Microelectronics world news

Learn about debugging embedded systems using a simple 3-step method called DDT (design documentation and testing) and the general challenges facing embedded code debugging. 

There's a lot at play for advanced driver assistance systems to monitor for drowsiness or connect vehicles to the grid. Here are a few recent technologies driving forward the future of autonomous vehicles.

Nexperia’s PSC1065K SiC Schottky diode comes in a real-2-pin (R2P) TO-220-2 plastic package that enhances reliability in high-voltage applications at temperatures up to 175 °C. This industrial-grade device has a repetitive peak reverse voltage (VRRM) of 650 V, forward current (IF) of 10 A, and non-repetitive peak forward current (IFSM) as high as 440 A.

The merged PiN Schottky (MPS) structure of the PSC1065K adds robustness against surge currents and eliminates the need for additional protection circuitry. Additionally, the PSC1065K offers temperature-independent capacitive switching and zero forward and reverse recovery behavior. These features reduce system complexity and enable hardware designers to achieve higher efficiency with smaller form factors in rugged high-power applications.

Nexperia offers its 650-V, 10-A SiC Schottky diodes in four high-voltage compliant R2P packages with higher creepage distance. These R2P packages include DPAK, D2PAK, TO-247-2, and TO-220-2, designated the PSC1065-H, -J, -L, and –K, respectively. Applications for these devices include switched-mode power supplies, AC/DC and DC/DC converters, battery-charging infrastructure, uninterruptible power supplies, and photovoltaic inverters.

PSC1065K product page

Nexperia

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Two MEMS-based oscillators, the SiT1623 and SiT1625 from SiTime, provide a high-temperature, low-power timing reference for automotive connectivity protocols. Both of the AEC-Q100 qualified devices perform under extreme conditions and provide the robust system performance and stability required in harsh automotive environments.

Grade 1 oscillators operate over a temperature range of -40°C to +125°C and can be used for automotive ADAS, electronic control units, and infotainment systems. The SiT1623 offers 9 commonly used fixed frequencies between 8 MHz and 50 MHz, while the SiT1625 offers a choice of 12 fixed frequencies between 8 MHz and 100 MHz. Frequency stability for both parts is ±25 PPM (85°C), ±30 ppm (105°C), and ±50 ppm (125°C). RMS phase jitter is 750 fs for the SiT1623, dropping to 500 fs for the SiT1625.

The SiT1623 and SiT1625 consume 1.8 mA and 2.3 mA, respectively, when operating at 1.8 V. Four industry-standard packaging options are available: 1.6×1.2 mm, 2.0×1.6 mm, 2.5×2.0 mm, and 3.2×2.5 mm.

Engineering samples of the SiT1623 and SiT1625 oscillators are available now to qualified customers. General sampling will be available in July 2023. Volume production is expected in early 2024.

SiT1623 product page

SiT1625 product page

SiTime

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The R&S ESMW monitoring receiver covers a frequency range of 8 kHz to 40 GHz with a real-time bandwidth of up to 2 GHz. Useful for fixed and mobile spectrum monitoring, the instrument’s ITU-compliant RF performance and modular upgradability enable it to measure both current and future wideband signals in high-density spectrum environments.

The ESMW calculates real-time spectrum by applying FFT signal processing with at least 50% overlap. Signals as short as 75 ns can be reliably detected with 100% probability of intercept (POI) and full amplitude accuracy. A panorama scan option for the ESMW enables the instrument to perform spectral scans with speeds of up to 2.6 THz/s and adjustable frequency resolution. With a real-time bandwidth of 2 GHz, panorama scans are perceived as almost real-time operation.

In addition to standalone operation, the ultra-wideband ESMW can be used to upgrade existing R&S radio monitoring systems thanks to backward compatibility with the company’s ESMD and ESME wideband monitoring receivers. Its open remote-control interfaces and well-documented output data formats also enable integration into various third-party systems.

ESMW product page

Rohde & Schwarz 

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Guerrilla RF announced the release of two high-linearity gain blocks for infrastructure applications, such as 5G base stations, automotive telematics, and cellular repeaters. Extending the gain coverage of GRF’s existing portfolio of general-purpose RF/microwave gain blocks, the GRF2010 and GRF2011 GaAs pHEMT amplifiers provide nominal gain levels of 10 dB and 15 dB. Since all of the gain blocks come in 1.5×1.5-mm DFN-6 packages, existing designs can be modified to achieve different levels of gain, linearity, and noise figure.

When operating with a nominal 5-V bias and single match covering 400 MHz to 4000 MHz, the GRF2010 draws 90 mA of current while delivering a gain of 10 dB, OIP3 linearity of 36 dBm, OP1dB compression level of 20 dBm, and a noise figure of 3.1 dB. The GRF2011, with a single match tune of 700 MHz to 3800 MHz, increases the gain offering to 15.2 dB with OIP3 linearity of 40 dBm, OP1dB compression of 22.7 dBm, and a lower noise figure of 2 dB. Both devices can be tuned to operate over lower frequencies reaching down to 50 MHz.

Samples and evaluation boards for the GRF2010 and GRF2011 gain blocks are available now, with prices starting at $0.85 each in lots of 10,000 units.

GRF2010 product page

GRF2011 product page

Guerrilla RF 

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A 24-Gb/s Graphics Double Data Rate 6 (GDDR6) PHY IP core from Rambus enables a high-bandwidth memory interface for AI/ML, graphics, and networking applications. At 24 Gb/s per pin, the GDDR6 PHY offers a maximum bandwidth of 96 GB/s for each GDDR6 memory device. It can be paired with the Rambus GDDR6 digital controller IP to provide a complete GDDR6 memory interface subsystem.

Available in advanced FinFET nodes for ASIC or SoC integration, the GDDR6 PHY IP core is fully compliant with the JEDEC GDDR6 (JESD250C) standard and supports two independent 16-bit–wide channels. The PHY leverages the manufacturer’s high-speed signal integrity and power integrity expertise and is optimized for systems requiring high-bandwidth and low latency, such as generative AI.

A DFI 3.1 style interface allows easy integration of the PHY core with the memory controller. While the Rambus GDDR6 PHY and GDDR6 controller can be used together, these cores can also be licensed separately to work with third-party GDDR6 controller or PHY solutions. The Rambus GDDR6 PHY is supplied as a fully characterized hard macro (GDSII), along with complete design views and documentation.

GDDR6 PHY product page  

GDDR6 controller product page  

Rambus

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The post GDDR6 PHY core delivers up to 24 Gb/s appeared first on EDN.

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has launched the HybridPACK Drive G2 automotive power module, which builds on the HybridPACK Drive G1 concept of an integrated B6 package, offering scalability within the same footprint and extending it to higher power and ease-of-use. The HybridPACK Drive G2 will be available with various current ratings, voltage levels (750V and 1200V) and Infineon’s next-generation chip technologies EDT3 (silicon IGBT) and CoolSiC G2 MOSFET...

Silicon carbide (SiC) technology continues to make headlines, and the latest byte has come with Bosch’s acquisition of a U.S. fab in Roseville, California. More importantly, Bosch will invest $1.5 billion to upgrade TSI Semiconductor’s manufacturing facility, and by 2026, the fab will start producing 200-mm SiC wafers.

That resonates with the proposition echoed at APEC 2023 in Orlando, Florida in March: Take old silicon fabs and upgrade them with SiC-specific tools. Here, it’s worth mentioning that the front end of SiC manufacturing isn’t much different from silicon power devices like IGBTs.

TSI, founded in 1984, produces large volumes of chips on 200-mm silicon wafers for applications ranging from mobility to telecommunications to energy. It has a workforce of 250 people, and after the retooling phase, the fab will have roughly 10,000 square meters of clean-room space.

Source: Bosch

The deal also underscores a critical fact: Bosch is bolstering its semiconductor business in general and SiC investment in particular. In summer 2022, the German manufacturing giant announced to invest 3 billion euros in its semiconductor business in Europe. Bosch has also hinted about being a contender for the federal U.S. funds from the CHIPS and Science Act as well as state and local incentives. Furthermore, it has been stated that the initial $1.5 billion investment in SiC manufacturing in Roseville is only the starting point.

Earlier in 2021, Bosch began working on SiC components while using proprietary processes to mass-produce them at its Reutlingen plant near Stuttgart. The company expects to have extended its clean-room space in Reutlingen from roughly 35,000 to more than 44,000 square meters by the end of 2025.

Bosch’s move is significant at a time when there is a huge demand for electric vehicles (EVs), and SiC semiconductors are increasingly becoming a technology choice for EV inverters and other crucial building blocks like on-board charging (OBC). The United States is the second largest automobile market, and given the rapid uptick in demand for SiC semiconductors, this deal comes at a pivotal time.

Moreover, at a time when the substrate and wafer costs have become a major stumbling block in SiC’s mass advancement, a new player joining the fray may accelerate the efforts for creating the economy of scale for SiC wafers.

Related Content

• SiC and GaN: A Tale of Two Semiconductors
• The diverging worlds of SiC and GaN semiconductors
• SiC and resurgence of semiconductor vertical integration
• Silicon carbide (SiC) and the road to 800-V electric vehicles
• APEC 2023: SiC moving into mainstream, cost major barrier
• Silicon carbide’s wafer cost conundrum and the way forward

The post Bosch: The new kid on the silicon carbide block appeared first on EDN.

For first-quarter 2023, Riber S.A. of Bezons, France – which manufactures molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems as well as evaporation sources – has reported revenue of €3.7m, up 54% on €2.4m a year ago...

The compound semiconductor market was $38.552bn in 2022 and is rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% to $61.911bn in 2030, forecasts a report published by P&S Intelligence. Growth is ascribed primarily to the rising demand for silicon carbide (SiC) devices in power electronics...

Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures JEDEC- and AEC-Q101-qualified gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for high-voltage power conversion — has announced the availability of six surface-mount devices (SMDs) available in industry-standard PQFN 5x6 and 8x8 packages...

First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has announced an agreement to supply 2GWDC of its cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules, for delivery in 2026 and 2027, to Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) of Dallas, TX, USA (which owns and operates a portfolio of 25 renewable energy facilities across nine states totaling about 2700MW of generating capacity)...

NS Nanotech Inc of Ann Arbor, MI, USA says that NS Nanotech Canada in Montréal, Québec (founded in November 2022) has received matching funding support from McGill University’s Office of Innovation & Partnerships (I&P) to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation nano-LED technologies. The I&P Partnerships Program is supported by Québec’s Ministère de l’Éducation and the Ministère de l’Enseignment Supérieur...

So I bodged this monstrosity together, 4 unknown brand 10000mah pouch cells harvested from fried power banks (they were the same model and kept on failing the same way, decided to stop asking the manufacturer for replacements under warranty). submitted by /u/saltyboi6704 [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/MajSARS [link] [comments]

Learn about gallium-nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and how they can be used in LiDAR (light detection and ranging) applications.

Flux is launching an integrated AI-powered “chatbot-like” design assistant that’s integrated into its web-based online PCB design tool.

Building a robot can be a challenging task, even for the most experienced in the field, due to the difficulty of achieving smooth and precise movement through programming. Build Some Stuff decided to not only design their own robot, but to do so using the least number of prefabricated parts possible, keeping the total cost […]

The post Learn How to Design and Control a Robotic Arm with Arduino and Fusion 360 appeared first on Open Electronics. The author is Boris Landoni

As new energy vehicles and battery technology boom, charging and battery swapping in the industry chain have become weak links for the development of new energy vehicles. Inconvenient charging and short cruising range have become sore points that plague every consumer buying electric vehicles...