Новини світу мікро- та наноелектроніки

MaxLinear’s Wi-Fi 7 SoC with integrated triband access point has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance and selected as a Wi-Fi Certified 7 test bed device. Certification ensures that devices interoperate seamlessly and deliver the high-performance features of the Wi-Fi 7 standard.

The test bed employs the MxL31712 SoC, with the triband access point capable of operating at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. Well-suited for high-density environments, the access point includes the advanced features of 4K QAM, multi-link operation (MLO), multiple resource units (MRU) and puncturing, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, advanced beamforming, and power-saving enhancements.

MaxLinear’s Wi-Fi Certified 7 SoC family, comprising the triband MxL31712 and dual-band MxL31708, is based on the upcoming IEEE 802.11be standard and delivers peak throughput of 11.5 Gbps on 6-GHz (6E) spectrum. The MxL31712 accommodates up to 12 spatial streams, while the MxL31708 handles up to 8 spatial streams.

To learn more about the Wi-Fi 7 SoCs, click here.

MaxLinear

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

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The SCH16T-K01 inertial sensor from Murata combines an XYZ-axis gyroscope and XYZ-axis accelerometer in a robust SOIC package. Based on the company’s capacitive 3D-MEMS process, the device achieves centimeter-level accuracy in machine dynamics and position sensing, even in harsh environments.

The SCH16T-K01 provides an angular rate measurement range of ±300°/s and an acceleration measurement range of ±8 g. A redundant digital accelerometer channel offers a dynamic range of up to ±26 g, which offers resistance against saturation and vibration. Gyro bias instability is typically 0.5°/h. According to the company, the component overall exhibits excellent linearity and offset stability over the entire operating temperature range of -40°C to +110°C.

Other features of the industrial sensor include a SafeSPI V2.0 digital interface, self-diagnostics, and options for output interpolation and decimation. Housed in a 12×14×3-mm, 24-pin SOIC plastic package, the SCH16T-K01 is suitable for lead-free soldering and SMD mounting.

SCH16T-K01 product page

Murata

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

The post 6-DoF inertial sensor improves machine control appeared first on EDN.

Built this to test some pcbs I made submitted by /u/Anyhting_But_Stock [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/1Davide [link] [comments]

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA says that its new facility in Tamil Nadu, India, the country’s first fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant, has been inaugurated by Dr T R B Rajaa (Minister for Industries, Promotions and Commerce of the Government of Tamil Nadu) in a ceremony attended by Eric Garcetti (the US Ambassador to India) and Scott Nathan, CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)...

This year’s CES officially runs from today (as I write these words), Tuesday, January 9 through Friday, January 12. So why, you might ask, am I committing my coverage to cyber-paper on Day 1, only halfway through it, in fact? That’s because CES didn’t really start just today. The true official kickoff, at least for media purposes, was Sunday evening’s CES Unveiled event, which is traditionally reminiscent of a Japanese subway car, or if you prefer, a Las Vegas Monorail:

Yesterday was Media Day, where the bulk of the press releases and other announcement paraphernalia was freed from its prior corporate captivity for public perusal:

And some companies “jumped the gun”, announcing last week or even prior to the holidays, in attempting to get ahead of the CES “noise”. So, the bulk of the news is already “in the wild”; all that’s left is for the huddled masses at the various Convention Centers and other CES-allotted facilities to peruse it as they aimlessly wander zombie-like from booth to booth in search of free tchotchkes (can you tell how sad I am to not be there in person this year? Have I mentioned the always-rancid restrooms yet? Or, speaking of which, the wastewater-suggestive COVID super-spreader potential? Or…). Plus, it enables EDN to get my writeup up on the website and in the newsletters earlier than would otherwise be the case. I’ll augment this piece with comments and/or do follow-on standalone posts if anything else notable arrives before end-of-week.

AI (nearly) everywhere

The pervasiveness of AI wasn’t a surprise to me, and likely wasn’t to you, either. Two years ago, after all, I put to prose something that I’d much earlier believed was inevitable, ever since I saw an elementary live demo of deep learning-based object recognition (accelerated by the NVIDIA GPU in his laptop) from Yann LeCun, Director of AI Research at Facebook and a professor at New York University, at the May 2014 Embedded Vision Summit:

One year later (and one year ago), I amped up my enthusiasm in discussing generative AI in its myriad implementation forms, a topic which I revisited just a few months ago. And just about a week ago, I pontificated on the exploding popularity of AI-based large language models. It takes a while for implementation ideas to turn into prototypes, not to mention for them to further transition to volume production (if they make it to that far at all, that is), so this year’s CES promised to be the “fish or cut bait” moment for companies run by executives who’d previously only been able to shoehorn the “AI” catchphrase into every earnings briefing and elevator pitch.

So this week we got, among other things, AI-augmented telescopes (a pretty cool idea, actually, says this owner of a conventional Schmidt-Cassegrain scope with an 8” primary mirror). We got (I’m resisting inserting a fecal-themed adjective here, but only barely) voice-controllable bidet seats, although as I was reminded of in doing the research for this piece, the concept isn’t new, just the price point (originally ~$10,000, now “only” ~$2,000, although the concept still only makes me shudder). And speaking of fecund subjects, AI brings us “smart” cat doors that won’t allow Fluffy to enter your abode if it’s carrying a recently killed “present” in its mouth. Meow.

Snark aside, I have no doubt that AI will also sooner-or-later deliver a critical mass of tangibly beneficial products. I’ll save further discussion of the chips, IP cores, and software that fundamentally enable these breakthroughs for a later section. For now, I’ll just highlight one technology implementation that I find particularly nifty: AI-powered upscaling. Graphics chips have leveraged conventional upscaling techniques for a while now, for understandably beneficial reasons: they can harness a lower-performance polygons-to-pixels “engine” (along with employing less dedicated graphics memory) than would otherwise be needed to render a given resolution frame, then upscale the pixels before sending them to the screen. Dedicated-function upscaling devices (first) and integrated upscaling ICs in TVs (later) have done the same thing for TVs, as long-time readers may recall, again using conventional “averaging” and other approaches to create the added intermediary pixels between “real” ones.

But over the past several years, thanks to the massive, function-flexible parallelism now available in GPUs, this upscaling is increasingly now being accomplished using more intelligent deep learning-based algorithms, instead. And now, so too with TVs. This transition is, I (perhaps simplistically) believe, fundamentally being driven by necessity. TV suppliers want to sell us ever-larger displays. But regardless of how many pixels they also squeeze into each panel, the source material’s resolution isn’t increasing at the same pace…4K content is still the exception, not the norm, and especially if you sit close and/or if the display is enormous, you’re going to see the individual pixels if they’re not upscaled and otherwise robustly processed.

See-through displays: pricey gimmick or effective differentiator?

Speaking of TVs…bigger (case study: TCL’s 115” monstrosity), thinner, faster-refreshing (case study: LG’s 480 Hz refresh-rate OLED…I’ll remind readers of my longstanding skepticism regarding this particular specification, recently validated by Vizio’s class action settlement) and otherwise “better” displays were as usual rife around CES. But I admittedly was surprised by another innovation, which LG’s suite reportedly most pervasively exemplified, with Samsung apparently a secondary participant: transparent displays. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but so-called “See-through Displays” (to quote Wikipedia vernacular) have apparently been around for a few years now; this is the first time they’ve hit my radar screen.

Admittedly, they neatly solve (at least somewhat) a problem I identified a while back; ever-larger displays increasingly dominate the “footprint” of the room they’re installed in, to the detriment of…oh…furniture, or anything else that the room might otherwise also contain. A panel that can be made transparent (with consequent degradation of contrast ratio, dynamic range, and other image quality metrics, but you can always re-enable the solid background when those are important) at least creates the illusion of more empty room space. LG’s prototypes are OLED-based and don’t have firm prices (unless “very expensive” is enough to satisfy you) or production schedules yet. Samsung claims its MicroLED-based alternative approach is superior but isn’t bothering to even pretend that what it’s showing are anything but proof-of-concepts.

High-end TV supplier options expand and abound

Speaking of LG and Samsung…something caught my eye amidst the flurry of news coming through my various Mozilla Thunderbird-enabled RSS feeds this week. Roku announced a new high-end TV family, implementing (among other things) the aforementioned upscaling and other image enhancement capabilities. What’s the big deal, and what’s this got to do with LG and Samsung? Well, those two were traditionally the world’s largest LCD TV panel suppliers, by a long shot. But nowadays, China’s suppliers are rapidly expanding in market share, in part because LG and Samsung are instead striving to move consumers to more advanced display technologies, such as the aforementioned OLED and microLED, along with QLED (see my post-2019 CES coverage for more details on these potential successors).

LG and Samsung manufacture not only display panels but also TVs based on them, of course, and historically they’d likely be inclined to save the best panels for themselves. But now, Roku is (presumably) being supplied by Chinese panel manufacturers who don’t (yet, at least) have the brand name recognition to be able to sell their own TVs to the US and other Western markets. And Roku apparently isn’t afraid (or maybe it’s desperation?) to directly challenge other TV suppliers such as LG and Samsung, who it’d previously aspired to have as partners, integrate support for its streaming platform. Interesting.

Premium smartphones swim upstream

Speaking of aspiring for the high end…a couple of weeks ago, I shared my skepticism regarding any near-term reignition of new smartphone sales. While I’m standing by that premise in a broad sense, there is one segment of the market that seemingly remains healthy, at least comparatively: premium brands and models. Thereby explaining, for example, Qualcomm’s latest high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC platform, unveiled last October. And similarly explaining the CES-launched initial round of premium smartphones based on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and competitive chipsets from companies like Apple and MediaTek.

Take, for example, the OPPO Find X7 Ultra. Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max might have one periscope lens, but OPPO’s new premium smartphone has two! Any sarcasm you might be sensing is intentional, by the way…that said, keep in mind that I’m one of an apparently dying breed of folks who’s still fond of standalone cameras, and that I also take great pride in not acquiring the latest-and-greatest smartphones (or brand-new ones at all, for that matter).

Wi-Fi gets faster and more robust…and slower but longer distance

Speaking of wireless communications…Wi-Fi 7 (aka IEEE 802.11be), the latest version of the specification from the Wi-Fi Alliance, was officially certified this week. Predictably, as with past versions of the standard, manufacturers had jumped the gun and began developing and sampling chipsets (and systems based on them) well ahead of this time; hopefully all the equipment already out there based on “draft” specs will be firmware-upgradeable to the final version. In brief, Wi-Fi 7 builds on Wi-Fi 6 (aka IEEE 802.11ax), which had added support for both MU-MIMO and OFDMA, and Wi-Fi 6e, which added support for the 6 GHz license-exempt band, with several key potential enhancements:

• Wider channels: up to 80 MHz in the 5 GHz band (vs 20 MHz initially) and up to 320 MHz in the 6 GHz band (vs 160 MHz previously)
• Multi-link operation: the transmitter-to-receiver connection can employ multiple channels in multiple bands simultaneously, for higher performance and/or reliability
• Higher QAM levels for denser data packing: 4K-QAM, versus 1,024-QAM with Wi-Fi 6 and 256-QAM in Wi-Fi 5.

The key word in all of this, of course, is “potential”. The devices on both ends of the connection must both support Wi-Fi 7, first and foremost, otherwise it’ll down-throttle to a lower version of the standard. Wide channel usage is dependent on spectrum availability, and the flip side of the coin is also relevant: its usage may also adversely affect other ISM-based devices. And QAM level relevance is fundamentally defined by signal strength and contending interference sources…i.e., 4K-QAM is only relevant at close range, among other factors.

That said, Wi-Fi’s slower but longer range sibling, Wi-Fi HaLow (aka IEEE 802.11ah), which also had its coming-out party at CES this year, is to me actually the more interesting wireless communication standard. The key word here is “standard”. Long-time readers may remember my earlier discussions of my Blink outdoor security camera setup. Here’s a relevant excerpt from the premier post in the series:

A Blink system consists of one or multiple tiny cameras, each connected both directly to a common router or to an access point intermediary (and from there to the Internet) via Wi-Fi, and to a common (and equally diminutive) Sync Module control point (which itself then connects to that same router or access point intermediary via Wi-Fi) via a proprietary “LFR” long-range 900 MHz channel.

The purpose of the Sync Module may be non-intuitive to those of you who (like me) have used standalone cameras before…until you realize that each camera is claimed to be capable of running for up to two years on a single set of two AA lithium cells. Perhaps obviously, this power stinginess precludes continuous video broadcast from each camera, a “constraint” which also neatly preserves both available LAN and WAN bandwidth. Instead, the Android or iOS smartphone or tablet app first communicates with the Sync Module and uses it to initiate subsequent transmission from a network-connected camera (generic web browser access to the cameras is unfortunately not available, although you can also view the cameras’ outputs from either a standalone Echo Show or Spot, or a Kindle Fire tablet in Echo Show mode).

In summary, WiFi HaLow takes that “proprietary “LFR” long-range 900 MHz channel” and makes it industry-standard. One of the first Wi-Fi HaLow products to debut this week was Abode Systems’ Edge Camera, developed in conjunction with silicon partner Morse Micro and software partner Xailent, which will enter production later this quarter at $199.99 and touts a 1.5 mile broadcast range and one year of operating life from its integrated 6,000 mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery. The broader implications of the technology for IoT and other apps are intriguing.

Does Matter (along with Thread, for that matter) matter?

Speaking of networking…the Matter smart home communication standard, built on the foundation of the Thread (based on Zigbee) wireless protocol, had no shortage of associated press releases and product demos in Las Vegas this week. But to date, its implementation has been underwhelming (leading to a scathing but spot-on recent diatribe from The Verge, among other pieces), both in comparison to its backers’ rosy projections and its true potential.

Not that any of this was a surprise to me, alas. Consider that the fundamental premise of Matter and Thread was to unite the now-fragmented smart home device ecosystem exemplified by, for example, the various Belkin WeMo devices currently residing in my abode. If you’re an up-and-coming startup in the space, you love industry standards, because they lower your market-entry barriers versus larger, more established competitors. Conversely, if you’re one of those larger, more established suppliers, you love barriers to entry for your competitors. Therefore the lukewarm-at-best (and more frequently, nonexistent or flat-out broken) embrace of Matter and Thread by legacy smart home technology and product suppliers (for which, to be precise, and as my earlier Blink example exemplifies, conventional web browser access, vs a proprietary app, is even a bridge too far).

I’ll have more to say on Matter and Thread in a dedicated-topic post to come. But suffice it to say that I’m skeptical about their long-term prospects, albeit only cautiously so. I just don’t know what it might take to break the logjam that understandably prevents competitors from working together, in spite of the reality that a rising tide often does end up lifting all boats…or if you prefer, it’s often better to get a slice of a large pie versus the entirety of a much smaller pie. I’d promise to turn metaphors off at this point, but then there’s the title of the next section…

The Apple-ephant in the room

Speaking of standards…Apple, as far as I know, has never had a show floor, hospitality suite or other formal presence at CES, although I’m sure plenty of company employees attend, scope out competitors’ wares and meet with suppliers (and of course, there are plenty of third-party iPhone case suppliers and the like showing off their latest-and-greatest). That said, Apple still regularly casts a heavy pall over the event proceedings by virtue of its recently announced, already-public upcoming and rumored planned product and service offerings. Back in 2007, for example, the first-generation iPhone was all that anyone to talk about. And this year, it was the Vision Pro headset, which Apple announced on Monday (nothing like pre-empting CES, eh?) would be open for pre-sale beginning next week, with shipments starting on February 2:

The thematic commonality with the first iPhone commercial was, I suspect, not by accident:

What’s the competitive landscape look like? Well, in addition to Qualcomm’s earlier mentioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC for premium smartphones, the company more recently (a few days ago, to be precise) unveiled a spec-bumped “+” variant of its XR2 Gen 2 SoC for mixed-reality devices, several of which were on display at the show. There was, for example, the latest-generation XREAL augmented reality (AR) glasses, along with an upcoming (and currently unnamed) standalone head-mounted display (HMD) from Sony. The latter is particularly interesting to me…it was seemingly (and likely obviously) rushed to the stage to respond to Apple’s unveil, for one thing. Sony’s also in an interesting situation, because it first and foremost wants to preserve its lucrative game console business, for which it already offers several generations of VR headsets as peripherals (thereby explaining why I earlier italicized “standalone”). Maybe that’s why development partner Siemens is, at least for now, positioning it as intended solely for the “industrial metaverse”?

The march of the semiconductors

Speaking of ICs…in addition to the announcements I’ve already mentioned, the following vendors (and others as well; these are what caught my eye) released chips and/or software packages:

• Ambarella: A new IoT processor family, two new ADAS processors in an existing family, and a software development toolkit platform
• AMD: New chips for automotive applications, a next-generation mainstream graphics chip, and both new APUs (integrated CPUs-plus-GPUs) for socket AM5 and additional CPUs for legacy socket AM4 (the ongoing cost-per-bit benefit of DDR4 SDRAM versus the sooner-or-later DDR5 successor has made Intel’s life easier and complicated AMD’s, hasn’t it?)
• Speaking of Intel…new variants (including automotive-tailored spins…what happened to Mobileye, Intel?) of the Meteor Lake chiplet-based CPUs that I wrote about last September, plus plenty of “AI PCs” from the company’s system partners (and a mobile gaming system from MSI), along with both mobile and mainstream desktop proliferations of the 14th generation “Raptor Lake Refresh” architecture that I also mentioned in last September’s writeup’s comments.
• And “SUPER” high-end versions of NVIDIA’s RTX 4080, RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4070, in the process obsoleting their (non-super?) TI predecessors but effectively doing little to nothing to alleviate the big-picture GPU constraints I grumbled about a few weeks back.

The rest of the story

I’m a few words shy of 3,000 at this point, and I’m not up for incurring Aalyia’s wrath, so I’ll only briefly mention other CES 2024 announcements and trends that particularly caught my eye:

• The first public mention of a Thunderbolt 5-based product via a dock from Hyper
• A cute but dubious-at-best (IMHO) meaningful reintroduced robot from Samsung called Ballie (analogies to Sony’s aibo and Amazon’s Astro are perhaps apt)
• Numerous products, some brand new and others seemingly just firmware-updated repackages of MagSafe predecessors, based on Qi2, the latest version of the Wireless Power Consortium’s wireless charging specification (stay tuned for already-queued coverage to come soon on both MagSafe and Qi2)
• And PCIe 5-based SSDs from companies such as Sabrent and Samsung (Samsung’s dual-mode approach is particularly interesting to me for its bandwidth-vs-power consumption tradeoff potential)

And with that, pushing beyond 3,100 words (and pushing my luck with Aalyia in the process) I’ll sign off. Sound off with your thoughts in the comments, please!

—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the company’s online newsletter.

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• Display technologies: Refinements and new entrants
• CES 2019: Are 8K displays and AI realistic for consumers?
• CES 2019: The state of autonomous vehicles and 5G

The post The 2024 CES: It’s “AI everywhere”, if you hadn’t already guessed appeared first on EDN.

Transphorm Inc of Goleta, CA, USA is to be acquired by a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corp of Tokyo, Japan for $5.10 per share in cash (a premium of about 35% to Transphorm’s closing stock price on 10 January, and about 56% to the volume-weighted average price over the last 12 months and 78% to that over the last six months). The transaction values Transphorm at about $339m...

Wireless Connectivity Test Set MT8862A Enables Flexible and Fast Advanced RF Measurement for Wi-Fi 7 320 MHz

Anritsu and ASUS have announced a partnership to validate the latest wireless communications standard, IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) 320 MHz performance testing. This series of tests utilized the Anritsu Wireless Connectivity Test Set (WLAN Tester) MT8862A in Network Mode and in the ASUS ROG Phone 8 series smartphones.

The IEEE 802.11be standard incorporates innovative technologies, including a 320 MHz bandwidth, 4096 QAM modulation and Multiple RUs, which require comprehensive evaluation of RF performance. Anritsu’s Wireless Connectivity Test Set (WLAN Tester) MT8862A is designed to measure the TRx RF performance of IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be (across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands) WLAN devices. It supports performance evaluation as defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard and Over-The-Air (OTA) performance tests according to specifications defined by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA). With its Network Mode and Direct Mode, it offers flexible testing for the RF TRx characteristics (such as Tx power, modulation accuracy, Rx sensitivity, etc.) of WLAN devices that tailored to match the measurement environment.

“The ASUS ROG Phone series is dedicated to delivering exceptional performance, making the achievement of ultra-high-speed wireless connectivity technology crucial,” said Alvin Liao, Director of ASUS Wireless Communications R&D. “Anritsu has been an indispensable partner to us, consistently providing superior test solutions in the realm of IEEE 802.11be, which has been guiding our Wi-Fi 7 technology evolution and injecting significant momentum into our technological advancements.”

“The MT8862A network mode is equipped with a unique data rate control algorithm that allows users to specify data rates for transmission measurements,” said Ivan Chen, General Manager of Anritsu Taiwan. “We are proud of the continuous trust ASUS places in Anritsu’s verification of its devices’ advanced features. This collaboration once again demonstrates Anritsu’s capability to provide leading-edge technology, enabling Wi-Fi 7 product manufacturers to shorten their product development time and continue to play a pivotal role in developing next-generation communication devices.”

The post Anritsu Collaborates with ASUS to Validate IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) 320 MHz RF Performance Testing appeared first on ELE Times.

According to the latest report ‘TrendForce 2024 Infrared Sensing Application Market and Branding Strategies’, the market for consumer electronics 3D sensing vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) fell to US$847m in 2023 due to weak consumer demand and pricing pressure...

Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA has appointed Janet Chou as executive VP, chief financial officer & treasurer, effective upon the filing of Navitas’ 2023 annual report on Form 10‑K expected at the end of February...

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

BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia — which develops and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) blue laser diodes based on its proprietary low-temperature, low-hydrogen remote-plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) technology — has secured its first purchase order of alpha gallium nitride (GaN) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. The customer is a “pioneer in photonic and fiber-based laser technology” and will use BluGlass’ prototype blue DFB lasers in the development of defence, aviation and scientific applications...

Adding the long-first-pulse malady in less traditional 555 astable topologies including CMOS- and bipolar-based oscillators that generate 50:50 symmetrical square waves.

A previous Design Idea, “Gated 555 astable hits the ground running” offered a fix for the problem of the excessively long first pulse that’s generated by traditional topology 555 astable circuits on start up when gated by the RESET pin from oscillation-off to oscillation-on. See Figure 1 and Figure 2.

Figure 1 The problem—the first oscillation cycle has a too-long first pulse on start-up, when gated by the RESET pin from oscillation-off to oscillation-on.

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

 

Figure 2 The fix via C2 charge injection on oscillation startup to equalize pulse length.

However, unaddressed in this design idea is the fact that less traditional 555 astable topologies also suffer from the same long-first-pulse malady. Important examples of such circuits are oscillators that generate 50:50 symmetrical square waves, such as Figure 3.

Figure 3 The long first-pulse problem also occurs in a 50:50 square wave topology popular for CMOS 555s.

Happily, the same fix from “Gated 555 astable hits the ground running” works in this genre of oscillators too, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4 C2 charge injection fix applied to CMOS 50:50 square wave oscillator.

So, the problem is solved for CMOS 555 square wave generators. But what about their bipolar kin?

Despite their age, bipolar 555s still get designed into contemporary applications. The reasons for the choice include advantages like higher supply voltage rating (18 V vs 15 V) and greater output current capability (hundreds vs tens of mA) than CMOS types. But they do need to be wired up somewhat differently—for example with an extra resistor (as described in a previous Design Idea “Add one resistor to give bipolar LM555 oscillator a 50:50 duty cycle“)—when a 50:50 square wave output is required. See Figure 5.

Figure 5 Bipolar 555 in gated 50:50 square wave configuration.

The C2 charge injection trick will still work to correct Figure 5’s first pulse, but there’s a complication. When held reset, Figure 5’s circuit doesn’t discharge the timing capacitor all the way to zero, but only to Vz where:

Vz = R3(R2 + R3)-1 V+
= 0.184 V+

Therefore, our old friend C2 = C1/2 won’t work. What’s needed is a smaller charge injection from a smaller C2 = 0.175 C1 as Figure 6 shows.

Figure 6 C2 charge injection first-pulse fix modified for bipolar 555 square wave generation.

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

• Gated 555 astable hits the ground running
• Add one resistor to give bipolar LM555 oscillator a 50:50 duty cycle
• 555 triangle generator with adjustable frequency, waveshape, and amplitude; and more!
• The NE555 current spike

The post More gated 555 astable multivibrators hit the ground running appeared first on EDN.

Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has formalized an agreement for compound semiconductor wafer maker SK Siltron CSS of Auburn, MI, USA (a subsidiary of South Korea-based SK Siltron, a part of the SK Group) to provide it with 150mm silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, supporting the production of SiC semiconductors. In a subsequent phase, SK Siltron CSS will assist Infineon’s transition to 200mm-diameter SiC wafers...

In the ever-evolving landscape of data science, professionals seek platforms that not only offer jobs but also opportunities to apply skills meaningfully and contribute to groundbreaking innovations. As industries recognize the transformative power of data analytics, certain companies actively create environments empowering data scientists. Here’s a curated list of top companies offering exciting opportunities for data scientists:

1. Accenture: Pioneering Data-Driven Innovation

Accenture leads in data-driven solutions, embracing cutting-edge technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. The Accenture Analytics division, powered by predictive analytics technology, offers an enriching experience for data analysts. Joining Accenture means becoming part of a global network comprising data scientists and analysts, contributing to transformative projects in spaces like Accenture Innovation Centers and Accenture Labs.

2. Fractal Analytics: Shaping Tomorrow’s Analytics

Established in 2000, Fractal Analytics is a leading analytics service provider with Fortune 500 clients in technology, insurance, and retail. Fostering a culture of innovation, Fractal encourages data scientists to craft bespoke analytics strategies. For those seeking a workplace where innovation is at the heart, Fractal Analytics provides an exciting and forward-looking journey.

3. Swiggy: Data-Driven Excellence in Food Delivery

As India’s premier convenience commerce platform, Swiggy is a leader in food delivery and is rapidly expanding its technology teams. With a tech-first approach to logistics and a solution-first attitude, Swiggy relies on robust machine learning technology, processing gigabytes of data daily. Joining Swiggy means contributing to the transformation of customer experiences through quick, easy, and dependable delivery services.

4. LatentView Analytics: Strategic Insights for Global Clients

LatentView Analytics challenges data scientists to approach projects with a comprehensive, 360-degree view. Assisting clients in making informed investment decisions, predicting revenue sources, and anticipating product trends, LatentView Analytics provides an intellectually stimulating environment.

5. Tiger Analytics: Unleashing the Power of Data

Established in 2011 and headquartered in the USA, Tiger Analytics is a top data analytics company offering diverse analysis options. With partnerships with industry giants, Tiger Analytics swiftly became a preferred destination for organizations seeking comprehensive data solutions.

6. Genpact: Nurturing Data Science Excellence

Genpact operates with a vast team of data scientists under a centralized hub model, emphasizing enhancing the client experience. Initiatives like the Machine Learning Incubator underscore the company’s commitment to cultivating undervalued data scientists into highly skilled professionals.

7. TheMathCompany: Multinational Excellence in Data Analytics

Collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, TheMathCompany enhances analytics capabilities using a cutting-edge platform. For data scientists seeking impactful projects, TheMathCompany offers a global stage.

8. Mu Sigma: Leading in Decision Science and Analytics Solutions

Based in Chicago, Mu Sigma is a leading provider of decision science and analytics solutions. With a global presence, Mu Sigma invites data scientists to shape decision science through data analysis and improvement.

9. IBM: A Century of Global Technology Solutions

A stalwart since 1911, IBM delivers consulting and global technology solutions worldwide. For data scientists wanting to gather, integrate, and manage substantial amounts of data, IBM India offers a legacy of innovation.

10. Oracle: Pioneering IT Services and Data Analytics

Founded in 1977, Oracle is a renowned IT company offering software, IT services, and data analytics. Utilizing machine learning, Oracle’s data analytics program assists firms in making data-driven decisions. Oracle is poised to rank among the largest data analytics companies globally.

In conclusion, these ten companies represent the pinnacle of opportunities for data scientists, each offering a unique environment and challenges to propel careers forward. Whether interested in pioneering research, impactful collaborations, or contributing to industry transformation, these companies provide diverse avenues in the dynamic field of data science.

 

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In a groundbreaking announcement at CES 2024, Honeywell revealed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to revolutionize commercial building digitization. The partnership, formed with Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), aims to explore the integration of digital connectivity technologies into existing infrastructure, eliminating the need for rewiring and offering cost-effective solutions for building management systems.

The move comes as a response to the challenges posed by outdated and inefficient commercial buildings in the United States, with a majority constructed before the year 2000. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), these structures contribute to increased energy consumption and lack the technological advancements required for efficient data transmission.

The collaboration with ADI introduces new technology to building management systems, allowing real-time decision-making for energy consumption reduction. By leveraging ADI’s single-pair Ethernet (T1L) and software configurable input/output (SWIO) solutions, Honeywell aims to provide a seamless upgrade to building networks without significant upfront investments or extensive remodelling.

Martin Cotter, Senior Vice President of Industrial and Multi Markets and President of ADI EMEA region, expressed excitement about expanding ADI technologies into building management systems. He emphasized the potential for reducing energy consumption, saving costs, improving resiliency, and meeting emissions reduction goals.

Suresh Venkatarayalu, Honeywell’s Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the revolutionary nature of the collaboration, stating that it offers building owners the ability to enhance their wiring infrastructure with minimal upfront investment, reduced labour, and environmental impact.

ADI’s single-pair Ethernet technology enables long-reach Ethernet connectivity, utilizing existing building wiring to reduce installation time and costs. This solution complements existing Ethernet connectivity in building management systems, fostering enhanced connectivity from the edge to the cloud and optimizing asset utilization.

Moreover, ADI’s solutions simplify product complexities, allowing Honeywell to build a single version of the product adaptable to various needs. This approach facilitates future-proofed control and automation, accommodating building renovations or changing requirements.

Honeywell’s move towards adopting ADI’s innovative technologies marks a significant step in addressing the challenges faced by commercial buildings, offering a pathway to smart, efficient, and cost-effective digitization without the need for extensive overhauls.

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Wide-bandgap power semiconductor materials, component and foundry services provider Sanan Semiconductor Co Ltd of Hunan, China has announced Luminus Devices Inc of Sunnyvale, CA, USA — which designs and makes LEDs and solid-state technology (SST) light sources for illumination markets — as its exclusive sales channel in the Americas. Both companies are subsidiaries of China’s Sanan Optoelectronics, the world’s largest LED chip maker...

At CES 2024, a French startup is presenting the notion of frugal code in embedded software by identifying and quantifying the optimization potential of the code. WedoLow, a spinoff from three research laboratories—IETR, INSA, and Inria in Rennes, France—will demonstrate how its automated software solution works for automotive applications ranging from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to autonomous driving (AD) to in-vehicle infotainment systems.

WedoLow claims that its solution addresses complexity in embedded software by diagnosing and checking the code rapidly throughout the development process. That’s how it ensures if the code is fully optimized and if gains can be obtained in terms of speed of execution or energy consumption.

Source: WedoLow

Complexification of code in embedded software

At a time when applications are becoming larger and codes increasingly voluminous and complex, embedded systems are obviously no exception. That inevitably complexifies the work of developers, who now face a growing risk of delays with consequences for the efficiency and performance of their applications.

According to a 2020 survey from Sourcegraph, 51% of developers say they have more than 100 times the volume of code they had 10 years ago. Furthermore, 92% of developers say the pressure to release software faster has increased.

Take the case of the automotive industry, where cars have 200 million lines of code today and are expected to have 650 million by 2025. According to a McKinsey report titled “Outlook on the automotive software and electronics market through 2030,” the automotive software market is already worth more than 31 billion dollars and is forecast to reach around 80 billion in 2030.

The use of embedded software in the automotive sector has been constantly increasing since the introduction of anti-lock braking system (ABS) more than 40 years ago. So, gains in embedded software’s speed of execution and energy consumption will result in more responsive systems and longer battery life, which are crucial aspects for electric and autonomous mobilities.

How software works

WedoLow claims that its beLow software suite enables developers to understand the structure of a code and identify the parts that can be rewritten to generate more efficiency and performance. It’s enabled by optimization techniques that identify and quantify the potential optimization of the code at any stage of its development.

They build a line-by-line or function-by-function optimization strategy and obtain an optimized code rapidly and automatically. For example, WedoLow quotes a 23% gain in execution speed on the filtering of signals emitted by sensors on a road vehicle transmission system. Next, it helped achieve a 95% gain in execution speed on the processing of data and filtering of signals emitted by different sensors in battery management system (BMS) software.

Besides embedded software, WedoLow also aims to address the hosted software segment for server and cloud applications. Here, the French upstart conducted a test with an aerospace group on the processing of satellite images, reducing the software’s energy consumption by 18%.

WedoLow is presenting its frugal code solution at CES 2024; product launch is scheduled in the second quarter of 2024.

Related Content

• Embedded Basics
• All Things Embedded
• 8 pillars of embedded software
• Programming embedded systems: automatic code generation
• 5 essential tips and tricks for building rock-solid embedded software

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• New organization to deliver enhanced product development innovation and efficiency, time-to-market as well as customer focus by end market
• Company re-organized in two Product Groups, split in four Reportable Segments
• New application marketing focus by end market across all Regions to complement existing sales and marketing organization

 STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is announcing today its new organization, effective February 5th, 2024.

“We are re-organizing our Product Groups to further accelerate our time-to-market and speed of product development innovation and efficiency. This will enable us to increase value extraction from our broad and unique product and technology portfolio. In addition, we are getting even closer to our customers with an application marketing organization by end market which will boost our ability to complement our product offering with complete system solutions” said Jean-Marc Chery, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics. “This is an important step in the development of our established strategy, in line with our value proposition to all stakeholders and with the business and financial ambitions we set back in 2022”.

Moving from three to two Product Groups to further enhance product development innovation and efficiency, and time-to-market

The two new Product Groups will be:

• Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors (APMS), led by Marco Cassis, ST President and member of the Executive Committee; and
• Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products (MDRF), led by Remi El-Ouazzane, ST President and member of the Executive Committee.

The APMS Product Group will include all ST analog products, including Smart Power solutions for automotive; all ST Power & Discrete product lines including Silicon Carbide products; MEMS and Sensors.

APMS will include two Reportable Segments: Analog products, MEMS and Sensors (AM&S); Power and discrete products (P&D).

The MDRF Product Group will include all ST digital ICs and microcontrollers, including automotive microcontrollers; RF, ADAS, and Infotainment ICs. MDRF will include two Reportable Segments: Microcontrollers (MCU); Digital ICs and RF Products (D&RF).

Concurrent with this new organization Marco Monti, ST President of the former Automotive and Discrete Product Group, will leave the Company.

To complement the existing Sales and marketing organization, a new application marketing organization by end market will be implemented across all ST Regions. This will provide ST customers with end-to-end system solutions based on the Company’s product and technology portfolio.

The company is implementing an application marketing organization by end market across all ST Regions, as part of its Sales & Marketing organization led by Jerome Roux, ST President and member of the Executive Committee. The application marketing organization will cover the following four end markets:

• Automotive
• Industrial Power and Energy
• Industrial Automation, IoT and AI
• Personal Electronics, Communication Equipment and Computer Peripherals.

The current regional Sales & Marketing organization remains unchanged.

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Robots can visualize things in larger quantities, faster, more efficiently, and with much better accuracy. They don’t need breaks and never get bored. This is the age of Robot uprising, and bringing this facet closer to reality, the Indian robotics start-up ecosystem is getting dense and is building robots in every possible sector. 

We have listed the top 10 robotics startups in India that are solving some of the most critical, in-hand problems of society and industries through their unique robots and automation solutions

Genrobotics

Based out of Thiruvananthapuram, Genrobotics is on a mission to solve a very critical problem i.e. Manual Scavenging with their flagship robot – Bandicoot, which is the world’s first robotic scavenger. They have successfully sold more than 300+ robots that are reliable, safe, and affordable. Their robotic solution to manual scavenging – Bandicoot comes with important features such as – 

• Precise and surgical cleaning
• More grabbing area
• More reachability in every corner
• Compact design for portability

Ati Motors

Ati is a Bengaluru-based Industrial robotic start-up that is into developing electric autonomous robots for effective and convenient transport of cargo in warehouses and factories. Their highly distinctive robot Sherpa Tug can transport trolley payloads of up to 1000 kg. It comes with a swappable battery that takes around 2 hours to charge and works for around 8 hours, can be integrated with the factory management information system and warehouse management system. Ati has 18+ customers that are using its robots, with around 31 factory plants. Its Product portfolio includes- 

• Sherpa Tug
• Sherpa Lite
• Sherpa Pivot

Addverb

Addverb is a pioneer in developing robots that pick, sort, and store products. As of today, Addverb is helping more than 100 businesses leverage technology to automate factories and warehouses. Their in-house product line includes – 

• Mobile Robots – autonomous mobile robot, sorting robot, multi-carton picking robot, vertical sortation robot, rail-guided vehicle
• Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)– carton shuttle, mother-child shuttle, pallet shuttle, multi-level shuttle, crane asrs
• Person-to-Goods – pick-to-light, pick-by-voice
• Software – warehouse management system, warehouse execution system, warehouse control system, fleet management system 

SVAYA Robotics

Svaya Robotics is headquartered in Hyderabad and develops par technology industrial and collaborative robots. Its product line includes – SR-L3, SR-L6, SR-L10, SR-L12, and SR-L16 which are laden with salient features like advanced motor control, built-in force sensing, easy configuring and reconfiguring between applications, and built-in redundant safety. 

Svaya provides a full-stack technology platform that works around making human-robot interaction simple. Their focus on the Digital Twin approach helps to provide total visibility into robot workflows. Built-in sensing combined with machine vision and AI is a technology streak that enhances the usability, flexibility, and scalability of the robots even in unstructured environments. Svaya has also collaborated with DRDO to develop India’s first quadruped robot and exoskeleton. 

Niqo Robotics

Niqo Robotics is a leading Bengaluru-based agri-tech start-up that is bringing AI-powered robotics revolution in agriculture. They build robots that make spraying simpler and are a technology-leveraged substitute for the unsustainable blanket spraying technique used by most farmers in India. With NIQO RoboSpray’s selective spray technique through the implementation of real-time AI-assisted computer vision, the chemical usage drops by 60% and limits excessive spraying on the soil. As per reports, 500+ farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka have adopted the technology so far. 

Gridbots Technologies

Gridbots is an Ahmedabad-based indigenous robot manufacturer that develops robots for use cases across industries. Their first-ever development was an underwater robot that could be used inside water tanks for cleaning. Gridbots’ product portfolio includes robots for sectors like – industrial automation, defence, robotic services, and machine vision. 

Sastra Robotics

Sastra is a Kochi-based start-up that is into building robotic arms used for testing electronic devices. Many product companies spend an average of 256 days on rigorous testing of equipment and devices, Sastra’s robotic arms have been able to pull that number down to just 15 days. Starting with a collaboration with Bosch for testing Bosch’s car stereos, they now have 20+ clients including Honeywell, HCL, and Tech Mahindra. Its services span across industries such as automotive, banking, aviation, medical, mobile phone, and consumer electronics. 

EyeROV 

EyeROV works in the marine robotic space and is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. Its robots have successfully inspected 40+ underwater assets so far. Their Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) provide inspection services in the areas of dams, oil and gas, shipping, bridges, ports etc. The robots are very effective for search and rescue operations, research organizations can use EyeROV’s bots for testing sensors as an underwater platform or for oceanographic studies, etc. 

Product Catalogue – 

• EyeROV TUNA
• EyeROV iBOAT ALPHA
• EyeROV NEOPIA UW-50
• EVAP – EyeROV Visualisation and Analytics Platform)

Miko

Miko builds AI-powered robots for kids intending to deliver interactive companionship. The bots are capable of identifying kid’s faces and sensing their mood and based on their human-like interactive quality, they engage with the kids through mindful games, songs, or teaching a subject. Miko has been in business since 2016 and launched Miko3 in 2018 which is being sold in around 140 countries worldwide. 

Mukunda Foods

Mukunda Foods started as a food service provider and gradually ventured into developing kitchen automation solutions. As a fact, most Indian food chains are yet to be automated, and Mukunda is solving this very problem. As of today, Mukunda offers 6 kitchen automation bots including Dosamatic, and has sold more than 3000 bots across 22+ countries. 

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