Microelectronics world news

EFFECT Photonics raises $38m in Series D funding

Semiconductor today - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 13:04
EFFECT Photonics b.v. – a spin off from the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e) in The Netherlands – has secured $38m in a Series D funding round, led by Innovation Industries Strategic Partners Fund, backed by Dutch pension funds PMT and PME, along with co-investor Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund and participation from other existing investors...

Executive Blog – Companies that Embrace Digital Transformation Have More Resilient Design and Supply Chains

ELE Times - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 12:59

Sailesh Chittipeddi | Executive Vice President Operations | Renesas

Digital transformation has evolved quickly from a conceptual phase to a semiconductor industry change agent. The rapid take up of AI-enhanced product development is only accelerating this transformation and is further influenced by two connected trends: The movement of Moore’s Law from transistor scaling to system-level scaling, and the relatively recent redistribution of the global electronics supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I spoke on this subject earlier this month at the Industry Strategy Symposium 2024 in Half Moon Bay, California, where leaders from across the chip industry gather annually to share their insights on technology and trend drivers and what they could mean for our respective businesses.

Between the early 1970s and around 2005, increased chip performance was largely a function of clock frequency improvements driven by advances in lithography, transistor density, and energy efficiency. With increasing transistor counts (and die size), clock frequencies are limited by interconnect delays and not by transistor performance. To overcome this challenge, designers moved to multi-core designs to increase system performance without blowing up energy. Novel packaging techniques such as chiplets and multi-chip modules are helping further improve system performance, particularly in AI chips.

A single chip package may be comprised of multiple chiplets each housing specific functions such as high-performance logic elements, AI accelerators, high-bandwidth DDR memory, and high-speed peripherals. Very often, each of these components is sourced from a different fab, a trend that has resulted in a fragmented global supply chain. This creates its own set of challenges as die from multiple fabs must be integrated into a package or system that must then be thoroughly tested. Test failures at this stage have enormous financial consequences. These challenges, require a “shift left” mindset in product development. The shift left mentality has major ramifications for how we, as an industry, should be managing our supply chains by moving the heavy emphasis from architecture/design to final system testing and quality.

Supply chain challenges during the COVID pandemic have resulted in further decentralization of the supply chain components. To illustrate the enormity of the change underway, consider that between 2022 and December 2024 construction began on 93 wafer fabs around the world. Compare that to the global construction of automated test facilities. In 2021 alone, the industry broke ground on 484 back-end test sites, which provides a measure of how committed the chip sector is to driving resiliency across the manufacturing landscape.

The Role of AI in Semiconductor Design and Manufacture

So, where does AI come into the picture?

A key area in which AI will exert its influence is the shift from an analytic to a predictive model. Today, we wait to detect a problem and then look at past data to identify the root cause of the problem and prevent it from reoccurring. This inefficient approach adds time, cost, unpredictability, and waste to the supply chain. AI, on the other hand, allows us to examine current data to predict future outcomes.

Instead of using spreadsheets to analyze old data, we build AI models that production engineers continuously train with new data. This “new” data is no longer merely a set of numbers or measurements but includes unstructured data such as die photos, equipment noise, time series sensor data, and videos to make better predictions.

In the end, it’s about pulling actionable information from a sea of data points. In other words, data without action is mostly useless. Why am I driving this point home? Because today, 90 percent of data created by enterprises is never used. It’s dark data. And when you think about AI implementation, 46 percent of them never make it from pilot to production because the complexity of the programs is not scoped appropriately.

Despite these challenges, equipment makers are already starting to implement digital transformation techniques into their product development processes. The benefits are palpable. Research from Boston Consulting Group found that companies that have built resiliency into their supply and design chains recovered from COVID-related downturns twice as fast as companies that have yet to embrace digital transformation.

At Renesas, we acquired a company called Reality AI that generates a compact machine learning model that runs on a microcontroller or microprocessor. This provides the unique ability to quickly detect deviations from normal patterns that may cause equipment problems. It allows manufacturing facilities to schedule preventive maintenance or minimize downtime associated with sudden equipment failure.

Digital Transformation Is Future-Proofing Our Industry

Digital transformation with AI is key to business success today. As the semiconductor industry undergoes a major evolution – embracing system-level design and adapting to a changing global supply chain – digital transformation and the shift left approach are powerful tools that deliver on two fronts.

The first is a productivity increase that comes from optimized tools and design processes. The closer you are to where the failure is likely to occur, the more quickly you learn and the more quickly you can fix things.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, digital transformation solves one of the biggest problems the industry has with chip design – the availability of talent. When we reduce the time taken to design a chip, we’re making our engineers far more efficient than they would be otherwise, which is increasingly important as the semiconductor industry demographic skews older.

The post Executive Blog – Companies that Embrace Digital Transformation Have More Resilient Design and Supply Chains appeared first on ELE Times.

Network RTK vs PPP-RTK: an insight into real-world performance

ELE Times - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 12:43

By- Patty Felts, Product Marketing Manager, Product Center Services

Australian automation and positioning technology provider conduct static and kinematic tests

Locating people, animals, or objects on Earth with high precision requires the use of GNSS receivers and the support of network RTK correction services that account for errors caused by the atmosphere, satellite clock drift, and signal delays.

Three standard approaches to correct these errors are Real Time Kinematic (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP) GNSS correction services, and a combination of the two, PPP-RTK. Beyond these, a pairing device such as a survey-grade GNSS receiver or a mass-market smart antenna is also required to enhance positioning accuracy. Combining any of these approaches with one device will optimize the positioning accuracy of the end-use application.

Many GNSS navigation applications require high accuracy. The accuracy of survey-grade GNSS receivers exceeds what mass-market smart antennas can provide. Of course, this comes at a price. Still, several high-precision GNSS navigation applications can do well with the accuracy offered by mass-market smart antennas. Examples include transportation, e-mobility, IoT use cases, and field robotics. Designers aim to equip devices with reliable, high-precision positioning at a reasonable cost.

GNSS users can verify the capabilities of setups by hitting the roads and testing them in real-world situations. Doing so enables them to understand the capabilities of these setups and differentiate them.

Aptella (formerly branded as Position Partners), an Australasian provider of automation and positioning technology solutions, had the opportunity to test the capabilities of network RTK vs PPP-RTK GNSS correction services and present the findings to their client.

We will discuss the findings, but as a first step, let us review how the RTK, PPP, and PPP-RTK approaches operate, the equipment needed, and the participants in this exercise.

Network RTK, Precise Point Positioning GNSS, and PPP-RTK

The mentioned correction approaches follow different paths. RTK GNSS correction services calculate and correct GNSS errors by comparing satellite signals from one or more reference stations. Any errors detected are then transmitted using IP-based communications, which can be reliable beyond a radius of 30 km from the nearest base station. Network RTK typically requires bi-directional communication between the GNSS receiver and the service, making the solution more challenging to scale. This approach can provide centimeter-level positioning accuracy in seconds.

Precise Point Positioning GNSS correction services operate differently. They broadcast a GNSS error model valid over large geographic regions. Because this service requires only unidirectional communication (IP-based or via satellite L-band), it’s more scalable to multiple users, unlike RTK.

PPP high-precision positioning takes between three minutes and half an hour to provide a position estimate with an accuracy of less than 10 cm. Static applications such as surveying or mapping typically use this solution, but it can be a poor fit for dynamic applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles or mobile robotics.

More recently, both approaches have been combined into what is known as PPP-RTK GNSS correction services (or State Space Representation (SSR) correction services). This combination provides the accuracy of the RTK network and its fast initialization times with the broadcast nature of Precise Point Positioning. Similar to PPP, the approach is based on a model of GNSS errors that has broad geographic validity. Once a GNSS receiver has access to these PPP-RTK correction data through one-way communication, it computes the GNSS receiver position.

Survey-grade GNSS receiver versus mass-market smart antenna

Survey-grade receivers are devices typically used for geodetic surveying and mapping applications. They are designed to provide highly accurate and precise positioning information for civil engineering, construction, GIS data, land development, mining, and environmental management.

Today’s modules can access data from multiple satellite constellations and network RTK support. These devices are typically very expensive, costing thousands of dollars each, because they are highly precise, with accuracies ranging from centimeters to millimeters.

Mass-market smart antennas are specialized receiver/antenna-integrated devices designed to receive signals from satellite constellations and GNSS correction services right out of the box. Smart antennas capture and process raw data to determine precise locations. Standalone GNSS antennas don’t have a precision rating, as this depends on the integrated GNSS receiver and correction service to which the antennas are coupled.

While mass-market smart antennas are more affordable than survey-grade GNSS receivers, there is a corresponding performance trade-off, with accuracies ranging from a few centimeters to decimeters.

The following tests used a survey-grade GNSS receiver to verify control coordinates in static mode and compare RTK versus PPP-RTK results in the kinematic mode. The GNSS smart antenna was also employed as a pairing device for these static and kinematic tests.

Participating companies

Aptella is the company that conducted the performance test and presented the results to their client. However, the participation of four other companies was crucial.

AllDayRTK operates Australia’s highest-density network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). Its network RTK correction services were used to compare with PPP-RTK.

u-blox’s PointPerfect provided the PPP-RTK GNSS correction services used in these tests.

Both correction services were coupled with a survey GNSS receiver, Topcon HiPer VR, and a mass-market smart antenna, the Tallysman TW5790.

Testing two correction services solutions

In the Australian city of Melbourne, Aptella conducted static and kinematic tests with several objectives in mind:

  • Test RTK and PPP-RTK GNSS corrections using a mass-market GNSS device like the Tallysman TW5790.
  • Demonstrate the capabilities of the Tallysman smart antenna coupled with PPP-RTK corrections.
  • Evaluate PointPerfect PPP-RTK GNSS corrections and assess “real world” results against published specifications.
  • Determine whether these specifications meet mass-market applications and e-transport safety requirements of 30 cm @ 95%.
  • Provide insight into use cases and applications suitable for PPP-RTK corrections.
Static results  gnss antenna and survey grade receiverFigure 1: gnss antenna and survey grade receiver

These tests allowed experts to compare the accuracy of RTK and PPP-RTK GNSS correction services supported by a mass-market Tallysman smart antenna.  They were also able to verify the PPP-RTK performance specifications published by u-blox.

First, a survey-grade Topcon HiPer VR GNSS receiver was used to verify the control coordinates in static mode. Once these were obtained, the Tallysman smart antenna took its place.

The table below summarizes representative results from both methods, PPP-RTK and RTK. Horizontal (planar) accuracy is similar for both, while the vertical accuracy is less accurate with PPP-RTK than RTK.

The horizontal accuracy level of RTK and PPP-RTK is in the centimeter range. In contrast, RTK maintains a centimeter range at the vertical accuracy level, but the PPP-RTK correction errors were in the decimeter range.

GNSS augmentation

 

Horizontal error (m) Vertical error (m) Horizontal 95% (m) Vertical 95% (m)
RTK AllDayRTK 0.009 0.010 0.012 0.018
PointPerfect PPP-RTK 0.048 0.080 0.041 0.074

 

Furthermore, the accuracy of the mass market device is within published specifications to meet the 30 cm @ 95% for location (plan) even when obstructed. Still, when measuring heights, these were less accurate than 2D horizontal coordinates. Absolute horizontal location accuracy meets the mass market requirement of 30 cm @ 95%, although RTK is more accurate at a vertical level than PPP-RTK.

Kinematic results

On the streets of Melbourne, Aptella experts tested RTK and PPP-RTK corrections operating in different kinematic modes with variable speeds, such as walking under open skies and driving in different environments.

The test setup using an RTK network consisted of AllDayRTK corrections and a survey-grade GNSS receiver. On the other hand, the PPP-RTK test setup was supported by u-blox PointPerfect and the Tallysman smart antenna. The antennas for both setups were mounted on the roof of the vehicle and driven through different routes to encounter various GNSS conditions.

Walking in the open sky: This test involved a walk along the riverbank. Comparing the results, both were similar, proving that PPP-RTK is well-suited for mass-market applications.

 walking tests with rtk and ppp-rtkFigure 2: walking tests with rtk and ppp-rtk

On-road driving with varying conditions: This test consisted of driving on Melbourne roads in different conditions, including open skies and partial or total obstructions to GNSS. The route included driving under bridges and areas with multipath effects. Vegetation in the area at the start of the test prevented the smart antenna’s IMU from initializing. No IMU/dead reckoning capability was used during the drive test.

The results obtained while the vehicle moved through a long tunnel under the railroad tracks were of utmost importance. In this situation, the PPP-RTK approach reported a position even in an adverse environment. In addition, PPP-RTK reconverged shortly after RTK.

 rtk vs ppp-rtk under railway bridge in melbourneFigure 3: rtk vs ppp-rtk under railway bridge in melbourne

Another revealing result of this second test was that the Tallysman smart antenna didn’t seem to deviate from its path when passing under short bridges.

 rtk vs ppp-rtk under a short bridgeFigure 4: rtk vs ppp-rtk under a short bridge

Driving through an outage: The outage test took place in an extended, challenging environment for GNSS. This occurred when the car drove under the pedestrian overpass at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The PPP-RTK solution maintained the travel trajectory and effectively tracked the route (in yellow). On the other hand, the RTK network solution reported positions off the road and on the railway tracks. In this outage condition, RTK took a long time to reconverge to a fixed solution.

 correction services tests under a long structureFigure 5: correction services tests under a long structure

Open-sky driving: The final on-road test was conducted in an open-sky environment where the two setups performed similarly. They provided lane-level accuracy and suitability for mass-market applications. However, ground truthing and further testing are required to fully evaluate the accuracy and reliability of PPP-RTK in these conditions.

 correction services comparison driving through MelbourneFigure 6: correction services comparison driving through Melbourne Final remarks

The five static and dynamic tests conducted by Aptella were instrumental in assessing the effectiveness of different setups to determine the position of stationary and moving entities.

  • From the static test, Aptella concluded that PPP-RTK, coupled with the Tallysman smart antenna, provides centimeter-level horizontal accuracy and performs similarly to RTK. However, this was not the case for vertical accuracy, with PPP-RTK at the decimeter level.
  • Regarding the kinematic tests, Aptella obtained significant results, particularly when the environment impeded communication with GNSS. Even without IMU or dead reckoning, the PPP-RTK performed well with lane-level tracking. With short outages such as railway bridges and underpasses, PPP-RTK maintained an acceptable trajectory, while RTK required a long time to reconverge after emerging from these challenging conditions.
  • Overall, Aptella has demonstrated that the PPP-RTK and GNSS smart antenna combination delivers results suitable for mass-market applications requiring centimeter-level horizontal accuracy.

As mentioned above, survey-grade devices are costly although highly accurate. A combination of survey-grade GNSS receiver and network RTK correction service is recommended in geodetic surveying use cases that require high height accuracy.

Conversely, mass-market smart antenna devices using PPP-RTK corrections are less expensive but also less accurate. Nevertheless, they are well suited for static applications that don’t require GNSS heights at survey grade.

For many high-precision navigation applications, such as transportation, e-mobility, and mobile robotics, PPP-RTK is sufficient to achieve the level of performance these end applications require. The relative affordability of smart antenna devices, combined with PPP-RTK’s ability to broadcast a single stream of corrections to all endpoints, makes it easier to scale from a few prototypes to large fleets of mobile IoT devices.

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Unparalleled capacitance for miniaturized designs: Panasonic Industry launches new ZL Series Hybrid capacitors

ELE Times - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 12:00

The compact and AEC-Q200-compliant EEH-ZL Series stands out with industry-leading capacitance and high Ripple Current specs

The ZL series is the latest offspring of Panasonic Industry’s Electrolytic Polymer Hybrid capacitor portfolio. Related to its compact dimensions, it offers unrivalled capacitance values – and hence might evoke a remarkable market echo:

Capacitance: For five case sizes from ø5×5.8 mm to ø10×10.2 mm, the ZL series offers the largest capacitance in the industry and exceeds the values of competitor standard products by approximately 170%.

Ripple Current performance outnumbers the competitor products’ specs besides lower ESR within the same case size.

The new ZL is AEC-Q200 compliant, enforcing strict quality control standards, particularly crucial for the automotive industry. It boasts high-temperature resistance, and is guaranteed to operate at 125°C and 135°C at 4000h. With a focus on durability, the ZL series offers vibration-proof variants capable of withstanding shocks up to 30G, making it a reliable choice.

In summary, this next-generation, RoHS qualified Hybrid Capacitor stands as the ultimate solution for automotive and industrial applications, where compact dimensions are an essential prerequisite.

Tailored for use in various automotive components including water pumps, oil pumps, cooling fans, high-current DC to DC converters, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), it also proves invaluable in industrial settings such as inverter power supplies for robotics, cooling fans, and solar power systems. Furthermore, it serves a pivotal role in industrial power supplies for both DC and AC circuits, spanning from inverters to rectifiers, and finds essential application in communication infrastructure equipment such as base stations, servers, routers, and switches.

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Silicon carbide power device market to grow to $5.33bn in 2026

Semiconductor today - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 11:59
Benefitting from robust demand from downstream applications, market research firm TrendForce forecasts that the silicon carbide (SiC) power device market will grow to $5.33bn by 2026, with mainstream applications still highly reliant on electric vehicles and renewable energy sources...

Silicon carbide (SiC) counterviews at APEC 2024

EDN Network - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 11:06

At this year’s APEC in Long Beach, California, Wolfspeed CEO Gregg Lowe’s speech was a major highlight of the conference program. Lowe, the chief of the only vertically integrated silicon carbide (SiC) company and cheerleader of this power electronics technology, didn’t disappoint.

In his plenary presentation, “The Drive for Silicon Carbide – A Look Back and the Road Ahead – APEC 2024,” he called SiC a market hitting the major inflection point. “It’s a story of four decades of American ingenuity at work, and it’s safe to say that the transition from silicon to SiC is unstoppable.”

Figure 1 Lowe: The future of this amazing technology is only beginning to dawn on the world at large, and within the next decade or so, we will look around and wonder how we lived, traveled, and worked without it. Source: APEC

Lowe told the APEC 2024 attendees that the demand for SiC is exploding, and so is the number of applications using this wide bandgap (WBG) technology. “Technology transitions like this create moments and memories that last a lifetime, and that’s where we are with SiC right now.”

Interestingly, just before Lowe’s presentation, Balu Balakrishnan, chairman and CEO of Power Integrations, raised questions about the viability of SiC technology during his presentation titled “Innovating for Sustainability and Profitability”.

Balakrishnan’s counterviews

While telling the Power Integrations’ gallium nitride (GaN) story, Balakrishnan narrated how his company started heavily investing in SiC 15 years ago and spent $65 million to develop this WBG technology. “One day, sitting in my office, while doing the math, I realized this isn’t going to work for us because of the amount of energy it takes to manufacture SiC and that the cost of SiC is so much more than silicon,” he said.

“This technology will never be as cost-effective as silicon despite its better performance because it’s such a high-temperature material, which takes a humongous amount of energy,” Balakrishnan added. “It requires expensive equipment because you manufacture SiC at very high temperatures.”

The next day, Power Integrations cancelled its SiC program and wrote off $65 million. “We decided to discontinue not because of technology, but because we believe it’s not sustainable and it’s not going to be cost-effective.” he said. “That day, we switched over to GaN and doubled down on it because it’s low-temperature, operates at temperatures similar to silicon, and mostly uses same equipment as silicon.”

Figure 2 Balakrishnan: GaN will eventually be less expensive than silicon for high-voltage switches. Source: APEC

So, why does Power Integrations still have SiC product offerings? Balakrishnan acknowledged that SiC can go to higher voltages and power levels and is a more mature technology than GaN because it started earlier.

“There are certain applications where SiC is very attractive today, but I’ll dare to say that GaN will get there sometimes in the future,” he added. “Fundamentally, there isn’t anything wrong with taking GaN to higher voltages and power levels.” He mentioned a 1,200 GaN device Power Integrations recently announced and claimed that his company plans to announce another GaN device with even a higher voltage very soon.

Balakrishnan recognized that there are problems to be solved. “But these challenges require R&D efforts rather than a technology breakthrough,” he said. “We believe that GaN will get to the point where it’ll be very competitive with SiC while being far less expensive to build.”

Lowe’s defense

In his speech, Lowe also recognized the SiC-related cost and manufacturability issues, calling them near-term turbulence. However, he was optimistic that undersupply vs demand issues encompassing crystal boules, substrate capability, wafering, and epi will be resolved by the end of this decade.

“We will continue to realise better economic value with SiC by moving from 150-mm to 200-mm wafers, which increases the area by 1.7x and decreases the cost by about 40%,” he said. His hopes for resolving cost and manufacturability issues also seemed to lie in a huge investment in SiC technology and the automotive industry as a major catalyst.

For a reality check on these counterviews about the viability of SiC, a company dealing with both SiC and GaN businesses could offer a balanced perspective. Hence, Navitas’ booth at APEC 2024, where the company’s VP of corporate marketing, Stephen Oliver, explained the evolution of SiC wafer costs.

He said a 6-inch SiC wafer from Cree cost nearly $3,000 in 2018. Fast forward to 2024, a 7-inch wafer from Wolfspeed (renamed from Cree) costs about $850. Moving forward, Oliver envisions that the cost could come down to $400 by 2028 while being built on 12-inch to 15-inch SiC wafers.

Navitas, a pioneer in the GaN space, acquired startup GeneSiC in 2022 to cater to both WBG technologies. At the show, in addition to Gen-4 GaNSense Half-Bridge ICs and GaNSafe, which incorporates circuit protection functionality, Navitas also displayed Gen-3 Fast SiC power FETs.

In the final analysis, Oliver’s viewpoint about SiC tilted toward Lowe’s pragmatism in SiC’s shift from 150-mm to 200-mm wafers. The recent technology history is a testament to how economy of scale has been able to manage cost and manufacturability issues, and that’s what the SiC camp is counting on.

A huge investment in SiC device innovation and the backing of the automotive industry should also be helpful along the way.

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Designing a Battery Pack That’s Right For Your Application

AAC - Thu, 03/21/2024 - 01:00
Learn how to design the battery array that best fits your system’s power requirements. This article will help you interpret battery specifications, estimate operating life, and understand the relationship between capacity, load, and environment.

Intel Clocks ‘World’s Fastest Desktop Processor’ at 6.2 GHz Frequency

AAC - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 19:00
After months of waiting, Intel has finally released its flagship desktop processor, along with its core specifications.

Veeco releases fifth sustainability report

Semiconductor today - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 18:32
Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA has released its fifth Sustainability Report highlighting its progress towards environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. Reflecting 2023 data, this Sustainability Report demonstrates continued progress and commitment to executing a robust sustainability strategy, says the firm...

Riber wins US order for Compact 21 research MBE system

Semiconductor today - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 16:28
Riber S.A. of Bezons, France — which makes molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems as well as evaporation sources — has received an order from a US customer for a Compact 21 research MBE system, for delivery in 2024, to be used for the development of III-V semiconductor materials and devices for microelectronics and photonics...

MACOM awarded by Northrop Grumman for Supplier Excellence

Semiconductor today - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 16:23
MACOM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA (which designs and makes RF, microwave, analog and mixed-signal and optical semiconductor technologies) has received two awards at US-based aerospace & defense technology company Northrop Grumman Corp’s Supplier Excellence Awards...

A self-testing GPIO

EDN Network - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:49

General purpose input-output (GPIO) pins are the simplest peripherals.

The link to an object under control (OUC) may become inadvertently unreliable due to many reasons: a loss of contact, short circuit, temperature stress or a vapor condensate on the components. Sometimes a better link can be established with the popular bridge chip by simply exploring the possibilities provided by the chip itself.

Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide

The bridge, such as NXP’s SC18IM700, usually provides a certain amount of GPIOs, which are handy to implement a test. These GPIOs preserve all their functionality and can be used as usual after the test.

To make the test possible, the chip must have more than one GPIO. This way, they can be paired, bringing the opportunity for the members of the pair to poll each other.

Since the activity of the GPIO during test may harm the regular functions of the OUC, one of the GPIO pins can be chosen to temporary prohibit these functions. Very often, when this object is quite inertial, this prohibition may be omitted.

Figure 1 shows how the idea can be implemented in the case of the SC18IM700 UART-I2C bridge.

Figure 1: Self-testing GPIO using the SC18IM70pytho0 UART-I2C bridge.

The values of resistors R1…R4 must be large enough not to lead to an unacceptably large current; on the other hand, they should provide sufficient voltage for the logic “1” on the input. The values shown on Figure 1 are good for the most applications but may need to be adjusted.

Some difficulties may arise only with a quasi-bidirectional output configuration, since in this configuration it is weakly driven when the port outputs a logic HIGH. The problem may occur when the resistance of the corresponding OUC input is too low.

If the data rate of the UART output is too high for a proper charging of the OUC-related capacitance during the test, it can be decreased or, the corresponding values of the resistors can be lessened.

The sketch of the Python subroutine follows:

PortConf1=0x02 PortConf2=0x03 def selfTest(): data=0b10011001 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf1, data) #PortConfig1 data=0b10100101 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf2, data) #PortConfig2 #--- write 1 cc=0b11001100 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() # 0b11111111 if aa != 0b11111111 : return False # check #---- write 0 cc=0b00000000 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() if aa != 0b00000000 : return False # check # partners swap data=0b01100110 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf1, data) #PortConfig1 data=0b01011010 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf2, data) #PortConfig2 #---write 1 cc=0b00110011 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() if aa != 0b11111111 : return False # check #---- write 0 cc=0b00000000 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() if aa != 0b00000000 : return False # check # check quasy-bidirect data=0b01000100 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf1, data) #PortConfig1 data=0b01010000 bridge.writeRegister(PortConf2, data) #PortConfig2 #---write 1 cc=0b00110011 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() if aa != 0b11111111 : return False # check #---- write 0 cc=0b00000000 bridge.writeGPIO(cc) aa=bridge.readGPIO() if aa != 0b00000000 : return False # check return True

Peter Demchenko studied math at the University of Vilnius and has worked in software development.

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DDS Option for high-speed AWGs generates up to 20 sine waves

ELE Times - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:20

20 independent sine waves up to 400 MHz can be controlled on one generator channel

Spectrum Instrumentation has released a new firmware option for its range of versatile 16-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) with sampling rates up to 1.25 GS/s and bandwidths up to 400 MHz. The new option allows users to define 23 DDS cores per AWG-card, that can be routed to the hardware output channels. Each DDS core (sine wave) can be programmed for frequency, amplitude, phase, frequency slope and amplitude slope. This enables, for example, the control of lasers through AODs and AOMs, as often used in quantum experiments, with just a few simple commands – instead of making large data array calculations. The DDS output can be synchronized with external trigger events or by a programmable timer with resolution of 6.4 ns.

DDS – Direct Digital Synthesis – is a method for generating arbitrary periodic sine waves from a single, fixed-frequency reference clock. It is a technique widely used in a variety of signal generation applications. The DDS functionality implemented on Spectrum Instrumentation’s AWGs is based on the principle of adding multiple ‘DDS cores’ to generate a multi-carrier (multi-tone) signal with each carrier having its own well-defined frequency, amplitude and phase.

Advantages of using DDS for arbitrary waveform generators

With the ability to switch between the normal AWG mode (which generates waveforms out of pre-programmed data) and the DDS mode (which needs only a few commands to generate sine wave carriers), the Spectrum AWGs are highly versatile and can be adapted to almost any application. In DDS-mode, the AWG acts as a base for the multi-tone DDS. The units built-in 4 GByte of memory and fast DMA transfer mode then allows the streaming of DDS commands at a rate as high as 10 million commands per second! This unique capability provides the flexibility to perform user-defined slopes (e.g. s-shaped) as well as various modulation types (e.g. FM and AM) with simple, easy-to-use, DDS commands.

DDS in Quantum Experiments Pic2_DDS-commands_(print)In DDS-mode, only a few commands are needed to e.g. generate a sine wave (orange block), accelerate the frequency (blue block) and lower the amplitude (green block).

For years now, Spectrum AWGs have been successfully used worldwide in pioneering quantum research experiments. Since 2021, Spectrum Instrumentation has been part of the BMBF (German federal ministry of education and research) funding program ‘quantum technologies – from basic research to market’ as part of the Rymax One consortium. The aim of this consortium is building a Quantum Optimizer. The development of the DDS option was based on feedback from the consortium partners and other research institutes worldwide.

The flexibility and fast streaming-mode of Spectrum’s AWGs, which also enables data to be streamed straight from a GPU, allows the control of Qubits directly from a PC. While using an AWG in this way offers full control of the generated waveforms, the drawback is that huge amounts of data need to be calculated. This slows the critical decision-making loop. In contrast, using the versatile multi-tone DDS functionality greatly reduces the amount of data that must be transferred, while still keeping full control. All the key functionality required for quantum research is built in. With just a single command users can apply intrinsic dynamic linear slope functions to produce extremely smooth changes to frequency and amplitude.

DDS controls waveforms in Test, Measurement and Communications

In many kinds of testing systems, it is important to produce and readily control accurate waveforms. The DDS option provides an easy and programmable way for users to produce trains of waveforms, frequency sweeps or finely tuneable references of various frequencies and profiles. Applications that require the fast frequency switching and fine frequency tuning that DDS offers are widespread. They can be found in industrial, medical, and imaging systems, network analysis or even communication technology, where data is encoded using phase and frequency modulation on a carrier.

Availability of DDS option Pic3_AWGs_(print)23 different AWGs are able to use the new DDS firmware option. They offer 16-bit resolution, up to 1.25 GS/s speed and up to 32 channels.

The DDS option is available now for the full range of M4i.66xx PCIe cards, M4x.66xx PXIe modules, portable LXI/Ethernet DN2.66x units and multi-channel desktop LXI/Ethernet DN6.66xx products. By simply performing a firmware update, all previously purchased 66xx series products can be equipped with the new firmware option. Programming can be done using the existing driver SDKs that are included in the delivery. Examples are available for Python, C++, MATLAB, LabVIEW and many more. The option is available now.

About Spectrum Instrumentation

Spectrum Instrumentation, founded in 1989, uses a unique modular concept to design and produce a wide range of more than 200 digitizers and generator products as PC-cards (PCIe and PXIe) and stand-alone Ethernet units (LXI). In over 30 years, Spectrum has gained customers all around the world, including many A-brand industry-leaders and practically all prestigious universities. The company is headquartered near Hamburg, Germany, known for its 5-year warranty and outstanding support that comes directly from the design engineers. More information about Spectrum can be found at www.spectrum-instrumentation.com

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MSTC 2024 to Spotlight Latest MEMS and Sensors Advances Driven by Artificial Intelligence

ELE Times - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:51

Keynote speakers at the SEMI MEMS and Sensors Technical Congress (MSTC 2024) will highlight smart home and smart garment innovations driven by artificial intelligence (AI) as industry visionaries and experts gather May 1-2 at Covel Commons at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to discuss the latest MEMS and sensors trends and innovations. Registration is open.

Themed Sensorizing Our World: Technology Driving Global Solutions, MSTC 2024 will feature keynotes and technical sessions on critical MEMS and sensors topics. Highlights also include posters showcasing novel applications from the next generation of innovators and networking opportunities for participants to help grow their businesses.

Sponsored by the SEMI MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), MSTC 2024 will offer a deep dive into how to bring sensor products to market, from design through fabrication and testing and packaging to end-use applications. Industry experts will explore the software and systems needed to expand both legacy and emerging MEMS and sensors to open new markets and business opportunities.

MSTC 2024 Keynote Speakers

MSTC 2024 Technical Sessions

MSTC 2024 will also showcase MEMS and sensors applications in the following areas:

  • AI-driven Sensor Systems
  • MEMS Emerging Technology & Devices
  • New Frontiers in MEMS & Sensors Fabrication
  • Revolutionary Sensors for Biomedical Applications
  • Smart Environmental Sensors
  • Positioning, Navigation & Timing
More MSTC 2024 Session Highlights
  • Market and Technology Trends and Forecast
  • Automotive Sensor Tech Showdown
  • UCLA lab tours
  • Networking reception showcasing technology application posters created by students from UCLA

The post MSTC 2024 to Spotlight Latest MEMS and Sensors Advances Driven by Artificial Intelligence appeared first on ELE Times.

300mm Fab Equipment Spending Forecast to Reach Record $137 Billion in 2027, SEMI Reports

ELE Times - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:09

Global 300mm fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is forecast to reach a record US$137 billion in 2027 after topping US$100 billion for the first time by 2025 on the strength of the memory market recovery and strong demand for high-performance computing and automotive applications, SEMI highlighted today in its quarterly 300mm Fab Outlook Report to 2027 report.

Worldwide 300mm fab equipment investment is expected to increase 20% to US$116.5 billion in 2025 and 12% to US$130.5 billion in 2026 before hitting a record high in 2027.

“Projections for the steepening ramp of 300mm fab equipment spending in the coming years reflects the production capacity needed to meet growing demand for electronics across a diverse range of markets as well as a new wave of applications spawned by artificial intelligence (AI) innovation,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI President and CEO. “The newest SEMI report also highlights the critical importance of increases in government investments in semiconductor manufacturing to bolster economies and security worldwide. This trend is expected to help significantly narrow the equipment spending gap between re-emerging and emerging regions and the historical top-spending regions in Asia.”

Regional Growth

The SEMI 300mm Fab Outlook to 2027 report shows China continuing to lead fab equipment spending with US$30 billion in investments in each of the next four years fueled by government incentives and domestic self-sufficiency policies.

Supported by leading-edge nodes expansion for high-performance computing (HPC) and the memory market recovery, Taiwanese and Korean chip suppliers are increasing their equipment investments. Taiwan is expected to rank second in equipment spending at US$28 billion in 2027, up from US$20.3 billion in 2024, while Korea is expected to rank third at US$26.3 billion in 2027, an increase from US$19.5 billion this year.

The Americas is projected to double 300mm fab equipment investments from US$12 billion in 2024 to US$24.7 billion in 2027, while spending in Japan, Europe & the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are expected to reach US$11.4 billion, US$11.2 billion, and US$5.3 billion in 2027, respectively.

Segment Growth

Foundry segment spending is expected to decline 4% to US$56.6 billion this year due in part to the expected slowdown in mature nodes (>10nm) investment, though the segment continues to log the highest growth among all segments to meet market demand for generative AI, automotive and intelligent edge devices. The segment’s equipment spending is forecast to post a 7.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to US$79.1 billion from 2023 to 2027.

Demand for greater data throughput, crucial for AI servers, is driving strong demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and spurring increased investment in memory technology. Among all segments, memory is ranked second and is expected to post US$79.1 billion in equipment investments in 2027, a 20% CAGR from 2023. DRAM equipment spending is expected to rise to US$25.2 billion in 2027, a 17.4% CAGR, while 3D NAND investment is projected to reach US$16.8 billion in 2027, a 29% CAGR.

The Analog, Micro, Opto, and Discrete segments are projected to increase 300mm fab equipment investments to US$5.5 billion, US$4.3 billion, US$2.3 billion, and US$1.6 billion in 2027, respectively.

The SEMI 300mm Fab Outlook Report to 2027 report lists 405 facilities and lines globally, including 75 high-probability facilities expected to start operation during the four years beginning in 2024. The report reflects 358 updates and 26 new fabs/lines project since its last publication in December 2023.

For more information on the report or to subscribe to SEMI market data, visit SEMI Market Data or contact the SEMI Market Intelligence Team (MIT) at mktstats@semi.org.

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Infineon to complete limited Share Buyback Program serving fulfillment of obligations under existing employee participation programs

ELE Times - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 12:12

Infineon Technologies AG has successfully completed its Share Buyback Program 2024, announced on 26 February 2024 in accordance with Article 5(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 and Article 2(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052. As part of the Share Buyback Program 2024, a total of 7,000,000 shares (ISIN DE0006231004) were acquired. The total purchase price of the repurchased shares was € 232,872,668. The average purchase price paid per share was € 33.27.

Alexander Foltin, Head of Finance, Treasury and Investor Relations of Infineon

The buyback was carried out on behalf of Infineon by an independent credit institution via Xetra trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, serving the sole purpose of allocating shares to employees of the company or affiliated companies, members of the Management Board of the company as well as members of the management board and the board of directors of affiliated companies as part of the existing employee participation programs.

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Celebrate a Decade of Innovation with PCBWay: Join Our 10th Badge Design Contest!

Electronic lovers - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 10:42

Are you ready to showcase your design talent and celebrate a remarkable milestone with PCBWay? We’re excited to announce the PCBWay 10th Badge Design Contest, inviting designers, makers, and dreamers like you to join us in commemorating our journey of innovation over the past 10 years and looking ahead to the future.

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Introduction of PCBWay:

At PCBWay, we’re not just a company; we’re a community of innovators, dreamers, and makers dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology and bringing ideas to life. Since our inception, we have been a driving force in the electronics industry, providing cutting-edge solutions and unparalleled service to our customers worldwide.

With a decade of experience under our belt, we have earned a reputation for excellence, reliability, and innovation. From PCB manufacturing to assembly, prototyping, and beyond, we offer a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients.

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Celebrating 10 Years of PCBWay:

Since our inception, PCBWay has been at the forefront of innovation, revolutionizing the electronics industry with our cutting-edge solutions and unwavering commitment to excellence. As we mark our 10th anniversary, we want to celebrate this incredible journey with you, our valued community members, who have been instrumental in our success.

PCBWay Capabilities:

  1. Expert PCB Design:

With years of experience, our team excels in PCB design, handling projects of varying complexity with precision.

  1. Comprehensive Solutions:

From initial 3D designs to hardware and software development, we offer end-to-end solutions for seamless integration and optimal performance.

  1. Swift Turnaround:

Our powerful design capabilities ensure quick completion of PCB layouts, meeting tight deadlines without compromising quality.

  1. Advanced Manufacturing:

We provide a range of manufacturing services including 3D printing, CNC machining, PCB fabrication, and assembly. Utilizing cutting-edge equipment and techniques, we deliver high-quality results for prototypes and mass production.

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Explore PCBWay’s capabilities and milestones showcased on our Projects page. From innovative designs to remarkable achievements, witness our journey of excellence in the electronics industry. Discover how we’ve transformed ideas into reality and empowered creators worldwide. Join us in celebrating our achievements and exploring the endless possibilities at PCBWay Projects.

The Theme: A Decade of Innovation with PCBWay:

The theme of our contest encapsulates the essence of our journey: “A Decade of Innovation with PCBWay.” We invite you to unleash your creativity and design a badge that pays homage to the milestones we’ve achieved over the past decade while envisioning the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.

Design Requirements:

Your badge design must incorporate two key elements: the “PCBWay” logo and the number “10.” Feel free to explore various techniques, including PCB, PCB+SMT/THT, and PCB+3D printing, to create something that is not only visually captivating but also functional and innovative.

To access the PCBWay logo vector, simply click here.

How to Submit Your Design:

Submitting your design is easy! You can send it to us via email at sponsor@pcbway.com. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #PCBWay10BadgeContest when sharing your designs on social media to ensure maximum visibility.

Exciting Prizes Await:

We believe in rewarding creativity and innovation. That’s why the winner of our contest will receive a generous cash prize of $1,000! Additionally, two runner-ups will each receive a $200 PCBWay coupon.

But that’s not all! Selected designs that meet our requirements will be featured on our official channels and may even become the official badge for PCBWay’s 10th anniversary. Plus, we’ll provide a free prototyping service for these badges along with a $50 PCBWay coupon.

Important Dates to Remember:

Contest Opens: March 12, 2024

Submission Deadline: May 31, 2024

Winner Announcement: June 15, 2024

Join Us in Celebrating a Decade of Innovation:

This contest is more than just an opportunity to win prizes; it’s a chance to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve embarked on together over the past 10 years and to dream about the future possibilities with PCBWay.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off your design tools, unleash your creativity, and join us in celebrating a decade of innovation with PCBWay. We can’t wait to see the innovative and creative badges you design!

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At PCBWay, we’re not just celebrating our 10th anniversary; we’re celebrating a decade of innovation, collaboration, and endless possibilities. Join us as we continue to shape the future of electronics and inspire the next generation of creators.

For design inspiration, visit PCBWay community: https://www.pcbway.com/project/

Join us TODAY and be a part of this momentous celebration.

The post Celebrate a Decade of Innovation with PCBWay: Join Our 10th Badge Design Contest! appeared first on Electronics Lovers ~ Technology We Love.

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