Wearable

ST reveals cable-free connectivity for eUSB accessories, devices and industrial applications

Thu, Feb 22, 2024

New short-range wireless point-to-point transceiver ICs from STMicroelectronics remove the need for cables and connectors in consumer-friendly accessories and personal electronics like digital cameras, wearables, portable hard drives, and small gaming terminals. They also address data-transfer challenges in industrial applications such as rotating machinery.

As a cost-effective cable replacement, ST60A3H0 and ST60A3H1 transceivers let designers create products with slim, aperture-free cases that can be stylish, water-resistant, and allow convenient wireless docking. Self-discovery with instant mating saves pairing, while low power consumption preserves battery runtime. They operate in the 60GHz V-band and provide eUSB2, I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO tunnelling.

Consuming 130mW in eUSB rx/tx mode and just 90mW for UART, GPIO, and I2C modes, and with a 23µW shutdown mode, energy demand is minimal. As the devices can handle exchanges at up to 480Mbit/s, consistent with the USB 2.0 High Speed specification, wireless connections can deliver cable-like speed and low latency.

The ST60A3H1 has an integrated antenna that eases final system design. It comes in a compact 3mm x 4mm VFBGA package. The ST60A3H0 is designed for connecting an external antenna, giving flexibility to address diverse applications. It has a smaller, 2.2mm x 2.6mm footprint.

In industrial environments, wireless connections with these transceivers deliver benefits including safe galvanic isolation and immunity to environmental hazards such as dust and humidity. The devices are also ideal for rotating machinery and instruments such as radars and lidars, as well as mobile equipment like robotic arms. Being free from mechanical wear, their lifetime is not limited by the number of rotations. This ensures greater reliability than slip rings, particularly for high data rate signals, at a lower cost than fiber-optic rotating joints (FORJ).

The transceivers are easy to use without installing software drivers or protocol stack. In addition to enhancing end-user experiences, they enable fast, efficient contactless product testing and debugging, including loading firmware over the air (FOTA), during manufacture and after sales.

http://www.st.com/en/wireless-connectivity/60-ghz-contactless-products.html

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Nexperia introduces Energy Balance Calculator for enhanced battery life optimisation

Fri, Feb 09, 2024

Nexperia have announced the release of the Energy Balance Calculator. A powerful web-based tool designed to assist battery management engineers in maximising the battery life of their applications. The calculator facilitates the integration of Nexperia’s Energy Harvesting PMICs into their systems by providing engineers with precise data for informed decision-making.

At the core of Nexperia’s Energy Harvesting PMICs is the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm, enabling efficient energy harvest from the environment for various consumer electronics and IoT devices. To utilise these PMICs at their full potential, the calculator works with real-world technical parameters. It calculates the energy delivered to the load and the energy compensation. Thus, offering insights into potential battery life extension or achieving energy autonomy. Engineers can furthermore visualise system efficiency and precision through an efficiency curve provided by the tool.

“We are proud to introduce the Energy Balance Calculator, reaffirming our commitment to empowering engineers in enhancing system efficiency and combating battery waste. This tool allows engineers to make informed decisions ensuring optimal utilisation of our energy harvesting solution and extending the lifespan of electronic devices,” says Javed Ahmad, Senior Director of Product Management for IC Solutions at Nexperia.

Nexperia’s energy harvesting solutions system enable engineers to rethink their designs for wireless IoT nodes, wearables, smart tags, and electronic shelf labels to be more environmentally sustainable, economical energy harvesting from various ambient sources in applications consuming up to several milliwatts of power.

https://www.nexperia.com/energy-balance-calculator

Written by Annie Shinn

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u-blox introduces new LTE-M modules with integrated GNSS to boost industrial connectivity  

Wed, Feb 07, 2024

u-blox has announced two new LTE-M cellular module series, the SARA-R52 and LEXI-R52. These modules, designed for industrial applications, are based on the u-blox UBX-R52 cellular chip and are tailored for integrated and concurrent positioning and wireless communication needs. Typical IoT use cases include fixed and mobile applications such as metering and utility, asset tracking and monitoring, as well as healthcare.

A set of new features embedded within the u-blox UBX-R52 chip will allow users to dispense with additional components to design their products. SpotNow is a new positioning feature unique to u-blox, which provides position data with a 10 m accuracy within a couple of seconds. It is meant for occasional tracking applications such as recycling waste dumpsters, elderly trackers, or cleaning machines. The uCPU feature allows users to run their own software within the chip without using an external MCU. The uSCM (Smart Connection Manager), on the other hand, is designed for automatic connectivity management to achieve either best performance or lowest power consumption, for example when a connection is lost and needs to be re-established.

The new u-blox R52 series also introduces a new combo module designed to offer simultaneous GNSS and cellular connectivity – an important attribute for applications requiring continuous or cyclic tracking. The u-blox SARA-R520M10 combo module comes equipped with an integrated u-blox M10 GNSS receiver and ensures concurrent tracking with low-power consumption, better TTFF, and improved RF sensitivity. It is tailored for users who seek the simplicity of a pre-integrated cellular and GNSS solution.

Many LTE-M modules only offer an RF output power of 20-21 dBm, whereas the new R52 series offers 23 dBm, ensuring stable connectivity in challenging coverage conditions. The LEXI-R52 provides the same features as the SARA-R52, but in a smaller form factor (16 x 16 x 2 mm), ideal for ultra-small applications like wearables.

Samples are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q3 2024.

https://www.u-blox.com

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HaiLa showcases first Wi-Fi-based extreme-low-power backscatter chip

Mon, Jan 15, 2024

HaiLa Technologies has announced the availability of the BSC2000 RF evaluation chip development and demonstration kits. Presto Engineering successfully collaborated with HaiLa to develop the first complete analog and digital implementation of HaiLa’s passive backscatter technology adapted to Wi-Fi RF bands.

Supporting an SPI interface, the chip brings seamless connectivity to a wide range of IoT devices, such as multi-channel temperature and humidity sensors. The joint partnership to develop the BSC2000 demonstrates the path to extreme-low power in IoT devices used in building, home and industrial automation; consumer electronics and wearables; smart transportation; agriculture; medical; and automotive markets.

“HaiLa is pleased to have collaborated with Presto Engineering on the silicon implementation of the BSC2000, and we’re excited to showcase our technology at CES 2024,” said Derek Kuhn, President and CEO, HaiLa Technologies, Inc. “This is another step forward in our mission to enable sustainable scaling of IoT over existing wireless infrastructures, helping end-users meet their net-zero goals through a massive reduction in battery waste. Presto’s long experience in ultra-low power RFID and NFC allowed HaiLa to complement its team with expert resources embedded into the development process, delivering the completed BSC2000 ASIC as one team.”

According to Cedric Mayor, CEO, Presto Engineering, “We are proud to support HaiLa on a key industry initiative to help reduce carbon footprint of connected objects. This project has shown that pushing the limit of IoT power efficiency is not only possible but a game changer for mitigating the cost and waste of battery usage.” Mayor adds, “With our deep expertise in RF mixed-signal chip design and ultra-low power architectures, we look forward to extending our partnership with HaiLa to jointly address new business opportunities leveraging their unique IP in future projects.”

HaiLa’s passive backscatter foundational technology is protocol-agnostic. As the most common wireless local area network (WLAN) technology in residential, enterprise and industrial environments globally, HaiLa has focused its first adaptation on Wi-Fi as a key infrastructure enabler for IoT deployments.

https://www.haila.io

https://www.presto-eng.com

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