Robots vs. Cheap Labor,
Who Wins?
How Humans Interact
with Machines (HMI)?
New Embedded
Technology Trends
Real World Connected Systems Magazine. Produced by Intelligent Systems Source
Vol 17 / No 2 / FEBRUARY 2016
Robotics
Revolutionize
Industrial
Automation
An RTC Group Publication
CONTENTS
Real World Connected Systems Magazine. Produced by Intelligent Systems Source
HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
16
2.0: The Human-Machine-Interaction
(HMI) market and technologies
by John Koon, Editor-in-Chief
17
2.1: Touch and Touchless human-machineinteraction (HMI) sensor market
by Jennifer Colegrove, Touch Display Research Inc.
14
Robotics Revolutionize
Industrial Automation
EDITORIAL
05
Robotic and Linear Motions Revolutionize
Industrial Automation
by John Koon, Editor-in-Chief
ROBOTIC REVOLUTIONIZES
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
06
1.0: Robotics Revolutionize Industrial Automation
08
1.1: How Robotics Revolutionize
Industrial Automation
by John Koon, Editor-in-Chief
by Bob Doyle, Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
10
1.2: Future of Industrial Automation
12
1.3: Disrupting the Industrial Automation Space
13
1.4: Services and people are important to the
Industrial Internet of Things
by Jim Pinto, consultant
20
by David Olsen, Renesas Electronics America Inc.
24
26
2.4: The Future of HMI: Integrate or Die
27
2.5: InduSoft Web Studio Brings HMI
Innovations to Paper Winding Machine
by Jim Lawton, Rethink Robotics
15
1.6: Imagining the Possibility of
Predictive Maintenance
by Christine A. Frank, Dell
by By Patrick Hanley, Atmel Corporation
by Melinda Corley, InduSoft
SURVEY OF EMBEDDED
TECHNOLOGIES
30
3.0: Leading Embedded Manufacturers
Provide Clues of the Future
by John Koon, Editor-in-Chief
31
3.1: SWaP Systems Leveraging FMC’s
Bring the Latest Technology to the DoD
by Pierrick Vulliez, 4DSP
32
3.2: 3U VPX™ switch adds
ExpressFabric® capability
by Nigel Forrester, Concurrent Technologies
34
by Rich Carpenter, GE’s Automation & Controls team
1.5: Collaborative Robots and the New Normal
in Manufacturing
2.3: Give Me What I Want
(Not What I Asked For)
by Jason Williamson, Altia, Inc.
3.3: Boxes Becoming Boards—Technology
Transition in VPX
by Ken Grob, Elma Electronic Inc.
36
3.4: Rugged, Tactical LTE Networks for
Military and First Responders
by John Long, LCR Embedded Systems
by John Bender, ABB
14
2.2: Enhancing Embedded Designs with
HMI Displays
37
3.5: Making Trains Safer Down Under
39
3.6: New FireWire Expansion Module for
Mini PCIe Sockets
by Stephen Cunha, MEN Micro
by Len Crane, VersaLogic Corporation
40
3.7: Rugged Optic Interconnects Open
New Possibilities for HPEC Systems in
Harsh Environment
by Michel Têtu, Reflex Photonics Inc.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 3
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EDITORIAL
Robotics and Linear Motions
Revolutionize Industrial
Automation
by John Koon, Editor-In-Chief
At a recent ATX show in Anaheim, California (February 2016), one demo that caught my
attention was the new ActiveMover. I saw a few
shiny metal blocks spinning in circle much like
race cars running on the race tracks with great
precision. This unit, shown for the first time in
North America, was manufactured by Rexroth
(Bosch Group). As seen in the photo 1 and 2,
each of these metal blocks which were referred
to as workpiece pallets were held by strong
magnets greater than 1000 Newtons (the force
is equivalent to approximately 225 pounds). The
workpiece pallets can move with a speed up to
500 feet per minute carrying weights up to 22
pounds.
This demo gave us a glimpse of what future
robotic motion looks like. Whether a factory
is building cars or electronic assembly boards,
the production processes require 2D and 3D
motions to put the parts together. In the case
of automotive plants, you may see a major
robot arm moves around to picking up heavy
parts and assemble them to the frame of an
automotive. For electronic assembly boards,
it can be a pick-and-place machine. Watching
“board stuffing” in action placing components
on the circuit assembly boards can be quite
fascinating. Compare with human workers,
robots can work tirelessly, improves productivity and reduce errors. While Industrial
Internet-of-Things are touted as the solution
to future manufacturing productivity, it goes
beyond just connecting millions of sensors
together. Data management and use are a
big part of it. “Just having connected devices
producing data points is of little use, unless
those data points can be acted upon in a meaningful way. Only then will real change occur,”
explained John Bender, senior vice president of
product management at ABB. In this issue of
the RTC Magazine, we will explore the various
aspects of industrial automation including the
future outlook. Experts from GE, Bosch Rextroth, ABB, Rethink Robotics, Dell and Robotic
Industries Association (RIA) will share their
Bosch Rexroth ActiveMover is capable of high repeatability of +/- 0.01 mm and reversible operation. Image
courtesy of Bosch Rexroth.
experiences and ideas.
How human beings interact with machines
Contrary to some sci-fi movies that smart
machines become so smart that they program
themselves and take over the world, almost all
robotics and industrial automation systems
need programming by human beings. Depends
on the sophistication of the systems, some
require high level programming, others C++
and the like. The interaction between human
and machine is a topic commonly known as the
Human-Machine-Interaction or Human-Machine-Interface (HMI). The common HMI is
touch-screen display allowing a user to interact
with the machine (usually the behind-thescene programming is already done at this
point). HMI has great potential. The most
popular HMI are verbal and touch input. Other
methods such as brain wave, hand and eye
movements are still in the research stage. One
area of interest making a lot of progress is motion sensing. In the medical field, a wearable
device can detect the motion of a person falling
and send for help. This will provide peace of
mind to those who have aging parents living by
themselves.
Where embedded technologies are heading?
The Embedded Tech Trends conference
(January 2016) invited a group of embedded
manufacturers to Houston to share the latest
development. At this event, we saw more
optical products including controllers and
connectors are being deployed. Other technologies such as PCI, Mini PCIe, Firewire and
VPX remained strong. New VPX standard was
being established with many supporters. Other
technologies including FPGA and System-onchip will continue to gain momentum. In this
issue, w invited some of these manufacturers to
share their experiences.
Workpiece pallet (an ActiveMover component) has
width of 165 mm for holding fixture <500 mm and
embedded magnets of 1000 Newtons. Image courtesy
of Bosch Rexroth.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 5
1.0 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Robotics revolutionize
Industrial Automation
by John Koon, Editor-In-Chief
Robotics are gaining significant recognition lately in increasing efficiency in manufacturing. Even China started to implement robotics to augment its relatively low labor cost pool. The
combination of robotics, Internet-of-Things and meaningful use
of data can increase productivity, create predictive maintenance;
reduce downtime means big savings. Potentially, the proper
implementation of robotics can disrupt the industry by creating
6 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
a class of manufacturers much more competitive than those
who don’t. Additionally, the use of robotics is also broadening
because of its unique characteristics and precision. In this section, we have invited experts from GE, ABB, DELL and Rethink
Robotics to share their experiences. Finally, Jim Pinto, a leading
consultant of industrial consultant, will discuss what the future
of Industrial Automation will look like.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 7
1.1 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
How Robotics Revolutionize
Industrial Automation
Automation is on the move, becoming more approachable for human operators and
more cost-effective for buyers. The physical and philosophical fence keeping humans
and robots separate is starting to diminish in connection with technology moving at
warp speed and the reasons to automate are multiplying.
by Bob Doyle, Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
The potential of Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) is limitless. Not only does IIoT provide limitless ways to solve problems;
it is also a worldwide phenomenon. Here we include an example
of how IIoT can transform supply chains. But first we must
overcome two hurdles. We need to have a secured network, and
standardization. Security is the most important aspect, but it is
difficult to achieve because it is a moving target. Sometimes I
wonder if there are unadvertised hacker-schools teaching them
new ways to hack.
8 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
So where we go for answers? Whom do we trust? Some time
ago, a local news station broadcasted that a box was placed in
front of the ATM of a bank. On the box was a note saying, “ATM
not working. Place your deposits in the box.” The broadcaster went on to say that the thief got away with an unspecified
amount of cash. We laugh, because we know better than to trust
such a statement. When it comes to security, whom do you
trust? Do we rely on the company’s reputation and experience,
or on our friends’ referrals? Here we turn to Green Hills for
free as a collaborative robot with humans. As of today, Baxter
has been sold and deployed in manufacturing and production
facilities throughout North America.
Stäubli Corporation, of South Carolina has produced robotics
designed specifically for the packaging, food and life science
industries. The TX2-40 CS9 has extensive safety features specific
to the human and robot collaboration including the safe stop,
safe tool, safe zone and safe speed features.
Robotics Education
KUKA KORE Robotic Education Cart provides portable training for technical
education programs. Image courtesy of KUKA Robotics Corporation.
Robotic organizations gather at the Automate conference (held
in Chicago every other year) to demonstrate, interact and show
case real-world robotic applications. The conference provides the
attendees with the latest trends in robotics such as robot safety,
bin picking, and 3D-printed grippers. In all cases, the trend for
robotic companies seems to be moving past the assembly lines,
in the goal of producing collaborative robots that improve precision and increase productivity— while being safe enough to
work together with humans. This is how robotics revolutionizes
industrial automation.
An additional, recent trend within the robotics industry pertains to training for technical education. Robots will be important instruments in helping the industry improve potential skills
gaps by providing portable training options. KUKA, of Shelby
Township, Michigan is one of the first robotics companies to
produce a Robotic Education Cart that provides this method of
technical education.
Robotics for Medical Purposes
ReWalk Robotics, of Marlborough, Massachusetts has
produced a robotic exoskeleton called the ReWalk Personal,
which is the only powered exoskeleton with U.S. Food and Drug
Administration clearance to date.
This robotic “skeleton” helps individuals with spinal cord
injuries to walk. Inventions for medical purposes such as the
robotic exoskeleton are expected to populate factory floors
and warehouses, blurring the distinctions between industrial,
collaborative and service robots. Indeed the robotic industry is
touching many areas of our lives.
Beyond the Assembly Lines
As the Automate conference reveals, robotics companies are
striving to incorporate robotics in various industries. A recent
exhibitor that has stood out in terms of specialty is Schneider
Packaging Equipment Company, Inc., of Brewerton, New York
who specializes exclusively in end-of-line packaging solutions.
Their Fully Automatic, Random Water-Activated Tape Case Sealer accommodates a wide variety of box sizes, and after automatically determining the box size, applies a special water-activated
tape that creates a stronger bond than pressure tape.
Another recent noteworthy exhibitor is Applied Manufacturing Technologies, LLC, of Orion, Michigan, which specialize
in robotic automation engineering and integration for material
handling. Their FANUC R-2000 robot and multiple ATI tool
changer demonstrates overall robotic flexibility and versatility.
One of the most revolutionary robots in the collaborative
robot category belongs to Rethink Robotics Inc., of Boston, Massachusetts. Rethink has produced a paradigm-shifting collaborative robot called “Baxter.” The Baxter robot works uncaged and
Robotic exoskeleton helps individuals with spinal cord injuries to walk. Image
courtesy of ReWalk Robotics, Inc.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 9
1.2 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Future of Industrial Automation
Automated production equipment today is smaller and cheaper, and requires fewer
operators with better education and advanced skills. These operators simply don’t
like to work on a time-card-punching production-line environment. They prefer the
stimulating, innovative, fast-changing, adaptive atmosphere of small companies,
with personal incentives and performance-based rewards.
by Jim Pinto, consultant
Today, high-volume products are relatively easily outsourced
to third-world countries where production-line work requires
minimal training and provides upward mobility for low-skilled
workers.
It’s not that foreign labor is cheap – American labor is too
expensive for the kind of work that remains after manufacturing is automated. So, big production facilities are simply going
out of style in advanced countries, and large manufacturing
plants are becoming obsolete.
In the future, there will be millions of small- and medium-sized businesses that will benefit from new materials. 3D
printers will economically produce a wide variety of products
in small numbers.
10 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
For smaller companies, robots are generally too inflexible
and require too much financial investment. But the next generation of robots will be cheaper and easier to set up, and will
work with people rather than replace them.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The primary drive for automation IoT is to significantly
reduce operating expenditures when automation devices,
sensors and actuators become Internet-enabled devices. It’s the
next huge leap in productivity because there are major advantages to be derived from the acquisition and organization of
previously unthinkable amounts of data.
The inflection point will occur when literally everything
is connected with inexpensive and easy-to-install wireless
networks. Industrial IoT will become self-organizing, self-configuring, self-healing, scalable to large sizes, with very low
energy consumption, low cost, simple to install and based on
global standards.
Chinese companies spend more on worker training and enterprise-management software. And 91% of U.S. plants are more
than a decade old, vs. 54% in China.
China Leads in Manufacturing
The new buzzwords are “transformational outsourcing.”
Many are discovering that outsourcing is really about corporate growth – making better use of skilled U.S. staff, and even
job creation in the United States, not just cheap wages abroad.
The cost savings from global outsourcing are small compared
to the enormous gains in efficiency, productivity, quality and
revenues that can be achieved by fully leveraging local as well
as offshore talent.
What is stunning about China is that the huge country
competes both with very low wages and high tech. Chinese
competition offers half the price of any alternatives. This has
been a big factor in the loss of about 3-5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000. If China’s growth stalls, as it is doing right
now in 2015/2016, the resulting glut will turn into another
export wave and disrupt American industry.
America’s industrial base has eroded to a dangerous level.
U.S. companies are no longer investing in much new capacity, and the ranks of U.S. engineers are thinning. By contrast,
the number of Chinese engineers is growing by over 350,000
annually. Young workers and managers are willing to put in
12-hour days and work weekends, with entrepreneurial zeal to
do whatever it takes to advance.
In a survey of Chinese and U.S. manufacturers by Industry
Week, 54% of Chinese companies cited innovation as one of
their top objectives, while only 26% of U.S. respondents did.
Outsourcing
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 11
1.3 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Disrupting the Industrial
Automation Space
The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet is significantly
transforming the way we think about automation systems. GE’s Automation & Controls
team believes this is driving a change in the way automation and control systems are
developed and is therefore introducing disruptive technology into the controls space to
take advantage of this trend.
by Rich Carpenter, GE’s Automation & Controls team
The Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet are
the Industrial Internet out of the box. In other words, the large
the new normal for today’s factories and infrastructure. Howequipment that GE provides to customers, whether for a wind
ever, there is quite a bit more to the Industrial Internet than just
application, a gas turbine, locomotive or other industrial machine,
collecting high-speed data from miles of connected infrastructure. is shipped with the required connectivity in place to bring data to
Without a meaningful way to optimize and process data, the imthe Industrial Internet. Once the data is available and organized
mense scope of information being generated by today’s machines
centrally, it can be mined for insights that are then used to drive
poses a real challenge for engineers and operators.
improved operational results. We believe, that like connected
That’s why companies are making their control systems smarter people, connected machines can operate with more intelligence.
by connecting them to information outside of their normal, local
As a result, the new control systems from GE are connected by
field of view. This helps the control system to make economically
default. Doing so greatly simplifies customers’ experience with a
stronger decisions to help optimize the overall business. Original
new control system as they can connect to industrial clouds like
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are connecting their equipGE’s Predix with just a few simple steps.
ment, no matter how distributed, to central locations where they
The connected control system is then able to take advantage of
can run analytics for anything from predictive diagnostics to
Predix services like Asset Performance Management and Brilliant
avoid unplanned downtime to improved operational efficiency to
Manufacturing, which are focused on preventing unplanned
achieve higher output at lower costs.
downtime via predictive diagnostics using technology like SmartFor example, GE’s Power Conversion business is using Industri- Signal and reducing production losses. Since the control system
al PCs (IPCs) from GE’s Automation & Controls team as control
is naturally connected to Predix, it’s easy for customers to enable
units on multiple shipboard applications, including variable frethese services to improve their overall operations. See figure.
quency drives, automation systems and dynamic
positioning systems. These IPCs are critical
components, acting as the brains of their drives
and propulsion and control systems. Power
Conversion was previously using many different
controllers, so the convergence onto one model
has been beneficial. Now, the team is moving
towards one hardware platform for their control
systems, reducing the number of spare parts that
they and their customers need to stock.
With this example in mind, GE’s Automation
& Controls team believes the emergence of IOT
and the Industrial Internet is driving a change
in the way automation and control systems are
developed and is therefore introducing disruptive technology into the controls space to take
advantage of this trend. GE is changing the
GE is speaking the language of industry and bringing together industrial engineering with sensors,
way equipment is serviced by connecting it to
software and big data analytics to create brilliant machines
12 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
1.4 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Expert Opinion: Services and
people are important to the
Industrial Internet of Things
by John Bender, senior vice president of product management, ABB
The emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as the
hot industrial topic is based on the well-founded perception that
sharing information across the operations and information technology boundaries within an organization will drive improved
business performance. At ABB, we heartily agree, though not
without the integration of an organization’s services and people.
Only when IIoT, services and people are considered together
will real change occur. Just having connected devices producing
data points is of little use, unless those data points can be acted
upon in an impactful way. Real change requires the application of
deep domain knowledge and conversion of data into information
that can be easily used and acted upon by people to help them
focus on what is important and remove noise and distractions.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 13
1.5 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Collaborative Robots and the
New Normal in Manufacturing
Manufacturers’ needs are shifting, and they have been unable to automate 90 percent of
tasks that traditional automation has been unable to reach. Currently, manufacturers recognize that they need to be more responsive to market changes, ready to deliver on customer preferences and able to innovate faster and more efficiently than their competitors.
Collaborative robots are pioneering a new generation of manufacturing innovation on the
factory floor, and shifting the way that businesses compete.
by Jim Lawton, chief product and marketing officer, Rethink Robotics
As personalization becomes the de facto standard in society, and
consumers demand more customization in every facet of their daily
lives, factories need to be more nimble and flexible than ever before.
New parts, processes and production lines need to be implemented quickly and efficiently in order to serve fluctuating customer
demands. While automating tasks with robots on the factory floor
has been in place for decades, traditional industrial robots are poorly
suited for the new shifts in production: Most of these expensive
robots can only perform a single task, take up a large amount of
space and need to operate behind safety caging. In fact, more than 90
percent of physical tasks performed in manufacturing environments
can’t be practically or economically automated by industrial robots.
Companies are turning to truly collaborative robots to fill this
automation gap. For example, Baxter and Sawyer are able to adapt to
real-world variability, can change applications quickly and perform
tasks like humans do. The result: Manufacturers across industries get
the fast-to-deploy, easy-to-use and versatile automation solution they
need to increase flexibility, lower costs and accelerate innovation.
Manufacturers have been unable to deploy traditional robots
in the factory because of extensive programming time and costs.
This new generation of robots are not programmed, but are trained
by demonstration, meaning that virtually anyone can train robots
to complete tasks simply by showing them what to do. Unlike
traditional industrial robots that take hundreds of hours to program,
and require a highly paid engineer or consultant with programming
expertise, Baxter and Sawyer can be trained to perform a task in
a matter of minutes. With a true train-by-demonstration method,
employees with little to no technical background can deploy and
redeploy automation quickly and effectively, therefore saving time
and money.
Another significant concern for traditional industrial robots is
the ability to work in semi-structured manufacturing environments.
Now, robots like Baxter and Sawyer are able to deal with real-world
variability, reliably feel their way into fixtures designed for human
hands and shift among various tasks quickly. Collaborative robots
are now deployed in a wide variety of industries, including plastics,
14 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
Baxter and Sawyer are smart, collaborative robots that are perfectly suited for
today’s manufacturing environment, as they are able to adapt to real-world
variability, can change applications quickly and perform tasks like humans do.
contract manufacturing, electronics, automotive, metal fabrication,
consumer goods and research and education. The robots are not limited to those spaces; they are adaptable to virtually any environment,
and can be used for tasks that cross numerous industries, including
packaging, line loading and unloading, kitting, machine tending,
circuit board testing and material handling. Automating these tasks
enables human workers to complete tasks that require higher cognitive ability, thereby increasing workforce efficiency and retention.
Collaborative robots are revolutionizing the factory floor, and
this new generation of technology is changing the game and helping
companies excel in the new manufacturing normal.
1.6 ROBOTICS REVOLUTIONIZE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
Imagining the Possibility of
Predictive Maintenance
Refining business models and opening up new opportunities for companies in today’s
competitive atmosphere.
by Christine A. Frank, Industrial IoT Lead, Dell
PdM can help to identify a small problem early, which may result in saving you from a big one in the future.
Data is all around us. We now see things in data we never
dreamt possible, like allowing for greater insight into your machine or process of the when, where and how. Today, the buzz is
all around us about predictive maintenance (PdM) and the ways it
is helping companies achieve complete optimization and maximum profitability. It can be applied to planes, trains, automobiles,
manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, hospitals, hotels or anything
that creates data. Operations Technology (OT) companies used
to focus on preventative maintenance (PM) which seemed like
a “good enough” approach. Or we would schedule downtime to
replace “things” that may or may not need to be replaced. We now
know that not only is this inefficient but it can cost as much as
40% more than a PdM approach.
Companies today are doing more with less -- less qualified
personnel, an aging workforce, expectations to increase profitability and speed up the supply chain. How can companies continue
to perform and outpace the competition if they aren’t looking at
the bottom line? We need to start utilizing the data from sensors,
actuators, etc. Running the assets into the ground is not efficient or
smart. A system failure at beer brewing manufacturer during peak
production before the Fourth of July for example would be cata-
strophic – up to $100,000 per hour catastrophic! And an example
like this could have easily been avoided by just applying PdM.
Collecting data from sensors, actuators and other “things” isn’t
anything new, but the opportunity in the analytics is what’s the
most exciting to me. We are currently working with SAP, and they
are providing customers real solutions to their big data needs by
offering interoperability to multiple systems across many business
units in real-time. Our Edge Gateways enable industrial users
to monitor and connect a wide variety of sensor and machine
data from equipment, like batteries and valves to smart analytic
systems. Through our work with SAP, that data can be stored in
SAP SQL Anywhere and intelligently streamed then processed in
SAP HANA. This allows users in remote sites, like the middle of
the ocean for oil and gas companies, to quickly recognize when
a piece of equipment is on the brink of malfunctioning before
negative business impact occurs.
The move to PdM isn’t going to happen overnight for every company, but knowing it’s possible and already happening is powerful.
PdM can help to identify a small problem early, which may result
in saving you from a big one in the future. Evolution takes time, but
data-driven innovation is here to stay! See diagram.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 15
2.0 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
The Human-Machine-Interaction
(HMI) market and technologies
by John Koon, Editor-In-Chief
Depends on your preference, HMI can mean human-machine-interface or human-machine-interaction. According to
Touch Display Research Inc., the HMI sensor market has grown
over the years. Revenue was $2 billion in 2006. It expects to hit
$36 billion by 2020. A market cannot be ignored. Dr. Colegrove
will go into details explaining the various types of technologies
16 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
used and strategy recommendation. In this section, Renesas will
discuss the HMI design ideas and considerations. Atmel and Altia will share their insights on HMI. Finally, Indusoft (owned by
Schneider Electric) will present a case study on how HMI helped
a paper pulp company improve their performance.
2.1 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
Touch and Touchless humanmachine-interaction (HMI)
sensor market
With touch panels becoming ubiquitous, the touch industry is also undergoing rapid
change. Touch Display Research Inc. constantly surveys all of the leading manufacturers in the touch screen industry, ITO replacement material industry and touchless
control suppliers, we analyze the market situation, identify the hot touch trends and
provide accurate market forecasts.
by Jennifer Colegrove, Ph.D. CEO and Principal Analyst, Touch Display Research Inc.
Introduction
The Touch panel market has been growing explosively since
2006. As the first industry analyst to write a comprehensive
touch screen industry report in 2006, I feel very fortunate to have
witnessed our touch screen engineers, technicians, and managers
grow our industry through hard work and constant innovation. In
spite of a global economic recession over the last couple of years
the market has continued to grow at handsome rate.
Touch Display Research forecast1 the touch module revenue will
reach $36 billion by 2020, from just $2 billion in 2006. See figure 1.
Touch screen suppliers, especially those projected capacitive
touch suppliers have been mostly profitable during 2007 and
2009. But fast forward to 2016, the competition is fierce, many
touch screen suppliers have encountered net losses or even went
bankrupt. New business strategies are needed to become a leader
or maintain a leadership position in today’s touch industry.
ITO-Replacement: Non-ITO
Transparent Conductors
ITO is still the mainstream transparent conductor used
on touch panels, however, due to the high cost, fragility, long
process steps, ITO-replacements have become one of the hot
trends. There are over 10 types of ITO replacement technologies; we have placed them into 6 categories: metal mesh, silver
nanowire, carbon nanotube, conductive polymer, graphene and
other transparent conductor technologies. In addition there are over 200
companies or research institutes that
are currently working on ITO-replacements2.
Each technology has its Pros and
Cons. There are many characteristics
to compare when choosing a transparent conductive material, sheet
resistance, transmissivity, conductivity, haze, optical appearance and cost
by way of example. Here we compare
cost and conductivity. See figure 2.
ITO-replacement, such as metal
mesh, silver nanowire could provide
touch sensor at lower cost, thinner,
lighter weight, higher conductivity
and larger size.
Touch Display Research forecasts
that
non-ITO transparent conductor
Figure 1: Touch Module Market Forecast. Source: Touch Display Research Inc, 2016.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 17
2.1 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
High
Conductivity
esh
tal M
Me
W
er N
Silv
Gra
phe
ITO
Low
Conductivity
ne
CNT
Conductive
Polymer
Source: Touch Display Research,
ITO-replacement report 2016
Research forecasts that the touchless HMI market will grow
rapidly in the next several years. There are many opportunities
for OEMs, ODMs, semiconductor companies, and software
companies.
Over 220 touchless sensor suppliers, system integrators, and
brand companies working on touchless HMI sensors. Camera-based gesture technology attracted 58 companies working
on it; 49 companies are active on motion sensor fusion; 30
companies are active on voice recognition. See figure 3.
High cost
Low cost
Figure 2: Comparison of ITO replacements, cost vs conductivity. Source: Touch
Display Research, ITO-replacement: non ITO transparent conductor technologies, supply chain and market forecast report, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
market revenue will reach $13 billion by 2023. However, not all
companies are growing and you need to be very selective.
Touchless Human-Machine-Interaction
(HMI) Sensor Market
Gesture-control, voice-recognition, eye-tracking and many
other touchless sensors provide the benefit of convenience,
safety, hygiene, authentication, fun and coolness. Touch Display
Figure 3: Touchless HMI Sensor Technologies and Companies. Source: Touch
Display Research, Touchless HMI Sensor Market 2015 Report, October 2015.
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18 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
Touch Display Research forecasts the touchless HMI sensor
market will reach $20 billion by 2016 and $44 billion by 2021.
See figure 4.
Summary and business strategy recommendations
The touch screen module market is forecasted to grow to $36
billion by 2020, from just $2 billion in 2006, which will throw up
many new opportunities in the fast changing touch industry:
We recommend metal mesh for simple design with large
volume, or pursue large format touch panels; silver nanowire for
display, lighting and EMI; and conductive polymer for EMI, anti–
static applications; Carbon NanoTube for mobile/wearable devices
with the benefits of flexibility, low reflections and low haze.
Touchless HMI, such as gesture-control, voice-recognition,
eye-tracking and many other touchless sensors provide the
benefit of convenience, safety, hygiene, authentication, fun and
coolness. We recommend touchless HMI sensors to automotive
industry, baby care/health care industry, and augmented reality
and virtual reality applications.
Figure 4: Touchless HMI Sensor Market forecast to 2021. Source: Touch Display Research, Touchless HMI Sensor Market Report, October 2015.
References
1. Touch Display Research Inc. Monthly report: “Touch and Emerging Display” report, 2014, 2015 and 2016
2. “ITO replacement: non ITO transparent conductor technologies, supply chain and market forecast” report, Touch Display Research Inc. 2013-2016.
3. “Touchless Human-Machine Interaction Sensor Market”, Touch Display Research Inc. 2013-2016
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RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 19
2.2
HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
Enhancing Embedded Designs
with HMI Displays
The ways in which users access and consume graphical data continues to evolve. The
display that is right for your particular design and the chipset that you need to implement it depends on the technical demands placed upon your product and the market
expectations within your target segment.
by David Olsen, Staff Product Marketing Manager, Renesas Electronics America Inc.
In the beginning…
Humans have always been compelled to record, display, and
transport information. It is thought that we started using papyrus scrolls - perhaps, the first mobile communications medium
- as far back as 4000 B.C. Today, the rollable, semi-transparent
organic LED (OLED) display screens used on advanced LED
television panels harken back to those ancient scrolls with a
notable similarity in form that suggests that a common thread
has been passed down through the millennia. That thread is the
desire to share information in an easy-to-understand way for the
reader (or “user”) and to make it portable. See Figure 1 (1 (a)
and 1 (b)
In today’s age of intelligent and sophisticated consumer
electronic media, does every embedded device need a digital
display, and if so what kind? Let’s explore some of the tradeoffs
that underlie these questions – questions that must be grappled
Figure 1a: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead papyrus scroll (~2000 B.C.).
20 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
with by every embedded systems designer as they embark upon
a new project.
Evolution of Embedded Electronic Display
Technology
So the story goes, the designers of the Eniac [ref] – one of the
earliest electronic digital computers – felt no need to put any type
of display indicators on it. After all, why would you need anything
more than punch cards to convey output to the user? Eventually,
it was decided that neon tubes should be added to show the operators the values of the CPU registers to make it easier to debug programs. To this day, many modern devices have a similarly Spartan
display, often composed of nothing more than a bank of simple
LEDs. Cable modems, dishwashers, and many other appliances
are such examples.
As simple as the LED is - at least in terms of appearance and
function, the first digital LED watches had a lot of caché in their
Figure 1b: LG Display’s rollable OLED display panel. Source: LG Display
day – possibly just as much as a modern-day smart phone. A
Hamilton Pulsar P2 digital watch [ref] was even worn by none
other than James Bond – the undisputed spymaster of product
placement – in 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” causing a run on the
product after movie-goers realized that the technology was real
and not just a prop. See Figure 2
When commercially-available liquid crystal technology
emerged in the late 70’s, LED segment displays were eventually
replaced. Still, it was almost 20 years before mechanical buttons
could start being replaced by a practical touch-screen LCD display on industrial control panels and early electronic organizers.
Capacitive touch displays – which are considered “table stakes”
in any smart phone – did not start to make in-roads until
around 2007, the year that Apple released the first iPhone. Today, vivid high-definition LCD touch screens are becoming commonplace on everyday devices thermostats, washing machines,
and high-end refrigerators. As a result of the so-called “iPhone
effect,” consumers have recalibrated their expectations for what
they should expect in a user interface (UI). Nonetheless, there
still are certain classes of products for which a very simple UI is
still sufficient and effective.
Design Considerations
What should you be thinking about before introducing a
display into your product? Enhanced displays can certainly add
functionality, improve aesthetics, and help differentiate your product, warranting a higher price for it in the market. Nonetheless,
the display panel, associated circuitry, and design software will
introduce additional manufacturing cost.
For instance, external memory chips may be needed for the
graphics frame buffering. This will add cost to the bill of materials
(BOM) and necessitate additional voltage regulators and power
management integrated circuits (PMICs) on the printed circuit
board (PCB). More pins will also be needed to connect to the
memory device, which may require a larger chip, and additional
PCB layers will be needed to route all the signals. The display panel, itself, will add cost, as will the on-board LCD controller if one
is not included in your microcontroller (MCU) or microprocessor
(MPU). A good commercial graphics design tool should also be
Figure 2: LG Display’s rollable OLED display panel. Source: LG Display
considered to help implement the graphical user interface (GUI).
So, what do you do? It depends on the metric is your company
most interested in: profits or sales. Clearly, both are important,
but if your primary goal is top-line growth (i.e., sales), then you
must consider whether you will be able to charge more for the
added functionality you are bringing to the table. If your primary
metric is the bottom line (i.e. profit), then you have to pay very
careful attention to whether or not the presumed added sales will
offset your increased cost. Do you want to be seen as a technology
leader? If so, then you can’t afford to have a sub-standard UI.
Do you need to have a capacitive touch display or will something simpler do? The “pros” of a capacitive touch display are that
it looks great, feels high-end, brings familiarity in today’s smart
phone age, and adds the convenience of multi-touch and gesture
recognition. The “cons” include the cost adder that the capacitive
touch display brings to the system, a 10-15% decrease in luminance compared to a non-touch-sensitive display panel due to the
additional glass layers that the light must penetrate to reach the
user’s eye, the need for higher-powered back-lighting, and potential lifespan issues compared to a simple display.
What about a resistive touch? The pros are that it is tougher
and more robust than a capacitive touch screen; it has a tactile
feel; it can respond to implements like a fine point stylus, gloves,
or tools; it is better for hand-writing recognition than capacitive touch; and it is cheaper. The cons include the cost adder
LCD DISPLAY TYPE
PROS
CONS
Capacitive touch
•Good Looks
•High-End Feel
•Familiarity
•Utility
•Higher Cost
•Decreased Luminance
•Higher Power And Shorter Lifespan Than Non-Touch Display
Resistive Touch
•Tougher and cheaper than capacitive Touch displays
•Provides tactile feel
•Can use any implement to write on it
•Good hand-writing recognition
•Higher cost than mechanical buttons
•Slower responsiveness and lower image quality than capacitive touch
•Decreased luminance, higher power and shorter lifespan than non-touch
display
Non-Touch
•Sharp image quality
•Long life-span
•Inexpensive
•Requires mechanical button interface to interact with system
•Not considered “new”
technology
Segment
•Inexpensive
•Very low power
•Limited flexibility
Table 1: LCD display comparison landscape. Source: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 21
2.2
HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
vs. mechanical buttons, slower responsiveness than capacitive
touch, an approximately 20% reduction in display luminance vs.
a non-touch screen, and it is considered “old” technology. That
said, many modern airplane cabins use a resistive touchscreen
in-flight entertainment system, which makes for a very enjoyable and usable product.
Let’s not forget about segment displays. They are cost effective,
ultra-low power, and very simple even though they have somewhat limited use. Then again, digital triathlon watches, fitness
monitors, and electronic multi-meters have segment displays, and
they are perfectly well-matched to the job at hand. And, you rarely
need to change the batteries. See Table 1
How to Select the Right
Hardware
provides microcontrollers (MCUs) and microprocessors (MPUs)
that can be used in platforms with wide-ranging complexity, from
driving simple segment LCD displays (e.g., with the RL78 MCUs),
to basic- and medium-resolution displays (using the RX MCU and
Renesas Synergy™ Platform), to WXGA displays buffered entirely
out of high-speed on-chip SRAM (with RZ/A MPUs), all the way
to 1080p displays (with the RZ/G families of MPUs with DDR3
memory controllers, 3D graphics accelerators, and video codecs).
Plus, they work with a variety of operating systems and middleware to simplify your design implementation process. See Figure 3
The Future of HMI Displays
While you are wrestling with today’s human machine interface
(HMI) design challenges, you probably want to keep one eye
There are several questions to consider:
•W
hat is the problem you are trying
to solve?
•W
hat specifications are required to
achieve your functional goals?
•W
hat are your customers’ expectations
for a product in this market (in terms of
screen resolution, 2D/3D graphics, need
for video decompression, etc.)?
•A
re there any other special restrictions in
terms form factor, power dissipation, etc.?
Armed with those answers, you can look
to the major semiconductor vendors to assess
whether their product line-up maps to your
product roadmap. As an example, Renesas
Figure 3: An example of the representative display capabilities by various Renesas semiconductor
devices. Source: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
DevicePort Ethernet enabled Port Replicator
“A game changing solution, simplifies your I/O system.”
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22 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
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Medical facility solution
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Factory automation
Entrance management
on where things are going, too. Trends in HMI include open-air
hand-gesture recognition, heads-up projection with pre-distortion
to map flat images onto curved surfaces, holographic projection,
flexible, wearable displays, microelectromechanical systems
(MEMS), as well as highly ergonomic free-form transparent
displays. Free-form displays also hold a lot of promise, wherein
transparent compound semiconductors, like IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) can be shaped into a variety of configurations to
minimize use of materials and improve aesthetics and functionality. With this technology, there is the potential to embed electronic
displays into everyday things like windows
and bathroom vanity mirrors so that you can
read the news or check the weather while
brushing your teeth before work.
tations within your target segment. While today’s technologies
are harbingers of further integration of displays into things like
clothing, mirrors, car bodies and dashboards, will customers be
willing to pay more for an enhanced and more attractive UI? It
still all comes down to customer tastes and preferences, availability of competing products, and the price, quality and brand name
of your product.
High-Performance, High-Speed
FPGA Computing
And In the End…
The display that is right for your design
and the chipset that you need to implement
it depends on the technical demands placed
upon your product and the market expec-
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RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 23
2.3 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
Give Me What I Want
(Not What I Asked For)
The key to great relationships is communication. When it comes to mass market
devices, there is no relationship that’s more important that the one between your
product and its user – and the place where the user communicates with your
product is its human-machine-interface (HMI).
by Jason Williamson, Altia, Inc.
24 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
When designing HMIs for the mass market, getting the HMI
right is critical to a lasting relationship with its users – the
mass market – which is the ultimate test of product success.
When it comes to designing the HMI, however, miscommunication between the various members of a development team
– software engineers, hardware engineers, artists, usability
experts and all the rest – is especially common. In this article,
we’ll discuss the most common – and avoidable – miscommunication pitfalls that HMI teams run into all the time.
Not knowing what you have –
until it’s too late
It’s all too common that a hardware prototype that comes
out at the end of engineering development is the first time that
engineers, designers and stakeholders get their hands on the
concept. At this stage it’s usually far too late and too expensive
to go back and fix the performance, appearance or usability
problems that unfailingly arise with Product 1.0. This is the
reason why you end up seeing so many products that make
you scratch your head and say, “Now why in the world did they
do it that way?” HMI teams need to have a working model – on actual embedded hardware – in the first stage of the
development process. Getting on hardware early is one of the
primary advantages of using an end-to-end development tool.
Not getting customer feedback early –
and often
Once teams have a realistic working model, they must
use that model to get the concept in front of a wide range of
potential customers. PC-based computer simulations offer an
excellent early-feedback ecosystem. However, there is no substitute for getting real touchscreens and embedded processors
into your tests. Problems like reactivity, latency, hard-to-read
iconography and more can really start to emerge once all the
pieces are in place.
Using words to describe graphics
and behaviors
We’ve all seen HMI specification documents that are as long
as War and Peace. You have to get pretty wordy when you’re
describing an animated, interactive user interface with all of
the aspects needed to thrill and captivate users. Inevitably
there are things you just don’t capture – or can’t fully think
through – until you see it and try it out firsthand. Naturally,
being able to mock up interactive concepts that demonstrate
the behavior is an invaluable supplement to any written specification. Plus, wouldn’t it be great if you could use those conceptual models all the way through the development process…
and into production?
the areas where misunderstandings and omissions most often
creep in. The design starts out one way and gradually morphs
into an unrecognizable failure by project’s end. Additionally,
sometimes it isn’t just a misinterpretation of the specification.
Depending on the capabilities of the tools used in each of the
project’s phases, it’s not uncommon that the assets cannot be
duplicated exactly. What’s more, there could be a host of limitations to consider with respect to memory, display and processor speed. For example, when a software engineer approach
the design without knowing the real capability of the hardware
platform, it is possible to deliver a system that the embedded
“Inevitably there are things
you just don’t capture – or
can’t fully think through –
until you see it and try it out
firsthand.”
hardware cannot support. As development progresses and
hardware specifications become more available, piecemeal
tradeoffs are made all along the chain. It’s imperative that the
tool chain is available to the various members of the team to
allow those assets to be carried forward for the sake of fidelity
as well as shortening the development time.
For clear communication and a better HMI,
a model is key
Behavior specifications, hardware requirements and limitations, user experience, software design, system integration
– these are just a few of the many important components of
HMI design that can result in a tangled mess in the product
development process if the people involved aren’t communicating successfully. A working model – developed with a
model-based development tool – is the best way to facilitate
the communication required and at the end deliver a successful HMI that customers will want.
Re-creating assets from group to group
Carrying assets through development and into production
is exactly what effective HMI development teams do when
they’re armed with the right tool. Re-creating assets in a
variety of different tools isn’t just a waste of time – it’s one of
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 25
2.4 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
The Future of HMI:
Integrate or Die
Touchscreen HMI trends typically start with smartphones and then follow behind for
nearly all electronic devices. The current trend is touch sensor integration that leads to
thinner, lighter devices, clearer optics, and innovative new capabilities.
by Patrick Hanley, Atmel Corporation
Touchscreens are the heart of today’s human-machine interface
(HMI), and the future can be summed up in three little words:
integrate or die. Touchscreen HMI for nearly any application is
driven by smartphones, with continuing demand for thinner
designs, lighter weight, and clearer optics, as well as features such
as moisture immunity, stylus capability, and narrow bezels. These
features—and future demands on LCD—are being accomplished
through display integration that reduces the number of layers in
the total stack-up, typically using one of three common implementations: on-cell, hybrid in-cell, or full in-cell. See figure1.
Single Layer On-Cell (SLOC) combines the touch transmit (Tx)
and touch receive (Rx) functionality on the top side of the color
filter glass and under the cover glass. (Figure 1 shows options on
where the touch sensor can be integrated within the stack-up.)
This approach has been widely adopted for both handsets and
larger formats such as tablets and other embedded applications.
Advantages include the ability to create bezel-less designs due to
more efficient routing from the touch controller, as well as lighter
weight due to the compressed sensor stack. However, the design is
more complex than a traditional out-cell or discrete touch display,
so is typically more expensive.
A continuation of this display integration effort is the hybrid
in-cell approach. This offers partial touch integration with Tx
functionality within the LCD stack-up, but leaves Rx outside
the LCD stack-up. The total stack is therefore reduced, offering
improvements in thickness and weight, but hybrid in-cell adds
more complexity for display manufacturers and OEMs. Hybrid
in-cell is unlikely to be widely used for larger format displays, and
OEMs who aren’t currently invested in this approach may choose
to make the jump to full in-cell implementation.
The future of HMI is being manifested in flagship smartphone
handsets that use full in-cell implementation, which is currently
available from a limited number of display manufacturers. This
approach embeds both the Tx and Rx electrodes inside the display
on the TFT backplane, directly on the VCOM, and eliminating
the need for an independent touch sensor layer. The result is a
thinner, lighter display with increased clarity due to fewer stackup layers. While in-cell implementation adds manufacturing
complexity, the reduction in sensor layers helps reduce overall
costs. However, timing limitations between the display and touch
sensor mean this approach is available today only for smaller
screen sizes.
Future high-end HMI applications will demand integrated
in-cell capability for large and high-resolution displays, which will
require innovative new touch controller technologies that address
shared timing limitations. And these applications will incorporate
leading-edge integrated sensor capabilities such as touch classification detection that automatically adjusts for environmental and
usage requirements such as the presence of moisture or the use of
glove or stylus.
Figure 1
The Atmel® maXTouch® controller offers
on-cell and in-cell capabilities for a range
of discrete or integrated implementations, which can be incorporated within
different layers of a typical LCD stack-up.
26 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
2.5 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
Case Study: InduSoft Web
Studio Brings HMI Innovations
to Paper Winding Machine
Eletrônica KGEL needed a better, more intuitive interface for a paper winding machine and
chose InduSoft web Studio for a new HMI with a ‘Friendly’ interface. The new interface
has not only increased the efficiency of the machine, but the techniques used to develop
the project have already been applied to other interface designs for Eletrônica KGEL.
by Melinda Corley, InduSoft
Eletrônica KGEL in Brazil was tasked with designing the
interface for a paper winding machine badly in need of a friendlier supervisory system that could be applied to countless new
customers in the pulp and paper industry.
The HERGEN 1200m/min (Tissue) with WEG commands
used a 10’’ color HMI with RS485 serial communication. After
10 years of use, the HMI faced problems with the touchscreen
features that resulted in the loss of information. The machine
was difficult to use for both operators and maintenance personnel, and many hours were lost during production due to the
sluggish interface. The machine could not monitor individual
users, and operators often could not retrieve data.
Eletrônica KGEL started development on an HMI to replace the old one, but due to high prices, began searching for
alternatives that would keep the project within the budget. After
researching solutions to replace the HMI, Eletrônica KGEL
discovered InduSoft Web Studio, which had a native communication driver with the CL200 PLC.
The Challenge
A new, intuitive interface was a requirement for the project.
One aspect that already worked well was the HMI touchscreen
feature. They designed a system using the Panel PC that supported the touchscreen interface system, processing, and refrigeration in one single panel. With the design and the project budget
Figure 1: Touch Module
Market Forecast. Source:
Touch Display Research Inc,
2016.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 27
2.5 HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERACTION
finalized, they were able to present a cost effective and powerful
multi-touch HMI solution.
The Solution
The project was divided into the HMI application and the construction of the panel. Eletrônica KGEL recognized that the project could be improved beyond a simple retrofit of the previous
application. They decided that it would be a waste of investment
to use software like InduSoft Web Studio without taking full
advantage of its potential. With all the InduSoft documentation
and online information, they were able to quickly implement
many of the features in the HMI software.
The landing screen has operator commands and basic
information. The machine has push-button control, leaving the
HMI with only with a few commands. On the main screen the
operator has important information, such as the status of the
drivers, machine status, and machine speed, among others. The
main menu gives access to submenus.
They created an option for operation maintenance. For example, if the operator tried to enable the machine but it failed, the
operator can click on “Enable Machine”. When the operator does
that, a screen full of information regarding the issue appears. It
is also possible to know who shut down the command to enable
the machine. The operator can also click the alarm list, where
all errors of the machine are registered. In addition to the diagnostics, the operator can load a notepad to write tips to other
machine operators in case a similar error occurs.
The Results
After some on-site testing, Eletrônica KGEL realized the
implementation of the HMI application could be used in other
applications. They collected the necessary information to begin
the development of a new, improved project that uses the same
concepts for industrial machine interfaces using InduSoft Web
Studio. They began creating an application prototype that could
be offered to other KGEL customers.
The machine using the InduSoft Web Studio HMI is now easy
to operate, and maintenance is much easier, which has improved
the machine functionality and uptime dramatically.
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28 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
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RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 29
3.0 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Figure 1: AMD’s new secret weapon - 3rd generation G-series products offer 4K multimedia capability with scalable and optimized performance.
Leading Embedded Manufacturers
Provide Clues of the Future
by John Koon, Editor-In-Chief
Embedded Technologies are in constant flux. Not only more emphasis is put on Internet-of-Things, companies are constantly shifting
gears to adjust to the new marketing dynamics. For example, AMD
is making a lot of pre-announcements on products to be introduced
at Embedded World (Feb 2016) in Nuremburg, Germany while
Intel is rather quiet. AMD introduced the 3rd generation embedded
G-series SoC with new optimized graphics and computation power.
It is scalable and supports the 4K multimedia requirements. The dual
channel OOR4 memory has built-in error-correction code (ECC)
enhancement. Let us see what additional market share this series will
bring AMD. (Figure 1).
30 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
At the recent Embedded Tech Trends meeting, I caught up with a
few leading suppliers in the embedded space to get a sense where the
market is heading. In the following reports, 4DSP, Concurrent Technologies, Elma, LCR, MEN Micro, ReflectPhotonics and VersaLogic
will discuss their latest developments.
3.1 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
SWaP Systems Leveraging FMC’s
Bring the Latest Technology to
the DoD
Low power and high performance ruggedized platforms are not only made possible by
advances in technology but also by the smart use of industry standards. The DoD benefits greatly from the associated costs and time savings.
by Pierrick Vulliez, 4DSP
The increasing demand for embedded computing systems to
power intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications as well as Electronic Warfare (EW) solutions is driving
the need for the rapid prototyping and deployment of reconfigurable COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) hardware platforms that
combine high performance and flexibility. There are a number of
ways of implementing advanced solutions to serve the needs of
airborne ISR and EW processing applications but manufacturers
are required to develop lighter and more compact solutions that
deliver an increased level of performance while constrained by
Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) profiles. It is therefore essential
that the embedded sensor processing subsystems that must contend with the greatly increased volumes of data being collected
by these sensors take advantage of both the parallel computing
resources offered by low-power and efficient FPGAs and the
capabilities of modern ADCs packaged in small form factors
such as the FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC – VITA 57.1). When
combined with high-performance wideband or GHz-capable
ADCs, FPGAs are essential to digitizing the analog input from a
sensor and then processing the acquired data stream.
A flexible FPGA-based architecture in a compact size such as
the 4DSP CESCC820 (VITA 75) can be combined with the latest
Figure 1
The CESCC820 (Compact Embedded System) is a ruggedized, small form factor
embedded system designed to provide a complete and generic processing
platform for data acquisition, signal processing, and communication.
Figure 2
The FMC432 is a dual 10 Gigabit
Ethernet (10GBASE-T) FPGA
Mezzanine Card with two RJ45
connectors available on the front
panel.
in wideband ADCs and high-speed, high-resolution DACs and
10Gb Ethernet digital communication on FPGA Mezzanine
Cards ( FMC - VITA 57). The CESCC820 is a ruggedized, small
form factor embedded system designed to provide a complete
and generic processing platform for data acquisition, signal processing, and communication. With a low power Intel CPU and a
high performance Xilinx Ultrascale FPGA, the CESCC820 flexibility is greatly enhanced by the ability to select I/O functionality from a wide range of FMCs. They provide a standard form
factor and modular interface to the FPGA and offer the best I/O
approach outside of a monolithic solution by leveraging a consistent FPGA and CPU baseline system architecture. FMCs can
be selected as needed to build an ultra-high-speed analog transceiver to handle both low-latency signal processing in either air
or conduction-cooled configurations while also handling data
movement functions. Such a configuration offers a high level of
flexibility, as subsystems can be simply upgraded over time with
new technology as it becomes available. The 4DSP FMC product
line, with its wide range of digital and analog I/O, enable system
designers to develop systems in the lab and qualify them swiftly
for field use. The ability to digitize signals in the multi-Gigahertz
range, perform real-time Digital Signal Processing using Ultrascale FPGAs and communicate digitally at High Speed using
standard protocols provides users with a tactical advantage for
the most demanding applications.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 31
3.2 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
3U VPX™ Switch Adds
®
ExpressFabric Capability
Using PCI Express as a system interconnect enables high performance 3U VPX solutions
to be constructed. With higher bandwidth and new capabilities, this new switch allows
more innovative system architectures and improves application portability.
by Nigel Forrester, Concurrent Technologies
PCI Express is a high-speed serial interface standard that was
designed to provide point to point connectivity between a processor
and multiple peripherals. Gen 3 PCI Express supports a transfer
rate of 8GT/s, which equates to 984 MB/s per lane. One of the
challenges, especially for embedded use, has been extending the PCI
Express architecture of a single root complex connecting to multiple
endpoints. One solution is ExpressFabric® and Concurrent Technologies has just announced FR 341/x06, a 3U VPX switch designed to
enable more flexible PCI Express configurations.
FR 341/x06 supports six Gen 3 PCI Express payload boards with
a default configuration of a single processor board acting as the root
complex for up to five additional payload boards. In addition, two
other modes of operation are supported, called virtual switch and
fabric mode. The virtual switch mode allows multiple partitioned
root complexes to be set up which could, for example, enable three
individual clusters consisting of pairs of boards to be set up within
a six slot system. The fabric mode allows multiple root complexes with links between the clusters, enabling extremely flexible
configurations while still using standard PCI Express enumeration.
Previously this type of PCI Express configuration required the use
of additional hardware on boards to implement non-transparent
bridge capability adding complexity and power consumption. The
main advantage is simplification: FR 341/x06 enables standard
applications to run more easily and avoids a lot of the complicated
payload configuration required.
32 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
At the solution level, multiple hosts residing on PCI Express fabrics communicate through an Ethernet type of protocol, enabling
socket-based application software to run without modification.
There is also a special host-to-host communication capability for
short packets, called Tunnelled Windows Connection. This enables
high performance computer applications that are message-based to
share small amounts of information with very low latency.
Figure 1
The new FR 341/x06 from Concurrent Technologies supports six Gen 3 PCI
Express payload boards with a default configuration of a single processor board
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3.3 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Boxes Becoming Boards—
Technology Transition in VPX
As can be seen in the movement toward small form factors (SFFs), card-based standards, like VPX, support new feature sets that enable systems to be greatly reduced in
size, weight and power (SWaP), while function and circuit density is increased.
by Ken Grob, Elma Electronic Inc.
The Army’s Hardware Convergence effort is a prime example
of systems driving boxes to become boards. The strategy considers an increase in function and flexibility, while reducing
SWaP and cost by driving toward higher levels of system
integration.
Examples of systems packaged at the box level, where implementation can now be done at the board level, include:
• Servers becoming boards, where an Intel XEON processor-D multicore CPU allows eight—and eventually 16—
cores on a 3U VPX board with large DDR4 memory. This
will allow a 32-thread system.
• 10 and 40 Gb high-speed Ethernet switches now implemented on 3U VPX boards: new fabric devices from
Broadcom, Marvel and Vitesse enable 3U VPX switches
capable of 1000BASE-BX, 10GBASE-KR and 40GBASE-KR
Ethernet
• FPGA system-on-chip (SoC) from Altera and Xilinx allow
entire subsystems to be placed on a Eurocard. Examples
include SDR, RADAR, and EW applications.
To illustrate these points, a typical system architecture follows, which shows a backplane profile of a converged system.
Figure 1
A backplane profile of a
converged system.
34 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
Hardware Convergence System Topology
The system design allows payload slots in this backplane to
implement functions in one or two slots that were previously
built as separate boxes. Reviewing the architecture shown in
the diagram above identifies new technology features required
of the OpenVPX system topology. Specifically, functional
density and operating speed affect the following areas of the
system backplane.
• Backplane interconnect speed: all data paths are
high speed
• Power density per slot: 25 to 45 Watts per slot
• Transition of I/O from the boards: fiber optic required for
high speed Ethernet
• Clocking schemes: require coax connections for high
quality clocks
Fiber connections use VITA 66.4, and coax connections use
VITA 67.1. Fiber transition is done with MPO ferrules, supporting between 12 and 64 fibers. A new standard, VITA 67.3, allows
for user-defined contact arrangements in the connector housing.
Summary
Technology transition has allowed box level systems to be
reduced to 3U VPX boards, making significant gains in SWaP
reduction for complex systems. In addressing system designs
that use high speed networks and fast local PCIe interconnects, backplane technology has changed. Requirements, such
as radial clocks and new I/O connector schemes, have driven
changes to the OpenVPX standard, which has evolved to keep
up with new system features and data rates. It has proven
itself as a standard that can grow with technology change
supporting long system lifecycles.
Additional changes are required in the OpenVPX specification
to allow implementation of the new high speed system design.
CLOCKING AND TIMING CHANGES:
• Radial clocks are introduced and IEEE1588 PTP protocol
is applied
• REF clock moves from 10 MHz to 100 MHz
HIGH-SPEED SIGNAL CHANNELS DEFINED BY
VITA 68:
• Control Plane and Data Plane requiring 10GBASE-KR rates
• Fat Pipes comprised of four lanes supporting 40GBASE-KR
“Technology transition has
allowed box level systems
to be reduced to 3U VPX
boards, making significant
gains in SWaP reduction for
complex systems.”
PCLE GEN 3 INTERCONNECT:
• Operating at 8 GT/sec between slots
NEW I/O CONNECTORS FOR COAX AND FIBER
OPTICS:
• Mixed modes of I/O require fiber optic connections and
RF transition via coax.
• New standards are required to address high speed I/O (i.e.
VITA 66.4, VITA 67.1, VITA 67.3)
Figure 2
Backplane with VITA 67.3
fiber optic connectors
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 35
3.4 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Rugged, Tactical LTE Networks
for Military and First Responders
Despite the ability of LTE to meet the tactical communications of the military, first
responders, and many other companies, and despite the potential opening-up of LTE
for public and corporate use, there exist no widely deployed, truly rugged, tactical LTE
network solutions. LCR Embedded Systems’ LSF-02 Rugged Tactical LTE Network
answers this need perfectly.
by John Long, LCR Embedded Systems
Military and first responder personnel must be able to set up
and tear down tactical communications networks rapidly in difficult-to-support areas. For the military, users have demanding
anti-jamming and encryption requirements. Both must also deal
with a large variety of user equipment, challenging budgets, and
the knowledge that lives are directly on the line.
LTE (Long Term Evolution) communications hardware and
software answers these needs well. Among its advantages are
granularity of cell sizes and band, support for fast-moving
terminals (200-300mph), ubiquity of user equipment like
smartphones and tablets, and cost-effectiveness due to wide
deployment.
For public safety, the FCC and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have mandated the use of LTE. However, there exists well-understood legacy technology for both,
Land Mobile Radio (LMR) – implemented in the military via
software-defined radio (SDR). SDR remains the technology of
choice for traditional conflicts, and while LTE is more attractive
in asymmetrical conflicts due to the “hide in plain sight” possibilities, there is significant interest in building an SDR “front
end” on a tactical LTE network.
Common current solutions include Cell-on-Wheels (CoW)
and Cell-in-a-Box (CiaB) installations. Able to support hundreds
of users and backhaul to other networks, they are used at major
sporting events and large-scale disasters where it is possible to
bring in large, fixed equipment installations. However, CoW/
CiaB installations are expensive and not very mobile and hence
have limited tactical use.
Also, the enormous expense of purchasing LTE bandwidth
prevents many companies from using it, such as rail companies
dealing with derailments in remote areas. For example, Verizon
was able to sell one band covering roughly half of the United
States in less-populated areas to T-Mobile for $2.4 billion in
2014. First responders have been granted use of band 14, and
the military uses bandwidth in a more fluid manner during operations, so this is less of a concern for them, but few companies
have the ability to make such a purchase.
36 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
However, a proposal has been submitted to the FCC to allocate an LTE band for public use, and feasibility testing of using
Wi-Fi for LTE service is underway. Additionally, one very interesting development is the 2015 FCC decision to create a Citizens
Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) within the 3.55-3.7 GHz band.
In summary, there exists no true rugged, tactical, rapidly
deployable LTE network solution, and with the opening-up of
LTE to public and corporate use, one is badly needed.
Featuring Radisys’ industry-leading Evolved Packet Core and
eNodeB software, LCR Embedded Systems’ LSF-02 Rugged,
Tactical LTE Network can turn vehicles or personnel into mobile
cell towers in areas where broadband infrastructure is nonfunctional or absent. Contained in a rugged, environmentally sealed
package that weighs less than 20lbs, it is the ideal tactical LTE
solution.
It supports 16 active users with broadband data connectivity
and multimedia conferencing for smartphones, tablets, and
more. It has a 1km range depending on terrain and supports
swarming, whereby multiple units operating within range of one
another will “link up” to form a larger network.
Figure 1
The LSF-02 is a rugged, tactical LTE network solution
well-suited to military and first responder applications.
3.5 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Making Trains Safer Down Under
Managing railway traffic is becoming an increasingly difficult task with the growing
frequency of passenger and freight trains traveling across an existing infrastructure.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation is using open standards-based embedded systems to ensure system efficiency as well as overall network-wide safety.
by Stephen Cunha, CEO, MEN Micro
As the need to transport both passengers and goods over rail
networks increases, and as accidents that result in the loss of life
continue to occur, the use of technology to prevent train collisions has become a very high profile issue in the public mind
globally. Increased safety for rail transport is being addressed in
different ways by different regions of the world.
For example, there is the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) initiative in Europe and the United States
government has mandated implementation of Positive Train
Control (PTC). Advanced Train Management System (ATMS),
which is being implemented through a partnership between
Lockheed Martin and the Australian Rail Track Corporation
(ARTC), is the technical approach being used to increase train
safety down under.
Since the rail network in Australia spans very long distances
and runs through many unpopulated areas, there is not much
intelligence located along the side of the tracks (“the wayside”).
ATMS accomplishes safety in a method that is unique to the
Australian landscape and infrastructure. It provides centralized
vital train control from a small number of remote base station
office locations. Systems in these base stations are able to communicate with the train’s on-board electronics via the Telstra 4G
network or satellite communication. GPS functionality further
facilitates the use of satellites in this application.
A safety critical computer system located in the base station
will be used to continuously monitor all activity on the rail
network (e.g. train movements, wayside devices, etc.) and override the drivers to take control of the trains in case a collision
is about to occur. Based on PICMG standards, the computer
system is able to detect when a train is at risk of exceeding its
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 37
3.5 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Figure 1
The CompactPCI system from Men Micro is the brain to
continually monitor activities on the rail network.
“authority” and correct the problem.
In addition to providing increased safety for both passenger
and freight trains, ATMS will enable more railway traffic by reducing headways (distance between trains) while at the same time
increasing speeds, and will reduce operational costs by removing
38 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
the need for expensive trackside signaling infrastructure. ATMS,
therefore, brings both safety and economic benefits to Australia.
The safety critical system in the base station partition’s vital and
non-vital applications in a single platform. It is built around the
CompactPCI and CompactPCI Serial standards, in keeping with
Lockheed Martin’s desire to leverage open architecture and commercially available technology where possible, and is certifiable
up to Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 4, the highest level of safety for
trains. The vital part of the system runs on a safe real time operating system and consists of one or two safe computer boards.
Each safe computer board consists of three processors running
in lockstep mode with 2003 voting implemented in the FPGA.
The board also has triple redundant memory and a built-in
mechanism that is able to correct faults and, when possible,
restore to health a component that has experienced corruption.
The non-critical portion of the computer system consists of
Intel-based CompactPCI PlusIO boards, a CompactPCI Ethernet
switch, and removable hard disks.
Traveling across vast regions in Australia will become safer and
more efficient thanks to the efforts of Lockheed Martin and the
ARTC. These efforts are supported by the availability of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), safety-critical open architecture
embedded computer systems.
3.6 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
New FireWire Expansion Module
for Mini PCIe Sockets
With VersaLogic’s new FireWire expansion module, users can now connect legacy
cameras and peripherals into newer systems and embedded boards - anything that
has a Mini PCIe expansion slot available.
by Len Crane, VersaLogic Corporation
Why use FireWire? There are a number of existing cameras
and peripherals built around this interface that provide excellent
performance. Some are being upgraded to newer interfaces, such
as USB 3.0, but many are not. As users upgrade their systems,
they shouldn’t have to give up their high-performing peripherals,
but try finding a FireWire connection built in to any embedded
computer board.
To combat these connection problems, VersaLogic Corporation
introduced newest Mini PCIe module—the VL-MPEe-FW1, a
FireWire expansion module. The FW1 is a simple way to add 2
channels of 1394 FireWire to most embedded computing systems,
resolving the challenge of connecting tried and true cameras
and peripherals. Providing FireWire 800 (1394b) and FireWire
400 (1394a) channels, the FW1 allows users to connect to any
computer that supports a mini PCIe socket. The FW1’s extremely
small Mini PCIe format allows it to be added to a board with very
little impact to the overall system size. Usually there is no need
to modify the enclosure in any way. The FW1 is compatible with
a variety of popular x86 operating systems including Windows,
Windows Embedded, and Linux using standard software drivers.
Like the other VersaLogic’s Mini PCIe modules, the FW1 is an
extremely rugged and durable product that can withstand the
full range of industrial temperatures (-40° to +85°C), and meets
MIL-STD-202G specifications, for use in environments with high
impact and vibration. The FireWire 400 channel includes a latching connector, providing additional protection within harsher
environments. It also brings the extensive 5-year off-the-shelf
availability, and 10+ years of formalized life extension programs,
and offers customizable options such as application-specific testing, BOM revision locks, and more. Customization options for all
the Mini PCIe modules include conformal coating, revision locks,
custom labeling, customized testing and screening.
Figure 1
Versalogic’s mini PCIe module
(VL-MPEe-FW1) allows computer
with a mini PCIe socket to add two
IEEE 1394 Fire Wire channels to
the system.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 39
3.7 SURVEY OF EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES
Rugged Optic Interconnects
Open New Possibilities for HPEC
Systems in Harsh Environment
High input/output interconnects are essential to high performance embedded computing systems (HPEC) and optical technology offering small size and weight and
requiring low power consumption is becoming the preferred technology. However for
harsh environmental conditions as encountered in defense and aerospace applications rugged optical systems must be devised.
by Michel Têtu, Reflex Photonics Inc.
High Performance Embedded Computing
Systems (HPEC)
High performance embedded computing (HPEC) systems
are essential to decisional systems where a huge amount of data
must be collected and processed in a very short time to guide
proper decisions and urgent actions. These systems are generally made of multiple electronic boards interconnected in a box
through a backplane circuitry. Most of this circuitry is made of
copper wiring but optical interconnects start to be used when
high bandwidth high density I/O are requested.
C4ISR Applications
In the defense world, HPEC plays a major role in C4ISR
systems (Command, Control, Compute, Communicate, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance). For some applications,
like active electronically scanned array radar, the information is
generated by thousands of sensors. This information is usually
in the form of analog signal and has to be digitized before being
transmitted to the processing unit. The analog-to-digital con-
version has to be high resolution and the communication link to
the processing element has to be at high bit rate. (figure 1)
These C4ISR systems are often mounted on mobile platforms
and used in harsh environment where extreme storage temperature, wide operating temperature range, high mechanical shocks
and vibration are encountered. These operational constraints
mandate the use of rugged systems and components. Other
important characteristics of these systems are that they must be
of small size and weight and consume as little operating power
as possible.
Small SWaP Optical Interconnects
The optical interconnects can be used to carry the information from the sensors site to the computing site, between the
computing boards, and between the computing system and
the communication system. Optical interconnects are perfectly
suited to meet the requirements of small SWaP in harsh environment.
It is well known that the size of lasers and photodetectors is of
Figure 1
Illustration of the relation between the different elements of C4ISR systems (Command, Control, Compute, Communicate, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance).
40 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
the order of a millimeter. The wavelength involved is of the order
of a micron, so the fiber diameter required to guide the light is
less than a millimeter. Made out of silica the weight per meter of
a fiber is negligible. The weight of an optical transceiver results
is mainly made of the electronic board needed to drive the laser
and amplify the current generated by the photodetector, the
optical connector, and the mechanical housing.
Because the light is guided through a highly homogeneous
material, the signal attenuation resulting from scattering is
extremely low (2.3dB/km). This low fiber attenuation and the
high efficiency of signal conversion (from electrical-to-optical
of the laser, and from optical-to-electrical of the photodetector)
generate very low electrical power requirements in order to
drive a transceiver and carry the signal over hundreds of meters.
In addition, the fiber is dielectric so there is no susceptibility to
electromagnetic interference (EMI). All of these benefits offer
great advantages over copper interconnections.
Rugged Parallel Optic Transceiver
Reflex Photonics has developed the LightABLE™ products
family to meet the demanding requirements of optical interconnects for HPEC used in harsh environment as encountered
in defense and aerospace applications. The LightABLE™ 40G
SR4 is a 4-lane full duplex transceiver operating at 10 Gbps per
lane and the LightABLE™ 120G SR12 is a 12-lane transceiver or
receiver operating at 10 Gbps per lane. (figure 2)
Figure 3
The MicroClip™ is a low-profile, low-mass spring loaded MT ferrule.
and support high temperature reflow process; a unique feature
for such products. (figure 3)
A proprietary MicroClip™ MT ferrule has been also devised by
Reflex Photonics to connect the LightABLE™ module to a 12-fiber ribbon cable pigtail. The MicroClip™ is a low-profile, lowmass spring loaded mechanical assembly that offers a rugged
optical connection that is resistant for shock and vibration and
is suitable for harsh environment. The MicroClip™ has proven
it can withstand a 1 kg live traffic fiber pull test when mated
to its products (40G SR4 and 120G SR12), without any signal
performance degradation. This result exceeds by a factor of 2 the
requirements of Telecordia GR-468-CORE Fiber Integrity Side
Pull Test and confirms the reliability of the Reflex Photonics
fiber ribbon interface with the LightABLE™ and its MicroClip™
ferrule.
To achieve such performances the LightABLE™ products are
designed with unique features and assembly processes in order to:
• Maintain laser response over the temperature range;
• Avoid mechanical stress between parts;
• Use surface mount technology and low height parts for
high resistance to shock and vibration;
• Use no heat sink or pigtail fiber for pick and place
manufacturability;
Figure 2
LightABLE™ products (transmitter, receiver, or transceivers) can be surface
mounted or plugged. They are fully qualified for harsh environment.
These embedded parallel optic modules have been fully
qualified following the Telcordia GR-468-CORE and MIL-STD883E standards and includes severe environmental, mechanical
and long-term reliability tests. They offer: small SWaP, operation
under industrial temperature range (-40°C to 85°C), a bit error
rate (BER) as low as 10-15, survivability to storage temperature
from - 57°C to 125°C. The optical fiber interface is a standard
MT ferrule directly attached to the module for compatibility
with standard die mounting processes. The LightABLE™ products can be surface mounted with regular lead or RoHS reflow
process or plugged in close proximity to high-speed electronics
• Use sealed enclosure to avoid moisture from
obstructing optics.
The future of optical interconnects in HPEC applications
Although there is a large interest for optical interconnects,
it is fair to say that we are only at the beginning of their use in
the development of high performance embedded computing
systems. We see, in open standards organization like VITA,
many working groups considering modifications to standardized board-to-backplane connectors in order to include optical
interconnects.
RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016 | 41
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Company...........................................................................Page................................................................................Website
Acromag................................................................................................................................23....................................................................................................... www.acromag.com
Intelligent Systems Source.................................................................................. 7, 38............................................................. www.intelligentsystemssource.com
Middle Canyon...........................................................................................................18, 19, 28................................................................................... www.middlecanyon.com
Novasom Industries...................................................................................................... 4................................................................................www.novasomindustries.com
One Stop Systems........................................................................................................2, 11................................................................................... www.onestopsystems.com
Pentek.....................................................................................................................................44............................................................................................................www.pentek.com
RTD............................................................................................................................................33...................................................................................................................... www.rtd.com
Sunix.........................................................................................................................................22................................................................................................................www.sunix.com
Supermicro..........................................................................................................................29................................................................................................. www.supermicro.com
TQ...............................................................................................................................................43................................................................................www.embeddedmodules.net
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42 | RTC Magazine FEBRUARY 2016
When the going
gets tough...
TQ embedded modules are built for the
most demanding tasks
and conditions.
■Low power consumption
■Access to all CPU pins
■Rugged Tyco connectors
■Long-term availability–we’re
there when you need us.
■Extended temperature -40C to +85C.
■Full Linux environment
■Optional conformal coating
■Compact size
■Embedded Modules available for:
NXP (Freescale) & TI ARM®
NXP (Freescale) QorIQ™
Intel® x86
To order a Starter Kit or for more information,
call (508) 209-0294, or visit:
Critical Recording in Any Arena
When You Can’t Afford to Miss a Beat!
®
Introducing Pentek’s expanded line of Talon COTS,
rugged, portable and lab-based recorders. Built to
capture wideband SIGINT, radar and communication
signals right out-of-the-box:
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Analog RF/IF, 10 GbE, LVDS, sFPDP solutions
Real-time sustained recording to 4 GB/sec
Recording and playback operation
Analog signal bandwidths to 1.6 GHz
Shock and vibration resistant Solid State Drives
GPS time and position stamping
®
Hot-swappable storage to Windows NTFS RAIDs
Remote operation & multi-system synchronization
®
SystemFlow API & GUI with Signal Analyzer
Complete documentation & lifetime support
Pentek’s rugged turn-key recorders are built and
tested for fast, reliable and secure operation in your
environment.
Call 201-818-5900 or go to
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for your FREE High-Speed
Recording Systems Handbook
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Pentek, Inc., One Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 • Phone: 201.818.5900 • Fax: 201.818.5904 • e-mail:info@pentek.com • www.pentek.com
Worldwide Distribution & Support, Copyright © 2013 Pentek, Inc. Pentek, Talon and SystemFlow are trademarks of Pentek, Inc. Other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.