Integrated, low power, single-chip LCOS panel fits into AR/XR/MR glasses

The OP03011 liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) panel integrates the array and frame buffer into an ultra-compact single-chip solution that is lightweight and low-power for smart glasses

The OP03011 is a single chip, 648p LCoS panel for next generation augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR) and mixed reality (MR) glasses and head-mounted displays. The LCOS panel features 3.8 micron pixels in what is claimed to be one of the world’s smallest 0.14-inch optical formats. The low power, lightweight design is intended for next-generation glasses that can be worn 24/7, said Omnivision.

The growing interest in AR glasses has led OEMs to design more functionality into slim, fashionable designs that consume very little power and are lightweight, allowing them to be worn for long periods. The OP03011 is designed in a compact format for applications requiring a smaller field of view and lower resolution, making it well suited for some of the sleekest, most innovatively designed AR glasses, said Devang Patel, marketing director for the IoT and emerging segment, Omnivision. “The OP03011 supports applications of next-generation smart glasses, like displaying notifications in the user’s field of view and access to GPS for maps and directions directly from the glasses, so the user never needs to pull out their smartphone,” he said.

The OP03011 features 648 x 648 resolution at 120Hz and comes in a small FPCA package. It supports a single-lane MIPI-DSI interface. 

Samples are available now, and the OP03011 will be in mass production in Q4 of 2023.

Omnivision is a fabless semiconductor company that develops advanced digital imaging, analogue and touch and display solutions for multiple applications and industries, including mobile phones, security and surveillance, automotive, computing, medical, and emerging applications. 

http://www.ovt.com

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Battery-operated video camera systems add AI for cloud IoT devices

InnoPhase IoT adds AI and solar panel augmentation to battery-operated video camera system via the Talaria TWO ULP (ultra low power) Wi-fi-optimised reference kit for cloud-connected IP video IoT devices. 

In addition to applications such as battery-operated video cameras, smart video doorbells, wearables, smart appliances, home security cameras and in-vehicle dashboard monitoring devices, OEMs and ODMs are introducing new categories of video devices with designs that use solar technology and AI, said InnoPhase IoT.

Based on the Talaria TWO ULP Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) platform, the reference kit consists of dual stack, power optimised software combined with an advanced digital polar radio design to address the challenges involved with yesterday’s power-hungry processing of video IoT designs with a multi-protocol, cloud connected camera system, said the company. 

The InnoPhase IoT Talaria TWO wireless platform for video supports up to 2K camera resolution and has an integrated microcontroller which enables off-loading of TCP-IP networking and cloud connectivity stack when ISP (image signal processing) is powered down. An always on, always connected enables low latency and mitigates image loss issues and the low power Wi-Fi at BLE power levels enables a two to four times improvement in battery life.

Until now, untethered wireless cloud connectivity and a long battery life were major design barriers for video IoT. Approximately 10 per cent of video cameras are currently battery-operated primarily because of battery life limitations, reported InnoPhase IoT. Moving to a wireless format wasn’t possible since ubiquitous Wi-Fi is inherently power hungry, rapidly draining video camera’s batteries. The possibility of adding even more features such as AI would mean an even shorter battery life.

The new InnoPhase IoT video reference kit address all of these challenges and provides 40 per cent lower power consumption and a battery life in excess of one year. The company also said it offers device developers a variety of market ready solutions from OEMs and ODMs.

“Using InnoPhase IoT Talaria TWO and an Ingenic T31 integrated reference design, we have been able to build an AI-enabled smart video camera with battery life two to three times longer than today’s solutions. We’re also achieving multi-year battery life when augmented with a solar panel”, said Larry Yang, product manager of smart product line at CE-Link, a wireless video camera OEM. The reference design can be customised, enabling customers to quickly bring branded wireless camera systems to market, he added.

According to Jason Lim, CEO at Kenxen, Taiwan, a smart video camera ODM, the Talaria TWO Wi-Fi / BLE module enables low power, direct-to-cloud connectivity for battery operated cameras. “This allows us to offer quick time to market video products for our end customers,” he added.

InnoPhase IoT president and COO, Wiren Perera, said: “InnoPhase IoT’s Talaria TWO untethers cameras from all wired power and network connections, resulting in more accurate data for cloud processing. It supports the addition of enhanced features such as artificial intelligence and unleashes design creativity only possible with the low-power, long battery-life model.”

The reference kits are currently available for evaluation. Each includes hardware and software integration with an image signal processor, cloud connectivity software and access to ODMs.

http://www.innophaseiot.com 

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Chipset for 5G mobile devices is latest member of Semtech PerSe family

Semtech has expanded its PerSe product portfolio with the PerSe Connect SX9376 IC which is purpose built for 5G mobile devices. 

Semtech’s PerSe technology senses human proximity and enables end devices such as smartphones to implement radio frequency (RF) control. The PerSe Connect SX9376 enables designers to optimise RF performance, enhance connectivity and support elevated compliance with global specific absorption rate (SAR) standards for 5G-enabled consumer devices.

Semtech’s PerSe intelligent sensors are used in the connected device market. They enable automatic adjustment of system level RF emissions in connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, hotspots and laptops for them to operate at peak performance while maintaining compliance, explained Semtech. 

By 2030, the global 5G market is expected to grow at a 47.6 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) with a market valuation of $198.44 billion. To bring these 5G-enabled products to market, OEMs must add more RF antennas into the design to address the frequency increase. The additional antennas can make it challenging for OEMs to address global SAR compliance and accurately manage the device’s RF power, explained Semtech. The SX9376 has a maximum of eight sensor inputs to support multiple antennas and simplify the sensor design without compromising performance and regulation. The chipset is also compatible with various antenna designs, making it easy to integrate into the latest 5G mobile devices, explained Semtech. 

Semtech PerSe Connect 9376’s sensing performance is enabled by a high-resolution analogue front end (AFE) down to 0.74aF. It can support antenna designs with up to 600pF capacitance and is robust with advanced temperature correction to minimise false triggers caused by noise and temperature. 

http://www.Semtech.com 

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Rutronik offers Wi-Fi 6 seamless connectivity with Nordic’s nRF7002 

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF7002 is a companion IC for integrating seamless Wi-Fi 6 connectivity into a range of applications. It is a cost-effective and power-saving option, said Rutronik, with high speed, improved range and the reliability of the latest Wi-Fi standard. 

The IC operates on both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0GHz Wi-Fi bands, offering a range of options for connecting to networks. The nRF7002 equips products with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technologies, making it suitable for use in medical or inventory tracking applications. Its low power consumption makes it particularly interesting for use in battery-powered wireless products, added Rutronik. 

The nRF7002 is designed to be used in conjunction with the nRF Connect software development kit (SDK). The platform has a number of tools and libraries for developing applications for which the nRF7002 is the optimal choice.

The nRF7002 complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax- and has a 20MHz channel bandwidth with 64 QAM (MCS7) and 86Mbits per second PHY throughput.

The companion IC is currently unique in this form in the Nordic portfolio and can be combined with the company’s ultra low power technologies. It is also compatible with Nordic’s existing nRF52 and nRF53 series Bluetooth SoCs and nRF91 series cellular IoT systems in package (SiPs). As a result, Nordic’s Wi-Fi 6 companion IC nRF7002 is suitable for a wide range of applications, for example in smart cities, smart agriculture, smart home, wearables and medical devices. 

The nRF7002 from Nordic Semiconductor is available from the distributor, Rutronik.

Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente was founded in 1973 and is an independent family-owned company based in Ispringen, Germany. It claims to be one of the world’s leading broadline distributors. It has more than 80 offices worldwide and logistics centres in Austin (Texas), Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong to offer comprehensive customer support in Europe, Asia, and North America.

The company focuses on advanced materials, advanced measurement, processing and analytics, advanced robotics, automation, biotechnology, energy and power, future mobility, IIoT and internet of everything, industry 4.0, medical and healthcare, and transportation, logistics and supply chain. 

The company also offers customised logistics systems, reliable supply chain management, and logistics centres worldwide to ensure on-time delivery. The Rutronik24 e-commerce platform completes Rutronik’s range of services. 

http://www.rutronik.com

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