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Fuses placed in series with the path of some current flow are protective of excessive current flow taking place in that current path. Although fuses are rated for clearing in terms of “I²t” where “I” is in amperes and “t” is time, my personal view is that such ratings are of dubious value from a protective calculation standpoint. To me, a fuse is either a “fast blow” device or a “slow blow” device at whatever amperage applies and which type of fuse to select isn’t always cut and dried, straight forward, or unambiguously obvious.

Some fuses contain their innards inside of glass which allows you to see the current carrying element and some do not. Where glass lets you see that element, actual fuse blowouts can be instructive in terms of the overload condition that led to that blowout and can perhaps lead you to reselecting that fuse’s rating or to fixing some other problem.

Figure 1 An intact fuse and two blown fuses: one from a moderate current overload and one from a massive current overload.

The middle case in the above figure is a fuse that is probably underrated for whatever application it has been serving. Using a somewhat higher I²t device might be a good idea.

However, the lower case shows a fuse that got hit with a blast of overload current that was way, way, way beyond reason and something elsewhere in the system in which this fuse played a role had just plain better be corrected.

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

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ROHM and United Automotive Electronic Systems Co., Ltd., (UAES), a leading Tier 1 automotive supplier in China, have recently entered into a long-term supply agreement for SiC power devices.

Since 2015, ROHM and UAES have been collaborating and carrying out detailed technical exchanges on automotive applications utilizing SiC power devices. This partnership deepened in 2020 with the establishment of the SiC Joint Research Institute at the UAES headquarters in Shanghai, China. And in 2021 ROHM’s advanced SiC power devices and peripheral components were highly evaluated by UAES, resulting in ROHM being selected as a preferred supplier.

The close long-standing technical partnership has led to the production and adoption of numerous automotive products equipped with ROHM SiCs, such as onboard chargers and inverters for electric vehicles. SiC power devices play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and performance of a variety of systems, contributing to extending the cruising range and reducing battery size.

This long-term supply agreement ensures UAES sufficient access to SiC power devices to meet the growing demand for SiC-based inverter modules, which have been supplied to customers since November 2023. Going forward, both companies will deepen their collaboration, contributing to technological innovation in the automotive sector by accelerating the development of cutting-edge SiC power solutions for EVs.

Guo Xiaolu, Deputy General Manager, United Automotive Electronic Systems Co., Ltd.

‘The growing popularity of electric vehicles in the Chinese market has made the adoption and integration of power semiconductors like SiC increasingly important. ROHM, a world-renowned semiconductor manufacturer, is a pioneer and market leader in SiC power devices. Since 2015 we have been actively engaged in technical exchanges and highly value ROHM’s proposed solutions encompassing devices and peripheral components. Choosing ROHM as our long-term supplier of SiC chips guarantees a stable supply for future mass production. We appreciate ROHM’s past efforts and look forward to building a long-term collaborative relationship, with this agreement serving as a new starting point.’

Tsuguki Noma, Corporate Officer and Director of the Power Device Business Unit, ROHM

‘We are very pleased to have signed a long-term supply agreement with UAES, a valued partner with whom we have built a strong cooperative relationship over the years. As a leading Tier 1 manufacturer in China, UAES is at the forefront of advanced application development. To meet the need for SiC power devices that improve efficiency in the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market, ROHM has established a leading development and manufacturing system within the SiC industry. We believe that by working together, both companies can provide cutting-edge, high performance, high quality automotive applications. Moving forward, we will continue to drive technological innovation in electric vehicles together with UAES by offering power solutions centered on SiC.’

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Kore.ai, a leader in enterprise conversational and generative AI platform technology, announced today that two of its products, Kore.ai XO Automation and Kore.ai Contact Center AI are now available in AWS Marketplace, a curated digital catalog that customers can use to find, buy, deploy, and manage third-party software, data, and services to build solutions and run their businesses.

XO Automation AI brings the power of LLM and Generative AI technology with a no-code interface to help enterprises design, build, train, test, deploy, and manage AI Chatbots for automating customer interactions across 40+ voice and digital channels. It enables omnichannel, multi-lingual experiences with support for more than 130+ languages.

Advanced RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) capabilities for generative answers, multiengine NLU powered by LLMs, and Responsible AI with guardrails allow enterprises to deploy highly secure and scalable generative AI and conversational AI capabilities to enhance customer experience, employee engagement, and operational efficiency.

Kore.ai’s Contact Center AI enhances customer service by deriving insights from conversations, automating tasks, and enabling contact centers to provide personalized, efficient experiences that ultimately increase overall customer satisfaction. Integrated with the Kore.ai Experience Optimization (XO) Platform, Contact Center AI enhances customer experiences by automating up to 80% of interactions, reducing wait times, and increasing efficiency. It features Agent AI, offering agents real-time advice, automated interaction summaries, coaching, and guided interactions through AI-guided playbooks.

AWS customers will now have access to Kore.ai XO Automation AI and Kore.ai Contact Center AI directly within the AWS Marketplace. Kore.ai provides AWS customers with the ability to streamline the purchase and management of XO Automation AI and Contact Center AI within their AWS Marketplace account. Both these solutions enable businesses to optimize customer service experiences, for which Kore.ai is recognized as a leader by leading analyst firms Gartner, Forrester, and G2, a peer-to-peer review platform.

“The world is fast moving toward an AI-first framework, and we want to provide the best advanced AI-powered solutions to every AWS customer through this initiative,” said Kore.ai CEO and Founder Raj Koneru. “Kore.ai enables businesses to put AI to work safely, responsibly, and at scale through its open architecture and generative and conversational AI platforms to achieve desired business outcomes. We envision our technology, along with the power of AWS, helping enterprises achieve transformative results.”

Kore.ai XO Automation and Contact Center AI are now generally available in the AWS Marketplace. For more information on Kore.ai XO Automation and Kore.ai Contact Center AI, please visit Kore.ai.

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🔥 Адаптаційні та коригувальні курси kpi чт, 09/05/2024 - 14:02

• 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) oscilloscope delivers four times the signal resolution and half the noise floor of other general-purpose oscilloscopes
• Instrument built from the ground up with a custom application-specific integrated circuit and a deep memory architecture to deliver fast, accurate measurements
• Delivers the precision and accuracy needed to identify the smallest and most infrequent signal glitches during design debugging to accelerate time to market

Keysight Technologies, Inc. introduces the InfiniiVision HD3 Series, a 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) oscilloscope, delivering four times the signal resolution and half the noise floor of other general-purpose oscilloscopes. Newly designed and built from the ground up with a custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and deep memory architecture, the HD3 Series enables engineers to quickly detect and fix signal issues in a variety of applications.

Device and component designs are becoming more complex, using signals that are increasingly smaller. To ensure product quality and maximize product yields, engineers must troubleshoot designs by tracing multiple signals at once to identify the smallest signal errors that indicate design flaws and hardware defects. Engineers need an oscilloscope that can measure the smallest and most infrequent signal glitches beyond the noise to correct product issues.

The new Keysight HD3 Series oscilloscope meets this challenge by giving digital designers and engineers the highest vertical resolution through a 14-bit ADC and a 50 µVRMS low noise floor that can detect the smallest signal anomalies. Covering bandwidths between 200 MHz and 1 GHz, the HD3 Series accelerates digital debugging and time to market with:

• Unparalleled precision – Delivers 14-bit ADC resolution and low noise floor in combination with an uncompromised 1.3 M waveforms / second update rate for all measurements, enabling quick and accurate debugging.
• Built on new technology – Features a custom-built ASIC that gives engineers higher sample rates and memory under typical testing conditions, an uncompromised waveform update rate, high vertical resolution, and hardware-based functions such as mask, zone, and serial decode.
• Deep memory – Captures longer time spans at full sample rate for better measurement / analysis results.
• All-new interface – Offers an all-new user interface enabling versatile functionality, including full ADC and vertical resolution on every channel, several bandwidth limiting options, HD mode support, and custom measurement thresholds.
• Full test automation – Introduces automatic fault hunter software for general debugging, which analyzes glitches, slow edges, and runts while engineers complete other tasks. Engineers can also automate measurements with a large selection of serial bus protocols and application software.
• Instant software upgrades – Provides immediate bandwidth, memory, and feature upgrades through software licensing, enabling designers to purchase options they need now and upgrade as their designs evolve in the future without having to return the instrument to the factory.

Robert Saponas, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight Digital Photonics Center of Excellence, said: “Recognizing the need of engineers for quick and precise measurements for a variety of applications, we built the InfiniiVision HD3 from the ground up to deliver an exceptionally precise general use oscilloscope. With a custom ASIC, 14-bit ADC, and half the noise floor, the HD3 Series oscilloscope delivers the precision and accuracy needed to identify the smallest and most infrequent signal glitches during design debugging to accelerate time to market.”

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ADC cards by Spectrum Instrumentation used for largest liquid-neutrino-detector of mankind

Until recently, neutrino particles were thought to have no mass but now the theory is that they actually have mass with a very tiny value as well as coming in three different ‘flavours’ which they can switch back and forth. Often called ghost particles, studying them is very difficult as they typically pass through most normal matter unimpeded and undetected, so specialist detectors have to be built to hunt for them. The latest one is called JUNO, located 750m below ground in Jiangmen, China, and it is made possible by 17 different countries with 730 scientists working in 74 Universities and national laboratories, that have joined forces on this 400-million-euro project. To develop the core part of the detector, the liquid scintillator, ultrafast digitizer cards by Spectrum Instrumentation are used.

JUNO is precisely positioned between eight existing nuclear reactors that provide a source of neutrinos for study.  At its heart is a gigantic, highly transparent, acrylic sphere with an inner diameter of 34.5 m, filled with 20,000 tons of a specially developed oil-like substance. This liquid scintillator creates photons when a neutrino interacts with it, and it is encased in a large 35,000 tons water pool. The photons are detected by an array of ca. 45,000 photo multiplier tubes (PMTs) that surround the sphere. The teams at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz are using M4i.2212 digitizer cards by Spectrum Instrumentation in their high-precision, lab-scale experiments to characterize the liquid scintillators, which require advanced data acquisition. When the JUNO detector is commissioned at the end of 2024, it will be the largest, liquid neutrino detector built by mankind. The detector will drastically enhance our knowledge about interactions and properties of these elusive ghost particles.

Neutrino detection

The central acrylic sphere contains the liquid scintillator surrounded by a layer of water. Both have to be ultra-pure as the smallest amount of contamination could contain a radioactive material. During construction, workers had to wear two pairs of gloves as even the sweat from a fingerprint could contaminate and ruin the entire project. The detector sits in a specially dug space that is 750 m below ground to shield it from ambient radiation.

When a neutrino interacts with the liquid scintillator (LS), it deposits the energy of the interaction with the molecules of this substance. The enormous light output of the LS (typically > 10.000 Photons / MeV) ensures a precise determination of the deposited energy. It would be highly beneficial if the direction of the incident neutrino could also be reconstructed. Here, the faint but directional Cherenkov light from neutrino’s initial passage through the water is paired to give physicists this information.

The aim of the current development of liquid scintillators in Munich and Mainz is to separate the fast but faint Cherenkov light from the dominant scintillation light in order to enable simultaneous energy and directional reconstruction. Therefore, the team under Dr. Hans Steiger constructed several, precision, table-top experiments with enhanced light-collection capabilities and time-resolution.

Typical light emission kinematics for a slow liquid scintillation mixture. The Cherenkov light (red line) in form of a sharp peak in time is followed by the slower scintillation light decay (green line).

“We chose the digitizer cards from Spectrum as they provide us with state-of-the-art performance but, unlike rival offerings, they are not expensive or custom creations,” said Dr. Hans Steiger, who is leading the project. “Spectrum’s modular approach means that we could specify exactly what we needed the cards to do so we were not having any compromises or wasting money on unwanted features. I love the fact that they are a standard PCIe product so that we can expand the system on a standard computer chassis as we received more funds. As a university taking part in major long-term international projects, we need to have reliable parts and Spectrum’s five-year warranty gives us peace of mind.”

JUNO results also push astronomy research

Beyond the work on event reconstruction, the team contribute a calibration project to JUNO. This characterizes the detector material using radioactive gamma and neutron sources where the energy and incident direction are pre-determined. “Our characterizations of the liquid scintillators are only possible because of the ultrafast digitizer cards that enable us to work with timeframes that are measured in picoseconds. Also, the dynamic range of 5V is much better than rivals that are typically 1V which means they can easily manage the 3V pulses in our PMTs that we encounter,” Meishu Lu, a PhD student in the TUM group pointed out. And Manuel Böhles working in Mainz added, “Spectrum has been really supportive in helping us working out the best solutions for our project and helping resolve any issues that we encounter with a phone call directly with one of their engineers. It’s great that they are committed to supporting fundamental research in many universities such as ours.”

The M4i.2212-x8 PCIe digitizer by Spectrum Instrumentation with 1.25 GS/s sampling speed on 4 channels.

The diagram shows the first pulse from the Cherenkov radiation followed by the scintillation signal that gives the energy information. This happens in less than two nanoseconds. By combining this information, the type of particle can be determined and where it came from. This could be from one of the Chinese reactors, the sun, the heart of the earth or deep space. “We have never been able to know exactly where a neutrino was coming from in scintillation detectors before, so this opens up whole new areas of research,” explained Dr. Steiger. “If, for example, a dying star, or so-called supernova, emits large amounts of neutrinos in the sky, we are now able not only to see the neutrinos but also reconstruct with high precision, the point in the sky, where this explosion took place. Effectively we now have a telescope to look into these different neutrino sources to better understand the processes. By detecting light over the entire spectrum, gravitational waves and now also neutrinos with high statistics, energy resolution and directionality start a new era of multi-messenger astronomy.”

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u-blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies and services, and Wireless Logic Ltd, Europe’s leading IoT connectivity platform provider, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the capabilities of IoT devices through Wireless Logic’s IoT network, Conexa, and u-blox’s advanced cellular modules.

This collaboration will empower businesses and developers by providing seamless, robust, and scalable connectivity solutions, addressing the growing demand for reliable IoT deployments across various industries, including automotive, industrial, healthcare, and smart cities.

Key highlights of the collaboration:

• Enhanced IoT connectivity: By integrating Wireless Logic’s industry-leading IoT connectivity network, Conexa, into select u-blox cellular modules, customers will benefit from superior network reliability, extensive global coverage, and the flexibility to switch between multiple mobile networks via eSIM without the need for physical SIM card changes.
• Scalability and flexibility: The combined offering will guarantee unparalleled scalability and flexibility, making it easier for businesses to deploy IoT solutions at scale. The ability to manage and monitor connectivity through Wireless Logic’s intuitive platform will provide users with greater control and visibility over their IoT deployments.
• Accelerated time-to-market: The combination of Wireless Logic’s connectivity services with u-blox’s cellular modules will streamline the development process for IoT devices, reducing time-to-market and enabling faster deployment of innovative solutions.

Executive quotes:

Martin Leach, Head of u-blox Cellular Business Unit, stated, “We are excited to partner with Wireless Logic to offer their IoT connectivity services with our cellular modules. Their market leading eSIM solutions and technical expertise aligns with our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art products that meet the evolving needs of our customers. By combining our technologies, we are enhancing the value proposition for IoT deployments, providing unmatched connectivity, security, and flexibility.”

John Dillon, Managing Director of Product and Marketing of Wireless Logic Ltd, commented, “This partnership with u-blox marks a significant milestone in our mission to simplify IoT connectivity. As experts in cellular connectivity, we are well-equipped to support u-blox’s global customers with all their cellular needs. By combining our connectivity services with u-blox’s high-performance cellular modules, we are enabling businesses to deploy IoT solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively. We look forward to seeing the innovative devices and applications that our combined offering will create.”

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Fabless company Wise-integration of Hyeres, France — which was spun off from CEA-Leti in 2020 and designs and develops gallium nitride (GaN) integrated circuits and digital-control technologies for power supplies — says that the investment fund Applied Ventures-ITIC Innovation Fund (AVITIC) has joined its Series B funding round...

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA — which was founded in 2015 and develops and manufactures high-power industrial blue lasers — has announced a partnership with the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The firm received a purchase order for its BlueScan solution, which includes a BL-250 laser, scanner and optics. This technology will be installed within a powder bed fusion system at CDME’s development lab...

The new chip enables low data-rate communication between ECUs within the automotive network.

In this article, we'll learn about two important non-idealities of Class D power amplifiers and how they affect performance.

Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA has released a portfolio of third-generation automotive-qualified SiC MOSFETs in D2PAK-7L (TO-263-7) and TOLL (TO-Leadless) surface-mount (SMT) packages...

An excerpt from Christopher Paul’s “Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 1—Mitigating errors”:

 “I was surprised to discover that when an output of a popular µP I’ve been using is configured to be a constant logic low or high and is loaded only by a 10 MΩ-input digital multimeter, the voltage levels are in some cases more than 100 mV from supply voltage VDD and ground…Let’s call this saturation errors.”

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

The accuracy of PWM DACs depends on several factors, but none is more important than their analog switching elements’ ability to reliably and precisely output zero and reference voltage levels in response to the corresponding digital states. Sometimes however, as Christopher Paul observes in the cited design idea (Part 1 of a 4-part series), they don’t. The mechanism behind these deviations isn’t entirely clear, but if they could be reliably eradicated, the impact on PWM performance would have to be positive. Figure 1 suggests a (literally) brute-force fix.

Figure 1 U1 is a multi-pole (e.g., 74AC04 hex inverter) PMW switch where op-amp A1 forces switch zero state to accurately track 0 = zero volts, op-amp A2 does the job for 1 = Vdd.

U1 pin 5’s connection to pin 14 drives pin 6 to logic 0, sensed by A1 pin 6. A1 pin 7’s connection to U1 pin 7 forces the pin 6 voltage to exactly zero volts, and thereby forces any U1 output to the same accurate zero level when the associated switch is at logic 0.

Similarly, U1 pin 13’s connection to pin 7 drives pin 12 to logic 1, sensed by A2 pin 2. A2 pin 1’s connection to U1 pin 14 forces the pin 12 voltage to exactly Vdd, and thereby forces any U1 output to the same accurate Vref level when the associated switch is at logic 1.

Thus, any extant “saturation errors” are forced to zero, regardless of the details of where they’re actually coming from.

Vdd will typically be c.a. 5.00V. And V+ and V- can come from a single 5-V supply via any of a number of discrete or monolithic rail boost circuits. Figure 2 is one practical possibility.

Figure 2 A practical source for V+ and V- set R1 and R2 = 200k for ∆ = 1volt.

The Figure 2 circuit was originally described in “Efficient digitally regulated bipolar voltage rail booster”.

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

Related Content

• Parsing PWM (DAC) performance: Part 1—Mitigating errors
• Efficient digitally regulated bipolar voltage rail booster
• Cancel PWM DAC ripple with analog subtraction—revisited
• Fast-settling synchronous-PWM-DAC filter has almost no ripple
• Minimizing passive PWM ripple filter output impedance: How low can you go?
• Fast PWM DAC has no ripple
• LTC Design Note: Accurate, fast settling analog voltages from PWM signals

The post Brute force mitigation of PWM Vdd and ground “saturation” errors appeared first on EDN.

Novel Crystal Technology Inc (NCT) of Saitama, Japan, which develops and sells gallium oxide wafers, says that an R&D project related to beta-phase gallium oxide (β- Ga2O3) was adopted by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The project ‘Development of Material Technology for High-Output and High-Efficiency Power Devices/High-Frequency Devices’ is part of the ‘Key and Advanced Technology R&D through Cross Community Collaboration Program’ (K Program) promoted by Japan’s Cabinet Office (CAO), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)...

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Raspberry Pi, globally recognized for its single-board computers, has revolutionized the education and hobbyist sectors and found applications in industrial equipment. Their versatile products are now included in the TME product catalogue, making advanced technological solutions more accessible. 

Diverse Product Range 

Raspberry Pi’s offerings extend well beyond their renowned single-board computers. Their motherboards feature essential ports like USB, HDMI, and Ethernet, along with SD card slots and GPIO connectors for versatile project integration. The latest Raspberry Pi 5 model introduces a dual-core 64-bit Broadcom BCM2712 processor, up to 8 GB RAM, and enhanced features such as PCIe extension ports, a power switch, and an RTC clock system.  

Innovative Models 

Raspberry Pi 5: It is equipped with the dual-core, 64-bit Broadcom BCM2712 system, based on the Arm Cortex-A76 architecture and clocked at 2.4 GHz. So it deivers a 2-3x increase in CPU performance relative to Raspberry Pi 4. Moreover, the computer can be fitted with operating memory up to 8 GB RAM and a graphic processor (GPU VideoCore 7) supporting the OpenGL and Vulkan technologies.  

Raspberry Pi 400: This model integrates the RPi 4 board into a keyboard housing, reminiscent of classic microcomputers. It comes with a mouse, power supply, pre-installed operating system, and a detailed manual, making it particularly appealing to beginners and younger users.

Raspberry Pi Zero: Known for its compact size and energy efficiency, the Raspberry Pi Zero is ideal for mobile devices and IoT projects. Despite its smaller form factor, it includes essential features like an HDMI connector, USB output, SD card slot, CSI port, and a built-in wireless communication module (Zero W variant).

For projects requiring different formats or more powerful processing capabilities, Raspberry Pi offers Compute Modules. These miniaturized versions provide the core motherboard components without additional ports, allowing for custom configurations via high-density connectors. The CM4 variants offer SMD board-to-board connectors for an even lower profile, enhancing their flexibility for various applications.

RP2040 Microcontroller

Recognizing the need for simpler projects, Raspberry Pi developed the RP2040 microcontroller, based on the Cortex M0+ architecture. This microcontroller, featured in the Raspberry Pi Pico module, includes 264 kB RAM, supports external memory up to 16 MB, and integrates various peripherals such as serial bus controllers, ADC converters, and PWM generators. The Pico module, with its small size and ease of use, is ideal for a wide range of applications.

Comprehensive Accessories

Raspberry Pi also offers a wide range of accessories, including power supply modules and enclosures designed to ensure trouble-free operation and practical usability. Enclosures protect the PCB and components while providing access to all necessary ports and connectors. Raspberry Pi also manufactures peripherals like mice and keyboards, as well as the Raspberry Pi Touch Display, a 7-inch screen with a touch panel that connects via DSI and is powered through GPIO.

The inclusion of Raspberry Pi products in the TME catalogue significantly broadens the availability of cutting-edge technology for educators, hobbyists, and industrial designers. With TME’s extensive inventory, the latest Raspberry Pi solutions are now within easy reach, ready to bring your ideas to life.

Learn More

The post Raspberry Pi Products Now Available at TME appeared first on EDN.

Advanced packaging technology continues to make waves this year after being a prominent highlight in 2023 and is closely tied to the fortunes of a new semiconductor industry star: chiplets. IDTechEx’s new report titled “Advanced Semiconductor Packaging 2024-2034: Forecasts, Technologies, Applications” explores advanced packaging’s current landscape while going into detail about emerging technologies such as 2.5D and 3D packaging.

Figure 1 2.5D and 3D packaging facilitate greater interconnection densities for chips serving applications like AI, data centers, and 5G. Source: IDTechEx

After fabs manufacture chips on silicon wafers through various advanced processes, packaging facilities receive completed wafers from fabs, cut them into individual chips, assemble or “package” them into final products, and test them for performance and quality. These packaged chips are then shipped to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

That’s part of the traditional semiconductor manufacturing value chain in which engineers build system-on-chips (SoCs) on silicon wafers and then move them to conventional packaging processes. Enter chiplets, manufactured of individual system modalities as standalone chips or chiplets on a wafer, then integrating these separate functionalities into a system through advanced packaging.

This premise brings advanced packaging to the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing innovation. In fact, the future of chiplets is intertwined with advancements in advanced packaging, where 2.5D and 3D technologies are rapidly taking shape to facilitate the commercial realization of chiplets.

2.5D and 3D packaging

While 1D and 2D semiconductor packaging technologies continue to dominate many applications, future advancements relate to 2.5D and 3D packaging to achieve the realization of more-than-Moore semiconductor realm. These technologies leverage wafer-level integration for miniaturization of components, leading to greater interconnection densities.

Figure 2 Advanced packaging techniques like 2.5D and 3D improve system bandwidth and power efficiency by increasing I/O routing density and reducing I/O bump size. Source: Siemens EDA

2.5D technology, which facilitates larger packaging areas, mandates a shift from silicon interposers to silicon bridges or other alternatives such as high-density fan-out. But packaging components of different materials together also leads to many challenges. The IDTechEx report asserts that finding the right materials and manufacturing techniques is critical for 2.5D packaging adoption.

Next, 3D packaging brings new structures into play. That includes integrating one active die on top of another active die and reducing bump pitch distance. This 3D technique—called hybrid bonding—can be used for applications such as CMOS image sensors, 3D NAND flash and HBM memory, and chiplets. However, like 2.5 packaging, 3D packaging entails manufacturing and cost challenges as techniques like hybrid bonding demand new high-quality tools and materials.

OSAT and EDA traction

The development of an ecosystem often offers vital clues about the future of a nascent technology like advanced packaging. While challenges abound, recent semiconductor industry announcements bode well for IC packaging capabilities in the 2.5 and 3D eras.

Amkor, a major outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) service provider, is investing approximately $2 billion to build an advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona. The 55-acre site will be ready for production in a couple of years.

Then there is Silicon Box, an advanced panel-level packaging foundry focusing on chiplet integration, packaging, and testing. After setting up an advanced packaging facility in Singapore, the company is building a new site in Northen Italy to better serve fabs in Europe.

EDA toolmakers are also paying attention to this promising new landscape. For instance, Siemens EDA is working closely with South Korean OSAT nepes to expand its IC packaging capabilities for the 3D-IC era. Siemens EDA is providing nepes tools to tackle the broad range of complex thermal, mechanical, and other challenges associated with developing advanced 3D-IC packages.

Figure 3 Innovator3D IC software delivers a fast, predictable path for the planning and heterogeneous integration of ASICs and chiplets using 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies. Source: Siemens EDA

Siemens EDA’s Innovator3D IC toolset shown above uses a hierarchical device planning approach to handle the massive complexity of advanced 2.5D/3D integrated designs with millions of pins. Here, designs are represented as geometrically partitioned regions with attributes controlling elaboration and implementation methods. That, in turn, allows critical updates to be quickly implemented while matching analytic techniques to specific regions, avoiding excessively long execution times.

Meanwhile, new materials and manufacturing processes will continue to be developed to confront the challenges facing 2.5D and 3D packaging. Perhaps another update before Christmas will provide greater clarity on where advanced packaging technology stands in 2024 and beyond.

Related Content

• How the Worlds of Chiplets and Packaging Intertwine
• TSMC crunch heralds good days for advanced packaging
• Intel and FMD’s Roadmap for 3D Heterogeneous Integration
• Heterogeneous Integration and the Evolution of IC Packaging
• Samsung’s advanced packaging pivot with Nvidia production win

The post Will 2024 be the year of advanced packaging? appeared first on EDN.

In 2024, the 10 major lithium-ion battery companies in India are as follows:

1. Battrixx

It is a division of Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd. The latter is one of the two constituent companies of the Kolsite Group. The other company is Plastiblends India Ltd.

It was founded in 2009. It is based out of Andheri (West), Mumbai, Maharashtra.

It has established a state-of-the-art plant for design, development and production at Chakan, Pune.

It focuses on developing future technologies, such as green energy systems and solutions. Its products provide batteries to electric vehicles and green energy storage system.

Its flagship products are lithium-ion battery packs and modules for e-vehicles.

It manufactures lithium ion batteries for application in a wide range of appliances in the e-mobility sector. Its lithium-ion batteries find application in electric bikes, two-wheel electric vehicles, three-wheel electric vehicles, electric cars, electric passenger vehicles, light commercial electric vehicles, and electric tractors.

Besides, it also manufactures lithium ion batteries for application in electric forklift, electric golf cart, and devices used in the marine environment.

2. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL)

It is a Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturing company. It was founded in 2011. It is based out of the city of Ningde, which is situated in the Fujian province of China.

This company started as a spin-off of Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), which was founded in 1999.

It specialises in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and battery management systems.

As per the data available from 2023, it is the world’s largest lithium-ion battery manufacturer for electric vehicles. Its global market share was around 37%.

It has established 13 manufacturing plants and six research and development centres across the world. However, it does not have any manufacturing plant in India. It is merely a supplier of lithium-ion batteries in India.

3. Exicom Tele-Systems Limited

It was founded in 1994. Its head-office is in Gurugram, Haryana.

It provides state-of-the-art lithium-ion cells for EV chargers, battery systems, and industrial power systems.

It exports lithium-ion cells to 15 countries in the world.

Its specialisation is in the production of lithium-ion cells for the telecom industry.

4. Grinntech Motors & Services Pvt. Ltd.

It was founded by two entrepreneurs, Mr. Puneet Jain and Mr. Nikhilesh Mishra. It is based out of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

It has established a state-of-the-art lab for developing new advanced lithium-ion cells. It puts into application data driven advanced algorithms.

It specialises in developing high-quality and affordable energy storage solutions. It is vociferously working towards fulfilling the aim of electrification of all mobility vehicles.

It manufactures lithium-ion cells for electric cycles, robots, 2-wheeler automobiles, 3-wheeler automobiles, small commercial vehicles, light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, etc.

5. Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

It was established on 14 July, 2006, as Panasonic India Private Limited. With effect from 1 August, 2022, it changed its nomenclature to Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited. It was done to bring all businesses of the Panasonic Group in India under one roof.

It is the Indian subsidiary company of the Panasonic Group, which is based out of Kadoma, Osaka, Japan.

Its head-office is in Gurugram, Haryana.

It specialises in the production of lithium-ion cells for use in the automotive industry.

It has formed a joint venture with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) to manufacture cylindrical lithium-ion batteries. Such batteries are used in electric vehicles, power tools, and consumer electronics.

6. Gotion Inc.

It is a multi-national lithium ion battery manufacturing company. It aims to create the next generation of battery technologies for all new energy automotive.

It is a conglomeration of many battery developing technology companies. Its largest stakeholder is the German automaker Volkswagen.

Its head-office is in Fremont, California, United States of America.

It has six manufacturing plants spread across five countries of the world- namely, the USA, Germany, Japan, China, and Singapore.

It has established its R&D centre in Hefei, China. It researches new technology for the production of lithium ion batteries.

It does not manufacture any lithium ion batteries in India. It merely supplies lithium ion batteries in India.

In June, 2024, Indian lithium ion battery manufacturer, Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Ltd., signed a licensing agreement with Gotion Inc., for the indigenous production of lithium-ion batteries using iron phosphate as a raw material.

7. LG Energy Solution Ltd.

LG Energy Solution Ltd. is the successor company of LG Chem Energy Solution Business Division. The latter was established in 1992. It was functional till 2020. It had begun research on lithium-ion batteries in 1992.

In 2020, LG Chem approved the split-off of its battery business. Resultantly, after the split, LG Energy Solution Ltd. was established. It is based out of Seoul, South Korea.

It manufactures lithium-ion batteries for application across all dimensions, spanning across land, sea, air, and space.

It manufactures lithium-ion batteries for three segments- advanced automotive battery, mobility and IT battery, and ESS battery enterprises.

It is the first supplier of lithium-ion batteries for battery-powered spacesuits manufactured for use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Besides, it is the supplier of lithium-ion batteries for the world’s first eco-friendly hybrid ship made by a Norwegian shipbuilding company. Also, it supplies lithium-ion batteries for drones.

In 2020, LG Chem and General Motors entered into collaboration and established Ultium Cells, a joint venture for the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

8. Samsung SDI India Pvt. Ltd.

It is the Indian subsidiary company of Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. Its parent firm is headquartered in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is a battery and electronic materials manufacturing company.

It has a manufacturing plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Besides, it has a sales network office in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

It manufactures lithium-ion cells in all sizes, ranging from small, mid to large-sized cells.

They are used in a wide range of applications. For instance, electric vehicles, energy storage systems, power devices, IT devices, micro mobility purposes such as electric bikes, electric scooters, electric motorcycles, and robots.

9. Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd.

It is the Indian subsidiary company of the Toshiba Group. It is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.

In 2018, Suzuki, Toshiba and Denso founded a joint venture company, TDS Lithium-Ion Battery Gujarat Private Limited (TDSG), for the production of automotive lithium-ion-battery packs in India.

In 2023, the battery division of Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement with EVage. The latter is a key supplier for electric commercial vans. As per the agreement, it will supply SCiBTM lithium-ion batteries. They would be used for a wide range of applications. For instance, electric vehicles such as electric buses, electric cars, industrial applications such as power plants, elevators, infrastructure applications such as in container cranes, and data centres.

10. Okaya EV Private Limited

It is a subsidiary company of the Okaya Power group. It specialises in producing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, charging, and battery swapping solutions.

It produced India’s first lithium-ion battery. It gave it the name Okaya Royale. It is produced in two variants. First, Okaya Royale. And second, Okaya Royale XL.

Its production process is certified as per the ISO 14001:2004 certification.

It is the third-largest battery manufacturer in India. Besides, it is the leading charging station manufacturer in India.

The lithium-ion batteries produced by Okaya EV Private Limited have the following special features:

First, less weight and compact size.

Second, it recharges at a very fast rate.

Third, it has a longer life-span.

Fourth, it provides a longer back up.

Fifth, it is almost maintenance-free. Hence, it is highly durable.

It specialises in the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

 

The post 10 Major Lithium-ion Battery Companies in India in 2024 appeared first on ELE Times.

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