Microelectronics world news

The new modems are designed for IoT non-terrestrial networks, making them potentially useful for remote monitoring and asset tracking.

Power semiconductor product supplier Diodes Inc of Plano, TX, USA has further enhanced its wide-bandgap product range by releasing the DMWSH120H90SM4Q and DMWSH120H28SM4Q automotive-compliant silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. The N-channel MOSFETs respond to the increasing market demand for SiC solutions that enable better efficiency and higher power density in electric and hybrid-electric vehicle (EV/HEV) automotive subsystems like battery chargers, on-board chargers (OBC), high-efficiency DC–DC converters, motor drivers, and traction inverters...

With a design mantra, “Hardware doesn’t have to be so hard,” Flux, a supplier of browser-based PCB design tools, has unveiled the latest iteration of Copilot, a chat-based artificial intelligence (AI) design assistant integrated into the Flux PCB design tool. The upgraded Copilot leaps forward on the path to generative AI by transitioning from being a helpful guide to a proactive design partner.

Besides providing advice to design engineers, with user approval, Copilot now performs actions that pave the way to the automatic design of circuits. “Flux Copilot is becoming a truly collaborative partner in hardware design,” said Matthias Wagner, CEO of Flux. “This is a big step toward fully generative AI, reducing the time and complexity often associated with component connections.”

Flux Copilot—based on a custom-trained large language model (LLM)—is designed to understand the principles of electrical engineering and circuit design. While living inside the design project, it provides direct feedback, advice, and analysis through a simple chat interface.

 

How Copilot works

Copilot carries out actual connections on the schematic, helping users navigate through simple circuits or intricate arrays of unfamiliar components. It also helps users with general questions, provides guidance on specific electronics design processes, and helps build circuits for them while eliminating the need for extensive research and iteration.

“While making an integrated board is incredibly difficult, Copilot helps designers create a bunch of connections and manage control pins without reading an 80-page datasheet,” said Kerry Chayka, hardware engineer at Flux. Chayka, who started his career working on iPhone designs, learned firsthand how hardware is unnecessarily difficult.

“You are buried in tools, a siloed world that’s very hard to progress through,” he added. “On the other hand, hardware design should be creative.” While working at a startup, where it took three weeks to develop a board, when Chayka began developing boards using Flux, it took him half a day to finish the design.

“That’s how I ended up at Flux,” he said. “As a one-man hardware shop, I was able to compete with companies that had entire teams building hardware.” Chayka gave the example of automated impedance control, a complicated task designers must perform on PCBs when working on parts like HDMI bus, Ethernet, and PCIe. Flux can perform tasks like automated impedance control and automated pair routing for design engineers.

“Design engineers must ensure that high-speed buses work properly with automated impedance control, so they don’t have to worry about things such as stack-up and calculating traces with spacing,” he said. “Copilot knows what these pins are doing and how they can be connected, so design engineers don’t have to do the boilerplate work over and over again.”

Figure 1 You can ask Copilot a bunch of questions and give a general idea of what you want to accomplish. It will provide a list of parts while helping you get started, learn things along the way, and get circuits implemented. Source: Flux

With an upgraded version, Copilot is more than a design guide. It can tell engineers what a specific pin does or explain complex circuit elements, eliminating the need to sift through pages of complex documentation. Moreover, Copilot can explain the role of parts in projects, teach users about the design, and provide a headstart for open-source hardware projects.

“If you are trying to design something similar, you can fork an open-source project, maybe add another sensor, but retain the rest of the capabilities,” Chayka noted. “That takes significantly shorter than constructing a board from scratch.”

For instance, when trying to develop an environment radiation logger, Copilot will give the list of specific parts to use and offer suggestions on developing a two-stage amplifier with 20-kHz bandwidth. Copilot can also advise what parts should be used and walk through specific electronics design processes; for example, how to connect op-amps in a configuration you want.

Community-based business model

Flux, founded in 2019 as an online hardware design platform, aims to augment engineering capabilities and thus enable professional engineers to work faster with much lower effort. “If you are a young engineer, it will enable you to do things for which you don’t have the skills,” said Jared Kofron, software engineer at Flux.

“We have an online hardware design community that offers public projects to leverage,” he added. “All projects start private by default, but some folks choose to make their projects public.” In other words, if a developer creates a part, it’s made public at Flux, and everyone can access it. Next, Flux adds real-time information about component stock and pricing to avoid supply chain issues before an engineer starts a project.

Figure 2 Copilot serves a wide range of users, from students to professional design engineers. Source: Flux

“We have a subscription model where users can subscribe for a standard monthly fee, which we want to keep low to expand access,” Kofron said. “The only thing behind the subscription is how many private projects an individual can do.”

If design engineers want to have the free version of the application, they are allowed to work on 10 projects. If they want to go beyond that, Flux asks for a subscription; the current rate is $7 a month. Flux also has a team-tier package for companies, which is more expensive.

Initially, Flux saw a lot of interest from the hobbyist community and individual contractors. “We have also seen a lot of interest from smaller startups,” noted Kofron. “A reasonable number of large companies are also using Flux to make a difference.”

In electrical engineering, you must work at so many levels of complexity, from a high-level view to deep down at USB implementation stacks, said Chayka. “You have to understand all the complexity,” he added. “We want people who don’t have a lot of electronics design experience to be able to use the same feature set that a super pro user would use.”

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• To Conquer SoC Design Challenges, Change EDA Methods and Tools

The post AI chat tool for PCBs aims to simplify hardware design appeared first on EDN.

Materials, networking and laser technology firm Coherent Corp of Saxonburg, PA, USA (formerly II-VI Inc before it acquired Coherent in July 2022) and TriEye Ltd of Tel Aviv, Israel — which claims to have pioneered the first CMOS-based shortwave infrared (SWIR) image-sensing solutions — have jointly demonstrated a laser-illuminated SWIR imaging system for automotive and robotic applications...

The company positions the new chiplet-based SoC as well suited for todays’ ever more complex chip designs.

Semiconductor production test and reliability qualification equipment supplier Aehr Test Systems of Fremont, CA, USA has been added to the Russell 3000 Index as part of the 2023 Russell index annual reconstitution “highlighting the financial and operating growth we have achieved and further enhancing our visibility and reach within the investment community,” says president & CEO Gayn Erickson. “We look forward to continuing our strong momentum in the semiconductor wafer-level test and burn-in market and driving increased value for shareholders.”...

The market for open radio access network (O-RAN) technology and its role in the implementation of 5G services has the potential to grow at a rapid rate. Mobile network operators (MNOs) seek to take advantage of lower costs, increased flexibility, and the ability to avoid vendor lock-ins. All these benefits are possible through access to interoperable technologies available from multiple vendors. Operators can also benefit from real-time performance.

O-RAN is the latest step in the evolution of the radio access network (RAN), which started with the launch of 1G in 1979. 2G launched in 1991 and 3G in 2001. 4G long-term evolution (LTE) services first appeared in 2009 and introduced packet switching. During its deployment, multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna arrays started being used and centralized (or cloud) cRAN, running on vendor proprietary software, enabled the baseband unit (BBU) to be split into a distributed unit (DU) and a centralized unit (CU), with mid-haul between the two.

5G new radio (NR) rollout began in 2018 and introduced the virtualized RAN (vRAN) as a means of implementation, with BBU (or CU and DU) functions implemented in software running on servers. For example, load balancing, resource management, routers and firewalls can now run under network function virtualization (NFV). However, the software for the radio unit (RU), CU and DU is proprietary. O-RAN aims to remove barriers by giving operators access to open-source software-based vRAN for implanting 5G.

Figure 1 illustrates the goal of the O-RAN Alliance—a community of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors, research organizations and academic institutions—to have open RUs, CUs and DUs (prefixing each initialism with an O-) and with fronthaul through Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

Figure 1 Under O-RAN, we effectively have a modular base station software stack running on commercially available server hardware. MNOs can mix and match their O-RU, O-DU and O-CU from different vendors. Source: Microchip

Support for real-time is possible through 5G with transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps, compared to 4G’s 1 Gbps between static points and only 100 Mbps between one or two moving points. Also, the latency is down to just 1 ms for 5G.

Another key component of O-RAN is the RAN intelligent controller (RIC), which can be either near-real-time or non-real-time, with both options responsible for the control and optimization of O-RAN elements. Figure 2 shows the O-RAN software community (SC), which follows the architecture defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

Figure 2 O-RAN SC architecture is shown with its near-real-time RAN intelligent controller. Source: Microchip

Synchronization

One of the major challenges for O-RAN implementation is ensuring synchronization of the various O-RAN elements—this stringent synchronization performance demands timing accuracy to just ±130 ns.

Keeping the RU switches and DUs synchronized is important for effective O-RAN operation. It avoids data packet loss, minimizes network interruptions and helps keep power consumption as low as possible. Synchronization also helps MNOs comply with their frequency license ownership responsibilities.

Another key difference between 5G and earlier generations is the switch from frequency division duplex (FDD) to time division duplex (TDD)—which allows for uplink and downlink transmissions to be made at the same time using two separate but close frequencies. It uses different time slots for uplink and downlink signals over the same frequency, which makes better use of the RAN RF spectrum delivers enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), for example, the ratio between uplink and downlink time can adjust as required.

TDD also provides greater compatibility with MIMO beamforming and the C-band spectrum (3.7 to 3.98 GHz), which will be used by operators to deploy 5G across municipalities both big and small. To avoid intra- and inter-cell interference, there is a guard period between up and downlink transmissions. Even so, tight synchronization is essential for operational efficiency (reduced error rates) and to compensate for any frequency or phase shifts.

Precise timing

All new radio deployments must maintain phase alignment accuracy to a Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based timing source to within ±1.5 microseconds. Both compliance with multiple industry standards and following the recommendations of industry bodies is also essential when creating end-to-end, real-time connectivity.

For precise time distribution throughout the network, a precision time protocol (PTP) is needed as specified by IEEE 1588-2019 within the O-RAN Alliance’s O-RAN architecture. Within the protocol there is a grandmaster (or PTP master) clock against which other PTP clocks in the network synchronize using PTP messages. The synchronization factors in effects such as path delays, and the standard specifies time boundary-clock (T-BC) and time transparent clock (T-TSC) functions to counter upstream and downstream asymmetry as well as packet delay variation (PDV).

The ITU-T, part of the International Telecommunication Union, has also made recommendations for TDD. For instance, ITU-T G.8272/Y.1367 specifies the requirements for primary reference time clocks (pRTCs) suitable for time, phase, and frequency synchronization in packet networks, and ITU-T G.8273.2 recommends timing characteristics of telecom boundary clocks and telecom time secondary clocks for use with full timing support (FTS) from the network.

Throughout the network, clocks are placed in chains, with the time signal cleansed to filter and remove noise by boundary clocks. However, equipment will need to meet one of four performance classes, defined by ITU-T G.8273.2, which range from Class A to D. Of these classes, class C and D have the highest accuracy requirements. For instance, the time error produced by a Class D T-BC clock must be less than 5 ns. In addition to GNSS/UTC and PTP, 5G deployments also use Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE). Together, all three can deliver time, phase, and frequency accuracy through the network.

O-RAN demands off-the-shelf platforms

O-RAN provides MNOs with access to non-proprietary solutions. Where hardware is concerned, commercially available semiconductor devices and platforms can be used to meet the end-to-end timing requirements within the network.

For instance, IEEE 1588-compliant grandmaster clocks with PTP and SyncE capabilities are available that meet PRTC Class A, Class B, and enhanced PRTC (ePRTC) specifications plus Class C and D specifications for multidomain boundary clock. Such versatility and multifunctionality are critical features to MNOs in order to implement a synchronous timing solution.

Network synchronization hardware, such as oscillators, programmable phase-locked loop (PLL) ICs, buffers and jitter attenuators can be deployed within DU, CU, and RU equipment. Moreover, dedicated single-chip network synchronization solutions are now available. Microchip’s ZL3073x/63x/64x platform (Figure 3) brings together DPLLs, low output jitter synthesizers, and IEEE 1588-2008 precision time protocol stack and synchronization algorithm software modules.

Figure 3 The single-chip network synchronization platform combines DPPLs, jitter synthesizers, and precision timing. Source: Microchip

Another key consideration of timing so critical within a 5G O-RAN is stability against temperature. Temperature-compensated oscillators and PLLs and chip scale atomic clocks (CSACs), are already deployed and proven in harsh environments such as military and industrial applications, and are suitable for RU, CU, and DU hardware.

The use of TDD in 5G delivers great benefits but presents synchronization challenges. Thankfully, under O-RAN, MNOs and the companies supporting them with systems have access to semiconductors and platforms that can be used to craft an end-to-end RAN while avoiding being tied into proprietary solutions.

Thomas Gleiter is a staff segment manager at Microchip Technology Inc.

Related Content

• Creating more energy-efficient mobile networks with O-RAN
• Design and verify 5G systems, part 2
• O-RAN is transforming 5G network design and component interoperability
• O-RAN challenges from the fronthaul

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STMicroelectronics a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, will exhibit at MWC Shanghai 2023 (Booth N1.D85) on 28-30 June. Featuring more than 30 demonstrations from ST and its ecosystem partners, and 5 insightful presentations, ST will showcase its industry-leading products and solutions for Smart Mobility, Power & Energy, and Internet of Things & Connectivity.

Smart Mobility: With the continued progress in automotive electrification and digitalization, the car has become a “smart mobility space.” At MWC Shanghai 2023, ST will show a Smart Cockpit model equipped with human-computer interaction screen, in-cabin entertainment system, LED dashboard, head-up display (HUD), and more. Visitors can experience how ST technology makes driving smarter, safer, greener, and more connected by exploring multi-mode interaction, navigation, rich infotainment programs, and the other services enabled by the comprehensive suite of ST automotive products. These include power-management ICs, automotive microcontrollers (SPC58), audio amplifiers (HFDA801A), radio tuners, GNSS ICs (STA8100GA), and Inertial Measurement Units (ASM330LHHX).

Power & Energy: At MWC Shanghai, ST will showcase its advanced technologies for 3 industrial market segments: Power & Energy, Automation, and Motor Control.

For Power & Energy, ST will demonstrate a 140W smart adaptor equipped with its MASTERGAN and the ST-ONEHP. MASTERGAN is a single package combining ST’s third-generation gallium-nitride (GaN) power transistors with optimized gate drivers. ST-ONEHP is an all-in-one integrated digital controller and it is the world’s first IC certified by USB-IF according to the USB Power Delivery Extended Power Range (USB PD 3.1 EPR) specification. Combining MASTERGAN and ST-ONEHP technologies allows the realization of superior thermal performance and switching efficiency compared to conventional silicon transistors. This smart adaptor can achieve above 94% full load efficiency and above 25W/inch3 power density, which leads to smaller form factors and lower power losses.

For Automation, ST will showcase a KNX smart home/building automation solution, with which people can easily control their home devices with simple operation on a local panel. These controls include switching on and off lights, adjusting the brightness and color of lights, and controlling a range of home appliances, such as electronic curtains and fans.

For Motor Control, ST will display a robot-arm solution. Visitors can watch this robot, using ST-based dual BLDC motor control and machine vision to accurately identify and classify objects.

Internet of Things & Connectivity: ST is committed to augmenting people’s life through continuous innovations. At MWC Shanghai, the Company will demonstrate 2 solutions jointly developed with partners.

For the first time in China, ST and GoMore will showcase a precise running status-detection and analysis solution based on ST’s advanced sensing system-in-package LSM6DSO16IS and GoMore‘s latest Edge 1.6 algorithm engine. While holding the solution board, a presenter will run on a treadmill, as their motion data is captured, analyzed, transferred, and displayed on a screen. The data will show cadence, step length, ground contact time, ground contact time balance, vertical oscillation, running power, pace, flight time, stance flight time ratio, ground reaction force, running strike type, and the degree of eversion (rotation of the foot).

The ST LSM6DSO16IS is a single miniaturized package integrating ST’s 3-axis digital accelerometer, a 3-axis digital gyroscope, and ST’s Intelligent Sensor Processing Unit (ISPU), which can execute signal processing and AI algorithms in the edge, enabling always-on low-power features for optimal motion results with a smaller dimension.

Another demo builds on the OnBoard platform created with Snowball Technology. Here, ST will demonstrate an extension of its STPay-Mobile digital-wallet solution to the automotive industry. STPay-Mobile helps mobile-device manufacturers leverage the features of ST’s ST54 secure System-on-Chip (SoC) to handle contactless transactions while protecting sensitive information including private data and authentication credentials. At MWC Shanghai, it will be used as a digital car key with enhanced convenience, security, and functionality.

To demonstrate its full spectrum of solutions for IoT & Connectivity, ST will also display the TWS solution based on the unique ultra-integrated LSM6DSV16BX IMU combining human senses with the environment for a superior hearing experience; a pair of smart glasses that tracks motion, recognizes gestures, offers BLE connectivity; and the smart-ring wireless-charging solution enabled by ST25DV NFC dynamic tag and ST25R NFC reader.

ST Open Speech Zone

In addition to these demonstrations, ST’s presenters will deliver insightful presentations focusing on applications in Automotive, Industrial, and IoT sectors during the show. These include:

• ST P-BOX Solution Empowers Autonomous Driving
• 100W Wireless Charging Solution Based on STWBC2-HP and STWLC99
• STSAFE-A and ST4SIM solution for Authentication and M2M Connection
• 256-zone dToF Module for Smartphone Camera System Image Enhancement
• STPay-Mobile Solution for Payment and Digital Car Key

To learn more about these exciting demonstrations, please visit ST’s booth at MWC Shanghai. You can also view the sneak peek of dozens of exemplary use case solutions on our event page.

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The popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing rapidly, with a surge in adoption in 2023 and a wide range of new electric vehicles entering the US automotive market. As the industry weighs the choice between traditional, lower-cost fuel-powered vehicles and the seemingly more expensive battery-electric vehicles, certain automakers are making a noticeable impact. The Top 10 best-selling EVs in the US for 2023 have significantly influenced how consumers view alternative forms of transportation. Here are the best EV cars in the USA:

1. Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 offers compelling features as both a compact luxury sedan and an electric car. Its affordable price, impressive driving range, and powerful performance have contributed to its significant popularity. The acceleration of the Model 3 is particularly noteworthy, as it effortlessly and silently propels forward thanks to its electric motor. The vehicle’s speed is remarkable, especially in certain trims. The rear-wheel-drive Long Range model can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, while the Model 3 Performance achieved this acceleration in a mere 3.5 seconds, half a second quicker than our long-term Model 3 Long Range. The price range for the Tesla Model 3 falls approximately between $40,250 and $53,250.

2. BMW i4

The BMW i4 represents BMW’s initial foray into the realm of electric sports sedans, boasting an impressive range of up to 300 miles and a high-performance i4 M50 variant delivering 536 horsepower. It combines the elegance of the 4-series Grand Coupe with an electric powertrain, resulting in a vehicle that exhibits refined road manners. The price range for the BMW i4 spans approximately from $52,000 to $68,700. BMW states that a full charge using an 11-kW Level 2 charger, starting from 0 per cent capacity, takes around 8.5 hours. Alternatively, with a DC fast charger, the i4 can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in just 31 minutes.

3. Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 was significantly impacted by its stunning design, exceptional range, and premium quality, posing a formidable challenge to top contenders like Tesla, BMW, and Ford. It offers two battery options: 58-kWh or 77.4 kWh. Initially, it comes in a single-motor RWD configuration, with the option to add a second motor for the front axle. The 58-kWh pack is exclusive to RWD, delivering 168 hp and 258 lb-ft, while the larger pack increases power to 225 hp and 258 lb-ft. The AWD setup offers the most ability, generating 320 hp and 446 lb-ft, resulting in a 0-60 sprint time of 4.4 seconds. RWD with the larger battery achieves an impressive 303-mile range, AWD provides 266 miles (10 miles better than 2022), and RWD with the smaller battery offers 220 miles. The price range for the BMW i4 spans approximately $41,500 to $56,700.

4. Lucid Air

While many startup car companies rise and fall, Lucid has made an indelible mark. Their inaugural vehicle, the Air, immediately claimed victory in MotorTrend’s 2022 Car of the Year competition. This luxurious all-electric sedan showcases a stunning design with sleek, aerodynamic bodywork and a technologically advanced interior. Notably, its powertrain capabilities are equally impressive, delivering exceptional performance and the most extensive driving range among electric cars. Lucid continues to push boundaries in 2023 with the introduction of the Air Sapphire, a sport-focused variant boasting over 1,000 horsepower. The price range for the BMW i4 spans approximately from $87,400 to $17,900.

5. Genesis GV60

The ambitious Genesis luxury brand is tackling the luxury EV segment with its satisfying and whimsical GV60 crossover. Every 2023 GV60 carries a 77.4 kWh battery pack that juices a dual-motor AWD powertrain. It can charge at a reasonably rapid 235 kW, allowing for 10 to 80 per cent recharge in as little as 18 minutes. The price range for the BMW i4 spans approximately $59,290 to $68,290.

6. Kia EV6

The 2023 Kia EV6 charts its path through the EV market with athletic road manners and a bold look all its own. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive models are punchier and can be had with a larger battery pack with a maximum of 310 miles of driving range. Handling is eager, especially for an SUV, which makes it fun on back roads. This year’s new GT model is the one to get as its 576 horsepower is enough to make Stinger owners envious as it blows by them. The price range for the BMW i4 spans approximately $48,700 to $57,600.

 

Conclusion 

The rapid rise of EV sales in the USA showcases their emergence as sustainable mobility leaders. Top EVs offer impressive performance, extended ranges, and advanced features. Increased investment in EV technology and charging infrastructure promises a bright future. Transitioning to EVs combats climate change and reduces reliance on fossil fuels. With advancing battery tech and growing demand, electric cars become accessible, practical, and desirable. Support from governments, businesses, and individuals drives a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future led by EVs.

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• The specification and power consumption of ZTE’s dynamic RIS 2.0 product have been significantly reduced, and the deployment process has been made more convenient
• The base station and RIS dynamic cooperative beamforming technology not only significantly enhance the coverage of base stations, but also support seamless connection of users in mobile scenarios

ZTE Corporation, a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions, has unveiled the second-generation Dynamic Cooperative Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (Dynamic RIS 2.0) product on the eve of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2023. This release aims to further drive the green evolution of 5G-A. Compared to its predecessor, Dynamic RIS 2.0 boasts significantly reduced specifications and power consumption, as well as more convenient deployment, marking a significant stride towards commercial implementation.

As an emerging technology, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) utilizes programmable, cost-effective two-dimensional metamaterials along with phase control components to achieve signal propagation, direction regulation, and interference suppression in three-dimensional space. Its primary goal is to establish an intelligent and controllable wireless environment, surpassing the limitations of traditional wireless communication.

Originally, RIS operated as a static surface, enhancing signal coverage at fixed points. However, the coverage provided by a single fixed beam was relatively limited and couldn’t adapt to dynamically distributed users. To address this, ZTE has introduced an innovative solution called Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Dynamic Collaboration technology, which is built upon 5G base stations. This technology enables rapid scanning of multiple beams and real-time user tracking. By incorporating key techniques from 6G’s Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface advancements into 5G, it has become a pivotal technology for the new stage of 5G-A.

In 2021, ZTE successfully completed the initial phase of prototype verification for Static Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology, exploring the potential of RIS in improving fixed-point coverage in 5G blind spots and areas with weak signals.

In February 2022, ZTE unveiled the first-generation Dynamic Cooperative Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface product, named RIS 1.0, at MWC 2022 in Barcelona.

In August 2022, ZTE achieved an industry milestone by successfully completing the prototype verification of Dynamic RIS technology. The verification results demonstrated that the cooperative beamforming technology between base stations and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces not only significantly enhances base station coverage but also facilitates seamless user connectivity in mobile scenarios. Moreover, the beam can be dynamically adjusted to accommodate diverse deployment scenarios.

ZTE continues to address critical challenges in RIS product development and key technologies. In 2023, they launched the dynamic RIS 2.0 model. Compared to its predecessor, the RIS 2.0 product offers significant advancements in terms of wide coverage distance, high user gain, and enhanced reliability.

Through the incorporation of new materials and an evolved architecture, dynamic RIS 2.0 products achieve an impressive 80% reduction in power consumption. The integrated design also contributes to a lighter and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Additionally, dynamic RIS 2.0 is designed for easy installation and adaptability to diverse environments, making deployment, management, and maintenance more streamlined.

According to Li Xiaotong, VP of ZTE and GM of RAN products, the launch of dynamic RIS 2.0 product serves the purpose of expanding network coverage in a cost-effective and energy-efficient manner. It also aims to address challenges associated with higher frequency bands, such as millimeter waves, which suffer from high propagation loss and penetration loss. Dynamic RIS 2.0 enables high and low-frequency co-site and co-coverage, thereby reducing construction and operation costs for high-frequency networks.

Moving forward, ZTE will continue collaborating with operators and industry partners to drive the evolution of RIS, transitioning it from technology research to practical deployment. ZTE aims to address real-world challenges in commercial networking, enhance innovation, and refine solutions for network collaboration and streamlined operation and maintenance processes. Furthermore, ZTE plans to expand the application of RIS to a wider range of fields. Leveraging the capabilities and boundaries of 5G-A, RIS will be combined with other advancements to realize the vision of enabling digital lives for individuals, empowering industries with digital intelligence, and building a digital society.

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Even in the SELV range, the range of safety extralow voltage that is harmless to people even when touched, enormously high currents can flow in the event of a short circuit. SCHURTER responds to this danger with the new, particularly compact SMT fuse UHS.

SELV stands for “Safety Extra Low Voltage”. The term sounds self-explanatory and harmless. However, especially with the availability of inexpensive and yet very powerful lithium-ion battery cells, the need to be able to switch off ever higher currents in a controlled manner on inexpensive SMT circuit boards is increasing.

The SMT fuse SCHURTER UHS with rated currents of 50 to 100A, which was specially developed for these cases, ideally meets the requirements for a high and fast breaking capacity in case of massive overcurrent. The immense energies stored in lithium-ion battery cells can be galvanically isolated in a controlled manner.

Compact and powerful

Space is a scarce commodity on modern printed circuit boards. This makes the minimal “footprint” occupied by the UHS even more significant. Nevertheless, it manages to disconnect the circuit at twice the rated current within just 10 seconds and thus ensures that the PCB can be constructed in a space-saving and economical manner.

Danger: Short circuit

Lithium-ion battery cells can store very high amounts of energy and release it again within a very short time – for example in the event of a short circuit. The UHS has an enormously robust design. Its breaking capacity at 50VDC is 600A, and lower voltages up to 16VDC even allow 2’000A.

Wide range of applications

The UHS is designed to operate at ambient temperatures from -55°C to +125°C. This makes it ideal for applications in the automotive sector. However, other applications with potentially very high overcurrent (telecom, data center or power tools) are also perfectly suited.

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3D integration and systems for semiconductor manufacturing applications will take center stage at SEMI 3D & Systems Summit as the event opens today with leading experts sharing the latest developments and insights into the 3D roadmap, heterogeneous integration and system-in-package (SiP) technologies for smarter systems. Registration is open for the 26-28 June summit in Dresden, Germany.

“We’re excited to welcome industry leaders to Dresden to share perspectives on near-term packaging solutions and explore how deeper collaboration can drive innovation for emerging heterogeneous integration applications and European semiconductor industry growth,” said Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe.

Advanced packaging technologies have become critical enablers of continuing semiconductor innovation and extending Moore’s Law. Heterogeneous integration architectures such as chiplets combine separately manufactured electronics components into a higher level assembly to enhance semiconductor functionality and operating characteristics.

Themed Smarter Systems through Heterogeneous Integration, this year’s summit will feature a broader scope of topics including:

• Advanced Packaging: Enabling Moore’s Law, The Next Frontier
• Market Briefing and Technical Roadmap
• Industrialization and Mass Adoption of 3D Technologies
• Hybrid Bonding Developments
• Chiplet Design Packaging: Architectures and Challenges
• Novel Processes and Interconnect Solutions for 3D
• Photonics Integration
• Sustainability
• Applications Enabled by 3D

3D & Systems Summit Highlights Global Leaders to Present

Distinguished speakers will address new technology challenges and requirements across the entire 3D IC supply chain.

• Raja Swaminathan, Corporate VP, AMD
• Rozalia Beica, VP Strategic Marketing & Business Development, Microelectronics Business Unit, AT&S China
• Eric Fribourg-Blanc, Program Officer, European Commission
• Luc Augustin, CTO, Smart Photonics
• Emilie Jolivet, Semiconductor, Memory and Computing Division Director, Yole Group
• Pascal Metzger, CEO, SET Corporation
• Jan Vardaman, President, TechSearch International
• Yoan Dupret, Managing Director and CTO, Menta
• Seung Kang, VP of Strategy, Adeia
• Isabella Drolz, VP Product Marketing, Comet Yxlon
• André Blum, Project Manager, Progressive Semiconductor Program, Audi AG

Experts from the following global leaders will also present:

• ASML
• Besi
• CEA-Leti
• EPIC
• EV Group
• Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics
• Fraunhofer IIS-EAS
• Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID
• imec
• Intel
• KLA
• MKS-Atotech
• Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD)
• Siemens EDA
• SPTS Technologies Ltd., a KLA company
• SÜSS MicroTec

Exhibition

The most prominent names in 3D integration for microelectronics manufacturing will showcase their latest products and technologies at the exhibition area, including:

• Adeia
• Amkor
• ASE Global
• Besi
• Carl Zeiss Research Microscopy
• CEA-Leti
• Comet Yxlon
• Confovis
• DISCO Hi-TEC Europe
• ERS electronic
• Evatec
• Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID
• Koh Young Europe
• Lidrotec
• LPKF Laser & Electronics
• OPTIM Wafers
• ProSys
• Racyics
• SUSS MicroTec
• ULVAC
• Win Source

Exclusive Networking Opportunities

The 3D & Systems Summit will feature business-to-business matchmaking and networking for participants to explore new partnerships and other business opportunities. This year’s networking reception will take place at the Hilton Dresden on the first day of the event, and the annual networking dinner will be held on the Elbe River cruise.

The post SEMI 3D & Systems Summit 2023 Opens With Heterogeneous Integration for Smarter Systems in Focus appeared first on ELE Times.

Rohde & Schwarz and Zurich Instruments will present advanced test and measurement solutions for photonics at the LASER World of PHOTONICS tradeshow in Munich. Highlighted solutions include the R&S FSPN and R&S FSWP, two exceptionally powerful phase noise analyzers for characterizing laser systems. Visitors can also see demos of the R&S MXO 4 and R&S RTO6 oscilloscopes from Rohde & Schwarz as well as the Quantum Computing Control System (QCCS) and lock-in amplifiers from Zurich Instruments.

LASER World of PHOTONICS is a leading platform for the laser and photonics industry and will be held from June 27 to 30, 2023 at Messe München. Rohde & Schwarz shares a booth with its Zurich Instruments subsidiary to present their advanced test and measurement solutions for photonics technology. The phase noise analyzers and oscilloscopes from Rohde & Schwarz and lock-in amplifiers from Zurich Instruments complement each other perfectly for comprehensive characterization of optical signals.

Phase noise analyzers are essential for many photonics applications, such as laser and optical source analysis, optical frequency synthesis, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and quantum optics. Rohde & Schwarz will present the R&S FSPN phase noise analyzer in a demo that measures phase noise for ultra-stable microwave systems. The phase noise sensitivity of the R&S FSPN requires a hundred times fewer correlations relative to comparative solutions. The result is a high measurement speed, ideal for efficient phase noise analysis both in R&D and production. The R&S FSWP – a signal and spectrum analyzer and phase noise analyzer in a single box – is another powerful instrument for characterizing laser systems. With a frequency range of up to 50 GHz and a signal analysis bandwidth of up to 8 GHz, the R&S FSWP is ideal for testing radar applications and when developing and manufacturing synthesizers, OCXOs, DROs and VCOs.

Oscilloscopes are versatile electronic test instruments extensively used in photonics for signal analysis, waveform visualization and measurements in the time domain. At the LASER World of PHOTONICS, Rohde & Schwarz will present oscilloscopes in joint demo setups with Zurich Instruments. A quantum sensing demo features the new R&S MXO 4, the world’s first oscilloscope with an update rate above 4.5 million waveforms per second and the fastest, most accurate spectrum analysis in its class.

The R&S RTO6 oscilloscope is presented with the Quantum Computing Control System (QCCS) from Zurich Instruments. The QCCS is the first commercial device designed to control more than 100 superconducting and spin qubits. LabOne Q, the QCCS control software, provides a full measurement framework for quantum computing and facilitates integration into higher-level software. The R&S RTO6 is a sophisticated test solution for frequency, protocol and logic analysis. It features a large 15.6-inch touchscreen, excellent signal fidelity and deep responsive memory.

Zurich Instruments will also demonstrate DC lock-in detection for up to 8.5 GHz with their lock-in amplifiers. Lock-in amplifiers are essential to research laboratories for optics, photonics, scanning probe microscopy and quantum technologies. The instruments can extract very small signals buried in noise, extending the reach of experimental setups.

Christian Dille, Global Market Segment Manager for Research and Universities at Rohde & Schwarz, says: “The future of photonics is heading toward exciting frontiers, with advancements in quantum photonics, integrated photonics and biophotonics. We at Rohde & Schwarz and Zurich Instruments have invested in cutting-edge solutions for characterizing laser systems and analyzing optical signal sources. We look forward to working with academics and industry professionals to advance innovation at the upcoming LASER World of PHOTONICS trade show.”

Rohde & Schwarz and Zurich Instruments exhibit their advanced test and measurement solutions at booth B2.108 at the LASER World of PHOTONICS. Both companies are also present at the World of QUANTUM, a spin-off of World of PHOTONICS, at booth A1.511.

The post Rohde & Schwarz and Zurich Instruments present advanced test solutions at LASER World of PHOTONICS in Munich appeared first on ELE Times.

According to Adroit Market Research, the market for electric vehicle charging infrastruct ure was estimated to be worth USD 25.2 Billion in 2022, and by 2030, it is anticipated to grow to USD 222.5 Billion, with a CAGR of 31.5%.

When electric cars were originally introduced in the early 20th century, the majority of the charging infrastructure consisted of straightforward charging stations that were situated at homes or businesses. Low-voltage charging was offered at these stations, which often made use of regular electrical plugs. Public electric car charging stations started to develop in several urban areas around the middle of the 20th century. These locations, which were frequently situated in city centres, shopping areas, or close to transit hubs, frequently have specialized charging equipment. In the previous 10 years, there have been a lot more netw orks for EV charging. Charging stations have been installed in metropolitan areas, business districts, retail malls, hotels, and other public spaces thanks to investments from both public and private organizations. This extension seeks to improve EV owners’ access to and ease with charging in order to promote the development of electric transportation.

The possibility to expand charging networks is substantial, especially in public spaces and busy regions. The ease and accessibility of charging for EV owners will be improved by adding more charging stations in cities, parking lots, shopping malls, and along highways, which will promote the adoption of electric vehicles more broadly. Rapid-charging infrastructure has prospects due to the creation and adoption of fast charging technologies. Shorter charging periods made possible by high-power DC fast chargers make long-distance travel more practical for EV users. Fast-charging infrastructure may be installed along highways and other key thoroughfares to increase consumer traffic and assist the expansion of electric mobility.

The infrastructure for charging electric vehicles is being developed in large part due to the increasing demand for them. The need for charging infrastructure and stations rises as more people and companies purchase electric cars to meet their charging demands. Governments all over the globe are putting supporting measures in place to promote the use of electric cars and the growth of the infrastructure for charging them. Incentives, subsidies, tax breaks, and laws mandating the installation of charging stations in public areas and new construction are a few examples of these. The development of the charging infrastructure thanks to technologic al improvements. Fast-changing technology, such as DC fast chargers, are spreading in popularity and allowing EV users to charge their vehicles more quickly and conveniently.

The market for EV charging infrastructure is expanding as a result of cooperation between several players, including automakers, charging station manufacturers, utilities, and technology suppliers. Collaborations and partnerships make the construction, setup, and maintenance of the infrastructure for EV charging more efficient and improve the charging experience for EV owners.

Clean and sustainable charging is possible by combining EV charging infrastructure with renewable energy sources like solar and wind. By integrating these technologies, charging may be timed to correspond with periods of strong renewable energy production and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental sustainability of charging infrastructure may be improved by constructing charging stations with solar canopies or by making use of renewable energy purchase agreements. Demand response, grid balancing, and optimized charging are all made possible by the use of smart charging systems and V2G services. In order to maximize the usage of renewable energy and reduce the effects of peak load, smart charging systems can modify charging rates based on grid circumstances, energy demand, and pricing signals. V2G services enable EVs and the grid to exchange energy in both directions, supporting the grid and providing possible revenue streams for EV owners.

Due to the rising acceptance of electric cars and favourable government legislation, the North American industry has seen considerable development in EV charging infrastructure. In terms of the development of charging infrastructure, the United States has been in the lead thanks to both public and private investments in charging networks that include Level 2 and DC fast charging stations. Canada has also been making investments in the infrastructure for EV charging, notably in metropolitan areas and along significant transit routes. The construction of charging stations has been sped up around the area thanks to a number of partnerships involving automakers, utilities, and infrastructure providers.

The post Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market Size Worth USD 222.5 Billion in 2030 | CAGR: 31.5% appeared first on ELE Times.

The Department of Energy is shelling out $40 million to 15 groups proposing innovative data center cooling solutions.

The new set of Wi-Fi 7 chips will appear in devices such as routers, gateways, and client devices.

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA – which makes silicon carbide materials as well as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power-switching & RF semiconductor devices – has announced a $1.25bn secured note financing from an investment group led by Apollo, with an accordion feature for up to an additional $750m...

ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany has introduced improved blue and green lasers based on a new generation of its diode emitter chip. The chip’s performance enables manufacturers to increase the value of laser modules and devices aimed at applications such as leveling and scanning. Enhancements enabled by the new lasers include a smaller power supply, a more homogeneous beam, and more efficient coupling to optical fiber...

I haven’t exactly had the best of luck with battery-powered devices over the years. Stuff either flat-out dies, or it swells to gargantuan dimensions and then dies (which, I suppose, is better than “then catches fire and dies”). Then again, I’ve admittedly owned (or at least had temporary review-unit possession of) more than my fair share of battery-powered devices over the years so…probability and statistics, eh?

There was, off the top of my head:

• The expensive Beats Powerbeats Pro earbud set whose embedded batteries got deep cycled into oblivion
• A Kindle Keyboard ebook reader that suffered the same fate
• A Surface RT 2-in-1 that may have suffered the same fate (or maybe something else died inside…dunno)
• A Surface Pro 2-in-1 that keeps threatening to bloat and die but hasn’t…yet…
• A MacBook Pro laptop that has swollen into the shape of an egg…twice…along with multiple predecessors’ battery-induced demises, and
• An engorged, expired Google Pixel smartphone that currently resides somewhere in my voluminous teardown-candidate pile
• And likely more than a few other widgets whose memories I’ve suppressed

And folks wonder why I keep just-in-case spares sitting around for particularly essential devices in my technology stable…

From the occasional (situational, often, admittedly) research I’ve done over the years, rechargeable NiMH and Li-ion battery failures seem to stem from one-to-several-in-parallel of the following device owner root causes:

• Not using the device that the batteries are inside, which nonetheless trickle-drains them even when it’s supposedly “off”, to a deep-discharge point from which they’re eventually unable to recover (there’s a reason why specially designed deep-cycle batteries exist for use in certain applications, after all)
• Using the device that the batteries are inside, but not using the batteries, i.e., keeping a laptop computer perpetually tethered to an AC adapter (guilty as charged). Perpetually trickle-charging a battery inevitably leads to premature failure, but on the other hand…
• Using the device that the batteries are inside, and using the batteries, which seems contradictory with the previous point, until I add the “using the batteries a significant amount” qualifier. Every currently available battery technology, to a varying threshold point, is capable of only a finite number of recharge cycles before it flat-out fails. And prior to that point, its peak charge storage capacity slowly depletes with increasing cycle counts.
• Speaking of peak charge storage capacity, recharging the batteries to 100% full. Research suggests that charging batteries to only 50-80% of their full capacity, especially if the system containing them is going to be subsequently operated on AC for a lengthy period, will notably increase their operating life.
• Recharging the batteries too rapidly, and the closely related
• Recharging the batteries at too hot an operating temperature

So what can be done, particularly considering that battery packs are increasingly deeply embedded in systems to such a degree that their replacement is impractical (especially by end users) and their failure ends up leading to wasteful discard and replacement of the entire system? Some of this responsibility is up to the system owner: periodically unplug the device from AC and run it off battery power for a while to “force” a subsequent recharge cycle, for example. Achieving this objective is reasonably easy with earbuds or a smartphone…not so much with a constantly charger-tethered tablet or a laptop computer used as the primary “daily driver”.

Systems manufacturers also have a key role to play, from both hardware and software standpoints. To the latter topic, for example, it’s increasingly common for device suppliers to offer optional (or not) settings that enable the device to “guess” when it’s going to be used again and, based on how much charging needs to be done between now and then to get back to “full”, dynamically modulate the recharge rate to keep the battery cool and otherwise as unstressed as possible for the duration.

Google Pixel smartphones, as a case study, look at what time your tomorrow-wakeup alarm is set for, compare it against the current time when the phone is connected to the charger, and use the full duration of the in-between timespan to recharge the battery (holding it at 80% charged for most of that time, in fact), versus going blazing fast and then sitting there excessively warm and fully charged for the next however-many hours until you exit slumber again. Such “Adaptive Charging” approaches work passably…generally speaking, at least…

But inevitably there comes the time that you wake up in the middle of the night with insomnia and reach for a phone that’s only partially recharged. Human beings are such impatient creatures…and speaking of impatience, wireless charging is a mixed bag when it comes to battery life. On the one hand, its inherent inefficiency translates into slower recharge rates than if a wired charger is in use. On the other, that same inefficiency leads to higher heat output, “cooking” batteries in the process.

Unsurprisingly, Apple offers conceptually similar Optimized Battery Charging for its smartphones and tablets. “Battery Health Management” is also available for the company’s battery-powered computers, both Intel- and Apple Silicon-based but only the most modern ones in the former case:

Battery health management is on by default when you buy a new Mac laptop with macOS 10.15.5 or later, or after you upgrade to macOS 10.15.5 or later on a Mac laptop with Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Alas, while my “early 2015” 13” Retina MacBook Pro currently runs MacOS 11, its hardware predates the “Thunderbolt 3” era. As such, subsequent to its second battery swap, I initially strove to remember to unplug it from AC each evening after putting it in standby, resulting in a ~20% battery drain overnight and translating into an effective full recharge cycle every week or thereabouts. Did I always remember? No. And was it a clumsy workaround? Yes. Definitely yes.

Fortunately, I then came across a third-party utility called AlDente, developed by a company called AppHouseKitchen, which has added an “on steroids” alternative to battery health management of my archaic (at least according to Apple) computer. I sprung for the paid version, which thankfully offers a reasonable non-subscription-based price option ($21.85 for lifetime, versus $10.38/year) and which adds some useful (at least to me) features. Here are some screenshots:

When I’m getting ready to go on a trip where I’ll be using the laptop on an airplane, or in some other AC outlet-deficient situation, I crank up the charge limit to 100% first (dialing it back down to 80% afterwards). And when I need to recharge the battery quickly, I disable “Heat Protection”. Otherwise, I leave the settings pretty much where the screenshots document them. I also occasionally recalibrate the laptop’s charge-measurement hardware from within AlDente, and I strive to more frequently remember to continue partial-cycling the battery versus leaving the laptop perpetually AC-powered. Will the laptop’s battery pack last until the fall of 2024 when I forecast the system containing it will no longer be covered by Apple’s operating system support? I sure hope so!

What battery life extension secrets have you discovered and implemented in the systems you design and use every day? Let me know in the comments.

—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the company’s online newsletter.

Related Content

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• Battery charging options for portable products
• New battery technologies hold promise, peril for portable-system designers
• How to design a battery management system

The post Battery life management: the software assistant appeared first on EDN.

In booth 539 (Hall B2) at the Laser World of Photonics 2023 event in Munich, Germany (27–30 June), BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia — which manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) blue laser diodes based on its proprietary low-temperature, low-hydrogen remote-plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) technology — is showcasing enhanced GaN laser products featuring significant performance improvements in light emission, power conversion efficiencies, and voltage...