DCM3717 targets data centres to deploy 48V for legacy 12V loads

Customers in data centre, automotive and industrial markets can quickly deploy high-performance 48V power delivery for legacy 12V loads while achieving significant power-system size, weight and efficiency benefits, using the DCM3717, says Vicor.

The regulated 48V to 12V converter operates from a 40 to 60V safety extra low voltage (SELV) input and is non-isolated. It provides a regulated output with a range of 10 to 13.5V, a continuous power rating of 750W and a peak efficiency of 97.3 per cent. It is provided in a surface mount converter in package (SM-ChiP) which measures 37 x 17 x 7.4mm.

The DCM3717 supports the recent Open Compute Project (OCP) Open Rack Standard V2.2 for distributed 48V server backplane architectures and the LV148 specification (48V automotive standard) for pure electric and hybrid vehicles. It also provides a regulated 48V to 12V option for downstream legacy 12V multiphase point of load (PoL) converters.

Customers who do not require regulation of the 12V supply can take advantage of the Vicor NBM2317, a 750W non-regulated 48V to 12V converter which is available in a smaller 23 x 17 x 7.4mm SM-ChiP. This has 40 per cent higher power density and higher efficiency at 97.5 per cent, said Vicor.

Vicor designs, develops, manufactures and markets modular power components and complete power systems based upon a portfolio of patented technologies.

Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, USA, Vicor sells its products to the power systems market, including enterprise and high-performance computing, industrial equipment and automation, telecommunications and network infrastructure, vehicles and transportation, aerospace and defence.

http://www.vicorpower.com

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Smart sensors are the jewel in the crown

Scientists have taken inspiration from the biomimicry of butterfly wings and peacock feathers to develop an opal-like material for use in smart sensors.

Scientists, led by the Universities of Surrey and Sussex, have developed colour-changing, flexible photonic crystals that could be used to develop sensors that warn when an earthquake might strike next.

The research draws on the Materials Physics Group’s (University of Sussex) expertise in the liquid processing of two-dimensional nanomaterials, Soft Matter Group’s (University of Surrey) experience in polymer colloids and combines it with expertise at the Advanced Technology Institute in optical modelling of complex materials. Both universities are working with the Sussex-based company Advanced Materials Development (AMD) Ltd to commercialise the technology.

The wearable, robust and low-cost sensors can respond to light, temperature, strain or other physical and chemical stimuli making them a promising option for cost-effective, smart, visual sensing applications in sectors such as healthcare and food safety.

In research, published by Advanced Functional Materials, the team outlines a method to produce photonic crystals containing a minuscule amount of graphene and which results in outputs that can be directly observed by the naked eye.

The material is intensely green under natural light, but the sensors change colour to blue when stretched, and turn transparent when heated.

Dr. Izabela Jurewicz, Lecturer in Soft Matter Physics at the University of Surrey’s Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said “This work provides the first experimental demonstration of mechanically robust yet soft, free-standing and flexible, polymer-based opals containing solution-exfoliated pristine graphene. While these crystals are beautiful to look at, we’re also very excited about the huge impact they could make to people’s lives.”

Potential applications for the sensors are time-temperature indicators (TTI) for intelligent packaging. The sensors are able to give a visual indication if perishables, such as food or pharmaceuticals, have experienced undesirable time-temperature histories. The crystals are extremely sensitive to even a small rise in temperature between 20 and 100 degrees C.

They can also be used in fingerprint analysis where their pressure-responsive shape-memory characteristics can reveal fingerprints, showing well-defined ridges, for biometric access systems.

They sensors’ mechanochromic response also makes them suitable as body sensors to help improve technique in sports players. They could also be used in a wrist band which changes colour to indicate to patients if their healthcare practitioner has washed their hands before entering an examination room.

http://www.sussex.ac.uk

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Trio combine engineering and IoT expertise for wireless multi-sensor modules

Arrow Electronics, Panasonic Industry and STMicroelectronics have collaborated to provide low power, wireless, multi-sensors, edge intelligence modules for smart factory and smart home applications.

Arrow contributes engineering and global distribution capabilities for Panasonic Industry’s IoT modules which are based on the ST Microelectronics BlueTile (STEVAL-BCN002V1B) multi-sensor development kit. The kit is designed to enable customers to test ideas and bring IoT products to market faster.

The IoT Solution Module features ST’s latest BlueNRG Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 SoC, paired with inertial, environmental and audio sensors. The on-board sensors enable the cost-effective delivery of a range of IoT applications for smart factory and smart home applications.

The module reduces bill of materials cost by combining an accelerometer and gyroscope with time of flight, pressure and humidity sensors with Bluetooth communications. The low power design enables OEM customers to “dramatically slash time-to-market and reduce design expense and complexity using certified modules,” said Arrow.

“The modern embedded design requires sensors and wireless connectivity. This is accelerating based on the breadth of wireless standards being integrated into products. However, using sensors and designing the supporting circuitry for the task would take a lot of time and resources to develop,” explained Matthias Hutter, vice president of product management and supplier marketing at Arrow Electronics in EMEA.

“Additional certification time is needed . . . . Using pre-qualified wireless sensor modules in the system design [saves] development time and budget which speeds up time to market for our customers. By working with ST and Panasonic we are bringing the fundamental sensor and wireless building blocks in a great package for accelerated design,” he concluded.

Distributor Arrow Electronics liaises with 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers.

Panasonic Industry Europe is part of the global Panasonic Group and provides automotive and industrial products and services in Europe.

The company’s portfolio covers key electronic components, devices and modules up to complete solutions and production equipment for manufacturing lines across a broad range of industries. Panasonic Industry Europe is part of the global company.

STMicroelectronics is a semiconductor company, specialising in intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions, enabling smarter driving and smarter factories, cities and homes, along with the next generation of mobile and IoT devices.

http://www.arrow.com

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NXP enhances Bluetooth microcontroller family

Bluetooth 5.0 long range capabilities and Bluetooth advertising channels have been added to NXP Semiconductors’ KW3x family of microcontrollers. The KW39, KW38 and KW37 microcontrollers extend the wireless microcontroller family.

They offer seamless migration with hardware, software and tools compatibility with the previous generation of devices, KW34, KW35 and KW36. The connectivity microcontrollers allow Bluetooth LE devices to communicate at distances of more than a mile and increase the amount of Bluetooth advertising channels and advertising data within the Bluetooth standard, says NXP.

The KW39, KW38 and KW37 wireless microcontrollers are designed with automotive and industry-grade hardware and software, along with robust serial communications with CAN-FD peripherals. They are suitable for automotive applications, such as keyless entry, sensors and wireless onboard diagnostic functions. They also enable industrial applications such as building control and monitoring, fire and safety, home and institutional healthcare, asset management and monitoring.

NXP claims that the KW39, KW38 and KW37 deliver best-in-class RF performance, with extreme RX sensitivity to allow for the long range Bluetooth LE connections. They achieve -105 dBM RX sensitivity with LE-coded 125kbits per second data rate, for example, allowing for connections in harsh environments and at extended distances. The radio supports up to eight simultaneous secure connections in any master/slave combination, allowing multiple authorised users to communicate with the device. The microcontroller’s data stream buffer allows the capture of radio parameters without stalling processor or DMA operations, enabling high-accuracy measurements needed for distance and angle approximations.

NXP’s MCUXpresso tool suite features a certified Bluetooth LE software stack with application programming interface calls. The KW39, KW38 and KW37 microcontrollers extend the previous generation of devices with hardware and software compatibilities for faster design cycles. In addition, the KW38 microcontroller integrated FlexCAN, enables seamless integration into an industrial CAN communication network or an automobile’s in-vehicles network. The FlexCAN module can support CAN’s flexible data rate (CAN FD) for increased bandwidth and lower latency. In addition, the KW38 integrated FlexCAN, enables seamless integration into an industrial CAN or an automobile’s in-vehicles network. The FlexCAN module can support CAN’s flexible data rate for increased bandwidth and lower latency.

The KW39, KW38 and KW37 wireless microcontrollers feature AEC-Q100 Grade 2 and industrial qualifications for exceptional durability and performance for safety-critical applications

RF transmit power and receive sensitivity enhancements, including -105dBm typical Bluetooth LE sensitivity in 125kbits per second, -98dBm typical Bluetooth LE sensitivity in 1Mbits per second, -101dBm typical generic FSK (at 250kbits per second) sensitivity and +5dBm maximum transmit output power provide an advanced link budget that helps ensure long range of communication and a high immunity to interference

The AES-128 accelerator is a true random number generator for fast encryption/decryption, using hardware security algorithms for network commissioning and transmission of supported protocols.

The microcontrollers are supplied in a 7.0 x 7.0mm wettable flanks 48HVQFN package with up to 512kbyte flash memory with ECC and 64kbyte SRAM, allowing space for protocol stacks, application profiles and custom user firmware.

http://www.nxp.com

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