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Bluetooth Low Energy microcontroller sets record for power efficiency

Tue, Nov 30, 2021

Smart sensing is incorporated in the RSL15 wireless microcontroller. According to onsemi it provides the industry’s lowest power consumption. It has Bluetooth Low Energy wireless connectivity and is designed to address the growing demand of secure, connected industrial applications which do not sacrifice.

The RSL15 supports a number of new capabilities provided by the Bluetooth 5.2 specification, including longer range, higher data transmissions and localisation through angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD). onsemi has also developed an innovative smart sensing feature that allows the Arm Cortex-M33 processor to remain in a deep sleep mode while still monitoring sensor interfaces.

To validate energy efficiency, the RSL15 was certified by the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC). The organisation’s ULPMark-CoreMark benchmark programme measures the energy efficiency of microcontrollers used in embedded systems while active. Onsemi reports that the RSL15 leads its class by attaining a score of 60.5. The ULPMark- CoreProfile benchmark calculates the deep sleep efficiency of microcontrollers and places onsemi’s RSL10 and RSL15 in the top two spots.

“From beacons for contact tracing to trackable asset tags, there are millions of connected devices globally operating off of small batteries,” said Patrick Moorhead, CEO, founder and chief analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

The RSL15 is designed with ArmTrustZone technology to establish device root of trust as well as Arm CryptoCell-312 technology to protect the authenticity, integrity and confidentiality of code and data. This PSA Level 1-certified design enhances the security measures which is already offered as part of the Bluetooth protocol, providing assurance at both the application and software levels.

“The ability to protect against cyber threats is an essential differentiator for manufacturers choosing a wireless microcontroller for industrial IoT applications,” said Michel De Mey, vice president of the industrial solutions division at onsemi.

Target applications for the RSL15 are integration in a variety of industrial automation applications including connected asset tracking, smart retail and IoT edge nodes.

The RSL15 is available now in a miniature 40-pin QFN package.

https://www.onsemi.com

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GNSS modules positions vehicles within 500mm

Tue, Nov 30, 2021

High accuracy vehicle positioning which positions them to within 500mm without correction data is the claims for the UMSZ6 series of GNSS module, developed by Alps Alpine and Furuno.

Being able to realise accurate positioning to within 50cm without correction data is a first for automotive applications, says Alps Alpine. Typical roads are approximately three metres wide which enables the module to reliably position vehicles within a lane for V2X applications and autonomous driving. Mass production is scheduled for 2023 and in the time leading up to the commercial availability, the partners say they will be making efforts to enhance the performance with evaluations and demonstration testing.

In the autonomous driving domain, a growing number of vehicles on the road have Level 2 automated driving capability, allowing them to autonomously follow the vehicle in front under certain conditions while staying in their lane. Cars capable of Level 3 automated driving, where the system carries out all driving tasks but under restricted conditions, such as during motorway or low speed driving, have also been developed and some are already on the market, says Alps Alpine. The spread of Level 3 autonomous vehicles and further advances in autonomous driving functionality will depend on the availability of vehicle positioning that is more user-friendly and even more accurate, believes the company.

The UMSZ6 Series GNSS Module realises high-accuracy vehicle positioning to within 500mm even without having to use position correction data through the use of a multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip based on Furuno’s Extended Carrier Aiding technology. Running costs associated with RTK4 base stations, correction data receiving and correction data use are no longer needed.

The jointly developed module uses Alps Alpine’s expertise in module creation for the compact dimensions of 17.8 x 18.0 x 3.11mm.

Furuno has developed and supplies the eRideOPUS 9 (model ePV9000B) multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip and algorithm. Alps Alpine is using the chip before anyone else to create and commercialise the UMSZ6 series GNSS module. It will carry out evaluations within a real-car environment to assess performance and interoperability with V2X and other communication modules.

Hideo Izumi, vice president, device business, Alps Alpine, commented: “Relative vehicle positioning accuracy is constantly improving as a result of mmWave radar, lidar and camera technology. Achieving absolute position accuracy down to the lane level is essential for both V2X applications and genuine Level 3 automated driving, but system-related costs associated with RTK technology have been an obstacle” He believes the combination of the multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip based on Furuno’s Extended Carrier Aiding technology, will be a breakthrough in V2X and advanced autonomous driving technology.

The GNSS module can be used for telematics control units and V2X onboard units.

http://www.alpsalpine.com

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Algorithm models raw sensor data for urban driving

Mon, Nov 29, 2021

High resolution, raw sensor data can be used by an algorithm created by BaseLabs, to generate a consistent environment model for future urban driving functions.

Dynamic Grid accelerates the development of data fusion systems for automated driving functions, particularly in urban environments. It means automotive developers do not have to undergo time-consuming algorithm training but can develop driver assistance systems such as parking functions or traffic jam pilots with better performance than traditional tracking and grid methods, says the company.

Automated driving functions for urban areas are demanding for environment modelling. Using high resolution sensors to acquire the required data with a sufficient level of detail is thwarted because traditional algorithmic methods of sensor fusion are limited. Dynamic Grid can process the high resolution sensor data (from radars or laser scanners, for example) at the raw data level.

It is also possible to use cameras with semantic segmentation. As a result, Dynamic Grid provides a self-consistent environment model that detects dynamic and static objects in the vehicle environment. It also estimates free space to identify drivable areas or parking spaces. The algorithm runs on automotive CPUs in real time and is implemented according to ISO26262

Dynamic Grid is suitable for driving functions for automation level 2 and above, including highly automated driving. Typical application areas are automated parking functions, for example valet parking, emergency braking functions with automatic avoidance, or traffic jam pilots. The algorithm is also suitable for use in radar subsystems.

Dynamic Grid is a superior alternative to using traditional tracking methods and a static occupancy grid, explains Norman Mattern, head of product development at BaseLabs. “By processing the data in an integrated manner in a self-contained algorithm, we avoid inconsistencies that the combination of two different methods in the traditional approach often entails. Dynamic Grid can show its strengths especially in scenarios with many objects and different directions of motion in the vehicle’s environment,” he said. The algorithm can detect and track objects of any shape without extensive training, he added.

BaseLabs provides software to make the development of sensor fusion efficient and scalable. It is a partner for automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.

The company was founded in 2012.

https://www.baselabs.de/dynamic-grid

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Private LoRaWAN in a box is available from Digi-Key

Thu, Nov 25, 2021

Partnering with Seeed Studio and Machinechat, Digi-Key Electronics has announced it is the exclusive source for the Seed Studio-Machinechat LoRaWAN-in-a-Box, believed to be the first private LoRaWAN kit.

The partnership combines Seeed Studio’s industrial-grade long range wide area network (LoRaWAN) IoT sensors and gateways with Machinechat’s JEDI Pro Seeed Studio Edition software. Available for immediate use for IoT development, the kit is believed to be the first private LoRaWAN-in-a-box.

“Digi-Key is proud to be the exclusive global source for these turnkey, industry-first LoRaWAN solutions,” said Robbie Paul, director of IoT business solutions at Digi-Key. “Wireless connectivity technologies like LoRaWAN are leading the way for mass adoption of IoT, and we are excited to inspire developers and systems integrators around the world with many new possibilities available to them with these solutions.”

It is designed to support developers with rapid IoT deployments and enhanced security features offering control over device data, to save development time and ultimately reduce technical complexity and costs, says Digi-Key. The first LoRaWAN-in-a-Box solution is focused on rapid deployment of smart agriculture and precision farming projects.

Eric Pan, CEO of Seeed Studio, observed: “By bundling our award-winning SenseCAP LoRaWAN hardware solutions with Machinechat’s innovative and easy-to-use software, Digi-Key customers worldwide will be able to build and deploy robust, private LoRa IoT deployments in days versus weeks.”

“Machinechat is thrilled to be part of this partnership with Digi-Key Electronics . . . and Seeed Studio,” said Sanjeev Datla, CEO of Machinechat. “Our combined private LoRaWAN-in-a-Box solutions enable systems integrators and enterprise IT teams to rapidly transform their ideas into transformational IoT digital projects.”

Seeed Studio SenseCAP’s industrial-grade LoRaWAN sensors, data logger, and gateway solutions are designed for rapid installation and deployment in commercial IoT applications, including smart agriculture, precision farming, and smart cities. Products support LoRaWAN protocol Class A, wide-distance transmission of up to 10km line of sight. There is also support for multiple ISM bands: EU868, US915, AU915, AS923 and for Ethernet backhaul with cellular optional. Other features are industrial grade protection with an IP66 enclosure, suitable for outdoor applications. It is also able to operate in temperatures from -40 to +70 degrees C, and up to 85 degrees C for SenseCAP sensors.

Machinechat’s JEDI Pro Seeed Studio Edition is an affordable IoT data monitoring and visualisation software. Designed specifically for commercial IoT deployments, Machinechat JEDI Pro Seeed Studio Edition is able to ingest data from Seeed Studio’s SenseCAP LoRa sensors using the integrated Seeed Studio data collector (Chirpstack installation required). It also ingests data from virtually any device or sensor using integrated HTTP API server, TCP server and MQTT broker.

Users can configure dashboards to visualise real time and historical data with line, area, tile, radial and data grid charts.

It is also possible to monitor data using integrated rules engine to trigger email notifications, SMS or execute external scripts (email notification requires an SMTP server and SMS requires a Twilio account).

The virtual data sensor allows developers and integrators to simulate project deployment scenarios. A single application binary runs as a service with integrated database and managed local data storage.

There is support for up to 200 devices or sensors. Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone are all supported.

Digi-Key Electronics is headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, USA, distributing electronic components and automation products worldwide.

Beyond the products that drive technology innovation, Digi-Key also supports design engineers and procurement professionals with a wealth of digital solutions and tools to make their jobs more efficient.

http://www.digikey.com

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Bluetooth Low Energy microcontroller sets record for power efficiency

GNSS modules positions vehicles within 500mm

Algorithm models raw sensor data for urban driving

Private LoRaWAN in a box is available from Digi-Key

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