Mouser sponsors 2025 global Create the Future Design contest to reward engineering innovation

Mouser has announced it is once again a Platinum sponsor of the Create the Future Design Contest. Create the Future is a global challenge to engineers and innovators around the world to design the next great thing for a chance to win the grand prize. Mouser, which has sponsored the contest for over a decade, is joined again by valued manufacturers Intel and Analog Devices as co-sponsors.

The contest opens for entries on March 3 and closes on July 1, 2025. The grand prize winner receives worldwide recognition and a cash prize of $25,000 for an innovative product that benefits society and the economy. Previous contests have produced more than 15,000 design ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs and students in more than 100 countries.

“Fostering technical innovation has always been a major part of our mission at Mouser,” said Kevin Hess, Mouser Electronics Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We are very excited to again participate in this important event for engineers and students around the world.”

“Mouser Electronics is well-known throughout the industry for its support of innovation among engineers as well as for providing unmatched service to its customers and manufacturers,” said Joseph Pramberger, President of SAE Media Group. “We are pleased to partner with such quality companies as Mouser and its manufacturers, Intel and ADI.”

The Create the Future Design Contest brings attention to product designs that enhance humanity, improve healthcare quality or help provide sustainable solutions. Previous grand prize-winning entries include self-destroying plastics, a self-contained organ and limb transport device, and an economical, rapid screening device to prevent food-borne illness.

The grand prize winner will be chosen from the winners in seven entry categories: Aerospace and Defence, Automotive/Transportation, Electronics, Manufacturing and Materials, Medical, Robotics and Automation, and Energy, Power & Propulsion.

For more information, visit https://www.mouser.com/createthefuture

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Synaptics launches ultra-low-power Wi-Fi/Bluetooth SoC family for embedded Edge AI IoT

Synaptics has extended its Veros Triple Combo connectivity portfolio with the SYN461x family of ultra-low-power (ULP) Wi-Fi 2.4/5/6 GHz, Bluetooth 6.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee/Thread) systems on chip (SoCs). Designed for the embedded Edge AI Internet of Things (IoT), the SYN461x is optimised for power, system integration, size, and rapid time to market while delivering rate-over-range performance and seamless interoperability. The versatile Matter-compliant SoCs offer advanced Bluetooth features, such as Channel Sounding and LE Audio—including Auracast. The SYN461x specifically targets consumer and industrial applications and is tailored for devices such as wearables, smart watches, audio speakers and headsets, home appliances, security cameras, asset trackers, and factory automation.

Launched in 2024, Veros encompasses Synaptics’ entire wireless portfolio of solutions characterised by performance, interoperability, coexistence, power efficiency, and bill of materials integration. Veros features built-in support for Synaptics Astra, the AI-Native compute platform for the IoT.

“The SYN461x family is a breakthrough addition to our Veros portfolio,” said Vineet Ganju, VP of Wireless Product Marketing at Synaptics. “The SoCs are our first in a series designed from the ground up for ULP embedded Edge AI IoT applications. We believe their low-power architecture, software support, and low-density packaging extend our broad-market reach and position us to share in a ~$3.2 billion market opportunity.

“The degree of versatility required to meet the unique connectivity needs of the diaspora of diverse low-power IoT applications demands a high degree of domain expertise,” said Phil Solis, Research Director at IDC. “Ultra-low-power and highly flexible solutions such as the SYN461x make a solid case for discrete, targeted, wireless SoCs in markets where more options are needed.”

The SYN461x family extends Synaptics’ Triple Combo series into ULP, highly optimised IoT applications where it delivers reliable connectivity of up to 50 Mbps while extending battery life and maximising range. Features include:

● Up to tri-band 1×1 Wi-Fi support across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz with power-optimised architecture
● Low-power Bluetooth/BLE—with Channel Sounding for precise distance measurement
● IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) with Matter support for seamless interoperability across popular low-power networks
● Integrated Tx/Rx switch, LNAs, and PAs that reduce area BOM and system cost while simplifying design by only requiring a direct antenna connection
● Low-pin-count WLBGA package option for low-cost, plated-through-hole (PTH) PCBs (25% reduction in typical board cost)
● An integrated processor that offloads the host application processor to help minimise system power consumption
● Secure Boot to help ensure system integrity

https://www.synaptics.com

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LTE IoT 10 Click Click board from MIKROE provides reliable IoT connectivity

LTE IoT 10 Click is a compact add-on board that provides reliable LTE-M and NB-IoT connectivity for industrial and commercial IoT applications from MIKROE. A new member of MIKROE’s 1750-strong mikroBUS enabled Click board family, LTE IoT 10 Click features the Monarch GM02S, a low power and dual-mode LTE-M/NB-IoT module from Sequans, which supports global 617MHz to 2.2GHz band operation.

Comments Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE: “LTE IoT 10 Click is ideal for smart meters, industrial sensors, asset tracking, smart home and city applications, wearables, and healthcare monitoring solutions requiring power-efficient cellular IoT connectivity.”

Olivier Pauzet, EVP Marketing & Strategy at Sequans, said: “Developers can now innovate and design new IoT products quickly with our flagship Monarch GM02S module and the Click embedded development environment. We are excited to see their ideas come to fruition.”

Sequans’ Monarch GM02S is a low power LTE-M/NB-IoT module with global band support, 3GPP LTE Release 14 compliance (upgradable to Release 17), embedded IP stack with multiple protocol support and +23dBm transmission power. It enables quick switching between LTE-M and NB-IoT modes. To simplify the development process, the LTE IoT 10 Click includes UART and JTAG interfaces for debugging and firmware upgrades. Additional features include a wake button, reset functionality, visual status indicators, an SMA connector for LTE antennas, and a micro SIM card slot.

LTE IoT 10 Click is fully compatible with the mikroBUS socket and can be used on any host system supporting the mikroBUS standard. It comes with the mikroSDK open-source libraries, offering unparalleled flexibility for evaluation and customisation. Like all recently-announced Click boards, LTE IoT 10 Click features the groundbreaking ClickID feature, enabling the host system to seamlessly and automatically detect and identify this add-on board.

https://www.mikroe.com

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ST’ new integrated wireless MCUs combine extra features and performance with power efficiency

ST has announced the next generation of its STM32 power-efficient short-range wireless microcontrollers (MCUs) that simplify connecting consumer and industrial devices to the IoT.

The new STM32WBA6 series is used in connected, smart devices like wearable healthcare and wellness monitors, animal collars, electronic locks, remote weather sensors, and more. Packing extra memory and digital system interfaces, while preserving energy efficiency the new MCUs can handle richer functionality in emerging new product designs.

The STM32WBA6 MCUs also embed SESIP3 and PSA Level3 certifiable security assets, such as cryptographic accelerators, TrustZone isolation, random generator, and product lifecycle that will contribute and enable ST customers to reach compliancy towards the upcoming RED and CRA regulations.

“Robust and standardised wireless connectivity is central to the IoT’s success. Our new STM32WBA6 MCUs bring richer features and larger memory to address high-end applications in smart home, health, factory, and agriculture,” said Patrick Aidoune, General-Purpose MCU Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “Our customers can now increase the pace of development to meet demands from consumer and industrial markets for new products that deliver more features and increased capabilities within reduced size and power constraints.”

The wireless subsystem in the new STM32WBA6 microcontrollers supports Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and other protocols operating in the 2.4GHz frequency band, and allows communication using multiple protocols concurrently. It’s how a system like a smart-home bridge can communicate with the homeowner’s mobile app over Bluetooth and simultaneously manage lights or thermostats through mesh networking such as Zigbee. The STM32WBA6 series also contains single-protocol variants for simpler and more cost-conscious applications.

https://www.st.com

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