EP&Dee no 10

EP&DeeDESIGN & MANUFACTURING December, 2015 - issue no. 10, vol. 13

e l e c t r o n i c s p r o d u c t s & d e s i g n - e a s t e r n e u r o p e

the east european resourcefor embedded applications

EP&Dee | December, 2015 | www.epd-ee.eu2

Table of Contents

DECEMBER 2015

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DESIGN FEATURES

10 Imagination makes IoT easyImagination presents the Creator Ci40, the second member of its Creator family of development boards. The high-performance Ci40 makes developing IoT projects easier than ever before and will first be available as a standalone board. Creator Ci40 offers a very exciting mix of IoT operating systems and standards including Google’s Brillo*, OpenWrt and Debian.

14 microchipDIRECT take a look at all it can doMicrochip’s primary goal is to support customers in as many ways as possible, giving them freedom to innovate. One unique way Microchip has done this is by creating microchipDIRECT. Microchip offers both - a great list of World Class distributors and microchipDIRECT.

18 IoT Opportunity Demands New Approach to MCU-based Embedded DesignsLet’s face it – the opportunity the IoT market offers is unprecedented. The numbers alone are staggering. Analysts at Gartner Inc. estimate that 4.9 Billion connected devices will be in use by the end of 2015, up 30 percent from 2014. Five years from now they expect that number to jump to 25 Billion.

22 7 Steps to a Successful Analog ASICI’m willing to bet that there are tens of thousands of analog applications out there that would benefit financially from ASIC integration. So what’s the holdup? Based on my 40+ years in the Analog IC business, I can boil it down to one word: misinformation. This is a combination of a lack of information, incorrect information, and of course, FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt).

25 Leuze 10 SERIES - Measuring and switching distance sensors with high object toleranceThe measuring ODS 10 and the switching HT 10 are compact, optical distance sensors that reliably detect objects and measure distances with an operating range of up to eight meters and an accuracy of ±30 mm.

26 Oval wheel flow meter for (almost) every need…Oval Wheel Flow Meters Model DOM are versatile and economical flow meters, which fulfill almost every need in liquid flow metering.

28 Magnetic sensors from Beta SensorikMagnetic sensors with unique high switching states

30 Cosinuss° - The Tiny Sensor in Your EarFor many athletes a chest strap heart rate monitor is their constant companion. A PhD student at the Technical University of Munich thought that these monitors could be a bit more comfortable to wear, so he developed a sensor to be worn in comfort and unnoticed inside the athlete’s ear.

33 Thermal ImagingThermal imaging cameras have a wide range of applications from locating heating or water damage in a building to night navigation and even saving lives in a fire, making it easier to locate casualties.These types of applications cannot be solved with normal cameras thus making infrared cameras such devices that they can be used in several domains and they are very cost-effective with new uses appearing all the time.

PRODUCT NEWS

5 6 7


Microchip Technology Inc. applauded the Linux Foundation for presenting its vision ofthe automotive industry’s future and the value of Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), in asession at the MOST® Cooperation’s Interconnectivity Conference Asia 2015, whichwas recently held in Tokyo. During their presentation titled “how open sourcecollaboration is transforming the automotive industry,” the Linux Foundationhighlighted the importance of collaborating to build the car of the future. They furtherindicated that rapid innovation can be accomplished by leveraging Linux and otheropen-source standards, in conjunction with MOST technology, which enables seamlessdevice networking within the AGL software platform.

To download all of the slides shown during the 16th MOST InterconnectivityConference Asia, including presentations given by Microchip and the LinuxFoundation, please visit http://www.microchip.com/Presentations-120915a.

“We are excited to see the long-established MOST networking technology being easilyaccessed by automotive developers through standard Linux interfaces,” said dan termer,vice president of Microchip’s Automotive Information Systems Division. “The LinuxFoundation’s presentation at the MOST Interconnectivity Conference Asia showed howimportant Linux and Open Source software are for the automotive industry. As the lead-ing provider of MOST technology, which is the de-facto standard for automotive infotain-ment networks, we are proud to be a part of that movement.”MOST technology is a time-division-multiplexing (TDM) network that transports dif-ferent data types on separate channels at low latency and high quality-of-service.Because MOST devices can use standard Linux interfaces to communicate, Linux appli-cations don’t require specialized knowledge of the MOST network, making it easy touse MOST technology over Linux. This lowers costs and accelerates development viaopen-source software.AGL provides a standardized open software, open operating system, and open appli-cation framework that allow automotive companies to customize their user electronicsand create new business models of their choice, without depending on mobile-phone-platform systems. Native support for MOST networking technology in AGL and theinclusion of Microchip’s open-source MOST Linux Driver in the Linux mainline kernelversion 4.3, greatly simplify the development of feature-rich In-Vehicle Infotainment(IVI) systems that are popular with today’s consumers. These developments weremade possible by Microchip’s close collaboration with the Linux Foundation.Additionally, Microchip has begun enabling designers to use the Linux operating sys-tem with its portfolio of MOST network interface controllers.AGL is the only organization that plans to address IVI, instrument clusters, telematics,Heads-up Displays (HUD), control systems and Advanced Drive Assistance Systems(ADAS) - all of which are essential to the connected-car business landscape.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/AGL-120915a

Microchip Applauds Linux Foundation’s Vision ofHow Open-Source Collaboration is Transforming theAutomotive Industry

Renesas Electronics DeliversR-Car H3, First SoC from theThird-Generation R-CarAutomotive Computing

Platform for theAutonomous-Driving Era

Renesas Electronics, a premier supplier ofadvanced semiconductor solutions, todayunveiled the third-generation R-Car, an auto-motive computing platform solution for driv-ing safety support systems and in-vehicle info-tainment systems. The new R-Car H3 System-on-Chip (SoC), the first member of the third-

generation R-Car, delivers CPU performance,image recognition processing, ISO 26262(ASIL-B) compliance, and a system in package(SiP) with external memory to enable a widerange of automotive applications.The R-Car H3 realizes powerful automotivecomputing performance exceeding that ofthe predecessor R-Car H2. This enables sys-tem manufacturers to utilize the new R-Car H3as an automotive computing platform to playa key role in the autonomous-driving era. To make the new device ideal for drivingsafety support systems, the R-Car H3 pro-vides cognitive computing capabilities, anenhanced computing performance that canprocess large volumes of information fromvehicle sensors accurately in real-time, andenables system manufacturers to run appli-cations that require complex processing,such as obstacle detection, driver statusrecognition, hazard prediction, and hazardavoidance. To further accelerate the drivingsafety support systems, the R-Car H3 alsoconforms to the ISO 26262 (ASIL-B) func-tionality safety for automotive. Furthermore, in in-vehicle infotainment sys-tems, the need for connectivity between var-ious systems and services such as smart-phones and cloud services is growing. Thesehave led to a significant increase in the vol-ume of data transmitted from outside thesystem. RENESAS ELECTRONICS EUROPE www.renesas.eu

INDUSTRY NEWS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

www.epd-ee.eu | December, 2015 | EP&Dee 5

Today’s vehicles are increasingly energy efficient. However, they alsohave more complex electronic demands placed on them as customersseek increased efficiency, safety, and convenience. With expertise in integration benefiting customers and drivers alike,Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. has shipped its one billionth integratedcircuit (IC) to the automotive market, ICs that enhance infotainment, safe-ty, keyless access, and powertrain applications. Customers rely on thesehighly integrated products for automotive subsystems that are smallerand more reliable.

Maxim’s automotive electronic products continue to be in high demandand represent the fastest-growing segment of the company’s revenues.Currently representing 16 percent of the company’s sales, automotivewas about 5 percent of revenues in 2012. Maxim continues to grow rev-enues above the company average. Maxim will showcase some of its auto-motive solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016:• The MAX9286 gigabit multimedia serial link (GMSL) deserializer enablesthe design of surround-view systems for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with fewer components and faster time to market. It receives and automatically synchronizes video from up to four cameras.

• The MAX16984 automotive DC-DC converter with USB charge emulatorquickly and reliably charges any portable device over USB in a car with a single IC.

• The MAX2173 DAB RF to Bits® tuner for digital audio broadcast (DAB) applications enables software-defined radio (SDR) through its RF to Bits architecture. It saves space, lowers the bill of materials (BOM), and significantly increases system flexibility.

“The shipment of our one billionth automotive IC is an important milestonefor Maxim,” said randall Wollschlager, Vice President of Automotive atMaxim Integrated. “Automotive electronics system designers are increasing-ly looking to us for leading edge solutions for vehicle access, safety, infotain-ment, and power control.”According to IHS, the automotive semiconductor market is one of thefastest growing semiconductor markets with a CAGR (14-19) of 5.6%compared to 2.3% for the overall semiconductor market. Based on IHSanalysis, Maxim has grown faster than the overall automotive semicon-ductor market in the last three years with solid double-digit growth.Maxim’s automotive solutions meet the Automotive Safety IntegrityLevels defined by ISO 26262, and are designed for a harsh operatingenvironment while providing higher integration, high/low voltage protec-tion, and a broad operating temperature range.MAXIM INTEGRATED www.maximintegrated.com

Maxim Integrated Ships One BillionthAutomotive IC


Win the Microchip Explorer 8 Development Kit(DM160228) from EPE&Dee! The kit is a full-featureddevelopment board and platform for 8-bit PIC® microcon-trollers. This kit is a versatile development solution, featur-ing several options for external sensors, off-board commu-nication and human interface. Additionally, it offers ampleroom for expansion, making it an excellent solution fordevelopers and engineers looking for a tool with thelargest number of supported 8-bit PIC MCUs.The Explorer 8 Development Kit is the latest offering in along line of enterprise-class tools for 8-bit PIC microcon-trollers. The board is an evolution of the popular PIC18Explorer Board, and has been updated to take advantageof our most modern features including:• On-chip Core Independent Peripherals• Compatibility with all PIC MCUs• 8-, 14-, 20-, 28-, 40/44-, 64- and 80-pin footprintsMicrochip designed the Explorer 8 Development Kit to bedesigners main tool for 8-bit development with supportfor a wide variety of functions. On-board componentsenable easy development of human interface, power con-version, Internet of Things (IoT), battery charging andother applications using a powerful 8-bit PIC microcon-troller. Additionally, the Explorer 8 Development Kit alsohas a large capacity for expansion. Two Digilent Pmod™interfaces, two MikroElectronika Click™ board sockets andtwo custom expansion headers allow designers to quicklyadapt as the development needs change. The Explorer 8Development Kit supports several program and debugsolutions including the PICkit™ 3, ICD 3 and MPLAB® REALICE™ In-Circuit Emulator.

Win a microchipexplorer 8

development Kit!

For the chance to win a Microchip Explorer 8 Development Kit, visit:http://www.microchip-comps.com/explorer8-epdee

and enter your details in the entry form.



L2Tek, a manufacturers’ representative and distributor of com-ponents and sub assemblies for professional video and high -speed communications systems, has announced a family ofinductive power transmitter and receiver ICs from Semtech forwireless charging and power management. Previously brandedTriune Systems before acquisition by Semtech, the WirelessPower Consortium (WPC) Qi® certified and Power MattersAlliance (PMA) compliant chips deliver high operating efficien-cy with low stand-by power consumption for applicationsincluding smartphones, tablets and GPS devices as well asother wearable, sensor and industrial electronics designs.Additional ICs supporting higher output power requirementsare also available.

For low power wireless receiver applications up to 5W,Semtech’s high-efficiency IC range includes the TS51221 regu-lator that has a switching frequency of 1MHz to enable the useof smaller filter components, which use less board space andreduce bill of material (BOM) costs. For wireless receiver appli-cations up to 20W, the TS51111 synchronous rectifier featureshigher voltage inputs for higher output power as well as inte-grated switches and other components to minimise systemBOM. Addressing the wireless transmitter side of the system,the TS61001 is a high-voltage field-effect transistor (FET) driv-er that can be used to drive N-channel devices in half and full-bridge configurations.Supporting higher power outputs at up to 40W, the TS80000is a Qi-compliant power transmitter communications and con-trol unit that can be configured to drive single or multi-coilapplications, in half and full-bridge systems. The device per-forms the necessary decode of packets from TS81000 wirelessreceiver communications and control unit to adjust the charg-ing power level. An integrated PID filter provides the neces-sary compensation for the loop for high-precision control ofduty cycle, frequency, and or bridge voltage. The TS81001 isan alternative wireless receiver communications and controlunit that supports indirect single-cell battery charging applica-tions down to 2V. L2TEK www.l2tek.co.uk

High-efficiency Qi-compatible power transmitters and receiversenable faster and cooler wireless

charging of mobile devicesMicrochip announces the KSZ8061 single-chip 10BASE-T/100BASE-TXautomotive- and industrial-grade Ethernet physical-layer transceiver,which is designed for data communication over low-cost UnshieldedTwisted Pair (UTP) cables. It is the first of a new family based on thepatented and programmable Quiet-WIRE® enhanced EMC technology,providing reduced line emissions and superior receiver immunity per-formance. System reliability is also enhanced with Microchip’s provenLinkMD+® advanced cable diagnostics in addition to an embedded sig-nal-quality indicator for the dynamic monitoring of link error margins.

For energy-efficient applications, Microchip’s integrated EtherGREEN™technology includes a unique Ultra Deep Sleep mode with signal-detect wakeup, which lowers standby power consumption to the sub-microampere range. With fast boot and linkup in less than 20 mS, theKSZ8061 is ideal for applications where startup time is critical, such asautomotive rear-view cameras. The KSZ8061 family is available withan extended temperature range of -40 to +105°C for harsh-environ-ment applications, including industrial sensor networks, robotics,building automation and avionics. This Ethernet PHY transceiver fam-ily provides support for both the MII and RMII processor interfaces,for easy integration with numerous processors, MCUs and SoCs. Microchip also announces a new evaluation board, to enable func-tional and performance testing of the KSZ8061: The KSZ8061MNXEvaluation Board (KSZ8061MNX-EVAL) is available now for pre-orders, with delivery in January at $115.00.

Key facts:• New KSZ8061 Quiet-WIRE® technology 10/100BASE-TX Ethernet

physical-layer transceivers• Provides reduced line emissions and superior receiver immunity over unshielded cabling

• LinkMD+® advanced cable diagnostics and embedded signal-qualityindicator

• EtherGREEN™ technology offers Ultra Deep Sleep for battery-powered applications

• Supports fast start-up and easy integration over MII and RMII processor interfaces

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/Ethernet-PHYs-111715a

Microchip Ethernet PHY transceiverenables unshielded twisted pair cableswhile meeting automotive and industrialEMC requirements


Silicon Labs has introduced the TouchXpress™ family of fixed-functioncontrollers, providing the fastest, easiest way to add low-power capaci-tive touch interfaces to embedded designs. Silicon Labs’ robust CPT007Band CPT112S TouchXpress controllers eliminate time-consumingfirmware development, providing a simple turnkey solution for addingsleek, touch-based user interface designs to a wide range of productsincluding home appliances, white goods, consumer electronics, lightingcontrol, medical equipment and instrument/control panels. TouchXpressevaluation boards and advanced configuration and profiling softwaretools available within the Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio environmentenable embedded developers to get their capacitive touch applicationsup and running quickly and easily.

For additional TouchXpress product information and to order productsamples and evaluation kits, visit www.silabs.com/TouchXpress.Responding to the increasing demand for easily implemented capacitivesensing and touch functionality in embedded systems, Silicon Labs intro-duces two TouchXpress family members:

• The cpt007b Gpio switch replacement device enables developers toquickly replace up to 7 mechanical buttons with capacitive touch sensorswith no firmware development. The GPIO interfaces provide directon/off sensor status to the host processor.• The cpt112s capacitive sense I2C device features up to 12 sensorinputs to simplify the addition of capacitive sense functionality for touch-based interfaces. The I2C interface provides an easy way to track the sta-tus of touch sensors, and an interrupt pin can wake the host processorfrom sleep after a proximity touch detection.

Both capacitive touch controllers support advanced features such asmoisture immunity, wake-on proximity, touch time-out, mutually exclu-sive touch qualifier and buzzer feedback for an enhanced user experi-ence. The CPT112S device also offers a slider control option.Based on Silicon Labs’ proven, patented capacitive sensing technology, theTouchXpress controllers provide best-in-class drop-in solutions that easetouch interface development for embedded designers of all skill levels. Nofirmware development, programming or capacitive sense expertise is need-ed to implement capacitive touch interfaces based on TouchXpress technol-ogy. No external components are required, and developers can easily con-figure and evaluate all capacitive sense parameters using Silicon Labs’ simple,intuitive GUI-based Xpress Configurator and Capacitive Sense Profiler.

SILICON LABS www.silabs.com

TouchXpress Controllers from Silicon Labs SpeedDevelopment of Capacitive Sensing Applications

Lattice SemiconductorLaunches iCE40 Ultra™Platform for WearableDevice Development

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced adevelopment platform for use in designing low-powerwearable devices for consumers. Based on the iCE40Ultra™ FPGA, the platform features a large number ofsensors and peripherals, making it a compelling plat-form for the design of a wide array of wearable devices.The iCE40 Ultra FPGA uses a package that is 60% smallerthan alternative microcontrollers. The iCE40 Ultra FPGAalso supports a low power standby mode for always-onfunctionality, making it an ideal choice for consumer wear-ables that need to operate for days between charges.

Hardware features and sensors supported by the iCE40Ultra Wearable Development Platform include a 1.54-inch display, MEMS microphone, high-brightness LED,IR LED, BLE module and 32MB of flash memory. Theplatform also supports sensors capable of measuringheart rate/SpO2, skin temperature, and pressure as wellas an accelerometer and gyroscope. The platformcomes in a wrist watch form factor (1.5-inches wide ×1.57-inches long × 0.87-inches high) with a wrist strapand a built in battery. Included with the platform are adetailed user guide and several demos to showcaseparallel RGB to MIPI DSI bridging, health monitor,pedometer, IR transmitter or flashlight functions.The iCE40 Ultra Wearable Development Platform is avail-able now direct from Lattice at a retail price of $270.Please visit www.latticesemi.com/ultrawearable to learnmore about the platform and for ordering information.• iCE40 Ultra FPGA featured in platform is 60 percent

smaller than alternative microcontrollers• Broad range of hardware features make platform a fit

for almost any consumer wearable device• Platform comes with user guide and demos to help

expedite device designLATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR www.latticesemi.com



Microchip announces the expansion of its Digital-to-Analogue Converter (DAC) prod-uct line with the MCP48FXBXX families of devices. The six-member MCP48FEBXX DACfamily offers integrated EEPROM to save DAC settings at power-down, while theMCP48FVBXX family provides lower-cost alternatives for applications that do notrequire integrated memory. These low-power, single and dual-channel DACs feature8-, 10- and 12-bit resolution, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and are available in 10-pin MSOP packages. Examples of their wide range of applications in the consumer,

industrial, automotive andother markets, includes set-point/offset trimming, sen-sor calibration, instrumenta-tion, and motor control.The high integration andunique feature sets of theMCP48FXBXX families offercustomers flexibility in addi-tion to power and cost sav-ings, while simplifying theirdesign effort. The integrat-ed EEPROM option enablesDAC settings to be restored

at power-up and reduces microcontroller overhead, while the various shutdownmodes significantly reduce the device current consumption for power-critical applica-tions. Additionally, these devices feature low Differential Nonlinearity (DNL) error tosustain monotonic output and low Integral Nonlinearity (INL) error for better lineari-ty. They are also specified to operate in extended-temperature conditions.The MCP48FXBXX DAC families are available now for sampling and volume produc-tion in 10-pin MSOP packages.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY www.microchip.com/Converters-120215a

Now available in Europe through TTI, Inc., a world leading specialist distributor of elec-tronic components, is Phoenix Contact’s highly reliable range of AC charging cables andAC charging controllers for E-mobility applications. The devices enable the implementa-tion of various concepts for intelligent charg-ing infrastructures which can be used to pro-mote cost-effective operation. Ergonomicallydesigned AC vehicle connectors Type 2 havebeen developed for the European market onthe basis of IEC 62196-2 and allow chargingelectric vehicles safely (thanks to a lockingmechanism), and conveniently (thanks to additional gripping components). Dependingon the cable diameter and the number of phases (single-phase or three-phase) chargingwith a rated voltage of 250V or 480V and rated current of 20A or 32A is possible. Highlyrobust and made of high-quality materials, the components benefit from strong strainrelief and low insertion and withdrawal forces. AC charging controllers ensure a highdegree of security and interoperability with electric vehicles according to IEC 61851-1.The EV Charge Control Basic is a compact, cost-effective controller solution specificallydesigned for simple charging points (wall boxes for home garages, carports, and under-ground garages). It features configurable inputs, outputs, and charging currents. A stan-dardized interface (Modbus RTU Slave) allows for fast and simple integration. TTI, INC. www.ttieurope.com

Microchip’s new Digital-to-Analogue Convertersretain settings without power via integrated EEPROM

Phoenix Contact’s highly reliable AC charging cables and AC charging controllers for E-mobilitynow available through TTI, Inc.


Rutronik at embedded world:hall 5, booth 238

Connecting machines and deviceswith RUTRONIK EMBEDDED and

RUTRONIK SMARTRutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH isfocusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) atembedded world 2016 (booth 5.238): AtRUTRONIK EMBEDDED visitors will findselected components from the areas ofWireless, Displays, Boards and Storage charac-terized by their durability, long-term availabil-ity and high integration capacity for industrialIoT applications. RUTRONIK SMART featuresradio technology, sensors, microcontrollers,power management components and cryp-tography ICs that are optimized for the use ofthe internet protocol, have a small form factor,low power consumption and offer a highdegree of integration.

Rutronik will be presenting a wide range ofapplication options for four thematic areasby means of running demonstrations: • Visualization with TFT displays, passive LCDs and microcontroller kits

• Communication with wireless componentsand modules as well as microcontrollers (CAN, Ethernet)

• Data Processing with systems and storage components

• Sensing with sensors and analog technologyExperienced Product Manager and FieldApplication Engineers from all specialist areaswill be available to provide competent sup-port. Also, Rutronik will be representingRutronik24 as a distributor for SMEs and largecompanies with mid-range componentrequirements. Selected suppliers will demon-strate their current highlight products andprovide answers to questions concerningproducts and applications.RUTRONIK www.rutronik.com

profile support in latest smartbond™ development kit makes it fastand easy to create tiny, energy-efficient wearables that communicatewith Wechat apps over bluetooth connectivityDialog Semiconductor plc, a provider of highly integrated power man-agement, AC/DC power conversion, solid state lighting (SSL) andBluetooth Smart technology, announced its support for WeChat’s com-munications protocol, with the launch of Dialog’s WeChat SDK.

The kit enables developers to quickly add energy-efficient Bluetoothconnectivity between WeChat apps and wearables or other IoT devices.WeChat is now the world’s largest stand-alone messaging app with anestimated 600 million users at the end of Q2/2015, according to analystStatista. Its dramatic growth, both in China and other countries, is due inpart to the many third-party apps that have been developed, makingWeChat much more than just a messaging platform.Dialog’s development kit is available now and includes a protocol stackfor the WeChat communication layer. The SDK is based on the DA1458xfamily of SmartBond™ SoCs (System-on-Chip) and enables developers toreduce the overall development time for connecting their products wire-lessly to WeChat apps. WeChat users can then control wearable devicesvia the app and share information with friends over the platform.

“Dialog is committed to supporting our customers’ continued growth and inno-vation into exciting new products and markets across all major IoT platforms”, saidsean mcGrath, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Connectivity,Automotive & Industrial Business Group at Dialog. “WeChat worked closelywith us to create a reliable and robust protocol stack that is already being enthu-siastically received by the embedded developer community.”

DA1458x SoCs are highly integrated devices that combine a Bluetoothlow energy radio with an ARM® Cortex®-M0 application processor.Intelligent power management circuitry is included and processorresources can be accessed via 32 GPIOs. This facilitates the developmentof fully hosted applications. The devices can be as small as 2.5 × 2.5 mm(WLCSP package) and they offer the lowest power consumption forBluetooth Smart devices in production today, maximising battery life inevery application. Peak current is less than 5mA. SmartBond WeChat software development kit enables efficient coding,thanks to the optimised power profiler. It comes with the company’sSmartSnippets™ software development environment, which is based onKeil™ µVision tools.

Full details of the SDK are available at Dialog’s SmartBond support web-site http://support.dialog-semiconductor.com.

DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR www.dialog-semiconductor.com

Dialog Semiconductor’s Bluetooth® SmartSoCs Links Wearables to Apps for WeChat Users

Digi-Key SurpassesMilestone of 50 MillionPackages Shipped;

Celebrates 43 Years ofInnovation Worldwide

Global electronic components distributor Digi-KeyElectronics, the industry leader in electronic compo-nent selection, availability and delivery, is announcingthey have surpassed shipping its 50 millionth package inthe history of the company. “Digi-Key has been serving electronic design engineersand ‘Makers’ in our industry before they were even called‘Makers’ since our very beginning in 1972,” according todave doherty, President. “So recognizing this milestoneof shipping our 50,000,000th package was something wewanted to celebrate. But we also wanted to recognize ourcustomers who have driven our success; and not just a sin-gle customer, because we do business with well over400,000 different companies each year.”In celebration of this key milestone, Digi-Key has beenfeaturing key customers in regions all around the world.In fact, Surface Technology International (STI) in the UK

was recently recognized fortheir role in this uniquemilestone with the presen-tation of a “bronze pack-age” award presented toBen Eastwood, PurchasingManager and Glen Lilly,Purchasing Team Leader by

Ian Wallace, Sales Director, UK/Ireland for Digi-Key.Established in 1989 and headquartered in Hook,Hampshire – Surface Technology International (STI) is atrue end to end electronics solutions provider supportingCustomers globally from its 3 (2 UK and 1 Philippines)advanced design and manufacturing facilities.STI supports a complete service offering of Design,Prototype (NPI), Production and Test of both PCBA andfull System Box Build (AIT) to Customers in all market sec-tors where quality, delivery and technical innovation area prerequisite. Continued investment in technology,capability and people ensures STI maintains its class lead-ing position that assists and supports Customers withboth their current and future product requirements.STI was selected by Digi-Key as they typify the broadrange of products and services they provide to enableinnovation in the marketplace.Digi-Key provides engineers with over 1.2 million prod-ucts in stock and ready for immediate shipment, as well asaccess to more than 4.6 million components online. Thecompany is an authorized distributor for 650+ qualityname-brand manufacturers, ensuring customers get thelatest technology, state-of-the-art products, unparalleledservice, and continual new product introduction.

DIGI-KEY ELECTRONICS www.digikey.com




imagination makes iot easyPresenting the Creator Ci40 IoT Kit – the ultimate‘IoT in a box’ solution for developers

Imagination also announces a Kickstartercampaign to go live on the 23rd novemberfor its ‘IoT in a box’ kit. The kit contains theCreator Ci40 board and all the hardwareand software building blocks needed toquickly prototype a wide range of IoT sys-tems from scratch.

The creator ci40 board features:

• A high-performance, low-power microcomputer featuring a new chip designed and optimized by Imagination for IoT applications■ A dual-threaded, dual-core MIPS

CPU clocked at 550MHz for fast IoT processing

■ An Ensigma connectivity engine that delivers super-fast 802.11ac 2 × 2 MIMO Wi-Fi and low-power Bluetooth (Classic and Smart)

• A dedicated 802.15.4 chip and manyother peripherals and ports, including a Raspberry Pi and two mikroBUS interfaces, USB, Ethernet, GPIO, SPI, ADC, I2C, etc.

The creator ci40 iot kit is a modular sys-tem that is easy to put together and eveneasier to use. The kit comes in a compact

box with everything needed to build thenext wireless IoT application including:

• Hardware■ The Creator Ci40 board acting as

an IoT hub■ Two battery-powered MikroE

6LoWPAN Clicker expansion boards with a mikroBUS™ socket for adding sensors

■ Three Click companion boards – a temperature sensor, a montion sensor and a relay switch (with hundreds more available from MikroElectronika)

imagination presents the creator ci40, the second member of its creator family ofdevelopment boards. the high-performance ci40 makes developing iot projects easierthan ever before and will first be available as a standalone board. creator ci40 offers avery exciting mix of iot operating systems and standards including Google’s brillo*,openWrt and debian.

DESIGN CREATOR Ci40

By Alexandru VoicaImagination Technologies


Why choose Creator Ci40 for IoT?• Softwareo FlowCloud: a complete cloud

platform for connecting devices to the internet, enabling easy product registration and updates as well as access to partner-enabled services

o Open source software frameworks, network stacks and cloud connectivity

There is no soldering required and the kithas no wires other than the USB cable forpower and wired communications to theCi40 microcomputerThe Creator Ci40 IoT kit is ideal for bothindividual makers looking to build a hugerange of connected projects at home as wellas small and medium enterprises and entre-preneurs who want to quickly prototype anIoT platform and then ramp up for volumeproduction. Projects possibilities are endless and couldinclude:• Smart home appliances: a connected

fridge that detects when the milk has run out and orders a new pint, a smart thermostat that switches on the heating when the home owner returns, a voice-activated wireless music streaming system

• Smart cities: bins that tell a council whenthey’re full and need collecting, car parks or traffic lights that are controlled and monitored remotely, flexible street lighting that adapts based on ambient conditions

• Advanced drones and robotics (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntrlHw6f4E4)

Pricing and availability:The Creator Ci40 IoT kit will be available ata heavily discounted price of £80 with a fur-ther £10 discount for the first 200 buyers aspart of the Kickstarter campaign. The kit isexpected to ship in March/ April 2016.The Creator Ci40 developer board is expect-ed to ship in January 2016 (pricing TBC).Both products will be available from theImagination webshop as well as selected dis-tributors – more information to follow earlyin 2016. ￭

editor’s notes:*As part of the Brillo program, a variant of theforthcoming Creator Ci40 board fromImagination has been selected by Google as astarter platform for Brillo developers. Thesestarter boards are the gold standard for get-ting started with Brillo development, and willinclude the reference implementation of Brillo.

Imagination Technologieshttps://imgtec.com

Many of those looking to explore the IoT and embedded computing markets face ahard but honest question: where do I start?

Making sense of the many boards and accessories, hardware and software interfaces,connectivity standards and APIs has been described as one of the biggest problemsthat the computing industry is facing today.

The Creator™ Ci40 IoT kit includes not only the hardware building blocks needed toquickly prototype a wireless IoT system from scratch but most importantly the opensource software frameworks, the network stacks and the cloud connectivity capabilitiesrequired to securely connect and authenticate devices to the cloud.

The Creator Ci40 IoT kit offers you a complete yet flexible package that includes:

• A powerful IoT hub, the Creator Ci40 development board integrates a 550 MHz dual-core, dual-threaded MIPS CPU running OpenWrt and a multi-standard connectivity pack-age (802.11ac 2x2, Bluetooth 4.1, 802.15.4, fast Ethernet), with room for further expansion• Two battery-powered MikroElektronika Clicker™ boards featuring a dedicated6LoWPAN chip and the mikroBUS™ socket for adding sensors• Three MikroElektronika Click boards™ for measuring temperature, detecting motion, andcontrolling a relay (hundreds of other Click boards are available from MikroElektronika).

Build an IoT project with Creator Ci40 in five easy steps

Using Creator Ci40 to prototype an IoT project is a breeze:

• Mount any Click board on a battery-powered Clicker expansion board to form a standalone wireless device (e.g. a wireless sensor or a switch)

• Program the standalone wireless device to communicate with the Creator Ci40 IoT hub over the 6LoWPAN network

• Connect other wireless devices to the Creator Ci40 IoT hub using 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth® (Smart or Classic), Wi-Fi or any other wired/wireless interface available

• Process all sensor readings and additional data using the powerful computing hardware available on the Creator Ci40 IoT hub

• Send the results to the cloud using our FlowCloud™ IoT framework for further analysis and reporting

Our Creator Ci40 IoT kit perfectly addresses individual makers inspired to build innova-tive connected projects at home as well as small and medium enterprises or entrepreneurswho want to quickly prototype an IoT platform and then ramp up for volume production.

If you’re a maker, an IoT developer, a Linux hacker or even a company looking to builda revolutionary IoT project, Creator Ci40 is the ideal solution for you.

DESIGN CREATOR Ci40


The possibilities are endless – and we can’t wait to see how you useCreator in your next project! Examples of applications where CreatorCi40 could be deployed include home automation, e-health, efficientgardening and agriculture projects, smart cities, security and surveil-lance, safety-critical connected sensors, or environment and air qualitymonitoring.Read on for an overview of the package, a breakdown of the hard-ware and a summary of the pre-bundled software.

The IoT, in a box!If you’re a developer looking to quickly prototype IoT devices,Creator Ci40 is absolutely the kit you’ve been looking for. The com-pact cardboard box packs everything you need to build the nextwireless application for the Internet of Things, including a powerfulhub and configurable sensors and actuators.The entire system is modular, easy to put together and easy to use.We have decided to go easy on the cable count – this is a wirelessplatform after all! The only cable included in the box is a USB cableproviding DC power to the Creator Ci40 microcomputer.

A powerful microcomputer as the IoT hubAt the heart of the package sits the main creator ci40 develop-ment board. Ci40 is the IoT hub that receives sensor readings over

a wide range of wired and wireless interfaces; you can then processthese readings locally and send the results to the cloud using ourFlowCloud platform.The Creator Ci40 board is a high-performance, low-power micro-computer that packs a cXt200 chip based on a subsystem opti-mized by Imagination Technologies specifically for IoT applications.The cXT200 SoC includes a dual-core, dual-threaded MIPS CPUclocked at 550 MHz and an Ensigma connectivity engine that coverssuper-fast 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi and low-powerBluetooth/Bluetooth low energy (Classic and Smart, respectively).In addition, we’ve integrated many other components that completethe connectivity package; this includes a dedicated 802.15.4 chip andmany other peripherals and ports, including USB, Ethernet, SPI.

Multiple expansion boards and sensorsThe Creator Ci40 IoT kit integrates two battery-powered 6LoWPANClicker expansion boards and three Click companion boards.

The clicker boards are compact development boards based on themikroBUS socket. When used together with the companion clickboards, they provide a quick way to prototype and build stand-alone gadgets that connect using low power wireless standards tothe Creator Ci40 IoT hub.

DESIGN CREATOR Ci40

the full specifications of thecreator ci40 dev board


DESIGN CREATOR Ci40

Each Clicker board includes a dedicated mips-based pic32mXmicrocontroller from Microchip that can be pre-programmed via aUSB/HID bootloader allowing you to easily update the firmwareevery time you want to make a change to your code. The Clickerboard also includes a USB port, buttons and LEDs, and additionalpads for external electronics.

The companion Click boards enable you to add new functionality toyour project. All you have to do is just push the Click board into theinnovative mikroBUS standard socket and you can start using it rightaway with zero hardware re-configuration! The Creator Ci40 IoT kitincludes three Click boards that connect to Ci40 to build a feature-rich sensor pack that monitors temperature, humidity and otheruseful data.

If you’re looking to build a completely new and different project,you can purchase additional sensors from MikroElektronika. Thereare already hundreds of Click boards available right now, with morebeing added every week.

Maker-friendly interfaces (mikroBUS, Raspberry Pi, etc.)The Creator Ci40 board features a number of peripheral I/Os, includ-ing a mikroBUS socket and a Raspberry Pi pin-compatible interface.The two mikroBUS Clicker sockets can be used to instantly plugcompatible devices with minimum set-up. MikroElektronika’s port-folio includes hundreds of mikroBUS compatible Click boards, pro-viding the community with the ability to expand designs with addi-tional functionality and minimum hardware configuration.Alternatively, you can switch to the Raspberry Pi-compatible inter-face that enables you to port your existing Raspberry Pi projectsover to Creator.

The complete hardware specifications

creator ci40 development board

• CPU: 550 MHz dual-core, dual-threaded MIPS interAptiv, 32/32 kB L1 I- and D-cache per CPU, 512 kB L2 cache, IEEE 754 Floating Point Unit

• RAM: 256 MB DDR3 SDRAM• Memory: 512 MB NAND flash, 1 × micro SD card• Communications: 802.11b/g/n/ac 2×2 Wi-Fi (Ensigma™ C4500 RPU),802.15.4 6LoWPAN dedicated chip, Bluetooth 4.1 (Classic + Smart,respectively)

• Security: Dedicated TPM chip• Ethernet: 1 × RJ45 Ethernet port• Audio: 1 × 3.5mm input/output jack, 1 × S/PDIF input/output connector

• I/O: 32 × GPIO, 2 × mikroBUS i/f, 4 × PWM, 1 × SPI, 2 × UART, 2 × I2C, 5 × ADC, expansion headers, 14-pin EJTAG connector, 9 × indicator LEDs (7 × I/O, 1 × MCU),

• USB: 1 × micro USB 2.0 OTG• Power: Micro USB (5V DC) or barrel adapter (9V DC)• Dimensions: 100 mm × 106 mm

6LoWPAN Clicker expansion boardThe 6LoWPAN Clicker is an amazingly compact, battery-powereddevelopment board which brings the innovative mikroBUS hostsocket to your favorite microcontroller.

Connect the desired click board to enhance it with awesome fea-tures and program it via the fast USB HID bootloader. Use it toupload your firmware and your Clicker will become a fully function-al, standalone 6LoWPAN device.The Clicker board features all you need to get started: a MIPS-based,32-bit Microchip PIC32MX470F512H microcontroller, a USB connec-tor, two LEDs and push buttons, a reset button, a mikroProg connectorand the headers for interfacing withexternal electronics.In addition, the 6LoWPAN Clickerboard functions as a standalonewireless device thanks to twoAAA batteries that can be fittedon the back of the board.

Imagination Technologieshttps://imgtec.com

the battery-powered6loWpan clickerexpansion board

the new6loWpanclicker board

the 6loWpan clickerboard is powered by

two aaa batteries

the click boards for the creator ci40 iot kit


DESIGN microchipDIRECT

When Microchip first launched themicrochipDIRECT online store, theidea that any customer could buycomponents online directly from themanufacturer was both innovativeand radical. After all, the conventionalgo-to-market strategy was to dividecustomers into two groups: the large,Tier 1 accounts which were support-ed directly by the manufacturer; andthen all the other customers whowere served either by franchised distributors or catalogue houses.microchipDIRECT ensures that customers have full access to over95% of Microchip products.

Now, microchipDIRECT is available toindividuals, academics and companiesin ten different languages and in sixtyeight countries around the world, thelatest addition in Europe is Russia.microchipDIRECT has developedfrom a simple online store to hold thehighest and broadest inventory of

Microchip’s primary goal is to support customers in as many ways as possible, givingthem freedom to innovate. One unique way Microchip has done this is by creatingmicrochipDIRECT. There are times when customers need the support of adistributor to help with a challenging design or help with local or overnight stockand there are also the times when they just need to find stock and buy a part,quickly and easily. Microchip offers both - a great list of World Class distributorsand microchipDIRECT.

Author: Martin Warmington, microchipdirect manager - europe

microchipdirect offers accounts for individuals and academics as well as high-volume oems and cems

microchipdirecttake a look at all it can do

DESIGN microchipDIRECT

Microchip product, worldwide and offers a range of services which help to streamlinethe design and procurement cycle fromprototyping right through to volume production.

Flexibility and strong services have beenone of the most important features ofmicrochipDIRECT’s strategy. This flexibilityincludes a choice of payment options andservices such as low cost device program-ming of Microchip’s PIC® microcontrollersor serial EEPROM, SRAM and Flash memo-ries with customer’s code.

The microchipDIRECT website gives engineers and buyers access to crucialinformation which helps to ensure efficientplanning and procurement. This serviceincludes online device comparisons, available inventory levels, a weekly emailconfirming the current lead-times for allMicrochip products, immediate pricing andfast check-out.

Regular offers, such as free shipping, freeprogrammed samples and discounted pric-ing on selected product lines, help cus-tomers to save money.

The speed and simplicity of orderingdevices, development tools and value-added services from microchipDIRECT isnot just limited to low-volume orders fromindividuals and academics: OEM and CEMcustomers who purchase products in midto high volume can choose to add furtherflexibility by requesting an upgrade to amicrochipDIRECT business account.

This offers all of the features and flexibilityof the standard account but adds new fea-tures such as individual quotations for high-volume orders and scheduling of deliveriesfor a specific day, week or month, up toone year after the order date. A businessaccount also provides credit facilities whicheliminate the need to pay for goods atcheck-out, it also offers the option of creat-

ing a master microchipDIRECT account.This enables multiple users to access thebusiness account and allows credit limits tobe set for each user, combining all of theindividual orders into a single, manageableaccount which makes it easy to keep trackof each order as well as the overall spend.

The pioneering spirit in whichmicrochipDIRECT was launched has addedanother layer of flexibility and choice forcustomers of all sizes. As an easy onlinestore, microchipDIRECT simplifies the pur-chasing of Microchip’s products, develop-ment tools and device programming serv-ice. Our customer service professionals arealso available by phone or email to helpcustomers with any questions.

microchip technologywww.microchipDIRECT.com

DESIGN EMBEDDED MCU

let’s face it – the opportunity the iot market offers is unprecedented. thenumbers alone are staggering. analysts at Gartner inc. estimate that 4.9billion connected devices will be in use by the end of 2015, up 30 percentfrom 2014. five years from now they expect that number to jump to 25billion. by then those same analysts expect 10 billion connected devices (excluding pcs, smartphones, and tablets) will ship each year into a market that researchers at idc forecast to be worth over $7 trillion.

iot opportunity demandsnew approach to mcu-basedembedded designsRapidly moving market requires integratedsilicon/software platform



At the heart of this exciting new market liesthe 32-bit microcontroller (MCU), thesource of the intelligence built into themajority of edge devices and hubs acrossthe IoT. As the build-out of the IoT takes off,research firms such as IC Insights are project-ing 32-bit MCU sales will grow by a CAGRof 9.5% through 2018.

As an industry-leading manufacturer ofMCUs, Renesas offers developers some nat-ural advan-tages. The company offersprospective customers unparalleled experi-ence in a number of critical vertical marketsincluding medical, home appli¬ances, build-ing automation, factory automation, andenergy management. The extensive knowl-edge base Renesas brings to these marketsgives the company unmatched insight intothe challenges developers face. And thecompany’s value proposi-tion in terms ofquality, reliability, support, security andsafety is tailored to match customer needs inthose markets.

But the IoT market is different. One of the toughest challenges the IoT mar-ket brings is its impact on the pace of devel-opment. Today everyone understands thatthose who bring their product to marketfirst reap the largest profits. But the advan-tage of beating the competition to marketdoesn’t end there. For the most part, today’sIoT market lacks accepted industry stan-

dards. Those who get to market first willhave the greatest opportunity to influencethose standards and gain an edge over thecompetition. Second, the IoT market forces embeddeddevelopers to reconsider their definition ofsystem-level design. They have to stopthinking of their application as a discreteunit. Instead, they must think in a broadersense about how their application fits intoan interconnected world. That, in turn, willforce developers to adopt new technolo-gies. As new communications, security, userinterfaces and sensing technologies becomeincreasingly commonplace, embeddeddesigners building products for the IoT mar-ket must enhance their skills and knowledgeof connectiv¬ity, the cloud, and portableapplications. Most of the MCUs currently inuse were never networked in the traditionalsense. Few developers have the expertisethey need to build those designs. Mostdevelopers will require a deeper under-standingof connectivity and security issuesand large, complex networks to succeed inthe IoT market.

At the same time, universal interconnectivityincreases system vulnerability. Security riskslie at each stage of the product lifecyclefrom manufac¬turing and development todeployment and remote updates. Mostdevices connected to the Internet today

have inadequate security capabilities.Clearly developers will need a far bettercommand of security and safety technolo-gies to meet customer expectations.

Complex Designs Take TimeEach of these trends forces developers todevote more time to testing and debuggingthese new capabilities and to reconsiderdesign priori¬ties. Yet designers face majortime and resource constraints as they try todevelop new embedded products for anIoT market where product lifecycles areshrinking along with Time-to-Market win-dows. In this environment developers whocan shorten their product developmentcycle will likely find more success meetingthese elusive market opportunities. While the IoT market covers a broad field ofapplications, most require a base set of fun-damental capabilities and peripherals. Tosucceed in this market developers will needMCUs that offer an extensive set of commu-nication peripherals, analog I/O, significanton-chip memory and a diverse portfolio ofsecurity and safety functions. But the embed-ded design market is well supplied with semi-conductor suppliers offering full-featuredMCUs. The key to taking advantage of thiscoming avalanche of IoT applications will beeach MCU vendor’s ability to help lower cus-tomers’ total cost of ownership and get thosedevelopment projects to market quicker.

DESIGN EMBEDDED MCU

■ continuously changing roadmap for rtos, stacks &tools

■ synergy platform takes care of integration of new updates

■ customers can ignore updates from multiple vendors

minimiZe total cost of oWnershipBy simplifying the management of key software components and tools, the Synergy Platform reduces the total costof ownership.

DESIGN EMBEDDED MCU


To win in the IoT market developers musteliminate many of the low-level, but time-consuming integration tasks they have hadto grapple with in the past. Traditionally,developers begin at the silicon level andthen have to wade through multiple soft-

ware and tool options to find the bestsolution for their particular applica-

tion. They must spend valuabletime evaluating each vendor,

understanding their licens-ing terms and IP acqui-

sition costs.

And the work only begins once the devel-oper purchases software or tools. The time and energy developers spendtracking each vendor can be significant.More often than not, each tool, stack andRTOS vendor has a separate roadmap forc-

ing the developer to keep up with the latestreleases as they add new features. At the same time the development teammust spend time integrating all of the soft-ware com¬ponents from multiple vendors,then testing and qualifying at the system levelto maintain high quality levels while keepingabreast of changes in the marketplace andthe latest advances in best developmentpractices. Invariably designers must delayworking on the truly differentiated aspects oftheir design— the end-application code ornew features — until the end of the develop-ment cycle. In the long run the developerfaces enormous uncertainty, the risk of costoverruns and a late entry to market.

Unified Hardware/Software SolutionThe Renesas Synergy™ Platform is

designed to circumvent these obsta-cles. To minimize cost of owner-

ship and allow developersto begin quickly

developing

code for theirapplication, the Renesas

Synergy Platform treats hardware and soft-ware as a single unified product. The bene-fits begin at the silicon level. The RenesaSynergy Platform is built around a family ofcompatible and scalable MCUs based onthe ARM® Cortex®-M core. Common fea-tures across the MCU portfolio simplifyproduct development. These upwardly

compatible MCUs combine extremely lowpower consumption with a small siliconfootprint, an extensive set of peripher¬alsand up to 4 MB of on-chip code flash. Tomeet emerging IoT requirements, eachMCU offers a di¬verse set of communica-tions interfaces and a broad array of securi-ty and safety features.

But the real payoff in terms of lower costand faster development comes at the soft-ware level. Each Renesas Synergy MCUcomes with a comprehensive package ofqualified software components. Included inthe cost of the MCU, the Renesas SynergySoftware Package (SSP) features all of thecrucial software components engineersneed to build the basic core system func-tions essential in any IoT development proj-ect. Built around Express Logic’s ThreadX®RTOS, the SSP includes middleware compo-nents from Express Logic’s X-Ware™ andadds MCU-specific software componentssuch as device drivers, middleware, librariesand a flexible framework with an API.

Each componentin the platform is inte-

grated, tested, qualified, scal-able and reusable. As a result,

designers spend less time on driver imple-mentation, middleware and RTOS integra-tion and more time focusing on the trulyinnovative aspects of their design. The SSP is far different from the embeddedde¬signer’s typical ad hoc software solution.Developed using industry-accepted bestpractices, the SSP is a qualified softwareproduct with an accompanying datasheetdocumenting measured performance char-acteristics. The software datasheet forMCUs is an industry first; no other MCU

DESIGN EMBEDDED MCU

vendor guarantees its MCU software behav-ior as specified in a software datasheet. TheSSP meets widely accepted standards, testsand benchmarks, such as MISRA andCoremark, as well as published SQA metrics,documented processes and product lifecy-cle practices. Moreover, Renesas providesfull product level support for the SSP includ-ing maintenance with scheduled releasesfor updates and upgrades, errata pub-lishing and management, issuetracking and bug fixes. With the Synergy Platformthere are lower barriers togetting started; design-ers can begin devel-op-ment of theirend-productsmuch earlierthan in the

traditional develop-ment model. Renesas

Synergy’s Eclipse-based e2studio integrated solution

development environment(ISDE) and included C compiler are

provided free of charge from GNUor purchase commercialcompiler from IAR.Engineers canbegin full

development upon the pur-chase of any one of many very low-

cost development or starter kits availablefor each of the Renesas Synergy MCU series.Simple registration of the kit automaticallygrants full rights to develop with the entireRenesas Synergy software package.The ISDE also brings a new level of innovationin context-aware, real-time assistance throughuse of integrated smart documentation forsoftware and MCUs. With this new capabilityengineers no longer need to pour throughthousands of individual pages of documenta-tion, saving time and preventing mistakes.

ConclusionThe stakes in the IoT market are high. In fiveshort years research analysts forecast over

10 billion new connected devices will shipeach year. In this hypercompetitive environ-ment, traditional approaches to productdevelopment are unlikely to suffice.

Each piece of the Renesas Synergy Platform- the silicon, software, tool ecosystem, kitsand refer-ence designs — contributes to theultimate goal: a shorter, quicker develop-ment cycle. By simplifying or eliminating orreducing many of the tasks in developmentprojects, this new approach promises toshorten the development cycle. In the high-ly dynamic IoT market, that advantage canmean the difference between product suc-cess and failure.www.renesas.com

© 2015 Renesas Electronics America Inc.(REA). All rights reserved. All trademarks arethe property of their respective owners. Document No. R01PF0096ED0100

accelerate time to marKetRenesas’ Synergy Platform dramatically shrinks the development cycle by providing a comprehensive package of qualifiedsoftware components that eliminates much of the work developing non-differentiated code.



DESIGN ANALOG ASIC

Proper planning in anticipation of having anAnalog ASIC developed and produced foryour company is not to be taken lightly.There are five key elements you need toexplore internally before engaging anAnalog ASIC semiconductor company todesign and produce a custom chip for you.Once you are comfortable with this internalanalysis, you can then explore possible sup-pliers. If you’ve done the internal analysiscorrectly, you will have realized that there ismuch more to Non-Recurring Engineering(NRE) than the upfront costs your supplierwill charge you for designing and tooling acustom chip. That’s the easy part, becauseit’s spelled out clearly in black and white inthe contract you’ll be signing at the begin-ning of the project. There is a hidden part ofNRE that few companies successfully quanti-fy. And for good reason - it’s not easy. Let’stake a moment and examine some of themore important aspects before going intowhat’s behind the ‘green curtain’: the effortput forth by your Analog ASIC supplier.

There are several pieces to the ASIC puzzle,and they must all fit together before a prop-er decision to move forward can be made.Identify your existing BOM costs. Whenasked, most customers simply get a list of

components from their purchasing depart-ment along with the price they currently payfor them. Less obvious are the ‘other’ costsassociated with these components. Forexample: purchasing costs, inventory costs,manufacturing costs including labor costs(whether human or machine), cost persquare inch of the PCB, or cost of lost pro-duction when there is an availability or qual-ity problem from a supplier. This last one isreally difficult to put a financial metric on.

Consider as well the other side of the coin;there are BOM costs associated with anASIC as well. A new PCB layout is required.Perhaps additional qualification and reliabil-ity testing will be involved. All of these costsneed to be scrutinized closely by both you,and the customer when considering a moveto an ASIC solution. Be sure to quantify ALLthe costs you will incur as well as all the costsyou will save before committing.Identify availability of your resources to man-age the transition from using many standardchips to a single ASIC. Someone needs to bethe focal point when dealing with the ASICcompany to field technical questions andanswers, define the electrical specification forthe ASIC, conduct progress reviews anddesign reviews, manage the production

change over, and much more. Program man-agement does not necessarily require anadditional headcount, but it will become a sig-nificant responsibility assigned to someone onthe team. Be sure you have someone capable

to assume this role and have a backup plan incase this person leaves in the future.Understand the longevity and cumulativevolume expectations of your product.There’s not much point incurring the effortto develop an ASIC if its lifespan will be tooshort. There are, of course, obvious excep-tions, such as applications in which the vol-umes are vast, as in mobile phones and com-puters. There, if the lifetime of a chip is onlya couple of years, the savings clearly justifythe transition. I suspect most readers of this

By Bob Frostholm, JVd semiconductors

I’m willing to bet that there are tens of thousands of analog applications out there that would ben-efit financially from ASIC integration. So what’s the holdup? Based on my 40+ years in the AnalogIC business, I can boil it down to one word: misinformation. This is a combination of a lack of infor-mation, incorrect information, and of course, FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). Misinformationcomes from numerous unreliable sources. It’s high time we dispel the myths that often precedeincorrect decision making and expose the bare-bones truth about Analog ASIC integration. Most ofthe time, it’s the sensible thing to do, but confusion about all the preparatory steps you must takeleading up to getting a proposal for NRE and Tooling is often an early show stopper.

7 steps to a successful analog asic


DESIGN ANALOG ASIC

paper can only dream of such volumes. Thegood news is that Analog Applications typi-cally have long lifespans and can easily sup-port and justify the transition to an ASICchip. Many industrial and medical applica-tions can last 10 years or longer.Don’t over estimate your volume expecta-tions to try to lure an ASIC supplier intoengaging with you. It is always better tounderestimate; err on the conservative side.Analog ASICs do not require high volume.

While everyone’s definition of “high vol-ume” varies, to quantify it, many projects aresuccessful at 25-50K units per year, even lessoccasionally. The days of million or half mil-lion or even 100K per year unit minimumsare long gone. Analog ASICs have alwaysbeen affordable to the masses. The problemhas been that the masses never realized it.This is perhaps the single biggest miscon-ception about Analog ASICs.As the customer, your responsibility is tomanage as best you can the above four puz-zle pieces. The fifth piece, Risk, is a sharedpiece. Both Customer and Supplier must doall that is within their power to mitigate risk.Analyze the risks associated with ASICdevelopment on both sides. What if your

volume expectations aren’t realized? Whatif your Analog ASIC supplier is unable tomeet their completion date? Or worse yet(as is all too often the case) doesn’t reallyhave the resident Analog skill sets to com-plete the job, meeting all your technicalrequirements? Asking for last minutewaivers can kill your entire project. You can

avoid this by investing in advanced research.Ask to speak to the leader of the ASICdesign team that will be assigned to yourproject and assess for yourself their skillsand understanding of analog chip design.Check references. Make sure they fullyunderstand your application.What if you need to make a design changemidway through the ASIC developmentprocess? This happens frequently. Thingscan go wrong, and often do. Requirementscan change unexpectedly. Make sure bothyou and your Analog ASIC supplier under-stand this and have a corrective action plan.There may be additional charges, depend-ing on the changes you are requesting andhow far along the design is. If the chip needsa re-spin and you didn’t change yourrequirements, it’s the responsibility of theASIC supplier to do it without chargingmore. Remember, it’s the ASIC supplier’sresponsibility to both hire and retain thebest design talent as well as utilize the high-est quality subcontractors for silicon fabrica-tion and package assembly. If there are anyproblems there, they own it, not you.This is where Analog differs greatly fromDigital in the ASIC world. Parametric per-formance in the digital world is almost a no-brainer. Every function that connects toanother function has a well-defined interface.

It’s either a logic 1 or a logic 0 and each ofthese has a well-defined min and max limit.This is not the case with Analog. Analogdesign requires that thousands, possibly tensor hundreds of thousands, of device inter-connects on the chip match exactly.What does this mean for NRE? What itmeans is that when specifying and designingAnalog ASICs, there is significantly moreCUSTOM ENGINEERING involved. It alsomeans that much more care and considera-tion must be put into the budgetary pro-posal being prepared for the customer. It’snot unusual for back and forth technicalQ&A to take place between the lead ASICdesigner assigned to the project and thecustomer’s point person. The ASIC supplier

needs to know everything there is to knowabout the design: its application, its environ-ment, its architecture, and more. Thisprocess of thoroughly understanding thecustomer’s needs can take weeks, sometimesmonths before a legitimate proposal can beoffered. When quoting a moderate to com-plex Analog ASIC, it’s not unusual for theASIC supplier to invest $10-$20K of theirown resources just to provide a proposal.They should not be charging you for thiseffort, it’s part of the cost of doing business.Moreover, while the ASIC design manager isevaluating the basic ASIC itself, anotherASIC team is looking into how this chip isgoing to be tested. What levels of precisionare needed? Are there any special needssuch as data acquisition functions? Whatpower management blocks are involved?Are there any special noise requirements?Power up sequences? Are there any highvoltage requirements that need to beaddressed? At the end, does a special ana-log tester need to be designed and builtbeyond a typical load board?The cost of the NRE and Tooling can varygreatly. Variables include the design com-plexity (man hours required to design andlayout the chip), mask costs (determinedprimarily by the lithography of the waferprocess; 0.18um, 0.35um, 0.5um, etc.), wafercosts (determined in part by the wafer size(150mm, 200mm, etc.), and by specialneeds (number of layers, SOI, cavity etch forsensors, etc.). Your Analog ASIC supplierwill review with you any options and trade-offs you may wish to consider that mightminimize any of these costs.Another thing to consider is NRE andTooling Rebates. Ask you Analog ASIC sup-plier if they offer a rebate program for theup-front costs associated with developingthe chip. These are implemented during theearly production lifetime of the product,and are a means of further equalizing thecost of an ASIC with that of a standard prod-uct. It essentially has the effect of making thefront end costs appear as a loan that getspaid back as production is consumed ratherthan a sunk cost.Supporting all of this is production capability.During this proposal development phase, theASIC design manager also investigates therealm of possible wafer fabrication processesthat are suitable to produce your design,selecting the one she/he feels is a best fit solu-tion. The IC will be designed to meet thespecific requirements of this silicon process.With rare exception, silicon fab processescannot be changed or modified.


DESIGN ANALOG ASIC

The burden is 100% on the ASIC designteam to get it right. If you remember onlyone thing from this paper, it is to NEVERSEPARATE DESIGN FROM PRODUCTION.

Doing so sets the stage for conflict whensomething goes wrong. Is it a design prob-lem or a manufacturing problem? Unlessyour Analog ASIC supplier is developing ormodifying a process, when a performanceissue arises in the initial silicon samples, 99times out of 100 it will be a design problem.Yet independent Analog design houses willargue the contrary, and you, the customer,are stuck in the middle. This is not whereyou want to be. Even if you have lots ofexperience managing the backend for digi-tal ASICs, you should always use full serviceor turn-key supplier for Analog ASICs.Unlike digital ASICs, Analog designs areextremely difficult (dare I say impossible?)to port to a fabrication process other thanthe one they were originally designed forwithout doing a major redesign or re-layoutof the chip. For this reason, selection of areputable foundry, one with a solid trackrecord of Analog IC production, is para-mount. During the chip’s design phase, theASIC design team also considers thelongevity of the process being selected. Is itwell established? Meaning has it been inproduction for a long time and has it beenproven to be reliable? Does the foundryhave considerable volume running on thisprocess such that its likelihood of being dis-continued is zero? All of the above helpsyou to mitigate the risks.Once you have accepted the ASIC develop-ment and production proposal, a detailedspecification of the IC is generated. Thisspecification is similar to a typical semicon-ductor datasheet in terms of its contents.There may be a brief description of the IC,and a definition of the MAX operating limits(temperature, voltage, etc.) followed by adetailed electrical specification. The accura-

cy and completeness of the electrical speci-fication is critical because this is what is usedto define accept/reject criteria for the ASIC.The electrical specification becomes a partof the development contract, usually as oneof several “Exhibits” attached at the end ofthe contract. It is not unusual for minorchanges to be made to the electrical specifi-cation (but only by mutual agreement) dur-ing the development of the chip as one sideor the other notices things that may bemutually exclusive, or as one side discovers ameans by which the chip can be furtherimproved or reduced in size.When the electrical specification is finalizedand the contract is signed, developmentbegins. Weekly, sometimes daily, discussionsbetween the ASIC supplier and customerkeep both sides in synchronicity throughoutthe development period. Periodic milestonereviews are held as well as a final signoffreview, at which point the design is declaredfinished and the hard tooling / wafer fabrica-tion phase begins.Once the foundry has produced the masks,they will begin wafer production.Throughput can vary from 8 to 12 weeksbefore a finished wafer is delivered back tothe ASIC supplier for testing. If all has goneaccording to plan, the ASIC supplier will havethe test system finished and awaiting wafersto test. Thanks to the skills of experiencedAnalog Design Engineers, 99% of designs arefully functional in this first look. However,with analog, almost all designs will requireminor tweaks to achieve complete paramet-ric compliance with the specification…It’s just the nature of the beast… Althoughanalog design and verification tools fromcompanies like Cadence, Synopsys, MentorGraphics, and others continue to improve,none are perfect. Still, a lot can be learnedfrom a functional part. Samples are pre-pared and sent to the customer for evalua-tion. Any nonconformities or performancenuances are noted and normally correctedwith a minor tweak to the metal layers of thechip. Upon verification by the customer, therevised chip is released to production.Advanced planning, thoughtful and properresource allocation, intimate understandingof your supplier’s Analog Design and pro-duction skills, a well-defined objective spec-ification, and more will ensure the successfor your project.

A couple of side notes to file away in yourmemory;1. When it comes to Analog, there are noshortcuts. If you insist on beating up your

chosen supplier to quote shorter and short-er development times, it may backfire onyou. Although delivery of first samplessometimes occurs in as little six to eightmonths, realistically you should expect it tobe closer to ten to twelve months and evenlonger for very complicated designs.Individual quotes will vary.

2.Think about your IP. If your design is simplyan amalgamation of off the shelf standardproducts with no inherent invention in thedesign, you may not care. But if the chip willbe containing your own proprietary IP, checkvery carefully as to where your chip will bedesigned. Yes, engineers in the US and EUmay be more costly, but what are the costs toyou and your business if your design isstolen? Have you ever wonder how productslike the new Apple watch become availablefor sale on Alibaba before being released?The same holds true for wafer fabrication. Ifyou are at all concerned, insist that the prod-uct be fabricated where the Rules ofInternational Law apply.

3. Don’t be pennywise and pound foolish.When having an Analog ASIC made for you,be very thorough about whom you select todesign and build it. The cheapest solutionmay not be the best solution.

Bob Frostholm is Vice President of Marketing& Sales at JVD Semiconductors, (San Jose, CA.)www.jvdinc.comBob has held Marketing, Sales and CEO roles atestablished and startup Analog SemiconductorCompanies for more than 40 years. Bob wasone of the original marketers behind the ubiq-uitous 555 timer chip. After 12 years withSignetics-Phillips, Fairchild and NationalSemiconductor, he co-founded his first startupin 1984, Scottish based Integrated Power, whichwas sold to Seagate in 1987. He subsequentlyjoined Sprague’s semiconductor operations inMassachusetts and helped spin off its semicon-ductor group, creating what is now known asAllegro Microsystems and later helped LSI Logicacquire SEEQ Technology. Bob has been con-sulting with numerous start-ups until joining JVDin 2010. He is the author of several technicalarticles and white papers as well as numerousshort and feature length screenplays. Bob is alsoa member of the Engineering Advisory Board ofthe College of Science and Engineering, SanFrancisco State University.


PRODUCT NEWS SENSORS

the measuring ods 10 and the switching ht 10 are compact, opticaldistance sensors that reliably detect objects and measure distances withan operating range of up to eight meters and an accuracy of ±30 mm.

The devices have high tolerance with respect to the angle of incidence aswell as to color, surface structure and brightness of the reflective materi-al. They detect precisely at all times, even in situations with changing envi-ronmental conditions or changing materials, and are easy to install in thesystem and to start up.

easy handling.

￭ Recess for M4 bolts or nuts on both sides￭ Space-saving, rotatable M12 connection, connector or pigtail￭ Large control buttons ￭ Status LED visible from above and from front￭ Configuration options via I/O-Link and Sensor Studio￭ Adjustment and diagnosis via OLED display with the ODS 10￭ Adjustment and diagnosis via teach buttons with the HT 10￭ Compact housing: 55 × 25 × 65 mm

power reserve.

￭ Working range from 50 – 8,000 mm (25 m against reflective tape)￭ Reliable detection of dark, glossy and colored objects￭ Laser class 1￭ Robust plastic housing with glass pane￭ Operating temperature -40 °C to +50 °C

think modular.

Thanks to the modularly designed structure of the product, the required functions, such as measuring or switching, electricalconnection, number of I/Os as well as the data output, can be combined with one another to the customer's specifications.The sensor, which is thereby optimally tailored to the application, combines precise detection and ease of use with an attrac-tive price.The devices are available with a rotatable M12 plug, a pigtail or a cable and thus offer the user a choice of connection type.

availability control.

Constant monitoring of the receiving level means that the user can be alerted of an impending failure, e.g., as a result of exces-sive soiling or misalignment, in good time. The prefailure message appears either on the display or is available as a signal on aswitching output. All relevant information is precisely depicted in the control panel.

power reserve.

“Wood, metal - matt, glossy - straight, angled” Rapidly transportedobjects, deep black or glossy materials and objects that are notideally aligned often result in detection problems and tediousreadjustment with conventional distance sensors. The new ODS10 and HT 10 distance sensors master these challenges withoutproblem - and do so with constant switching point and operatingranges of up to eight meters.

Leuze 10 SERIES

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

Measuring and switching distance sensors with highobject tolerance



Oval Wheel Flow Meters Model DOM are versatile and economical flow meters, which fulfill almost every need in liquid flow metering.

Oval wheel flow meter for (almost) every need…

Whether it is about precise control of addi-tives amount into a mixing tank in each batchor simply about transferring diesel fuel fromdelivery truck into your storage tank, an ovalwheel flow meter is there to provide youaccurate readings.DOM is designed to measure clean liquids,whereas viscosity value can be as high as1000000 cP, while variation of density doesnot affect the measurement, nor does the liq-uid conductivity. Furthermore, this kind offlow meter doesn't require any inlet/ outletruns. Consequently, it needs a smaller installa-tion space compared with other flow meters.You may have a completely mechanical flowmeter, or else a variation of LCD Indicatorsand / or output signal transmitters.

below is one application which is served byKobold's dom oval Wheel flow meters.The fluids to be measured are a variety ofpolyols, high viscosity chemicals used forcar-seat production. There are differenttypes of polyol flowing inside the flowmeter in each batch. With the variation offluid viscosity, which may reach 5000 cP atmaximum, it is not easy even for coriolis

mass flow meters to compete with the ovalwheel ones.

Several DOM with Stainless Steel housingsare needed, serving the production line 24hours a day. Customers select flow meterswith LCD display showing both flow rate andtotal flow. The 4 – 20 mA analogue output isconnected to a separate PLC.

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

The active optoelectronic protective device(AOPD), mounted directly in front of eachbench-mounted heat-press, prevents thepress-head from descending if it detects anyintrusion in the working area, halting theoperating cycle immediately.

customer value• Cost-effective, active safeguarding• Improved workplace ergonomics

• Increased productivity arising from unimpeded loading and unloading

• Industry-standard interface requires minimal modification to control systems

advantages of type 2 light curtain Ybb-30s/r2-0800-G012• Permanent autocontrol not usually foundon Type 2 safety devices

• IP65 and IP67 protection• Non-contact operating principles• Excellent safety rating to EN/ISO 13849-1 Cat. 2 PL c and IEC 61508 SIL 1

• AOPD (active optoelectronic protective device) with aluminum housing and M12 cable connector

During semi-automated heat staking of assemblies for domestic white goods, manufacturers use light curtains to preserve operatorsafety without compromising production throughput.

Cost-effective safeguarding with SafetinexType 2 from Contrinex


AUTOMATION


n Optical sensorsn Sensors for logistic applicationsn Safety at work

n Optical Sensorsn Inductive Sensors

n Color Sensorsn True Color Sensors, Spectrometersn Gloss Sensors

Leuze

Contrinex

Sensor Instruments

n Linear Sensorsn Angle Sensorsn Tilt Sensors

n PLCsn Temperature Controllern Timer

n Flowmetersn Level Indicators and Switchesn Pressure Sensors and Switches

ASM

Selec

Kobold

n IP69K

GMW

Industrial connectors

Special Approvals

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

n Digital panel metersn Panel indicatorsn Bus bar isolatorsn Current transformers

AUTOMATION

IO-Link Contrinex : Sensors learn to talk

Devices are identified, parameterized anddiagnosed. Cyclic information about devicestatus is also obtained through “process

data”. IO-Link is not a fieldbus. It deals withpoint-to-point communication between amaster and a device. The IO-Link master,usually in conjunction with a PLC, representsthe gateway to fieldbuses like Profibus,ProfiNet, EtherCAT, etc.

io-link advantages:• Continuous monitoring of process data• Continuous diagnosis of sensor status• Central data management• Easy check of sensor ID, to ensure the

right sensor is at the right place• No more manual parameter setting.

Parameter sets are downloaded automatically

• Plug-and-play replacement of sensors• Reduced downtime for machine

changeover


[email protected]

IO-Link is the first worldwide standardized IO technology (IEC 61131-9) to allow communication with sensors and actuators.



PRODUCT NEWS

Magnetic sensors from Beta Sensorik

Magnetic proximity sensors from beta SENSORIK are characterized by long switchingdistances, even in small designs. They detect magnetic objects, usually permanentmagnets, which are used for triggering the switching process. Since these magneticfields penetrate many non-magnetic materials, the switching operation can be trig-gered by other materials.An important application example is the use in pig query. It is sure to capture minia-ture parts and thus also small magnets with low field strength for pipes with lowmaterial flow and thus small pipe diameters. For our magnetic sensors with longsensing ranges this is not a problem. When querying fast-moving pigging systems,our models come with integrated pulse extension. The signal can be reliablydetected by the subsequent PLC.

Magnetic sensors with unique high switching states

Pigging technology has become an integral part in many different application fields. Here, inmost industrial applications liquid media are pumped and the pipelines are used as a meansof transport.

Industries

There are many individual requirements in this industry, consequently the tasks are equallyindividual. For the colour and paint industry especially two pig systems in tandem mode withcorresponding rinsing processes have been well proven.

Pigging systems for application in the colour and paint industry

With pigging systems the complete liquid logistics in the production process can be applied efficiently – beginningwith the raw material supply up to the delivery of the finished product. By using pigging technology different productscan be transferred in the same pipeline systems and completely removed from the lines.

Lubricants and additives

The applications in this industry are often very special because critical products have to be handled. Therefore specialpigging methods for pushing out the product and cleaning procedures according to the product's requirements arecreated.

Chemical industry




With pigging technology the products can be transferred out of the pipeline – quick and almost completely. Thusthe product remains usable and the pipeline is easily available again.

Adhesives and glues

A pigging system especially designed for these requirements can drastically reduce the cleaning process periods.The pigging sequence is often done within a few minutes, so that complete product utilisation in the pipeline is facil-itated. This leads to cost savings through product loss reduction and a quick re-availability of the equipment aftershort pigging / CIP sequences.

Foodstuffs, drinks and tobacco

Beside liquid products, also powders and granulates can be pigged. Deposits in the pipeline are a common prob-lem in pneumatic product transfer; these deposits are often loosened with slight hammer strokes. This does not pro-vide a long-term solution as the causes for the deposits are still there.

Powder and granulate

Nowadays it is almost impossible to think about a chocolate industrywithout pigging technology. Not only chocolate masses and fillings canbe transported through pipelines but also problematic products suchas cocoa, nuts or crunchies.

Chocolate industry


DESIGN HEART RATE MONITOR

Cosinuss°

For many athletes a chest strap heart rate moni-tor is their constant companion. A PhD stu-dent at the Technical University of Munichthought that these monitors could be abit more comfortable to wear, so hedeveloped a sensor to be worn incomfort and unnoticed inside theathlete’s ear. The tiny heart ratemonitor is now going into mass pro-duction. Nordic Semiconductor andRutronik were at the birth.

the tiny sensor in Your ear

Dr. Johannes Kreuzer,Managing Director,cosinuss°

In response to the trend for keeping fit andan increasing requirement for remote moni-toring in medicine, Johannes Kreuzer want-ed to develop a monitoring process thatcould register various vital parameters andmechanical aspects without bothering orhampering users in any way. As a PhD stu-dent he started his basic research. It showedthat the outer ear was the ideal place tocarry out comfortable and precise measure-ments. The result was the first non-invasivesensor (i.e. outside the body) that measurescore body temperature, while also ascer-taining heart rate and oxygen saturation inthe blood - and his doctorate!

Eighteen months after successfully complet-ing his doctorate, together with GretaKreuzer, Johannes Kreuzer founded his com-

pany cosinuss° and started to develop a mar-ketable product. Not only does it measurethe wearer’s heart rate, but it also sends datawirelessly to any standard smart phone,sports watch or other devices equipped withBluetooth 4.0 or ANT+. It means that with the

cosinuss° sport app, or other apps standardlyavailable on the market such as endomondo,Runtastic Pro or MapMyFitness, amateur andprofessional athletes can monitor their per-formance values. “I have always had excellentexperience of products from NordicSemiconductor, which is why I immediatelythought of a Nordic wireless solution for thefirst cosinuss° product”, explained Kreuzer.Since the manufacturer recommendsRutronik - with its logistic stock operationand the best-trained support technicians -as its preferred distributor in Europe, thedistributor was the inventor’s first port ofcall. Rutronik’s wireless team provided himwith technical support in selecting the prod-uct he needed. The engineers also put for-ward components from other manufacturersfor consideration.


The main requirement was that they neededto be very small and facilitate low-energyradio transmission. The choice came back to aNordic product: The nRF51422 Single ChipSoC met every requirement better than thecompetitor products. Its 32-bit ARM CortexM0 processor is designed for maximum com-puting power yet low power consumption.To optimize performance even more it is ablevery quickly to switch into sleep mode, wak-ing up again within just 2.5 µs. Intelligent soft-ware also helps to reduce the power uptake,which can be as low as 1.75 V. Cell batteriescan be used at this minimum voltage, givingthe end device a longer service life. ThenRF51422 comes inside the tiny 48-pin 6×6mm QFN housing which is easier to processthan the same chip inside the even smaller 3.5× 3.8 mm WLCSP housing.

ANT: Small and economicalThe nRF51422 works on the 2.4 GHz bandwhich, compared with the popular

nRF51822, enables the use not only ofBluetooth Low Energy (BLE) but alsoANT/ANT+. These proprietary radio net-work standards are aimed specifically at ultra-low-power applications and achieve an evenlower level of energy consumption than BLE.This is because, at 1 MHz, their frequencychannel is just half as wide as that of BLE, sothat the data modulation requires corre-spondingly less energy. At just 15 kB, theANT was developed to create wireless con-nections between sensors and their analysisdevices at short distances of up to 50 m. Thismeans that the protocol is ideally tailored forsport and fitness applications as well as forhealth care and telemedicine. It is alreadyinstalled in many devices, such as in thirteenof the widely distributed Samsung Galaxyand in twenty-six Sony Xperia smart phoneand tablet models. And of course the currenttop-selling S5 and NotePRO 12.2 bySamsung and Z2, as well as the Z2 tablet fromSony are ANT+ certified. This widespread

market acceptance makes the protocol inter-esting for cosinuss° too, because the sensorneeds to be able to communicate with asmany devices as possible. Another benefit ofANT is that, as opposed to Bluetooth/BLE,license fees are paid on purchase of the chipor module, so the device manufacturer canuse the technology almost without furthercost. Unlike with Bluetooth: since February2014 products using the protocol must havetheir own “declaration of compliance” whichhas to be paid for in addition to the actualqualification process (QDID).



A further point in favor of the nRF51422 isits 2.4 GHz wide range, due to outputpower of 20 to +4 dBm and receiver sensi-tivity of -96 dB. Its software architectureallows strict separation of protocol stack andapplication software. The two can be storedseparately and the user software can beintegrated more easily, faster and withouterror. A whole series of analog and digitalperipherals can interact without the CPUbecoming involved. Thanks to 31 integratedGPIOs, which are individually assigned todifferent pins, as well as PWM, ADC andother features, an additional microcontrolleris superfluous. That saves space, and alsomoney and energy.

Developers require redesignsOne year after the first prototype, cosinuss°carried out a redesign. They improved thehousing, which in turn affected the design ofthe circuit board. “It was quite tricky to designthe earpiece in such a way that it will not wob-ble, yet sits well in the ear without botheringthe wearer,” recalled Johannes Kreuzer. “Eachtime we changed something on the housing,we had to make corresponding changes to thePCB. Luckily we were always able to call on thesupport of Nordic and Rutronik - they evencame to our premises to offer advice.” Thealgorithm that calculates the heart rate fromthe captured data had to be adapted veryprecisely to the data capture system.

The cosinuss° C-SP 01 went into series pro-duction recently. The mobile heart ratemonitor enables athletes to monitor their

pulse rate without the discomfort of wearinga chest strap. It is housed inside a stylish casein vibrant colors, which can be worn behindthe left or the right ear.

The C-SP 01 is available from the cosinuss°online shop (www.cosinuss.com). A secondmodel - the C-SPM 01 - will be availablewithin 2015. “We intend to include speakersinto this model, so that, as they train, athletes

can listen to music - which they can already doanyway through an earpiece inside their ear -while also monitoring their heart rate.” It canalso emit audible warnings, if, for example,the wearer’s heart rate falls below or exceedsthe ideal range for training.

Kreuzer plans a third product which willmeasure core body temperature as well asthe heart rate. “This combination is muchmore informative and it means that athletes canmonitor their fitness much more efficiently”,explained Kreuzer. And as if that were notenough, cosinuss° is already planning furtherenhancements to make these comfortablesensors suitable for work safety and medicalapplications. In particular there is a greatdeal of potential in research into sleep pat-terns and brain activity, in telemedicine andfor hospital use. The device needs somemodifications to ensure that the sensor canbe easily and safely placed in position by thewearer, as well as by care and medical staff.And it also needs to meet medical require-ments such as the ability to resist disinfectionprocedures as well the corresponding stan-dards. “This is why we started by concentrat-ing on the sports and fitness sector. Wereceived extremely positive feedback”, said adelighted Johannes Kreuzer. “And for ourfuture developments we will be opting onceagain for the support of Nordic and Rutronik,based on the excellent experiences so far.”



INDUSTRY PRODUCT NEWS THERMAL IMAGING

Thermal imaging cameras have a wide range ofapplications from locating heating or water damagein a building to night navigation and even savinglives in a fire, making it easier to locate casualties.

These types of applications cannot be solved withnormal cameras thus making infrared cameras suchdevices that they can be used in several domainsand they are very cost-effective with new usesappearing all the time.

Aurocon COMPEC, as a distributor, offers a wide range of products that will perform with yourapplication. With lots of brands to choose from, you can easily find the one you need. We bring youconstantly new information and new ranges, adding more than 5.000 new products every month.

Uses and applications

As an example of a very affordable infrared camera we present the new compact Flir C2, a device that can fit into your pocket and hascomplete functions for construction experts and contractors.C2 is characterized by its unique MSX® from Flir which adds key detailsform visible light camera to real time infrared image.

features and benefits:• IR Sensor: 80 ´ 60 (4,800 measurement pixels)• Field of View: 41° x 31°• 3" Display (Color) 320 x 240 pixels• Auto Orientation• Touch Screen• Object temperature range: -10°C to +150°C (14 to 302°F)• Storage Media: Internal memory stores at least 500 sets of images• Image file format: Standard JPEG, 14-bit measurement data included• Digital Camera: 640 × 480 pixels• Size (L × W × H): 125 × 80 × 24 mm (4.9 × 3.1 × 0.94 in.)• Weight: 0.13 kg

flir c2 thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -10 → +150 °C

Thermal Imaging

on our website, ro.rsdelivers.com you can choose from various features of your desiredproducts like brands, display resolution, temperature measurement range, interface typeand thermal sensitivity, etc.

• RS Stock No.: 866-8124• Mfr. Part No.: flir one for android



Another interesting thermal imaging camera comes now for your phone, you simplyattached it to your iOS or Android device and have a fully functional infrared camera.It’s called the Flir One and it’s an attachment that connects to the bottom of mobiledevices via micro-USB connector providing thermal images of minute temperaturedifferences, giving users the power to see in the dark.

features and benefits:• Scene temperature range: -4°F to 248°F (-20° to 120°C)• Operating temperature: 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C)• Visible camera: VGA 640 x 480 (used for FLIR® MSX® blending)• Sensitivity: ability to detect temperature differences as small as 0.18° F (0.1° C)• Device compatibility: Android products containing a micro-USB• Color palettes (B/W, W/B, rainbow, contrast, arctic, hot/cold, iron)• MSX blending (adds visible spectrum detail to thermal images and enhances resolution)• Features include FLIR ONE Panorama™, FLIR ONE TimeLapse™, FLIR ONE Paint™, and FLIR ONE CloseUp™ functions• Still image capture• Video capture (.mov format)• °F and °C temperature readout (spot meter)• Easy sharing (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, e-mail, SMS, etc.)• Copy images to camera roll• Battery charge monitor• Automatic thermal shutter• Charging method: micro-USB paired with 1A wall charger (charges FLIR ONE only, not device)• Battery capacity: 350 mA/h• FLIR ONE neither consumes power from the connected device battery, nor charges it• When inactive FLIR automatically switches to low-power mode to maximize its battery life• Weight: 30 gr

flir one for ios or android thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -20 → +120°C• RS Stock No.: 883-7043 / 883-7049• Mfr. Part No.: flir one for android / ios

flir t420 infrared camera with WifiThe FLIR T420 Infrared Camera provides superior thermal resolution (320 × 240),an ergonomic rotating optical block, and fast auto-focus to help the busiest techni-cians get the best images easier than ever, even from the toughest angles.

features and benefits:• Display: Color LCD Touch screen, 3.5 in.• IR resolution: 320 ´ 240 pixels• Thermal Sensitivity: < 0.045°C• Field of view (FOV): 25° ´ 19°• Image frequency: 60 Hz• Digital Zoom: 4X Continuous• Temperature range: -20°C to +650°C• Interfaces: USB mini, USB-A, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, composite video• Battery operating time: Approx. 4 hours

supplied withFLIR T420 Infrared camera, SD Memory Card, 100-260V AC adaptor/charger, twoLi-Ion rechargeable batteries, 2-bay battery charger, power supply (with multi-plugs), FLIR Tools software, USB cable, video cable, sunshield, Bluetooth® headset, lens cap, neckstrap, and hard case.

flir t420 thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: 20 → +650°C• RS Stock No.: 905-5945• Mfr. Part No.: 62103-1101



product detailsThe Fluke VT04A Visual IR Thermometer blends a visual image with a heat map overlay, show-ing temperature patterns that may indicate an issue. The Fluke VT04A includes all the featuresof the VT04 but is powered by AA batteries, making it ideal for technicians who want to swapout batteries in the field.

features and benefits:• Visual image and infrared heat map blending: Identify the exact location of the potential

issue by blending the visual image with the heat map overlay at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% infrared with one button

• Center-point temperature and hot and cold markers• Pocket-size design• Keep working longer with features that extend battery life• Three screen brightness levels• High/low temperature alarms• Auto screen dimming after 2 minutes; instantly get back to work by pushing any button• Configurable auto-off time of 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes• Save in .bmp format: Eliminate the need to export from SmartView® software when all you need is the image• Persistent settings: Previous settings are retained so you can start work as soon as your VT04A turns on• Factory reset option

supplied withSoft case, Micro-SD card, Micro-SD conversion adapter to standard, 4xAA batteries

Vt04a ir thermometer, -10 → +250 °c• RS Stock No.: 810-3891• Mfr. Part No.: fluke Vt04a

product detailsThe Fluke Ti125 and Ti110 Thermal Imagers are designed for industrial andcommercial inspection and maintenance. The new Ti series represent an evolu-tion in thermal imaging with six new innovations:

ir-optiflex™ focus system that combines the flexibility, speed and convenienceof fixed focus with the flexibility of selecting manual focus for subjects that areless than 1.2 metres away.

ir fusion® provides an IR picture in picture mode,where an IR image window is surrounded by a visible light frame providing aframe of reference with its surroundings.

autoblend™ combines visible and infrared images to create a single image toprecisely locate problems (Ti125 only).

smartview allows viewing images in portrait or landscape.

ir-photonotes™ this annotation system allows you to add up to three digitalphotos to each IR image for easy identification.

electronic compass for eight point cardinal compass readings stored againsteach image

• RS Stock No.: 752-8930• Mfr. Part No.: fluKe-ti110

fluke ti110 thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -20 → +250°C



features and benefits:• Excellent thermal sensitivity (NETD) to see even the smallest temperature differences• 9 Hz capture or refresh rate• 160 × 120 pixel resolution FPA (focal plane array) microbolometer• 2 megapixel industrial grade visible camera• Three user definable spot markers (three on camera and in Smartview™)• Temperature measurement range -20°C to +350°C (Ti125) and -20°C to +250°C (Ti110)• Standard palettes (blue-red, greyscale, inverted greyscale, high-contrast, hot metal, ironbow, amber, inverted amber)• Colour alarms• 60 second voice annotation• 3.5 inch diagonal colour LCD display• Rugged, lightweight, point-and-shoot• Focus-free beyond 1.2 metres (4 feet) and manual focus for closer inspection below 1.2 metres• Built-in laser pointer and torch to assist in highlighting or locating problem areas• Water and dust resistant: IP54• Weight: 0.726 kg• Size (H×W×D): 284 × 86 × 135 mm

product detailsThe U5855A TrueIR thermal imager allows engineers to safely and efficiently identifypotential faults without shutting down the systems or disrupting the productivity of anindustrial plant.

features and benefits:• Temperature measurement range: -20 to -350°C• Range 1: -20 to +120°C• Range 2: 0 to +350°C• Thermal sensitivity: • Range 1: 0.07 °C (at 30 °C), Range 2: 0.1 °C (at 30 °C)• Detector Resolution: 160 ´ 120• Fine Resolution: 320 ´ 240 (IR pixels)• Frame rate: 9 Hz• Field of view: (FOV) 28° (H) ´ 21° (V)• Digital zoom Zoom ratio: 4´ continuous• Display: 3.5" TFT• Visible camera: 3.1 MP• Quick access buttons: torch light, laser pointer, scaling and trigger functions• IP rating: IP 54• Dimensions (W ´ H ´ D): 95 ´ 250 ´ 85 mm• Weight: 0.746 kg (with battery)

Key applications:Predictive maintenance in Industrial applications (electrical andmechanical inspection), Commercial or residential building diag-nostics, HVAC/R, diagnostic and energy audit, Electronics R & D

supplied withThermal imager, power adapter with power cord, rechargeable Li-Ion battery, SD memory card, Video RCA to RCA interface cable 2m,USB Standard-A to Mini Type-B interface cable 1m, hand strap, rugged hard carrying case, quick start guide, certificate of calibration.

Keysight technologies u5855a thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -20 → +350°C• RS Stock No.: 877-3141• Mfr. Part No.: u5855a



product detailsThe Testo 870-1 Thermal imager features simple one handed operation, (160 × 120 pixels) resolution withSuper Resolution upgrade option to get 4x standard resolution (320 × 240 pixels). The Testo 870 ThermalImager was specially developed in cooperation with heating constructors, building contractors, service engi-neers and facility management specialists.

features and benefits:• Infrared resolution: 160 × 120 pixels• Image display: 3.5" LCD with 320 × 240 pixels• Temperature range: -20 to +280 °C• Thermal sensitivity (NETD): <100 mK• Field of view: 34° × 26°• Auto Hot/Cold Spot Recognition• Battery operating time: 4 hours

accessories:Super Resolution Technology is supplied as standard to increase the thermal resolution by four times, resulting in a 320x240 pixels reso-lution and a huge improvement in thermal image quality, detail and accuracyAdditional Lithium ion rechargeable battery 796-1814Battery charging station 796-1823High-quality transport case 796-1810

testo 870-1 thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -20 → +280°C• RS Stock No.: 796-1804• Mfr. Part No.: 0560 8701

product detailsThe thermal imaging camera allows to improve comfort or optimize a building's ener-gy performance. The thermal camera is a powerful tool capable of detecting faultsand irregularities related to thermal bridges, thermal insulation.

features and benefits:• Compact and lightweight• Thermal sensitivity: 0.08 °C at 30 °C• Dynamic range for measurement: from -20 °C to 250 °C• Detector: 80 × 60 • Field of view: 10° × 8°• Min. focal distance: 10 cm• Memory: Storage of up to 1000 thermal images• Protection: IP54

supplied withBattery charger, battery, 2 GB SD card, SD card reader, DiaCAm Preview software on CD-ROM, operating manuals and measurement reports.

chauvin arnoux c.a 1877 thermal imaging camera, Temperature Measurement Range: -20 → +250°C• RS Stock No.: 785-0720• Mfr. Part No.: p01651277

Author: Vlad dumitruaurocon compec SRL

Do not hesitate to ask for any additional information by email: [email protected], phone: 0213 046 233, fax: 0213 046 234or access ro.rsdelivers.com. We offer you continuous improved services that can help you with your production facilities.An important part of our services refers to delivery. Now the lead time has become lower thus the delivery faster as inyou can have now the products you need in 24 hours delivered directly to your door. No order is too small or lessimportant for us!

EP&Dee no 10

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