Weartech-ICs & Semiconductors Archives - Page 30 of 41

Payment bracelets interpret gestures and use biometric data

Tue, Jun 29, 2021

Collaboration between Italian start-up, DEED and Infineon Technologies, is showcased at MWC21. The get bracelets interpret human gestures and use biometic data to pick up a call or make payments.

At the core of get is a system consisting of components from Infineon that enable the wearable with connectivity, computing, sensing and security capabilities. Infineon’s Secora Connect supports the payment functionality based on lowest power consumption to achieve longest battery life for the consumer. Infineon’s Xensiv MEMS technology provides high-fidelity voice recording during phone call. The PSoC 6 microcontroller family which uses a high performance dual-core M4/M0 architecture is paired with Infineon’s Airoc Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for secure, low power connectivity.

According to Edoardo Parini, CEO and founder of DEED, the bracelet’s pioneering features include new and higher security standards, an ID acquisition method for contactless payment and there is no screen. “It is the perfect bridge between ‘you‘ and ‘your’ digital-self!” said Parini.

Patented techniques have been used to create a seamless, light and water resistant wearable wristband, made up of several layers, based around a rigid-flex PCB. The intuitive human machine interface (HMI) allows for natural operation because the wearer does not have to swipe on screens or touch any display. Motion sensors with artificial intelligence (AI), for gesture recognition allow it to interpret human gestures, for example, to pick up a call, to check the time or to make payments. Consumers can use it to listen to audio or answer calls by holding their finger to their ear by ‘wrist bone conduction’, sending the sound through the body to the inner ear. Contactless payments can be released after individual electrocardiogram-based biometric identification. The bracelet also allows fitness and health monitoring.

http://www.infineon.com

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Air quality sensor personalises ozone detection

Fri, Jun 18, 2021

Low power outdoor air quality sensors have been added to the ZMOD4510 sensor platform by Renesas. The sensors are supplied in an IP67-qualified waterproof package and have an artificial intelligence (AI) –based algorithm for low power, selective ozone measurements.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 is claimed to be the industry’s first fully calibrated, miniature digital OAQ sensor solution with selective ozone measurement capabilities. They are designed to offer visibility into the air quality in users’ immediate environments for a personalised experience.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 is based on Renesas’ new low power firmware and can detect specific ozone levels – without reporting on other pollutants. Power consumption is maintained at less than 200 microW. The selective measurement capability allows devices such as smart watches, phones, and smoke detectors to monitor for harmful ozone gases typically found outdoors but which can drift indoors through open windows and doors. Optimising the ZMOD4510 for very low power is key to enabling the longer life cycles required for these types of battery-powered devices.

“The enhanced ZMOD4510 gives manufacturers the selective high precision sensing, small size, and long battery life they need for battery-powered devices that offer customers a convenient and customised view of their immediate air quality environment,” said Uwe Guenther, senior director, sensing solutions, IoT and infrastructure business unit at Renesas.

Renesas’ software-configurable ZMOD platform allows firmware updates in the field to enable new, application-specific capabilities, such as selective ozone detection.

The ZMOD4510’s ability to quantify selective ozone levels in concentrations as low as 20 parts per billion (ppb) coupled with its low power, small size and outstanding flexibility makes it suitable for mobile and wearable devices, as well as industrial applications such as wireless security cameras and parking meters.

The waterproof 3.0 x 3.0 x 0.9mm LGA package allows the sensor to operate in harsh and submersible environments. The IP67-rated sensor maintains accuracy and performance yet eliminates the need for expensive waterproofing systems.

The sensor is shipped fully calibrated in the hydrophobic and oleophobic package, and customers can apply a conformal coating on their circuitry rather than adding an external membrane to the module.

The ZMOD4510 is calibrated to the US Environmental Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index for measuring ozone, and is highly resistant to siloxanes, enabling exceptional reliability for use in harsh environments.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 platform is available now in both a standard and IP67-rated sensor package.

http://www.renesas.com

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Nordic introduces first PMIC for tight spaces

Fri, May 28, 2021

Nordic Semiconductor’s first power management device is the nPM1100, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). It combines a USB compatible Li-ion/Li-Po battery charger and DC/DC buck regulator in a compact WLCSP for space-constrained applications.

The low IQ PMIC for the company’s nRF52/nRF53 series SoCs and other compatible devices. The 400mA battery charger and 150mA DC/DC step down regulator is integrated with a USB-compatible input regulator with overvoltage protection in a WLCSP which measures 2.075 x 2.075mm. The PMIC ensures reliable power supply and stable operation for the nRF52 and nRF53 series multi-protocol SoCs and maximises the application battery life, says Nordic. It can be used as a generic PMIC for any application using rechargeable Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer batteries. Its form factor makes it suitable for wearables, connected medical devices, and other space-constrained applications.

The nPM1100’s battery charger can bypass the first regulator stage of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) applications based on nRF52 and nRF53 SoCs. In this configuration the buck regulator’s high efficiency reduces overall system power consumption while its 150mA current capability increases the current available for other system components from approximately 10 to 100mA.

The nPM1100 features a low quiescent current (IQ) of 700nA (typicall) which can be further reduced to 470nA in “ship mode” (i.e disabling the power output, removing the need for an external power switch), which minimises battery lifetime impact on products in transit. The power management solution takes up as little as 23mm² of PCB area, including passive components (rising to 27mm² when optimised for performance).

The nPM1100 input regulator draws its power from either a 4.1 to 6.6V USB input or from a 2.3 to 4.35V connected battery input. It can supply a 3.0 to 5.5V unregulated voltage to the application at up to 500mA output current. The PMIC supports USB standard downstream port (SDP), charging downstream port (CDP) and dedicated charger port (DCP) detection. The input regulator includes over-voltage protection for transient voltage spikes up to 20V.

The battery charger is JEITA-compliant and will charge the application’s Li-ion/Li-Po battery with a resistor-selectable charge current from 20 to 400mA and a selectable termination voltage of 4.1 or 4.2V. The charger includes battery thermal protection and automatic selection from three charging modes: automatic trickle, constant current and constant voltage. The charger also features a discharge current limitation.

The DC/DC buck voltage regulator runs at more than 90 per cent efficiency down to below 100 microA load current. It takes its power from the input system regulator and provides up to 150mA current at a selectable 1.8, 2.0, 2.7 or 3.0V regulated output voltage. The regulator features soft start up and automatic transition between hysteretic and pulse width modulation (PWM) modes. It also supports a forced PWM mode for clean power operation.

No configuration software is required as all settings are pin configurable. The PMIC is compatible with all devices designed to operate within the output voltages and supply currents the chip can deliver. The product’s operating temperature range is -40 to 85 degrees C.

Nordic also offers the nPM1100 evaluation kit with switches for all selectable settings, buttons to enter and exit ship mode and connectors for batteries, USB and headers for all pins on the PMIC. It can be powered by USB via the on-board micro-USB port, from an external DC power supply through header pins or from battery power via the battery connectors on one of the headers.

http://www.nordicsemi.com

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IP suite and Armv9 Cortex CPUs are part of Arm’s Total Compute

Wed, May 26, 2021

Arm has created Total Compute solutions, assembling hardware IP, physical IP, software, tools and standards based the recently introduced Armv9 architecture.

There are Armv9 CPU cores designed for consumer devices, including laptops, smart TVs, and mobile gaming. Arm Cortex-X2 is Arm’s most powerful CPU to date, delivering 30 per cent performance improvements compared with today’s flagship Android smartphones, says the company. It is also scalable across smartphones and laptops.

Arm Cortex-A710 is also based on Armv9 and has a 30 per cent energy efficiency gain and 10 per cent uplift in performance compared to the Cortex-A78.

Another announcement is the Arm Cortex-A510, which delivers 35 per cent performance improvements and increases machine learning (ML) performance, for use in smartphone, home and wearable devices.

Described as the backbone of the Armv9-A CPU cluster is a new DynamIQ Shared Unit, the DSU-110, which is scalable and supports up to eight Cortex-X2 CPUs, together with security and ML features.

Arm also announced that all cores for mobile applications will be 64-bit only by 2023, with support for all apps from Arm’s partners worldwide.

The latest CoreLink CI-700 Coherent Interconnect and CoreLink NI-700 Network-on-Chip Interconnect work seamlessly with Arm CPU, GPU and NPU IP to enable system enhancements. CoreLink CI-700 and CoreLink NI-700 have hardware level support for Armv9-A features, such as memory tagging extension (MTE), and support increased security, improved bandwidth and latency.

http://www.arm.com

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Payment bracelets interpret gestures and use biometric data

Air quality sensor personalises ozone detection

Nordic introduces first PMIC for tight spaces

IP suite and Armv9 Cortex CPUs are part of Arm’s Total Compute

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