APRIL 2018
DEFENSE SPENDING
Also in
this issue
on the RADAR
AI, robotics, big
data, cybersecurity, and
resilience top priorities page 8
System integration
considerations for
heart rate sensing
designs p13
AI alters auto design
challenges p16
Modern portable
devices require a new
breed of LDOs p18
Advanced battery
packages empower
next-generation
systems p21
An AspenCore Publication
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2 CONTENTS
Vol. 60, No. 9
April 2018
14
26
EDITORIAL STAFF
Bolaji Ojo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Global Editor-in-Chief
Richard Quinnell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor-in-Chief,
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Majeed Ahmad Kamran . . . . . Contributing Editor
FEATURES
Patrick Mannion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contributing Editor
8
COVER STORY Mil/Aero Electronics
Defense spending opens door to system technology innovations
13
Discrete Semiconductors
System integration considerations for heart rate sensing designs
16
Automotive
AI alters auto design challenges
21
Giulia Fini. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graphic Designer
Giulia Fini. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover Design
Batteries
Advanced battery packages empower next-generation systems
SHOW WRAP-UPS
Embedded World
The expanding IoT: a visit to Embedded World
25
APEC
APEC’s growth reflects the health of the power industry
Product Trends: Packaging, Cabinets & Enclosures
27
Product Roundup: Electromechanical Components
29
New Products:
31
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APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
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Outlook (Technology News):
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6 The key to smarter, faster AI likely found by modeling moth brains
6 Physicists to build laser so powerful it could rip apart fabric of space
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Viewpoint: Fluffing the cloud
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Modern portable devices require a new breed of LDOs
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Electronic Products Magazine (USPS 539490) (ISSN 0013-4953)—
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4 VIEWPOINT
Fluffing the cloud
T
he electronic design engineering
field is a fantastic place to be at
any given point and especially so
in these modern times. The past two
decades saw the groundwork laid for
these exciting times in technologies like
organic LEDs, wide-bandgap semiconductors, and the digital infrastructure.
These and other advanced core technologies enable and empower new solutions
to serve existing application spaces and
create and develop new ones.
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
This synergistic development aspect
of electronic design was very apparent these past weeks at the APEC and
Embedded World shows as engineers
from around the globe came together
in San Antonio, Texas, and Nuremberg,
Germany, to exchange ideas and look at
the latest in embedded systems.
The booths at both events were
crammed with the latest solutions available for applications both mature and
speculative, and at each (some visitors,
including me, bounced between both),
there was a buzz of activity as company
reps and visitors played with the demonstrations and bounced ideas off of one
another. The energy was palpable at each
of the venues, and the energy of all of
those people dealing with one another in
these public marketplaces was palpable.
In this issue, we’ve pulled together
some very cool examples of the latest
technologies from both shows, and we
hope this foments new ideas for new
solutions with you. One of the notable
aspects of any new technology is that any
given group of engineers will tell you several more applications than you thought
of when developing it, and the number
and quality of these new technologies are
providing the foundation of the remaking of society.
The cloud and IoT are shaping society
in fundamental ways, and you are the
ones shaping the devices in it and the
infrastructures supporting it. Every device that you make is a voice in the great
chorus of development moving society
forward, and these exhibitions are the
concert halls. One positive aspect of Embedded World, for example, was the fact
that most booths contained functional
demonstrations of technology and not
just displays of components and parts.
In the area of wireless, one of the
trends that we observed was the final
filling in, or in the words of the headline,
the “fluffing out” of the cloud. There
are a lot of wireless devices using wired
or sub-gigahertz proprietary wireless
systems, for example, and bringing them
into the IoT is the true “final mile” of
the cloud. Solutions shown ranged from
multi-protocol wireless modules and
Continued on page 20
PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE 5
Tribute to an American classic
In this month’s perspective, our publisher, Victor Gao, pays tribute
to an American classic and delves into our proudly old-fashioned
journalistic values
BY W. VICTOR GAO
Publisher and Managing Director
The ASPENCORE Group
IMAGE: PIXABAY
N
EW YORK — American readers
of this column are prone to
recognize the name E.B. White,
a 20th-century author best known for
his children’s books such as “Stuart
Little” and “Charlotte’s Web.” A resident of this great American city, White
was also a prolific columnist for the
classic humor, literature, and journalism magazine The New Yorker. And in
a prose entitled “Unwritten” in April
1930, White observed in his signature
self-deprecating style that the work of
a writer always represented a choice —
the choice of what to write and what
not to. Which brings me to the subject
of our column this month: Why does a
journalist write at all?
At ASPENCORE, our editorial mission is to bear witness and to celebrate human achievement as manifest
through advancement in technology
and engineering. While every one
of our journalists makes their own
personal choice as to why and what
they write, as a publishing house, we
encourage an intention to affirm or, if
the writing starts out decrying an injury or injustice on behalf of our readers,
that by the end, it arrives at a constructive juncture. Sometimes, that takes
the form of questioning a dubious
claim in a manufacturer’s new product
introduction campaign. Other times,
it could be the critique of a business
trend we believe is over-hyped, a technical achievement that is under-recognized, or an important workplace issue
that would not have found its voice had
it not been for the help of these pages.
Of course, a great deal of how this
mission is achieved is left intentionally
undirected and uncoordinated be-
tween the house and our writers. As a
gentle reader wrote in response to this
column last month, today’s publishers
face a pivotal task to transform the
economics of publishing so the important reporting can be done without
fear of loss of funding, which we have
seen happen to some of our fellow
At ASPENCORE, our editorial
mission is to bear witness and to
celebrate human achievement as
manifested through advancement in
technology and engineering ... and
you, the reader, are here to judge
both the house and our writers on
our respective merits. This is what
editorial independence means to us.
publishing houses in the industry. And
yet as much as ASPENCORE as a commercial concern must make money,
we strive even harder to always make
sense. To achieve this duo of aims, at
ASPENCORE, we rather like the good
old system at The New Yorker, as described by White in another column:
The writers write as they please, and
the magazine publishes as it pleases.
When the two pleasures coincide,
something gets into print. When they
don’t, the reader draws a blank. And
you, the reader, are here to judge both
the house and our writers on our respective merits. This is what editorial
independence means to us.
While we are on the subject of
editorial policy, we expect to share
some exciting news soon about how
we will extend our remit this year to
introduce both more depth and more
diversity to the topics covered in our
titles. We will give you a snippet of our
redesign efforts, with a greater focus
on longer, less frequent, but more
thought-provoking pieces that delve
into an issue without the pressures of
a daily publishing cadence. To find out
more, please check back in this column
next month.
By the time these words go to print,
many of our readers will be wheels-up
to a productive conference in Münich,
Las Vegas, or Shanghai or will have just
returned. Here is to safe and pleasant
journeys for all on the road. As ever, if
you have a comment or want to whisper us a story tip, you can find me at
victor@aspencore.com, or contact your
favorite ASPENCORE writer directly.
From all of us at ASPENCORE, thank
you for your support. ☐
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
6 OUTLOOK
Innovations impacting products, technology, and applications
The key to smarter, faster AI likely
found by modeling moth brains
Biological
systems rarely do
anything like this.
Instead, they are
commonly organized
as feed-forward cascades.
The beginning of the cascade
in hawk moths is a set of about 30,000
chemical receptor neurons (RNs), which
feed signals into an antennal lobe (AL). The
AL contains roughly 60 isolated clusters of
cells (called glomeruli — it pays to enhance
your word power!), each of which focuses
on a single odor stimuli feature. The AL,
the researchers say, is inherently noisy. The
researchers liken the AL to a pre-amplifier,
“providing gain control and sharpening of
odor representations.”
Signals from the AL are forwarded to
a structure called the mushroom body
(MB). The MB contains roughly 4,000 cells
(Kenyon cells) associated with forming
memories. Signals go through two more
ancillary structures (each numbering in
the tens of cells), the function of which is
believed to be to read out the signals from
the MB. These sparser structures act as
noise filters, the researchers wrote. Noise
isn’t eliminated but is sufficiently reduced
for the purpose of effective learning.
The process does not work at all
without octopamine, described as a neuromodulator. Release of the chemical is
triggered by a reward — for example, the
moth finding sugar to consume. When a
moth finds a reward, the octopamine that
is released stimulates enhanced activity
in the AL and MB. The practical effect of
this enhanced activity is to strengthen the
connections between correlated neurons
in the moth’s neurological system. The
mechanism is called Hebbian learning;
the extent to which the strength of neuronal connections can be changed is called
Hebbian plasticity.
The UW researchers built a mathematical model that mimics all of this, and their
neural models of moths learned quickly
with minimal simulated odor inputs. Their
results are similar to the behavior that they
observe in the moths, strongly suggesting
that they have an accurate model.
If so, that will have ramifications both
for biology and for neural networks.
That the behavior of the model was
so similar to that of actual biological
systems encouraged the researchers to
expect that they might now have a clearer
understanding of the mechanisms at work
in living creatures. The olfactory/neurological systems of moths are structurally
similar to those of many other creatures,
the researchers noted.
Their work also suggests a new path to
explore for machine learning. “Specifically,”
they wrote in their paper, “our experiments
elucidate mechanisms for fast learning
from noisy data that rely on cascaded networks, sparsity, and Hebbian plasticity.”
Brian Santo
Physicists to build laser so powerful
it could rip apart fabric of space
A
vacuum might not be empty at
all; it might only seem empty on
balance. That balance would be
between electrons and their anti-matter
counterparts, positrons. According to
theory, any vacuum is filled with such
electron-positron pairs. These pairs
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
would be undetectable because they
wouldn’t interact with anything — with
the possible exception of the beam from
a 100-petawatt laser. Which is one of
the reasons why Chinese researchers are
about to begin building a 100-PW laser.
These researchers propose to pulse
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
R
esearchers at
the University of Washington have developed a relatively simple
neural network that mimics
biological neural systems. The
performance of the new neural-network
model points to the possibility of building
AIs that are less complex yet far more efficient at learning because of it. At the same
time, the research, published in the arXiv
repository, yielded new insight into how
living creatures learn — or at least how
some creatures learn some things.
The most common path to emulate the
effectiveness of biological neural systems has
been to create increasingly complex artificial
intelligences with increasingly complicated
machine-learning capabilities. Biological
systems that outperform AIs sometimes
aren’t all that complex, however, and living
creatures often learn far more quickly than
AIs using significantly fewer experiences to
learn than AIs require data sets.
Starting with these observations, UW
researchers resolved to devise a relatively
simple neural-network model that mimics
the relatively uncomplicated structure of a
moth’s neurological system.
The University of Washington has been
analyzing insect biology for decades; this
research team chose moths because UW
labs have already thoroughly mapped their
neurological systems. They already knew
that moths can learn smells after experiencing them only a few times. Despite the
relative simplicity, however, it remained
unclear precisely how moths’ neurological
systems worked when learning.
Most neural networks operate on
the principle of backpropagation. With
this technique, the weights between
neurons (essentially the strength of the
connection between them) are constantly
recalculated through a process of feeding
outputs back into the system so that
inputs and outputs can be compared and
adjusted against each other.
OUTLOOK 7
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
an incredibly powerful beam for a few trillionths of a second
through a vacuum with the expectation that it will induce electron-positron pairs to break apart. Positrons are ephemeral, but
the electrons would remain. It would look like producing something out of nothing. The proposed process is being described
as “breaking the vacuum.”
The formula E=MC2 suggested two things. One is that mass
can be turned into extraordinary amounts of energy. Scientists
followed that lead in a number of directions, including the development of the atomic energy. The formula also suggests that it’s
possible to translate energy into mass, though doing so is considered significantly harder. Breaking the vacuum would be a rare
instance of it.
The Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics in
China currently holds the record for the most powerful laser. In
2016, the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF)
achieved a burst of 5.3 PW. The institute is currently preparing
to nearly double its record by using SULF to emit a 10-PW
pulse by the end of this year.
It is also planning to build a 100-PW laser called the Station
of Extreme Light (SEL), which could come online as early as
2023. Photon energy from the device could reach 15 keV.
European researchers were thinking about building a 200PW laser but have held off even planning such a beast until
they turn on a 1-PW laser in Prague this year and then build
two more facilities that would take intermediate steps toward
100 PW or more, reported Science.
Russia is building the infrastructure to support a proposed
180-PW laser called the Exawatt Center for Extreme Light
Studies (XCELS). Japanese researchers, who held the record
with a 2-PW pulse before the Chinese eclipsed them, have
proposals for a 30-PW device, according to Science.
Breaking the vacuum would be spectacular, but high-energy lasers could be useful in other applications as well. They
have been used for particle acceleration, inertial confinement
fusion, radiation therapy, and for secondary-source generation
of X-rays, electrons, protons, neutrons, and ions, according to
physicists at Cambridge University. A paper that they wrote in
2015 explains the different types of high-energy lasers. China’s
SEL would be an OPCPA laser.
Brian Santo
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
8 COVER STORY
Mil/Aero Electronics
Defense spending opens door to system
technology innovations
BY MIKE MACPHERSON
Vice President, Strategic Planning,
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions
www.curtisswright.com
T
he U.S. Department of Defense’s
(DoD’s) 2018 National Defense
Strategy (NDS) said it clearly: “Our
backlog of deferred readiness, procurement, and modernization requirements
has grown in the last decade and a half
and can no longer be ignored. We will
make targeted, disciplined increases in
personnel and platforms to meet key
capability and capacity needs.” With that
in mind, Congress increased the FY 2018
defense budget to $700 billion — an
increase of $108 billion.
This article will lay out some of the
areas where that budget will be spent and
what areas may present opportunities
for designers to innovate to close current
and future technology gaps.
AI, big data, and robotics critical
but need to be affordable
The technological priorities called out in
the NDS will drive a significant increase
in R&D spending to close technology
gaps in advanced computing, artificial
intelligence (AI), and autonomy and
robotics. Among the priorities for modernizing key defense capabilities cited in
the NDS that commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) vendors are well-positioned to
support are:
• New investments in cyber-defense and
the continued integration of cyber-capabilities into the full spectrum of
military operations
• Investments in C4ISR to develop resilient, survivable, federated networks and
information ecosystems
• Advanced autonomous systems, AI,
and machine learning.
For developers of military embedded COTS electronics solutions, this
additional spending promises increased
support for technologies that address
resilience, lethality, and readiness.
Designers of defense and aerospace
systems and platforms desire to continuously introduce advanced technology
that provides the warfighter with an
indisputable advantage in the battlefield.
These technologies range from sensors,
computing, and networking to electromechanical systems.
However, advanced technology by
itself isn’t enough. It also needs to be
affordable, reliable, and sustainable. The
warfighters’ lives depend on the tech-
The new technologies will provide
new capabilities upon which the
warfighter will surely become
dependent. As such, they must
also feature the defenses needed
to ensure that their network and
computing environments are
protected against adversaries and
so remain operationally effective.
nology, and history has proven that if a
soldier can’t trust their technology, they
will abandon it.
New spending on advanced computing will result in improvements for
leveraging big data analytics, enabling
the warfighter immediate access to all of
their critical information. Such access
will require the use of cloud-computing
technologies to enable data access by any
device, wherever the soldier is located,
at any time it’s desired. More than that,
to bring the power of machine learning
(ML) for AI to the network edge will
require far greater local processing capability in order to deliver real-time data
and solve the cloud’s inherent latency
and bandwidth limitations.
Investments in AI and ML will
provide capabilities that disrupt battlefield applications such as intelligence,
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR),
and electronic warfare (EW). Supporting these new capabilities will require
advances in heterogeneous high-performance embedded computing (HPEC)
technologies.
Embedded systems for use on
semi- and fully autonomous unmanned
platforms, whether on the ground,
in the air, or at sea, will require the
development of low-power, ultra-small
form-factor (USFF) processing,
networking, full-motion video, and
data-storage solutions. It’s estimated, for
example, that a fully autonomous car
will require 50 to 100 times the compute power needed to support today’s
advanced driver-assistance systems.
The overarching investment strategy
described in the DNS is to bring these
advanced technologies to the battlefield
in order to provide a force multiplier that
gives warfighters a strategic and tactical advantage over the adversary. That
said, it’s not enough to just deploy new
technologies, it’s also necessary to ensure
that those technologies are brought into
the battlefield in a way that protects and
secures them with the resiliency that they
need to survive enemy attempts to disable or disrupt their intended operation.
Ensuring operational effectiveness
in the field: GPS
The new technologies will provide new
capabilities upon which the warfighter
will surely become dependent. As such,
they must also feature the defenses
needed to ensure that their network and
computing environments are protected
against adversaries and so remain operationally effective.
An example of an advanced technology upon which the warfighter has
become dependent is GPS. When introduced as part of the DoD’s Second Offset
strategy in the mid-1970s, GPS provided
a significant advantage in the battlefield
thanks to its ability to deliver accurate
MPD
m e m o ry p r o t e c t i o n d e v i c e s
Help ing you
Grow
w i t h a s o l i d f o u n d at i o n
b
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t e r y h o l d e r s . c o m
10 COVER STORY
Mil/Aero Electronics
Fig. 1: The VPX3-1703 is an example of
an Arm-based 3U OpenVPX single-board
computer designed for DO-254
safety-certifiable avionics
applications.
position, navigation,
and timing (PNT) data.
This technology was essential for
applications such as precision-guided
weapons like the Tomahawk missile.
Over the years, it’s become clear that our
dependence on GPS also makes it a vulnerability. In environments in which GPS
is denied or disabled, all of the weapons
that depend on it are made ineffective. To
counter that vulnerability and threat, an
assured PNT (A-PNT) solution must be
available that is able to operate even in a
GPS-denied environment. New cost-effective and accurate COTS-based A-PNT
technologies will enable the deployment
of cost-effective, rugged solutions for
GPS-denied environments.
Making AI and autonomous
vehicles resilient
The development of new technologies
based on AI will enable man-to-machine
teaming solutions that deliver a significant
advantage in the battlefield. Leveraging
AI, autonomy, and robotics will result in
machines that can operate independently,
whether as an individual entity, paired
with other machines in applications (such
as a swarm configuration of drones), or in
a soldier-machine interface in which the
machine has its own autonomous capability augmenting the warfighter.
An example of the latter is an autonomous ground combat “mule” able to
relieve the warfighter’s personal burden
of carrying batteries, chargers, ammunition, etc. By reducing the weight in the
warfighter’s backpack, these small autonomous vehicles will significantly increase
the soldier’s ability to fight.
Likewise, the use of autonomous aerial
vehicles to deliver logistics equipment
autonomy, the more the machine needs
self-resilience. When a machine is fully
manual, the warfighter provides the resilience. In the case of a semi-autonomous
system, resilience is shared between the
operator and the machine. In a fully
autonomous system, resiliency depends
completely on the expert systems built
into that machine.
Autonomous systems need
resilience and security
or to locate
IEDs will reduce the
warfighter’s exposure to risk and improve
their lethality. On the other hand, as these
new solutions become common, adversaries will strive to find ways to attack and
disable them. For example, one strategy
for countering a learning machine is to
spoof it with false information, forcing it
to produce an incorrect answer.
Improving resilience, another key
goal of the DNS, will ensure that deployed systems have the ruggedness and
reliability to survive harsh environments
and the security to protect against enemy
attempts to exploit their vulnerabilities.
Autonomous vehicles, such as mine
detectors, can keep the warfighter out of
harm’s way, but that autonomy needs to
be trusted. For this, the system requires
the resilience, or self-resilience, that
ensures that it’s reliable and can’t be
easily disabled.
A machine can be manual, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous. In each
of these states, the higher the level of
Fig. 2: Security
in the field is
critical, so the DTS1
NAS supports cost-effective
two-layer encryption.
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
To be able to confidently depend on fully
autonomous systems will require investments in technologies that provide both
resilience and security.
An example of resiliency is found
in safety-certifiable avionics systems
for manned or unmanned military
aircraft. To operate safely over domestic airspace, these platforms are
increasingly required to meet DO-254
hardware and DO-178 software certification for specific Design Assurance
Levels (DALs) recognized by aviation
authorities around the world, such
as the FAA in the U.S., the Canadian
Transport Board, and EASA in Europe
and the U.K. While safety certification
is handled at the platform level, the
electronic modules used to build out
avionics subsystems must be supported
with comprehensive data artifacts. Historically, modules for safety-certifiable
subsystems were costly custom designs
that took years to design and millions
of dollars to develop.
In recent years, a new class of cost-effective DO-254-certifiable COTS boards
has become available, greatly speeding
and lowering the cost
of inte-
Mil/Aero Electronics
grating safety-certifiable applications.
The preferred processor architecture for
these COTS modules has been the Power
Architecture family of devices being that
Intel processors only support DO-254 up
to the DAL C level.
As NXP shifts its focus from development of new Power Architecture processors toward Arm-based processors,
designers of safety-certifiable systems
are increasingly turning to Arm-based
solutions. Arm processors support
D0-254 up to the most stringent and
critical level, DAL A, and also provide
the additional benefit of very low power
dissipation. The VPX3-1703 3U OpenVPX is a good example of an Arm-based
single-board computer (SBC) (Fig. 1). It
is designed for DO-254 safety-certifiable
avionics applications.
The concepts of resilience and trusted
systems refer not only to safety but also
to data and hardware security. Great
strides are being made today to enable
COTS systems with anti-tamper technologies, cybersecurity, and protection of
data-at-rest and data-in-motion.
For example, the Data Transport
System (DTS1) network attached storage
(NAS) device supports cost-effective
two-layer encryption (Fig. 2). The
DTS1 is also easily integrated into network-centric systems.
Design for tech-savvy warfighters
The soldiers now using this equipment
are digital natives — almost born with
modern technologies in their hands.
Along with this technological adeptness comes a high level of assumption
and expectation.
Today’s warfighter expects and depends on access to technologies as good
as or better than what they have at home,
such as an iPhone X, and social networking services to enable information
sharing in real time in the battlefield. All
of today’s internet resources, whether
searching on Google or asking questions
of Siri or Alexa, are only years away from
being available to the warfighter. As we
increasingly bring reliable networked
COVER STORY 11
desktop computing, mobile platform,
and social media capabilities to the
warfighter to enable “network-centric
warfare,” the network itself has become a
key component of our ability to operate.
This technological adeptness can
also be leveraged to address readiness,
an area of military spending that has
been relatively underfunded in recent
years. Advanced computing can be
brought to bear for training and mission-planning and exploiting technologies developed for the gaming industry
to provide sophisticated, realistic
scenarios and experiences.
By having training embedded in the
actual deployed platform, warfighters
will be able to train while they operate
without requiring a dedicated training
location. Realistic simulation can be
done virtually, providing, for example,
the ability to train for a specific mission while en route.
Contain costs with open systems
Many of the technologies discussed
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
12 COVER STORY
above will benefit from the use of open
systems, which reduce design risk and
greatly speed time to deployment. The use
of open systems also delivers significant
cost reductions. Affordability results from
competition and provides an alternative to
expensive proprietary solutions.
Another key benefit of open systems
is seen in technology insertions. Open
systems enable the rapid insertion of
new technology by defining an interface between different entities whose
advancements progress at different
rates. An open-systems interface, such
as the OpenVPX system architecture,
functions as a differential that enables
the use of technologies that evolve out
of synchrony.
For example, the fire control computer algorithms used in a main battle
tank to handle ballistic solutions tend to
evolve at a very slow relative rate with
very little change from one year to the
next. In comparison, the underlying
processing technology used to run those
algorithms progresses much faster. On
the flip side, with EW as the example,
the very sophisticated algorithms used to
help identify a specific signal of interest
in the noise of the electromagnetic spectrum have developed at a much faster
rate than the processors that are used to
run them in deployed systems.
The result is that the most advanced
EW algorithms wait for processor
Mil/Aero Electronics
bandwidths to catch up in order for
them to be put to use. The use of
open-standard interfaces enables the
processing technology and the algorithms used on deployed platforms to
advance at different rates.
Innovation opens door to vulnerabilities
For every new opportunity and technological leap forward, there is likely
to be an associated vulnerability that
emerges. While investing in the technologies sought by the DoD in order
to enable new capabilities and increase
force lethality, technology providers must
also invest in mitigating against those
vulnerabilities.
The use of COTS-based open systems provides a cost-effective approach
to bringing these capabilities to the
warfighter quickly and with the least
risk. To bring the powerful benefits
of advanced computing, AI, autonomy, and robotics to the warfighter,
COTS solutions must be designed
and packaged to meet the environmental and usage requirements of the
battlefield. The equipment must be
dependable and operate while exposed
to extreme environmental conditions.
The technology must also be designed
and packaged to ensure safe and secure
operation. Care must be taken to ensure safe operation without requiring
burdensome safety precautions. System
designers need to design and package
next-generation COTS solutions to
eliminate vulnerabilities to adversarial
access or attack, including cybersecurity and protection against reverse-engineering to prevent physical access
intended to disrupt operation.
It’s essential that these new technologies assure the security of the defense
systems and critical information during
development and operation.
Another area of great importance is
testing, which must be done to ensure
that deployed COTS solutions are
reliable and deliver error-free operation
throughout their useful life.
Conclusion
The DoD and warfighters depend on
trusted and proven sources of supply,
and Congress has made available the
funds to make this happen. Now it’s up
to designers and other innovators to
realize the full promise of new technologies outlined here, just as examples.
For sure, the COTS approach provides
a proven alternative to costly, closed
proprietary system architectures, speeds
deployment, and ensures that critical
technologies remain readily available
over the lifecycle of their use. How technologists build upon and apply it for
next-generation battlefield deployments
with more tech-savvy warfighters will be
interesting to watch. ☐
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APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
FEATURE 13
Discrete Semiconductors
System integration considerations for
heart rate sensing designs
When it comes to optical
HRM designs, developers
have a choice of doing it all or
purchasing it all
BY MORRIE ALTMEJD
Senior Staff Systems Engineer,
Silicon Labs
www.silabs.com
D
esigning an optical heart rate
monitoring (HRM) system, also
known as photoplethysmography
(PPG), is a complex and multidisciplinary
undertaking. Design factors include
human ergonomics, signal processing and
filtering, optical and mechanical design,
low-noise signal receiving circuits, and
low-noise current pulse creation.
Wearable manufacturers are increasingly adding HRM capabilities to their
health and fitness products, which is
helping to drive down the cost of sensors
used in HRM applications. Many HRM
sensors now combine discrete components such as photodetectors and LEDs
Subdermal Tissue
Skin
Excitation signal
Typically green
(525 nm ), 100 µs
long pulses
repeated at 25 Hz
Attenuated
and pulse
modulated
light
Sensor
Photodiode
Green LED
Optical blocking is critical to prevent
the unmodulated excitation signal from
overwhelming the desired signal
Fig. 1: Principles of operation for optical heart rate monitoring.
into highly integrated modules. These
modules enable a simpler implementation that reduces the cost and complexity
of adding HRM to wearable products.
Wearable form factors are steadily
changing as well. While chest straps have
effectively served the health and fitness
market for years, HRM is now migrating to
wrist-based wearables. Advances in optical
sensing technology and high-performance,
low-power processors have enabled the
wrist-based form factor to be viable for
Fig. 2: The basic electronics required to capture optical heart rate.
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
14 FEATURE
Discrete Semiconductors
Fig. 3: An integrated heart rate sensor requires only external LEDs.
ated by the travel through the skin and is
picked up by a photodiode and sent to the
electronic subsystem for processing. The
amplitude modulation due to the pulse is
detected, analyzed, and displayed.
A fundamental approach to HRM system design uses a custom-programmed,
off-the-shelf MCU that controls the pulsing of external LED drivers and simultaneously reads the current output of a
discrete photodiode. Note that the current
output of the photodiode must be converted to voltage to drive analog-to-digital
(A/D) blocks. The schematic in Fig. 2
shows the outline of such a system.
Here, it’s worth noting that the I-to-V
converter creates a voltage equal to VREF
at 0 photodiode current, and the voltage
decreases with increasing current.
HRM building blocks
Fig. 4: A highly integrated HRM sensor module incorporating all essential components.
many designs. The HRM algorithms have
also reached a level of sophistication to be
acceptable in wrist form factors.
Other new wearable sensing form factors and locations are emerging — such
as headbands, sport and fitness clothing,
and earbuds. However, the majority of
wearable biometric sensing will be done
on the wrist.
HRM design fundamentals
No two HRM applications are alike.
System developers must consider many
design tradeoffs: end-user comfort,
sensing accuracy, system cost, power
consumption, sunlight rejection, how
to deal with many skin types, motion
rejection, development time, and physical
size. These design considerations impact
system integration choices: whether to use
highly integrated modules or architectures
incorporating more discrete components.
Fig. 1 shows the fundamentals of measuring heart rate signals, which depend
on the heart rate pressure wave being
optically extracted from tissue. It displays
the travel path of the light entering the
skin. The expansion and contraction of
the capillaries — caused by the heart rate
pressure wave — modulate the light signal
injected into the tissue by the green LEDs.
The received signal is greatly attenu-
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
The current pulses generally used in
heart rate systems are between 2 mA
and 300 mA, depending on the color
of the subject’s skin and the intensity of
sunlight with which the desired signal
needs to compete. The infrared (IR)
radiation in sunlight passes through skin
tissue with little attenuation, unlike the
desired green LED light, and can swamp
the desired signal unless the green light
is very strong or unless an expensive IR
blocking filter is added.
Generally speaking, the intensity
of the green LED light, where it enters
the skin, is between 0.1 and three times
the intensity of sunlight. Due to heavy
attenuation by the tissue, the signal that
arrives at the photodiode is quite weak
and generates just enough current to allow for a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR) — 70 to 100 dB — due to shot
noise even in the presence of perfect,
noise-free op-amps and A/D converters.
The shot noise is due to the finite
number of electrons received for every
reading that occurs at 25 Hz. The
photodiode sizes used in the design are
between 0.1 mm2 and 7 mm2. However, above 1 mm, there are diminishing
returns due to the effect of sunlight.
The difficult and costly function
blocks to implement in an optical heart
rate system design, as shown in Fig. 2, are
the fast, high-current V-to-I converters
Discrete Semiconductors
that drive the LED, a current-to-voltage converter for the photodiode, and
a reliable algorithm in the MCU that
sequences the pulses under host control.
A low-noise LED driver — featuring 300
mA and 75–100 dB SNR — that can be
set to very low currents down to 2 mA
while still creating very narrow light
pulses down to 10 µs is an expensive
block to achieve with discrete op-amps.
The narrow pulses of light down to 10
µs, shown in Fig. 2, allow the system to
tolerate motion and sunlight. Typically,
two light measurements are made for
each 25-Hz sample. One measurement is
taken with LEDs turned off and one with
LEDs turned on. The calculated difference removes the effect of ambient light
and gives the desired raw optical signal
measurement that is insensitive to the
flickering background light.
The short duration of the optical
pulses both allows and requires a relatively strong light pulse. It is essential to
stay brighter than the sunlight signal,
which may be present and not allow the
PPG signal carrier to be dwarfed by the
sunlight signal.
If the sunlight signal is larger than
the PPG carrier, then although it may be
removed by subtraction, the signal can
be so large that external modulation such
as swinging an arm in and out of shadow
can create difficult-to-remove artifacts.
As a result, systems that use low-current
LED drivers and large photodiodes can
suffer severely from motion artifacts in
bright-light situations.
Discrete vs. integrated design
Much of the desired HRM sensing functionality is available pre-designed and
integrated into a single device. Packing
most of this functionality into one piece
of silicon results in a relatively small 3 x
3-mm package that can even integrate
the photodiode itself.
Fig. 3 shows an example of a schematic with an optical sensor. This HRM
design is relatively easy to implement.
You just need to focus on the optical portion of the design, which includes optical
blocking between the parts on the board
and coupling the system to the skin.
While the approach shown in Fig. 3
FEATURE 15
results in a high-performance HRM solution, it’s not as small or power-efficient as
some designers would like. To achieve an
even smaller solution, the LED die and
the control silicon must be integrated
into a single package that incorporates all
essential functions, including the optical
blocking and the lenses that improve the
LED output. Fig. 4 illustrates this more
integrated approach, based on a Silicon
Labs Si117x optical sensor.
No external LEDs are required for this
HRM design. The LEDs and photodiode
are all internal to the module, which can
be installed right below the optical ports
at the back of a wearable product such as
a smartwatch. This approach enables a
shorter distance between the LEDs and
photodiode than is possible with a discrete design. The reduced distance allows
operation at extremely low power due to
lower optical losses traversing the skin.
Integrating the LEDs also addresses the
issue of light leakage between the LEDs and
photodiode so that the designer doesn’t
have to add optical blocking to the PCB.
The alternative to this approach is to handle
the blocking with plastic or foam inserts
and special copper layers on the PCB.
There is one more part of an HRM
design that developers don’t necessarily
need to create: an HRM algorithm. This
software block residing on the host processor is quite complex due to the signal
corruption that occurs during exercise
and motion in general. End-user motion
often creates its own signal that spoofs the
actual heart rate signal and is sometimes
falsely recognized as the heart rate beat.
If a wearable developer or manufacturer
doesn’t have the resources to develop the
algorithm, third-party vendors provide
this software on a licensed basis. It is up to
the designer to decide how much integration is right for the HRM application. The
developer can simplify the design process
and speed time-to-market by opting for a
highly integrated module-based approach
using a licensed algorithm.
Developers with in-depth optical
sensing expertise, time, and resources
may opt to use separate components —
sensors, photodiodes, lenses, etc. — and
do their own system integration and even
create their own HRM algorithm. ☐
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
16 FEATURE
Automotive
AI alters auto design challenges
Automobile designers need to incorporate new approaches as change comes quickly
BY PATRICK MANNION
Contributing Editor
A
rtificial intelligence (AI), electrification, and in-cabin entertainment are just some of the revolutionary
changes underway for automobiles, causing a complete
rethink of how an automobile should be designed and used.
They’re also cause for designers to rethink their own role in the
automotive design chain.
From a semiconductor and components environmental performance point of view, the same rules apply, namely AEC-Q100,
which has been around since 1994. This defines the temperature,
humidity, and other reliability factors. Since 1994, however, much
has changed, and soon, “auto” mobiles will start living up to their
name, thanks in large part to advances in sensor integration, AI,
Moore’s Law, and some people in remote regions making a living
by tagging images to make smart systems more accurate.
For example, accurate labeling can make the difference
between distinguishing between the sky and the side of a
truck. Mighty AI is one company focused on ensuring accurate
Getting to the point at which autonomous vehicles
can be considered safe for everyday use is a
challenge that has captured the imagination of
automobile OEMs, spurring innovations in sensors,
processing, and communications.
tagging using teams of humans spread globally. According to its
founder, S. “Soma” Somasegar, there is a large role for humans
in this loop for a long time to come. “We’re not building a system to play a game; we’re building a system to save lives,” said
Mighty AI CEO Daryn Nakhuda.1
Getting to the point at which autonomous vehicles can be
considered relatively safe for everyday use is an interesting
challenge that has captured the imagination of automobile
OEMs and electronic system designers and spurred innovations
in sensors, processing, and communications.
For some time, it was believed that LiDAR would be the
critical breakthrough technology that would enable autonomous vehicles, but now, developers have realized that it’s a
combination of every sensor input possible, including sonar,
high-definition cameras, LiDAR, and radar, all to ensure accurate ranging and identification of objects. According to GM, the
autonomous version of its Chevy Volt electric vehicle (EV) has
40 more sensors and 40% more hardware.
Lowering the cost and power consumption of that hardware, especially for advanced image processing, is one of many
critical enabling factors for autonomous vehicles. To that end,
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
Dream Chip Technologies announced an advanced driver
assistance system (ADAS) system-on-chip (SoC) for computer
vision at Mobile World Congress (MWC) that greatly increases
performance while lowering power consumption.
The ADAS SoC was developed in collaboration with Arm,
ArterisIP, Cadence, GlobalFoundries (GF), and Invecas as part
of the European Commission’s ENIAC THINGS2DO reference
development platform. It was developed on GF’s 22FDX technology to lower the power required for AI and neural network
(NN) processing so that it can be embedded into a vehicle
without the need for active cooling techniques, which can add
weight, size, and cost while increasing the probability of failure.
The SoC uses Dream Chip’s image signal-processing pipeline, Tensilica’s (Cadence) P6 DSPs, and a quad-cluster of Arm
Cortex-A53 processors to get to 1 tera operations per second
(TOPS) with a power consumption “in the single digits.”
Distributed vs. centralized sensor processing
The low-power performance of Dream Chip Technologies’ SoC
at low power for image processing is critical, given that latency
needs to be minimized to avoid incidents. The further that a vehicle can see, and the sooner that it can process what it sees, the
safer a vehicle will become. However, as mentioned, there are
many sensors required for reasonably intelligent decision-making, which raises the question of where and how all of those
sensor inputs should be processed.
Sensor fusion techniques are well-known in applications such
as drones, in which gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers are managed in such a way that the benefits of each are
accentuated and the negatives attenuated. How can this be done
for autonomous vehicles with so many and varied sensors?
To tackle this, Mentor Graphics decided to work backwards
and start with Level 5 autonomy in mind. Its approach is called
DRS360 and it takes (fuses) raw sensor data from LiDAR, radar,
and cameras and processes it to develop a 360-degree real-time
view of vehicle surroundings. The centralized approach reduces
latencies but does require a high level of centralized processing,
which Mentor provides using Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC
FPGAs with its advanced NN algorithms. The alternative is to
do the image, LiDAR, or radar processing locally at the sensor
and send the results upstream, but that approach doesn’t scale
as efficiently as DRS360, nor does it take full advantage of rapidly changing and evolving algorithms. The downside is a single
point of failure, but built-in redundancies and good design can
offset that.
The importance of automotive sensors is not lost on the
MIPI Alliance, which is bringing its experience with defining
sensor physical-layer interfaces on mobile handsets to the
rapidly evolving automotive space. On Oct. 7, it announced the
formation of the MIPI Automotive Working Group (AWG) to
Automotive
FEATURE 17
definition to wire harness manufacture and vehicle maintenance.
“Capital excels at managing complex systems,” said Scott.
“We’ve got generative design, where we can take basic architectures and auto-generate wiring diagrams from that.” While
Capital doesn’t pick the specific components required, Scott
said that Mentor does have a design services team that can help
with next-level design decisions.
Comfort and services replacing performance
Fig. 1: A teardown of eight EVs showed large differences in how
power trains are designed and how thermals are managed.
bring standardization to sensor interfaces to lower development
costs, reduce testing time, and improve reliability. With its
background in mobile devices, MIPI Alliance is also confident
that it can help ensure that highly sensitive, mission-critical
automotive applications suffer minimally from EMI.
IMAGE: MCKINSEY & COMPANY
Electrification of vehicles accelerating
Though often considered to be synonymous with autonomous
vehicles, the move to electrification to replace the internal combustion engine (ICE) is moving at its own pace with different
drivers. Primarily, electric vehicles with their large batteries are
seen as a more sustainable form of transportation. However,
that battery does add weight, up to 32% more versus an equivalent ICE vehicle, according to Dan Scott, market director for
integrated electrical systems at Mentor Graphics.
The issue, then, is to minimize weight, which goes directly
to cables, harnesses, and connectors. The other issue with electrical vehicles is the higher power requirements, with currents
of up to 250 A at 400 V for a typical 1-KW battery implementation. Such high currents cause more energy losses to heat
generation, which is driving a move to 800-V power for EVs.
This will also reduce the cable weight, as will other techniques,
such as removing shielding on high-power cabling. McKinsey
& Company tore down eight EVs just to see how they were
differentiated, and power and thermal management proved to
be an interesting factor with no convergence on power-train
design approaches yet (Fig. 1).
However, there are trade-offs associated with that, said
Scott, such as EMC issues. “Also, with things like regenerative
braking, now you have power electronics, motor controls, and
battery chemistry to consider, so you have to share that data
between different tools,” said Scott. “This requires a much more
holistic design approach.”
For this, Mentor developed its Capital software suite for
electrical and wire harness design and layout for automotive and
aerospace applications. The goal of Capital is to maintain a seamless data flow from vehicle concept and electrical architecture
As vehicles evolve toward autonomy, comfort, entertainment,
and services are becoming seen as more differentiating factors
than performance and road “feel.” Ford has recognized and
championed this migration toward services, and Intel has long
promoted the focus on data, both on the vehicle and on its usage.
How vehicles are being used is changing the business model,
with younger users showing an affinity for a subscription model
versus owning a vehicle. Also, they like to be both informed
and entertained, which inspired Imagination Technologies to
announce its PowerVR Series8XT GT8540 four-cluster IP for
high-definition heads-up displays and infotainment. The GPU
core can support multiple high-definition 4K video streams as
well as up to eight applications and services simultaneously. ☐
Reference:
1. Nakashima, R. (2018, March 5). AI’s dirty little secret: It’s powered by people. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2G2w6G1.
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
EET201803_Na Bob.indd 3
2018/3/1 上午9:37
18 SPECIAL
Power Devices
Modern portable devices require a new
breed of LDOs
The following LDO parameters are important for the application at hand:
Low noise and high PSRR. In wired and wireless commuBY DIMITRY GODER, Director of Product Definition;
nication
systems, the LDO provides a clean power supply to
KEN SALVI, Business Manager;
NAZZARENO ROSSETTI, Ph.D. EE
sensitive analog circuits (PLL, VCO, RF). The LDO must
Maxim Integrated
have good power-supply rejection ratio (PSRR) to isolate
www.maximintegrated.com
its load from its source, likely due to a noisy switching
regulator. Low spectral noise (VRMS/√Hz) will minimize linearity degradation in the RF demodulator
n the long electric path from the power source
and phase noise in the PLL and VCO circuits.
— be it the AC line or the battery — to an
Low power dissipation. While power dissipaelectronic load, the low-dropout (LDO)
tion is the LDO’s Achilles heel, a 5-V, 500-mA
regulator is often called upon to cover
LDO with a 100-mV dropout (500 mA x 200
the “last mile.” Here, the noisy switching
mΩ) will yield a respectable 98% efficiency
regulator steps aside in favor of the quiet
when used with a 5.1-V input (50-mW losses),
LDO to power critical electronic loads.
rivaling some of the best switching regulators.
The LDO has been under constant renewal
Used properly, the LDO’s qualities can be exor evolution along with the rest of power
ploited without having to suffer its shortcomings.
management electronics. Over time, the
Low quiescent current. In operation, the quiLDO has not only become quieter but more
escent current of an LDO will dissipate additional
reliable, accurate, fault-tolerant, powerful, and
power. A 4-mA quiescent current with a 5-V
efficient, with a mix of features that adapt
Fig. 1. State-of-the-art low-dropout
to the application at hand.
regulator: smaller than a drop of water. input (as shown for the bipolar LDO in Table
1) will dissipate 20 mW. This robs the regulaRecent applications like miniature
tor of almost another whole percentage point of efficiency. The
wireless 4G base stations have challenged the already small LDO
CMOS regulator, with only 365 µA of quiescent current, can reto become even smaller while packing more power. In this article,
duce this loss tenfold. This is significant because low quiescent
we’ll review the main features of an LDO while comparing a modcurrent is as important as low dropout in portable applications.
ern CMOS LDO to an old bipolar workhorse. Subsequently, we’ll
High output accuracy. Additional power dissipation can ocreview how each LDO parameter helps solve a specific application
cur due to an output voltage that is higher than nominal, even
problem. We’ll then introduce a new family of LDOs with features
when within an acceptable range of tolerance. At 4% accuracy
that enable further miniaturization, enhance fault tolerance, and
over 5 V and 500 mA, you will see a power dissipation increase
support a broad range of modern applications.
of 4% x 5 V x 500 mA = 100 mW. This is as costly as the losses
from the pass transistor of the previous case! This is inadequate
LDOs have come a long way
for power-hungry portable applications.
Table 1 compares the main features of a pioneering bipolar LDO
Low leakage. Even while not in operation, the LDO needs
regulator with an integrated PNP pass transistor (2.1- to 16-V into perform efficiently. Wearable devices are typically very small
put voltage) to a modern CMOS LDO with an integrated PMOS
in size and must last a long time both in operation and on the
pass transistor (1.7- to 5.5-V input). As you can see from across
shelf. Minimization of the size and power dissipation in both
all of the features listed, the CMOS LDO outperforms the old
modes is crucial. While on the shelf in shutdown mode, the
bipolar one by a factor ranging from 1.5 to 8 times!
I
Table 1: Bipolar vs. CMOS LDO regulator comparison.
500-mA LDO
PACKAGE mm2
ACCURACY
OVER TEMP
NOISE, µVRMS,
10–100 kHz
QUIESCENT
CURRENT, µA
PSRR,
dB @ 1 kHz
DROPOUT,
mV @ 500 mA
CMOS
TDFN8
2x2
±1%
12
365
70
100
BIPOLAR
SSOP8
3x3
–4%/+2.5%
18
3,000
60
310
CMOS OVER
BIPOLAR
IMPROVEMENT
2x
3x
1.5x
8x
3x (10 dB)
3x
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
SPECIAL 19
Power Devices
WLP-6
1.22 x 0.82 x 0.84 mm
TDFN-8
2.0 x 2.0 x 0.8 mm
Fig. 2: MAX38902C/D WLP-6 package
advantage.
SOT23-5
2.8 x 2.8 x 1.2 mm
Fig. 3: MAX38902A/B/C/D reverse-voltage
protection.
device might need to last up to three years, which requires a
very low leakage current.
New requirement: reverse-current protection. Reverse-current protection is a new feature seldom found in available LDOs.
In battery-operated equipment, the load is regulated typically via
an efficient CMOS LDO with a MOSFET pass transistor that carries a reverse-biased intrinsic diode between input and output.
The reverse-current protection prevents the large reverse
current that occurs when a buck regulator at the LDO input is
shut off, shorting the input to GND. The discharge energy of a
large LDO output capacitance through the LDO pass transistor’s intrinsic diode creates the damage. A low reverse current is
tolerated. Above a set threshold (200 mA), the reverse current
is completely blocked.
New requirement: Miniaturization. As seen in Table 1, little
progress has been made in LDO packaging miniaturization.
This is due, in part, to reliability concerns. In harsh environments like automotive under-the-hood applications, lead-frame
IC packages like the TDFN-8 are preferred because they have
proven their high reliability over time. Lead-frame technology
is inherently space-inefficient.
On the other hand, in consumer and wireless communications applications, size is a major concern. Fortunately, these
environments are relatively benign and stress-free, opening
opportunities for innovation.
Can we preserve all of the progress made by LDO electrical
parameters and add additional features like fault tolerance with
reverse-current protection and miniaturization for wireless applications? A new family of LDOs positively answers this challenge.
TDFN-8
2.0 x 2.0 x 0.8 mm
Fig. 4: MAX38902A/B TDFN-8 package
advantage.
technology for increased miniaturization. Fig. 2 illustrates how
the 500-mA LDO regulator, in a WLP-6 package, occupies
roughly one-fourth the space of the TDFN-8 footprint (and
one-sixteenth of the SOT23-5 of Fig. 4). The WLP-6 solution is
well-suited for applications that require minimal PCB space.
Reverse-current protection. The pass element (T1 in Fig. 3)
is a low RDSON p-channel MOSFET transistor. The internal
circuitry senses the MOSFET drain-to-source voltage and, in
addition to driving the gate, keeps the body diode reverse-biased. This additional step allows the device to behave like a
true open switch when its polarity is reversed (LDO OUT 10
mV higher than LDO IN). A positive drain-to-source voltage,
under proper drive (CONTROL), turns the MOSFET “on,”
with current flowing in normal mode while the body diode is
again reverse-biased.
This innovative feature protects the load and the LDO from
A state-of-the-art solution
The excellent parameters shown in Table 1 for the CMOS
LDO are applicable for the MAX38902A/ MAX38902B/
MAX38902C/MAX38902D family of LDO regulators. Going
even further, this new family solves the miniaturization problem by providing an option of wafer-scale packaging technology, resulting in minimal PCB space usage. In addition,
it solves the reverse-current protection problem with a novel
implementation of the LDO power train. Let’s review these
innovations in more detail:
Wafer-scale packaging. Miniature 4G base stations are small
enough to fit in a backpack and are still very powerful. Here,
the LDO that powers the RF section must be small and powerful, delivering hundreds of milliamperes. The C and D versions
of this newer LDO family adopt wafer-level packaging (WLP)
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
20 SPECIAL
Power Devices
MAX38902 PSRR VS. FREQUENCY AT 25°C
(VIN = 3.7 V, VOUT = 3.3 V, IOUT = 400 mA)
MAX38902A NOISE
MAGNITUDE (dB)
NOISE (VRMS/√Hz)
10.0E-6
VIN = 3 V
VOUT = 2.5 V
IOUT = 100 mA
1.0E-6
100.0E-9
10.0E-9
10.0E+0
100.0E+0
1.0E+3
10.0E+3
100.0E+3
10
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
–70
–80
–90
–100
100
1 x 100-nF 0201 BYP CAP
3 X 4.7-µF 0402 INPUT AND OUTPUT CAP
1K
10K
FREQUENCY (Hz)
Fig. 5: MAX38902A/B noise performance.
Fig. 6: MAX38902A/B PSRR.
accidental input shorts, making the system more fault-tolerant.
High-reliability applications. Industrial and automotive applications are characterized by a wide operating temperature range.
Here, a lead-frame package, more tolerant of temperature-induced PCB surface mechanical stress, may be preferred. In this
case, a modern TDFN package (A and B versions) provides a
solution that is roughly half the footprint and two-thirds the
height of a more traditional SOT23-5 or similar package (Fig. 4).
Low noise performance. Fig. 5 shows the spectral noise
density of this family of devices. With a figure of merit as low
as 30 nV/√Hz), it is an excellent choice for many low-noise
applications.
High PSRR performance. Fig. 6 shows the PSRR profile from
100 Hz to 10 MHz. With a figure of merit as high as 62 dB, this
family is an excellent choice for analog or digital noise-sensitive
applications.
Conclusion
Fluffing the cloud
Continued from page 4
SoCs to hard-wired intelligent
modules for everything from old “early-adopter” houses full of semi-intelligent
disconnected wired subsystems to devices intended to cost-effectively upgrade a
manufacturing facility to Industry 4.0.
What this means for you is that there
are more possibilities and opportunities
than ever before. Just about anything you
can imagine in three dimensions can be
realized in an object of some kind. Software
is more powerful than ever before, and design tools can even output C code for those
who are better at thinking with their hands.
Development kits and reference designs are
abound, enabling those with a concept but
without a staff to properly develop that
idea with completely operational subsystems that provide all the functionality
100K
1M
10M
FREQUENCY (Hz)
LDOs have come a long way since their initial introduction by
adapting to the needs of evolving applications. We reviewed the
classic LDO parameters and discussed its improvements moving
from a bipolar to CMOS implementation. Next, we discussed the
challenges of reverse-current protection and the miniaturization
required by many modern portable applications. A new family
of LDOs (MAX38902A/B/C/D) solves the former problem with
a new power train architecture and the latter problem with the
adoption of wafer-level packaging options. For challenging application environments such as industrial and automotive applications, traditional lead-frame package technology is also available.
The availability of multiple versions of the basic LDO supports different applications. This gives system designers several
“go-to” LDOs that can be leveraged to save significant cost and
development time. ☐
desired for the final product.
This development is also empowering
the components and magnetics industry
as those industries are being challenged
to step up to address the new needs of
the advanced topologies in the newest
generation of devices. Better capacitors, improved magnetics, and better
PCB construction not only address the
demands of the latest semiconductor materials and IC designs, they also provide
empowering aspects of their own, enabling engineers to leverage the benefits
with one another to achieve their goals.
This movement forward is also placing
severe demands on the test and measurement industry at every level. Test
has achieved a level of importance in the
design industry previously only hinted
at and now is a critical aspect of design,
development, and manufacture. Manufacturers now test at every point of the chain
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
from idea to product, and this benefits the
engineer, the company, and the consumer.
The big issue in test is that a test device
has to be “better” than the system that it
is testing. Just as a ruler can only measure
something more accurately than another
ruler if their lines are closer together, a
test device can only measure a system if it
is faster and has a higher bandwidth and
a higher memory than the item tested.
The test industry has responded with a
plethora of fantastic gear that can measure
quickly, widely, and deeply with a memory both big enough and fast enough to
measure anything attached to it.
So take a look in these pages, and see
the latest in embedded and power technology in our reports on Embedded World
and APEC. These devices and solutions
will empower not only your designs but the
next level of electronic device development.
Alix Paultre
Power Devices
SPECIAL 21
Advanced battery packages empower
next-generation systems
BY ALIX PAULTRE
Contributing Editor
O
ne of the most discussed and
stressed-over aspects of the latest
revolution in portable, worn, autonomous, and remote electronics is the battery.
The problem is that people pay both too
much and not enough attention to it. They
pay too much to the size, and less to the
need, the capability, and the functionality.
Design engineers understand the importance of selecting the most optimized
solution for their application, especially
when the device has demanding power
requirements. Selecting the right battery
solution will directly affect the performance of the device and the experience
for the end user. Understanding battery
chemistry and cell selection as well as battery management systems will guide the
proper battery selection and or design.
Size: Does it matter?
When it comes to energy storage, does
the size of the battery matter? Actually,
size isn’t as important as safety or operational reliability, among other things.
Pure power isn’t necessarily the silver
bullet to a design’s needs. It’s an easy out
to address every range or operating time
issue by adding a bigger or supplemental
battery, and a brisk aftermarket in several
application spaces exists to do just that.
But it often isn’t enough.
The issue is being able to provide the
energy that the system requires to fulfill
the primary functionality for a reasonable
time at a price point both acceptable to
the consumer and able to generate a profit.
However, in many cases, when designing
a custom battery, size is a key driver. With
device manufacturers, battery requirements are often an afterthought and an
important component to ensuring that
the design engineers can provide a battery
supporting the mechanical requirements
in the form factor that is needed.
We recently spoke to VARTA about the
issues facing engineers developing products
and battery choice. Arkadiy Niyazov, Project
Manager at VARTA Microbattery, explained
that for many engineers, it isn’t battery
capacity as much as it is form factor and
functionality. Arkadiy points out, “A custom
battery pack often serves the customer better because it allows for an optimal solution
for not only the power requirement but also
safety and functionality.”
For example, in the rapidly-changing
Li-ion battery industry, the traditional
18650 cell size is not the only choice. New
options such as the 21700 and 26650 have
now become more readily available, providing design engineers with more choices
to meet the form, fit, and function needed
to support the mechanical specifications
of the end device while still delivering the
energy required by the system.
When it comes to energy management today, it often isn’t how big the
battery but how efficient the system it
drives. In a hypothetical case of two
identical batteries in two nearly identical
IoT wearable medical systems, the one
with better antenna matching will have a
significantly longer battery life than that
of the system less elegantly designed. Another example can be found in the coming wave of disruptive power electronics
based on wide-bandgap semiconductors,
with not only higher efficiencies but also
higher power densities, smaller sizes, and
reduced cooling requirements.
Buy or build?
One of the most fundamental questions
in embedded design engineering is
whether to procure subsystems off the
shelf, custom-made, or do-it-yourself.
In the case of modular subsystems like
batteries, this can be a very difficult question to ask oneself. Not only are standard
battery sizes readily available, they are a
mature interface that has strong customer and industry support.
Fig. 1: This VARTA battery pack was
created for a human robotics project.
Providing a view from the field, Stefan
Hald, Field Applications Engineer (Power
Pack Solutions) at VARTA said, “I see a lot
of requests from specialty spaces because
they need to meet the redundant electrical and thermal safety and protection
demanded by the application. The battery
has to be as small as possible, but there
also has to be redundancy and monitoring
functionality included. We are also seeing
a lot of requests for LED indicators for operational status, failure codes by blinking,
and the like.”
Consumer products with a relatively
large form factor have the hardest decision to make, as there is enough room to
accommodate a standard battery without
concerns of packaging or size compromises. This also applies to products that
have evolved in form factors that already
have accommodated themselves to legacy
battery adoption.
One way to sidestep the issue is to do
both, create a custom battery solution
that also can work with off-the-shelf cells.
Companies with the assets to do so usually do it for maximum market penetration
while providing both an upgrade path for
customers and an accessory sales channel
to support it. Video game controllers and
cameras come to mind, both high-use
(high-power-drain) products with a
customer base ranging from entry-level
newbie to passionate professional. This is
obviously not possible for every manufacturer, hence the difficulty of the decision.
On the “soft” side, multiple power
options benefit both the manufacturer
and consumer for marketing and practical
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
22 SPECIAL
reasons. Standard batteries are often the
default choice unless there are form-factor
concerns that preclude use of off-the-shelf
batteries. Until recently, form-factor issues
were the primary reasons that manufacturers went with a custom solution.
Often, user acceptance and form
factor go hand in hand. A single thin removable battery appeals to the customer
while also providing form factor and
internal functionality to the manufacturer. For example, this 1,590-mAh VARTA
EasyPack SLIM measures 5.2 mm max
and has a CE Marking, a UL 2054 Listing, and IEC62133 Edition 2 compliance.
This kind of solution is often the best of
both worlds as it is a “standard custom”
kind of solution that multiple products
from multiple vendors can share.
Packing in functionality
The advantages of an optimized battery
solution, however, can far outweigh the
additional costs involved in designing a
custom power pack into your product.
As Stefan over at VARTA pointed out,
the most popular add-on functionalities
currently involve the battery itself, such
as fuel gauging and safety monitoring.
However, the ability to add functionality
to a device by putting it in its battery pack
lets designers provide features in a novel
way that allows easy binning, scalability,
and upgradability to the customer.
One of the biggest problems is the
previously mentioned aftermarket add-on
batteries. Many of these off-brand overthe-counter batteries have no security or
safety technology integrated at all; there
is often no way to tell if a store-bought
battery is a real one from the manufacturer or just a tootsie roll wrapped in a label
thrown together by scammers.
There are many stories of counterfeit
bad batteries destroying products via
agents from leaked acid to catastrophic
thermal runaway (a fancy way to say, “It
caught fire”). The first benefit of a custom
pack is that you can add an RFID chip
for inventory and counterfeit detection, a
battery-monitoring IC to watch the charge
state and thermals, or buy a chip that has
both of those functionalities and more.
Once you open the battery pack to
drop in a chip, your horizons broaden
Power Devices
significantly. That chip could be a simple
safety and security device, or it could
be one of the new crops of IoT wireless
ASICs, or it could be a complete SOC
that lets you tailor your entire product
line by the kind of battery pack it takes.
When designing a custom battery,
design engineers need to understand cell
technology for an application based on
what is the best technical fit, which, in
some cases, can have very demanding
power requirements. Additionally, understanding cell technology trends will
directly impact the direction for a particular design including availability of cells
and new cell sizes such as Li-ion 26650
and 21700. Choosing the appropriate
BMS is equally as important as they
can have simple electronics to measure
cell voltage or more complex BMS that
affects the battery life and performance
as well as ensuring safety.
Another example can be found
in the area of robotics. Fig. 1 shows a
VARTA battery pack that was created for a human robotics project that
required advanced functionalities like
fuel gauging and safety monitoring. The
design included sophisticated casting
to withstand the mechanical forces
certification according to UL, a custom
cell holder for production assembly and
cell positioning, and highly customized
PCM for electrical control, battery safety,
and performance. Robots must not only
operate remotely, they must be able to
detect low-battery situations accurately
and quickly enough to address them in
real time either by reducing power needs
or returning to base for recharge.
Wireless functionality
The aforementioned wireless functionality can be implemented in many ways.
Just integrating a cheap paper RFID tag
in the label would go a long way toward
reducing counterfeit risks as well as
providing users with product information like pack capacity and may even give
the device being powered a rudimentary
interface to first-level battery functions
like amount of charge and temperature.
In areas where there are options for
the user such as near-field communication (NFC) payments, it is possible to add
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
regional functionality to a device via the
battery to address local or proprietary
communication protocols. Many places
are now accepting NFC pay, but some
manufacturers may not wish to deploy that
functionality across their entire product
line. This also applies to internal security
devices for internal company resources that
may vary from location and facility.
The other major wireless functionality
is wireless charging. Once thought of
for longer-ranged applications, wireless
charging is rapidly becoming a final-inch
solution to eliminating batteries. Adding
independent wireless-charging capability
to your product’s battery pack delivers
multiple benefits. Not only does this
enable the user to buy multiple battery
packs and charge the unused packs with
the same wireless power interface, it
allows the manufacturer to offer users of
popular legacy products an upgrade path
to wireless charging.
Optical functionality
When one thinks of batteries, lights
usually come into the situation as loads.
More often today, that light is an internal
LED showing charge state. In the future,
that LED could also transmit optical
data, from troubleshooting information
to augmented reality codes that would
let users fight virtual dragons emanating
from the back of their phones.
These embedded LEDs (or in the
future, possibly OLED coatings) can also
be used for aesthetic purposes as well
as practical, or both. Status LEDs could
be made to blink in time with music
or other data (gaming) to enhance the
smart-device experience, for example. The key is that once you open the
box to adding a light, there is nothing
restricting you to only one function for
it, especially because most additional
functionality can be added in code.
Looking forward
Electronic engineers have more and more
choice when designing and specifying
their battery packs, with more options
for security and functionality than ever
before. Understanding all of them (work
with your supplier!) will help you greatly
in achieving your product design goals. ☐
SPECIAL 23
Embedded World Wrap-Up
The expanding IoT: a visit to Embedded World
BY ALIX PAULTRE
Contributing Editor
T
he most notable thing about Embedded World, the leading
international exhibition for embedded technology, is the
buzz of activity everywhere. The bringing together of
engineers, ideas, and technology makes for an exciting and busy
event. In its 16-year existence, Embedded World has provided
a place where the world’s engineering community can come
together and work on solutions for things both great and small.
Larger yet again in 2018, the show brought together over
1,000 companies in six exhibition halls to show their wares to
over 32,000 visitors from 78 countries. The event’s associated
conferences also demonstrated the vibrancy of the industry
with 2,176 participants and speakers from 52 countries. This
combined effort to show, educate, entertain, and create an
environment to exchange ideas and solutions makes the show
a must-see for any company serious about participating in the
embedded engineering space.
In the buzz, many application areas were discussed — from
automotive to the smart home to intelligent medical devices
to Industry 4.0. All of these application spaces are expected to
eventually all connect in the cloud as part of the IoT, and the exhibition floor is where that reality is being created. Solutions both
wired and wireless were presented to automate and integrate all
aspects of society that involve powered systems.
This final integration of all powered devices into the IoT is the
true “final mile,” as even legacy technology is brought into the fold
using methodologies from multi-protocol wireless devices that can
talk to sub-gigahertz proprietary systems to wired devices that can
completely replace the older systems in place. This final integration
of all powered devices will further increase the ability to communicate, coordinate, and operate in better and more useful ways.
ry and 128 Kb of SRAM (80 Kb available for the user).
The IoD-09 can be programmed with the 4D Systems Workshop4 integrated development environment (IDE) or through
the Arduino IDE. Workshop4 provides powerful graphics using
the GFXdloIoD09 graphics library specifically for the IoD-09
series through a drag-and-drop-style graphical user interface
(GUI). The IoD-09 Starter Kit comes with an IoD display module, 4D-UPA programmer, and a 4-GB micro-SD card.
Printed Circuit Boards
from Prototype to Production
4D Systems
One thing that people expect from an intelligent system is a
control screen everywhere that input is needed. 4D Systems
is serving that need with its Internet of Display modules, and
their 0.9-in. WiFi-enabled IoD-09 series of 80 x 160 TFT LCD
displays can display full color images, animations, and icons.
The new modules come in two variants: through-hole (IoD09TH) and surface-mount (IoD-09SM).
The module is designed around the ESP8266 systemon-Chip (SoC) from Espressif. It comes with 802.11 b/g/e/i
support as well as WPA/WPA2, WEP/TKIP/AES, and STA/
AP/STA+AP/P2P operational mode support. There are six
GPIOs available allowing digital input/output as well as various
communication protocols. Available interfaces include SPI, I2C,
UART, and one-wire communications. A micro-SD slot allows
the use of off-the-shelf high-capacity memory cards from 4 GB
to a maximum of 32 GB. FAT16 and FAT32 file accesses are
supported. The module also comes with 4 Mbit of flash memo-
Quick turns from 8 hours
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Phone: (916) 241-9062
www.pcb-pool.com
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
24 SPECIAL
Lattice Semiconductor
Part of the effort to drive continued
adoption of 60-GHz wireless technology, Lattice Semiconductor expanded its
Lattice Snap wireless connector product family, based on SiBEAM 60-GHz
technology, to enable manufacturers
to easily integrate short-range, highspeed 60-GHz wireless links into their
products. To simplify the design process
further, Lattice included the Snap modules, which are compliant with regulatory
requirements in several jurisdictions, in
their Snap evaluation kit for fast prototyping and time-to-market.
The Snap modules offer 12-Gbps
full-duplex bandwidth at sub-frame latencies, making this technology ideal for
the replacement of physical connectors,
such as USB. By eliminating the connector, the industrial designs of new products can be optimized by making them
thinner, lighter, and environment-proof,
all while maintaining a robust and highspeed connection.
Key features of the Snap modules include fully-integrated power regulation,
timing, 60-GHz antenna design, and
regulatory compliance.
Nexperia
With the demands being placed on power systems and the growing competition
from wide-bandgap devices, the pressure
is on silicon to rise to the challenge. With
that in mind, Nexperia, the former Standard Products division of NXP, released
the NextPower 100-V family of power
MOSFETs with a low reverse recovery
charge (Qrr) and parts that are qualified
to 175°C in the LFPAK56 (PowerSO8)
package.
Recommended for high-efficiency
switching and high-reliability applications, the devices have 50% lower
RDS(on) and a strong avalanche energy
rating and feature low body diode losses
with Qrr down to 50 nC, resulting in
lower reverse recovery current (IRR),
lower voltage spikes (Vpeak), and reduced ringing, which allows for further
optimised dead-time.
The new NextPower 100-V MOSFETs
are available in three packages: TO220
and I2PAK through-hole devices and
Embedded World Wrap-Up
the widely acclaimed LFPAK56 package (SMT). All package variants feature
Tj(max) of 175°C and fully meet the
extended temperature requirements of
IPC9592, making NextPower 100-V
MOSFETs especially suitable for telecom
and computing applications.
In its 16-year existence,
Embedded World has provided
a place where the world’s
engineering community can
come together and work on
solutions for things both great
and small.
ADLINK
Of course, you can’t have an IoT without
an intelligent infrastructure using secure
and robust platforms, preferably with a
minimal footprint. ADLINK Technology introduced an industrial IoT-ready
combination embedded controller and
IoT gateway. The MXE-210 offers a
small footprint and is fully operable in
harsh environments from –40°C to 85°C,
making it an ideal choice for industrial
automation, transportation, agriculture/
aquaculture, and smart city applications.
Functioning as both a gateway and
embedded controller, the MXE-210
bridges the gap between operations technology (OT) and information technology
(IT) data interchanges, with support for
third-party manufacturers via industry-standard compliances. Support is
included for Modbus, EtherCAT, DDS,
MQTT, and CANOpen by Vortex Edge
Connect, as well as Wi-Fi, BT, LoRa, 3G,
and 4G LTE for data communication and
wireless connectivity. As a controller, the
MXE-210 leverages the same protocols to
directly communicate with and manage
any standard industrial device.
The MXE-210 gateway’s single
embedded SIM (e-SIM) automatically
switches between regional networks,
enabling a more secure and robust alternative to multiple SIM cards currently
to deliver data as rolling stock moves
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
between regions. The pre-installed e-SIM
also eliminates time spent swapping out
installed SIM cards. The MXE-210 Series
further supports a wide range of comprehensive security measures, providing
protection from the inside out with the
benefits of TPM 2.0, Intel Boot Guard,
and UEFI Secured Boot.
In addition, the MXE-210 comes
equipped with an Intel Atom x7-E3950/
x5-E3930 processor, one DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0
ports, two GbE ports, two COM ports
(RS232/422/485), two mPCIe slots, one
USIM slot, one mSATA, one SATA-III,
one micro-SD slot, and support for DINrails and wall-mounting. Optional extras
include audio mic-in, line-out support,
eight isolated DIs with interrupt and
eight isolated DOs, and two additional
COM ports (RS232/422/485).
Silicon Labs
Wireless IoT devices can’t properly serve
their applications if the battery is dead
from inefficient operation. Silicon Labs
introduced a new Wi-Fi portfolio to
simplify the design of power-sensitive,
battery-operated Wi-Fi products such
as IP security cameras, point-of-sale
terminals, and consumer healthcare devices. Optimized for exceptional energy
efficiency, the WF200 transceivers and
WFM200 modules support 2.4-GHz
802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.
Developers can speed time-to-market
and miniaturize battery-operated Wi-Fi
products with the WFM200, the world’s
smallest pre-certified system-in-package
(SiP) module with an integrated antenna.
Silicon Labs’ WF200 transceiver provides
a cost-effective option for high-volume
applications with the flexibility to meet
unique system design requirements, such
as external antennas.
Benefits include low transmit (TX:
138 mA) and receive (RX: 48 mA) power,
200-µA average Wi-Fi power consumption (DTIM = 3), and a link budget of
115 dBm for long-range Wi-Fi transmissions. The 4 x 4-mm QFN32 transceiver
and 6.5 x 6.5-mm LGA52 SiP module
exhibit excellent antenna diversity and
wireless coexistence in crowded 2.4-GHz
environments. ☐
APEC Wrap-Up
SPECIAL 25
APEC’s growth reflects the health of the
power industry
low work-function surface in intimate contact with the donor
electrode facing the dielectric. It was explained to us as kind of
a nanotech “Maxwell’s Demon.” This will be a significant breakthrough — a revolutionary one — if it can scale well.
BY ALIX PAULTRE
Contributing Editor
T
his year’s Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC)
in San Antonio, Texas (Anaheim, California, next year),
was larger than the last and represents the new energy in the power industry (pun intended). Over 5,000 power
electronics engineering professionals attended, and APEC
broke records in two significant categories — the number of
“full conference” attendees and the number of attendees who
also signed up for the Sunday and Monday seminars occurring
outside of the exhibition.
In addition, the Power Sources Manufacturers Association’s
(PSMA’s) full-day workshops on Saturday covering Magnetics
and Capacitors were exceptionally well-attended. According to
Greg Evans, one of the hard-working people behind the scenes,
“It is abundantly clear that the continuing developments in
power semiconductors (GaN, SiC and silicon) are a driving
force behind this growing need for more knowledge and understanding of circuit topologies and component selection.”
In addition to the conference sessions, the combination of the
largest APEC exhibition ever plus the largest number of industry
sessions provided attendees with exposure to the very latest new
product developments. The beauty of the exhibition is its comprehensive aspect for what is billed as a “power show” as manufacturers continue to expand their recognition of the importance of
energy management in every facet of embedded electronics.
Texas Instruments
A 1-MHz active clamp
flyback chipset and industry-first 6-A three-level
buck battery charger from
Texas Instruments can
cut power supply size
and charge time in half.
Operating at up to 1 MHz, TI’s new chipset combines the
UCC28780 active clamp flyback controller and the UCC24612
synchronous rectifier controller. For battery-powered electronics that need maximum charging efficiency in a small
solution size, the bq25910 6-A three-level buck battery charger enables up to a 60% smaller-solution footprint.
Designed to work with both gallium nitride (GaN) and
silicon (Si) FETs, the UCC28780’s advanced and adaptive features enable the active clamp flyback topology to meet modern
Complete in-house
production of transformers,
SMPS, chokes and PCBAs
Evercell
The most interesting thing that we observed at APEC was some
tech that was far from mature but one that held great promise.
The Evercell thermal harvester demonstration unit was seen in
a live demonstration to produce a constant output of about 200
mV. Production of Evercell thermal harvesters will be scaled up
to deliver an output of 1.2 Vdc.
The basic design of the Evercell power cell is made up of
four very thin layers in the tens to hundreds of nanometers.
Opposing electrodes sandwich a dielectric that is less than 200
nm thick. The surface of the donor electrode is surface-treated
to lower the work function of its surface, thereby imposing a
Basic Evercell Power Cell
230
210
240
220
Power transformer
Toroidal transformer
LED power driver
Established in 1990
Samples ready in just 5 days
30-days lead times
Get a quote for OEM projects in 4 days
Equipment from Japan, the US and the UK
Choke coil
A
Keen Ocean Industrial Ltd.
210 - low-work-function electrode (<1.0 eV)
220 - surface treatment reducing work
function
230 - dielectric layer
240 - high-work-function electrode (>2.0 eV)
A - direction of current flow
Website: www.keenocean.com.hk
Email: sales@keenocean.com.hk
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
EET201803_Keen Ocean-OK.indd 1
2018/2/9 上午10:37
26 SPECIAL
efficiency standards. With multimode
control that changes the operation based
on input and output conditions, pairing
the UCC28780 with the UCC24612 can
achieve and maintain high efficiency at
full and light loads.
Littelfuse
Littelfuse added two 1,200-V silicon
carbide (SiC) n-channel, enhancement-mode MOSFETs, the latest
products of a strategic partnership that
Littelfuse formed with Monolith in
2015 to develop power semiconductors
for industrial and automotive markets.
The LSIC1MO120E0120 and LSIC1MO120E0160 SiC MOSFETs offer
ultra-low on-resistance (RDS(on)) levels
of just 120 mΩ and 160 mΩ, respectively.
These SiC MOSFETs are designed for
use as power semiconductor switches in
a wide range of various power conversion systems, outperforming their silicon MOSFET counterparts substantially
in terms of blocking voltage, specific-on
resistance, and junction capacitances.
The new 1,200-V SiC MOSFETs offer a
reduction in passive filter components
at the system level and support increased power density, and its extremely
low gate charge and output capacitance
combined with ultra-low on-resistance
allows for minimal power dissipation,
higher efficiency, and a reduction in the
size and sophistication of the cooling
techniques required.
Navitas
Presented as the first GaN power ICs,
Navitas Semiconductor’s iDrive NV6131,
NV6105, and NV6115 offer a high-efficiency 650-V, 160-mΩ power FET
with increasing integration of digital
and analog circuits, leading to groundbreaking speed, energy efficiency, power
density, and reduced system cost. GaN
can enable up to 100x higher frequencies
than silicon, but driving, controlling, and
protecting such high-speed power devic-
APEC Wrap-Up
es has been
an industry
challenge that
has limited
adoption.
By integrating these critical digital
and analog circuits monolithically with
the GaN power device, these system-level
problems have been eliminated. Navitas
GaN Power ICs with iDrive guarantee
optimized and robust performance for
any application. A 10x to 100x increase
in system operating frequency is combined with higher efficiencies to enable
up to a 5x increase in power densities
and 20% lower system costs.
Power Integrations
Addressing the expanding need for digital functionality in power supplies, Power
Integrations released its InnoSwitch3-Pro
family of configurable offline CV/CC
and CP flyback switcher ICs. Capable
of delivering up to 65 W and achieving
up to 94% efficiency across line-andload conditions, the new devices permit
precise, dynamically adjustable control
of voltage (10-mV step) and current
(50-mA step) via a simple two-wire I2C
interface. Devices may be paired with a
microcontroller or take inputs from the
system CPU to control and monitor the
offline power supply.
InnoSwitch3-Pro power-conversion
ICs include a microprocessor VCC supply, eliminating the need for an external
LDO to power the microcontroller; also
included is an n-channel FET driver,
which may be used to enable or disable
the main power output. Together with
integrated bus voltage, current- and
fault-reporting telemetry, and dynamiInnoSwitch3-Pro
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
cally configurable protection functions
such as OTP, line OV/UV, output OV/
UV, and short-circuit, the BOM count
for a sophisticated offline power supply
is significantly reduced and design
complexity is dramatically simplified.
InnoSwitch3-Pro ICs employ Power Integrations’ high-speed digital communications technology, FluxLink, synchronous
rectification, quasi-resonant switching
and a precise secondary-side feedback
sensing and feedback control circuit.
GaN Systems
Underscoring
the migration of
wide-bandgap
devices into more
application spaces, GaN Systems claimed the industry’s highest-current and power-efficient
100-V GaN power transistor, the 100-V,
120-A, 5-mΩ GaN E-HEMT device. It is
1.3x the current rating of GaN Systems’
own 90-A part and 2.4x to 4.6x the current rating of other high-current GaNs
in the industry. The GS-010-120-1-T is
an enhancement-mode GaN-on-silicon
power transistor that leverages all of the
die design and packaging advantages
delivered from GaN Systems.
This revolutionary transistor is ideal
for the growing 48-V applications in
the automotive, industrial, and renewable energy industries that require
power systems with high power levels
in smaller form factors. The transistor is footprint-compatible with GaN
Systems’ 100-V, 90-A GaN E-HEMT
(GS61008T), thereby enabling customers
to add further power by substituting the
GS-010-120-1-T without changing their
board. Increasing the current
capability in the
same-sized package
allows customers to
effectively increase
the power by 33%
for the same system
volume.
Read more about
APEC at http://bit.
ly/2pemYpS.
Insight into current product developments
PRODUCT TRENDS 27
Five trends to watch in enclosure
designs
BY MAJEED AHMAD
Contributing Editor
H
ow do you select the right enclosure for an embedded system?
While size, weight, and power
are still key elements in choosing a suitable enclosure, there are more factors
in play in the design of instrumentation
cases and enclosures.
For example, is there sufficient space
for the I/O devices? How does a cabinet
protect itself from the internal and
external hazards? How does enclosure
design simplify the assembly work? Below is a sneak peek into what’s driving
the enclosure design and how it can
serve the embedded system hardware
more efficiently.
1. Shelf management options
The new enclosure designs are now
helping users to manage and monitor the
shelf operation, including power, cooling,
and interconnect conditions on the shelf.
It leads to greater flexibility, which, in
turn, creates more design options.
Take, for instance, the Pigeon Point
shelf management for AdvancedTCA
enclosures offered by LCR Embedded
Systems. The design facilitates a drop-in
replaceable arrangement both mechanically and electrically. Moreover, it features dual-redundant and hot-swappable
fan trays in push-and-pull configurations
and hot-swappable power-entry modules
capable of reporting voltage and current
on each feed.
A shelf manager can raise the fan
level inside the enclosure if the temperature is exceeding a preset value. And if
that’s not sufficient, the shelf manager
can even start powering down the field
replaceable units (FRUs) to reduce the
heat load on the shelf.
LCR Embedded Systems offers
both Pigeon Point and Vadatech shelf
management formats. And besides
Fig. 1: The
rackmount chassis platform
from Pixus offers various cooling options.
A shelf manager can raise the fan
level inside the enclosure if the
temperature is exceeding a preset
value. And if that’s not sufficient,
the shelf manager can even
start powering down the field
replaceable units to reduce the
heat load on the shelf.
AdvancedTCA chassis, the Norristown,
Pennsylvania-based company also provides shelf management options for the
VPX form factors.
2. Cooling arrangements
Airflow is crucial in ensuring a stable
enclosure operation. The new enclosure
and chassis platforms now offer various
front-to-rear, side-to-side, and bottomto-top airflow configurations. Take the
case of 9U RiCool chassis platform from
Pixus Technologies that features up to
32 OpenVPX backplane slots. Here,
reverse impeller blowers reside directly
above the boards.
The cooling arrangement pulls air
from below the card cage and blows the
Fig. 2: Cover lids on Pixus enclosures
enhance the assembly and deployment
options.
exhaust 90 degrees to the back. Next,
fans are individually hot-swappable, and
it enhances reliability and minimizes
downtime. Enclosures like RiCool also
provide various power supply options in
fixed, pluggable, and redundant modes.
Then there are venting accessories offered by firms like Polycase that facilitate
various levels of airflow management and
thus help equalize temperature and pressure in the watertight enclosure. These
vents come along with cable glands that
help maintain a watertight seal around
the hole used for cables.
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
28 PRODUCT TRENDS
Insight into current product developments
Fig. 3: The SB
Series NEMA enclosures
from Polycase comply with the IP65 and
IP 66 ratings.
3. Enclosure lids
Enclosure designs require more than just
a box because you need to put components, controls, and instruments inside
the enclosure with wiring, cables, and
conduits. Therefore, many enclosures
now come with snap-on lids for easy and
cost-effective assembly.
These lids feature a side-edge fold
with half shears that allow a solid or
perforated enclosure cover to snap into
place. Companies like Pixus Technologies offer covers that have side notches
for fitting into rails with 160- or 280-mm
depths. These snap-on lids also include
the EMC gaskets.
Likewise, Polycase offers internal
panels for its enclosures; these panels
allow users to secure components on a
flat surface inside the enclosure without
having to puncture the box. The Avon,
Ohio-based manufacturer’s EX Series
aluminum enclosures are a case in point.
The enclosures have been designed to
allow a standard PCB to slide into place
with removable end-caps, which can easily be modified for cables, connectors, and
switches. Here, gaskets sit between the
end-caps and enclosure body to provide
the IP66-level protection from dust and
water. The aluminum material also provides a degree of EMI and RFI protection.
4. Outdoor applications
Besides meeting the National Electrical
Manufacturers Association (NEMA) ratings, enclosures for outdoor use should
be airtight, and for that, they need to
Fig. 4: OKW’s table-top
and wall-mount enclosure can
incorporate 7-in. touch displays.
Some enclosure units offer
sufficient space and hardware
slots for operating hardware
elements like displays. That’s
critical in applications such as
Some outdoor enclosure manufacturers also use polycarbonate plastic with a
UV-stabilizer in the resin. It’s worth noting that ABS plastic, which typically has
a lower heat tolerance than polycarbonate, is not suitable for outdoor enclosures
unless the resin has specifically been
enhanced with a UV-stabilizer.
measurement and control, medical 5. Enclosure displays
There are some enclosure units that offer
and laboratory instrumentation,
and environmental engineering.
have a gasket between the base and cover
to create a watertight seal.
Second, the material used for outdoor
enclosures is of vital consideration.
Aluminum, stainless steel, and painted
steel are metal types commonly used for
enclosures in outdoor environments.
Polycase has introduced the SB
Series stainless-steel enclosures that are
waterproof, weatherproof, and corrosion-resistant. These enclosures include
an internal panel, external mounting
brackets, latch key, and grounding studs
and wire. The company is targeting
these NEMA-rated enclosures at food
and beverage, pharmaceutical, and oil
and gas industries.
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
sufficient space and hardware slots for
operating hardware elements like displays. That’s critical in applications such
as measurement and control, medical
and laboratory instrumentation, and
environmental engineering.
Enclosures like OKW’s SMART-TERMINAL are designed to fit standard
display and touch solutions ranging
from 4.3-in. to a maximum of 8-in. sizes.
Additionally, the inside of the enclosure
has several mounting options on two
assembly levels so that displays and PCBs
can be optionally mounted face up or
face down.
The above trends show that the enclosure design is evolving along with the
backplane and chassis platforms. It also
shows how accessories are increasingly
complementing the overall enclosure
designs. ☐
Electromechanical Components
LAN transformer targeted at EtherCAT,
Profinet applications
The new LAN transformer from Würth Elektronik has been
manufactured in a fully automated process, and it offers a
compact design and robust electrical properties. The eiSos
transformer extends the capabilities of the company’s WE-LAN
AQ series for industrial Ethernet applications.
It replaces the wound toroid cores in the existing WE-LAN
AQ series with SMD solderable transformers and common-mode choke elements. As a result, the low return loss
attenuation provides the device with a better signal yield.
The WE-LAN AQ series of transformers — compatible with
conventional LAN products — are specified for the industrial
temperature range of –40°C to 85°C. Würth is targeting its new
transformers at EtherCAT and Profinet systems mostly used in
factory automation environments.
The eiSos LAN transformer offers pin- and pad-compatible
components for conventional standard packages with a low
height of 4 mm for the 10/100 Base-T variant and 4.25 mm for
the 1,000 Base-T variant. And the availability of lateral half-vias means that their solder joints can be inspected in SMT
production using automated optical inspection (AOI).
Würth Elektronik: www.we-online.com
Waveguide relay switches available in
seven sizes
Fairview Microwave has released 28 waveguide relay switches,
which serve frequencies ranging from 5.85 GHz to 40 GHz,
encompassing C, X, Ku, K, and Ka frequency bands. They are
targeted at applications such as VSAT, SATCOM, radar, microwave radio, electronic warfare, electronic countermeasures,
space systems, and test and measurement instrumentation.
PRODUCT ROUNDUP 29
These broadband waveguide switches are configured for
single-pole double-throw (SPDT) operation with latching
actuators, self-cut-off, TTL logic, and position indicators with
manual override. And a shorting plate can be removed for
optional double-pole double-throw (DPDT) operation.
All 28 electromechanical switches incorporate a patented
motor drive with arc suppression and include an environmentally sealed, quick-connect DC control connector and mate.
Moreover, they boast a compact package design with integrated
waveguide ports featuring grooved flanges and O-rings for
pressurized operation.
According to Tim Galla, product manager at Fairview
Microwave, “These waveguide relay switches are targeted for
designs that route either low- or high-power signals for applications that may involve microwave communications, broadcasting, and radar.”
The new electromechanical relay switches are available in
a broad selection of waveguide sizes: WR137, WR112, WR90,
WR75, WR62, WR42, and WR28. They operate in temperatures ranging from –40°C to 85°C, are rated for 250K lifecycles
minimum, and packages are fully weatherized for exposure of
up to 100% humidity.
These broadband waveguide switches offer high isolation
levels of up to 105 dB and extremely low insertion loss down
to 0.01 dB. And they are specified with operating voltages of
either +12 Vdc or +28 Vdc and power-handling capability of up
to 12 kW CW and 320 kW peak.
Fairview Microwave Inc.: www.fairviewmicrowave.com
PCB relay claims 30% reduction in size
TE Connectivity has launched a power PCB relay for heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and other industrial
control applications. The new relay operating at 30 A is part
of the Potter & Brumfield T9G series; it boasts quick-connect
terminations, and that makes
the relay user-friendly and
easy to install.
TE claims that its new
PCB relay offers 30% smaller
package size and 13% less PCB
floor space than competing
products. That, in turn, allows
manufacturers to add more components on PCBs without
having to compromise on relay performance.
The PCB relay also complies with the IEC 61810-1 standard
to reinforce insulation amid an increase in distance between
coil and contacts. Furthermore, it features a rating of 4 kV
between coil and contact to provide better galvanic isolation.
Next, to ensure that surge resistance can withstand voltage,
the T9G series relays have an 8-kV rating and thus can provide
a higher degree of circuit protection. The relays also use a 900mW coil that facilitates a 10% power reduction as compared to
the conventional 1-W power PCB relays.
TE Connectivity: www.te.com
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
30 PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Electromechanical Components
Microturbine employs
Ethernet ring to
eliminate points of
failure
Phoenix Contact has teamed up with
Capstone Turbine to develop PowerSync
controllers for microturbines. The new
design is aimed at making the Capstone
microturbines easier to use for both
end-user customers as well as Capstone’s distribution partners.
The new controllers, based on Phoenix Contact’s AXC 3050
programmable logic controller (PLC), boost the reliability
and availability of the Capstone microturbines by utilizing a
self-healing Ethernet ring to eliminate single points of failure in
the control network.
The PowerSync controllers include algorithms to maximize
overall system efficiency and adjust the operation of individual microturbines in order to align with their predictive schedule service
dates. And that makes microturbines intuitive and easy to use.
Additionally, these controllers provide seamless transfer
capabilities, ensuring that end-users’ loads don’t lead to any
interruption in operation in the event of a utility power outage.
Finally, the controllers can also be customized according to the
requirements of site-specific equipment.
of 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V, and 24 V. These transformers typically operate at the switching frequency of 250 kHz and are designed for
a wide range of operating temperatures from –40°C to 125°C.
The electrical insulation of these RoHS-compatible transformers complies with UL 1446 class 130 (B). That allows
them to withstand a high-voltage test between the primary and
secondary sides at 1,500 Vac, 50 Hz for one second.
Next, the DC resistance values can be as low as 3.5 mΩ. That
leads to higher efficiency and makes transformers more suitable
for active clamp forward converter topologies. In these transformers, the SMDs have dimensions of 30 x 22 x 11.4 mm.
TDK: www.global.tdk.com
PCB terminal block for Profinet comes
in four variations
Phoenix Contact has introduced a PCB terminal block for
Profinet-compliant data transmission applications. There are
four variants of the PCB terminal block — MKDS 1, SPTAF
1, ZFKDS 1,5C and SPT 2,5 — and each one of them has been
designed specifically for the connection of twisted-pair conductors with cross-sections of 0.14 mm² to 4 mm².
Phoenix Contact: www.phoenixcontact.com
Transformer aims to serve the new
PoE standard
TDK has unveiled a new series of EPCOS transformers for the
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) applications. These transformers
are designed for an output of up to 60 W as per the requirements of the IEEE 802.3bt specification.
The existing systems — compliant with the IEEE 802.3af
(PoE) and IEEE 802.3at (PoE+) standards — use two pairs
of cables and are designed for outputs of 15 W and 30 W,
respectively. On the other hand, the new IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++)
standard, designed for four pairs of cables, has been developed
to facilitate devices with higher power demand.
TDK’s new EPCOS transformers are designed to serve the
applications specifically built around the new IEEE 802.3bt
technology. These
applications include
POS systems, lighting
controllers, fire alarm
systems, and access control for smart buildings.
The B82806D0060A
series of transformers
comprises four types
with different turns ratios for output voltages
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
The conductor connection is made either via spring-cage
connection or ZFKDS 1,5C; screw connection or MKDS 1; or
push-in spring connection — SPTAF 1 and SPT 2,5. All variants satisfy the requirements of the Profinet directive, version
4.00, and thus are suitable for secure data transmission as per
Cat5 cabling requirements.
The angled variant, ZFKDS 1,5C series, as well as horizontal
and vertical PCB terminal blocks, the SPT 2,5 series, are also
approved for use in explosion-proof areas according to the IEC
60079-7 specification.
These Profinet-compliant PCB terminal blocks extend the
range of the existing field and device connectors like M12 and
RJ45, so they can provide efficient connection solutions for
devices in industrial environments.
Phoenix Contact: www.phoenixcontact.com
Power Sources
NEW PRODUCTS 31
LED driver adds dimming for commercial lighting
With a wide input voltage range and integrated power MOSFET,
the AL8862 buck LED driver is well-suited for LED lighting
drive circuits with minimized board space and reduced BoM cost.
It offers analog and PWM dimming functions and a typical output
current accuracy of 5% (at up to 1 A) and 97% efficiency from an
input from 5 V and 60 V.
An external control pin accepts either an analog or PWM signal to add dimming
capabilities, and the integrated MOSFET is rated at 60 V with an Rds(on) of just 0.4
Ω, which delivers high efficiency while minimizing the need for external components.
Comprehensive protection against possible fault conditions caused by short or open
circuits is also included along with overtemperature protection.
The AL8862 is supplied in a thermally enhanced SO-8EP package and priced at
$0.30 at volumes of 10K.
Diodes Incorporated: www.diodes.com
FRED Pt rectifiers increase power density,
efficiency, and reliability
Vishay Intertechnology’s latest 200-V FRED Pt ultrafast recovery
rectifiers come in the thermally efficient FlatPAK 5x6 package with
a low profile of <1 mm. With long-term reliability assured through
2,000 hours of high-temperature reverse-bias (HTRB) testing, the
commercial/industrial VS-6DKH02-M3 and VS-8DKH02-M3 and
automotive-grade VS-6DKH02HM3 and VS-8DKH02HM3 deliver
high power density and efficiency for automotive and telecom applications.
The rectifiers combine their low profiles with high forward current ratings of 6 A
(2 x 3 A) for the VS-6DKH02-M3 and VS-6DKH02HM3 and 8 A (2 x 4 A) for the VS8DKH02-M3 and VS-8DKH02HM3. The rectifiers’ FRED Pt technology enables ultrafast recovery times down to 25 ns, low reverse recovery charge, and soft recovery features
over the entire working temperature range of –55°C to 175°C. The devices’ low forward
voltage dropdown to 0.7 V reduces power losses and improves efficiency. The new rectifiers feature an MSL moisture sensitivity level of 1, per J-STD-020, LF maximum peak of
260°C. RoHS-compliant and halogen-free, the devices are ideal for automated placement
and allow for automated optical inspection (AOI) in automotive systems.
Vishay Intertechnology: www.vishay.com
Power Start module family launched for
low-voltage soft-starter apps
Infineon Technologies Bipolar is launching the Infineon Power Start family of modules designed for low-voltage soft-starter applications. With its new design, Power Start focuses on
reducing complexity and number of components. Customers, in return, profit from
shorter development times and simplified production processes of soft starters. Typical low-voltage soft-start applications include belt conveyors, big fans, and mills. Most
of all, they can be found in pumps that are used for water and wastewater transportation as well as for oil production.
The new design concept of the Power Start module allows for one slim footprint of
55 mm fitting a broad range of current classes with an integrated heatsink. The module
makes use of double-sided cooling and can withstand overload currents of up to 2,200 A
for a duration of 21 seconds. The soft-starter modules are available with blocking voltages of 1,600 V in the current classes starting at 800 A, 1,400 A, 1,900 A, and 2,200 A.
Infineon Technologies: www.infineon.com
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
32 NEW PRODUCTS
Packaging & Interconnections
Wire-to-board
connector
substitutes
hand-soldered
connections
The new wire-to-board
(WTB) connectors from
AVX are designed to
replace hand-soldered connections and two-piece connectors
in densely populated PCBs for industrial, consumer, smart grid,
and secure socket layer (SSL) applications.
The 00-9296 Series connectors facilitate wire terminations
with single-position, vertical, top-entry, and poke-home connectors for discrete 18–22 AWG solid or stranded wire. They offer a
viable substitute for labor-intensive and inconsistent hand-soldered connections as well as costly two-piece connector solutions
available in perpendicular and low-pin-count configurations.
AVX’s new wire-to-board connectors feature a pre-plated phosphor bronze box contact that is single-beam as well
as stamped and formed. This maximizes board attachment
strength, exhibits high-spring force and robust resistance
against fatigue and corrosion, and securely captures and retains
PRODUCT MART
Electronic Products Presented by the Manufacturer
40 to 300 ps Rise Time Pulsers
Avtech offers over 35 models which provide 40-300 ps rise
times with 5 to 100 Volt output amplitude and PRF to 25 MHz.
These models are ideal for testing high speed semiconductors
and optoelectronics in both laboratory and factory floor
applications. Customized models are also available.
For datasheets,
test results & pricing:
Avtech
Tel: 888-670-8729
info@avtechpulse.com
http://www.avtechpulse.com/
Nanosecond Electronics Since 1975
SMART-TERMINAL Extruded Electronic Enclosures
18–22 AWG wire to ensure maximum electrical integrity.
The new connectors also feature an optimum X-Y footprint that
is 23% smaller than the next-smallest vertical poke-home solution
from AVX. That eases design-in on densely populated boards.
Then there is an integral, molded flange that replaces costly
Kapton tape, which provides a generous vacuum pick-up point
for automated SMT placement. AVX’s new connectors are rated
for three cycles and a minimum of 600 Vac and up to 8 A. The
operating temperatures extend from –40°C to 130°C.
The WTB connectors also feature UL-approved, color-coded
insulators that make it easy for users to match discrete wires for
error-free termination in multiple-wiring applications. They are
available with eight insulator colors: brown, blue, yellow, red,
green, orange, black, and white.
AVX Corp.: www.avx.com
Loopback cards simplify testing FPGA boards
Samtec has unveiled two FMC+ Loopback cards that aim to
make FPGA evaluation and development much easier. Both
cards feature optimized signal integrity performance, and they
come in VITA 57.4-compliant form factors.
Samtec’s new
FMC+ Loopback
cards offer designers
easy-to-use loopback options for
testing multi-gigabit
transceivers on any
FPGA development
board or FPGA
carrier card. And they come along readily available reference
designs and technical documentation.
The VITA 57.4 FMC+ HSPC Loopback Card includes an
HSPC VITA 57.4 FMC and a connector, Samtec P/N ASP184330-01. It supports 24 high-speed multi-gigabit transceivers
operating at data rates of up to 28 Gbps per channel.
The VITA 57.4 FMC+ HSPC/HSPCe Loopback Card
includes an HSPC VITA 57.4 FMC plus Samtec’s P/N ASP184330-01 connector and an HSPCe VITA 57.4 FMC plus
Samtec’s P/N ASP-186900-01 connector. It supports up to 32
high-speed multi-gigabit transceivers operating at data rates of
up to 28 Gbps per channel.
Samtec: www.samtec.com
For desktop, handheld or wall mounted control units
OKW has launched SMART-TERMINAL a brand new range of sophisticated
aluminum enclosures. The case body features a large recessed area on
the top for displays, membrane keypads and operating elements. PCBs
slide inside on horizontal guide rails. Two lava gray end covers are molded
from UV-stable plastic with deep recesses to protect cables and connectors.
Designer soft-touch TPV seals, in grey or green, provide a high level of
ingress protection. For security the cases are
assembled by Torx screws. Accessories include a
wall mounting kit and canting kit.
OKW Enclosures Inc.
Phone: 800-965-9872
sales@okwusa.com
www.okwenclosures.com
APRIL 2018 • electronicproducts.com • ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
Tall stacker connector facilitates
application-specific variants
AVX has unveiled a new series of tall board-to-board stacker
connectors for applications in automotive, consumer, medical, and
industrial markets. The 00-9148 Series connectors claim to exhibit
resistance to shock and vibration and reduction in tolerance accumulation for cross-market applications with varying specifications.
The tall stacker connectors feature a double-row design with
an 8-mm (±0.2 mm) board-stacking height, a 1-mm pitch, and
Packaging & Interconnections
NEW PRODUCTS 33
eight positions. And they are rated for 1-A continuous current. Moreover, flexible
tooling enables the creation of application-specific variants.
That includes single-row connectors with four to 16 positions, double-row connectors with eight to 32 positions, connectors with 4- to 12-mm board-stacking heights,
and connectors with locating bosses for enhanced mechanical stability. All of these
connectors have the same 1-mm contact pitch.
These single-piece connectors are rated for 125 V, 50 cycles, and temperatures
spanning –40°C to 125°C. That makes them highly suitable for connecting two parallel boards in applications such as automotive infotainment systems, portable devices
that require docking or cradle charging, patient monitoring devices, portable medical
equipment, and industrial devices that require pluggable or programmable modules.
The 00-9148 Series connectors feature high-temperature plastic insulators that meet
the UL94 V-0 flammability standard. Then there are high-reliability beryllium copper
(BeCu) contacts with 0.25-μm standard gold plating on the nose, or 0.8 μm upon request.
The tall stacker connectors also provide pure tin over nickel SMT terminations
that are compatible with RoHS-compliant, lead-free reflow soldering processes. The
connectors come in tape and reel packaging in quantities of 400 pieces and mates with
gold-plated pads on mating board surfaces.
AVX Corp.: www.avx.com
Test socket for memory chips comes with a floating guide
Ironwood Electronics has released a new socket for testing BGA devices like DDR4
memory chips. The SBT-BGA-7051 test socket features a floating guide for precise
ball-to-pin alignment. Simply place the BGA device into the socket base and swivel
the socket lid onto the base using the shoulder screws.
The test socket uses a compression
screw to apply downward pressure and
enable the device to get interconnected
to the target PCB. It can be employed for
hand-test and characterization applications
with the most stringent requirements.
The contactor in the test socket
features a stamped spring pin with 31-g
actuation force per ball and cycle life of
125,000 insertions. The self-inductance
of the contactor is 0.88 nH, insertion loss less than 1 dB at 15.7 GHz, and 0.097-pF
capacitance. The current capacity of each contactor is 4 A at 30°C temperature rise.
The specific configuration of the package to be tested in the SBT-BGA-7051 socket
for a low-power DDR4 memory chip entails the following: BGA 10 × 14.5 mm, 0.8mm pitch, 200 positions, and 12 × 18 ball array. Finally, the socket can be mounted
using supplied hardware on the target PCB without soldering.
Ironwood Electronics: www. ironwoodelectronics.com
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS • electronicproducts.com • APRIL 2018
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