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Texas Instruments (TI) introduced two new microcontroller (MCU) families with edge artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, supporting the company’s commitment to enabling edge AI across its entire embedded processing portfolio. The MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex MCUs integrate TI’s TinyEngine neural processing unit (NPU), a dedicated hardware accelerator for MCUs that optimises deep learning inference operations to reduce latency and improve energy efficiency when processing at the edge.

TI’s embedded processing portfolio is supported by a comprehensive development ecosystem, including the CCStudio integrated development environment (IDE). Its generative AI features allow engineers to use simple language to accelerate code development, system configuration and debugging through industry-standard agents and models paired with TI data. Altogether, TI is accelerating the adoption of edge AI across electronic devices, from real-time monitoring in wearable health monitors and home circuit breakers to physical AI in humanoid robots. These end-to-end innovations are featured in TI’s booth at embedded world 2026, March 10-12, in Nuremberg, Germany.

“TI invented the digital signal processor almost 50 years ago, laying the groundwork for today’s edge AI processing,” said Amichai Ron, senior vice president, Embedded Processing and DLP® Products at TI. “Now TI is leading the next phase of innovation by integrating the TinyEngine NPU across our entire microcontroller portfolio, including general-purpose and high-performance, real-time MCUs. By enabling AI across our software, tools, devices and ecosystem, we are making edge AI accessible and easy to use for every customer and every application.”

“While much of the world has been focused on AI acceleration and NPUs in bigger SoCs, it turns out some of the more interesting and far-reaching applications of AI can be enabled inside smaller chips like microcontrollers,” said Bob O’Donnell, President and Chief Analyst at TECHnalysis Research. “Edge-based applications of AI acceleration can make consumer devices more intelligent and industrial devices more efficient. Plus, if you can combine these chips with software development tools that themselves leverage AI to help build AI features, you bring the power of AI acceleration to a significantly wider audience of engineers and device designers.”

Advanced intelligence at your fingertips

Consumers are always looking for everyday technology to be more intelligent, from fitness wearables to home appliances and electrical systems. However, many engineers believe that AI capabilities are limited to higher-end applications due to high costs, power demands, and coding requirements. TI’s new MSPM0G5187 Arm Cortex-M0+ MSPM0 MCU represents a fundamental shift for embedded designers, who can now bring edge AI to a wide range of simpler, smaller and more cost-effective applications.

With local computation, the TinyEngine NPU executes computations required by neural networks in parallel to the primary CPU running application code. Compared to similar MCUs without an accelerator, this hardware acceleration:

• Minimises the flash memory footprint.
• Lowers latency by up to 90 times per AI inference.
• Reduces energy utilisation by more than 120 times per AI inference.

Such levels of efficiency allow resource-constrained devices – including portable, battery-powered products – to process AI workloads. At under US$1 in 1,000-unit quantities, the MSPM0G5187 MCU reduces system and operating costs by offering an affordable alternative to other MCU or processor architectures.

Real-time control plus AI acceleration for multimotor systems

Motor control applications in appliances, robotics and industrial systems increasingly call for intelligent features such as adaptive control and predictive maintenance, but implementing these capabilities has historically required complex, multi-chip designs. Building on over two decades of motor control leadership through the C2000 real-time MCU portfolio, TI’s new AM13Ex MCUs are the industry’s first to integrate a high-performance Arm Cortex-M33 core, TinyEngine NPU and advanced real-time control architecture into a single chip.

This degree of integration enables designers to implement sophisticated motor control and AI features simultaneously without external components, lowering bill-of-materials costs by up to 30%. Key enhancements include:

• The ability to maintain precise real-time control loops for up to four motors while the TinyEngine NPU runs adaptive control algorithms for load sensing and energy optimisation.
• An integrated trigonometric math accelerator that performs calculations 10 times faster than coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) implementations, delivering more precise, responsive motor-control performance.

Easily train, optimise and deploy AI models

Both MCU families are supported by TI’s CCStudio Edge AI Studio, a free development environment that simplifies model selection, training and deployment across TI’s embedded processing portfolio. This edge AI toolchain gives engineers full flexibility to run AI models on TI MCUs through either hardware or software implementations. Today, there are more than 60 models and application examples available in the tool to help developers start deploying edge AI in any device, with additional tasks and models planned in the future.

The post TI’s microcontroller portfolio and software ecosystem expanded to enable edge AI in every device appeared first on ELE Times.

Finally got my phase control circuit off the breadboard and soldered together. Adjusting the potentiometer changes where in the ac waveform the scr fires, thereby allowing for more or less average power delivered to the load. It is the same idea as a triac based lamp dimmer circuit, but using back to back scrs allows for higher power handling capability, and is more suited for inductive loads. This one will be used to adjust the speed of an angle grinder for use as an asynchronous rotary spark gap for my Tesla coil. submitted by /u/teslatinkering [link] [comments]

I'm playing with it for now. I'll see what the measurements show and what the difference is between a wall adapter and a linear power supply. But a quick measurement showed it was pretty good. Plc 20 Max = 5.0008206V Min = 5.0008197V Std = 0.2 ppmV Also I need to make a box for it. submitted by /u/romdu3 [link] [comments]

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA (a dual-use defense & security platform company focused on non-kinetic effects, directed-energy technologies, and software-orchestrated defense systems) says that its subsidiary Lyocon S.r.l. (an Italian laser-technology company specializing in the design, manufacturing and integration of high-power blue laser systems for industrial applications) has completed the proof-of-concept (POC) of a portable directed-energy laser dazzler platform designed for counter-drone (C-UAV) defense applications...

submitted by /u/sameoldfred
[link] [comments]

These photos were taken under a microscope, the mouse was gaming and I found the shape of the sensor interesting since it was mounted on a flexible board and had a lens on it. submitted by /u/aguilavoladora36 [link] [comments]

Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — says that its 300mm silicon carbide (SiC) technology platform could serve as a foundational materials enabler for advanced AI and high‑performance computing (HPC) heterogeneous packaging by the end of this decade...

Lumentum Holdings Inc of San Jose, CA (which designs and makes photonics products for optical networks and lasers for industrial and consumer markets) has been selected to join the S&P 500 index. According to S&P Dow Jones Indices, Lumentum will be added to the benchmark index before the market opens on 23 March...

Пам'яті Артема Круликовського kpi вт, 03/10/2026 - 16:52

Fabless photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design, prototyping, testing and packaging house VLC Photonics S.L. of Valencia, Spain (which has experience with various material platforms including silicon photonics, indium phosphide, silicon nitride, PLC and polymer) has announced a strategic collaboration in North America with Hitachi High-Tech America Inc (HTA), which sells and services semiconductor manufacturing equipment, analytical instrumentation, scientific instruments, and bio-related products as well as industrial equipment, electronic devices, and electronic and industrial materials...

Rohde & Schwarz will participate in EMV 2026, Europe’s premier trade fair and congress dedicated to electromagnetic compatibility, held from March 24-26 in Cologne. At the event, which serves as a crucial platform for industry professionals, the company will show its latest advancements in test & measurement equipment to address the evolving challenges within the EMC landscape.

Rohde & Schwarz will demonstrate a broad portfolio of solutions designed to streamline and optimise EMC testing across diverse sectors, including power electronics, consumer, industrial, automotive, Satcom, military, and wireless communications. EMC testing is evolving to meet the demands of emerging technologies and a crowded radio frequency spectrum. Innovations like AI, 6G, and quantum computing present new challenges for ensuring reliable performance, while widespread electrification and increased bandwidth requirements necessitate testing at higher frequencies. To address these shifts, Rohde & Schwarz is developing scalable and modular test solutions focused on repeatable, reliable measurements – streamlining the path from initial assessment to final certification. A further focus is on bridging the gap between real-world field performance and laboratory testing.

At the show, Rohde & Schwarz will showcase a versatile and adaptable solution for conducted and radiated emission testing with the EMI test receivers R&S EPL1001 and R&S EPL1007 with frequency ranges up to 1 GHz and 7.125 GHz. These receivers provide a scalable approach to EMC testing, allowing users to select the optimal configuration for their needs, whether for efficient pre-compliance measurements or fully CISPR 16-1-1 compliant testing for certification.

Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing a speed-optimised EMI test with its industry-leading R&S ESW test receiver — with ESW-B1000R 970 MHz bandwidth extension — and the automated R&S ELEKTRA software: A live demonstration highlights the system’s capabilities for rapid and detailed device characterisation with 3D emission plots generated by R&S ELEKTRA for a typical commercial EMI test. Complementing this is the R&S HF1444G14 high-gain antenna, extending testing capabilities up to 44 GHz for standards like MIL-STD and FCC.

Rohde & Schwarz will also be expanding its R&S BBA300 family of broadband amplifiers with its new dual-band amplifier series R&S BBA300-CDE/FG for 380 MHz to 13 or 18 GHz and the R&S BBA300-DE1000 with an output power of up to 1000 W in the 1 GHz to 6 GHz range. With high linearity, continuous and very wide frequency bands, and innovative protection concepts for high availability, the R&S BBA300 family meets the requirements for EMC immunity testing today and tomorrow.

Rohde & Schwarz will also show its full vehicle antenna test (FVAT) capabilities at the show. Modern vehicles increasingly rely on multiple antennas – for GNSS, Wi-Fi, cellular services like C-V2X, and more to enable safety, convenience and infotainment features – requiring comprehensive full-vehicle antenna testing. This testing enables vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers to characterise radiation performance, verify RF robustness, ensure co-existence of different wireless technologies and ultimately validate the functions and services enabled by wireless connectivity.

For in-depth signal analysis, Rohde & Schwarz will feature the R&S MXO 3 Series oscilloscope, boasting an unmatched acquisition rate exceeding 4.5 million waveforms per second and featuring up to 8 channels. This advanced oscilloscope also includes powerful standard functions such as a very fast FFT and zone trigger capabilities that empower engineers to quickly and precisely understand complex circuit behaviour, essential for effective EMI troubleshooting and design optimisation.

Rohde & Schwarz will also actively contribute to the congress with technical sessions, workshops and demos focusing on EMI test speed optimisation, EMC for medical products and closed-loop Reverb chamber testing. Attendees can also join a panel discussion exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the EMC landscape, covering its current benefits and potential future challenges. Besides others, a Rohde & Schwarz expert will discuss AI’s role in areas like testing and development, and address concerns about new vulnerabilities.

The post R&S to showcase future-proof EMC testing solutions at EMV 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

Infineon Technologies further extends its number one position in the global microcontroller market. According to the latest research by Omdia [1], the company increased its total microcontroller market share to 23.2 per cent in 2025 (2024: 21.4 per cent), achieving a year-on-year gain of 1.8 percentage points – the largest increase among its competitors. Notably, this market share gain was achieved against the backdrop of a slightly declining microcontroller market (-0.3 percent).

“This great market result reflects our relentless commitment to accelerating innovation for customer value, outstanding system solutions, and strong customer relations,” said Andreas Urschitz, Chief Marketing Officer and Member of the Management Board at Infineon. “With our superior product portfolio, reliable software, and easy-to-use development tools, we help our customers create value and address the global challenges of decarbonization and digitalisation. Outgrowing the market is a direct outcome of our continued investment in technology and our close collaboration with our partners worldwide.”

Ethernet to enhance microcontroller business for software-defined vehicles

Infineon climbed to the top spot in the global microcontroller market for the first time in 2024, after becoming the number one in the specific market for automotive microcontrollers already one year earlier. The company’s leading market position will be further strengthened by the successful acquisition of Marvell’s Automotive Ethernet business, a milestone transaction completed in August 2025. This move expands Infineon’s cutting‑edge connectivity portfolio, enhancing the company’s system capabilities for central compute architectures in software-defined vehicles (SDV). Integrating the industry-leading BRIGHTLANE automotive Ethernet portfolio with Infineon’s AURIX, PSOC and TRAVEO automotive microcontroller families creates an unmatched system offering for SDVs, enabling features such as autonomous driving, advanced driver‑assistance systems, and secured over‑the‑air updates.

Infineon microcontrollers empower physical AI, such as humanoid robots

Furthermore, the acquisition opens additional growth opportunities in emerging IoT fields and physical AI, such as humanoid robotics. AURIX, PSOC and MOTIX microcontrollers from Infineon empower humanoid robots to safely perceive, think, and interact with their environment in real-time, facilitating advanced computing, smart actuation and motor control, connectivity, and intelligent edge functions.

Infineon enables the key functional blocks in humanoid robots, supporting customers from concept to mass production across industrial, service, and home applications. With its PSOC portfolio, Infineon continues to expand its presence in industrial and consumer markets, offering scalable, secure, and power‑efficient microcontroller solutions widely used in smart home systems, industrial control equipment and connected IoT devices.

Cybersecurity features for future requirements are already implemented today

From IoT devices to connected vehicles, industrial infrastructure, AI‑driven applications, and robotics, cybersecurity is essential. Therefore, Infineon microcontrollers are engineered with future-proof security in mind to protect data, identities and systems from the start and across the entire lifecycle. This includes, for example, complying with international security standards such as ISO/SAE 21434 (automotive security) for the latest generation AURIX and TRAVEO MCUs. Furthermore, Infineon engineers architectures that meet future requirements, such as from the EU Cyber Resilience Act or for post-quantum cryptography, already today – for example, in the latest PSOC products for industrial and consumer applications, as well as AURIX and TRAVEO automotive MCUs.

Infineon at embedded world 2026: Showcasing future-ready innovations

From 10 to 12 March 2026, at embedded world in Nuremberg, Germany, Infineon is presenting its comprehensive portfolio of industrial, consumer and automotive microcontrollers, with a strong focus on innovation for secured, connected, and intelligent systems. Visitors can experience this at Infineon’s booth (Hall 4A, Booth 138) and through a series of presentations and live demos.

[1] Based on or includes research from Omdia: Annual 2001-2025 Semiconductor Market Share Competitive Landscaping Tool – 4Q25. March 2026. Results are not an endorsement of Infineon Technologies AG. Any reliance on these results is at the third party’s own risk.

The post Infineon extends leadership position in global microcontroller market appeared first on ELE Times.

This two-part Design Idea (DI) follows on from a couple of previous articles relating to 100-Ω platinum resistance temperature detectors (Pt100 RTDs). The first of those (which we’ll call Ref 1) used a simple current-driven bridge to give an output of 1 mV/°C (or /K, if you prefer) that could be read directly on a DMM, while the second (Ref 2) had a ratiometric output to emulate an NTC thermistor but with greater range and accuracy.

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

Ref 1 was useful but too simple: it was precise at its calibration temperatures of 0 and 100°C, but had an inherent error of nearly 0.4° at 50°C because an RTD’s resistance is not quite linear with temperature. Ref 2 compensated for that with good precision—and discussed how the Callender–Van Dusen (CVD) equations are key to doing so—but was rather specialized.

Finalizing and extending the circuit must wait for the second part of this DI. Its first part will use the heart of Ref 2 to implement the function of Ref 1 and find out what else needs fixing.

That heart is the fairly conventional circuit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 A simple circuit feeds the RTD, amplifies the resulting voltage, and uses some positive feedback to compensate for the sensor’s non-linear response to temperature.

Fairly obviously, Vref and Rfeed drive current through the RTD producing a voltage that is amplified by 1 + Rgain1 / Rgain2. That voltage is only nearly proportional to absolute temperature, so Rpfbk adds a little positive feedback to (almost) linearize the output. Its value is critically dependent on Rfeed and the gain, and, as described in Ref 2, is best found by iterated simulation. (Though later, we’ll see a useful shortcut.) Figure 2 shows the resulting error curve, which scarcely changes for gains above ~3 once Rpfbk has been optimized.

Figure 2 With compensation, the circuit’s output can be very close to ideal. (Real-world components may modify this somewhat.)

Our aim is to make a box that will give a DMM-useful 1 mV/°C output, but properly compensated. Figure 1’s circuit was a good starting point; now Figure 3 shows the end point.

Figure 3 Compensated gain stage A1a gives an output of just over 1 mV/°C, with an offset. A1b generates a voltage corresponding to that offset at 0°C. Tracking of the two op-amp halves should minimize errors.

A1a works just like Figure 1, using a 1.24 V reference. Using 3k3 for Rfeed and a gain of 6.6, its output sits close to 258 mV for an RTD resistance of 100Ω (0°C) and increases by ~1.05 mV/°C, which is dropped to a precise 1 mV/°C by R6 and R7. Keeping the gain trim passive and away from A1a’s feedback loops avoids any interactions. R5, our former Rpfbk, was calculated—or rather, homed in on—in the same way as its counterpart in Ref 2, using successive approximations in the graphical sim until the error curve was flattest.

A2b provides an offset reference at that ~258 mV level, so that 0°C at the sensor will give 0 mV across the outputs. It’s basically a clone of A1a to ensure good thermal matching. Calibration is easy: set the 0°C/0 mV point with R14, then trim R6 for an exact 100 mV at 100°C.

Even easier calibration

Ice-buckets and kettles are not really needed yet and are best saved for the final calibration with the actual sensor connected. For experimenting and troubleshooting, make up a gadget involving a carefully-selected 100-Ω resistor, a nominal 39 Ω with something in parallel to give 38.5 Ω, and a decent switch to short out the latter pair. Now you can easily flick between simulated 0 and 100°C inputs: easier and quicker than my original pot-based kludge.

Nicely balanced?

As noted above, A1b’s circuit is very similar to A1a’s. A trimmable resistive network could provide the reference, but this active approach ensures that any thermal effects in A1a will be balanced by those in A1b. After all, if two identical op-amps are sat side-by-side on a sub-squillimeter speck of silicon, they will behave identically, especially where temperature drifts are concerned, right?

Wrong!

Figure 3’s circuit worked perfectly, but for one thing: it wasn’t temperature-stable—not a good thing in a thermometer. Checking half-a-dozen MCP6002s mostly showed bad input-offset mismatches between the two halves. Those could be trimmed out, but unbalanced temperature drifts couldn’t—and they predominated, leading to reading errors of up to 1° for a 10° change in the circuit’s temperature. I did find one IC that was okay, but making this idea work properly called for a slightly different approach. All will be revealed in Part 2.

That feedback resistor

For the greatest accuracy at and around the 0 to 100°C calibration points, the value for Rpfbk is critical. (Those points are also used to define the slope against which the response is checked.)

For a wider range but with a different balance of errors, Rpfbk needs to be reduced. (Again, we’ll explore that further in Part 2.) Throughout, R5 or Rpfbk is shown to 4 or 5 places; it needs a little work to find the best series/parallel combinations. All other components were chosen from E12/24 values, though some need to be closely toleranced.

Now for that shortcut to determine Rpfbk. Some work with the simulator gave optimized values for Rpfbk with gain values from 4 to 100, with ad hoc curve-fitting suggesting equations giving good approximations to the target values. Here they are:

                Rpfbk = Rfeed × Gain × k
                where   Rfeed = 3k3
                                k = (2.19 – exp(1 / Gain)) / 2.70 [for Gains from 4 to 10]
                                or (2.035 – exp(1 / Gain)) / 2.31 [—from 8 to 100]

“Good approximations” means that the errors are always <0.05°C and mostly around 0.01°C, giving a good fit for temperatures from below -55 to above +125°C. If R3–5 are within 0.1%, errors due to their tolerances will be in the same range. All these circuits use a 3k3 feed resistor; I’ve not checked these equations with other values.

Await Part 2

We now have a basic circuit capable of decent performance, apart from its own tempco. The second part of this DI will fix that flaw, show some interesting variants—hence the plural in the title—and even add some bells and whistles. Think of this part as the theme, with Part 2 exploring the variations.

—Nick Cornford built his first crystal set at 10, and since then has designed professional audio equipment, many datacomm products, and a technical security kit. He has at last retired. Mostly. Sort of.

Related Content

• DIY RTD for a DMM
• Dropping a PRTD into a thermistor slot—impossible?
• Improved PRTD circuit is product of EDN DI teamwork
• Fake contacts, bounced to order
• Calculation of temperature from PRTD resistance

The post Newer, shinier DMM RTDs—part 1 appeared first on EDN.

Courtesy: STMicroelectronics

Traction inverters are at the heart of electric vehicles, meaning that they are one of the modules with the most significant impact on overall efficiency, range, and performance. According to the US Department of Energy, the electric drive system is responsible for some of the most significant losses in an EV, totalling about 18%. Moreover, a report by McKinsey & Company explains that the “top reasons” for consumers to avoid EVs are costs, charging concerns, and range anxiety, two of which are mainly impacted by the traction inverter’s performance. Optimising the electric drive train is thus the quickest and surest way to improve an EV to make it more compelling, and why ST recently published a white paper on traction inverters

Why are traction inverters challenging? The role of a traction inverter A traction inverter

In a nutshell, the traction inverter takes the DC electrical energy from the battery, converts it into properly commutated three-phase alternating current, and sends it to a traction motor, which then converts it into kinetic energy. Consequently, the traction inverter is also responsible for modulating the AC sent to the motors to adjust for things like torque and speed. Similarly, regenerative braking, which converts mechanical energy into DC power to recharge the battery, also depends on the traction inverter. Hence, the reason drivers love the responsiveness of their EVs, as well as how certain driving features can extend the overall range, is dependent on the performance of the traction inverter, among other things.

The challenges behind the traction and the inversion A DC-DC Converter

While most two-wheel-drive vehicles will have one or two inverters, an all-wheel drive may have up to one inverter per traction motor and one traction motor per wheel. It all depends on how car makers want to address the car’s overall performance. Hence, it’s easy to see some of the challenges that engineers must solve when designing a traction inverter that must not only convert electrical energy but also sense phase current, monitor motor position, and even manage control loops. While many engineers focus on the “inverter”, “traction” comes with a unique set of challenges, such as determining a rotor’s position with precision, or the whole traction inverter will be grossly inefficient.

Moreover, as EVs increasingly support high-power DC charging, they come with higher DC-link voltages, which means the traction inverter must adapt to reduce losses while enabling traction motors to draw more power. It’s a great example of how modern car modules are highly interdependent and how changing one aspect of the vehicle has ripple effects on many other systems and modules. As the white paper shows (see Table 3), there’s a strong “correlation between motor power, battery size, and DC link voltage.” Put simply, engineers can’t design traction inverters in isolation but must take a more global approach or risk seriously hampering performance due to a poorly suited system.

How to find solutions and design great traction inverters? Choosing the right gate drivers

To answer these challenges, the white paper aims to provide key concepts and solutions engineers can apply to their designs. For instance, it looks at how to use gate drivers and power transistors to modulate the current in stator windings. Too often, teams treat these devices as commodities and miss the critical impact they may have on their traction inverters. However, a mismatch between the transistors and gate drivers will result in significantly higher losses, among other things. It’s why a galvanically isolated driver for IGBT and SiC MOSFETs, like the STGAP4S, can make a tremendous difference. ST even offers an evaluation board, the EVALSTGAP4S, which significantly hastens the development of a proof of concept.

Finding the right microcontroller The SR5E1-EVBE5000P

Another challenge is the ability to control the traction motors with enough precision and speed to improve the EV’s performance. Such a feat is directly tied to the microcontroller that will house the PWM timers and the logic responsible for calculating the field-oriented control mechanisms, among other functions. Using the wrong device will not only hinder performance but also create critical problems that cannot be fixed easily unless the platform supports things like over-the-air updates, the highest levels of functional safety, and more. ST is already offering MCUs tailored for EV applications, like the new Stellar E series and evaluation boards like the SR5E1-EVBE5000P.

Adopting the X-in-1 trend

And the white paper contains so many more solutions, tips, and expert advice. As ST offers a unique and wide-ranging portfolio of devices that can directly improve traction inverters, the paper also helps engineers anticipate a new trend: X-in-1. Increasingly, we see makers coming up with integrated systems that include the on-board charger, DC-DC converter, and traction inverter. Since these systems impact one another, integrating them helps create a more meaningful and intentional design. However, that means engineers must widen their expertise and rely on a portfolio that includes a broader range of devices.

The post Traction Inverter: Keys to understanding the inverter, the traction, and why X-in-1 solutions are increasingly popular appeared first on ELE Times.

Courtesy: Hikvision

As we enter 2026, the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT infrastructure is reshaping industries, unlocking unprecedented opportunities to optimise operations, enhance security, and improve sustainability. Yet with great technological power comes great responsibility, and the AIoT industry is increasingly focused on ensuring AI develops in ways that are safe, ethical, and beneficial to all. Here are the five key trends shaping the AIoT landscape in 2026.

Scenario-based AIoT solutions are rapidly unlocking new business value

Thanks to AIoT, we are witnessing a profound digital shift moving beyond basic IT informatisation to deep integration with Operational Technology (OT). In this transition, business value is no longer created by fragmented data collection, but increasingly by harvesting insights naturally and continuously from daily operations. By embedding perception capabilities into specific real-world scenarios, AIoT is enabling organisations to move from manual management to much more agile, automated control.

This is creating operational capabilities that were once impossible, enabling real-time decision-making, which can rapidly deliver new business value. In the field of industrial safety, for example, we see workshops shifting from reactive response to proactive prevention. Hazardous manual inspections are being replaced by advanced spectral technologies such as TDLAS, which remotely detect natural gas leaks in seconds. The result is a dramatic reduction in response times to emergency situations.

It’s a similar story with quality control. Food manufacturers, for example, are now leveraging AI-driven X-ray systems to instantly identify foreign objects like stones, glass, and bone that were once invisible.

Or consider inventory management, where mining and feed plants are now utilising 3D millimetre-wave radar to automatically scan silos. This is yet another application of AIoT that, in this case, is creating a new level of precision in volumetric data, eliminating human error, and enabling fully automated, real-time control.

Large-scale AI models are evolving into new capabilities for “AI+”

Large-scale AI models are empowering the core analysis and processing flow through “AI+” integration. While large language models have revolutionised human-digital interaction, industry-specific models are now reshaping how IoT data interacts with the physical world.

We can already see that by embedding AI into data analysis and signal processing, these models significantly enhance precision and efficiency. For example, traffic and perimeter security models, trained on massive datasets, are pushing the limits of perception. By processing complex data, they minimise false alarm rates for incidents and intrusions. Meanwhile, in audio sensing, “AI+ signal processing” is redefining audio capture by filtering background static and isolating human voices in noisy environments. This technology improves the signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring clear sound pickup even in challenging conditions.

Deeply anchored in this multi-modal understanding, AI Agents are now bridging the gap between perception and human intent. Powered by large language models, these agents enable users to communicate naturally using everyday language. Commands like “Find the person wearing purple clothes who parked a blue SUV this morning” are processed by intelligent security systems to automatically retrieve relevant video segments. Such capabilities are transforming AIoT systems from specialised tools that require professional training into intelligent assistants that are accessible to everyone.

Edge AI is transforming devices from data collectors to intelligent analysers

Another shift we are seeing is towards edge computing. Increasingly, the “Cloud + AI” model is no longer the only option for enterprise digitalisation. By moving AI functions from the cloud to the edge, organisations can achieve millisecond-level response times, operate seamlessly offline, and maintain on-premises privacy. It’s an architectural shift that eliminates bandwidth dependency and significantly reduces infrastructure overhead.

Because devices process raw data directly, this localised architecture extends its value by greatly optimising storage efficiency. This is particularly significant for complex video analysis, powered by visual AI models. Here, edge devices can now precisely identify key targets such as people or vehicles at the source. Based on this accurate segmentation, the system applies differentiated encoding—preserving critical foreground details, while compressing background areas that contribute little investigative value.

This AI-driven approach drastically reduces storage requirements without sacrificing visual clarity. For organisations deploying thousands of cameras across multiple sites, this naturally translates into substantial savings on storage infrastructure, lower ongoing costs, and simplified data management, making large-scale AIoT deployments economically viable.

Responsible AI is embedding ethics into every stage of innovation

AI is transforming our lives, work, and business at an unprecedented pace. Yet, this revolution brings a critical responsibility: to ensure innovation unfolds safely, ethically, transparently, and beneficially for all. Responsible AI is no longer optional—it is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity that builds trust, mitigates risk, and drives long-term innovation. As public awareness and regulatory oversight intensify globally, from Europe’s regulatory pioneering to regional initiatives worldwide, international collaboration becomes essential to harnessing AI’s potential while, at the same time, promoting security, prosperity, and human well-being.

Responsible AI practices, then, must permeate the entire AI lifecycle—from research and development to deployment and real-world application.

This includes establishing guiding principles and governance frameworks, adopting responsible approaches throughout development, and ensuring safety, accountability, and transparency in products and solutions. It is a systematic endeavour requiring industry-wide coordination and collective action across sectors and borders, involving policymakers, industry partners, researchers, and other stakeholders. Only through sustained commitment and open collaboration can we shape an AI future that truly serves humanity.

AIoT is expanding technology’s role from business to society and the environment

Another key trend that we are seeing is the rapid expansion of application areas for AIoT. In addition to the traditional business solutions, AIoT is now being widely adopted for broader social and environmental applications, demonstrating how intelligent systems can serve humanity and nature.

In ecological protection, for example, specialised AIoT devices are revolutionising conservation efforts, from wildlife monitoring to vegetation health tracking. Indeed, crop growth monitoring systems that leverage AIoT technologies for large-scale, real-time analysis of crop health are becoming increasingly widespread in agriculture. This capability addresses the inefficiencies of manual inspections, enabling precise management and optimising yields through digitisation.

AIoT is also being used to improve public safety. AI-driven drowning prevention systems, for example, are being deployed in areas which are known to be high risk. They utilise real-time video analytics to detect hazardous conditions, automatically identifying when an individual enters dangerous areas, for example. When this happens, the technology triggers an immediate alert, transforming passive monitoring (or no monitoring at all) into a highly effective and proactive solution that can save lives.

Looking ahead: the future of AIoT

For organisations accelerating their digital transformation journeys, these trends offer both guidance and inspiration. The future of AIoT, after all, is about creating real value for businesses, enhancing experiences for people, and building a more sustainable world for everyone. And that future is arriving now.

The post 5 Upcoming AIoT Trends to Lookout for in 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are entering a new phase of telecom relevance. What began as fixed satellite broadband for remote homes has evolved into direct-to-device connectivity integrated within 3GPP Non-Terrestrial Network standards. Modern satellites are no longer simple bent-pipe relays. They incorporate regenerative payloads, digital beamforming arrays, onboard processing, and inter-satellite optical links that allow orbital mesh routing. The engineering sophistication is undeniable.

However, for telecom professionals and network architects, the key discussion is not about technological capability. It is about architectural positioning: can satellite networks scale to rival terrestrial radio access networks (RAN)? Can they bypass traditional telecom operators? And do they meaningfully challenge app-store ecosystems? The answers require a grounded understanding of spectrum physics, link budgets, and capacity density.

Spectrum Architecture: IMT and Non-IMT Realities

Direct-to-device satellite systems operate either in traditional satellite allocations (non-IMT bands such as L-band or S-band) or within IMT spectrum harmonised under 3GPP NTN specifications.

In non-IMT bands, scalability faces structural limits. Propagation at these frequencies is highly dependent on near line-of-sight conditions. Building penetration loss, urban canyon multipath fading, and foliage attenuation reduce reliability. Unlike terrestrial networks that can densify through small cells and sectorization, satellites illuminate wide geographic footprints. They cannot dynamically increase cell density in obstructed urban terrain.

This makes non-IMT direct-to-handset connectivity better suited for open environments such as rural regions, highways, maritime routes, and disaster zones rather than dense urban centres. IMT integration under NTN introduces greater harmonisation. Release 17 and beyond specify extended timing advance calibration, Doppler shift compensation, modified Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) timing, and satellite-aware mobility management. Devices can theoretically switch between terrestrial LTE/5G and orbital access with protocol continuity.

Yet the operational model remains conditional. Satellite access is typically triggered when terrestrial RSRP or SINR drops below defined thresholds. The modem evaluates signal quality and only activates NTN mode when necessary. This ensures satellite resources are preserved, and terrestrial networks handle high-density traffic loads.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, captured the strategic goal succinctly:

“There should be no dead zones anywhere in the world for your cell phone.” The emphasis is on coverage ubiquity, not urban capacity replacement.

Capacity Density: The Defining Constraint

The most decisive technical limitation is spectral density. Terrestrial operators achieve massive throughput through:

• Massive MIMO spatial multiplexing
• Dense macro-cell grids
• Small-cell layering in high-traffic zones
• Fibre-backed backhaul
• Millimeter-wave overlays
• Aggressive frequency reuse patterns

Satellite beams, even with advanced spot-beam architectures and frequency reuse, cover substantially larger areas. The spectral efficiency per square kilometre cannot match dense terrestrial deployments. Additionally, handheld devices operate under strict uplink power constraints, limiting achievable modulation and coding schemes for satellite links.

From a Shannon capacity standpoint, satellite systems are optimised for wide-area coverage, not high-density concurrency. In densely populated markets, even a mid-sized terrestrial operator can deliver greater aggregate throughput than an orbital beam serving the same footprint. This reality defines satellite’s optimal roles:

• Extending connectivity to underserved geographies
• Providing redundancy during disasters
• Supporting maritime and aviation mobility
• Enabling IoT in sparse environments
• Enhancing national connectivity resilience

Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, has consistently emphasised connectivity as foundational infrastructure. Reliable global access enables economic participation in regions where terrestrial networks are economically infeasible. The engineering model aligns with that vision.

Inter-Satellite Routing and Cloud-Native Architecture

Modern LEO constellations differentiate themselves through inter-satellite optical links (ISLs). Instead of routing traffic exclusively through ground gateways, data can hop between satellites before downlinking closer to its destination. This reduces dependence on terrestrial fibre choke points and can optimise long-haul routing paths.

Software-defined payloads further allow dynamic beam shaping, adaptive spectrum allocation, and load balancing. Combined with cloud-native packet cores and virtualised network functions, satellite systems increasingly resemble distributed edge clouds in orbit.

However, engineering challenges persist:

• Beam handover must be predictive to prevent session drops.
• Doppler shift compensation requires continuous frequency correction.
• Latency variability introduces jitter that must be absorbed at the transport layer.
• Congestion control algorithms, often QUIC-based, must adapt dynamically.

These are solvable challenges, but they reinforce the reality that satellite networks are engineered for resilience and reach rather than metro throughput supremacy.

Application Distribution and App-Store Dynamics

The notion that satellite networks could bypass app stores often conflates connectivity with runtime control. Satellite networks can facilitate cloud-streamed applications, Progressive Web Apps leveraging Web Assembly, multicast firmware updates, and enterprise-managed OTA deployments. However, runtime enforcement remains device-governed. Operating systems from Apple and Google maintain secure boot chains, code-signing validation, and hardware root-of-trust mechanisms independent of the access network.

Thus, while connectivity may be decentralised, execution control remains centralised within device ecosystems. App-store displacement at mass consumer scale remains unlikely in the near term. Satellite-enabled distribution is most viable in enterprise, industrial, defence, and controlled-device environments where policy governance is internally managed.

Global Regulatory Architecture

Satellite beams inherently traverse national borders. This introduces complex regulatory questions regarding lawful intercept, spectrum harmonisation, emergency service prioritisation, and data sovereignty. Unlike terrestrial towers confined within licensed areas, orbital coverage footprints overlap multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.

Regulators worldwide are converging toward coexistence frameworks where satellite operators must comply with local licensing, security audits, and traffic monitoring obligations. Encryption policies, gateway localisation requirements, and national security clearances are increasingly embedded within approval processes.

Indian Regulatory Perspective

In India, satellite internet operates within a structured licensing regime under the Department of Telecommunications. Operators must obtain a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license to provide satellite communication services. Spectrum allocation is subject to administrative assignment or auction-based frameworks, depending on policy direction. Gateway earth stations require approval from national authorities, and security compliance is mandatory. Traffic monitoring capabilities must be provisioned in accordance with lawful intercept regulations. Data localisation considerations, especially under emerging digital governance frameworks, may require traffic breakout within Indian jurisdiction rather than pure inter-satellite routing for domestic data flows.

Additionally, satellite services must align with spectrum coordination under the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing. Coexistence with terrestrial IMT networks requires careful interference management and harmonisation. Regulatory approvals also involve security vetting of network elements and equipment supply chains.

India’s regulatory approach emphasises sovereign oversight while encouraging innovation through hybrid terrestrial-satellite integration models. Partnerships between satellite operators and domestic telecom providers are often preferred to ensure compliance with national security and licensing frameworks.

Industry Alignment: Complement, Not Replace

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, has emphasised cooperation between satellite and terrestrial operators. In dense markets, terrestrial RAN grids remain unmatched in spectral reuse efficiency and urban throughput.

The long-term architecture, therefore, becomes hybrid:

• Terrestrial networks manage dense capacity loads.
• Satellite networks eliminate coverage gaps.
• Multi-RAT device logic dynamically orchestrates between both.

This convergence is not theoretical. It is already embedded within modem firmware design, NTN standardisation, and regulatory frameworks.

Engineering Takeaways

Telecom engineers and policymakers should focus on:

• Intelligent multi-RAT orchestration between terrestrial and NTN layers
• Adaptive transport protocols for variable-latency satellite links
• Robust cryptographic identity frameworks for secure OTA distribution
• Spectrum coexistence planning in IMT-integrated NTN deployments
• Regulatory compliance mechanisms for cross-border satellite beams

Conclusion

Space internet is a meaningful technological evolution. Advanced beamforming, regenerative payloads, inter-satellite optical routing, and NTN standardisation represent major engineering progress. But spectrum reuse laws and capacity density constraints remain decisive. Satellite networks excel in reach, resilience, and redundancy. Terrestrial networks dominate high-density throughput and urban spectral efficiency. The future of connectivity is not orbital disruption of telecom operators or wholesale bypass of app ecosystems. It is a structured convergence of a layered architecture where Earth and orbit operate in coordinated harmony.

Engineers who design seamless integration across these layers will define the next decade of global communications.

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Six years ago, when rare earth magnets were still a footnote in most mobility conversations, Bhaktha Keshavachar was already convinced they would become a problem. “We are going from hydrocarbons to electrons for all of our energy,” says the Co-Founder and CEO of Chara Technologies in an exclusive interaction with Kumar Harshit, Technology Correspondent, ELE Times. “In this electric future, motors will be at the heart of every machine. They will be the engines of the future economy. And if motors are central, they must be sustainable.”

At the time, Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) dominated electric mobility. Efficient, compact, and powerful, they owed much of their performance to neodymium-iron-boron magnets—magnets built on rare earth elements. But to Bhaktha, the efficiency narrative hid a deeper vulnerability.“One country controls 90 to 95 per cent of the rare earth supply chain,” he says. “It’s not about whether that country is good or bad. They will do what is in their best interest. But that may not be good for us.”

That asymmetry, coupled with environmentally intensive mining and rising geopolitical tensions, became the trigger. “Rare earth is a global problem. Everyone is experiencing the same issue. If we build the right product, the opportunity is global.”

Rethinking the Motor

To understand Chara’s bet, one must first understand how conventional motors work. In a PMSM, the stator generates a rotating magnetic field. The rotor, embedded with powerful permanent magnets, locks onto this field, producing torque. “It works really well,” Bhaktha acknowledges. “The magnets help generate larger torque for smaller amounts of current.”

Induction motors avoid magnets but sacrifice efficiency and power density in traction applications. That left a third architecture—reluctance motors. “The principle is simple,” he explains. “Magnetic flux always takes the path of least resistance. Just like water. Our rotor is designed so that it constantly tries to align itself to the lowest reluctance path. That alignment generates torque.”

Instead of relying on embedded magnets, Chara’s motor uses precisely engineered electrical steel geometries. “We depend on the properties of electrical steel to generate torque. That is the source of its simplicity.” Physics is not new. The engineering to make it commercially competitive is.

The Trade-Off No One Sees

Removing magnets means giving up their brute magnetic strength. To compensate, Chara increases copper in the windings and optimises steel design. The result is a motor that is roughly 15 per cent heavier than a comparable PMSM.

“Our most popular motor is for a three-wheeler,” Bhaktha says. “A PMSM motor is about 15 kilograms. Ours is about 18 kilograms.” On paper, that sounds like a disadvantage. But Bhaktha shifts the conversation from component-level comparison to system-level thinking.

“In a three-wheeler with a gross vehicle weight of 750 kilograms, three kilograms is a rounding error,” he says. “But efficiency over the duty cycle is what really determines range.” He explains how PMSMs require flux weakening at higher speeds—injecting additional current to counteract the very magnets that give them low-speed torque. That process consumes energy and complicates control.

“Our efficiency curve is flatter,” he says. “In duty cycle efficiency, we are 5 to 10 per cent better. For the same vehicle and same battery, you can get 5 to 10 per cent more range.” That improvement can eliminate the need for additional battery capacity—often heavier and costlier than the motor difference itself. “At the system level, our motor can actually make the vehicle lighter,” he adds.

From Scepticism to Shipments

After four years of R&D, Chara began commercial sales in 2024. Today, it ships hundreds of motors every month to customers in India and abroad. But market acceptance did not come easily. “Three questions were always asked,” Bhaktha recalls. “‘Where have you deployed this? What about long-term reliability? And how can we depend on a startup?”

Convincing OEMs to replace the “heart of the machine” with a new architecture required more than performance claims. It required patience—and, unexpectedly, geopolitics. “Only after the geopolitical eruption last year did people start seriously looking at our technology,” he says. “Business improved a lot after that.”

The rare earth issue, once dismissed as distant, had become immediate.

Longevity Without Magnets

Reliability is often framed as a risk for new technologies. Bhaktha turns that assumption around. “If you put everything on equal footing, induction motors and our motors should actually have longer life,” he explains. “Permanent magnets can demagnetise because of temperature or external fields. We don’t have that problem.”

By eliminating magnets from the rotor, the design removes a potential failure mode altogether. “In terms of reliability, we are equal or better than PMSM,” he says.

India’s Strategic Moment

The conversation inevitably widens to India’s industrial landscape. Electronics assembly is growing. Semiconductor fabs are emerging. Government schemes like the Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) are pushing localisation.

“The controller part of the motor is electronics,” Bhaktha notes. “Schemes like ECMS will definitely help. We need that support. It’s like a child learning to walk—the initial support matters.” While motor materials such as steel and copper are already sourced domestically, semiconductor components remain largely import-dependent. “We have to start a strategic drive for components,” he says. “Otherwise, we will face the same vulnerability elsewhere.”

China’s dominance across the value chain looms large in his assessment. “In cost, quality, and timeliness, it is very hard to beat them today,” he says candidly. “But India has a large domestic market. We can deploy new technologies here, nurture them, and then export.”

Capital, Talent, and Conviction

Building deep-tech hardware in India is not easy. “Capital is scarce for projects like us,” Bhaktha says. “Our gestation periods are long. We need patient capital that can wait ten or fifteen years.” Talent, too, presents challenges. “It is easier to find people who write software code than people who understand electromagnetics, thermals, and hardware,” he says. But a reverse migration trend is helping. Engineers trained at global universities are returning, drawn by the opportunity to build foundational technologies.

And then there is the storytelling. “It was very difficult to explain why we were doing this,” he admits. “Rare earth was not even a mainstream phrase when we started.”

The 2030 Mix

Bhaktha does not predict a single architecture winning the future. Instead, he envisions a diversified market. “Just like we had petrol, diesel, and CNG engines, we will have PMSM, reluctance motors, externally excited synchronous motors, and induction motors,” he says.

In traction applications alone, he believes rare-earth-free motors could capture about a quarter of the market by 2030. “It might be more,” he adds. “It is difficult to predict how quickly these things move. But rare earth is a real problem. As long as we keep solving the right problem, there will be opportunities.”

Conclusion

The electric revolution is often framed as a battery story. But as Bhaktha reminds us, every electron must eventually turn a shaft. If that shaft can spin without strategic dependencies embedded inside it, the implications extend far beyond efficiency. They touch resilience, sovereignty, and industrial autonomy.

Rare earth-free motors, once a niche research topic, are now entering production lines. And in that shift lies a quiet redefinition of what powers the electric future.

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Spain-based multi-national Indra Group is leading the research, development and innovation (RDI) project GIGaNTE (Gallium Nitride and Advanced Packaging Technologies Research Initiative), a strategic initiative to provide Spain with the necessary capabilities to autonomously develop technologies based on gallium nitride (GaN) for advanced defence applications, especially in high-reliability radar and communications systems...

NVIDIA of Santa Clara, CA, USA and materials, networking and laser technology firm Coherent Corp of Saxonburg, PA, USA have announced a multi-year strategic agreement to advance the frontier of advanced optics technologies, including manufacturing capacity and R&D, to enable next-generation AI infrastructure...

Courtesy: Anritsu Corporation

Due to the capacity constraints imposed by metropolitan areas, there is a growing trend to shift towards decentralized regional data centers. Along with the adoption of optical coherent transmission, such as 400G-ZR and OpenZR+, key to achieving this is the precise visualisation of fine quality. Anritsu, a long-established manufacturer of measurement instruments, supports this advancement of data centre networks with its high-precision measurement technology and support system completed in Japan.

The rapid growth in demand for AI has accelerated the global development of data centres, giving rise to an explosive growth in the amount of computational processing. In Japan, however, capacity limits are becoming apparent due to there being little physical space and an overextended electricity grid in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Chiba, and Osaka. This situation has led to a move towards the construction of decentralised data centres in rural areas.

Essential to supporting this decentralisation are high-speed, large-capacity, and low-latency data centre interconnections (DCIs). The communication speed of 400G is becoming mainstream, while the development of 800G-compatible products is progressing. At the same time, however, the increase in power consumption that accompanies higher transmission speeds is becoming an issue.

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), an optical device technology that utilises photonics electronics convergence, is expected to be key to solving this problem.

Daiki Mochizuki, director of the Solutions Marketing Department at Anritsu’s Service Infrastructure Solutions Division, said, “Hyperscalers are also paying attention to CPO, with momentum building for its practical application.” CPO is an architecture that can significantly reduce transmission loss and power consumption by implementing optical transceivers in the same package as the switch ASIC, while shortening the length of the electrical wiring as much as possible. This also contributes to the IOWN initiative’s goal of “reducing electricity consumption to 1/100,” and is therefore attracting attention as a core technology for supporting next-generation infrastructure.

Director Daiki Mochizuki (right) and Manager Mitsuhiro Usuba, Solution Marketing Department, Service Infrastructure Solutions Division, Test & Measurement Company

On the other hand, unlike pluggable optical transceivers, which are easy to replace, CPOs may require the replacement of the entire device in the event of its failure. Therefore, more precise measurements and evaluations that have been undertaken in the past are required to ensure reliability in the development and manufacturing stages.

Comprehensive Measurement Solutions for CPO Quality Enhancement

In CPO, the optical elements and ASICS are extremely close to each other, making it very difficult to guarantee performance after implementation and to identify the demarcation point of responsibility among vendors. Anritsu offers measurement solutions to overcome this issue.

Mr Mochizuki first introduced the Bit Error Rate Tester (BERT), MP1900A. This is an instrument that visualises transmission errors by passing a test signal through a device, and which can accurately detect even minute bit errors.

The MP2110A is an optical sampling oscilloscope that analyses the waveforms and jitter of high-speed optical signals. As such, it is widely used on production lines for pluggable optical transceivers such as QSFP-DD. Due to its high repeatability and measurement accuracy, it will be increasingly applied to signal quality evaluation in new architectures such as CPO. These devices enable the quantitative understanding of signal quality and modulation integrity through “eye diagram measurement which visualises multiple signal waveforms by overlaying them.

In addition, the MS9740B is an optical spectrum analyser that analyses the wavelength characteristics of optical devices while measuring the Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (OSNR) and Side- Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR). “There is a need to support measurement from a variety of perspectives to ensure the quality of optical devices,” said Mochizuki, further mentioning that these instruments are widely used not only by NTT’s research and development department but also by major device manufacturers.

MT 1040A: Essential for Distributed DCs – Focus on Virtual Tester Development

The practical operation of a distributed data centre requires that the network handle multiple geographically distant locations as if they were a single data centre. To this end, it is essential to be able to precisely measure and manage the latency and quality of communications. The Network Master Pro MT1040A addresses this need.

The MT1040A supports multiple communication standards, including 400G Ethernet. It is also equipped with a forward error correction (FEC) analysis function, enabling the comprehensive verification of the communication quality from the physical layer to the network layer.

Notably, it supports digital coherent transmission technologies such as 400G- ZR and OpenZR+, with measurement possible at both the IP and optical layers. Until recently, transponder manufacturers were the main users of the device, but with the spread of 400G-ZR/OpenZR+ transceivers, which do not require transponders and which can be directly mounted on routers, their use is expanding to those equipment vendors that deal with coherent signals and users who are building ROADM networks.

While the use of 400G-ZR/OpenZR+ transceivers reduces both the number of devices and the power consumption, it also requires those users dealing with carrier networks to evaluate the network quality themselves, a task that was previously handled by telecommunications carriers.

The MT1040A, which supports QSFP-DD. plays an important role here because it can directly connect to 400G-ZR/OpenZR+ compatible transceivers and measure end-to-end communication quality.

Mitsuhiro Usuba, manager of the department, said: “More and more companies are considering introducing the 400G-ZR, which is becoming more multi- vendor compatible, but some are worried about its operation. To address this, we bring the MT1040A to the customer’s site to measure latency and throughput and support their operational launch.”

Figure 2 shows an example of measuring 400G-ZR network quality using the MT1040A. Two MT1040As are connected to the ends of an ROADM network using dark fibre. As a result, link downs due to temporary drops in receiving power, the time required to recover the link, and the detection conditions in the absence of received light were observed in detail. In addition, the MT1040A captures quality variations that cannot be detected by normal BER measurements, such as State- Of-Polarization Rate-Of-Change (SOP ROC).

Anritsu is further developing virtual testers for 5G MEC and cloud-native environments. The goal is to enable end-to-end latency and throughput measurements by deploying virtualized software testers on the server side, even in environments where it is physically difficult to install testers, such as in data centers or in automotive. “To take advantage of MEC’s low latency, it is important to have the technology to measure and guarantee its performance,” said Usuba.

Anritsu’s strength lies in its ability to complete all processes from planning to development, through production, to support in Japan. As such, Anritsu is an unparalleled partner in the construction and operation of increasingly sophisticated and complex next-generation networks.

Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A Network Master Pro MT1040A

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