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• Google Quantum AI and Keysight joined forces to enhance Quantum circuit simulations with frequency-domain flux quantization
• Provides an extended library of quantum devices and a robust circuit design environment
• Enables faster development of large, highly nonlinear parametric quantum circuits, enhancing qubit readout fidelity

Keysight Technologies, Inc. introduces Quantum Circuit Simulation (Quantum Ckt Sim), an innovative circuit design environment that speeds up the development of intricate quantum circuits. In addition, by joining forces with Google Quantum AI, the solution incorporates advanced flux quantization which marks an industry-first achievement.

In the realm of superconducting quantum circuits, accurately modeling flux quantization is paramount. This fundamental property ensures that the magnetic flux through a superconducting loop is quantized in discrete units, a critical aspect for the operation of quantum circuits. Google Quantum AI and Keysight have collaborated to address this challenge and enhance quantum circuit simulations through the integration of frequency-domain flux quantization into circuit solvers. By precisely modeling flux quantization, the new solution enables researchers to design more reliable and efficient superconducting circuits.

The collaboration’s success is detailed in a recently posted technical paper, titled “Modeling flux-quantizing Josephson junction circuits in Keysight ADS”. This paper demonstrates the innovative approach to flux-quantization and its significant impact on the field of quantum computing.  The success sets a new standard for accuracy and efficiency of modeling superconducting circuits.

The new solution streamlines quantum workflow with advanced flux quantization in the frequency domain, providing unparalleled accuracy and capability in analyzing large, highly nonlinear quantum circuits. This enables researchers to model complex quantum circuits with better accuracy, reducing computational errors and enhancing the overall reliability of simulations.

Key features of the Quantum Ckt Sim design and simulation solution include:

• Quantum Devices Library – Incorporates a library of quantum devices in Keysight ADS encompassing those most frequently used such as RF/DC SQUIDs, SNAILs, FLUXONIUMs, and SNAKEs.
• Comprehensive Design Environment – Features a range of nonlinear circuit simulators such as harmonic balance, transient / convolution for time domain, circuit envelope for modulation domain, and x-parameters nonlinear model generator.
• Enhanced Quantum Control – Enables the driving of superconducting circuits with external flux, allowing for more precise control and manipulation of quantum circuits in advanced quantum computing applications.
• Streamlined design – Simplifies the design of parametric quantum circuits including quantum amplifiers, the critical blocks on the output chains of quantum systems that improve readout fidelity.

Google Quantum AI, has established itself as a key player in the quantum computing arena, driving significant advancements in the field. With its state-of-the-art quantum processors and pioneering research, Google has achieved notable milestones, including the demonstration of beyond-classical computation and has been actively involved in the development of advanced quantum amplifiers, which are essential for enhancing the performance of quantum systems.

Ofer Naaman, Research Scientist, Google Quantum AI, said: “Using Quantum Ckt Sim, it is now possible to enforce flux quantization conditions in ADS frequency-domain simulations of superconducting devices. This is a critical capability whose absence thus far limited the usability of modern EDA tools in microwave superconducting circuit design.”

Mohamed Hassan, Quantum Solutions Planning Lead, Keysight EDA, said: “It’s thrilling to witness the accurate modeling of frequency domain flux quantization of superconducting circuits using an EDA tool for the first time. This significant milestone leverages EDA capabilities to streamline the design of superconducting microwave circuits for quantum applications and beyond. We anticipate this advancement will empower quantum engineers to enhance the performance of parametric quantum circuits, particularly in terms of power handling and bandwidth, which are crucial for the readout of qubits in quantum computers.”

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Collaboration aims to leverage combined expertise and assets to deliver unparalleled high-precision GNSS positioning services with increased availability, reliability and affordability for the mass market.

u-blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies and services, has announced a strategic partnership with Topcon Positioning Systems, a global leader in precision measurement and workflow solutions. This collaboration is set to create one of the world’s largest high-precision GNSS positioning service offers for the mass market, giving customers across the globe a blend of performance, pricing, and delivery options.

This partnership comes at a time when the demand for GNSS precise positioning in a wealth of applications is surging, driven by the increased availability, reliability, and affordability of the technology. According to a recent report by EUSPA (p. 22), the services enabled by GNSS devices will generate around 80% of total GNSS revenues in 2033*.

The comprehensive suite of GNSS correction services with global coverage will cater to a broad spectrum of applications requiring precise positioning. These include automotive, industrial, robotics, construction, agriculture, mobility, and more. They integrate seamlessly with u-blox’s current and future hardware products, as well as services such as PointPerfect. The close collaboration between the two companies will enable u-blox to expand its portfolio, optimize development initiatives and operations, and leverage assets and global expertise to grow within the positioning service market.

“The strategy driving this collaboration with Topcon is to grow the u-blox services portfolio to better solve the full range of problems and needs customers are facing,” says Eric Heiser, Head Business Unit Services at u-blox. “This announcement also aligns with the company’s long-term goal of growing our positioning business by becoming a significant provider of high-precision positioning services, making the future with us precise, smart, and sustainable.”

Topcon echoes the sentiment: “This strategic partnership combines the high-volume, mass-market application products and knowledge of u-blox with the high-level precision GNSS services and expertise of Topcon. By working with u-blox, we’re not only expanding our global footprint, but also offering scalable services that cater to a wider range of precision GNSS needs, from our agriculture and construction markets now into automotive and robotics,” said Ian Stilgoe, Vice President, Global Emerging Business, Topcon Positioning Systems. “Ultimately, this partnership allows both companies to provide more comprehensive solutions to a wider range of customers, addressing their positioning challenges more effectively than either company could do alone. Whether it’s u-blox now extending high-precision RTK services or Topcon gaining wider reach in new markets, our combined portfolios create a compelling value proposition that will drive innovation and accessibility in GNSS positioning services globally.”

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Rohde & Schwarz introduces new options for its automotive radar target simulator R&S AREG800A. The new R&S AREG-P creates and enables an environment for a seamless transition of automotive radar sensor from R&D to production. Used standalone or as turnkey solution together with NOFFZ integrating the AREG- P into their production test systems, enables Tier1 automotive radar suppliers to increase throughput, reduce test time and optimize costs of end-of-line tests.

When radar sensors move from R&D to production a seamless transition is critical. A smooth transition ensures that the production models meet the same high standards of performance, reliability, and durability that were established during the research and development phase. Any issue during the transition could compromise these functionalities, posing a potential risk to vehicle occupants and other road users.

The R&S AREG-P, based on the world’s leading radar target simulator the AREG800A, with its highly versatile configuration and precision parameters, is designed to effectively address these test and measurement challenges. It’s modular structure, which includes a base unit, up to three fully digital channels for independent generation of artificial objects and one object per channel, and the capacity to connect up to three frontends to a single base unit, ensures adaptability to different production needs. A wide 5 GHz RF instantaneous bandwidth and analogue IF output interfaces allow measuring the radar under tests EIRP with an additional R&S NRP8S(N) diode power sensor and bandwidth with an additional R&S FSV3007 signal and spectrum analyzer. This ensures that production models meet the high standards of performance set during the R&D phase and additionally leads to quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

The R&S AREG-P offers a variety of models, each tailored to meet different needs and operational contexts in radar production application. R&S AREG-P1 represents the Radar Mini configuration that creates a seamless takeover of the world leading radar test technology into the radar production application. R&S AREG-P2 as the Radar Golden configuration allows parallel testing of 2 radars in 2 different chambers in production, at the same time, and using the same target simulator. The Radar Pro configuration R&S AREG- P3 goes a step further by eliminating the need for azimuth sweeps, thus minimizing testing time in production. Finally, the R&S AREG-P2+3, or the Radar Golden-Pro configuration, offers the most advanced solution by eliminating both the azimuth and the elevation sweeps further reducing the testing time in production to a minimum.

Leveraging the strength of the R&S AREG800A, the new options are optimized and future-proof for automotive radar production testing. Moreover, the AREG-P technology brings the proven performance of the established AREG target simulator into the production phase. Alongside the AREG-P, the CATR reflector technology is also transferred to production offering therefore another technology benefit by enabling tests of automotive radar sensors under far field conditions on a minimum test stand footprint. CATR has already proven its effectiveness in testing leading-edge 4D radars and is also future proofed for growing antenna apertures. Finally, the AREG-P and the CATR reflector provide a seamless yet compact production testing solution for customers developing radars in R&S ATS1500C chamber, with the R&S AREG800A.

The R&S AREG-P solutions also bring significant business benefits that can enhance operational efficiency and profitability in automotive radar production. Thanks to its modular nature Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) distribution and minimization is facilitated. Its high-performance accuracy and minimizes Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and Time to Market (TTM). The compact design not only saves valuable footprint but also minimizes CO2 emissions and create environmentally friendly testing areas. The flexibility and scalability of the R&S AREG-P systems contribute to OPEX reduction as well as its easy and fast deployment which reduces setup time and associated costs.

The seamless transition of automotive radar sensors from R&D test systems to production testing also reduces failure risk and increases First Pass Yield (FPY), reducing wastage and boosting productivity. Key features like variable object distance, as well as patents like airgap as a minimum distance for FMCW radar sensors and vertical chambers with CATR, are transferred from R&D to production.

Ludwig Mair, Business Development Manager Radar from NOFFZ Technologies, comments: “At NOFFZ, we’re happy to work hand-in-hand with Rohde & Schwarz to integrate the R&S AREG-P into our test systems for end-of-line production. This collaboration enables us to offer our customers an unparalleled advantage in terms of performance, cost-efficiency, and environmental sustainability.”

In summary, each of R&S AREG-P models brings its unique strengths to the table, offering a range of solutions that can meet the diverse needs of the dynamic and demanding automotive radar production sector.

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With the proof-of-concept for a system for 6G wireless data transmission based on a photonic THz communications link, Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing its contribution to state-of-the-art research for next generation wireless technologies at European Microwave Week in Paris. The ultra-stable, tunable THz system, developed within the 6G-ADLANTIK project, is based on frequency comb technology and enables carrier frequencies well beyond 500 GHz.

On the path to 6G, it is important to create terahertz (THz) transmission sources that offer high signal quality, and that cover as wide a frequency range as possible. Combining optical technologies with electronics is one possible way to achieve this in the future. At EuMW 2024 in Paris, Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing the company’s contribution to state-of-the-art THz research within the 6G-ADLANTIK project. This project focuses on developing components for the THz frequency range based on photonic and electronic integration. Such THz components, yet to be developed, can then be used for innovative measurements and faster data transfers. These components will find applications not only in 6G communications but also in sensing and imaging. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF) and coordinated by Rohde & Schwarz, 6G-ADLANTIK has brought together the partners TOPTICA Photonics AG, Fraunhofer-Institut HHI, Microwave Photonics GmbH, Technical University Berlin, and Spinner GmbH.

Ultra-stable tunable THz system for 6G based on photonics

The proof-of-concept shows an ultra-stable, tunable THz system for 6G wireless data transmission based on a photonic THz mixer which enables the generation of THz signals based on frequency comb technology. In this approach, a photodiode efficiently converts an optical beat signal derived from lasers with slightly different optical frequencies into an electrical signal through a photomixing process. The antenna structure surrounding the photomixer translates the oscillating photocurrent into a THz wave. The resulting signals can be modulated and demodulated for 6G wireless communications and can be tuned easily over a wide frequency range. The presented system also can be extended for component characterization with coherently received THz signals. A THz waveguide architecture simulation and design, as well as the development of ultra-low phase noise photonic reference oscillators, are also part of the scope of work for this project.

The ultra-low phase noise of the system is enabled by a comb-locked optical frequency synthesizer (OFS) in the TOPTICA laser engine. High-end instruments from Rohde & Schwarz are part of the setup: The R&S SFI100A wideband IF vector signal generator creates the baseband signals for the optical modulator with a sample rate of 16 GS/s. The R&S SMA100B RF and microwave signal generator generates a stable reference clock signal for the TOPTICA OFS system. The R&S RTP oscilloscope samples the baseband signal after the photoconductive continuous wave (cw) THz receiver (Rx) at a sample rate of 40 GS/s for further processing and demodulation of the 300 GHz carrier frequency signal, which will be shown at EuMW 2024.

6G and future frequency band requirements

6G will enable new application scenarios in industry, medical technology and everyday life. Applications like the metaverse and extended reality (XR) will bring about new requirements for latency and data transmission rates that are not met by current communications systems. Although the ITU World Radio Conference 2023 (WRC23) identified for further study new frequency bands in the FR3 spectrum (7.125 – 24 GHz) for the first commercial 6G networks to be launched in 2030, the sub-THz frequency band up to 300 GHz will eventually be indispensable to realize the full potential of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) applications.

Rohde & Schwarz exhibits its proof-of-concept of a THz system for 6G based on photonics along with its wide portfolio of RF and microwave test solutions at the European Microwave Week in Paris at booth 401L in Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from September 24 to 26, 2024.

In addition, Rohde & Schwarz co-hosts a full-day workshop at the European Microwave Conference (EuMC) on September 22, 2024 titled Photonic Technologies for Radio Frequency Applications, covering different aspects such as maturity, performance and costs of photonic RF technologies and their potential to compete with existing solutions.

For further information on test and measurement solutions from Rohde & Schwarz for 6G research and THz communications, visit

www.rohdeschwarz.com

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• Applied Semiconductor Collaboration in ENgineering and Technology initiative (ASCENT) brings together Applied and leading universities to accelerate semiconductor research and development in India
• Goal is to develop innovative solutions to the industry’s toughest challenges

Applied Materials India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Applied Materials, Inc., the global leader in materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor industry, has launched a new initiative to foster innovation and education in semiconductor equipment. The “Applied Semiconductor Collaboration in ENgineering and Technology initiative (ASCENT)”, will be an annual event that invites researchers from selected universities to collaborate with Applied India engineers and develop differentiated technologies in various research areas. The initiative is designed to accelerate innovative solutions to the semiconductor equipment industry’s toughest technical challenges. For the 2024 edition, Applied Materials India has selected three prestigious institutes–Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad; and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar-after assessing numerous proposals from top universities and institutes across India.

ASCENT is aimed at enhancing innovation across seven areas of research – Power, Materials, Chemical Delivery, Sensors, Vacuum Components, Automation and Sustainability. In addition to sponsoring advanced research in these seven areas, Applied Materials will give researchers access to state-of-the-art equipment and labs for solution validation, under the mentorship of Applied’s engineers.

Dr. Prabu Raja, President, Semiconductor Products Group, Applied Materials, Inc., present at Semicon India said, “ASCENT is an important initiative for us, designed to seed semiconductor innovation and build a robust talent pipeline that aligns with India’s semiconductor ambitions.” He further added, “By fostering greater collaboration across the ecosystem, we aim to strengthen India’s role in the development of semiconductor equipment and components. Applied Materials India has longstanding relationships with prestigious academic institutions across the country, and together we can develop solutions that help improve time to market, reduce R&D costs and enhance overall success rates.”

Over the past two decades, Applied Materials India has been working with leading academic institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Patna, IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore, IIT Ropar, and IIT Hyderabad to accelerate research, drive innovation, develop a skilled workforce, and recruit diverse talent.

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In order to further drive decarbonization, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is crucial, as they contribute significantly to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Innovative solutions are needed to optimize energy consumption while ensuring a healthy indoor environment. Infineon Technologies AG is addressing this need with the introduction of the new XENSIV PAS CO2 5V sensor. It is based on the Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS) technology and improves energy efficiency by adapting ventilation to actual occupancy, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of buildings. This makes the device suitable for applications such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems as well as room controller and thermostat units in commercial and residential buildings. It can also be used for IoT and consumer devices such as smart lighting, air purifiers, conferencing systems, and smart speakers, as well as emerging applications such as smart horticulture and smart refrigerators.

“Environmental sensing is an important pillar of Infineon’s sensor portfolio,” said Andreas Kopetz, VP Ambient Sensing at Infineon. “CO2 sensors play an increasingly important role in smart homes and buildings by continuously monitoring indoor air quality and adjusting ventilation systems accordingly. Our XENSIV PAS CO2 5V is a sensor solution that ensures a healthier living environment for occupants and enables significant energy savings for greater sustainability.”

The XENSIV PAS CO2 5V provides accurate air quality data in real time. Its miniaturized form factor of 14×13.8×7.5 mm³ is identical to the size of the XENSIV PAS CO2 12V sensor and allows seamless integration into a wide range of applications. This makes it easy to adopt dual designs or maintain the same design strategy for both product variants. Compared to the 12V sensor, the 5V version comes with a 5V power supply which further simplifies installation. Moreover, it offers a significantly faster response time of 55 seconds, down from 90 seconds (12 V). This improvement enhances efficiency across various applications, allowing for quicker data acquisition and more responsive performance in dynamic environments. The sensor’s design is dust-proof in accordance with ISO 20653:2013-02, which extends the lifetime of the device in dusty environments and minimizes maintenance requirements. In addition, the UART, I²C and PWM interfaces enable seamless integration with microcontrollers and other digital systems, simplifying the design and development process. Ultimately, with its robust performance, the sensor meets the performance criteria of the internationally recognized WELL Green Building Standard, enhancing both environmental sustainability and property value.

All major components of the XENSIV PAS CO2 5V sensor are developed in-house according to Infineon’s high-quality standards. Among others, this includes a dedicated microcontroller that runs advanced compensation algorithms to provide direct and reliable ppm readouts of real CO2 levels. The available configuration options make the sensor one of the most versatile plug-and-play CO2 sensors on the market. They include a dedicated ABOC (Automatic Baseline Offset Calibration), pressure compensation, signal alarm, sample rate and early measurement notification, which are especially useful for power consumption management. The SMD package, delivered in tape and reel, allows for easy assembly, even in high-speed, high-volume manufacturing.

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As the payment world moves towards digitalization, the need to protect digital identities and transactions has never been more important. In addition to standard contactless payment cards, biometric payment cards are a promising development in this area and are gaining in popularity. Against this backdrop, Infineon Technologies AG announced SECORA Pay Bio, an all-in-one biometric payment card solution that complies with Visa and Mastercard specifications. It integrates Infineon’s enhanced SLC39B system-on-chip (SoC) Secure Element and the FPC1323 sensor by Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) into the Infineon Biometric Coil on Module (BCoM) package, leveraging the key advantages of inductive coupling technology. The solution uses the fingerprint credentials securely stored on the card as a second authentication factor, enabling a convenient and trusted contactless payment experience.

“With this all-in-one solution for biometric payment cards, we are pushing the boundaries of payment cards further,” said Tolgahan Yildiz, Head of the Trusted Mobile Connectivity and Transactions Product Line at Infineon. “SECORA Pay Bio enables easy-to-implement and scalable production of robust and reliable biometric payment cards with high throughput and a smooth consumer experience.”

In an optimistic scenario, ABI Research expects the market for biometric cards to grow to

113.3 million units by 2028. This market trend is driven by further optimization of the price- performance ratio, including the producibility and cost of biometric payment cards, as well as by consumer demand for more convenient and secured biometric authentication in personal payment transactions. Furthermore, biometric payment cards could offer an additional barrier against lost-and-stolen fraud and PIN phishing fraud.

Biometric payment solution with excellent contactless performance

SECORA Pay Bio extends Infineon’s SECORA Pay solution family. The solution integrates Fingerprints’ sensor and Infineon’s SLC39B SoC Secure Element into a single dual- interface package, the innovative Infineon Biometric Coil on Module (BCoM). The SLC39B Secure Element with an integrated power source offers large memory size and various peripherals, as well as excellent contactless performance. Based on innovative inductive coupling technology without wire connection from the BCoM module to the card antenna, manufacturing complexity can be drastically reduced, and the card robustness and long- term reliability can be significantly improved. In addition, the biometric sensor card production can now be implemented on existing dual interface card manufacturing equipment with only minor operational changes. As the SECORA Pay Bio solution complies with both Mastercard and Visa specifications, the use of BCoM technology would not require additional performance testing, enabling a flexible and rapid rollout with outstanding performance and a frictionless onboarding process.

Two new innovative enrollment options are supported

SECORA Pay Bio supports a wide range of enrollment options, including sleeves, smartphone apps and in-field enrollment. The innovative SECORA Pay Bio enrollment sheet makes fingerprint enrolling via smartphone easier than ever before. In addition, SECORA Pay Bio is the first biometric payment solution to support in-field enrollment. This allows cardholders to use biometric payment cards without any additional effort or devices. Moreover, with these new biometric cards, the fingerprint template is trained with each payment transaction, improving the user experience even further.

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The new sensor leverages photoacoustic spectroscopy to precisely detect carbon dioxide levels in a compact package.

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Bigger batteries are getting a lot of attention these days, where “bigger” is defined in terms of capacity, density, charging times, lifetime cycles, and other desirable attributes.

However, all this “big-battery” attention tends to obscure the significant but literally neatly invisible activity at the other end of the physical and energy scale with ever-smaller batteries. These could be used to power the electronics associated with microsensors, tiny actuators, and even nano-robots. If the batteries were small and light enough yet offered adequate capacity, they could be power medical micro-implants or free those swarming robo-insects from tethers or the need for laser beams focused on their minuscule solar cells for transmitted power (interestingly, those configurations are known as “marionettes” because they are powered by an external source).

Creating such batteries is the project undertaken by an MIT-led multi-university research team. They have developed and fabricated a battery which is 0.1 millimeters long and 0.002 millimeters thick that can capture oxygen from air and use it to oxidize zinc, creating a current at a potential of up to 1 volt.

Their battery consists of a zinc electrode connected to a platinum electrode, embedded into a strip of a polymer called SU-8, a high-contrast, epoxy-based photoresist designed for micromachining and other microelectronic applications where a thick chemically and thermally stable image is desired. When these electrodes interact with oxygen molecules from the air, the zinc becomes oxidized and releases electrons that flow to the platinum electrode, creating a current.

To fabricate these batteries, they photolithographically patterned a microscale zinc/platinum/SU-8 system to generate the highest energy-density microbattery at the picoliter (10−12 liter) scale, Figure 1.

Figure 1 The fabrication and release of Zn/Pt/SU8 picoliter Zn-air batteries. (a) Side view schematic of a Zn-air picoliter battery placed in a droplet of electrolyte. (b) Height profile and (c) optical micrograph of an open-circuit Zn-air picoliter battery after fabrication. Scale bar: 40 μm. From a to c, the SU-8 base has a side length of 100 μm. d) Image of a Si wafer with a 100 × 100 array of picoliter batteries. (e)(f)(g) (h) Optical micrographs of picoliter batteries at different stages of the fabrication, as indicated by the annotation. (i) Optical micrograph of picoliter battery arrays patterned for Cu etching. Scale bar: 200 μm. (j) Schematics of batteries with loads (memristors in this case) released into solution. (k) Image of a bottle of dispersion containing 100 μm batteries. (l) Optical micrographs of open circuit and short-circuited Zn-air picoliter batteries, both are 100 μm. (m) Central image: optical micrographs of picoliter batteries deposited onto a glass slide. Scale bar: 200 μm. Side images: optical micrographs of individual batteries that were facing down (left), and up (right). Scale bar: 50 μm. (n) Optical micrographs of short-circuited batteries with various sizes. Scale bar: 50 μm. (o) Optical micrographs of 20 μm batteries after releasing and re-depositing onto a glass slide. (The dust in the leftmost image was residual from the sacrificial substrate.) The rightmost image showed a 20 μm battery that was facing downward.

The device scavenges ambient or solution-dissolved oxygen for a zinc oxidation reaction, achieving an energy density ranging from 760 to 1070 watt-hours per liter at scales below 100 micrometers in the lateral direction and 2 micrometers thickness in size. Similar to IC fabrication, the inherent “parallel” nature of photolithography processes allowed them to fabricate 10,000 devices per wafer.

Within a volume of only 2 picoliters each, these primary (non-rechargeable) microbatteries delivered open-circuit voltages of 1.05 ± 0.12 volts, with total energies ranging from 5.5 ± 0.3 to 7.7 ± 1.0 microjoules and a maximum power of nearly 2.7 nanowatts, Figure 2.

Figure 2 Performance summary and comparison. (a) Ragone plot of energy and power of individual batteries with 2 pL volume. The theoretical Gibbs free energy of the cell reaction is shown as the red dashed line. (b) Ragone plot of the average energy and power densities under 4 current densities. The error bars represent the standard deviation across multiple devices. The red squares are data of Li-MnO2 primary microbatteries from literature. (c) Master plot of the energy density versus cell volume for various microbatteries reported in the literature (electrolyte volume excluded for all entries). This work is shown in red asterisk.

While this doesn’t sound like much energy or power—and it isn’t, clearly—it’s enough for the diverse applications with which they tested it, such as powering a micrometer-sized memristor circuit for providing access to nonvolatile memory. They also cycled power to drive the reversible bending of microscale bimorph actuators at 0.05 hertz for mechanical functions of colloidal robots, powered two distinct nanosensor types, and supplied a clock circuit. In this study, the researchers used wires to connect their battery to the external powered device, but they plan to build robots in which the battery is incorporated into a device, analogous to an integrated circuit.

I could go into details of what they have done, how they did it, and their tests and results, but that would be duplicative to their paper “High energy density picoliter-scale zinc-air microbatteries for colloidal robotics” published in Science Robotics; while that paper is unfortunately behind a paywall, an identical preprint is fortunately posted here.

For their next phase, the researchers are working on increasing the voltage of the battery, which may enable additional applications. The research was funded by the U.S. Army Research Office, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and a MathWorks Engineering Fellowship.

Will these microbatteries become meaningful in the real world? Do they provide adequate useful power with enough energy capacity for projects you might like to explore? Can you think of situations where you would use them? Could they lead to new types of powered devices that are so tiny that new applications become realistic? Or are they just another eye-catching, head-turning topic which is well-positioned to get more research grants?

Related content

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• Get ready for even smaller batteries
• Is this the smallest battery in widespread use?

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In yet another major endeavor for implementing and enhancing electric mobility in India, the Union Cabinet approved the implementation of the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme on 11 September, 2024. The implementing agency for this scheme is the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.

This scheme has been approved with an outlay of ₹ 10, 900 crores. It will be implemented over a period of two years, starting from 2024.

It has been approved with the aim of replacing the flagship Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II (FAME India Phase II) programme. It was in operation till March, 2024. The approved PM E-DRIVE scheme will fix the loopholes and shortcomings of the past FAME schemes. For instance, discrepancy in claiming subsidy for the imported electric vehicles.

The significance of the approved PM E-DRIVE scheme is that it aims to incorporate the phased manufacturing programme. This will encourage domestic manufacturing and supply chain of electric vehicle components in India.

The prime objective of the approved PM E-DRIVE scheme is that it will promote the manufacturing, purchase, and adoption of electric vehicles across all sectors in India. And hence, it will enhance electric mobility in India.

It intends to achieve this aim by undertaking a host of measures. Few of them are as enumerated below:

First, it will subsidize the manufacturing and purchase of electric vehicles. This will increase the sale of electric vehicles.

Second, it will provide demand incentive in order to increase the aggregate demand for all forms of electric vehicles- e-two-wheelers, e-three-wheelers, e-ambulances, e-trucks, and other emerging electric vehicles. The demand creation is expected to be to the tunes of 24.79 lakh e-two-wheelers, 3.16 lakh e-three-wheelers, 14,028 e-buses, and 88,500 charging sites.

Third, speaking specifically about the demand generation for 14,028 e-buses, it will be mainly focused in nine cities that have a population of more than 40 lakhs -Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad. The demand aggregation will be done by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL). It is a green energy focused venture of the Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a joint venture of the four public-sector undertakings- NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited, and the Powergrid Corporation of India Limited. The EESL functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

Fourth, the implementing agency of the PM E-DRIVE scheme, i.e., the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, will introduce e-vouchers for the buyers to avail discounts under this scheme. The buyers of electric vehicles will be issued an e-voucher under the scheme to avail demand incentives. These e-vouchers will be Aadhaar-authenticated and sent to the buyer’s registered mobile number after the purchase. Once these e-vouchers will be submitted by the manufacturers and buyers, they shall be redeemed by the Government of India. Hence, this initiative will incentivize the sale of electric vehicles.

Fifth, Rs 500 crore has been assigned to promote the deployment of e-trucks. This would end the pollution caused by the biggest contributor to air pollution, i.e., trucks that operate from the conventional sources of energy. Under this scheme, in order to be eligible to avail incentives, it is mandatory for the e-trucks to possess a scrapping certificate from an authorised Vehicle Scrapping Centres (RVSFs) of the MoRTH.

Sixth, fast charging ports shall be installed across the country for all forms of electric vehicles- 2,100 fast chargers for e-four wheelers, 1,800 fast chargers for e-buses, and 48,400 fast chargers for e- two-wheelers and e-three-wheelers.

In order to achieve this aim, ₹ 10,900 crores have been approved under this scheme. Its break-up is as follows:

First, ₹ 3,679 crore has been allocated for the demand generation of 2-wheelers (e-2Ws), 3-wheelers (3Ws), e-ambulances, e-trucks and other emerging electric vehicles (EV).

Second, ₹ 500 crore has been allocated for creating demand for e-ambulances. This new initiative aims to provide comfortable and environmentally-friendly patient transport. The standards for performance and safety of these e-ambulances will be developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and other relevant stakeholders of the Government of India.

Third, ₹ 2,000 crore has been allocated for installing public charging stations along selected cities with high penetration of electric vehicles and also along selected highways for the purpose of charging e-vehicles. This would enable e-vehicles operable across a wide range of distances.

Fourth, ₹ 500 crore has been allocated for purchasing electric trucks.

Fifth, ₹ 780 crore has been allocated for the upgradation of testing agencies.

Sixth, ₹ 4,391 crore has been allocated for procuring e-buses. Under the allocated funds, 14,028 e-buses will be procured for different state public transport agencies.

The approved PM E-DRIVE scheme covers all forms of electric vehicles except electric cars and hybrid cars. It covers under its ambit, all other forms of electric vehicles- electric two-wheelers, electric three-wheelers, electric ambulances, electric trucks, and other emerging electric vehicles.

This scheme intends to enhance the market share of electric two-wheelers to 10% and electric three-wheelers to 15% by March, 2026.

Under the approved scheme, till March, 2025, each electric two-wheeler will receive a subsidy of 10,000, whereas a subsidy of ₹ 50,000 will be provided to each electric three-wheeler.

Besides, in order to increase the penetration of electric mobility in India, the government has taken a host of measures. First, lowering of the GST on the electric cars to 5 % as compared to 28 % on hybrid and CNG vehicles, and 49 % on the internal combustion engine vehicles. Second, exemption of electric vehicles sold in a few states such as Maharashtra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, from paying road tax and registration charges. Third, the introduction of the schemes for the localisation of components and batteries. And fourth, sanctioning of the additional funds for the installation of the public charging stations in order to increase the range up to which the electric vehicles can travel in India.

Once this program will be successfully implemented, it would end India’s reliance on conventional fuels and conventional batteries. This biggest threat to this mayhem is that it would usher and augment implementation of lithium-ion batteries-based devices and energy storage systems.

This would enable the accomplishment of the much-cherished dream of the application of green sources of energy, restrict the emission of green-house gases to the levels committed under the Paris Conference (CoP 21), aid in achieving the ambitious target of 30 per cent penetration of electric vehicles in India by 2030, and hence achieve the most ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions that India has committed to achieve by 2070.

This is the era of application of green energy. No wonder the implementation of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme is a progress on the right trajectory! And the best days are yet to come.

The post The Union Cabinet unveils the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme appeared first on ELE Times.

Learn how open source silicon can provide better security than traditional measures like obscurity, but only if employed correctly, managed well, and backed with appropriate resources.

ST’s STSAFE-TPM cryptographic modules for PCs, servers, and embedded systems are among the first to receive FIPS 140-3 certification. These Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) protect sensitive data by securely managing cryptographic keys and operations, ensuring compliance with security and regulatory requirements for critical information systems.

FIPS 140-3 is the most recent Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) for cryptographic modules, superseding FIPS 140-2. It defines four security levels to address various applications and environments, covering secure design, implementation, and operation. FIPS 140-2 certificates expire in September 2026.

The newly certified TPMs include the ST33KTPM2X, ST33KTPM2XSPI, ST33KTPM2XI2C, ST33KTPM2I, and ST33KTPM2A. The ST33KTPM2I is qualified for long lifetime industrial systems, while the ST33KTPM2A leverages an AEC-Q100 qualified hardware platform required for automotive integration.

STSAFE-TPM devices comply with multiple security standards, including Trusted Computing Group TPM 2.0, Common Criteria EAL4+ (AVA_VAN.5), and FIPS 140-3 level 1 with physical security level 3. They provide cryptographic services—including ECDSA, ECDH (up to 384 bits), RSA (up to 4096 bits), AES (up to 256 bits), and SHA1, SHA2, and SHA3—all standardized by TCG and compatible with FIPS 140-3-certified software stacks.

ST also offers provisioning services to load device keys and certificates, speeding time to market and ensuring supply chain security.

ST33KTPM product page

STMicroelectronics

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The post Crypto modules gain the latest FIPS certification appeared first on EDN.

MathWorks’ MATLAB and SIMULINK Release 2024b simplifies development for wireless communication, control systems, and digital signal processing. This second of twice-yearly releases provides major updates to popular MATLAB and Simulink tools, as well as new features and bug fixes.

The major updates found in Release 2024b include:

• 5G Toolbox now supports 6G waveform generation and 5G signal quality assessments.
• DSP HDL Toolbox adds an interactive DSP HDL IP Designer app for configuring DSP algorithms and generating HDL code and verification components.
• Simulink Control Design offers the ability to design and implement nonlinear and data-driven control techniques, such as sliding mode and iterative learning control.
• System Composer allows users to edit subsetted views and define system behavior with activity and sequence diagrams.

In addition, a new hardware support package for Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU, embedded in Snapdragon processors, leverages Simulink and model-based design to deploy production-quality C code across various Snapdragon platforms for DSP applications.

To learn more about what’s new in MATLAB and SIMULINK Release 2024b, click here.

MathWorks

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The post MathWorks improves MATLAB and SIMULINK appeared first on EDN.

Six 2300-V baseplate-less power modules from Wolfspeed boost energy efficiency in renewable energy, energy storage, and fast charging applications. These half-bridge modules, optimized for 1500-V DC bus systems, are built on advanced 200-mm SiC wafers.

The 2300-V power modules not only enhance system efficiency, but also reduce the need for passive components. According to the manufacturer, they provide 15% more voltage headroom than comparable SiC modules, improved dynamic performance with stable temperature characteristics, and a substantial reduction in EMI filter size. Wolfspeed also reports a 77% decrease in switching losses compared to IGBTs and a 2x to 3x reduction in switching losses for SiC devices used for 1500-V applications.

Modules support a two-level topology, simplifying design and reducing driver count compared to IGBT-based three-level systems. This building block approach enables scalable power from kilowatts to megawatts and reduces potential single points of failure in a two-level implementation.

Datasheets for the 2300-V SiC power modules are available here.

Wolfspeed

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The post SiC power modules elevate energy efficiency appeared first on EDN.

Joining Semtech’s PON-X lineup are a combo chip and a burst-mode TIA, designed for 2.5G PON Fiber to the Room (FTTR) applications. FTTR is regarded as the next step in fixed broadband technology, gaining traction in both residential and business markets. As demand for higher speeds grows, Semtech’s FTTR chipset can be easily upgraded to 10G PON without recabling.

The GN25L81 integrates a 2.5-Gbps directly modulated laser (DML) driver and a dual-rate 2.5/1.25-Gbps burst-mode limiting amplifier into a single combo chip, suited for both FTTR and GPON optical line terminal (OLT) applications. The laser driver features dual-loop extinction ratio control and eye shaping.

Complementing the GL25L81, the GN25L42 is a single-channel, reset-less 2.5-Gbps burst-mode TIA that offers low-noise performance and sensitivity better than -30 dBm when used with a PIN photodiode. It also integrates a burst-mode received signal strength indicator (RSSI) output for cost-effective diagnostics of receiver input power.

The GN25L81 combo chip is in production and available in a QFN package. The GN25L42 burst-mode TIA is sampling now and supplied as bare die.

GN25L81 product page

GN25L42 product page

Semtech

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The post PON-X chipset enables FTTR deployments appeared first on EDN.

Swiss provider u-blox announced its first combined 3GPP-compliant terrestrial network (TN) and non-terrestrial network (NTN) IoT module. The SARA-S528NM10 module supports global coverage with accurate, low-power, and concurrent positioning.

Most satellite systems require proprietary hardware and software, locking users to a specific operator and forcing terminal replacement for switching. The u-blox device, based on global 3GPP standards, offers interoperability with multiple satellite providers, giving customers greater flexibility.

Powered by the UBX-S52 cellular/satellite chipset and M10 GNSS receiver, the module adheres to the 3GPP Release 17 NB-NTN specification. This standards-based approach ensures extended connectivity via LTE-M and NB-IoT on terrestrial cellular networks, as well as NB-IoT on GEO satellite constellations, with readiness for LEO satellites.

The SARA-S528NM10 module supports the two NTN bands introduced in 3GPP Release 17—n255 (L-band global) and n256 (S-band Europe)—as well as the n23 band (US). It is currently being certified by Skylo, a global NTN service provider, for its satellite network. This certification will ensure seamless connectivity with both cellular and Skylo satellite networks.

SARA-S528NM10 product page

u-blox

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The post Module delivers satellite and cellular comms appeared first on EDN.

Onsemi’s upgraded silicon and silicon carbide F5BP Power Modules offer more power density and efficiency.

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Благодійна допомога від КПІшників для ДСНС kpi чт, 09/19/2024 - 17:47