26 October 2022 FEATURING: • ElectronicsManufacturing Services & Equipment • Power & Energy • Test &Measurement, Analysis, Calibration&Compliance • Spotlight: Healthcare & Bioelectronics
Transform your own lighting into connected fixtures with WiZ Pro drivers, bridge boxes and customizable modules or choose between a wide range of lamps and accessories to market under your own brand. Opt for reliable everyday connectivity that caters to the needs of all stakeholders with the WiZ platform. PRO WHAT YOU GET FROM US altronarrrow.com To know more about WiZ Pro and get in touch with our local distributor. Contact Willem Schmidt on 011 923 9642 or [email protected] SCAN THE QR CODE Visit WIZ PRO online Enable the traditional LED luminaires to access the Wiz pro eco system, to control lights in multiple locations through the cloud. WiFi connectivity is how your lights can be connected to the internet so that they can be controlled via the cloud without a hub. CONNECTED LIGHTING FOR WELCOMING SPACE Smart LED with WiZ Connected
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 1 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS, IoT, RF & MICROWAVE FEATURE 26 October 2022 Vol. 45 No. 9 News................................................................................. 3 Systems, components, design.......................... 8 General ............................................................................ 29 Hot chips......................................................................31 Open [re]sources ....................................................... 32 QuickFind index .................................................... IBC contents on the cover features regulars Electronics manufacturing services & equipment..........................................................................11 Visual inspection systems, smart soldering solutions, how to extend the life of soldering tips, and Pb-free pastes. Power & energy.....................................................................19 Understanding maximum power point tracking, the road to better Li-ion batteries, how to detect power quality issues, power contacting solutions, and the challenges of designing wind turbines. Test &measurement, analysis, calibration & compliance..................................................26 Signal quality analysis, measurements on the go, and optical temperature monitoring. Spotlight: Healthcare & bioelectronics.................28 The role of opto-electronics in health monitoring. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 50 Years COMBICON - Data Week, A4 OFC - Oct issue.pdf 1 2022/10/11 09:44:53 26 October 2022 FEATURING: • ElectronicsManufacturing Services & Equipment • Power & Energy • Test &Measurement, Analysis, Calibration&Compliance • Spotlight: Healthcare & Bioelectronics Phoenix Contact, a worldwide leader in connector technology, has been supplying the South African electronics industry with high-quality interconnect solutions since it entered the country in 1969. This year marks the 50th anniversary of COMBICON, the world’s largest portfolio of PCB connector technology. For half a century, these state-of-the-art connectors have been ahead of their time. For more information contact Phoenix Contact, +27 11 801 8200, [email protected], www.phoenixcontact.co.za
Dataweek, 26 October 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 9 26 OCTOBER 2022 From the editor’s desk Peter Have you ever woken up to a beautiful, bright and sunny South African day, and after drinking a cup of coffee while perusing the morning news headlines, had that distinct feeling of déjà vu? Well, this seems to be happening to me quite a lot lately. Everyday, I want to read uplifting articles but am faced with ‘bad news’ over and over again. Is this surprising? Actually, not at all. The main reason being that good news does not sell as well as bad news. Most major news outlets distributing this news rely on readership and advertising and, unfortunately, the masses want to read the bad news. Maybe it makes their own mundane lives seem a little more acceptable, or maybe it simply gives them more to discuss when they meet up with colleagues. Whatever the reason, most headlines are not positive. This does not translate into the fact that there is no ‘good news’, because quite frankly, if you do look hard enough (and read between the lines here and there), you will find many uplifting articles. In South Africa, we have become used to getting news that either disappoints us, or worse, makes our blood boil. We have become desensitised, so that the delivery of bad news seems to be the norm. Of course, many individuals and organisations play directly into this by continually dropping the ball while at the same time seeming to get away with it (here’s looking at you, our SA leadership). Our load shedding debacle does not help matters. 2022 has been the worst on record for load shedding, with over 1637 hours so far. So, I’ll come straight out and say it. I believe that Eskom is beyond saving and will ultimately go the same route as other state-owned enterprises like SAA. The newly appointed board has been given the mandate to increase the energy availability factor to 75%. An impossible task without a major shift that will be blocked at every turn. That’s my bad news! Now for the good news! This can be fixed. But to do this, Eskom needs to be treated the same way as a private sector company. Place it in business rescue, retrench all staff, and then employ or re-hire the ones that actually want to see the company succeed. I know this will not happen – but a guy can dream can’t he? Instead of trying to fix a system that is beyond repair, the billions of Rands that they are asking for must rather be ploughed into renewable energy. South Africa is in the prime position to be the first country to get to ‘net zero’, and what a feather in our cap that could prove to be. We have the renewable resources Living the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ – oodles of sunlight, wind- and wave-energy. There should be no excuse. Presently SA ranks 12th on the list of carbon dioxide emitters worldwide. This can and must change. In November 2021, US, UK and the rest of the EU allocated $5,6 billion in seed money to SA. The money is meant for SA to retire its corruption- and debt-riddled fleet of coal-fired stations. It must be used to fund the thousands of workers who will lose their jobs in this process, and go towards the construction of renewable energy projects to push SA towards the goal of ‘net zero’. And more good news is that this process has already started, with Komati Power Station hopefully becoming the flagship of this transition. The last unit will be permanently shut down this month and the station will be repurposed into a training facility for upskilling Eskom employees, and for assembling containerised solar microgrids that will be deployed across SA. The facility will be completely ‘net zero’ by generating all its renewable energy: 150 MW of solar, 70MW of wind and 150MW of battery storage. Let’s all collectively hope that this process will be a huge success, so that SA can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, that light being a ray of sunshine instead of an oncoming freight train.
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 3 NEWS ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST EVENTS Continued on page 4 Financials • The surge in prices of lithium is seemingly unstoppable, being driven by the demand for batteries used for renewable energy storage and EVs. Lithium carbonate recently reached a new record of R1,3 million per ton in China. The past year has seen prices for the now-valuable alkali-metal triple in price, thereby inflating the cost of batteries utilising this chemistry. • According to Semiconductor Intelligence LLC, several signs point to an easing of the shortages of semiconductors for automotive applications. However, the production of light vehicles will likely remain below full potential until the end of 2023. This shortage in semiconductors was as a direct result of manufacturers cutting back on semiconductor orders at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. • IC Insights has reported that the CMOS image sensor market is set to suffer its first decline in 13 years, with sales expected to fall 7% to $18,6 billion, causing global shipments to decline by 11%. This is in stark contrast to the strong growth over the past two decades, which has seen CMOS image sensors at the top of the opto-electronics market generating over 40% of the total opto-electronic annual revenues. • In addition to weak demand in mainstream consumer and industrial devices, CMOS image sensors have been negatively impacted by deteriorating economic conditions. However, a slow–but-steady recovery in CMOS image sensors is forecast to be driven by a new upgrade buying cycle of smartphones and more embedded cameras being added in other systems, especially for automotive automation capabilities, medical applications, and intelligent security networks. • Sales of power transistors, however, are set to continue its upward trend. After climbing 26% in 2021, the forecast is for power transistors to grow 11% in 2022, a reduction over the previous year, but still a healthy growth figure. This growth will result in a six-straight record high level totalling $24,5 billion. The news is not all good, though, as the forecast for next year is for the string of record-high sales in power transistors to end, caused by a slowdown in global economic growth and a 4% drop in the average selling prices of devices. • The automotive IC market share has again seen an increase to reach 7,4% of total IC sales. Market share gains are forecast to continue for the automotive segment. At the centre of this growth are the number of new sensors, analog devices, and opto-electronics being incorporated into new vehicles, including the surge in manufacturing and sales of electric vehicles globally. Electronics News Digest • A move by the US Biden administration to restrict China’s access to US semiconductor technology has seen a marked selloff that has wiped out more than $240 billion from the sector’s global market value. Chip-related stocks in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan slumped on the back of the announcement on 7 October. Samsung Electronics had the biggest drop in a year and TSMC plunged more than 7%. Tokyo Electron lost 5,8%. The monetary exchanges for these countries also took a hit as South Korea’s won dropped 1,6% and the Taiwan dollar dropped 0,7% against the US dollar. Companies • Samsung Electronics has unveiled plans for 1,4 nm process technology at Samsung Foundry Forum 2022. The company will be targeting mass production of 2 nm process technology by 2025 and 1,4 nm by 2027. Plans to expand its production capacity by more than three times by 2027 were also announced. Samsung also announced that its next version of gate-allaround (GAA) technology will shrink transistors about 20%, while increasing speed and power. • Anglo American, together with Electricite de France, have signed an agreement to form Envusa Energy, a jointly owned entity to develop both wind and solar projects in South Africa. In a statement, Envusa said it will develop more than 600 MW of renewable energy as a first step. Construction of the projects is due to begin in 2023. The signed MoU between Anglo and EDF will hopefully see the proposed 3-5 GW of green energy being generated by 2030. • STMicroelectronics has announced plans to build an integrated Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrate manufacturing facility in Italy. The first-of-its-kind SiC epitaxial substrate facility will reinforce substrate supply for SiC devices, enabling automotive and industrial customers to shift to higher efficiency components used for electrification solutions. Silicon Carbide is widely used in semiconductor electronics devices that operate at high temperatures and high voltages. • Renesas has announced a partnership with Jariet Technologies which will help to bolster its wireless transceiver solutions portfolio. The partnership will see Renesas obtaining access to Jariet’s IP, including a range of ultra-high-speed ADCs and DACs. The devices, with sampling rates that exceed 100 GSPS, are suitable for direct-sampling RF and microwave transceivers. • In line with its strategy to provide customers with comprehensive solutions, Altron Arrow recently signed a new supplier agreement with HOPERF. The company is actively involved in the development of IoT chipsets and modules, Electronica 2022 15-18 November Munich, Germany This year Electronica 2022 is co-located with SEMICON Europa during the same period. Electronica 2022 is the world’s leading trade fair and conference for electronics, and will have a strong supporting platform including the ‘Automotive’ and the ‘Embedded Platforms’ conferences. Taking place every two years, this year’s trade show promises to be bigger than 2018, which was host to 3 100 exhibitors from 50 countries, and which saw over 80 000 people come through the doors. Register for Electronica at https://electronica.de/en/ ELECOM 2022 22-24 November 2022 Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Mauritius The 4th International Conference on emerging trends in electrical, electronic and communications engineering, and co-sponsored by the IEEE, will cover the following topics: automation, instrumentation and control, smart grid, renewable energy and storage technology, power systems and power electronics, digital signal processing, logic design and embedded systems, opto-electronics, biomedical devices and applications, IoT, wireless communication, and cloud computing and big data analysis. Register for ELECOM 2022 at https://www.elecom2022.com/ IPC APEX EXPO 2023 21-26 January 2023 San Diego, California Discover the newest innovations and hear from the best minds in the electronics manufacturing industry at the industry’s largest event in North America. This event will feature a world-class trade show and cutting-edge presentations. Here you will learn best practices from industry leaders, manufacturing innovators and subject matter experts. New products and services will be showcased by the industry’s leading equipment manufacturers and suppliers, all under one roof. Register for IPC APEX EXPO at https://www.ipcapexexpo.org/
ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST and its sub-1 GHz, Bluetooth and LoRa modules provide an exceptional addition to Altron Arrow’s current technology portfolio. • Indium Corporation has been recognised via a leadership category award from Electronics Maker for ‘Best electronics assembly materials manufacturer of the year’ during a recent ceremony. The Electronics Maker’s best of industry awards, now in its eighth year, aims to honour and recognise the leading performers and innovators in the electronics industry. • Indium Corporation has also announced the addition of two members to its Engineered Solder Materials team: Igor Faleichik as senior product specialist, and Jim McCoy as product specialist. Faleichik assumed responsibility for creating and supporting initiatives to grow the product lines with a focus on the connector and RF infrastructure markets for ESM. McCoy is responsible for researching and aligning customer needs with product capabilities to facilitate current and prospective business within the engineered solder materials segment. • Panasonic Industry Europe and Panasonic Electric Works Europe have merged to create a stronger business partner for its customers. The announcement comes after the merger took place on 1 October 2022. The strategic corporate re-organisation will seek to strengthen the position of Panasonic Industry Europe in the market, and customers will benefit from the combined experience, high-quality capabilities, and unified portfolios of products and services. • Pulsonix, a provider of electronic design automation (EDA) software delivering PCB design solutions, has announced that it was awarded the ‘Best PC Design Software’ at the EM Best Awards 2022. The EM Best Awards celebrates excellence and achievements of true pioneers in the electronic fields. Pulsonix’s EDA technology suite has been designed to meet the ever-changing needs of PCB design in the 21st century and sets the new standard for the electronics industry with easy-to-use schematic capture and PCB layout programs. • To keep up with rivals Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, Google has announced that it will be establishing cloud infrastructure in South Africa, and that it will be building interconnect sites on the continent linked to its new Equiano subsea fibre cable. The South Africa cloud region is set to contribute R37 billion to the country’s GDP by 2030. Technologies • The move to USB-C standard on all electronic devices is seemingly not happening fast enough for the EU Parliament, as a newly passed law states that almost all portable electronics will need to be charged via USB-C by 2026. One exception to this law is for laptops that require more than 100 W of power for charging, which covers most of the high-end graphics machines. This move will likely finally force Apple to abandon its Lightning connector, and will, in estimates, help consumers save up to €250 million a year on new chargers. • Neo Semiconductor has recently announced an update to its existing high-performance X-NAND memory cell and architecture first introduced in 2020. The second-generation update achieves 20 times the performance of conventional QLC 3D NAND memories, which is achieved through an enhanced architecture that allows the 3D NAND flash data writes to occur in parallel using fewer planes. Furthermore, power consumption is reduced by between 25 and 90%, which will significantly increase the battery life of devices. • AMD has announced that the lifecycle of its Xilinx 7 Series family of FPGAs and SoCs has been extended through at least 2035. This includes all speed and temperature grades for Spartan-7, Artix-7, Kintex-7, and Virtex-7 FPGAs, as well as Zynq-7000 SoCs. This will allow customers to design products knowing that they will available and supported well into the future. Continued from page 3
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 5 NEWS An ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) audit is the first step in establishing an effective static control programme in the workplace. Before investing capital into new equipment, an ESD audit will help identify vulnerable areas and potentially hazardous static zones that require improvement. Ideally, it is important to cover all areas where your ESD programme is in place, which is defined as any area where ESD-sensitive components or devices are being handled. Data collection The first point of departure is data collecting; reliable past and current data records will help the auditor determine the current level of compliancy and adherence to ESD standards. Are there any past reports or a testing frequency log to refer to? This is usually a reliable way to determine whether regular testing is being conducted at all and how often workers are failing or passing ESD compliancy tests in general. Workstations and personnel Inspections usually begin by looking for signs of untidiness and disorder. Believe it or not, an untidy work surface is a big culprit of static build-up. It is also important to remember that movement generates static; and where there is static, there is potential for an electrostatic discharge. For this reason, we at Actum Group focus a large portion of our attention around personnel workstations. Checklist items include grounding equipment, such as wrist straps, grounding cords, ESD flooring or floor mats, ESD shoes and antistatic clothing and apparel. Testing equipment We also take time to review existing testing equipment and testing procedures to determine whether they meet ESD standards. Simply having a tester in place is not sufficient. Is the data reliable, and are the measurement standards right for your application? Actum Group is a specialised importer and distributor of industrial and electronic products in South and southern Africa. with Greg Barron, Actum Group director Clearing the Static For more information contact Actum Group, +27 11 608 3001, [email protected], www.actum.co.za The importance of ESD audits The undisputed king of the semiconductor world, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, has announced a drastic 10% cut in its spending for the upcoming year. Near the beginning of this year TSMC was predicting that it would be spending a record US$44 billion. This 10% cut relates to an amount of more than US$8 billion that the company will not be spending on orders in the foreseeable future. The net income at the company was greater than the predictions, but this was largely due to a 3% drop in the Taiwanese dollar against the US dollar, instead of a real increase to its bottom line. Therefore, equipment suppliers, and investors in TSMC, will likely find little to be cheerful about. However, according to the company, the revenue outlook for the current quarter looks to be in good shape, and executives at TSMC believe that company growth will be healthy. Again, the long-term gross margin profit figure of 53% was restated. At present the semiconductor market is weak due to the downward spiral in demand for smartphones, PCs and other consumer technology. Many semiconductor customers have delayed the release of new products until the market sees improvement. Accordingly, TSMC has stated that factory utilisation will remain poor up to at least the end of 2Q2023, which means that factory spending will also be lower next year. The outlook from other manufacturers was equally confusing: most reported a gloomy situation, but still had a positive outlook. Micron reported a record revenue year in mobile, auto, industrial and networking markets. However, the revenue has seen a steady decline over the last few financial quarters. A drop of 25%, amounting to $2 billion over the previous quarter and a drop of around 20% over the same period last year, was announced. Although Micron generated record revenue of $30,8 billion for the full year, the company TSMC delivers the bad news, and others follow also announced a large cut in spending. Its supply growth will be reduced, including a 50% reduction in wafer fabrication equipment capex over last year. However, according to the executives, this will hopefully see the company emerge from the worldwide downscaling, well positioned to grab hold of the long-term demand for memory and storage. Intel is another large semiconductor company that has not been unscathed by the poor economic climate. Although a revenue of $15,3 billion is reported, this is a 17% year-on-year decrease. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger reports, “This quarter’s results were below the standards we have set for the company and our shareholders. We must and will do better. The sudden and rapid decline in economic activity was the largest driver, but the shortfall also reflects our own execution issues.” On the back of the worldwide shortage of semiconductors, many devices have seen an increase in the average selling price (ASP). IC Insights have forecast an 11% increase in power transistor sales, and combined with an increase in the ASP, will see a sharp increase in revenue. The ASP for power transistors is expected to increase 11% on top of the 8% increase for the same sector last year, according to the latest update to the McClean Report. This will result in a sixth-straight record high level totalling $24,5 billion for this year. Power transistor prices have climbed higher since 2021. Shortages of power devices and other semiconductors have kept ASPs high in numerous sectors, especially automotive and industrial equipment. This is despite slowdowns in the worldwide economic growth, reduced spending by companies in response to higher inflation figures, and rising interest rates. As is alluded to on the graph, the projected 11% increase in the ASP of power transistors will be the highest percentage increase since the 2010 recovery year, after the poor performance in 2009. Worldwide power transistor sales.
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 6 NEWS Craig Gibbs has been appointed as the new business unit manager for device connection at Phoenix Contact SA. Gibbs holds an N6 qualification in Electronic Engineering Light Current and comes highly experienced, having been involved in the industrial electronics industry for the past 26 years. During that time he worked in the semiconductor, passive, electromechanical and interconnect fields, and is therefore highly suited to offer clients informed and up-to-date advice. Phoenix Contact extends a warm welcome to Gibbs and looks forward to his positive contribution to the Phoenix Contact family. For more information, contact Craig Gibbs, Phoenix Contact, +27 83 791 0842, [email protected], www.phoenixcontact.co.za Appointment After multiple delays, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the international community made up of more than 550 technology companies, has finally announced the release of Matter 1.0 specification and the opening of the Matter certification programme. Device manufacturers are now able to adopt the communication protocol which aims to eliminate the compatibility issues that have plagued existing hardware platforms. The programme will hopefully usher in the next generation of interoperable products that work across both brands and platforms with greater privacy, security and simplicity. The open-source reference design software development kit (SDK) has been completed and is now available, and authorised test laboratories are now open for product certification. Alliance members that already have devices deployed are now able to update Matter protocol is finally released The number of active tracking devices deployed for refrigerated cargo and cargocarrying units including trailers, intermodal containers, rail freight wagons, air cargo containers, cargo boxes and pallets, reached 4,1 million worldwide in 2021. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17,4%, this number is expected to reach 9,2 million by 2026. In terms of installed base, tracking devices for general refrigerated cargo applications is today the largest market, followed by refrigerated intermodal containers and trailers. The markets for tracking solutions for refrigerated rail freight wagons and air cargo containers are considerably smaller. The total market value for cold chain tracking solutions reached an estimated €720 million in 2021. Growing at a CAGR of 11,4%, the total market size is forecasted to reach €1,2 billion in 2026. The cold chain tracking and monitoring market is served by a wide range of players. Maersk has rolled out a system for realtime tracking of its entire fleet of 385 000 refrigerated containers, making it the largest refrigerated cargo container tracking project worldwide. ORBCOMM is the second largest player in terms of the number of connected units, with an estimated 380 000 units installed on both refrigerated trailers and reefer containers. The Denmark-based tracking specialist Globe Tracker is the third-largest provider of tracking solutions for refrigerated cargo carrying units. The company is collaborating with the major shipping company Hapag-Lloyd to equip the ocean carrier’s entire fleet of around Cold chain tracking solutions market set for rapid growth By Berg Insight. 140 000 reefer containers with tracking units. Additional leading players in the refrigerated intermodal container and trailer tracking segment include Envotech, Cooltrax, Emerson, Spireon, Schmitz Cargobull, CalAmp and Idem Telematics. DeltaTrak, Sensitech (part of Carrier), Controlant, Tive and Frigga (part of Dewav Electronic Technology) are leading players in the refrigerated cargo tracking segment, each with more than 100 000 active trackers at any given time. “The logistics industry is currently undergoing a major transformation,” says Martin Backman, senior analyst at Berg Insight. Accelerated by the supply chain disruptions following the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is now investing heavily in digital solutions that will increase visibility and security in the supply chain. Cold chain tracking solutions provide significant value for shippers and logistics providers by providing real-time data on the location and condition of temperaturesensitive cargo in-transit. “The lack of up-to-date and relevant shipment data is one of the main reasons that lead to spoiled cargo,” continues Backman. This can potentially lead to major losses as products transported in the cold chain are typically of high value. “2021 was a stellar year for the cold chain tracking industry and the future looks bright as the industry is now ready for investing in the technology,” says Backman. For more information visit www.berginsight.com the products to support the Matter protocol once the devices receive certification. “We would not be where we are today without the strength and dedication of the Alliance members who have provided thousands of engineers, intellectual property, software accelerators, security protocols, and the financial resources to accomplish what no single company could ever do on their own,” said Bruno Vulcano, chair of the Alliance Board and R&D manager for Legrand Digital Infrastructure. “With members equally distributed throughout the world, Matter is the realisation of a truly global effort that will benefit manufacturers, customers and consumers alike, not just in a single region or continent.” The Matter 1.0 standard includes test cases and a set of comprehensive tools for Alliance members and the global certification programme which currently includes eight authorised test laboratories. These laboratories are not only equipped to test the Matter protocol, but also the underlying network technology used, Wi-Fi and Thread. Wi-Fi provides the capability to communicate over a high-bandwidth local network and allows devices to communicate with cloud servers. Thread is an energy-efficient protocol that provides a highly reliable mesh network within a local area. This first release of Matter, which communicates over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Thread, and uses Bluetooth Low Energy for device commissioning, will support a variety of smart products, including lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, safety and security sensors, door locks, media devices, controllers, and bridges. For more information visit www.csa-iot.org
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 7 NEWS ERSONALITY PROFILE P Losing the business to fire was the toughest challenge I have ever had to face in my business life, but it taught me a couple of valuable lessons that have stood me in good stead, the most important of which was the value of relationships. “ ” Where it all started Michael Rogers grew up in Durban and, after finishing school and having no clear idea of what to do in the next phase of his life, took a job with his two older brothers’ company, the local distributor for Uniross batteries. This was to be the start of a long and fruitful relationship with Uniross and the battery industry in general. Michael Rogers says, “After cutting my teeth in my brothers’ company, I got the opportunity to move to the Western Cape when my brothers purchased the Uniross Cape distributor. A few years later I was given 10% shares in the company, and so began my journey into entrepreneurship at a very young age!” Changing guard Uniross Batteries was sold to a French company in 2003 and as part of the acquisition, Rogers and his two brothers were thrust into the world of international corporate business. A few years after this acquisition, he took the opportunity on offer to move to head office, which was located in Pretoria. In 2009 the entire group was sold to Eveready Industries in India. This transition, however, was short-lived and in 2013, as the general manager of Uniross South Africa, he was given the opportunity to buy the South African entity from the group. Alone, he took the plunge and once again found himself back in the world of business ownership. Rogers adds, “I have been running Uniross South Africa ever since and have been extremely fortunate to have worked with some amazing people, many of whom are still with us after nearly as many years as myself. ‘Loyal or crazy’ could be debated, but I can certainly say that I’m extremely honoured to have had them by my side.” A baptism of fire The single most challenging moment in his career took place in 2016 when the entire business was lost to a fire. Rogers had just arrived home from the office on that fateful evening when a call was received with information that the building was on fire, a battery facility’s worst nightmare. After Michael Rogers racing back to the office, he could hear explosions of batteries and saw thick smoke billowing into the sky as he approached. Expecting to see hordes of firefighters attending to the fire, he was shocked to see that the only person in attendance was a lone armed response officer who had been alerted to the alarm activation fromwithin the building. After phoning the Fire Department and being told that a fire truck was not presently available, he had to wait another hour before help arrived. By this stage nothing could be done other than to contain the fire which raged for the next five hours. The following morning, the feeling of dejection was cast aside and the tough decision to get back out to the office and start rebuilding was made. Rogers remembers, “That morning, together with my amazing team and the wonderful support from our customers, we established a makeshift office in a neighbouring office and set up our ‘new warehouse’ in a 20-foot shipping container in the parking lot.” He continued, “It was the toughest challenge I have ever faced in my business life, but it taught me a couple of valuable lessons that have stood me in good stead, the most important of which was the value of relationships. Our customers could have moved their business, but they stuck with us and I’m incredibly proud and honoured to say we’re still doing business with them to this day.” The industry in general Rogers remarks that currently the battery industry is seeing an exciting shift, with the rapid rollout of both electric vehicles and renewable technology. The unprecedented growth in these markets is having a positive effect on the battery industry in terms of the sheer volume of batteries required, and development into new battery technologies. Although Rogers is excited by this new development, he also cautions that this increased demand for Lithium batteries and the raw material needed may have a negative impact on the environment. He mentions that the battery industry has also been affected by the current worldwide shortage in semiconductors initially caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, although not as severely as the electronics companies: “These batteries are becoming more and more ‘electronic’, with the inclusion of sophisticated battery management systems. As such, the industry has been affected by the worldwide component shortage.” He continues: “Where the battery industry is really suffering is in the rapid rise in the cost of Lithium, which has seen a 17,4% increase in recent months. This is partly due to the high demand in the EV and renewable sectors coupled with a lagging supply. However, Uniross has simply adapted, re-designed, and adjusted to work around these challenges.” Ongoing concerns One of the biggest challenges that Uniross faces is the lack of formal education in this sector. There is no battery-specific degree or diploma that can be studied, and therefore, Uniross had to ‘grow their own wood’ by training up staff internally. This has proved to be beneficial as staff retention over the years has been good. Rogers’ advice to youngsters interested in this field is to become educated in one of the related engineering fields before gaining valuable practical work experience. He also believes that apprenticeships are essential, but are often overlooked in favour of an academic-only education. He states, “From an employer’s point of view, a candidate that has experience and skills means they can start contributing to my company from day one, which is a massive advantage.” On a personal note When not running his company, he enjoys endurance sports, including running, cycling and canoeing. He has completed six Comrades Marathons and the Berg River Canoe Marathon, and many of the cycling races around South Africa, but says he has aparticular fondness for running, as being out on the road affords him the time to solve many of the challenges that owning and running a business brings.
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 8 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Holt Integrated Circuits has announced the release of a new eightchannel ARINC 429 line receiver, an enhanced version of Holt’s well-established HI-35980 (HI-3598) family, with additional features and functionality. The HI-35981 interfaces up to eight ARINC 429 receive buses to a high-speed serial peripheral interface-enabled microcontroller. The user-programmable label filtering capability has been expanded from 16 labels to all 256 labels, and the four-word deep receive FIFO has been increased to 32 words deep. Also, a 32-word deep transmit FIFO has been added. The digital transmit channel has a digital output pin to set the data rate on an external line driver, such as Holt’s lightning-protected HI-8597 or galvanically-isolated HI-8598. Each channel has an on-chip analog line receiver. Two choices of receiver input are available for each channel, each with different input resistance values to provide flexibility when using external lightning protection circuitry. Receive FIFO status can be monitored using the programmable external interrupt pins, or by polling the status register. Other features include the ability to switch the bit-significance of the ARINC 429 label and to recognise the 32nd received ARINC bit as either data or a parity flag. The SPI and all control signals are CMOS and TTL compatible and support 3,3 or 5 V operation. Industrial and extended temperature range versions are available for these low-power devices. They are suitable for use in applications such as avionics data communication, guidance and navigation systems, flight data and control, and industrial control systems. For more information contact ASIC Design Services, +27 11 315 8316, [email protected], www.asic.co.za New ARINC 429 receiver Texas Instruments’TPS25981xx family of eFuses is a highly integrated circuit protection and power management solution in a tiny package. The devices provide protection from 2,7 to 16 V with a low on-resistance of only 6 mΩ. The TPS25981xx family provides multiple protection modes using very few external components and is a robust defence against overloads, short-circuits, voltage surges and excessive inrush current: • Output slew rate and inrush current can be adjusted using a single external capacitor. • Connected loads are protected from input overvoltage conditions by cutting off the output Tiny eFuse with multiple protection modes if input exceeds an adjustable overvoltage threshold in a typical time of 1,2 µs. • The devices respond to output overload by actively limiting the current during start-up or breaking the circuit during steady-state operation. The overcurrent protection threshold and the transient overcurrent blanking timer are user adjustable. The current limit control pin also functions as an analog load current monitor. The devices are available in a 2 x 2 mm, 10-pin QFN package which provides improved thermal performance and a reduced PCB footprint. All devices in the series have an operating temperature range of -40 to 125°C. For more information contact GyulaWendler, Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9709, [email protected], www.altronarrow.co.za The ADuM4165/ADuM41661 are USB 2.0 port isolators, utilising Analog Devices iCoupler technology to dynamically support all USB 2.0 data rates; low (1,5 Mbps), full (12 Mbps), or high (480 Mbps), as required. The devices support host isolation with automatic speed negotiation as well as peripheral isolation. USB 2.0 port isolators High-speed data through the devices is retimed for jitter reduction, requiring an external clock signal or crystal input. The ADuM4165 supports the clock or crystal input on the upstream side, and the ADuM4166 supports the clock or crystal input on the downstream side, offering two options to best suit the system design. The low power standby mode for downstream (Side 2) supports applications with limited available power, such as battery-operated peripherals. The upstream (Side 1) standby current meets USB 2.0 requirements for suspended operation. The devices handle a VBUS of 4,5 to 5,5 V or 3 to 3,6 V operation on each side. Current consumption is typically 21 mA in idle when in low- or full-speed mode, which climbs to 48 mA in idle when in highspeed mode. In suspend mode, the devices have an ultra-low standby current of only 20 µA. The isolators are specified over an extended industrial temperature range of −55 to 125°C and are available in a 20-lead, wide-body SOIC_IC with 8,3 mm creepage and clearance. Typical applications include USB peripheral and isolation hubs, electronic test and measurement equipment, medical devices, industrial PCs and USB isolator modules. For more information contact RS Components, +27 11 691 9300, [email protected], www.rs-online.co.za
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 9 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN 500.000+ products from 1200+ producers on o er! 95% of our orders are processed on the same day! Find tomorrow’s connections today! ... Automation | Connectors | Passives | Semiconductors ... Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o. ul. Ustronna 41, 93-350 Łódź, Poland [email protected] [email protected] +48 42 293 52 99 The ADN4620/ADN4621 are dual-channel, signal isolated, low-voltage differential signalling (LVDS) buffers that operate up to 2,5 Gbps with very low jitter. The devices integrate Analog Devices iCoupler technology, enhanced for high-speed operation to provide drop-in galvanic isolation of LVDS signal chains. AC coupling and/or level shifting to the LVDS receivers and from the LVDS drivers allows isolation of other high-speed signals, such as current mode logic (CML). The devices include a refresh mechanism to monitor the input and output states and ensure that they remain the same in the absence of data transitions. For lower power consumption and The SY7T501 and SY7T502 are Silergy’s latest single-phase energy-sensing ICs for cost-sensitive IoT applications such as smart plugs, dimmers, power strips, smart lighting, building automation, and other load points. The devices feature a line voltage zero-crossing comparator with a dedicated state machine for detection and filtering. The filters and state machine reduce spurious zero-crossing detections in cases where the AC voltage is heavily distorted. The SY7T502 integrates a relay control block for single coil relays for both latching and non-latching types. The relay control block contains the relay’s contact sensing and allows timing corrections to compensate for relay delay variations due to wear and other conditions. The devices also include a dimming control block for lag and advance controls and configurable digital I/O’s. A 32-bit signal processing unit with a delta-sigma converter, a precision bandgap reference, and an analog Single-phase energy-sensing ICs high-speed operation with low jitter, the isolator circuits rely on 1,8 V supplies. 3,3 V supplies are used for LVDS receivers to support the full common-mode range with an input voltage range of 0 V to 2,4 V. The devices operate over a wide industrial temperature range of -40 to 125°C and are available in a compact SSOP package for insulation at AC mains voltages or a wide SOIC_IC package which provides 15,1 mm creepage suitable for high insulation voltages up to 1500 V peak. Typical applications for the ADN462x family include analog front-end isolation, isolated high-speed clock and data links, multi-Gigabit serialisation/deserialisation (SERDES), and PCB-to-PCB optical replacement, for example, short-reach fibre. An evaluation board, the EVAL-ADN4621EBZ is available from Analog Devices. For more information contact Conrad Coetzee, Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.co.za front-end enables accurate energy measurement. The signal processing unit processes the ADC data to provide measurements including VRMS, IRMS, power, active power, and line frequency. The internal filtered zero-crossing signal is used internally by both the relay and dimmer controls and can also be used as an output for the line voltage sign or zero-crossing pulse. A UART interface enables communication with the host processor and includes a communication protocol with data integrity check and auto-baud function. The auto-baud allows the host processor to set the interface to different baud rates including non-standard rates. For more information contact CST Electronics, +27 11 608 0070, [email protected], www.cstelectronics.co.za 7,5 kV dual-channel LVDS Gigabit isolator
Dataweek, 26 October 2022 www.dataweek.co.za 10 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Under the slogan ‘The Spirit of Connecting’, the Combicon product portfolio from Phoenix Contact is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Since 1972, Combicon PCB terminal blocks and PCB connectors have been providing the ideal connection technology for transmitting signals, data, or power in a wide range of applications. “Back in 1972, it became ever more apparent that developments in the control cabinet, in machine building, or in electricity were increasingly shifting towards industrial electronics. With the KDS terminal block for printed circuits, we developed the original terminal block that marked our entry into the world of electronics,” recalls Klaus Eisert, Phoenix Contact shareholder and the creative mind behind the first PCB terminal block. “And so began the era of the industrial PCB terminal block for Phoenix Contact. From the outset, the green terminal blocks radiated quality and do so to this day.” In the decades that followed, the product portfolio evolved from its humble beginnings into an ever-growing and varied product portfolio that now boasts around 100 different product families. Users worldwide use these products in a multitude of applications including inverters, complex controllers, or modern smart home applications. Phoenix Contact has produced in the region of several billion Combicon PCB terminal blocks and PCB connectors in total since 1972. “We have always been passionate about making the best technology even better. Through our continuous development efforts, we have succeeded time and again over the decades in setting new standards in the field of PCB connection technology, on a global The spirit of connecting scale, with Combicon. Thus, year after year, new innovations are created that make the PCB connection more compact, more powerful, or easier to use,” explains Volker Koppert, head of the business unit PCB connectors in the business area device connectors. The innovations that originated in Blomberg and have become generally accepted internationally include, for example, the first PCB terminal block with Push-in spring connection, the invention of single-row connectors with variable numbers of positions and with screw connection for individual field wiring, and the first lever-type terminal block with additional Push-in function. Through the company’s continuous development efforts, Phoenix Contact has repeatedly succeeded in setting new standards in the field of PCB connection technology. In the decades that followed, the product family evolved from its humble beginnings into an ever-growing and differentiated product family. The portfolio is constantly adapting to the requirements of customers. The company is continuously responding to trends, such as miniaturisation, and increased performance and efficiency in PCB assembly. So, what is it that defines this remarkable success? It is the ability to keep challenging the technology that is used and to constantly strive for solutions that keep pace with developments. This is also demonstrated by the modular configurable PCB terminal blocks of the SPT series launched in 2021, which enable different individual elements to be combined to create a tailor-made connection block. To provide an almost unlimited variety of PCB terminal blocks that are easy to manage and available quickly, Phoenix Contact implemented its first end-toend digital process chain from the configurator through to production. “We are naturally very proud of the 50-year success story of our Combicon product portfolio,” states Torsten Janwlecke, COO of Phoenix Contact and president of the business area device connectors. “The Combicon connectors and PCB terminal blocks represent our largest portfolio of device and PCB connection technology worldwide, enabling us, as the market leader, to constantly set new global trends and standards. However, as reflected in our anniversary slogan, ‘The Spirit of Connecting’, we are always looking to the future. Newly emerging fields of application relating to the growing electrification of mobility infrastructure, or the increasing degree of automation of buildings and industrial systems, or the smartification of our power grids, are all driving markets that are a source of new applications for our Combicon portfolio, breathing new life into the portfolio. Combicon is thus also at the heart of Phoenix Contact’s vision of an All-Electric Society. And with countless product versions and solutions, we are empowering our customers to tackle the tasks they will face in the context of the comprehensive electrification, networking, and automation of all relevant areas of life and work. And of course, Combicon as a ‘connector’ naturally plays an important role in this.” To celebrate with Phoenix Contact or to take a look behind the scenes of 50 years of Combicon PCB connection technology, visit https://phoenixcontact.com/combicon50years For more information contact Phoenix Contact, +27 11 801 8200, [email protected], www.phoenixcontact.co.za COVER STORY
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