Wearable

Motobit Sentinel warns motorcyclists of potential hazards

Wed, Oct 07, 2020

A wearable device for motorcyclists has been introduced by Motobit. The Motobit Sentinel is specifically designed by a team of engineering bikers to increase the personal riding safety and improve the overall riding experience of fellow bikers.

It connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone and the Motobit app, and the rider receives warnings about potentially dangerous situations through strong vibration feedback.

There are several features for rider-safety. For example, advanced algorithms in combination with the Motobit app, allow the Motobit Sentinel to understand the users’ riding behaviour and analyses the course of the road ahead in order to suggest the adequate riding speed for every situation.

In the event of an accident, emergency contacts can be notified by pressing the easy to access button on the device to inform the rescue chain as quickly as possible.

For group riders, two or more devices can be combined. The lead rider will be alerted if another group motorcyclist cannot keep up.

The feedback and alerts are described as “powerful and non-distracting vibrations” so that the rider can keep the focus on the road.

As every motorcyclist uses different riding gear, Motobit Sentinel has been designed to be worn around the body, as a wristband or attached to the belt of the trousers or kidney belt, or simply inserted into a pocket.

Motobit Sentinel is the product of two years of diligent research and development of the team of Motobit. The company was founded by motorcycle enthusiasts with the vision to make motorcycling as safe as driving a car. They used their own experiences as motorcyclists, to address difficulties such as estimating the proper riding speed when approaching different situations as well as the importance of being warned about dangers in advance that may otherwise create great risks for motorcyclists.

https://www.getmotobit.com

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Bluetooth 5.2 modules brings security to short range radio

Wed, Sep 30, 2020

Swiss manufacturer, u-blox offers the NORA-B1 Bluetooth module which it says brings advanced security functionality to short range radio applications.

The Bluetooth 5.2 module is based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF5340 Bluetooth low energy chipset, which is the first to host an Arm Cortex M33 dual core microcontroller.

NORA-B1 exploits the chipset’s dual core microcontroller to handle performance-oriented applications and even drive a display without requiring an external host processer. The single low power optimised core is dedicated to managing network connectivity and a second high performance core is dedicated to running the device application. As a result, says u-blox, NORA-B1 enables smooth and uninterrupted operation with minimal processing latency.

The Arm TrustZone enables a trusted execution environment by fully separating secure and non-secure flash, RAM, peripherals and general purpose I/Os. NORA-B1 includes Arm CryptoCell-312, which provides hardware-accelerated cryptography and, in combination with the key management unit (KMU), enables a root of trust and secure key storage.

The compact, globally certified NORA-B1 brings Bluetooth 5.2 to wireless applications, for example LE audio, which can concurrently stream multiple channels with lower power consumption than existing technology, while also supporting ZigBee and Thread.

NORA-B1 is suitable for use in industrial, medical, and smart building and smart city markets, confirms u-blox, such as industrial machine control, asset tracking, remote controls and gateways, connected power tools requiring continuous motor control, and advanced medical wearables with demanding security requirements.

The NORA-B1 has a footprint of just 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.8 mm and has reduced host board complexity, says u-blox.

It will be available in several antenna variants, including a compact PCB antenna. Qualified for an extended temperature range up to 105 degrees C, NORA-B1 can operate reliably in harsh environments that are common in industrial settings as well as in smart indoor and outdoor lighting.

Customers will be able to receive samples in Q4 2020.

http://www.u-blox.com

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Wireless power receiver from Renesas has WattShare TRx mode

Wed, Sep 09, 2020

Renesas Electronics has added the P9415-R wireless power receiver to its portfolio. The 15W receiver uses WattShare technology and enables smartphones, power banks, and portable industrial and medical equipment, to wirelessly charge other mobile devices and accessories that also have wireless charging capabilities.

The P9415-R features up to 5W of transmit power capability in transmitter/receiver (TRx) mode, as well as receive up to 15W on Qi transmitters, enabling quick and convenient mobile device charging on the go.

Renesas believes the P9415-R will bring WattShare technology to a wider audience. It combines receiver and transmitter capabilities, allowing smartphones, smart watches, wireless ear buds and other devices to be wirelessly charged simply by placing them on top of a smartphone or other industrial and medical portable devices.

In WattShare TRx mode, the P9415-R enables these mobile devices to change the power flow direction and deliver up to 5W of power to charge other devices. Customers can use the same wireless power coil and same P9415 circuitry to both receive and transmit power wirelessly.

The P9415-R wireless power receiver has an MTP non-volatile memory for easy firmware and device function updates. It also has graphic user interface (GUI) support for user customisation.

It receives up to 30W in proprietary mode and has under voltage lockout down to 2.7V which increases the available charging area and connection times. Sensory accuracy has been improved compared with earlier devices in Renesas’ wireless portfolio to increase foreign object detection capabilities.

The receiver also has bi-directional communications to support proprietary authentication with encryption and x-y alignment circuitry for better receiver/transmitter device alignment.

It is also Renesas’ first WPC 1.3-ready wireless power receiver based on the Wireless Power Consortium’s latest inductive standard.

 Renesas produces both the power receivers (PRx) used in smartphones and other applications, as well as the power transmitters (PTx) used in charging pads and automotive in-car applications.

The P9415-R 15W WattShare wireless power receiver is available now.

http://www.renesas.com

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Cadence digital and custom tool suite is optimised for TSMC’s 3nm process

Fri, Aug 28, 2020

The collaboration between Cadence and TSMC has broadened as the partners announce that the former’s digital full flow and custom tool suite has been optimised for TSMC’s 3nm (N3) process technology.

The Cadence tools have achieved the latest design rule manual (DRM) and Spice certification for the N3 process. These innovations assist in driving and delivering next-generation mobile, artificial intelligence (AI) and high performance computing (HPC) applications, developed on the N3 process technology, says Cadence, with reference flows and methodologies.

Customers can download the corresponding N3 process design kit (PDK) to begin design projects now.

The updated digital full flow for N3, features enhanced physical optimisation and timing signoff closure. It includes the Innovus Implementation System, Liberate Characterisation, Liberate Variety Statistical Characterisation, Quantus Extraction Solution, Tempus Timing Signoff Solution, Voltus IC Power Integrity and Pegasus Verification System. In addition, the Genus Synthesis and its predictive iSpatial technology is enabled for these process technologies for mobile, AI and hyperscale designs, adds Cadence.

The digital suite and available reference flows help customers achieve better power, performance and area (PPA) while designing on TSMC’s N3 process. Tool suite enhancements include, improved extraction accuracy, updated routing rules, accurate LVF-generation during characterisation and robust support of advanced colouring.

The certification on TSMC’s N3 process includes the Virtuoso Custom IC design platform, consisting of the Virtuoso Schematic Editor, Virtuoso Layout Suite and Virtuoso ADE Product Suite, the Voltus-Fi Custom Power Integrity Solution, and the Spectre Circuit Simulation Platform, which includes the Spectre X Simulator.

Custom enhancements for TSMC’s N3 process technology include expanded 3nm design rule support, custom digital colour remastering, enhanced analogue cell support, additional productivity improvements with an enhanced device-level place and route flow and a front-to-back legacy-node design migration flow.

Suk Lee, senior director of the Design Infrastructure Management Division at TSMC, commented: “Our latest work enables our customers to design with the tools, benefitting from the significant power and performance boost of TSMC’s 3nm process technology and to quickly launch their new product innovations to market.”

http://www.cadence.com

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