Sector News

Sondrel’s SFA 100 is ideal for AI at the Edge

Thu, Aug 01, 2024

Sondrel has optimised its SFA 100 to make it ideal for battery-powered, AI at the Edge applications. The SFA 100 is one of the five architectural platforms in the company’s Architecting the Future chip design platform which provides a ready-made design baseline that the company uses to build a bespoke solution for every customer.

The SFA 100 uses an Arm subsystem with a choice of Arm cores and the option of a security subsystem. Its low power requirement makes it the ideal platform for battery-powered edge AI applications such as smart home, smart factory, and sensor fusion devices. The device provides the ability to integrate a machine-learning engine supporting a variety of inference based ‘smarts’ such as voice activation, image classification, gesture recognition, filtering, etc. A radio subsystem such as a Bluetooth IP block or WiFi can also be added if required. Customer’s IP and any third-party IP can be included as Sondrel has the ability to wrap IP blocks so that they have all the necessary interfaces to just drop onto the chassis. More powerful solutions can be created by using the SFA 200 or SFA 300 as starting points.

The Edge AI market is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 33.5% to reach $76 billion by 2031 according to a report by Transparency Market Research. The key is the drive to process data locally and thus eliminate the latency from transmitting the data to a centralised cloud server for processing. Applications range from industry 4.0, where it is used to provide real-time decision making, to devices such as drones, smartphones, cars, etc.

https://www.sondrel.com/

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Microchip introduces a new core in the dsPIC digital signal controller family

Wed, Jul 31, 2024

Microchip has launched its dsPIC33A Core family of Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). The ability for engineers to create sophisticated, computationally intensive embedded control algorithms is crucial for achieving superior operational efficiency in motor control, power supply, charging and sensing systems. Built around a 32-bit Central Processing Unit (CPU) architecture with a 200 MHz operating speed, the dsPIC33A family’s advanced core includes a Double-Precision Floating-Point Unit (DP FPU) and DSP instructions for numerically intensive tasks in many closed-loop control algorithms. The dsPIC33A architecture offers high-performance and precise real-time control coupled with a comprehensive development tool ecosystem to streamline and accelerate the design process.

The dsPIC33A DSCs are enhanced with improved maths and data processing, higher code efficiency, faster context switching and reduced latency. This lower latency allows for a faster response time to transient and safety-critical events. New and upgraded peripherals—such as high-resolution PWMs specifically engineered for motor control and digital power conversion—are designed to support progressive technology development in various markets including automotive, industrial, consumer, E-Mobility, data centre and sustainable solutions segments. The dsPIC33A family features integrated analog peripherals, including 12-bit ADCs capable of conversion rates up to 40 Msps, high-speed comparators and operational amplifiers. These analog peripherals, in conjunction with Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs), allow for sophisticated sensing and high-performance control. In addition, the CIPs enable interaction among the peripherals without the need for CPU involvement, enhancing the efficiency of a single controller to manage multiple tasks.
The result is more robust real-time control while reserving the CPU bandwidth for software stacks, functional safety diagnostics and security functions.

The dsPIC33A device families are outfitted with Flash security capabilities, including an Immutable Root of Trust, secure debugging and restricted memory access. The DSCs’ Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) enables the adoption of software code generated by model-based designs to simplify code generation. The combined features make dsPIC33A DSCs well suited for applications that require efficient motor control for fans, pumps and compressors; they also manage digital power conversion for applications like AI servers and on-board chargers in electric vehicles and enable sensor interfacing for industrial and automotive applications.

The first family of dsPIC33AK128MC1xx DSCs includes 128 KB Flash and an extensive peripheral set, offered in various packages, including SSOP, VQFN and TQFP options ranging from 28 to 64 pins, with package dimensions as small as at 4 × 4 mm. Future dsPIC33A families with additional memory, peripherals and larger pin counts will complete the portfolio.

The dsPIC33A family is supported by the MPLAB XC-DSC Compiler, MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) and the dsPIC33A Curiosity Development Board (EV74H48A). The dsPIC33A Curiosity Development Board supports feature expansion by providing mikroBUS and Xplained Pro interfaces that enable connection to Built-in Self Text Xplained Pro (BIST XPRO) extension kits, sensors and various Click boards. Separate dual In-line modules are available to support development for motor control, digital power conversion and general-purpose embedded applications. For a complete list of dsPIC33A development tools.

https://www.microchip.com

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Magnachip Unveils Its First 8th-Generation MXT LV MOSFET

Wed, Jul 31, 2024

Magnachip has introduced its proprietary Super-Short Channel FET II (SSCFET II) technology for the first time in the Company’s new 12V Dual N-channel MOSFET (MDWC12D024PERH). SSCFET II is Magnachip’s latest design technology that significantly reduces the channel length.

Compared to the previous generation product of the same size, the RSS(on) of this product is reduced by approximately 22%. This reduction decreases power loss, shortens smartphone charging times, and lowers the internal temperature of smartphones by about 12% in fast charging mode.

With global smartphone manufacturers enhancing AI capabilities in smartphones, the importance of MOSFET products is growing. Magnachip’s new 12V MXT LV MOSFET features high power efficiency and is optimised for a wide range of battery protection applications in premium smartphones, particularly on-device AI smartphones.

“Following the development of Super-Short Channel FET I technology and the successful product rollout early last year, Magnachip has now introduced an upgraded Super-Short Channel FET II technology,” said YJ Kim, CEO of Magnachip. “We plan to continue developing innovative high-density cell trench technology and launch advanced power solutions targeting smartphones, smartwatches and earphones throughout the second half of this year.”

https://www.magnachip.com/

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New version of the Cohesity Data Cloud 7.2 brings faster and more efficient data protection

Tue, Jul 30, 2024

Cohesity, has announced the new version 7.2 of its flagship platform Cohesity Data Cloud. This unified cloud data management platform for securing, managing, and extracting value from data gets a series of enhancements around speed, security, scale, and simplicity to help organisations improving cyber resilience for their entire data estate.

As the number and quality of cyberattacks in Europe continues to increase, companies must meet stricter legal requirements such as DORA and NIS2 for greater cyber resilience. The new version of the Cohesity Data Cloud has been expanded with numerous functions to enable companies to master this balancing act and implement regulatory requirements despite unpredictable threat vectors for all their data, regardless of where it is located.

The most important innovations in the new version, available as self-managed software and SaaS, include better security thanks to OAuth 2.0 support, stronger control and recovery of Kubernetes workloads, and more flexibility and efficiency when deploying in the three major cloud platforms Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google.

Cohesity’s platform has long embraced “secure by design” principles. Cohesity is elevating this platform security with support for OAuth 2.0 authorisation in the Cluster APIs. For users that automate workflows with Cluster APIs, this offers three main benefits:
• Enhanced security: Reduce the risk of credential theft by using access tokens instead of sharing passwords
• Scalable integration: Simplify connecting automation scripts securely without compromising user data
• Improved session control: Empower admins and security teams to centrally grant and revoke access permissions to their data from their Identity Provider, enhancing trust and compliance

Auth 2.0 with OpenID Connect gives you passwordless authenticated access to Cohesity REST APIs. If organisations use an external identity management system like ADFS, they’ll want to use the feature to configure Single Sign-On (SSO) and add SSO user groups to their Cohesity clusters. By centralising access controls and permissions management, customers can enhance trust and ensure compliance across the board.

Cohesity Data Cloud 7.2 includes effective capabilities for Kubernetes deployments, offering customers more efficiency and control over their backup and recovery workflows.
• Dedicated VLAN support for Kubernetes: Customers can now configure separate VLANs for efficient data traffic management. Create dedicated networks to route backup and recovery traffic seamlessly within the Kubernetes cluster. This feature improves performance and helps you meet service level agreements (SLA) for Kubernetes deployments.
• Granular PVC backup and recovery offer greater customisation: Kubernetes administrators can toggle the inclusion of Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs) within namespaces during the backup and restore processes. Use this feature to strategically select PVCs for backup, improving the effectiveness of your data protection strategy.

For organisations shifting to the cloud for enhanced flexibility, accessibility, and scalability, Cohesity Cloud Edition builds upon existing functionality, offering a robust solution for securing and managing data in the public cloud. It grants customers greater control over deployment while entrusting the underlying infrastructure management to cloud providers. The new version of Cohesity Cloud Edition seamlessly integrates with the control plane, so organisations can centrally administer all your Cohesity clusters no matter where they run. It is now generally available on three major cloud platforms: Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google.

With this latest release, customers can achieve a lower TCO and better performance offering multiple configurations, up to 200 TByte per node, that simplify operations and reduce overall storage costs. Compared to prior versions of the cloud edition, the new version can help organisations realise over 100% ingest throughput, require up to 50% fewer nodes per cluster, and reduce costs by up to 66% per terabyte.

https://www.cohesity.com/products/data-cloud/

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