily scale up embedded computer systems based on the i.MX 8M Mini to also provide vision AI capabilities without altering their carrier board design.
Each of the two versions of the SOM is available with a 1.8GHz i.MX 8M Mini, for operation at temperatures between 0°C and 70°C, or with a 1.6GHz i.MX 8M Mini with an operating-temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.

Alongside the iMX8M Mini DX-M1 hardware, Virtium Embedded Artists provides a full technical support service. It also supplies the DEEPX iM8 Mini AI Kit, which includes reference design implementations for key interfaces. Virtium Embedded Artists provides pre-designed standard carrier boards to ease integration into customers’ designs.

https://www.embeddedartists.com

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New Xsens motion sensor module offers high accuracy and stability

Xsens has announced the launch of Xsens Avior, a lightweight, OEM form factor inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a compact 36.8mm x 40mm footprint which offers enhanced performance in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications.

The Xsens Avior is ideal for products manufactured in high volume thanks to its vertical 10×2-pin socket connector for simple board mounting, and its tolerance of any mounting orientation in all three axes. The product also eases design integration: it includes UART, CAN, SPI and I2C interfaces on-board, and supports RS232 and RS422 via the product’s development kit or an external transceiver.

Xsens has integrated a new generation of sensing components in the Avior, as well as advanced analog filtering for higher stability and noise reduction, resulting in substantially better performance compared to the previous generation product. Heading accuracy is 1° RMS and roll and pitch accuracy is 0.2° RMS. Stability is also enhanced in the Xsens Avior: in-run bias stability in the gyroscope is 8°/hr, and accelerometer in-run bias stability is 15μg.

Weighing just 35.2g, the Xsens Avior is enclosed in a robust aluminium housing and has a rating of IP51 and an operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. The sensor’s small size, light weight, high performance and robust construction provide outstanding value in applications such as:

Camera/payload stabilisation, including SOTM (SATCOM-on-the-Move) devices
Marine equipment – remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), sensor buoys
Mobile robots and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
Drones and 3D mapping and surveying tools
Humanoid robots
Industrial control and embedded motion systems

https://www.movella.com

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Infineon PSOC Control C3 MCUs for Next-Generation Motor Control now at mouser

Mouser is now stocking the PSOC Control C3 microcontrollers (MCUs) from Infineon Technologies. The PSOC Control C3 MCUs combine power and performance, allowing designers to bring the next generation of industrial solutions to the market. Developed specifically for motor control applications, the PSOC Control CM3 product line is ideal for EV charging, industrial motor control, robotics, server and telecom power supply units (PSUs), and smart home appliances.

The Infineon Technologies PSOC Control C3 microcontrollers, now available at Mouser, feature an Arm® Cortex®-M33-based core with real-time control for high-performance motor control products. A 12-bit, 12-Msps ADC with true synchronous “idle” sampling of up to 16 analogue signals delivers results up to 25% faster without sampling jitter, while a CORDIC Accelerator can switch off the CPU and increase computational power for real-time critical tasks. The PSOC MCUs also integrate a programmable timer/counter pulse-width modulator (TCPWM) with a Motion Interface (MOTIF) block that can be used to communicate motor control signals. These dedicated subsystems allow the PSOC MCU to reduce the system bill of materials (BOM) while improving the performance of next-gen products. The PSOC Control MCUs are PSA Certified™ Level 2, featuring advanced security features such as cryptography, secure boot, and processing isolation. The MCUs are delivered with ready-to-use code examples and development tools supported in the ModusToolbox™ software suite.

Infineon Technologies offers two development kits for the PSOC Control C3 Microcontrollers. The PSOC Control C3M5 Evaluation Kit is for developing motor control solutions using PSOC Control C3. The kit includes a PSOC Control C3M5 EVK board, a USB Type-A to USB Type-C® cable, jumper wires, and a quick start guide. The PSOC Control C3M5 Complete System Motor Control Kit offers a C3M5 motor control card for developing motor control solutions in combination with power stage evaluation boards.

https://eu.mouser.com

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