ep&dee no 5

EP&DeeDESIGN & MANUFACTURING MAY, 2014 ISSUE NO. 5, VOL. 12

E L E C T R O N I C S P R O D U C T S & D E S I G N E A S T E R N E U R O P E

THE EAST EUROPEAN RESOURCEFOR EMBEDDED APPLICATIONS

EP&Dee | May, 2014 | www.epd-ee.eu2

Table of Contents

MAY 2014

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Microchip is offering readers of EP&Dee the chanceto win one of their CAN Developer’s Kits which isideally suited for system developers in automotive,industrial control, instrumentation and automationapplications.

To Speed up software development and to enableintroduction of CAN to those who are unfamiliarwith the protocol, Microchip offers a unique devel-opment tool that is a combination of a softwaredevelopment tool and a CAN message / communica-tion tool called the MCP2510/2515 CAN Devel -oper’s Kit. This kit helps to simplify applications thatrequire interfacing with a CAN bus.

Win a CANDeveloper’s Kit

from Microchip!

For your chance to win a Microchip CAN Developer’s Kit,please visit:

http://www.microchip-comps.com/epdee-candevkitand enter your details in the entry form.

DESIGN FEATURES

8 The fundamental components of the Internet of ThingsThe focus of the internet is set to change over the next five years as systems become smarter. According to networking specialist Cisco, 50 billion devices are likely to be connected to the internet by 2020, helping to sustain a $14tr market. The systems that dominate the internet today, such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones, will be dwarfed by the tens of billions of machines with network connections that will relay data to each other with the aim of making life more efficient.

12 Aurocon COMPEC - new products

14 Interfacing accessories on Android™Accessory interfaces simplify the development of embedded Android apps, explains David Flowers of Microchip Technology Inc.

20 Analogue techniques for longer battery lifeGetting the maximum lifetime out of a battery requires an understanding of three key factors: battery technologies, digital power management and low-power analogue techniques. Whilst most designers are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of different battery chemistries and with digital power control, they may be less familiar with the role that low-power analogue can play in pushing extending life.

22 Microcontroller-Based PROFINET ImplementationsPROFINET is becoming more and more widespread in the industrial automation field. With 5.8 million devices installed by the end of 2012, PROFINET holds the top spot among Industrial Ethernet bus systems. One of the reasons for this growth is the use of PROFINET in embedded systems, which were previously integrated using proprietary bus systems or field buses.

26 Closed Loop Current Transducer CharacteristicsCurrent measurement is an integral part of power electronics. Current transducers supply this measurement with different technologies available. The most common technology used is the Closed Loop Hall Effect or Closed Loop Flux Gate. The Closed Loop technology offers many specific benefits needed by power electronics designers. However, there are some details not often known that can make an application exceptional or may result in failure. Below are some of the characteristics that should be considered.

30 ASIC Based Current Transducers

34 Leuze CML700i - measuring light curtains – best in class!

PRODUCT NEWS

Embedded Systems(p 4 - 7)(p 10, 19, 29)

Lighting Solutins /Display(p 37)

Active Components(p 38 - 41)

4037

19

4


Achieve High Energy-Measurement Accuracywith Highly Integrated

Single-Phase Metering SoCMaxim Integrated’s ZON M3 single-phase energy meter SoC enables ±0.1%accuracy over 5000:1 dynamic range.

Using the ZON™ M3 (MAX71315) single-phase electricity meter SoC from MaximIntegrated Products, Inc., engineers now have ahighly accurate, low-cost design system for e-meters and solid-state meters.Automotive Superior metering metrology isessential for accurate monitoring and billing.Additionally, meter manufacturers must consid-er cost in their designs, as millions of meters arebeing deployed throughout the globe.

The ZON M3 energy-meter solution integratesfour 24-bit ADCs for 4-channel data collectionand ±0.1% measurement accuracy over 5000:1dynamic range. A 32-bit metrology computeengine (CE) ensures high-accuracy processing ofall collected data. Its two touch-switch inputseliminate mechanical switches and improve userexperience, and its infrared (IR) communicationsinterface eliminates the typical extra IR receivermodule. All the high integration reduces costand improves user experience.

Key Advantages• Superior metering accuracy: over ±0.1%

over 5000:1 dynamic range• High integration: integrated touch-switch

inputs and IR communications improve user experience and reduce system cost; multiple interfaces (SPI, I2C, and 4 USART) for design versatility; real-time clock (RTC) with temperature compensation and digital temperature sensor for highly accurate temperature compensation; ample Flash and RAM memory for long-term service

• High performance: a 32-bit metrology CE ensures high-accuracy processing of all collected data

Availability and Pricing• The ZON M3 electricity meter is available in a

100-pin LQFP package. • Pricing starts at $2.81 (1000-up, FOB USA).

MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

Governments worldwide have issued regu-lations requiring automakers to improvefuel efficiency and meet new emissionsstandards over the next five to ten years.

To help automakers and their supplierscomply with these requirements, FreescaleSemiconductor today announced theMC33816 programmable solenoid con-troller, designed to reduce emissions andimprove fuel efficiency for both gasolineand diesel direct fuel injection engines. Theflexible architecture is also applicable fordriving dual clutch transmissions, as well asprecision solenoids in factory automationapplications. The MC33816 program-mable solenoid controllerembeds intelligence withfour integrated μCores,enabling four paralleltasks to run independent-ly of the main systemmicrocontroller. The result is a responsetime up to 16x faster thantraditional architectures,thereby improving engineefficiency with precisefuel delivery that reducesunnecessary fuel use. The device’s functional integration enablessubstantial bill-of-materials reductions, andprovides the flexibility and scalability nec-essary to be easily integrated into virtuallyany engine system, including gasoline,diesel, flex-fuel and even LNG engines,regardless of the number of cylinders.

“Increasingly stringent fuel efficiency stan-dards require highly advanced analog tech-nologies like the intelligent MC33816device,” said James Bates, senior vice presi-dent and general manager for Freescale’sAnalog and Sensors business. “This newprogrammable solenoid controller can help

automotive OEMs and their suppliers meetefficiency and emissions goals, while provid-ing a reliable, high-performance system solu-tion that supports advanced diagnostic func-tionality, faster response times, and optimalprogrammability.” The intelligent MC33816 controller addi-tionally provides embedded encryptionand microcode protection to inhibitreverse engineering and help safeguardsystem IP and software.

Additional features include: • 9-32 V continuous supply, 5.5-58

V transient • Up to 72 V pre-driver operating range • Precision peak and hold drive capability • Integrated DC-DC boost converter

control circuitry • Choice of four programmable slew

rates 12.5 V/uS – 300 V/uS • 10 × 10 mm 64-pin LQFP-EP package

Development support Freescale provides hardware and softwareto support the MC33816 programmablesolenoid controller. The KIT33816AEEVMevaluation board allows utilization of the

controller’s functions and is available now atwww.freescale.com/KITMC33816 for aprice of $216 (USD). To demonstrate theembedded functions of the MC33816 pro-grammable solenoid controller, softwarewith SPI generator (SPIGen) can be down-loaded at www.freescale.com/analogtools.

Availability and pricingThe MC33816 programmable solenoidcontroller is available now for a suggestedresale price starting at $3.06 (USD) in 100Kquantities (www.freescale.com/psc). FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTORwww.freescale.com

INDUSTRY NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Freescale Programmable Solenoid Controller Helps toReduce Emissions and Improve Efficiency for Direct FuelInjection Engines

www.epd-ee.eu | May, 2014 | EP&Dee 5

IPETRONIK, an industry leader inthe design, development and man-ufacturing of mobile measurementtechnologies, DAQ software, engi-neering services, and test benchtechnology forthe global auto-motive market,celebrates its25th anniversarythis year, and onMay 16, inaugu-rates a new com-pany buildingacross from theheadquarter inBaden-Baden,Germany.IPETRONIK hasreached anothermilestone aftercompleting thebuilding withinless than eight months (Start of con-struction works September 09,2013; topping-out ceremonyDecember 18, 2013). Across fromthe Technical Center and the com-pany headquarter building (in usesince 2010 and 2011 resp.), on the2,228 m² property a modern two-

storey production and administra-tion building was constructed. It hasa useful area of about 2,200 m² andwas made for 15 - 20 employees. Since its foundation in 1989,IPETRONIK has had a significantimpact on mobile measurementtechnology for the automotiveindustry. Today, it is a leader in thisindustry with 180 employees.IPETRONIK is owned by INDUSHolding AG, a medium-sizedfinancial holding with 40 compa-nies. In 2013, the 7,000 employeesof the group gained a turnover of1.2 billion Euro.

IPETRONIK's success story started25 years ago, when Robert Heck,Horst Ihle and Bernd Preggerfounded the company 'IndustriePräzision Elektronik GmbH'. Due to

the pioneering spirit that is stillpresent today, and thanks to thecommitment of all employees, thecompany grew to become a soundmedium-sized company. INDUSHolding AG took over IPETRONIKin 2001 and now backs the com-pany and supports further growth.The managers of IPETRONIK,Erich Rudolf and Andreas Wocke,do the same by making foresight-ed decisions considering marketrequirements. Branches wereestablished in Duesseldorf andHamburg, as well as a subcompa-ny in Eichstaett near Ingolstadt. IPETRONIK now concentrates itsactions and competences in Baden-Baden as the IPEtec business divi-sion moves from Hamburg to thenew building across from the head-quarters where test benches forvehicle air conditioning systemsand aggregates will be developed,designed and operated. Specialfocus will be put on the new eco-friendly R744 refrigerant known asCO2. Persistent improvement inefficiency and testing of air condi-tioning systems in current combus-tion vehicles as well as in electricand hybrid vehicles remain impor-tant key services.IPEMOTIONwww.ipetronik.com/en/softwareIPETRONIK www.ipetronik.com

IPETRONIK celebrates its 25th anniversary and inaugurates a new production and administration building

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are quickly growingin popularity among consumers, driven in large part by a strongaffinity for the functionality enabled by surround view camerassuch as park assist and blind spot detection. According to ABIResearch, Inc, the global ADAS market is forecast to reach US$261billion by 2020, establishing ADAS as one of the fastest growingsegments in the automotive sector. In response to this growing market trend, FreescaleSemiconductor and Broadcom Corporation have partnered tocreate Freescale’s Qorivva MPC5606E – the industry’s first fully-integrated, packaged microcontroller (MCU) and physical layertransceiver (PHY) solution for use in 360 degree camera systems.Camera size is increasingly important to automotive OEMS, asmanufacturers prefer peripheral cameras to be miniaturizedand unobtrusive to maintain vehicle aesthetics. Smaller camerascan be more easily hidden within design features of the car,such as a front grill, bumper or wing mirror. Featuring a compact8×8mm package, the Qorivva MPC5606E device is designed to

reduce thesize of auto-motive cam-era modulesby up to 50percent, whilehelping speedtime to marketand reducethe overall bill- of-material. Fundamental

to the size and performance advantages of the QorivvaMPC5606E is the incorporation of Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach®automotive Ethernet PHY. The integrated Ethernet solutionenables compact vision compression and rapid transmission ofvideo data throughout the vehicle. Ethernet has emergedas a mainstreamautomotive networktechnology, allow-ing multiple in-vehi-cle systems to simul-taneously accessinformation over asingle unshieldedtwisted pair cable atspeeds of up to 100Mbps. By eliminating cumbersome, shielded cabling, automo-tive manufacturers can reduce connectivity costs up to 80 per-cent and cabling weight up to 30 percent (source: Broadcom).These cost and weight reductions pave the way for the incorpo-ration of surround view camera systems beyond the luxury classinto higher volume, mid-range and economy vehicles.FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com

Freescale and Broadcom extendADAS surround-view automotivecameras beyond luxury models

and into the mainstream



Freescale Intelligent BatterySensor Combines MCU andCAN with Flexible Three-

Channel Analog Front EndFreescale Semiconductor announced the avail-ability of the industry’s first general market AEC-Q100 qualified intelligent battery sensor to com-bine three measurement channels, a 16/32-bitMCU, and a CAN protocol module in a singlepackage. Designed to support both convention-al and emerging battery chemistries for automo-tive and industrial applications, the MM9Z1J638

battery sensor measures key battery parametersfor monitoring state of health (SOH), state ofcharge (SOC) and state of function (SOF) forearly failure prediction. A flexible four-cell frontend architecture supports conventional 12Vlead acid batteries as well as emerging batteryapplications, such as 14V stacked cell Li-Ion, highvoltage junction boxes, and 24V truck batteries. Battery failure is one of the leading causes ofvehicle breakdowns due to electrical systemerrors. Rising levels of electrical load in vehiclesare placing increased strain on batteries as new,mission-critical requirements such as enginestart-stop functionality become increasinglycommon. According to analyst firm StrategyAnalytics, more than 52 million vehicles world-wide will support start-stop functionality by2020. Start-stop requirements, together withothers such as regenerative braking and intelli-gent alternator control, are driving demand formore precise sensing of the battery’s state toprovide early failure warnings.Integrating a 16/32 bit S12Z microcontroller with128K Flash, 8K RAM and 4K EEPROM togetherwith a CAN protocol module, LIN interface anda three-channel analog measurement front end,the MM9Z1J638 battery sensor combines ana-log, processor and communication functions in asingle package to help lower total bill of materi-als and accommodate advanced battery moni-toring algorithms. The analog front end includesa two-channel, 16-bit sigma delta (ΣΔ) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for simultaneousmeasurement of battery voltage and current, aswell as a third 16-bit ΣΔ ADC for temperaturemonitoring using the integrated sensor andredundant measurement plausibility checks tosupport functional safety. FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR www.freescale.com


Aeroflex Limited, a wholly owned subsidiaryof Aeroflex Holding Corp., has announcedthe separate availability of the LTE DownlinkMeasurement Suite, a suite of software toolsthat works with the Aeroflex PXI3000 platform to characterizethe transmitter and receiverparameters of LTE base stations(eNodeB) and small cells in pro-duction test. The LTE Downlink(FDD and TDD) MeasurementSuite can be used either withthe recently-announced AeroflexOne-Box Base Station RF Tester,which is based on the AeroflexPXI 3000 platform, or as anexpanded application on theAeroflex PXI 3000 Series VSAand VSG modules. With indus-try-leading measurement speed and accu-racy already validated by end users, thesoftware enables RF parametric test to beperformed on macro base stations andsmall cells. The low level ApplicationProgramming Interface (API) of the analysislibrary allows users easy integration into the

automated test system. The LTE DownlinkMeasurement Suite is incorporated with theuser-friendly graphic interface and supportsRF parametric measurements during the

base station R&D design stage. It is a goodchoice for performing the 7X24 regressiontest as well as advanced radio signal simula-tion and analysis. LTE-A features such as car-rier aggregation and higher order MIMOsignal generation are included. AEROFLEX www.aeroflex.co

Aeroflex LTE Base Station RF Measurement OptionAvailable for PXI 3000 Modular Platform

he CMX983 is an Analogue Front End (AFE)IC that bridges the gap between a digitalradio’s RF section and the DSP/FGPA.Specifically designed to meet the needs ofa Software Designed Radio (SDR), theCMX983 performs critical DSP-intensivefunctions, provides dual chan-nel analogue to digital and dig-ital to analogue conversion,includes two RF fractional-Nsynthesisers and embeds ahost of auxiliary ADCs andDACs for use within the radiosystem.The CMX983 is suitable forradio systems employing mod-ulation bandwidths up to25.8kHz, and it is especiallysuited to satellite communica-tion, high performance wire-less data and professional two-way radio systems. The CMX983 is highly configurable, sup-porting numerous sample rates and filter-ing characteristics. This configurabilityenables a high level of functionality, inte-gration and connectivity with RF buildingblock ICs. The CMX983 connects seamlessly withCML’s CMX994 Direct Conversion Receiver

and the CMX998 Cartesian Feedback LoopTransmitter, to provide a complete, smallform factor, RF-to-digitised baseband solu-tion operating at up to 1GHz.The CMX983 meets the low operatingpower requirements of new SDR based ter-

minals and is powered from separate 3.3Vand 1.8V power supplies. A facility is provided to allow the PLLcharge pumps to be operated at up to4.75V, providing low noise operation.The CMX983 is available in a small 64-leadVQFN package.CML MICROCIRCUITSwww.cmlmicro.com

CMX983 - Analogue Front End (AFE) For Digital Radio


High-end automotive instrumentclusters typically incorporate mul-tiple external components, includ-ing a main processor, graphics unit,external SRAM, and dedicated cir-cuitry to manage heads-up displaywarping and other sophisticatedfunctionality. The cost and com-plexity of integrating these multi-ple parts previously restricted thisfunctionality to the premium carsegment.

To drive heads-up display andother advanced graphics capabili-ties beyond the high-end and intothe mid- and economy tier auto-motive segments, FreescaleSemiconductor has introduced atriple-core, single-chip solutionfeaturing more than 1.7x higherperformance than any currentlyavailable automotive instrument

cluster MCU. This high perform-ance solution helps eliminate theneed for costly additional proces-sors and memory chips. In addition,the triple-core MAC57D5xx helpsenhance safety by separating keyinstrument cluster hardware andsoftware via concurrent operationof separate operating systems oneach of the devices’ three cores.Independent operation of anAutoSAR OS on the ARM Cortex-

M4 core, and a graphics OS on theARM Cortex-A5 core allows forenhanced safety in next-generationinstrument cluster designs.

MAC57D5xx DIS MCUs are expect-ed to begin sampling in June 2014.

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTORwww.freescale.com

Freescale introduces the industry’s highest performance MCUs designed for automotiveinstrument clusters, enabling a new generation of premium graphics


The distributor Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH bun-dles its portfolio of embedded boards, storage, displays, wirelessmodules and auto ID components as well as specific peripheralcomponents under RUTRONIK EMBEDDED. 'Best-fit' kit solutionsof board, memory and display offer optimally tailored solutionsand a very short time-to-market. The comprehensive range ofcomponents is complemented by support from the componentselection and production through to RMA / PCN / EOL services.

The distributor has summarised all specific components forembedded systems from its horizontal embedded boards, stor-age & displays, active, passive, electromechanical and wirelessproduct areas under RUTRONIK EMBEDDED. Rutronik com-bines the respective components together to produce com-plete embedded solutions in accordance with customerrequirements. The result is perfectly matched components forthe customer's target application. The core components forEmbedded Boards and Storage & Display are found in a jointRutronik product area. They are also combined in various kitsolutions as 'best fit' to facilitate a very short development timefor customers. Application-specific wireless modules and autoID components, sensors and actuators, processors, DC/DC andAC/DC converters, switches, wired connectivity, special con-nectors and sockets, thermal management solutions, open-frame power supplies and backup batteries are also available.Various products for different levels of integration, low end andhigh quality components as well as at least two manufacturersper product or product group provide customers with maxi-mum flexibility for the implementation of demand-driven pro-duction and control systems. The Rutronik product managers, special field application engi-neers and business development managers assist customers inselecting their components and during the design-in. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: All technologies forembedded systems


Author: Mark Zack, VP Global Semiconductors, Digi-Key

DESIGN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

In industrial control, a series of sensorsmounted along a production line can detectconditions that may lead to problems suchas sudden changes in temperature or excessvibration that may signal a problem in amachine tool or a process going outside itsbounds. There are three fundamental componentsthat combine to form an IoT node: intelli-gence, sensing, and wireless communica-tions. Wireless connectivity is vital becauseit will allow sensor nodes to be deployedquickly and easily without the requirementto route network cables to each location. In order to survive for long periods of timeon a single battery charge, an IoT nodeneeds to exhibit low power consumption.Typically, the node will be dormant for longperiods of time, waking up for short periodsto take a reading and then make a decisionon whether to send out an alert based on

the change or go back to sleep. A large num-ber of microcontrollers are designedaround this core requirement, sportingultralow-energy sleep modes combinedwith high-performance instruction pipelinesto streamline processing while awake.A key decision is the type of architecture. Agrowing number of low-cost microcon-trollers from vendors such as Atmel,Freescale, STMicroelectronics and TexasInstruments use 32-bit cores based on archi-tectures such as ARM to deliver high per-formance at low power and access to agrowing range of open-source software thatallows applications to be built quickly.However, architectures such as Atmel’s AVRdemonstrate that the 8-bit platform still pro-vides a great deal of power, using advancedsmart peripherals to collect data from sen-sor interfaces, and delivering high cost-effectiveness.

There are a number of possible approachesfor introducing low-power communicationsto an IoT node, ranging from purpose-designed protocols such as Zigbee to low-power variants of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.Some of these protocols offer direct com-patibility with the internet protocol (IP).Others rely on a gateway to map between IPpackets and the leaner protocols used bythe IoT sensor nodes.

Zigbee is a low-power wireless networkspecification based on the IEEE 802.15.4(2003) standard that was developed by agroup of 16 companies involved in industri-al and building automation. A novel aspectof Zigbee compared to many other net-working protocols lies in its use of mesh net-working. This allows IoT nodes far awayfrom a central controller to use nodes inbetween to carry their communications.

The fundamental componentsof the Internet of ThingsThe focus of the internet is set to change over the next five years as systems becomesmarter. According to networking specialist Cisco, 50 billion devices are likely to beconnected to the internet by 2020, helping to sustain a $14tr market. The systems thatdominate the internet today, such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones, will bedwarfed by the tens of billions of machines with network connections that will relay datato each other with the aim of making life more efficient.The idea of the internet of things (IoT) dates back to the late 1990s when researchersproposed ideas such as ambient intelligence, in which a forest of smart sensors wouldmonitor environmental conditions, alerting control systems to changes. By enactingchanges in response, these control systems can improve efficiency in a wide range ofsystems, from industrial control through home automation to healthcare. For example, aset of smart sensors dotted around the body, can pick up on health problems that alertthe user to a problem through their phone.



This not only extends the range of a centralgateway, it also increases robustness as atransmission can use a number of differentroutes through the mesh.

Originally launched by Nokia as Wibree in2006, Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) orBluetooth Smart provides a similar range toclassic Bluetooth but with reduced powerconsumption. In place of the 1MHz channelsused by the original Bluetooth protocol, BLEuses a smaller set of wider-bandwidth chan-nels of 2MHz but with a lower peak data rate.

The channel bandwidth is similar to that ofZigbee but with narrower spacing. A key advantage of BLE is its lower latency,just 3ms versus the 100ms of classicBluetooth, as well as lower complexity sothat its software stack can easily be incorpo-rated into lower-cost microcontrollers. BLEretains support for frequency hopping fromthe original Bluetooth protocol, whichmakes it more robust than Zigbee in thepresence of strong interfering signals.

One of the main application areas for BLE ismedical instrumentation, where a number ofon-body sensors to monitor heart rate,blood pressure, and posture relay their

readings at regular intervals to a central con-troller, which may be a mobile phone or adedicated medical instrument. Having been in use in various forms formore than 15 years, Wi-Fi has the benefit ofbeing the most mature wireless-networkingradio technology suitable for IoT applica-tions. Through protocols such as WPS, Wi-Fican offer easy integration into an existingnetwork for devices that have little to nophysical user interface.Of the wireless technologies suitable for IoTapplications, Wi-Fi has the best power-per-

bit transmission efficiency. Conventional Wi-Fi designs tend to use more energy to main-tain a connection while quiescent than pro-tocols such as BLE, which can decrease ener-gy efficiency if the application does notneed high bandwidth. However, vendorssuch as GainSpan have worked on powerefficiency in designs such as the GS2000,which combines support for both ZigBeeand Wi-Fi on the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz band.These designs put the radio into an energy-saving standby mode if the sensor nodedoes not need to transmit any data. It wakesup only to send data or keep-alive connec-tion packets used to assure central con-trollers that the node has not failed.

In general, Wi-Fi tends to suit applicationswhere compliance with the IP stack is anadvantage, there is a requirement to deliverlarge amounts of data, such as audio orvideo, or the remote devices can be pow-ered by external energy sources.

An example of Wi-Fi in use is by MernokElektronik of South Africa, which used mod-ules from connectBlue to incorporate wire-less networking into the locomotive controland safety management systems of railwaysystems used in mining.

The modules are used to collect real-timeoperation data on each vehicle and providea robust wireless connection across both2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands withsupport for over-the-air firmware updatesand parameter changes.

BLE and Wi-Fi can be used together efficient-ly as they both support coexistence protocolsdesigned to reduce interference betweenthe two on their common frequency band of2.4GHz. This coexistence ability lends itself toimplementation in gateway designs whereBLE is used for connections to sensor nodesand Wi-Fi for relaying aggregated data to abackbone network.

Figure 1: Comparing data rates of RF systems.


The APx4 from Bluegiga provides an off-the-shelf solution for this, providing support forboth Wi-Fi and the full Bluetooth 4.0 soft-ware stack that includes BLE, based around apowerful 450MHz ARM9 processor.A number of integrated microcontrollersand support chipsets from vendors such asAtmel, CSR, Freescale, STMicroelectronics

and Texas Instruments provide support forprotocols such as BLE, Wi-Fi and ZigBee. Forimplementations that need flexibility, theconfigurable radio transceivers made byLime Microsystems make it easier to deploynodes that can be programmed with a spe-cific RF interface personality at the point ofmanufacture to suit different networking

needs in the target system.As the IoT scales up, we can expect moreintegrated solutions to arrive on the market.But, even at this early stage of development,there are many choices available to the engi-neer with which to incorporate the threekey components of IoT support. nwww.digikey.com


Figure 2: Channel arrangements for Zigbee, BluetoothLE and Wi-Fi.

Digi-Key Corporation, the industry leader inelectronic component selection, availabilityand delivery, has collaborated withFreescale® Semiconductor and ARM to offerthe European engineering community achance to submit their hardware productinnovations. Prototype entries need to bebuilt with one of Freescale’s Freedom line ofcost-effective development platforms, usingDigi-Key’s complimentary Scheme-it onlinedesign software and submitted online atwww.eeweb.com/freedomcontest by June30, 2014.The industry leaders have come together tofoster creativity in online board-level prod-uct design, rewarding engineers for creativi-ty, innovation and practicality. Contestantscan choose among any of the fourteenFreescale Freedom Development Platformsincluding the newly created Kinetis® E ver-sions and the Xtrinsic® portfolio of sensors aswell as the company’s newly released FRDM-K64F board that was also announced earlier

this month at the Freescale TechnologyForum in Dallas, Texas. Participants can easilyaccess Digi-Key’s complimentary onlinedesign software – Scheme-it – to choosetheir block-level circuit design. Onceapproved, contestants can move to the nextlevel where they are required to submit theirdesign prototype overview along with animage or video. Participants must use theFreescale Freedom board for their productdesign although they may choose to usetheir own board or they can purchase onefrom digikey.com. Although only one boardis required, bonus points will be awarded foruse of multiple Freescale devices in thedesign. Convergence Promotions, the leaderin ARM core-based programs, Aspen Labs,the designer of Scheme-it, and EEWeb, aleading online electrical engineering com-munity are collaborating to produce theFreedom Design Contest. The contest is lim-ited to entries submitted from EMEA-basedengineers. The initial block designs must be

submitted via Digi-Key’s Scheme-It onlinedesign tool by June 30. Then, the next-levelprototypes are due September 15. Prizeswill be awarded at every stage of the contest,giving the engineers the ability to participateas time permits. A team of engineering andproduct design experts from all three com-panies will judge the submissions, announc-ing the final prizewinners at Electronica inMunich, Germany on November 11, 2014.For more information about the contest, visitthe Freedom Design Contest page on EEWeb.

DIGI-KEY www.digikey.com

Digi-Key collaborates with Freescale and ARM to Kick-Off“Design with Freedom” Product Design Contest



EBM-PAPST PLUG 'N' PLAY COMPACT FANSEvery fan needs to be mounted andconnected to a power supply. To save you time, ebm-papst’s plug 'n'play fan assembly range is suppliedcomplete with threaded inserts ineach corner to take an M3 threadedbolt and a Molex 22-01-2025 con-nector.

• DC fans• Plastic housing• Molex connector fitted• Threaded inserts for easy mounting• Protection IP20

HARTING SMT D SUB CONNECTORSDesigned and packaged for automatic pick and place equipmentthe range covers both the right angle and straight versions in sizes of9 through to 37 way. The series is compatible with other surfacemount components.

• Industry standard contact count• Straight and right angle variants• Optional fitted female screw

locks/threaded inserts• Single production process • High level of mechanical retention

to the PCB

DIALIGHT DUROSITE SERIES LED HIGH BAY LIGHTINGDialight’s DuroSite LED High Bay fixture was designed specifically toreplace conventional lighting in a wide variety of industrial applica-tions; both indoor and outdoor. Its low profile lightweight design andversatile mounting optionsmake it ideal for many applica-tions such as warehouse,garage, aisle, cold storage,bridge, tunnel and generalarea lighting.

• L70 rated for >100,000 hours @ 25°C ambient

• Significant energy savings• Instant on / off

REPRAPRO ORMEROD 3D PRINTERIntroducing the new RepRap Ormerod complete 3D printer kitfrom RepRapPro. 3D printing is fast becoming an essential part ofthe design process for both electronics and mechanics, with the abil-ity to create quick turn-around prototypes saving months in the

design cycle. Thanks to the RepRapProject, 3D printing is nowlow-cost and can be usedfor small production runs.

• Full open-source self-replicating RepRap

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Understanding threadingA sound knowledge of threading is impor-tant for all developers of mobile appsbecause it is central to the mobile devices’ability to run multiple operations simultane-ously. Threading is the division of a pro-gramme execution, within a process, whichcreates two sets of code which can runsimultaneously. Whilst one set of code waitsfor an event to occur before it can continue,the other threads must be able to carry onrunning. Without proper threading, theapp’s user interface would lock up andbecome non-responsive as tasks such asconnecting to the Web, or via Bluetooth® orUSB, would block the thread for an unspec-ified amount of time.Threading also introduces the problem ofconcurrency into programme development.When two or more threads are running simul-taneously, it is possible to have very complexdata access issues when data needs to passbetween two threads, or when the same dataneeds to be read or modified by two threads.Since each thread’s execution time isunknown, it is possible to be modifying the

variable in one thread at the same time as asecond thread is trying to read it. Java pro-vides the answer to this with the use of a syn-chronised keyword: this allows developers tocreate sections that lock onto a shared objectso that, if a thread is inside the synchronisedsection, no other thread can enter that sectionuntil the first thread has left it. In Figure 1, the synchronised functions areused to ensure that variables ‘a’ and ‘b’ areboth modified together, resulting in the

same sum. Without synchronisation, itwould be possible for one thread to call theupdateVariables() function ‘b’ in the code,just after ‘a’ has been incremented butbefore ‘b’ has been decremented, when asecond thread calls the getSum() routine,

Interfacing accessorieson Android™

DESIGN EMBEDDED ANDROID

Accessory interfaces simplify the development of embedded Android apps,explains David Flowers of Microchip Technology Inc.

Whilst mobile phones and tablet computers began life as embedded platforms, they nowrun on operating systems which are similar to that of a standard PC. They have becomemulti-threaded and even multi-core devices capable of simultaneously running multipleapplications, maintaining multiple types of connectivity, and providing the user interface.For the consumer, this delivers higher expectations, whilst for the application developer itdelivers both opportunities and challenges.The opportunities include enabling mobile devices to interface to other electronic devicessuch as personal fitness equipment and medical health devices: The challenges lie in thefact that, developing new mobile apps can demand a very different set of design skills,especially for developers more familiar with creating applications on smaller processors.

private Integer a = 0, b = 0;

public synchronized void updateVariables() {a += 1;b -= 1;

}

public synchronized Integer getSum() {return a + b;

}

Figure 1: Synchronised functions.

private Integer a = 0, b = 0;

public void updateVariables() {synchronized(a) {

a += 1;b -= 1;

}}

public Integer getSum() {synchronized(a) {

return a + b;}

}

Figure 2: Synchronised keywords.



resulting in a sum that is different for thatbrief moment of time.Figure 2 shows how a synchronised sectioncan be used instead of a synchronised func-tion to achieve the same effect. Using a syn-chronised section allows other variables andfunctions within the parent object to contin-ue to be used, since the lock is only placedon variable ‘a’ instead of the entire parentobject. As synchronisation statements areslightly more complex and susceptible toerrors, care must be taken to use the appro-priate method for each function.Java also enables data or events to bepassed safely between threads using han-dlers and messages. A handler is similar to amailbox: Messages can be placed in a han-dler which then presents the first message tothe thread, as soon as the associated threadis no longer busy. This method can be usedto pass information about events or databetween threads.

Overriding lifecycle changesAndroid activities or apps go through lifecy-cle transitions which occur when changes onthe phone or tablet could affect the applica-tion. When developing applications target-ed for the Android OS, it is important tounderstand the activity lifecycle becauseeven simple user interactions, such as rotat-ing the screen, sliding out a keyboard orreceiving a call, can cause lifecycle changesin an application. Many of the systemresources that an activity can request alsospecify that they must be freed on certainlifecycles states. For example, broadcastreceivers are used to detect certain eventsthat happen on the USB bus, such as whenthe device is detached. The broadcastreceiver, however, needs to be unregisteredwhen the application pauses, and re-regis-tered when the application resumes.(See the diagram “Android activity lifecyclefrom the next page”)

The Android OS provides a way to overridethe default behaviour of each of theseevents, so that developers can add any func-tionality required at these lifecycle transi-tions. To override a lifecycle function, simplyuse the state name as a function with the@Override keyword before it.

When overriding a lifecycle function, alwaysuse the super keyword to call the parentfunctionality that is being overridden.

This ensures that the other steps normallyoccurring in that lifecycle change will stilloccur. Failure to do this can result in theapplication crashing or failing to build. It isalso important to realise that, sometimes, itmatters where the parent functionality iscalled within the function. For lifecyclechanges on the creation side of the cycle,onCreate(), onStart(), onResume(), thesuper function is typically called at the startof the function. For the lifecycle changes onthe destruction side of the cycle, onPause(),onStop(), OnDestroy(), it is usually impor-tant to have the super call near or at theend of the function.

One method of working around the issue ofhaving to handle various lifecycle changes isto move some of the handling of objectsthat need to survive these transitions to aservice. Using a service for the data-connec-tivity objects can also allow multiple activi-ties to share the same data connection.

@Overridepublic void onResume() {

super.onResume();

//your stuff here}Figure 6: Override the onResume() function.

public class PushbuttonMessage {private boolean pressed = false;public PushbuttonMessage (boolean state) {

pressed = state;}public boolean isPressed() {

return pressed;}

}Figure 3: Create a class to be used as a message.

private final static int BUTTON_EVENT = 1;

PushbuttonMessage pbMsg = new PushbuttonMessage(false);

/* Get a new message with the “what” of BUTTON_EVENT, and the button messagethat was just created */

Message msg = handler.obtainMessage(BUTTON_EVENT, pbMsg);msg.sendToTarget();Figure 4: Create a message and send it to a handler.

private final static int BUTTON_EVENT = 1;

private Handler handler = new Handler() {@Overridepublic void handleMessage(Message msg) {

switch(msg.what) {case BUTTON_EVENT:

/* Now that we know we have a button message, we know that the object associated with the message is a PushbuttonMessage.Create a PushbuttonMessage and cast the object to it so thatwe can access its members */

PushbuttonMessage pbMessage = (PushbuttonMessage) msg.obj;if(pbMessage.isPressed() == true) {

//do something here}

}}

};Figure 5: Implement a handler to receive and decode a message.


Wireless communicationThe three main connectivity interfaces are:USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi®. However, thesemethods are dependent on the version ofthe OS as well as the hardware features thatare available on the device.Wi-Fi is probably one of the easiest andbest-documented interfaces available forapp development. If the target accessoryincludes an HTTP server, the browser on thephone or tablet can be used to eliminate theneed for a custom application. There arealso different telnet/ftp applications avail-able which can also eliminate custom devel-opment. If a custom application is required,Java offers network APIs and there is amplereference material on how to use them.

There is, however, one Android OS-specificitem that needs to be added to the applica-tion before the app is able to use the net-working API. In the AndroidManafest.xmlfile, the activity that is accessing the networkAPI needs to be given permission to do soby adding the following line:

One major limitation when using anAndroid device’s Wi-Fi for accessory inter-facing is that Android does not currentlysupport ad-hoc networking so a networkinfrastructure is required before the Wi-Fiaccessory can operate.

This may be realistic for some applications,such as a thermostat in a house that willalways have Wi-Fi connectivity to the homerouter, but unrealistic for nearly all mobileaccessories.Different Android OS versions offer sup-port for different Bluetooth devices. The

Android v2.x versions support the SerialPort Profile (SPP), although not all deviceswith these OS versions are capable of usingthe feature. The SPP profile is useful for cre-ating custom applications that do not have apredefined data format.


<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />Figure 7: Add permission for an app to use the Internet.

Diagram 1: Android activity lifecycle.



For more specialised accessories, v3.x intro-duced support for the headset andAdvanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP),whilst Android OS version 4.x introducedsupport for the Health Device Profile (HDP).

USB connectivityOne of the most recent methods for down-loading data from an Android device is USB.Before version 2.3.4 of the Android OS, theUSB port was used exclusively by the devicemanufacturer so that it was not available toapplication developers. This changed withthe v2.3.4 and v3.1 Android OS updates,allowing developers of Android accessoriesto use the USB port.Android version 3.1 then introduced a USBHost API, allowing developers to use stan-dard USB peripherals plugged into a suit-able Android device. The OS also has built-in support for some USB device classes, suchas Human Interface Device (HID) and MassStorage Devices (MSD). These built-in driv-ers allow these USB peripherals to be usedseamlessly, just as they are used on a stan-dard computer. For peripherals withoutbuilt-in support, the USB Host API allowsapp developers to connect and communi-cate directly to the USB endpoints through asimple, low-level API set.

In order to gain permission for the USB HostAPI, the app needs to declare use of thelibrary in the AndroidManafest.xml file:

Setting up a device filter enables an applica-tion to auto-launch when a specific periph-eral is plugged into the USB port. In the

AndroidManafest.xml file, an intent filtermust be created and associated with theUSB_DEVICE_ATTACHED event, and thatmust be associated to a filter file such as“xml/device_filter.xml”.The device_filter.xml file contains informa-tion about the devices that should cause theapp to launch. This can be either by theVendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) pair,or by the class, subclass, and protocol set.

It is also possible for application developersto be less specific by not including everyattribute in the tag. In the absence of a prod-uct-id attribute, for example, any matchingvendor-id device can cause the app to launch.

OpenAccessory USBTo enable USB capability in Android deviceswithout hardware support for the USB Host,Google added the OpenAccessory frame-work onto the standard USB drivers in theAndroid devices. This enables accessory

developers to use standard USB port func-tionality for custom USB traffic. TheOpenAccessory protocol achieves this by

first exchanging a few custom, vendor-classdevice-level control transfers to the USB port,as developed by the manufacturer of the

device. These commands switch the USBdrivers into an accessory mode and cause theUSB peripheral to detach from the bus andreattach in accessory mode, with Google’svendor ID and one of two specific productIDs. In this mode, there is a vendor-class inter-face that can be accessed by an application.The interface which OpenAccessory pres-ents to the application is like the FileStreamformat. Data is written and read from the

stream, similar to the way in which a file isread and written. This differs from mostfirmware implementations for USB periph-erals, in which the interface is based on theUSB packet size. The issues which result fromthis difference need to be understood bythe app developer and the accessoryfirmware developer.The Android device’s USB driver receives afile stream and therefore, it does not recog-nise or understand the potential logicalbreaks in the data for specific commands.The data from two separate calls to thewrite function of the app can bring packetstogether into the same USB packet. The firmware needs to be aware that areceived USB packet could contain informa-tion from two separate calls to the writefunction from the app.A single call from the app to the write func-tion could also be fragmented across multi-ple USB packets. The USB driver on theAndroid device will break the data intopackets and send them to the accessory andthe accessory must be able to reassembledata into the appropriate format.Packing and fragmentation can also occurtogether. For example, the OpenAccessory frameworkcurrently uses 64-byte packets. If the appcalls the write function twice, back to back,the first call sends 20 bytes of data; and thesecond call sends 64 bytes of data. It is possi-ble, therefore, for the two sections of data tobe packed together into an 84-byte block ofdata, depending on when the USB drivertakes the data from the stream and sends itover the bus. The USB driver then needs tobreak this stream of data into USB-sized pack-ets, by sending the first 64 bytes of data, fol-lowed by a packet of 20 bytes.

<uses-library android:name=“android.hardware.usb.host" />Figure 9: Enable an app by permitting access to the USB Host API.

UsbManager = (UsbManager)getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE);UsbInterface intf = device.getInterface(0);UsbDeviceConnection connection = manager.openDevice(device);connection.claimInterface(intf, true);UsbEndpoint endpointOUT = intf.getEndpoint(0);connection.bulkTransfer(endpointOUT, buffer, buffer.length, timeout_ms);Figure 8: Connect via the USB Host API and despatch a packet.

<intent-filter><action android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED" />

</intent-filter><meta-data android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED"

android:resource="@xml/device_filter" />

Figure 10: Auto-launch an app when a device is attached in USB Host mode.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><resources>

<usb-device vendor-id="1240" product-id="516"/><usb-device class=“256” subclass=“256” protocol=“5”/>

</resources>

Figure 11: Set-up a filter

for a device tolaunch an app

in USB Host mode.



The first packet, however, contains the 20bytes of data from the first write and 44bytes from the second write. The secondpacket of 20 is the remaining data from thesecond write.

The final challenge is to understand howUSB bulk transfers are formed. According tothe USB specification, USB bulk transfers are

complete when:1) the exact amount of expected data

is sent2) and a packet smaller than the endpoint

size, or a zero-length packet, is sent

To complete a transfer of a block of data thatis an exact multiple of the endpoint size, cur-rently 64 bytes, accessory developers must

follow this with a zero-length packet. Failureto send zero-length packets, when required,can result in the data remaining in theAndroid USB driver without being trans-ferred to the OpenAccessory FileStream, andtherefore never being transferred to the app.The OpenAccessory framework also requirespermission in the AndroidManifest.xml file:

The device can auto-launch an app basedon string information passed during thesteps required to enter accessory mode.This is done through xml files that are similarto the USB Host API:

The OpenAccessory framework’s most sig-nificant drawback is that it is an optionaladd-on library in the Android OS.

Diagram 2: Data packing and fragmentation.

<uses-library android:name="com.android.usb.accessory" />

Figure 12: Enable an app to access theOpenAccessory framework.

<intent-filter>

<action android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_ACCESSORY_ATTACHED" />

</intent-filter>

<meta-data android:name="android.hardware.usb.action.USB_ACCESSORY_ATTACHED"

android:resource="@xml/accessory_filter" />

Figure 13: Launch an application inOpenAccessory mode.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<resources>

<usb-accessory manufacturer="MicrochipTechnology Inc." model="Basic AccessoryDemo" version="1.0" />

</resources>Figure 14: Use a filter to determine which deviceswill launch the app.

Some manufacturers, therefore, have chosennot to include it, so it is not possible toassume that every device with a suitable OSversion will support this functionality.Support may also be included in one ver-sion of the product, but withdrawn on sub-sequent versions.The release of the Android 4.1 Jelly Beanintroduced version 2 of the Android OpenAccessory (AOA) protocol which givesaccessory developers two new features:The addition of support for digital audiooutput and Human Interface Device (HID)controls from accessory mode.

Digital audioSupport for digital audio output allows easycreation of audio docks with Android devices.Whilst an audio dock was possible with AOAversion 1, it required the designer to create acustom protocol and use a custom applica-tion. Any standard application would still out-put audio via the headset or speakers. WithAOA version 2 all core audio on the Androiddevice is routed to the USB port, allowing theaudio to work with any app or feature on thedevice. AOA version 2 also allows the audiointerface to be accessed with or withoutlaunching the app when docked. Not sendingthe manufacturer or model string to theAndroid device, before it enters accessorymode, is sufficient to allow the accessory to bedocked without being launched.

Interface controlsHuman Interface Device (HID) controls,from accessory mode, were previously onlyavailable in USB Host mode. With AOA ver-sion 2, accessories can send HID reports tothe associated Android device and to theOS to control the user input. This is usefulfor audio dock controls as well as for thecreation of control devices such as mice,keyboards and joysticks.

ConclusionUnderstanding the capabilities and limita-tions of accessory interfaces is crucial fortransforming a hardware design into an effec-tive Android accessory. Skills such as thread-ing, wireless communication, using Androidas a USB host and digital audio will probablyall have to be mastered. Developmentresources for each of these challenges, includ-ing free firmware and example Androidaccessories, can be found on the Microchipwebsites for www.microchip.com/USB, / wifiand / bluetooth. nwww.microchip.com


DESIGN

Microchip announces a new parallel Flash memory device - the SST38VF6401B. TheSST38VF6401B is a 4M ×16 CMOS Advanced Multi-Purpose Flash Plus (Advanced MPF+)device manufactured with Microchip’s, high-performance CMOS SuperFlash® technology, asplit-gate cell design and thick-oxide tunnelling injector for better reliability and manufac-turability. This device conforms to JEDEC standard pin assignments for ×16 memories.With an operating voltage rangefrom 2.7 to 3.6V, fast read and pro-gramme times, and advanced pro-tection features this parallel Flashmemory excels in a variety of appli-cations. The memory is partitionedinto uniform 32KWord and non-uniform 8 KWord blocks, offeringflexible erase capabilities andseamless partitioning for pro-gramme code and data.The SST38VF6401B parallel Flashmemory offers high performancewith flexible read and write options, including random read access time of 70ns; page readaccess time of 25ns; erasing sectors and blocks as fast as 18ms; erasing the entire Flash mem-ory chip in 40ms; a word-programming time of 7μs; and a write-buffer programming timeof 1.75μs, typical. The device offers superior reliability of 100,000 endurance cycles, typi-cal, and greater than 100 years of data retention. The active read current of these devicesis only 25mA, typical, at 5MHz, and standby current is only 5μA, typical. TheSST38VF6401B also provides various levels of protection and security features such asSecurity-ID, hardware boot-block protection, individual block protection, password pro-tection, and irreversible block locking. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/B720

Microchip introduces 64-Mbit parallel Flash memory deviceon Advanced Process Technology


Microchip announces an expansion of its Digitally Enhanced Power Analogue controllerproduct line. With the introduction of the MCP19114 and MCP19115 devices, Microchip’sdiverse range of intelligent DC/DC power-conversion solutions grows to include controllerssupporting flyback, boost and SEPIC topologies. These latest devices introduce a step-upPWM-controller and low-sideMOSFET driver architecture, with amid-voltage LDO and fully-func-tional microcontroller all integratedinto a small, high-density powerpackage. This solution continues tooffer the power conversion per-formance typical of an analogue-based controller, with the flexibilityapproaching that of a fully-digitalpower conversion solution. Thesenew analogue power-managementdevices, in combination with thefully-functional microcontroller (MCU), support configurable, high-efficiency power-con-version designs across a broad array of consumer and automotive applications and powerconversion topologies.The MCP19114 and MCP19115 hybrid digital-analogue control solutions offer the speedand responsiveness expected of a high-performance analogue control loop; the flexibilityexpected of a digital MCU; operate across wide operating voltage ranges; support conven-tional 5, 12, and 24V rails; and meet automotive load-dump requirements. TheMCP19114/19115 analogue-based controllers with digital interface, offer cost-efficientadjustability in a high-performance power conversion solution. These devices support oper-ation up to 42V, and have integrated MOSFET drivers configured for step-up applications. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/get/TB5H

Microchip expands portfolio of digitally-enhanced poweranalogue controllers with integrated MCU


Battery chemistriesOne of the key decisions for designers ofportable electronics is the choice of batterytechnology. The four main battery chemistriesare Alkaline, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), NickelMetal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion(Li-Ion) and each has its own advantagesand drawbacks.Typically, a fully-charged Alkaline cell willproduce a voltage of around 1.5V. This volt-age will decrease as the battery’s energy isused, so that at 90% usage the voltage willhave fallen to around 0.9V. The combinationof a relatively high capacity and a high inter-nal resistance, makes Alkaline batteries inef-ficient for high current-drain applicationssuch as remote-control cars, camera flashunits and power tools.For these high-current applications, NiCdbattery cells provide a very durable andlow-cost option, offering a nominal voltageof 1.2V which drops to around 0.9V at theend of the battery life. The drawbacks aretheir relatively low energy density and thepresence of toxic metals, In addition, a peri-odic full discharge is necessary to preventlarge crystals forming on the cell plates andaffecting both battery life and performance.In contrast, NiMH cells are more environ-mentally-friendly and deliver around 40%more energy density than NiCd battery

cells. Their nominal voltage of around 1.25Vwill drop to below 1.0V at the end of bat-tery life. The disadvantages of NiMH batter-ies are a considerably higher rate of self-dis-charge and a lack of durability, compared toNiCd, caused by cycling under heavy loadsand extremes of temperature.For most portable consumer electronics, Li-Ion is now the dominant battery chemistry.A fully-charged single Li-Ion cell has anopen-circuit voltage of around 3.6V,decreasing to around 2.7V when fullydepleted. The advantages of using Li-Ioncells include a lighter weight, higher cellvoltages and, with Li-Polymer versions, theability to be shaped. Additional advantagesare that the energy density of Li-Ion and Li-Polymer batteries continues to increase andis currently about twice the cell energy of astandard NiCd, whilst their costs decrease.The main disadvantage of this chemistry isthe risk that they may explode if over-charged. This valid safety concern meansthat some manufacturers are opting forNiMH chemistries, particularly where sizeand weight are not critical factors.

DC-to-DC convertersAn understanding of DC-to-DC converterarchitectures is essential for optimising theoverall performance of a design and, typical-

ly, the choice will be between linear regula-tors, switching regulators and charge pumps.Although there are several types of linearregulator, the most common used in battery-powered applications is the low dropout reg-ulator (LDO). These use a P-channel passtransistor as a variable resistor with feedbackto regulate a given output voltage. In comparison, a switching regulator uses adiode, an inductor and a switch to transferenergy from the input and provide a givenoutput which is configured in either a buck,boost or buck/boost topology. A buck regu-lator provides a regulated output voltagethat is lower than the input voltage, which issimilar to the function of an LDO; a boostswitching regulator provides an output volt-age which is higher than the input; whilst abuck/boost regulator delivers a regulatedoutput across a range of input voltages thatare above and/or below that of the output.The third type of regulator, a charge pump,uses a capacitor as an energy-storage deviceand has switches to connect the plates of thecapacitor to the input voltage. Depending onthe circuit topology, a charge pump can dou-ble, triple, invert, halve or even create anarbitrary regulated output voltage. The use of charge and discharge capacitorsto transfer energy means that a charge pumpprovides a relatively low output current of no

Getting the maximum lifetime out of a battery requires an understanding ofthree key factors: battery technologies, digital power management and low-power analogue techniques. Whilst most designers are familiar with thestrengths and weaknesses of different battery chemistries and with digital powercontrol, they may be less familiar with the role that low-power analogue can playin pushing extending life.

Analogue techniques forlonger battery life

Author: Kevin Tretter, Microchip Technology Inc.

DESIGN ANALOGUE TECHNIQUES


more than a couple of hundred milliAmps.Table 1 outlines the advantages and disad-vantages of each of these DC-to-DC convert-er topologies and the choice of optimumtopology will depend on the parameters ofeach application. For applications in which along battery life is the priority, a highly effi-cient switching regulator may be the bestchoice; whereas, in applications with a highlevel of electrical noise, the choice would typ-ically be a linear regulator. However, everyapplication will need to focus on power-man-agement circuitry if system performance tar-gets are to be achieved.

DC-to-DC conversion offers a number oftechniques for extending battery run time.Figure 1, for example, shows the placementof an input and output capacitor, in relationto the DC-to-DC converter. In this configu-ration, the switching regulator used to openand close an input switch can cause currentsurges on the input pin which can be min-imised by using a large input capacitor as acharge buffer. This can affect battery run

time because, depending on the batterychemistry, the internal resistance maybecome significant and pulsing current fromthe battery can cause an appreciable volt-age drop across the battery cell. A largerinput capacitor, placed between the batteryand the switcher, will reduce the instanta-neous current draw and resulting voltagedrop across the battery. By minimising thesevoltage drops, the run time of the batterycan be extended before the minimum bat-tery cell voltage is reached.In low-power applications which spend asignificant time in standby or sleep mode it

may not be necessary for the regulator to berunning at all times. Here, the use of a largeroutput capacitor to supply the low currentrequired by the load can be more energy-efficient. Cycling the regulator, on and off,boosts the capacitor charge as it is required.

Digital power managementDynamic voltage scaling is another commontechnique for maximising battery run time.

When operated at a lower voltage a digitalload, such as a microcontroller, requires lesscurrent and therefore consumes less power.The drawback, however, is that operating amicrocontroller at a low voltage can limit itsprocessing speed and output capabilities.Dynamic voltage scaling enables the micro-controller to combine lower voltage andlower power consumption, when in standbyor sleep mode, with a boost to a higher volt-age level for processing or transferringinformation. This technique is used exten-sively in computing and many other battery-powered applications in which the micro-controller operates in different modes.The amount of run-time versus standby orsleep for each application will also influencebattery run-time. Whilst applications such ascarbon dioxide detectors typically need touse continuous operation, others can remainin standby or sleep mode until required.Examples of applications with intermittentoperation include smart water meters,remote controls and photo-based smokedetectors.

Analogue power managementThere are vast online resources dedicatedto helping designers to understand andmanage digital power by using the differentmodes of operation offered by microcon-trollers and also by turning its on-boardperipherals on and off as required. The impact of running the microcontrollerin a continuously active state, or putting itinto sleep mode and then waking it foractive operation, is also well documented.When managing the power budget for ana-logue components, the choices may not beas clear.Whilst it is still critical to use analogue ICswith the lowest active current for systems thatuse continuously active operation, applica-tions which are duty cycled, will also need toconsider the settling time in relation to thecurrent consumption. It may be that a higher-current, faster device may provide greaterlong-term efficiency than a lower currentalternative with a slower response time.

Choosing the right battery technology anddigital power management techniques arefamiliar considerations for designers lookingto extend battery run time. The implemen-tation of low-power analogue techniques isoften less familiar but can play a significantrole in extending battery life and ensuringoptimum system performance. nwww.microchip.com

DESIGN ANALOGUE TECHNIQUES

Parameter Linear Regulator Switching Regulator Charge Pump

Efficiency Low High Medium

Noise Low High Medium

Output Current Low to Medium Low to High Low

Step-Up Voltage No Yes Yes

Step-Down Voltage Yes Yes Yes

Size Small Large Medium

Table 1: Analysis of different DC-to-DC converter topologies

Figure 1: Placement of input and output capacitors for a Switching Regulator.


DESIGN MCUs

Embedded PROFINET on a 32-bit RX ControllerWith its ERTEC200/ERTEC400 and TPS-1components, Renesas provides PROFINETimplementations that are recognised as theindustry standard in the highest PROFINETperformance category (V.2.3 IRT, CC-C).

Microcontroller-BasedPROFINET ImplementationsPROFINET is becoming more and more widespread in the industrial automation field.With 5.8 million devices installed by the end of 2012, PROFINET holds the top spotamong Industrial Ethernet bus systems. One of the reasons for this growth is the use ofPROFINET in embedded systems, which were previously integrated using proprietarybus systems or field buses.

Authors:

Christian Bornschein Bernd Westhoff

CC-A:Simple device with support for Profinet-IO basic communication(alarms, diagnostics, cyclical RT communication, name resolution etc.)and simple neighbourhood detection.

CC-B:Like CC-A, but with the addition of support for SNMP and device replacement functions. The optional media redundancy can beimplemented using an MRP client.

CC-C:Additional support for RT_Class_3 as wellas comprehensive redundancy support.

Figure 1:The PROFINET Conformance Classes.

Real-time Classes:Profinet enables application data communication either directly via standard Ethernetframes or via UDP/IP, depending on the necessary real-time requirements. The ProfibusUser Organisation has defined four different real-time classes in order to categorisethese requirements:

RT_Class_1:Unsynchronised RT communication within a subnet and based on Ethernet frames. Thiscommunication type must be implemented in a device. The data are sent within a time-frame defined by the IO controller.

RT_Class_2:Devices that support RT_Class_2 enable synchronised or unsynchronised communica-tion via Ethernet frames. With synchronised communication, the IO controller specifiesthe start of the bus cycle for the IO devices. This leads to a predictable worst-case sce-nario for wait times in transmitting the frames from the IO device to the IO controller.The Precision Clock Transport Protocol (PTCP) synchronises the cycles.

RT_Class_3:This class broadens synchronous data transmission in that it schedules send times for allnetwork participants. Each network participant has a defined send time assigned to itby the IO controller. In addition, all the switches in the network ensure that the trans-mission paths are free at the time of the transmission. By avoiding the Ethernet CDMAprocedure, there are practically no wait times for the transmission of IO data in the net-work. This class has special hardware requirements and cannot be handled by standardEthernet controllers.

Figure 2: Conformance and real-time classes.


DESIGN MCUs

However, not all applications require thislevel of PROFINET performance – and animplementation on a microcontroller is verysuitable for less demanding applications.Many users and system integrators still per-ceive PROFINET as a resource-intensiveprotocol that demands powerful CPUs undand plenty of RAM. The on-chip MCUresources provided by an embedded sys-tem were barely able to cover this require-ment. From a historical perspective, theusers’ perception was entirely justified –after all, it was only a few years ago that adecent PROFINET integration was thoughtto require ERTEC and the accompanyingprotocol stack. Over time, the ERTEC stackwas ported to other platforms, although thistook some work. Some of these ports werecarried out with a view to limiting the ERTECstack to fewer functions. As ERTEC is thestandard for the fastest PROFINET – CC-Cand RT-3, commonly known as PROFINET

IRT – removing functionality from it alwaysinvolved some deep-rooted surgery. Following one of these surgical operations,the unwieldy IRT was slimmed down fromwhat we could call a size XXL to a size L. Butsizes M, S or even XS were still a long way off,despite engineers spending a lot of time onit. Then again, it is rather unfair to expect areduction from size XXL to S – after all, theentire structure was designed to fulfil allconformance classes (CC) and real-time (RT)classes by default.

PROFINET on the MCU – no longerjust an end in itselfToday’s microcontrollers can deliver suffi-cient MCU performance and RAM and stillprovide the user with a wide range of power-ful peripherals. These systems are more thancapable of achieving cycle times of 1ms.Modern MCUs, like the Renesas RX, feature a32-bit CPU core in their common configura-

tions and provide as much as 128kB to 256kBon-chip RAM as standard. For an intelligentlywritten PROFINET protocol stack, that is suf-ficient – or even generous – if the project islimited to CC-A/B and RT-1.

The RX microcontroller’s wide range of on-chip peripherals can be used together withthe extensive functionality of PROFINET –with no compromises on either side. Toenable this, the MCU maker Renesas and itstechnology partner port GmbH offer solu-tions based on the 32-bit RX63N that providePROFINET together with on-chip resources.Unlike the flagship with CC-C und RT-3(PROFINET IRT), the CC-A with RT-1 is posi-tioned more at the embedded end of thePROFINET performance scale and is gener-ally known as PROFINET I/O. An MCU-based standard device with one or two (CC-B)Ethernet port(s) can easily participate incyclical PROFINET communication.

Figure 3: RAM requirement for 32-bit MCU.


A complete system comprising several dif-ferent 1-port CC-A and RT-1 devices can bewired cost-effectively using PnP Ethernetswitches. PROFINET IRT enabled switchesmake it easy to integrate or mix thePROFINET I/O systems within a complexsystem that includes higher CCs and/or RTs(such as IRT). Providers selling this type ofPROFINET device offer their customers acost-effective device with cost-effectivewiring. It just goes to show that PROFINETcan be inexpensive!

“Embedded”?What are the features that make a protocolstack capable of being embedded? The PROFINET protocol stack developedby the embedded specialist port GmbH ful-fils a range of requirements that are prereq-uisites for embedded applications:• Operation with or without an OS

(with and without threads)• Interface between the protocol and the

hardware • Quick to adapt to new platforms • Only needs timer and MAC interrupt • Delivered in ANSI-C unconditional

transparency and integration capability• Integrated TCP/IP protocol stack

• Other TCP/IP stacks with raw socket support are available

• Little Endian / Big Endian support• Direct Flash support• Can be integrated in the main loop• Static RAM allocation and zero-copy

mode• Advanced logging capability with log

messages shown directly in Wireshark • Designed for embedded PROFINET:

CC-A/B, RT-1, very lean, only needs 96Kb RAM

These features optimise the protocol stackthat was already designed for embeddedPROFINET in any case. The solid protocolstack combines the RX microcontroller withthe PROFINET SPS and assumes the actualfunction of the microcontroller – in other words,provision of the peripheral components.

The result is still embeddedThe embedded system developed in this wayis still a typical embedded system that offers:• Low power consumption• Adaptability to different applications• Real-time capability• Compatibility and certification by the

PROFIBUS User Organisation• Compatibility with Siemens

How do you get started?The above description may sound a littlecomplicated to novice users. However, itcomprises details that may not be necessarywhen using the system solution. For the firstfew steps, it is advisable to use the RX63NRenesas Starter Kit (RSK). In combinationwith the PROFINET Stack from port GmbH, itforms a ready-to-use solution that producesimmediate results and fast prototype devel-opment. The Renesas E1 JTAG debugger andthe e2Studio development environment are

DESIGN MCUs

Figure 4: PROFINET layer model based on RX63N.

Figure 5: Abstraction layer of the PROFINET implementation.


DESIGN MCUs

also available as development tools. Thee2Studio development integrates all thetools users need to develop and debug thesoftware. The demo application is suppliedwith all the necessary project files, facilitatingthe setup and use of the starter kit. The RSK includes the RX63N MCU with 2MBon-chip Flash and 128kB on-chip RAM mem-ory. This product group achieves high com-puting performance with 165 DMIPS at 100MHz CPU and Flash operation. It is also very

scalable and can be used in a wide variety ofproducts with different requirement profiles.RX63N variants are also available with inte-grated Flash memory from 768kB to 2MBand RAM of 128kB to 256kB. The choice ofpackages includes LQFP, LGA and BGA.These RX products include the EthernetMAC IEEE 802.3 compatible interface withthe Media Independent Interface (MII) andReduced Media Independent Interface(RMII) to facilitate PHY connections.

They also provide Controller Area Network(CAN) 2.0B compliant interfaces with up tothree channels (a CANopen solution for thisis also available from port GmbH) and twoUniversal Serial Bus (USB) full-speed hosts,USB OTG and device functions. The RX products are designed to provideintegration density and an attractive coststructure in combination with extremely fastembedded Flash technology. That makesthem the right choice for any applicationthat needs to run large communicationstacks, as for PROFINET, in a single-chipsolution that does not use external memory.Detailed documentation about them is avail-able on the internet and is naturally alsoincluded in the starter kit.

A great pairingThe combination of Renesas’ RX63N 32-bitMCU and port’s PROFINET protocol stackoffers users an attractive way to start workingon PROFINET applications within Renesas’RXMAX programme. The Renesas RX63NMCUs can be used with port’s PROFINETwith no constraints, enabling users to devel-op powerful yet cost-effective PROFINETI/O (CC-A, RT-1) devices. The cost advantagegoes even further with the simplified net-work structure that extends to the systemintegrator and its customers. In principle,solutions like CANopen, EtherNet/IP, POW-ERLINK and EtherCAT can also be providedon the same platform. n

Free Demo, Documentation and Quick StartGuide could be downloaded at:www.port.de/en/products/driver/driver-for-renesas-rx-series.html#tab4

About the authors:Christian Bornschein, who headsup Marketing and Sales at theRenesas Gold Alliance Partnerport GmbH, also promotes thecompany’s protocol stacks and

development services. He has many years ofexperience with Industrial Ethernet, havingworked as a hardware developer and subse-quently as a product manager. As a result, hehas good knowledge of the needs andrequirements in the automation field.

Bernd Westhoff manages RX600Product Marketing within theIndustrial & CommunicationBusiness Group at RenesasElectronics Europe.

www.renesas.com

Figure 6: RX63N block diagram.


DESIGN CURRENT TRANSDUCERS

Two Main Transducer CharacteristicsCurrent transducers (not to be confused witha current transformer) can measure DC andAC currents. DC measurement requires cur-rent transducers. This is one of the two char-acteristics that set transducers apart fromother forms of current measurement. A pureAC current could be measured by a commoncurrent transformer. But if the current beingmeasured has periods of time without di/dt, acurrent transducer is needed.Galvanic Isolation is the second characteris-tic that drives a current transducer selectionas the solution to a current measurementapplication. The current transducers pri-mary circuit and secondary circuit are elec-trically isolated from each other. This allowsfor a high primary potential (480V) whilethe secondary is a lower control voltage (+/-15V or +5V). The Galvanic isolation isachieved through magnetics. The primarycurrent generates a magnetic field which isconcentrated by a magnetic circuit. A mag-

netic measuring device measures the B fieldand outputs the intensity in some form(voltage or threshold current). The intensityinformation is converted into a voltage orcurrent output that is proportional to theprimary current.The original current transducer developedis the Open Loop Hall Effect. This transduc-er consists of three parts: a magnetic circuit,a Hall Cell and an amplifier. The output is avoltage proportional to the primary current.

Closed Loop Hall EffectThe next advance in transducer technology isthe Closed Loop Hall Effect. The closed looptakes the open loop concept and adds a sec-ondary winding to the output. This second-ary winding is wrapped around the magneticcircuit in a way that the secondary currentcreates a magnetic field in opposition to thatcreated by the primary current. This creates arelatively flux-less core. The benefits of theclosed loop are a virtual lack of eddy currents

and higher bandwidth. The output can bemodeled as a current source with a currentproportional to the primary current in a ratiodetermined by the secondary winding count.The fact that the gain is determined by thesecondary windings count makes it virtuallyimmune to gain change over temperature. Aclosed loop transducer data sheet will notindicate a temperature effect on gain charac-teristic. There is no effect on gain from tem-perature in a closed loop device. The currentoutput is a benefit as it is less susceptible tonoise sources within the application. The out-put current of a closed loop is typically driv-en through a ‘burden’ resistor. The currentpassing thorough the resistor creates a volt-age drop that can be measured by an analogto digital IC or comparator IC.

Closed Loop Flux GateThe Closed Loop Flux Gate replaces the HallCell with a Flux Gate detector. The Flux Gateis a piece of magnetic material inserted into a

Closed Loop Current TransducerCharacteristics

Current measurement is an integral part of power electronics. Current transducerssupply this measurement with different technologies available. The most commontechnology used is the Closed Loop Hall Effect or Closed Loop Flux Gate. The ClosedLoop technology offers many specific benefits needed by power electronics designers.However, there are some details not often known that can make an applicationexceptional or may result in failure. Below are some of the characteristics that shouldbe considered.Current transducers are passive devices in the concept that they do not activelyinfluence the current being measured. They do require power to operate. Typicalsupply requirements are in the sub 30mA range regardless of supply voltage. Mosttransducers require a bipolar supply (±15V being typical). Unipolar supply transducersare becoming more available. Closed loop devices have additional current drawrequirement for their secondary currents.

by Erik Lange, Marketing & Applications Engineer, LEM USA, Inc.



gap in the magnetic circuit. The Flux Gatecore has a winding around it that is stimulat-ed by a square wave voltage. The currentinduced is measured and when it reaches acertain threshold, the square wave cyclechanges. The duty cycle of the square wave isproportional to the primary current. The FluxGate technology is digital in nature and hasan internal clock that can show up as noise atthe clock frequency. However the noise iswell above the bandwidth of the transducer.Thus the complete system consists of: mag-netic circuit, Flux Gate and winding, an ASICand a secondary winding. The burden resis-tor may be internal to the device which willthen yield a voltage output. Otherwise, a cur-rent output would be generated. There areother Flux Gate technologies that use differ-ent excitation and detection schemes, but theoverall results are similar.Closed Loop transducers are designed tomeasure a continuous current equal to orless than the nominal current stated on thedatasheet. The current being measured istypically referred to as the primary current.The output current from the secondary con-nection of the transducer is referred to asthe secondary current. Closed Loop trans-ducers can measure higher currents than the

nominal (the measuring range), but thesehigher currents can only be measured for ashort period of time (seconds, ms or μs).The benefits of a Closed Loop current trans-ducers similarity to a current source includehigher noise immunity and higher accuracy. The purpose of the current transducer is tomeasure current. But to what degree ofuncertainty? These are not ideal devices andhave an accuracy value associated with them.Oddly enough, the gain is defined by amechanical characteristic; how accurate thesecondary coil is wound by the windingmachine. Linearity is defined by the materialcharacteristics of the magnetic circuit. Offsetis a function of the residual magnetism of themagnetic circuit. The gain is not impacted bytemperature as previously stated. Offset,however, is impacted by temperature. Theoffset drift over temperature will have animpact on the application (torque ripple forinstance). This is the advantage of the FluxGate. Flux Gate transducers have lower initialoffset and lower offset drift over tempera-ture than the Hall Effect based devices.

Order of Magnitude panelsOne significant challenge in all measuringdevices is how many orders of magnitude can

be measured. This is a function of accuracy.Confidence in a measurement requires a levelof accuracy at the point being measured inorder to be confident of the number. A ratioof 4:1 at a point should be a minimum (10:1 isbetter). A 100A device that is 1% accuratemight measure 1A accurately, but how toknow? This is where ‘reading’ and ‘rating’come into play. Gain is always a percentage ofreading, the primary currents actual value.The linearity is a percentage of rating, withrespect to the nominal rated current of thetransducer. Offset is also a percentage of rat-ing. These three errors are not typicallyadded. This would produce a potential errorbudget that would be unrealistic. The errorsare generally squared individually, addedand the square root taken. A transducer thatis 1% gain error, 0.5% linearity error and 0.2%offset error is 1.14% accurate. The actualuncertainty in amps varies with the magni-tude of the primary current due to the gainbeing interpreted in relationship to the actu-al amps read. A 100A transducer with theaccuracy just stated above, reading 10A,would have an uncertainty of 0.55A, betterthan 10:1. A 100A transducer reading of 1Awith the accuracies shown above would havean uncertainty of 0.54A.

Figure 1: Closed Loop.



The 0.54A is worse than 2:1 with the 1Abeing measured and would not be a reliablemeasurement. This is the order of magnitudechallenge. Most transducers will handlemeasurement below their nominal rating toone order of magnitude. Two orders of mag-nitude is a serious challenge. Some of thebetter closed loop transducers come closeto 4:1 at two orders of magnitude. More so ifthe initial offset is zeroed out on power upand the offset drift over temperature is min-imized (Flux Gate). Please remember that themeasured accuracy does not end with thetransducer. The accuracy and drift of theburden resistor comes into play (1% vs 0.1%)and the accuracy of the A-to-D converteralso. Checking the system using a 2% accu-rate split-core open loop oscilloscope probewill not give valid comparisons to a 0.5%accurate current transducer.

DeratingTransducers will have current, temperatureand bandwidth ratings on their respectivedata sheet. All three cannot be simultane-ously exercised to the limit. The internalamplifiers of the transducer have limits.Voltage drops and therefore power is sharedbetween the amplifier, secondary windingand the burden resistor. A smaller burdenresistor pushes more power to the amplifier,

resulting in higher amplifier temperatures.Too large a burden results in clipping. Highambient temperatures combined with highmeasured currents and a smaller burdenresult in higher power dissipated in thetransducer amplifier. These factors must betaken into account during design. Deratingcharts are typically available to quantify theinteraction between these three variables.Closed Loop transducers do not perfectlycompensate the flux in the core. As ampli-tude and frequency increase there is moreuncompensated flux in the core. This willlead to eddy currents and core heating.Therefore the need for derating.

Aperture and Primary ConductorPlacement of the primary conductor withinthe aperture of the transducer will have animpact on accuracy. Centering of the con-ductor and sizing the transducer or conduc-tor to fill as much of the aperture as possibleimproves accuracy. Please keep in mind thatplacing the primary conductor up againstthe edge of the aperture can produce local-ized saturation at higher currents depend-ing on the transducer manufacturer. Not allmagnetic cores are created equal. Somemanufacturers over engineer their cores andsome design to the exact current with noroom for error.

DatasheetAll manufacturers provide data sheets fortheir current transducer products. However,there is no data sheet ‘standard’. There aresimilarities and many differences. Some datasheets have the measuring range given, butno nominal value. Running continuously at the maximum limitdefined as the measuring range may havenegative consequences. Accuracy may be acombination of gain, linearity and offseterrors for one manufacturer and only gain foranother. Some have tighter winding accura-cies during manufacture; ±3 windings, versusothers, ±10. The resulting gain errors will bedifferent. Bandwidth can be given at the±1dB or ±3dB point.

SummaryA properly selected current transducer foran application can easily give 25+ years ofservice. By acknowledging the detailsbehind the data sheet, better performingapplications and more robust designs arepossible. Characteristics such as accuracy, tempera-ture effects, derating and burden resistorselection all have performance impact. This leads to the need for a knowledgeablepartner as a transducer supplier. nwww.lem.com

Figure 2: Flux Gate.


Distributor Rutronik offersDynastream's first dual protocolANT® SoC (System on Chip)Module N548. Based on NordicSemiconductor's nRF51422 SoC,this 2.4GHz solution supports bothANT® and Bluetooth® low energy,and enables both protocols to run

concurrently. The very small N548is sized for wearable, home andindustrial trends in a 14.0mm ×9.8mm × 2.00mm LGA (Land GridArray) package. The N548 high-lights the distinct advantages of theestablished ANT protocol whileenabling a bridge connectionbetween available ANT+ devicesand the iOS platform. Designed formanufacturing ease, this turnkeyhardware solution is fully integrat-ed with PCB antenna, 32kHz crystaltime base, DC/DC converter, and

24 GPIOs with six analog inputs.The module is pre-certified withFCC/IC/CE/JP/AU/NZ designationsand Bluetooth qualification. Itsreduced cost and overhead make itthe ideal platform for broad usage,simple sensors as well as cost-focused applications.

The N548 is available in three dif-ferent packages: N548M8CB14.0mm × 9.8mm × 2.00mm LGA,N548M5CB with a Molex connec-tor and N548M4CB 20.0mm ×20.00mm package which is pincompatible with legacy modulesfrom Dynastream. The N548 StarterKit, also available at distributorRutronik, includes the N548M5CBand is ideal for out-of-the box eval-uation and development.RUTRONIKwww.rutronik.com/880b101e.l

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: First Dual Protocol ANTSoC Module from Dynastream

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is nowstocking and shipping the AtmelSAMA5D3 Xplained EvaluationKit, a low cost prototyping boardfor the Atmel SAMA5D3 family ofprocessors based on the ARMCortex A5 processor core. Theboard supports an external LCDinterface, Gigabit Ethernet, andArduino R3 expansion headers.The Atmel SAMA5D3 XplainedEvaluation Kit available fromMouser Electronics is Atmel's latestin a series of SAMA5D3 evaluationboards. This SAMA5D3 Xplainedkit allows developers to easilyevaluate the high level features ofthe SAMA5D3 processor. Theboard comes with 256MbytesDDR2 DRAM, 256Mbytes NANDFlash, and has an SD card connec-tor and a microSD™ slot. An LCDinterface connector is supportedby an LCD TFT controller with

touchscreen capabilities. TwoEthernet connectors are available,one for 10/100 and the other forGigabit Ethernet. There are twoUSB host ports as well as onemicro AB USB connector. Theboard also has a set of Arduino R3compatible expansion connectors

that can connect to compatibleArduino™ shields. The board ispowered by USB or can use anexternal 5VDC power supply.MOUSER ELECTRONICSwww.mouser.com

The Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained Eval Kit available from Mouser explains Linux


Maxim Integrated’s Petaluma reference designenables more intelligent grid data managementwith 3-phase, high-speed analog data collection.Utilities and infrastructure providers can now simultaneouslyand accurately measure distributed power grid data withPetaluma, a subsystem reference design from Maxim IntegratedProducts, Inc.Utility organizations worldwide are deploying more robustapplications that require highly accurate distributed grid statusdata to leverage distributed generation technologies such assolar and wind power. Voltage and current measurements mustbe gathered simultaneously for all lines, so the utility canunderstand the timing among phases and ensure maximumuptime across the grid.

Petaluma is a high-speed, simultaneous-sampling, 8-channelanalog input front-end (AFE) that monitors grid data simultane-ously from all phases, so grid managers can optimize their dis-tribution automation signal chain. Petaluma is tuned to the 50Hz to 60Hz signal to match powergrids around the world. The simultaneous sampling of threephases is done with low power consumption in the 1W range.Its high-speed sample rate (250ksps per channel) comes with16-bit accuracy, allowing for quick responses to grid fault con-ditions. Petaluma performs well in any application that requiresmultiple simultaneous sampling of analog inputs, such as multi-phase motor control and industrial vibration sensing, to accu-rately calculate instantaneous power consumption.

Key Advantages• High accuracy: a 16-bit ADC and external voltage

reference provide the highest possible accuracy of 0.02% and a 3ppm/°C maximum temperature coefficient.

• Simultaneous sampling: the subsystem includes eight high-speed 250ksps simultaneous-sampling analog input channels that accept ±10V input signals.

• Low power: Petaluma has low power consumption in the 1W range.

MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

Monitor and Gather Smart ElectricityDistribution Data Faster and More Accuratelywith Real-Time Measurements



IntroductionCurrent measurement is a standard require-ment in power electronics applications. Manyof these applications have a DC componentto the current and/or require Galvanic isola-tion. This drives the measurement device to acurrent transducer as opposed to a currenttransformer. A current transducer will meas-ure AC or DC current. Depending on theaccuracy and bandwidth requirements thecurrent transducer selection will be an OpenLoop type or Closed Loop type. Higheraccuracy and higher bandwidth traditionally

would require a Closed Loop. Accuracybeing a relative term in this case. An OpenLoop basic accuracy is typically 1% @ 25°C. AClosed Loop accuracy is more likely 0.5%-0.7% @ 25°C. These accuracies are a combi-nation of gain and linearity uncertainty.Offset error is typically zeroed out on powerup and is not considered here.Over temperature range the Open Loop andClosed Loop begin to significantly divergewith respect to the uncertainty of the meas-urement. At an elevated temperature of 60°Cthe Closed Loop will only see offset drift of

maybe 1% full scale. At the same elevatedtemperature of 60°C, an Open Loop may seeoffset and gain drift of up to 3% or more.These temperature errors are in addition tothe errors defined at 25°C. Applications thatget hot and/or where current measurementplays a greater role in control may require aClosed Loop solution.

The Great Leap ForwardThe Hall Cell is a semi-conductor device. Theamplifier used in both Closed Loop and OpenLoop devices is also fabricated on silicon.

ASIC Based CurrentTransducersby Erik Lange, Marketing & Applications Engineer, LEM USA, Inc.

Figure 1ASIC based Open Loop transducer.



Until approximately 10 years ago these twoparts of a current transducer were manufac-tured separately. Current transducers weremanufactured from discrete components sol-dered to a printed circuit board. Thischanged with the development of anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)for current measurement. The Hall Cell and

amplifier were placed on the same die andencapsulated together. This allows for theASIC based current transducer. The world’sfirst ASIC based current transducer was theLEM LTS series Hall Cell Closed Loop trans-ducer for printed circuit board operations. A technique difficult to realize in discretecomponents is the spinning of the Hall Cells.

By placing the Hall Cell on an ASIC an arrayof hall cells can be implemented and aver-aged. This combined with spinning of theHall Cells results in a much more accuratecurrent measurement. The spinning refersto the rotation of the current source andmeasurement points on the individual hallcell being rotated through four positions.

The multiple Hall Cells, combined with spin-ning results in lower offset and gain errors.Perhaps one of the biggest advantages tothe ASIC based transducer is in power sup-ply selection. Traditional current transduc-ers typically require a bipolar power supply(±15V for example). This gives an outputthat has a magnitude and polarity.

The polarity indicates direction of currentflow. In the ASIC based transducer thepower supply can be a unipolar 5V or even3.3V. A unipolar transducer preserves thecurrent direction information through theuse of a reference voltage, typically 2.5V ina 5V transducer. This reference voltage indi-cates no current (0A).

The Reference VoltageThe reference voltage is generated internallyby the ASIC. The output voltage proportion-ally representing the current measured addsor subtracts from the reference dependingon direction of the current. Due to the ASICoutput amplifier not being a rail-to-rail typethe output limits are 0.5V and 4.5V.

Figure 3Hall Cell spinning.

Figure 2 Internal concept for an ASIC based current transducer.



Depending on the sensitivity programmedinto the ASIC, the range of output voltagefrom 2.5V to a respective limit might repre-sent three times the nominal rated current ofthe transducer. This allows for measurementof the current for control and a 300% meas-urement for protection schemes if needed.There is an uncertainty associated with thereference voltage (Vref). In most ASIC basedtransducers the Vref is externalized on a pinfor reference. The Vref is both an input andan output. The output function can be incor-porated as an input into a differential ampli-fier along with the output voltage of thetransducer (Vout). Subtracting the Vref fromthe Vout removes the Vref error from themeasurement. Or the Vref and Vout can beinput into two separate Analog-to-Digitalinputs and subtracted in software. The vrefcan also be an input with an external voltageapplied to the Vref pin. This is useful in twoways, either as a more accurate source forthe Vref than the one generated internallyby the ASIC, or as a way to shift the Vref toanother value. The Vref can be pulled high-er or lower by applying the desired voltageto the Vref pin. This can open the range upin one direction of current flow. This is usefulin unidirectional current flow applicationswhere a broader range with a higher volts-per-amp output is desired.

Improved ReliabilityThe ASIC is a more reliable device than atransducer constructed with discrete com-ponents. An ASIC based transducer willoperate over a broader temperature rangethan a discrete components device. Thisincreased reliability and broader operatingtemperature range has led to the develop-ment of ASIC based current transducers for

the automotive market. Almost every carmanufactured today has, as a minimum, bat-tery current monitoring. Hybrid and electriccars will have more than a dozen currenttransducers in each vehicle. Automotivequality requirements have driven transduc-er development to ASIC based solutions.Unipolar power supplies, ratiometric capa-bility, light weight (no potting) and roughenvironment reliability are some of the char-acteristics of automotive type transducers.The automotive families of transducers havefound uses in other fields such as off-roadvehicles and industrial equipment.ASIC based transducers allow for additionalfeatures to be added. Programmabilitycomes into play. Self-test features are possi-ble. Dedicated output pins such as for OverCurrent Detection (OCD) are possible.Offset and gain errors can be tested over arange of temperatures during manufactureand compensation programmed in. Filteringcan be programmed with impact on band-width and response time.

ProgrammabilityOf the programmable features perhaps thelargest impact will be had from the OCD.Implemented as a pin from an internal opencollector configuration, the OCD will changestates during an overcurrent episode.

The OCD threshold is programmable andmay be outside the measuring range of thetransducer. Thus the measuring range canbe focused on the operating current rangeand the overload function will operate sep-arately. The transducer measuring rangemight have a programmable filter set to3.5μs response time for control purposes.The OCD will still respond in 2μs.

Control is filtered with a higher sensitivitythan would be otherwise possible if the pro-tection function was included in the meas-ured range. An OCD pin eliminates theneed for a crowbar/comparator circuit. Theovercurrent threshold could be 5 times thenominal current rating of the transducer.

Approaching Closed LoopASIC based current measurement is over tenyears old. Much has been learned in those10+ years. The newer LEM HG2 HallGeneration 2 ASIC offers significant perform-ance improvements. The performance of anHG2 based Open Loop transducerapproaches that of a Closed Loop transducer.For lower fundamental frequency applica-tions (< = 400Hz) a LEM HG2 Open Looptransducer will provide bandwidth andresponse time close to that of a Closed Looptransducer. Uncertainty over temperature willfall closer to a Closed Loop’s performancethan to the performance of a generation oneASIC device. This allows existing applicationsto perform better and applications previous-ly requiring performance that an ASIC devicecould not provide can now be met with anASIC solution. In addition to the performanceimprovements the inclusion of an OCD out-put allows the measuring range to be morefocused on the applications dynamic controlrange, further improving performance.

ConclusionThe implementation of ASIC based currenttransducers opens up functionality that thetraditional discrete component transducerscould never achieve. The availability of highreliability ASIC based transducers withexpanded temperature operating range hasopened up the automotive field to currentmeasurement. Unipolar supply ASIC’s havesimplified power supply schemes. Programmable Over Current Detectionallows for more effective measuring rangeswhile still providing for overload thresholds.The development of the generation 2 ASICdevices further improves performance.With better performance and additionalfunctionality the Gen 2 Open Loop devicesare approaching standard Closed Loop per-formance. This allows existing Open Loopapplications to implement the generation 2devices and improve performance immedi-ately. For new designs the generation 2devices allow for more sophisticated imple-mentations and possible outright replace-ment of a Closed Loop transducer. nwww.lem.com

Figure 4 Removal of Vref error.



MAZeT GmbH shows their latest productsand innovative sensor solutions for theapplications of LED light control and man-agement both at this year's internationaltrade fair SENSOR + TEST in Nurembergfrom June 3rd to 5th 2014 in hall 12, booth131 as well as at the Lightfair International2014, this year in Las Vegas from 1st to 5th atthe Avnet Electronics Marketing booth.

MAZeT - development and manufacturingservice provider for embedded systemsand optoelectronics - focuses its activitieson medical electronics, industrial electronicsand intelligent control systems for LED light-ing with high demands on light quality, colorand long-term stability.

In addition to mixed signal ASIC design andcustom base boards for COM modules fromdifferent vendors, accompany the applica-

tion-specific development utilizing the JEN-COLOR(r) color and spectral sensor expert-ise. MAZeT takes over the supply and serv-icing of customers' products for the entireproduct life cycle.

MTCSiCF and MCDC04EQ: the keycomponents of the MTCS-INT-AB4

With the sensor board MTCS-INT-AB4MAZeT offers the newest generation ofOEM True Color sensor boards based onthe JENCOLOR(r) filter technology. Thesensor board can be directly attached to thelight source via simple optical connectors.The board sends the measured color valuesto the attached electronic input via I²C inter-face (XYZ values based on CIE1931). Therecorded input data can be used for anycolor management task.

The board includes the True Color sensorMTCSiCF as well as the analog-to-digital sig-nal converter MCDC04EQ. Therefore, it ispossible to utilize a real color feedback loopfor LED solutions to eliminate color driftscaused by temperature fluctuations, agingor binning. The task of the MTCS-INT-AB4OEM sensor board is to assist companieswithout own hardware development tointegrate a cost-efficient solution or to pro-vide initial testing options.

Applications:• Color control via feedback loop of

multi-colored LEDs• Color measurement for display calibration• Sensor unit for colorimeters or

photometers

Development Kit: MTCS-INT-AB4For system and application testing, theMTCS-INT-AB4 sensor board is also avail-able in form of a Development Kit. The sen-sor board is mounted in an ESD-protectedcasing and controlled via an I²C-to-USBinterface. The sensor system can be easilyconfigured and calibrated with the includedPC test software. The specification of thesensor and the sensor electronics is utilizedvia flexible control files at PC level.

Therefore easy to learn and to integrate intoan existing system. After successful valida-tion of an application using theDevelopment Kit, the programming of thesensor electronics can easily be mapped toa μC and the sensor board can be integrat-ed directly via I²C.MAZET www.mazet.de

New JENCOLOR® solutions to control and manageLEDs in “lighting/back-light” applications

MAZeT highlights at Lightfair and SENSOR+TEST

RGBW color regulation concept

Development Kit DK MTCS-INT-AB4

4 channel digital current-chargeconverter MCDC04EQ for

multi-channel signal conversion at high dynamic range 1:1 million

and resolution of 16 bit

True Color Sensor IC MTCSiCFwith CIE1931 filter function in aQFN16 for color measurementand feedback control based on

CIE 1931 (human eye perception)

The OEM sensorboard MTCS-INT-AB4

with CIE1931 basedTrue Color sensor


BenefitsMoving products, palettes and boxes can be measured accurately and fast with the CML 720i/730i (30/10μs per beam).Benefit: Installation yields higher performance thanks to the fast, safety and reproducible measurements.

The integrated interfaces, such as PROFIBUS, CANopen, RS485 (ModBus) and I/0 Link, enable the parameterization to be done directlyover the PLC (e.g. over the GSD-file). No additional box is needed!Benefit: Cost saving in the setup, easy setup, fast replacement

The display allows a direct configuration and a fast alignment between transmitter and receiver.Benefit: Safer and quicker alignment

Thanks to the flexible connection concept the mounting of the CML 720i / 730i fulfils special customer requirements. Benefit: Time saving during the mounting process

Main features – best in class!Extended temperature range: -30 °C up to +60 °C Excellent resolution: Detection of minimal dimension (5 mm)Long measuring field up to 3000 mm: Measurement of large objectsDetection of transparent media (CML 730i): Safe detection of foils (packaging)Minimal blind area: Continuous object detection on conveyor sectionHigh Protection Class: IP 65Operating range up to 6 m / 8 m (CML720i /730i): Solutions for several industry applications Analogue output: Current or voltage, range configurable Up to 4 configurable inputs/outputs: Trigger, warn out, area outputs…..Axial or rear side connector: Suitable for different mounting applications

Leuze CML700i - measuring lightcurtains – best in class!

DESIGN SENSORS

Flexibility inside!In the CML 700i, both the control unit and the interfaces are integrated in the receiverunit—this makes additional devices completely unnecessary. Parameterization is performed directly via the control unit which stores the parameters and allows units to be swapped out without parameterization needing to be carried out again. A largenumber of interfaces—and now also PROFIBUS and RS485 - are already integrated.An alignment mode and a bar graph display showing the receiving level in the displayare integrated to permit fast and reliable alignment. A very short response time of 10and 30 microseconds per beam means that extremely fast processes can be detectedand measured reliably. Thanks to the optional plug outlet, the CML 700i can be installed very flexibly. The extremely small blind area of 23 mm allows additional CML 700i units to be cascaded for measurement lengths of more than 3 m.


Beam stream: Serial output of every singlebeam without any limitation.

Blanking: Suppression of beams.

Grouping: Assignment of beam groups.Holding: Integration of beam data duringa specified time.

Smoothing: Signal preprocessing, so thatobjects and small particles canbe ignored up to a defined size.

DESIGN SENSORS

Parallel beam / Diagonalbeam / Cross-beam: Higher resolution.

Web function: Controlling of the left andright edges of a web and signaling via I/O’s.

Hole detection: Hole detection over thecomplete detection areawith auto tracking, thehole can move in the area.

FIB: First interrupted beamLIB: Last interrupted beamFNIB: First not interrupted beam

LNIB: Last not interrupted beamTIB: Total interrupted beamTNIB: Total not interrupted beam

Contour detection from the top Buffer area controlling

Programmed Functions

APLICATIONS

Main Functions

Contour detection from the top and from the side

Height control


DESIGN SENSORS

Height measurement Transparent packaging detection

• Tel. +40 256-201346• [email protected]• www.oboyle.ro

n Optical sensorsn Sensors for logistic applicationsn Safety at work

n Optical Sensorsn Inductive Sensors

n Color Sensorsn True Color Sensors, Spectrometersn Gloss Sensors

Leuze

Contrinex

Sensor Instruments

n Linear Sensorsn Angle Sensorsn Tilt Sensors

n PLCsn Temperature Controllern Timer

n Flowmetersn Level Indicators and Switchesn Pressure Sensors and Switches

ASM

Selec

Koboldn Linear Solenoidsn Permanent Electromagnets

Harting

HTP

Intertec

Visit our online shopwww.oboyle.ro

n Circular connectors M8; M12; M23n Cable and Connectors for Sensorsn Valve Connectorsn Distribution Blocks

n Heavy Duty Industrial Connectorsn Power and Data Transmission Connectors

AUTOMATION

APLICATIONS

The LCD graphics module EADIP180B-5LWTP from ElectronicAssembly is being offered in aninteresting format. With externaldimensions of only 102 × 27 × 11mm (window 88 × 19 mm), it isideal for use in 19-inch racks,where it can be accommodated ina single RU. Even so, 180 × 32 pix-els can still display a lot. The very bright LCDSupertwist display is con-figured with LED back-lighting and offers a highcontrast in blue-white. Itdelivers brilliant imagesand optimum readabilityeven under difficult light-ing conditions. Threetype PT6520 controllers (compat-ible with SED1520) are used tocontrol the left, center and rightsections of the display. All charac-ters are designed as graphics andvarious character sets are availableon an USB stick. The use ofSupertwist technology allows a fastresponse time even when temper-atures are very low. In fact atextremely low operating tempera-tures of -20°C, the display has asufficient response time of approx-imately 2.5s. The operating tem-

perature range extends from -20°C through +70°C.The display comes with automatictemperature compensation. Thisremoves the usual need to adjustthe contrast during operation. Themodule can be soldered directlyto the printed circuit board, avoid-ing complex assembly with addi-

tional mechanical components. Arobust analog 4-wire panel isoptionally available as a touch panel.Other key features of this high-quality LCD graphics module include:• Connection by 8-bit data bus• Power supply +3.3V…+5V/

approx. -3.3V max. 800 μA LED lighting max. 45 mA

• Long LED lighting service life of 100,000 hours

• Many years of availabilityELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY www.lcd-module.com

Fast LCD graphics module in widescreen format

EVERLIGHT Electronics Co., Ltd.,introduces the ultra-thin 940nmtop-view infrared LED IR92-01C/L491/2R in a miniatureMIDLED package. Thissmall SMD device has beendeveloped for applicationswhere high power output,narrow beam angle or avail-able space is of concern.The new 940nm IR topledcomes in a small 2mm ×1.4mm MIDLED package with athickness of ultra-low 0.7mm. Thismakes the IR92-01C/L491/2R aperfect match for all kinds ofspace-constrained end productslike tablets, smart phones and thelike. Along with a low forwardvoltage of 1.3 V at 20mA, a highoutput power of 25mW/sr at70mA and a narrow viewingangle of 45°for even higher out-put intensity without lens,

EVERLIGHT’s IR92-01C Series isperfectly suited for IR data trans-mission applications of any kind.

These are remote controls, prox-imity and optical touch sensors,night-vision cameras or high-techtouch panels. Other applicationsinclude light curtains or barriers,turbidity sensors and coin coun-ters. EVERLIGHT’s IR92-01CSeries in a MIDLED package is Pb-free, halogen-free and RoHScompliant.EVERLIGHT ELECTRONICS www.everlight.com

EVERLIGHT introduces an ultra-thin 940nm IR LEDin a small MIDLED package for higher outputintensity in space-constrained end products NLT Technologies (NLT), togeth-

er with its sales and marketingchannels in the Americas, TianmaNLT America, and in Europe,Renesas Electronics EuropeGmbH, announced developmentof a new 15.6 inch wide WXGAamorphous-silicon thin-film-tran-sistor (TFT) liquidcrystal display(LCD) modules.This module isideal for use in out-door applicationssuch as boatingequipment or con-struction devices.The new wide for-mat TFT LCD module is well suit-ed for use in industrial displayapplications. They are equippedwith long-life white LED backlightunits that achieve high luminanceand also contribute to lower main-tenance costs for equipment andreduced environmental impact.

Samples of this product are sched-uled to be available in September2014.The main characteristics of thenew module are as follows:Ultra high luminance Long-life LED backlight Wide operating temperature range

Typically displays used in outdoorenvironments are equipped withhigh power backlights in order toachieve sufficient viewability whenexposed to strong light such asdirect sunlight.RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPEwww.renesas.eu/display

MSC Technologies, a businessgroup of Avnet ElectronicsMarketing EMEA, a businessregion of Avnet, Inc., announcesand releases the new DITO sen-sors of GE Star. DITO (Doublesided ITO) is a0.55 mm thickglass substrate,with ITO layer onboth top and bot-tom side. Theadvantages com-pared to foil/foilITO are not onlytechnical – thereis as well quite aprice difference,to the advantage of DITO. UsingDITO together with S type con-trollers offers a very performingtouch at a competitive pricestructure. For implementation ofcontrollers as chipset on main-boards, we offer kits of maxTouchcontrollers with USB-RS232bridge. GE-Star ProjectedCapacitive touch sensors allowthe use of a customized frontglass, which may contain up to 1

cm thickness and thus fits for anyapplication from a mobile datalogger to a cash point.Dito sensors are additionally dis-tinguished by an extremelystrong adhesion of the FPC to the

sensor, an extended temperaturerange and a very linear behavior.Since the sensor has only onelayer ensures a high transmission.The compliant touch controllerwork with a burst voltage of up to+10.4 V, allowing extreme immu-nity to EMC critical conditionstogether with sophisticated algo-rithms.MSC TECHNOLOGIESwww.msc-technologies.eu

MSC Technologies introduces GE Star projectedcapacitive touch with Dito Sensor

NLT Technologies Announces Development of a NewWide Format LCD Module with High Bright, Long-LifeLED Backlight


PRODUCT NEWS Lighting Solutions / Display


Amplicon has introduced thenew EDS-G500E series to its everexpanding portfolio of IndustrialEthernet switches. The EDS-G500E series is designed for usein large-scale networks to con-

verge field applications inextreme industrial environments.In addition to Level 4 EMS pro-tection, severe shock/vibrationresistance, and a new thermal findesign that can reduce switchtemperatures (5°C or more), theEDS E series has many user-cen-tric features to significantly

improve network manageability.The EDS-G500E series offers var-ious copper and fibre slot combi-nations with up to 16 gigabitEthernet ports to quickly build afull-gigabit network backbone or

add gigabit speed to existing net-works. Other key benefits of theEDS-G500E series include an USBinterface for fast and easy auto-configuration/backup/restoreand reduced energy consump-tion of up to 30% with IEEE802.3az.AMPLICON www.amplicon.com

Industrial-grade gigabit Ethernet switches withultra-robust performance

Mouser Electronics, Inc. is nowshipping the Freescale® MWCT1000CFM and MWCT1101CLHwireless charging ICs. These devicesare Freescale's cutting edge solu-tions for single coil wireless charg-ing transmitter applications.The new MWCT1000CFM andMWCT1101CLH wireless charg-ing ICs available from MouserElectronics integrate all the neces-sary functions for a WPC Qi com-pliant wireless charger design.They work with any low powersingle-coil transmitter that is usedto wirelessly communicate withthe mobile device to be charged.Once a mobile device is detected,the wireless charging IC communi-cates with the device to deter-mine its charging parameters. Itthen adjusts the wireless chargingrate by using the proper operat-ing frequency for that mobiledevice. These wireless charging

ICs support the latest foreignobject detection (FOD) safetyfeature to ensure that powertransfer is not applied to foreignobjects. This prevents overheat-ing of misplaced foreign objectsplaced near the charging coil.

Other safety features include overvoltage, over current, and tem-perature protection. Pins are avail-able for an external LED andbuzzer for system status indica-tion. These devices boast a lowRun current of 30mA and lowstandby current.MOUSER www.mouser.com

Charge Wirelessly with the Freescale MWCT1000CFMand MWCT1101CLH ICs from Mouser Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now

shipping the MN101L 8-bitMicrocontrollers from Panasonic,the first microcontrollers withinternal Resistive RAM (ReRAM).Resistive RAM is a new non-volatile embedded memory thatoffers five times the write perform-ance of Flash or EEPROM memorywithout the need for an erasecycle. This has the benefit of offer-ing high-speed non volatile writingand longer operational times inbattery powered devices.The Panasonic MN101L 8-bitmicrocontrollers, available fromMouser Electronics, have a total of64 KBytes of ReRAM. 62 KBytes isused in the program memory areaand is used similar to conventionalFlash memory. 2 KBytes of ReRAMis used in the data memory areaand is used similar to EEPROM.ReRAM requires a write voltage ofonly 1.8V. Program MemoryReRAM has an endurance of 1K

write cycles while ReRAM used asdata memory is rated at up to100K write cycles. Data retention is10 years. Panasonic's ResistiveRAM is based on a cell structurewhere a binary “1” and “0” is readbased on the resistance of a thinfilm metal oxide (tantalum oxide)sandwiched between two elec-

trodes on the top and bottom ofthe metal oxide. The state of the memory cell ischanged to a “1” by applying apulsed negative voltage to the topelectrode. MOUSER www.mouser.com

Distributor Rutronik offers thenRF51822 Bluetooth SmartBeacon Kit from NordicSemiconductor. The referencedesign is based onNordic’s class-lead-ing nRF51822 multi-protocol BluetoothSmart and propri-etary 2.4GHz-SoC. Itallows demonstra-tion and develop-ment of iBeacon andproprietary beaconhardware for iOSand Android smart-phones to be developed quicklyand easily. Bluetooth Smart beacons arelow-cost, low-power Bluetoothlow energy wireless transmittersthat can advertise their locationto Bluetooth Smart Ready smart-phones in close proximity. ThenRF51822 Beacon Kit features anultra small form factor of 20mmdiameter and is powered by aCR1632 coin cell battery. Itallows developers and engineersto evolve their own beaconapplications using Apple’siBeacon(TM) standards, or create

their own beacons based on theirown specifications usingBluetooth Smart. The kit works straight out of the

box with companion smartphoneapps for iOS and Android(4.1/4.3) smartphones. Thefirmware is available as sourcecode from Nordic and allowsexample beacon scenarios to beset up quickly and easily to testout product ideas. It leveragesthe ability of the nRF51822 SoCto support full Over-The-Air-Device Firmware Upgrade (OTA-DFU) enabling all beaconfirmware to be updated in-situ ina transparent manner. RUTRONIKwww.rutronik.com/c99010dc.l

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: Reference Design forBluetooth Smart Beacons from Nordic Semiconductor

Panasonic Debuts New Memory Technology for MCUs

PRODUCT NEWS ACTIVE COMPONENTS

The MOST® Cooperation - stan-dardization organization for theleading automotive multimedianetwork technology MediaOriented Systems Transport(MOST) - is delighted toannounce that Hyundai MotorCompany willuse MOST150in its all-newGenesis model.M O S T 1 5 0 ,which is fea-tured in ahandful ofother premiumbrand vehicles,will provide ahigh level ofconnectivity and comfort to thedriver and passengers. This sys-tem is enabled by the high-speedMOST150 fiber optic network.MOST150 enables the use of ahigher bandwidth of 150 Mbit/sand an embedded Ethernet chan-nel for efficient transport of IP-based packet data. MOST usesparallel transport for many differ-ent types of data such as audio,video, and control information, aswell as Ethernet and IP frames. Multimedia entertainment in the

all-new Genesis has beenimproved from its predecessorwith a high definition LCD displayin a vehicle -- bringing home-styleimage quality into the car.Resolution has been improved forthe all-new Genesis from 800x480

in the original model to 1280x720,and from 96 to 153 pixels perinch. The AVN 4.5 system, frontedby an 8.0-inch touch screen, alsoincorporates internet access andSiri Apple integration. The AVN4.5 is packed with integrated tech-nology, from Bluetooth and WiFito GPS navigation and traditionalfrequency, satellite and HD radio,hands-free and app-supportingsoftware. MOST COOPERATIONwww.mostcooperation.com

Hyundai Motor Implements MOST150 inthe All-New Genesis

Designers may now add a high-accuracy, 4-channel analog outputto their industrial automationdesigns with 33% fewer compo-nents than competitive designs.

Simply use the Alameda subsys-tem reference design, now avail-able for sale, from MaximIntegrated Products, Inc. Industrial programmable logiccontrollers (PLCs) need multiple,flexible, high accuracy analog out-puts. The Alameda subsystemcombines four high-accuracy (<±0.1%) outputs with a high-effi-

ciency, low-noise power supplycontroller on a single board.Alameda offers extreme flexibility- its outputs are configurable to±10V, ±20mA, 0 to 10V, or

4–20mA for current and voltageapplications. Automatic errorreporting for detecting open andshort circuits, brown-outs, andovertemperature conditions makethis subsystem ideal for demand-ing, precision industrial controland automation applications. MAXIM INTEGRATEDmaximintegrated.com

Measure Four Analog Outputs with 33% FewerComponents Using a High-Efficiency Reference Design The Amplicon Impact-E 300

builds upon the strong founda-tions of the Impact-E 200, offer-ing reliability, monitored lifecycle and road mapped compo-nents. Packaged in a light-weightchassis designed foroptimal heat dissi-pation, the Impact-E 300 is a powerfulembedded systemwith full OEMbranding optionsavailable for thechassis and operat-ing system; result-ing in a professionalbranded unit. The Impact-E 300 isthe latest addition to theAmplicon Impact-E series to deliv-er the power of the Ivy bridgemobile iCore processor and amaz-ing feature set of the Intel QM77,all packaged in a fanless compactchassis with options for expansion.

The Impact-E 300 allows for easyaccess card expansion in anembedded fanless system.Capable of housing cards up to220mm, this new addition givesincreased flexibility in its design

and functionality. Building onthese strong features, the Impact-E300 delivers expansion using PCIexpress revision 3.0 giving fasterBUS speeds. The Impact-E 300can house 3 cards, one PCIe x16and two PCIe x1.AMPLICON www.amplicon.com

Toshiba presents the new 8Gb24nm BENAND™ SLC (single levelcell) NAND flash memory withembedded 8bit error correction(ECC). It enables manufacturersto utilize the latest 24nm technol-ogy in devicesdesigned to use4xnm NAND, extend-ing the product life ofconsumer electronics,multimedia devices,smart meters, intelli-gent lighting systemsand industrial tech-nology. The newNAND flash memoryis available at distributor Rutronikas of now.BENAND removes the burden ofECC from the host processor andenables designers to utilize lead-ing edge process NAND flashtechnology. To ensure easymigration, BENAND's featuressuch as Page/Block size, sparearea size, Commands, Interfaceand Package are kept the same aslegacy 4xnm SLC NAND.The smaller cells of the new NANDflash memory are more vulnerableto program/erase stresses, which

requires more complex ECC tomaintain the desired levels of relia-bility. For example, small density4xnm SLC NAND requires 1bitECC, 3xnm SLC NAND requires4bit ECC and 2xnm SLC NAND

requires 8bit ECC. ECC is usuallybuilt into the host controllers,often making switching to newerNAND difficult as the host proces-sor must be changed to enablerequired level of error correction. BENAND makes this change need-less by moving the ECC onto theNAND chip and enabling legacycontrollers to be used with the lat-est NAND technology. Thisreduces BOM and system designcosts while maintaining the highreliability of SLC NAND.RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/83d10f87.l

RUTRONIK EMBEDDED: New 24nm 8Gb BENAND™ SLCNAND Flash Memory from Toshiba

Amplicon introduces powerful fanless embedded PCwith multiple PCIe expansion





Compact 1U convectioncooled power supply achieves400 Watts without fansXP Power announced the SDH400 series of single anddual output 400 Watt highly efficient convectioncooled power supplies. These compact 1U profile chas-sis mount supplies, measuring 203.0 × 127.0 × 40.64mm (8.0 × 5.0 × 1.6 inches) can deliver the full 400 Wattoutput without the need for any cooling fans or forcedair flow. The single output models also have a peakpower capability that allows them to deliver 700 Wattsfor up to 0.5 seconds. This feature is ideal for accommo-dating applications that have momentary high start-upcurrents such as that of a motor, but removes the needfor a higher rated, larger and more costly power supplybeing specified. Efficiency is typically 88% for singleoutput models and 85% for duals.

The SDH400 single output range comprises nine mod-els providing all the popular nominal output voltagesfrom +3 to +60 VDC. Three dual output models are alsoavailable that offer output combinations of +5/+12VDC, +5/+24 VDC or +12/+24 VDC. A trim functionallows the user adjustment of output voltage in therange ±5% of stated nominal to make up for load lossesor to cater for non-standard voltage requirements.Power OK signal, remote on/off control, short circuitand overvoltage protection features are included asstandard.The full convection rating is available from 90-264 VACinput and the series operates over a wide temperaturerange of 0 to + 70°C with no derating until +50°C, mean-ing the SDH400 series will suit most global industrialpower requirements without the need for de-rating.The series meets safety approvals standard UL/EN60950-1 and also conforms with EN55022 class B stan-dard for conducted and radiated emissions.Optional Molex input and output connectors are avail-able in place of the standard screw terminal blocks.The SDH400 series is available from Farnell, element14,Digi-Key, approved regional distributors, or direct fromXP Power and come with a 3 year warranty.

XP POWER www.xppower.com

In an industry standard package meas-uring just 14 × 9.0mm and with a heightof only 6.5mm, IQD’s new IQOV-162series OCXO provides a frequency sta-bility down to ±5ppb (parts per billion)over the full industrial temperaturerange from –40 to 85°C.In addition to this exceptional size/per-formance ratio the new model is avail-able in a very wide frequency range from10 to 100MHz. Operating from a 3.3Vsupply voltage, the IQOV-162 consumes600mA of current during warm up andtakes less than 5 minutes to be within<100ppb of the final specification and300mA max at steady state @25°C.The output can be specified as eitherHCMOS, 15pF load or Sinewave, into a50 Ohms load. As well as offering phasenoise performance better than -150dBc/Hz @ 1kHz offset, ageing per-formance is also extremely good at lessthan ±500ppb per year.

Variants can be specified to includevoltage control to enable the frequencyto be adjusted for correction over timeand remotely with a pullability range of±3ppm to ±8ppm.The IQOV-162 series is primarilydesigned to be used in applicationssuch as CDMA base stations, femtocells,

optical networking, 3G & 4G LTE,Ethernet, SoNET/SDH, ATM back-planes, SATA and satellite communica-tions, or whenever a very low profileOCXO is required.IQD www.iqdfrequencyproducts.com

New ultra miniature OCXO from IQD delivers ±5ppbstability in a 14 × 9mm package

Murata today announced what itbelieves to be the world’s smallestcombined proximity and illumi-nance sensor. The surface mount-ed LT-1PA01 device measures just3.05 × 2.10 × 1.10 mm and inte-grates both an optical proximitysensor and an illuminance sensor.The proximity sensor uses a pho-toreceptor to measure the dis-tance to anobject based onthe amount ofreturned light.Another pho-toreceptor isused to detectthe amount ofambient bright-ness. Such sen-sors are widelyused in smart-phones to dark-en the screenwhen the phone is near the user’sface during a call or to increase thebrightness of the screen’s back-light when used outdoor.

The device has an extremely lowpower profile, consuming only 80uA during proximity sensing.Illuminance sensing angle is ±45degrees at 50% and sensing dis-tance is up to 70 mm with graycard. Operating voltage is +3.3VDC. Communication with thehost processor is via I2C serialcommunications.

Mass production is scheduled tobegin in May 2014.MURATA www.murata.eu

Murata develops world’s smallest combined proximity and illuminance sensor

Murata announced the MGJ2series of 2 Watt high isolation dualoutput DC/DC converters fromMurata Power Solutions. Thesecompact encapsulated devices aresuitable for powering “high side”and “low side”gate drives inbridge circuitsusing insulat-ed-gate bipo-lar transistors(IGBTs) andM O S F E T s .Offering basicand supple-mentary insu-lation, with anisolation testvoltage of 5.2 kVDC and conform-ing to the internationally recog-nized safety standard UL60950(pending), the MGJ2 series canprovide a key element of the end-product’s safety insulation system.Packaged in an industry-standardSIP format, they occupy a 1.96 cmsquared footprint and achieve a

power density of 0.81 Watts percm cubed. The series comprises12 models offering nominal inputvoltages of 5, 12, 15 or 24 VDC.For each input voltage there arethree output voltage combina-

tions available: +15/-5 VDC, +15/-8.7 VDC or +20/-5 VDC. The converters have characterizeddv/dt immunity, suiting reliableoperation in fast switching appli-cations. Partial discharge perform-ance is also optimized to give along service life.MURATA www.murata.eu

Two Watt DC-DC converter suits “high/low”side IGBT drive applications

As of now, distributor Rutronikoffers Vishay's upgradedTSOP36... series of miniature sur-face-mount IR receivers forinfrared remote control applica-tions in consumer products. Witha minimum irradiance of0.12mW/m², the TSOP36... seriesnow offers a 20%improvement in sensi-tivity over previousgeneration devices, andincorporates animproved optical filteragainst IR 3D TV signalsand other noise. The devices feature anew-generation inte-grated circuit and are offered infive automatic gain control (AGC)versions for short and long burstcodes. Legacy compatibility withall common IR remote control dataformats is provided by theTSOP361.. (short burst codes) and

TSOP362.. (long burst codes). TheTSOP363.. (short) and TSOP364..(long) are ideal for all remote con-trol applications and suppress spu-rious pulses from energy-savinglamps and dimmed LCD backlight-ing, while the TSOP365.. (short) iscapable of suppressing even

extreme levels of optical noise. Tosimplify designs, the devices offera photo detector and preamplifiercircuit mounted within a 4-pinepoxy package. RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com/d0ff1177.l

Exar Corporation announced anaddition to its range of telecom-munications timing products witha new family of Universal Clocks.The XR811xx series offers a widerange of output frequencies from10MHz to 1.5GHz, with ultra-lowphase noise jitter of less than200fs. Designed for communica-tions, audio/video and industrialapplications, theQFN-10 and TSSOP-8 packaged devicesare footprint com-patible with industrystandard synthesiz-ers, providing asuperior perform-ance second sourceoption. The designof Exar’s XR811xxsynthesizers utilizes ahighly flexible delta-sigma modulator and a very wide-ranging VCO in a PLL block thathas been optimized to beextremely power efficient. With acore current consumption of just20mA, these parts dissipate 60%less power than equivalent com-petitive devices, providing a very

compelling power efficiency ben-efit to system designers. The PLLcan operate from either an inputsystem clock or a crystal and incor-porates both an integer dividerand a high-resolution (<1Hz) frac-tional divider for increased flexi-bility to generate any clock fre-quency. Additionally up to fourdifferent frequency multiplier set-

tings can be stored allowing fordifferent application configura-tions providing BOM savings com-pared to multiple synthesizers.The XR811xx family also offers achoice of LVCMOS, LVDS orLVPECL output drivers.EXAR www.exar.com

Exar Offers Wide Frequency UniversalClocks with Ultra-Low Jitter

Rutronik introduces new Miniature IRReceivers from Vishay



ep&dee no 5

Documents

e c t r o n

digital power control

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lowpower analogue techniques

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battery technologies

longer battery lifegetting