INTRODUCING THE MICROSOFT AZURE SPHERE ENABLED LORA GATEWAY One of the most secure and easy to manage gateways, featuring Azure Sphere avnet-silica.com REQUEST DEMO 28 September 2022 FEATURING: • Surge & Lightning Protection, EMI/EMCManagement • Analog, Digital &Mixed-Signal ICs • Industrial Electronics, Automation, Computing&Networking • Enclosures, Racks, Cabinets &Panel Products • Spotlight: InnovationHubs &Tech Incubators
Dataweek, 28 Spetember 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 1 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS, IoT, RF & MICROWAVE FEATURE 28 September 2022 Vol. 45 No. 8 News................................................................................. 3 Systems, components, design.......................... 9 General ............................................................................ 27 Hot chips......................................................................31 Open [re]sources ....................................................... 32 QuickFind index .................................................... IBC contents on the cover features regulars Analog, digital & mixed-signal ICs...........................12 Wi-Fi 6 and ARM Cortex-M0 chips. Industrial electronics, automation, computing & networking.............................................14 LoRaWan gateways, IoT connectivity, secure gateways for IIoT, automation in future-proofing cloud adoption, obstacles of industrial automation implementation and solving industry 4.0 challenges. Enclosures, racks, cabinets & panel products....................................................................23 Breakthroughs in linear slide technology, UV-resistant enclosures and non-metallic wall-mounted enclosures. Surge & lightning protection, EMI/EMC management..................................................25 The importance of surge protection. Spotlight: Innovation hubs & tech incubators...................................................................26 The main points of the CHIPS act and Africa’s top tech innovator. INTRODUCING THE MICROSOFT AZURE SPHERE ENABLED LORA GATEWAY One of the most secure and easy to manage gateways, featuring Azure Sphere avnet-silica.com REQUEST DEMO AVS_Miromico_A4 - Dataweek Cover.indd 1 20.09.2022 12:23:35 28 September 2022 FEATURING: • Surge & Lightning Protection, EMI/EMCManagement • Analog, Digital &Mixed-Signal ICs • Industrial Electronics, Automation, Computing&Networking • Enclosures, Racks, Cabinets &Panel Products • Spotlight: InnovationHubs &Tech Incubators Introducing the Microsoft Azure Sphere-enabled LoRa gateway: The miro Edge Indoor Gateways are a product family of affordable fully LoRaWANcompatible gateways. The small form-factor, integrated interfaces like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, mini PCI-E, and its underlying LinuxOS, allows easy integration of these gateways into any infrastructure. The gateway can be easily configured to communicate with any LoRaWAN-compatible cloud service. For more information contact Avnet Silica, +27 11 319 8600, [email protected], www.avnet.com/wps/portal/silica
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 2 NEWS Disclaimer While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements, inserts and company contact details are printed as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material. Published by: Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd, 1st Floor Stabilitas, 265 Kent Avenue, Randburg Tel: +27 11 543 5800 [email protected] Gauteng Tracy Wolter, Tel: +27 11 543 5800, [email protected] KwaZulu-Natal Jane van der Spuy, Tel: +27 83 234 5412, [email protected] Western Cape Contact Durban or Jhb numbers for details Advertising: Print and Online Sales Manager: Malckey Tehini [email protected] Editor: Peter Howells, B.Tech (Electronic Engineering), [email protected] Subscription services For address changes, subscriptions, renewal status or missing issues call +27 11 543 5800 or [email protected] or WRITE TO: Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd, Box 385, Pinegowrie 2123 Subscribe online: www.technews.co.za All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Technews Publishing (PTY) Ltd. Reg No. 2005/034598/07 ISSN 0256-8934 VOLUME 45 NO 8 28 SEPTEMBER 2022 From the editor’s desk Peter In South Africa, 24 September has officially been known as National Heritage Day since it was proclaimed as such in 2008 (previously, 24 September was known as Shaka Day, but was not an official public holiday). In South Africa, Heritage Day is remembered by many people dressing up in traditional attire and getting together for a family feast, prompting a large group of the SA population, in 2005, to try to get the day renamed ‘National Braai Day’ in honour of the backyard braai tradition. While heritage may mean many different things to people from different cultural backgrounds, the topic got me thinking about South African heritage from an engineering point of view. When we as South Africans look back many years from now, what engineering legacy will we leave behind for future generations to make use of? This prompted a bit of research and quite frankly, I was more than enamoured with the ingenuity shown by inventions that come from South Africans. While the following list is definitely not exhaustive, these inventions truly stand out for me for the following reasons. First, they were truly unique. Second, they solved a real-world problem – after all, I’m sure that readers will agree that creating a solution for a problem that does not exist is a major waste of time and energy. Oil from coal: Sasol is the world’s first (and still the largest) oil-from-coal refinery. The plant currently produces 160 000 barrels of fuel from coal per day. Because South Africa does not have crude oil reserves, the country decided to protect itself against high-priced oil imports. After many years of research, the first automotive fuel was manufactured in 1955. Dolosse: A dolos is a wave-dissipating concrete block used in coastal management. They were the invention of East London harbour engineer Eric Merrifield after a storm hit the coastline in 1963, causing widespread damage to the harbour. Q20: The oil-in-a-can known to almost every South African, and which has become a household name to denote any type of oil that can be purchased in an aerosol can. The multi-purpose lubricant was invented by a Mr. Robertson in 1950, a Pinetown-based inventor, who named it Q20 as it had ‘20 answers to 20 questions.’ Pratley Putty: I wonder if there are any engineers who have never used Pratley putty. Developed by South African George Pratley in the 1960s, it even accompanied Neil Armstrong and his team during their Apollo mission to the moon in 1969. Today, the putty is used in Our engineering heritage applications ranging from sealing to generalpurpose adhesion. Speed Gun technology: The next time you settle down to watch the Proteas play a cricket match, thank South African engineer Henri Johnson for developing the world’s first radar module to measure both the speed and angle of fast-flying balls. The module, developed in 1992, uses the principle of Doppler Shift to calculate the speed of the ball. Retinal Cryosurgery: The world’s first surgical tool to use extreme cold (nitrous oxide) to destroy tissue was unveiled in 1965 by Dr Selig Amoils at Baragwanath Hospital. The tool made retinal detachment and cataract extraction simple and safe, and is now used in many surgical procedures including the lung, heart, liver and prostate. Automatic pool cleaning: John Raubenheimer unveiled the world’s first pool cleaning system in the late 1960s known as the Pool Bug Automatic Pool Cleaner. The system used pressure generated by the pool pump to suction dirt from the pool’s floor. A spin-off of this invention, the Kreepy Krauly, was launched in 1974 by South African-based Ferdinand Chauvier and is now available worldwide in various forms. I have no doubt that the reader can come up with further examples of South African ‘engenuity’ [spelling mistake intended]. The next time that engineering inventions are mentioned, you can comment proudly on how citizens of a small country on the southern tip of Africa feature on the list.
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 3 NEWS ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST EVENTS Financials • ST Microelectronics has released its semi-annual report for 2022. It reports that its year-over-year semiconductor industry revenues in the first half of 2022 increased by 18% for its total available market to reach a value of $304 billion. The company’s ADG revenues increased by 27,9% due to the automotive and power sectors, and MDG revenues increased by 37,3% driven by microcontrollers and RF communications subgroup. • ST also announced the final status of its common share repurchase programme, stating that during the period 22 to 26 August, a total of 183 012 shares at an average weighted share price of €36 0075 were bought back for a total value of €6 589 796 million. The company now holds 4 125 311 treasury shares amounting to 0,5% of the company’s issued share capital. • Silicon Labs’ board of directors has authorised an extra $200 million share repurchase of the company’s common stock. This brings the stock repurchase program total to a value of $450 million. • Mycronic AB has presented new financial targets for the period until 2027. The revised profitability and growth targets are based on the company having successfully reached the previous targets set. The ambitious targets include the company reaching net sales of SEK 10 billion, and at the same time reducing its CO2 emissions by 50%. • While most of the financial news is positive, there is still some uncertainty given the chaos caused firstly by the pandemic and now by the supply chain woes. A rapidly decelerating worldwide economy and rising inflation has caused semiconductor manufacturers to re-evaluate their expansion plans mid-year and many manufacturers have announced substantial reductions in their capex budgets for this year. Electronics News Digest • IC Insights has adjusted its 2022 worldwide semiconductor capital-spending forecast. The initial forecast of 24% growth and $190 billion in spending has been revised to a 21% increase this year amounting to a capital spend of $185,5 billion. Although the outlook has been lowered, this increase still represents a new record high level of spending. It has also reduced its worldwide IC market growth forecast for 2022 from 11% to 7%. This downgrade is almost entirely due to the collapse of the memory market in the second half of 2022. According to the report, the memory market collapse has lifted TSMC into top spot in the Q3 2022 rankings. This move has dropped Samsung and Intel into second and third place respectively. Companies • The Fischer family has created the technology group Conextivity to extend its expertise and innovation capabilities across the entire connectivity value chain. The Conextivity group was founded to meet the connectivity challenge posed by the emergence of new cross-functional and scalable ecosystems, from locally interconnected devices and sensors to cloud-managed IoT platforms. The group’s rapidly growing R&D department is strengthening its teams with new expertise, especially in signal integrity engineering, embedded electronics, the cloud and the IoT. • Major South African companies, including Fidelity ADT and Discovery, have banded together to help rescue the ailing Sigfox IoT network. This comes a year after the plug was pulled on Sigfox operator SqwidNet because of weak customer demand. Many customers rely on the network for ongoing operations. Customer buy-in eventually came through to rescue the network with shareholders in the newly created Sigfox South Africa including Macrocomm, Discovery Insure, Fidelity ADT and Buffet Investments. Automation and Electronics Show 2022 5-6 October Zurich, Switzerland Automation and Electronics Show features exhibits on drive technology control engineering, electronics industrial handling, sensor technology robotics, engineering mechatronics, and accessories associations and media. Register at https://www.automation-zuerich.ch/en/ SMTA International 2-3 November Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Attendees at this year’s SMTA International will be able to connect with the manufacturing community and colleagues. Research and solutions will be presented across electronics manufacturing, including advanced design methods and implementation. Register at https://smta.org/mpage/smtai/ 2022 Automation and Leadership Conference 7-9 November Galveston, Texas, USA The automation and leadership conference combines ISA’s leadership conference with two days of technical presentations on trending industry topics, including digital transformation, cybersecurity, IIoT, smart manufacturing and process automation. For more information visit https://www.isa.org/events-and-conferences/alc Electronica 15-18 November Munich, Germany Electronica, the world’s leading trade fair for electronics, will this year follow the theme of ‘The entire world of electronics.’ The trade show will showcase the complete range of electronic technologies, products and solutions broken down into specific exhibition sectors including automotive, electromechanics, EDA, embedded systems, test and measurement, sensor technology and semiconductors. For more information visit https://electronica.de/en/ Continued on page 4
ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST • Experts from Indium Corporation will be present at the SMTA International conference from 31 October to 3 November to share their industry knowledge and expertise during four presentations. The metallurgy-based presentations will revolve around solder alloys and solder paste developed by Indium. • Motorola Solutions has announced it has acquired Barrett Communications, a design company for high frequency and very high frequency (VHF) missioncritical radio communications, complementary to Motorola Solutions’ existing radio portfolio. This technology is designed to enable critical communications in any location without the need for infrastructure, making it ideal for supporting security and peacekeeping operations, as well as humanitarian response efforts during natural disasters. • Africa Data Centres, a pan-African technology group, announced that it has broken ground on the expansion of its Samrand facility in Johannesburg, from 10 to 40 MW of IT load. The breaking of ground for Africa Data Centres’ Johannesburg facilities is an integral part of the expansion, as South Africa is one of the most important data centre markets in Africa, and a gateway for smaller neighbouring markets. • Samsung has reported that the outlook for Q3 and Q4 2022 is looking gloomy and that full recovery in 2023 is also not likely. Rival chip makers SK Hynix and Micron have also recently cautioned about slowing demand. Besides a global slump in the market, the fracas between China and the US is also influencing the market as Samsung relies heavily on supplying chips to the massive Chinese market. Samsung will no doubt have to sharpen its pencil on the proposed R5,7 trillion spending plan over the next five years if the market does not recover soon. • A report by Bishop and Associates has revealed that the top 100 electronic connector manufacturers account for 86% of the global market. In terms of customer evaluations, leading the list was Samtec followed closely byWAGO. • JSE-listed company Altron has appointedWerner Kapp as the new group CEO, effective from 1 October 2022. Kapp takes over the reins from former CEO Mteto Nyati, who stepped down on 30 June. Kapp joins Altron from Dimension Data where he has held various roles over the past 22 years. Stewart van Graan, who has been interim CEO since 1 July, said, “After a rigorous search and recruitment process by the board, we are very pleased to appoint a wellrecognised leader with extensive expertise and sector experience.” Technologies • In a move that will have widespread implications for the engineering and tech industries, the SA government has released a timeline for the termination of both 2G and 3G network service. This information is contained in a draft policy of the licensing of next-generation radio frequency spectrum, which looks to free up spectrum needed for next generation 5G spectrum. It is proposed that 2G be switched off by June 2024 and 3G by March 2025. The policy also proposes that all 2G devices be prohibited from being licensed by the communications regulator Icasa after 30 June 2023. • A report released by IoT analyst firm Berg Insight states that the global satellite IoT subscriber base will reach 21,2 million by 2026. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this IoT subscriber base grew to surpass 3,9 million in 2021. The number of subscribers is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 40,3%. Only around 10% of the Earth’s surface is covered by terrestrial connectivity surfaces, which leaves a massive opportunity for satellite communications. • Audi Centre Centurion, together with ANH Technologies, has engaged in a sustainable partnership to transform power production and usage. 53 kW of photovoltaic power has been installed on the roof to power the Audi e-tron chargers and offset energy demand on site. In total, 112 solar panels were installed, which substantially reduces the site’s reliance on the grid, providing support during peak loads and helping with consistent e-tron charging. Continued from page 3
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 5 NEWS Many industries require precise specifications on containers, component holders and pallet conductivity, to prevent the destruction of electronic components by electrostatic discharge (ESD). ESD containers, bins and pallets are made of a specific plastic and carbon compound to protect against the undesirable effects of electrostatic discharge. CORTRONIC boxes CORTRONIC boxes feature an impervious static dissipative skin and conductive core. The shielding material is suitable for use in ESD protected areas. Products made of CORTRONIC include component boxes, PCB transit boxes, IC tube boxes, in-plant handlers for PCBs and other custom applications. CORTRONIC storage boxes are ideal for safe transportation of ESD-sensitive components, such as PCBs. A soft, dissipative foam lining provides safe padding and removes static. These coated boxes are made from cardboard dipped in carbon and come flat-packed to enable assembly on-site. Its static dissipative skin and buried conductive core ensure electronic components are shielded from electrostatic discharges during transportation. Actum Group supplies a wide range of specialised storage boxes ideal for safe transportation of ESD-sensitive components. Actum Group is a specialised importer and distributor of industrial and electronic products in South and Southern Africa. ESD safe containers: protection against electrical discharge with Greg Barron, Actum Group director Clearing the Static For more information contact Actum Group on 011 608 3001 or email [email protected] The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has announced that global semiconductor industry sales were $49,0 billion in the month of July 2022, an increase of 7,3% over the July 2021 total of $45,7 billion. However, when compared to the June 2022 total of $50.2 billion, this figure was a marked decrease of 2,3%. Monthly sales are compiled by theWorld Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organisation and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms. “Global semiconductor sales remained strong in July, topping the total from last July, Growth in global semiconductor sales slows down By Semiconductor Industry Association. but market growth has slowed substantially in recent months, with year-to-year sales increases dropping into the single digits for the first time since December 2020,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Sales into the Americas market increased 20,9% year-to-year to lead all regions.” In addition to the Americas, year-to-year sales were up in Europe (15,2%), Japan (13,1%), and Asia Pacific/All Other (4,1%), but down in China (-1,8%). Month-to-month sales increased in Europe (2,7%) and Japan (0,6%), but decreased in the Americas (-2,3%), China (-3,5%), and Asia Pacific/All Other (-3,5%). Nanjing based Internet of Things (IoT) applications specialist company, Rejeee, which manufactures LPWAN and LoRaWAN sensors and controllers has appointed Otto Wireless Solutions as its local distributor. Rejeee is oriented to the needs of its customers for IoT applications, with technology development as its core driving force, supplemented by high-quality supplier resources, and is determined to provide customers with continuous delivery of easyto-use and reliable software and hardware products and solutions. Distribution appointment As a local distributor, the kind of LoRaWAN products that Otto has taken on range from AC controllers, temperature and humidity sensors, water leak sensors to CO2 sensors and vibration sensors. Applications for these sensors include energy monitoring, power plants, and agriculture and farming. Although these LoRaWAN sensors and controllers are pending ICASA approval, technical details on the products are available. For more information contact Otto Wireless Solutions, +27 11 791 1033, [email protected], www.otto.co.za Worldwide Semiconductor Revenues Year-to-year percent change
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 6 NEWS Vicor unveiled modular solutions for powering high-performance ASICs and FPGAs for broadband communications satellites at its first space engineering event in Europe, at Space Comm Expo from 7 to 8 September. Vicor’s radiation-tolerant power solutions provide the ideal power delivery network (PDN) for LEO and MEO satellites which visitors were able to see during Vicor’s in-booth live demonstrations. The live demonstration, which took place across both days, showed ripple, noise and transient response performance on a 0,8 V, 150 A evaluation board using Vicor’s patented high-density modular solutions. Vicor also highlighted the advantages of a better way to deliver power by presenting and discussing the following ideas: • Ideal power delivery network (PDN) – Vicor radiation-tolerant power modules enable Vicor showcases highest power density solutions South African design and manufacturing company, Cybus–Hanway, has selected the Quectel MC60 module, embedded SIM (eSIM) and Quectel connectivity for use in offerings that utilise GSM and GPS to address applications such as animal bio tracking and asset tracking. The company provides customers with a holistic approach that extends from devices to management systems. “We are using the MC60 for its GSM and GPS functions in a single module,” explains Wayne Hannigan, director, Hanway. “We find the combination suits the requirements of this project in which the biggest problems we faced were power consumption and network Local design company to use Quectel module for tracking The Alexa connect kit (ACK) has been developed to make it simpler for device makers to address the challenges of building smart devices with a great user experience. These challenges requires manufacturers to have deep expertise in multiple wireless protocols, complex cloud connectivity, and the necessary maintenance of cloud infrastructure. Certain brands like Panasonic, Toshiba and Eaton have already leveraged ACK to build products with smart interfaces and exceptional user experiences. With ACK these brands have realised that they need to concentrate only on creating great products while offloading the complex cloud, networking and security firmware requirements to Amazon. Alexa connect kit SDK for Matter the ideal PDN for LEO and MEO satellites, providing high efficiency, high density, low-noise voltage conversion to power advanced network communication ASICs and processors. • The factorised power architecture (FPA) – FPA factorises power from the traditional singlefunction DC-DC converter into two distinct functions and power modules: a pre-regulation module (PRM) and a voltage transformation module (VTM). The power switching topologies and control systems of each module are optimised for low noise and power losses, with zero-current and zero-voltage switching. The PRM and VTM components have high density and high efficiency, and the low noise signature allows the VTM to be placed close to the load, minimising board losses in high current applications. Matt Renola, senior director, global business development, aerospace, defence and satellite, Vicor Corporation, says, “We were delighted to make an entrance into the European space market with our first exhibition in this region showcasing our revolutionary power module solutions. Space Comm Expo is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in Europe and it provided an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate our products and their suitability to the space industry. We met with customers in person to discuss how Vicor can support them with the latest designs and innovations in the industry.” For more information contact Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com limitations. The MC60 solved these with the aid of the Quectel eSIM and Connectivity.” The Quectel MC60 is a dual SIM single standby quad-band GSM/GPRS/GNSS 2G module measuring 18,7 x 16,0 x 2,1 mm. The module, which is optimised for SMS, data and audio transmission in harsh environments, allows customers to use two (U)SIM cards in one device and is designed for low-power IoT applications which require sophisticated and precise geolocation features. The Quectel module was selected for its ease of use and simplicity of integration, along with having the eSIM provision and connectivity from the same supplier. The Alexa connect kit SDK for Matter was announced during Alexa Live 2022. Now device makers connecting products to any Mattercompatible assistant can use the ACK SDK for Matter to deliver the increased interoperability of Matter to their customers. Device makers using ACK SDK for Matter will also be able to leverage frustration-free setup (FFS) for Matter. FFS [no pun intended – Ed] for Matter will allow customers to benefit from reduced setup frustration and add Matter compliant smart devices to Alexa with a zero-touch experience, where devices are automatically connected to the network and setup can begin as soon as the device is powered on. ACK SDK for Matter gives device makers the tools they need to deliver experiences with Matter that customers will appreciate. Device makers can take advantage of ACK’s managed services that provide the flexibility and control needed to build differentiated products and provide the insights and capabilities to increase customer engagement and grow their business. To read more about the ACK SDK for Matter visit https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/ alexa/matter For more information contact Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com For more information visit www.quectel.com For the first time ever in Europe, Vicor exhibited its patented power module solutions for LEO and MEO communications satellites.
After a four-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, the continent’s largest trade show made its return. Taking place from 5-9 September 2022, the Electra Mining Africa event highlighted the importance of Africa’s booming industrial sector. Charlene Hefer, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions, the organiser of Electra Mining Africa, said that visitors were spoiled for choice at this year’s event. “As a five-in-one trade show, it covered everything from mining, electrical and automation to manufacturing, power, and transport. So, there was a lot to see for everyone in those fields. The exhibition halls were broadly categorised across these sectors, while the vast outdoor exhibit area generally lent itself to pump and valve exhibits, water activations ,and those activations with moving parts, like materials handling,” said Hefer. RS South Africa were among the hundreds of exhibitors at this year’s event. Brian Andrew, MD for RS said that the company was excited to be back after four years to re-engage with customers and suppliers. “So much has happened over the past 24 months and businesses have had to evolve and innovate to keep up with changes in their sectors. Electra Mining provides a unique platform for suppliers and customers to reconnect and collaborate on how to solve current and future challenges. At this year’s event, we showcased a number of products from trusted global brands including our own private label, RS PRO. We also partnered up with a few of our suppliers on our stand this year such as SMC Corporation SA, Teledyne FLIR, CRC and Schneider Electric, to further enhance our offering to visitors on our stand,” he said. Andrew went on to add that the event provided a bird’s eye view of the country’s various industries, and most importantly provided an invaluable platform to connect with suppliers and customers. “Electra Mining Africa 2022 was a resounding success for us. It provided a platform for us to More than 30 000 visitors to Africa’s largest trade show showcase some of our products and services as well as introduce our amazing team to the hundreds of visitors we had on our stand.” For more information contact RS Components, +27 11 691 9300, [email protected], www.rs-online.co.za RS SA marketing director Mellisa Govender and RS SA MD Brian Andrew. NEWS
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 8 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN It has 320 kB ROM, 512 kB SRAM, and works with external flash. Depending on the package, it comes with either 30 (QFN40) or 22 (QFN32) programmable GPIOs, with support for SPI, UART, I2C, I2S, RMT, TWAI, PWM, SDIO, and Motor Control PWM. It also includes a 12-bit ADC and a temperature sensor. ESP32-C6 has an integrated 2,4 GHz Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) radio that also supports the 802.11b/g/n standard for backward compatibility. ESP32-C6 supports the OFDMA mechanism for both uplink and downlink communications, while also supporting MU-MIMO for downlink traffic. Both these techniques allow working with high efficiency and low latency, even in congested wireless environments. Additionally, the Target Wake Time (TWT) feature of the 802.11ax standard enables ESP32-C6 customers to build battery-operated connected devices that can last for years, while staying permanently connected. ESP32-C6 supports 20 MHz bandwidth for the 802.11ax mode and a 20/40 MHz bandwidth for the 802.11b/g/n mode. It brings in Wi-Fi 6 features, such as transmission efficiency and low power consumption, which provide concrete benefits for IoT devices. Additionally, Bluetooth 5 (LE) supports long-range operation through advertising extensions and coded PHY. ESP32-C6’s support for IEEE 802.15.4 andWi-Fi radios, along with Bluetooth 5 (LE) connectivity, enable customers to build Matter-compliant Wi-Fi end-point devices and Thread end-point devices, thus achieving interoperability in smart-home devices from multiple brands. Espressif’s ESP32-C6 SoC released RSA-3072-based secure boot, AES-128/256-XTS-based flash encryption, digital signature and an HMAC peripheral for identity protection, as well as cryptographic accelerators for improved performance, is built in to the ESP32-C6. The Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) enables privilege separation when accessing different chip features and, therefore, provides a secure software separation. For more information contact iCorp Technologies, +27 11 781 2029, [email protected], www.icorptechnologies.co.za Espressif has released ESP32-C6, its first Wi-Fi 6 SoC integrating 2,4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (LE) and the 802.15.4 protocol. ESP32-C6 consists of a high-performance 32-bit RISC-V processor, which can be clocked up to 160 MHz, and a low-power 32-bit RISC-V processor, which can be clocked up to 20 MHz.
INTRODUCING THE MICROSOFT AZURE SPHERE ENABLED LORA GATEWAY One of the most secure and easy to manage gateways, featuring Azure Sphere avnet-silica.com • Securely monitors, tracks and manages data in almost every environment, from buildings to factories, smart cities, hospitals, agriculture and retail • Supports cellular, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity • Remotely upgrade your gateways in the field, with daily authentication of hardware and software, and a failsafe over the air update mechanism • Guaranteed maintenance over the lifetime of the product • Pre-integrated security will ensure that your LoRaWAN gateway is secure and safe of the risk from cyber-attacks REQUEST DEMO
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 10 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has announced new power devices, the TWxxNxxxC series, its third-generation silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs that deliver low on-resistance and significantly reduced switching loss. Ten products, five 1200 V and five 650 V products, are available. Compared to previous SiC MOSFETs, the new products reduce on-resistance per unit area (RDS(ON)A) up to 43%, allowing the drain-source on-resistance gate-drain charge (RDS(ON)*Qgd) to be lowered by about 80%. This cuts the switching loss by up to 20% and lowers both on-resistance and switching loss. The new products therefore contribute to higher equipment efficiency. Toshiba launches its third-generation SiC MOSFETs MicroSys Electronics has announced a module built around NXP’s S32G3 vehicle network processor. Thanks to the NXP S32G3 processor, the MPX-S32G399A system-on-module (SoM) Module uses NXP S32G3 vehicle network processor Mipot has launched a newMiP (Mipot IoT Protocols) wireless modules series for low power area networks (LPWAN). The ultra-lowpower MiP series is extremely compact at an area less than 1 cm2, and features LGA pattern technology, high radio performance and embedded up-to-date Ultra-compact high-performance wireless modules [Side note: The drain-source on-resistance gate-drain charge is an important index that represents the relationship between conduction loss and switching loss]. The company has accomplished this by developing a device structure that reduces on-resistance per unit area by using a structure with a built-in Schottky barrier diode originally developed for the second-generation SiC MOSFETs, and also reduces feedback in the JFET region. Toshiba will continue to expand its lineup of power devices and to enhance its production facilities, and aims to realise a carbon-free economy by providing high-performance power devices that are easy to use. IoT stacks to simplify designs. The MiP series provides flexibility to your IoT design and represents a complete solution for the current wireless communication market. The new Mipot series, integrating the STM32WL chipset, allows a choice between a standalone module or a high-end module. The standalone module is equipped with one specific protocol including LoRaWAN, wM-Bus, or Mipot LoRa Network, and has standard UART, SPI and I2C peripheral interfaces. The high-end modules have multiple protocols embedded and an internal open MCU featuring an ARM Cortex M4/M0+ allowing installation of a proprietary application. The optional Secure Element guarantees maximum security. Designed to be deployed globally, the modules support communications in frequency bands used in Europe, USA, South America, Africa, India, Australia and the Pacific Area. Suitable applications for the newMiP series include asset tracking, smart agriculture, renewable energy monitoring, smart cities, smart buildings, automatic metering system, home automation, industrial IIoT, and healthcare monitoring. The ease of use of the MiP series helps reduce the time-to-market for new IoT products and easily deploy the product globally. Visit http://bitly.ws/u4jh to view an online document detailing this new series. For more information contact Otto Wireless Solutions, +27 11 791 1033, [email protected], www.otto.co.za surpasses its NXP S32G2-based predecessor with 2,5 times more application processing performance and is therefore well suited to realtime mixed-critical safety applications. Improvements include eight Arm Cortex-A53 cores instead of four, as well as four Cortex-M7 dual-core lock-step pairs instead of three. 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM is soldered onto the SoM and up to 32 GB of eMMC non-volatile memory and 64 MB SPI flash can be specified. The SoM offers native CAN interfaces as well as Ethernet support, including time-sensitive networking (TSN). In addition, there are 14 GPIOs, 12 ADC inputs, four FlexSPI, two UART, one USB and four I2C. A JTAG interface is included for debugging purposes. Microsys is aiming the SoM at any market where functional safety standards are required, including railway technology, aviation, manufacturing robots, control and drive systems, data loggers, edge gateways and fail-safe programmable logic controllers. Whilst OEM evaluation kits will be available this year, series production is scheduled for Q1 2023. For more information contact Rugged Interconnect Technologies, +27 21 975 8894, [email protected], www.ri-tech.co.za Ideal applications for the MOSFET include switching power supplies found in servers, data centres and communication equipment, EV charging stations, photovoltaic inverters, and UPSs. For more information contact EBV Electrolink, +27 21 402 1940, [email protected], www.ebv.com
Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced the LC29H, its dual-band, multi-constellation, high-precision GNSS module. Built using the Airoha AG3335 platform, the LC29H is available in multiple variants and optionally integrates RTK and DR. The LC29H series offers high performance, power-efficient solutions to meet market needs of highprecision positioning at the centimetre and decimetre levels. “High-precision positioning with centimetre level accuracy is becoming increasingly vital for many new IoT applications. Robotics, UAV and industrial applications needing precise navigation are driving new market requirements and we are very excited to launch our newest generation of high-precision GNSS positioning modules,” said Patrick Qian, CEO of Quectel. “With our focus of providing best-in-class, easy-touse and affordable solutions to our customers, we believe the IoT market is ready for mass adoption of cm-level positioning modules for a wide range of scenarios.” The LC29H concurrently receives and processes signals from all constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS), which in combination with the support of SBAS, maximises satellite signal availability. The module supports L1 and L5 dual-band signal reception, thereby ensuring that terminals can speed up convergence time, improve positioning accuracy, and achieve fast response times even when the signal is interrupted. In addition, some versions contain six-axis IMU inertial sensors (three-axis accelerometer + three-axis gyroscope), and integrate RTK and DR positioning algorithms, allowing for continuous lane-level accurate positioning in scenarios where the satellite signal is partially or completely blocked, such as underground parking lots, tunnels, urbanDual-band high-precision GNSS module with RTK and DR technologies canyons or forests. When the satellite signal is re-acquired, the LC29H combines inertial sensor data with GNSS signals, and the integrated navigation can provide fast convergence times and decimetre level positioning accuracies. To improve the performance when used with a passive antenna, the LC29H has a built-in LNA and an internal SAW filter, ensuring high sensitivity and excellent positioning accuracy. These modules are perfectly suited to the growing market for autonomous lawnmowers, drones, precision agriculture, micro-mobility scooters and delivery robots, as well as other industrial and autonomous applications. For more information contact iCorp Technologies, +27 11 781 2029, [email protected], www.icorptechnologies.co.za REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 12 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS, IoT, RF & MICROWAVE FEATURE ANALOG, DIGITAL & MIXED-SIGNAL ICS Nordic Semiconductor has announced its entry into the Wi-Fi wireless IoT market with the introduction of the nRF7002, an ultra-low power, dual-bandWi-Fi 6 companion IC. The launch allows Nordic to offer all three of the world’s most popular wireless IoT technologies: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular IoT. The nRF7002 is described as a ‘companion IC’ which means it is designed to provide seamless Wi-Fi connectivity andWi-Fi-based SSID sniffing of local Wi-Fi hubs when used alongside Nordic’s existing products. These include the nRF52 and nRF53 series multiprotocol systems-on-chip (SoCs), and nRF91 series cellular IoT systems-inpackage (SiPs). The nRF7002 can also be used in conjunction with non-Nordic host devices. Developing Nordic-basedWi-Fi 6 applications will be as simple as developing any Nordic announces its first Wi-Fi 6 dual-band chip Manufacturers of electronic systems, ranging from vehicles to home appliances, are moving towards automating and connecting end applications, spurring the need for industry standards related to functional safety and cybersecurity protection to ensure their products operate safely and securely. To provide manufacturers with an MCU solution equipped with components that meet ISO 26262 functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity engineering standards, Microchip Technology has announced the PIC32CM JH microcontroller (MCU). This is the industry’s first MCU-based on the Arm Cortex-M0+ architecture with AUTOSAR support, memory-built-in self-test (MBIST) and secure boot. The MCU is the next generation of the popular SAM C21 family of Arm Cortex-M0+ based MCUs. The PIC32CM JH family of MCUs delivers a variety of popular features plus New ARM Cortex-M0+ core with functional safety and cybersecurity protection extended memory options up to 512 kB of flash to help you create designs that need functional safety, enhanced touch, or security. The PIC32CM JH is compatible with AUTOSAR, an open software architecture, providing suppliers with the ability to change to lower-level hardware but keep the original application code, making it easier to migrate between different designs. AUTOSAR-ready is designed to streamline the development process and reduce overall costs. When using AUTOSAR, Microchip offers ASIL B microcontroller abstraction layers (MCALs) for functional safety applications, providing the lower-level hardware interface to the MCU. Automotive industry OEMs require both functional safety and cybersecurity protection for many in-vehicle applications, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The PIC32CM JH, when paired with other Nordic wireless IoT application, using the same devtools and nRF Connect SDK. Wi-Fi forms an integral part of the smart home Matter protocol championed by Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and hundreds of other companies in consumer IoT. By adding WiFi to its product range Nordic will now support all three wireless protocols used in Matter. “We were able to bring our first Wi-Fi IC to market very quickly as a result of acquiring an extremely capableWi-Fi team alongside a portfolio of Wi-Fi assets that team had already developed,” says Nordic CTO/EVP of R&D and strategy, Svein-Egil Nielsen. “Nordic has also ensured that developing Nordic-basedWi-Fi 6 applications will be as simple as developing any other Nordic wireless IoT application, including using the same development tools and nRF Connect SDK.” The nRF7002 is supplied in a 6 x 6 mm QFN package and is currently available for sampling. For more information contact Andrew Hutton, RF Design, +27 21 555 8400, [email protected], www.rfdesign.co.za one of Microchip’s Trust Anchor TA100 CryptoAutomotive security ICs, is compliant with ISO/SAE 21434, the new cybersecurity standard for automotive applications. The TA100 employs ultra-secure hardware-based cryptographic key storage and cryptographic countermeasures to eliminate potential backdoors linked to software weaknesses. “With the PIC32CM JH MCU, Microchip is addressing the growing need for microcontroller solutions that are designed with functional safety and cybersecurity protection, which is particularly important in the automotive industry,” said Rod Drake vice president of Microchip Technology’s 32-bit MCU business unit. “OEMs and other manufacturers now have the option to use an entry-level Arm Cortex-M0+ based MCU to meet compliance requirements previously only available on higher-end MCUs.” The secure boot is part of the hardware. It authenticates the code to make sure it is valid and prevents malicious code from being loaded onto the MCU. Other hardware features included on the PIC32CM JH MCU are Error Correction Code (ECC) with fault injection, loopbacks on the communications interfaces, system memory protection unit and MBIST, all of which are safety mechanisms used to meet ISO 26262 and IEC 60730 standards. MBIST is the industry-standard method of testing embedded memories and can quickly test the integrity of the Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) to ensure it is functioning properly before the code is run to mitigate failures. For more information contact Andrew Athanasiou, Altron Arrow, +27 21 525 1703, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com
Two dsPIC33C Devices on a Single Chip Design Separately, Integrate Seamlessly Using dsPIC33CH Dual-Core DSCs The dsPIC33CH dual-core DSCs are designed to facilitate independent code development for each core by separate design teams, which can subsequently be seamlessly integrated when the separate codes are later brought together. With the power of two dsPIC33C DSCs in a single chip, the dsPIC33CH family is optimized for several applications including safety-critical applications, touch control, wireless charging, digital power, motor control and many more. Key Features • High performance with the power of two dsPIC33C DSCs in one chip • Enables isolation of safety-critical firmware and real-time operation from rest of the application code • Specialized peripherals for high-performance • Board space and cost savings of up to 40% by eliminating the need for an additional microcontroller (MCU) and supporting circuits • Faster on-chip, inter-core communication • Reduces development time by enabling parallel development by multiple teams microchip.com/dsPIC33CH The Microchip name and logo and the Microchip logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their registered owners. © 2022 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. MEC2432A-UK-07-22
Dataweek, 28 September 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 14 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS, IoT, RF & MICROWAVE FEATURE INDUSTRIAL TRONICS, AU OMATION, COMPUTING & NETW RKING Network equipment provider Ericsson forecasts that by 2026, there will be 26,4 billion IoT devices, 5,4 billion of them connected to the internet over cellular networks. That leaves a lot of devices – 21 billion, in fact – looking for another way to connect. Many of these connections will be made through wired networks, for example in smart-city, smartbuilding, and smart-lighting deployments, where the provision of fixed connectivity can be part of the design process. But the ad hoc and distributed nature of many IoT deployments (environmental sensors are placed where they are needed, not where there is a network jack) means that many IoT devices need other forms of wireless connectivity. There are multiple approaches to wireless connectivity for the IoT, each representing a different trade-off between their reach, their topology, the data rates they support, the radio spectrum and modulation schemes they use, the energy efficiency with which they send data, the complexity of implementation in the device and the network base station. Many are adaptations of consumer technologies, such as mesh networking over Bluetooth, or are designed for a very narrow set of applications. Long-range Radio (LoRa) is used to implement low-power, wide-area networks (LoRaWANs) over distances of up to 5 km in urban areas and 15 km in suburban areas. It supports data rates of up to 27 Kbit/s, and is therefore a good match for IoT devices Engineering considerations for LoRaWAN gateway design By Harvey Wilson, Technology Specialist Connectivity EMEA, Avnet Silica. such as sensors that need to report only small amounts of data irregularly. LoRa uses unlicensed ISM radio spectrum, making it easy to deploy worldwide. It uses a simple and robust modulation scheme, so the necessary RF power amplifiers are inexpensive and efficient. It adapts its RF output power to the amount of data being sent, saving battery power, and preserving the aggregate capacity of the network. And because of this relative simplicity, a single LoRaWAN gateway device can service thousands of LoRa nodes. The flipside of this simplicity is that LoRa is not ideal for real-time applications or for serving nodes that need to transfer large amounts of data on a regular basis. LoRa applications The ability to create wide area networks at a lower implementation cost than cellular connectivity would require is making LoRa attractive in a host of applications. In smart buildings, it can be used to connect environmental monitors and equipment trackers, to detect room occupancy, and to manage issues such as lighting and metering. In an Industry 4.0 context, applications include monitoring machinery, asset tracking, and equipment management. Smart-city applications could include all those previously given for smart buildings, as well as enhancing the management of civic infrastructure such as waste collection, traffic control, and citywide environmental monitoring and alerts. It’s a similar story in logistics and the supply chain: LoRa networks could provide the communications backbone for managing fleets of material-handling equipment in warehouses and shipping yards. Table 1 breaks out some further potential applications for LoRa by market sector. The LoRaWAN gateway The LoRa specification defines how lowpower nodes can communicate over relatively long distances at low data rates. To turn this capability into a network, LoRaWAN implementations need something to communicate with – a LoRaWAN gateway. This provides the interface between multiple LoRa nodes distributed in the field and a network server, which in turn consolidates data from multiple gateways before passing it along to an application server. Simple LoRaWAN gateways have minimal firmware and act as packet forwarders to the network server. More complex gateways can have an operating system that enables them to run packet-forwarding software as a background task and provide other support to gateway administrators as a foreground task. Because of the relative simplicity of the radio implementation, the low data rates that the protocol supports, and the relatively low duty cycles expected of each LoRa node, many LoRaWAN gateways can support hundreds, or even a few thousand, LoRa nodes at once. FEATURE ARTICLE
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