Farnell announces new distribution partner agreement with Taoglas

Farnell has announced a new distribution agreement with Taoglas, a provider of antennas and IoT components that help solve complex engineering problems.

This partnership will help Farnell offer customers an expanded RF and wireless product offering and on-time, in-stock fulfilment capabilities to ensure seamless design and manufacturing across prototype and production stages.

“We’re excited to announce our new partnership with Taoglas, a leading provider of antennas and IoT components,” said Jose Lok, Farnell Global Product Category Director, Semiconductors. “This collaboration expands Farnell’s offerings, providing customers with a comprehensive range of high-quality wireless solutions. Together with Taoglas, we remain committed to simplifying the customer design experience globally.”

Using the latest in high-performance RF antenna design, Taoglas has a comprehensive portfolio of external and embedded antennas covering Cellular, GPS/GNSS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, NFC/RFID, LPWA, ISM band, and Satcom applications.

 

https://www.farnell.com 

https://www.taoglas.com

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Microchip earns certification in ISO/SAE 21434 road vehicle—cybersecurity engineering standard from UL solutions

As everything from infotainment to engine systems in the automotive industry becomes more dependent on wireless and in-vehicle network connectivity, the need for robust cybersecurity measures has increased. The ISO/SAE 21434 standard has emerged to set requirements for road vehicle cybersecurity risk management processes. These cybersecurity requirements help regulate automotive products across the complete product lifecycle—from concept through design, production, maintenance and decommissioning. Adhering to these standards, Microchip Technology’s corporate processes associated with specific automotive work products have recently been audited by a third party, UL Solutions, and certified as compliant to ISO/SAE 21434.

Developed by the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) in conjunction with the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) International, the ISO/SAE 21434 standard was developed to help organisations define cybersecurity policies and manage risk. It is a demanding specification with 45 security categories, known as work products, each of which specifies a unique set of requirements that encompass all aspects of designing electrical and electronic systems for road vehicles, from ICs and software to firmware and libraries.

The ISO/SAE 21434 designation also confirms that a certified corporate cybersecurity management system is in place. This verifies that cybersecurity is a priority focus at the organisation, from executive leadership to all organisational disciplines including the design, test, product, applications, marketing, quality, verification and validation teams. Stakeholders involved in the product lifecycle are required to complete cybersecurity training and meet designated qualifications. A Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA) methodology is also incorporated at multiple stages of the product lifecycle when devices will be integrated into automotive cybersecurity-related platforms.

“Security is a core pillar at Microchip and the ISO/SAE 21434 certification is proof of our dedication to maintaining high standards in automotive cybersecurity,” said Matthias Kaestner, corporate vice president of Microchip’s automotive business.

“Our customers can be confident that Microchip is a trusted security advisor with the appropriate expertise to guide them through their automotive cybersecurity design journey.”

While each OEM is responsible for proving compliance at the vehicle level, ISO/SAE 21434 encourages all companies in the production ecosystem to play a role in proactively helping manage cybersecurity threats. Customers utilising electronic control units that incorporate Microchip’s security products, designed within the ISO/SAE 21434 certified process framework, can be relieved of the arduous task of reviewing thousands of pages of process documentation to determine compliance. This reduces the burden placed on Tier-1s and OEMs to prove they have a strong foundation in security.

To learn more about Microchip’s ISO/SAE 21434 certification and automotive products, visit the automotive security page on the Microchip website.

https://www.microchip.com/

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element14 community launches “Experimenting with Extreme Environments” design challenge

element14, an Avnet Community, in collaboration with Hammond Manufacturing, is launching the “Experimenting with Extreme Environments” Design Challenge. Ten experimenters will have the opportunity to build projects that are able to withstand extreme environmental conditions, such as drastic temperature changes, dust, humidity and more, by using the provided kit to build an electronics system, house the system in an enclosure and perform experiments to test the enclosure against extreme conditions.

“IoT solutions are increasingly being implemented around the world, which means that electronic devices are frequently being installed in, and exposed to harsh and extreme environments,” said Andreea Teodorescu, Global Director of Product Marketing & element14 Community. “We want this challenge to showcase that environmental impact firsthand and educate our members on the importance of safeguarding measures, specifically the use of electronic enclosures.”

Participants will receive a kit with the following components to design their electronic system:

·       Pi4 Compute Module
·       Pi4 Compute Module I/O Board
·       DISPLAY, ALPHANUMERIC, 20X4
·       IP68 Enclosure, clear top
·       RF Antenna, WiFi, BLE, Thread, Wireless Hart, Zigbee
·       Circular Connector, Cable Mount Receptacle, 4 Contacts
·       Circular Connector, Cable Mount Plug, 4 Contacts
·       Circular Connector, Panel Mount Receptacle, 4 Contacts
Participants will be able to test their systems by simulating extreme environmental factors using water sprays, vibrations, dust, impact and other forces that mimic what electronics are exposed to outdoors.

Applications are open until March 8, 2024. Once selected, participants have until May 18, 2024 to conduct their experiments and submit a detailed summary blog post. Participants can earn extra points by publishing up to five extra blog posts by May 17, 2024. Winners will be announced in May 2024.

The grand prize winner will receive a Fluke Thermal Imager as well as a Multicomp Pro Bench Power Supply, the runner-up will receive an Analog Discovery Pro 3000 Series: Portable High Resolution Mixed Signal Oscilloscope, third place will receive a Solder Pot and a Rachet Crimp Tool Kit both from Multicomp Pro and other finishers of the challenge will receive a Tiny ML Kit from Arduino.

To learn more about the Experimenting with Extreme Environments Challenge and to enter the competition, please visit https://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/design-challenges/experimenting-with-extreme-environments/.

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Infineon and VMAX intensify collaboration for energy-efficient and cost-effective fast charging of electric vehicles

VMAX, a leading Chinese manufacturer of power electronics and motor drives for new energy vehicles, has selected the new CoolSiC hybrid discrete with TRENCHSTOP 5 Fast-Switching IGBT and CoolSiC Schottky Diode from Infineon for its next generation 6.6 kW OBC/DCDC on-board chargers. Infineon’s components come in a D²PAK package and combine ultra-fast TRENCHSTOP 5 IGBTs with half-rated free-wheeling SiC Schottky barrier diodes to achieve a perfect cost-performance ratio for both hard and soft switching topologies.

“We are proud to choose Infineon’s CoolSiC Hybrid device in our next-generation OBC, achieving higher reliability, stability, improved performance, and power density. This deepens our already strong partnership with Infineon and drives technological application innovation through close collaboration, working together to promote the thriving development of new energy vehicles,” said Jinzhu Xu, PL Director& Chief Engineer, R&D Department at VMAX.

“We are excited to strengthen our partnership with VMAX with our highly efficient hybrid products,” said Robert Hermann, Vice President for Automotive High Voltage Chips and Discrete’s at Infineon. “Together, we will continue to drive e-mobility advancements, providing efficient solutions that meet the requirements of the industry in terms of performance, quality and system cost.”

With its fast, hard switching TRENCHSTOP 5 650 V IGBT co-packed with zero reverse recovery CoolSiC Schottky diode, the hybrid discrete benefits from very low switching losses at switching speeds above 50 kHz. This makes the device an excellent option for high-power electric vehicle charging systems. In addition, the robust 5 th generation CoolSiC Schottky diode offers increased robustness against surge currents, maximising reliability. Furthermore, the diffusion soldering of the SiC diode has improved the thermal resistance (R th) to the package for small chip sizes, resulting in increased power switching capability. With these features, it enables optimum system reliability and longevity, meeting the stringent requirements of the automotive industry. To further maximise compatibility with existing designs, the product also features a pin-to-pin compatible design based on the widely used D²PAK package.

https://www.infineon.com

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