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Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA is participating in and sponsoring the ‘Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Event’ at the Hilton Munich Airport Hotel, Germany (12–13 December)...

Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures JEDEC- and AEC-Q101-qualified gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for high-voltage power conversion — has announced the availability of two new reference designs for electric vehicle (EV) charging applications...

Dallas-based Texas Instruments (TI) has expanded its low-power gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio, designed to help improve power density, maximize system efficiency and shrink the size of AC/DC consumer power electronics and industrial systems. TI's overall portfolio of GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) with integrated gate drivers addresses common thermal design challenges, keeping adapters cooler while pushing more power in a smaller footprint...

• Engineers can develop AC/DC solutions that are half the size and achieve >95% system efficiency, simplifying thermal design.
• New GaN devices are compatible with the most common topologies in AC/DC power conversion.

Texas Instruments today announced the expansion of its low-power gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio, designed to help improve power density, maximize system efficiency, and shrink the size of AC/DC consumer power electronics and industrial systems. TI’s overall portfolio of GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) with integrated gate drivers addresses common thermal design challenges, keeping adapters cooler while pushing more power in a smaller footprint.

“Today’s consumers want smaller, lighter and more portable power adapters that also provide fast, energy-efficient charging,” said Kannan Soundarapandian, general manager of High Voltage Power at TI. “With the expansion of our portfolio, designers can bring the power-density benefits of low-power GaN technology to more applications that consumers use every day, such as mobile phone and laptop adapters, TV power-supply units, and USB wall outlets. Additionally, TI’s portfolio also addresses the growing demand for high efficiency and compact designs in industrial systems such as power tools and server auxiliary power supplies.”

The new portfolio of GaN FETs with integrated gate drivers, which includes the LMG3622, LMG3624 and LMG3626, offers the industry’s most accurate integrated current sensing. This functionality helps designers achieve maximum efficiency by eliminating the need for an external shunt resistor and reducing associated power losses by as much as 94% when compared to traditional current-sensing circuits used with discrete GaN and silicon FETs.

Maximize energy efficiency and simplify thermal design

TI’s GaN FETs with integrated gate drivers enable faster switching speeds, which helps keep adapters from overheating. Designers can reach up to 94% system efficiency for <75-W AC/DC applications or above 95% system efficiency for >75-W AC/DC applications. The new devices help designers reduce the solution size of a typical 67-W power adapter by as much as 50% compared to silicon-based solutions.

The portfolio is also optimized for the most common topologies in AC/DC power conversion, such as quasi-resonant flyback, asymmetrical half bridge flyback, inductor-inductor-converter, totem-pole power factor correction and active clamp flyback.

To learn more about the benefits of TI GaN for the most common AC/DC topologies, read the technical article, “The benefits of low-power GaN in common AC/DC power topologies.”

Long-term investment in GaN manufacturing

TI has a long history of globally owned, regionally diverse internal manufacturing operations, including wafer fabs, assembly and test factories, and bump and probe facilities across 15 worldwide sites. TI has been investing in manufacturing GaN technology for more than 10 years.

With plans to manufacture more than 90% of its products internally by 2030, TI has the ability to provide customers with dependable capacity for decades to come.

Package, availability and pricing

Production quantities of the LMG3622 and LMG3626 and pre-production quantities of the LMG3624 are available for purchase now on TI.com/GaN.

• Pricing starts at US$3.18 in 1,000-unit quantities.
• Available in an 8-mm-by-5.3-mm, 38-pin quad flat no-lead package.
• Evaluation modules, including the LMG3624EVM-081, start at US$250.
• Multiple payment and shipping options are available.
• Pin-to-pin devices without integrated current sensing, LMG3612 and LMG3616, are also available.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, tests and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems. Our passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors is alive today, as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology smaller, more efficient, more reliable and more affordable – making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. We think of this as Engineering Progress. It’s what we do and have been doing for decades. Learn more at TI.com.

Trademarks

All registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

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With a developed ecosystem, an ultra-low-power consumption profile, and an established presence in mobile phones, it is understandable why Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) technology has emerged as the preferred wireless protocol for new connectivity use cases in automotive applications.

This article examines the drivers behind the rising use of wireless connectivity in automobiles and reviews some current and potential future use cases for Bluetooth LE.

BLE driving factors in vehicles

The automotive industry is undergoing an unprecedented revolution, with a near-simultaneous convergence in the trends toward electrification, autonomous driving, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity. Cars are evolving from providing an essential transport service to providing occupants with a rewarding travel experience. Vehicle occupants will increasingly look to use their smartphones to gain access to their vehicles and customize this experience.

In addition, as the number of sensors, safety and infotainment systems in cars grows, so does the requirement to interconnect them to in-vehicle computers. Here, using cables, which add significant weight and volume to a vehicle, poses challenges for manufacturability, cost, and complexity.

Figure 1 Wireless connectivity in vehicles enhances user experience. Source: onsemi

Bluetooth LE is a low-power and cost-effective alternative to traditional interconnectivity solutions based on controller area networks (CAN) and local interconnect networks (LIN). So, several automotive OEMs are trying to leverage a Bluetooth LE infrastructure to replace these technologies in some use cases.

Bluetooth LE has several advantages over other wireless technologies, which makes it the preferred choice for automotive applications, including:

• Proven communication with smartphones allays concerns about interoperability
• Standardized specification and certification
• Robust performance in electrically noisy and harsh environments
• Availability of AEC-Q100 automotive qualified parts
• Low-power consumption which is a critical requirement in electric vehicles
• Availability of low-cost system-on-chip (SoC) components and antennas

Bluetooth LE automotive use cases

Bluetooth technology in automobiles was first used with vehicle access systems, enabling features like the phone-as-a-key feature for passive-entry and passive-start. Future developments around Bluetooth LE in this application will see customized user experiences based on individual digital keys and profiles. For example, a vehicle will be able to automatically identify a profile stored in a driver’s or passenger’s mobile phone and then seamlessly adjust the position of mirrors, seats, and the steering wheel to match individual preferences.

Additionally, it will be possible to create shared keys for other vehicle users, eventually making phone-as-a-key a practical solution for the emerging trend of shared autonomous vehicles. However, this will also require profiles to be protected by the highest security levels to prevent them from being copied by unauthorized third parties who could steal or alter how the vehicle operates.

Here, it’s worth mentioning that low power is crucial in infotainment systems like telematics boxes and head-unit displays. Often, these systems include high-power-consumption connectivity devices like cellular telecommunications modems, Wi-Fi, and other connectivity protocols. These systems have stringent power budgets that must be adhered to so as not to place a drain on a vehicle’s battery when a car is not in use.

Meeting these requirements is driving system developers to look for low-power wireless MCUs that can shut off the higher power consumption components in the vehicle but still wake them up when needed. Bluetooth LE is an excellent option for this purpose, allowing a telematics box or head-unit display to determine if it needs to wake up to handle over-the-air software updates or perform other diagnostic functions, for example.

Apart from vehicle body applications, another emerging trend is to use radios featuring Bluetooth technology in battery-management systems to send periodic temperature and voltage information about battery packs to the main computer. Bluetooth LE can also help OEMs to reduce costs with features like wireless tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that allow drivers to check tire pressure using their phones or even receive notifications when a tire is flat.

Bluetooth LE can also simplify designs for controlling multi-position power seats, mirrors, locks, and sunroofs. Apart from ultra-low-power consumption, a small form factor and the ability to secure data communication within and outside the vehicle are critical requirements when selecting a Bluetooth LE-enabled MCU for use in a car.

Low-power wireless MCUs

Besides connectivity, wireless MCUs also feature embedded security and ultra-low power for automotive applications. The wireless MCU shown below has four low-power modes to reduce power consumption while maintaining system responsiveness. These include sleep, standby, smart sense, and idle. Smart sense mode takes advantage of the low-power capability of sleep mode while allowing some digital and analog peripherals to remain active with minimal processor intervention.

Figure 2 The NCV-RSL15 wireless MCU is designed with a smart sense power mode. Source: onsemi

These features allow wireless MCUs to support applications like vehicle access, tire pressure, and tire monitoring systems for up to 10 years off the power from a single coin cell. Next, OEMs continue to find ways to exploit Bluetooth LE-enabled MCUs in developing lighter, more scalable battery management systems that are easier to manufacture.

Moreover, the wireless MCU shown above is built around an Arm Cortex−M33 processor core with TrustZone Armv8−M security extensions, which form the basis of its security platform. The MCU also incorporates embedded security with an Arm CryptoCell featuring hardware-based root-of-trust secure boot, many user-accessible hardware-accelerated cryptographic algorithms, and firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) capabilities to support future firmware updates and deployment of security patches.

Such security features make Bluetooth LE-enabled MCUs highly suitable for remote access devices.

Ben Widsten is product manager for Bluetooth Low Energy solutions at onsemi.

Related Content

• Bluetooth low energy (BLE) explained
• Ultra-Small Bluetooth Low Energy SoC
• Inside Bluetooth low-energy technology
• The basics of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• Bluetooth 4.0: An introduction to Bluetooth Low Energy

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Energy Collaborative to highlight initial sponsors, partners and mission at COP28 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Aiming to reduce global semiconductor ecosystem carbon emissions, SEMI and the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC) have created the Energy Collaborative (EC) to understand and clear roadblocks to the installation of low-carbon energy sources in the Asia-Pacific region. The EC, a collective of industry leaders, will provide a consolidated view of priorities for low-carbon energy in the region.

“Sharing resources to start this foundational semiconductor industry sustainability work now is important to enable wider access to low-carbon energy in the next five to ten years,” stated Young Bae, SCC Governing Council member and sponsor for the SCC Scope 2 Working Group, and Global Business Director, Advanced Cleans Technologies at DuPont. “One of the key action areas the SCC has identified is the lack of low-carbon energy plans and actions in the Asia-Pacific region. The EC will help the SCC by accelerating investments to broaden access.”

The EC sponsoring companies will anchor the collective’s work to engage in roundtables and fact-finding sessions. Initial sponsors include:

• Applied Materials
• AMD
• ASE
• ASML
• JSR
• Lam Research
• Macquarie Group
• Samsung Electronics
• TotalEnergies
• TSMC

McKinsey & Company is a Knowledge Partner to the initiative, providing fact-based analysis and support.

“The semiconductor value chain and its downstream partners and customers have a pivotal role to play in the acceleration of low-carbon energy installations, due to their scale in high-priority markets and the extent to which they will drive growth in future energy demands,” stated Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI. “To reach the emissions reductions goals of the sector, a step function change in ambition and action is required. The EC is focused on that goal – increasing the pace and scaling of access to low-carbon energy.”

A recent SCC report found that the semiconductor value chain is a significant consumer of energy in almost all key Asian markets. Additionally, a recent analysis by McKinsey & Company shows that even with major semiconductor companies’ latest commitments, which are more stringent than past measures, the industry is not on track to limit emissions to the extent required under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The analysis finds that both individual and collective actions by semiconductor players can help the entire industry increase its sustainability effort and meet the 1.5°C challenge.

SEMI representatives will host a special session on December 2 in the Green Zone at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For more information, contact Heidi Hoffman of SEMI at hhoffman@semi.org.

SEMI welcomes additional sponsors and partners of the Energy Collaborative. To join the collaborative or learn more, contact scc@semi.org.

About the Semiconductor Climate Consortium
Focused on overcoming emissions challenges facing the semiconductor value chain, the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC) was formed based on the principles of collaboration, ambition and transparency. SCC working groups are working to establish more accurate emissions reporting, measure the value chain’s progress and accelerate the development of sustainability solutions. An outgrowth of the SEMI Sustainability Initiative, the SCC has more than 90 members.

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Did it in my free time with spare parts lying around and a lot of hot glue to keep stuff together and insulated. Originally ran off 10-12vac with a brake light. Switched it to 10-12vdc and stuffed a 12v cob led into the lamp part, with a small heatsink and fan to keep it cool. Led stays within operating temps and I’m happy with it submitted by /u/crysoskis [link] [comments]

For newbie RF designers, the field's variety of power gain definitions can cause confusion. This article explains how, why, and when to use the operating power gain definition in RF amplifier design.

Hello, so I want to connect my motor to this BLDC driver in the picture but, the driver has 5 pins and the motor has 6 pins does anybody know how to convert 6 pin to 5 pins ? On the internet I found the last picture but I don’t know how I can identify which pins are which on the motor to wire it correctly. submitted by /u/danko8282828282 [link] [comments]

Automotive electronics innovations simplify human-machine interaction, power systems, and interconnectivity.

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Learn how conductive circuit components can function as antennas, even when they aren't intended to.

At the Enlit Europe energy forum in Paris, ST highlighted a Prime v1.4-certified chipset for smart metering and an NB-IoT module for mobile devices.

One of the largest vendors of embedded processors has independently developed a CPU core for the 32-bit general-purpose RISC-V market; it can be used as the main CPU or on-chip subsystem and can even be embedded in an application-specific standard product (ASSP).

Renesas Electronics, which has designed and tested a 32-bit CPU core based on the open-standard RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA), is currently sampling devices based on this new core to select customers. It plans to launch its first RISC-V-based MCU and associated development tools in the first quarter of 2024.

It’s important to note that while several MCU suppliers have announced the development of RISC-V products, Renesas is the first company to unveil a 32-bit RISC-V MCU architecture development. Also worth noting is that the Japanese chipmaker’s 32-bit MCU portfolio includes its proprietary RX Family as well as RA Family based on the Arm Cortex-M architecture.

Another important fact in Renesas’s RISC-V foray is that it has already introduced 32-bit ASSP devices for voice control and motor control built on CPU cores developed by Andes Technology. Renesas has also unveiled 64-bit general-purpose microprocessors (MPUs) built on Andes CPU cores.

The high-level block diagram highlights the 32-bit RISC-V MCU architecture development. Source: Renesas

Renesas claims its RISC-V CPU achieves a 3.27 CoreMark/MHz performance, outperforming similar architectures in performance and code size reduction. It’s a versatile CPU that is suitable for different application contexts. For instance, it can serve as a main application controller, a complementary and secondary core in system-on-chips (SoCs), and in on-chip subsystems and deeply embedded ASSPs.

Giancarlo Parodi, principal product marketing engineer at Renesas, also claims in his blog that CPU’s implementation is very efficient regarding silicon area. Besides smaller cost impact, it helps reduce operating current and leakage current during standby time. Finally, despite targeting small embedded systems, this RISC-V core provides a high level of computational throughput.

Next, in line with RISC-V ISA foreseeing several ‘extensions’ that target specific functionality more efficiently, Renesas has included extensions to improve performance and reduce code size. Additionally, the CPU core has added a stack monitor register to enhance the robustness of the application software. It will help designers detect and prevent stack memory overflows, a common issue spotted through test coverage alone.

Parodi’s blog provides more details about the CPU features and capabilities and how they assist developers in benchmarking an application and verifying its behavior. More details about its performance score will be available on the EEMBC website once the first product is unveiled in early 2024.

The RISC-V processors, known for their flexibility, are gradually making inroads in the embedded systems landscape. In this design journey, the availability of a homegrown CPU from a major MCU supplier lends RISC-V fray significant credibility in offering embedded processing solutions for a broad range of applications.

Related Content

• A Big Week for RISC-V
• Examining the Top Five Fallacies About RISC-V
• Startups Help RISC-V Reshape Computer Architecture
• Accelerating RISC-V development with network-on-chip IP
• RISC-V venture in Germany to accelerate design ecosystem

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The NRP170TWG(N) thermal waveguide power sensor from Rohde & Schwarz enables power level measurements from 110 GHz to 170 GHz. It provides full traceability to national metrology institute (NMI) standards in this frequency range, an important prerequisite for commercializing the D-band. According to R&S, it is the only NMI-traceable RF power sensor for the D-band.

The plug-and-play device comes in two variants: the NRP170TWG, controlled via a USB connection, and the NRP170TWGN, offering both USB and LAN connections. Both models are calibrated for long-term stability and compensate for environmental temperature changes within the operating range of 0°C to +50°C. Sensors have a dynamic range of -35 dBm to +20 dBm and handle up to 500 measurements/s. 

The thermal power sensors can be used in general R&D for 6G mobile communications, novel sub-THz communications, sensing, and future automotive radar applications. No calibration is required prior to performing measurements, since the sensors are fully characterized over frequency, level, and temperature. All calibration data is stored in the sensor.

The NRP170TWG(N) thermal power sensors are available now from Rohde & Schwarz.

NRP170TWG(N) product page

Rohde & Schwarz 

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Microchip’s PIC18-Q24 MCUs employ a programming and debugging interface disable (PDID) function that enhances chip-level security. When enabled, this enhanced code protection feature disables the programming/debugging interface and blocks unauthorized attempts to read, modify, or erase firmware.

The PIC18-Q24 microcontroller family also provides a multi-voltage I/O (MVIO) interface. MVIO allows the MCU to interface with digital inputs or outputs at different operating voltages. This integrated level shifting not only eliminates the need for external level shifters, but also reduces both design area and BOM costs. MVIO pins support a voltage range of 1.62 V through 5.5 V.

With PDID and MVIO, PIC18-Q24 8-bit MCUs are particularly useful as system management processors, performing monitoring and telemetry for a larger processor. These routine tasks are typically most vulnerable to potential hackers as they attempt to gain access to embedded systems.

Other features of the PIC18-Q24 include a 10-bit ADC with computation capable of 300 ksamples/s and an 8-bit signal routing port to interconnect digital peripherals without using external pins. The PIC18-Q24 devices are available in a variety of packages with pins counts ranging from 28 to 48 pins.

To learn more, visit Microchip’s 8-bit PIC MCU webpage. For purchase information, contact a Microchip sales representative, authorized distributor, or visit the Microchip Direct website.

PIC18-Q24 product brief

Microchip Technology 

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With its precision analog front end, the Renesas RX23E-B 32-bit MCU is well-suited for high-end industrial sensor systems and measuring instruments. The part’s 24-bit delta-sigma ADC achieves a conversion speed of up to 125 ksamples/s, which is eight times faster than the company’s existing RX23E-A MCU. It performs accurate A/D conversion, while reducing RMS noise to one-third (0.18 µVRMS @ 1 ksamples/s) that of the RX23E-A.

The RX23E-B microcontroller enables accurate analog signal measurements of critical parameters like strain, temperature, pressure, flow rate, current, and voltage. It also offers sufficient measurement speed to drive force sensors used in industrial robots.

In addition to a 32-MHz RXv2-based CPU with DSP instructions and a floating point unit, the RX23E-B provides a 16-bit DAC to enable measurement adjustments, self-diagnosis, and analog signal output. The MCU’s ±10-V analog input enables ±10-V measurements with a 5-V power supply without requiring external components or an additional power supply.

The RX23E-B is available now, as is a Renesas Solution Starter Kit for the MCU.

RX23E-B product page

Renesas Electronics 

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Kyocera has developed a silicon nitride (SN) light source for Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers using its SN heater and glow plug portfolio. The company’s SN heaters are robust and fast ramping, serving as glow plugs for diesel engines and igniters for furnaces. Applied to spectrometry, Kyocera’s SN technology delivers high spectral emissivity to enable more accurate material identification.

The heater structure embeds a printed heating element in silicon nitride ceramic. Each heater pattern can be customized to meet application requirements, including such parameters as wattage, output temperature, and heating area.

The durability of the SN material results in lower failure rates and an extended duty cycle compared to conventional light source solutions. Its fracture toughness is more than twice that of silicon carbide, providing enhanced resistance to cracking and chipping during handling and installation. According to Kyocera, its SN heaters maintain consistent performance across more than 150,000 cycles without significant degradation.

For more information about Kyocera’s SN light source, click here.

Kyocera

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Hall-effect position sensors from TDK-Micronas reduce interference from stray magnetic fields in automotive and industrial applications. The HAL 3930-4100 (single die) and HAR 3930-4100 (dual die) sensors offer robust stray-field compensation and user-configurable PWM or SENT digital output interfaces. Single-die devices are ISO 26262 ASIL C-ready for integration into automotive safety-related systems.

The sensors offer a range of measurement capabilities, including 360° angular measurements, linear movement tracking, and 3D position information of a magnet. A modulo function—primarily for chassis position sensing—allows the partitioning of the 360° measurement range into smaller, more precise segments like 90°, 120°, and 180°.

Both sensors conduct self-tests when starting up and during regular operation to enhance reliability. In addition to chassis position sensing, the devices can be used to detect steering angle, transmission, gear shifter, accelerator, and brake pedal positions.

The HAL 3930-4100 is available in an SOIC8 package, while the HAR 3930-4100 is housed in an SSOP16. For more information on the TDK-Micronas lineup of 3D position sensors, click here.

TDK-Micronas

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