Page 269 – Electronics-Lab.com

SEPIC Converter based on MT3608 is open source

Posted on 27 May, 202127 May, 2021 by DM

DC-DC converters are needed in almost every commercial product, whether it is industrial, medical, defensive, automotive, or any other application. These converters are electronic circuits that can convert the DC voltage from one level to another. There are two types of DC-DC converters: linear and switching converters. Linear converters are resistive which means that they use resistive voltage drop to create a regulated output voltage. This also means that the input voltage should always be higher than the input voltage, and linear converters can only step down a voltage level. On the other hand, switching converters perform the conversion by storing the energy periodically in the energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors. The stored energy is then provided to the load at the desired voltage level.

There are several benefits of switching converters. Firstly, switching converters are highly efficient. They have an efficiency in the range of 80-90%. Moreover, the buck-boost converters can step up and down the voltage levels to maintain the output voltage. Additionally, thermal management is simplified due to lower losses.

SEPIC

SEPIC (Single Ended Primary Inductor Converter) type of converter is very similar to the traditional buck-boost converters. SEPIC can step up as well as step down the voltages accordingly. The simple buck-boost converters consist of two MOSFETs used as switches. SEPIC converters, however, are characterized using two inductors, one of them is at the input that is for coupling, and another one is connected to the ground.

Source: https://www.ti.com/lit/an/slyt309/slyt309.pdf

The SEPIC topology consists of an input capacitor, an output capacitor, coupled inductors, a diode, and a power MOSFET. To understand the working of the SEPIC, let’s assume that the switch is first open. In this state, it can be easily seen that the input capacitor Cin is charged at the input voltage. The voltage across the inductor L1b must be the same as Vout and therefore, the voltage across the switch must be Vout+Vin.

When the switch is closed, the capacitor Cp is charged to the input voltage which then charges L1b. Energy is also stored in the inductor L1a from the input during this state. When the switch is opened again, the inductor L1a discharges to the output capacitor via diode and power the load.

The converter’s output voltage can be controlled by adjusting the duty cycle of the MOSFET. SEPICs are mostly controlled by PWM regulator ICs and a microcontroller that drives the gate of the MOSFET according to the sensed voltages. But for compact devices, DC-DC converter ICs are widely used. They consist of integrated MOSFETs, an internal voltage reference for feedback, and are highly efficient.

SEPIC PCB based on MT3608

Stefan Wagner from Germany designed a SEPIC PCB based on MT3608 DC-DC converter IC. MT3608 is a very compact boost converter IC that provides up to 97% efficiency and also allows a wide input voltage range. In addition, MT3608 includes under-voltage lockout, current limiting, and thermal overload protection to prevent damage in the event of an output overload. The schematic of the SEPIC design is as follows:

Source: https://github.com/wagiminator/Power-Boards/blob/master/SEPIC_MT3608/SEPIC_MT3608_schematic.pdf The output voltage is divided by a resistive voltage divider to the FB pin of the IC. The voltage at the FB pin is compared to an internal reference voltage of 0.6V, and the PWM is controlled accordingly.

The complete project including the Gerber files, performance results and BOM can be found at https://github.com/wagiminator/Power-Boards/tree/master/SEPIC_MT3608

Fischer LP360™ connector wins in two categories of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021

Posted on 27 May, 202127 May, 2021 by mixos

The Red Dot Design Awards stand for outstanding achievements in product design. The jury evaluates thousands of entries each year. For its Fischer LP360™ connectors from the Fischer Freedom™ Series, which have already won numerous industry awards, Fischer Connectors has now been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design in two categories: the “Mobile Phones, Tablets and Wearables” category, and the new “Smart Products” meta-category. The judges praised the connectors’ unique design concept, which makes them both appealing to users and particularly easy to use.

What was rated “smart” in the Fischer LP360^TM is the connectivity solution’s multifunctional integration capability and modularity. The new connector is indeed truly multi-talented. It is a miniaturized active device, a fastening mechanism and an electrical signal and power connection all in one.

The rugged, low-profile connector was expanded in 2019 into a versatile technology platform that serves as an enabler for wearables and connected ecosystems in the Internet of Things and of Humans (IoT/IoH). The breakthrough plug-and-use technology benefits both engineers and end-users. Multiple configuration options facilitate application design. The panel plug can easily be extended to multifunctional wearables, such as biometric sensors, communication systems, GPS, lighting and bodycams. These can be snapped quickly and easily onto the cabled receptacle, which is integrated into flexible structures like ready-to-use smart personal protective equipment (PPE) vests. Since the connector has no key code, it can be plugged in any position, optimizing cable routing and power management. Contacts are IP68-sealed with a membrane, ensuring that the connector is fully cleanable. The low-profile design enables easy integration into any application, such as smart work vests. Mobile workers thus benefit from lightweight equipment without cable clutter, faster and more intuitive setup, easy handling and cleaning, reliable connectivity, and fast data transmission for enhanced safety and performance.

These features also convinced the Red Dot Award jury. In the citation for the award in the Smart Products category, the jury said:

“These connectors impress as a miniaturized and, at the same time, versatile technology platform with innovative 360-degree plug-in connectivity.” For the award in the Product Design category, the LP360’s user-friendliness was particularly highlighted: “The LP360 is impressively intuitive to use. It can quickly be inserted into the socket and is integrated into a connected vest, forming a hub.”

Jérôme Dabonneville, CTO and R&D Director of the Fischer Connectors Group, explains:

“Initially the Fischer LP360^TM design had to solve users’ pain points in a way that helped unify the connector’s form and function, transforming “how it works”. On that journey, our teams went beyond our heritage as a connector manufacturer and ended up proposing a connectivity solution platform. The Fischer LP360^TM connectors are indeed more than just connectors. They are also smart devices which are opening new doors for designing devices, contributing to the development of the Internet of Things, smart electronic ecosystems, as well as wearable technology and its networking and digitalization. We are very honored to receive these two Red Dot Awards as a testimonial of the Fischer Connectors Group’s connectivity solution that goes beyond the connector.”

Jonathan Brossard, CEO of the Fischer Connectors Group:

“At Fischer Connectors, we have always seen ourselves as innovation drivers. The development of the Fischer LP360^TM is a real milestone in our company history. We’re very proud that our developers’ outstanding performance has now been honored with two Red Dot Awards. This recognition of our achievement in industrial design by renowned experts is also an incentive for us to continue developing our connectivity solutions in such a way that they contribute to a networked industry and to the connected human”.

The winners of the Red Dot Awards 2021 will be announced during the virtual Red Dot Design Week from June 21-25, 2021. During the entire week, the award winners will be given a digital stage. The event will center on a web special on the Red Dot website. All the award-winning products will be presented there. Moreover, the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, will display impressions from its two special exhibitions.

Video

More information:

Fischer LP360^TM: www.fischerconnectors.com/global/en/products/lp360tm
Fischer Freedom^TM Series: www.fischerconnectors.com/global/en/fischer-freedom-series
VIDEO Fischer Freedom^TM Series: https://youtu.be/hSu_CxZ-NQw

iWave Unveils the Implementation of ARINC 818-2 IP Core On Microsemi PolarFire FPGA

Posted on 27 May, 202127 May, 2021 by mixos

The ARINC 818 video protocol since its inception has gained wide adoption on large aircrafts such as Airbus A350XWB, Boeing 787, KC46A, and many others. ARINC 818 protocol is used to provide point to point, high-speed, low-latency video transmission for mission-critical systems such as cockpit display, video processors, cameras, and IR sensors. Offering high-speed ARINC 818 interfaces in FPGA arises many challenges due to low-latency and synchronous timing requirements for most displays.

iWave Systems, being the leading FPGA design house, offers an extensive portfolio of FPGA IP Cores. And one of the most predominant being ARINC 818 IP. Today, we are excited to announce the successful implementation of iWave’s ARINC 818 IP Core on Microsemi PolarFire FPGA devices. The PolarFire devices offer the highest security, small form factor, flash-based FPGA, that consume 50% low power competing to mid-range FPGA’s.

Key features include:

Fully compliant with ARINC 818-2 standards
Can be used for both transmit and receive applications
Flexible streaming video interface
Configurable ADVB video formats(resolution, pixel type, etc.)
Supports progressive and interlaced video formats
IP parameters can be configured as per customers interface control document(ICD)
Transmission medium – either optical or copper

The ARINC 818-2 complaint PolarFire FPGA evaluation kit is suitable for various high-performance applications and functionalities that include communication, military, aviation. With strong competence in FPGA, iWave Systems has demonstrated the seamless integration of iWave’s ARINC 818-2 IP transmitter and receiver functionality on Microsemi’s PolarFire FPGA evaluation kit.

Demo description:

FPGA Platform: Microsemi PolarFire FPGA EVK
FMC card: Multi-video interface Add on FMC card iW-EMELA-PC-01-R1.0
HDMI Monitor: To display the video output

Fig 1.0: System architecture for external loopback test

Demo: External loopback test

The ARINC 818-2 IP transmitter block receives the video data generated by the internal test pattern generator and converts it into ADVB frames. These ADVB frames are sent out through an FPGA transceiver that is connected to the SFP module. These ADVB frames are looped back to the Rx channel via the SFP module, which is then decoded by the ARINC 818-2 IP receiver block to retrieve the video data and is then displayed on the HDMI monitor.

The ARINC 818 protocol has become the effective standard for high-performance military and avionics video systems, and with this, we help our customers realize their ideas into reality with assured strong and unparalleled FPGA design-to-deployment competence.

iWave Systems has also evaluated ARINC 818 IP Core across a wide range of Xilinx and Intel-based evaluation kits and has successfully licensed ARINC 818 IP to many of our esteemed clients around the world.

With 20+ years of valuable expertise in the FPGA domain, iWave Systems offers FPGA designs tailored to meet customer’s specific requirements. We offer an extensive suite of FPGA based IP cores such as ARINC818 Complete suite, Storage, Legacy processors, and video processing IP’s.

iWave Systems presents an extensive portfolio of standard/custom System On Modules, SBC based on Xilinx Zynq & Zynq MPSoC SoC devices, Intel Arria10 & Cyclone V devices, and comprehensive Engineering design services involving embedded hardware, FPGA, and software development in servicing to multiple domains across the globe such as Industrial, Medical, Automotive, IoT and Computer Vision.

For more information or inquiries, please write to mktg@iwavesystems.com or log on to our website www.iwavesystems.com

AAEON ATLAS RSU wins honors at Computex d&i Awards 2021

Posted on 27 May, 202127 May, 2021 by mixos

AAEON, the industry leader in AI and IoT network solutions, is proud to receive recognition in the COMPUTEX d&i Awards 2021. The ATLAS Roadside Unit (RSU) is honored with an award, recognized for its innovative design which helps accelerate Smart City deployment.

The COMPUTEX d&i Awards are recognized by the Information Communication Technology industry as a prestigious award promoting and highlighting innovation and driving R&D breakthroughs in the technology field from industry giants to independent up-and-coming developers. Organized by the Taiwan External Trade and Development Council (TAITRA) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the COMPUTEX d&i Awards have been held for the past 14 years ahead of COMPUTEX Taipei, Asia’s largest IT trade fair.

The ATLAS Roadside Unit (RSU) is designed to easily deploy and power a wide range of Smart City applications from Intelligent Traffic Management, smart energy management for street lamps and even environmental monitoring for up-to-date weather and road conditions. A powerful solution that is easy to deploy, the ATLAS RSU can help cities quickly set up and take advantage of emerging Smart City technologies.

The ATLAS RSU is designed to mount anywhere, adaptable to any kind of street lamp or wall mounting deployment. It is a completely integrated platform, combining camera, computer, and sensors into a single system, reducing installation complexity. Additionally, it helps to accelerate deployment of Smart City technologies by leveraging Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), 4G/LTE and 5G cellular communications, and utilizes Intel® technology to bring AI and Edge computing to monitor traffic flow, environmental conditions, and connect with any additional external sensors required.

AAEON provides cities with industry leading service and support, by creating an end-to-end solution with ATLAS RSU. From device to cloud to custom dashboard, AAEON works with city governments and managers to provide the exact level of service and support they need to deploy their Smart City. As each city is unique with differing needs, AAEON is able to meet these needs to deliver the best solution to meet those individual needs.

To learn more about the ATLAS RSU or how AAEON is helping to accelerate Smart City technology, contact your AAEON representative or visit aaeon.com

Win 1 of 5 Nordic Thingy:52’s from Nordic Semiconductor

Posted on 26 May, 202126 May, 2021 by mixos

Nordic Semiconductor has partnered with oemsecrets.com to give away 5 Nordic Thingy:52 compact multi-sensor prototyping platforms. To enter simply follow the link below for your chance to win.

ENTER NOW

Get extra entries into the giveaway by following us and sharing this on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter using #oemsecrets or @oemsecrets.

The Nordic Thingy:52™ is an easy-to-use prototyping platform, designed to help in building prototypes and demos, without the need to build hardware or even write firmware. It is built around the nRF52832 Bluetooth 5 SoC.

The key features include:

Supports Bluetooth LE and NFC
User-programmable button and LEDs
Nine-axis motion sensor

10% Discount with Arrow Electronics

Get 10% off Arrow products (exclusions apply) when buying through oemsecrets.com. Simply add the products to the basket and use the link below to find your relevant discount code. See terms & conditions.

MORE INFORMATION

SafeBee – A GPS Tracker for Beehives

Posted on 25 May, 202127 May, 2021 by mixos

This is an original design of a GPS tracker designed on Elab and it is intended to be used as a security device for beehives, but it is not limited to this. It can be used everywhere a motion-activated GPS tracker is needed, like your car, bike, or even your boat. It is a GPS tracker controlled by simple SMS commands and it is designed for reliability, low power consumption, and ease of use. It features a MEMS accelerometer that is used to intelligently detect movement and once triggered it will power on the GPS module and will try to acquire the current coordinates. The location details will be transmitted to the owner’s smartphone via a simple SMS and then follow update the coordinates at predefined intervals.

Key Features:

Remote management via simple SMS commands
High reliability – no need to babysit the tracker due to crashes and resets
Long battery life – over 1-year standby on a single charge (2500mAh battery)
3-axis high sensitivity MEMS Accelerometer
Intelligent Triggering – it will not be triggered by accidental movement
Selectable Trigger Sensitivity Level

SafeBee – A GPS Tracker for Beehives – [Link]

Programmable Frequency – Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) – Boost Power – Factor Correction (PFC) Controller

Posted on 25 May, 2021 by mixos

The circuit described here is a simple PFC controller using the UCC28180 chip from Texas instruments. The controller operates under average current mode control at a fixed programmable switching frequency of 116 kHz. Simple external current and voltage loop compensation, along with advanced protection features, make this controller ideal for server and desktop power supplies, industrial power supplies, and white goods. The module is a flexible and easy-to-use, active Power-Factor Correction (PFC) controller that operates under Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) to achieve high Power Factor, low current distortion, and excellent voltage regulation of boost pre-regulators in AC – DC front-ends. The controller is suitable for universal AC input systems operating in 100-W to few-kW range with the switching frequency programmable between 18 kHz to 250 kHz, to conveniently support both power MOSFET and IGBT switches. An integrated 1.5-A and 2-A (SRC-SNK) peak gate drive output, clamped internally at 15.2 V (typical), enables fast turn-on, turn-off, and easy management of the external power switch without the need for buffer circuits. Low-distortion wave shaping of the input current using average current mode control is achieved without input line sensing, reducing the external component count.

Programmable Frequency – Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) – Boost Power – Factor Correction (PFC) Controller – [Link]

BioAmp EXG Pill – Analog front-end amplification for ECG, EMG, EOG, and EEG biosensing

Posted on 25 May, 202125 May, 2021 by mixos

BioAmp EXG Pill is a small, powerful Analog Front End (AFE) biopotential signal acquisition board that can be paired with any 5 V Micro Controller Unit (MCU) with an ADC. It is capable of recording publication-quality biopotential signals like ECG, EMG, EOG, and EEG, without the inclusion of any dedicated hardware or software filters. It’s small size allows easy integration into mobile and space-constrained projects, and it’s powerful noise rejection makes it usable even when the device is close to the AC mains supply. Any 1.5 mm diameter wire can be used as a strain-relieving electrode cable, making BioAmp EXG Pill very cost-effective in comparison to other options.

What Can It Be Used For?

BioAmp EXG Pill is a one-stop solution for researchers, tinkerers, and hobbyists who are looking for novel biopotential amplification. Thus, it can be used for a wide variety of interesting biosensing projects:

AI-assisted congestive heart failure detection using CNN (ECG)
Heart Rate Variability calculation for heart ailment detection (ECG)
Prosthetic arm (servo) controller (EMG)
Palsy physical therapy quantitative analysis device (EMG)
Real-time game controller (EOG)
Controlling LEDs via brain waves (EEG)
Patient monitoring device

And many more…

Versatile Design Means A Variety Of Applications

The elegant design of this board allows it to be used in 3 ways:

Pin Header Holes allow you to solder on header pins (berg strip) for easy breadboard use
Castellated Holes allow you to solder BioAmp EXG Pill directly onto your custom PCB to add biopotential amplification capabilities
Electrode Holes allow you to use any 1.5 mm diameter wire as electrode cable with minimal strain

BioAmp EXG Pill | EMG, EOG, and ECG Demo

Features & Specifications

Input Voltage: 5 V – 40 V
Input Impedance: > 35 MΩ
Compatible Hardware: Any 5 V MCU/ADC
BioPotentials: ECG, EOG, EMG, and EEG (Configurable)
No. of channels: 1
Electrodes: 2/3 (Configurable)
Wearable: Yes
Dimensions: 25.4 X 10.0 mm
Custom PCB Integration: Yes
OpenSource: Hardware + Software

We are enthusiastic about open source! You can find our extensive, open-source, CERN and MIT licensed hardware/software documentation in our GitHub Repo.

The project will soon launch on Crowdsupply.com (text, video and photos are taken from the pre-launch page)

1.8mm High 3D Printed Statue of Liberty from microlight3D

Posted on 25 May, 2021 by DM

Microlithography is a very widely used technique for the production of micro-scale devices such as very tiny 3D printing in micrometer scale, semiconductor devices, and many other micro-scale products. French microlithography specialist Microlight3D has 3D printed the world’s smallest version of the Statue of Liberty for the inauguration of US President, Joe Biden.

The 3D printed statue is 1.8mm tall and 0.6mm wide. It is printed with the company’s latest Long-range Z process and the statue was directly printed on a 1 cent coin which shows that the printing technology is compatible with a variety of printing substrates, notably metallic and opaque substrates. Using this process, higher resolution can be achieved than the traditional red laser systems. The Long-range Z process allows structures for optical micro-parts, meta-materials, and medical devices up to 10mm high using photolithography, up from 0.3mm previously, on a variety of substrates from glass and silicon to metal [1].

“Users will also be able to make alignments on a pre-existing pattern and print exactly where they want. We had great fun positioning the replica of the statue on the word ‘Liberty’ on a United States one-cent coin,” said Philippe Paliard, co-founder of Microlight3D.

He further added:

“Researchers and industrial developers are looking to work on metallic or silicon wafers. Our enhanced 3Dmicroprinting system, compatible with a wide range of materials and substrates, will allow them to micro-fabricate the structures they couldn’t before, to align the laser and print on the tip of optical fibers for micro-optics applications.”

The Long-range Z process uses two-photon polymerization which allows the creators to print a solid 3D-printed structure from a photoactivable material.

About Two-Photon Polymerization

The two-photon polymerization (2PP) is based on ultra-short laser systems. In these systems, a highly precise beam wave is focused for a very short period. Due to this technology, better structural resolution and quality can be achieved. High resolution is provided by the material and the wavelength of the laser. For 3D printing, the 2PP technique is used along with a green pulsed laser operating at 532nm combined with ultra-precise moving stages. This creates 3D objects in a photoresist with sub-micron resolution. A simple solvent bath removes the unpolymerized resin.

The Microlight3D discusses the ultra-short laser technique,

“The laser can even go through polymerized parts, so the voxel (something similar to a pixel which defines a point in 3D space) is moved freely in three dimensions inside the monomer, therefore any shape can be 3D-printed with our technology !”

With this unique technology, Microlight3D demonstrated that the laser pulse can be controlled in the sub-nanosecond regime.

About Microlight3D

Microlight3D offers ultra-high resolution 2D and 3D printers for industrial and scientific applications. It was founded in 2016, following 15 years of research and development of its 3D microprinting technology at Grenoble Alpes University (UGA). Recently, using their 2PP technology, the Micrlight3D created a 3D printed version of the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars that is only 100 microns in length.

The firm says about their technology:

“The two-photon polymerization (2PP) technology used in Microlight3D micro-manufacturing machines is the result of 15 years of fundamental research at the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA), the first scientific publications dating from 2002.”

References:

Nvidia Announced Reduction in Hash Rates of GeForce GPUs

Posted on 25 May, 2021 by DM

GeForce GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) designed by Nvidia are intended for the high-margin PC gaming market. GeForce GPUs are highly dominant in the general-purpose graphics processor unit (GPGPU) market due to their exclusive CUDA architecture. CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) is a parallel computing platform created by Nvidia. The CUDA platform is a software layer that gives direct access to the GPU’s virtual instruction set and the parallel computational elements for the execution of compute kernels[1]. With their cutting-edge technologies, GeForce GPUs deliver amazing visuals and performance to gamers and creators. Moreover, GeForce GPUs are programmable which means users can use them for a variety of applications like simulations, deep learning, robotics, and mining cryptocurrency.

Nvidia announced in February that all GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards shipped with a reduced Ethereum hash rate.

On May 18, Nvidia stated on their blog,

“Today, we’re taking additional measures by applying a reduced ETH hash rate to newly manufactured GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070, and RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards. These cards will start shipping in late May.”

This step was taken to ensure that GeForce GPUs are used for their intended purpose which is gaming. For Ethereum mining, they have announced the new Nvidia CMP (Cryptocurrency Miner Processor) intended for professional mining.

As Nvidia puts it,

“That only makes sense. Our GeForce RTX GPUs introduce cutting-edge technologies — such as RTX real-time ray-tracing, DLSS AI-accelerated image upscaling technology, Reflex super-fast response rendering for the best system latency, and many more — tailored to meet the needs of gamers and those who create digital experiences.” They further added “CMP products — which don’t do graphics — are sold through authorized partners and optimized for the best mining performance and efficiency. They don’t meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU and, thus, don’t impact the availability of GeForce GPUs to gamers.”

What is the hash rate and how will Nvidia CMP aid Crypto-miners?

Let’s first talk about mining cryptocurrency. It is the process of making computer hardware do mathematical calculations for the Bitcoin network to confirm transactions and increase security. For this service, the cryptocurrency miners get rewarded and can collect the transaction fees for the transactions they perform. The hash rate is the measuring unit of the processing power of the bitcoin network. As mentioned before, the network must make intensive calculations for maintaining security. To get the idea of the hash rate, when a network reached a hash rate of 10 Th/s, it meant it could make 10 trillion calculations per second.

Nvidia CMP consists of a fully open, airflow optimized bracket which allows the miners to mine more efficiently and recoup the mining investment faster. In addition to this, the Nvidia CMP is configured to allow a large number of GPUs to be controlled by a single CPU.

Nvidia states on their blog:

“CMP lacks display outputs, enabling improved airflow while mining so they can be more densely packed. CMPs also have a lower peak core voltage and frequency, which improves mining power efficiency.”

Therefore, it is clear that Nvidia aims to create tailored products for its customers. With Nvidia CMP, they are ensuring that the miners are benefitted and able to build their data centers efficiently. On the other hand, they are preserving GeForce GPUs for gamers only.

References:

[1] https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus