27 September 2023 FEATURING: • Industrial Electronics, Automation, Computing & Networking • Enclosures, Racks, Cabinets & Panel Products
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 1 TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS, IoT, RF & MICROWAVE FEATURE 27 September 2023 Vol. 46 No. 8 News................................................................................. 3 Systems, components, design..........................7 General ............................................................................25 Hot chips......................................................................31 Open [re]sources .......................................................32 QuickFind index ....................................................IBC contents on the cover features regulars Industrial Electronics, Automation, Computing & Networking .........................................18 A range of industrial networking devices from InHand, mesh networking, and various industrial computing devices and components. Enclosures, Racks, Cabinets & Panel Products.................................................................23 A range of industrial and component housings, customisation of enclosures, and a guide to the powder-coating process. 27 September 2023 FEATURING: • Industrial Electronics, Automation, Computing & Networking • Enclosures, Racks, Cabinets & Panel Products Otto Wireless Solution (Pty) Ltd is proud to announce the addition of the InHand Networks product range to their line card. InHand Networks delivers a range of industrial wireless connectivity devices, enhanced by an end-market graphic interface and suite of management tools. With in-vehicle, edge computing, and industrial network switches in the portfolio, the range enhances Otto’s already diverse product offering. For more information contact Otto Wireless Solutions, +27 11 791 1033, [email protected], www.otto.co.za
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 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 Wild Fig Business Park, Block B, Unit 21, 1494 Cranberry Street, Honeydew 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 46 NO 8 27 SEPTEMBER 2023 From the editor’s desk Subscribe online: www.technews.co.za Peter On Monday morning, I was making my way very slowly across town to my office. The drive was – even by Monday morning standards, which is usually busier than other days with everyone trying to get an early start to the week – incredibly frustrating. This was the result of the increased loadshedding schedule with citizens lumped together, caused by many traffic lights being non-operational. Chaos was the order of the morning; hooting, gesturing and some crazy, if not inspirational, driving. This got me thinking about a news article I recently read regarding the money the eThekwini municipality were spending on the dysfunctional city-wide CCTV system. Almost R110 million has been earmarked to upgrade and repair a system that is currently operating at 20% capacity, mainly due to lack of maintenance and management. R110 million is a lot of taxpayers’ money. Could this not be better spent? How is this going to improve the overall economy of the region? My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an irate motorist wildly hooting at the truck in front of me who had hesitated for a few seconds too long before slowly pulling off through the intersection. How many hours of production were being lost due to people stuck in traffic? I am sure the value beggars belief. My thoughts darted back to the amount being spent on ‘security’ in the city and I wondered if money like this could not be spent more wisely to alleviate traffic problems. With the march towards renewable energy, and the associated storage solutions available, could major traffic lights not be placed on a backup power system? Many of the traffic lights were switched over from the older high-power incandescent bulbs to newer LED technology many years ago. Surely a system could be implemented to keep the lights on – literally! Too many people are waiting for Eskom to be fixed. The more knowledgeable (read technically educated) probably know that this is not going to happen. The state-owned generation enterprise is too far gone to be completely fixed. It can however be changed, and that is slowly happening. This week it was announced that a pilot project to wheel electricity via the City of Cape Town’s energy grid was a success. This clean, green energy was provided in partnership with licensed electricity trader Etana Energy. This is great news for everyone in South Africa, and one step closer to companies being A ray of sunshine able to provide and charge for energy supplied into the national grid. A major component of the system is that fact that Eskom has been divided up into separate entities, with the transmission grid being separated from the power generation. The pilot project includes 15 wheeling participants representing 25 energy generators and 40 end-of-the-line customers. You can read more about it on page 6. The article fills me with a cautious optimism for what is possible. After all, it was stated quite recently that the total amount of solar generation that private citizens and companies had installed in the past few years in SA was equivalent to one Medupi. All without government paying one cent towards it. Quite genius! I slowly inched forward, knowing that I had only around 25 minutes left of a journey that usually takes 15 minutes in total. A ray of sunlight snaked its way through the trees lining the road, which filled me with hope, content in the knowledge that we, as citizens, can actually make a difference.
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 3 NEWS ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST EVENTS Continued on page 4 Electronics News Digest Financial • The top ten semiconductor foundries have reported a combined 1,1% quarterly revenue decline in Q2 2023. TSMC, the largest of the chipmaking companies, posted a Q2 revenue of $15,66 billion, limiting its decline to only 6,4%. Samsung’s foundry business, however, was the best performing during this period and reported an impressive return of $3,23 billion marking a QoQ increase of 17,3%. • However, in response to a persistent decrease in demand for NAND Flash, Samsung has made the decision to cut production by 50% from September, with the focus of the cut mainly on processes under 128 layers. Other suppliers are expected to follow suit, which is likely to cause a slight increase in the average price of NAND Flash products. TrendForce predicts, however, that the demand for DRAM and NAND is expected to increase by 13% and 16% respectively in 2024. • Strong cloud AI server demand has propelled NVIDIA’s Q2 2024 data centre business to surpass 76%. The company’s latest financial report reveals that its data centre business reached $10,32 billion, a QoQ growth of 141% and YoY growth of 171%. Key products include AI-accelerated GPUs and AI server HGX reference architecture, which serve as the foundational AI infrastructure for large data centres. • Q2 2023 DRAM industry revenue has rebounded with a 20,4% quarterly increase. This has prompted speculation that the Q3 operating profit margin will turn from loss to gains. This is largely caused by the rising demand for AI servers which has driven growth in HBM shipments. Among HBM suppliers, SK Hynix saw a significant quarterly growth of over 35% in shipments, causing its Q2 revenue to increase by almost 50%, reaching $3,44 billion. • STMicroelectronics also reported healthy Q2 2023 financial results with net revenues of $4,33 billion, gross margin of 49%, and operating margin of 26,5%, resulting in a net income of $1,00 billion. The company’s half-year results reported net revenues of $8,57 billion, with a net income of $2,05 billion. Business outlook for Q3 points to net revenues of $4,38 billion and a gross margin of 47,5%. • The global enterprise SSD revenue has reached a new low in Q2 2023 at only $1,5 billion. This is largely due to the impact of high inflation and the economic downturn, forcing CSPs to adopt a more conservative strategy with regard to capital expenditure. In North America, clients have postponed mass production timelines for new server platforms, while ramping up development in AI servers. These factors have resulted in the orders for enterprise SSDs not meeting expectations. The drop in revenue is a QoQ decrease of 24,9%. • EV battery prices have continued to drop in August by over 10%, although the market is predicted to stabilise in September. Insufficient downstream demand has put a damper on both supply and demand in the EV battery market segment. Companies • Samtec has once again won the Bishop and Associates ‘European Customer Survey of the Electronic Connector Industry’. This is the 12th time that Samtec has been ranked number one in Europe, and is a testimony to Samtec associates worldwide. • MediaTek has announced that it has successfully developed its first chip using TSMC’s leading-edge 3 nm technology. The result uses MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity system-on-chip (SoC), and volume production is expected next year. This marks a significant milestone in the long-standing partnership between MediaTek and TSMC, with both companies taking full advantage of their strengths in chip design and manufacturing to jointly create another flagship SoC, with high performance and low power features. • Ambiq has won the ‘Demo of the Year’ award at the 2023 TSMC Technology Symposium. The symposium gives startups in the semiconductor industry a chance to highlight their innovations and products as part of its Innovator Zone showcase. The live demo of the AI development for heart health, HeartKit, garnered the most attention, as it was a one of a kind for IoT products on show. • MANCOSA is offering South Africa’s first postgraduate diploma in artificial intelligence. “This futuristic programme will address the shortage of AI skills in the country as employers are looking for employees who have deeply rooted tech skills and transferable skills in technology-based qualifications,” says Paresh Soni, director of the MANCOSA School of Information and Digital Technology. • In a bizarre and controversial news story, to compensate for the temporary damage to the irreplaceable black heron habitat around Richards Bay, the energy generation company Karpowership has offered to donate a game farm to the government. The private Madaka Game Ranch, which borders Ithala Game Reserve, has been mentioned to help move forward the company’s bid to get its 540 MW Richards Bay power plant started. The details of the proposed deal were outlined in the environmental impact assessment, which was originally published in May. 2023 GSA Asia Pacific Forum 8 November Hsinchu, Taiwan The Asia Pacific Executive Forum (APEF) stands as an exceptional worldwide gathering, uniting senior executives and C-level leaders from the semiconductor and technology sector. GSA orchestrates this distinctive forum, where pioneers and authorities in the ecosystem convene, fostering insightful dialogues concerning innovation and prospects for collaboration that mould the industry’s future and its influence on emerging markets. An incredible lineup of global leaders in the evolving markets driving the semiconductor industry will be speaking at this year’s event. Register at https://bitly.ws/UJBt SEMICON Europa 14-17 November 2023 Munich, Germany Co-located with productronika in Munich, SEMICON creates the strongest single event for electronics manufacturing in Europe. Combining top-notch keynotes with the world-class exhibition, the event offers an insight into future market trends and a place to network with manufacturers and suppliers. The event includes the Advanced Packaging forum, Smart Manufacturing and Mobility section, MEMS and Imaging Sensors Summit, and a workforce development section. Register at https://www.semiconeuropa.org productronika 14-17 November 2023 Munich, Germany As the world’s leading trade fair, productronica showcases the entire spectrum of technologies and solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, reflecting the rapid pace of technological development in all areas of the industry. The show presents the technologies and solutions for electronics production, and provides in-depth insights into the latest trends in practice-oriented forums and live demonstrations. Held every two years, the world of electronics production meets in Munich, where exhibitors and visitors from all over the world use the trade fair as an important meeting place and source of inspiration for the industry. Register at https://productronica.com/en/
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 4 NEWS ELECTRONICS NEWS DIGEST Continued from page 3 • Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, a business of Cassava Technologies, has secured two prestigious awards at GovTech 2023 – Africa Award and Digital Partnerships. These two awards recognise the work done by Liquid Intelligent Technologies in impacting the lives of Africans across the continent using ICT; while the second recognises the work done by Liquid through its YES4YOUTH IT Training programme. “We are honoured to be recognised for our efforts in both these areas, as Liquid has made substantial strides in making high-speed connectivity ubiquitous across the continent with its 110 000 km fibre network,” says Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa. • Sindcon IoT Technology has chosen STMicroelectronics as collaboration partner on its new smart meter. The project will see Sindcon adding STM32WLE5 LoRaWAN wireless microcontrollers into its network of more than 50 000 water, gas and energy meters in Indonesia. The project will be Sindcon’s first deployment using the highly integrated STM32WLE5CC wireless MCU from ST, a sub-GHz wireless microcontroller featuring an Arm Cortex-M4 core operating at 48 MHz. The MCU contains 256 kbytes of Flash memory, 64 kbytes of SRAM, LoRa modulation, and AES 256-bit encryption. Technologies • According to new research conducted by Berg Insight, the global IoT communications market is growing at a steady pace. The global satellite IoT subscriber base grew to surpass 4,5 million in 2022. The number of satellite IoT subscribers will increase at a CAGR of 39,6% to reach 23,9 million units in 2027. According to Berg Insight, only about 10% of the Earth’s surface has access to terrestrial connectivity services, which leaves a massive opportunity for satellite IoT communications. • The first phase of Eskom’s battery energy storage system (BESS), comprising arrays of lithium batteries, is expected to be finished in November 2023, only five months behind schedule, and will see 343 MWh of capacity added to the grid. Phase 2, which is expected to be finished by December 2024, will increase the capacity to 1449 MWh. The cost of the project, once completed, will be approximately R11 billion. • Mouser has added Wurth Electronik’s WSEN-ISDN 6-axis IMU for drone and robotic applications to its extensive portfolio. The WSEN-ISDS IMU is a 16-bit digital ultra-low power and high-performance sensor featuring a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope, with selectable measuring ranges and data rates. This versatile motion sensor facilitates integration, with output and processed data pre-calibrated, for application-specific functionalities like localisation and navigation for robotics, drones, automation, industrial tools, machines, antenna, platform stabilisation, and IIoT devices. • The global lithium production is predicted to reach 1,21 million tons in 2023. The US lithium producer Albemarle has the lion’s share, with currently 17% of the total market. Sticking with this theme, Australian mining company Liontown Resources, has announced that it has agreed to a buyout of $4,3 billion by the US lithium producer Albemarle Corp, in a move set to boost US lithium production and the country’s battery manufacturing bottom line. With this acquisition, Albemarle has secured the planet’s most abundant, high-quality, and cost-efficient reserves of lithium across regions in Chile, the US, and now Australia. The acquisition will see the company increasing its worldwide share to 23%, reaching 110 000 tons annually. • Lithium, the backbone of modern technology and energy storage, is set to see its global demand skyrocket. In 2022 the number of lithium mining projects worldwide stood at around 40. This number is set to increase to more than 100 within the next two years in a bid to try to keep up with the insatiable demand created by the surge in renewable energy projects and the unstoppable move towards the electrification of vehicles.
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 5 NEWS with Greg Barron, Actum Group director Clearing the Static For more information contact Actum on +27 11 608 3001 or email [email protected]. Actum is a specialised importer and distributor of industrial and electronic products in southern Africa. ColorTokens Inc., a leading provider of Unified Zero Trust Platform, has partnered with Altron Arrow to provide enterprise Zero Trust and micro-segmentation solutions to its diverse portfolio of resellers. The strategic collaboration with Altron Arrow expands ColorTokens’ reach in the South African market to provide resellers with its Zero Trust cybersecurity solutions using software-defined micro-segmentation, endpoint, cloud security, and associated managed services. In turn, Altron Arrow’s customers can rely on its commitment to deliver innovative SaaS-based solutions. “At Altron Arrow, we recognise the demand for Zero Trust security and micro-segmentation solutions and were looking for a supplier with comprehensive solutions to add to our offerings,” said Renato Martins, managing director at Altron Arrow. “Teaming up with ColorTokens will enable us to further our commitment to deliver innovative security solutions to our customers.” Through its award-winning solutions, ColorTokens simplifies, accelerates and automates security operations to defend against attacks on data centres, hybrid models, cloud-based applications, dynamic applications, endpoints, individual users, ColorTokens partners with Altron Arrow EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company, has been recognised by STMicroelectronics as its ‘2022 Best Performing Distributor in EMEA’. EBV showed the highest POS growth and best demand creation results for ST, resulting in the accolade. “For the second consecutive year, EBV achieved the highest overall score in our major KPI categories,” said Frank Wolinski, VP head of channel sales EMEA at ST. “This outstanding performance is impressive and the result of our strong and trustful cooperation. We appreciate the strong commitment of the entire EBV team and their never-ending willingness to win and grow with ST.” “Our five-year run as ST’s leading demand creation distributor, and now EBV Electronik wins best distributor award devices and more. Altron Arrow reseller customers will now benefit from increased network visibility, breach containment, ransomware, and legacy asset protection, all while ensuring compliance. “Altron Arrow has a diverse range of reseller relationships and commercial strength,” said Kevin Ware-Lane, country manager – UK, Ireland and South Africa, ColorTokens. “We are excited to work with them as this will allow us to extend the benefit of Zero Trust to the South African market through our solutions. ColorTokens has a 100% channel model, fully supporting reseller success and long-term profitable relationships.” For more information contact Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com a second year in POS, is a testament to the enduring hard work, skills and collaborative approach of our technical and commercial teams at EBV,” said William Caruso, president at EBV Elektronik. “We take great pride in once again receiving this award, and our close cooperation with ST continues to go from strength to strength in 2023.” EBV is a franchised distribution partner of ST, a world-leading semiconductor specialist serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications. For more information contact EBV Electrolink, +27 21 402 1940, [email protected], www.ebv.com Frank Wolinski and his team present the award to William Caruso and the EBV Electronik team. Fundamental principles of static control Managing electrostatic discharge (ESD) within the electronics manufacturing environment is a crucial responsibility that demands precision and safety. There are six fundamental principles for devising and executing ESD control programmes: Design in protection The foremost principle is to design products and assemblies with built-in resistance to ESD effects. This entails steps like utilising less static-sensitive components or equipping devices, boards, assemblies, and equipment with suitable input protection measures. Determine the necessary control level for your environment Ascertain the susceptibility of the most ESD-vulnerable items in the operations and classify the withstand voltage ratings for the products that are manufactured. It’s imperative to comprehend the sensitivity levels of all devices that will be handled within a facility, including the Human-Body Model (HBM) and Charged-Device Model (CDM). Identify and define the electrostatic protected areas (EPAs) An EPA is a defined space equipped with the requisite materials, tools, and equipment capable of controlling static electricity to a degree that minimises harm to ESD-sensitive items. Minimise electrostatic charge generation The fourth control principle involves mitigating the generation and accumulation of electrostatic charges. Initiatives begin by eliminating as many processes and materials that generate static charge, especially high-charging insulators, from the EPA work environment. Personnel are grounded through wrist straps and anti-static footwear. Dissipate and neutralise Given that not all electrostatic charge generation within the EPA can be eliminated, the fifth principle focuses on safely discharging or neutralising these charges when they do occur. Proper grounding, and the use of conductive or dissipative materials play pivotal roles in this endeavour. Shield products The final ESD control principle centres on preventing discharges, when they do occur, from reaching susceptible parts and assemblies. A range of ESD control packaging and material handling products are available for use both inside and outside the EPA.
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 6 NEWS MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the radio frequency business (RF Business) of Wolfspeed. The RF business includes a portfolio of Gallium Nitride (GaN) on Silicon Carbide (SiC) products used in high performance RF and microwave applications. The business services a broad customer base of leading aerospace, defence, industrial and telecommunications customers, and most recently, generated annualised revenues of approximately $150 million. “We are excited to acquire Wolfspeed’s RF Business and look forward to welcoming its employees to MACOM,” stated Stephen G. Daly, president and CEO, MACOM. “The RF team’s engineering capabilities, technology and products are a perfect fit with MACOM and our strategy.” The acquisition includes a 100 mm GaN wafer fabrication facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with operations conveying to MACOM approximately two years following the closing and Wolfspeed’s relocation of certain production equipment. The acquisition also includes design teams and associated product development assets in Arizona, California and North Carolina, and back-end production capabilities in California and Malaysia. In addition, MACOM will be assigned or licensed a robust intellectual property portfolio including over 1400 patents associated with the RF Business. The RF Business will be acquired for $125 million, including $75 million cash paid at closing and $50 million of MACOM common stock issued with certain restrictions. A workforce of approximately 280 employees is expected to join MACOM at closing. For more information contact RFiber Solutions, +27 12 667 5212, [email protected], www.rfibersolutions.com MACOM to acquire part of Wolfspeed The US Department of Energy has approved a loan of almost $400 million to an energy startup, which will allow it to scale up its production of its zinc-based batteries as an alternative to lithium chemistry. The project, dubbed AMAZE (American Made Zinc Energy), will see Eos Energy’s zinc-bromine battery energy storage system (BESS) provide more sustainable options for the storage of generated renewable energy. Funding for zinc-based batteries The first clean, green energy has officially been wheeled via the City of Cape Town’s energy grid. Growthpoint Properties became the first party to wheel renewable electricity in the City in collaboration with licensed electricity trader Etana Energy. Wheeling is a process where electricity is bought and sold between private parties, using the existing grid to transport power from where it is generated to end users, that can be long distances apart. It creates greater access to affordable renewable energy and contributes to resolving the country’s energy crisis. As part of the City’s wheeling pilot project, in which Etana was selected as a participating trader, solar energy generated at Growthpoint’s The Constantia Village shopping centre in Constantia is being exported into Cape Town’s Electricity wheeled via Cape Town’s grid electricity grid for use at Growthpoint’s 36 Hans Strijdom office building in the Foreshore, the home of Investec and Ninety One. A wheeling agreement between the City and Growthpoint was signed at the end of August and, in a milestone for renewable energy in Cape Town, solar power from The Constantia Village was successfully injected into the City’s energy grid for the first time on Sunday, 10 September 2023. The City’s six-month pilot project includes 15 wheeling participants, representing 25 generators and 40 customers. The pilot will lay the groundwork for future wheeling in Cape Town, and enable businesses to use energy from rooftop solar panels across multiple locations, encouraging them to optimise solar capacity instead of limiting it to individual building use. Lithium-based batteries are proving to be a headache for developed countries as the mineral is mainly abundant in developing countries, providing logistical problems in transporting it to manufacturing facilities. However, battery storage is a necessity to store power generated by wind and solar, which is intermittent. Unlike batteries based on lithium-ion and lithium iron phosphate chemistries, Eos Energy’s alternative battery uses a zinc-based cathode alongside a water-based electrolyte. This increases the battery’s stability and makes it difficult for the battery to support combustion, making it safer to use. The company’s new iteration of zinc-bromine battery, the Eos Z3, is more energy dense and cost-efficient to produce than its first offering. The Z3 boasts a lifespan of more than 16 years while supporting a discharge depth of 100%. With the funding by the US Department of Energy, the company will be on target to be able to manufacture 8 GWh of energy storage annually by 2026. For more information visit https://www.eose.com
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 7 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Direct Insight has launched the QS93, a miniature QFN-style system-on-module (SoM) that provides a low-power, cost-optimised 64-bit solution for intelligent edge processing. Based on NXP’s dual-core NXP i.MX93 module suits AI edge processing Vicor recently announced its association with Lightning Motorcycle Corporation, a company that manufactures the highest performing and most advanced electric motorcycles in the world. Lightning’s mission is to build world-class, two-wheel electric transportation with superior efficiency, performance and affordability to current gasoline alternatives. As Lightning’s bikes have become more sophisticated, the electronics on board demanded more power, but not weight. Managing electrical noise in a compact and lightweight vehicle is always a challenge. Lightning Motorcycle now holds the land speed record for electric motorcycles, with Vicor modules helping to power the motorcycle to over 345 km/h on the Bonneville Salt Flats, breaking the record which had stood for 35 years. Lightning adopted the Vicor DCM4623 DC/DC converter in all of its products, to power the 12 V control electronics, lighting system, dash instrumentation and sensors. Vicor modules were chosen because of their superior reliability, low noise, power density and superior thermal management. Lightning’s top bikes now have a range of more than 270 kilometres, and can recharge to 80% in just 10 minutes. Vicor helps record-setting motorcycle Following the success of Falcon 40B, an open-source AI model that rose to the top of the Hugging Face Leaderboard for LLMs in May 2023, TII continues to lead the charge in generative AI. Falcon 40B marked one of the first instances of open-source models for both researchers and commercial users, and it was considered a pioneering leap in the field. H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, secretary-general of the Advanced Technology Research Council, emphasised the positive impact of Falcon on the AI landscape and said: “We envision a future where the transformative power of AI is within everyone’s reach. We are committed World’s most powerful open LLM For more information on Vicor products, contact Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com to democratising access to advanced AI, as our privacy and the potential impact of AI on humanity should not be controlled by a select few. While we may not have all the answers, our resolve remains unwavering: to collaborate and contribute to the open-source community, ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared by all.” With a staggering 180 billion parameters, and trained on 3,5 trillion tokens, Falcon 180B has soared to the top of the Hugging Face Leaderboard for pretrained LLMs. It outperforms notable competitors like Meta’s LLaMA 2 in various benchmarks, including reasoning, coding, proficiency, and knowledge tests. Among the best closed source LLMs, Falcon 180B ranks just behind OpenAI’s latest GPT 4 and is on par with the performance of Google’s PaLM 2 Large, the model powering Bard – despite being half the size of the model. The licensing framework for the model is established on ‘Falcon 180B TII License’, which is based upon Apache 2.0. For more information visit https://falconllm.tii.ae The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is pushing the boundaries of generative AI with the launch of Falcon 180B, an advanced iteration of its flagship large language model (LLM). This groundbreaking release offers Falcon 180B as an open access model for research and commercial purposes. i.MX935 with ARM Cortex-A55 processors, the QS93 measures just 27 x 27 mm2, with a height of only 2,7 mm, and delivers excellent EMC and thermal performance. The QS93 SoMs are available as cost-effective, solder-down modules on tape and reel packaging, which suits mid- and high-volume production runs because devices are easier to manage and test. However, a socket-ready SODIMM version, TX93, is also available for low run and development purposes. The QS93 module’s i.MX935 processor provides a dual 1,5 GHz ARM Cortex-A55 core and a separate ARM Cortex-M33 running at 250 MHz. There is 1 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 4 GB eMMC Flash available, and a wide range of interfaces including dual USB and dual Ethernet are integrated. The i.MX935 also includes an Arm Ethos U-65 microNPU, which affords energy-efficient implementation of machine learning (ML) tasks. The i.MX93 processor delivers powerful multimedia capability, with MIPI-CSI camera, a 2D GPU and LVDS display support. Optimal security features are provided by NXP’s Edgelock Secure Enclave. The module supports the full -40 to 85°C industrial operating temperature range, and comes with a dedicated development system (QSBASE93), equipped with Linux BSP. For more information visit www.directinsight.co.uk
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 8 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Otto Wireless Solutions specialises in wireless communication and antenna solutions. Over the years, it has been a leading supplier of GSM, LTE, GPS, Shortrange and Wi-Fi antennas in the South African market. Every antenna it introduces into the market goes through a rigorous and thorough testing procedure, carried out by qualified engineers in its laboratory. The latest evolution of cellular standard has introduced the 5th Generation known as 5G. As technology is advancing, so too are the upper thresholds of transmission bands rising to meet customer connectivity demands, rendering previous industry testing standards, such as 3 GHz Vector Network Analysers (VNAs) obsolete. It is for this reason that Otto Wireless Solutions has recently invested in a new Keysight Vector Network Analyzer with an operating frequency range of 300 kHz to 9 GHz. In addition to the out-of-the box capability, this small and compact device also allows for expansion up to 100 GHz performance, providing a future-proofed piece of equipment. With different types of calibration like Electronic Calibration (ECal) and Smart Calibration, customers can be Otto Wireless Solutions invests in the future Links Field Networks is a global IoT connectivity solution provider and a market leader in SIM technology. With its new generation of SIM technology, and collaboration with mainstream carriers worldwide, it offers turnkey connectivity solution to global IoT enterprises. With an extensive track record in IoT, and millions of connections globally, Links Field Networks takes pride in its ability to provide the best customised 2G/3G/4G/CATM1/NB-IoT connectivity products to each individual IoT use case. To further enhance its offering, Links Field South Africa has partnered with Mobiletek Communications, to embed the Links Field Global Roaming SIM solution into its modules at firmware level. Mobiletek, founded in 2009, is a communications partner to Lenovo, ZTE and CBN, amongst others. IoT made easy Figure 1. Keysight Vector Network Analyzer. Figure 2. Reference test results @ 3,5 GHz. In 2016 MobileTek launched its own brand to become one of the leading module suppliers to the automatic meter reading, smart metering vertical fields. The company built on this success and forged its way into the track and trace industry where they were one of the first suppliers of an LTE Cat.1 BIS, low-cost module into the IoT space. The company has now introduced the L510E-3, a Cat.1 LTE (B1,3,8,20,28) module with 2G (B3,8) fallback. Its miniaturised LCC package, with dimensions of 21,5 x 25 x 2,4 mm, makes it ideal for track and trace applications, where small tracking devices are needed. Key features of the module are its industrial temperature range, ultra-low power, optional GNSS and Wi-Fi scanning. With IoT driving the move to battery-powered devices, together with the boom in smart metering, Mobiletek is at the forefront of LPWAN technology with the L660. This NB-IoT device is only 17,7 x 15,8 x 2,25 mm in size and features ultra-low power with an input voltage range of 2,2 to 4,5 V. The L660 module supports PSM (1,0 µA @ 3,3 V) and eDRx modes. The partnership between Links Field and MobileTek introduces another key feature, the Links Field SoftSIM capability. No more cumbersome SIM trays with expensive placement costs is necessary. A simple AT command activating the embedded SoftSIM is all that is required. For more information contact Links Field Networks, +27 11 791 1033, [email protected], www.linksfield.net assured that their antennas are verified. Otto Wireless Solutions has always extended free use of its laboratory to all its customers, and will continue to do so, now with extended capabilities. By way of example, the reference test results in figure 2 show an Otto Wireless Solutions’ 5G antenna tested at 3,5 GHz, which is now a standard band for 5G networks in South Africa. The antenna tested, the 5G-MO-5, is a 4G/5G Omnidirectional antenna which comes with 2 x 5 m cable. Contact Otto Wireless Solutions should you have any similar testing requirements. For more information contact Otto Wireless Solutions, +27 11 791 1033, [email protected], www.otto.co.za
SOUTH AFRICA Networks (Pty) Ltd On-Demand IoT SIM Links Field Networks is a global IOT connectivity solution provider and a market leader in SIM Technology. Our IoT SIM cards connect your device anywhere in the world at an affordable price. Plastic SIM Embedded SIM SoftSIM 58 Wakis Avenue, Strijdom Park, Randburg 2195 steve.kelly | www.links�eld.net @links�eld.net +27 11 791 1033 What makes Links Field offering unique : World �rst, been in S A 4 years outh frica GSMA-Certi�ed eSIM platform Unique platform management tools Global Connectivity Data pooling across your SIMs No set data bundles customers de�ne - their data requirements No monthly management fees SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN System architects and designers have now received further assurance of the security of their communications, industrial, aerospace, defence or nuclear systems that rely on Microchip Technology’s PolarFire FPGAs. The UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has reviewed the MCUs, when used with the single-chip crypto design flow, against stringent device-level resiliency requirements. PolarFire FPGAs implement Microchip’s industry-leading security architecture to protect intellectual property, secure data and secure supply chains. PolarFire FPGA IP protection includes: • AES 256-encrypted configuration files with SHA 256-based HMAC authentication. • Processing which is protected against Differential Power Analysis with technology licensed from Cryptography Research Incorporated. • Public key cryptographic cores: Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for secure distribution of keys. • True random number generators. PolarFire FPGA data security features include hardened cryptographic accelerators for use in the end application, and pass-through CRI licence that enables royalty-free development of DPA-protected algorithms using techniques patented by CRI. Microchip’s PolarFire devices deliver increased power efficiency, military-grade security and high reliability, which the company will extend with the PolarFire 2 FPGA roadmap. This will allow Microchip to continue to increase computing capability in ever-smaller and less costly industrial, IoT and other edge-compute products. For more information contact ASIC Design Services, +27 11 315 8316, [email protected], www.asic.co.za Successful review for FPGA’s crypto The UBX-M8030 from u-blox are precision GNSS chips that have been designed to provide good sensitivity and fast acquisition times for GNSS systems. They can receive concurrent signals from up to three GNSS systems (GPS/Galileo with either BeiDou or GLONASS) to allow for high positioning accuracy in urban canyons, even with weak signals and high dynamic conditions. These AEC-Q100-qualified GNSS chips also utilise advanced power save modes for all constellations while maintaining low power consumption when detecting weaker GNSS signals. They support message integrity protection, geo-fencing, and spoofing detection. The chips include a built-in low noise amplifier, LDOs, a DC/DC converter, and a small external BoM to enable ultra-small solutions with a footprint of 30 mm2. They require a DC supply of 1,4 to 3,6 V, and consume only 21 mA of current. The UBX-M8030 chips have a cold-start time of 26 s, an aided start time of 2 s, and a hot-start time of 1 s. They have a tracking sensitivity of -167 dBm and a reacquisition sensitivity of -160 dBm. These GNSS chips integrate UART, USB, DDC (I2C compliant), and SPI serial interfaces. With the ability to track 72 channels providing a 2 m accuracy, these GNSS chips are ideal for low-cost portable consumer devices. For more information contact RF Design, +27 21 555 8400, [email protected], www.rfdesign.co.za GNSS system-on-chip www.dataweek.co.za
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 10 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Battery-operated circuits must be energy-efficient for the battery to last a long time. For this, energy-efficient components are selected and combined into a system. The fewer building blocks in an electrical circuit, the greater the energy efficiency of the overall system. Figure 1 shows an electrical water meter as an example of a battery-operated device. The system uses a MAX32662 microcontroller, with just one supply voltage. The input voltage range lies between 1,71 and 3,63 V. Using a voltage converter to improve battery efficiency By Frederik Dostal, field applications engineer, Analog Devices. Figure 1. A microcontroller with integrated fixed voltage regualator in a battery-operated water meter. Figure 2. The addition of a nanopower voltage regulator. Figure 3. A nanopower regulator circuit. The microcontroller can be supplied directly by the battery, which delivers a voltage of 2 to 3,6 V, depending on the temperature and state of charge. Only a few additional components are required in the circuit, which means that the overall system efficiency can be very high. However, the current consumption of the microcontroller is largely independent of the actual supply voltage. Whether the microcontroller is operated with 2 or 3,6 V makes no difference to this IC. For cases like this, new nanopower switching regulators can be used. With these types of switching regulators, the battery voltage can be converted efficiently to a lower value, such as 2 V. A nanopower switching regulator delivers the required current for the microcontroller at the output, but requires less current at the higher voltage on the battery side. Figure 2 shows the circuit for a water meter with an added high-efficiency nanopower switching regulator, the MAX38650. With the addition of this IC, the battery life can be significantly extended. Life extensions of 20% and higher are easily possible; the exact savings effect differs from case to case because of the numerous influencing parameters, such as temperature, peak currents, periodic switch-off of the sensor, and others. The quiescent current of the added DC-to-DC converter is decisive here. If the switching regulator consumes too much energy, the anticipated savings disappear. Figure 3 shows a circuit with the MAX38650 nanopower voltage regulator. As the name indicates, the quiescent current of this IC is in the nanoampere range. During operation, the switching regulator draws only 390 nA of quiescent current. During times when the DC-to-DC converter can be switched off, it needs only 5 nA of shutdown current. This nanopower voltage converter is ideal for saving energy in a system such as the one shown in Figure 1. As can be seen in Figure 3, only a few passive external components are required. Instead of a resistor voltage divider, only one resistor on the RSEL pin is used to set the output voltage. A resistor voltage divider consumes a considerable amount of current, which, depending on the voltage and resistor, can greatly exceed the quiescent current of the MAX38650. Thus, this IC uses a variable resistor, which is only briefly checked when the circuit is switched on. The IC detects the set-point value for the output voltage through the fact that for a short time during switch-on, 200 µA of current is passed through this variable resistor. The resulting voltage is measured and then stored internally in the IC. This means there are no energy losses during operation through a conventional voltage divider. By adding a voltage converter, it is possible to increase the efficiency of a system and extend the life on a charge of a battery-operated device. For more information contact Altron Arrow, +27 11 923 9600, [email protected], www.altronarrow.com u-blox and Tallysman Wireless have announced that they have signed a design partner agreement for the development of next-generation PointPerfect PPP-RTK augmented smart antennas. The PointPerfect GNSS augmentation service is now available in North America, Europe and parts of Asia Pacific. The agreement between the two companies will see both the u-blox ZED-F9R high-precision GNSS and the NEO-D9S L-Band receivers integrated with Tallysman’s industry-leading Accutenna technology. This integration, together with u-blox PointPerfect augmentation service, is set to provide unprecedented accuracy and precision. “The TW5390 solution offers users high precision with rapid convergence times, access to precise, reliable, and easy-to-use PointPerfect PPP-RTK GNSS augmentation data. The result PointPerfect smart GNSS antenna/receiver is centimetre-level accuracy in seconds on a continental scale for exceptional precision,” said Christopher Russell, Tallysman VP of sales. “Tallysman and u-blox bring a true out-of-the-box solution, removing the work of integrating best-in-breed antenna and receiver technologies, so our mutual customers can focus on their end applications.” The multi-band (L1/L2 or L1/L5) architecture removes ionospheric errors, and the multi-stage enhanced XF filtering improves noise immunity, while relying on the dual-feed Tallysman Accutenna element to mitigate multi-path signal interference rejection. Some versions of the new smart antenna solutions include an inertial measurement unit (dead reckoning) and an integrated L-Band corrections receiver, to ensure operation beyond terrestrial network reach. “Tallysman and u-blox offer a turnkey silicon-to-cloud solution, since PointPerfect is already pre-integrated with u-blox ZED-F9R and NEO-D9S high-precision GNSS modules. Our intuitive cloud platform provides a self-serve environment from which users have autonomy to manage IoT device fleets. This eliminates complexities and allows users to engage more efficiently and reduce time-to-market,” said Franco de Lorenzo, Principal Product Owner, Services at u-blox. “We look forward to working with Tallysman and bringing new combined smart antenna solutions to market, supporting our complementary customer base.” For more information contact RF Design, +27 21 555 8400, [email protected], www.rfdesign.co.za
Connectivity Sub-GHz ‹ Ultra-Wideband ‹ RF Identification ‹ Bluetooth® ‹ Wi-Fi® ‹ Zigbee® ‹ microchip.com/Connectivity 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. © 2023 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. MEC2484A-UK-03-23 Microchip is… • Automotive • Industrial • Communications • loT • Medical
Dataweek, 27 September 2023 www.dataweek.co.za 12 REGULAR SYSTEMS, COMPONENTS, DESIGN Keysight has recently introduced the advanced 4G/5G network active remote monitoring solution, Nemo Active Probe. With the new solution, wireless service providers and national regulators can perform roaming and regression testing. This solution combines detailed and comprehensive measurement capabilities with cost-effectiveness and proven automated functionality. Nemo Active Probe´s unattended deployment minimises the necessity for dedicated field personnel and reduces operational expenses. Automation enables efficient allocation of resources, allowing technically-adept personnel to focus on problem-solving and network development tasks instead of spending time in the field. As a result, time spent on network testing is reduced by 20%, while manual field-testing work is reduced by 80%. Combining Nemo Active Probe with Keysight´s remote monitoring solution, Nemo Cloud, and Keysight´s analysis tool, Nemo Analyze, creates a complete end-to-end solution to remotely monitor live networks and visualise key performance indicators. With Nemo Cloud, a single user can monitor and control numerous fixed and mobile probes worldwide from a centralised location. Active remote 4G/5G monitoring Security is now an imperative for all designs in every vertical market. System architects and designers have recently received acknowledgement of the security of their communications, industrial, aerospace, defence, and nuclear designs that rely on Microchip Technology’s PolarFire FPGAs. Successful review of PolarFire FPGAs crypto design The AM1141 from Atlanta Micro is a wideband device consisting of a low-noise amplifier integrated with a low-loss, low-power amplifier bypass path. The amplifier covers the 1,7 GHz to 18 GHz frequency band with moderate gain, low noise figure, and good intermodulation performance. The integrated bypass path ranges from DC to 20 GHz with low insertion loss and high linearity. Packaged in a 3 mm QFN with internal 1,7 to 18 GHz bypassable gain block Nemo Active Probe supports all major technologies and the latest Android-based smartphones and test protocols. Service measurements for data and voice are also supported, including voice call and voice quality testing. The probe unit’s design incorporates effective thermal control mechanisms such as a fan and optional active cooling elements. This ensures that 5G test devices remain fully functional, preventing overheating during prolonged tests. Nemo Active Probe is an ideal solution for performing unattended large-scale measurements within key locations where smartphone usage is prominent and ensuring uninterrupted network service is critical. The probes can be discreetly deployed in hotspots and fixed locations, such as airports, offices, campuses, and shopping malls, and in moving vehicles, such as trains, taxis, delivery trucks, and ships. For more information contact Coral-i Solutions, +27 11 315 5500, [email protected], www.coral-i.co.za 50 Ω matching, the AM1141 is a dramatic size reduction over a discrete implementation of a bypassable amplifier, and provides a compact solution for demanding low-SWaP applications. For more information contact RFiber Solutions, +27 12 667 5212, [email protected], www.rfibersolutions.com The United Kingdom Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has reviewed the devices when used with the Single-Chip Crypto Design Flow against stringent device-level resiliency requirements. “The NCSC conducts a very rigorous analysis, and the work done with Microchip on the Design Separation Methodology in the PolarFire FPGA enables the user to take advantage of improved resilience and functional isolation within the device. This reinforces Microchip’s commitment to our comprehensive approach to security,” said Tim Morin, technical fellow at Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “This analysis provides the option for single-chip cryptography in addition to what already exists within the devices for protecting IP, securing data, and protection against physical tampering – an often overlooked and very powerful threat to every electronic system, especially those at the intelligent edge.” PolarFire FPGAs implement Microchip’s industry-leading security architecture to protect intellectual property, secure data and secure supply chains. For more information contact ASIC Design Services, +27 11 315 8316, [email protected], www.asic.co.za
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjEzMjU=