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Arm adds virtual devices and launches Cortex-M85 processor

Wed, Apr 27, 2022

In addition to expanding Arm Virtual Hardware, Arm launches the Arm Cortex-M85 processor, describing it as the high performing and most secure Cortex-M to date.

The Arm Total Solution for Cloud Native Edge Devices is the first designed for Cortex-A and based on Corstone-1000.

(Arm Total Solutions for IoT combines hardware IP, platform software, machine learning (ML) models and tools collated to simplify development and accelerate product design. The Arm Corstone is a pre-integrated, pre-verified IP sub-system.)

According to Arm, this version for cloud native edge devices makes the power and potential of platform OS like Linux available to IoT developers. It allows application-class workloads to be developed for smart wearables, gateways and high-end smart cameras.

The Corstone-1000 is Arm SystemReady-IR compliant and features a hardware secure enclave that supports PSA Certified for a higher level of security. According to Arm, OEMs can immediately enjoy the benefits of Project Cassini.

The new Total Solution for Voice Recognition is based on the Corstone-310 sub-system. It is pre-integrated with the new Cortex-M85 and the Arm Ethos-U55 and is Arm’s highest ever performance microcontroller-based design, said the company. Target applications range from smart speakers and thermostats to drones and factory robots. Developers can also take the Corstone-310 and create additional products by combining it with different reference software, advised Arm.

The other announcement is the launch of the Arm Cortex-M85. This is a natural architectural upgrade path to Armv8-M for applications requiring significantly higher performance, said the company.

It offers a 30 per cent scalar performance uplift, compared to the Cortex-M7 and includes Arm Helium technology to support endpoint ML and DSP workloads, In addition to Arm TrustZone technology, security features include Pointer Authentication and Branch Target Identification (PACBTI). This is a new architectural feature with enhanced software attack threat mitigation to help achieve PSA Certified Level 2. According to Arm, this is a security baseline for IoT deployments.

There are also several new Arm Virtual Hardware virtual devices, including Arm Virtual Hardware for the new Corstone designs as well as seven new Cortex-M processors ranging from Cortex-M0 to Cortex-M33. Arm is also expanding the library with third party hardware from partners including NXP, ST Microelectronics and Raspberry Pi.

Arm Cortex-M85, Corstone-310 and Corstone-1000 are available for licensing now and can be accessed immediately in the cloud as part of Arm Total Solutions for IoT.

Arm Virtual Hardware can be accessed at https://avh.arm.com. Third party hardware is available from partners including NXP (iMX8 Arm Cortex Complex), ST Microelectronics (STM32U5 Discovery Kit) and Raspberry Pi (RPi4).

http://www.arm.com

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FlightSense software makes gestures speak volumes

Tue, Apr 26, 2022

STMicroelectronics said it is now making gesture detection simpler and more affordable for mass-market applications with companion software for its VL53L5CX multi-zone ToF ranging sensor. The sensor, together with free engineering software, will enable touchless, gesture-based controls in simple, cost-conscious consumer and industrial applications.

According to ST, gesture recognition with ToF sensors is a breakthrough technology that enables sophisticated interactions with a wide variety of devices instead of being confined to applications in high-end vehicles.

Gesture-based interaction in a wide range of equipment, including kitchen appliances, thermostats, smart home and smart lighting controls, laptops, AR / VR headsets, tablets and smartphones are not only convenient, it can prevent infection from spreading through touch when using equipment such as vending and ticketing machines, elevator controls, and interactive signage.

Together, the sensor and software calculate in real-time the X / Y / Z coordinates of the hand, enabling hand tracking as well as recognition of gestures like tapping, swiping or level control.

Conventional gesture-recognition systems typically use more expensive and intrusive camera-based machine vision, but ST said its FlightSense technology and software allow designers to build systems with lower power consumption, and that work in the dark without needing external illumination, unlike vision-based systems The lightweight gesture algorithm can run on a low power microcontroller and demands minimal system resources for it to be easily integrated in an existing application, said ST.

The STSW-IMG035 software package is specially designed for the VL53L5CX multi-zone direct time-of-flight (dToF) ranging sensor and can be used with all STM32 microcontrollers.

The VL53L5CX is ST’s latest-generation ToF sensor, providing 64 zones with high-accuracy ranging up to 400cm with a wide, square-edged 63 degree-diagonal field of view.

The VL53L5CX sensor is in production now, in a 6.4 x 3.0 x 1.5mm 16-pin optical LGA package. The turnkey STSW-IMG035 gesture package includes resources including a GUI, example code and libraries. Associated software packages and hardware evaluation boards are available here.

http://www.st.com

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Fast charging ICs offer highest charging efficiencies, says Halo Microelectronics

Tue, Apr 26, 2022

Two fast charging ICs released by Halo Microelectronics use a dual-phase switched capacitor architecture for single cell battery applications.

The HL7138 and HL7139, fast charging ICs are claimed to offer the industry’s highest charging efficiencies, which enable faster and cooler battery charging operations in a PCB solution size that is up to 30 per cent smaller than the nearest competitor. The small form factor allows for more system level design flexibility, added Halo Microelectronics.

In addition to saving consumers time by fast charging, the ICs deliver cooler charging which means less energy is wasted, making the charging process environmentally friendly. The small size also provides designers more leeway to choose between thinner and lighter form factors or larger batteries for longer battery life, and whether to include more features or lower bill of material (BoM) costs.

Fast charging is one of the features which can differentiate a smartphone design in a saturated market. It is also one that consumers can relate to and understand the benefits, commented David Nam, CEO of Halo Microelectronics. “Halo Microelectronics has seen switched capacitor-based fast-charging architectures quickly extend from high-end to mid-level smartphones,” he said.

Halo Microelectronics develops analogue and power management ICs (PMICs) enabling energy-efficient smart systems. Its customers develop mobile, IoT and automotive systems.

https://halomicro.com

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Barometric pressure sensor tracks at altitude

Wed, Apr 06, 2022

Precision and low power consumption are combined in the BMP581, said Bosch Sensortec. It is the company’s first capacitive barometric pressure sensor and the company claimed it raises the bar for accuracy and performance in mobile devices.

The BMP581 combines highest precision and low power consumption to enable fitness tracking, fall detection and indoor localisation in wearables, hearables or IoT devices.

Commenting on accuracy of the BMP581, Bosch Sensortec’s CEO, Dr Stefan Finkbeiner, said: “It’s breathtakingly accurate: it can measure a barometric pressure fluctuation that’s equivalent to one-thousandth of the weight of a mosquito (7.6 μg).”

This level of accuracy enables the sensor to detect an altitude change of just a few centimetres. It can, therefore, monitor movement in fitness applications down to the level of individual pull-ups or push-ups, and can provide highly accurate location information for indoor localisation, navigation, and floor detection to provide key data for emergency call requirements (E-911).

The sensor can noticeably improve flight stability and landing accuracy in drones, and help detect water levels in household appliances to avoid flooding, added Bosch Sensortec.

It provides relative accuracy of +/-0.06 hPa and a typical absolute accuracy of +/-0.3 hPa. Full accuracy is available over a wide measurement range from 300 to 1100 hPa. The BMP581 has a typical temperature co-efficient offset (TCO) of just +/-0.5 Pa/K and low RMS noise of 0.08 Pa at 1000 hPa (typical). Long-term drift over 12 months is only +/-0.1 hPa.

Compared to the company’s previous generation of barometric pressure sensors, the BMP390, the BMP581 draws 85 per cent less current, noise is 80 per cent lower, and TCO is reduced by 33 per cent.

Typical current consumption of just 1.3 microA at 1Hz “substantially extends battery life”, said Bosch Sensortec, while in deep standby mode, the sensor draws only 0.5 microA. The sensor provides an I2C, I3C and SPI (three-wire / four-wire) digital, serial interface.

The BMP581 is provided in a compact 10-pin LGA package shielded by a metal cover, measuring just 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.75mm³.

The BMP581 is available now.

https://www.bosch-sensortec.com

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Arm adds virtual devices and launches Cortex-M85 processor

FlightSense software makes gestures speak volumes

Fast charging ICs offer highest charging efficiencies, says Halo Microelectronics

Barometric pressure sensor tracks at altitude

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