Smart Cities

Renesas introduces eight-pin package for RL78 / G15 MCU 

Fri, Jan 13, 2023

A general purpose microcontroller (MCU) has been added to the Renesas Electronics low power RL78 family. The small, eight-pin package size targets eight-bit MCU applications, advised Renesas.

The versatile RL78 / G15 packs many peripheral functions and four to 8kbyte of code flash memory in package sizes ranging from eight to 20 pins, with the smallest eight-pin device measuring only 3.0 x 3.0mm. They are designed to keep system size small and reduce the cost of end systems, such as industrial, consumer, sensor control, lighting, and inverter applications. The maximum operating ambient temperature of 125 degree C covers a wide temperature range and allowing the MCU to be used near heat-generating components such as inverter motors.

All pins can be used for general-purpose I/O, except VDD and VSS power supply pins. In addition to up to 8kbyte of code flash memory, the MCU has 1kbyte of code flash memory, 1kbyte of data flash and 1kbyte of SRAM.

It supports operating voltages from 2.4 to 5.5V and supports CSI, UART, Simple I2C, and multi-master I2C serial interfaces. The MCU has a high-precision oscillator (±1.0 per cent) and a built-in comparator.

Engineers designing with the RL78 / G15 can use the GUI-based Smart Configurator to generate driver code for peripheral functions. Renesas also offers the Fast Prototyping Board (FPB) for evaluation, which comes with Arduino Uno and Pmod Type 6A interfaces with access to all pins. Debugging and programming are possible using only a USB cable. Developers can gain access to RL78 development resources using just an Arduino library that can run on the FPB. They can also access the resources offered through the Arduino ecosystem.

The RL78 / G15 is available today in volume production. 

Renesas Electronics combines embedded processing, analogue, power and connectivity expertise to deliver semiconductors for the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT market sectors.

http://www.renesas.com

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Aaeon pairs server-grade Intel Xeon with COM Express Type 7 form factor

Thu, Jan 12, 2023

Computer on module (COM) developer, Aaeon’s latest module is the COM-ICDB7 which is powered by the third generation Intel Xeon D processor platform (formerly known as Ice Lake-D).

It is designed for applications such as drone fleet control, biomedical science, and data analysis applications, said Aaeon. The COM-ICDB7 offers server-grade CPU performance of up to 10 cores and 20 threads via the third generation Intel Xeon processors on a 4.92 x 3.75 inch (125 x 95mm) COM Express Type 7 form factor. 

Supporting a 70W CPU, the COM-ICDB7 can power multiple expansion modules via its PCIe 4.0 [x16] slot and four PCIe 3.0 [x4] slots. It also has two DDR4 SODIMM sockets providing up to 64Gbyte system memory with ECC (error code correction) support, which adds stability to large data analytics applications. 

There are also four 10GbE ports accessible via its carrier board for high speed, high volume data transference. These features combine to ensure the COM-ICDB7 is able to execute complex computing tasks, for solutions deployed in fields such as industrial automation, edge servers and data centres.

Optional additions to the COM-ICDB7 include a custom carrier board, which offers a more cost-effective approach to outdoor deployment, said Aaeon.

The COM-ICDB7 is eligible for application-specific customisation such as wider operational temperature ranges for operation in harsh environments where the COM-ICDB7 could be used to power smart city, transport, and drone fleet control applications. 

Established in 1992, Aaeon designs and manufactures industrial IoT and AI edge products. Its portfolio includes industrial motherboards and systems, rugged tablets, embedded AI edge systems, uCPE network appliances, and LoRaWAN / WWAN solutions. The company works closely with cities and governments to develop and deploy Smart City ecosystems. Aaeon is recognised as a Titanium member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance. 

http://www.aaeon.com

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Intel optimises fourth general Xeon Scalable processors for data centre power

Thu, Jan 12, 2023

The fourth generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors are Intel’s most sustainable data centre processors, said the company. They have a range of features for optimising power and performance, to help achieve customers’ sustainability goals, said Intel.

Code-named Sapphire Rapids, the Xeon processors are claimed to have the most built-in accelerators of any CPU available today, making them suitable for AI, analytics, networking, security, storage and high performance computing (HPC) applications.

Compared to earlier generations, they increase performance per Watt efficiency by a factor of 2.9, using built-in accelerators, to save up to 70W power per CPU in optimised power mode with minimal performance loss, said Intel. This equates to between 52 and 66 per cent low total cost of ownership (TCO).

The number of built-in accelerators means that the fourth generation Xeon processor needs less additional discrete acceleration.

The new optimised power mode can deliver up to 20 per cent socket power savings with a less than five per cent performance impact for selected workloads. Innovations in air and liquid cooling reduce total data centre energy consumption, added Intel. 

The manufacturing process of the processors uses 90 per cent or more renewable electricity at Intel sites with water reclamation facilities.

In AI, and compared to the previous generation, the processors increase PyTorch real time inference and training performance with built-in Intel Advanced Matrix Extension (Intel AMX) accelerators. 

The low latency network and edge workloads mean that the fourth generation Xeon processors are “a critical part of the foundation driving a more software-defined future for industries ranging from telecommunications and retail to manufacturing and smart cities,” said Intel. For 5G core workloads, the built-in accelerators help increase throughput and decrease latency, while the processors’ power management enhances both the responsiveness and the efficiency of the platform, Intel added. 

Compared to earlier generations, they deliver up to twice the virtualised radio access network (vRAN) capacity without increasing power consumption. This enables communications service providers to double the performance-per-Watt to meet critical performance, scaling and energy efficiency needs.

The latest Xeon processor combines up to four Intel 7-built tiles on a single package, connected using Intel EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge) packaging technology. It delivers increased memory bandwidth with DDR5, increased I/O bandwidth with PCIe5.0 and Compute Express Link (CXL) 1.1 interconnect.

http://www.intel.com

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Barometric pressure sensor tracks altitude in harsh conditions

Tue, Jan 10, 2023

Barometric pressure sensors are a key component in fitness tracking wearables, to determine altitude. Bosch Sensortec has introduced the BMP585 robust barometric pressure sensor that can be used under water and in harsh environments.

It has a liquid-proof gel cover, which means it can be used in wearables that will be exposed to water or other liquids, including salt water and chlorinated water in swimming pools. It includes all the features of Bosch’s existing BMP581 pressure sensor with robustness and low power consumption ensures long battery life in wearables, hearables, and portable applications.

The sensor measures a change in height of just a few centimetres. It can therefore detect movements in fitness training down to the level of individual pull-ups or push-ups. “At the same time, users do not have to worry about environmental conditions – thanks to its ruggedness,” said Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. 

The BMP585 provides reliable mapping data for distance travelled and meters of altitude for hiking or running trips, thus supporting GPS data and enabling accurate localisation and navigation.

With its resistance to water and chemicals, the BMP585 is also suitable for a variety of industrial use cases such as liquid-level detection. The seal blocks access to dust for clog detection in home appliances such as vacuum cleaners.

The BMP585 provides excellent relative accuracy of ±0.06hPa and typical absolute accuracy of ±0.5hPa. The BMP585 has a typical temperature co-efficient offset (TCO) of just ±0.5Pa/K and low RMS noise of 0.08Pa at 1000hPa (typical). Long-term drift over 12 months is only ±0.2hPa.

Typical current consumption of just 1.3 microA at 1Hz data rate substantially extends battery life, said Bosch Sensortec. The BMP585 offers an I2C, I3C and SPI digital, serial interface.

The BMP585 is provided in a compact nine-pin LGA package with a metal lid, measuring just 3.25 x 3.25 x 1.86 mm³, small enough to use in smartwatches and other wearables.

The BMP585 is available in Q2 2023.

https://www.bosch-sensortec.com

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