Sector News

Arrow and IBM aim to reinvent Airport operations with new IoT solution

Mon, Apr 29, 2019

The Smart Airport Asset Management Solution, co-created with IBM, enables airport operators to improve the performance of escalators, moving walkways, baggage handling systems and potable water cabinets

Arrow Electronics has announced that it has launched the Smart Airport Asset Management Solution, an innovative IoT solution co-created with IBM.

Based on an Arrow-designed and sourced set of IoT sensors and gateways, the IBM Watson® IoT Platform, and IBM Maximo® Enterprise Asset Management software, the solution will provide airport operators with improved operational insights that optimise equipment maintenance to avoid downtime and improve the traveller experience.

“Over seven billion passengers fly every year, so creating smart airports is smart business,” said Aiden Mitchell, vice president of IoT for Arrow. “This solution we have developed with our suppliers will help improve the customer experience and demonstrates the model that IBM and Arrow are implementing across the relationships at the heart of IoT.”

The Smart Airport Asset Management Solution collects data such as temperature, vibration and motor fluid levels from sensors on motors and other moving parts in escalators, moving walkways and baggage handling systems. Additionally, sensors on potable water cabinets measure temperature, open/closed door, water flow and leakage to determine if the cabinet is functional. The solution resolves frequent operational challenges that most negatively impact travellers according to an Airport Service Quality report from the Airport Council International.

Data is collected from the sensors connected to wireless gateways, and then consolidated and analysed on the IBM Watson IoT Platform. The industry-leading IBM Maximo® portfolio creates a more efficient asset management process using the collected data to drive workflows, resource allocation, and provides analytics to assess the health of assets to guide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.

“Harnessing data and analytics, this end-to-end IoT solution enables airports to improve the performance of key assets that directly impact customer experience,” said Adriana Robinson, vice president, IBM Watson IoT. “This will allow maintenance teams to predict airport facility equipment failure and create proactive maintenance workflows.”

The solution is available through Arrow, its business partners, and IBM.

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Power management IC reduces size of smart appliances

Fri, Apr 26, 2019

Rohm Semiconductor has introduced the BD71847AMWV, a power management IC (PMIC) optimised for NXP Semiconductors’ i.MX 8M mini applications processors to contribute to longer operating time and to reduce the size of smart speakers, networked audio, smart displays and other smart home appliances.

The BD71847AMWV has been added to Rohm’s portfolio of PMICs designed for NXP’s i.MX application processors. The i.MX ecosystem partner introduced the PMIC last year to support the i.MX 8M Quad and Dual applications processors.

i.MX 8M Mini applications processors allow customers to incorporate voice interface to audio/video streaming devices at minimal cost, explains Rohm. They integrate up to four Arm Cortex-A53 cores operating up to 1.8GHz along with an Arm Cortex-M4 or M7 that operates at up to 400MHz for low standby power consumption. For consumer and industrial application use, there is also support for 1080p video processing, 2D/3D graphics, advanced audio functions, and a variety of high-speed interfaces.

BD71847AMWV integrates all power rails required by the processor as well as power supplies for DDR and common system IO. In addition to DC/DC converters with what the company claims is industry-leading efficiency of 95 per cent, the PMIC features programmable power sequencer for flexible power control and management, seamless hardware control interface to i.MX 8M Mini, buffered sleep clock and protection functions. Customisation and programmability help to shorten development time, lower system bill of materials and to minimise footprint, says Rohm.

The PMIC integrates six DC/DC buck converter,  six low drop out regulators, 1.8V/3.3V power switch for SDXC cards, 32kHz crystal driver and buffered output clock, monitoring and protection circuits, and programmable sequencer and power state control logic.

The 2.7 to 5.5V input voltage range supports a variety of power sources, from single-cell Li-ion battery to USB and wall adapter.

The PMIC is offered in a compact 56-pin 7.0 x 7.0mm QFN package. The pin layout is carefully designed to ensure easy connection to NXP’s i.MX 8M Mini applications processor and DDR memory. Rohm estimates that the level of integration results in the number of external parts required by 42 and mounting area by 42 per cent compared with discrete solutions (assuming Type 3 PCB for single-sided mounting). With two-sided mounting, the board size could be as small as 300mm2.

The company has announced plans to expand its product portfolio to support future members of the i.MX 8M family.

The PMIC is sampling now, with OEM quantities expected in August 2019.

https://www.rohm.com

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Murata and Cypress develop battery saving Wi-Fi-Bluetooth module

Fri, Apr 26, 2019

A collaboration between Murata and Cypress Semiconductor has led to the development of small form factor Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module. The Type 1LV (CYW43012) module is claimed to be the lowest power, small form factor Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module and to improve battery life in wearables, smart home products, and portable audio applications.

It is based on the Cypress CYW43012 combo chipset, the small dual-band Wi-Fi 11a/b/g/n/ (11ac Friendly) +Bluetooth 5.0 module which provides data transference rates up to 78Mbits per second on Wi-Fi and 3Mbits per second on Bluetooth.

The Type 1LV supports a range of popular processors including PSoC6, i.MX RT, STM32, i.MX, and IP camera platforms, as well as Linux and RTOS-based applications.

The Type 1LV uses enhanced hardware mechanisms and algorithms to ensure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth co-existence is optimised. An embedded Ipv6 network stack can be used to keep the host processor in sleep mode while maintaining network connections.

The module also supports BLE 2Mbits per second, LE Secure Connections, LE Privacy 1.2, and LE Data Packet Length Extension. The device operates seamlessly in dual-band networks with increased energy efficiency and enhanced security providing optimal performance in Wi-Fi 5 networks, says Murata.

The module measures 10.0 x 7.2 x 1.4mm. It will have a reference antennae design for FCC/IC certifications and CE conducted test to provide a lower development cost and faster time to market.

The Type 1LV module is now in mass production.

http://www.murata.com

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Partners demo IIoT security with cloud analytics

Fri, Apr 26, 2019

Adesto Technologies, IBM and NXP Semiconductors believe they have demonstrated “a new level of security for smart building and industrial IoT (IIoT) deployments”. Adesto’s SmartServer IoT edge server and the IBM Watson IoT platform, enabled by NXP’s A71CH secure element for IoT devices, provide an extra layer of security for businesses connecting their systems securely to the IBM Cloud, say the partners.

The IBM Watson IoT platform is a managed, cloud-hosted service designed to enable companies to quickly connect and derive value from their IoT devices. It enables organisations to capture and explore data to drive informed decision-making.

Adesto’s open, extensible SmartServer IoT simplifies interoperability between the diverse set of legacy systems, disparate devices, and the numerous protocols – traditional and emerging – in industrial and building automation. It provides built-in device and data management for sensors, meters, actuators and controllers through a growing range of protocols including BACnet, LonWorks and Modbus.

NXP’s A71CH provides a chip-level root of trust. Through integration with SmartServer IoT, it enables additional security when customers connect buildings to Watson without exposing keys for the lifetime of a device.

NXP’s A71CH Plug & Trust Secure Element has X.509 certificates and keys trusted by Watson, injected at NXP secure certified facilities. NXP’s trust provisioning service safeguards keys and credentials are injected in a trusted environment. When embedded into devices, the chips have the necessary keys to establish a secure TLS connection with IBM Watson IoT enabling seamless device-to-cloud connections.

The three companies will be highlighting the joint solution at the IBM IoT Exchange in Orlando Florida.

https://www.adestotech.com

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