Ind4.0

Zero-drift op amp provides EMI filtering

Wed, Jan 16, 2019

Meeting the needs of precision measurement in industrial control and factory automation, the MCP6V51 zero-drift operational amplifier (op amp) provides precision measurement and minimises the influence of high-frequency interference, claims Microchip. The MCP6V51 offers a wide operating range and on-chip EMI filters.

The so-called smart factory has led to an increase in the number of sensors that need to be monitored and the MCP6V51 amplifier is designed to provide accurate, stable data from a variety of sensors. Its self-correcting zero-drift architecture enables high DC precision, claims Microchip, providing a maximum offset of ±15 microV and only ±36 nanoV per degree C of maximum offset drift. The MCP6V51 supports a wide operating voltage range – from 4.5 to 45V, suitable for factory automation, process control and building automation applications.

The increasing numbers of wireless sensors and wireless capabilities raises high frequency interference within sensitive analogue measurement as a critical consideration. The additional on-chip EMI filtering within the MCP6V51 provides protection from these unwanted and unpredictable interference sources. This allows designers to provide improved performance while more easily managing an increasingly difficult environment.

Programmable logic controllers and distributed control systems used within industrial automation run on a variety of voltage rails, such as 12, 24 or 36V. The support for a wide range of supply voltages includes overhead to account for supply transients by supporting an operating range up to 45V.

An evaluation board is also available. The eight-pin SOIC/MSOP/TSSOP/DIP evaluation board (Part # SOIC8EV) is a blank PCB that allows each device pin to be connected to a pull-up resistor, a pull-down resistor, an in-line resistor, and a loading capacitor. The PCB pads allow through-hole or surface-mount connectors to be installed to ease connection to the board. Additional passive component footprints are on the board, to allow simple circuits to be implemented.

The MCP6V51 is available today for sampling and volume production in both eight-lead MSOPs and five-lead SOT-23 packages.

http://www.microchip.com

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RS485-networking transceiver simplifies design to save space

Tue, Dec 04, 2018

Providing an external pin to select 20Mb its per second or 250kbits per second communication, the STR485LV is a 3.3V transceiver for RS485[1] applications that interfaces directly with low-voltage logic down to 1.8V.

The user-selectable data rate allows designers to specify the same device, simplifying inventory management for RS485-networking applications, ranging from high-speed/short-range up to the maximum communication distance (4,000 feet) depending on cable performance. The transceiver is suitable for telecomms infrastructure, high-speed data links, or low-voltage microcontroller communications.

Low voltage logic devices from 1.8V to 3.3V can be connected directly, without needing level-shifting components, advises ST Microelectronics, leveraging the 1.65 to 3.6V supply voltage range for data and enable signals. By maintaining internal driver-output resistance above 96Ohms up to 105 degrees C, the STR485 allows up to 256 transceivers on the same bus in accordance with the RS485 specification.

Features include thermal shutdown to prevent bus contention or faults causing excessive power consumption, and a receiver failsafe mode that prevents errors if inputs are idle, shorted, or unconnected. The bus pins withstand over ±8kV contact discharge and ±16kV air discharge without latch-up, exceeding IEC 61000-4-2 specifications, and are resistant to IEC61000-4-4 fast transient burst class-B.

Packaged as a 3.0 x 3m.0m DFN10, the STR485 has flow-through logic-to-bus pinning that simplifies board design, adds ST Microelectronics.

http://www.st.com

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Smart power switch with SPI protects for industry 4.0

Tue, Nov 27, 2018

To enhance diagnostics and system management, STMicroelectronics includes a 20MHz SPI port in the ISO8200AQ galvanic isolated octal high-side smart power switch. The SPI allows both per-channel over-temperature signalisation and efficient daisy-chaining of multiple devices. A power-good output indicates the status of the process-side power supply.

The device joins ST’s family of galvanic isolated high-side switches, featuring maximum safety and robustness in demanding applications such as industrial PLCs, PCs, or peripherals, and numeric-control machines in conventional factory automation or industry 4.0 smart factory scenarios.

The 2500Vrms built-in galvanic isolation not only assures safety, claims ST, and allows saving space in the final application and additional use for general-purpose isolation. By providing an SPI port with support for daisy chaining, the ISO8200AQ also allows one host to control multiple switches efficiently.

The power-good output alerts the control system in case the supply rail falls below a pre-set safe minimum threshold voltage. It complements the fault output pin that indicates communication errors or over-temperature conditions.

The eight channels each have on-resistance of 0.12 Ohms (typical) and maximum current rating of 0.7A. The ISO8200AQ manages all kinds of resistive, inductive, or capacitive loads with minimal power loss or heat dissipation, assures ST.

Built-in protection features of the ISO8200AQ include short-circuit, channel over-temperature, case over-temperature, and loss of ground or supply protection. There is also under-voltage shut-down with auto-restart and hysteresis, over-voltage protection by Vcc clamping, and control of the output voltage to prevent damage due to switch off of inductive loads. The ISO8200AQ also satisfies the requirements for IEC 61131-2 relating to functional properties and characteristics of programmable controllers.

The company offers an ecosystem of support tools to help users get the best performance from the ISO8200AQ. These include the X-Nucleo-OUT02A1 demonstration board, for evaluating and fine-tuning the setup, and the STSW-IFAPGUI graphical user interface (GUI) that helps visualise the device’s behaviour. The X-Nucelo-OUT02A1 takes advantage of the IC’s internal galvanic isolation between logic and power stages, and adds reverse-polarity protection and EMC precautions meeting IEC61000-4-2, IEC61000-4-4 and IEC61000-4-5, to satisfy industrial safety standards.

The ISO8200AQ is available now in 9.0 x 11mm 32-pin TFQFPN32.

http://www.st.com

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Energy harvesting embedded controller simplifies Industry 4.0

Fri, Nov 23, 2018

Renesas Electronics claims to accelerates sensor network gateway design with its RZ/N1S IO-Link Master  development kit for the smart factory.

The IO-Link master development kit accelerates IO-Link-based application development for industrial networked devices in a smart factory. The development kit includes a board and pre-qualified sample software provided by TMG. The board has eight IO-Link connecters, allowing developers to immediately connect IO-Link slave devices and start the evaluation process.

Renesas believes that the development kit contributes to shorter prototype-to-production process time and helps to reduce the development burden for engineers.

The kit is supported by two CPUs that operate independently and simultaneously with a large built-in SRAM. The eight-port IO-Link Master is controlled by one CPU; the other CPU features an R-IN engine architecture and supports industrial Ethernet communication to the upper layers, such as PLC, without any external microcontroller, microprocessor, or memory like DDR. The two CPUs are integrated in a small 12 x 12mm LFBGA package.

The RZ/N1S IO-Link Master development kit reduces the system evaluation period by up to six months, reports Renesas. The all-in-one development kit makes it easy for users to begin evaluation immediately and accelerate their time to market.

Optimised for limited space and industrial environments, the board as 6Mbytes of on-chip SRAM which eliminates the need for external memory.

The small 12 x 12mm LFBGA package makes the master suited for PCBs in space-constrained industrial applications.

Renesas is demonstrating the new IO-Link master solution in booth 130, Hall 10.1, at the 2018 SPS IPC Drives, November 27-29, in Nuremberg, Germany.

The RZ/N1S IO-Link master solution is available now for rental.

Renesas Electronics delivers microcontorller, analogue, power, SoC products and integrated platforms, for automotive, industrial, home electronics, office automation and information communication technology applications.

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http://www.renesas.com

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