For panel PCs and Ultra-flat Embedded Systems. By Wisse Hettinga @ www.eenewsembedded.com
With the PD10AI, ICP Deutschland launches a Thin Mini ITX Board that supports system integrators in two ways. The first is the low height of the board, which is required for particularly compact systems. On the other hand by the design of the board, which allows the certification according to EMV/FCC class B.
The PD10AI is equipped as standard with the Intel® Celeron® N3350 Dual Core processor, which supports a burst frequency of 2.4GHz. Optionally, a version with Quad Core Intel® Pentium® N4200 with 2.5GHz burst frequency is available. Both versions support up to 8GB DDR3L SO-DIMM memory with a maximum clock rate of 1867MHz. The internal Intel® HD graphics unit provides triple display support. A 4K HDMI with max. 3840×2160 resolution, a 4K display port with max. 4096×2160 resolution and a Full HD LVDS connector with max. 1920×1200 resolution are available. The LVDS connector can optionally be replaced by a 4K embedded display port with max. 3840×2160 resolution.
UnitedSiC has developed silicon carbide transistors in standard packages with the world’s lowest on resistance. Chris Dries, CEO, talks to Nick Flaherty about the significance of the move.
UnitedSiC has launched four silicon carbide SiC transistors with the world’s lowest on resistance RDS(on) to open up new applications.
“What we are doing is pretty incredible for the industry with an on resistance on under 10 mΩ in a standard package,” said Chris Dries, CEO of United SIC, talking to eeNews Power. “This is a real milestone for United SiC. The flagship market for us is electric vehicles, particularly in traction, but circuit protection is a new area now enabled by the low rds on,” he said.
Of the four new SiC FET devices, one is rated at 650V with RDS(on) of 7 mΩ and three rated at 1200V with RDS(on) of 9 and 16 mΩ. These are available in a TO247 package with three or four pins.
“This is an extension of the third generation platform – the maturation of the process in the fab enables us to go to these large die at high volume” said Dries. “We have created two different types of FET depending on the switching speeds – the UJ3C is general purpose that is easy as a drop in replacement, while the UF fast parts are designed for high performance hard switched.”
This comes from the design of the parts, which uses a silicon MOSFET, or cascode, alongside a JFET built in silicon carbide.
“The silicon cascode MOSFET that we make is stacked on top of the JFET,” he said. “The way we are able to do it is because the underlying technology of the JFET – RDS(on) per unit area – at 1200V our specific on resistance is half at 1200V and at 650V is a quarter. That’s the key differentiator that allow us to do this where other cannot.”
“The problem with SiC is that it does not like to form a gate oxide,” said Dries. “What we have done is use the perfect oxide of silicon as the gate interface and then we have the SiC JFET with the lowest specific rds on, so we optimise the performance of both FETs. Its really hard to do it successfully but once you can it’s the best way,” he added.
While the 4pin versions are aimed at high frequency switching, the three pin versions are drop in replacements for silicon IGBTs.
“The 3pin version is to directly replace CoolMOS [devices from Infineon] in low RDS on designs. Designers can move from 2.2, 2.4kW to 3kW by replacing CoolMOS silicon with drop in SiC. Most SiC MOSFETs need a negative gate drive from -4 or -5V to +15 or 20V, but we design the gates so they are clamped at -20V so we can be pin for pin compatible with silicon IGBTs.”
Thermal management is a key part of the new devices. “What we do is silver sinter the die to the lead frame using die attach technology that allows us to get the heat out of the package. We can do a three lead (3L) package but the di/dt necessitates a four pin kelvin connected package,” he said. “In the SiC industry we all have this four lead package – Infineon, Cree, ST all have it – the switching performance is far superior and we try to steer customers to it. Those parts can run at over 100A in a TO247 package.”
The low conduction losses mean the devices can also be used as solid-state circuit breakers and battery disconnect switches in electric vehicles. The devices can turn off very high currents very quickly, and when used as a circuit breaker have a self-limiting characteristic that controls the peak current that flows. This characteristic can also be used to limit inrush currents flowing into inverters and motors.
“Solid state circuit breakers s a new and emerging market for us, enabled by the low RDS on devices. Initial customers tend to be in the aerospace industry to route power in an aircraft,” said Dries. “When paralleled can surge rating over 100A and turn off safely. With six die in parallel you get a 2 mΩ switch in a SOT227 1200V module.”
The UF3SC065007K4S has a maximum operating voltage of 650V, a drain current of up to 120A, and an RDS(ON) of 6.7mΩ. The UF3SC120009K4S has a maximum operating voltage of 1200V, drain current of up to 120A, and an RDS(on) of 8.6mΩ. Both come in a four-lead Kelvin package, enabling cleaner drive characteristics.
For lower-power designs, UnitedSiC offers two parts with maximum operating voltages of 1200V, drain currents of up to 77A, and an RDS(on) of 16mΩ. The UF3SC120016K3S has a three-lead package, while the UF3SC120016K4S has a four-lead package.
The parts are built at X-Fab’s foundry in Texas using the IP and process technology from United SiC, with a capacity of 30,000 wafers a month, says Dries. The company uses three suppliers of SiC wafers.
“We have three qualified suppliers of substrates and we see no differentiation in quality for yield based on the substrate or epi for the JFETs, and we run equivalent yield s on all three suppliers,” said Dries. “Historically its important in a new material system to own the material supply but over time that becomes commoditised. That’s what happened in gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphate (InP) and I think the same thing will happen over time,” he said.
Displays are an important part of any device in today’s world and while several advancements have been made in their quality with improved resolution and low power features, almost little has changed when it comes to the complexity involved with creating beautiful user interfaces for devices. This is why the team at STONE created the STVC035WT-01 intelligent Smart display.
The display which is a 3.5″ display has integrated CPU, driver, flash memory and different kind of interfaces to enable it to connect to data sources like microcontrollers. It works with a set of customized commands which are sent to display via RS232 or other protocol and it is compatible with the Stone GUI designer which allows users to develop the User Interface for their application in a fast and easy manner.
Stone GUI
The display comes with an ARM Cortex M4 processor which drives all its internal logic. It possesses a viewing area of 49 x 73.4 mm with a resolution of 320×480 (16:9) pixels and a maximum attainable brightness level of 300 cd/m². The display communicates with connected microcontrollers or processors via UART but it is also possible to connect to it via RS485. While there is a version of the display that comes without the touchscreen functionality, the ones with the functionality, make use of Industry Level 4 wire resistance for the touch interface.
The features of the display are highlighted below:
Cortex M4 CPU;
UART interface (RS232/RS485/TTL) ;
256-byte register;
128 kb variable memory;
128 MB flash memory, expandable to 1 GB;
GUI design software;
A customized command set;
8-channel curve trend chart memory;
extremely fast variable display response speed;
A single page supports up to 128 display variables;
Integrated real-time clock RTC,
Touch buzzer sound function;
Support 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270-degree screen rotation via software to adjust the viewing Angle
To use the display, the developers have to design a graphic user interface using the Stone GUI design software and upload the design to the display using the USB port. The display is then connected to the main microcontroller or processor on which the project is based, through the UART interface via a flat 8-pins cable, and customized commands can then be sent through the UART interface, to read/write values in the display.
Unboxing Video
The STVC035WT-01 intelligent display has been used in the development of several projects like a coffee machine, small indoor equipment, and this RFID based smart house control system.
More information on the display and its availability can be found on Stone Tech’s website.
Torex Semiconductor has launched the XCL303/XCL304 as a new series of inductor built-in negative output voltage “micro DC/DC” Converters.
The XCL303/XCL304 series are small coil-integrated negative voltage micro DC/DC converter IC. Increased oscillating frequency to 2.5 MHz and by adopting the small package CL-2025-02 (2.5 × 2.0 × 1.0 mm), the mounting area is reduced by approximately 78% compared to general negative voltage output DC/DC (from 65.25 mm2 to 14.43 mm2).
Further, integrating the coil together with the DC/DC simplifies the circuit board layout and minimizes potential noise interference.
Compared to a charge pump type solution, the switching method of the XCL303/XCL304 maintains a stable output voltage even when the input voltage fluctuates. In addition, this new micro DC/DC can support maximum output current 300 mA (when VIN = 3.3 V, VOUT = –3.0 V).
Features:
The PWM controlled XCL303 series can be selected for applications where low noise is important, and the PWM/PFM automatic switching controlled XCL304 series can be selected for applications where high efficiency at light load current and low noise at high load current is important. The XCL303/XCL304 series allows users to select either a PWM control or PWM/PFM automatic switching control method, which are optimum for low noise and small negative voltage devices such as optical communication equipment.
Output voltage can be adjusted within the range of –1.2 V to –6.0 V using externally mounted resistors.
Argos is a satellite-based system that collects, processes, and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide. What makes Argos unique is the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth utilizing the Doppler effect. The Argos system itself comprises of six satellites, which follow polar orbits at an altitude of about 850km (530 miles), 50 terrestrial receiving stations, and two data processing centers. Unlike the Global Positioning System (GPS) that needs a minimum of three satellites to be in range to pinpoint an object’s location, Argos requires just one satellite to “see” a transmitter to do this.
The Argos platform allows engineers, scientists, researchers, students around the worked to track environmental things. Argos transmitters have been deployed on plastics tracking and animals, especially marine mammals like walruses and sea turtles. They easily find applications requiring long-distance movement tracking of both coastal and oceanic species.
One of the National Geographic Sea to Source tracked 500ml water bottles, utilising the Arribada Horizon ARGOS transmitter.
In as much Argos provides an avenue to deploy environmental applications, the transmitters used for them don’t usually come cheap. They are mostly closed source, meaning integrating into a custom solution is almost impossible. This is a daunting challenge, especially for a researcher working on custom projects different from the everyday use of Argos. This is the challenge Arribada has decided to address by creating an open ARGOS transmitter reference design in an Arduino style like settings called the Arribada Horizon.
How could we include ARGOS satellite telemetry within the design of the Arribada Horizon sea turtle tag to enable our users to track migratory sea turtles?
Arribada already offers an inter-nestal tag that enables users to track sea turtles migration movement. The inspiration for the Arribada Horizon open-source initiative came from the contest hosted by CLS to develop an open-source transmitter. Arribada team up with Icoteq Ltd, a wireless technology engineering firm for the development of the transmitter, and is in partnership with CLS telemetry to launch the Horizon. A fully featured plug-and-play biologging platform that can be used to transmit to ARGOS satellites from anywhere.
Open source Arribada Horizon Argos Transmitter
The Horizon platform comes in two mainboard setup: the self-contained transmitter board and the horizon mainboard. The transmitter board is made up of the ARGOS-4 ARTIC Chipset and can be integrated into any custom microcontroller unit through its PicoBlade interface. The main-board consisted of a uBox based assisted GPS, an accelerometer, pressure sensor, cellular connectivity, and Bluetooth 5.0. The Horizon platform also provides a graphical user interface that runs in your browser to configure the Horizon devices, and Python was the language of choice for the development of the boards.
Although the Arribada Horizon is expected to be open-source, the full open-source design hasn’t released to the public, and you want to contact Arribada directly for the reference design. No information is available about the pricing of the horizon platform, as well.
If you’re interested in the open reference design package, you can contact CLS, or if you’d like pre-ordering information to get an Arribada Horizon ARGOS-4 Developer’s Kit, please contact Arribada directly. More information is available on the announcement post here.
App note from ON Semiconductor on their Smart Fuel gauge LC709204F.
LC709204F is a Fuel Gauge for 1−Cell Lithium−ion/ Polymer batteries. It is a part of our Smart LiB Gauge family of Fuel Gauges which measure the battery RSOC (Relative State Of Charge) using its unique algorithm called HG−CVR2. The HG−CVR2 algorithm provides accurate RSOC information even under unstable conditions (e.g. changes of battery; temperature, loading, aging and self−discharge).
Battery Fuel Gauging LSI [Smart LiB Gauge] for 1-Cell Lithium-ion/Polymer with LC709204F – [PDF]
Part sourcing is one of the most important and challenging activities associated with the development of any hardware project. So, selecting the right one is a critical step in the success of any product.
From finding the exact components at the desired quantity, to buying the components at a price that suits sales margins, getting a reliable source for parts is the key to success of any product development process. As a matter of fact, it is so important that designs are usually not finalized until product teams have established the supply chain capable of reliably supplying all that is needed to manufacture it. To minimize the amount of time and energy product developers, hardware startups and large organizations waste on this, several part sourcing companies/platforms and websites exist with one of the standout ones being UTSOURCE. They was created to serve as a truly global one-stop-shop for electronics parts.
UTSOURCE.net
UTSOURCE is a professional B2B & B2C platform for electronics parts/components sourcing. They provide a one-stop service for customers by providing access to different types of components needed for the development of electronic products. Their offerings range from the sales of different Electronic parts (like ICs, Microcontrollers, Sensors) and ElectroMechanical components (like relays, switches, and converters), to several types of Passive (resistors, capacitors, crystals, etc), and D-level (open-source boards like Arduino and related tools) components to mention a few.
Their website is categorized into different sections to allow customers to easily search and access the components they need. To increase speed and reduce stress for customers looking for multiple items, the website allows users to search for multiple components at a time by entering them into multiple field search bar, or by uploading a BOM generated using popular PCB software like KiCad.
Multiple Search Options
Based on their understanding of the different needs of different customers, their offerings are tailored to serve the needs of those customers who just need to buy a few ICs, and those customers who need to buy the ICs in large volumes. They understand how the long term availability of components affects product cycle and as such, work with customers to ensure the parts being ordered will still be on the market at least for the next 3-5 years.
As part of their goal to serve as a one-stop-shop, through NextPCB, a leading PCB manufacturer located in China, UTSOURCE also offers affordable (with prices as low as $10 for 10 pieces) PCB customization and manufacturing services with a specialization in 2-16 Layers PCB prototype fabrication and small-volume production. This allows users to manufacture their PCBs and get the components needed for it from the same manufacturer, reducing the stress attached to managing multiple suppliers.
In addition, UTSOURCE runs a service called FBU (Fulfillment by UTSOURCE) which allows customers buy directly from thousands of suppliers on the UT Source platform with UTSOURCE providing the customer with pre-shipment inspection service to guarantee the quality of items, and a shipping insurance service that empowers customers with the ability to ask for return and refund with the freight is borne by UTSOURCE.
All of these services are offered to customers, all over the world, through their website (UTSOURCE.net) and payments for the services are also done online, as such, to give users flexibility with payments, UTSOURCE supports secure payment through different payment platforms/cards like PayPal,credit card, western union, wire transfer, and they work with different logistics companies like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and TNT to give users as many options as possible for a 2-5 days delivery of their order.
Membership Program
As a way of rewarding customer loyalty, UTSOURCE runs a membership program which allows customer pick different membership categories that unlock different discounts, rewards, and privileges like, 8%-30% reduction on the price of components, 90 Days Worry-Free Return Policy, Exclusive logistics service channel, a rapid increase of 30% +, and shipping coupons to help customers reduce shipping fee among others. More details on the membership program can be found here and a summary of some of the benefits is provided in the table below.
Plus Membership Benefits
UTSOURCE has been in business for 15+ years, and has served customers across sectors like Aerospace, Consumer Electronics, Telecommunication, Military and Medical sectors, with customers ranging from individuals and Startups to R&D organizations and large corporate firms. As such, it is safe to say they have the experience (which is key hardware part sourcing) to serve as a reliable supply chain partner for products.
Professional customer service worldwide
They provide professional customer service worldwide with offices in USA, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and many other places. To find out the local service departments check on contact page.
Free Shipping Policy
UTSOURCE provides free shipping on selected order as listed below. To check your shipping on the desired country check shipping page.
For the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, India, Turkey: Free shipping on first 0.5kg for orders over US $69.90
Other countries: Free shipping on first 0.5kg for orders over US $99.90
More information about the offerings of UTSOURCE can be found on their website.
Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorized global distributor with the newest semiconductors and electronic components, is now stocking the MOD_CH101 ultrasonic time-of-flight (ToF) sensor module and DK-CH101 SmartSonic™ platform from InvenSense, a TDK Group company. The ToF solutions offer fast and accurate range measurement with ultra-low power consumption, and are capable of detecting objects of any size, color, and transparency. The highly accurate devices are suitable for a range of applications including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, augmented reality, drones, and mobile devices.
The InvenSense MOD_CH101 ultrasonic ToF sensor module enables rapid integration of the Chirp CH-101 sensor. The CH-101 is a highly integrated system-in-package featuring an ultra-low-power system-on-chip (SoC) together with a piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducer. Built using patented MEMS technology from Chirp, the CH-101 operates advanced ultrasonic DSP algorithms and provides accurate range measurements to targets at distances up to 1.2 m. The MOD_CH101 module includes an acoustic housing that allows engineers to customize the sensor’s field of view (FoV) up to 180 degrees and allows for simultaneous range measurements to multiple objects within the FoV. The device is also immune to ambient noise.
The InvenSense DK-CH101 SmartSonic platform, now available to order from Mouser Electronics, includes an on-board CH-101 sensor and a Microchip SAM G55 microcontroller with an Arm® Cortex®-M4 core. The robust development board is capable of connecting up to four external MOD-CH101 sensor modules via flat-flex cables. Featuring an onboard embedded debugger, the platform can debug the SAM G55 without requiring external solutions. The DK-CH101 SmartSonic platform includes a comprehensive set of software tools, including embedded drivers, a GUI-based development tool, and SonicLink™ (available for download to registered developers).
Features
Ultralow power
Fast and accurate range measurement regardless of target size
Detects any color objects including windows and glass doors and walls
Easy to integrate
Miniature, integrated module
Customizable field of view (FoV)
As an authorized distributor, Mouser Electronics is focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies, giving customers an edge and helping speed time to market. Over 800 semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers count on Mouser to help them introduce their products into the global marketplace. Mouser’s customers can expect 100% certified, genuine products that are fully traceable from each manufacturer.
The industrial box thin clients from Pepperl+Fuchs are a reliable and rugged generation of computers for visualizing process information. They have been specially developed for use in harsh conditions and 24/7 operation in industrial environments.
Designed to withstand high temperatures, shocks, and vibrations over long periods, the new BTC14, and the already familiar thin clients BTC12—designed for dual-monitor applications—and BTC01—the first quad-monitor generation.
The BTC14 has four digital uniform DisplayPorts®, enabling processes to be visualized on up to four Ultra-HD (4K) screens, thus giving an optimal overview of all information. Thanks to additional mounting kits and its rugged design, the BTC14 can be installed in a hugely varied number of ways. The long-term availability and the modern computer platform make the BTC14 future-proof. The preinstalled Pepperl+Fuchs VisuNet RM Shell 5 firmware simplifies both virtualizing host systems and performing quick and intuitive configuration.
Rear view BTC14
The Thin Client portfolio is rounded off by the innovative VisuNet Control Center management tool, which enables efficient and centralized management of all Thin Client devices when used with the RM Shell 5 firmware: from the BTCs in the control room and production-related workstations to remote monitors in the field in Ex Zone 1/21.
Advantech, a leading global provider of intelligent IoT systems and embedded platforms, is pleased to announce MIO-2361, the latest Pico-ITX single board computer designed with onboard LPDDR4-2400 & 32G eMMC powered by Intel® Atom™ E3900 series/Pentium® N4200/Celeron® N3350 processors.
The rugged design of the MIO-2361 means typical memory (socket type) assemblies are not used. The MIO-2361 offers deep power down mode, 12V/24V +/- 10% power input, better storage capacity, M.2/mSATA, and -40° to +85°C wide temperature support.
Combined with Intelligent Management Software Integration, MIO-2361 offers various types of selected embedded OS including Windows 10 and Linux Yocto BSP for testing hardware drivers and devices to prevent unauthorized data access. MIO-2361 is also integrated with WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn IoT device management software designed by Advantech to expedite IoT development particularly in factory automation.
Superior Quad-Core Performance with Selected 12V/24V Power Supply
Equipped with Intel® Atom™ E3900 series /Pentium® N4200/Celeron® N3350 processors, MIO-2361 offers 1.7 times the compute power over previous generation processors. When paired with a quad-core processor, MIO-2361’s additional memory and rapid storage capabilities enhance coordinated computing by accelerating operational processes. MIO-2361 also supports 12V/24V power supply for power-exchange processing, reduces power consumption, and facilitates the integration of existing data without sacrificing software compatibility.
Rugged Design with Flexible I/O Expansion for Harsh Environments
MIO-2361 offers wide operating temperature support from -40°C to 85°C for use in harsh environments. Its heatsink is designed as a dynamic heat conduction system which enhances thermal conduction from hot components to the heat spreader. MIO-2361’s heatsink outperforms similar designs by dissipating heat from the CPU more effectivity and reduces temperatures by approximately 11°C ~ 25°C. Furthermore, 2 x RJ45 ports (rear I/O) and HDMI4.1b (right-angle) are also one of MIO-2361’s main features that give the customer more flexible I/O selection. With onboard LPDDR4-2400 designed to decrease its total height, MIO-2361 has the smallest PCB size (100 x 72mm) which easily fits in any ultra-slim embedded chassis to save space. MIO-2361 also features 32G eMMC flash memory that delivers the needed performance for smooth onboard computation with low TDP. MIO-2361 is ideal for electric car recharging stations, outdoor video players, as well as for factory automation equipment.
Bundled with Value-added IoT Device Management Software
Due to the support of Advantech WISE-PaaS/DeviceOn IoT device operation management software the board can easily be integrated, operated and managed within your industrial IoT devices ecosystem. With DeviceOn’s easy-to-use interface you can monitor device health, have real-time control of power on/off, troubleshoot, and perform updates over-the-air (OTA) on-site and remotely. In addition, Advantech’s SUSI unified API enables developers to write applications for controlling hardware without knowing the specifications of specific chipsets and driver architectures. For instance, using the “Power Saving API”, customers could create utilities for CPU power modes to reduce power consumption in extreme environments.
MIO-2361 Product Features and Specifications:
Intel® Atom™ E3900 series/ Pentium® N4200
Onboard LPDDR4-2400 up to 8GB, eMMC 32GB
Dual independent display for 48-bit LVDS+HDMI
M.2 E-key, mSATA/mPCIe for expansion
Dual GbE, USB3.0, 2 x RS-232/422/485, 12/24V input
Supports WISE-PaaS/ DeviceOn , iManager3.0, and Embedded Software APIs: Win 10, Linux (*Yocto development, by customer request)
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