Weartech-ICs & Semiconductors Archives - Page 32 of 41

SiP integrates cellular and GNSS technology

Wed, Jan 27, 2021

Swiss positioning and wireless communication specialist, u-blox, has integrated low power wide area (LPWA) connectivity and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology into a small system in package (SiP) form factor. The Alex-R5 is a miniature cellular module designed for size-constrained asset tracking, wearable and healthcare applications.

It features the secure u-blox UBX-R5 LTE-M / NB-IoT chipset with Secure Cloud functionality and the u-blox M8 GNSS chip for location accuracy.

Alex-R5 has a small footprint of 14 x 14mm footprint. The SiP design reduces its size by half, compared to the functionally equivalent u-blox SARA-R5 module.

Its 23dBm cellular transmission power guarantees that end devices operate effectively in all signal conditions, even at cell edges, underground, or in other challenging scenarios. A dedicated GNSS antenna interface enables fully independent, simultaneous operation of the u-blox M8 GNSS chip, matching the performance of a stand-alone u-blox M8 module. To further enhance positioning, there is the u-blox IoT Location-as-a-Service with CellLocate and AssistNow (online, offline, and autonomous).

Alex-R5 is optimised for power-sensitive and battery-dependent applications, says u-blox, including wearables and connected medical devices. The lower power modes of the u-blox UBX-R5 and UBX-M8 chipsets give users options to balance power consumption and performance using GNSS Super-E mode.

The rugged SiP construction is suitable for harsh environments, where moisture or vibration would be a concern for conventional modules, says u-blox. Alex-R5 is rated at moisture sensitivity level 3 (MSL 3), offering reduced handling and device production complexity.

u-blox guarantees long-term device availability and provides lifetime support for the entire platform, down to the chipset level. Secure Cloud functionality supporting IoT-Security-as-a-Service based on an internal, hardware-based secure element enables a pre-shared key management system specifically designed for LPWA devices.

In addition, Alex-R5 futureproofs IoT devices and networks by enabling customers to software upgrade deployed devices for compatibility with 5G networks in a seamless transition as 5G networks are rolled out by mobile operators.

Engineering samples of the Alex-R5 SiP will be available by Q1, 2021.

http://www.u-blox.com

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Web authentication IC to make NFC authentication scalable

Fri, Jan 15, 2021

Swiss semiconductor company, EM Microelectronic, announces full volume production of em|linq, the NFC tag authentication IC. em|linq offers to brands the possibility to engage with their customers via NFC and to offer advanced product authentication.

NFC tags are a popular support for consumer engagement, turning any smartphone into a portal for accessing brand content. When the NFC tag content is dynamic, the tags also provide enhanced protection against cloning.

Scalability requires robust, cost-effective products but the authentication component adds cost and complexity typical to smartcards, making the return on investment proposition more difficult. In response, em|linq combines powerful cryptographic mechanisms typically reserved to smartcard products with the convenience and affordability of RFID products, says EM Microelectronic.

It is based on proven, open standards, allowing for full degree of freedom in the implementation of the authentication service. The key management and provisioning. critical for the security architecture, can be handled and fully controlled by the company who implements the solution, regardless of its position in the value chain, whether inlay or label manufacturer, integrator, brand or retailer.

Programming the cryptographic keys into the chips is segregated from programming the URL for the authentication service, providing additional flexibility and security for the system implementation.

The IC also opens up integration possibilities for electronic labels. Its small form factor provides superior mechanical robustness, says EM Electronic. Its power efficiency enables small antenna form factor to enhance communication performance. Electrical characteristics are compatible with most of the antenna designs on the market, reducing the engineering effort.

The authentication engine is built on top of a traditional RFID architecture rather than by simplifying a cumbersome smartcard one. Adding the authentication functionality remains an extension of a traditional RFID use case, with no unnecessary overhead. The tags are produced using the same process flow and with the same quality and cost-effectiveness as the standard RFID products. EM Electronic says its RF performance allows for very small inlay constructions, for ease of integration and to reduce the cost.

em|linq is NFC Type-2 compliant. Optimised cryptographic hardware implementation provides best-in-class web authentication brand protection to consumers’ smartphones, claims EM Electronic, using a dynamically generated HMAC-SHA1 code appended to the URL stored in the NDEF container.

http://www.emmicroelectronic.com

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MCUs integrate peripherals for sensor-based IoT applications

Wed, Oct 21, 2020

Sensor-based IoT applications use a combination of analogue functionality and digital control capability to meet cost, size, performance and power parameters for efficiency. In response, Microchip has combined analogue peripherals and multi-voltage operation with inter-peripheral connections in its PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCU families. In addition to these attributes for increased system integration and reduced signal acquisition times, they offer the convenience and efficiency of operating in a single design environment, says Microchip.

The introduction bring s easy-to-use analogue capability to cost-effective PIC and AVR MCUs, says Greg Robinson, so designers can meet the requirements of large-scale IoT systems,” said Greg Robinson, associate vice president of marketing for Microchip’s 8-bit microcontroller business unit. “With a unified, seamless development tool experience, designers can use these MCUs as a single-chip controller, or as an intelligent analogue signal conditioning component in a larger system,” he explained.

The PIC18-Q41 MCU has a configurable operational amplifier and ADC with computation and DACs for signal conditioning in space-constrained sensing and measuring applications such as IoT end nodes and industrial, medical devices, wearables, automotive and lighting systems. It is also well-suited for IoT and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge, including predictive maintenance edge nodes in a smart factory, added Microchip. It is offered in compact 14- and 20-pin packages and can be used with Microchip’s 32-bit MCUs and other controllers that require analogue integration.

For mixed-signal IoT systems which often include multiple power domains, the AVR DB MCU integrates true bi-directional level shifters to reduce cost. Typical use examples are automotive, appliances, HVAC and liquid measurement applications. Microchip has added three configurable op amps, a 12-bit differential ADC, 10-bit DAC, three zero cross detectors and Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) enabling the AVR DB MCU to be used wherever analogue signal conditioning and processing functions are required.

The PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCU families are supported by Microchip’s MPLAB X integrated development environment (IDE), its MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) and the MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator. MCC is a free software plug-in that provides a graphical interface to configure peripherals and functions specific to an application.

The AVR DB is additionally supported by Atmel START, Atmel Studio and third-party tools such as IAR and the GCC C compiler.

The PIC18F16Q41 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit (EV26Q64A) and the AVR DB Curiosity Nano evaluation kit (EV35L43A) are also available with programming and debugging capabilities.

http://www.microchip.com

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Image sensor minimises distortion in machine vision and mixed reality applications

Fri, Oct 09, 2020

A combination of a high dynamic range and pixel design means that the AR0234CS CMOS global shutter image sensor by ON Semiconductor delivers image clarity at 120 frames per second.
The 2.3 Mpixel CMOS image sensor, with global shutter technology is designed for a variety of applications including machine vision cameras, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and barcode readers.

The AR0234CS captures 1080p video and single frames, up to 120 frames per second. It is claimed to have industry-leading shutter efficiency, to produce crisp and clear images by minimising frame-to-frame distortion in high speed scenes and reducing the motion artefacts that other image sensors experience.

The pixel architecture delivers high dynamic range to support lighting conditions from the darkness of night to bright sunlight. The low noise and improved low light response makes it suitable for applications spanning across consumer, commercial and industrial IoT. The extended operating temperature range makes it deployable in challenging outdoor conditions.

As manufacturers automate production, using vision-based systems, the need for quality image sensing is increasing, explains Gianluca Colli, vice president and general manager, Industrial and Consumer Sensor Division (ICSD) Group at ON Semiconductor. As a result, they are demanding optimum size, performance and power in image sensors, he continued.

The sensor also has programmable regions of interest with on-chip histogram, auto exposure control and 5 x 5 statistics engine, fully integrated strobe illumination control, a flexible row and column skip mode, along with horizontal and vertical mirroring, windowing and pixel binning.

Together with the AP1302 image signal processor (ISP), the AR0234CS delivers a comprehensive camera system that can be designed and developed quickly for fast time-to-market, says ON Semiconductor. System designers can access the DevSuite software to evaluate features and capabilities, configure and tune the sensor, and provide a ready-made output that is usable for further image processing.

The AR0234CS is offered in colour and mono variants, with 0 or 28 degree chief ray angle (CRA).

Samples and development hardware are available now through local ON Semiconductor sales support representatives and authorised distributors.

http://www.onsemi.com

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SiP integrates cellular and GNSS technology

Web authentication IC to make NFC authentication scalable

MCUs integrate peripherals for sensor-based IoT applications

Image sensor minimises distortion in machine vision and mixed reality applications

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