Smart Cities

Sfera Labs Extends Industrial Support for Raspberry Pi CM4S

Tue, Dec 12, 2023

Sfera Labs, has extended the capabilities of its Iono family of industrial I/O modules with the announcement that the established and popular Iono Pi Max is available with a Raspberry Pi CM4S core. The combination of the latest core and a variety of integrated features simplifies the design and implementation of rugged and reliable control systems for industrial, commercial and residential applications.

The Iono Pi Max integrates the CM4S core with all of the digital and analog input and output lines, power relays and support for standard interfaces expected of modern PLCs. Backward compatibility with the Raspberry Pi CM3+ core protects investment in existing designs while allowing designers to improve performance and extend system functionality.

Designed for deeply embedded applications, Raspberry Pi CM4S incorporates a 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 processor (upgraded from the Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz of the CM3+), 1GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (offering significantly greater bandwidth and power efficiency than the LPDDR2 on the CM3+) and has an extended operating temperature range (-20°C – +85°C). With Iono Pi Max, Sfera Labs has harnessed the power of this compact solution to create a versatile industrial I/O module that can be easily customised and optimised to meet the needs of target applications.

“The announcement of an Iono Pi Max with a CM4S core is the latest example of how Sfera Labs is using the Raspberry Pi platform to develop powerful, flexible and truly open solutions that support the rapid deployment and simplified management of control and monitoring systems across a variety of applications,” says Ulderico Arcidiaco, Sfera Labs CEO.

The CE/FCC/IC-compliant module incorporates digital and analog I/O, NO/NC relays, UPS support, RS-232, RS-485 and CAN interfaces, dual SD card, RTC, a hardware watchdog and a secure element chip. Target applications range from data acquisition, MES, building automation, access control and environmental monitoring.

Fully compatible with the toolsets, programming languages and development frameworks available for Raspberry Pi, developers can make use of a vast array of third-party software resources to quickly develop Iono Pi Max-based solutions.

About Sfera Labs
Sfera Labs delivers professional solutions for industrial automation, IoT, IIoT, and edge computing based on open source technologies: industrial Raspberry Pi servers, Arduino PLC modules, programmable environmental sensors, as well as OEM embedded systems products and services.

Sfera Labs technology is used in process control, home & building automation, predictive maintenance, energy management, access control, and fleet management offering industrial-grade certifications and standards for seamless integration between modern platforms (AWS IoT, Azure, Google Cloud, openHAB, NodeRED), industrial software (CODESYS, OpenPLC), and standard protocols (ModBus, CAN, Wiegand, MQTT).

Sfera Labs also offers OEM solutions as well as custom product design and branding, and software development services. The company is dedicated to delivering high-quality, innovative, flexible solutions to meet the requirements of the modern industrial automation market. Visit Sfera Labs at http://www.sferalabs.cc.

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ST reveals a new global-shutter image sensor that offers high resolution and low power consumption

Fri, Dec 08, 2023

ST is enhancing smart computer vision with its latest global-shutter image sensor. The global-shutter sensor technology is particularly useful for capturing distortion-free images when the scene is moving or when near-infrared illumination is used.

“Our new global-shutter image sensor provides superb resolution in an extremely small die suitable for use in equipment like smart glasses and AR/VR headsets. It’s also well suited to personal and industrial robotics and smart-home devices. All these applications benefit from the sensor’s high performance, small size, ultra-low power consumption, and optimised cost,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President, Imaging Sub-Group General Manager, STMicroelectronics.

The sensor is small, measuring just 2.7mm x 2.2mm, and has a native resolution of 800 x 700 pixels. Its low power consumption means it can be used with smaller batteries, and its imaging performance is exceptional, with high contrast and superior image clarity.

The sensor also offers event-like image streaming, making it ideal for eye-tracking and other motion-estimation use cases.

This new global-shutter image sensor also comes with innovative embedded features. These features include native background removal, which reduces the post-processing workload for the host. The sensor also has an ‘always-on’ 1mW autonomous mode that allows continuous awareness even when the host is turned off, saving power. The system wakes up when a movement or scene change is detected.

ST’s new VD55G1 is sampling now, with volume production slated for March 2024.

For more information, please go to https://www.st.com/en/imaging-and-photonics-solutions/vd55g1.html

 

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Guerrilla RF releases new 5 to 8 GHz ultra-low noise amplifier

Fri, Dec 08, 2023

Guerrilla RF, announces the formal production release of the GRF2110, an ultra-low noise amplifier that delivers an exceptionally flat gain response over a single 5 to 8 GHz broadband tune.

When operated at 6 GHz, the device delivers 16.3 dB of gain, 22 dBm of OP1dB compression, 38 dBm of OIP3 linearity, and a low noise figure of 1.2 dB (as measured on the device’s standard evaluation board; de-embedded NF values are approximate 0.2dB lower). As with most of GRF’s amplifier cores, the GRF2110 touts a flexible biasing architecture allowing for customisable tradeoffs in linearity and power consumption. Supply voltages can vary between 2.7 and 6 V, although most customers will elect to use a standard 5 V supply with 70 mA of biasing current.

“Given its native operating band, the GRF2110 will be a compelling LNA for satellite communications, aeronautical telemetry, radar, industrial scientific medical (ISM), WiFi 6E, and 5G cellular infrastructure applications targeting new n96, n102 and n104 bands in the 5.9 to 7.2GHz range,” says Jim Ahne, vice president of automotive and 5G products at Guerrilla RF. “In each of these end markets, customers are continuously seeking LNA cores offering an excellent blend of low noise, high linearity, and high compression performance – critical for enhancing a system’s overall receiver sensitivity while overcoming link impairments due to blocker interference.”

The GRF2110 utilises Guerilla RF’s popular 1.5 x 1.5 mm DFN-6 package – the company’s ultra-small packaging option supporting a common footprint for over 30 devices. The entire family of parts provide customers with a multitude of options for addressing different frequency, gain, noise figure, compression, and linearity requirements. This modular approach is extremely popular with GRF’s client base since it provides an exceptional degree of design latitude, translating directly into design speed and agility.

Visit https://www.guerrilla-rf.com/products/detail/sku/2110 

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Press-fit terminal power modules for a solder-free solution in high-volume manufacturing

Thu, Dec 07, 2023

The E-Mobility, sustainability and data centre markets require products that are conducive to high-volume manufacturing. To better automate the installation process, Press-Fit terminals are often used because they offer a solder-free solution to mount power modules to the PCB. Microchip Technology has announced its expansive portfolio of SP1F and SP3F power modules are now available with Press-Fit terminals for high-volume applications.

Solder-free Press-Fit power module terminals allow for automated or robotic installation, which simplifies and speeds up the assembly process to reduce manufacturing costs. The high accuracy of the terminal locations and the novel Press-Fit pin design in the SP1F and SP3F power modules enables high-reliability contact with the printed circuit card. Overall, a Press-Fit power module solution can save valuable time and production costs.

There are over 200 variants available in Microchip’s SP1F and SP3F power modules portfolio, with options to use mSiC technology or Si semiconductors and an array of topologies and ratings. The SP1F and SP3F are offered in voltage range of 600V-1700V and up to 280A.

With Press-Fit technology, the power module pins are not soldered to the PCB. Instead, the electrical connection is made by pressing the pins into properly sized PCB holes. A key advantage of a Press-Fit power module solution is it eliminates the need for wave soldering. This is especially important when the PCB is made to also include Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) components.

“Our power modules with Press-Fit terminals offer customers the flexibility to fully customise their design and are cost-effective power solutions for high-volume production,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete products group. “This type of plug-and-play power solution also provides a highly reliable mounting solution for automated or robotic assembly.”

The highly configurable SP1F and SP3F power modules are fully compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS).

https://www.microchip.com

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