Microelectronics world news

For our final feature celebrating Women’s History Month, we interviewed Chiara Bartolozzi, a senior researcher moving the needle in neuromorphic engineering.

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Mojo Vision Inc of Saratoga, CA, USA — which is developing and commercializing micro-LED display technology for consumer, enterprise and government applications — has appointed Dr Achin Bhowmik to its board of directors. Bhowmik, chief technology officer at Starkey, a former executive at Intel, and currently the president of the Society for Information Display (SID), joins as an independent board member to provide guidance and oversight for Mojo Vision as it accelerates the development of next-generation micro-LED technology. With his appointment, Mojo Vision is tapping 23 years of industry experience in perceptual computing, display and semiconductor business...

Energy saving and power management systems are the next green generation

Nuvoton will be showing green tech, endpoint AI, and automotive products at Embedded World 2024, booth 3A-418 in Germany. These products provide solutions for energy-saving cooling and ventilation, automotive AI guidance and safety challenges, and AI-based manufacturing and smart home demands.

Ultra-Low-Power USB Type-C PD 3.0 MCU, Hydrogen Sensors, Energy-Saving Solutions

Nuvoton’s NuMicro M2L31 microcontroller, with an Arm Cortex-M23 core featuring 64 to 512 Kbytes of ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory), is an ultra-low-power product designed with a commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency. The M2L31 series not only supports two CAN FD and two USB Type-C PD 3.0 connections but also prioritizes robust security features to safeguard valuable data.

Nuvoton’s reference design for a NuMicro M2L31 MCU-based DC fan system compliant with USB Power Delivery 3.0 includes motor drive capability and a user interface to control the fan and upload or display system information. Highlights include BOM cost savings due to integrated features, simplified PCB layout, and flexible input voltage – together, these energy and resource-saving features not only reduce costs but also help create a greener product.

Nuvoton’s other eco-friendly offerings include the KM1M7AF digital power control microcontroller with security features; a compact high-efficiency, low-vibration industrial 48V fan motor driver (KA44370A); a one-chip AC impedance measurement design for efficiency and safety in battery management systems; and an ultra-low power hydrogen sensor that is ideal for monitoring green energy applications such as hydrogen stations, fuel cells, and hydrogen pipelines.

Automotive HMI and Safety ICs Enable Next-Generation Automotive Applications

In the automotive sector, Nuvoton has an automotive Human Machine Interface (HMI) processing IC based around the Gerda graphic processor series. This HMI IC supports fast booting and attractive 2.5D graphics. Its optimized system cost and external component integration are ideal for low-to-mid-end automotive applications.

For automotive safety and AI driving scenarios, Nuvoton’s Multi-Sensing Bridge IC can aggregate and synchronize data from image, audio, depth sensors, and signal processing ICs. This single-package IC with internal DRAM also has XR/VR/AR and drone applications. In addition, Nuvoton will be showing an automotive battery monitoring IC and pack monitoring IC at Embedded World 2024.

AI Vision Warehousing Solutions and Smart Home Technology ICs

Nuvoton displays two user-trainable AI systems for classifying camera data. The Arm Cortex-M55-based M55M1 Automatic Medicine Classifier uses a hardware-accelerated neural network to identify medicines based on visual input and user training. Based on related technology, the Arm Cortex-A35 MA35D1 Intelligent Warehouse Management System is a visual AI system for identifying different varieties of fruit in warehouses and similar environments. Both these systems support LCDs of appropriate size for the user interface.

For smart home products, Nuvoton presents the NAU83G60 Intelligent Smart Amplifier, which is ideal for consumer audio. The company will also be showing a smart ITO panel solution with touch keys and voice prompt capability. This solution is based on the M258 microcontroller with an Arm Cortex-M23 core and features Nuvoton’s fast LCD development and simulation tool, NuTool-LCDView.

The post Nuvoton Technology for Green Energy, Endpoint AI, and Automotive Applications at Embedded World 2024 appeared first on ELE Times.

FinFETs redefined chip design when they came onto the scene more than a decade ago. While these nonplanar transistors are still the unofficial industry standard, they may be nearing the end of their life. So, electronics engineers may need to prepare for an incoming shift.

The first chips using FinFETs came out in 2011, letting semiconductors safely venture into sub-25-nm territory. At that time, this architecture was a sort of saving grace for Moore’s Law, because planar transistors led to too much current leakage for geometries below 100 nm to be sustainable.

Figure 1 FinFETs replaced the planar transistor design with a 3D architecture to overcome the limitations of traditional planar transistors. Source: AnySilicon

However, FinFETs are now facing a problem like the planar technologies that came before them. Power leakage and signal interference issues are becoming more common obstacles as device form factors continue to shrink and performance demands rise. Consequently, many key industry players are starting to consider alternate transistor architectures.

As helpful as FinFETs are compared to their predecessors, they have severe power routing constraints at smaller geometries. Engineers typically work around these restrictions through different channel widths and spacing. That works well in many applications, but this strategy has limits of its own.

Because gates must reach the insulator between fins, sufficient space between each channel must be available. As a result, engineers can quickly run into scalability issues since there are 15 nm to 20 nm between each fin. Adding more channels inherently means adding inactive areas, leading to a tradeoff between current routing and physical space.

Gate-all-around (GAA) transistors

A potential solution has emerged in the form of gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. GAA architecture reverts to planar form factors, but instead of using a flat channel flush with the insulator, it uses silicon ribbons surrounded by the gate on all sides.

Just as FinFETs let engineers place multiple fins next to each other, GAAs enable vertical channel stacking. Notably, this method still requires space between each ribbon. However, because it capitalizes on verticality, each one can cover a longer horizontal space. Alternatively, engineers could design taller but narrower transistors to leave more room on the chip for other components.

Another key advantage of GAA design is that the gate contacts the channel on all four sides. Consequently, it provides more control over higher currents, just as FinFETs did in relation to conventional planar architectures.

Figure 2 In GAA transistor structure, the gate can come into contact with the channel on all sides, which makes continuous scaling possible. Source: Lam Research

GAAs are still relatively new, but they’re already showing signs of becoming standard. Samsung led the charge, announcing a switch to GAAFETs in 2022. Intel, which put FinFETs on the map, will release its GAA technology later in 2024, along with a backside power technology.

Several obstacles remain. Some reports hold that Samsung is struggling to achieve high yields with its GAAFET technology. Other foundries have more long-term release windows for their GAA chips, so whether GAA technology will be able to overcome these challenges remains unclear.

Despite these road bumps, the industry is clearly moving toward GAAs. So, electronics designers should familiarize themselves with this technology before the shift happens to adapt to the changing market.

Transition on the gate

Just as FinFETs redefined semiconductor architecture in the 2010s, GAAFETs could do the same within the next decade. While much of this transition is still up in the air, most signs seem to be pointing that way.

Electronics engineering is a continually evolving field. Therefore, engineers must stay abreast of developments like this to ensure they can capitalize on the innovations that revolutionize the industry.

Ellie Gabel is a freelance writer as well as an associate editor at Revolutionized.

Related Content

• Samsung Plans 3nm Gate-All-Around FETs in 2021
• Samsung Foundry Promises Gate All-Around in ’22
• From Lab to Fab and the Future of Semiconductors
• All you need to know about GAA chip manufacturing process
• From FinFET to GAA: Samsung’s fab journey to 3 nm and 2 nm

The post Are FinFETs coming to an end? appeared first on EDN.

Some of the leaders of the networking industry showed up to the Optical Fiber Conference, including Broadcom, MediaTek, Semtech, and MaxLinear.

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General-purpose 32-bit MCUs in the R9A02G021 group from Renesas employ an internally developed RISC-V CPU core. Renesas has designed and tested the new RISC-V core independently and implemented it in a commercial product that is available worldwide.

R9A02G021 MCUs enable embedded systems designers to develop low-power, cost-sensitive applications based on the RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). The devices target such end markets as IoT sensors, consumer electronics, medical devices, small appliances, and industrial systems. They are also supported by a full-scale development environment and a network of toolchain partners.

The CPU core runs at 48 MHz and achieves a performance rating of 3.27 CoreMark/MHz. Power consumption is 162 µA/MHz when active, dropping to just 0.3 µA in standby with a wakeup time of 4 µs. Other features of the R9A02G021 group include:

• Memory: 128 KB code flash, 16 KB SRAM, and 4 KB data flash
• Serial communications interfaces: UART, SPI, I2C, SAU
• Analog peripherals: 12-bit ADC and 8-bit DAC
• Temperature range: -40°C to 125°C
• Operating voltage range: 1.6 V to 5.5V

Packaging options for the R9A02G021 MCUs include 16-pin WLCSP and 24-pin, 32-pin, and 48-pin QFN. Devices are available now through global distributors.

R9A02G021 product page

Renesas Electronics 

Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.

The post Renesas builds RISC-V MCUs with own core appeared first on EDN.

Toshiba has added eight devices to the M4K group of TXZ+ 32-bit MCUs offering extended flash memory and four different packaging options. Outfitted with 512 kbytes or 1 Mbyte of code flash memory, the MCUs address the need for large program capacity in IoT motor control applications. They also offer firmware over-the-air updating.

With 1 Mbyte of code flash divided into two separate 512-kbyte areas, the MCUs enable firmware rotation using memory swapping. While instructions are being read from one area, updated code can be programmed into the other area simultaneously.

In addition to the expanded flash memory, the devices also boost RAM capacity to 64 kbytes. They are powered by an Arm Cortex-M4 core running at up to 160 MHz and provide UART, tSPI, and I2C interfaces. Three 12-bit ADCs, three advanced motor control circuits, and a vector engine allow the MCUs to control three motors, even in 64-pin packages.

M4K microcontrollers can be used to control AC motors, brushless DC motors, and inverters in home appliances, power tools, and industrial equipment. Packaging options include QFP100, LQFP100, and two different size LQFP64 types.

TXZ+ M4K group product page

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage 

Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.

The post Motor control MCUs pack ample flash memory appeared first on EDN.

Twenty-eight 100-V trench Schottky rectifiers from ST increase efficiency and power density in power converters operating at high switching frequencies. Target applications for the portfolio of devices include power supplies for telecom, server, and smart metering equipment, as well as automotive LED lighting and low-voltage DC/DC converters.

According to the manufacturer, the diodes reduce rectifier losses with forward-voltage and reverse-recovery characteristics that enable increased power density with high efficiency. Forward voltage is 50 mV to 100 mV better than comparable planar diodes, depending on current and temperature conditions. Changing to these new devices can increase efficiency by 0.5%.

Variants in the family cover eight current ratings ranging from 1 A to 15 A. Multiple surface-mount package types are available in both industrial and automotive grades. Automotive parts are AEC-Q101 qualified for operation over a temperature range of -40°C to +175°C and manufactured in PPAP-capable facilities. Diodes are 100% avalanche tested in production to ensure device robustness and system reliability.

All of the parts are available now in DPAK, SOD123 flat, SOD128 flat, SMB flat, and PSMC (TO-227A) packages. Volume prices start at $0.107 for the 1-A STPST1H100ZF in the SMD123 flat package.

To access the datasheets for the 28 trench Schottky rectifiers, click here.

STMicroelectronics

Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.

The post 100-V Schottky rectifiers aid efficiency appeared first on EDN.

Occupying a small footprint to ease PCB design, the AONZ66412 MOSFET from Alpha & Omega targets buck-boost converters in USB PD 3.1 EPR applications. While the 3.1 Extended Power Range specification enables power delivery up to 240 W over a USB Type-C cable and connector, the AONZ66412 addresses the most commonly used power range of up to 140 W at 28 V.

The AONZ66412 combines two 40-V N-channel MOSFETs arranged in a half-bridge configuration within a symmetric XSPairFET 5×6-mm package. When used to replace two single 5×6-mm DFN packages, the compact AONZ66412 reduces PCB area, improves efficiency, and simplifies the layout of a 4-switch buck-boost architecture.

Alpha & Omega’s XSPairFET DFN is a bottom-side source package. Each high-side and low-side MOSFET provides a maximum on-resistance of 3.8 mΩ. The source of the low-side MOSFET is directly linked to a large paddle on the lead frame. This setup enhances thermal performance by enabling direct connection of the paddle to the PCB’s ground plane. When tested, the AONZ66412 demonstrated 97% efficiency at 1 MHz under typical USB PD 3.1 EPR conditions with a 28-V input, 17.6-V output, and 8-A load.

The AONZ66412 dual MOSFET costs $1.56 each in lots of 1000 units. It is available now in production quantities with a lead time of 16 weeks.

AONZ66412 product page

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor 

Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.

The post Buck-boost MOSFET meets USB PD 3.1 demands appeared first on EDN.

Aspinity has launched a dashcam evaluation kit and a suite of smart analogML algorithms for parked vehicle monitoring. The hardware/software offerings leverage the company’s always-on AML100 analog machine learning processor. The near-zero power AML100 enables continuous monitoring for extended periods without impacting the vehicle’s battery or requiring an external power source.

The company recently demonstrated a dashcam with a single microphone and an AML100 processor. The setup uses an acoustic-only trigger and analogML algorithms trained to identify automotive security events. According to Aspinity, the solution detects events more accurately than dashcams outfitted with a standard G-sensor. Surveillance algorithms detect such events as jiggling of the door handle, a neighboring car door opening into the vehicle, runaway shopping cart hitting the side of the car, and window glass breaking, while ignoring sounds from events unrelated to the vehicle.

Based on the AML100-REF-1 wireless, battery-operated reference module, the dashcam evaluation kit enables deployment and evaluation in the cabin of a vehicle. It consumes <50 µA in always-on mode and eliminates the video recording of false events that waste power.

To learn more about Aspinity’s AML100 monitoring solutions for automotive security, click here.

Aspinity

Find more datasheets on products like this one at Datasheets.com, searchable by category, part #, description, manufacturer, and more.

The post Aspinity strengthens AI-based automotive security appeared first on EDN.

The new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor comes with CPU and memory performance increases, Wi-Fi 7, and enhanced edge AI capabilities for mobile devices.

The UK Government has announced a £16.6m investment to give semiconductor researchers and businesses access to new equipment helping them to test and make chips for use in high-energy machines such as electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. Of the funding, £14m is targeted particularly at semiconductors used in power electronics...

In a ceremony attended by HRH The Princess Royal as well as key customers, ecosystem partners, investors and government officials, Pragmatic Semiconductor of Cambridge, UK has officially opened what is the UK’s first 300mm wafer fabrication line. The manufacturing facility at the 60,000m2 Pragmatic Park brownfield site near Durham in North-East England produces chips based on the firm’s unique flexible integrated circuit (FlexIC) technology...

In electrical heating applications, resistive heaters are powered through phase angle-controlled SCR/triac circuits to vary the applied voltage/power to maintain the required temperature.

Phase angle control produces a lot of harmonics leading to power line disturbances.

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

Figure 1’s circuit gives a simple and cost-effective solution without introducing harmonics. This controller skips a certain number of power cycles in between, to vary power to the heaters.

Figure 1 Circuit schematic of mains cycle skipping controller, this controller skips a certain number of power cycles in between, to vary power to the heaters.

In this typical design, 10 full cycles are taken as base. Timer U3 (555) through R2, R4, and C1 decides this by giving output pulses with an interval of  200 ms, which is the width of 10 full AC cycles of a 50 Hz AC mains (for a 60 Hz mains, this will be 166.6 ms). These pulses trigger U4 (555) monostable to produce pulses with an adjustable width within 200 ms, by adjusting potentiometer RV1. This pulse train controls an optotriac with zero cross detector U2 (MOC3033) to trigger triac U1 (BTA25-600BW). The triac conducts for the duration of “off pulse widths” produced by U4. Thus, these conduction periods allow the selected number of voltage cycles to pass through and impress on load. During “on pulse widths”, the triac does not conduct and skips the voltage cycles. Simulated waveforms can be seen in Figure 2 with two full cycles being skipped and Figure 3 with five full cycles being skipped.

Figure 2 Simulated waveforms with the U3 timer output (yellow), U4 timer output (blue), and heater voltage (pink). Eight full cycles are impressed on load, skipping two full cycles as decided by the RV1 potentiometer position.

Figure 3 Simulated waveforms with the U3 timer output (yellow), U4 timer output (blue), and heater voltage (pink). Five full cycles are impressed on load, skipping five full cycles as decided by another RV1 potentiometer position.

As an example, if a 40 ms width is chosen by RV1, which corresponds to 2 full cycles of a 50 Hz mains, the triac will not conduct for 2 voltage cycles and will conduct for 8 full cycles and pass to the load. Thus, two cycles are skipped. This operation repeats. Thus, load power is controlled by skipping a selected number of voltage cycles. As AC cycles passed to load are full cycles, unwanted harmonics are eliminated.

Normally such controllers are realized with an MCU and software, the novelty of this circuit realizing the  same function without using the MCU, thus making it simple with low cost components.

Jayapal Ramalingam has over three decades of experience in designing electronics systems for power & process industries and is presently a freelance automation consultant.

 Related Content

• A long pulse detector circuit
• Microcontroller’s single I/O-port line drives a bar-graph display
• Efficient method for interfacing TRIAC dimmers and LEDs
• How to make LED bulbs dimmable

The post Single phase mains cycle skipping controller sans harmonics appeared first on EDN.

Diamfab has raised €8.7m in a first round of funding from Asterion Ventures, as well as from the French Tech Seed fund (managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030), Kreaxi with the Avenir Industrie Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes regional fund, Better Angle, Hello Tomorrow and Grenoble Alpes Métropole...