Dual-mode power monitoring IC helps troubleshoot by logging events

Claimed to offer an industry leading accuracy of 0.1 per cent error across a 4000:1 range, the MCP39F511A dual-mode power monitoring IC measures both AC and DC modes, says Microchip.

Power calculations and event monitoring are included with a single IC, which contributes to a reduced bill of materials cost and firmware development time, says the company.

Power monitoring has become more prevalent as developers look to monitor product performance and improve energy usage in smart cities and smart homes. To simplify calibration procedures and support most accuracy requirements, two 24-bit delta-sigma ADCs with 94.5 dB of signal-to-noise ratio plus distortion (SINAD) performance and a 16-bit calculation engine are included.

The MCP39F511A is suitable for a range of consumer, IoT and industrial applications. It is able to automatically sense power supply types and switches between AC and DC modes, optimising measurement results. Developers can troubleshoot issues with an on-chip EEPROM that logs critical events, and there is an integrated low-drift voltage reference and internal oscillator to reduce implementation costs.

Standard power calculations such as active, reactive and apparent power, active and reactive energy, root-mean-square (RMS) current and voltage, line frequency and power factor enable designers to add highly accurate power monitoring functions to end applications with minimal firmware development, advises Microchip.

Other features include auto-save and auto-load of power quantities to and from the EEPROM at power loss or start, ensuring that measurement results are never lost if power is disrupted unexpectedly. Event monitoring of various power conditions also enhances preventative system maintenance and enables developers to better manage power consumption.

The device is supported by the MCP39F511A Power Monitor Demonstration Board (ADM00667). The single-phase power and energy monitoring system calculates and displays active power, reactive power, RMS current, RMS voltage, active energy (both import and export) and four-quadrant reactive energy.

http://www.microchip.com/MCP39F511A

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RDS offers Fujitsu’s latest Mini-ITX for secure industrial operation

Designed for the harsh, demanding industrial environments across a range of markets, the Fujitsu Mainboard D3633-S Mini-ITX is now available from embedded hardware and display specialist, Review Display Systems (RDS).

This latest addition to Fujitsu’s Industrial series is powered by the Intel Q370 Express chipset which supports Intel’s 8th generation Core i7/i5/i3 processors or the Intel Pentium/Intel Celeron processors, for high-performance computing performance in demanding applications.

Security features include hardware watchdog support, recovery BIOS, boot sequence control, serial/USB port access protection and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protection with Infineon’s SLB9670 SPI (serial peripheral interface) for encryption protection to TPM V2.0.

The impressive array of capabilities includes extensive memory capabilities: DDR4 2666 dual channel SDRAM and two SO DIMM sockets, providing up to 32Gbyte memory capacity.

For graphics performance, the 170 x 170mm Mini-ITX incorporates an Intel UHD graphics processor, two DisplayPort V1.2 and a DVI-D port, support for two lanes of Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) V1.4 and dual channel 24-bit LVDS. A Realtek ALC671 high-definition audio codec is also integrated.

Furthermore, there is support for Intel AMT 12.0/vPro for remote management and for PCI Express x 16 (Gen 3). For networking options, there are two Intel GbE LAN, Wake-on-LAN (WoL) functionality and Magic Packet technology for power management.

Expansion options include one Mini-PCIe supporting PCIe Gen 3 and USB 2.0, USB 3.1 (Gen 1 and Gen 2) sockets, four SATA ports and one M.2 socket, together with GPIO ports, and legacy ports, such as COM, mouse and keyboard.

Specifically designed for industrial applications, the D3633-S Mini-ITX will be available for more than five years and has an extended lifecycle of up to six years, says RDS.

The mainboard has industrial-grade EMI immunity and can operate at the enhanced temperature range of 0 to +60 degree C. It is also designed and approved for 24/7 continuous operation.

Operating systems supported are Windows 10 and Linux.

The D3633-S Mini-ITX will be released in September 2018.

http://www.review-displays.co.uk/

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MIPI DSI displays offer projected capacitive touch

Display, monitor and embedded computing specialist, Densitron, has launched a set of MIPI display serial interface (MIPI DSI) displays for a variety of applications, ranging from security, broadcasting, telecom and process control systems to smart meters. The move reflects the growing demands for the same premium quality, high-resolution graphical display technology used for personal mobile devices to be tailored for use in industrial applications, says Densitron.

The MIPI DSI displays are available in three sizes, four, 4.3 and five inches (101, 109 and 127mm). In addition to high colour saturation, they are claimed to have outstanding readability at all viewing angles and projected capacitive touch (PCT) and optical bonding options. There is also the possibility of adding haptic feedback technology to provide the sensation of touch when a user makes contact, as well as lens customisation for all of these options.

The displays enable low power, low electromagnetic interference (EMI) yet allow for the interconnection of other components such as cameras for high performance applications.

“Densitron believes MIPI DSI will become the next generation standard for display technology,” says Luo Luo, Densitron global product manager, TFT.

“Traditional interfaces won’t support the advanced display technologies now demanded by consumers,” he continues. “Using extra data channels and increasing transmission speed to host the higher resolution is already increasing EMI susceptibility and radiation. MIPI addresses these shortcomings, enabling content-rich display technology without the huge strain on interface connections.”

Using a reduced number of wires and operating at a lower power consumption to conserve battery life, the MIPI DSI interface handles very fast speed signals for driving high resolution, premium performance displays, from HD to FHD and beyond, says Densitron. Using a simplified pin count for a reduction in electrical noise and, therefore, limited EMI susceptibility.

The MIPI DSI range is supported by Densitron’s new Aurora SBX which provides a development platform to create modern graphics user interface (GUI) applications to develop and power functionality in a fully-operational human machine interface (HMI) for a range of industrial applications.

http://www.densitron.com

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IoT connectivity box provides remote access in industrial areas

Finnish company, Tosibox, offers the Lock 500, a connectivity and remote access device designed particularly for demanding industrial environments. The Lock 500 can also be used in the security and office networking sectors.

“The importance and amount of data is constantly growing in application areas such as machine builders collecting high data volumes, CCTV in security and infrastructure, and ICT applications and office remote work, says Tero Lepistö, Tosibox CEO. “Dual-SIM slots for operator redundancy allows for even more reliable connectivity,” he adds.

Tosibox Lock 500 meets the needs of industrial customers, with features such as industrial power connector, integrated DIN rail mounting bracket and industrial housing.

It has a robust, fanless enclosure made of aluminum with IP 20 rating. The back of the Lock 500 has an integrated DIN rail bracket for easy mounting. There is also an industrial screw-on DC power connector and the power source is provided with suitable connectors as an accessory.

For IT and security services, the Lock 500’s VPN throughput is suitable for remote video streaming of security cameras. Tosibox Lock 500 can also be used for connecting demanding IT network infrastructures and for building more affordable remote business solutions.

The Lock 500 boasts impressive cyber security features such as the secure storage of encryption and authentication keys in a hardware-based secure storage, which makes copying or faking the device identity impossible, claims Tosibox. The integrity and confidentiality of the software is always verified at boot-up. All software updates are cryptographically signed and verified before installing, ensuring only Tosibox product updates are allowed.

The device holds the CE certificate, with remaining approvals, FCC and UL to be added later.

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www.tosibox.com

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