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After the widespread adoption of the ISO 26262 functional safety standard in automotive designs, another standard is taking hold to protect connected vehicles from malicious cyberattacks. The ISO/SAE 21434 standard defines the engineering requirements for cybersecurity risk management to ensure that cyber risks are monitored, detected, and mitigated throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.

Today, Synopsys announced that SGS-TṺV Saar has certified its ARC HS4xFS processor IP for ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity standard. This processor IP has already been certified to the ISO 26262 standard and meets ASIL D Random and ASIL D Systematic compliance for safety-critical systems.

Figure 1 The ARC HSxFS processors simplify the development of high-performance safety-critical applications and accelerate ISO 26262 safety and ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity certification of automotive SoCs. Source: Synopsys

The Synopsys ARC HSxFS functional safety processors—optimized for high-performance embedded applications—feature a dual-issue, 32-bit superscalar architecture with a small area footprint and low power consumption. Its compliance with cybersecurity requirements will reduce design risk and accelerate time-to-market for safe and robust systems-on-chips (SoCs).

But what’s driving the adoption of the ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity standard? For a start, cars are increasingly becoming software-defined while automakers add new features or functions remotely through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. Then there are other connected applications like vehicle telematics and smartphone connectivity.

So, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s UN R155 regulation now mandates that automotive OEMs adopt a cybersecurity management system like ISO/SAE 21434. Automotive chip vendors are also acknowledging the critical importance of ISO 21434-certified IPs.

“As a supplier of highly reliable microcontrollers for use in automotive systems, it is critical that our products meet automotive cybersecurity standards to minimize the vulnerability to cyberattacks,” said Joerg Schepers, VP for automotive microcontrollers at Infineon.

Figure 2 Automotive vendors must adhere to tougher cybersecurity regulations amid increased hardware and software vulnerabilities in connected cars. Source: Synopsys

IP suppliers like Synopsys complying with the ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity standard show that the automotive industry is starting to address evolving cybersecurity threats. After the automotive industry recognized the vital need for safety, engineers are now focusing on security in chips for connected vehicles.

Related Content

• ARC: from 3D Game Chips to Licensable RISC Processor
• Synopsys Opens Up ARC Processor Architecture Online
• Automotive Cybersecurity: More Than In–Vehicle and Cloud
• ISO/SAE 21434: Software certification for automotive cybersecurity
• Are We Prepared for Cyberthreats in the New Era of Transportation?

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As I most recently mentioned back in March, I’ve dissected a lot of media streamers over the years, most of them from well-known suppliers such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Roku. One manufacturer you might not be aware of, although seemingly a growing presence in this segment of the electronics business, is Walmart, with its line of streamers and other products branded via the onn. moniker. Walmart? Why?

Originally, I thought that the company’s media streamer “push” might be related to its 2010 acquisition of Vudu, one of the early pioneers in online media content distribution (where it competed against, for example, the then-embryonic online division at then-optical-disc-still-dominant Netflix). But then I learned while researching this particular piece that Walmart had subsequently sold Vudu to Fandango a decade later (in 2020), which made Walmart’s subsequent partnership with Paramount+ more sensical…on that note, the onn. UHD Streaming Device we’re looking at today wasn’t introduced until mid-2021.

So again, why? I suspect it has at least something to do with the Android TV-then-Google TV commodity software foundation on which Google’s own Chromecast with Google TV series along with the TiVo box I tore down for March 2024 publication (for example) are also based, which also allows for generic hardware. Combine that with a widespread distribution network:

Today, Walmart operates more than 10,500 stores and clubs in 19 countries and eCommerce websites.

and a compelling (translation: impulse purchase candidate) price point ($30 at intro, vs $20 more for the comparable-resolution 4K variant of Google’s own Chromecast with Google TV). And you’ve got, I suspect Walmart executives were thinking, a winner on your hands, starting with the original Android TV-based UHD (3840×2160 pixel, alternately stated as 4-times 1920×1080 pixel FHD) Streaming Device “box”, soon afterward joined by a FHD “stick” sibling, and both subsequently obsoleted by Google TV-based successors…all of which are queued up on the bookshelf to my right for sooner-or-later teardown purposes.

When I bought the UHD Streaming Device we’ll be dissecting today in October 2021 (with a teardown in mind from the very beginning…clearly, it took me a while to actualize this particular aspiration!), it was even less expensive, $19.88 online. Here are “stock” images of it:

its companion remote control:

the full kit contents, also including a HDMI cable and a microUSB-connection power supply:

and a representation of what it all looks like hooked up and operational:

And here are the outer box shots of today’s actual patient:

Cute, huh?

Let’s see what’s inside…

The smaller of the two internal cardboard enclosures houses the Bluetooth-interface remote control and its pair of AAA batteries. I’ll take a pass on dissecting the former, instead keeping it as a spare under the assumption that it’ll also work with newer-generation Walmart onn. devices. The latter will assuredly find alternative use elsewhere:

The larger inside box contains the media streamer device, along with its companion power supply and a HDMI cable (which will also assuredly find alternative use elsewhere):

Here are a couple of closeup shots of the PSU, showcasing its microUSB output and specs:

Post-teardown, I happened to also notice a bit of documentation still stuck inside the outer box:

And now for our patient, as usual accompanied by a 0.75″ (19.1 mm) diameter U.S. penny for size comparison purposes (per the product page, the device has dimensions of 4.90” x 4.90” x 0.80” and weighs 1.2 lbs., which seems overly heavy to me. Mebbe that latter spec also included the box and everything else in it?). Top first:

Now the bottom:

Here’s a closeup of the underside sticker, revealing (among other things) FCC ID H8N-8822CS. Note, too the “Contains” prefix, which I hadn’t encountered before. Hold that thought:

I hesitate a bit to call this next viewpoint the “front” because I wouldn’t personally be enthralled with seeing a microUSB cable sticking out of a device sitting on top of my TV, but absent any better idea I’ll go with it per the “representation of what it all looks like hooked up and operational” stock photo I showed earlier (a reminder, too, that the blue glow seen here and in other shots is from the OWC MiniStack STX on my desk behind the teardown victim):

If the previous shot was indeed of the “front”, then I guess this one’s of the bare left side:

Around back is the HDMI connector:

And last but not least, on the right side, are an activity LED and a remote control pairing (along with multi-function undocumented factory reset and recovery mode access) switch:

That underside sticker I showed you earlier is often a pathway inside a device (specifically, via screws or other latching mechanisms underneath it), but not so in this case (bad pun intended). Instead, I focused my “spudger” attention on the seam running around the bottom edges:

That did the trick!

See the two screw heads, one in the upper right and the other at lower left?

You know what comes next, right?

Be free, little PCB!

And now the PCB topside is exposed to view, too:

Note the sizeable heatsink here! Heat rises, don’cha know, therefore the topside presence.

You probably already saw those Faraday cages on both sides, too. And regular readers already know what comes next now. Bottom side first:

I couldn’t get the cage to pop cleanly off but ripping it to shreds instead accomplished the same “see what’s underneath” objective albeit with a less cosmetically attractive outcome. That’s a Nanya Technology NT5AD512M16H4-HR 8 Gbit DDR4-2666 x16 SDRAM under the lid. And below it, normally exposed to view, is a Samsung KLM8G1GETF-B041 8 GByte eMMC flash memory module.

Now back to the topside. The cage top popped off cleanly this time:

Here’s a closeup:

Easy stuff first: at top is the HDMI connector. At bottom is the microSD power input. To the right is the multi-function switch. And above/next to it is the LED, which points straight up from the board. How does it end up shining out the side of the device? Via this nifty light pipe, of course!

Now for the various ICs on this side of the board. Exposing to view, therefore identifying, the first one necessitated a bit more upfront surgery:

It’s another Nanya 8 Gbit DDR4 SDRAM. The markings on the large square IC to its right are faint, so you’ll have to take my word on the identity, but its proximity to the earlier noted heatsink should be a tipoff: it’s the system’s “brains”, an Amlogic S905Y2. Can I just say that I’m not surprised to find the exact same SoC inside as the one found in the TiVo RA2400 Stream 4K I tore down just a couple months back? Along with the exact same DRAM and flash memory allocation? “Straight-to-production private-labeled reference design”, anyone?

That said, the two products’ guts aren’t completely identical. The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module in the TiVo was the AP6398S, based on Broadcom’s BCM43598. Here, conversely, it’s Askey Computer’s 8822CS, which seemingly has Realtek wireless transceiver silicon inside. And if the H8N-8822CS FCC ID conveniently also stamped atop the module sounds familiar, it should: that’s the same code that was on the case-underside sticker I showed you earlier!

One other set of wireless-related deviations between the two designs also bears mentioning. The TiVo RA2400 Stream 4K had PCB-embedded its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennae. Here, on the other hand, they’re jutting out of the board, and funny looking (at least to me) to boot. The one in the upper right corner handles Wi-Fi, I’m guessing; note the black wire extending to it from a connector below it and to the left of the switch. And by the process of elimination, I’m guessing the one in the lower right must handle Bluetooth. The system’s Bluetooth remote facilities are an Achilles Heel, apparently, judging from this video:

along with various reviews and user-complaint posts I came across while doing my research.

I’ll wrap up with four side-view shots (oh, that poor mangled bottom-side Faraday cage…):

And in closing, here’s a lengthy forum thread for any of you who are interested in hacking yours. And with that, I’ll close and turn it over to you for your thoughts 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

• Google’s Chromecast with Google TV: Dissecting the HD edition
• The TiVo RA2400 Stream 4K: A decent idea, plagued by usage delay
• The Google Chromecast with Google TV: Realizing a resurrection opportunity
• Are streaming sticks the present and future?

The post Walmart’s onn. UHD streaming device: Android TV at a compelling price appeared first on EDN.

A new material claims to increase the performance-per-watt of chips by enabling copper wiring to scale to the 2-nm node and beyond while reducing resistance by as much as 25%. This new material with enhanced low-k dielectric material reduces chip capacitance and strengthens logic and DRAM chips for 3D stacking.

At this year’s SEMICON West, held from 9 to 11 July in San Francisco, California, Applied Materials unveiled the material engineering advances that extend copper chip wiring to the 2-nm node and below. But why are these material engineering efforts critical now?

As Applied Materials’ VP of technology, Dr. Mehul Naik, writes in his blog, if we don’t dramatically improve the efficiency of chips and systems, then the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) computing could be gated by the limits of the power grid. Below is a closer look at this premise.

The advances in patterning and subsequently continued lithographic scaling are making it possible to print ever-smaller transistor features on a chip. However, while chipmakers continue to shrink transistors with each generation, they must also shrink the trenches for the wiring. And, as chipmakers further scale the wiring, the barrier and liner take up a larger percentage of the volume intended for wiring.

As a result, it becomes physically impossible to create low-resistance, void-free copper wiring in the remaining space. That’s because while wires get thinner, electrical resistance increases. Moreover, as wires get closer together and the insulating dielectric material between the wires decreases, capacitance and electrical crosstalk increase, resulting in signal delays and distortion. The outcome of these wiring scaling issues is slower and more power-hungry chips.

Figure 1 To create wiring, engineers etch trenches into dielectric material and then line them with a thin stack of metals that typically includes a barrier layer to prevent copper from migrating into the chip, a liner to promote copper adhesion, and finally bulk copper that completes the signal wires. Source: Applied Materials

“While advances in patterning are driving continued device scaling, critical challenges remain in other areas, including interconnect wiring resistance, capacitance, and reliability,” said Sun-Jung Kim, VP and head of the Foundry Development Team at Samsung Electronics. He calls for materials engineering innovations to overcome these challenges.

So far, the semiconductor industry has addressed the performance-per-watt challenge through materials innovation in the smallest wires closest to the transistor layer. More than two decades ago, low-dielectric-constant or “low-k” dielectrics were introduced as the insulating materials between wires, replacing aluminum wiring with copper.

The combination of low-k dielectrics and copper became the semiconductor industry’s workhorse, continuously aided by exotic materials and materials engineering techniques. However, as the industry scales to 2 nm and below, thinner dielectric material renders chips mechanically weaker. Furthermore, narrowing the copper wires creates steep increases in electrical resistance that can reduce chip performance and increase power consumption.

That calls for new material solutions that enable the industry to scale low-resistance copper wiring to the emerging smaller nodes. “These low-k dielectric materials must reduce capacitance and strengthen chips to take 3D stacking to new heights,” said Dr. Prabu Raja, president of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials. “The AI era needs more energy-efficient computing, and chip wiring and stacking are critical to performance and power consumption.”

Applied Materials’ Black Diamond material surrounds copper wires with a k-value film engineered to reduce the buildup of electrical charges that increase power consumption and cause interference between electrical signals. Now, the Santa Clara, California-based company has unveiled an enhanced version of Black Diamond, which reduces the minimum k-value to enable scaling to 2 nm and below.

Figure 2 The Producer Black Diamond PECVD dielectric film enables chip scaling to 2 nm and below while offering increased mechanical strength for 3D logic and memory stacking. Source: Applied Materials

The enhanced version of Black Diamond also offers increased mechanical strength, which is critical as chipmakers and systems companies advance 3D logic and memory stacking. According to Applied Materials, several logic and DRAM chipmakers have adopted the new Black Diamond technology.

At SEMICON West 2024, Applied Materials also unveiled its Integrated Materials Solution (IMS), which combines six different technologies in one high-vacuum system. It includes a combination of materials that enables chipmakers to scale copper wiring to the 2-nm node and beyond.

It’s a binary metal combination of ruthenium and cobalt (RuCo), which simultaneously reduces the thickness of the liner by 33% at a 2-nm node. That, in turn, produces better surface properties for void-free copper reflow and reduces electrical line resistance by up to 25% to improve chip performance and power consumption.

Figure 3 The new binary metal combination of ruthenium and cobalt (RuCo) enables copper chip wiring to be scaled to the 2-nm node and beyond and reduces electrical line resistance by as much as 25%. Source: Applied Materials

While trade media is abuzz with advances in patterning and resulting lithographic scaling of chips, the smaller nodes will also lead to copper wiring hitting physical scaling limits. The materials engineering advances outlined in this blog are designed to increase the performance-per-watt of chips by enabling copper wiring to scale to the 2-nm node and beyond.

Related Content

• High-k, low-k dielectrics hit roadblocks
• TSMC delays choice on low-k dielectric
• Copper May Be the Next Real Shortage
• On-chip networks weighed as wiring alternative
• Green Copper Meets Sustainability and Decarbonization Requirements

The post Materials unveiled for scaling copper wires at 2-nm and beyond appeared first on EDN.

It’s interesting, useful, and fun that basic electronic topologies often turn out to have utility in multiple and surprisingly different applications. Figure 1 shows an example of such a circuit. It’s a charge pump voltage inverter circuit originally published in A simple, accurate, and efficient charge pump voltage inverter for $1.

Figure 1 Basic voltage inverter circuit scaled for efficiency at 100 kHz and several milliamps of current output.

Configured thusly for the voltage inverter application, the pump is simple and cheap. It draws only about 1µA per kHz (unloaded) from the 5-V rail. 

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

An interesting variation results if pump capacitor C2 is reduced by several orders of magnitude. This makes the current pumped directly proportional to oscillator frequency: Ipump = 5*C2*Fpump

Starting from that idea, then adding some simple discrete components, our original inverter circuit becomes the core of an inexpensive, fast (1 MHz), low power voltage to frequency converter. Figure 2 shows how.

Figure 2 Modified voltage inverter becomes power thrifty 1MHz VFC.

Input current = Vin/R1 charges C3 which causes transconductance amplifier Q1,Q2 to sink, increasing current from Schmidt trigger oscillator cap C1. This increases U1c oscillator frequency and the current pumped by U1a,b and C2. This is because the pump current has negative polarity (remember we started with a voltage inverter circuit); it completes a feedback loop that continuously balances pump current to equal input current:

Ipump = 5*C2*Fpump = Vin/R1

Fpump = Vin/(5*C2*R1) = Vin/(5*100pF*10,000) = 200kHz*Vin

Q3 provides the ramp reset pulse that initiates each oscillator cycle. R6 limits C2 discharge current to prevent driving U1 pin 1 substrate diodes into conduction, which could steal a fraction of Ipump and thus create nonlinearity. The ratio of R5/R3 is chosen to balance Q2/Q1 collector currents at Vin and Fpump equal zero, thus minimizing Vin zero offset. Consequently, linearity and zero offset errors are less than 1% of full-scale.

However, this leaves open the possibility of unacceptable scale factor error if the +5-logic power rail isn’t accurate enough. 

What if we want a precision voltage reference that’s independent of +5 instability? Figure 3 answers that question.

Figure 3 U2 shunt reference stabilizes C2 charge to a +5 independent precision 2.50 V.

Adding the reference does, however, increase parts cost by about half a buck and max power consumption by about half a milliamp. These totals are still rather reasonable prices to pay for accurate and fast conversions. Yes, for a VFC, 10-bit resolution in a millisecond is pretty fast.

Note that R1 can be chosen to implement almost any desired Vin full-scale factor.

Stephen Woodward’s relationship with EDN’s DI column goes back quite a long way. Over 100 submissions have been accepted since his first contribution back in 1974.

 Related Content

• A simple, accurate, and efficient charge pump voltage inverter for $1 (in singles)
• Single supply 200kHz VFC with bipolar differential inputs
• New VFC uses flip-flops as high speed, precision analog switches
• Inexpensive VFC features good linearity and dynamic range
• Turn negative regulator “upside-down” to create bipolar supply from single source

The post Voltage inverter design idea transmogrifies into a 1MHz VFC appeared first on EDN.

Just when Nvidia is prepping its Blackwell GPUs to utilize HBM3e memory modules, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has announced that the next version, HBM4, is near completion. HBM3e, an enhanced variant of the existing HBM3 memory, tops out at 9.8 Gbps, but HBM4 is likely to reach the double-digit 10+ Gbps speed.

HBM4, also an evolutionary step beyond the current HBM3 standard, further enhances data processing rates while maintaining essential features such as higher bandwidth, lower power consumption, and increased capacity per die and/or stack. Its features and capabilities are critical in applications that require efficient handling of large datasets and complex calculations, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), high-end graphics cards, and servers.

For a start, HBM4 comes with a larger physical footprint as it introduces a doubled channel count per stack compared to HBM3. It also features different configurations that require various interposers to accommodate the differing footprints. Next, it will specify 24-Gb and 32-Gb layers with options for supporting 4-high, 8-high, 12-high and 16-high TSV stacks.

There are media reports about JEDEC having eased memory configurations by reducing thickness of HBM4 to 775 µm for 12-layer, 16-layer HBM4 due to rising complexity at higher thickness levels. However, while HBM manufacturers like Micron, SK hynix, and Samsung were poised to use hybrid bonding technology, the HBM4 design committee is reportedly of the view that hybrid bonding would increase pricing. That, in turn, will make HBM4-powered AI processors more expensive.

Hybrid bonding enables memory chip designers to add more stacks compactly without the need for through-silicon-via (TSV), which uses filler bumps to connect multiple stacks. However, with a thickness of 775 µm, hybrid bonding may not be needed for the HBM4 form factor.

For compatibility, the new spec will ensure that a single controller can work with both HBM3 and HBM4 if needed. The designers of the HBM4 spec have also reached an initial agreement on speed bins up to 6.4 Gbps with discussion ongoing for higher frequencies.

Related Content

• SK Hynix Speeds HBM Roadmap as AI Demand Soars
• HBM memory chips: The unsung hero of the AI revolution
• SK Hynix Boosting HBM Output with $14.6 Billion Investment
• A sneak peek at HBM cold war between Samsung and SK hynix
• High-bandwidth memory (HBM) options for demanding compute

The post How will HBM4 impact the AI-centric memory landscape? appeared first on EDN.

ST’s hardware kits, evaluation camera modules, and software ease development with its BrightSense global-shutter image sensors. The sensors feature a 3D-stacked construction, which results in a very small die area. This allows for integration in space-limited applications, especially within the final optical module. Additionally, their MIPI-CSI-2 interface makes them well-suited for embedded vision and edge AI devices, including industrial robots, AR/VR equipment, traffic monitoring, and medical devices.

Evaluation camera modules integrate a BrightSense image sensor, lens holder, lens, and plug-and-play flex connector that allows easy swapping of sensors. The modules offer a choice of lens options and come in sizes as small as 5 mm2. Also joining this image sensor ecosystem are hardware kits that enable developers to integrate the sensors with various desktop and embedded computing platforms.

Complementary software tools, available for free download on ST’s website, include a PC-based GUI and Linux drivers. These tools facilitate integration with common processing platforms, such as STM32MP microprocessors.

The BrightSense global-shutter family comprises the VD55G0, VD55G1, and VD56G3 monochrome sensors (0.38 Mpixel to 1.5 Mpixel), as well as the color VD66GY (1.5 Mpixel). Their high sensitivity enhances low-light performance and permits fast image capture without distortion.

BrightSense image sensors and supporting development tools are in production now.

STMicroelectronics

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

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Allegro’s two new magnetic current sensors enhance system efficiency and protection compared to discrete shunt-based current sensing circuits. The ACS37220 measures current up to 200 A, while the ACS37041 measures current up to 30 A. Both Hall effect sensors are designed for applications with isolation voltage requirements below 100 V. Additionally, the ACS37041 is anticipated to be the industry’s smallest leaded magnetic current sensor.

Existing shunt solutions need multiple components, occupy significant board space, and often require extra PCB layers and heatsinks to maintain thermal performance, adding weight, size, and design complexity. The ACS37220 and ACS37041 address these challenges by providing a smaller footprint, higher efficiency, and simpler integration.

The current sensors integrate the functions of a shunt resistor, shunt amplifier, and other passive components into a single, compact package. Housed in a 4×4-mm QFN package, the ACS37220 has low internal conductor resistance of 0.1 mΩ, ensuring minimal power loss and enabling it to withstand high inrush currents. The ACS37041, with a higher conductor resistance of >1 mΩ, fits into a compact 5-pin SOT23-W package.

The ACS37220 current sensor is available now through Allegro’s distributor network. Engineering samples of the ACS37041 pre-release sensor are available upon request.

ACS37220 product page 

ACS37041 product page 

Allegro Microsystems 

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

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All PicoScope oscilloscopes from Pico Technology now include a serial decoder for the 10Base-T1S automotive Ethernet standard. This brings the total number of serial protocol decoders available with the free PicoScope 7 software to 40. The software is compatible with all current PicoScope models, as well as legacy models marketed in the past 7 years or longer.

PicoScope 7 software is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering a comprehensive suite of automotive decoders such as CAN, CAN XL, FlexRay, LIN, and now 10Base-T1S. In addition to these, the automotive version of PicoScope 7 introduces support for new vehicle and powertrain types and improved guided tests with waveform library linking.

Pico’s noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) diagnostics application, PicoDiagnostics NVH, now supports the worldwide harmonized on-board diagnostics (WWH-OBD) protocol. Complementing the already-supported J1939 communication protocol, the app now provides an additional means to acquire speed information from heavy-duty and off-highway vehicles.

With support for 27 languages, PicoScope 7 software allows easy global collaboration. PicoScope 7 is free to download on Pico’s website.

PicoScope 7 product page

Pico Technology

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

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The OG0TC global-shutter image sensor from Omnivision brings the company’s DCG high dynamic range technology to AR/VR/MR tracking cameras. Intended for eye and face tracking, the backside-illuminated sensor’s on-chip single-exposure DCG extends dynamic range up to 140 dB, ensuring images are free of ghosting and motion artifacts.

Based on a stacked-die construction, the OG0TC sensor is just 1.64×1.64 mm. It offers a resolution of 400×400 pixels with a pixel size of 2.2 µm in a 1/14.46-in. optical format. This small, low-power CMOS sensor is designed primarily for inward-facing tracking cameras. Its small form factor is key to AR/VR designs, as multiple cameras are required for tracking all aspects of the face (eyes, brows, lips).

Ultra-low power consumption is crucial for AR/VR devices. The OG0TC image sensor cuts power usage by over 40% compared to the previous-generation OG0TB, while maintaining pin-to-pin compatibility for easy upgrades and adding features like DCG technology, according to Devang Patel, Marketing Director of IoT/Emerging, Omnivision.

Offered in a 16-pin chip-scale package, the OG0TC global-shutter image sensor is now available for sampling and in mass production.

OG0TC product page

Omnivision 

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

The post Sensor enables ghost-free HDR imaging appeared first on EDN.

Microchip has launched the first devices in its PIC64 High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (PIC64-HPSC) family of microprocessors. These multicore 64-bit RISC-V processors, which Microchip is delivering to NASA and the broader defense and commercial aerospace industry, employ vector-processing instruction extensions to support AI and ML. They also offer features and industry-standard interfaces not previously available for space applications.

Radiation-hardened PIC64-HPSC RH MPUs provide autonomous missions with the local processing power needed to execute real-time tasks. They can be used for rover hazard avoidance on the moon’s surface, as well as long-duration deep-space missions like Mars expeditions.

Radiation-tolerant PIC64-HPSC RT MPUs are tailored for the commercial space sector, particularly Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations. They balance cost-effectiveness with high fault tolerance crucial for round-the-clock service reliability and space asset cybersecurity.

The space-grade architecture of these processors includes eight SiFive RISC-V X280 64-bit CPU cores. They support virtualization and real-time operation, with vector extensions capable of delivering up to 2 TOPS (Int8) or 1 TFLOPS (Bfloat16) for autonomous missions.

PIC64-HPSC devices also provide high-speed network connectivity, low-latency data transfers, and platform-level defense-grade security. Dynamic controls manage computational demands across different phases of space missions, activating functions and interfaces as needed.

Samples of the PIC64-HPSC processors will be available to early access partners in 2025. For additional information, contact a Microchip sales representative.

PIC64-HPSC product page

Microchip Technology 

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

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A battery management system (BMS) monitors and controls batteries in vehicles such as more-electric aircraft and electric cars. It needs to undergo rigorous tests under nominal and extreme conditions to prove its quality and integrity.

Testing with emulated battery cells is beneficial because one can safely test all kinds of conditions quickly and repeatedly without risking precious hardware. This type of hardware-in-the-loop testing simplifies quality assurance and keeps up with the pace of innovation.

Batteries are crucial for electrifying drive trains in vehicles or actuators in aircraft and ships, and BMS is a vital piece of the puzzle for controlling and monitoring the battery pack. The BMS ensures safe battery operation, effective use of its capacity, and long service life.

BMS is used in cars, aircraft, energy storage systems, and consumer electronics, among other things. It typically comprises a battery management unit (BMU), a cell monitoring unit (CMU), and a power distribution unit (PDU).

Figure 1 BMS ensures safe battery operation, effective use of its capacity, and long service life. Source: Speedgoat GmbH

The battery management unit is the main controller; being connected to the cell monitoring and power distribution unit, it monitors the overall state of charge (SOC) as well as cell voltages and cell temperature information. The cell monitoring unit is linked to the battery cells; these modules form battery packs—each has a CMU to regulate the charge and discharge of individual cells, temperature, and voltage.

The power distribution unit is connected to all components that draw power from the pack or feed it back in—in an electric vehicle (EV), this could be the charging system and the motor, for example.

Testing battery management system (BMS)

Rigorous testing ensures that BMS fulfills its requirements, such as optimally distributing the current between the cells during charging. The BMS is checked in the nominal range and extreme situations, for example, when cells overheat, a signal fails, or a short circuit occurs. This way, it’s possible to test how BMS reacts in such cases and ensure correct functioning.

Testing BMS comes with various challenges and is a complex task. The BMS houses various controllers, processes signals from distributed sensors and is linked to numerous systems such as the powertrain. Testing all functionalities, configurations, and states is a lot of effort, which is scarcely achievable with real batteries.

As batteries age, it’s also vital to reproduce conditions repeatedly to test critical algorithms such as cell balancing and state of charge or state of health (SoH) estimation. In addition, different teams are usually responsible for the individual components during development, and their engineers are not always available.

Batteries, BMS and infrastructures are also evolving, so the providers of the systems must keep up with this and react swiftly to new requirements. Finally, testing with real hardware can be dangerous; in the worst case, batteries could explode due to over-voltages or extreme temperatures.

BMS testing with digital twins

These challenges can be solved using a battery’s digital twin. A battery cell emulator can mimic the behavior of the battery by precisely emulating voltages, current levels, and temperatures. It can represent various battery pack architectures and integrate seamlessly with standard test frameworks.

Figure 2 The Battery Cell Emulator (BCE) mimics the behavior of the battery by precisely emulating voltages, current levels, and temperatures. Source: Speedgoat GmbH

Taking into account battery technology and chemistry, age, and operating temperatures, the battery cell emulator can accommodate all kinds of battery models. Tests can be conducted swiftly and safely in regular operational conditions and under faulty conditions.

The same communication protocols are used when interfacing with the actual batteries. Testing with a digital twin also facilitates testing the rest of the system, such as power distribution and charging components, motor drives and fuel cells.

It must be possible to reproduce the same conditions in tests to check the controllers’ behavior reliably. In addition, a flexible test infrastructure that allows engineers to continuously test functionalities and changes in the development process to fulfill novel requirements is essential. Furthermore, testing many scenarios, including complexities, is crucial to achieve complete test coverage.

Test cases are usually defined and tracked in software. Automated test procedures are important for repeating tests and comparing results efficiently. Requirements are typically managed in Simulink’s dedicated toolboxes, such as Simulink Test, or ASAM XIL-compatible third-party software tools.

The advantages of digital testing

For testing the BMS controller and its interactions with various components, the behavior of the actual battery can be precisely emulated with a digital twin. Many insights are available early, allowing the engineers to adjust designs and functions when changes are still easy to implement. Also, a battery’s digital twin does justice to fast-changing trends—it’s more flexible than hardware. It can be configured seamlessly to adapt to new conditions.

Additionally, with the digital twin, components can be tested before assembly. This saves time, and complications or design errors can be found early in the development process, improving the quality and speed of development. Likewise, development and testing costs can be saved because corrections are made at early stages rather than late in development. Finally, risk-free testing of the BMS is possible in extreme events such as collisions, faulty cells, or over-voltage.

Therefore, testing with digital twins of batteries is suitable for engineers who test and validate battery management systems and aim for a continuous and automated workflow. An attractive feature for users is that they can carry out all tests in one software environment (Simulink).

The battery model is developed in Simulink. Afterward, the tests can be performed using the same model with the hardware in the background. The flexible test infrastructure and toolboxes enable continuous, automated testing along the defined requirements.

Figure 3 All automated BMS tests can be performed in a single software environment (Simulink). Source: Speedgoat GmbH

As battery management systems ensure safe battery operation, they need to be thoroughly tested. A digital twin allows engineers to precisely emulate BMS batteries and to safely test all kinds of conditions quickly and repeatedly without risking damaging hardware. Such a test system is suitable for engineers in various industries who need to conduct BMS tests continuously and automatically,

Nadja Müller is a freelance journalist specializing in digitalization.

 

 

Related Content

• How to design a battery management system
• BMS Innovations Will Require New EV Test Solutions
• The ins and outs of battery management system (BMS)
• Perform functional testing of battery management systems for hybrid electric vehicles
• High-Performance Electromobility Solutions with Battery Management and Embedded Technology

The post Automate battery management system (BMS) test with a digital twin appeared first on EDN.

A look at the simplest FM demodulation technique. It doesn’t give the lowest possible output distortion, it doesn’t reject amplitude distortion effects, but it is simple and can be used at virtually no cost.

Demodulation of frequency modulation (FM) signals can be done in many ways. There are FM discriminators, ratio detectors, quadrature detectors, phase lock loop designs, and even methods of getting down to first principles as shown on here.

However, one more method we can add to the toolkit is slope detection which is perhaps the simplest approach of them all.

Imagine a receiver of some sort which has some sort of bandpass characteristic. Typically, this would be a superheterodyne receiver whose bandpass properties are achieved in the intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier stage(s). We can tune our receiver so that the center frequency of the FM signal appears on one slope of the receiver’s bandpass characteristic meaning off to the side of the characteristic’s peak rather than at that peak itself (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Slope detection method where a bandpass slope below the resonant peak is used to create a slope-induced amplitude modulation where a simple envelope detector can be used to recover the modulation signal.

The figure above shows use of the bandpass slope below the resonant peak, but the slope above the resonant peak could be used just as well.

Whatever frequency deviation the input FM signal may have will result in an output signal in which an amplitude modulation property will have been imparted. A simple envelope detector can then be used to recover the modulation signal.

There will of course be some distortion because the bandpass scale factor versus frequency is not linear, but if that distortion is deemed tolerable, this very simple demodulation technique can work.

John Dunn is an electronics consultant, and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York University (MSEE).

Related Content

• Build your own superheterodyne receiver
• A Quadrature Demodulator Tutorial
• Modulation basics, part 1: Amplitude and frequency modulation
• How to design a digital FM radio
• Understand Radio Architectures, Part 1
• Measuring pulsed RF signals with an oscilloscope

The post Slope detection for FM demodulation appeared first on EDN.

Few methods for analog to digital conversion are more “mature” than the classic combination of a voltage-to-frequency converter (VFC) with a counter. VFC digitization is naturally integrating, so good noise rejection is inherent, as is programmable resolution (if you want more bits, just count longer). Unfortunately, and for the same reason, high conversion speed is not. Accurate, high resolution, microsecond VFC conversion times are defiantly difficult, but at least millisecond rates are definitely doable as shown in this design idea. 

Nearly four decades ago (in his Designs for High Performance Voltage-to-Frequency Converters), famed analog guru Jim Williams cataloged five fundamental techniques for voltage to frequency conversion. First on his list, described as “most obvious”, was the “Ramp-Comparator” type. Since I’ve always been a big fan of the obvious, the simple VFC shown in Figure 1 is a variation on that basic theme. It’s adapted for operation from a single supply rail, with convenient and flexible differential bipolar inputs, and acceptable linearity while running at frequencies up to 200 kHz. Here’s how it works.

Figure 1 A Ramp-Comparator style 200 kHz VFC that operates from a single supply rail, with differential bipolar inputs, and an acceptable linearity.

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

A2, R1, and Q2 combine to make a precision (Q2 α~0.998) current sink with Q2 collector current:

Ic2 = (V1 –V2)/R1 = 100µA(V1 –V2)

Non-inverting input V1 can range from 0 to (2 – V2), has a nicely high input impedance (>1 TΩ) and a low bias current (10 pA). Inverting input V2 has a lower impedance (10 kΩ) but will accept a voltage span from as positive as V1 to as negative as (V1 – 2). If only one input is used, the other should simply be grounded. Zero offset is about 200 µV (0.01%).

As shown in Figure 2 (yellow trace), Ic2 ramps 1-nF timing capacitor C1 from its reset voltage of 3.5 V down to the 2.5-V trigger level provided by voltage reference U1. The ramp time required to do this is given by:

T = C1(3.5 – 2.5)/Ic2 = C1R1/(V1 – V2)
= 1nF 10k/(V1 – V2) = 10µs/(V1 – V2)
Fout = 1/T = 100kHz (V1 – V2) < 200kHz

Figure 2 VFC oscillation waveshapes where: Vc1 is the VFC timing ramp, Fout is the output to counter, and A1p5 is the comparator’s non-inverting input.

Comparator A1’s inverting input is connected to C1, while its non-inverting input watches the 2.5-V reference. When the Vc1 ramp descends to 2.5 V, a sequence of (quite quick) events are set in motion.

First, A1’s output transitions toward 5 V, completing the move at 30 V/µsec in about 160 ns, the speed being enhanced by positive feedback via C4. This provides an output pulse (Figure 2 green trace) on Fout and turns on Q3 to begin the ramp-reset recharge of C1. Meanwhile C3 couples Q3’s output to D1, reverse biasing the diode and temporarily diverting Ic2 away from C1, which creates the funny little flat spots seen on Figure 2’s yellow and red traces. More on this later.

C1’s recharge current is routed via Q3’s emitter to Q1’s base, driving Q1 into saturation, accurately pulling R3’s top end to +5 V and thereby A1’s non-inverting input (pin 5) to 2.5(R5/(R3 + R5)) + 2.5 = 3.5 V (Figure 2 red trace). C1 recharge continues until A1 pin 5 reaches pin 6’s 3.5 V, whereupon A1 switches back to 0, turning off Q3 (fast because Q3 never saturates) and completing the Fout pulse.

Meanwhile, Q3’s turnoff has removed base drive from Q1, allowing it to recover from saturation (which takes about 500 ns consisting mostly of storage time), turn off, and release R3. This allows A1’s pin 5 to return to U1’s 2.5-V reference, where it waits for the end of the next timeout and VFC cycle.

It also dumps integrated Ic2 charge accumulated on C3 during ramp reset through D1 onto C1. The D1 C3 circuit feature thus cancels out an integral nonlinearity error that typically bedevils Ramp-Comparator VFCs due to charge lost during the ramp reset interval. Williams advises about this defect in his analysis of the Ramp-Comparator topology “A serious drawback to this approach is the capacitor’s discharge-reset time. This time, ‘lost’ in the integration, results in significant linearity error…” The D1 C3 connection prevents this nonlinearity by allowing integration of Ic2 to continue uninterrupted during ramp reset, so no time is “lost”. Thanks for the warning, Jim!

Stephen Woodward’s relationship with EDN’s DI column goes back quite a long way. Over 100 submissions have been accepted since his first contribution back in 1974.

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• VFC makes simple capacitance meter

The post Single supply 200kHz VFC with bipolar differential inputs appeared first on EDN.

Recently, I was working on a project that needed a couple of LEDs on its front panel for status indication. I realize many, if not most, pieces of electronic equipment now use graphic LCDs, Bluetooth to phones or tablets, or connections to PCs for informational display. But some things are way too simple for that, like on/off indicators when a temperature reaches its setting or when there is a short detected. The project I was working on did not need a graphic LCD or other major display but needed a little more than a one-color LED. I needed multiple colors—two wasn’t enough, not even three—four would work. I could use a three-color four-pin LED and mix colors, but I was not enamored with the mixes. What I wanted was a simple solution that would give me multiple color choices along with brightness control.

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

I used one of those multicolor LED strips before, on a parking assist project and it worked well and was easy to get working. Also, it only needed one digital I/O line (besides the power and ground) which is important if you’re running low on I/O pins. But for this new project, I didn’t need a strip of 100 LEDs, I just needed two LEDs. Also, I was looking for a small solution like a 5MM T-1 3/4 LED. So, what if I took one of the LEDs from the long strip and 3D printed a holder in the shape of a 5mm LED?

First let’s take a quick look at the LED strip I’m talking about. Just search for a “WS2813B LED Strip”. You’ll see that this has 3 pins: +5v, ground, and one data line. You’ll find firmware drivers for a number of processors, but I chose a library called FastLed created for Arduino boards as that was used on the project. Typically, you would use FastLed to talk to each of the LEDS on a strip through the single data line as the data is forwarded to the next LED in line so the data propagates to the last LED. In FastLed, the data is nicely abstracted so, along with many other functions, you can set each individual LED in the strip with unique red, green, and blue (RGB) values. R, G, and B are each given a value from 0 to 255. This allows for a vast number of colors and brightness’s that can be used (essentially all colors of the rainbow). If you prefer using hue, saturation, and value (HSV) in lieu of RGB values, there is a function call for that as well. These LED strips also allow you to cut them to any length. When one is cut out, it is a single LED with solderable patterns on both in and out of the LED, see Figure 1.

Figure 1 Single LEDs cut from a WS2813B LED strip, the wires can be soldered to the single LED, connecting the data line from the Arduino.

Let’s look at how to use these. Wires can be soldered to the single LED making sure to connect the data line coming from the Arduino to the side with the arrow pointing to the LED chip, let’s call this the left side. If you want to test this out quickly, connect the power and ground to an Arduino Nano’s +5v and GND. Then, connect the LED’s data line (middle trace) to D7 on the Nano. Next, load the program in Listing 1 into the Nano and run it. You should see the color changing and then repeating. (Note, you may need to load FastLed.h using the Arduino Library Manager.) See “Program Listing 1” below:

1 #include <FastLED.h> 2 3 #define LED_PIN 7 4 #define NUM_LEDS 1 5 6 CRGB leds[NUM_LEDS]; 7 uint8_t h = 0; 8 9 // ====================== SETUP ===================== 10 void setup() { 11 FastLED.addLeds<WS2812, LED_PIN, GRB>(leds, NUM_LEDS); 12 } 13 14 // ====================== LOOP ===================== 15 void loop() { 16 17 for (h = 0; h < 256; h++) { 18 leds[0] = CHSV ( h, 255, 255); // Set values in the LED 19 FastLED.show(); 20 delay(40); 21 } 22 }

Obviously, this isn’t a panel mount LED yet, so let’s look at the adapter that holds the single LED. Provided in the download location are 3D files for printing the adapter parts. For the 5-smm LED adapter, print the main part of the adapter and the back cover.

First place the cut LED in the slot at the bottom of the adapter (LED chip facing the domed head). This is then held in place by the back cover that slides over the LED (see Figure 2). There is no need for adhesive; in fact, don’t peel off the plastic exposing the sticky back on the LED.

Figure 2 Parts and mounting of the LED into the adapter (a link to the 3D design files for these parts can be found at the end of this article).

The adapter’s main body is printed with a transparent filament (or resin if you’re using that type of printer). I used a transparent PLA and a layer height of 0.12 mm. I tested different percentages for infill and found 15% gave me good light transmission. The sliding back cover can be printed in any color; I used grey PLA and a 0.12 mm layer height.

The top of this adapter is essentially a 5 mm LED shape and dimensions so it can be used with commercial panel mount LED holders. If you’d rather, the LED fits nicely, and snuggly, into a 5 mm hole when using a 3D printed front panel with a 5 mm printed hole—I’ll show an example later.

I also designed an adapter with a square lens, made for panel mounting in a 16×16 mm hole in a 3D printed panel. It is assembled in a similar fashion (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Parts and mounting of the LED into the square adapter (a link to the 3D design files for these parts can be found at the end of this article).

Note that after some testing, the infill of 15% again gave the best light transmission while spreading the light across the full surface. But this is subjective and you may want to try different infill percentages and a different number of bottom layers (the face of the adapter is the bottom of the print).

To test these adapters, I design a test stand that holds one square adapter and two 5 mm adapters. It also allows for the mounting of three potentiometers to adjust colors and brightness. First let’s look at the schematic (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Schematic of the string lights-to-LED adapter where the 5v is supplied by a USB connection to the Arduino Nano and the potentiometers are connected to the three analog inputs to digitally read their positions.

As you can see, it’s pretty simple. There is no power supply as 5v is supplied by a USB connection to the Arduino Nano. The potentiometers are connected to three analog inputs so we can digitally read their positions. The LEDs share power and ground. Also, the D7 pin of the Nano is routed to the first LED, the square one. This should be a connection to the labeled D1 trace, with the arrow, (left side) on the LED strip. Then connect the right side D1 trace the next LEDs D1 with the arrow, (left side). Finish by connecting the right side D1 to the last LEDs left side D1. See this arrangement in Figure 5.

Figure 5 The LED wiring for the test stand where the D7 pin of the Nano is routed to the first LED.

This ordering of the LEDs is used in the c code as the LED wired directly to the Nano’s D7 pin will be addressed with index “0”. The LED connected next will be addressed as index “1”, and the last LED as index “2”.

Now, after 3D printing the test stand’s two parts, it can be assembled using 2 screws as per the schematic and as seen in Figure 6. The square lens can be inserted into the test stand then the next 5-mm LED into the upper hole in the test stand. The last LED can be inserted into the lower hole after installing a bezel. This bezel can be printed from the download files, or it can be a commercial bezel.

Figure 6 The 3D printed test stand to test the effectiveness and esthetics of the adapters. The RGB settings or HSV settings can be adjusted with the control knobs using specific programs.

Using various demonstration programs supplied in the download, you can test the effectiveness and esthetics of the adapters. There is a program to allow adjustment of colors and brightness, using the control knobs to adjust RGB settings. With another program, you can adjust HSV settings. As you adjust the knobs, the digital values are displayed on the Arduino serial output so you can find a color and brightness you want to use and record its values.

I think you’ll find that these adapters will come in handy for many of your projects requiring LEDs. You can not only get a huge selection of colors but you can control/adjust all your LEDs from one control pin. Also, you can have an adjustable brightness without using PWM. As for cost, when you buy an LED strip, you’ll find the individual LEDs work out to be only about 10 cents each.

All files for printing the parts (stl, step, 3mf) are provided in the download location, as are extra pictures, the BOM, and more information. The download can be found at:

• https://makerworld.com/en/models/531239#profileId-448069
• https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6614089

Damian Bonicatto is a consulting engineer with decades of experience in embedded hardware, firmware, and system design. He holds over 30 patents.

Phoenix Bonicatto is a freelance writer.

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• Redirecting dynamic indication segment to a separate LED
• An LED display adapted for DIY projects
• DIY LED display provides extra functions and PWM
• Exploring software-defined radio (without the annoying RF)—Part 2

The post A simple, full color upgrade for your LED indicators appeared first on EDN.

Back in mid-July 2021 I purchased a safe to securely store a handgun in a nightstand drawer next to the bed. Based both on abundant and predominantly positive reviews, along with an attractive price, I went with one from a company called awesafe (alternatively, in some places, Awesafe). The product page on Amazon’s website no longer exists (more on why shortly), but thanks to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine you can still see what it looked like, and via it I was able to find the ‘stock’ images of it still stored on Amazon’s website:

When the gun safe arrived, I quickly glanced at the instructions stamped on the outer packaging, programmed a custom four-digit code and my fingerprint, confirmed that both worked correctly, and thought nothing more of it…until late February of this year, when the following ominous email arrived in my inbox, sent by the Amazon Product Safety Team:

Dear Amazon Customer,

We write to notify you of a potential safety concern with a product that you purchased on Amazon.com.

Please review the Recalls and Product Safety Alerts page for further details : https://www.amazon.com/your-product-safety-alerts

Product: awesafe Gun Safe, Biometric Gun Safe for Pistols, Quick Access Pistol Safe Fingerprint Handgun Safe with Keys and Keypad (Biometric Fingerprint Lock-L)
[ORDER ID DELETED FOR PRIVACY]

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has informed us that the product listed may not meet current mandatory or voluntary safety standards.

If you still have this product, we urge you to stop using it immediately.

More details, including what you should do and where you can seek assistance, can be found in the following notification: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Biometric-Gun-Safes-Recalled-Due-to-Serious-Injury-Hazard-and-Risk-of-Death-Imported-by-Awesafe.

If you made this purchase for someone else, please notify the recipient immediately and provide them with the information.

The safety and satisfaction of our customers is our highest priority. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you.

Thanks for shopping at Amazon.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

The referenced Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website page had more information, an excerpt of which follows:

Biometric Gun Safes Recalled Due to Serious Injury Hazard and Risk of Death; Imported by Awesafe

Name of Product:
Awesafe Biometric Gun Safes

Hazard:
The biometric lock on the safes can fail and be opened by unauthorized users, posing a serious injury hazard and risk of death.

Remedy:
Replace

Recall Date:
February 22, 2024

Units:
About 60,000

Consumer Contact:
Awesafe by email at Recall@awesafeus.com or online at http://awesafeus.com/RECALL or http://awesafeus.com/ and click on “RECALL INFORMATION” at the top of the page for more information.

Recall Details

Description:
This recall involves certain Awesafe biometric gun safes. The recalled gun safes are black, can fit two pistols, and have the brand name “Awesafe” on the front.

Remedy:
Consumers should immediately stop using the biometric feature, remove the batteries, and only use the key for the recalled safes to store firearms until they get the free replacement safe. Contact Awesafe to receive instructions on disabling the biometric feature and to receive a free replacement safe. Consumers will be asked to disable the biometric reader and email a photo of the disabled biometric reader to Recall@awesafeus.com in order to receive a replacement safe. The instructions on how to safely disable the biometric reader are also located at http://awesafeus.com/RECALL. Once they receive their replacement safe, consumers should discard the recalled safe in accordance with local laws.

Incidents/Injuries:
The firm has received reports of 71 incidents of the recalled gun safes being opened by unauthorized users when the biometric lock failed to secure the safe. No injuries have been reported.

Sold At:
Walmart stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2019 until December 7, 2022, for about $130.

Importer(s):
Shenghaina Technology Co. Ltd., d/b/a Awesafe, of China

Manufactured In:
China

Recall number:
24-127

Finally, here’s an excerpt from awesafe’s website’s recall page:

IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE – AWESAFE BIOMETRIC GUN SAFES

Dear Customer:
Awesafe is conducting a recall of all Awesafe biometric gun safes that were sold before December 7, 2022, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The safes contain a biometric reader that allows unpaired fingerprints to open the safe until a fingerprint is programmed, allowing unauthorized persons, including children, to access hazardous contents, including firearms.

You should immediately stop using the biometric reader included with the recalled gun safes, remove the batteries, and follow the instructions below to receive a free replacement safe.

While you wait for your replacement, only use the key for the recalled safe to store your firearms.

All units sold prior to December 7, 2022 are affected.

Units sold after December 7, 2022 are not affected. Safes without biometric readers are not affected

And how would one go about getting a replacement gun safe? Glad you asked:

Determine whether you are covered in this recall. You need to first locate your awesafe biometric gun safe to participate in this recall. Then, fill out the form https://forms.gle/vxQoEMPXqovKxnA18 or email us at Recall@awesafeus.com, and we will help you determine whether you are covered in the recall. After confirming that your product is affected by this recall, please follow the following steps.

1. To receive a replacement biometric safe, please disable the biometric reader by puncturing the reader using a screwdriver and emailing a photo of the disabled reader to Awesafe at recall@awesafeus.com.
2. To disable the biometric reader, follow these instructions:
   • Wear safety glasses.
   • Puncture the reader by hitting the reader with a screwdriver – strike the screwdriver with a hammer.
   • The following is a link showing how to disable your unit: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/is-ZLujBujk?feature=share
3. Once Awesafe receives the photo of the disabled safe, we will send you an equivalent Awesafe biometric gun safe.
4. After you receive your replacement safe, please dispose of your disabled recalled safe.

Here’s the aforementioned video. Enjoy!(?)

I filled out the Google Forms-formatted online form as soon as I got the email from Amazon, and less than two weeks later I got an email from awesafe requesting a screenshot of the original Amazon order information to confirm my validity for a replacement, which I also promptly supplied via an email reply. Three weeks (and two days) after that, I received another email from awesafe reiterating that I after I destroyed the fingerprint reader (potentially rendering the safe more generally nonfunctional) and sent them pictorial proof of the damage done, they’d send me a replacement safe posthaste. But in-between that email and my earlier one to them, I’d done a bit of research. First off, here’s an excerpt from the FAQ page (which more generally augments the recall page with additional background and other information):

The problem is that all biometric safes sold prior to December 7, 2022 were programmed to ‘default to open.’ This means that the biometric safe will open to any contact with the reader before consumers follow instructions to register fingerprints. Consumers may think that their fingerprint has been registered while the biometric safe is, in fact, still in factory default mode. This will cause the biometric safe to open to any fingerprint. Since Awesafe’s biometric safes are designed to store fire arms, this can create a serious injury hazard and risk of death. We have reprogrammed the safe to ‘default to close’ since December 7, 2022.

So just a simple (albeit impactful) firmware programming error, one that wasn’t capable of being rectified by a cable- or wireless-tether delivered update executed by the end user? Not exactly. Take a look at these snapshots I took of the outer packaging:

and the sliver of documentation found inside the safe (along with a spare key, etc.):

They upfront and clearly document that the “all fingerprints open safe by default” characteristic was intentional. Wise? No. But by design? Yes. If you revisit my earlier provided Internet Archive Wayback Machine mid-2022 snapshot of the original version’s product page on Amazon, you’ll see that multiple comments posters also found the default behavior “odd” (I’m being charitable) but like me, were easily able to get around it by programming at least one user fingerprint.

I’m hardwired to avoid throwing perfectly good hardware into the landfill whenever possible, as long-time readers already know, so I write awesafe back and inquired into the situation, admitting that I was reluctant to do permanent (and seemingly unnecessary) damage to my existing gun safe. Surprisingly, here’s what I got back:

I will arrange a new replacement for you first.

And less than a week after that, a gratis, brand-new gun safe showed up at my door. It looks just like its predecessor and presumably is identical, save for updated firmware running inside it. I’m guessing it’s this product on awesafe’s website (also here on Amazon’s site). So now I have two…

But here’s the thing. The outer packaging is now instruction-less, and the folded black-and-white instruction manual inside has been replaced with a larger single-sheet color version:

awesafe takes great pains to point out that:

In order to make your safe safer, under the factory setting status, you cannot open the safe with any fingerprint. Only after you have input your fingerprint can you unlock it with the fingerprint that has been input.

But whereas, with the original version, “the numeric password does not have a default password set”, this time the instructions note:

In the factory setting state, you can unlock the safe with the initial password “1234”.

So, better than before? But still seemingly not ideal? Reader thoughts are welcomed!

In closing, I’m still a bit stuck on the “recall” wording chosen by both the CPSC and manufacturer. Maybe my interpretation of that particular word is just flawed, but when I see “recall” I construe that what’s being described is a “design flaw” (aka, a “defect”)…a vehicle braking system that doesn’t work as intended, for example…versus a “flawed design”…something that was designed to the manufacturer’s intention and documented as such to consumers, but developed based on a seemingly flawed product definition and specification. In either case, however, I agree that it’s a “product safety concern”. Am I just being overly pedantic, readers, or do you also see and agree with my point?

Sound off with your thoughts in the comments. Thanks as always in advance!

—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.

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The post Poorly defined design vs defect: A product-recall case study dissect(ion) appeared first on EDN.

The stability and safety of lithium batteries require treating them with careful consideration. If lithium-ion battery cells do not operate within a constrained state-of-charge (SOC) range, their capacity can be reduced. If they are pushed beyond their SOC limits, these batteries can be damaged, leading to unstable and unsafe behavior. Therefore, to ensure the safety, lifetime, and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells, their SOC must be carefully limited.

To maximize each battery cell’s useful capacity and life, degradation must be minimized while operating all cells across a full SOC range. Simply keeping cells within a constrained SOC without intervention will avoid degradation but slowly decrease the usable capacity by the amount of SOC mismatch. That is because charging or discharging must stop when one cell reaches the upper or lower SOC limit, even though the other cells have remaining capacity (Figure 1).

Figure 1 The useful capacity of a battery pack is decreased by mismatched SOC. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

Most battery management systems (BMS) today include passive balancing to periodically bring all cells in series to a common SOC value. Passive balancing does this by connecting a resistor across each individual cell as necessary to dissipate energy and lower the SOC of the cell.

As an alternative to passive balancing, active balancing uses power conversion to redistribute charge among the cells in a battery pack. This enables a higher balancing current, lower heat generation, faster balancing time, higher energy efficiency, and longer operating range.

This article describes a few common active balancing methods and explains how these methods work.

Cell balancing

Cells in a pack develop capacity variation over time, even if they are initially well-matched. For example, cells at different physical locations in a pack can experience different temperatures or pressures that effect capacity. In addition, slight manufacturing differences can be amplified over time and create differences in capacity. Understanding capacity differences is critical to understanding the source of SOC imbalance.

Changes in battery cell SOC are primarily dictated by cell capacity and the current in, or out of, a cell. For example, a 4-Ahr cell receiving 1 A for 1 hr will experience a 25% SOC change, while a similar 2-Ahr cell will experience a 50% SOC change.

Maintaining SOC balance requires adjusting each cell’s charge/discharge current according to its capacity. Cells that are connected in parallel automatically do this, since current will flow from high-SOC cells to low-SOC cells. In contrast, cells in series experience the same current between cells, which creates an imbalance if there are capacity differences. This is important since most battery packs have series cell connections, even if they also include parallel connections.

SOC adjustment is possible for both passive and active balancing.

Passive balancing reduces cell SOC by placing a resistive load across individual cells (most commonly using BJT or MOSFET transistors). But active balancing takes a switch-mode approach to redistribute energy between cells in a battery pack.

The added complexity and cost of implementation has traditionally limited active balancing to battery systems with higher power levels and/or large capacity cells, such as batteries in power stations, commercial energy storage systems (ESS), home ESS, and battery backup units. New solutions are now available with significantly lower cost and complexity, enabling a growing range of applications to leverage the advantages of active balancing.

Passive balancing is typically limited to 0.25 A of current, while active balancing can support up to 6 A. A higher balancing current allows faster balancing, which supports larger-capacity battery cells, such as those used in ESS. In addition, a higher balancing current supports systems operating on fast cycles where balancing must be completed quickly.

Passive balancing simply dissipates energy; active balancing, however, redistributes energy with a significant improvement in energy efficiency. Passive balancing is only practical during the charge cycle, since operation during discharge hastens energy depletion from the pack. Conversely, active balancing can be implemented during charging or discharging.

The ability to actively balance during discharge provides more balancing time and allows charge to be transferred from the strong cells to the weak cells, thereby extending battery pack runtime (Figure 2). In summary, active balancing is advantageous for applications that require faster balancing, limited thermal load, improved energy efficiency, and increased system runtime.

Figure 2 Active balancing equalizes the SOC during charge and discharge. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

Active balancing methods

Commonly used active balancing topologies include direct transformer-based, switch matrix plus transformer, and bidirectional buck-boost balancing.

1. Transformer-based (bidirectional flyback) active balancer

A bidirectional flyback converter allows charge to be transferred in both directions. The bidirectional flyback is designed to operate as a boundary mode flyback converter. Each battery cell in the stack requires a bidirectional flyback, including a flyback transformer (Figure 3).

Figure 3 A transformer-based bidirectional active balancer transfers charge in both directions and can use a 24-V rail. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

When using different transformer designs, there are several possible energy transfer paths. For example, energy can be transferred from one cell to a sub-group of cells within the battery stack. Energy can be transferred from any cell to the top of the battery stack—connected to the battery pack terminals—which requires a large, high-voltage flyback transformer. Energy can also be transferred to or from an auxiliary power rail, such as a 24-V system shown in Figure 3.

Many transformers are often required when using the transformer-based active balancing approach, which results in large, costly solutions for battery packs with a high string count.

2. Switch matrix plus transformer active balancer

The switch matrix plus transformer method uses an array of switches to connect a transformer to and from individual cells; this reduces the number of transformers to one. Within a switch matrix, there are two categories of switches: cell switches and polarity switches.

The cell switches are back-to-back MOSFETs connected directly to the battery cells. They can block the current flowing in both charge and discharge directions. Conversely, the polarity switches block the current flowing in one direction only, and they are connected directly to the secondary side of a single, bidirectional flyback converter or a bidirectional forward converter (Figure 4).

Figure 4 A switch matrix-based bidirectional DC/DC active balancer uses an array of switches. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

The primary side of the bidirectional flyback converter or the forward converter is connected to the battery pack or an auxiliary power rail. In this arrangement, every cell can exchange the energy (during charge or discharge) with the battery pack or an auxiliary power rail. As noted, the primary advantage of the switch matrix plus transformer is that only one transformer is required.

3. Bidirectional buck-boost active balancer

A buck-boost active balancer takes a simpler approach by leveraging commonly used buck and boost battery charger technology. Rather than moving charge to various locations along a battery stack or to a separate power rail, buck-boost active balancing moves charge to directly adjacent cells. This greatly simplifies the balancing circuitry and leverages the simultaneous operation of many balancers to distribute charge across the entire stack.

A 2-channel buck-boost balancer provides bidirectional charge movement between two adjacent cells by operating in buck-balance mode or boost-balance mode. By placing a 2-channel buck-boost balancer on every pair of cells, charge can be moved throughout an entire pack (Figure 5).

Figure 5 A bidirectional “buck” and “boost” active balancer moves charges to directly adjacent cells. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

Compared to the two previous active balancers, a 2-channel buck-boost active balancer follows a simple process:

• In buck-balancing mode, the active balancer transfers energy from the upper cell (CU) to the lower cell (CL).
• In boost-balancing mode, the active balancer transfers energy from the CL to the CU.

Among the three types of active balancers, the bidirectional buck-boost active balancer is the simplest and most reliable. Table 1 compares all three active balancing methods.

Table 1 The above data highlights capabilities of three active balancing methods. Source: Monolithic Power Systems

Why active balancing is more viable

With a growing demand for safer, more energy efficient, and longer lasting lithium-ion battery systems, there is a growing demand for better cell balancing. Passive balancing, which is limited to small currents that simply dissipates energy, is no longer sufficient to meet these demands.

As a result, active balancing solutions are increasingly being adopted for their high-current, fast cell balancing advantages. In particular, bidirectional buck-boost active balancers offer simplicity and reliability.

Kelly Kong is battery management application manager at Monolithic Power Systems.

Greg Zimmer is business development manager at Monolithic Power Systems.

Related Content

• A primer on battery management system (BMS) for EVs
• Providing active balancing for series-connected batteries
• Cell balancing maximizes the capacity of multi-cell batteries
• Active balancing solutions for series-connected batteries
• Increasing Large Li-Ion Battery Pack Energy Delivery with Active Cell Balancing

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The Lattice MachXO5D-NX family of FPGAs offers crypto-agile algorithms, hardware root-of-trust (RoT) features, and failsafe remote field updates. Additionally, the company has launched latest version of the Sentry solution stack, featuring new capabilities for customizable platform firmware resiliency (PFR) that support the MachXO5D-NX series of FPGAs.

Based on the Nexus FPGA platform, the secure control MachXO5D-NX FPGAs provide logic cell densities up to 100k, 7.3-Mb of internal memory, and 55-Mb of dedicated user flash memory. They support the cryptographic algorithms specified by the U.S. National Security Agency’s Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) Suite for bitstream and user data protection. These algorithms include AES-256, ECDSA-384/521, SHA2-256,384/512, and RSA 3072/4096.

MachXO5D-NX hardware-based RoT provides immutable boot ROM, enabling secure dual boot with integrated flash for failsafe updates. It also offers a unique device secret (UDS) to protect device identity, side channel attack (SCA) resiliency, and programming-interface locking control to prevent advanced external attacks.

Enabling NIST SP800-193 compliant PFR development, the Sentry V4.0 solution stack adds support for the Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM) and Management Component Transport Protocol (MCTP). SPDM over MCTP allows efficient platform management and ensures secure, seamless server operations. Sentry also offers expanded design tools and reference designs, as well as policy, provisioning, and manifest generation.

For more information about the MachXO5D-NX secure control FPGAs and the Sentry solutions stack, click the product page links below.

MachXO5D-NX product page 

Sentry V4.0 product page

Lattice Semiconductor 

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Leveraging the strengths of VCSELs and LEDs, Rohm’s VCSELED infrared light source aims to advance automotive ADAS technologies. Currently under development for commercialization, VCSELED technology is expected to improve both in-vehicle and in-cabin monitoring systems, enable more precise sensing, and enhance driver safety.

VCSELED encapsulates a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) element in a resin optical diffusion material for laser light. It extends the beam (irradiation) angle similar to LEDs, enabling sensing over a wider area with higher accuracy than VCSELs. The light emitting element and light diffuser are integrated into a compact package, contributing to smaller, thinner applications.

The VCSEL element used in VCSELED features a narrow emission wavelength bandwidth of 4 nm, approximately one-seventh that of LEDs, according to Rohm. This characteristic improves resolution on the receiving side, while eliminating the red glow often associated with LEDs. Rohm also says a wavelength temperature variation of 0.072 nm/°C is less than one-fourth that of LEDs (0.3 nm/°C), allowing high-accuracy sensing unaffected by temperature changes. Further, VCSELED’s response time when emitting light is just 2 ns.

In addition to automotive monitoring systems, the VCSELED light source can improve the performance of inspection systems used in robotics and industrial equipment, as well as spatial recognition and ranging systems.

Prototype samples are currently available for purchase. Mass production samples are scheduled for commercial release in October 2024 and for automotive use in 2025.

Rohm Semiconductor 

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Automotive video processors in the iND880xx series from indie enhance driver visibility in use cases such as surround view systems and electronic mirrors. The autotech company asserts that their video processor SoC sets new standards for image signal processing (ISP) and functionality in ADAS applications, enhancing both viewing and sensing capabilities.

Addressing the dual demands of low-light sensor performance (luminance) and accurate color differentiation (chrominance), crucial for high-performance perception (such as distinguishing between red and amber traffic lights), has long posed a challenge for conventional vision processors. Furthermore, the high latency during initialization and pipeline processing has constrained the real-time safety capabilities of legacy ADAS camera systems.

The iND880xx tackles these challenges through the use of a proprietary ISP pipeline. It supports concurrent, low-latency processing of four independent sensor inputs, delivering a combined maximum throughput of 1400 Mpixels/s. The 24-bit pipeline enables high dynamic range processing up to 144 dB and accommodates a broad range of sensor color filter arrays (CFAs), enhancing environmental perception even in low-light conditions.

The iND880xx video processors are currently sampling to select customers. Mass production is expected to begin in 2025.

iND880xx product page

indie Semiconductor 

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Nuvoton’s M2L32 MCUs are powered by a 72-MHz Arm Cortex-M23 processor core with up to 512 kbytes of resistive random-access memory (ReRAM). This nonvolatile memory delivers fast read/write speeds and endures significantly more program/erase cycles than flash memory. Additionally, ReRAM consumes less power than both DRAM and flash.

Aimed at sustainable embedded computing, the M2L32 series of microcontrollers offers three low-power modes: normal shutdown, standby shutdown, and deep shutdown. Typical current consumption is just 60 µA/MHz in operating mode, dropping to 0.5 µA in deep shutdown mode.

M2L32 MCUs can be used for motor control, battery management, industrial automation, and PC peripheral devices. These MCUs independently handle peripheral data acquisition and process data through low-power serial interfaces without CPU intervention.

Along with 64 kbytes to 512 kbytes of ReRAM, the M2L31 series provides 40 kbytes to 168 kbytes of SRAM and a rich set of communication interfaces and peripherals. Devices are offered in a variety of package types and sizes, including WLCSP, QFN, and LQFP.

M2L31 series product page

Nuvoton Technology 

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